Thursday 7th July 2016

Buhari Offers Justice to N’Delta, Says Nigeria’s Unity Not Negotiable Avengers says FG talking to fraudsters, another group threatens oil facilities in Bayelsa

Tobi Soniyi in Abuja and Emmanuel Addeh in Yenagoa President Muhammadu Buhari has again pleaded with militants in the Niger Delta to change their minds and has promised them justice, even as he has made it abundantly

clear that the nation’s unity is not negotiable.

Buhari, who spoke yesterday while receiving a cross section of Nigerians, mostly Muslims, who paid

him Sallah homage at his residence within the precinct of the Presidential Villa, recalled the famous quote of former military Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon,

stating that the task of keeping Nigeria as one indivisible entity was a task that must be done.

The president said the slogan in the 1960s “Go on

With One Nigeria (GOWON)" was very apt now, as keeping Nigeria one was a task that must be done.

He also used the occasion to call on those who had stolen

No Bank is in Distress, CBN Insists… Page

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public funds to return them to the treasury otherwise they would not know any peace.

Noting that there was a lot of improvement in security in the North-eastern part of the country in the last one year, he Continued on page 6

Thursday 7 July, 2016 Vol 21. No 7742. Price: N250

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Umaru Shinkafi, An Icon of National Security, Dies in UK Buhari, THISDAY, Bankole, others mourn

Tobi Soniyi in Abuja and Mohammed Aminu in Sokoto President Muhammadu Buhari, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, the Board of the THISDAY Newspaper Group, and Chief Olayiwola Alani Bankoke, among others, have expressed sadness over the passing of foremost national security chief, elder statesman, vice-presidential candidate in the 1999 presidential election, and presidential aspirant in the Third Republic, Alhaji Umaru Shinkafi, at the age of 79.

Shinkafi The deceased, who held the title Marafan Sokoto and hailed from Shinkafi Local Government Continued on page 8

Uncertainty Looms over PENGASSAN Strike Due to Public Holiday

FG to meet oil workers today

Ejiofor Alike in Lagos and Paul Obi in Abuja Uncertainty hangs over the oil workers’ strike called by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) scheduled to start today, following the extension of

the Eid-el-Fitr public holiday, THISDAY has learnt.

An official of the association, who spoke to THISDAY on the condition of anonymity from Abuja, said the federal government had not declared today a Continued on page 6

MARKING THE END OF RAMADAN

L-R: Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal; Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar III; and Magajin Garin Sokoto, Ahmadu Danbaba, at the Kofar Rini Central Eid praying ground during the Eid-el-Fitr prayer to mark the end of Ramadan, in Sokoto... yesterday

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Ikpeazu Challenges Removal, Files 50 Grounds of Appeal Davidson Iriekpen The embattled Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has appealed the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which removed him as the state governor for not paying his taxes and forgery of his tax clearance certificate.

Justice Okon Abang had on June 27 ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately issue a certificate of return to Mr. Sampson Uchechukwu Ogah, who scored the second highest number of votes in the Peoples Democratic Party's (PDP) primary for the selection of a governorship candidate to contest the April 2015 gubernatorial election.

In his notice of appeal, Ikpeazu through his counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN),

raised 50 grounds of appeal and expressed dissatisfaction with the decision of the lower court.

He, therefore, joined Ogah, PDP, INEC and Sir Friday Nwanozie Nwosu as the first to fourth respondents respectively.

His first ground of appeal was that the trial judge erred in law and came to a wrong decision in holding that the appellant was ineligible to participate in the primary of the second respondent by reason of presenting false information to the third respondent in INEC Form CF001 and consequently granting all the reliefs claimed by the first respondent in his originating summons.

According to the second grounds of appeal, the lower court equally erred in law and reached a perverse decision when after concluding thus:

“The cause of action arose in this matter when the first and second defendants forwarded Form CF001 containing alleged false information to the INEC.” He said the court went ahead to disqualify the appellant from being a candidate at the second respondent’s primary and declared the first respondent as the winner of the primary.

On his third grounds of appeal, Ikpeazu held that the lower court erred in law and acted without jurisdiction when it purported to have enforced/ applied the provisions of the PDP Electoral Guidelines for primary elections 32014 in determining the originating summons before it without the PDP guidelines being put in evidence before it.

In his fourth grounds of appeal, Ikpeazu pointed out that the lower court also erred

in law and reached a perverse decision when it held in respect of the Supreme Court decision in Ekagbara v. Ikpeazu (2016) 4 NWLR (pt. 1503) 541 thus: “In fact, in the above cited case, the Supreme Court in a way departed from its earlier decision in Kharki v. PDP… Supreme Court also held that this court has jurisdiction to entertain a suit questioning the qualification of an aspirant in a primary election by a fellow aspirant when the aspirant whose qualification is being questioned did not pay tax as and when due or where there are lapses in the tax paper of such aspirant…

“In Ekagbara v. Ikpeazu (supra), the Supreme Court also held that it does not really matter that this will involve the examination of tax administration in Abia

State of Nigeria.”

In his fifth grounds of appeal, the appellant observed that trial judge erred in law and came to a perverse decision when he asked thus: “It is either that the information are false or correct, I do not think it is a case of forgery. I do not think facts are in dispute.

“Even if the affidavits of the parties are in dispute, they are not in my view in dispute on material facts… It is for the first to second defendants to show that the information contained in documents attached to Form CF001 submitted to INEC are not false… I think the court can conveniently use the affidavit evidence placed before it to resolve issues in controversy. This suit was properly commenced by an originating summon.”

In the 17th grounds of appeal,

the governor observed that the lower court misdirected itself and reached a perverse decision when it held that the appellant presented false information to INEC by reason of the alleged differences between the tax receipts and the tax certificate with respect to the tax returns of 2013.

In the last grounds of appeal, Ikpeazu stressed that the decision of the lower court was/is against the weight of evidence, and therefore sought the following relief from the Court of Appeal, the first being an order allowing this appeal.

The second, an order setting aside all the main and consequential orders made and granted by the lower court and the last, an order dismissing or striking out the amended originating summons in suit no. FHC/ABJ/CS/71/2016.

‘this group is the one to talk to’.

“The amazing discovery he made from his meetings is the lack of unity among them, as each group that came attacked the one that came before it as inconsequential.”

Responding to the president’s media aide, the spokesman of the group, Mudock Agbinibo, denied ever meeting with any contact committee from the federal government, insisting that those engaged in negotiation with the government were doing so in order to swindle it.

“We, the Niger Delta Avengers, have not negotiated with anyone.

So we don’t know where Mr. Garba Shehu and General Babagana Munguno, the National Security Adviser, are getting their information from.

“If they have been negotiating with anybody, it clearly shows they had been negotiating with fraudsters and their (national security agency) created militant group,” the Avengers stated.

The group also dismissed assertions that its members were killing soldiers and raiding homes.

“We want Garba Shehu to go and get his record straight. Niger Delta Avengers has not killed and kidnapped oil workers, we are not into sea piracy, and we have never killed policemen.

“The Buhari-led government knows the people attacking soldiers and killing policemen.

It’s their sleeper agents that are doing it. So they should stop tagging Niger Delta Avengers to killings, kidnappings, ransacking of policemen, soldiers and individuals in the region,” it said.

The JNDLF, on the other hand, which said its members had been meeting in Yenagoa, threatened to destroy oil and gas pipelines running from Ogboinbiri in Southern Ijaw of Bayelsa State to Obrinkon in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.

It said: “Oil and gas pipelines running from Ogboinbiri in Southern Ijaw of Bayelsa State to Obrinkon in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State are to be finally cut off from transmission.”

It added in a statement

by Gen Akotebe Darikoro (Commander, General Duties), Torunnanaowei Latei (Creeks Network Coordinator) and others, that the group would immediately proceed to bomb the flow stations in Ogboinbiri, Oporoma, Peremabiri, Tabidaba,

Nembe, Brass, Chevron’s platform in Koluama, Okordia-Zarama and Biseni, as well as the Gbarain-Ubie gas gathering plant.

“We further warn those staying around and within those areas to please leave because our mission is to cripple the economy of the country and not to kill any human being on earth.

“The Nigerian security forces which claim they are securing the oil facilities in the region should stay away at their dwelling places and see whether their safety will be guaranteed by the music on those days,” it threatened.

While commending the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, “for the bold steps he personally took to resolve the injustice created and sponsored by the wicked companies and government in Nigeria”, the group claimed that its struggle transcended monetary gains.

“Our field commanders have been instructed on what to do and those who are on standby in Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Delta and Cross River await after Bayelsa State operations.

“We further warn that henceforth, any attack on Ijaw communities or person(s) by the military or para-military bodies in the region, we will not hesitate to order our shoot-at-sight squad of any uniformed personnel in the region.

“For the record, the Niger Delta Avengers are not in Delta State, they only go there to strike and return back safely to the struggle base, Bayelsa State,” the group said.

BUHARI OFFERS JUSTICE TO N'DELTA, SAYS NIGERIA'S UNITY NOT NEGOTIABLE said that the attention now was on the Niger Delta region.

He said: “On security, we have made a lot of improvement. On Boko Haram militants, there is improvement. We are now concentrating on the (Niger Delta) militants to know how many of them in terms of groupings and leadership, and plead with them to try and give Nigeria a chance.

“I assure them that the saying

by General Gowon that to keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done. In those days, we never thought of oil, all we were only concerned with was one Nigeria.

“So please pass this to the militants, that one Nigeria is not negotiable and they had better accept this.

“The Nigerian Constitution is clear as to what they should get and I assure them there will be justice.”

He also appealed to looters of public funds to negotiate with the authorities and return it in peace.

“Please persuade those who have plenty of money that does not belong to them to try and negotiate, return it in peace, otherwise we will continue to request for its return,” he said.

Also acknowledging that the nation is contending with several problems, Buhari said that the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, was working very hard with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor to ensure that about 13 states start production of rice.

He commended the initiative, adding that it was giving the country confidence while many farmers are already going back to the field.

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, who noted that the Muslim celebration was a time for the forgiveness of sins, said the past one year had been tough.

According to him, the administration was busy clearing the mess it met on the ground.

He said that the administration was committed to placing the country on a sound footing, adding that things were already looking up.

He prayed that the president would continue to have the wisdom and strength to overcome any challenge facing the country.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mohammed Bello, who led

the delegation, prayed for God’s wisdom, good health and success for the president as he steers the ship of state.

The president during the homage was presented with Sallah greeting cards and a mirror.

Those in attendance included the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal; Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Nicholas Okoh; acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar; National Security Adviser, Babagana Mongunu; and acting Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.

Also in the delegation were the Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) FCT chapter, Israel Akanji and Dr. Kabir Adam of the National Mosque, Abuja.

But as Buhari reiterated his appeal to militant groups in the oil-rich region to end their destructive activities, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), the new face of violent agitation in the region, yesterday accused the federal government of opening negotiations with people they

described as “fraudsters”, in a bid to end the current crisis in the area.

Yesterday’s assertions by the Avengers, which has claimed responsibility for the recent wave of attacks on oil and gas installations in the Niger Delta, came just as another militant group – the Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force (JNDLF) – threatened to blow up 10 oil and gas facilities in Bayelsa State, to express their displeasure over the handling of the ongoing crisis in the region.

Directing its anger at a recent article by the president’s media aide, Mr. Garba Shehu, on the rising militancy in the Niger Delta, the Avengers quoted him as having written: “My conversation on this issue with General Babagana Munguno, the National Security Adviser precisely two weeks back, he informed this reporter that he met 14 groups claiming leadership to the renewed onslaught on the nation's economic jugular vein.

“Each of the groups had been brought to him by a serving governor or a former one; a serving minister or one that had left office with assurances that

UNCERTAINTY LOOMS OVER PENGASSAN STRIKE DUE TO PUBLIC HOLIDAY public holiday when the strike was scheduled.

“We may have to make another statement on the issue because the strike was proposed based on the assumption that Thursday is a working day. The public holiday has changed the assumption and we may have to issue an update before the end of Thursday. You cannot declare a strike on a public holiday,” he explained.

Before the federal government extended the public holidays to include Thursday, senior oil sector workers were scheduled to commence their strike today.

The association had in a memo dated July 4 and signed by its acting General Secretary, Mr. Lumumba Okugbawa, directed all its members to withdraw from their duty posts at all oil installations, including upstream and downstream sub-sectors, as well as offices throughout the country from today.

The memo, which was addressed to all zonal chairmen, secretaries, branch chairmen and secretaries, had also directed the association’s four zones – Lagos,

Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna – to commence the sensitisation of its members on the planned action.

PENGASSAN cited the inability of the federal government to implement the agreements contained in the May 12, 2016 communiqué as their grievance.

According to the union, the unresolved issues include: lingering irregular joint venture funding and cash call payments; lack of a clear cut direction on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB); forceful co-option of government agencies in the industry into the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS); and the spate of redundancy and retrenchment in the industry.

The union also accused the federal government of frustrating constructive engagements to forestall the industrial action.

PENGASSAN also claimed that it tried to engage the federal government on May 24, 2016, but the engagement was inconclusive.

“The engagement was later fixed for June 23 this year, which did not take place and again for June 30 this year, which was

unceremoniously cancelled with no date given,” PENGASSAN added.

“We see this as a deliberate attempt by the government to frustrate discussions on the myriad of issues raised in the communiqué, which are critical to the survival of the oil and gas industry in the country.

“Among the burning issues raised are that of the JV funding/ cash call arrears, which has stalled new investments and the creation of jobs in the industry and which has consequently brought about massive job losses in the industry,” the statement had said.

After its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Calabar, Cross Rivers State on May 12, PENGASSN issued a seven-day ultimatum with effect from May 16 for the federal government to engage the group on their grievances.

The union also issued another seven-day ultimatum on June 19 after the expiration of the first ultimatum but no action was taken by the government, hence the planned industrial action.

But in a last minute bid to avert the strike, the federal government yesterday announced plans to meet with PENGASSAN and members of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) in Abuja today.

In a circular issued in Abuja by the Deputy Director, Press in the Labour and Employment Ministry, Mr. Samuel Olowookere, the ministry said: “The Minister of Labour and Employment Senator Chris Ngige and the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu will tomorrow (today) hold a crucial meeting with Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) to find lasting solution to the lingering problems in the oil and gas sector.”

According to the ministry, “The meeting is scheduled to hold on Thursday, July 7, 2016 at Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Minister’s Board Room, 11th Floor, NNPC Towers, Abuja by 10.00 a.m. prompt.”

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Vigilantes Ponder Future After Fighting Boko Haram Two weeks ago, Umar Muhammed caught a suspected Boko Haram member who was trying to enter the northeastern city of Maiduguri with a bomb.

“I grabbed him and took him to my commander,” Mohammed said in his native Kanuri language. Security forces detonated the explosive.

The 32-year-old is a member of the Civilian Joint Task Force, a volunteer militia officially authorised by the Borno State Government in 2013 to help tackle Boko Haram.

The extremist sect has ravaged northeastern Nigeria and the Lake Chad region for seven years. The insurgency has killed more than 20,000 people and forced another 2.7 million from their homes.

An ongoing regional and Nigerian military offensive has weakened Boko Haram and pushed them out of many urban areas. The Civilian JTF, and about a dozen other vigilante groups around the northeast, played a pivotal role in turning the tide.

They defended their communities from raids and detained hundreds of suspected terrorists to hand

over to the military. Some of the Civilian JTF have even attacked Boko Haram camps alongside the military and rescued female captives.

Know the Enemy Along with the operations team, the Civilian JTF has an intelligence unit made up of about 100 undercover agents stationed across the country.

They wear plainclothes, gathering intelligence about the insurgents to share with the army.

“We know Boko Haram better than the army does,” says an official in the intelligence-gathering arm of the Civilian JTF who requested his name not to be used.

Some in Maiduguri claim Boko Haram is more afraid of the Civilian JTF than it is of the Nigerian Army.

Boko Haram certainly saw the threat. As militants seized territory in the northeast in 2014 and 2015, they executed men in large numbers and razed villages, warning people not to cooperate with the government.

Restoring Peace Some of the Civilian JTF members still patrol the streets of Maiduguri with machetes, hunter’s rifles and an assortment of homemade weapons.

“The Civilian JTF are the saving grace for us in Borno State, in fact in northeast Nigeria. Without their efforts, the Boko Haram insurgency wouldn’t have been put down by now,” said Bulama Mali Gubio, a leader of the Borno State Elders Forum. “They organised themselves from each ward in the city and some of the major towns and started fighting their own friends, their own colleagues who were members of Boko Haram.”

The city of Maiduguri, known for decades as the “city of peace”, is much safer than it has been in recent years.

Business owners are reopening shops and students are returning to school. Once abandoned gardens are back in full bloom along the roadside.

The curfew fluctuates between nine and 10 at night, a stark contrast to the dusk-todawn curfews of recent years.

Looking for Recognition Civilian JTF members are beginning to wonder what the Nigerian government will do with them once the war is over.

“They have protected the integrity of this country so they should not be dumped by the government. Government should come in and help the members of CJTF,” said Abba Aji Kalli, the Civilian JTF state coordinator.

Boko Haram has killed about 300 CJTF members, Kalli said.

Two weeks ago, a suicide bomber nearly invaded his home in Maiduguri.

“We’re facing a lot of risks but up to now government has not considered us. Government has not done anything to see that the welfare of the members of CJTF is protected,” he said.

In 2013, the Borno State Government officially adopted the Civilian JTF, giving members uniforms and promising to pay them a monthly stipend of about $100. Nearly 2,000 of them got some military training.

But today, they say they are not getting paid and rely on handouts and what work they

can find. Muhammad, like many CJTF members, never finished secondary school. He drives a truck, transporting diesel.

He and other Civilian JTF members want to enter the security forces and law enforcement agencies, such as the road safety task force and customs patrol. President Muhammadu Buhari has said he supports this idea.

The allocations are already taking place. In June, 350 Civilian JTF members joined the Nigerian Army after they passed through the recruitment process. Last year the state security service accepted about 30 CJTF.

The question is — are there enough jobs for all 26,000 registered members of the Civilian JTF? Community leaders like Bulama Mali Gubio are worried.

“They now know how to handle arms and ammunition.

They are trained in the art of warfare. If after the insurgency you abandon them, then you are planting another seed of discord. They have sacrificed

their lives,” Gubio said. “That’s why we’ve been arguing with the government to make sure that something is quickly put in place before the end of the insurgency.”

Gubio proposes that the government give Civilian JTF members plots of land and assist them in getting married in a similar manner that the government of Kano State coordinates weddings for residents through its Sharia enforcement agency.

But some Civilian JTF members have other plans.

“I’m a student and I know what I’m doing in my life,” said Haruna Issa, a Civilian JTF member eager to resume his computer science studies at the state university.

Issa, a soft-spoken 20-yearold, recounts with fierce pride his work in the Civilian JTF. He said he looked Boko Haram members eye-to-eye while handing them over to security forces.

He’s not asking for a job, but he said he hopes the government recognises them when the fight is over.

• Culled from the Voice of America

All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), prayed that God grants the late Shinkafi “Aljana Fridau” (eternal rest), and condoled with the Sultan of Sokoto caliphate, the entire members of the Shinkafi family and the security services family of Nigeria.

Dogara also commiserated with the government and people of Zamfara and all Nigerians over the death of the late Shinkafi.

The speaker, in a statement issued by his spokesman, Mr. Turaki Hassan, in Lagos, described the death of the elder statesman as a huge loss to the nation.

He said Shinkafi was a true democrat who contributed immensely towards the restoration of democracy in Nigeria in 1999.

“In all his years in public service, Shinkafi distinguished himself as a patriot, committed and dedicated Nigerian,” the speaker said.

“He served the nation with distinction as a lawyer, police officer, Federal Commissioner for Internal Affairs and intelligence chief in the National Security Organisation before joining politics,” he added.

The speaker said the late Shinkafi was a bridge-builder, cosmopolitan and lived an exemplary life worthy of emulation.

“Our hearts go out to his immediate family, government and people of Zamfara State over the irreparable loss,” he said.

Former Sokoto State governor, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, in his reaction, described Shinkafi’s death as a monumental loss not only to people of Zamfara but to Nigeria as a whole.

A statement signed by his media aide, Malam Yusuf Dingyadi, described Shinkafi as a diligent intelligence officer who

worked to uplift the standards of security services in the country The statement noted that Shinkafi was among the frontline politicians who strived for the survival of democracy during the military era.

“Shinkafi fought well for the survival of democracy during the military era and his leadership qualities would be greatly missed,” the statement concluded.

Orji Uzor Kalu, the former Abia governor, also expressed shock over the demise of Shinkafi.

According to Kalu, the late Marafan Sokoto was a perfect gentleman and a patriotic statesman, who was committed to the cause of a just and fair society.

A statement signed by his aide, Kunle Oyewumi, said: “The demise of Alhaji Umaru Shinkafi is a huge loss to the nation considering his contributions to the social, economic and political development of Nigeria.

“Having served in different capacities, especially in the public sector, he died at a time his counsel on national issues was most needed.

“Alhaji Shinkafi was a detribalised Nigerian and he built friendships and relationships beyond the boundaries of the north.

“The demise of the Marafan Sokoto has created a big vacuum in political circles.

“The memories of the late police officer will linger forever in the minds of many in the society.

“However, we take solace in the fact that he left behind good legacies.”

Kalu, while enjoining the deceased’s family to be comforted in the purposeful life their patriarch lived, urged them to sustain the exemplary qualities of the late philanthropist.

Abandonment Could be Costly

UMARU SHINKAFI, AN ICON OF NATIONAL SECURITY, DIES IN UK Area in Zamfara State, died yesterday evening at Harefield Hospital, Middlesex in the United Kingdom after a protracted illness.

Sources in the palace of the Sultan of Sokoto revealed that the deceased passed away in the company of his wives, children and extended family members.

Shinkafi’s remains would be flown back to Nigeria for burial on Friday in accordance with Islamic rites.

Born in Kaura Namoda, Zamfara State in January 1937, Shikafi attended Sokoto Middle School and later Barewa College, Zaria. He obtained a degree in Law after his secondary school education, and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1974.

After a career in the Nigeria Police Force, the deceased held the post of Federal Commissioner for Internal Affairs before his appointment as the Director General of the National Security Organisation (NSO) – the precursor to the Department of State Services (DSS) – under the Shehu Shagari administration.

He would be remembered during his time as the head of Nigeria’s security apparatus of forewarning former President Shagari of the impending coup plot to overthrow his government, but the then president failed to heed the warning.

Shagari was overthrown by then Major-General Muhammadu Buhari on December 31, 1983, effectively truncating the Second Republic.

He was later to throw his hat into the ring as a presidential aspirant on the platform of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) in 1992.

He again contested as Chief Olu Falae’s running mate on the All Peoples Party/Alliance

for Democracy platform in the 1999 presidential election, but lost to the duo of Olusegun Obasanjo and Atiku Abubakar.

He was at some point the Chairman of the International Bank for West Africa (later the defunct Afribank Plc and Mainstreet Bank Limited which was acquired by Skye Bank Plc in 2014).

The late Marafan Sokoto was the elder brother to the former governor of Zamfara State, Mamuda Shinkafi.

He was also the Pro-chancellor of the Sokoto State University and the in-law to Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Yari and Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State.

He is survived by three wives and five children. One of his wives, Hajiya Lubabatu, is the daughter of late Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Premier of the defunct Northern region.

His first daughter Aisha Umaru Shinkafi is currently the Zamfara State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry.

Reacting to the news of his demise, Buhari yesterday commiserated with the government and people of Zamfara State on the passing of one of their illustrious sons, Alhaji Shinkafi.

Buhari, in a statement by his media aide, Mr. Femi Adesina, described the departed politician, administrator and technocrat as an expert whose contributions to the development of the security architecture of Nigeria remained indelible.

Buhari recalled that the former commissioner and NSO boss played a frontline role in the activities leading to the eventual return and enthronement of democracy in the country.

He called on family members,

friends and associates of the departed community leader to take solace in the fact that Shinkafi played the parts assigned to him diligently, conscientiously and patriotically, enjoining them to emulate the good virtues that he left behind.

Buhari prayed that Almighty Allah would grant the soul of the departed eternal rest.

Similarly, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar described the late Marafan Sokoto as a remarkably decent and disciplined politician who would be greatly missed

by Nigerians.

In a condolence message from his media office, Atiku recalled that Shinkafi was one of the “most intelligent, visceral and deeply informed and principled politicians” he had ever known.

According to Atiku, the late Shinkafi was so independentminded that he and his political associates were denied registration by the General Sani Abacha military government, adding that the deceased was never timid to forcefully express his opinion on national issues.

The Turakin Adamawa said Shinkafi would be greatly remembered as “one of the brightest stars in the galaxy of Nigerian politics for his total commitment to democracy and the rule of law”.

He said the deceased always inspired respect not only for being a repository of knowledge, but for also being a consummate public servant and one of the best of his generation.

He condoled the Shinkafi family, the people and governments of Sokoto and Zamfara over his death and prayed to Allah to grant Shinkafi eternal rest in peace.

The Board of the THISDAY Newspaper Group also conveyed

its condolences to the governments and people of Zamfara and Sokoto, and to his family over the passing of the security chief and politician.

A statement from the board, recalled that the late Shinkafi, among others, played a significant role in mentoring the THISDAY Newspaper Group at its infancy.

“In addition to his several roles in public administration and as a politician, the THISDAY Group would not forget the role he played as a friend of the house, his mentorship and wise counsel, when the newspaper was at its infancy in 1995.

“His guidance and mentorship were invaluable and helped THISDAY to remain on course in the face of daunting challenges,” it said.

The board prayed for the soul of the departed and for God to grant Shinkafi eternal rest.

In addition, foremost businessman, Chief Olayiwola Alani Bankole and father of the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole, expressed his heartfelt sorrow over the demise of the late Shinkafi, who he described as a “close, dear brother”.

Speaking to THISDAY last night, he said: “Personally, I have lost a close, dear brother, and Nigeria has lost a consummate security expert, excellent administrator, a bridge builder across all tribes, and one of the presidents Nigeria never had.

“We shall all miss him dearly, but my consolation and that of his friends and family is that he lived a very good life and served this country to the best of his ability.”

Chief Bankole, who holds the traditional title, Seriki Jagunmolu of Egbaland and was the former National Chairman of the defunct

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NEWS

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

No Nigerian Bank is in Distress, CBN Insists Skye Bank board assures investors of increased returns

Obinna Chima The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has reiterated that no bank in the country is in distress, just as it reassured

bank customers that their deposits are safe.

The acting Director, Corporate Communications, CBN, Mr. Isaac Okorafor, in a statement last night, said

Pistorius Bags Six Years Jail Sentence for Girlfriend’s Murder Zacheaus Somorin with agency reports South African Paralympic gold medalist, Oscar Pistorius, was sent back to jail for six years yesterday for murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, less than half the 15 year minimum term sought by prosecutors.

Pistorius, who fatally shot his girlfriend four times through a toilet door, has already served 12 months in prison for her death. But the original manslaughter conviction was increased to murder by the Supreme Court of Appeal in December.

Judge Thokozile Masipa, whose sentence at the initial manslaughter trial was criticised by women’s groups as too lenient, said she had accepted the defence argument that a lesser punishment was appropriate. “Public opinion may be loud and persistent but it can play no role in the decision of this court. I am of the view that a long term in prison will not serve justice,” Masipa said.

Pistorius, who stood impassively as the sentence was read out, hugged members of his legal team and chatted briefly with his sister, Aimee, before being led away by police. Women’s rights groups say Pistorius has received preferential treatment by the justice system compared to non-whites and those without his wealth or international celebrity status. His backers say he did not intend to kill Steenkamp.

The state and large sections of the South African public had demanded a 15-year-jail term, the prescribed minimum term for murder, saying he had shown no remorse for the 2013 killing. It was unclear whether the state, which has two weeks to appeal, would accept Wednesday’s sentence.

Pistorius’ defence team said he would not appeal and that their client would be able to apply for parole after serving half to two-thirds of the sentence. The track star, who had the lower part of his legs amputated when he was a baby, was freed from prison last October after almost a year behind bars. He was to serve the remainder of his five-year term under house arrest at his uncle’s house in a wealthy suburb of the capital.

Pistorius has been living with his uncle since.

Steenkamp’s father, Barry, who in an emotional statement to the sentencing hearings,

said Pistorius must pay for his crime, as he declined to comment on the prospects for an appeal. “We’ll leave that to the state,” he told journalists without showing any emotion.

In her ruling yesterday, Masipa said although the Steenkamps had suffered a great loss, Pistorius’ life and career were also in ruins.

“The life of the accused shall also never be the same. He is a fallen hero and can never be at peace,” she said. The judge agreed with defence that the Pistorius who shot Steenkamp in the early hours of St Valentine’s Day was not the gold medal winning athlete but a vulnerable 1.5m tall man.

She said there was no indication at all that the deceased was in an abusive relationship with Pistorius. She also said there was no evidence there had been a row between Pistorius and Steenkamp before her death, as suggested by the prosecution. Pistorius says he fired four shots into the toilet door at his luxury Pretoria home in the mistaken belief that an intruder was hiding behind it.

His defence argued that his disability and mental stress that occurred in the aftermath of the killing should be considered as mitigating circumstances to reduce his sentence. Outside the court, a group of supporters held up placards backing the athlete. One read: ‘Give Oscar his freedom back please.’

Legal analysts were divided by the ruling in a country beset by high levels of violent crime against women. “To reduce from 15 to 6 years in the circumstances of the case seems to me to be unduly generous to Oscar,” Paul Hoffman, a lawyer and director of rights group Accountability Now, said. “It’s quite possible that having invested so much effort in the prosecution ... that (state prosecutor) Gerrie Nel will saddle up again and ride out in an effort to get a bigger sentence,” he added.

A Johannesburg-based lawyer, Ulrich Roux, doubted the state would appeal, saying the judge had delivered a “just sentence, considering that he was convicted with murder with indirect intent.”

But the Women’s League of the ruling African National Congress (ANCWL), said the sentence was too soft. “First five years, now six years?

She is an embarrassment to the justice system,” ANCWL spokeswoman, Jacqueline Mofokeng, said of Masipa.

“It is an insult to women in this country,” she added.

the attention of the central bank was drawn to malicious rumours and unfounded speculations that some banks in the country might have gone or be going into distress.

To this end, the CBN restated: “In the strongest terms that these rumours and speculations are untrue and do not reflect the actual health of the individual banks and, indeed, the entire banking industry.”

Providing more clarification on its intervention at Skye Bank on Monday, the banking sector regulator explained that the infusion of a new board and management at Skye Bank was a proactive regulatory action meant to ensure that the bank does not continue to fail in its relevant prudential ratios.

It, however, pointed out that neither Skye Bank nor any other bank in the industry is in distress.

“Therefore, the CBN would like to request the public to ignore speculations or rumours

to the contrary as they could only be the handiwork of mischief makers who do not mean well for the Nigerian banking system and its economy. As the regulator of the industry, the CBN hereby reassures the banking and general public that their deposits remain safe in any Nigerian bank. There is therefore no need for panic withdrawals from any bank.

“Going by both the CBN’s Examination Reports as well as analysis from market watchers, International Credit Rating Agencies, and Development Finance Institutions, the Nigerian banking industry remains strong in spite of the global economic challenges emanating from the collapse of global commodity prices.

We therefore urge the banking public to remain calm and go about their normal businesses without panic. It is important that we do not create problems when none exists,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, the board of Skye Bank has assured shareholders of the bank that the new board and management team at the bank will work to increase investors’ returns on their investment.

According to a statement issued by the bank last night, the board assured them that the bank would uphold sound banking practices as a way of delivering value to both the customers and shareholders as they form the core support base of the bank.

In addition, the bank promised to adopt a policy of close engagement with the shareholders and other stakeholders as a path to growth and development as well as ensure that the fortunes of the bank are improved.

The new Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the bank, Mr. Tokunbo Abiru, affirmed the CBN statement that Skye Bank remains healthy and strong.

Abiru, who said this

while taking over from his predecessor, Mr. Timothy Oguntayo, affirmed that Skye Bank’s fundamentals remain strong and also assured customers and other stakeholders of the safety of their funds and investments.

