Monday 9th May 2016

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NEWS

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

Buhari Asks AGF to Explain His Refusal to Recover N300bn Stashed in Banks

Minister denies wrongdoing, defends decision to revoke mandate given to EFCC accuser, George Uboh Tobi Soniyi inAbuja President Muhammadu Buhari has asked the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), to respond to allegations that he refused to recover N300 billion allegedly hidden in some Nigerian banks after his attention was drawn to the money by Dr. George Uboh and his company, Panic Alert Security System (PASS), engaged by the minister to trace the money.

The president’s query was a follow up to two letters of complaints written against the AGF

by Uboh and his company, accusing the minister of frustrating efforts to recover the already identified funds.

In his response, Malami denied the allegation and pledged his commitment to recover all stolen monies in line with the position of the federal government.

He also said that he revoked the mandate he gave to PASS and Uboh to recover the monies because Uboh went beyond the mandate given to him.

The minister in his reply to the president through the Office of the Chief of Staff, Alhaji Abba Kyari, dated 4th April, 2016, said the allegations levelled against him were untrue and baseless.

Uboh had accused Malami of deliberately frustrating his efforts to recover the N300 billion his company, PASS, allegedly traced to some Nigerian banks.

Responding, the minister said: “In demonstration of my firm

commitment to the recovery efforts of the government, I gave PASS a letter titled: TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN dated 17th February, 2016, introducing PASS to the aforesaid banks/financial institutions.

“The aforesaid letter of engagement dated 9th February, 2016 and the subsequent letter of introduction dated 17th February, 2016 (‘HAGF Letters’) were given to PASS on the firm understanding that PASS had already identified and/or traced specific FGN funds stashed/trapped in the aforementioned banks and that PASS would promptly embark on processes that would lead to actual recoveries and remittances of the traced funds into the designated account of the FGN in line with the proposals submitted, presentations made, and the terms contained in its letter of 9th February, 2016.”

The minister said he had to revoke the authorisation he gave to Uboh when he discovered that he embarked on a window-shopping mission upon receipt of the letter by going beyond his brief, and embarked on subtle threats to all Nigerian banks, some private individuals and entities solely to shop for data and information to execute the brief contrary to the representations he (Uboh) made to him.

Malami said: “In a manner that clearly demonstrated that PASS was merely on a voyage of discovery and window-shopping, PASS, upon receipt of the letters herein mentioned, went to town

and unilaterally expanded the scope of its brief far beyond the 13 banks covered by his brief and embarked on subtle threats to all Nigerian banks, some private individuals and entities solely to shop for data and information to execute the brief contrary to the representations made to me.

“His only defence for the ultra vires were the fraudulent, baseless, unsubstantiated and illogical inferences that my letter of introduction dated 17th February, 2016 had endlessly expanded/ enlarged the scope of his instructions while in the actual sense, the said letter was expressly issued pursuant to the February 9, 2016’s letter of engagement earlier given to PASS. “I was inundated with the excesses of Uboh of PASS and later found out that PASS actually wrote several banks (more than 13 banks), private individuals, corporate entities (national and multinationals), government agencies and virtually all FGN ministries soliciting for data, information, official records, remittances (funds and stocks), and records of whereabouts of all forfeited assets not yet disposed off by some of the FGN agencies, amongst other things.

“For the record, the entities, agencies and private individuals written to by PASS in addition to the 13 banks specifically/actually

covered by its mandate include but not limited to the following: i. All Ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; ii. All Managing Directors of 25 Money Deposit Banks (MDBs) in Nigeria; iii.

Managing Director, FSDH Merchant Bank Limited; iv. Managing Director, CitiBank Nigeria Limited; v.

Managing Director, FBN Holdings Plc; vi. Managing Director, Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON); vii. Immediate Past M.D, AMCON; viii. Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS); ix. Former Chairman, Presidential Amnesty Committee; x.

ALGON and some of its past and serving executives; xi. DG/CEO, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC); xii. Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices & Other Offences Commission; xiii.

Inspector General of Police (IG); xiv. Ag. Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC); xv. Managing Director, Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC); xvi. Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA); xvii. Ag. Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC); xviii.

Immediate Past Comptroller General of Customs, Alhaji A. Dikko Inde; xxix. Immediate past AGF & Minister of Justice, Mr. Bello Adoke (SAN); xx. Ex-Minister of State for

Finance/Minister of Finance, Mrs. Nenadi Usman; xxi. Immediate past Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabio; xxii.

Mr. Tony Chukwu (who allegedly executed contracts on behalf of NDDC); xxiii. Managing Director, Technip Offshore Nigeria Ltd.; xxiv.

Managing Director, Halliburton Energy Services Ltd. xxv. Managing Director, Intels Nigeria Ltd.; xxvi. Managing Director, TransOcean; xxvii.

Managing Director, Marubeni Nigeria Ltd; xxviii. Managing Director, Nobles Drilling Nigeria Ltd.; xxix. Managing Director, Japanese Gas Corporation Nig. Ltd.; xxx. Managing Director, Snamprogetti; xxxi. Managing Director, SIEMEMS; xxxii.

Managing Director, Julius Berger Nig. Ltd.; xxxiii. Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria; xxxiv. Accountant General of the Federation; xxxv.

Immediate past Executive Secretary, TETFUND, Prof. Sulaiman Bagoro, and other individuals not covered

by PASS’ letter of engagement.”

The minister also dismissed as untrue the insinuation that he entered into an “unholy alliance” with the “banking sector mafia” not to cooperate with PASS, and/ or that he promised Access Bank that he would call Uboh to soft pedal on the bank.

“I must state that the above

allegations are untrue, incorrect, false, a figment of the imagination of the author and a smear campaign

by Uboh to tarnish my name. I did not make, never made and will never make any alliance with anyone in and outside of the banking industry to frustrate PASS or any firm from recovering any FGN funds stashed/trapped in the listed banks or any bank or company in Nigeria or elsewhere,” Malami said.

According to the minister, other excesses of Uboh and his company include soliciting and/or requesting bank officials to allow him access to certain encrypted systems in order to enable him extract relevant information to execute the brief without appreciation of the security implications of such a delicate venture on Nigeria’s financial sector and without any prior discussions with and approval from him.

He said Uboh was also going about the execution of the brief in such a manner that would clearly embarrass the federal government, hence his decision to revoke the letter of engagement in order to avert any likelihood of a security breach of high magnitude in the banking sector.

The minister said: “I also

Cont’d on pg 48

NCAA Bans Unauthorised Use of Drone in Nigerian Airspace Chinedu Eze The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has said it recognises the growing requests for the use of Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA), better known as drones, leading to its proliferation in Nigeria.

It has therefore issued safety guidelines to check its use in the country’s airspace.

Accordingly, NCAA has directed that no government agency, organisation or individual will launch a drone in the Nigerian airspace for any purpose whatsoever without obtaining requisite approvals/permit from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and Office of National Security Adviser (NSA).

The regulatory body noted that in recent times, drones are being deployed for commercial and recreational purposes in the country without adequate security clearance.

“Therefore with the preponderance of these operations particularly in a non-segregated airspace, there has to be proactive safety guidelines.

“The development of the use of RPA nationwide has emerged with somewhat predictable safety concerns and security threats.

“The International Civil

Aviation Organisation (ICAO) is yet to publish Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs), as far as certification and operation of civil use of RPA is concerned,” NCAA said in a statement signed by its spokesman, Sam Adurogboye.

The agency added it had put in place Regulations/Advisory Circular to guide the certification and operations of civil RPA in the Nigerian airspace.

“This is contained in the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs 2015 Part 8.8.1.33) and Implementing Standards (Nig.CARs 2015 Part IS.8.8.1.33).

“Therefore no government agency, organisation or individual will launch an RPA/UAV in the Nigerian airspace foranypurpose whatsoever without obtaining requisite approvals/ permit from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and Office of National Security Adviser (NSA),” the authority said.

NCAA also reiterated that all applicants and holders of permits to operate RPA/Drones must strictly be guided by safety guidelines.

In addition, it noted that operators must ensure strict compliance with the conditions stipulated in their permits and the requirements of the Nig.CARs, warning that violators will be sanctioned according to the dictates of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs).

SAI BABA

PresidentMuhammaduBuharibeingwelcomedtothepalacetotheEmirofDaura bysomechiefsduringhisvisittoKatsinaState....yesterday

Appeal Court Affirms 25Years Jail Terms for Boko Haram Convicts Akinwale Akintunde

The Court of Appeal in Lagos last Friday affirmed the judgment of a Federal High Court in Lagos convicting and sentencing three members Boko Haram, to 25 years imprisonment each.

The Appeal Court, in a judgment delivered by Justice Y.B Nimpar, rejected the appeal filed by the convicts and upheld the judgment of the court below.

Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court in Lagos had on September 30, 2014, handed

down the verdict after the Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of Justice, successfully prosecuted the terrorists before the court.

The state government had filed charges against four accused persons for conspiracy to commit a felony to wit: acts of terrorism, concealing information about acts of terrorism and having possession of prohibited firearms and ammunition contrary to various sections of the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act, 2013 and the Firearms Act, Cap

F.28 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Out of the four persons charged, three were sentenced to 25 years imprisonment each, while the fourth accused was discharged and acquitted.

Those convicted and sentenced are Ali Mohammed Modu, Adamu Ali Karumi and Ibrahim Usman Ali. Dissatisfied with the verdict, the convicts through their lawyer, had approached the Appeal Court in Lagos, asking that the verdict be upturned on the grounds that they

were charged under inapplicable laws, and that the 25 years terms of imprisonment were excessive.

One of the convicts, Ibrahim Usman Ali, had specifically argued that he was inadvertently convicted and sentenced for a count with which he was not charged.

While the Court of Appeal agreed that one of the convicts was wrongly convicted under a count with which he was not charged, it however affirmed the judgment of Justice Buba which convicted and sentenced the three terrorists to 25 years imprisonment each.

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COMMENT

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

TROUBLE AT THE GRID

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There is urgent need to declare a state of emergency in the power sector, argues Uzo Nwokwu

or too long now, Nigeria has become synonymous with epileptic power supply. Without doubt, the country harbours the most generators in all nations on earth, including brands and sizes. Today, we have graduated from epileptic supply to virtually zero supply of electricity to our citizens. No one in the government seems to be worried about the incalculable harm of these generators to public health, the environment, our psyche and the owners and neighbours of these harmful machines. But it is scandalous that a nation that sits on nearly inexhaustible quantum of oil and gas, petrochemicals, trash, wind and sunshine is at the same time living in the darkest part of the earth. This is mainly because of the greed, avarice, ignorance, mediocrity and partisanship of its political class and leadership. At a time the world’s water resources are fast drying up as a result of climate change, and nations are in panic mood, desperately exploring and deploying all sorts of alternative energy technologies, Nigeria’s leadership is still focused on the Kainji Dam for solution to its power quagmire. At a time even much more endowed nations in the oil and gas sectors, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and UAE are investing heavily in renewable energy technology as a present and long-term solution, our leadership is obsessed with the moribund Egbin power (less) station for succour.

At a time the world, including the USA, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Italy, France and other advanced and not-so advanced societies are tapping into all possible sources of energy simultaneously, we are protecting special interests in the power sector, playing dirty geo-political partisan politics while Nigeria lies prostrate on the ground. Just last week, the president, Muhammadu Buhari went to China and entangled Nigeria in among some other messy stuff, the construction of a solar farm-based power plant, a technology that has since become virtually moribund but which China is busy replicating all over Africa, from South Africa to Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania, etc. The cost and source of funding are even the more worrisome.

For a nation that has some of the most brilliant experts in the power sector in the world today, it is inexplicable that rather than declare a state of emergency in the power sector and tap these experts to come home and rescue the nation, we have lumped

IT IS SCANDALOUS THAT A NATION THAT SITS ON NEARLY INEXHAUSTIBLE QUANTUM OF OIL AND GAS, PETROCHEMICALS, TRASH, WIND AND SUNSHINE IS AT THE SAME TIME LIVING IN THE DARKEST PART OF THE EARTH

the power ministry together with those of works and housing in apparent emphasis of our ignorance and low priority for the power sector. Truth is that no nation, including Nigeria can develop without sufficient electricity to power its infrastructure, electricity being the bedrock on which every and any other development or project depends for sustainability.

In addition to Geothermal technology, there is an abundance of technology and funds in the renewable energy sector outside Nigeria to power the nation but for some anachronistic policies and the greed of Nigeria’s political class. It becomes even the more bizarre when you reckon with the fact that God has placed Nigeria right there at the centre of the equator which means that she can generate from renewable energy sector, twice or even thrice the amount of power that other nations can generate with the same equipment and investment. Unfortunately, even states, local governments and institutions are also folding hands, waiting for the federal government which appears today so confused and helpless in the face of the crisis. Only God knows how many lives have been lost to the power crisis, how much financial loss we have incurred, the damage to the manufacturing sector and the economy generally, the discomfort to the people as well as what is going on in the minds of our rulers, particularly Mr. Babatunde Fashola whose benchmark for determining competent administrations is provision of adequate power supply within six months but who after one year seems yet to be as to wondering if he is actually the minster of Power, Works or Housing.

I guess whenever we come to terms with the fact that the status quo ante in Nigeria, our present politics, bitterness, vindictiveness, perception and manner of approach to our problems are unsustainable, we will turn around and make the necessary changes for the better. Nigeria needs all Nigerians, particularly its best eleven to bring her back to life.

Those Nigerians making excuses for the political class, the president and present and past administrations should hide their faces in shame. The decision to move the country forward must begin with the people and quickly enough, unless we want Nigeria to die of an imminent heart attack.

Nwokwu wrote from the United States of America

HAIL TO THE CHIEF

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Sylvanus Onwuke writes that Akinwunmi Ambode is in a hurry to fix the infrastructure in Nigeria’s most populous state

he Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, has been making bold moves to adequately meet the growing needs of more than 22 million residents of the state. Since the advent of his administration, he has embarked on arrays of infrastructural upgrade and development across major areas in the state.

Shortly after assuming office on May 29, 2015, he reviewed the 2015 budget. He forwarded a request to the Lagos State House of Assembly asking that the budget be reordered to address the urgent need for infrastructural development in the state.

The House endorsed the request and signed it into law on September 23, 2015.

The reordered budget comprised N19.7 billion capital expenditure and N5.7 billion recurrent expenditure.

Governor Ambode then promised aggressive construction of new roads across the length and breadth of the state. Four months later, the results of his promise were evident.

He has in recent times been inaugurating some of the projects. These include IyanaAyobo and Ikotun-Ejigbo Roads.

While inaugurating the Iyana-Ipaja Road, he said: “Three months ago, you will recall that we came to this particular road and we promised the people of Mosan-Okunola that we will deliver the Ipaja-Ayobo Road before Christmas, and it is on the strength of that promise that we are here today. Thank God, we have seen to the completion of this road; it has street lights beginning from Ipaja roundabout to the end.

“As much as we have kept our promise and delivered even before the projected day, the residents should also maintain good use of this road and cooperate with the government as we extend development to this neighbourhood. I just want to assure the people of Alimosho axis that this government is right behind you and we would

do everything possible to turn Alimosho to Victoria Island.”

He also launched the Ikotun-Ejigbo Road. He assured residents that street lights would be installed on the road from Ikotun Roundabout to the Isolo Campus of Lagos Polytechnic within three months. He disclosed that construction works would soon begin on Ishefun-Ayetoro Road.

He also inspected some ongoing projects.

At Brown Street in Oshodi he noted that the project which commenced about six weeks ago, was over 40 per cent completed and he looked forward to the residents in the area enjoying the benefits of the new road when completed by the end of February 2016.

At the sight he instructed the public works corporation to rehabilitate Igbehinadun and Inasa Streets within seven days.

At the Oshodi Resettlement Market, the governor ordered the public works corporation to resurface the car park in the market in preparation for the reopening of the market. As someone who empathised with the common man, he advised the developer of the market to consider a rent-to-own modality for acquisition of the shops, saying that a monthly payment plan would prevent the shops from being hijacked by businessmen.

At one of his inspection tours, he unveiled plans to transform Ebute-Metta into a tourist haven by establishing a recreation park on the stretch of land overlooking the lagoon, adjacent to the Adekunle axis of the Third Mainland Bridge. Not pleased with the state of the location under the bridge, which was being occupied by auto mechanics, he asked them, giving them a seven-day ultimatum, to vacate the site and remove all abandoned vehicles for the development project to commence in earnest. His target for the completion is the end of May 2017 which will be 50 years anniversary of Lagos State.

He expressed displeasure about the refusal

of the mechanics to vacate the site regardless of repeated notice. He told the people that the land was needed for overall public interest of the state. In the same vein, he ordered the traders in the area to relocate to the special site assigned to them in Agbowa

by January 2016.

For the 2016 fiscal year, Governor Ambode presented the highest budget proposal in the history of the state to the House of Assembly. He presented a budget proposal of N662.6 billion which is about N173bn higher than that of 2015 presented by his predecessor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola.

The increase, according to the governor, is to address the emerging challenges of physical and social infrastructural development in the state, among other concerns.

In the 2016 budget proposal, the current expenditure is N383.7bn while the recurrent expenditure stands at N278.9bn. The ratio of capital to recurrent of the new budget proposal is 58.52 as against 51.49 in 2014 and 2015.

While presenting the budget, he assured Lagosians that his administration would not only judiciously implement the budget, but would also ensure that it works in the best interest of Lagosians. He said the intention of his government is to use the 2016 budget which is the first to be fully implemented by his administration, to strategically build new infrastructure, as well as maintain existing ones.

He stated that in the coming year, his administration would embark on periodic inspection of roads with a view to knowing the state of the roads and taking appropriate steps.

He claimed that his government has introduced far-reaching reforms targeted at reducing the cost of governance in order to channel more funds for provision of infrastructure. He said: “To reduce the deficit in infrastructure, this administration has

completed the construction/maintenance of 18 major roads. The roads include: Bale Yahwenu Street, Aradagun, Badagry, Akinrinlo Street, Adenuja Kajero Street, and Ilara Palace Road all in Somolu Local Government Area. Others include Babatunde Bakare Street, Palace, Oligbe, Shrine, Mosque, Back of Palace, and Eluku Roads all in Epe Local Government Area. Other completed roads are Pa Olakesin Okeogun Street and Oriokuta Road, Owutu in Ikorodu Local Government Area and Ailegun and Kike Adeyemi Streets in Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area.”

In addition, he said construction works were ongoing on 167 road projects, notable among them are Lagos-Badagry, Afa nla Road in Agege. He also said that a total of 131 roads were rehabilitated through sectional resurfacing and overlay of roads spread across the state to stem road degradation, and the attendant traffic snarl resulting in man-hour waste. As at the time of this write-up new roads are being prepared for rehabilitation and dilapidated old ones are undergoing rehabilitation. Under the Ambode administration, the state has become a huge construction site.

The governor at a public forum said his administration realised the importance of good roads in boosting commercial activities, which was why, he said, the government invested heavily on road rehabilitation and provision of new ones.

Ambode is a firm believer in fiscal federalism. He made a case that Lagos State should be granted a special status. He called for a prompt refund by the federal government of over N50bn the state government has expended on federal roads in its territory, adding, “We look forward to an early refund to enable us utilise the fund on other infrastructure that require attention.”

Onwuke wrote from Lagos

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EDITORIAL VANDALISM AND THE POWER SECTOR

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Security agencies have to take the war against power equipment vandals more seriously

s the nation continues to grapple with persistent power outages and unreliable electricity supply, this critical sector is currently beset by the twin problems of theft and vandalism of its transformers and power-line cables. So endemic is this challenge that except drastic action is taken to contain the menace, most Nigerians will continue to experience darkness in their homes.

In a statement last week, the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) said it has recorded no fewer than 55 cases of vandalism from January to date, and has also expended substantial amount of money repairing and replacing such equipment.

“The EEDC wishes to reiterate its commitment toward fighting vandalism and calls on well meaning and law abiding citizens to work together in fighting this ugly menace,” the statement signed by its head of communications, Mr Emeka Eze, said.

Unfortunately, this is a common story across the country as managers of the distribution companies (Discos) make WE CALL ON THE HOST strenuous efforts to COMMUNITIES TO cope with equipment PROVIDE ASSISTANCE BY vandalism which WAY OF INTELLIGENCE indeed has become AND INFORMATION TO THE a major obstacle. Yet SECURITY AGENCIES there is no doubt that the incidents of theft and equipment vandalism are really costing the nation huge sums of money.

Besides, life is made more difficult for law abiding citizens who are thrown into darkness due to erratic and unreliable power supply. Also, the nation’s economy is seriously threatened as industries are being shut and employees laid off because companies cannot meet production target as many operate below their installed capacity.

While we lament this deplorable situation, it must be stated that the menace of electricity equipment vandals persists because of the existence of a

Letters to the Editor

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“market” for the stolen items. Obviously no criminal would be foolish enough to take the risk of stealing transformers and cables without having an assured market somewhere ready to buy such equipment.

Sometimes these stolen transformers and other equipment surprisingly turn up for supply by contractors in the sector. After all, no single individual can afford the purchase and installation of such specialised equipment without the active connivance of the officials.

I T H I S DAY

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

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

THE MENACE OF FULANI HERDSMEN

he Vice-President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and other key government functionaries may need to do a lot of public relations to launder the image of this government that is being battered and damaged by the nefarious activities of the suspected Fulani herdsmen. It will be an uphill task for the government officials and the ruling party stalwarts to convince and canvass for citizens to give their support to a government which they feel is doing little or nothing to protect them from the menace of the suspected marauders who have left their communities devastated and made them bereaved. The All Progressives Congress (APC) as a party is gradually being transformed into a brand which may find it difficult to win a free and fair election in every area or locality where these Fulani herdsmen had operated and left their deadly trademarks. And despite the condemnation and strong warning issued by the federal government last week, the killings have continued unabated. For instance, the killing of the traditional ruler of Fadan Karshi district in Sango Local Government Area of Kaduna State – Bala Madaki - and his nephew, Emmanuel Tanko, in a night attack was traced to some suspected Fulani herdsmen. The attacks which dated back to 2011 election crises had reportedly claimed about 1,500 lives in the Southern part of the state, according to reports. Again the president in a recent meeting with some Catholic Bishops reportedly denounced the nefarious activities of these suspected Fulani herdsmen which were inimical to the peaceful co-existence of this nation and hence a serious threat to our national security.

Even through many opinion leaders may rightly observe that this condemnation might be coming a bit late, it is still better

t is unfortunate that as the nation remains burdened with the quest for improved and steady power supply, there are unpatriotic elements who are bent on sabotaging government efforts and throwing their fellow citizens into hardship. It is therefore time that the authorities took serious measures against these criminals. To the extent that what we are dealing with is a serious crime that borders on economic sabotage, the security agencies should be up and doing in apprehending the hoodlums and bringing them to justice.

We also call on the host communities to provide assistance by way of intelligence and information to the security agencies. Criminals come from within specific communities and when they realise that they would be exposed by their kinsmen, they would certainly have a second thought. Community leaders should therefore consider it a patriotic duty to join in the fight against the vandalism of electricity equipment.

However, what is worrying is that the security agencies have a long history of tough words with little effect as the criminally-minded people within our society get more and more emboldened. It is therefore incumbent on all the critical stakeholders to come up with a solution that will work. But the communities have to be vigilant in keeping a close eye on the equipment within their neighbourhood, even for the sake of their own enlightened self interest. We must protect these vital assets of the nation from the grip of criminals.

than the ominous silence that had hitherto been displayed by the federal government coupled with the lack of decisive actions by the security agents in the last 11 months or so. And with this new presidential order reportedly given to the Chief of Defence Staff and the Inspector-General of Police, we hope the security agents have eventually found their bearing and a sense of direction on how to curtail this new menace.

A news-reported credited to the vice-president Prof. Osinbajo indicated that the nation has lost about $15 billion to security spending/procurement under the tenure of the last administration! Obviously this was a colossal waste that have further impoverished the nation.

The recent firing of corruption from all cylinders is what is boosting the image of the present administration of President Buhari. But alas, the unrelenting criminal activities being linked to some suspected Fulani herdsmen- the president’s kinsmen have inadvertently turned into a dead fly in the ointment.

If any group of people in Nigeria think they can take undue advantage of their kinsman in power to further their sectional interests and try to lord it over the rest of the nation, they may be making a grave mistake. They may instead be working at cross purposes and making good governance difficult for their brother and kinsman. This is because, when the time is due, the Nigerian electorate may begin to read between the lines and demand change from the current proponents of the change mantra. After all, it has been said that the only thing that is constant in life is change itself.

Gbemiga Olakunle, JP General Secretary, National Prayer Movement

WHY SILAS JOSHUA IS FIT

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dministrative convenience entails that the second- in -command in an organisation should step into the shoes of his boss, whenever the boss is leaving. It is within this context that it has become necessary for Silas Joshua to step in as the secretary of the Adamawa State Local Government Pension Board.

As the current secretary bows out in less than four months after clocking the mandatory 36 years of active service, there is intensive lobbying among some people to occupy the exalted position.

So far, majority of opinion points to a new beginning that will herald total cleansing of the beleaguered board which, to a large extent, will eliminate favouritism and tribalism. This can only be done by the appointment of the most senior and second in command of the board as the next secretary by the governor of the state.

The pension board is saddled with the payment of local government retired employees such as their

gratuity and pension. As such, the appropriate thing to do is the appointment of an insider who already knows the precarious situation of the board like the present director of finance. The problem of the pension board is beyond an outsider who may need to undergo tutelage as the current situation in the board does not require a fire brigade approach.

Certain considerations such as religion, tribe or even the local government that one hails from should be set aside. But what is needed is the capability and merit for optimum performance.

We need at this threshold of change to be doing things that can enhance productivity in the civil service and discard the old formula of mediocrity especially in appointments in the civil service. Mr. Silas Joshua is a qualified accountant with a Master’s degree from a prestigious university in the United Kingdom. He has acquitted himself well as an employee at the local government level for nearly 30 years now.

Usman Santuraki, Jimeta-Yola

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POLITICS

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

T H E M O N D AY D I S C O U R S E

PDP’s Journey of Self-rediscovery With the outcomes of some of its ward and state congresses, the Peoples Democratic Party has shown the capacity to return to reckoning, writes the THISDAY Politics Desk

Former PDP National Chairman, Adamu Muazu_ Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State_ Chief Tony Anenih and former President Goodluck Jonathan before the 2015 general election

T

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had indicated its determination to return to power immediately it was kicked out of power in the 2015 general election. Although its defeat was a rude shock, it didn’t brood for too long and was resolved to learn from its failure even more intelligently. But since the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) took over power, happenings thereafter have shown that the election was really not much about the PDP, but former President Goodluck Jonathan and the Buhari bandwagon.

Nothing has lent credence to this than the outcomes of a majority of the elections since held across the many parts of the country wherein the PDP came tops – practically in all. Whilst this has conferred on the PDP some valid relevance, it has in a different breath, exposed the growing resentment against the ruling party.

Cashing in on this, the PDP is daily upping its game and closing all loose ends in its determination to stay focused with eyes on the ball. Thus, the journey to the May 21 National Convention of the party has been more reassuring that the party is leaving no stone unturned to getting back its groove.

The outcomes of some of the congresses so far held present a party ready to steal the show once again and a state by state account of the outcomes gives credence to this.

Akwa Ibom State Okon Bassey The May ward congress of the PDP in

Akwa Ibom State was full of tension because of the struggle for structure control at the ward level. Although the official result of the congress was delayed, the principal characters struggling to control the soul of the party are the incumbent governor of the state, Mr. Udom Emmanuel and his predecessor in office now Senator representing the Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, Senator Godswill Akpabio.

Unconfirmed reports had it that while candidates of Governor Emmanuel won in Eket and Uyo senatorial districts, consisting of 21 local government areas; the candidates of Senator Akpabio won in Ikot Ekpene with 10 local government areas. Political watchers were of the view that the governor’s target is to effect changes in the leadership structures of the party in order to consolidate his position ahead of the 2019 general election. Yet, the governor, many would concur, came to power on the back of Senator Akpabio.

The congress was conducted using option A4. It was therefore adjudged to be peaceful, transparent and fair, considering series of protests, riot, maiming and killing that often characterised previous congresses of the party in the state.

Governor Emmanuel said he was impressed and satisfied with the way the exercise across the state and thanked the people for selecting the officers of their choice devoid of rancor, adding also that the PDP has proven itself as a party that respects the wishes of the people.

Also, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, who participated in the congress

at the Civic Centre, Ikot Ukopo, Itreto ward, Nsit Ubium Local Government Area lauded the returning officers of the ward for following stipulated guidelines in the conduct of the exercise.

Kwara State Hammid Shittu Unlike the past ward/delegates congress of the PDP in Kwara State which always ended with violence, the just concluded exercise across the 16 local government councils of the state were unbelievably peaceful. Ilorin West Local Government Council that used to be a hot spot of political crisis was done in a free and fair manner devoid any violence.

Reports from other local government councils also revealed that, all the ward executives of the party were harmonised without any hindrance, more so, the party was determined to forget the past and agreed to work together in the bid to ensure electoral victory of the PDP in the future polls.

The names of the ward executives were done on yes affirmative as all the members of the party jointly approved the names without any hindrance. After the congress, the names of the executive council at the 16 local government councils were collated and submitted to the state party secretariat.

Delegates were also picked without any violence as members agreed with the names of delegates elected.

Public Relations Officer of PDP in the state, Chief Rex Olawoye, who confirmed that there was no crisis throughout the exercise, said

“The ward and delegates congress went on peacefully without any hiccups across the 16 councils in Kwara. The success of the congress was based on the fact that the national leadership of the PDP did what is right on the rules and regulations guiding the congress.”

He said “The forms brought from Abuja by the national leadership of the party to conduct the congress were uniform with the number of wards in the state and there were no manipulations whatsoever”. He lauded members of the party for their peaceful conduct throughout the period of the exercise.

Imo State Amby Uneze The congress held in Imo State was nonetheless peaceful, but with mixed feelings from members of the party, including some of the candidates. The congress which was originally fixed for Saturday, the 30th of May was shifted to Sunday, the following day probably because of the sudden change of the Caretaker Committee chairman, Vitalis Okafor, who was reportedly replaced by Sergeant Awuse from Rivers State. Okafor’s three months tenure had elapsed.

Although the change in baton did not affect the other members of the caretaker committee because they all had the constitutional provision to seek re-appointment, the appointment of a Rivers State born politician, Sergeant Awuse did not also change the decision of the people, who had made up CONT’D ON NEXT PAGE

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T H I S D AY • MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016

POLITICS/ THE MONDAY DISCOURSE PDP’S JOURNEY OF SELF-REDISCOVERY

Chief Uche Secondus handing over to the incumbent National Chairman of PDP, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff

their minds on the candidates they were to vote in.

In various wards, especially in Mbaise axis, party faithful converged in their different booths to cast their votes, while in other areas such as the Orlu and Okigwe axis, most of their leaders converged in a popular hotel at the heart of Owerri, capital city, where it was rumoured the results of the congress was written.

Talking to THISDAY on the outcome of the election, the outgoing Chairman of PDP in Ezinihitte LGA, Chief Chineme Madu confirmed that the election went well and smoothly too.

Also, the outgoing Legal Adviser of the party, C.O.C. Akolisa told THISDAY that they were happy that the crisis in the party had been resolved and a new caretaker committee was in place to supervise the congresses in the state.

Plateau State Seriki Adinoyi In Plateau State, the congress was largely peaceful, except in Bukuru Ward in Jos South local government area, where there was fracas over the chairmanship candidate. THISDAY gathered that the people kicked against the choice of an unpopular factional candidate resulting in heated argument and fracas, leading to the damage of a party chieftain’s car.

The turnout was impressive in spite of the restriction on movement of people and vehicles during the hours of the monthly environmental sanitation that held in the state that Saturday, and the people conducted themselves orderly, an indication that the party still has its roots in the state.

Speaking on the congresses, Mr. Michael Dachom, the State Organising Secretary of the party, noted that “Most of our candidates at the Ward level were consensus candidates, and where there were elections, it turned out well.”

Also observing, one of the candidates for the position of state chairman and a former member of the National Assembly, Hon Bitrus Kaze said “During the April 30th Ward congresses, the determination of PDP faithful to assert their franchise became very obvious in most parts of Plateau State. This is consistent with our quest to return power to the people.” He said the congresses impressed in his heart the belief that Plateau people are determined to assert their franchise.

Meanwhile, at the State Party Secretariat, it was a beehive of activities as party members

were seen carrying out one task or the other in an environment which had been largely deserted for months after the party lost power in 2015.

Osun State Yinka Kolawole The secretariat of Osun State chapter of PDP in Osogbo was engulfed in crisis during the congress as party members loyal to a contestant for the position of state chairman, Dr Bayo Faforiji, booed some PDP chieftains over the controversy surrounding the conduct of ward congress in the 332 wards across the state.

Faforiji stormed the party secretariat along with his supporters and demanded the cancellation of the ward congress and dissolution of the state executives of the party.

He accused the incumbent chairman, Alhaji Gani Ola-Oluwa of manipulating the ward congress in favour of his opponent, Mr. Soji Adagunodo.

He alleged that Ola-Oluwa collected delegates’ forms from Abuja but released the forms to Adagunodo’s camp only.

“The normal practice is that the chairman of the party would collect the forms and bring them to the party secretariat here for interested candidates to obtain forms. But our Chairman, Alhaji Ola-Oluwa took the forms from the National Secretariat of the party in Abuja and released to the other group but he refused to give us our own.”

Faforiji added that the action of the party chairman would prevent the delegates, who are loyal to him from partaking in the ward congress and give edge to his opponent to emerge as the Chairman of the party during the state congress.

Speaking to newsmen earlier at the secretariat, Faforiji, said despite paying over N3 million to the national secretariat to purchase over 7,000 forms for his supporters to contest ward, local government and state congresses of the party, non was released to him.

According to him, the forms were paid for on Thursday, April 28, explaining that the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party had mandated that every interested member should be allowed to buy form even up till the day of the exercise.

But Adagunodo debunked Faforiji’s claims, saying his opponent was not well prepared for the exercise. He said he paid for the forms and annual due on times and got the forms while his opponent paid for the forms on the eve of the congress.