The new Skye Bank boss said his team would leverage on the bank’s its reputable information technology platform to make the bank not just a frontline retail and commercial bank, but an industry leader.

The CBN had last Monday approved the reconstitution of the board of Skye Bank Plc, with the apex bank appointing Mr. M.K. Ahmad and Mr. Tokunbo Abiru as the new Chairman and Managing Director of the bank respectively. Other members of the reconstituted Board are Bayo Sanni, Idris Yakubu, Markie Idowu and Abimbola Izu, all of whom were serving in the Executive Director capacity of the bank prior to now.

PAYING SALLAH HOMAGE

L-R: Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; President Muhammadu Buhari, receiving Sallah card from the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Mohammed Musa Bello, during a visit to the president at the Presidential Villa, Abuja... yesterday GODWIN OMOIGUI

Nigeria Army Reopens Nigeria Link Road with Central and North Africa Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri

The road linking Nigeria to Central Africa, and by extension, the North Africa from the North-eastern region, the Maiduguri-Mafa-DikwaGamboru/Ngala road, was yesterday reopened by the Nigerian Army.

The road, a total of 138 kilometres, is not only strategic but of economic importance to the nation. It was closed three years ago by the military at the peak of the Boko Haram crisis.

The reopening of the road which closure had almost crippled the commercial prowess of Borno State by the Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Tukur Buratai, in conjunction with Borno State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, was part of activities marking the 2016 Army Day celebration in

Borno State.

In his remarks, Buratai expressed his pleasure in witnessing the formal reopening of the road, adding that the road remains the life wire of Borno State and by extension, the country.

“The Maiduguri-Gamboru Ngala road is one of the strategic road operationally and that is the reason I ensured that it is recovered from the terrorists bearing in mind its economic importance to the state.

“It is time to keep the road busy so that economic activities on it will commence and I charge the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole and the General Officer Commanding (GOC) to ensure that the road is always open to motorists and transporters and avoid breach

of security,” Buratai said.

On the allegations of money for escort on other reopened roads, Buratai warned that anybody caught, be it soldier or civilian would be dealt with.

Shettima, on his part, noted how the activities of Boko Haram insurgents almost consume the state before the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari and that the subsequent taking over of the army by Buratai saved the situation.

“We eternally remain indebted to the Nigerian Army for all the sacrifices made for the survival of North-east. With the reopening of this road, the economic revival of the state and the region is certain,” Shettima said.

The Chairman, National Union Of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Borno

State chapter, represented by the Secretary of the union, Alhaji Ahmadu Musa, said in appreciation of the reopening of the road, the union had decided to commit 200 out the 400 sharon vehicles donated to them by Shettima after the destruction of their buses by the terrorists to the reopened roads.

He also announced that the union in an effort to ameliorate the plight of their passengers due to economic hardship, has reduced the transport fare from N10,000 to be N2,000 henceforth.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army concluded its 2016 army day celebration with the serving of lunch to the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Dikwa as well as offering free medical services to them.

THURSDAY JULY 7, 2016 • T H I S D AY

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NEWS

Edo Guber Poll: PDP Calls for Sheriff’s Arrest for Contempt of Court

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi has demanded the immediate arrest and prosecution of

Senator Ali Modu Sheriff for contempt of court for issuing certificate of return to Matthew Iduoriyekemwen as the factional candidate of the party in the Edo State governorship election.

In a statement issued by the

Oshiomhole: Thieves That Brought Nigeria to Its Knees Now on the Run Says PDP crisis is God’s vengeance

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, has alleged that the thieves that brought Nigeria to its kneels are now on the run.

Oshiomhole who stated this yesterday in Benin City when he feted Muslim faithful in the state at the Government House as part of the Eid-el-Fitr celebration, noted that vengeance could be seen in the confusion within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), because the party destroyed the country.

He, however, assured the Muslims community that Nigeria would be a great country again with the actions taken by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Asking the Muslims to thank Allah for bringing Buhari, the governor noted that President Buhari has to be rigid to be able to find the thieves, as well as

avoiding building on a foundation already destroyed by the PDP. Oshiomhole who stated that Nigeria would have become a collapsed state if Jonathan had continued as president, further noted that past administration rather than save to make adequate plan for the country, resorted to careless looting of the national treasury.

He therefore maintained that the first step to making the needed change was to fix wrongs done in the past and cleanse the rot by the PDP. “We have to thank Allah for making it possible for Buhari to emerge. God so loves Nigeria that he brought Buhari at this time.”

“If Buhari had not come, we will not know why the Nigeria government failed to tackle Boko Haram. They are now confessing like witches,” Oshiomhole stated.

GCR Affirms Union Bank’s BBB+ Rating, with Stable Outlook The Global Credit Ratings Co. (GCR) has affirmed Union Bank of Nigeria’s credit ratings of BBB+ and A2 for long and short term respectively, just as it also assigned a stable outlook on the bank.

According to a statement, GCR took into consideration the bank’s improved market position in Nigeria’s highly competitive banking industry following its recapitalisation in 2012, and improved NPL ratio and profitability metrics in subsequent years.

In 2013, Union Bank embarked on a transformation programme to reposition the bank and once again become a respected provider of quality banking services in Nigeria. The bank has since then executed critical initiatives around infrastructure, technology and human capital in line with its strategic objectives.

In October 2015, Union Bank unveiled a new brand identity, signalling readiness to operate more competitively in the Nigerian financial industry.

Commenting on the ratings, its Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Emeka Emuwa, said: “The affirmation of the bank’s credit ratings from the previous year is a result of the management’s focus on rebuilding fundamentals and positioning Union Bank for sustainable long term growth.

We are pleased that GCR’s review highlights some of the

key successes of the bank’s robust transformation programme over the past three years. Going forward, the bank will continue to focus on delivering consistent growth to all its stakeholders in the short and medium term.”

Established in 1917 and listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange in 1971, Union Bank of Nigeria Plc is a household name and one of Nigeria’s long-standing and most respected financial institutions.

“The bank is a trusted and recognizable brand, with an extensive network of over 300 branches across Nigeria. In late 2012, a new Board of Directors and Executive Management team were appointed to Union Bank and in 2014 the bank began executing a transformation programme to re-establish it as a highly respected provider of quality financial services.

“The bank currently offers a variety of banking services to both individual and corporate clients including current, savings and deposit account services, funds transfer, foreign currency domiciliation, loans, overdrafts, equipment leasing and trade finance. The bank also offers its customers convenient electronic banking channels and products including Online Banking, Mobile Banking, Debit Cards, ATMs and POS Systems,” the story added.

spokesman of the PDP National Caretaker Committee, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, yesterday, the party called on the Inspector General of Police (IG) to immediately order the arrest and prosecution of the former National Chairman and Iduoriyekemwen for disobeying court judgment and charge them for contempt.

While reacting to the issuance of certificate of return in a statement, Adeyeye said the actions of Sheriff and Iduoriyekemwen were in utter disobedience and disrespect to court judgment and should not be treated with levity.

“The PDP condemns in strong terms the attitude of Sheriff in recents times and urged security agencies to live up to their responsibilities before

Sheriff brings the judiciary to ridicule, recalling that it’s not the first time he is disobeying court judgment or order.

“We are shocked at the attitude of the former National Chairman of our great party, Sheriff, who has become an authority in the country with flagrant disobedience of the Nigerian Constitution, the Electoral Act and the PDP constitution without being arrested or detained by security agencies.

Is he above the law? If we may ask,” Adeyeye queried.

The party said Justice Abdullah Mohammed Liman’s judgment on July 4, 2016 is superior to all other court rulings, ex-parte orders or interlocutory injunctions procured by Sheriff and his co-travellers, saying

that his reliance on Justice Okon Abang’s ruling of Thursday, June 30, 2016 is an attempt to confuse unsuspecting members of the public as he has done in previous times.

“You will recall that Sheriff in collaboration with some APC governors and members invaded our party secretariat on Monday, June 13, 2016 laying claims to a non-existing court order; and he has started again after a competent court issued a Judgment upholding the decision of our National Convention in Port Harcourt, Rivers State which constituted the PDP National Caretaker Committee to pilot the affairs of the party for 90 days, and to conduct another convention that will elect new officers of the party.

Following this, we are calling

on the police to do the needful by arresting Sheriff, his cotravellers and Iduoriyekemwen for disobeying court judgment.”

Meanwhile, the party said that it has commenced its campaign for the gubernatorial election in Edo State; adding that the Law as it stands only recognises Pastor Osagie IzeIyamu as the authentic and only candidate of the PDP in the September 10, 2016 election in the state.

It charged all its members nationwide and in Edo State in particular “to give maximum support to its standard bearer, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, to win the September 10, 2016 gubernatorial election in Edo State in order to bring the desired change the Edo people deserve.”

EMPOWERMENT FOR CORPS MEMBERS

R-L: Managing Director/CEO, Heritage Bank, Ifie Sekibo; Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele; Director-General of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig-Gen Sule Kazaure; and Director, NYSC Skills Acquisition, Mrs. Theresa Anosike, at the official commencement of the N3billion Youth Innovative Entrepreneurship Development Programme (YIEDP) training for selected candidates at the NYSC Village, Kubwa, Abuja.....yesterday

Ahmed, Others Stay away from Ilorin Praying Ground over Unpaid Salaries Hammed Shittu in Ilorin Alleged rumour milling around Ilorin, the Kwara State capital that council workers in the state might cause mayhem over non-payment of seven months salaries during the Eid prayers at Ilorin central Eid praying ground on yesterday might have forced the state governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed and other top political functionaries in the state to stay away from the Ilorin central Eid praying ground located along Irewolede area, Ilorin, the state capital.

Sources told journalists yesterday that Ahmed and other top political office holders in the state attended their Eid prayers in a private Eid praying ground in Ilorin.

The Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki who has been in Saudi Arabia for past few days, was said to have observed his Eid prayers in Saudi Arabia.

Prior to the commencement of prayers at the Ilorin Eid praying

ground, there was palpable anxiety in the ancient city over an impending plan by unknown hoodlums to launch an attack on very important personalities.

Prior to yesterday Eid-el-Fitr celebrations, the leadership of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees in a statement issued in Ilorin on last Sunday and signed by its state Secretary, Abayomi Afolabi, dissociated itself from any person or group that would want to hide under the prevailing circumstances of council workers to perpetrate any nefarious activity before, during and after Sallah festivity.

Similarly, the leadership of the Joint Kwara Labour Congress emphasised that it had no plan to stage any sort of demonstration or attack at the Eid praying ground during the Eid-el-Fitri celebration to mark the end of Ramadan.

In a statement jointly signed by the state Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Yekini Kareem Agunbiade; Chairman

of Trade Union Congress (TUC), Olumoh Kolawole Nasir, and State Chairman of JNC-Trade Union Side, Kehinde Kolawole, the congress appealed to all

categories of workers to remain calm and law abiding as the state governor has assured that efforts are ongoing to make sure that all salaries are cleared.

Nigerian Migrant Beaten to Death in Racist Attack in Italy A Nigerian migrant was beaten to death in a racist attack by a right-wing football fan in a central Italian town, officials said yesterday.

Emmanuel Chidi, 36, was walking with his girlfriend in the heart of the small town of Paolo Calcinora on Tuesday, when they had racial abuse heaped on them by the supporter of a local football club, the Agi news agency reported.

That led to an altercation and Chidi was brutally beaten on the head until he fell to the ground.

He never recovered consciousness and died in hospital yesterday.

“As mayor of a town that is welcoming and open to

integration, I feel I’m living in a nightmare,” the town’s mayor said.

Chidi had been living in the area for eight months and was lodged in a shelter run by Catholic charity Caritas.

His girlfriend had lost her baby after a perilous Mediterranean crossing.

Hundreds of migrants arrive daily in Italy. The Italian interior ministry said last week that a total of 70,930 people landed between January and June — almost exactly the same number as the same period in 2015 and only slightly higher than in 2014.

The full-year total of migrant arrivals for 2015 was 153,000.

T H I S D AY THURSDAY JULY 7, 2016

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T H I S D AY THURSDAY JULY 7, 2016

As you have prayed to Allah and offered your sacrifices...

...in the true spirit of Ramadan, here's hoping that all your wishes be fulfilled and prayers granted!

Eid Mubbak

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T H I S D AY •THURSDAY JULY 7, 2016

COMMENT

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

EFCC VERSUS RIVERS STATE

John Oruwari argues that the anti-graft commission is going beyond its bounds

S

omething sinister is brewing in Rivers State. The mischief or whatever it is, is contained in the order which the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has given the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Malami has directed the commission to investigate the finances of Rivers State over an alleged withdrawal of N11 billion by the state government.

Anybody who is familiar with political developments in the country will definitely smell rat in this directive. It is a witch hunt aimed at discrediting the Rivers State Government. If we recall the Ayo Fayose saga, we will readily know what Malami wants to achieve. We are all familiar with the story behind the freezing of the account of Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State over spurious allegations by EFCC. Fayose and the watching world have been shouting themselves hoarse over the issue. But the Muhammadu Buhari administration has remained hooked to the illegality. Under Buhari, Nigerians are witnessing the trial of a governor who is covered by immunity as provided for in the constitution. The other time, the story was that Buhari has placed a travel ban on Fayose. That caused a stir. It caused an outrage. How could a president bar a governor from foreign trips? That was unimaginable. We are still dealing with that issue. But the story now is that the accounts of the governor have been frozen as if the governor is just like any other citizen. The president, as we know, has no constitutional powers to do what he has done. But that is impunity at work. That is a danger to our democracy. That is one evil that Nigerians are working hard to kick off. But the government of the day appears intransigent.

From Ekiti State, the Ayo Fayose treatment is being transplanted to Rivers State. The federal government of Buhari wants its agency, the EFCC, to probe Rivers State and its finances. That is another illegality at play. Fayose has since gone to court to challenge EFCC’s action. But as we await what the courts have to say, the Attorney General of Rivers State and Commissioner of Justice, Emmanuel Aguma, has called his counterpart at the federal level to order. He has reminded Malami that the federal government or any of its agencies have no right under the law to investigate the financial transactions of a state government. That power is only vested in the state House of Assembly. Aguma has cited decided cases and the relevant constitutional provisions to support his argument. It is our expectation that Malami will be properly guided by the legal issues that Aguma has brought to his attention.

However, we have our fears. We are dealing with a government that is out for vendetta. A government that does not obey court judgment .

A government that does not know about the rule of law. A government that does not respect other tiers of government. Indeed, a government that does not know that there is something called separation of powers.

That is the monster that we are dealing with.

Given the running battle between Buhari’s All Progressives Congress (APC ) administration and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government of Governor Nyesom Wike, we cannot but run into certain conclusions. Since the defeat of the APC by the PDP in the March 19 rerun elections in the state, APC is still gasping for breath. The leaders of the APC in both Rivers State and beyond have been ill at ease with the development. They want APC to control Rivers, one of the most strategic states in eastern Nigeria. The APC appears desperate about it all. That was why former governor, Chibuike Amaechi practically went to war with Wike in the desperate bid to reverse PDP’s victory in the

THE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE FEDERATION, THE EFCC AND THEIR COHORTS CANNOT LEAD THE REST OF US BY THE NOSE IN THE RIVERS DEBACLE. THEY SHOULD RETRACE THEIR STEPS BEFORE THEY INCUR THE WRATH OF THE CIVILISED WORLD

elections. Wike was too strong for the APC goons. His wings could not be clipped. And that has been making the APC very uncomfortable.

The other time, APC leaders in Rivers state with the active support of outsiders worked tirelessly to unseat Wike. The game plan was that of declaration of state of emergency. They wanted to achieve that by creating a state of siege in the state. They heated up the polity. They played up the issues of violence. They stopped at nothing to make the Wike government the aggressor in the violence that erupted over the rerun elections. They presented Wike as a rascal who has no business in government house. But that did not work.

Then they decided not to conclude the elections in constituencies where violence did not allow for elections. Their fear was that the conclusion of the elections would widen PDP’s lead in the state and provide Wike with a firmer hold on the state. They used the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to execute this. That partly explains the long delay in conducting the remaining rerun elections in the country. But national outcry over the myriad of inconclusive polls has forced the hands of the commission. It has decided to conclude the polls across the country, including Rivers State. The prospect of the elections has since provided another avenue for intrigues. Those who do not want Wike and PDP to continue to excel in Rivers State are up in arms again. Now they want to blackmail him and his government over financial recklessness. They want to create the impression that he is accumulating money with which to prosecute the elections. In order to weaken the governor and his government, they have invited the EFCC to move in and distract them. This is where we are now.

But will Wike capitulate to this antic from Abuja? Those who know the man can beat their chest and vouch that he will not. He is a man whose courage overflows. Like Fayose, he is not likely going to be intimidated. The only option left for his traducers is to try their hands on illegality. They want to hold on to impunity. This is the cankerworm that Nigerians are working hard to kick out.

But before the EFCC oversteps its bounds as it has done in Ekiti State, Nigerians need to remind the anti-graft agency that its job is to investigate financial crimes in areas where it has jurisdiction and where concerned citizens have duly petitioned the commission. In the case of Rivers State, the commission has absolutely no locus. Yet it wants to approbate and reprobate at the same time.

If we are not all pretenders and liars in this country, we should be embarrassed by what is oozing out from the government of Buhari.

A government which came about on the wings of people’s power is negating and subverting the very source of its power. It has taken the people for granted. It does not respect the will of the people. This is pure anathema. Nigerians should therefore stand up to be seen and heard in this matter. They should reject the invasion of Rivers and Ekiti States and, indeed, any other state of the federation. They should reject the witch hunt that has been masquerading as anti -corruption war. As the saying goes, you can deceive some of the people some of the time. But you cannot deceive all the people all the time. The office of the Attorney General of the federation, the EFCC and their cohorts cannot lead the rest of us by the nose in the Rivers debacle. They should retrace their steps before they incur the wrath of the civilised world.

Oruwari, an oil magnate, wrote from Port Harcourt

THE LIMITS OF INTERNATIONAL BEST PRACTICES

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nternational best practices is a hackneyed phrase introduced into our health sector by the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) in their inordinate quest to take over the leadership of the health sector. The phrase is selective as it is not extended to their own wrong practices.

They call for international best practices in matters that will favour their inordinate demands but ignore the same international best practices when it comes to their own wrongdoings. Let us critically analyse the areas of their practices that truly require these international best practices.

It is only in Nigeria where ignorant patients walk into pharmacy shops to buy drugs without doctors’ prescription(s). Some of those with doctors’ prescriptions do so with the previous prescriptions which clinically may need to be modified by the doctor(s) who made the previous prescriptions. Many Nigerian patients use their previous prescriptions anytime they have similar illness without knowing that prescriptions are made based on many factors hence a prescription made for a patient today may change tomorrow. Those in the pharmacy shop are more interested in their sales hence nobody bothers to ask the naive patients why they are presenting their old prescriptions. Also, many pharmacists have consultation rooms in their shops, usurping the functions of medical doctors without the requisite clinical exposure. The daredevil ones have ‘upgraded’ to the level of siting intravenous lines and treating naive patients in their makeshift accident and emergency wards. To them, international best practices is not required in those areas as correcting

Paul John argues JOHESU uses the expression when it is convenient

the anomaly will affect their means of livelihood.

It is only in Nigeria where the chain of drug distribution is in the hands of non-pharmacists.

Go to our open drug markets and see the few number of pharmacists there. To them, international best practices is not required in that area. What a self-deceit? If pharmacists are busy usurping the roles of the medical doctors, what conscience will they have to ask the patent medicine dealers, the herbalist or the pharmacy technicians to do the right thing? It is said that he who wants equity must come with clean hands .Tell them let best practices guide their practices, they will say no but the only place they want international best practices to be entrenched is taking over leadership of our health sector. A man who cannot manage his family, can he manage a community of different families?

The most annoying aspect of it all is that more than 90% of drugs used in this country are imported. Even the few ones that are into manufacturing have expatriates at their helm of affairs while all that their leaders want is to be in our hospitals to either drag leadership positions with the doctors or to sit down to be doing what my role model, Dr Osahon Enabulele called ‘drug counting’.

They complain of unemployment while neglecting the drug manufacturing aspect of their profession.

They want to become ‘consultants’ just like doctors, but consultants in what? Is it consultants in drug counting or consultant in doing the job of pharmacy assistants/technicians?

The medical laboratory scientists as part of JOHESU equally want the entrenchment of

international best practices in our health system.

The same people that you send your patient to for laboratory investigations and that patient will never come back until complications develop. Somebody should ask me, how? These guys have their stereotyped prescriptions for all ailments known to man. Once they find anything positive in their laboratory investigations, they will prescribe all the drugs in their lists to the patients, throwing to the wind the drug-drug interactions among other pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of drugs. The clinical states of the patient to them are not relevant in the choice of drugs for such patients. It is still the same group of people that have the effrontery to shout ‘international best practices’. To them, the incessant physical assaults by them against my respected distinguished colleagues in pathology units of our laboratories do not require international best practices?

Whenever a resident pathologist is physically assaulted, they will come out with an official statement to exonerate one of their own, boasting that they have well-primed and professionally trained eye-witnesses who are also JOHESU members but those witnesses could neither prevent the physical assault nor call in the authorities before the oppressor descended on my distinguished colleagues in their places of work. International best practices does not cover where they run pre-marriage laboratory tests and tell intending couples that one is of AA genotype while the other partner is of AS genotype and at the end of the day, the couple will give birth to sicklers. To them international best practices

does not need to be implemented in that area.

Today university graduates want to sit down and be running tests that make use of self-explanatory diagnostic strips. Did I hear somebody ask, why there are crises in the health sector? The answer is simple: A group called JOHESU is free in the sector hence they are free to form more alliances against the doctors who combine their practices with regular studies .Tell me the moral justification for a university graduate to sit down and be running laboratory tests with self-explanatory strips which my illiterate grandmother never encountered any difficulty in making use of?

The nurses are also part of the alliance called JOHESU .The RN and RM nurses are sitting on the Bsc holders in their profession and they are still shouting international best practices. No wonder UGONSA which is an association of BSc nurses always dissociates itself from any strike embarked upon by the nurses in general. I am still waiting for the nurses to show me where in the world or part of their international best practices where house officers are meant to kowtow to them before they will go into their stores to bring out medical consumables that are meant to be in the wards, accident and emergency units and in our clinics. They are still yet to convince me why nurses in some units will be sitting down and be chatting with one another while doctors are doing ward round in the units. They should be told that international best practices must begin with them.

Dr Paul John, Port Harcourt,Rivers state 08083658038,mazipauljohn@gmail.com

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T H I S D AY THURSDAY JULY 7, 2016

EDITORIAL NIGERIA AND ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS

W

There is urgent need to enforce laws on the environment

illie Obianor, Governor of Anambra State, recently put up an elaborate ceremony to mark the World Environment Day. It was not for nothing. Onitsha, the commercial hub of the state, has the undignified honour of being labelled the world’s most polluted city. According to data released by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the city recorded 30 times more than the WHO’s recommended level of particulate matter concentration. The report said the contributing factors to pollution were “a reliance on using solid fuels for cooking, burning waste, and traffic pollution from very old cars”.

Although Aba and Umuahia in Abia State and Kaduna are three other problematic cities identified for air pollution in the report, there are other towns and cities with peculiar environmental problems, including poor air and water quality, contaminated soil, the presence of radioactive substances, noise, heat and light.

Yet, most Nigerians IT IS IMPORTANT FOR are unaware of the GOVERNMENT TO harmful effects of a UNDERSTAND THE REAL polluted environment NEED FOR A HEALTHY and how long term ENVIRONMENT AND ITS exposure to it can lead IMPACT ON THE NATION’S to poor health and HEALTH BILLS eventually death.

Air pollution which is the most prominent and dangerous occurs due to many reasons, including excessive burning of fuels, use of generators, driving and other industrial activities. These activities release a huge amount of chemical substances into the air daily and lower the air quality. Another source of pollution in cities is noise.

Added to this are the annoying sound levels generated by vendors of musical discs and of other wares and by religious places which direct high megawatts of sound to the streets. Regular exposure to consistent elevated sound levels, according to experts, can cause hearing impairment, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, annoyance, and sleep disturbance.

Letters to the Editor

I

Nigeria has laws that were instituted to check these forms of pollution but unfortunately, they are hardly enforced. Each state has its own environmental law enforcement agency and at the federal level, the agency that is saddled with the mandate to develop and maintain strategies for effective environmental compliance is the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA).

The federal government, through NESREA, developed 24 environmental regulations, which have been published in the Federal Republic of Nigeria Official Gazette. Among these regulations are the National Environmental (Sanitation and Wastes Control) Regulations, 2009, which provides the legal framework for the adoption of sustainable and environmentfriendly practices in environmental sanitation and waste management to minimise pollution.

T T H I S DAY

EDITOR IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU DEPUTY EDITORS BOLAJI ADEBIYI, JOSEPH USHIGIALE MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR KAYODE KOMOLAFE CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN

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

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, ISRAEL IWEGBU, EMMANUEL EFENI, IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU GROUP FINANCE DIRECTOR OLUFEMI ABOROWA DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS PETER IWEGBU, FIDELIS ELEMA, MBAYILAN ANDOAKA, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS HENRY NWACHOKOR, SAHEED ADEYEMO CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI GENERAL MANAGER PATRICK EIMIUHI GROUP HEAD FEMI TOLUFASHE ART DIRECTOR OCHI OGBUAKU II DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com

here are also the National Environmental (Noise Standards and Control) Regulations, 2009, conceived to ensure tranquility of the human environment or surrounding and their psychological well-being by regulating noise levels.

The National Environmental (Control of Vehicular Emissions from Petrol and Diesel Engines) Regulations, 2010, seeks to restore, preserve and improve the quality of air by protecting it from vehicular emissions.

The environmental regulation designed to restore, enhance and preserve the physical, chemical and biological integrity of the nation’s surface waters, and to maintain existing water uses is the National Environmental (Surface and Groundwater Quality Control) Regulations, 2010. However, these regulations are not being enforced perhaps because the institution has been weakened by inadequate funding and manpower.

It is important for government to understand the real need for a healthy environment and its impact on the nation’s health bills. A healthy environment would definitely enable a healthy citizenry. Yet, up till now, the government has only paid lip service to the enforcement of environmental regulations and this neglect has led to the prevalence of avoidable diseases and illnesses.

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.

WHO NEEDS THE PEACE CORPS?

was shocked when I read the editorial of THISDAY, June 28, 2016, entitled ‘’WHO NEEDS THE PEACE CORPS?” I found all the conclusions contained in that editorial, which has the rider, ‘’Government should strengthen existing paramilitary outfits instead of establishing new ones,’’ really irksome.

That the highly revered newspaper could lend its support to the enemies of Peace Corps of Nigeria to frustrate the on-going move by the National Assembly to legalise the operations of the organisation beggars belief. What makes the entire issue worrisome is that THISDAY elected to rely on the opposition from other paramilitary organisations like the highly vilified Nigeria Police and Civil Defence to rush to a premeditated conclusion on the Nigeria Peace Corps.

According to the newspaper, ‘’despite stiff opposition from several security agencies, especially the Nigeria Police and Civil Defence Corps, the House of Representatives recently passed a bill to establish the Nigeria Peace Corps’’. It missed the point irredeemably or worse still, stood honesty on its head when it concluded that ‘’at a time of lean resources and against the background that there are already duplications in the functions of many security agencies, we do not see the wisdom in creating yet another cost centre of dubious national value.’’

It is no longer secret that the stiff opposition from the Police and NCSDC to the formation of the Peace Corps was borne out of malice. It was this ill-conceived opposition that led to the illegal detention of the personnel of the Peace Corps in Kaduna in 2009 by some over-zealous police officers, a development that made an Abuja High Court to slam the police with a fine of N11.25m payable to the Peace Corps.

The point must be stressed and even overtly orchestrated that when this organisation was started in Kaduna on July 10, 1998 by Patriot Dickson Akoh under a highly difficult circumstances, several enemies of this laudable venture hastily concluded that it would not survive for more than a few months and thereafter, crumble under the weight of its ‘’self-inflicted’’ contradictions.

That satanic prediction did not see the light of the day as the organisation has survived till date, expanding exponentially in the process. It would also be recalled that in one of such efforts to pass a sentence of irrelevance on the laudable objectives of the Peace Corps of Nigeria, an attempt was made to merge the organisation with the Civil Defence in 2015. It crashed like a pack of cards. At a meeting with the then Minister of Internal Affairs on October 17, 2005, where the final interment of the ill-fated deal took place, an elated Akoh declared with palpable flourish that ‘’instead of integrating the members of these two distinct bodies, they should be allowed to operate independently of each other so as to complement one another in the task of nation building.’’

THISDAY exhibited a bit of hostility towards the Peace Corps when it concluded that ‘’the idea behind the Nigeria Peace Corps does not make sense to us and we ask the National Assembly not to waste its time on it.’’ For reasons best known to it, the media organisation conveniently sidetracked the truth and turned blind eyes to the reality that Nigeria is currently under-policed. Considering the level of criminality and depravity on parade in Nigeria today, the nation even needs more of organisations such as Peace Corps of Nigeria to weather the storm.

Rogers Edor Ochela, Abuja

AN OPEN LETTER TO BUHARI

I

am writing this letter in acknowledgment of your recent press statements in your home town Daura, Katsina State.

Mr President your actions have weakened they heart and spirit of your supporters nationally and internationally, you have made mockery of the Nigerian nation and reduced our respect for you to zero.

We supported and voted you to unite, secure and uplift the people and the economy of our dear nation, but immediately power was handed over to you, you turned all the tribes against one another just as you are using religion to divide the polity. You have relegated South-south and South-east to third class citizens and the South-west to second class while your Northern brothers are the first class citizens. Mr President, note that you have made a bad history in Nigeria as the oldest president we voted in from opposition party to lead Nigerians, but you have turned around to destroy the nation we thrust in your care. You have marginalised Southern Nigeria, especially the old Eastern Nigeria and your government hates Igbos and Ijaws with passion.

Your leadership style has caused the nation economic loss and enthroned insecurity. Nigerians in diaspora have no zeal to invest in the nation like before, even foreign investors are becoming hesitant to bring in their money. But I am advising you to right the wrongs by respecting the constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria which you swore to uphold.

Obinna Irika, APC spokesman in the Diaspora

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18

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2016

POLITICS

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

THE PERSONALITY INTERVIEW

Bamidele: Buhari Will Pick Up by Second Year Hon Opeyemi Bamidele, a former member of the House of Representatives, said to OlakiitanVictor in an interview that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration will start to do well by its second year in office. He also spoke about the modalities for electing candidates for the 2018 governorship poll in Ekiti State. Excerpts: One year in office of President Muhammadu Buhari hasn’t impressed many people. Do you share the same view?

Well, it depends on the individuals making such opinion. But let me tell you, Buhari has not in any way deviated from his promise to make Nigeria a better place in four years. Though some harsh policies like the jacking of petrol price and increment in electricity tariff have been witnessed, but these were not enough to say President Buhari has failed us. What is very clear now is that the economy is very weak and needed to be rejuvenated. I want to assure you that things will take a positive turn before the end of the second year of the APC government in the saddle.

When the President was campaigning, he placed high premium on two things – corruption and insecurity – which were two scourges bedeviling the nation before assumption of office. Now that the greatest plague crippling the country’s economy, which is corruption, is being tackled headlong, we now have the prospect of overcoming the present economic challenges and assume a status of economically viable nation.

Let me just add that in line with the 1999 constitution, President Buhari was sworn in for a four year term. And during electioneering, he promised to tackle corruption, unemployment, insecurity, strengthen the economy and ensure improved power supply. If in one year, the man has been able to tackle corruption and insecurity, then this should not be taken as a failure. But in a developing nation, employment generation and power supply remain the two economic indexes that touch the lives of the populace and the fact that enough has not been achieved in these two critical sectors created the anxiety in the system.

But I am of the view that it takes a while before any nation like ours with high level of poverty and dwindling economy to disentangle within a short time from economic problems the way a country will respond to the challenges of corruption and insecurity. So, they require patience and Nigerians must understand this.

What Nigeria needs as a nation at this critical period is patriotism and not unnecessary politicking and emotion that won’t be in the benefit of all citizens.

Security has not really been contained with the emergence of the Niger Delta Avengers and IPOB. Are you worried about these developments?