“As they (Faforiji’s camp) are protesting in an unruly manner at the party, our people are at their various wards and the congress is going on in all the 332 wards across the state.

All the normal traditions and procedures were duly followed in the exercise but they are crying because they are not well prepared and they don’t have delegates for the elections,” he said.

Enugu State Christopher Isiguzo Amidst fears in some quarters that the ongoing congresses of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would reopen the floodgates of crisis in Enugu State, in view of the disagreements that rocked the party in the build-up to the 2015 general election, the congress took place under a friendly atmosphere.

Since his assumption of office as the Governor of Enugu State, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has remained a unifier, having successfully brought every member of the party under one umbrella with his resolve to carry everyone along.

Before the exercise, the governor had hosted a stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House, where it was gathered that possible areas of disagreements were resolved with a view to having a smooth ward, local government and state congress, where new executives would be elected.

The meeting had in attendance notable leaders of the party including the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and other members of the national and state assemblies, members of the state executive council, party stalwarts and chairmen of local government caretaker committees. Also in attendance was the former national chairman of the party, Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo, candidates for the state chairmanship of the party including Deacon Okey Ogbodo, among others.

Speaking on the outcome of the exercise, Ogbodo said the exercise went on smoothly and expressed optimism that the remaining part of the congresses would equally be smooth and peaceful, a development he attributed to the governor’s peaceful disposition.

Lagos State Segun James Lagos State PDP, like others, had held its congress to elect ward party officials in the 245 wards in the state. But the exercise was later cancelled and shifted to Saturday, May 7.

Again, the new date has been moved further

up, with a new date not yet scheduled.

But before the cancellation, the exercise in Lagos also went well without any report of hitches or violence notwithstanding the initial fears that some people had planned to run a parallel congress. The exercise took place in all the ward secretariats and other approved locations and it is to produce 16 officers and three ad hoc state delegates.

According to the party guidelines, the officials from the national secretariat were expected to liaise with the State Executive committee through the state chairman of the party for necessary supports. Similarly, the results of the congresses were to be corroborated by relevant agencies and copies submitted with the party state secretariat.

When contacted, the party’s publicity secretary, Mr. Taofik Gani, said the PDP in the state was able to have a hitch-free exercise, declaring that reports reaching him attested to that. He said the party was optimistic that the congresses would produce officials, who would improve the success of the outgoing PDP Executive committee led by Capt. Tunji Shelle. But with the postponement, a new date is expected soon.

Ebonyi State Benjamin Nworie Ebonyi State congress held across the 171 wards was peaceful though late arrival of Electoral Congress Committee almost marred the exercise. The turnout, observers said has further shown that PDP remains the only preferred party in the state. The congress was, however, remarkable and historical for obvious reasons. It was the first time that the party’s congress was generally peaceful and harmonised to suit the varied interests in the state.

Before the congress, the party had begun harmonisation process which perhaps must have carpeted dissenting voices, as the state leader of the party and governor, David Umahi, who was once the state chairman of party must have brought his experience to bear in dousing dissenting opinions that may have erupted during the congress.

The congress results also showed that all the wards executives that emerged were unopposed courtesy of the zoning arrangements of the party in the state.

This was possible because stakeholders were asked to harmonise and bring their list for ratification and approval by the State Executive Council of the party.

CONT’D ON NEXT PAGE

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T H I S D AY • MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016

POLITICS/ THE MONDAY DISCOURSE PDP’S JOURNEY OF SELF-REDISCOVERY

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State_ former First Lady, Patience Joanthan and Rivers State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Ipalibo Banigo during the 2015 campaigns. The PDP National Convention is billed to hold in Rivers

Ogun State Sheriff Balogun The PDP ward congresses held over the weekend in Ogun State was full of confusion as three different factions of the party conducted parallel congress in the 236 wards across the state.

The three leading leaders of the party, who conducted the parallel congresses include loyalists of the Senator representing Ogun East, Buruji Kashamu/Chief Bayo Dayo-led state exco; those loyal to former Speaker, House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole and the group led by a member of the House of Representatives for Remo Federal Constituency, Ladi Adebutu.

In Sagamu, Ikenne and Abeokuta local government areas, members of the different factions conducted the congress in the same ward. Despite the conduct of parallel congresses, in Sagamu Ward 7 and ward 3 of Iperu Remo and other areas in Abeokuta, the state capital, the elections were largely peaceful.

State Secretary of the PDP, Alhaii Semiu Sodipo said the congresses were conducted by a committee approved by the National Working Committee of the party.

While assessing the conduct of the ward congresses, chairman of the 11-Man Congress Committee, Muhammad El-Yakub, expressed satisfaction with the exercise, saying he was not aware of any parallel congresses conducted by any faction of the party in the state.

“I’m so confident that this time around they have elected their leaders that will take them to the promised land in 2019. How would I know of any parallel congresses? I don’t know of any other committee. I have no knowledge of any other one and I’ve not been informed by anyone,” El-Yakub said.

Benue State George Okoh The congress in Benue State held with a few disagreements occurring in some places.

Former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido and Chief Tony Anenih, when the former was in office. Lamido has indicated interest in the 2019 presidential election and he is a force to watch out for in PDP

Relatively, the whole exercise was peaceful in the state. Before the congress on Saturday, pundits had predicted a clash of interested over who controls the party between former Senate President, Senator David Mark and former Governor Gabriel Suswam.

However, it turned out that both strong

men allowed for an amicable harmonisation of the executives position in all the wards.

PDP members had met earlier in all the local government areas to pick consensus candidates and were simply ratified by members during the congress.

In Okpokwu local government, the former

Minister of Interior, Comrade Abah Moro and the state chairman, Dr Emmanuel Agbo appealed to the PDP party members in the twelve wards to see the possibility of having to choose members of the ward executive without crises. This position was agreed by CONT’D ON NEXT PAGE

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T H I S D AY • MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016

POLITICS/ TRIBUTE&HONOURS

In Politics, Anything Goes

Politics in America is full of surprises and the emergence of Republican frontrunner, Donald Trump as the presumptive candidate of the party is a living example, writes Magnus Onyibe

D

o you remember the popular wise crack: money talks, bullshit works? There is no better factor to attribute Donald Trump’s rise to being the presumptive presidential candidate of the Grand Old Party (GOP) in the USA, than Bullshit. With a hefty $75m committed to stopping him through a barrage of scathingly negative adverts by the #NeverTrump# movement, money indeed talked.

While Trump spent $9.5m promoting himself, #Right To Rise USA#, a group supporting Jeb Bush pumped in $9.6, and another group that was backing Marco Rubio known as #Conservative Solutions#, invested $16.7m in adverts against trump.

Hilary Clinton, the Democratic Party opponent of Trump, also invested $31.6m in adverts against him.

Over all, the total value of what the other GOP opponents spent in adverts against Trump is almost double the $75m spent by the #Never Trump# movement, yet he triumphed.

To the consternation of the conservatives, Trump kept shooting craps as Americans would say by mocking women and deformed people, promising to shut Muslims out of USA, calling Mexicans rapists and killers, insulting families of opponents – including wives and fathers of the likes of Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush – and rejecting the Catholic pontiff’s admonition against hate, yet he ended up on top of the pecking order of republican’s choice for president, thus affirming the dictum that, bullshit indeed works better than money.

In what is now being dubbed vintage Trump attack, opponents were bullied until they were vanquished hence most Americans and indeed the world, are flabbergasted and in fact, miffed at the emergence of Trump, whom the Democratic party front runner, Hillary Clinton, refers to as a ‘loose cannon’ who can say anything to anybody.

It’s an understatement to say that Trump’s triumph in the USA has given some GOP conservatives a dizzying spell and possibly, indigestion. House Speaker, Paul Ryan and ex presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, for instance, but has the USA – land of the free – ever been short of surprises?

As we may recall, Jesse Ventura, the reality TV show celebrity and professional wrestler, became the elected governor of the state of Minnesota, in 1999. Following the footsteps of Ventura, a body builder, winner of former Mr. Universe contest and movie star, Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2003, also joined the club, when he was elected the Governor of California – the world’s third richest state, after USA and China.

Obviously, the prowess of Ventura and

Trump...surviving the odds

Schwarzenegger in the make-believe world of realty TV, earned them pop culture appeal that gave them edge over their opponents, such that before Americans could say “Goddam It”, the tough and rough wrestler Ventura and body builder Schwarzenegger had become the governors of the states of Minnesota and California respectively.

Lest we forget, the wrestler, Ventura and the body builder, Schwarzenegger’s emergence as governors mimicked the pattern of former President Ronald Reagan’s rise to the presidency from being a popular Hollywood movie actor.

So, Donald Trump would not be the first reality TV personality or odd character to emerge in Governor’s mansion as the chief executive or boss in White House, if he wins the presidential contest scheduled to hold in November, 2016.

What this suggests is that projection of power – be it physical as evidenced by Ventura and Schwarzenegger or by words as typified by Reagan and now Trump – voters tend to prefer candidates that are muscular in stature or loud, verbally. The salient and clearly inconvenient truth reflected by the three odd personalities that rose meteorically to the top echelon of US politics listed above, is the affirmation that Americans tend to prefer makebelieve leaders.

That explains why Trump, master of make-belief has been chosen over and above practical and realistic candidates – Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio etal.

Remarkably, despite his non-political background, Ronald Reagan exhibited the leadership mettle that Americans yearned for and therefore served as US president for two terms and ended up being one of the best presidents that the USA, albeit the GOP ever produced.

I can wager a bet that Donald Trump-the presumptive GOP presidential candidate for 2016 presidential election – would build his campaign strategy around Ronald Reagan’s cult personality, with a view to gaining positive rub-off and mileage that would boost his march to the White House.

Can anyone imagine footballers, Segun Odegbami, JJ Okocha, Daniel Amokachi or Musa Babayaro contesting and winning elections as governors on the basis of their sporting prowess and popularity in Nigeria?

That was almost the case in Liberia, where footballer, George Opong Weah almost emerged the president of that country until the world intervened to deny him of the prestigious job and instead facilitated the emergence of USA-trained technocrat and an alumnus of Citi Bank, USA, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, in 2006 as the 24th president of Liberia.

According to conspiracy theories, the justification for ‘encouraging’ the

Trump kept shooting craps as Americans would say by mocking women and deformed people, promising to shut Muslims out of USA, calling Mexicans rapists and killers, insulting families of opponents – including wives and fathers of the likes of Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush – and rejecting the Catholic pontiff’s admonition against hate, yet he ended up on top of the pecking order of republican’s choice for president

emergence of Sirkeaf instead of Weah is that Liberia being a country freshly coming out of a protracted civil war, needed an experienced resource manager like Sirleaf, who understood the rubrics of socioeconomic development as opposed to an ‘ordinary footballer’, like Weah, who presumably could be overwhelmed by the rudiments of economic management.

As legends have it, the plan was hashed in the USA by then president George W Bush and implemented by president Olusegun Obasanjo, then president of Nigeria, who jetted off to Liberia to ensure that Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who had emerged second position behind George Opong Weah, in the first ballot, became the eventual winner of the presidential poll after a re-contest.

Back home in Nigeria and specifically Lagos State, voters behaviours are not dissimilar to that of Americans, who are often grossly influenced by make-believe.

Former Nollywood star, Desmond Elliot is now a legislator in Lagos State House of Assembly, having contested and won a seat to represent Surulere constituency.

Attempts by another Nollywood star, Kanayo O Kanayo to leverage the allure or appeal of his ubiquitous presence on the silver screen, did not resonate with his people, so he failed to secure their mandate at the polls to be their representative in parliament, in Abuja.

Does the situation in the USA signpost a tendency that like Ronald Reagan, Nollywood stars like Olu Jacobs or Sadiq Dabba could become president of Nigeria, should they decide to dabble into politics?

Some would say never and argue that the odds against such possibility can be likened to reality show artist, Kim Kardashian becoming the first lady of the USA. Well, as the saying goes, Never Say Never. With the very remarkable runaway success of Donald trump, who has proven to be unstoppable in his phenomenal race to Pensilvania avenue White House, Washington DC address and given GOP presumptive presidential candidate’s penchant to change spouses (he is with his second wife), it may be unwise to rule Kim Kardashian out as future First Lady of the USA. After all, as they say in America, anything can happen, but until November when the presidential election would be conducted, no one can tell if the looming absurdity of the bully and demagogue called Donald Trump, becoming president of the USA – a country that is the leader of the free world would materialise.

•Onyibe, a development strategist, former commissioner in Delta State and an alumnus of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, wrote from Asaba, Delta State

PDP’S JOURNEY OF SELF-REDISCOVERY members of the party which led to a very successful congress across the wards.

In Vandeikya local government, there was a mild disagreement, when a member of the outgoing council executive member gave a directive that forms for those, who intended to contest for positions be sold at a certain fee despite directives that forms should be given for free.

This led to a serious altercation between stakeholders in the council. The leader of Vandeikya township ward, Hon. Philip Wuhe accused some stakeholder of imposing a chairmanship candidate in the ward despite not coming from the ward. He said a petition has been written to the appeal committee to cancel the congress in township ward.

Taraba State Wole Ayodele In Taraba State, the ward Congress was basically a consolidation of power by the dominant force in the party rather than a contest. Before the 2015 gubernatorial election in the state, there were at least three political blocks within the party, which are the group

led by former acting governor of the state, Alhaji Garba Umar, the David Sabo Kente led group and the group popularly referred to as the cabal which has Senator Emmanuel Bwacha as arrowhead and consists of the current governor, Arch. Darius Ishaku and the state Chairman of PDP, Hon. Victor Bala Kona among others.

With the emergence of Ishaku as the party’s standard bearer, almost all the members of the other political blocks dumped the party for the APC and Social Democratic Party (SDP) except Alhaji Garba Umar and a few of his followers, who chose to remain in the party. But despite the fact that they remained in the party, not a few were alleged to have engaged in anti-party activities.

Since Ishaku’s assumption of office, many of those that dumped the party have since returned and signified their intention to contest the congresses but with the consensus arrangement employed by the party, their ambitions were effectively tamed.

With the outcome of the Congresses, the ‘Cabal’ has further consolidated its dominance and control of the party as all

the winners belong to the group which is now headed by Ishaku, who by virtue of being the governor, is the leader of the party in the state.

Justifying the adoption of consensus arrangement, the Public Relations Officer of the party, Alhaji Inuwa Bakari said the arrangement is a legitimate and recognised norm the world over, stressing that the exercise was a family affair.

Adamawa State Daji Sani Adamawa State congress was characterised by tension and crisis. A former Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on political matters, Ahmed Gulak and his supporters were accused of hijacking the party election materials belonging to the state with the aim at wresting the party structures from the PDP state Chairman, Chief Joel Madaki and his supporters.

Madaki said when he went to collect the materials at Wadata Plaza in Abuja, he was told that Gulak had already collected them.

But Gulak said what he did was to stand in

as guarantor for the state in collecting the materials adding that he had no ulterior motives of hijacking the party structure from anybody.

Gulak explained that the party in Adamawa could not pay the over N9 million required to get the forms release to the state for the congresses hence he stood as guarantor and collected the forms, which he had since handed over to members of the congress committee for Adamawa.

However at the time of sending this report, it was reported that one of the members of committee was seriously beaten and wounded because of the crisis between the two warring group.

A source said the crisis was later contained by the Department of State Security, adding that the election committee had since collated the results which were not ready while filing thus report. When contacted on the development, a member of the congress committee, Mallam Yusuf Madugu, simply said there was no problem and that everything was intact with the collation going on smoothly.

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MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016 • T H I S D AY

FEATURES

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

Longing for Their Homesteads After being forced out of their ancestral homes by Boko Haram, internally displaced persons in the four official camps in Fufore, NYSC, St. Theresa’s and Malkohi in Adamawa State now long to go back home, writes Daji Sani

IDPs in the Fofure camp

T

he total population of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who are currently living in formal camps, host communities and satellite camps in liberated communities in Adamawa State as a result of Boko Haram insurgency in North-east was given by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA ) as 125,689 for IDPs living in the host communities and satellite camps while 6, 937 IDPs live in formal camps.

This was disclosed by the Yola Camp Coordinator, Saad Bello, who, on behalf of the Director General of NEMA, Muhammad Sani Sidi, recently took the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Samanthan Power, round facilities at the Malkohi IDPs Camp in Yola.

In Adamawa State there are four official camps namely Fufore, NYSC, St. Theresa and the Malkohi camps where a bomb blast killed about eight persons and several people injured including four NEMA staff on duty on that faithful day the unfortunate incident occurred.

Since the incident happened, the Malkohi IDPs camp became the centre of attraction, most visitors from far and near who visited the IDPs with donations would always wish to visit the Maikohi camp to see things for themselves.

For instance, President Muhammadu Buhari, Minister of Interior Danbazzau, United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Samanthan Power, and others have at different times visited the Malkohi camp.

Even though the Federal Government,

through the coordinating agency, NEMA and other relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies have been trying to meet the needs of the IDPs in the provision of food, nutrition, non-food items, temporary shelter, medicament, psycho-social therapy, security and protection, yet the IDPs greatest wish is to return to their ancestral homes.

At Maikohi camp the IDPs told THISDAY

Even though the Federal Government, through the coordinating agency, NEMA and other relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies have been trying to meet the needs of the IDPs in the provision of food, nutrition, non-food items, temporary shelter, medicament, psychosocial therapy, security and protection, yet the IDPs greatest wish is to return to their ancestral homes

that the government has continued to meet their needs and bring more supports adding that there is no place like home. “Home is home” said one of the IDPs. They appealed to Federal Government to wipe out the remaining insurgency to allow them return to their native homes and also assist to rebuild their homes, government institutions like schools completely destroyed by the Insurgents and also pleaded that the civil authority that was lacking as a result of insurgency be established to bring back law and order before they return to their communities.

Some of the critical areas where they further need support include food, non-food items, shelter, education, nutrition, protection, health and sexual reproductive health, and psychosocial helps.

However in order to uplift the living standards of the Internally Displaced Persons in Nigeria, OXFAM is set to increase its advocacy for more funds from international community, OXFAM’s Regional Director West Africa, Wim Stoffers said recently.

Stoffers, who dropped the hint during his tour of Malkohi IDPs camp which hosts hundreds of IDPs, said his organisation would articulate the major concerns of the IDPs before the international community in the up-coming World Humanitarian Summit.

He noted that although his organisation would have sought for more assistance from donor organisations across the world to assist the IDPs in Nigeria, the effort may be stymied

by the number of conflicts needing the attention of the international community adding that with the myriads of conflicts taking place in many countries, attention have to be given to all the conflict areas.

“We are trying to convince the international community that with the increase in insurgency, increase in insecurity, it is important that the countries that have the luxury of peace, should deploy the monetary means to help people in crisis in Nigeria.

“Unfortunately, the number of crisis that we are facing in the world at the moment is increasing,” he said.

While commending the camp officials of OXFAM for ensuring sanity and cleanliness of the camps, Stoffers noted that the situation may be responsible for the convivial atmosphere in the camp despite the staunch existential challenges dogging residents of these camps.

“Anybody from Netherlands won’t be able to stay here for one or two months he or she would not be able to survive. It is really tough to survive here but it is good to see that the government of Nigeria and international organisations are doing whatever they can to make the situation as good as possible,” he said.

He noted that the main purpose of his visit to Nigeria and especially to Malkohi IDPs camp was to see what is actually happening as most of the information he got about the situation is from the newspapers noting that with what he saw on ground, he could say with confidence that the support his organisation

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T H I S D AY • MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016

FEATURES

IDPs in the NYSC camp

NEMA officials distributing donated items in the NYSC IDPs camp is rendering to IDPs is worthwhile.

The ugly experience of the IDPs in the hands of Boko Haram is pathetic as the IDPs share their ordeals on how the insurgents struck their towns and villages, resulting to killing many of their relatives, destroying properties worth billions of naira and forcing them to flee their homes and sending their children out of schools.

They said the memories still remain fresh in their minds despite the psychosocial and psychological therapies given to them by NEMA and other humanitarian agencies to help wipe out these ugly experiences. Some of the IDPs said the inhuman maltreatment meted to them by the insurgents was too traumatic and horrible to forget easily.

Mallam Adamu one of the IDPs at Malkohi IDPs camp, said that he has lost contact with his wife for two years. He said when the insurgents struck his village he was not around but had gone for his usual business outside the village. According to him, before he returned, his village had completely been taken over by the insurgents. He lamented that since then, he lost contact with his wife and children.

When THISDAY visited the four official IDPs camps in Adamawa State namely Malkohi , NYSC , Fufore and St Theresa, their living conditions were not good for a modern settlement as many of the IDPs were crammed into a tent.

Investigations revealed that since the establishment of the camps, over 53 marriages have been contracted in all the camps while over 60 children have been given birth to inside the official camps.

Based on this premise the state Commissioner of Information, Ahmed Sajoh while speaking on “Safia” programme on Gotel Television situated in the state, said the IDPs are becoming

comfortable in the camps noting that “the best thing to do is return them to their homes as soon as possible.”

Sajoh, said the rate at which the IDPs are giving birth was alarming adding that government has to cater for father, mother and their babies. “In no distant time the camps will increase heavily due to high birth rate in the camps.”

But NEMA’s state coordinator, Sa’ad Bello said that of all the marriages contracted, very few started the process in the camp. According to him, majority of the IDPs who got married in the camp started their relationships even before they were displaced by Boko Haram from their homes.

“You will find out that majority of those who got marriage in the camp started their relationships before they were displaced, some

The ugly experience of the IDPs in the hands of Boko Haram is pathetic as the IDPs share their ordeals on how the insurgents struck their towns and villages, resulting to killing many of their relatives, destroying properties worth billions of naira and forcing them to flee their homes and sending their children out of schools

President of the American University of Nigeria, Yola, Dr. Margee Ensign (right), interacting with IDPs living in Malkohi camp have even gone as far as exchanging dowry before the insurgents forced them out of their communities, so they are just concluding what needed to be done to be husbands and wives.

“Although we have not provided them with hostels for the husband and wife but how they run theirs is their personal life, we only have female and male hostels. I want to believe that the marriages are preparatory measures so that when they return to their communities, they continue as husbands and wives,” Bello said.

On feeding, the IDPs eat three daily meals in addition to clothes and mattresses made available to them. They also enjoy clean drinking water and good toilet facilities provided by NEMA, OXFAM and other humanitarian agencies.

Some of the IDPs who told THISDAY that they eat good food in the camp, said no matter government’s intervention to ameliorate their sufferings they want to go back home.

They appealed to the Federal Government to clear the remaining insurgents still thriving in Gwoza, Madagali and their environs so that they can return home.

THISDAY investigation revealed that there are no reported cases of rape and molestation, which many in the camp attributed to the water-tight security in all the camps. The heavy presence of soldiers and other security outfits, was as a result of the Bomb blast that rocked the Malkohi camp, which left eight people dead and several others wounded including NEMA staff.

The camps are kept clean on a daily basis as the IDPs are engaged in clearing and cleaning the environment. Those who keep the camps neat are paid.

However, one of major challenges is education for the children of the IDPs who were forced out of school as a result of the Boko Haram onslaught on their communities. The educational

facilities in the North-east were deliberately destroyed by the insurgents due to their hatred for education. School children were killed and some kidnapped by the insurgents.

As a result of the development the Federal Government introduced a School Initiative Programme to cater for the children forced out of school as a result of the insurgency.

The programme, is to cater for the education of the children of IDPs. Currently at the NYSC IDPs camp, the population of the school children is 607, with nine military personnel as volunteer teachers including eight other individuals. They usually have classes at Demare Primary School very close to the camp by noon after the conventional pupils have closed from school.

While the Fofure camp has a population of 1,325 school children with 17 teachers deployed from Yola South by the state government including five volunteers.

The St. Theresa IDPs camp has over 1,400 pupils with 78 teachers deployed by the state government as revealed by Alhaji Saidu Komsiri, Director Quality Assurance Adamawa State Universal Basic Education .

He said the IDPs children were mixed with the pupils of Luggere Primary/Secondary School close to the camp.

While Malkohi camp has 417 as IDPs school children with a total number of 14 teachers including the military.

Komsiri said the challenge was that of communication barrier between the teachers and pupils because most of the children cannot speak English Language. According to him, an interpreter is drafted to interpret to the pupils what the teacher is saying.

He said another challenge was that of lack of adequate funding adding that the board had engaged 14 teachers who were IDPs but couldn’t pay these teachers due to lack of funds.

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IMAGES

L-R: Deputy Head of Mission/Counsellor, Embassy ofJapan in Nigeria, Mr. Masaya Otsuka;Executive Vice President, Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), Dr. Katsumi Hirano; President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Chief (Mrs) Nike Akande;Deputy Mininster for Construction, Engineering and Real Estate Industry, Japan, Mr. Yasuki Kaibori; and Charges d’affaires ad interim, Embassy of Nigeria in Japan,Mr. Bello Kazaure Husseini, during the Nigeria-Japan public -private conference for high quality infrastructure in Lagos...recently ETOP UKUTT

T H I S D AY • MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016

Photo Editor Abiodun Ajala Email abiodun.ajala@thisdaylive.com

L-R; Head of Operations, British American Tobacco Nigeria (BATN) West Africa, Charles Kyalo; Area Head, Legal and External Affairs, West and Central Africa, BATN, Freddy Messanvi; Olubadan of Ibadanland, His Royal Highness, Oba Saliu Adetunji; Managing Director, BATN, Chris McAllister; and Area Head, Human Resources, BATN, West Africa, Tosin Akinyemi, during a courtesy visit by the BATN Management to the Olubadan in lbadan...recently

L-R; Ass. Director, Global Government Relation and Public Policy, (Sub- Sahara Africa), Temitope Iluyemi; Representative of the Minister of Health, Modupe Chukwuma and Country Wash Ambassador, Mrs Ebele Okeke at the Proctor and Gamble (P & G) Children’s Safe Drinking Water of 10 billion Litres Milestone in Abuja...recently JULIUS ATOI

L-R: Manager, Sales, Greenspeed Travels and Tours, Mr. Joseph Airhiomohe; Head, Sales and Marketing, Jalotred Travels, Mr. George Okeke; Miss Tosin Awonusi of Itinenaries Travels; Executive Chairman, Peacock Travels and Tours Limited, Aare Segun Phillips; and Deputy Managing Director, Up and Down Travels Limited, Alhaji Ibrahim M. Inuwa, during a sales award programmes organised by Peacock Travels in Lagos...recently

Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Kayode L-R; Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi, Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, Deputy Governor, Alhaji Lasisi Oluboyo, and Technical Adviser to the Minister, Mr. Utsu Adie, during a visit by the Minister to the Governor’s office, in Akure...recently

L-R Group Executive Vice Chairman, SIFAX Group, Dr. Taiwo Afolabi; Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi; Olori Wuraola Ogunwusi and Mrs. Afolashade Afolabi, during the birthday celebration of Dr. Afolabi in Lagos..recently.

L-R: Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi; Partner, KPMG India, Mr. Rao Prashantti; and state’s Head of Service, Mr. Soji Eniade, at the opening session of a retreat for the management staff of the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State, in Ibadan....recently.

PHOTO: OYO STATE GOVERNMENT.

FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello (right) receiving a report from the former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Architect Obong Victor Attah at the Minister’s office in Abuja…recently.

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NEWS

BoI to Provide Entrepreneurial Skills, Funding for Ex-N’Delta Militants James Emejo in Abuja The acting Managing Director, Bank of Industry (BoI), Mr. Rasheed Olagunju has said it would design a special capacity building and skills acquisition programme for ex-agitators of the Niger Delta who are currently under the presidential amnesty programme.

He said under the proposed initiative, which would be done in collaboration with the amnesty office, beneficiaries would be exposed to entrepreneurship development courses and mentorship scheme after which they could access funding in form of cheap loans to continue and own their businesses.

Speaking while receiving the Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Gen. Paul Boroh (rtd), who paid him a courtesy visit to request the bank’s assistance in the reintegration phase for the exmilitants, Olagunju added that the request was quite in order as it fell in line with the bank’s standard operating procedure.

He said:”We know that we cannot achieve the transformation of Nigeria’s industrial sector without collaborating with partners-foreign and domestic as well as public and private sector-and incidentally, we both belong to the public sector. Your confidence in us is

not misplaced when you talk of capacity building and skills acquisition. We’ve stepped up these areas particularly in terms of empowering our youths.”

The programme is being planned as an exit strategy for the now repentant ex-agitators so they could have a sustainable source of livelihood as well as create employment opportunities for themselves as government hands-off further assistance within the next two years of the amnesty lifespan.

The BoI acting MD said:”There’s always being the issue of funding being the major problem when it comes to micro small and medium enterprises; over the years, we’ve not paid attention to capacity building. So the debate is which should come first-is it capacity or capital.

“So it’s now clear to everybody that even if you make the money available, without building capacity, the money would be lost. So, the first thing to do is to build capacity for potential beneficiaries. So your sequencing is quite in order in that we need to build the capacity of those to be reintegrated; they need to be reorientated, they need to be sensitised to the business opportunities in their environment.”

He said: “We have a number of entrepreneurship development centers that are partnering with

the bank of industry-they know our templates and they’ve been working with us. They have a way of accessing our credit in a way that the credit will be properly utilised because one thing is to access money and the other is to use it properly.

“One of the barometers of measuring a successful organisation is the extent to which it can honour its obligations which include debt service, because when you are not able to honour your obligations, it’s a red flag-it’s a signal that all is not well with the enterprise.

So we want to ensure that the business is well managed, when it’s well managed, then you honour your obligation to debt service. And then, when you finished paying off your debt, the business becomes yours.”

According to him,”It’s going to be a win-win situation; we would train you on how to manage your businesses, you repay our loans and the business becomes yours forever.”

He said the bank would also seek to change orientation and mindset of the proposed beneficiaries as this is the “only sustainable attribute-free money is not sustainable.”

This opportunity should not be wasted. We would develop messages which would be targeted at these youths in these areas, he added.

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CITYSTRINGS

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

Nigeria’s national flag and those of other countries hoisted at Alaba International Market

Clash of Cultures

Peter Uzoho who visited Alaba International Market recently, writes on the motley crowd that makes the market thrive

T

hough not all have been to it physically, but the echo of the happenings in and around it has echoed across the length and breadth of the country and the world at large.

No doubt, it has become a household name among direct or indirect users of electrical and electronics appliances in the world.

A place to behold, Alaba International Market is indeed an amalgam and a muster point for business magnets in the area of electrical, electronics and allied products. The market, a mega system within a system, is located in Ojo area of Lagos, a few minutes’ drive off Badagry expressway.

Alighting there for the first time, one is greeted by different national flags, hoisted horizontally in front of the market, dancing to the rhythm of the wind, thus giving credence to its international status.

“Those are flags of the countries we do business with, so they’re mounted here as a symbol of the international status of the market”, Mr. Paschal Ozobugha, who deals on electrical appliances in the market, tells THISDAY. “You can see our own flag, the Nigerian flag, you can see the Chinese flag, the US flag, Japanese flag,in fact, over 30 flags are here, representing both the countries we import from and the ones that come to patronise us here,” Ozobugha explains.

Between 7:30am and 8am daily, traders arrive their respective shops, sweeping, cleaning

and dusting everywhere, and then display their wares conspicuously in readiness for the day’s business. Customers from far and near, from within and outside Nigeria, troop in, to do their transactions, being assured that they are at the right place, for the right product and by 5:30pm market closes.

Those are flags of the countries we do business with, so they’re mounted here as a symbol of the international status of the market…You can see our own flag, the Nigerian flag, you can see the Chinese flag, the US flag, Japanese flag, in fact, over 30 flags are here, representing both the countries we import from and the ones that come to patronise us here

As a highly structured and organised business setting, Alaba International Market is divided into sections and subsections.

For instance, there is the electronic section, which is further divided into the brand new and the tokunbo subsections. There is the electrical section, where all manner of electrical appliances are sold. Again, there is the industrial and power sections, where variety of industrial machines and equipment are available for purchase. For easy identification and access, each of the sections is divided into plazas and lines with alphanumeric characters.

“As a big market, if it’s not well planned, many things would go wrong; someone coming for the first time may get lost, traders here may be fighting over spaces, so that’s why the planners constructed it like this”, Ozobugha further said.

“So here, we have the electronics section which is further divided into the brand new and the tokunbo subsections. Here, you can get any kind of electronic appliance: fridges, freezers, generators, televisions, DVD players, decoders and what have you. The electronics section is the most popular section, that’s why when you tell someone about Alaba International, immediately, the person’s mind goes to where they sell electronics products. Even, some think these electronics are manufactured here in Alaba.

“There is the electrical section for electrical appliances. There is also the industrial and

power section, where industrial machines and equipment can be found for purchase”, Ozobugha added.

Meanwhile, there is a certain open space in the electronics section of the market, where containers are emptied and people can buy whatever kind of electronics product they want, on the spot. Those kinds of goods according to them are called “non- tested electronics”. The buyer buys and goes with it without testing. It’s a trial and error kind of purchase in which the seller does not have any responsibility for its failure.

“Here, people target when trailer will come with containers to off load. So, as the containers are dropped and they’re being emptied, people start selecting what they want, while the owner of the container is there to collect money. Nobody will test it for you to confirm whether it’s working or not. If you buy it, you’re on own your own, nothing concerns the seller and there is no refund of money”, Mr. Echezona Okoye, who sells tokunbo electronics products tells THISDAY. As obtained in other business settings in the country, the Igbos are the major traders in the market, making Igbo one of the major languages used for communication among the traders. However, some Hausas are found at the industrial section, engaging in the bureau de change operations.

Organisationally, there are different hierarchy of unions existing in the market for effective

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CITYSTRINGS

The national flags from inside the market

The electronics section

Another section of the market

The road into the market jam-parked

administration and control. There are the plaza or line unions, the sectional unions and the general union, with all having functional elected officials and offices. However, the most powerful is the general union, which possesses the highest level of authority, respect and benefits. So, “to avoid acrimony, the post of the general chairman is rotated among the six geo-political zones of the market, namely, Anambra zone 1,Anambra zone 2,Imo,Enugu,Abia,and Ebonyi zones”, Mr. Chukwuma Ihionu, the General Secretary of Alaba International Market Traders Union, explains to THISDAY. In his enviable executive office, heavily stocked with files and correspondences, decked in corporate black on while attire, with black shoes to match, flipping over files, the handsome dark complexioned businessminded secretary relaxing in his couch, says ”the market is a big place, so it needs a high level organisation and administration, so that our international business associates, including the indigenous ones, you find here are safe and convenient to trade with us.