Every right thinking Nigerians must be worried by these bombings and killings in the name of agitations for the people, who were not even in concord with the militants or agitators. But I appeal to the Niger Delta Avenger Militants to drop their cruel destruction of pipelines and oil installations, to avert further economic crisis in the system. I want to urge them to pursue their demands by exploring constitutional means, which include dialogue and roundtable discussion than to be taking up arms against their own nation.

These activists should not be oblivious of the fact that the bombing of installations would inflict physical, economic and emotional injuries on the Niger Deltans more than any other part of the country. They have not even come to the public to say what they want except the ones we read on the social media that they wanted unconditional release of Col. Sambo Dasuki, the IPOB Director, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, the former PDP Publicity Secretary, Olisah Metuh and that the charges of corruption against one of their leaders, Government Ekpomupolo aka Tompolo must be dropped. If we are to dissect

Bamidele...we still have to be patient with Buhari

all these agitations, they sound so political and no reasonable government will accede to such.

Though I am not saying all that had been happening in the Niger Delta region like oil spillage and death of aquatic lives were good, we still have to toe the line of civility in fighting for our rights. Commonsense would still have to prevail and the only way to show this is for these agitators to come to a roundtable discussion. The Niger Delta is the fowl that lays the golden egg and Nigerians must be grateful to them. We have to see ourselves as brothers and keep on engaging each other in thorough discussion and bargaining.

War has never settled anything, anywhere. Even if we decided to go to war, everything will still end on the roundtable because we can’t fight till eternity. Nigeria fought civil war for three years and we later resorted to a roundtable discussion. I want to appeal to our brothers not to exhibit any fear under President Buhari. It seems as if some of them thought their rights or the collective rights of the region seem threatened

Though some harsh policies like the jacking of petrol price and increment in electricity tariff have been witnessed, but these were not enough to say President Buhari has failed us. What is very clear now is that the economy is very weak and needed to be rejuvenated. I want to assure you that things will take a positive turn before the end of the second year of the APC government in the saddle

under President Buhari. I don’t think it is right to have such erroneous thinking.

President Buhari commenced the clean-up of Ogoni land recently which no government has ever contemplated. Ogoni land is in Rivers State and in terms of appointment, the South-south have enjoyed serious patronage from this government and I think they have to reciprocate this to keep Nigeria as one and to further accentuate the fact that we are brothers. Beating war drums will not help us. Threatening to kill our President will only ridicule us the more as a nation.

What do you suggest is the way out?

The President has been speaking to those with influences in Nigeria. Recently, he met with former President Olusegun Obasanjo and later, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. I am quite convinced that the issue of insecurity in the South-south would be discussed. And what actually gladdened my heart was the fact that prominent people from the zone like Chief Edwin Clark had risen up to condemn the destruction of oil installations in the area, which shows that there is hope in sight.

These leaders must help us mediate with the agitators. They must call them to order. They have to prevail on them to drop their guns and negotiate with the federal government on how development can come to the Niger Delta area and not for few to be pursuing what favours them at the expense of the generality of the people. I believe the federal government must quickly engage these leaders, so that the process of mediation and possible settlement can be done expeditiously.

Recently, Governor Ayodele Fayose banned open grazing in Ekiti because two people were killed in Oke Ako Ekiti by suspected Fulani herdsmen. How do you describe the development?

Killing under any guise is not justifiable. The killing to me was so unfortunate and capable of undermining our peaceful co-existence as a nation. The Fulani herdsmen and the land owners had been living together in Ekiti since time immemorial. Though there had been skirmishes over farmlands being destroyed by cattle and which were later resolved either at the police station or at the Oba’s palace. The account I

got was that the land owners and these Fulani herdsmen had disagreement over grazing habit of some of them, which had caused the farmers immense economic losses.

But taking out guns and dangerous weapons to overrun a fairly big town all in the name of reprisal or showing of force was very sad.

I want to commend the security agencies for preventing reprisal attacks, because if that had happened, one would not have been able to quantify what would be the level of destruction such would have brought across the nation.

The governor would not have acted alone in his resolve to place a temporary ban on open grazing.

Governor Fayose had come out boldly to say it was a temporary ban pending the time security will be restored fully to the beleaguered town.

And I want to believe that the governor must have commenced the process of reconciliation between the Fulanis and the Yorubas in the area, because he can’t afford to be rigid knowing full well that Nigeria is a multi-ethnic nation with diverse interest and different reactions to issues. I am not oblivious of the fact that he would have to take action as the Chief Security Officer of the State, but such action must also have human face, so that it won’t boomerang.

The Seriki Fulani from Ilorin, Kwara State in Ekiti State had come out to dissociate his members from the senseless killings, so I believe the matter is resolvable. Everything rests on the kind of security architecture the security chiefs were able to build. I want to say that the resolve of the local hunters from Ikole local government to join in securing the town and environs is commendable because they understand the terrain and this will help the security agencies in taming the rampaging killer herdsmen.

I am of the opinion that we have to be cautious because many of the Fulanis in the town had built houses, own property and even cash crops.

Should they now be sent packing because of the misdemeanor of a few? Some of them had even married from the town and contributed economically more than the indigenes! So, we need to be careful and rely on investigations by security outfits to know what actually happened and how to deal with the situation.

There has been a persistent government-labour feud in Ekiti due to inability of government to pay salaries. What do you think can be done under this circumstance?

The situation is very worrisome. If you get to Ekiti today, you will see palpable anguish on the faces of the people. We have to remember that Ekiti is a predominantly Civil Service State.

Nearly every home has one or two civil servants, so the inability to pay salary, just like you put it has affected every facet of the economy. Ekiti has about 60,000 workforce and there is no way there won’t be complaints because they are the ones that patronize the markets, the mechanics and other businesses being the middle class and the bread winners in their own rights.

But a situation whereby the bread winners now beg for half loaf of bread will create serious anxiety and that is what you are experiencing in Ekiti as of now. Ekiti takes less than N1.3 billion monthly going by what Governor Fayose had said and he needs about N2.6 billion to pay workers every month. And the IGR is still less than N300 million. How could things happen under this circumstance and I want to say that I sympathise with the governor. But my area of confusion is this, the labour leaders had asked the governor to explain the true position of the CONT’D ON NEXT PAGE

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T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2016

PERSPECTIVE

The Pointless War

The rivalry between the Senate leadership and the presidency is needless and not in the nation’s interest, writes Akintoba Fatigun

T

he Muhammadu Buhari presidency is getting increasingly bold and barefaced in its determination to remove Senate President Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu. This should worry every Nigerian hopeful to see a democratic society.

Let me explain in case you do not yet get the point. On two occasions, the Senate had invited the Attorney General of the Federal, Mr. Abubakar Malami to appear before its committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters. This invitation was predicated on the Senate’s resolution that the nation’s chief law officer should explain the rationale for his office’s prosecution of Saraki and Ekweremadu, and two others for the alleged forgery of the Senate Standing Order 2015.

Malami chose not to turn up for any of the invitations. But on the second occasion, which was on Wednesday of last week, the minister, possibly feeling generous and gratuitous towards the Senate, decided to send a representative. And who did he send? Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Prosecution, Mr. Okoi Obono-Obla!

While the Presidency has denied its involvement in the unceasing persecution of the senate president, you would ask yourself why Buhari’s assistant on prosecution (whatever that office means) was detailed to represent the AGF. Was this representation due to the dearth of competent personnel in the ministry or a flagrant exhibition of the emasculating muscles of the federal government?

It appears Buhari’s government is actually weary of its own denial of complicity in what looks like the determination to terminate the tenure of the senate leadership by any means, after all the administration has gradually attained the status of a benevolent dictatorship.

Think about the attempt to impose principal officers on the National Assembly, (which it eventually succeeded with at the lower chambers), the unrepentant alienation of virtually all the brains, who slaved to bring Buhari’s lifetime ambition of becoming President to pass, the serial silence of everyone who has had the audacity to speak against the president even in his days as an aspirant for office, think the dare of appointments that have continued to spur already abating ethnic emotions all over the country.

This president seems ready to confront it and dismiss all those halfhearted denials on the Saraki trial that we have heard until recently. How else do you describe the haughty posturing of Secretary to the Government of the Federation, David Babachir Lawal, who recently came to ventilate on dark desire of the administration to get leadership of the National Assembly out of office.

Unwittingly confirming himself as a prominent honcho in the cabal which the senate leadership alleged had hijacked the Buhari administration, Babachir Lawal in

Buhari...rethinking his hard posturing

a statement, personally signed by him, trampled on a mandate not within his grabs, when he suggested that Saraki and Ekweremadu should resign their positions in the pendency of their trial.

Here, the SGF spoke like he was not just a member of the red chambers but like someone who had the mandate of the majority of his imaginary colleagues to ask for a change in the leadership of the senate. But then, he expressed a stillborn desire of his cohorts in the presidential kitchen cabinet.

In all of these, however, there are two things that the president and his advisers must remember at all times. The first is that, at the end of the day, when Nigerians speak about the presidential term 20152019, the name that will be mentioned – good or bad – is Muhamamdu Buhari.

The man should remember the implacable nature of history and embark on what is good by the people of Nigeria now and stop the victimisation of everyone who does not speak his political language

Like an incurable evil missioner caught in involuntary sleepwalking, Lawal babble chatted into revealing the blackness in the hearts of those who machinated the travails of Saraki starting with the comedy that they put together at the Code of Conduct Tribunal and the latest hatchment.

The SGF would have been within the limits of his command, (if he had any qualification to speak on the matter, given that he is neither presidential spokesperson nor minister of information) if he restricted his intervention to the denial of allegations that a cabal existed within the government, but he went on to suggest the resignation of the two most senior men at the senate!

The question to ask the SGF and the government he serves therefore is: “what do you stand to benefit from the resignation of Saraki and Ekweremadu. Isn’t this slip enough to give the presidency away as the voice from inside the masquerade’s cloak?

He took the ridiculousness of the position further when he compared the contrived charges against these two men with the certificate forgery claims made by Mr. Salisu Buhari, which placed him in a position to aspire and gain the office of Speaker House of Representatives in 1999. Were the SGF properly educated in the facts of the analogy he drew, he would know that comparing these two cases is equal to trying to convince people that sleep is the same thing as death!

While Buhari told lies that elevated him to a post for which he had no prerequisite ab initio, the two men currently being persecuted are eminently qualified for their offices. More than that, the offence for which they are accused can be said to be no offence at all, at least not one that should concern an Attorney General, who is not out for a hatchet job. In addition to that, none of them stood in position to have committed this

office at the time it was allegedly perpetrated. They were only two in the number of senators elected then.

Further revelations has shown that there has not been a time, at least since the return to democratic governance in 1999, that the procedures for the election of principal officials of the National Assembly has been the interest of senators themselves not to talk about busybodies like we currently have in the executive.

Statements made to the police and leaked to newspapers recently quoted the deputy clerk of the National Assembly, Benedict Efeturi as informing that: “The leadership of the National Assembly of the 7th Senate ordered the 2015 Standing Rules as amended by their convention and practice. (He stated) that the Senate Standing Orders 2003, 2007 and 2011 followed the same procedure as that of 2015. He emphasised that in the Parliament, amendment of the Standing Orders is by practice not necessarily by procedure.”

What is most worrisome however is the effect of the scuffle between the presidency and the National Assembly on the ordinary Nigeria. Taking from that popular saying that when two elephants fight, the grass suffers, the disconcertment between these two arms of government has had telling effects on governance in the past one year.

An unambiguous testament of this is the controversy that surrounded the passage of the 2016 appropriation bill. Aside that, 13 months after Buhari took over government, there has been no significant evidence of executive/legislative collaboration on behalf of the people of Nigeria.

In all of these, however, there are two things that the president and his advisers must remember at all times. The first is that, at the end of the day, when Nigerians speak about the presidential term 2015-2019, the name that will be mentioned – good or bad – is Muhamamdu Buhari. The man should remember the implacable nature of history and embark on what is good by the people of Nigeria now and stop the victimisation of everyone who does not speak his political language.

The second, which is a corollary of the first is that this administration will make very little or no progress unless it allows the National Assembly to fulfill its constitutional duties. Now, more than ever before, members of the National Assembly are protective of their independence and no matter what this administration does, there is an impenetrability of the National Assembly that would not only frustrate the administration but lead the president into a place, where after four years, he would look back and find no achievement to point to other than the defeat he will suffer in its labour to adjoin another independent arm of government to itself. It would a deplorable reality for a government that promised to change the lives of the people!

-Fatigun is the Chairman of Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State

BAMIDELE: BUHARI WILL PICK UP BY SECOND YEAR state’s wage bill, which he must do in the interest of transparency and accountability, because he is holding that position in trust for the people.

They also contested that the governor disclosed IGR of N325 million in one of the meetings and whereas the Accountant General of the State had been disclosing less than N200 million to the labour leaders. They said the same wage bill was the one paid by Dr. Kayode Fayemi and people had died, retired and resigned in the civil service after he left.

Again, they said no employment had been done by this administration because of paucity of funds. So, for the governor to spare himself

of burdens and for him to continue to enjoy the confidence of the civil servants and the entire citizens of the state, who voted for him during the last poll, he must respond to these allegations for Ekiti to witness peace, because we can’t be in serious financial crisis and be losing the little we have to industrial action and public unrest occasioned by protests and all that.

Your party seems confused over the modality to apply to pick a candidate for the 2018 governorship poll. As a leader, what do you think should be done?

Well, I have not hidden my position that I

have interest in the governorship position. I contested in the last election under the banner of the Labour Party. If I should talk now, people will say I am being selfish, but I have to talk because I am a critical stakeholder in the party and I want us to return to government in 2018 and this can only happen when we do the right thing. The APC was formed by our great leaders: President Muhammadu Buhari, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, Chief Bisi Akande, Chief John Momoh and host of highly dignified Nigerians, who made very big sacrifices for Nigeria to grow democratically through the instrumentality of the law.

The party was a creation of the constitution and it also has its own constitution guiding its principles and policies. So, let them follow the laid down rules guiding how a candidate can emerge and once this is done, there won’t be any reason for the losers to go to court or play the spoiler. This will make us more cohesive to be able to approach the election with a united front against the PDP. I want to reiterate again that if we are united, APC will win convincingly.

NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

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THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2016 • T H I S D AY

FEATURES

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

When Will Nigeria Abolish the Death Penalty?

The hangman's noose

Ugo Aliogo writes that there is a clarion call on Nigeria by Amnesty International to abolish the death penalty

S

olomon Prosper was 25 years old, he was arrested for an alleged case of murder of his cousin, a crime he knew nothing about. He was tried in the court and sentenced to death.

While in prison, he was subjected to gruesome torture and was also forced to sign several documents that he killed his cousin. Prosper was constantly traumatised as he thought of his imminent death; he was to die by hanging for a crime he was either the prime suspect or accomplice. His heart was drained of joy and happiness.

Prosper was in agony, a man with full of life and energy was now hunted by perpetual fear. He knew that the long cherished dream of becoming a professionally certified engineer and lifting his mother from poverty was gradually coming to an unfortunate end. He was put behind bars for nine years. On May, 2014, the final day of his trial, an eye witness brought before the court a factual evidence of the case. Consequent upon the evidence brought the court, the death sentence was quashed and he was freed.

In 2005, Moses Akatugba, a 16 years old young man was arrested for arm robbery, an offence he knew nothing about. Recounting his experience to Amnesty International, Akatugba stated that the police officers beat him repeatedly with machetes and batons, tied him up from the ceiling for several hours, and then used pliers to pull out his toenails and fingernails.

He was then forced to sign two pre-written confessions. After eight years of being remanded in prison, on November 12, 2013, he was sentenced to death by hanging. On May 28,

2015, the day before his departure from office, the then Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, granted total pardon to Moses. He also commuted the death sentence of three people to prison terms.

Death penalty has been an issue for debate for several years amongst countries and concerned human rights organisations. While some countries have advanced that it should be abolished, others are of the view that it should be retained. The abolitionist countries argue that while the condemned prisoner is

We have always been calling on the Nigeria government to establish a moratorium on executions, the last executions took place in 2013. However, nothing stops execution from resuming tomorrow because there is no official moratorium in place and we have also been urging Nigeria to use the death penalty for the most serious crimes under international law

in jail, he goes through emotional torture on a daily basis as he awaits his death.

They also argue that taking an individual’s life for a crime committed does not augur well on the grounds of morality. Therefore, the state should respect the sanity of life which is its statutory responsibility to the citizenry and provide enough security to curb the crime rate especially the most serious crimes. For the retentionists, their argument is that death penalty will help to reduce the crime rates, thereby restoring decency and order in the society. They also contend that death penalty is a stiffer measure of dealing with dangerous crimes and it will serve as a deterrent to others intending to commit similar offences.

Amnesty International Global Report The 2015 Amnesty International (AI) global report stated that the total number of countries that were abolitionists for all crimes reached 102 as Congo, Fiji, Madagascar and Suriname repealed the death penalty during the year.

The report further stated that the use of death penalty in 2015 revealed two divergent developments. First, four countries abolished the death penalty, reinforcing the long-term trend towards global abolition. While on the other hand, the executions recorded by AI during the year increased by more than 50 per cent compared to 2014 and constituted the highest total that AI has reported since 1989, excluding China.

In 1977, when AI started campaigning against the abolition of death penalty only 16 countries were interested but today, 102 have abolished death penalty for all crimes.

This number is the majority of countries in the world, and this implies that there is a positive

trend, as more countries are moving away from the use of the death penalty. In 2015, 1,634 people were executed in 25 countries that is 54 per cent more than in 2014.

The report further stated that Nigeria did not carry out executions in 2015, adding that the last executions took in place in 2013. The AI report referred to information in the Nigeria Prison Service (NPS) which noted that 171 people were sentenced to death in 2015. This was a drop on the 659 death sentences recorded in 2014. The NPS report added that 26 pardons were granted, 41 death row prisoners were exonerated and 1,677 people were on death row, including five foreign nationals. During the year of 121 death sentences were commuted.

The Advocate and Adviser of AI on Death Penalty, Oluwatosin Popoola, explained that death penalty has not been completely abolished, under international law, adding that the law allows death penalty only for the most serious crimes; the international covenant for civil and political rights provides that countries that have not yet abolished, “should only use the death penalty for the most serious crimes, under international human rights standards, most serious crimes are crimes that involve intentional killings.”

He noted that though AI opposes the death penalty in all cases, regardless of the characteristics of the offender, the nature of the offence, or the method used by the state to carry out the execution, stressing that they believe the death penalty violates the right to life as contained in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

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T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2016

FEATURES Poopola said: “We have been involved in various actions on the abolishing of death penalty, for instance, we took a leading role in urging United Nations General Assembly, to pass its force resolution on the moratorium on execution in 2007 and since that time, there have been several resolutions passed by the UN General Assembly urging states that still use the death penalty to establish moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty. Nigeria continues to use the death penalty, it is a retentionist country.

“In Nigeria, the death penalty is mandatory for several crimes, including armed robbery, and murder which means that the judges do not have the discretion on those cases whether to impose the death penalty or not.

We have always been calling on the Nigeria government to establish a moratorium on executions, the last executions took place in 2013. However, nothing stops execution from resuming tomorrow because there is no official moratorium in place and we have also been urging Nigeria to use the death penalty for the most serious crimes under international law.

“We have also urged Nigeria government in recent times, not to extend the scope of the death, but in the last few months, a number of states have been extending the scope of the death penalty to cover kidnapping. Our argument has always been that kidnapping does not meet the threshold of most serious crimes under international law and standards because it does not involve intentional killing.

The law needs to be reformed to provide for the abolition of death penalty. It requires leadership on the part of the government to move for current laws that proposes the amendment of the death penalty, so that it is not only restricted but abolished for all crimes in Nigeria.

“Going forward, Amnesty International will continue to campaign for the abolition of the death penalty in Nigeria. In West Africa, five countries have abolished death penalty for all crimes, in sub-Saharan Africa, 18 countries have abolished the death penalty for all crimes, the latest being Madagascar and the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2015. Therefore the trend has been positive in sub- Sahara Africa, the region remains a beacon of hope, Nigeria should take leadership position by joining the ranks of other Africa countries that have abolished the death penalty for all crimes.”

Death Penalty and the Nigeria Legal system A lawyer and lecturer in the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, Dr. Simeon Igbinedion, stressed that the Nigeria legal system permits death penalty for a few serious offences such as treason, murder and drug trafficking, noting that these are few cases that the law allocates death penalty as a capital punishment, “the sovereignty of countries will determine what they will do as independent nations.”

He further stated that in the United States of America, some states that are abolitionists, while others are retentionists, adding that executions are carried out through lethal injection, which in their understanding is a civilised way of eliminating the individual in a gentle manner.

Igbinedion noted that: “There are insinuations from the international community that the legal systems of most countries should be properly reformed. They (International Community) view crime as environmentally oriented, which implies that when people commit crime, it is not because they want to commit the crime rather it is due to environmental influence, therefore they should be rehabilitated back to the society instead of been punished. When we consider it from the point of view of the developing countries, you will notice that there is a variation in terms of behavioural patterns between the developed and developing countries.

“For instance in Japan, when someone commits an offence, he or she will naturally owe up to committing such a crime, not because of any compulsion, but because of the conscience in him. He will realise that he is guilty so that the process can just be short-circuited. But in developing countries such as Nigeria, people will not owe up to the crime that they have committed. This takes the court through a lot of long processes, and several adjournments. When it comes to committing crimes in this part of the world, people have the tendency to commit greater crimes which show the extent of wickedness and evil intentions in them.”

On his part, the National President Committee for the Defence of Human Right (CDHR),

A typical prison in Nigeria

Condemned prisoners

Malachy Ugwummadu, stated that there are no constitutional provisions for death penalty instead, there are statutory provisions which are other legislations that are independent of the constitution and which introduce capital punishment as a form of punitive sentences on convicted persons, “this can be found both

This is extreme maximum torture inflicted on a human being. The constitution clearly abhors that, the fact that he is a convict does not mean his rights have been taken away from him, what it means is that he is guilty of the offence he has committed. Therefore if you must kill him by hanging, or decide to shot him, you are denying the individual of his rights

in the criminal and penal code, which has now been harmonised under the administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015. Criminal code operates in the South, while the penal code operates in the North. Both bodies of legislations have now been harmonised.”

“Those are the laws in which criminal justice are codified to attracting violence for extreme criminal activities such as murder, outright murder, treason, and other criminal activities, while what you see cannot find in the constitution anything pertaining to capital punishment, but it can be found in other laws.

“However, if you want to draw an extraneous reference to the constitution, then you talk about the sessions of the constitution that prohibits torture, which is a fundamental right and no person shall be subjected to any form of torture or in human treatment,” he noted.

Abolishing Death Penalty in Nigeria Igbinedion called on the government not to abolish the death penalty law in Nigeria now, stressing that this would give a particular group of people the impetus to commit certain crimes in order to dare the law and the state, therefore abolishing it would not favour the state.

He added: “I would advocate for the use of state policing as a measure to provide security in order to curb crimes which in turn would reduce cases of death penalty, though there are several ill feelings to it. Some see it as undermining the power of the federal

government. In state policing, the people are more at home with the local environment.

“There should be re-orientation of people because the way people relate with their environment matters a lot, if there is a re-orientation people will be more humane and kind to their neighbours and this would reduce crime.”

Ugwummadu, remarked that CDHR has been on the forefront of campaigns in the country to abolish death penalty, adding that it has been a long fight with a highly polarised argument, “there are those who argue that you need to also watch the incidents of such crimes in the society in order to deal with such type of crime before you take a position.

“But the argument is that whether it is in developed or developing countries, the issues are simple, first you cannot commit the same offence or if you remain at the same level with a person who you are alleging to have taken life. If a man commits murder as it were to what extent will the state justify that the only thing it can think of by way of reprisal is that particular offence the individual committed would be the response of the state.

Secondly, you cannot create a life, therefore you cannot be justified to take it despite how gravity of the offence because until you are a victim you may not understand how bad the situation is.

“Grievous as they are, the argument is that the state must deal with the social economic conditions that lead to those manners of atrocities in the first place. More importantly, it is to consider the statistics out there which clearly shows that capital punishment do not reduce the incidence of the commission of that particular crime, so if the argument is that it serves as the stiffest deterrent that claim is completely eroded by what empirical statistics are showing, even in the US where capital punishment is been practiced, it is hardly ever shown by empirical evidence that the incidence of crime has reduced in those particular states.

“In country where it is being practiced such as Nigeria, you can hardly see any of the governors appending their signatures to death penalty. I think in this present dispensation, it is only the Edo State Governor, Adams Oshimole that did it, so what then is the purpose of it. As long you keep the convict on the death role, (some of them are there for a long period of time) each day of their life they will be thinking of their death.

“This is extreme maximum torture inflicted on a human being. The constitution clearly abhors that, the fact that he is a convict does not mean his rights have been taken away from him, what it means is that he is guilty of the offence he has committed. Therefore if you must kill him by hanging, or decide to shot him, you are denying the individual of his rights.”

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IMAGES

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2016

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

General Secretary, National Union of Textile Garment & Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN) and Chairman, Industrial Global Union, Africa Region, Mr Issa Aremu (right), giving a lecture on Career Development and Mentoring organised by Impacting Lives with Enabling Support (SMILES) Youth Initiative at Zamani College, Kaduna...recently IDRIS EGAJI

L-R: Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Local Content, Hon. Emmanuel Ekon; Chairman, Dorman Long Engineering Ltd, Dr Timi Austen-Peters; and Chairman, House Committee on Banking and Currency, Hon. Jones Onyereri, during a visit by the House Committee on Local Content to Dorman Long Engineering in Lagos...recently

L-R:NationalCommissioner,IndependentNationalElectoralCommission(INEC),HajiaAminaZakari;NationalCommissioner, Prof. Anthonia Okoosi; and Chairman, INEC, Mamud Yakubu, during the national stakeholders’ forum on outstanding re-run elections in Abuja...recently ENOCK REUBEN

L-R: MD/CEO, Lekki Gardens Limited, Mr. Richard Nyong; survivor of a collapsed building, Hassan Isiaku; and Board Chairman, Lekki Gardens Limited, Mr. Arobo Kalango, at the presentation of empowerment support to survivors of the collapsed building which took place at the company’s office in Lekki, Lagos...recently SUNDAY ADIGUN

L-R: President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Mrs. Nike Akande; Director, Purple Capital Partners Limited, Mr. Seni Kusamotu; member, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Adedamola Kasumu; Chairman, Troyka Holdings, Mr. Biodun Shobanjo; and the Special Adviser on Commerce to the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Olabinjo Adeyemi, during the commissioning of Maryland Mall, in Lagos...recently

L-R: Life coach and educationist, Dr. Ama Author; Trustee, Centre for Destitute Empowerment International (CDEI), Mrs. Alice Okoliko; actor and Director, Mr. Peter Armand Boyo; founder, CDEI, Pastor Samson Okoliko; and founder/CEO, Swagg News Africa, Ambassador Prosper Egeonu, during the donation of N250,000 by a philanthropist, Dr. Olabiwonnu, to the CDEI in Lagos...recently SUNDAY ADIGUN

L-R: Head of Sales, Spectranet 4g LTE, Pankaj Manan; CEO, Rock City FM, Abeokuta, Niran Malaolu; during the presentation of the Outstanding Broadband 4g LTE, Internet Provider of the Year award to the Marketing Manager, Spectranet 4g LTE, Samson Akejelu, at the just concluded marketing edge, national marketing stakeholders summit and brands and advertising excellence award in Lagos...recently

L-R: Managing Director, Connected Thinking, Matt Dooley; Chief Inspiration Officer, XL Family, Jaspar Roos; Head, SME Banking, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Obinna Ukachukwu; Chairman and Founder, The Asian Banker, Emmanuel Daniel; at The Asian Banker - West Africa International Banking Convention 2016 in Lagos...recently.

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2016

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Quick Takes NCC Enforces 2442 Short Code

Following a recent directive to the telecommunications service providers in the country, the operators, will from July 1, 2016, activate the DO NOTDISTURB facility, which gives subscribers the freedom to choose what messages to receive from the various networks, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said.

With the directive, the operators have been mandated to dedicate a common Short Code (2442), which will enable subscribers take informed decisions.

Director of Public Affairs at NCC, Mr. Tony Ojobo, in a statement, said the action was taken in order to protect subscribers from the nuisance of unsolicited texts, and therefore a direct regulatory response to the yearnings of the subscribers.

By this action, he explained, the Commission has invoked a regulatory provision which had hitherto been overlooked by the operators.

Taking cognizance of the broad range of services which include: Banking/Insurance/ Financial Products, Real Estate, Education, Health, Consumer Goods and Automobiles, Communication/ Broadcasting/ Entertainment/ IT, Tourism and leisure, Sports, Religion(Christianity, Islam, others), the Commission directed the operators to give the necessary instructions and clarifications that will enable subscribers subscribe to a particular service/ services /none at all.

CSR IN ACTION

R-L: Executive Director, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Lanre Adesanya; Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and Former Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment and Sanitation, Hon. Bola Ilori at the official presentation of highway managers’ uniforms to the Governor in Oshogbo…recently

Amid Dwindling Economy, Stakeholders Raise Hope in Nigeria’s ICT Business Emma Okonji Despite the tough times businesses are going through due to current challenges facing the Nigerian economy, stakeholders in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector, have said that there are huge growth potential for organisations that use ICT solutions to navigate the prevailing challenges.

The stakeholders, who stated this during the CEO’s Forum organised by Technology Distributions Limited in Lagos recently, called on business owners to begin proper diversification and investment in ICT, in order to survive any harsh business situation, occasioned by poor economic

ECONOMY policies of government.

The forum, with the theme: ‘The Economy and You: A Multi-dimensional Appraisal’, had a panel of resource persons including the Chairman, Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh; Chairman, Board of Technology Distributions, Prof. Anya O. Anya; Head of Sales, Global Markets (Nigeria), Stanbic IBTC, Yomi Balogun and Mr. Punfa Emelonye who represented the youthful population.

While delivering a paper titled: “The Economy and You: Tales of the Unexpected”, Anya noted that one of the challenges being faced at the moment is how to restore confidence in the system, noting that this requires

a multi-pronged approach. Urging the participants to leverage on an understanding of the particular business environment they operate in, Anya harped on the importance of liquidity management as a vital tool for business sustenance in these trying times.

“What needs to be done has to be at two levels. There is the need at the social level to project a new message of inclusiveness in the effort to rebuild the economy and the nation. The projection will have to come from all levels but most importantly at the highest level of governance.

The national symbol of power and authority must be seen engaging his people. At the economic level, there has to be

a greater degree of projection of competence, expertise and empathy,” Anya said.

He added: “There is work to do and that must involve all of us even as we project the message that the rewards will be equitably distributed to all without discrimination of ethnicity, gender or creed. The real change that Nigeria needs presently is the change in our mind-set and attitudes in both the leadership and the led, such that the Nigerian narrative can change from the negative to the positive without boundaries.”

On his part, Ekeh noted that since 2014, businesses in the ICT sector had borne huge pains with the exemption of Continued on page 24

ICT Will Replace Oil and Gas If Properly Developed, Says ATCON Emma Okonji As prices of crude oil continue to fluctuate in the international market, the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), has re-emphasised the need for the federal government to pay more attention to the development of information technology (IT) sector.

President of ATCON, Mr. Olusola Teniola, who made the call at a technology forum in Lagos recently, said ATCON had at different fora emphasised the urgent need for government to diversify partly or completely from depending on the revenue derivable from oil to an ICT driven economy

ICT to run the economy, but that the association was not taken seriously then.

According to him, the ICT sector, if properly developed, can serve as a replacement for the oil and gas sector in boosting Nigeria’s economy.

The price of oil has continued to experience volatility and this poses a threat to our national economy therefore we have to look for a way out by devising viable policy pathways and economic sectors that will enhance national wealth and create employment for the populace. He said one of the surest way out is to give due attention to the development

of the information and communication technology (ICT) sector.

He cited experiences from India, China, Singapore and Brazil, Teniola said ICT is used as the basis by these countries to develop innovative solutions, such as cars that use electric/ solar power energy.

He therefore called on government to expedite action in developing the Nigeria ICT sector and provide the necessary infrastructure that will boost technology development in the country.

He also called on state and local governments to make ICT a top priority in governance.

“It is surprising that the federal government does

not give priority to the ICT sector when planning, despite its huge contributions to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

If more than 70 per cent of ICT components are currently being imported from abroad, then the sector will just be struggling to survive without government support,” Teniola said.

According to him, it has been established that the ICT sector is contributing about eight per cent to GDP, yet members can no longer buy US dollars directly from CBN designated banks, a situation, he said, has further pushed the cost of doing business higher.

Continued on page 24

MTN Group Effects Management Changes

Pursuant to the MTN announcement of 10 June 2016, and with a view to ensuring that the Group is well and appropriately capacitated to take advantage of opportunities presented by a rapidly changing sector,thecompany hasannouncedtheappointmentofStephenvan Coller as Vice President of Strategy and Mergers and Acquisitions, effective October 1, 2016.

Coller will be the fourth vice president of the Group, the other three having responsibility for the geographic operating regions of MTN. MTN is expected to announce a Deputy Head of Mergers and Acquisitions shortly.

Collerisaqualifiedcharteredaccountant.Hehasovertwodecades of experience in Financial Services, 10 years at Deutsche Bank (DB) from 1996 as a Managing Director of Investment Banking, an executive committee member and foundation trustee for DB in South Africa.

The Group CFO, Brett Goschen, will be leaving MTN effective 30 September 2016, to pursue other interests. Consequently, he will be resigning from the MTN Group board of directors as an executive director on the same day.

Gunter Engling will assume the position of Acting Group CFO on Brett’s departure, until a permanent CFO is appointed.

Engling is a chartered accountant who is currently CEO of MTN Rwanda. He has held many positions in MTN, more relevantly Group Executive Finance reporting to the Group CFO. Following the appointments, MTN said it would continue its efforts to develop participation in the enterprise sector and adjacent sectors, such as financial services and media and entertainment.

iSON Boosts Call Center Revolution

iSON Group has assured African countries of building call centres that will revolutionise the African continent.

The company said it would continue to drive strong presence with its establishment of call centers all over Africa. iSONGroupconsistsofthreeoperatingcompanies,iSONBusiness Process Outsoursing (BPO), which provides outsourcing services specifically in customer service experience management; iSON Technologies, the systems integrator arm of the group, and the iSON Innovation and Investment, which is a recent initiative launched by the group to drive consumer internet business in Africa.

With the global awakening to more cost effective solutions, Business Process Outsourcing, with specific regard to call centre management,hasbecomeacosteffectivesolutiontomostcustomer centric organisations with the twin benefit of this being a readymade platform for employment generation for the rising number of employable youths, with basic InformationTechnology (IT) training to steer them onto a gainful career path.

“Consumer Protection Council(CPC)’s mandate as government agency is to regulate without strangulating business” Director General, CPC,

Mrs. Dupe Atoki

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T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD AMID DWINDLING ECONOMY, STAKEHOLDERS RAISE HOPE IN NIGERIA’S ICT BUSINESS the sub-sector from the list provided for in the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) foreign exchange issuance.

He, nevertheless, counseled participants to be strong and remain hopeful in the rebound of the economy. According to him, business credibility and a good relationship with partners such as banks, Original Equipment Manufacturers and major distributors such as TD will serve the participants well in overcoming the harsh economic situation.

ICT WILL REPLACE OIL AND GAS IF PROPERLY DEVELOPED, SAYS ATCON “Though the recent introduction of flexible FX mechanism is more than welcome, it is already too late for some of our members, who had already gone under due to the harsh business environment,” Teniola said.

“To stem the imbalance in the supply and demand of foreign exchange, what the federal government needs to consider is to encourage the establishment of companies that manufacture these components or assemble them in Nigeria with some incentives and for government to further sponsor ICT parks in the country,” he added.

He called on government to increase budget of ICT and to enact appropriate ICT policies that will enhance technology development in the country.

“The federal government should begin to focus more on other alternative means of generating income and their focus should be on increasing government spending and budget allocation to funding the ICT sector for the purpose of making its products and services exportable, thereby allowing it to contribute to our foreign earnings,” Teniola said.

According to him, “In order for the ICT sector to supplement or replace the Oil and Gas sector, policies that favour the sector must be put in place.”

Group Business Editor

Chika Amanze-Nwachuku Maritime Editor

John Iwori

AgriBusiness/Industry Editor

Crusoe Osagie

Comms/e-Business Editor

Emma Okonji

Capital Market Editor

Goddy Egene

Senior Correspondent

Raheem Akingbolu (Advertising) Correspondents

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

Nume Ekeghe (Money Market) Nosa Alekhuogie (AgricBusiness)

NEWS

eTranzact Records N471m Profit , Declares 10k Dividend Emma Okonj

eTranzact, Africa’s e-payments solution provider, which delivers electronic transaction switching and payment processing solutions across Point of Sales (PoS), web, mobile, Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and cards, has declared a profit of N471million for its financial year ended December 31, 2015.

The company said its operating profit grew from N380million in 2014 to N851million in 2015 representing 124 per cent annual growth.

In order to make its shareholders share from the profit, the company declared 10kobo dividend for its shareholders, up from the five kobo dividend it paid last year.

The resounding success it recorded in the financial year ended December 2015, no doubt, helped the company to consolidate on its market dominance in key sectors of the industry in 2015, actively driving financial inclusion while meeting its key goal of delivering sustainable returns to shareholders.

According to the company’s annual report, gross revenue for the year 2015 was N8.7 billion, representing 22 per cent growth compared to 2014. Profit before tax (PBT) grew by 76per cent from 2014 performance while Profit after tax (PAT) grew by 73per cent compared to 2014’s performance.

The company’s performance in 2015 increased its retained earnings and allowed the board of directors to approve the payment of a 10 kobo dividend to shareholders for the period.

PocketMoni prepaid Mastercard was issued to all shareholders and with their approval at the AGM, their dividend payout was made to the cards.

Commenting on its growth, the company attributed its success to key growth drivers such as strengthened collaboration with partner banks in driving mobile banking business; strategic alliances with international money transfer operators which is driving growth of remittance business; alliances with government agencies, parastatals and educational institutions, which is driving bulk payments; central collection; and transac-

tion switching and processing business.

Projecting into the future, the company said it has taken steps to increase profitability of new relationships, enhance and deepen existing ones, and explore new partnerships locally and internationally.

Speaking on the company’s performance for the period, its Chairman, Mr. Felix Ohiwerei, who was re-elected as chairman of the board, said: “As a company, we pride ourselves as one of the pioneer organisations in the business of electronic and mobile payment technology in Africa, and as such, we continue to hold ourselves

Stanbic IBTC Trustees Limited, a member of the Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, has advised Nigerians to see estate planning as imperative to peaceful and orderly transfer of assets.

The Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Trustees Limited, Binta Max-Gbinije, speaking during a media interactive session in Lagos, noted that estate planning is not targeted at only wealthy people, but something that everyone needs, regardless of their financial clout or how simple or complex their familial affairs may be.

“We are all familiar with the issues that often arise upon death, with members of the family pitched against one another. This is often resolved by the courts, sometimes after a prolonged litigation that would have been a drain on the time, energy and resources of everyone involved. This can be avoided with an estate plan which lets the individual decide how his or her assets are handled or distributed after their demise,” she stated.

Max-Gbinije identified options available to make provi-

and staff of eTranzact for the continued innovation, drive and commitment to the vision and mission of the company.

We have experienced consistent growth in revenue and profitability over the last three years.

Key to our growth has been a renewed product and customer focus setting key performance indexes around user experience, platform stability and technology development, and we plan to continue doing this.”

He promise to continue to make payments simple, and innovating and creating solutions that transform the lives of people in Africa.

BUSINESS EXPANSION

L-R: Chairman, Light Level Limited, Mr. Yemi Osilaja; MD/CEO, Mr. Uwamai Igein and the MD/CEO, LSDPC, Mr. Jide sanwoolu, at the official opening of Light Level Business office in Lekki, Lagos …recently

Stanbic IBTC Trustees Harp on Importance of Estate Planning Eromosele Abiodun

to very high professional, ethical, technical and operating standards. We remained resilient as we improved our business performance whilst managing the impact of various macroeconomic challenges.”

“As we position our business and operations to take advantage of various opportunities in the industry, we will continue to align our processes and operating standards with global best practices, which is required of businesses such as ours, Ohiwerei added.

The founder and CEO of eTranzact, Mr. Valentine Obi said: “I would like to appreciate the board, management

sions for loved ones to include writing a Will, instituting a Living Trust, and Gifting of assets (inter vivos), all of which facilitates orderly acquisition and transfer of assets.

She said Stanbic IBTC Trustees Limited has been organising and will continue to organise awareness forums through which the public and stakeholders will gain valuable insight on trusteeship services and how they can harness such services to their benefit.

The company, she said, has shareholders’ funds in excess of the statutory N300 million, and was incorporated six years ago to provide institutional trust and estate planning/ administration services to facilitate inter-generational wealth transfer and protect the interest of parties/investors in a transaction.

“The company has launched a number of products in furtherance of its mission to provide world-class trusteeship services in Nigeria. Among them is the Stanbic IBTC Educational Trust (SET), an educational trust product that assists parents and guardians to provide sound education for their children and wards.

The product offers numerous long-term benefits which assure beneficiaries of a brighter future through education and training as it will seek to ensure that the education of children is not truncated due to lack of financing, and make a reality the desire of parents or guardians to fulfill their dreams of giving their children or wards the kind of education they desire or that the children/wards deserve for a step in the right direction for a sound footing in life.

“Through the service, parents have an opportunity to make contributions towards funding the education of their children–whether it is primary, secondary, tertiary or even postgraduate education. Coming from Stanbic IBTC, which has a stated goal of serving the individual from cradle through generations to grave, the Stanbic IBTC Educational Trust was conceptualised in recognition of the strategic role education plays in laying a solid foundation for growing future leaders, stated Max-Gbinije, adding that education is essential for both individual accomplishment and socio-economic development,” she said.

‘Integration of Data Solutions, Critical to Insurance Growth’ Emma Okonji MainOne, a major provider of telecoms services and network solutions for businesses in West Africa has challenged the insurance industry to adopt the use of data and analytic tools to drive sustainable growth in the sector during.

MainOne’s Product Manager, Data Centre, Vremudia OgheneRuemu who gave the challenge at the BusinessDay Insurance Roundtable in Lagos, recently, said it would help insurance community achieve market leadership through digital distribution channels.

Speaking at a panel session on the theme “Data and analytics within the insurance industry”, Oghene-Ruemu explained that Nigeria’s insurance industry could achieve distinction through effective distribution channels.

According to him, there is an ever increasing amount of data that insurance companies need to collect, analyze and store in order to properly manage risks.

MainOne has identified the need for effective data storage and analytics and, being an innovative solutions provider, has developed efficient hosting solutions through its Tier III Data Center–MDXi.

He said: “Adding analytics to the claims life cycle can deliver a measurable return on investment (RoI) with cost savings. Our data center, currently the largest in West Africa, provides a platform for insurance companies to embrace efficient and cost effective hosting solutions. The industry can close product distribution gaps, enhance premium collection, reduce agency fraud and also build consumer confidence.”

He added that risk analytics would help in changing the insurance industry by making adjustment and custom calculation based on different types of clients. Brokers, he added, now focus on their clients data, using the analytical methods to come up with better strategic decisions about the possible risks they will face. The usage of analytical risk is very helpful in making possible risks measured, avoided, and even transferred.

He further explained that MDXi is a subsidiary of MainOne and is PCI DSS certified with the ISO 9001 and 27001 certifications. The facility offers 99.98 per cent availability, multiple layers of security and has won several awards including the Frost and Sullivan award for providing advanced data center infrastructure in West Africa.

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E-BUSINESS

Concerns Remain as Nigerians Await Digital Migration With less than one year to the planned digital migration, Nigerians continue to fret over the country’s ability to finally cross the hurdle, given that the inadequate technologyintensive system could mar the migration process, writes Emma Okonji Network, Mr. Israel Bolaji, stressed the point that digital TV is for all, and as such, it should be affordable to all Nigerians. He further added that, “the increase in the quality of both the decoder and the channels are incomparable. It was done in a bid to continue to satisfy Nigerians.”

“We are working hard and smart to prepare Nigerians towards digital migration by offering our customers affordable bundle that makes a convenient switch over from analogue to digital television and promote inspirational television experience that creates values,” he said.

Bolaji explained that in 2011, StarTimes hosted the 1st African Digital TV Development Forum, and that the presence of important guests, inspiring themes, forward looking ideas and win-win models for cooperation, made the forum a much-discussed phenomenon in Africa’s television industry.

Having failed twice in 2012 and 2015 to migrate from analogue to digital broadcasting, Nigeria is making another effort to the meet the new June 20, 2017 deadline.

Apart from finance, which had been attributed as the major reason for the past failures of Nigeria to migrate from analogue to digital broadcasting, experts had since identified other key factors. They factors include lack of technology-intensive system, irregular power supply, and complex systematic social project. But StarTimes, one of the leading digital-TV operator in Africa, covering 80per cent of the continent’s population with a massive distribution network of 200 brand halls, 3,000 convenience stores and 5,000 distributors, has made bold to say it has developed solutions that will assist Nigeria succeed in her next phase of migration from analogue to digital broadcasting.

Addressing the challenges No doubt, there are many homes in Nigeria that have television sets but not many of them are compliant to digital migration. The lack of technology-intensive system, uncertain power supply, lack of money and complex systematic social project have locked several homes out of the global village called digital broadcast.

But the President, StarTimes Group, Mr. Pang Xinxing, wants to change all of that with a simplified, robust and affordable pay TV aimed at emerging market across Africa.

Xinxing recently spoke on how he had designed a model, which he tagged ‘Advance Hand-in-Hand to Jointly Create the Future,’ to realise digitalisation of broadcasting and TV in Africa.

While presenting his speech at the just concluded world conference tagged ‘Agenda for the 6th African Digital Development Seminar, hosted by StarTimes in Beijing, China, he disclosed that his company is set to partner and encourage African member states of International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to meet the year 2020 deadline given by the world body to realise broadcasting and TV digitalisation in Africa.

To him, the adoption of private public partnership (PPP) model is the solution to crossing all hurdles before the initiative. On the part of StarTimes, he disclosed that it is set to roll out several packages to facilitate the compliance of African nations, especially Nigeria.

“Our corporate responsibility programme is aimed at subsidising our Set-Top-Boxes (STB) and providing each family who has TV set with an offer of $10. We will also provide basic programme package of more than 30 channels at $3 monthly fee with free STBs for government-designated households; providing digital TV programmes of national TV station for free to achieve universal digital television service.”

StarTimes, he added, would establish a Joint venture with local partners designated by the government and fulfil the mission of enabling every African family to have access to, afford and watch good digital TV and enjoy the beauty of digital TV. The StarTimes boss was quick to add that African governments also have roles to play in the PPP initiative. Establishing a brand new digital TV industry by attracting investment, technology, management, talents and training resources, to him, is governments’ responsibilities.

“Realising nationwide digitalisation, flourishing broadcasting, creating job opportunities, improving the national quality and creating a more friendly business environment is the function of strong partnership among governments and business owners across the world,” he said.

Excerpts from Beijing conference With over 300 delegates including ministers of broadcasting and TV administrations, heads of national TV stations from 39 African countries, the recently concluded world conference in Beijing, China, was no doubt a success.

The conference was organised and funded

by StarTimes to provide opportunities for African delegates to consult on financing issues in digital migration.

Also, leaders of financial institutions like Export-Import Bank of China, China-Africa Development Fund and China Export & Credit Insurance Corporation, were also invited to the conference to encourage them to see diverse investment opportunities in the broadcast industry across Africa.

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed (left), with President, StarTimes Group, Pang Xinxing, at the 6th African Digital Development Seminar on digital migration in Beijing, China...recently

The roles of TV stations For the national TV stations across the African continent, Xinxing charged them to realise digitalisation of shooting, recording, editing and enhance programme-making capability and quality if they are determined to cross the hurdle. That is not all. Using the existing structure across board, he believe national broadcasters can have shares in the JV Company as they can efficiently use their assets and have dividend from the JV. “The two days seminar had provided an important platform for delegates from various countries to share their experiences and suggestions on the promotion of digital migration in Africa. I believe the outcomes of the event will definitely contribute to the advancement of digital broadcasting for our continent. The next step is to think how to implement those suggestions brought up at the seminar.

The Chinese view The Councilor of the Information Depart-

ment at the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Mr. Zhao Shiren, stated that China-Africa relationship has reached a new dimension as helping in the transition from analogue to digital will further boost their cooperation.

He disclosed that Africa lacks the infrastructure, human resources capacity, information society building, security, TV migration that are all useful for any nation’s development, but with the support of Star Times, which is now seen as carrying China’s public diplomacy, that will be a thing of the past.

According to Shiren, at the end of the opening session, some African nations did not only saw the need to catch the vision but also made their decisions formal in black and white. The management of Star Times Group signed three agreements with representatives of Ghana, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia for the launch of StarTimes satellite Television in their countries.”

StarTimes vision for Nigeria Commenting on the development, Public Relations Manager, StarTimes, NTA Star-TV

Nigeria’s digital journey since 2006 The journey towards the digital terrestrial television (DTT) broadcasting, otherwise known as digital migration, started in Nigeria in June 17, 2006, after Nigeria had signed international and regional agreement with International Telecoms Union to conclude digital migration by June 17, 2012.

In a bid to achieve the 2012 migration date, the federal government in 2007, approved the process, in 2008, it inaugurated a Presidential Advisory Committee (PAC) on transition from analogue to digital broadcasting. The committee submitted its report with several recommendations. Government, however, kept the recommendations to itself for three years and did not release the white paper for digital migration, a situation that caused Nigeria to miss out on the June 17, 2012 initial date for migration.

Having missed the initial date in 2012, government was forced to shift migration date to June 17, 2015.

In order to achieve the June 17, 2015 date, the federal government, in December 2012, inaugurated a 14-man team tagged Digiteam Nigeria, but the migration process failed again for lack of funding.

Nigeria is currently working to complete the migration process by June 20, 2017, but the hurdles still kept coming.

However, only five out of 54 African countries have so far crossed the hurdle successfully, as most of the countries are faced with challenges around capital intensity and technology and some due to political unwillingness. Star Times is, however, working closely with African governments to jointly promote digitalisation and information.

So far, Star Times has established subsidiaries in 30 African countries. They are Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Mozambique, Guinea, Congo-Kinshasa, among others, where it had already started operations.

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INTERVIEW

Adeyinka: Technology Innovation Will Enhance Governance, Businesses Managing Director, Connect Marketing Services, Mr. Tunji Adeyinka, spoke with Emma Okonji on the need for the public and private sectors to adopt technology innovation in every aspect of business. Excerpts: startups and venture capitalists who would want to take advantage of scalable solutions that are economically viable, which would be showcased at the forum.

Connect Marketing is currently driving technology innovation through TechPlus.

What exactly does TechPlus seek to address?

TechPlus is about technology innovation.

The idea of TechPlus was conceived in 2015

by Connect Marketing, primarily to address the technology innovation gap in the country.

We saw an opportunity to build a technology platform where technology innovators could use to develop technology in the country, through the creation and showcasing of technology products and services. That exactly informed our decision to come up with TechPlus. TechPlus also seeks to expose technology consumers to the future trends of technology development within their spaces.

We recognise the importance of technology in businesses and TechPlus seeks to showcase latest trends in technology that will enhance businesses.

From your personal perspective, what do you think is the acceptance level of technology adoption in Nigeria?

Nigerians have come to embrace and adopt technology innovation and more people are adopting technology in their businesses. The rate in the use of technology solutions may be low, giving the setup of different demographic groups, but the acceptance level is increasing based on awareness creation from both the private and the government sectors.

In Nigeria, the younger generation tends to adopt technology faster than the older generation and I think this is a global trend.

So the younger generation is gradually shifting into the work place and businesses to disrupt existing technology structure that is becoming obsolete. So we have speakers that will be talking on available opportunities that will enhance disruptions in the technology space.

Recent reports have identified cities like Lagos in Nigeria and Johannesburg in South Africa as upcoming smart cities that the world should look up to. How will TechPlus help in driving the Lagos vision of smart city project?

TechPlus has a lot to offers for smart city development in and outside Lagos.

For instance, we will be holding the 2016 TechPlus exhibition and conference in Lagos this month, from 20 to 23. During that period a lot of discussions will centre on smart city and how technology will help in driving the smart city initiative. At the exhibition, we will be having about six different areas of discussions and one of them will centre on government, where technology innovation could be used to drive smart city initiative.

Yes we are aware that Lagos has signed a deal with some companies to develop the state to a smart city state, and TechPlus offers ample opportunities for governments at all levels to participate in our show and tap into new technology ideas for smart city development.

We are bringing speakers from Spain, who have wealth of experiences in smart city development, to speak at our event, and we have invited state governments to be part of our event, to enable them take advantage of the opportunities that TechPlus offers.

Governments at the federal, state and local levels are currently pushing for more female involvement in science and technology courses in schools, to drive technology innovation.

What is your view on this?

It is a laudable initiative to encourage female involvement in science and technology courses in schools. The importance of the gender involvement in technology has again prompted us to create opportunity for women in technology to discuss issues of female involvement in technology development. We have seen the gender disparity that exists in the area of technology in the country and we have section dedicated for women in technology in our TechPlus programme that is coming up this month. We also have key speakers who will be talking on technology as a vehicle for gender inclusion.

We have also dedicated some parts of the programme to development of education, using technology to drive smart school initiative.

Schools in Lagos and outside Lagos will have the opportunity to experience new technologies that will enhance smart school initiative.

We have since discovered that learning has moved to a different dimension, driven but technology adoption and TechPlus is out to showcase various technology solutions that drive smart school initiative.

In all of these, broadband availability

In all of these, how can various governments in the country, benefit from the technology experience that TechPlus is bringing on board?

The Lagos State government is already taking advantage of the TechPlus forum to further develop the state through partnership.

Other states can take a clue from Lagos State to use technology to drive governance. We have invited states governments and we are expecting more states to come on board.

Adeyinka

plays an important role. Don’t you think that low broadband penetration as currently been experienced in the country could affect TechPlus technology development and innovation initiative?

One of our key speakers at the TechPlus forum, is the former Minister of Communications Technology and the current chairperson of the Affordable Internet Group, Dr. Omobola Johnson, and she will be talking about broadband penetration and internet connectivity. Yes, Nigeria is currently rated low in terms of broadband connectivity, but if you imagine the kind of investments that have been put in place by major players to drive broadband penetration, you will find out that in few years’ time, Nigeria will be talking about ubiquitous broadband that will be available to do businesses in the country and in the technology space.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), is currently issuing spectrum licences to operators, designed to deepen broadband penetration in the country. Besides, a lot of private companies have invested in broadband infrastructure in the country, which will also contribute to improve broadband access in the country.

What informed your choice of selection of the calibre of speakers that are lined up for TechPlus 2016?

The theme for TechPlus 2016 is ‘The Connected World’, and we have placed our choice of selection of speakers, based on the subject matter, which is the theme, and this has to do with technology and connectivity. So we looked at people who have vast knowledge in technology innovation and connectivity. We carefully picked our speakers to look at the various dimension of connected world, and these are speakers with good knowledge of the theme. For example, we have as one of our speakers, the acting Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Dr. Vincent Olatunji. So what informed our selection of speakers is the connection between our team and the

experience and investments that the speakers already had in the technology space. The former Managing Director of Chams City, Mr. Demola Aladekomo, who has so much passion about smart city programme, is also one of the speakers who will offer practical views in his presentation. We have speakers that will also talk on alternative to oil. We also invited Mr. Tony Scott from the US, who reports to President Barack Obama on cybersecurity, to speak on cybersecurity. So we have a mix of international and local speakers who are well grounded in technology that will be speaking at the TechPlus forum.

What are your expectations for the 2016 TechPlus forum?

Our expectations are huge. We are looking at having a more impactful session at the 2016 TechPlus forum, than the 2015 forum. Last year we had over 6,500 attendees and this year we are targeting over 10,000 attendees.

Again last year, we had 30 speakers and few panelists, but this year, we are looking at 80 speakers and panelists. Last year, which was the maiden edition, the forum lasted for two days, but this year, we are extending it to three days. More importantly is that this year, we have gone into key areas of the Nigerian economy that will have multiple effects on the economy. This year we are targeting agriculture and finding ways of using technology to enhance agriculture, from farm production to supply, including the value added chain.

Nigeria has a lot of technology startups that are looking for opportunities to further develop their homegrown solutions. How would TechPlus assist such startups?

Again, we have provision for technology startups, where they could be encouraged to have access to funding. What is most important to them is funding. They need venture capitalists to invest in their solutions in order to give them the kind of access and exposure that will grow their solutions, and TechPlus have a session dedicated to technology

e-Commerce is an emerging market in Nigeria. How can TechPlus help in boosting e-Commerce development in the country?

We have plans to use the forum to also address the issue of e-Commerce business in the county. For instance, one of our partners is Jumia, which is a big player in the e-Commerce space. Somebody from Jumia will be talking on how to further grow the e-Commerce business in the country.

There has been clamour from industry stakeholders for the diversification of the country’s economy from oil to technology.

What is your view on this?

The clamour is right because Nigeria can no longer depend on oil because the prices of oil are dropping by the day, so the county needs to diversify its economy in the area of Information and Communications Technology (ICT). One may ask, why ICT, and the answer is not far-fetched. Technology is the bedrock of any society, and globally technology is beginning to drive the world, so there is a great need for Nigeria to move from oil to ICT. One good aspect of ICT is that you can use it to drive development in any section of the Nigerian economy.

In spite of efforts put into technology innovation in the country, most Nigerians still prefer foreign developed technology solution to homegrown technology solution.

How can this trend be reversed?

The trend started long ago, when Nigerians were not able to develop quality solutions, but today, all that have changed, as we are beginning to see quality products developed in the country, even though the likeness for foreign brand is still there. Sometimes people do not realise how Nigerian brands are growing and the products are beginning to compete with foreign products. So there is a quiet revolution going on in the county and the TechPlus forum will be able to showcase homegrown solutions and present a platform for entrepreneurs to showcase their products and services.

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E-BUSINESS

‘Innovation Hubs Will Drive Technology Devt’ Stories by Emma Okonji The need for state governments and the private sector to build and equip technology hubs has been described as a great initiative that will boost technology development across various states of the federation.

Director General, Delta State Innovation Hub (DS-IHUB), Chris Uwaje, who made the remark, while presenting a paper on DS-IHUB recently, said a well-equipped innovation hub would among others things, enhance the building of high-technology innovation capacities; encourage disruptive technology processes; retool the workforce and develop a creative capacity of new-thinkers and skillful doers. He said it would also empower leadership with critical knowledge for impactful governance; providing go-to-business innovation men-

toring to support start-ups and entrepreneurial aspiration in the commercialisation of new ideas and products, while creating standards to improve confidence and trust in stakeholders, and ensure effectiveness and job security.

According to Uwaje, many of the new business opportunities for Nigerian firms would depend on their capacity to develop innovative IT-based solutions, products and services which respond to the expanding role of Science and Technology across the economic development ecosystem and sustainable society, hence the need for several innovation hubs in the country.

“In both government and the business world, the organisations, which benefit most from the transformative role of information technology (IT), are those that treat IT as

a key strategic resource for achieving organisational goals rather than as a purely technical input, Uwaje said.

Speaking about the DSInnovation Hub, Uwaje said: “The DS-Innovation Hub is the ultimate experience and world class destination for new knowledge-centered innovation and adventure in creativity. It is desirous to be positioned and acclaimed as a professionally designed architecture and technology focused platform. The hub is a Private-Public Partnership (PPP) platform for the promotion of technology innovation.”

“The Hub is accredited through peer review, as the first knowledge-Innovation and Science and Technology Park in the South-south of Nigeria, and aims to positively disrupt the existing status quo. It is located in Asaba, the capital

Naspers Struggles to Run Internet Businesses in Nigeria city of Delta State. This innovation hub is classified as the metropolis of smarter ideas, creativity and a distinct catalyst for new thinking, values, renewable entrepreneurial leadership and constructive governance,” Uwaje said.

Explaining why the DS-IHUB was established, Uwaje said the vision is to make DS Innovation Hub a smarter platform, international destination and national centre of ICT innovation and knowledge creation, with a mission to strategically harness all knowledge attributes, potentials and ICT processes in and beyond the Delta State region as the core accelerator for leadership, public policy, inclusive governance, state security, entrepreneurship, youth and women empowerment, creativity, innovation and wealth creation.

Naspers, the most valuable company in Africa, has once again been defeated by an internet business in Nigeria.

WeChat, the free messaging and calling app managed in Africa by Naspers has closed its Nigerian operations and moved to South Africa, according to Quartz Africa.

WeChat was developed by China’s Tencent, which is 34% owned by Naspers.

Based in South Africa, Naspers has attempted to grow online business in Nigeria, Africa’s biggest economy, for the past 10 years. It has tried marketplace websites, classifieds and apps, but it has had more misses than hits.

In 2011, Naspers shut down Kalahari, its Amazon-inspired e-commerce platform, following slow growth in Nigeria and a year later, it collapsed its classifieds site Dealfish into OLX, buying a stake in the latter. In 2013, Naspers also shut down Mocality, its online

business directory firm, in Nigeria and Kenya.

Other Naspers-backed businesses remain operational in Nigeria. Careers24, an online job portal, was launched in 2014 with the aim of usurping Jobberman as Nigeria’s leading job portal but it has so far failed to meet that target.

BitX, a Singapore-based bitcoin startup launched last year in Nigeria and backed by Naspers, is yet to gain significant traction. Naspers’ 50% stake in Konga, a leading online mall and marketplace in Nigeria, is acknowledged as its sole “thriving” investment in the Nigerian internet space.

Naspers’ internet businesses account for more than twothirds of its revenue. But the company’s value is driven by its stake in Tencent, acquired in 2001. Now worth about $70 billion, Naspers’ Tencent stake is about as valuable as the South African company’s entire market cap.

Trisat Unveils Online Platform to Drive School Management

A BOOST FOR SOFTWARE APP

L-R: App Developer, 474Recharge App, David Kruyt; Chief Executive Officer, Kirusa Incorporated, Dr. Inderpal Mumick; Head of Enterprise Business, Kirusa, Charles BillyFrank; Product Manager, MyGenie App, Vishavjit Soni and Country Manager Kirusa Nigeria, Oluseyi Akinnibosun, at a press conference to announce the launch of MyGenie App in Lagos...recently

Kirusa to Boost Mobile Experience with myGenie App Kirusa, a global player in providing telecoms and social media solutions, is set to enhance the use of mobile devices, through the launch of myGenie, a revolutionary free airtime App for prepaid Android users in Nigeria.

The myGenie app allows Android users explore and download new and popular Android apps, and users are rewarded with free airtime credits for downloading, installing, and using these Android apps.

They can use the free credits to recharge their mobile numbers, or offer the airtime credits to their friends and family.

The platform also provides free airtime credits when a user invites their friends to the app, and when their friends start downloading apps via

myGenie.

The apps that can be downloaded through myGenie range from games to dating to local utility apps. Some of the apps available on myGenie, include InstaVoice, 474Recharge, Zamba Caller, APUS Launcher, Super B Clearer, BBM, UC Browser, among others.

Speaking at the launch of the product in Lagos recently, Head Financial Inclusion of African Development Bank, Robert Masumbuko, said: “We are excited about myGenie App being launched in Nigeria. African mobile app developers will now have the opportunity to reach out to a wider audience and get assured usage of their apps. It will also influence app usage market, thereby opening doors for

fresh investments in the telecoms sector.”

Head of Content Partnership at TwinPine, Anyanwu Jonnas Obinna, said: “MyGenie is a disruptive innovation in the mobile advertising space. We hope that it will carve out a new market for the App developers and support them in reaching their customers in more efficient ways than before.”

App developer, 474Recharge App, David Kruyt, said: “MyGenie is an altogether new way of promoting the app developer community. It is a simple way to reach out and get the app campaigns organized. The most exciting part is that myGenie helps in usage and retention of the apps by incentivizing customers in Nigeria, making it a win-win

for both app developers and customers.”