“We have the undercover security men who are exclusively known to the executives. They move around the market to detect crimes. We have the Tasks Force, who helps the executive body go after defaulters. Every Thursday, we do sanitation so that our environment will be neat and clean, and we’re affiliated to the Lagos State Waste Management Agency (LASWMA),” Ihionu noted.

As an international trade centre, people

from different countries come to do business there. Manufacturers both home and abroad come to identify with the distributors in the market in order for their products to be known and patronised. Distributors jostle for spaces in the market to do business.

Buyers both in wholesale and retail scales from across the world throng the commercial centre to buy directly from distributors to save cost and maximise profit.

For manufacturers, failure to identify with the market either by omission or commission deprives them of the needed publicity and marketing of their products.

“Any manufacturer that is in the line

As an international trade centre, people from different countries come to do business there.

Manufacturers both home and abroad come to identify with the distributors in the market in order for their products to be known and patronised

of electronics/electrical, industrial and allied products that has not identified with this market, has not started. This is where you have the major distributors.

Both local and international manufacturers bring their goods here and we in turn sell”, the secretary said.

However, in spite of the popularity and the international status of the market, many have argued that the recent bourgeoning of shopping malls in the country, particularly, in Lagos where the market situates, might be posing serious challenge to their business, as people now prefer to easily and more conveniently move into these malls to buy the same products.

But among the electrical and electronics products dealers in Alaba, there are divergent views on that.

Some of them are of the opinion that those shopping malls exist to their best interest, as they are also their customers, saying that there can never be a challenge to them. According to them, they rather come to them to buy and resell contrary to what people think.

To them, the owners of the malls rarely import, as they do not have the business capacity to go into importation, but rather come to patronise them, the big time importers.

They also argue that they use the shopping malls to spread their customer base in the country and so can never be moved by their existence.

“Those shopping malls you talked about come here to buy from us”, revealed an

electronic dealer in the market who refused to give his name. “They are our customers so we’re not challenged in anyway by their existence. At times, they will call us to find out the latest price of a product before they will sell. It’s through them that we even increase our number of customers, so we’re not afraid of their being in the same line of business with us”, the source said.

On the other hand, other traders admit that the presence of shopping malls is having negative effect on them as they have snatched some of their customers from them.

According to them, there is a decline in their daily sales.

“Actually it’s affecting us negatively because those people that are buying from them are supposed to come to us, but now they have taken them away from us and it’s making our sales to drop”, Mr. Charles Umeh,an electronics trader in the market said.

Meanwhile, they admitted that the only area they are being challenged is in the area of online business, where people can, from the comfort of their homes, use their phones to place order for goods, make payments, and goods are delivered right on time, which is lacking among them. Although, they said plans are on the way towards introducing that in their business, as they wouldn’t want to be eclipsed in business.

However, they did not hesitate to express their own opinion on the country’s economic hardship, which they attributed to bad governance.

TERM LOAN OVERDRAFT OVERDRAFT

DR. MRS. OLAITAN, DR. PHILIP MAJIYEBO ESUGA, MR. JOEL NDIFE, DR. EHIKUEEME IZEGAEGBE BESTMAN ELENWO HABIB MOHAMMED, RICHARD DANIEL, MSHELIA FIAMA DIGGIRA, CODO JEAN, BASHIR MOHAMMED, TALBA IBRAHIM CLEMENT NWAOKORIE UGO OHUABUNWA, MAZI SAM OHUABUNWA, MAJOR (GEN) C. C. IWEZE - RTD ILOLO GIFT AMAKINO ALHAJI MOAMMED ABDUL AHMED

2D, RAILWAY AVENUE KAKURI KADUNA

15, AKWOR STREET, RUMUOMO; 4, EJIM STREET, RUMUOMASI

16, DANUBE STREET MAITAMA ABUJA

5, ONOJA ROAD, BARKIN LADI, PLATEAU STATE

6, NEW SHELL LOCATION ROAD, KM16, ABA/PORT HARCOURT EXPRESS WAY, RIVERS STATE

JAMES AKPOMIMIE HOUSE, 6, POWELL STREET AKA AVENUE EFFURUN

38, WAREHOUSE ROAD YINKA FOLAWIYO PLAZA, FOURTH FLOOR APAPA LAGOS

FEEDMASTERS LIMITED

ELENWO BESTMAN

TPMS NIGERIA LIMITED

OKO GLOBAL MULTI BUSINESS LIMITED

MASTA SERVICES COMPANY LIMITED

GREAT BRAIN RESOURCES

CITY SYSTEMS GENERAL MERCHANTS

N. C. GIBSON INTERNATIONAL LIMITED

ARIA COMMUNITY CITI BANK LIMITED

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TERM LOAN TERM LOAN

ONYUNG EYO OKON, OKERE EVELYN ADANMA, ONYUNG ANDY EYO ONORIBHOLO OKPAIBHELE, BOSE OKPAIBHELE PASTOR EMMANUEL ILEKA ROTIMI ADEBOWALE, AMAKA ADEBOWALE, CHIEDU IYIZOBA MR. DOMITI ANTHONY, MR. TONYE ANTHONY

ALAHAJI MASHOOD MUSTAPHAR, ASINAJUB DELE GANIYU MRS. BLESSING OFORIBO BLESSING EFEREBO, HORSEFALL DAKIO, HORSEFALL SOBIBO, IYALLA OWUNARI, MATTHEW OKHAIMOH

15, UDI STR, OSBORNE ESTATE, IKOYI,LAGOS

95,MISSION ROAD BENIN CITY

459 NNEBISI ROAD ASABA

4, SUNNY CLOSE, THOMAS ESTATE, AJAH

7, ONWUCHEKWA RUMUOBIAKANI PHC

PLOT 66A NO 2A ATBABA STREET OFF CAIRO STREET WUSE 11 ABUJA

200, BONNY STREET NEW LAYOUT PHC

5B, OROMENIKE STREET D/LINE

459, NNEBISI ROAD ASABA

OPP BANK OF THE NORTH COMM AREA GOMBE.

17A, BOSTWANA CRESCENT BARNAWA KADUNA

10, IRUBE STREET D/LINE PORT HARCOURT

4, KINGS AVENUE OFF TOMBIA EXTENSION G.R.A PH

KM 16 PH -ABA EXPRESSWAY CESIDE CRUSH ROCK PHC

JEVKON OIL&GAS LTD

AREBS RESOURCES

LG WORLD & CO. LTD

RODAM LOGISTICS

IKONIBO LIMITED

HIGH RISE BUILDERS LIMITED

F.M.P.H.J VENTURES

SOMAFALL SERVICES LTD.

ROYAL CAT INTERNATIONAL NIG. LTD

AFLACORP NIG LTD

ARAWA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS LTD

ARCHKEN LIMITED

CO-OPERATIVE FINANCING AGENCY

AJORO INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT NIG LIMITED

KUDOS WORKS AND INVESTMENT CO. LTD.(KWIC)

TEVOLI ENTERPRISES LIMITED

SHOSKY TECH INTER LIMITED

MACOM ENG. & CONST LIMITED

JEFFLOC SERVICES NIGERIA LTD

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2 UDOFIA STREET EKET AKWA IBOM

4, NSIT LANE UYO

SAMCO HOUSE MBIOHO- OKU, UYO AKWA IBOM STATE

ALONG KWADON ROAD GOMBE GOMBE STATE

39, LAGOS ST, PORT HARCOURT

TERM LOAN

CHIEF ERIC OGUOMA-SORONNADI

9, ABDUO DIOF STREET, OFF KWAME NKRUMAH CRESCENT, ASOKORO, ABUJA

RISSUN NIGERIA TD

CHINDA CHINDA CHINDA CHINDA

UCHENNA, JEPHET CHIZI WILLIAMS, PRINCE OCHIZICHIBUIKE ,UCHE WILLIAMS, OSARUCHI, FLORENCE UCHE WILLIAMS(MRS.) CHIOMA JUDITH, UCHE WILLIAMS

CHIEF HENRY I IKOH

OLUSEGUN SOKAN

EDET EFFIONG AKPAN, GEORGE ROBERT AKPAN

CHIEF J. C. EZEKUDO

MOSES A. OJO, AYANLEYE OJO, DANJUMA MOHAMMED

TERM LOAN

OVERDRAFT

TERM LOAN

29-Jun-2012

17-Jul-2012

31-Dec-2011

20-May-2011 20-Aug-2010 3-Sep-2011

2-Aug-2013

28-Aug-2016

26-Jun-2013

26-Mar-2014

26-Mar-2014

26-Mar-2014

31-Jan-2012

25-Jan-2013

31-Dec-2013

31-Dec-2013

30-Oct-2013

20-Nov-2013

18-Dec-2014

5-Mar-2011

30-Dec-2013

98,068,087.53

100,268,772.84

106,256,324.22

107,011,353.51

2,911,181.70

104,100,221.81

109,283,867.19

54,696.60

25,306,154.28

37,596,826.64

46,326,189.67

109,955,804.00

110,470,260.00

110,623,772.33

112,102,195.93

429,616.21

23,341,653.41

88,330,944.31

114,258,458.00

121,541,350.20

136,411,150.00

147,520,164.55

150,587,905.00

5-Apr-2014 5-Oct-2011

156,420,176.22

157,021,511.35

161,536,053.37

163,790,454.29

168,901,528.79

171,464,426.00

172,936,970.30

174,172,734.46

157,900,374.69

166,594,631.83

183,222,066.26

190,728,468.97

241,584,226.96

250,120,758.47

258,886,241.51

AMOUNT OUTSTANDING (N)

15-Feb-2010

8-Jul-2011

31-Aug-2012

30-Aug-2013

TERM LOAN TERM LOAN

7-May-2013

TERM LOAN

16-Dec-2013

TERM LOAN

16-Dec-2013

16-Dec-2013

TERM LOAN

TERM LOAN

9-Dec-2011

30-Dec-2011 OVERDRAFT

TERM LOAN

28-Dec-2011

TERM LOAN

7-Jan-2013

31-Jul-2013

OVERDRAFT

OVERDRAFT

29-Nov-2012

TERM LOAN

SABO BAKO, YAU HASSAN, ELISHA YERIMA, MRS MILCHA UMARU, HON. ISMAILA HASSAN

18-Sep-2014

10-Mar-2010

29-Dec-2011

5-Oct-2009

27-Feb-2014

15-Nov-2009

9-Jul-2010

5-Mar-2011

16-Aug-2011

15-Aug-2011 10-Mar-2010

2-Jun-2013

29-Nov-2013

31-12-2009

15-Mar-2012

24-Oct-2011

28-Oct-2009

8-Jul-2011

28-Nov-2014

15-Feb-2014

31-12-2013

23-Dec-2013

EXPIRY DATE

18-Apr-2013

28-Dec-2012

8-Feb-2007

16-Mar-2011

23-Oct-2008

29-Jul-2009

9-Jul-2010

26-Jun-2014

18-Dec-2013

1-Jul-2013

4-Jan-2011

DATE GRANTED

TERM LOAN

TERM LOAN

TERM LOAN

OVERDRAFT

TERM LOAN

TERM LOAN

EMGR. ARCHIBONG EKENG, MR. KESTER JONAH

ALH. ABUBAKAR ARAWA ABDULLAHI ABUBAKAR

AFIBEBOALA DIMITEIN

ENGR. (CHIEF) EFEKODHA ANTHONY ONOMUEFE

TERM LOAN

CHIEF OBINNA M. J . EZEOFOR, BEN ALAKWU

OLD ENUGU/OSHA ROAD BOX 2959 ENUGU

OVERDRAFT

TERM LOAN

GIBSON NWIKE

E51-54 EBONYI PLAZA BBA TRADEFAIR COMPLEX

TERM LOAN

TERM LOAN

TERM LOAN

TERM LOAN

TYPE OF FACILITY

DIRECTORS

ADDRESS

NAME OF OBLIGOR

S/N

T H I S D AY MONDAY MAY 9, 2016

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OVERDRAFT TERM LOAN

OVERDRAFT TERM LOAN

AKPEH UFUOMA S DR. OPEYEMI AKEJU, MR. LOLA OLUJOBI, HON. SEGUN OLA, MR. TOPE OMOJOLA IBRAHIM USMAN, HAWA MOHAMMED DAHIRU

OKORODUDU ISAAC AKPOS IGBINOSA AIFUWA DOUGLAS, IGBINOSA NGOWARI ROSELYN, IGBINOSA IYIOSAYI PETER

UMUNDARA AHUWA, OBORO IKWUANO LGA ABIA STATE

43, FUTEB PLAZA, EFFURUN

13B, MALLE ESTATE OFF DSC WAY EKETE -UDU DELTA STATE

18, OKEYINMI STREET ADO-EKITI

AZ 44 BAKORI ROAD KADUNA

35, CEMENTARY ROAD, PO BOX18, OMOKU, RIVERS STATE

140, AIRPORT ROAD,EFFURUN WARRI DELTA STATE

28, OMASI RD, RUMUOMASI PORT HARCOURT

1 AKA AVENUE EFFURUN WARRI DELTA STATE

TESCOM HEADQUARTERS SECRETARIAT, IBADAN

6, POWELL STREET OFF AKA AVENUE WARRI DELTA STATE

HARMONY FOAM LIMITED

SILK STRUCTURES NIGERIA COMPANY

MORG-LIS SERVICES

ULAYIN MICRO-FINANCE BANK

FRONTIER MERCHANTS NIGERIA LIMITED

INDEX GOLD CONCEPTS LIMITED

PETROLEUM PLUS SOLUTION LIMITED

GODEL ENTERPRISES

ISABEL & J INTEGRATED SERVICES LTD

VERSETECH TECHNICAL SERVICES LIMITED

ZOPHIM CORPORATE SERVICES

TECOM TEACHING & NON-TEACHING STAFF WELFARE CICS LTD

CSK WORKS & ALLIED CO. LTD

GENUINELYNESS OUTLOOK

TEXOLAND INTERNATIONAL LIMITED

EGIREMBO NIG. ENTERPRISES

DEVON ENERGY

EXMATSUR OILFIELD SUPPORT LIMITED

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71

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81

82

1-Apr-2013

ADAMS IDAKWO AKPAI, TOJU ADAMS IDAKWO, ARIDA TOJU ADAMS

TERM LOAN

27-Oct-2014

10-Sep-2013

TERM LOAN

2, ORIANWO LANE, ,NKPOGU RD, ARSBBY PLAZA, PORT HARCOURT

5-Dec-2013

TERM LOAN CHIJIOKE CHIEDU IYIZOBA, EBUBECHUKWU IYIZOBA

5-Dec-2013

TERM LOAN

295A, SURULERE WAY DOLPHIN ESTATE, IKOYI, LAGOS.