CEO of Kirusa, Inderpal Singh Mumick, said: “Our vision is to grow the mobile ecosystem, and to fuel entrepreneurship in Nigeria, by creating a platform for the local app developers to reach out to their customers in a seamless manner, by assisting them in their app promotion efforts.”

“The myGenie app is an intuitive offering with a natural, seamless user interface that imparts a smooth experience to Android users. The app is available to download from Google Play store. It is currently available to Android mobile users in Nigeria and will be extended to other African countries soon,” the app developer said.

Trisat Communications Limited, a software development company has launched an online platform, Nortify.com. ng, to provide digital tools to simplify school management through a comprehensive school management solution.

The platform, according to the firm, offers a complete suite of online based school management system, which comprises of smart payment system, smart testing system (CBT for Admission and Internal Exam), smart messaging system, students’ and data management systems as well as a digital tool to analyse students’ performance.

The platform, which targets primary and secondary school owners, already boasts more than 10,000 student users in over 50 schools across Nigeria, driving efficiency in their management through Nortify’s several digital tools.

Nortify features smart admission system that facilitates admission process, making it easy, seamless and convenient as parents can register and enrol their kids from the comfort of their homes. This is facilitated through a smart admission module that also has the capability to offer instant or selective admission by leveraging Nortify’s smart technology that utilises automated results to automatically shortlist successful candidates thereby saving school owners time and money, including the hassles that come with manual admission processes.

It also features a smart payment system, a finance module equipped with a smart fee collection device, enabling all transactions to be automatically reconciled and reported accurately. The smart finance module is also integrated with a debt tracking feature that tracks defaulters and sends them reminder notifications. This feature has been reputed, by existing

customers, to reduce revenue loss arising from unpaid fees, by over 80%. The Smart payment system is also integrated with payment gateways that allows parent to make online payment.

Speaking about the solution, CEO Trisat Communications Limited, Mr. Oseni Abiola said: “Nortify is a smart school solution with some degree of intelligence that saves time on your daily routine.

We developed the smart school solution mainly for primary and secondary schools to help them to streamline all their administrative challenges.

Our solution is able to allow schools to run about 60% of their administration using technology. By adopting this technology, schools are able to save time and cost while providing convenience to parents, school owners and also to teachers.

“Nortify is loaded with smart features that take care of every process of school administration. Take for instance, Nortify is equipped with the students’ performance analyser, a digital tool that provides clear analytical picture of a students’ performance over a period of time. This tool has proved very useful to both teachers and parents as it goes through academic records and assessments over any period of time and explains the academic strength and weakness of a pupil/student, thereby, enabling them take necessary actions to meet students’ needs.

“The data management tool on the other hand provides invaluable tool to retrieving past academic records as Noritfy’s cloud based application, collects all the students’ information for easy retrieval at any time. The platform also features a smart messaging system that ensures that parents maintain seamless communication pathway with their wards while in school and with the school management.”

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CONSUMER

Of Milk and Other Exploits With the successful competition organised by Peak Milk, a leading diary brand from the stable of Friesland Campina WAMCO, to test the culinary dexterity of Nigerians students through the ‘Art of Milk Quest’, Raheem Akingbolu discovers the versatility of milk as a product

L-R: Marketing Manager Peak, Dolapo Otegbayi; Chef Niyi Williams; representative of Yaba College of Technology Secondary School, winner of the cooking competition, Esther Adeniyi; Senior Brand Manager Peak, Omolara Banjoko, and Public Health Physician, LASUTH, Dr. Elo Ukatu, during the Peak Milk World Milk Day in Lagos..recently

Beyond drinking raw or use to make tea or coffee, new findings have revealed that Milk can offer consumers more than just drinking.

In a research conducted by BabaMail, an online portal, 13 examples of things one can do with Milk besides drinking it, were identified.

The brand promise of the online portal is to bring the best information and entertainment from around the web straight to readers’ mailbox.

The report emphasised the fact that Milk is a basic ingredient in any household, but quickly added that it’s a waste to use it just for drinking, when it can be put it into many more uses that would make consumer’s life easier while also saving his or her money.

Among others, the report stated that milk can be used to improve the taste of fish by making the frozen fish much yummier. To achieve this, fish will be soaked in a bowl of milk until it is completely thawed, only then it can be cooked. For people who are concerned about their skin, it was also stated that milk can soften their skins. “Prepare a bath, and then fill half of it with milk. Sounds very bizarre, but if you soak in it for about 30 minutes, your skin will be as smooth as a baby’s bottom!” the report said. Other things pointed out are; relieve bug bites, remove ink stains, to make personal yogurt, relieve sun burns and improve the taste of corn.

Art of milk competition In an attempt to prove to Nigerian

consumers that Peak can do more, the brand recently organised what was tagged ‘Art of Milk Quest’ to test the culinary dexterity of Nigerian students. Through the competition, it was demonstrated to patrons of Peak Milk that the product can do more than just drinking. The competition was organised for selected primary and secondary school pupils to mark the 2016 World Milk Day. According to investigation, the initiative was introduced to create an opportunity for students in Lagos State to test their culinary skills as well as showcase and demonstrate the different ways in which milk could be used as part of regular daily meals.

The event was part of the Art of Milk campaign, executed under ‘Plan A Day Meal With Milk (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) and it was opened to all secondary school students in Lagos State. It entailed students preparing three square meals for a day using milk and the best meal was chosen by a panel of judges which was led by a celebrity chef.

It was also found out that ‘Plan A Day’ Meal With Milk (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)’ was a school teaching resource designed around favorite milk recipes that taught a range of delicious milk based meals and teach life-long cooking skills.

It was creativity galore when the brand team visited Cayley College, Agidingbi and Wellsprings College, Omole Phase II. Students of both schools showed amazing talents as they gave their presentations of

prepared meals of breakfast, lunch and dinner - using milk as the main food item.

Besides the Brand Team, also present at the event were star actress, Mrs. Sola Sobowale and head chef / MD, We are Food Limited, Mr. Adeniyi Williams. Both were members of the panel of judges.

Another panel member was Dr. Elo Ukatu, a Public Health Physician at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja Lagos.

For the organisers, the idea was to showcase ingenuity using milk in unconventional cooking practices.

How winners emerged After a rigorous screening process, only 10 schools made it into the final of the competition. The ten schools were later invited for a face-off between May 9 and 27 while the final of the event took place on June 1st.

According to the judges, the criteria used in selecting the winning recipes include personal appearance, sanitary mannerism, creative use of milk, understanding meal planning, nutrition knowledge and team work.

This, the winning school, was said to have met. Meanwhile, all participating schools and supporting teachers were rewarded with surprised gifts for exhibiting great creativity with milk.

The climax of the event was the final day when pupils from Yaba College of Technology Secondary School won and went home with the star prize of N500, 000, a branded LED screen, air conditioning units for

six class rooms and three classrooms in different orders. The day turned out to be a day of fun and party for school children in Lagos, as sounds of Naija music blared through the deafening hung speakers inside the De Blue Roof Hall of Lagos Television (LTV 8) premises as the competition rekindled the art of cooking in schools in Lagos. The final contest in Lagos attracted over 5000 pupils and the company has promised that the event would replicated in other states.

With MC KennyBlag as host, who wowed the audience with his unique voice and quality compere, the atmosphere was ecstatic as students of the competing schools wriggle their body on their seats and sometimes stand to dance to the Naija stars tune whilst they watch their representatives prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner for a day using milk as the main food item.

According to the Marketing Manager Peak, Dolapo Otegabyi, during the occasion held at LTV 8 Ikeja Lagos blue roof, the initiative is one of the remarkable ways in which the dairy brand has chosen to mark the 2016 ‘World Milk Day’. She said, “The idea tagged: ‘Plan a Day’s Meal with Milk (breakfast, lunch and dinner)’ is a cooking contest.

What we required from the selected schools in Lagos State was to plan (and prepare) breakfast, lunch and dinner for a day using milk as the main food item.”

The initiative is meant to promote a culinary culture of cooking with

milk in Nigerian homes since milk is an important agricultural product.

Milk contains various vitamins and minerals which are essential for the human body. Hence, on the occasion of the ‘World Milk Day’, it is important to create awareness on the immense health benefits of milk on not just children, but adults also.

This knowledge would help curb malnutrition in children and youth who are the bulk of the Nigerian population,” she added.

Other consumption ways According to the Baba Mail report, milk can relieve bug bites by preparing a solution of milk, water and salt (no more than 2 spoons of salt) and smear on the place of the bite. It was stated that it will sting at first and then stop stinging all together. To remove ink stains, consumers are advised to scrub the stain on the cloths with a mixture of milk and lemon juice and then leave overnight before put ting in the wash. For preparation of yogurt, one glass of milk will be mixed with one table spoon of white vinegar or lemon juice. Another way to use milk according to the report is to use it to relieve sun burns. To achieve this, consumers are urged to mix milk with a bit of water and smear on the painful area. For burns that cover large areas, what is prescribed was to soak clothes in the mixture and wear them for ongoing relief. Through this, it was stated that it will faster healing of the skin.

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BUSINESSWORLD

CONSUMER

How iSON’s Growth is Deepening ICT Raheem Akingbolu writes on how the growth of iSON Group, in less than five years of operations, is opening new chapters in the ICT sector One irrefutable fact about the world of technology is that connectivity—whether the internet or mobile phones is increasingly bringing market information, financial services and other business services to remote areas, and is helping to change people’s lives in unprecedented ways.

New information and communications technologies (ICT), in particular high-speed internet, are believed to be changing the way companies do business, transforming public service delivery and democratising innovation. With 10percent increase in high speed Internet connections, experts have established that economic growth increases by 1.3percent.

Meanwhile, over the last 10 to 15 years, technology has drastically changed the attitude and processes of the workplace. More importantly, the continued evolution of telecoms and IT technology is fuelling the ongoing transformation of the business environment to take advantage of available tools and opportunities In major advanced countries, mainly in the U.S., not only IT firms, such as Google and MS, but also global automakers, like General Motors and Toyota, are actively seeking to take over and invest in AI startups. Google is buying numerous AI startups, including DeepMind which developed the AlphaGo AI program, while MS has recently acquired the British software company SwiftKey with a large amount of money. This is because AI is a critical technology of their growth engines – driverless car and personal assistant.

Market penetration In less than five years of operation, iSON Group has rapidly grown to become one of Africa’s leading IT and ITeS organisation.

The company which is present in 25 African countries, operating with over 10,000 employees all over the continent has 5000 personnel in Nigeria alone, which is about half of its staff population.

ISON caters to several industry verticals such as Telecoms, Retail, Aviation, Government, Oil and Gas, Banking and Financial Services with a growing portfolio in several niches such as Property & Real Estates.

An integral part of the group’s growth is its work ideology; onshoring as opposed to the more popular but less advantageous offshoring practice. Although the two terms are used interchangeably, they are castly different in meaning.

On-shoring as practiced by iSON, is employing and upskilling local capacity to handle the work which is available within the specific country of operation. In other words, “bringing IP to work”, whereby expert knowledge is imported for a while, to develop local capacity, who have the right blend of potential to undertake the tasks anyway. This is opposed to the reverse trend of taking work to IP, where the jobs are ‘exported’ to foreign destinations. This latter phenomenon is grossly damaging to economies, draining its precious resources rather than developing it.

As such, 99.5% of the iSON workforce comprises nationals in all African footprints, affording the twin benefits of long term employment generation

and capacity development.

Advantage of the group’s approach Among other things that are helping the growth of the brand in Africa, it is work practice has been identified as its cutting edge. This unique work practice not only accounts for iSON Group’s phenomenal growth since inception in 2011, to become a pace setter in IT and ITes services but also an emerging driver of employment generation, not only in Nigeria, but all over Africa.

With facilities in Ibadan, Abeokuta and Ilorin, alongside plans for others still in the pipeline, the company is rapidly expanding across the country by making a deliberate effort to set up offices in semi urban locations.

Speaking about the approach, Founder and Chairman of the group, Mr. Ramesh Awtaney, said the group is optimistic that this will also encourage a massive shift in macro-economic development in the developing nations.

According to him, the option of on shoring has becoming increasingly popular with clients seeing its cost effective benefits amongst others. To him, it’s inevitable that with the right metrics in place, iSON will be able to increasingly expand footprints around the country and beyond in due time”, he notes.

In view of this, Ramesh Awtaney is optimistic that as part of its growth trajectory the company will be able to generate additional 10,000 employment opportunities in Africa, to make the 100,000 mark by end of 2020. “With the steady expansion in the Nigerian technology space, it’s important for us to ensure that we

attract a work force that is adequately equipped to make an impact in the new frontiers that we are quickly breaking into,” he stated.

Impact on youths It is believed by the organisation that Africa’s large pool of literate and exuberant youth with a median age of 19 years makes it a potential pool of certifiable employment for any serious organisation’s consideration.

With its unrivalled width in language capability, the continent and indeed Nigeria becomes an employer’s dream destination. Despite these advantages, the continent is still vastly lacking in technological knowhow, which is crucial to encourage and establish it as a final destination for global offshoring, which is the iSON BHAG. For this reason, capacity development becomes indispensable and in fact, iSON’s key contribution to economic development, in line with its long term vision of inclusive growth.

He said: “We focus a lot on training and retraining our staff. It’s important for our people to not only grow but grow rapidly. Our focus is building local talent through rigorous and methodical skill acquisition, delivered through various well-structured and targeted training and development programs.

We also encourage cultural diversity, gender equality and are proud of the fact that we have a robust workforce.

Currently 48% of our work force is the womenfolk and we are working relentless to even the number to 50:50 as soon as possible,” he stated.

Fresh innovations This year in a further bid to en-

hance capacity and growth internally the company has identified and has decided to focus on certain internal initiatives. These include; LEAD for customer care representatives and supervisory staff, training of operational managers on lean six sigma, talent management and succession Planning and deployment of QMS & ISMS. Others are; MDP & LDP for middle and Senior Management and internal auditor training.

The company is also a fertile ground for resourceful and forward looking candidates seeking for platforms to rapidly advance in their career. Stephen Obasahon’s story reads like a fairy tale. From his beginnings as a call center agent, he rose through the ranks to occupy the position he currently holds today: Deputy General Manager iSON BPO, Nigeria in just two years. However Obasahon is quick to note that it was more a question of being given a chance to prove his worth which he quickly did.

According to him, “More than anything I would say a platform that strongly drives you to excel in turn drives the business. It’s smart business sense and wins for all.” iSON Group has global footprints in 29 countries specifically in Africa, Middle East and the ASEA pacific regions. It offers enterprise customers systems integration, managed services, BPO and strategic outsourcing solutions using endto-end Information Technology (IT) services to numerous clients around the globe and has already made strong incursions in the Nigerian sphere.

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BUSINESSWORLD

CONSUMER

Textile Industry is Worth N4.7billion, Says Minister Stories by Raheem Akingbolu Even in its moribund state, the Nigeria textile industry is worth N4.7billion, this is as indications emerged that the federal government has started the process of prioritising the revamp of the sector by encouraging local investors in the industry and patronage of locally made fabrics.

The Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Aisha Abubakar, who disclosed this at the inaugural edition of the Africa Fashion Week Textile and Garment manufacturing conference in Lagos, also stated that the current administration has concluded to resuscitate the cotton and textile industry.

The theme of the conference is ‘Making Nigeria the Fashion Hub of Africa,’ Other experts who spoke at the event were unanimous in their opinion that improved access to finance, creation of manufacturing hubs, as well

as constant electricity supply would unlock the growth potential of the Cotton, Textile and Garment (CTG) sector.

Chairman of the conference and President, NigerianBritish Chamber of Commerce (NBBC), Mr. Dapo Adelegan, had earlier disclosed that the textile industry is the 2nd largest industry in any nation.

Proclaiming that the future of the industry in Nigeria is bright, he urged that the conference should be used as a platform to encourage investment in the CTG sector which will ultimately, boost the GDP of the country.

Speaking further on the plan of the Buhari’s administration to rebuild the industry, Abubakar, said government is fully committed to reviving the CTG sector of the manufacturing industry and would also support all parts of its value chain of which fashion is one.

This process, she said, is in line with the core economic mandate of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration

to create jobs.

The minister outlined some of the steps taken by the federal government in reviving the CTG sector such as the creation of an enabling business environment, the repositioning of government agencies like Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and Bank of Industry (BOI), appropriation of funds to the CTG industry and resolution of the issue of multiple taxation.

She said: “Government is creating an enabling environment by improving the ease of doing business for which a presidential committee driven by the private sector would be set up. SMEDAN industrial training fund and Bank of Industry are being repositioned to address the MSMES. They are core to the implementation of the National Enterprise Development Programme (NEDEP) which is aimed at generating about five million jobs.

“Funds are being set aside

to refinance the CTG sector and address legacy problems including power. Tax incentives and changes in regulations do affect employment. Proposals are being discussed on how the issue of multiple tax can be addressed.”

The minister also announced that the government would soon create Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and garment production hubs and urged members of the fashion industry to take advantage of the project to develop the value chain of the sector.

“Government is also looking into setting up ICT and garment production hubs which will offer opportunities across the value chain. I would like to implore the fashion industry to look at these areas in the value chain especially currently underdeveloped and look for collaborative ways of moving this forward. This will bring in more people into the industry which has the potential to generate employment,” Abubakar remarked.

In his keynote address, the Lagos State Commissioner of Finance, Dr. Mustapha Akinkunmi, said the importation of foreign fabrics and clothing which is as a result of Nigerians preference for foreign goods is hampering the growth and development of the textile industry and the fashion value chain. He said this is regrettable in spite of superiority of some local and African apparel such as Adire, Kampala and Ankara to the foreign ones that are being dumped in the country.

He urged young Nigerians in the fashion industry to take advantage of vocational training, micro-financing and employment trust fund initiatives of the state government to create innovative designs and apparels using local fabrics. While decrying the dearth of fashion institutes in the country, he announced the intent of the Lagos State Government to establish centres of excellence for fashion design training at the state owned

university and polytechnic.

Speaking on the need for the conference, Founder, Africa Fashion week Nigeria, Ms. Ronke Ademiluyi said; “After six years of creating opportunities for Nigerian designers to excel on the global stage, we were compelled to commit resources to the development of the local fashion industry value chain. Without a thriving local value chain, we will be unable to translate the runway success of our designers and fashion entrepreneurs to job creation and shared prosperity for our nation. Our commitment is to improved access to finance for designers, capacity development programmes and establishment of manufacturing hubs.”

The Africa Fashion Week Textile and Manufacturing conference is the primary activity of the first day of Africa Fashion Week Nigeria.

Organised by AFWL Africa Concepts, the conference aims to redefine textile and garment production processes in Nigeria.

Shobanjo Canvasses Mergers and Acquisition in Outdoor Advertising

ACCOUNTING TO SHAREHOLDERS

L-R: Director NEM Insurance Plc, Mrs. Yinka Aletor; Executive Director, Mr. Alani Olojede; Group Managing Director Mr. Tope Smart; Chairman, Dr. Fidelis Ayeba; and Company Secretary, Mrs. Oyetunde Omolara at the 46th annual general meeting of the company held in Lagos ... recently

Experts Link Beer to Social and Cultural Cohesion Scholars and culture experts have highlighted the role of beer in the sustenance of the socio-cultural cohesion of people across ages. They made the submission at the 3rd Nigerian Beer Symposium in Lagos recently.

A Professor of Applied Microbiology and a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Professor Bartholomew Okolo, in his paper on the “Social and Cultural Roles of Beer in Society”, explained thatIn all societies, beer plays an important role not only in major life-cycle events, such as birth and death, but also in minor everyday transitions.

According to him, in studies conducted in various parts of the world, beer drinking venues have been identified as the most important venues for promoting interactions and friendships between people from diverse backgrounds.

“The Nigerian beer parlour is an example of such an institu-

tion where you could find a lawyer having a beer next to a plumber or a doctor having a beer next to a tailor. You could also find a professor having a beer next toabanker. In such circumstances, people can offer all sorts of support and even professional advice at no cost.

It is possible to explore such settings for other benefits including security and commerce, for example in thecreation of cooperatives societies,” he said.

Okolo added that alcoholic drinks are a symbolic vehicle for identifying, describing, constructing and manipulating cultural values and interpersonal relationships. In all cultures, he remarked, different alcoholic beverages are classified in terms of their social meaning. Every drink therefore connotes a symbolic meaning and conveys a message.

“In the present day African tradition, beer is a regular feature on the list of items that must be presented at various

stages of the marriage process.

It must also be present during such other ceremonies as funeral rites, coronations, peace missions, special invitations, among others.

Former Governor of Cross River State Mr. Donald Duke, who chaired the occasion, noted that research shows that beer contains xanthohumol that inhibit cancer-causing enzymes.

“I have always wondered about theFrench. You see, their diet consist of rich, highly fatty foods, wine and those cigarettes.

Yet, their rate of heart disease is significantly less than the rest of the world. This has been credited to red wine and the antioxidants it contains, which helps prevent heart attacks.

Interestingly, beer has just as many antioxidants as red wine,” he said.

Duke also added that beer is a lot safer than the local bottled water. “If you find yourself someplace where you are advised not to drink

the local water, the local beer is always a safer bet. It is a lot safer than the local bottled water. So just follow the rules of beer drinking and you will be fine,” he advised.

According to him, beeris not just a social lubricant, but a cultural spice that brings the right taste out of all celebrations.

“Beer is a drink that has become part of our culture. It has become a near impossible feat today for us as a people to have one form of celebration or the other devoid of beer “The ceremony will not be approved as successful if the variety of foods provided is not complemented with beer,” he said.

Managing Director of Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mr. NicolaasVervelde also stressed that the objective of the Nigerian Beer Symposium has been to highlight and share contemporary knowledge on the wonderful product called beer

Guest speaker at the OAAN Poster Awards and Chairman of Troika Group, Mr. Biodun Shobanjo has asked players in the outdoor advertising industry to seek mergers and acquisition as was done in the banking industry in order to survive the economic hardship in the country.

Shobanjo said the proliferation of outdoor agencies in the face of dwindling patronage will led to the closure of some agencies and loss of job except there is a concerted effort by agencies to merge. “When you have an economy that is no longer vibrant, one of the first casualties is the integrated marketing communications sector which is why operators have to innovate or die.

There is no reason to have so many outdoor agencies chocking the industry when they could converge to be stronger and more efficient. “ Shobanjo stated this while delivering a paper titled The Indices of a Vibrant Economy: Outdoor Advertising as a Catalyst at the 10th annual Poster Awards of the Outdoor Advertising Agencies of Nigerian (OAAN) in Lagos recently.

The doyen of marketing communication in Nigeria said that France has just five out of home agencies likewise many other civilised countries.

Shobanjo said over regulation is also killing the industry noting that no global outdoor organisation would want to practice in Nigeria because the regulations would kill them.

President of OAAN, Mr. Tunde Adedoyin agreed with Shobanjo in his speech at the event. According to him, “What we are saying is it is time for us in this sector to come together, regulators and operators, in order to understand the industry. Presently OAAN members are paying 50 per cent of their revenue as rate cost.”

He further said: “Primary among the issues that have seriously challenged our practice is the emerging unfriendly environment to profitably engage in outdoor advertising practice in Nigeria, occasioned by the almost suffocating regulations, very high financial demands by way of outrageous and unjustifiable permit fees. Policies of the signage and advertising agencies and their likes that has now mushroomed across the country both at the states and federal levels leading clients to either cut down drastically on their budget or out rightly abandon us for other media platforms such as digital media.”

On his part, the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said government will create the enabling environment for the practice of outdoor advertising.

The minister was represented by the Registrar, Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), Alhaji Garba Bello Kankarofi.

The award night saw many agencies cart away prizes for their efforts. Lintas Communication won an award for Star Lite Up the Night creative. Verdant Zeal Communication Limited had the best creative with Peugeot 508 for the automobile accessories category.

Financial services category saw TBWA Concept win for its Stanbic IBTC Bank creative.

Dairy foods category was won

by STB McCann for McVities biscuits while house and cosmetics category was won by Posterscope for Oral B creative.

The non-alcoholic category was won by Insight Communications for its Pepsi Longthroat creative. Information, communication and technology category was carted away by SBI Media for Konga creative.

The electronics and electrical category was won by Insight Communications for Tecno creative.

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BUSINESSWORLD

PERSPECTIVE

Banking on Alert Magnus Onyibe It is not uncommon to receive alert from your bank that your account has just been debited for all sorts of charges including unsolicited subscription to the bank’s digest.

In these very perilous times, how can bank customers who more often than not, are illiterates, be made to pay for subscription to an in-house publication that is unsolicited for and should be free to customers who wish to avail themselves of the opportunity to interact with the bank? Can anyone in good conscience offer a camera to a blind man, even as a gift, how much less compel purchase?

That’s exactly what the banks that unilaterally debit customer’s accounts to pay for Digest -magazine- are doing to the unlettered ones among their customers. In fact, whatever happened to the simple principle or protocol of contract which is based on offer and acceptance ?

Without a doubt, receiving alerts from banks for all manners of deductions are new ways that banks are applying to bilk their clients of billions of naira annually.

At a financially precarious period like this when the economy is fast descending into recession and the average Nigerian is imperiled by the associated hardships,-no jobs, delayed salaries for those still working, spiking costs of living -the unscrupulous and disingenuous theft from unsuspecting bank customers is most unconscionable.

Such act of perfidy by the banks that appear to be in manic craze to make profits at all costs irrespective of the pains to their customers is condemnable and should prick the conscience of bank operators, if they have one.

You can imagine how much N500 monthly subscription would amount to if a bank debits such sum of money from half a million customers every month. By the way, I used a hypothetical number since l could not find useful data about the number of bank account holders in Nigeria from CBN and NDIC websites, but l found out that there are about 700 million bank accounts worldwide.

Anyway, N500 debited from the account of 500,000 customers would be a cool N250,000,000 raked in from deposits by just pushing a button on a computer keyboard every month.

To make my point more poignant, consider a scenario where an online publisher has one million subscribers on a blog with each paying just N100 a day to browse.

The amount generated would be N100,000,000. l can assure you that The Guardian newspaper in Nigeria , which is easily one of the most successful news outfits in the country, but is struggling to make profit, does not rake in N100,000,000 daily online even when they are providing their newspaper as a useful service.

Otherwise, the media house that prides herself as the flagship of newspapers in Nigeria would not have recently sacked over one hundred staff as part of a right sizing exercise.

A tier One, 1 bank in Nigeria actually charges customers fees in excess of fifteen thousand naira, N15000 per month for SMS alert.

Anybody that has ever sent bulk SMS to family and friends as birthday or wedding party invite

CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele

can tell how cheap it is, yet banks charge customers such outrageous amount for SMS monthly.

Do the maths and you will find out how scandalous the down right thievery of customers hard earned money by banks has become.

N15,000@500,000=N7,500,000,000 For folks not familiar with numerics, we are talking about N7.5billion naira per month from half a million customers.

Could it be that having been stripped of government funds through Treasury Single Account, TSA policy of the present regime, which used to enable financial institutions make cheap profits by lending government’s money to government at exorbitant interest rates, banks out of desperation to sustain their over N100billion profit mark, are now seeking all means, hook or crook, to squeeze money out of their customers surreptitiously?

One good policy that Godwin Emefiele, the current Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN Governor introduced at the inception of his tenure, a couple of years ago was to ban the obnoxious fees charged customers for use of Automated Teller Machines, ATMs , but perhaps owing to pressure from bankers, the charges have been sneaked back to the detriment of the long suffering bank customers.

A plethora of bank charges in all guises are now the order of the day such that customers could have their accounts that are modestly funded go into debit and amass considerable debt, enough to land banks and customers in courts, in a space of one year due to compounding interest charges accruing into the account via illicit debits.

Commission on Transactions, COT which was also abolished by the CBN under Emefiele’s watch has returned surreptitiously in several mutations like management and maintenance fees etc, perhaps escaping Emefiele’s gaze. This is not unexpected as the embattled CBN governor has been engrossed in defending the Naira which has been heavily pummeled by the volatility in the price of crude oil in the international market now rendering the atmosphere in the financial services sector highly combustible.

Who will fight for the defenseless bank customers who are not represented at the prestigious Bankers’ Committee-a forum for bank chief executive officers, CEOs and the top echelon of the CBN? How can the bank customers whose interests are not represented on the board of CBN be protected?

The truth is that the bank customer has no helper in the instances mentioned above, hence the exploitation that is tantamount to economic rape, has continued unabated.

Admittedly, banks have been compelled to refund unearned income to some customers by the CBN since Emefiele took over, but it appears he would need the weight of the law from the National Assembly (NASS), to achieve greater success at protecting the interest of customers.

So for the impunity to stop NASS, as the constitutionally empowered representatives of Nigerian people, of which the banking public, constitute a critical component must act now.

Fortuitously, both the higher and lower chambers of NASS have finance committees whose members are very boisterous superintending over the annual ritual of producing appropriation bill or national budget and then go silent, until the next circle of budgeting activities.

Part of the mandate of finance committees in the legislative arm of government is to check the excesses of financial institutions but until their recent intervention on the contract awarded Systemspec, the company that developed the software being applied in the implementation of the TSA, they have been shirking their responsibilities to protect Nigerians from undue exploitation, perhaps owing to the faceoff between the legislative and executive arm of government since inception, about one year ago.

Even then, Parliament’s intervention in the controversial TSA collection platform only complicated matters. Instead of resolving the knotty issues, it left Systemspec in limbo as the soft ware engineering firm has been unable to reap the benefit of her intellectual property, while government is still using the software.

To be clear, I’m not by any means railing against banks making profits as they are in business to do just that, but it’s excessive profits that I’m concerned about. So obviously, the likes of FCMB, Skye bank, Heritage bank and Sterling bank that made losses or little profits, would be exempted from the excessive profit tax.

Although banks non performing loans, NPL have sky rocketed as evidenced by First Bank of Nigeria, FBN’s provision for bad loans which is about N120b from a little over N25b last year, most banks still made huge profits in the last financial year-and some even hit the N100b mark-GTBank, Zenith Bank.

When a similar situation of excessive profits by banks arose in the UK under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s watch, windfall taxes, also known as “fat Cat” tax to enable government recoup excessive profits from banks, was introduced.

According to the Guardian newspaper of London article of December 9,2009, titled Windfall taxes are nothing new, the chancellor noted that , “ ln 1981 the then chancellor Geoffrey Howe introduced a special budget levy to harvest around £400m from the banks, which were seen to be escaping the pain of that recession.”

In a strange twist of irony, Nigeria is on the verge of a recession and instead of government taxing the excessive profits of banks that ‘are not feeling the pain’ like the rest of the industries in the economy, which prompted Thatcher’s profit tax in the UK, reverse is the case in Nigeria where

government funds were withdrawn from money deposit banks, DMBs via the introduction of TSA ostensibly to stop banks creaming off the deposits from further doing so. More like cutting off the nose to spite the face.

In the absence of cheap government funds, nefarious bank are now creaming off on deposits of their already sapped customers.

Apart from targeting banks excessive profits, in 2009, fabulous bonuses for banks executives became the cause of concern to authorities in the UK, so they were taxed accordingly as a way of achieving equitable income distribution and extending the good fortune to the rest of the society.

To achieve the objective, authorities in the UK produced a 60 - page report making the case for a so called transaction tax on a city trading, and an insurance scheme to stop tax payers from being forced to foot the bill for any future banking crises.

Remarkably, a version of that policy has been adopted in Nigeria as banks are now mandated to pay a portion of their profit to AMCON- also known as the Bad Bank-to underwrite the risks against future banks failure and also to recoup the bank bailout funds which saved banks from collapse in 2008.

What this implies is that government is taxing bank’s profits to generate funds to shore up the financial services system in order to prevent banks from failing which is why AMCON was set up.

In fairness ,Nigerian banks were barred from passing the costs to customers via charges in any guise, but costs of alerts that could grow to as much as N90b annually from half a million customers, may be a clever way of getting back with the left hand, what banks give to AMCON as tax with their right hand.

In another Guardian newspaper of UK article, titled ‘Mandelson: bonus tax not designed to teach bankers a lesson’ business secretary Lord Allison Mandelson defended the one-off tax that was imposed on bank bonuses thus: “l know some people think that the banks have brought this on themselves and that we just ought to teach them a lesson. That’s not the frame of mind that we are in.

“We want them to become profitable again. But people do have to understand that people will be very disconcerted, very disappointed to see the return of excessive bonuses we have seen in the past”.

Worryingly, unlike the UK, taxing bonuses of bank executives and owners is not the trend in Nigeria.

However, banks have recently taken some ‘hair shaves’ - profit losses-following the massive ‘head winds’-operational challenges -induced by unfriendly government policies like the TSA and the nasty spats that some banks CEOs had with anti -graft authorities tracking funds allegedly stolen and lodged in banks by politically exposed people, PEP implicated in the anticorruption war being prosecuted by current administration.

Nevertheless, banks still managed to scrape through, although some Chief , CEOs were clamped in jail for a couple days to compel them to divulge details of the suspected stolen funds stashed away in their banks by financial suspects.

A recent survey of executive pay in the banking industry indicate that from CEOs to executive directors, revealed that their emoluments range from N80-100m per annum , which is quite ‘handsome’ and does not reflect the distress in the economy that has left salaries of civil and public service workers unpaid for several months in about 27 states of the federation.

A particular point of concern is that while it is mainly banks like First bank, FCMB and Diamond bank that are bullish in granting loans to the general public that have suffered reduction in profit or made losses in the outgone financial year, the banks that don’t grant loans to the public but trade mainly on treasury bills and bonds as well as occasionally advance loans to only blue chip companies like Nigerian breweries, Guinness and Nestle, to the detriment of SMEs made huge profits.

What happened to sectoral allocation of funds by the CBN in the days of yore when incentives were given to banks that funded agriculture the most? Is it against the grain of free enterprise and if it is, how can regulatory authorities ensure that banks are more democratic- spreading their loan portfolio across a broad spectrum- as opposed to being tyrannical-discriminating against retail banking- in their loan disbursement to ensure that SMEs which are the main generators of employment in any economy are not continuously starved of loans by banks as is presently the case?

Regarding dividend pay outs from banks huge profits , most owner managers also cart away billions of naira annually, while the businesses-factories etc that they generate income from are folding up.

In conclusion , consider the innocuous scenario below which can go on unnoticed over a long period: assuming a fraudulent bank ledger clerk deducts one naira daily from the account of 500 bank customers surreptitiously for one month without being detected. That would be N15,000 per day.

If he/she gets away with it for one year and resigns ,that would be at least N180m,applying a straight line calculation of 30 days a month and by including everyday not withstanding whether it’s public holiday, Saturday or Sunday.

Such a low level bank thieve won’t have to engage in white or blue collar jobs anymore.

Is that not mind-boggling?

Such is the kind of silent heist that banks have been pulling off on their unsuspecting customers and it should be of great concern to legislators who should take their oversight functions more seriously and fast track the activation of the whistleblower law. By the same token, the executive arm of government should step up harnessing benefits accruable from sanctions on erring banks to boost provisions for enhanced social security and safety nets for the poor and vulnerable, as it is currently doing via the recently introduced feeding of school children daily being driven from Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo’s office.

- Magnus Onyibe, a development strategist and futurologist is a former commissioner in Delta State Govt and an alumnus of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts university, Medford Massachusetts, USA

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Girls’ Empowerment: As AHI Raises the Bar As part of efforts to empower girls in slum communities with vocational skills, Action Health Incorporated (AHI) recently embarked on a two-week intensive livelihood skills and sexual reproductive health training in Ilaje/Bariga communities, writes Ugo Aliogo “When I was in primary five, my parents asked me to stop schooling because they could no longer afford the fees. I was asked to go and live with my grandmother. She was selling fish in order to make a living. She advised me not to continue school, but to join her in the fish business because according to her, I was not better than the other girls. I refused and told her that I want to start a small confectionery business. Today, I make as much as N4,000 in my confectionery business daily.”

These were the words of Jessy Glory Itonowaji, a teenage girl from Ilaje, a slum community in Lagos State. She was among the 120 girls Out of School Girls (OOSG) from Ilaje/Bariga communities who were recently empowered by Action Health Incorporated (AHI) and given start-up business kits at a ground breaking graduation ceremony in Lagos State.

Tough Conditions The conditions of girls in slums and Lagos Lagoon communities are not very pleasant, THISDAY learnt. They don’t have access to qualitative education and an opportunity to contribute meaningful to the society. Instead, they are much more concerned with trying to meet the survival needs of their family members on a daily basis. Many sell fishes and other products in order to raise enough money to meet family needs.

In some cases, there could be an offer from an older male to buy off her entire tray of goods in exchange for sex. This offer can be enticing for a girl especially when she remembers that there is a family to feed back home. Also, hunger and tiredness which can arise from walking in the scorching sun can also play a big factor on why she would consent.

In many of these slum communities, girls are seen as breadwinners while their parents or husbands sit idle by waiting for them to provide for the family. This practice is not healthy in the true sense of it, but these girls are not properly empowered with information about their basic fundamental human rights and their standings in the society. Therefore they are constantly on the receiving end of things.

Providing Skills Recently, AHI organised a two-week intensive livelihood skills and sexual reproductive health programme with the support of United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Ilaje/ Bariga communities. The project was aimed at improving the activities of OOSG adolescent girls whilst advocating for government and stakeholders’ support for these girls who account for 60 per cent of the 10.5 million children who are out of school in Nigeria.

After the training programme, the girls acquired skills in various areas such as catering, makeup/Gele (headgear) tying, and bead-making. They were also handed start-up business kits worth over N10,000 to begin their businesses. They were registered with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and a bank account was opened for them in Access Bank Limited.

Change Agents AHI, in a document, stated that beyond their business skills training, the girls have acquired better understanding of their sexual and reproductive health, adding that they have also become change agents within communities, reaching out to other girls.

AHI in the document noted: “They have reached out to other girls with accurate information on sexual and reproductive health as well as non-prescriptive family planning commodities towards reducing the spread of unwanted pregnancies and Sexually Transmitted Diseases. “(STI) includes HIV among young people in Lagos state. It is important to note that lack of schooling has implication far beyond access to basic education, and being out of

Skills acquisition for girls at the AHI programme in Lagos

school substantially increases threats to these adolescent girls’ health, pressure to engage in risky sexual relations, pressure to marry early, as well as exposure to exploitative labour conditions.

“Policy makers and the larger society need to be innovative in reaching them, addressing their needs and leveraging the potential of this significant proportion of Nigeria girls because this is of fundamental importance to Nigeria’s development,” it added.

SDGs Linkage Speaking at the ceremony, the Deputy Country Representative of UNFPA, Koffi Kouame, noted that countries are currently setting in place actions that would ensure that the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

He stated that the ability of the OOSG to fulfill her potential is a major contributor to the attainment of the SDGs and therefore it is critical to the development goal of Nigeria, adding that the ceremony is a call to action for legislators, development partners and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to strive towards ensuring that the OOSGs are empowered with formal or informal education.

Kouame further stated that in Nigeria, over 5 million girls are out of schools, noting that Lagos has been a pacesetter in the promotion of girls’ education and women empowerment, but a significant proportion of these girls are Out-of School.

He said: “The OOSG is one of the vulnerable individuals in our society as they are well accustomed to living in unsafe and insanitary conditions, exposed to gender based violence, coerced sexual encounters or forced marriages, early pregnancy/child bearing and exploitative labour conditions.

“Studies have shown that girls/women who are empowered with income-generating skills as well as knowledge about their Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) have greater awareness of their rights, and freedom to make decisions that affect their lives, improve their own and their children’s health. This in the long-term hastens the demographic transition to lower fertility and morality rates.

“In this regards, UNFP which is the UN lead agency for ensuring that every pregnancy is wanted, every children is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled is committed to ensuring that this vulnerable group of young girls reach their full potential.

Therefore, we support the Nigeria government in the development and implementation of programmes that have been able to empower over 5,000 OOSGs across the country.

“These programmes have been successful in transforming the lives of these girls, their families and have gone a long way in improving their communities. I use this opportunity to call on all political office holders, their wives, legislatures and other advocates of social change for a change coordinated sensitisation and awareness across the nation on the social and health implications of empowering the OOSG.” Lagos Input The Lagos state Permanent Secretary Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Folasade Adesoye, stated that the project

by AHI has liberated beneficiaries to some extent, stressing that under-served youths living in communities of social marginalisation are often restricted from a range formal and informal educational experiences that could broaden their horizon.

She expressed the commitment of Governor Akinwumni Ambode to empower women/girls by expanding access to education, increasing economic opportunity and providing critical healthcare to the healthcare to the child, adding that “the goal of government is to lift

millions of women, families and the entire communities.”

Adesoye added: “It is sad that despite abundant mineral and human resources, our nation is still rated as one of the poorest in the world. This is partially because women and girls that form significant part of the population have been neglected and ill-trained to contribute substantially to national productivity.

“The Lagos state government through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation recently organised a similar initiative.

The state trained OOSG in Badia community on vocational skills such as bead stringing, make-up application/tying of head gear, basic sewing and fabric design, soap and pomade production/production.

“Over the years, the state government has established skills acquisition centres in all three senatorial districts of the state which is a policy strategy directed at women empowerment and steps towards creating an enduring legacy and institution on women dignity restoration through vocational training and skill acquisition as a panacea to unemployment in our depressed economy,” she added.

RANDOM THOTS

Rule of Discipline Have you ever wondered why a seemingly impossible traffic gridlock, which has defied all manner of entreaties by comotorists, is totally dispersed within five minutes after a few gun-toting policemen appear on the scene, whipping errant drivers into shape and smashing side mirrors of disobedient motorists? The cause of the logjam is simple: lack of discipline, and the solution simpler: strict application of the same missing discipline.

Now take that to a national level and you see why Nigeria appears to be in a mess today. Everyone wants to be a law unto himself or herself, at the risk of a sane society and structured development process. Some analysts have linked social miscreants, crimes, corruption, conflicts and breakdown of rule of law to acts of indiscipline backed by impunity and disregard

for orderliness. The common saying is that where there is no law, there cannot be any sin or crime; a scenario which is enthusiastically embraced around Nigeria.

However, despite the harsh prevailing economy, discipline, which is a vital ingredient for development, is slowly being injected into the order of governance. This is personified in the person of the President, whose Spartan lifestyle, ascetic visage and famed intolerance for indiscipline and corruption is helping to revive social order in the country. And if PMB’s recent utterance to deal with any highly-placed personality who opposes the corruption war is anything to go by, Nigerians are in for a jolly disciplined time, with a positive impact on development. The missing link...

Abimbola Akosile

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BUSINESSWORLD

DEvELOpmENT/ISSUESINBOx

EFCC officials in action

In Fighting Corruption, is the EFCC Abusing its Powers?

Although the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is reported to have secured 140 convictions against accused persons in 6 months, there is no ex-governor or major personality among the convicts. Some analysts also believe the anti-corruption agency is lopsided in its prosecution, with no respect for rule of law. To you, is the EFCC abusing its powers in fighting corruption in Nigeria, or is it following due process in achieving the government’s desired goal?

Abimbola Akosile

THE FEEDBACK

* EFCC may be abusing its powers and may not. If one should consider how looters have looted the future of generations yet unborn, then one might likely support whatever means EFCC is using to prosecute corruption cases. The fact still remains that none of the looters follow due process before looting public funds.

- Mr. Akinwale Adeniyi, Abuja

Yes, pain is worthwhile

3

No, present pain is not

6

* The EFCC is a commission to witch-hunt political and personal enemies. Such a commission does not have to follow the rule of law. That is why the fight for corruption has never been achieved. The EFCC should thoroughly investigate a matter before taking up such.

- Mr. Daji Sani, Yola, Adamawa State

Female:

* Most Nigerians are naturally corrupted and any money they lay their hands on, they see it as God’s gift to them. One wouldn’t be surprised if the EFCC is abusing its powers in fighting corruption, as that is why majority of the officials fight to be there.

- Hon. Babale Maiungwa, U/Romi, Kaduna * Yes. - Mr. Elue Chibututu, Lagos * No, it is not. The reason you are having so much cries relating to the activities of the anti-graft commission is because it is now doing what it should have been doing from inception. Let the commission do its job, please.

- Mr. Segun James, Akute, Ogun State * The EFCC today is not better than the Obasanjo era when they were his tools of victimisation. Corruption should be fought at all fronts, but it should be fought without sentiments. I will see EFCC truly fighting corruption the day they open investigations on how APC funded their last presidential campaign.

- Hon. Ayo Adekoya-Benson, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State * Our negative attitude towards EFCC is a veiled support for corruption; it is the depth of decadence in Nigeria that makes people to associate with a thief. EFCC should be empowered more so that people will be afraid to steal and Nigeria will prosper. All those shouting rule of law against EFCC are only protecting the status

11

Others: Radical tip:

Leave EFCC alone!

Total no of respondents:

20

Male:

16

Highest location:

4 Lagos (7)

quo, tell the thieves to follow the rule of law and we will not need EFCC. - Mr. Olukayode Akosile, Lagos State * The new helmsman in EFCC is trying his best to clean the Aegean stable. However, the day they get any of the so-called big shorts is the day Nigerians will believe they are actually working. So long as they have not done this nobody will believe they are working.

- Prof. Kate Nwufo, mni, Abuja * EFCC has abused its power beyond any imagination. Just because we are living in an era where people prefer sentiment to reason, nobody sees the evil this government is perpetuating through security and anti-graft agencies, which have refused to follow the rule of law. Only the future will tell.

- Mr. Sonny Okobi, Lagos * The EFCC has no power of its own so it can be pushed around by the appointee of its leadership which is the president and that is exactly what is happening today.

The simple thing is, the presidency is abusing the power of the anti-graft agency, in its determination to cripple the opposition.

- Mr. Okechukwu Ikonne, Ogbor OkeOvoro Mbaise, Imo State * No, not at all. Whoever is suspected of corruption should be confident enough to give the genuine account of him or herself in the appropriate law courts. The onus is on such suspects to defend themselves or prove their innocence. Sanity must return to Nigeria urgently. We must all support PMB and truth at all times. God bless Nigeria.

- Miss Apeji Patience Eneyeme, Badagry, Lagos

* The EFCC, a grand idea when it was established is simply acting out the script of its paymasters! Nothing more, nothing less! However, we truly need a body such as the EFCC; only thing is it should be institutionalised so that even Mr. President can be truly probed.

- Mr. Iheanyi Chukwudi, BAR Associates, Apo Estate, Abuja * Let other looters follow Metuh’s example and return stolen funds to avoid EFCC insult because such funds were meant for fighting insurgency. Corruption has given us a bad name internationally; let us support the president to reduce corruption in governance.

- Mr. Gordon Chika Nnorom, Public Commentator, Umukabia, Abia State * It depends on the angle one looks at it from a corrupt or a clean person. Nigerians must take up the anti-corruption war at the grassroots level.

- Mr. Feyisetan Akeeb Kareem, President, Change Makers Forum, Ogwashi-Ukwu, Delta State * It’s abusing its powers. Blocking someone’s account when he is under the cover of immunity, is that due process?

Immunity is of no use since it only favours cabals.

- Mr. Dogo Stephen, Kaduna * Whatever language Nigerians are saying about corruption fighting is witch-hunt, one-sided, e.t.c. EFCC is doing well to recover our commonwealth from never-dowell leaders. Those who are condemning the activities of EFCC are enemies of Nigeria. If we don’t kill corruption in governance, let us forget about development.

- Mrs. Ijeoma Nnorom, Lagos * The moral high-ground this administration once had to prosecute a clean fight against corruption has been completely eroded by the worst type of corruption possible, disregard for the provisions of the Constitution, especially Section 14(3) which talks about the composition of government or any of its agencies.

- Mr. Buga Dunj, Jos, Plateau State * Although the EFCC is not immune from external influence, the agency is trying to fulfil the current administration’s pledge to

fight corruption to a standstill. Ironically, those who stole and are being prosecuted now were the ones who first abused the powers conferred on them as public officials.

- Mr. Olumuyiwa Olorunsomo, Lagos State * No, not yet. Even though they are high-handed to some extent, I think the variously corrupt criminals deserve EFCC’s bitter pills as no sinner must go unpunished. For a truly formidable Nigeria, the rule of law must be observed and applied.

Much still has to be done by EFCC and co to save the citizens otherwise we may regret refusal to face truth.

- Ms. Saiki Ometere Tina, Gboko, Benue State * EFCC is on top of their job and following due process in achieving government’s desired goal. Without the EFCC the country would have sunk due to corruption, to our chagrin. We must all support their patriotic efforts so far. Side talks must not distract them. All accused suspects must clear their names in the law courts as nobody is above the law.

- Mr. Apeji Onesi, Lagos

Next Week: Does Nigeria Need a Referendum to Stay Together?

The recent exit of Britain from the European Union (EU) through a referendum is still generating ripples, with some groups like Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) calling for referendum to decide whether the ethnic groups of Nigeria should stay together or not. To you, does Nigeria need a referendum to stay together and develop as one entity, or not? please make your response direct, short and simple, and state your full name, title, organisation, and location. Responses should be sent between today (July 7 & monday, July 11) to abimbolayi@yahoo.com, greatbimbo@gmail.com, AND abimbola. akosile@thisdaylive.com. Respondents can also send a short text message to 08023117639 and/or 08188361766 and/ or 08114495306. Collated responses will be published on Thursday, July 14

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DEVELOPMENT

Eking out a living from the waters of Ajegunle, Lagos

BLESSING ABAH

UNICEF, ILO, ECOWAS Call on Nigeria, W’African Leaders to End Child Poverty Paul Obi in Abuja A group of experts drawn from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), UNICEF, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and other organisations have urged the federal government and leaders of West Africa to expedite action in ending child poverty in the sub-region.

The organisations, in a communiqué issued recently in Abuja, tasked the Nigerian government and other West African leaders to embrace eradication of poverty among children as a key component of their national policies.

The experts also highlighted

the need to monitor child poverty with separate measurements along geographic, gender and socio-economic lines.

UNICEF Regional Advisor on Social Policy, Gustavo Newbie, who signed the communiqué stated that “child poverty is not only about monetary poverty, but about the actual deprivations children are experiencing,” noted “Children have a right to education, healthcare, information, nutrition, housing, clean water and adequate sanitation.

We must ensure our children are free from crippling deprivations today – and enable them to grow into the leaders

we need for the future.”

ECOWAS Commissioner Mamadou Traore said: “Children are not only the most fragile layer in society; they are also the workforce of tomorrow.

“We must put in place a roadmap for the development and adoption of sustainable policies for the eradication of child poverty and for effective and dynamic social protection in the region,” Traore contended.

The communiqué observed that “the region’s considerable overall economic growth in recent years has not resulted in improvements in the life of vast numbers of children, many of whom still lack ac-

cess to proper nutrition, basic healthcare, education, clean water and housing.

“Since the publication of a UNICEF global study on childhood poverty in 2003, there has been an expansion of policies aimed at addressing the multiple factors that feed into the problem in sub-Saharan Africa.

“Nevertheless, in most countries, inequalities and social exclusion continue to fuel the persistence of high levels of child poverty,” the groups stressed.

They maintained that “the call to action is the outcome of an International Conference on Child Poverty and Social Protection held at

the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja, between May 23 and 25.

“As different sub-Saharan countries battle a range of health and environmental crises, the negative effects on child welfare deepen and expand to varying degrees across the region. Epidemics such as Ebola, natural disasters including flooding and droughts, and armed conflicts can all counteract improvements that have been made,” they added.

Also, the experts agreed that factors that can be addressed by economic policy, such as poor working conditions, low salaries and high unemployment, can actually have an

even greater impact on child poverty.

They held that “putting policies in place that address these problems is critical to reducing child poverty and creating a better future”, and the experts also highlighted the urgent need for social protection measures such as providing cash grants and subsidies.

The conference was organised by ECOWAS, UNICEF and the ILO, along with academic networks, Comparative Research Programme on Poverty (CROP) and Equity for Children. It was attended by around 70 regional and global experts and academics, with primary focus on development.

Media Stakeholders Advocate Enactment of Child Rights in the North Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi Working Journalists in Bauchi state have called on state governments and Houses of Assembly in the North to domesticate as well as enact the Child Right Act endorsed by the United Nations in the region where children’s rights were most abused as a result of insurgency activities.

The call formed part of the resolutions of a one-day meeting for Journalists to commemorate the day of the African Child, 2016, put together by the Bauchi Radio Corporation in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Bauchi Field Office which held in Bauchi recently.

The meeting, which had the

theme: ‘Conflict and Crises: Protecting all Children’s Rights’, brought together participants from the print and electronic media to deliberate on the unfavourable conditions of children in conflict areas particularly in the North-east being affected by the insurgency.

In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, the participants also charged governments at all levels to be more proactive in protecting children from violence and conflicts which lead to the loss of their lives. They said with relevant laws in place, children would have access to better education, water, health care services and quality life.

While declaring the session open, Managing Director Bauchi Radio Corporation (BRC) Hajiya

Jummai Liman Bello lamented that the nefarious activities of insurgents in the North-east in recent times had negatively affected thousands of children economically, educationally and physically; hence the need for all stake holders to put hands on deck in order to improve their plight.

According to her, media practitioners have vital roles to play in protecting the rights of the children particularly their inalienable rights to survival and development, through regular reportage on issues concerning them as well as pressurising government, policy and law makers to do the needful.

In his remarks, head of UNICEF, Bauchi field office, Dr. Abdullai Kaikai represented

by the communication officer, Mr. Samuel Kaalu explained that within the last two years, the organisation had constructed 40 boreholes, 240 latrines, 36 new hand pump boreholes in different communities hosting the internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Adamawa state at the cost of N134 million under their water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) projects.

He promised that the UNICEF also intends to execute numerous intervention projects in the areas of health care delivery and education for the victims of insurgency especially the children this year in IDPs camps.

In a paper presentation, a former consultant with UNICEF and the Chairman, Bauchi State Emergency Management

Agency (SEMA) Emergency preparedness and Awareness Committee, Alhaji Inuwa Bello, called on journalists to create awareness on the plight of children especially those living in the IDP Camps.

Bello, in a paper titled ‘The Impact of Conflict and Crises on the Rights of Children: A Call to Action for all’, said the conditions of children in the country particularly those in various IDP camps is pathetic.

“It is very unfortunate that, according to NEMA/Presidency records, during the last three years, over 2 million people were displaced in the Northeast, half of them are children.

Half of them are either orphans or separated from their parents and hundreds of thousands have been killed as a result

of the insurgency direct attack or malnutrition as a result of starvation and hunger.

He added that “Some become child soldiers, others are forced into exploitation.

The fundamental rights of these children are flouted.

“The Governments at all levels have a duty of conflict prevention but where there is conflict, they are to manage it so that it doesn’t escalate. But if it escalates, it is their duty to resettle those affected.”

According to Bello, Journalists also have a critical role to play in setting agenda for stakeholders, the government, creating awareness, informing and sensitising the public on the need for them to ensure that the rights of the leaders of tomorrow are protected.

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BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“as you (nigeria) fight corruption, we offer technical assistance, training for investigators and prosecutors, and a commitment to ensure that no stolen funds are laundered through our banking system” - UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR TO NIGERIA, JAMES ENTWISTLE, REAFFIRMING HIS COUNTRY’S COMMITMENT TO ASSIST NIGERIA FIGHT CORRUPTION, WHILE SPEAKING IN ABUJA

Enugu Community Gets Palm Oil Mill, Vocational Equipment Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu

830 Health Workers Trained to Fight Malaria in Akwa Ibom Okon Bassey in Uyo No fewer than 1,830 health workers in Akwa Ibom State have been armed with knowledge by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded programme, Malaria Action Programme for States (MAPS) to wage war through the prevention of malaria in the state.

The health workers were armed with knowledge on malaria case management, prevention and control in malaria in pregnancy as well as capacity building on malaria rapid diagnostic test (mRDT) and training of 25 laboratory scientists in the state on malaria microscopy.

The Head of MAPS in Nigeria, Mr. Oluwole Adeusi stated this in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital in a windup ceremony to mark the end of MAPS projects in the state after six years.

According to him, within the two years of MAPS existence in the state over 95 per cent of confirmed uncomplicated malaria cases had been appropriately treated.

He said MAPS in collaboration with other partners worked assiduously to improve adherence to national malaria guidelines, planning, budgeting and development of annual operational plan in the state.

MAPS is a-six year programme spanning 2010 to 2016 implemented by FHI360 in partnership with Malaria Consortium (MC) and Health Partners International (HPI).

It has the major objective of increasing the quality, access and uptake of malaria control interventions in Nigeria by implementing and scaling up proven malaria control methods.

At an overview of MAPS implementation in the state, the State Coordinator, Mr. Ime Akpan, said the project which started in the state in March 2014 and had implemented monthly data validation exercise from local government areas as well as monthly state meeting on monitoring and evaluation.

Akpan said the programme had trained 150 personnel on Health Management Information

Treatment for malaria

System (HMIS) and supported robust health data consultative meetings.

The MAPS coordinator said the programme had assisted the continuous distribution of long lasting insecticidal nets through ante natal clinics and during immunisation days. He said the greatest challenge he had while the programme lasted was the nonchalance attitude of some health workers.

Delivering his welcome address, the state Health Commissioner, Dr. Dominic Ukpong, thanked MAPS for living up to expectations by contributing to significant reduction of malaria burden in the state.

Ukpong noted that MAPS project had made positive impacts and promised to create conducive environment for partners to operate

in the state. “It is imperative that such gains be sustained for the achievement of the desired global targets,” he said.

He thanked the Federal Ministry of Health, the United States government and other implementing partners for their efforts towards eliminating malaria in the state and Nigeria as a whole.

The State Chairman, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Augustine Umoh, noted that malaria was one illness that had defied preventive measures.

Umoh called on the Akwa Ibom government to evolve strategies that would sustain the gains recorded by MAPS in the state. He commended MAPS for partnering the NMA in the state to train doctors on treatment and management of malaria.

In a move aimed at boosting palm oil production and getting youths meaningfully engaged, the Embassy of the Republic of Ireland in Nigeria has donated a well-equipped Vocational Training Centre and a palm oil mill to the youths of Ugbaike community in Igboeze North local government area of Enugu state.

While the vocational training centre was equipped with sewing machines and hair dressing machines worth millions of naira, the oil mill was equipped with palm oil extracting machines.

The projects were facilitated by the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) Africa and funded by the Irish Embassy in Nigeria.

In his speech at the handing over ceremony of the projects at the community, the Irish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Sean Hoy said the embassy which he said was established in Nigeria in 1960, was delighted to support projects that add value to the lives of people living in the communities in Nigeria.

The Irish Ambassador, who was represented by the Charge d’Affairs at the embassy, Mr. Eoghan McSwiney, stated that his country had embarked on similar projects in many states in Nigeria.

“We have been in Nigeria since 1960, the Embassy, and we have a long partnership and trust relationship with the country. We are also an agricultural country. So when CBN Africa came with this project to help people to empower themselves in this community in the northern part of Enugu state, in the agricultural field particularly in palm oil and also in sewing, we were very happy to be able to provide a small sum of money to support the project and to help this community to empower themselves.

“Also the women in the community who will be learning to make garments and hairdressing, will also be in a position to provide livelihood for themselves and for their family. So we thought it was a very worthwhile project and therefore useful partnership project we are doing with CBN Africa and also with the local community who have been very supportive of the initiative.

Also in a remark, the Regional Director, CBN Africa, Dr. Felix Oisamoje stated that his organisation was motivated by the need to help people.

“We are a Christian organisation and while we believe in our Christian value and the things we want to do to point people to Christ, but we feel it is useless if people have needs and you do not meet the needs… And that’s why because we don’t have the resources that’s why we approach embassies like the Irish Embassy for grant to enable us to do that,” he said.

The traditional ruler of Ugbaike community, HRH Igwe Onoja Simon Uwakwe, and the Town Union President General, Chief Simon Ujah, expressed gratitude to the Irish Embassy and CBN, which is also sponsored by the embassy.

Igwe Uwakwe stated that the community by its geographical location at the extreme end of both the local government area and the state lacks essential amenities such as potable drinking water, electricity and roads.

“We cannot thank you enough for this your gesture, but like Oliver Twist, we shall continue to ask for more. We need the expansion of the project in view of the size of the community and our neighbouring communities,” he said.

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HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

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

Ending Female Genital Mutilation With the enforcement of the law against female genital mutilation still in its infancy, Ugo Aliogo writes on the recent resolve by the wives of governors in endemic states to champion the campaign against the menace

A

yodele Tolulope laid in her mother’s back weeping bitterly.

The mother tried to console her, but she will not stop crying.

She has been through a harrowing experience which left her bleeding for some minutes. It was very painful for her to bear as a little girl. Tolulope was circumcised according to traditional customs and beliefs. When Tolulope grew into adulthood, she realised that the practice was not healthy for the development of the girl-child and medically it is not recognised.

Today, female circumcision is a growing practice in Nigeria. According to an FGM report, Ekiti state occupies the second position among the six states with the highest prevalence of the menace.

Despite the general consensus that FGM is harmful and needs to be stopped, it remains a major practice in the state with the practitioners hiding under religious and cultural myths to perpetrate the heinous crime. The Ekiti State First Lady, Mrs. Feyisetan Fayose, recently in a document condemned the practice stressing that it was unacceptable. She said there was need for advocacy for elimination of this harmful practice in the state which is seen globally “as a gross violation of the human rights of girls and women.”

The report further stated that available data from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) 2015 revealed that the highest figure of women and girls who have undergone FGM worldwide after Egypt and Ethiopia, translates to about one-quarter of circumcised women worldwide. The report added that Ekiti has a prevalence of 71.2 per cent, which has ‘earned’ the state the second place position.

The Ekiti State First Lady is not only championing the campaign to end the practice in the state, but she is also partnering with the other wives of governors in the six endemic states to end the practice.

Recently, she convened a high level meeting on FGM in Ado-Ekiti, in collaboration with the UNFPA, UNICEF and Action Health Incorporated (AHI).

The meeting was not only aimed at charting a course towards ending the practice, but also to sensitise the citizenry on the evils of the practice and the state governor’s total resolve to stop the practice with the necessary state legislations.

Speaking at the meeting in Ado-Ekiti, Governor Peter Fayose, stated that the administration would provide the necessary support to ensure that the practice was wiped out in the state, and also assured that offenders would be prosecuted with no options of fine.

“We will take the message to the people practicing it and I will ensure that for every address on television, I will speak about the issue.”

In her remark, the First Lady of Ekiti noted that the practice should be of serious concern to the nation and stakeholders, adding that statistics indicates that the Southern zone have higher prevalence rate than the Northern zone of the country.

She added that despite the country’s growth in education and exposure to western culture, more women in the South were still victims of female circumcision, noting that Nigerians were too decent as a people to accept this stigma without a strategy to checkmate the trend and pull ourselves out of this inglorious grouping.”

Fayose further stressed that the high level meetings on FGM/C have been conceived and it was being pursued consistently to address the issue holistically and provide workable solutions, adding that the public should not be too relaxed and expect a smooth sail instead they should envisage a stiff opposition even

FGM is a crime against the girl-child

from the unexpected quarters.

She said: “The traditional cultural practice of female circumcision is generational and has been deeply entrenched in our society to the extent that several people would still not understand why this should be discouraged. In Ekiti State, we are leaving no stone unturned not only to step up awareness on the evils and dangers inherent in the practice, we are also deepening our regular interface with the various bodies and organisations on the effects of the harmful practice.

“These include our esteemed traditional institutions as well as female oriented groups.

We have also got the assurances from the state governor for the enforcement of the existing legislations against the practice. I am glad to inform you that we have the political will to prosecute violators of the laws in this regards.

“We are sure that this will put to an end to a large extent those who submit their female wards for the practice and the practitioners in all ramifications. Government organisations at various levels are also being strengthened to be able to deliver on their mandates by providing effective monitoring of the activities of the Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs).

“I call on all stakeholders to further look at

FGM physically damages the girls when they are young and its negative impact stretches through out the entire life of the victims ...We have a duty as parents, friends, relatives, guardians and leaders to ensure we stop this practice

ways and means to reduce the prevalence of the practice in the South-west. This would be better achieved by joining forces together and making our zone a ‘no go area’ for glorification of a cultural practice that does not add value to us in any way. I therefore appeal to everyone of goodwill, to join in the crusade and free our society from the pains of a practice that is premised on the ignorance and nurtured by needless agonies for vulnerable female children,” she said.

The UNFPA viewpoint The Country Representative, UNFPA, Ms. Ratidzai Ndhlovu, commended the wives of governors from the three FGM high burden states in the South-west Region of the country (Osun, Ekiti and Oyo States) for leading and facilitating social mobilisation to end the practice in their states, adding that countries were setting in place actions that would ensure the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), “it is important to note that accelerated action to end FGM/C is a major target for the SDGs, therefore it is a correspondent critical development goal for Nigeria.”

She noted that though there were signs of increasing commitment by communities and governments to eliminate FGM, it was not enough, stressing that FGM was practiced at various scales in many communities in the country despite legislations and policies prohibiting the practice.

Ndhlovu, who was represented at the meeting by Omolaso Omosehin, added that social expectation and motivation for FGM, especially in tightly knit communities was still very high as it exerts tremendous pressure over the lives of women and girls, “who would not be afraid of bareness, segregation, curses or death if one was raised to believe that FGM guarantees fruitfulness, marriage, blessing or long life.”

She further said:“I therefore use this opportunity to call on all political office holders, their wives, legislatures, traditional and religious leaders and other advocates of social change to mobilise coordinated and sustained action against this dangerous practice. We know Ekiti State cannot do it alone, the UNFPA, and UNICEF through the joint programme on FGM is committed to supporting all efforts required to accelerate the abandonment of FGM in our communities.

“We believe that the strong government leadership shown here today is a testimony of the political commitment of the state governor and his wife to the health and wellbeing of the people of the state. Therefore, we believe that the end of the FGM campaign will be successful and make a positive impact in the lives of a generation of girls yet unborn,” she said.

Osun State First Lady’s submission In her remark, the Osun State First Lady, Mrs. Sherifat Aregbesola, noted that statistics from UNFPA and UNICEF baseline studies have shown Osun at the top of the prevalence ladder, followed by Ekiti, Oyo and Lagos States in that order, stressing that the effects have been discovered to be extremely injurious and damaging in many aspects.

She added: “FGM physically damages the girls when they are young and the negative impacts stretch to the entire life of the victims.

This is why the collaboration among our states is a welcome development. I am confident that the technical resource persons here would give us more details about the dangers that FGM constitute to the victims and to our society.

“Many girls are being subjected to this life-long horror. We cannot continue with this practice, therefore we should seek better and healthier life for our people, given the established knowledge that there is no health benefit accruing from the practice of FGM. We have a duty, as parents, friends, relatives, guardians and leaders in our communities, to ensure that we stop this practice. The time to stop is now.

“In our drive at ensuring this stoppage, there may be need to upgrade the legal and judicial systems in our various states to make it difficult for any practitioner of FGM to get away with this crime. We need to emphasise the criminal nature of this practice following the coming into effect the law on Violence Against Persons.

“Also, we should consider inculcating the issue of FGM in school curriculum across our states.

This will enable our children to be properly sensitised and be made aware of the scope of the dangers that FGM constitute and the need to eradicate it completely. This is one way of ensuring that those being born now and those yet to be born would be saved from this horror.

For us in Osun, we have commenced intensive sensitisation on it,” she added.

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NEWS Japan Donates $90,000 Medical Equipment to Bwari Hospital Urges FG to focus more on universal health coverage Kasim Sumaina in Abuja In an effort to increasing healthcare service delivery and thereby reduce the suffering of patients in the country, the Japanese government, through it’s embassy handed over medical equipment worth ninety thousand US dollars ($90, 000) to the management of Bwari General Hospital, Abuja.

Handing over the equipment, the Ambassador of Japan to Nigeria, Mr. Sadanobu Kusaoke, disclosed that the Government of Japan granted the amount of US$89,662 (Eighty-nine thousand six hundred sixty two US dollars) under the Japanese Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) to a local NGO to assist the project.

According to him, “In the project for procurement of medical equipment for Bwari General Hospital, we are handing over 25 types of medical equipment and tools.

I believe that the equipment will contribute to better access to medical services in Bwari Area Council.

“The GGP is designed to provide financial grant assistance to nonprofit organisations and local government implementing development projects at the grassroots levels. Under the GGP, 152 projects with a total amount of US$10,456,858 have been implemented throughout Nigeria since 1998.”

Kusaoke, explained that the Embassy of Japan, have been trying to be helpful to its Nigerian friends in its pursuit of the nation’s overall economic development as well improvement it’s quality of life. To this end, “I urged the government and good people of Nigeria to focus more on

the reduction in child and maternal mortality in the country.

“Our point is that, primary healthcare is very, very important. Universal health coverage is one of the pillars we want to promote in our assistance policy to Africa including of course, Nigeria. Our assistance now is along this line and we will like every medical practitioner to align with the value of PHC and as far as this is concern, the Japanese government and it’s agencies will always be forthcoming,” Kusaoke said.

He added that the donation of the equipment will bridge the gap and contribute to reduction in child and maternal mortality rate in Bwari, as well as neighbouring areas. “In order to maximise the value of the project, we would like to ask Bwari General Hospital to maintain the equipment so that it will be fully utilised and many people will be able to benefit from it as long as possible.”

Responding, Chief Medical Director, of the hospital, Dr. Osayande Osagie, who thanked the Japanese government, said “the donations of these equipment will help in alleviating the suffering of residents of Bwari, adding that with the equipment, services that were not being provided would now be available.

Osayande noted that the most important equipment was the incubator “which will allow us to watch and save the lives of the premature babies.

I am highly elated that this hospital among many others have been chosen for this noble gesture by the Japanese government. We assure the ambassador of the good use and equally maintenance of these equipment.”

Nidus Aquilae to Offer Secondary and Tertiary Healthcare Martins I jeh A Lagos based hospital, Nidus Aquilae and its proprietor, The Fountain of Life Church, are set to offer secondary and tertiary healthcare to Lagosians, even as it has rededicated the hospital, formerly known as Grace Spring Medical Centre.

Revealing this during the opening of the new phase of the hospital, the Medical Director, Dr. Bode Abass noted that as part of efforts to impact more lives, they have upgraded the hospital to a multi-specialist centre with standard medical laboratories and medical specialists.

According to him, they have also created a benevolent fund for the poor, so that they can as well benefit from the hospital treatment plans.

According to him, the medical centre was initially totally free of charge but the

aspiration to expand and include some secondary and tertiary medical services makes it commercialisation inevitable.

“That is why we have created the benevolent fund in which the church contributes 60 per cent and the hospital gives 40 per cent to help pay the bills of the poor ones that will come around but unable to afford the full charges,” he added.

Abass said that though Lagos State was doing well with its mobile ambulance health service provision, it was not enough, adding that Nidus Aquilae will also be exploring ambulance medical service soon.

While speaking at the event, the Senior Pastor of The Fountain of Life Church, Pastor Taiwo Odukoya called on churches, leaders and wellmeaning Nigerians to rise to the needs of the people around them.

Dangerous Fever in Children Causes Death, Says Expert Godbless Eduviere The Chief Executive Officer, Outreach Group of Hospitals, Dr. Efunbo Dosekun, has stated that parents and guardians should recognise dangerous fevers in their children and access healthcare as quickly as possible, as it is a major cause of death in children.

She said with over 90 per cent of children brought to the hospital due to fever, there was need for those with dangerous fever to be given proper and prompt attention, as this often leads to death in children if not treated adequately.

Dosekun, who spoke at a press conference to sensitise the public on the dangers

of fever in children, said the commonest causes of fever in children were infections, which she added must be identified, prevented and treated at the earliest available time.

Still stressing on the dangers of fever, the CEO said parents and guardians must not take fevers in their children likely.

“Whether you regard it as simple fever or not, adequate attention must be given to it, otherwise, you might just be playing with dangerous fever which is deadly.

“You don’t just say simple fever or simple malaria and do self medication. Even if you are going to the community pharmacy, you must be able to have knowledge on whether

it is a dangerous fever or not, so that you’ll have informed choice on what to do,” she said.

According to her, dangerous fever results in high grade fever or sepsis, adding that when sepsis is in progress, it could lead to shock and even death.

“About 60 per cent of children who die in Africa have sepsis due to an overdrive of the body immune system, leading to destruction of organs by chemicals and enzymes.

“Sepsis is infection in a body that is associated with a lot of inflammation. Normally when a body comes across a bug or pathogen like malaria, it causes a reaction in the body, which then leads the immune system to attack the bug. This most

times is done with the help of anti-malaria if the fever is caused by malaria, or with anti-viral drugs if it is due to virus.

“Every individual both doctors, parents and pharmacists, must be able to identify a dangerous fever because it’s only then they can move or escalate the level of care from patronising the pharmacy rather than the hospital or doctor.”

She stressed that with knowledge in the hands of Nigerians, there would not be room for blanket treatment. “We should be developed enough now within our hospital or primary care centres to be able to differentiate when a child has a dangerous fever.

L≠ R; Member, Board of Nidus Aquilae Hospital, Dr. Yemisi Akindolie; Chief Executive Officer, Reddington Hospital Group and member, Board of Nidus Aquilae Hospital, Dr. Adeyemi Onabowale; wife of the Senior Pastor, The Fountain of Life Church (TFOLC), Ilupeju, Pastor Nomthi Odukoya; Senior Pastor, TFOLC, Pastor Taiwo Odukoya and Medical Director, Nidus Aquilae Hospital, Dr Bode Abass, at the re≠ dedication of the hospital initiative of the church in Lagos ...recently

FG to Extend Health Insurance Coverage to NYSC, Prison Inmates, Retirees Paul Obi and Bukola Eshun in Abuja The federal government has said that plans were underway to extend health insurance policy to cover National Youth Service Corps, prison inmates and retirees across the country in a move to reduce burden on the part of citizens.

This was made known by the Acting Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Mr. Femi Akingbade during the launch of the Community Based Social Insurance Scheme at Kago in Bwari Area Council of Abuja.

Akingbade said: “As we strive towards achieving our target of Universal Health Coverage (UHC), our key challenge remains extending the benefits of social health insurance to the informal sector.

“As we all know, Nigerians have a very huge informal sector, which forms 80 per cent of total population, while we also recognise the facts that the environment of our targets and goals are only possible if we are able to provide health insurance cover for this sub-sector.”

To that end, the NHIS Acting

Executive Secretary stated that government was already formulating “Programmes for NYSC members, prison inmates and retirees are also making perfection towards being rolled out of the benefit of the different categories of beneficiaries nationwide.

“The Community Based Health Program (CBHIP) is our strategy to reach out to the informal sector. With a well developed blueprint and an implementation manual in place, we have commenced implementation across the six geo-political zones of the country. In addition, we are in the process of active engagement with stakeholders to roll out CBHI programme for trade groups and cooperative societies,” Akingbade added.

Executive Director, Centre for Health, Education, Economic Rehabilitation and Social Security, Hajia Ogugua Adagbo argued that the essence of health insurance is “to ensure that marginalised and vulnerable groups and communities gain access to education, health and other social services with the aim of empowering them and improving their health status.

“In this way, we contribute

in no small measure, to the socio-economic development of the nation. The interventions are in three key thematic areas of health, education and empowerment.”

Adagbo stated that “the flag-off is a demonstration of our partnership, where

we have engaged various communities in the FCT and other states of the federation to assist in the formation of Mutual Health Associations (MHAs) to promote CBSHIP. The Bwari Mutual Health Association is our first fruit these engagements.”

Health Minister Inspects Medical Warehouse The Minister of Health, Prof.

Isaac Adewole, has appreciated the support of Global Fund and United State Agency for International Development (USAID) in building a magnificent Premier Medical Warehouse to manage the drugs distribution system in Nigeria.

The minister, who made this known shortly after inspecting the warehouse facility at Jabi, Abuja, said the warehouse was to keep drugs and other medical facilities safe, and to manage the distribution system so as to avoid duplication and overlapping of drugs’ storage practice. “When we bring everything together we will avoid wastage of resources and we will make it cheaper,

safer and easier,”Adewole said.

He further explained that the facility would prevent situations where drugs meant for Nigerians expire because of poor storage facilities, “with this type of integrated system that would not happen again,” he added.

The minister described the building as one that would take care of the medical storage needs of health facilities in the country.

Conducting the minister round the facility, the project focal person, Mrs. Adenike Adelanwa, said that the building which she described as one of best in Nigeria was a model pharmaceutical warehouse with cold room to manage vaccines.

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INTERNATIONAL

email:foreigndesk@thisdaylive.com

In Shadow of Brexit, NATO Considers Russian Deterrence

NATO leaders are expected to meet in Warsaw tomorrow to cement a new deterrent against what they see as an emboldened Russia, returning to Cold Warstyle defense with Washington again taking the part of Europe’s protector. Britain’s decision to quit the European Union, along with a migration crisis and Islamic militancy, leaves U.S. President Barack Obama seeking a show of unity at his last alliance summit to fend off accusations that NATO is obsolete and to dampen any Russian perceptions of weakness in the Western camp.

“The NATO summit was not

Saudi King Hosts Barkindo Zacheaus Somorin King Salman Bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia on Saturday hosted OPEC Secretary General-designate, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo to iftar at the royal palace in Makkah.

While welcoming Barkindo to the palace, the King assured the in-coming Secretary General of Saudi Arabia’s continuous support for OPEC especially at this critical time for the global oil industry.

King Salman noted that as a founding Member of OPEC, Saudi Arabia will continue to render support to the organization and make necessary sacrifices for the unity and progress of the group.

The custodian of the two holy mosques congratulated Barkindo and Nigeria for emerging OPEC Secretary General after four years of impasse.

Speaking on Nigeria, King Salman commended President Buhari for his dogged determination to change Nigeria for the better, and assured of Saudi Arabia’s support for Nigeria, while calling on the international community to support President Buhari’s initiative.

In his response, Barkindo thanked the King for the honour done to him, his President, Muhammadu Buhari and Nigeria with the invitation to iftar and conveyed the greetings and gratitude of President Buhari and the good people of Nigeria to the King for supporting Nigeria’s candidate even when they were also in the race.

He appealed to the King to continue to provide leadership to OPEC noting that the unity of purpose demonstrated at the June Conference of the Organization was exemplary and needs to be sustained especially during this challenging times for the oil industry.

Barkindo commended the King for his Vision 2030 project pointing out that its relevance goes beyond Saudi Arabia to all OPEC Member Countries. It is a project that all OPEC Member Countries should emulate, he said.

Barkindo, who was appointed OPEC Secretary General by the 169th Me e t i n g o f the OPEC Conference o n Ju n e 2 , i s e x p e c t e d to assume duty at the OPEC Secretariat, Vienna, on August 1.

supposed to be about Britain,” said Ian Bond at the Centre of European Reform think-tank in London.“But NATO leaders will not be able to ignore the security implications of Britain’s vote to leave the EU,” he said.

Even with such a proliferation of issues, including a resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan and Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal, the two-day summit will be dominated by NATO’s response to Russia and a conflict in Ukraine that the West accuses Moscow of fomenting at a cost of more than 9,000 lives.

Russia says it is the alliance, not Moscow, that is increasing the risks of a broader conflict in Europe, citing NATO’s big-

gest modernization since the Cold War and a U.S. missile defense shield as reasons to be worried. NATO’s modernization is crystallizing around a new force in the Baltics and Poland of up to 4,000 troops to serve as a constant reminder to Moscow that the alliance is back to its founding mandate of defending its territory, after years of missions beyond its borders.

“We’re in a new relationship with a newly aggressive, newly assertive Russia,” said Douglas Lute, Washington’s envoy to NATO. “It’s brought us back to the primacy of our initial core task: collective defense, our immediate neighborhood.”

In Warsaw, the United States, Canada, Germany and Britain will step up to lead the four battalions on the eastern flank.

The deterrent will also be made up of a new network of eight small NATO outposts, more war games, and, if needed, a rapid response force, including air, maritime and special operations components of up to 40,000 personnel.

Air defenses in the Baltics, a strategy against potential Russian cyber attacks and a NATO presence in the Black Sea, where Russia has a fleet, will also be strengthened over time, NATO diplomats say. While dismissed as merely a trip wire by some military experts, NATO says

the battalions reassure the ex-Soviet countries in Europe that they are protected from the kind of annexation Russia orchestrated in February 2014 in Crimea. NATO also avoids a return to the Cold War, when the United States had 300,000 service personnel stationed in Europe, and allows the alliance to respect a 1997 agreement with Russia not to put large numbers of troops permanently on NATO’s borders.

Still, the United States will be providing much of NATO’S deterrent, with warehoused U.S. equipment in Germany ready for any conflict, its battalion of around 1,000 soldiers in Poland and an armored brigade

moving around central Europe.

That puts Washington back in its post-World War Two role of defending its European allies, despite Obama’s efforts to refocus U.S. attention on the growing economies of Asia and to encourage Europe to take care of its own neighborhood.

“It’s like trying to leave the Mafia,”said one senior Western defense official of Obama’s November 2011 ‘pivot to Asia’ and away from Europe. “Just when you thought you were out, they pull you back in,” said the official, paraphrasing a famous line from the American movie trilogy“The Godfather”.

With Europe’s credibility under threat and with Britons voting

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EID-EL-FITR FELICITATIONS…

EID-EL-FITR FELICITATIONS…

Go Back to the Farm, Sultan Urges Nigerians Emir of Kano urges Muslims to apply lessons of Ramadan

Our Correspondents The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar III, yesterday called on Nigerians to go back to the farms, adding that that is the only way out of the current challenges bedeviling the country.

In his Sallah message to the Muslim Ummah in his palace in Sokoto, the monarch said Nigerians are really facing difficult times occasioned by the global financial crunch, hence the need for the people to embrace farming as a way out of the current quagmire.

He stated that Nigeria is endowed with vast arable land with each region having its own peculiar comparative advantage, as such, the country has no business with importation of food.

"Farming is our main source of livelihood in the North. We should all go back to the farms-engage in both rainy and dry season farming. With this, we can produce adequate food to be locally selfsufficient and even export the surplus," he said.

He commended President Muhammadu Buhari and the Sokoto State Government for their efforts to revamp the agriculture sector.

"These efforts will help in further reducing poverty and unemployment as well as boost the nation's revenue.

"Premium should also be placed on the welfare of Nigerians and security. We should all regard security as a collective responsibility," the Sultan added.

He condemned the recent blast close to the Holy Mosque of Prophet Muhammad in Medina, Saudi Arabia, saying Islam abhors all forms of violence.

"Islam is a religion of peace, and it preaches peace and unity. Violence breeds only violence and underdevelopment. It is only the bad eggs among the Muslims who are perpetrating such heinous acts,” he stated.

Meanwhile, the Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, in has urged Muslim faithful to apply lessons learnt during the holy month of Ramadan in their daily activities.

He also advised them to observe the obligatory six-day fasting in the month of Shawwal.

In his Sallah message, the Emir also urged Muslims Ummah to remain peaceful, tolerate one another and help the less-privileged people in the society.

THISDAY gathered that Eid prayers were peacefully conducted in all Eid prayer grounds in Kano metropolis and some other parts of the state amid tight security.

Don't Depart from Rebirth of Ramadan, Aregbesola Tells Muslims

Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, in his Sallah message yesterday urged adherents of the Islamic faith to hold the virtue of Ramadan in all they do.

The governor said the essence of Ramadan is for human beings to be reborn spiritually.

According to him, fasting teaches virtue, resilience and endurance which must be upheld by all Islamic faithful.

He tasked Muslims not to detract from the part of virtue and righteousness that they observed for 30 days of Ramadan.

Aregbesola noted that the best thing for Muslims to do after the fasting is not to go back to old ways of sins.

"Today marks the end of Ramadan. It is without doubt that for 30 days, we endured hunger, thirst and obedience.

"These are what Allah commands of us. During this month, we came together as one. We shared together; we loved ourselves and prayed to God for forgiveness.

"Fasting teaches the utmost virtues of endurance, tolerance, love, honesty, determination in face of adversity. It is all these that renewed our beings and made us spiritual.

"I therefore urge us to hold on to all the qualities.

Even though Ramadan has ended, we should not let these good qualities go with the Ramadan. We must not depart from this path of virtue again," Aregbesola said.

Ajimobi Urges Modesty, Vigilance during Celebrations

Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, yesterday wished Islam adherents across the country a joyous and crisis-free festival of Eid

as he warned miscreants to have a re-think for the sake of the brotherhood binding everyone together.

Meanwhile, the Olofa of Offa, Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi Esuoye 1, has enjoined Muslims not to jettison all the good works that they had during the just concluded Ramadan fast.

The monarch in a statement issued in Offa yesterday to mark the Eid -el-Fitr celebrations said: "Let it be our foundation upon which all our actions will rest for the next 11 months when the opportunity will once again present itself."

He therefore urged all Muslims to continue to preach peace, unity and tolerance among themselves and people of other religions so that the nation can move forward.

Osun APC Felicitates with Muslims

Imam of Mamibilla Barracks, Major Hamisu Mustapha, leading the Sallah prayers with President Muhammadu Buhari, and Minister of Defence, Brig Gen. Mohammed Dan-Ali (rtd), and other dignitaries in attendance at the Mambilla Barracks prayer ground to mark the Eld el-Fitri in Abuja...yesterday al-Fitr, following the completion of the month-long Ramadan.

In a statement by the Special Adviser to the governor on Communication and Strategy, Mr. Yomi Layinka, he urged Muslims to be modest in their celebrations and to be on their guard against terrorists who might want to wreak havoc during the celebration.

The governor expressed the belief that with the dedication and commitment of the Muslim community to the Ramadan as one of the pillars of Islam, the country would soon witness a socioeconomic rebirth and peace.

El-Rufai Urges Kaduna People to Resist Attempt to Divide State Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai, has called on citizens of the state to resist any attempt to divide the state along religious and ethnic line.

Speaking in an interview with journalists yesterday, shortly after Eid prayer which was held at Kaduna Capital School to mark Eid-elFitr, el-Rufai said peace, harmony and stability among citizens were critical in achieving cogent and realistic development in the state.

He urged the people to redouble their efforts and stand together by resisting any attempt to divide the state along religious and ethnic lines.

The governor commended the people for keeping faith with the state government policies and actions, as he called for continuous support.

Extend Holy Life beyond Ramadan, Ambode Charges Muslims Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, has urged Muslim faithful and all Lagosians to carry on with the principles of the holy month of Ramadan which are love, peace, kindness, compassion and happy co-existence.

Ambode, who spoke at the Lagos House, Ikeja, at a special Eid-el-Fitr celebration organised by the state government to mark the end of fasting, said it is only when the principles of the season are sustained beyond Ramadan that the fasting period can be given true meaning.

The governor, who said this year's Ramadan was unique in the sense that the 30-day fasting period was fully observed, thanked the Muslim faithful for their prayers and urged them to continue to pray for the state and the country.

Masari: Nigeria is Going through most Challenging Period Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari, has disclosed that the country is going through one of the most challenging moments in its history.

Masari in his Sallah message made available to THISDAY in Katsina yesterday and signed by his Senior Special Adviser on media, Abdu Labaran Malumfashi, said: “With the drastic global economic downturn negatively affecting Nigeria's income, the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-east, the Niger Delta militancy, the

irredentist agitations in the South-east and the cattle rustling menace in the North, there is no doubt that the lessons taught by the month of Ramadan are but the tonic the nation needs to get it out of the dire straits it is navigating."

Bello Sympathises with Kogi Workers over Unpaid Salaries

The Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, yesterday sympathised with the state workers who are yet to receive their salaries, saying the issue will soon be a thing of the past.

The governor who was speaking in Okene, after this year Eid-el-Fitr prayers to mark the end of Ramadan fast noted that the delay was caused by the screening exercise, which he said was aimed at eliminating ghosts from the state pay rolls.

According to him, at the end of the exercise, only genuine workers will earn salary from the state, vowing to implement the outcome of the report of the screening to its fullest.

The governor, who promised to ensure adequate security of lives and property of the people of the state, noted that government would not renege on its promises to the people.

Don't Deviate from Lessons of Ramadan, Akpabio Charges Muslims

Former Governor of Akwa Ibom State and Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, has charged Muslim faithful not to forget the very tenets of the religion-love, obedience and perseverance-as they celebrate the end of the Ramadan.

Akpabio, whose goodwill message was contained in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Jackson Udom, urged Muslim faithful to close ranks and work for the peace, unity and development of the country.

He said: "It is only in a state of peace and tranquility that governments at all levels would be able to deliver dividends of democracy."

Emir of Ilorin, Others Preach Peace

Emir of Ilorin and Chairman Kwara State Traditional Council, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, has enjoined Muslims to continue to exemplify the worthy life of Prophet Muhammad and extend such to adherents of other religions by continuing to live in peace and harmony.

The Emir stated this yesterday in his Sallah message delivered at the Ilorin Central Yidi praying ground shortly after the two Rakats prayer which was conducted in a peaceful atmosphere.

He also admonished religion leaders to discharge their obligations in line with the dictates of Allah and his Prophet in order to inject the message of unity, peace and harmony into the society.

While felicitating with the entire Muslim Ummah for the successful completion of the spiritual, Gambari urged residents to continue to live in peace and always shun violence even

All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has felicitated with Muslims in the country, especially those in the state for the successful completion of the 30-day fast for spiritual renewal, consistent with the faith and way of Islam.

The party also celebrated the glorious occasion by reminding faithful to demonstrate the benefits of the fast in maturity, patience, goodwill and good neighbourliness in a peaceful environment, adding that Islam is a religion of peace.

The APC urged citizens of other faiths to celebrate with their Muslim brothers and sisters and empathise with their desire for peaceful co-existence.

The party in a statement yesterday signed by the state party's Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, Kunle Oyatomi, therefore urged all citizens of the state to reflect and celebrate to keep faith and hope alive that what the APC government led by the state Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, started six years ago will be accomplished, regardless of enormous challenges the state face.

Tight Security in Minna as Muslims Celebrate

Security around Minna, the Niger State capital, was effective yesterday as Muslim faithful celebrated the Eid-el-Fitr to mark the end of one month of fasting and prayers.

Armed security men and operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) manned the major streets and other public buildings in the state capital.

Though the Minna central mosque was not designed for prayers, armed policemen cordoned off the place disallowing people entry into the mosque.

The Eid prayer ground where the prayers were offered was also protect by armed security men.

However, no ugly incident occurred during and after the two talk at prayers.

The state Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello; former military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), among others were the prominent Muslims that attended the special prayers for peace and progress of the country.

Bello and Abdulsalami later paid the homage on former Nigerian Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (rtd) at his uphill residence.

Reduce Hardship on Nigerians Now, Muslim Cleric Tells FG Worried by the suffering Nigerians are presently experiencing, a Muslim leader, Alhaji Mohammed Adamu, yesterday advised the federal government to fast-track actions on policies and programmes that would revive the nation’s economy.

Fielding questions from journalists at the end of the Eid-el-Fitr prayers marking the end of Ramadan in the country, Adamu expressed concern that Nigerians, irrespective of tribe and religion, were now going through difficult times.

The cleric who is the Chief Imam of Uyo Central Mosque, Akwa Ibom State, acknowledged the policies and programmes of government so far being prosecuted but insisted that they must be translated into better living condition for citizens.

The spiritual leader said: “We are experiencing hardship in the country so we have prayed to Almighty Allah to bring sucour to all of us.

THURSDAY JULY 7, 2016 • T H I S D AY

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CRIME&PUNISHMENT Army Corporal to Serve Four Years in Jail for Defiling 11-year-old Girl

Tobi Soniyi in Abuja For defiling an 11-year-old girl, Corporal Isah Ahmed of the Nigerian Army Headquarters Garrison would do four years in jail, the Supreme Court has held.

The court in a unanimous judgment of five justices upheld the conviction and four years jail sentence handed to a soldier Ahmed a General Court Marshal.

The court held that the General Court Marshal and the Court of Appeal, Abuja division (to which Ahmed had appealed) were right in convicting and

sentencing him to four years in imprisonment.

The appeal marked: SC/223/2013 was filed by Ahmed of Nigerian Army Headquarters Garrison.

Ahmed was, in 2005 was arraigned before the General Court Marshal on a one-count charge of defilement contrary to Section 78 of the Armed Forces Act CAP A 20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

He was charged with having carnal knowledge of the 11-year old (name withheld) between January 4 and March 5, 2005.

Ahmed, who was said to be

a neighbour and family friend of the victim, was said to have lured the girl into his apartment, in his wife’s absence, by asking the girl to buy soft drink for him.

The military court sat at the Officers’ Mess, Mogadishu Contonment, Abuja.

At the end of its sitting, the court marshal, in its judgment on August 29, 2005 found Ahmed guilty of the charge and sentenced him to four years imprisonment.

He appealed to the Court of Appeal, Abuja division, which also, in its judgment on March 18, 2010 upheld the decision of the Court Marshal, a decision

Ahmed appealed to the Supreme Court.

In its judgment on July 1, the Supreme Court agreed with the Court Marshal and Court of Appeal that the prosecution proved its case of defilement against the appellant (Ahmed).

Justice Kudirat Kekekere-Ekun, who wrote the lead judgment, said: “I am of the view that the lower court (Court of Appeal) was right when it affirmed the decision of the General Court Marshal that the prosecution had proved its case against the appellant beyond reasonable doubt.”

In Brief

Police Track, Recover Stolen Toyota Hilux in Lagos The Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command yesterday tracked and recovered a Toyota Hilux 2014 model, stolen from where it was parked at Tiwalade Street, Shogunle, Oshodi of the state. The RRS operatives had upon receiving a radio report of the stolen Hilux, quickly swung into action and tracked the vehicle to Ebute area of Ikorodu, where it was recovered. They however did not apprehend the suspects as they abandoned the vehicle and fled upon sighting the policemen on their trail. The vehicle, belonging to a Lagos based company, served as a security vehicle and according to the driver, one Felix Agunbiade, he had parked it right at his residence in Shogunle on Tuesday night. He had woken up the next morning and wanted to pick his company’s CEO, who was visiting from Dubai, only to discover the pick-up was missing. THISDAY gathered that as at the time of recovering the vehicle, its number plate had already been changed and replaced with LSR 400 CZ. The vehicle has been handed over to the DPO of the Police Division at Shogunle in the presence of the owner’s representative.

Suspected Kidnapper Nabbed in Kwara A middle-aged man suspected to be a kidnapper was yesterday

reportedly nabbed around Adewole area, off Agbooba in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital. THISDAY checks revealed that upon suspecting the middle-aged man, an angry mob swooped on him when he was discovered that he disguised as a mentally retarded person. The middle-aged man was yet to embark on the dastardly act before the residents of the area swooped on him. During the attack on him, the suspected kidnapper was allegedly discovered to be using phone which he claimed to have found by the road side. It was based on this development that the angry swooped on him and took him to Area “B” Division of the Nigeria Police located around Taiwo area, Ilorin for interrogation.

Gunmen Abduct Traditional Ruler in Ondo The traditional ruler of Iyansan Town in Irele Local Government

FUNDING THE POLICE TO TACKLE CRIME

R-L: Rivers State Police Commissioner, Mr. Foluso Adebanjo; Representative of Governor Nyesom Wike and Permanent Secretary, Government House, Port Harcourt, Mr. Onyemachi Nwankwo; and Chairman, state Traditional Rulers Council, Amayanabo of Opobo Kingdom, King Dandyson Jaja, during the presentation of security patrol vehicles to the state police command by governor in Port Harcourt....yesterday

Post-Eid Clash in Kwara Claims One, Three Wounded Hammed Shittu in Ilorin One person has been reportedly killed in the ancient town of Jebba in Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State following a clash that ensued in the ancient town over the traditional leadership in the town.

Besides, three persons have been reportedly wounded while property worth several millions of naira were vandalised during the crisis.

The deceased according to THISDAY checks, was simply identified as “Pastor.”

Sources in the town told journalists in Ilorin yesterday that the dispute was a renewal of an age-long disagreement between factions loyal to the traditional ruler of the town, Oba Abdulkadir Alabi Adebara and members of an opposing camp, the Okedares.

It was gathered that pandemonium broke out moments after the Eid-el- Fitri prayers when some indigenes

believed to belong to the Okedare group allegedly began making some sinister displays at the frontage of Adebara’s palace.

As efforts to stop the display were allegedly rebuffed, it was gathered that one popular man in the town, identified as Baale Osogun, also decided to stage his own version of display at the same venue.

Irked by the developments, some loyalists of the monarch were said to have attempted to disperse the crowd allegedly by force, leading to serious violent resistance.

An eyewitness account told journalists that, “It was just as this moment that we started hearing the sounds of gun shots at Oke-Oja where the palace is sited.

“The shots felled down three people who were promptly rushed to a nearby hospital.”

Sources said during the melee, one persons simply identified as ‘Pastor.’ was killed by the irate group.

It was further learnt that the other two are in critical conditions while a vehicle

and a motor cycle at the scene were burnt beyond recognition.

Abducted Immigration Officer Released from Kidnappers Den Chiemelie Ezeobi Three days after he was abducted by an unknown kidnap gang, a Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) officer, one Peter Ofulue, attached to the Immigration Passport Office, Ikoyi, Lagos, was yesterday evening finally released by his captors.

Ofulue was reportedly released at about 4.30p.m. without any ransom paid, despite the earlier demands by the kidnappers for N30million to secure his release.

It was gathered that the victim was released when the kidnappers realised that no ransom was forthcoming,

so they just collected his phone and the cash he had on him before they released him.

Ofulue was kidnapped by armed men on his way to the office on Monday, as he was trying to board a boat.

The armed men were said to have stormed the jetty in an unregistered car and whisked him away.

After a day in captivity, his family was finally contacted as at Tuesday evening and the ransom demand made.

Although his release was unexpected, the Lagos State Police Command was already making inroads into securing his release and arresting the masterminds.

Area of Ondo State, Oba Abiodun Oyewumi was late Monday abducted by gunmen The monarch was said to have been abducted by gunmen, who entered the community through Owena River at the boundary between Ondo and Edo States around 10:30p.m.

The source said the kidnappers reportedly went straight to the palace of the traditional ruler and whisked him away. Also, the source said the kidnappers had not contacted the family of the monarch on the issue of ransom and whereabouts of the traditional ruler. Reacting to the development, the Chairman of Irele Local Government Area of the state, Mr. Sanmi Elumaro, explained that the kidnappers numbering about ten came into the town through the waterways and headed to the palace. According to the chairman, the kidnappers were heavily armed and none of the residents could challenge or confront them while the operation was going on. Elumaro said the men of the Nigerian Navy and the police in the riverine area of the state had been on the trail of the suspected kidnappers, expressing optimism that the hoodlums would be apprehended. T

Armed Robbers Attack Shops in Calabar Dare devil arm robbers yesterday held the shop owners operating

on Marian Road, in Calabar municipal to ransom for about an hour robbing them of their wares and cash. Also affected were motorist, especially commercial transport operators who ply the ever busy road which is a major business hub in Calabar. Residents of Ibom Layout and Mekenge Layout which are close to where the robbers operated were terribly frightened while the robbers operated, and even for hours after they left. The area where the robbers stormed between the hours of 12noon and 1p.m. plays host to many businesses including supermarkets, car stands, ceramic shops, wine shops and provision shops, fast foods and restaurants. An eyewitness account stated that the robbers, about six in number, had a field day as they ransacked some of the shops.

Some of the shop owners who spotted the robbers early enough fled to safety before they could be reached by the armed robbers who wielded sophisticated weapons. Some motorists who met the robbers operating, abandoned their vehicles and fled, just as pedestrians scampered into different adjourning streets and corners for safety. “My brother, from the car stand to the fast food joint up to the filling station there, the boys, about six in number, were just operating freely for close to an hour, with very sophisticated guns. They started around 12noon and continued till almost 1p.m. when they entered their vehicle and left. It was after they had gone that the police showed up. We believe the robbers made away with money and other valuables,” the eyewitness said. yesterday’s robber incident occurred less than 24 hours after armed robbers raided a supermarket located at the state Housing Estate, section of the same Marian Road on Tuesday night, and carted away cash and valuables. When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Cross River Police Command, Irene Ugbo, said she would respond later.

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THURSDAY, july 7, 2016 • T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

CAN Election: Akinola, Others to Shun Peace Meeting Paul Obi in Abuja A former President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Most Rev. Peter Akinola and many other religious leaders yesterday said they had declined to attend the meeting of Christian elders aimed at bringing peace fixed for Uyo due to the divisions created during the last CAN elections.

The meeting was said to have been initiated by the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja Diocese and former President of CAN, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, at the residence of a former President of CAN and ex-Primate of the Methodist Church, Sunday Mbang.

Onaiyekan, in his invitation letter, however, admitted that he has “no authority” to summon any national meeting of CAN. Apart from Akinola, it was learnt that most of the senior religious leaders and elders made it clear that they could not attend the said meeting because of lack of clarifications.

In a letter to Onaiyekan and obtained by journalists yesterday in Abuja, Akinola explained that he would not attend the meeting because the information got to him very late.

“I waited to hear from you the response of others to our proposals; your mail arrived my inbox late midnight in Nairobi. I am very sorry to have to say that I might not be able to attend the Uyo consultation. I have been

travelling rather extensively within and outside these shores in the last few weeks. In point of fact, I just came back from Nairobi exhausted, having spent two sleepless nights due to flight delays.

“My two knees are wobbling.

My doctor suggests that I take off at least the next one week to rest because as of this moment, I am physically unfit to undertake any further travels in the next few weeks.”

Although it is not part of its constitution, the usual practice and tradition is that the Vice President of CAN automatically takes over (through election) from the President whenever the tenure of the latter expires.

The National Director of Christ Redeemers Union, Dr. Ebenezer Olusola Abednego, had faulted its legality, alleging that the meeting which had also invited the outgoing President of CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, was not in the best interest of CAN. But both Onaiyekan and Mbang however denied the allegation.

While Ayokunle, President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, contested the CAN presidential election on the platform of the Christian Council of Nigeria, his Vice-President-Elect, Prof.

Joseph Otubu, of the Motailatu Church Cherubim and Seraphim Movement, contested under the umbrella of the Organisation of African Instituted Churches.

The inauguration of the new leadership of CAN will hold on July 20 during the forthcoming General Assembly of CAN in Abuja to be presided over by Oritsejafor, who is the Founder of the Word of Life Bible Church in Warri, Delta State.

In the invitation letter, Onaiyekan said: “Three of us, Prelate Sunday Mbang, Primate Peter Akinola and John Cardinal Onaiyekan, all former Presidents of CAN, consulted among ourselves over the past weekend, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

“We know that we have no authority to summon any national meeting of CAN, but we feel that the spirit is challenging us to do our best for the good of the community of Christians.

“The people we are inviting are as follows: all other former CAN Presidents, and all former Vice Presidents. The present incumbents (President and Vice President); Heads of the five blocks of CAN or their representatives and a few other major church leaders, (about five), not included above. We expect it to start at 5p.m. and end by 9p.m. It will be a closed door meeting, with no publicity,” Meanwhile, a group of Christians under the aegis of Patriotic Christian Youths of Nigeria (PCYN) have urged the Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) to desist from being too close to President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.

MINISTRY OF NIGER DELTA AFFAIRS FEDERAL SECRETARIAT SHEHU SHAGARI WAY, CBD, ABUJA

ADDENDUM ON INVITATION FOR PREQUALIFICATION AND DIRECT TENDERING FOR WORKS, GOODS AND EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FOR CONSULTANCY SERVICES FOR THE 2016 CAPITAL PROJECTS. Further to Ministry's publication in the Federal Tenders Journal, Daily Trust and This Day Newspapers on 13th June, 2016 on the above subject, the following addendum has become very necessary as a result of omission/commission on the part of the Ministry:i) The request that Contractors, Consultants and Service Providers should provide evidence of VAT registration and remittance is hereby expunged; ii) Bidders are required to provide valid ITF compliance Certificate only instead of evidence of payment to ITF stated in the advertisement; and iii) Bidders are to submit Interim Registration Report issued by BPP as evidence of registration on the National Database of Contractors, Consultants and Service Providers and not just evidence of registration with the National Database of Contractors as earlier stated.

2. Further to above, the Ministry wishes to expunge the following projects from its earlier publications as they were published in error due to their respective nature and values:Lot C2: Lot C4: Lot F1: Lot F2: Lot G2:

Enlightenment Campaign to Youth/Women against HIV/AID, Rollback Malaria and Cancer in the Niger Delta Region; Artisan Training of 150 Non-Militant Youth in Housing Industry; As Built Survey of Housing Estate and Skill Acquisition Centres in Niger Delta Region; Utility and Infrastructure Mapping of Niger Delta Region; and Procurement of Surveying and Mapping Equipment

3. In addition, the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs is by this addendum, extending the bid closing date from 13th July to 12:00 noon of Wednesday 20th July, 2016.

4. All other requirements and Projects as contained in the earlier publications remain the same.

5. Any inconvenience caused due to omission or commission in the earlier publication is highly regretted.

Signed Permanent Secretary

THE VERDICT

OLUSEGUN ADENIYI

THE MESSAGE IN ABIA PALAVER “…The serial numbers were conflicting. The conflict showed that Ikpeazu had not paid his tax as at when due in accordance with the law.

Third, was the issue of figures. Let us assume he was supposed to earn N500,000 per annum but in his tax papers, it was showing above N1million. He said his tax was being deducted at source but the question is, if that was so, why the discrepancies in your taxable income? Is it not what he was earning (that) he should be taxed on? We found so many discrepancies in his tax certificate.”

However, since much of the public discourse has been dominated by the propriety or otherwise of INEC’s action in promptly complying with the judgement, I see nothing wrong in what the commission did, especially after going through the tactics employed by Ikpeazu’s lawyers to frustrate this case from the time it was first filed.

Incidentally, before the Abia Governorship case, INEC had withdrawn the Certificate of Return to one Dennis Amadi, a member representing Udi/Ezeagu Federal Constituency of Enugu State based on a similar court order. It was also a pre-election matter. The Certificate of Return was instead issued to Chief Ogbuefi Ozomgbachi.

Perhaps the more noteworthy is the case in 2014 of the former Governor of Adamawa State, Mr. Bala Ngilari. A Federal High Court presided over by Justice Adeniyi Ademola held that Ngilari did not submit his resignation as Deputy Governor to ousted Governor Murtala Nyako as required by the Constitution but to the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Alhaji Umaru Fintiri who, acting a script, made himself the acting Governor of the State while plotting to contest the office. The Court ordered Ngilari’s reinstatement on 8th October 2014 and he was sworn-in within hours even though Fintiri’s counsel, Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN, had filed a motion for stay of execution and appeal against the judgement.

Therefore, without prejudice to the ongoing case, a prompt obedience to court order will make the political parties wake up to the reality that they cannot nominate just any candidate or “mistakingly” submit any documentation without

Ogah consequences, especially given that INEC has no power under the current Electoral Act to disqualify candidates nominated by the parties.

But I am also worried that a man who did not contest election would become governor. It is not good for our democracy and I had thought the several constitutional amendments on which the National Assembly had expended so much money and time would take care of that. But unfortunately it has not.

For sure, there are many things that are very disturbing in the Abia debacle. One, what happens if Ogah loses at Appeal? And to stretch it further, what happens if Ikpeazu wins on appeal but loses at the Supreme Court? Would INEC keep giving and withdrawing Certificates of Return?

INEC National Commissioner in charge of the South East, Mr Lawrence Nwuruku said the commission would gladly do that. “If the court tomorrow issues another order, we would obey the same. By the grace of God, I am the INEC Commissioner in charge of South East. I was the person who gave the Certificate of Return to Governor Ikpeazu as he was declared winner.

Now, the court has said otherwise. One thing we know is that we are not above the law and we cannot disobey the laws of the land. After the court, another person we obey in our land

is God and my conscience is my God. Another thing that guides us is the court and we must obey its order with immediate effect. If you were in the court that day, and I urge you the media, to go and study the court ruling very well, it was wonderful; it was direct”, he said.

Wonderful? “Olopa e wo ni t’epe?” as the Yoruba would say. Iwuruku seems too excited about this Abia matter for my liking and I hope Justice Abang will also be mindful of the implications of his ruling on the governance and public order in the state. Nevertheless, whatever may be the misgivings in INEC’s speedy compliance with respect to Abia, the import is that no party can use court injunction to frustrate to keep ineligible candidates in public office until the end of their tenure. This has been the practice in the past.

For instance, the court process between the late Dr Olusegun Agagu and Segun Mimiko in Ondo State, like the one involving Mr. Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Mr Rauf Aregbesola in Osun State, lasted for nearly the end of tenure of the then incumbent Governors. Dr Chris Ngige also spent almost three years in office before the court declared that it was Mr Peter Obi who won the election as Anambra State Governor. There is also a case similar to that of Abia State where someone is challenging the qualification of Mr. Sullivan Chime to contest the 2011 Governorship election in Enugu State which is still pending at the Court of Appeal. Meanwhile, Chime has since finished his tenure.

More pathetic is the case of Alhaji Alhassan Abubakar Badakoshi, a retired Permanent Secretary who contested the 1983 Governorship election in Niger State on the platform of the late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe-led Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP). He lost to Alhaji Auwal Ibrahim (the current Emir of Suleja) of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in a controversial manner. Badakoshi challenged the election from the High Court to the Court of Appeal and eventually to the Supreme Court. 20 years after the election, and 19 days after his death on 16th March 2003, the Supreme Court declared Badakoshi the rightful winner of the 1983 governorship election in Niger State. What manner of justice is that?

To the extent that our politicians have perfected the art of unnecessarily prolonging cases in court with frivolous applications so that the best those who challenge them can get is judgement and not justice, I can understand the basis for INEC decision, even if I disagree with the idea of making a man who did not contest any election to become governor of a state. But if that is the only way to put a stop to judgements that offer little or no comfort to winners, then so be it. Last November, the Supreme Court decided a case involving a woman in Onitsha whose in-laws sought to disinherit her based on some cultural practices. It took 35 years after she was widowed to win the right to get justice while the case of a judge who is challenging his removal 12 years ago is still at the Court of Appeal on an interlocutory point!

However, while the legal and procedural matters rage in the Abia State gubernatorial tussle, and I hope Ikpeazu would be availed all his rights under the law, it is important for us to also look at the moral propriety of the matter. Those who seek high public office must fulfil their civic responsibilities in order to serve as credible exemplars to the rest of society whom they seek to lead. If someone who aspires to the high office of state governor cannot pay his taxes as and when due while expecting to compel other citizens to fulfil this obligation when elected, there is something fundamentally wrong there. To go to the extent of cooking up dodgy documents to cover up this irresponsibility is even more criminal.

For too long, Nigeria has been a society of ‘anything goes’. And in the context of the overall change which we all seek but dread, the judiciary has a responsibility to use the law to assist us in re-establishing the beacons of right versus wrong. The critical institutions of state like INEC must also help in obeying court orders so that people do not continue to exploit the delay in justice administration in our country to commit criminality. This is of course without prejudice to the right of the aggrieved to seek redress through the appeal process.

T H I S D AY THURSDAY JULY 7, 2016

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thurSDAY, julY 7, 2016 • T H I S D AY

THURSDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

R U S S I A 2 0 1 8 Q UA L I F I E R S

Indomitable Lions Dismiss Eagles Threat Duro Ikhazuagbe with agency report Indomitable Lions Head Coach, Hugo Bross, has insisted that Algeria and not Nigeria that is the real threat to Cameroun’s qualification for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Nigeria, Algeria, Cameroun and Zambia were paired in Group B of the Russia 2018 qualifier at the draws made last month in Cairo, Egypt.

But the Belgian remains unfazed by the presence of the Super Eagles in the same group with the Lions.

The Belgian told Cameroon Tribune yesterday that he is happy at playing away to Algeria in the first group fixture on October 3 – and Nigeria in Cameroun’s third game on August 28, 2017.

“I am satisfied with the draw since we will be meeting Algeria and Nigeria at home first,” the 64-year-old former Anderlecht defender was quoted by Tribune.

“This will enable us to readjust if necessary at home. But for the first game against the Fennecs, I think the pressure will not be on our side. Algeria knows they cannot afford to drop points at home, especially against direct rivals like us. It is for us to exploit this advantage to get a good result. Anyway, we must be in our best shape to face each of our opponents, especially mentally,” observed coach in his assessment of the chances of the Indomitable Lions.

Similarly, veteran Cameroun defender, Henri Bedimo, believes

the Lions, who stopped Nigeria from qualifying for Italy ’90, can secure their eighth World Cup berth and pile more misery on the Eagles.

Led by the amazing Roger Milla the Lions snuffed Super Eagles out, including a 3-0 flattening.

The Super Eagles are to start their round robin play on October 3 against Zambia which on paper will be their easiest match.

With Nigeria’s five appearances at the World Cup, ball followers in the land are now apprehensive of what to make of the team’s fate in the quest for a sixth in Russia.

Poor funding, organizational hassles and the inability to hire a coach to replace Sunday Oliseh, months after he quit the Eagles job, are some of the problems creating fears as the qualifiers are months away.

Yet many of the green-whitegreen faithful remain optimistic and point out that Nigeria always performed better when either written off or with their backs up against the wall.

They will also point out that, head to head, the Eagles have the edge having beaten the Central Africans 10 times and drawing six while losing only four out of the 20 times they have met.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) announced last week that the list of shortlisted coaches to be interviewed for the Eagles job is to be released tomorrow with all eyes on Frenchman Paul Le Guen seen as the front runner.

RIO 2016

‘We Can’t be Gunning for Olympic Gold and We’re Begging for Money’ Nigeria’s Olympic team Coach, Samson Siasia, has raised the alarm over the Dream Team VI shoddy preparations for the Rio Olympics, insisting that “we cannot be going for gold and we are begging for money.”

Siasia and his ward are training in Atlanta, United States of America, ahead of the summer games in August, but the outspoken coach has been far from impressed with his team’s build-up.

“It is not a good image to go to the Olympics with while trying to beg for money around, actually begging people for money to take care of the Nigerian Olympic team.

How are we going to win gold, if we keep begging for money to take care of our athletes?” laments Siasia.

“We don’t have money. We are in the (United States of) America now without any money. So, it is a big problem.

“We are without any money in our pocket. There are no funds coming from anywhere. That is not a good thing.

“When you have players who are not motivated and encouraged,

but you want them to come and do a miracle. Everybody needs to be encouraged at one time or the other.”

He added: “We just want to appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari to come to the rescue of sports in the country as our father and sports-loving President.

“The sports sector is dying and it is adversely affecting the Olympic teams that have qualified to represent Nigeria at the Rio Olympics Games, not just football, but the other (seven) sports that Nigeria will campaign in Rio. “The reason is well known which is the Sports Ministry needs to be funded adequately.

This has adversely affected the Nigeria Football Federation too.

Everybody is borrowing.

“This has to stop. President Buhari has to help us by approving some funds for our Olympic teams to prepare well.

If the funds are not there, how are you going to prepare to win gold?”

Siasia’s team will play two warm-up matches in the USA before they depart to Brazil on July 29.

PORTUGAL THROUGH TO FINAL…

Wales’ historic Euro 2016 run came to an end last night at the semi-final stage as Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo (right) guided his side to the final with a 2-0 victory. Ronaldo headed Portugal ahead after a phenomenal leap, and Nani clinched the victory when he turned home Ronaldo’s shot from outside the penalty area… Today Germany plays France in the other semi-

Messi Jailed 21 Months for Tax Fraud A court in Spain yesterday sentenced Barcelona’s star striker Lionel Messi and his father to 21 months in jail for tax fraud and slapped them with a fine of $4.1 million.

But these prison sentences are likely to be suspended as is common in Spain for first offences for non-violent crimes carrying a sentence of less than two years.

The Barcelona court found the Argentina international and his father Jorge Horacio Messi guilty of using companies in Belize, Britain, Switzerland and Uruguay to avoid paying taxes on 4.16 million euros of Messi’s income earned from his image

Messi rights from 2007-09.

The income related to Messi’s image rights that was allegedly hidden includes endorsement deals with Danone, Adidas, Pepsi-Cola, Procter & Gamble or the Kuwait Food Company.

Messi, 29, a five time FIFA

World Player winner, was fined 2.09 million euros while his father was fined 1.6 million euros.

They can appeal the decision to Spain’s Supreme Court.

Both Messi and his father, who has managed his son’s affairs since he was a child, were charged with three counts of tax fraud.

Messi, told the court during the four-day trial that wrapped up on June 4 that he trusted his father with his finances and “knew nothing” about how his wealth was managed.

Prosecutors had asked for Messi to be absolved, arguing there was no evidence that the player was aware of how his income was managed.

But the state attorney representing tax authorities in the trial, Mario Maza, said he found it unlikely that Messi knew nothing about the situation.

“There is no deliberate ignorance here, it’s fraud and that’s all there is to it, because he didn’t want to pay his taxes,” he said.

“It’s like a crime boss. At the very top is the bigwig who doesn’t want to know about the details.”

Messi and his father made a voluntary payment of 5.0 million euros -- equal to the amount of the alleged unpaid taxes plus interest -- in August 2013 after being formally investigated.

Sapele Glows for Okagbare, Others as Olympic Trials Begin The 2016 All-Nigeria Athletics Championship which serves as trial for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil begins this morning at the Sapele Township Stadium with the cream of Nigerian stars on parade.

The three-day track & field fiesta is to come to a flourishing end with the CAA Grand Prix and Warri Relays.

Sapele residents are already salivating, looking forward to a highly competitive championships, this is not surprising given the city’s strong athletics pedigree.

Sapele is the home of Endurance Ojokolo, Olusoji Fasuba and Divine Oduduru who all learnt the art of sprinting here, it is also the home of Endurance Abinuwa and Blessing OkagbareIghotegunor to mention a few.

Okagbare is not the only star that will be on parade as many others are also in town to fight for places in Team Nigeria squad to Rio.

Seye Ogunlewe (second left) is aiming to retain his 100m title Seye Ogunlewe, the reigning 100m champion faces a strong field of challengers like Oduduru, Obinna Metu and OghoOghene Egwero.

In the women version of the short sprint, poster girl, Okagbare remains unassailable.

However, in the case of a false start, waiting in the wing to

profit are: Gloria Asumnu, Khadija Suleiman, Jennifer Madu and a host of other pretenders.

The women’s 400m will also be interesting, Patience OkonGeorge is the national leader this season but she will face stiff competition from Margaret Bamigbose, Sade Abugan, Ekundayo Sogbesan, Ibukun

Maiyegun, Omolara Omotosho and others.

The CAA Grand Prix and Warri Relays will equally be exciting with South Africa, Botswana, Ghana, Kenya and others sending in their best teams.

Technical Manager of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Yussuf Alli, is excited about the 2016 championships.

“This is the biggest turnout of local and foreign-based athletes in the history of the championships.

We have over 40 athletes from Europe and America alone, this is massive. I am happy this is taking place in Sapele Township Stadium because the track is very fast and the people are athletics friendly’’.

Alli on behalf of AFN thanked the Delta State Government through the state’s sports commission and Seplat Petroleum for their support in making the trial possible.

47

T H I S D AY THURSDAY JULY 7, 2016

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you Aljanah Fridaus.

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We are proud of your exemplary legacy of philanthropy and generos From:

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MISSILE Mudashiru Obasa to Nigerians “If we are forgiven by God, we also hold it as a responsibility to forgive one another. This is when our prayers and fast can be accepted by God, the Lord of forgiveness” —Speaker of the Lags State House of Assembly, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, saying the country can only develop in an atmosphere of religious tolerance and forgiveness.

OLUSEGUNADENIYI THE VERDICT

olusegun.adeniyi@thisdaylive.com

The Message in Abia Palaver A

high-stake drama with serious implications for democracy and the rule of law in Nigeria has been playing out in Abia State for one week now. As things stand, two persons are laying claims to the governorship position, following the decision by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to comply with the ruling of a Federal High Court, Abuja, to issue a certificate of return to Sampson Uche Ogah, as the duly elected governor.

Apparently to arrest the order, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu rushed to the Abia High Court, sitting in Osisioma Ngwa where he obtained an exparte injunction restraining Ogah from being sworn in, before sending the whole state on holiday, in a cynical exploitation of the death of Chief Ojo Maduekwe whom he claims to be mourning.

But the case is back to the Federal High Court even though the ruling that was supposed to be delivered today has now been overtaken by the “supplementary” public holiday declared by the Federal Government for the celebration of Eid-el fitr. But what is the issue in contention?

There are two types of election cases prosecuted in courts. First, is the pre-election case which relates to violation of the Electoral Act or a Party’s Constitution/Guidelines at the primaries. Second, is violation arising from the conduct of elections

by INEC. The former is prosecuted by the regular courts while the latter is prosecuted by Election Petition Tribunals and the Court of Appeal. The Abia case is purely a pre-election matter while the issue in contention was the eligibility of Dr. Ikpeazu to contest the 2015 Governorship Elections.

Governor Ikpeazu has, however, been crying foul and he has a point. “I can’t imagine that somebody who never contested election is seeking to be made a governor through the back door.

I can’t understand the rush by INEC to issue Uche Ogah a Certificate of Return. I also can’t comprehend the rush to swear him in. Are you telling me that I don’t have a right to appeal a judgment against me? Or are you telling me that if it was a death sentence, I should be killed before appealing?” Ikpeazu reportedly asked when he met with members of the state EXCO on Monday.

This is a valid question which Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja would have to consider whenever he makes his ruling on the stay of execution proceeding.

However, having investigated the whole case, it is not as simple as being presented by those who are whipping up needless sentiment. The background to the crisis can be located in the 8th December 2014 Abia State gubernatorial primaries of the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which Ikpeazu won. Not satisfied with the outcome, Ogah, who came second, sought legal redress, on the grounds of Section 34 of the Electoral Act which confers locus standi on any citizen to ask either the federal or state high court to disqualify any candidate who makes a false declaration in his nomination form. Alleging that Ikpeazu falsified his tax returns, Ogah challenged his nomination as PDP gubernatorial candidate at the federal high court which declined to hear the suit but rather ordered that it be transferred to the Abia state high court. Dissatisfied with the ruling, Ogah sought redress at the Court of

Ikpeazu Appeal where the ruling of the federal high court was affirmed.

Further dissatisfied with the decision, Ogah took the matter to the Supreme Court which set aside the decisions of the two lower courts. The apex court also directed the federal high court to assign the case to another judge to hear it de novo (afresh). But even though the highest court in the land ordered accelerated hearing, the case was stalled with all manner of preliminary objections which eventually led to it being reassigned from Justice Adeniyi Ademola.

That was how the case ended up in the court of Justice Abang which last week Monday found Ikpeazu to be in violation of Section 31 (5) and (6)

of the Electoral Act. The court then ordered Ikpeazu to vacate office, voided the votes he obtained at both the PDP primaries and the election proper and further directed INEC to issue Ogah a Certificate of Return as the elected governor of Abia State.

Last Thursday, INEC complied with the Order.

Before going further, there are two issues worth looking at. One, on the matter of tax compliance as qualification for seeking elective office, the Abia State PDP said last weekend that the tax certificate submitted to INEC by Ikpeazu was done in error. “Nigerians should be informed that there is no requirement for payment of tax at all or as and when due in the constitution, Electoral Act or INEC nomination form. The tax documents were included in the documents accompanying his nomination form by Dr. Ikpeazu’s aides by mistake,” the statement said.

I find that statement very curious. For instance, a university degree has never been a prerequisite for any political office in Nigeria. But once my friend, Salisu Imam Buhari, filed University of Toronto in his INEC form in 1999, he had to prove how he obtained the certificate. That was the slippery slope that eventually led to his forced resignation as Speaker of the House of Representatives as well as trial and conviction for forgery before he was pardoned by President Olusegun Obasanjo.

So, that someone made “a mistake” in filing tax returns cannot be an excuse in law, what Ikpeazu has to prove is that the said document was genuine.

Besides, the PDP guidelines actually made tax certificate prerequisite for seeking gubernatorial nomination.

Two, another interesting issue is the statement credited to the Chairman of the Abia State Internal Revenue Service, Mr. Udochukwu G. Ogbonna that the tax returns filed by Ikpeazu were “neither false nor fake and cannot be said to amount to fraudulent payment of taxes”. In raising questions about the judgment, Ogbonna said “the taxes for the years 2011, 2012 and 2013 were PAYE (Pay As You Earn) taxes deducted at source from his (Ikpeazu’s) personal emoluments by his employers (Abia State Passengers’ Integrated Manifest Scheme and Abia State Environmental Sanitation Authority respectively) and remitted to the service in the relevant tax years” while “the dates on the tax receipts of the relevant years (2011, 2012 and 2013) did not suggest that they were paid on those dates, but only reflected the date he applied to be issued with the receipts, because that was when he needed them.”

In disputing that claim yesterday in Vanguard newspaper, Ogah’s counsel, Mr. Monday Onyekachi Ubani, a former Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) chairman, Ikeja Chapter, said: “There were so many lies on the face of his (Ikpeazu’s) tax papers.

One of the things we discovered was that he was alleged to have started paying tax when he was not yet in the employment of the Abia State Government. Two, the serial numbers on his tax receipts were evidence of deception. The 2013 serial number showed as if it was the beginning of the tax payment, whereas, the 2011 receipt showed as if it was the last payment...

Continued on page 44

The Moon-Sight Tales

I

n anticipation that the moon would be sighted on Monday, the Federal Government declared Tuesday and Wednesday as Public Holiday for the celebration of Eid-el fitr to mark the end of Ramadan fast. However, when the moon could not be sighted on Monday night, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, in his capacity as the President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, directed that the Ramadan fast continues on Tuesday. With that also, the federal government extended the holiday till Thursday with all the implications for the economy. However, since Nigerians are very good at laughing at their problems, there were all manner of “newspaper headlines” about the situation. I have added my own to some that are already in the public arena: • Blame APC for allowing Fulani herdsmen to kill the moon—Ayo Fayose • Until we restructure the galaxy, there will be no moon in Nigeria—Afenifere • The problem arose because budget for the moon was padded—Udo Udoma • The North owns the moon and will decide when it can be sighted—ACF • There is no single Igbo man in the moon sighting committee—Ohanaeze • Under the last government, moon sighting

• • • • • • • • • •

•

was job for the boys—Babachir Lawal To address the problem, the CBN will release a flexible moon-sighting window—Godwin Emefiele Commonsense should tell us we cannot continue to rely on foreign moon. Nigeria must develop its own moon—Ben Bruce Saraki, Ekweremadu will be arraigned for forging moon sighting rules—Uba Malami INEC hereby declares the sighting of the moon inconclusive—Mahmoud Yakubu EFCC will soon name the politicians who collected N99.9 billion to loot the moon—Ibrahim Magu Sabotage of gas pipelines responsible for not sighting the moon—Babatunde Fashola, SAN There was no transparency in the way the moon was sighted—Waziri Adio Sheriff encouraged Boko Haram to lock the moon at PDP secretariat—Ahmed Makarfi Buhari should probe Amaechi over the missing moon---Nyesom Wike The anomaly in the crescentic illumna of the moon in the atmospheric galaxy is tantamount to more crinkum crankum— Patrick Obahiagbon The APC will soon create another moon

for Nigerians—John Oyegun We blew up the moon and we will blow up more moons—Niger Delta Avengers • Nigerians are so fantastically corrupt that they can’t even see the moon—David Cameron • The last administration embezzled the money meant for the maintenance of the moon—Lai Mohammed • We have arrested and detained all the IPOB members who stole the moon—DSS • We will go on strike if moon is not found within 24 hours—ASUU President • The disappearance of the moon will soon be a thing of the past—T. Y. Buratai • The decision to hide the fact that the moon was actually sighted on Monday is part of the grand conspiracy to prolong the Sallah holiday in order to Islamise Nigeria—CAN And just as the ‘editor’ was about to sign off the ‘newspaper’, trust Simon Kolawole to come up with this ‘malicious’ report: “Even though he was not perfect, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua did his best to ensure the smooth sighting of the moon throughout his tenure—Guess who?”

I wish all my Muslim brothers and sisters a happy Eid Mubarak. May your sacrifices of the past one month be rewarded.

•

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