5-Jul-2012 BENSON OYABEBEFA

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY NEW LEGISLATURE, QTERS OKPANAM, ASABA

14-Mar-2013 TERM LOAN

TERM LOAN

ENG. TIMOTHY O. MICHAEL, PRINCE ANIAKAN, KINGSLEY T.MICHAEL

5 OPILI PLAZA BY PETER ODILI RD

26-Mar-2013

15-Jan-2013

TERM LOAN TERM LOAN

25-Jan-2013

26-Nov-2013

27-Dec-2009

27-Nov-2014

25-Jan-2013

21-May-2012

8-Feb-2007

25-Jun-2012

19-Dec-2013

24-Oct-2012

19-Mar-2012

19-Mar-2012

OVERDRAFT

TERM LOAN

OLATUNJI AJIBOLA OLADUNNI, OMOLOLA ADEPEJU-ADEKUNLE, TOMOTHY KEHINDE OGUNDEJI ILOLO GIFT AMAKINO

TERM LOAN

TERM LOAN

TERM LOAN

TERM LOAN

TERM LOAN

TERM LOAN

ILOLO GIFT AMAKINO

ELEMCHUKWU IDU

OMOTAYO KUFORIJI

MIKE WALI, OKEY WALI, KINGSLEY WALI

UTOYO OGHENEOCHUKO LUCKY

28-Nov-2014

9-Dec-2013

4-Jan-2014

4-Jan-2014

3-Jul-2013

19-Jun-2013

11-May-2013

22-Apr-2013

31-Dec-2013

25-May-2014

28-Mar-2010

27-Dec-2014

31-Dec-2013

30-Aug-2012

31-12-2009

31-Jan-2012

18-Dec-2013

31-Oct-2012

14-Jun-2012

14-Jun-2012

31-Dec-2013

31-Dec-2013

25-Jan-2013

OVERDRAFT

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6-JuN-2014

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28-Sep-2014

28-Aug-2014

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YETUNDE MOGAJI, ABIMBOLA KUDIRAT ADENEKAN

56, ABEOKUTA STREET, ANIFOWOSE IKEJA

4/6, OIL MILL STREET LAGOS ISLAND LAGOS

9, IREBI STREET D/LINE PORT HARCOURT

TERM LOAN

OKORODUDU ISAAC AKPOS

46, AIRPORT ROAD EFFURUN

POMO WORKS AND SERVICES

64 CHIEF HENRY I IKOH

ORUBO IBINABO JACK, MBAA LAWRENCE, KELLY ORUBO, INYECHIKA DOREEN, IBINABO JACK, RACHEAL IBINABO JACK

5, OIL OF JOY CLOSE, WILSON DRIVE, BOROKIRI, PORT HARCOURT

INTERIORTRONIX NIGERIA LIMITED

63

28-Aug-2014

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28-Sep-2014

31-Dec-2013

25-Jan-2013

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OGAGA OGBAKPAH

4, EMORE STREET OFF AIRPORT ROAD EFFURUN

TIMELY-LV NIGERIA ENTERPRISES

21-Oct-2010

62

21-Oct-2010

TERM LOAN

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OKORODUDU ISAAC AKPOS

6, POWELL STREET OFF AKA AVENUE WARRI

CHOKO WORKS & SERVICES

21-Jul-2010

ILOLO GIFT AMAKINO

13, DDPA HOUSING ESTATE OGBORIKOKO WARRI

FULLHAM INTEGRATED CO. LTD

61

10-Apr-2013

60

26-Jan-2013

26-Jan-2011 31-Jan-2012

27-Oct-2007

18-Sep-2007

9-Dec-2011

26-Jan-2013

31-Dec-2012

11-Aug-2010

EXPIRY DATE

13-Feb-2011

27-Dec-2011

11-Aug-2009

DATE GRANTED

11-Feb-2013

TERM LOAN

IPINMORITI OLUYINKA ANIKE, IPINMORITI FELICIA ANJOLA, IPINMORITI ESTHER FOLAKE, IPINMORITI VICTOR GBOYE

21, AGBOOLA STR MAFOLUKU OSHODI

1ST MEK GLOBAL SERVICE LTD

59

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PLOT 78 RALPH SHODEINDE STREET B.C.A. ABUJA ABUJA

DE-SHADOW ASSOCIATES NIG LTD

58

TERM LOAN

JOHN SADO MAJI, MRS. UNEKWU MAJI, MISS LADI OKOLO, SUNDAY OKOLO

GODWIN ASEMOTA NIG. LTD

57

TERM LOAN

GODWIN ASEMOTA

ENGINEER IKPONWOSA OSUNDE

1,THIRA CEMENTRY ROAD NEW-BENIN, B/C

BEAVER-MARK NIGERIA LIMITED

56

TERM LOAN

136 NEW LAGOS RD NEW BENIN

SIJUADE OYETOSO OLUWOLE

1, SIJUADE CLOSE, MAGBORO VILLAGE, LAGOS IBADAN EXPRESSWAY

SIJUADE FARMS

55

OVERDRAFT

MR. CHIMA IGBOKWE

55B, EZIMBA ST. BY OGBOR -HILL,ABA; 34C OBOHIA ROAD,ABA

BODIMA VENTURES LIMITED

TERM LOAN

PAUL DUNIA, MRS. IBIENE FAVOUR DUNIA, PAUL DUNIA JNR.

FLAT 2 ALIOLU ESTATE MANGROVE LANE WOJI

54

TYPE OF FACILITY

DIRECTORS

ADDRESS

DUAL TRANSACT GLOBAL SERVICES LIMITED

NAME OF OBLIGOR

53

S/N

62,612,521.20

64,358,672.70

1,653,314.02

29,984,640.04

32,720,718.64

65,836,626.84

66,057,778.94

68,210,030.03

35,923,311.00

32,286,719.00

68,399,429.67

68,683,831.17

69,975,04088

70,565,104.19

71,187,126.51

71,423,919.19

75,357,233.27

77,021,868.16

77,983,929.73

78,753,186.49

79,493,276.78

79,684,706.78

80,223,076.71

81,7578,554.78

82,229,117.55

28,721.21

27,950,168.40

54,250,227.94

82,302,296.86

82,410,768.38

82,593,607.54

86,751,214.00

87,289,015.63

89,131,158.75

89,534,667.01

90,597,948.69

92,905,993.83

96,519,532.12

AMOUNT OUTSTANDING (N)

44 MONDAY MAY 9, 2016 T H I S D AY

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MONDAY MAY 9, 2016 T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY MONDAY MAY 9, 2016

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50

MONDAY MAY 9, 2016 T H I S D AY

54

INTERNATIONAL

Canada’s Fire Rages for Seventh Day

Zacheaus Somorin A wildfire ripping through Canada’s oil sands region blazed for a seventh day yesterday as officials warned almost 100,000 people who fled the area would not be returning home soon. The fire, which started at 6 p.m. eastern (2300 London time) last Sunday near the town of Fort McMurray in northern Alberta, spread so quickly that the town’s 88,000 inhabitants barely had time to leave. Large parts of the town no longer exist.

Officials said that, even though the fire had largely pushed through Fort McMurray and was heading quickly northeast through dry boreal forests, the town was still too dangerous to enter. “Within the community itself I expect over the next coming month or two that they’re going to be able to get a very good handle on the

fire situation,” Alberta wildfire prevention chief Chad Morrison told reporters on Saturday.

Thousands of evacuees are camped out in nearby towns but stand little chance of returning soon. Provincial officials said displaced people would be better off driving to cities like Calgary, 655 km (410 miles) to the south, where health and social services are better. Some residents are complaining about the lack of news from the town, fire chief Darby Allen said in a video posted online late on Saturday.

“We know from all the calls that you’re getting frustrated because you don’t have any information on your homes. We’re really working hard on that, it’s a complicated process,” he said. The inferno looks set to become the costliest natural disaster in Canada’s history.

One analyst estimated insurance losses could exceed C$9 billion

($7 billion).

Fort McMurray is the centre of Canada’s oil sands region. About half of the crude output from the sands, or one million barrels per day (bpd), had been taken offline as of Friday, according to a Reuters estimate. An Alberta government statement issued on Saturday night said the fire had consumed 200,000 hectares (494,000 acres) - an area the size of Mexico City - and would continue to grow.

More than 500 firefighters are in and around Fort McMurray, along with 15 helicopters, 14 air tankers and 88 other pieces of equipment, officials said.

The strain was so intense that fire crews would be rotated more quickly than usual, Morrison said. One exhausted fireman told CBC television that members of his team were working up to 40 hours without sleep.

Syrian Warplanes Launch Counter-attack on Rebels near Aleppo Syrian warplanes attacked Islamist militants near the northern city of Aleppo yesterday, both sides said, as the government tried to push back a major insurgent advance in the area. Dozens of air strikes hit near the town of Khan Touman, which rebels took from forces loyal to the government and its ally Iran late on Thursday, insurgents and state media reported.

Aleppo - one of the biggest strategic prizes in a war now in its sixth year - has been divided into government and rebel-held zones through much of the conflict.

The surrounding region is also crossed by valuable supply routes into neighbouring Turkey.

Syria’s army said it had hit“terrorist groups”hard on Sunday, but did not give details of any territorial gains. Manar, the media outlet of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group

supporting Syrian government forces in the area, said heavy fighting was ongoing against the hardline Sunni Muslim rebels.

Government forces had made significant advances in the northern region after their other main ally Russia entered the war in September. But the seizure of Khan Touman on Thursday by an alliance of Islamist insurgents known as Jaish al-Fatah, including the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, marked a major counter-attack by forces opposed to president Bashar al-Assad.

The loss of the town south of Apello was a particular blow for Iranian troops who suffered one of their biggest single-day losses in the conflict. A fighter from the Nusra Front - which is not involved in a shaky ceasefire across Syria - said on social media

it was now pushing further south towards the town of al Hader, a major stronghold for Hezbollah and Iranian forces.

Separately Amaq news agency, which is associated with Islamic State, said the group had destroyed a gas plant in the desert outside the central city of Palmyra yesterday. Islamic State militants retreated from the ancient city two months ago but continue to operate in the surrounding area.

Syria’s conflict, which started with largely peaceful protests against the government, had descended into a sectarian war that has pulled in regional and global powers , k i l l e d a t least 250,000 people and displaced half its pre-war 22 million population.

North Korean Leader Sets Five-year Economic Plan North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, said his country would not use nuclear weapons unless its sovereignty is infringed by others with nuclear arms, in a speech broadcast yesterday, while setting a five-year plan to boost the secretive state’s moribund economy.

The North“will faithfully fulfil its obligation for non-proliferation and strive for global denuclearisation”, Kim said on Saturday at the rare congress of the ruling Workers’Party, although the speech only aired on Sunday on state television.

Pyongyang was also willing to normalise ties with states that had been hostile towards it, Kim said.

Isolated North Korea has made similar statements in the past, although it has also frequently threatened to attack the United States and South Korea, and has defied United Nations resolutions in its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

The first party congress in 36 years began on Friday amid anticipation by the South Korean government and experts that the young thirdgeneration leader would use it to further consolidate power. Kim

became leader in 2011 after his father’s sudden death.

North Korea’s economy is squeezed by U.N. sanctions that were tightened in March following its latest nuclear test, and Kim’s fiveyear plan to boost economic growth emphasised the need to improve North Korea’s electricity supply and develop domestic sources of energy, including nuclear power.

He laid out the blueprint in an address highlighting his“Byongjin”policy of jointly pushing forward economic development and nuclear armament.

Yesterday morning, foreign journalists were told to dress presentably and were brought to the People’s Palace of Culture, where dozens of black Mercedes-Benz sedans, with the 727 number plates reserved for top government officials, were parked.

However, after a one-hour wait in a lobby outside large wooden doors with frosted glass, the journalists were taken back to their hotel without having met any officials.

While the North Korean capital has been tidied-up as part of a 70-day campaign of intensified labour ahead

of the congress, the 128 members of the foreign media issued visas to cover the event had yet to be granted access to the proceedings as of Sunday afternoon.

North Korea does not publish economic data, though South Korea’s central bank said last year the North’s economy grew by 1 percent in 2014.

The estimate did not include grey market economic activity, which has grown steadily in recent years and created an expanding consumer class.

Kim’s economic plan spelled out areas of focus, including more mechanisation of agriculture and automation of factories, and higher coal output, but gave few specific targets. “(We must) solve the energy problem and place the basic industry section on the right track, and increase agricultural and light industry production to definitely improve lives of the people,” Kim said in a speech that lasted just over three hours, with delegates at the end rising to their feet in applause and shouts of“manse!,”or“cheers for long life!”

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MONDAY MAY 9, 2016 • T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

Military Vows to Sustain the Tempo against Terrorists, Militants, Cattle Rustlers Warns against incitements, mischief makers Senator Iroegbu in Abuja The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has promised that the military and security agencies will sustain the planned and ongoing onslaught against terrorists, militancy, cattle rustlers and other forms of criminality in the country.

The Director of Defence Information (DDI), Brig-Gen. Rabe Abubakar, in a statement yesterday, warned that it “will not condone any unwholesome acts by persons or groups seeking to engage in acts that are capable of causing a break down of law and order in any part of the country.”

To this end, Abubakar advised members of the public to refrain from taking laws into their hands and avoid actions that may breach harmonious co-existence.

He however urged individuals or groups seeking relevance to follow the due process in accordance with the law of our land and not through acts of violence.

“The DHQ also wishes to advise the public to ignore inciting pictures, videos and statements posted on some social media platforms which are now confirmed to be the creation of photoshops with the intention of causing disharmony and divisions among different nationalities.

“The military and the security agencies will continue to sustain the current tempo against terrorists, oil thieves, cattle rustlers and other forms of criminalities and urge all law abiding citizens to go about their normal businesses and report any suspicious persons or object to the nearest security post for prompt action,” he stated.

In a related development, the Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, has cautioned youth volunteer groups, especially those affiliated with religious bodies against militarising their members but to operate within the confines of the law.

Bello in a statement signed yesterday by his Chief Press Secretary, Malam Jibrin Baba Ndace, frowned at the display of military simulation exercise by a youth volunteer groups.

He observed that volunteer groups are deviating from their primary function of ensuring orderliness at the gatherings especially during Sunday service in churches and the Friday Jumat prayers in Mosques to acquiring military training and practice.

The governor said: “Volunteer groups are to operate within the letters and the intent of the law.

These groups, to the best of my

PDP Meets Wednesday to Consider Constitutional Amendments State congresses take place tomorrow Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will be convened next Wednesday to debate on its proposed constitution ahead of the scheduled May 21 national convention.

In continuation of the nationwide congresses embarked upon by the opposition party, PDP will hold the last lap of the exercise tomorrow when the party members file out to elect state executives.

Following the loss suffered by the party at the last presidential election, it set up a post-election review panel which among other issues, identified some reforms needed in order to address problems and shortcomings of the party.

The review panel headed by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekwerenmadu, made some farreaching recommendations which was later approved by the NEC but required the amendment of the constitution before they can be implemented.

One of such recommendations made by the panel is that the party should henceforth adopt the direct primaries for nominating its candidates for elective offices.

What this implies is that the current delegate system would be done away with and amendment to that effect, and will be carried during the convention.

Speaking to THISDAY on some of the issues that will form

the basis for the constitutional amendment, the National Legal Adviser of the PDP, Mr. Victor Kwom, said the party is considering an amendment to enable it elect two deputy national chairmen instead of one as is presently the case.

“Another recommendation that NEC approved is that the provisions for waiver should be strengthened to discourage abuse of the process. There is also a recommendation that the party should adopt biometrics system of membership registration so that details and number of members can be properly captured. All these will require constitutional amendments during the convention.

“Beyond the recommendations of the Ekwerenmadu panel, the party realises that it is now in opposition and that there are certain provisions which were made because the party was in government that needed to be changed to be in line with current realities. For instance, in compositions of the executive committees of the party from the ward level to the national, there was no provision for the former presidents, governors, or senate president because then it was assumed that the party will be having a sitting president and governors. So the reality of the day is that the provisions as it were will no longer be as representative as necessary, hence the need for an amendment,” he said.

knowledge, are to help ensure orderliness during congregational prayers, and ensure free flow of human and vehicular traffic before, during and after Jumat prayers on Fridays and Church services on Sundays.

“The growing and disturbing trend that I have noticed across

the divide is the militarisation of these groups. They are now being drilled in the act of using arms and carrying gun.

“Instead of indoctrinating them into the use of arms, we have to inculcate the values and virtues of peace into the psyche of our youths. Let them embrace peace

and live it.

“The use of wood as gun for parade is uncalled for. All these military simulation should be discouraged. These are young boys and in some cases, girls are engaged too. Their minds are tender, we should build them up to embrace peace and orderliness as a way

of life. This will help guarantee a more united and peaceful society.”

The governor also assured the people of the state of his determination to ensuring peace and security in the state, and urged all stakeholders to support government’s resolve in that direction.

SEEKING ROYAL PARTNERSHIP

Acting Managing Director/CEO, Bank of Industry (BoI), Mr. Waheed Olagunju (left); and Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, during the visit by the management team of the bank to the Ooni’s palace in Ile-Ife...yesterday Felix Ademola

Court Strikes out Suit by AMCON Senate Committee Backs to Wind up Capital Oil and Gas FG’s Plan to Import Grazing Tobi Soniyi in Abuja A Federal High Court in Lagos last Friday struck out a suit by the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) for the winding up of Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited.

The court, presided over by Justice Mohammed Idris, struck out the suit on the grounds that it was premature and also sought to circumvent existing suits in different courts on issues relating to the alleged indebtedness of Capital Oil and Gas that is currently under dispute.

The court consequently struck out AMCON’s petition for the freezing of Capital Oil and Gas’ accounts and winding up of the company for alleged inability to pay the disputed debt.

In the ruling delivered Friday, May 6, 2016 in Suit No. FHC/L/ CP/506/2016, the judge upheld the contention of Capital Oil and Gas’ counsel, Ajibola Oluyede, represented

by Michael Damiari, that the winding up proceedings filed by AMCON against Capital Oil and Gas were intended to circumvent the existing actions in suits FHC/ABJ/CS/430/15; FHC/ABJ/CS/514/15 and FHC/L/ CS/1529/15 wherein live issues pertaining to the consent judgment in FHC/ABJ/CS/714/2012 which is the subject matter of the winding up petition are pending in.

The judge said: “Until the issues raised in those suits are determined, it would be premature to say the judgment debt has crystalised as provided in clause 2.4 of the

consent judgment.”

Capital Oil and Gas had, in its Respondent’s counter affidavit of 91 paragraphs deposed to by Nsikan Usoro in opposition to AMCON’s petition, contended that AMCON grossly violated the terms of the consent judgment entered into between the two parties.

It was argued that AMCON failed, refused and/or neglected to inject the requisite funds into Capital Oil and Gas as agreed and contained in the terms of the consent judgment despite Capital Oil and Gas fulfilling all its obligations of transferring assets valued at over N150 billion to AMCON. It was further contended that Capital Oil and Gas which was a going concern and also a company of strategic national importance responsible for a great percentage of petroleum products distributed nationwide was not insolvent, not indebted to AMCON, neither was it unable to pay its debt as the company had assets worth over N300 billion, far in excess of any alleged debt to AMCON or any other creditor.

It was equally averred that AMCON was indebted to Capital Oil and Gas to the tune of over N150 billion, arising from economic losses and damages inflicted on Capital Oil and Gas by AMCON, through the gross mismanagement of Capital Oil and Gas’ prime facilities and business interests during the two years of AMCON’s ill management of Capital Oil and Gas, which is the subject matter of suit no. FHC/ ABJ/CS/430/2015 and in other

Grasses from Brazil Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja The Senate Committee on Agriculture at the weekend threw its weight behind federal government’s decision to import grasses for grazing from Brazil.

Chairman of the committee, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, who made the disclosure in Abuja, said the importation of grazing pastures for cattle at designated places across the country would proffer permanent solution to the protracted crisis between farmers and herdsmen.

Adamu dismissed criticism of the move by some professors of agriculture who had opposed the move, saying they had technology to grow grasses if they received government support.

He criticised the inability of the professors to proffer solution to the problem of grazing over the years, saying they lacked any moral right to criticise the government’s move.

According to him, importing grazing grasses and making them available to cattle rearers would stop the movement of cattle from one place to another adding that the move would also put paid to the growing spate of killings by herdsmen.

He also said the government would provide and service pasture to curtail the continuous movement of cattle by herdsmen, noting that in the United States, pastures and water are provided

to grow nutritious grasses for cattle’s sustenance.

Adamu said the government must face the reality of the moment by taking some painful decisions in order to end the herdsmen and farmers’ clashes, arguing that “there are no easy fixes” to the problem.

He also blamed the mindless killings by herdsmen on growing indiscipline among the herdsmen, government failure to address key issues causing the crisis and politicisation of the matter.

The Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, had in March this year, disclosed that government had the plan to begin the importation of grasses for cows to reduce the movement of herdsmen across the country.

Ogbeh, had disclosed that Buhari was setting up grazing areas in various states of the federation as a response to the clashes.

Addressing his Idoma people who protested the massacre of Agatu people in Benue State by herdsmen in Abuja, Ogbeh said: “We are producing massive hectares of grasslots for the consumption of cattle; we have received these grasses from Brazil and we are growing them in massive quantities.

“Cattle herdsmen want grasses for their cattle; such grass is what we are growing in large quantities and, within the next three months, some of these will be ready.

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NEWSEXTRA

Report: NNPC Paid N1.118tn to Federation Account in One Year NPDC lost N20bn oil revenue in March

Chineme Okafor in Abuja The March 2016 edition of the monthly financial and operation report of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has shown that the corporation has in the last one year paid N1.118 trillion into the federation account as proceeds from sale of domestic crude oil from March 2015 to March 2016.

The report was released at the weekend in Abuja by the corporation.

It stated among other developments that N69.544 billion was remitted into the federation account in the month under consideration.

The remittances it explained were naira proceeds from the sale of domestic crude oil and gas.

It also explained that Nigeria’s oil production for the month was 59.27 million barrels, about 2.04 million barrels per day (mbpd) which is lower than January, 2016 production of 66.49mb.

The drop it stated was occasioned by a declaration of force majeure

by Shell Production Development Company (SPDC) because of the vandalised 48 inch Forcados export line which resulted in production shut-in of about 300,000bpd.

That production drop the NNPC explained also resulted to a loss of about N20 billion oil revenue that would have been earned by its Exploration and Production (E&P)

subsidiary, the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC).

The NNPC said the production drop represents a decrease of 10.85 per cent when compared to its January 2016 performance.

It added that Joint Ventures (JVs) and Production Sharing Contracts (PSC) contributed about 34.57 and 42.69 per cents respectively of the production volume for the month while Alternative Funding (AF), NPDC and independent accounted for 14.89, 3.13 and 4.71 respectively.

It said a total of 220.67 billion standard cubic feet (BCF) of natural gas was produced in the month, translating to an average daily production of 7.12 billion standard cubic feet per day (bscfd), and from which 896.93mmscfd was supplied to the domestic market and about 533.22mmscfd used by gas-powered plants in the country to generate an average of 2,558 megawatts (MW) of electricity.

The report further said a total volume of 774.79 million barrels of crude oil and condensate has so far been lifted by all production parties in the country from March 2015 to February 2016.

On its group operating performance, NNPC said its operating revenue for the months of February and March 2016 were 107.83 billion and 104.80 billion respectively.

It added that its operating expenditure for the same periods were N129.03 billion and N126.72

South-east PDP Govs, Ekweremadu, Others Meet in Enugu, Vow to End Herdsmen Attack Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) including three governors elected on the party’s platform in the South-east geopolitical zone rose from a closed door meeting in Enugu, yesterday with a resolve to fashion out a more sustainable and enduring strategy aimed at permanently checkmating the increasing spate of invasion of communities by suspected Fulani herdsmen in the zone.

The meeting which was attended by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu as well as Governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State also had the presence of former Governors of Anambra and Imo States, Peter Obi and Ikedi Ohakim.

However, Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State and his Anambra State counterpart, Willie Obiano, were conspicuously absent.

Some former governors including Chief Martin Elechi, (Ebonyi), Sullivan Chime (Enugu) and Senator Theodore Orji of Abia who were said to have been invited to the meeting were also absent.

No reason was given for their inability to attend.

But, addressing journalists at the end of the two-hours meeting, Ekweremadu said the meeting appraised developments in the last herdsmen attack in Enugu and resolved to find ways of ensuring that such attack did not take place either in Enugu or any other place

in the South-east zone.

“We intend to put in place endurable measures so that such attack will not happen again,” Ekweremadu noted, while disclosing that the meeting expressed satisfaction with Ugwuanyi over the courageous way he handled the Ukpabi Nimbo attack which claimed scores of lives.

“The Governor of Enugu State briefed the meeting on the steps he has so far taken on that issue. He also told us that most of the people who fled the community in the wake of the attack had started returning and that nomalcy has been restored in the area. We are very satisfied with the briefing,” he said.

They also commended President Muhammadu Buhari for signing the budget and as well thanked the National Assembly for their efforts in resolving the budget impasse with the presidency.

Ekweremadu, however, urged that the budget as it affects the South-east should be implemented thoroughly especially in the area of roads.

“We suggest and urge the Federal government to ensure that the projects captured in the budget as it affects the South-east be given to reputable contractors.

And we are going to monitor it closely especially as it affects our roads,” he said.

Ekweremadu also disclosed that efforts would be made to ensure that the governors who did not attend the meeting would attend the next one.

billion respectively, indicating operating deficits of N24.23 billion and N18.89 billion respectively for the months of February and March 2016.

On JV cash call, NNPC stated that total export proceeds of $141.87

million were recorded in March, 2016 and that this was swept into the JV cash call account because the 2015 approved budget requires monthly JV funding of about $615.8 million.

Apart from its retail outlets,

NNPC explained that its other subsidiaries such as the National Engineering and Technology Company Limited (NETCO), Integrated Data Services Limited (IDSL), Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC),

Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC), Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC), NPDC, Pipeline and Products Marketing Company (PPMC) as well as its corporate headquarters were still operating at loss levels.

ONDO BEYOND OIL

Ondo State Governor, Dr. Rahman Mimiko (left), being presented a copy of the Mining Roadmap by the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, during the minister’s working visit to Akure...recently

Four Die in Rail Crash in Kwara Saraki, Ahmed condole with victims Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja, Hammed Shittu in Ilorin and Sunday Okobi in Lagos Three officials of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) and a passenger lost their lives at the weekend when a cargo train from Ibadan to Kano lost control and crashed at Jebba town in Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State.

The incident according to THISDAY checks occurred at Jebba, just a few metres after the main entrance of Jebba Paper Mill.

There was also a second crash few metres to the River Niger Bridge at Jebba but there was no casualty recorded from the episode.

Officials of the corporation who spoke on condition of anonymity with journalists in Ilorin yesterday said the two staff were a male guard and a female staff simply identified as Janet.

The remains of the victims were packed into body-bag by a combined team of medical personnel, police, and Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), officials at about 3.40p.m. yesterday.

It was gathered that thebody parts of another victim had earlier been retrieved from the crash scene.

A huge crane from the NRC was deployed to the scene to lift the three coaches that crashed.

The operation was still ongoing as at the time of filing this report.

Officials of the corporation who were on ground refused to make comments because they were not authorised to speak with journalists.

Meanwhile, Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki yesterday expressed

shock over the tragic collision of two trains at Jebba bridge at the border between Niger and Kwara States which claimed the lives of some passengers and several others injured.

Saraki in a statement by his Special Assistant on New Media, Bankole Omisore, expressed sympathy with those who sustained injury in the incident and prayed God to heal their wounds.

He urged the management of the NRC to investigate the cause of the accident and immediately put in place a measure to prevent recurrence.

“As we work to improve rail system in Nigeria, we have to ensure that we pay attention to safety. Our plan is to make railway the centre of our transportation system conveying thousands of people around the country. With such a plan, the safety consideration must be top in our plan,” he said.

Saraki called for overhaul of the rail system, observing that efficiency and safety were among the core mandate of theAll Progressives Congress (APC) government.

“It is my prayer that this kind of tragic incident will not be witnessed in Nigeria again. MayAlmightyAllah in His infinite mercy grant the souls of the departed eternal rest and uphold their families in this moment of grief and sorrow,” Saraki prayed.

Also, the state Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, has commiserated with the families of the passengers.

Ahmed also wished the passengers who sustained injuries as a result of the accident speedy recovery.

These were contained in a commiseration message issued yesterday by the governor and signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Alhaji Abdulwahab Oba. The governor described the accident as painful and unfortunate as rail transportation is one of the safest modes of travel.

Ahmed, therefore, called on the management of the NRC to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the accident with a view to preventing a reoccurrence.

However, the management of the NRC has described the derailment of Kano-bound train as unfortunate and regrettable as it also sympathised with the families of the victims involved in the accident.

The NRC’s Director of Public Relation (DPR), Abdurauf Akinwoye, who spoke to THISDAY on phone yesterday, stated that the corporation’s acting Managing Director, Fidet Ohkiria, who was at the scene of the derailment lamented that: “It is an unfortunate incident and he really sympathised with the families of the affected victims.

“So far our men are at the site working to ensure that the track is restored while all trains across the rail network nationwide are moving normally.

It all happened at Jebba and as I speak we are on site.”

The acting MD reassured all commuters of the commitment of the NRC to ensure continued safety and comfort on board all trains, saying they should not entertain any fear and that railway remains the safest mode

of transportation.

Akinwoye said the four people who were confirmed dead inside the guard van which usually houses the security men on board the train. As at the time of filing this report, it was not clear were which of the arms of the security that lost its personnel.

There are usually policemen and private guards on board the train.

Besides one passenger coach derailed standing in the incident, it was gathered.

The bodies of the dead, according the DPR have been deposited at the mortuary, while three others who sustained injuries have been treated at the hospital, discharged and continued their journey to Kano.

Following the incident, the entire management team and engineers of the corporation led by Okhiria have relocated to Jebba where the unfortunate incedent took place Akinwoye revealed to THISDAY that investigations were said to be ongoing to unravel the course of the incident, adding that the remaining stocks of the train had since continued the journey.

He urged that the incident had not disrupted the movement of “our train operations as all our train network remain steady in operation all over the country.”

The DPR added Nigerians not to be discouraged by the odd incident as the NRC management is on top of the situation to avoid a repeat of the unfortunate accident, saying rescue and restoration of the tracks were still ongoing.

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MONDAY MAY 9, 2016 • T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

FG Needs N1.7tn to Complete 206 Road Projects, Says Fashola Chineme Okafor in Abuja The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has said the federal government will need as much as N1.7 trillion to complete about 206 road projects it awarded in the past.

Fashola however said the three ministries under him had only N433 billion earmarked for them in the 2016 budget.

He explained in this light that the ministry decided to phase the road projects and complete them over the next three years starting from high priority roads.

He said this at the weekend in Lagos when he spoke at the African Alliance’s 2016 Investor Day Dinner.

His remarks were however contained in a statement from his media aide, Mr. Hakeem Bello in Abuja.

According to Fashola, to overcome extant challenges in sustainable road infrastructure development, the government had upgraded the budget to finance infrastructure from 15 per cent which he said was the situation in the past to 30 per cent.

“This is the first step to sustainability. But it is not enough to budget. It is important to implement the budget and use the finances

properly,” he said.

He stated: “Today, with about 206 road contracts already awarded in the past and not completed, it does not make sense to start any new roads when the amount needed to complete is about N1.7 trillion and the budget for the three ministries is N433 billion as proposed by the executive.”

He explained that the priority of his ministry was to finish as many already awarded roads as possible.

The minister also maintained that investors are invited to invest on new roads and alignments under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement, saying this would enable the government finish as many roads as possible.

“The ministry planned in budget 2016 to depart from the practice of yesterday, of giving every road the same amount of money irrespective of whether it is just starting or nearing completion.

“The Ministry of Works was to get N268 billion, Power N99 billion and Housing N66 billion.

So instead of splitting N268 billion over 206 roads in 2016 and not finishing any road, we plan to phase 206 roads over three years and ensure that we complete or substantially progress the completion of existing roads in

each of the six geo-political zones,” Fashola explained.

He added: “We have prioritised the roads that get attention to those with the heaviest traffic and

economic strategic significance; the roads that evacuate farm produce, airport cargo and passengers, seaport cargo and tank farm petroleum products.

“We are working on the final details of road sector reform legislation that strengthens maintenance capacity, accelerates the negotiations and approvals of

road concessions and provides legislative support for tolling for recovery of investment and reforms the Federal Highways Act which is 60 years old.”

ROYAL ENDORSEMENT

Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello (left),in a hand shake with the Attah of Igala, Michael Idakwo Ameh Oboni, during the governor’s celebration of 100 days in Government House, Lokoja...recently

BUHARI ASKS AGF TO EXPLAIN HIS REFUSAL TO RECOVER N300BN STASHED IN BANKS Court Awards Damages against “Assuming without conceding account of my purported call does EFCC over Unlawful Detention of gathered that Dr. George Uboh the“Iletter. that PASS had intended to submit find it strange to read from not arise.” was soliciting and/or requesting In responding to the allegation that a report to my office before the bank officials to allow him access PASS that I failed to recover the funds Foreigner An Abuja High Court has ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to pay a sum of N10million damages to an Abuja-based foreigner and security expert Mr. Wolfgang Reinl over his unlawful detention and seizure of his international passport.

The N10million fine was imposed on EFCC as compensatory damages for the violation of fundamental rights of Reinl to dignity of human person and personal liberty.

The court also barred the EFCC from arresting, re-arresting, detaining or embarking on further seizure of the international passport of the plaintiff who is an Austrian security consultant.

In his judgment in the legal action instituted by Reinl to challenge his arrest and detention since December 12, 2015 to February 2, 2016, Justice Peter Affen ordered that EFCC must forthwith release the international passport, cheque books and cell phones seized from the plaintiff in the wake of his arrest and detention.

Justice Affen in 27-page judgment also ordered EFCC to delist the foreign security expert from their watch-list or no-fly list as doing so infringes on the fundamental rights of Reinl to freedom of liberty.

The court held that the detention of the plaintiff at the EFCC custody in Abuja for over a month was unlawful, unconstitutional and constituted a gross violation of the plaintiff fundamental right to dignity as enshrined in Section 34 and 35 of the 1999 Constitution.

Reinl had through his lawyer, Mr. Afam Osigwe, dragged the EFCC before the Abuja High Court to challenge his arrest and detention by the anti-graft agency for no just cause.

In its defence, the EFCC flatly denied ever arresting, detaining or

seizing any property of the security expert as their detention records did not indicate anything like that.

However, in his judgment, Justice Affen said: “It occurs to me however that whereas the plaintiff specifically mentioned Sharu and Madaki as two investigating officers involved in his arrest and detention, the counter affidavit by the respondent is deafening silent as to whether or not the duo of Sharu and Madaki are the respondent’s operatives.

“The law is well settled that where specific facts have been alleged against any person, it is that person but no other who may deny or refute those facts.”

“It therefore seems to me that feeble spirited denial in the counter affidavit is not sufficient in law to dislodge the plaintiff allegation and I cannot but find and hold that plaintiff was arrested and detained by the respondent for about five weeks from December 28, 2015 to February 5, 2016 as alleged and which constitutes a flagrant violation of the plaintiff fundamental rights to personal liberty.

“I equally find and hold that the EFCC seized or confiscated the plaintiff’s international passport in flagrant violation of his right to freedom of movement as guaranteed under Section 12 of the African Charter.”

While acknowledging the onerous statutory responsibility of EFCC in investigating financial crimes, Justice Affen urged the body and other law enforcing agencies to “necessarily keep within the detention timelines prescribed by law as well as scrupulously observe the procedural safeguards required of them in order to maintain the delicate balance between law enforcement on one hand, and according due regard and recognition to human rights on the other hand.”

to certain encrypted systems in order to enable him extract relevant information to execute the brief without appreciation of the security implications of such a delicate venture on Nigeria’s financial sector and without any prior discussions with and approval from me.

“In view of acting outside the scope of its brief and given the way and manner Uboh was going about the execution of the brief which was clear to me would embarrass the FGN, and in order to avert any likelihood of security breach of high magnitude in the banking sector, I exercised my power under the letter of engagement dated 9th February, 2016 by revoking the letter of engagement I earlier gave PASS vide my letter dated 24th March, 2016.

“My decision to revoke the instructions was further reinforced by the startling revelations, which were not disclosed to me by the personality (Dr. Uboh) that was requesting for those sensitive materials from the banks that he was indeed an ex-convict prosecuted after US law enforcement agents carried out a major raid on a credit card and bank fraud ring led by George Uboh in Georgia in 1992. He reportedly came out of jail on 16th January, 2001.

“Your Excellency, permit me to state emphatically that I did not fail to recover the above captioned sums allegedly traced by PASS as alleged.

The fact is that the terms of letter of engagement I gave to PASS on 9th February, 2016 did not only place a duty on PASS to trace funds trapped in the listed banks (which to all intents and purposes PASS did not do prior to my revocation of the letter of engagement of PASS for acting outside its brief), the said letter of engagement imposed on PASS duties to trace, recover and remit FGN’s funds trapped in the 13 banks listed in paragraph 2 of

when it was clear that PASS had a duty to trace, recover and remit the funds with me providing requisite instructions and authority for PASS to do so which I did.

“To demonstrate my willingness, readiness and fidelity to the recovery exercise, I did not only give PASS a letter of engagement on the 9th February, 2016, I went further to give a letter introducing PASS to the 13 banks covered by its brief on the 17th February, 2016, wherein I solicited the requisite cooperation, information and support of the banks to enable it carry out the recovery task on behalf of the FGN. “Apart from the above, it is worthy of note that PASS did not submit any report to my office showing the trace of the captioned sum or any sum at all upon which one could ascertain if PASS validly/ actually traced the sum until after the revocation of the engagement.

“Assuming without conceding that it traced, it was incumbent on it to recover and ensure remittance to the coffers of the FGN which never occurred during the subsistence of the engagement.

“Specifically, the allegation that Access Bank met with me and extracted words of promise to the effect that I would talk to Dr. Uboh to soft pedal on the bank is unfounded and baseless. I state it with all sense of responsibility that no official of any bank or anyone acting for Access Bank or any other bank met with me in connection with PASS’ brief or any other recovery briefs.

“To allege that he sent a warning to me through my personal assistant that I should not call him on Access Bank and that I revoked his engagement because I could not talk to him is outright falsehood and the fact remains that I have never ever made an attempt to call him in life at any time prior to the engagement or thereafter and the idea of passing a warning on

he refused to actualise the mandate given to the Presidential Committee on Asset Verification to be set up to probe the EFCC, Malami said: “Your Excellency would recall that we discussed the need to probe/ verify the assets of the EFCC, ICPC and PENCOM, following which Your Excellency gave a directive on the setting up of three separate committees to verify the assets of the above mentioned agencies.

“It is clearly outside the scope of the engagement of Uboh to demand or raise issues that border on the assignment in respect of which I am answerable and accountable to the presidency. My opinion on this issue has been the subject of periodic report to the presidency and my case is put to rest on that basis over this issue.”

On the PASS’ claim that it engaged experts/contractors both in Nigeria and in the UK who purportedly worked with it to achieve ‘tracing’ of N300 billion within 27 days, the AGF said PASS wrote to him after its mandate had been terminated, adding that the company fraudulently backdated the letter to him.

He said: “As a matter of fact, PASS just forwarded a preliminary report fraudulently backdated to 23rd March, 2016 and served same on my office on the 29th March, 2016 after my revocation of its mandate, in order for PASS to create the impression that the report had come in before the revocation.

“The claims of Dr. Uboh to the effect that he had indicated his readiness to submit a preliminary finding on some banks but for my official trip to Dubai was an afterthought and untrue as submission of reports, letters or documents are carried out in my Registry without my involvement before onward delivery to me by the designated officials.

revocation, its claim can hold no water given the fact that the same PASS which claimed it had a report to submit could not promptly furnish my office with the documents I demanded within 48 hours of receipt of my revocation letter pursuant to paragraph 5 of the revocationletterdated24thMarch,2016.

“OnDr.Uboh’sclaimthatheworked under me at the Federal Ministry of Justice, I state that he had never and is not working under me at the Ministry or elsewhere. My decision to revoke PASS’ engagement is in the best interest of Nigeria and it is worthy of note that the issue of the five per cent (5%) fee does not arise as conditions for earning such was not fulfilled in any manner whatsoever by PASS.” In his letter to Buhari, the minister concluded that the above were his comments on the three petitions forwarded to the president by Uboh on April 4, 2016.

“I did confirm I gave his firm, PASS an instruction to trace, recover and remit FGN’s funds tapped in thirteen (13) banks contained in the letter of engagement I gave him on the 9th February, 2016.

“I further gave him a letter of introduction to the stated banks dated 17th February, 2016 when he asked for it so that he would get the required cooperation and support of the banks.

“However, I revoked the letter of engagement vide my letter dated 24th April, 2016 due to the fact that he acted outside of his brief by unilaterally expanding/ extending the scope of the brief as evidenced in paragraph 10 of this reply letter.

“The allegations against me forwarded by Dr. Uboh are baseless and I urge Your Excellency to discountenance them as they are designed to disparage my office,” Malami said.

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MONDAY MAY 9, 2016 • T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

C’River Govt Denies Plot to Depose Nigeria’s Longest Serving Monarch Bassey InyanginCalabar The Cross River State Government has denied the alleged plans to depose the longest serving monarch in Nigeria and paramount ruler of Obudu Uti Jedy Agba.

Palpable tension had enveloped the state with rumours swelling around the possible removal of the monarch who has been on the throne for about 57 years dating back to his days as a member of the Eastern House of Chiefs during Nigeria’s the first republic.

Reacting to the allegation through a text message, Governor Ben Ayade’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Christian Ita, stated: “If there is a plot at all to dethrone the man, please look elsewhere for those orchestrating it. The governor has no hand in it. He is too preoccupied with governance to concern himself with such provincial issues. This is an old claim that is being regurgitated by those seeking relevance.

“The governor gains nothing or losses nothing if the man keeps his seat or losses it. Don’t forget that one of the man’s sons is serving in the Ayade-led administration,” he pointed out.

Investigations revealed that the alleged plot to depose the monarch might not be unconnected with the political rivalry between a former governorship aspirant in the state, Mr. Goddy Jeddy Agba, and the state governor.

Sources who pleaded anonymity have fingered the state government under the watch of Ayade as being responsible for a recent plot to unseat Uti Jedy Agba, saying the recent allegation by a group of persons from Obudu that Uti was incompetent to lead the people following recent clashes of cult groups that resulted in many deaths were part of the plot being hatched to depose the monarch.

The sources further disclosed that the interest groups working in league with some state government officials and aides of the governor have been lobbying traditional chiefs across Obudu to support the plot to sack the paramount ruler.

One of the sources disclosed that in one of such meeting held last week in Calabar between the monarch’s adversaries and some traditional rulers operating under the umbrella of the state traditional’s ruler council, the rulers made it clear that they would all resign from their positions, if Uti Agba, who is the ‘Chief of Chiefs’ in the state was deposed.

THISDAY gathered that aside from the peace moves Uti Agba initiated to reconcile his son and other aggrieved politicians from Obudu with the governor who also hails from Obudu, the monarch has also initiated other moves to calm frayed nerves and bring lasting peace to his domain.

Among the moves, THISDAY gathered, was the directive and

advise he gave to other traditional rulers including clan and village heads to lead groups to hold traditional rites and prayers for spiritual cleansing across towns and villages in Obudu Local Government Area in order to restore peace and unity.

The advice and directive from the Obudu monarch were effectively carried out, the sources said.

When contacted for his comments, the Chairman of the state traditional ruler’s council, Etim Okon Edet, declined comments.

However, he responded to a text message from THISDAY, saying he

was out of town having travelled out to Lagos.

Also, when THISDAY sought the comments Ayade’s Special Adviser on Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. John Eyikwaje on the issue through a phone call, he simply said: “I am not aware and I don’t think it is true.”

It was gathered that though the former governorship aspirant, who is a biological son of the monarch, supported Ayade during the 2015 governorship election, having withdrawn from the race for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket, after the governorship election and Ayade’s enthronement, he decamped with his supporters

and other political heavyweights from Obudu to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Sources said the dumping of the PDP by the former governorship aspirant and his supporters did not go down well with Ayade his kinsman, due to the suspicion that the former could be plotting to contest against him in 2019, using the APC platform.

The sources said Ayade and his supporters are unhappy that the monarch was supporting his son; hence he refused to stop him from withdrawing his support for him (Ayade) and his administration.

Besides, the governor and his

supporters are said to be worried that the monarch commands a lot of influence, and should he avail his son his support to contest the 2019 governorship elections, then he would need to put in more resources and energy to retain his seat.

Though the former governorship aspirant has been very silent as to whether he intends to contest the 2019 elections or not, but he recently sent petitions to the Director General of the Department of State Services and the Inspector General of Police alleging threat to his life by Ayade; a clear indication of a frosty relationship between him and the governor.

Edo APC Guber Aspirant, Obaseki Attacked by Gunmen at Campaign Rally Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

Barely a week after the Edo State Deputy Governor, Dr. Odubu, was attacked, another aspirant of the APC in the state, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, and his supporters escaped death yesterday when armed men opened fire on them at Sobe, Owan West Local Government Area of the state.

However, brave youths from the area were said to have pursued the suspected thugs which led to their arrest with their guns and handed over to the police.

The state Commissioner for

Arts and Culture, Mcdonald Obasuke, who confirmed the incident shortly after it happened at about 5:30p.m. said he saw the man who went inside a vehicle and brought out a gun which he shot at venue where Obaseki was about addressing APC delegates.

According to Obasuke, “While we were still expecting delegates, Obaseki was already inside with the party leaders when a boy who pretended he was with us went inside the car and brought out a gun and fired at our direction.

“We were lucky to dodge the bullet so we immediately

mobilised our boys and pursued them because it seems they came to disrupt the event. We caught them and handed them over to the police. It was really a shock, we thank God no body was hurt.

However, Obaseki could not address the delegates because of the shooting.”

Speaking to journalists on the issue at about 7:30p.m. yesterday, Obaseki expressed shock, saying he could not continue with the event because of the shooting.

“I called off the meeting with the delegates because I had to be whisked away by my security

men. No one was hurt though. I cannot be intimidated, whoever did this has failed because we will continue our campaign.

“We will not support violence in the course of this election but we will also not be deterred by those who choose that path because we are confident that the long arm of the law will catch up with them sooner or later,” he said.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Osifo, who was contacted, said he was yet to be briefed but he was going to call the police division at Sabongida Ora.

London 2016, A Recognition of Buhari’s Focus Garba Shehu President Muhammadu Buhari will arrive in London on Tuesday to join 50 other world leaders at a landmark international anti-corruption summit called by British Prime Minister, David Cameron.

The “Anti-Corruption Summit London 2016” will bring together world leaders, business and civil society to agree a package of practical steps to: •expose corruption so there is nowhere to hide •punish the perpetrators and support those affected by corruption •drive out the culture of corruption wherever it exists •put in place infrastructure and tools that can be used by international organisations,countries and national institutions to fight corruption.

In a remarkable recognition of his ongoing war against corruption in his own country, President Buhari will speak twice at this event,first as a keynote speaker at a preconference meeting called by the new Commonwealth Secretary-General, Baroness Patricia Scotland and the second for eight minutes allocated to each President or head of government at the main summit, giving the clearest indication that the President’s focus has become a template for the rest of the world.

Recognition apart, the President is not making pretensions about his success and achievements. Knowing the humility with which he goes about his things, he is not marching to London with a Macho image of a fighter who in a true sense of the word pushed back the Boko Haram terrorism and its threat to the nation and confronting equally, embedded corruption like no other regime. Of course these are milestones visible

PERSPECTIVE to the naked eye of the international community which have earned the goodwill of the people at home and abroad.

When he goes to London, President Buhari intends to share experiences with other leaders. He is of the strong conviction that increasing globalisation has made it difficult, if not impossible for stand-alone nations to combat corruption; that without global synergies against corruption, nations will fail in their efforts towards economic growth, maintaining security, reducing poverty and protecting the environment for their children. He will, in the light of this, seek support for anti-corruption capacity for our national institutions and the citizenship.

As his own contribution, the President has substantially aligned himself with major initiatives enunciated by the convener, Prime Minister David Cameron that seek to increase transparency and governance in several key areas.

He has formulated a Nigerian position on how to end impunity for corruption and ensuring that those involved in grand corruption are brought to justice through the active enforcement of laws and restrictions.

Equally in agreement with Cameron, he is making suggestions on ways of empowering those affected by corruption by ensuring that its proceeds are returned to those from whom they have been stolen.

President Buhari will also join the world leaders in designing a global architecture and tools that can be used by international organisations,countries and national institutions to fight corruption.

In an outline by the this county’s Attorney-General and Minister of

Justice, Abubakar Malami SAN, specific areas of interest to Nigeria which the President will put on the tables include the development of beneficial ownership information related to corporate ownership, procurement, and public contract.

By this, Nigeria will seek the lifting of the veil on corporate ownerships in order to disclose the true owners of a corporate vehicle in contact bids and procurement processes. Beyond this, the corporate ownership profile may be shared with other countries or interested stakeholders.

Already, there is a broad view among the participants that public contracting is a source of public corruption and must be tackled as such. Our officials recommend that contracts within a certain threshold should be published and those behind the companies bidding for the contract should be listed for public scrutiny both at national and state levels.

To achieve this, Nigeria plans the enactment of a regulation that will authorise the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, to obtain information on beneficial ownership of foreign companies that can be held in a different database to be managed by the CAC in Nigeria.

Nigeria will be demanding the strengthening of the supervisory responsibilities of financial and non-financial services regulators and provision of specific training on compliance requirements for these sectors and will seek the establishment of an inter-agency collaboration as a key element in improving the implementation of Financial Action Task Force, FATF standards (such as the money laundering laws, anti-corruption laws, and Financial

Buhari Intelligence Center Bill).

As part of measures to enhance fiscal transparency which is required in enhancing economic growth, improved GDP and poverty reduction, officers working in budget offices as well as those responsible for approving public spending may henceforth be properly scrutinised, monitored and required to declare assets on a regular basis.

The Nigerian government has in fact set for itself the objective of signing the ‘Open Government Partnership And Open Contracting Partnership.

A major issue of interest to this government and a few others is on greater transparency in the extractive industry (oil, gas and solid mineral sectors). The U.K. Government and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD have identified 20 percent of international corruption and bribery as coming for this sector. Nigeria will argue for greater fiscal transparency and and the enforcement of anti-corruption laws to deal with the problem.

The President is expected to give assurances that a lot of work will be done on a set of laws that will improve enforcement of anti-corruption laws.

Nigeria has already begun reviewing its anti-corruption laws enacted since 2000 to bring it in compliance with international developments. In addition, the country which has ratified the United Nations Convention Against Corruption UNCAC is currently reviewing the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention for possible ratification.

The OECD convention is considered among the stringiest of measures against corruption in corporate governance.

The government of President Buhari has also forwarded the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Bill, 2016 to the National Assembly in Nigeria for enactment into law.

When it is passed, it will enhance mutual assistance and international cooperation between Nigeria and other countries. The President will also announce that a new Nigeria Financial Intelligence Center Bill has been drafted for this purpose and would soon be forwarded to the National Assembly.

The Nigerian government will also indicate support for the UK proposal on the development of the International Anti-Corruption Coordination Center.

This is to be based in London and will serve as a global forum.

As part of this country’s contributions to the evolution of the global anticorruption infrastructure, Nigeria will seek support for the hosting of an “International Summit on Assets Recovery “ in 2017 in Abuja and for the establishment and hosting of a “Forum on Assets Recovery in Africa” to be based in Abuja. The country will also seek the support of the UK government for the establishment of an anti-corruption coordination framework at the national level.

Nigeria will be fully embracing UK proposals for the summit on the restriction of the ability of those who have looted public funds from traveling and investing the proceeds

of their corruption in developed countries. To this end, the Nigerian government will develop its list of those who have been convicted as well as those already prosecuted in Nigerian courts for grand corruption for the purpose of sharing them with countries that are interested in offering bilateral or multilateral cooperation to Nigeria in the recovery of looted funds.

The Nigerian government is also signaling an early support for the UK proposals on assets recovery which prescribes measures substantially in tandem with a new Proceeds of Crime Bill being drafted and would soon been forwarded by President Buhari to the National Assembly for passage into law.

In addition to the political spotlighting of corruption, the coming together of world leaders is a sign of hope that countries like Nigeria with systems that are lax and compromised can gain from the experience of others in improving their regulatory mechanisms as quickly as possible.

This trip is important for both Nigeria and the international community which reposes a lot of hope on Buhari who is faced with the daunting task of reversing the socio-economic and political mess in which the previous administration left the country.

In addition to the anti-corruption summit, the visit will also focus on trade and investment between Nigeria and the U.K. President Buhari will welcome British investment in Nigeria.

It is hoped that the bilateral discussions between the Prime Minister and our President will focus on issues of common interest and do everything to possible to take the relationship between the two countries to newer heights.

•Garba Shehu is Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity