Friday 15th July 2016 by THISDAY Newspapers Ltd

FRIDAY JULY 15, 2016 T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY FRIDAY JULY 15, 2016

FRIDAY JULY 15, 2016 T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY FRIDAY JULY 15, 2016

FRIDAY JULY 15, 2016 T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY FRIDAY JULY 15, 2016

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

PAGE NINE

Buhari’s Daughter, 80-year-old, 2,257 Others Called to Bar President Muhammadu Buhari’s daughter, Halima, and an 80-year-old, Mr. Enebeli Pius Chuka, the oldest man to be called to the Nigerian Bar, were among the 2,259 called to the Bar in Abuja yesterday following their success at the April 2016 Bar final examinations conducted by the Nigerian Law School under the supervision of the Council of Legal Education.

Halima Buhari was accompanied by her mother, Aisha Buhari, alongside her siblings to the colourful call-to-bar ceremony at the International Conference Centre in Abuja. Speaking at the occasion, the Director General of the Nigerian Law School, Olanrewaju Onadeko, said the 80-year-old man was the oldest new wig ever produced by the Nigerian

Law School. Onadeko said the classroom IT solution, a video conferencing platform linking all campuses of the Nigerian Law School, deployed by the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NICOMSAT), would be commissioned soon to enable members of the Bar and the Bench interact with students at any of the campuses of the law school.

He said the violation of admission quotas by some faculties of law remained a major challenge and reiterated the need for strict adherence to allocated students’ numbers by universities, adding that failure to keep to these numbers would negatively affect the quality of their products. The DG said some faculties of law have had their

accreditation withdrawn for violating admission quotas. Onadeko noted that when universities violated their law school admission quotas, the projection of the school in the short and medium terms would be disrupted. The Chairman of the Body of Benchers, Bandele Aiku, while congratulating the new wigs for being found worthy in learning and character to be called to the Bar, reminded

them that a lawyer was not only an officer of the court, but held a position of trust and confidence among members of the community. He said the success at the Bar demanded more than a distinction in law examinations, adding: “It demands correct behaviour of true and proper professional spirit, and a proper understanding and wise use of the tools of the craft.”

ARMY CONTRACTS: BUHARI ORDERS PROBE OF IHEJIRIKA, MINIMAH, FORMER MINISTER, OTHERS The statement by the committee’s president, Air Vice Marshal Jon Ode (rtd), said all were either accounting officers or played key roles in the Nigerian Army's procurement activities during the period under review. Those listed for further investigation include two former Chiefs of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. O.A. Ihejirika (rtd) and Lt.-Gen. K.T.J. Minimah (rtd); former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr Nurudeen Mohammed; and three former Permanent Secretaries in the Ministry of Defence - Mr. Bukar Goni Aji, Mr. Haruna Sanusi and Mr. E.O. Oyemomi. Also, the CEOs to be investigated include Col. Olu Bamgbose (rtd) of Bamverde Ltd; Mr. Amity Sade of Doiyatec Comms Ltd and DYI Global Services; and Mr. Edward Churchill of Westgate Global Trust Ltd. According to the committee, the total amount spent for procurement and operations within the period was N185,843,052,564.30 and $685,349,692.49. The report stated that the Nigerian Army contracts awarded by the Ministry of Defence for the period under review were often awarded without “significant input from the end-user (Nigerian Army) and to vendors who lacked the necessary technical competence”. Giving an example, the committee alleged that three contracts with a total value of N5,940,000,000 were awarded to DYI Global Services Ltd and Doiyatec Comms Nig. Ltd (owned by the same individual) for the procurement of military hardware including 20 units of KM-38 twin hull boats and six units of 4X4 ambulances fitted with radios. The committee found that both companies collected N5,103,500,000, representing 86 per cent of the total value of the three contracts, but only performed to the tune of N2,992,183,705.31. The committee also found that a contract worth N169,916,849.77 for the procurement of 53 armoured vehicles' spare parts, with 90 days completion time, was yet to be completed five years after. With respect to contracts awarded directly by the Nigerian Army, the committee found that many of the contracts were characterised by “lack of due process, in breach of extant procurement regulations and tainted by corrupt practices. “In this regard, a review of the procurement carried out by Chok Ventures Ltd and Integrated Equipment

Services Ltd established that between March 2011 and December 2013, the two companies exclusively procured various types of Toyota and Mitsubishi vehicles worth over N3,000,000,000 for the Nigerian Army without any competitive bidding. “Though the committee found no credible evidence of delivery of the vehicles, the vendors were fully paid based on job completion certificate authenticated by the then Chief of Logistics. “Also, analysis of the various bank accounts of the two companies showed transfers to individuals related to then Chief of Army Staff”. Similarly, the committee discovered that between 29 April, 2005 and 19 October, 2010, the defence ministry awarded two contracts to Progress Limited for the supply of 42 units of BTR-3U armoured personnel carriers and spare parts for the Nigerian Army. However, neither the ministry nor the army could provide the contract agreements to ascertain the cost of the APCs. “Although 26 of the APCs were delivered in 2007 and immediately deployed for Peace Keeping Operations in Sudan, the APCs scandalously broke down on induction,” it said. The committee observed that the APCs did not meet the operational requirement for the army, thereby causing Nigeria international embarrassment and deprived her appropriate reimbursement from the United Nations. Also, between 19 September, 2013 and 11 September, 2014, the army awarded contracts to DICON amounting to N4,329,985,000 for the procurement of Igirigi and Spartan APCs; with arms and ammunition. It said the contract for the procurement of 40 units of NSVT heavy machine guns with accessories and 10 units of Igirigi APCs were sub-contracted to Kennedy Logistics Ltd and Streit Group FZE at the cost of $1,597,500 and $1,850,000, respectively. The contracts were awarded to DICON at the cost of $2,237,000 and $3,450,000 resulting in price differentials of $781,000 (33%) and $1,600,000 (46.4%), respectively. “Furthermore, the postdelivery Technical Inspection Reports revealed that the APCs were unsuitable for the North-east operation. However, sequel to the deployment of the APCs in the North-east, one was destroyed by RPG fire, killing a colonel inside. “As at 13 May 2016, only one of the 10 Igirigi APCs

08 Maj Gen DD Kitchener (Rtd)

CEOs OF COMPANIES

former COLOG

09 Brig Gen DM Onoyiveta

former COS to COAS

01 Col Olu Bamgbose (Rtd)

10 Brig Gen AJS Onibasa

former OMT

02 Mr Amit Sade

11 Brig Gen M Mamman

HQ NAE

03 Mr Noam Sade

12 Col N Ashinze

former SA - NSA

04 Mr Jimmy Ntuen

CEO Barnes & Tubbies Ltd

13 Col AA Abubagaji

former AD Fin

05 Dr O Ayandele

CEO TS-Y Ltd

14 Col AM Inuwa

former AD Fin (COPP)

06 Mr Hima Aboubakar

CEO SEI

15 Lt Col MS Dasuki (Rtd)

former NSA

07 Alhaji Gujja Attom

CEO Baram International Nig Ltd

16 Lt Col El-Hussaini Boyi (Rtd)

former AD Fin

Alhaji Maisudan Bello Mo08 hammed

CEO Dalfam Nig Ltd,

17 Sqn Ldr M Oyaduogba

Finance Offr JTF Op PULO SHIELD

09 Mr Lawal Oriyomi

CEO 2020 Nig Ltd

10 Mr Chinedu Onyekwere

CEO Chok Ventures

11 Mr Eleojo Peters

CEO Clover Nig Ltd

12 Mr Alon Nelken Samuel

CEO Hadassa Investment Security (Nig) Ltd

18 96NA/43/8364 Cpl Abubakar Usman

SERVING AND RETIRED PUBLIC OFFICIALS

CEO Bamverde Ltd CEO Doiyatec Comms Ltd & DYI Global Services Ltd GM Doiyatec Comms & DYI Global Service Ltd

01 Dr Nurudeen Mohammed

former HMSFA II

13 Mr Edward Churchill

CEO Westgate Global Trust Ltd

02 Mr Bukar Goni Aji

former Perm Sec (MOD)

14 Capt Rohit Nandal

CEO Hercules Manufacturing (Nig) Ltd.

03 Mr Haruna Sanusi

former Perm Sec (MOD)

15 Mr JM Claassens

CEO Conella Services Ltd

04 Mr EO Oyemomi

former Perm Sec (MOD)

16 Mr Kingsley Onyeabor

CEO Phoenix Technology Trading Company

05 Mr Abdulrazak Salau

former DJSD MOD

17 Mr Donald Peterson

CEO Richfield Technologies Ltd.

06 Mr Jonah Ogunniyi Otunla

former DFA MOD

18 Kaja Alexander Onyemachi

CEO Jiangxi 299 Metal & Stones Ltd

07 Mrs Josephine N Opara

former DFA MOD

19 Mr Ponnle Abiodun

Berwick Integrated Services Ltd

08 Mr Abdullahi Maikano

former DFA MOD

20 CEO

Rapiscan System Ltd

09 Mr John Bamidele

former DFA MOD

21 CEO

Dorema Nigeria Ltd.

10 Mr Buba M Gamawa

former DJSD MOD

22 CEO

Progress Ltd

11 Mr Tajudeen Gbenga Fetuga

former DFA MOD

23 CEO

Koncept Auto Centre Ltd

12 Alhaji Salisu Shuaibu

former Dir Finance ONSA

24 Mr Kime Egozi

deployed to the North-east was serviceable,” the report of the committee revealed. It was also found out that following a request by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) on 13 May, 2013, the government released N1,340,000,000 for OPERATION BOYONA, aimed at dislodging terrorist camps along the borders with Cameroun, Chad and Niger. “In August 2013, ONSA requested and got approval for additional N2,000,000,000. However, DHQ and the services confirmed non-receipt of any additional funds for Operation BOYONA. “In March 2014, the ONSA made a case for the release of N1,000,000,000 to sustain offensive operations against Boko Haram insurgents. “Although the amount was approved and released, the committee could not establish the utilisation of the funds. Similarly, in January 2015, the then Honourable Minister of State, Foreign Affairs (HMSFA II) requested for N7,000,000,000 to urgently fund the operation of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in the Lake Chad Basin which was approved and released to ONSA. “However, the committee could not ascertain the

utilisation of the funds from ONSA, DHQ and the services. The returns made by ONSA to the committee showed that about N1,500,000,000 was withdrawn in cash while several disbursements were made to some companies that appeared not to have any relationship with the MNJTF or any operations against Boko Haram,” the report of the committee stated. The committee, in its report, also observed that contracts awarded to SEI and its two associated companies, APC Axial Ltd and HK-Sawki Nig Ltd, fell short of established norms. “Between May 2014 and March 2015, the ONSA mandated CBN to release various sums totalling $386,954,000 to SEI and the two associated companies for ‘procurement of technical equipment’, without tying the money to particular items of procurement. “Thus, the allotment of the funds was left at the discretion of the vendor without input or consultation with ONSA or the Nigerian Army. One of the new equipment SEI procured for the Nigerian Army from Ukraine was BTR-4E APC. “However, according to the designers of the equipment, ‘some of the products sold to

Nigeria were actually among 42 units designed for Iraq which subsequently rejected them due to poor performance rating’.” The committee also noted that between September 3, 2014 and April 30, 2015, NIMASA funded accounts of the Joint Task Force Operation Pulo Shield with various sums totalling N8,542,586,798.58 purportedly to enhance operations of the Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta. “Analyses of the accounts of the Joint Task Force showed that transfers totalling N6,277,698,885.13 were made from the account. The then JTF commander could not justify these transfers but confirmed that the sums were changed into dollars and handed over to a private citizen. “Additionally, he could not account for the balance of N2,264,887,914.45.” The committee observed breaches of laws and regulations on payments of withholding tax (WHT) and value added tax (VAT) also. It said the unremitted WHT from 2007 to 2015 amounted to about N862,962,065.99, $2,093,710.06 and €2,700, respectively. However, through the intervention of the committee, some companies remitted N109,843,495.40 to FIRS. The committee further

recommended that the FIRS should liaise with the Nigerian Army to recover all outstanding payments of WHT. The committee’s interactions with the field operators also revealed that although the platforms and ammunition procured for the Nigerian Army were deployed for the North-east operations, most of them were over aged or expired and support spares were insufficient or completely not available. “The platforms were prone to frequent breakdown without immediate recovery support. The non-adherence to the procurement procedures resulted in procurement of some unreliable equipment that reduced the capacity of the Nigerian Army in the North-east operations and resulted in avoidable loss of lives and equipment,” it stated. The committee said on the basis of its findings, the president approved its recommendations that the relevant law enforcement agencies should carry out further investigations in respect of the individuals and companies that were accounting officers or played key roles in the Nigerian Army procurement activities during the period reviewed by the committee.

FRIDAY JULY 15, 2016 • T H I S D AY

NEWS

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

Impeachment: APC Reacted to Unfounded Rumour, Says Senate

Melaye defends tirade against Remi Tinubu, says she’s menopausal, cannot be impregnated Finally, Saraki reads letter seeking Magu’s confirmation as EFCC chair

Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja The Senate yesterday expressed surprise that the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership chose to react to a purported plan to impeach President Muhammadu Buhari when it had all the opportunity to cross-check what actually transpired at the executive session of the Senate on Tuesday from its members who were in attendance. But as the Senate moved to settle the dust over speculations on the impeachment threat, the senator representing Kogi West senatorial district in the upper chamber, Dino

Melaye, defended his altercation with his colleague in the Senate, Remi Tinubu, but shockingly added that he could not have threatened to impregnate her since she was menopausal. A statement by the spokesperson of the Senate, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, said the comments credited to the National Secretary of the party, Mai Bala Buni, on the falsehood that was spread merely gave credibility to a news item that members of the public had already disregarded. “We expected the party to at least explore all the options open to it

DSS Arrests Obanikoro’s Wife, Alhaja Moroofat

to verify that piece of fabrication which was only the figment of the imagination of the writers and their sponsors. “It should be clear to the APC leadership that if there is any truth to that story, it should have been credited to a particular senator who was at the executive session. “It is evident from our proceedings of yesterday (Wednesday) that the Senate itself was shocked that such a fabrication which constitute a breach of the privileges of the senators was published and that was why we mandated our Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions to investigate the source and circumstances leading to the

emergence of such a fabrication.” The Senate advised the party to always seek to confirm the truth about any statement, issue or development in the National Assembly before taking a public position as the reaction by the party had the potential of further creating tension and giving the wrong impression, particularly when it was not founded on genuine or factual grounds. “We will like to assure the party that the Senate as an institution values the present democracy in our country and will not do anything that will undermine or weaken the system,” Abdullahi added.

Melaye: Tinubu Called

Me a Dog, Thug

In his defence of the altercation he had with Remi Tinububu leading to outrage from her husband, the National Leader of the APC, Bola Tinubu, the South-west APC, women’s groups, and several commentators on the social media, Melaye yesterday said he was forced to react the way he did after Senator Tinubu described him as a “dog” and “thug”. Melaye who made this clarification while briefing journalists, said he would not have reacted to the matter but for the misinformation in the public sphere about what happened between him and Mrs. Tinubu. According to him, the executive

session was meant to deliberate on the forgery case instituted by some of their colleagues. He said he only stood up to talk with the intention of pacifying his colleagues who had initiated suits in court on the forgery allegation to withdraw their suits. Melaye claimed that when he made his submission at the session, he didn’t use any rude or uncomplimentary words, neither did he mention anyone’s name when Tinubu suddenly stood up and alleged that she was being harassed by him. Melaye said he exercised restraint when she made the allegation, but

Cont’d on page 53

Moved to EFCC office Shola Oyeyipo Men of the Department of State Security (DSS) yesterday stormed the Ikoyi residence of the former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, and arrested up his wife, Alhaja Moroofat Omolola, after hours of ransacking the house without laying their hands on anything. Security sources confirmed to THISDAY that the DSS men were actually at Obanikoro’s residence to search the house for possible evidence that could help in their investigation but could not relate with the arrest of his wife. Mrs. Obanikoro, who has since been kept at their custody in the Lagos office of the DSS on CMD Road, Shangisha was yet to be released as at the time of filing this report, before she was moved a few minutes after to the Lagos office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Efforts to reach the Obanikoros

however failed as none of them was answering their phone calls. But a close family friend who confirmed the development said the family was shocked with the arrest of Obanikoro’s wife. “We know the EFCC was on the matter and had been there at their homes some weeks ago, although without any warrant. But we cannot understand the involvement of the DSS. They were in the house earlier today and after hours of searching everywhere without laying their hands on anything, they insisted the woman must come with them. “Here is a woman, who has been managing high blood pressure and heart-related disease for many years in their custody. What is the business of the woman in this matter and why are our security guys acting this way? This country is going down and it is sad,” he said. However, since moved to the EFCC office, family sources said nothing has been heard of her.

Discos Appeal Ruling Reversing Hike in Electricity Tariffs The Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED) yesterday said it has appealed against the judgment of a Lagos Federal High Court annulling the 45 per cent electricity tariff hike. The Executive Director of ANED, Mr. Sunday Oduntan, announced the decision in a phone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos. ANED is the association of the 11 Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs) operating in Nigeria. On Wednesday, a Federal High Court in Lagos annulled the recent increase in electricity tariff announced by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). Justice Mohammed Idris made the pronouncement while delivering judgment in a suit filed by a human rights lawyer, Mr Toluwani Adebiyi, challenging the increment. The judge described NERC’s

action as being ultra vires, irrational, irregular and illegal. Oduntan said the association had appealed against the ruling and would pursue the judgment to the Supreme Court for justice to be done. “We have appealed against the ruling and asked for a stay of execution now. “I can assure you that as a legal luminary, we will not stop until we get justice. “If the appeal court judgment is not favourable, we will pursue the case to the Supreme Court which is the highest court in the land, so there is no cause for alarm,’’ he said. On December 15, 2015, NERC announced a new electricity tariffs for all class of consumers, which became effective on February 1, 2016. The directive also abolished the contentious fixed charges for all electricity consumers nationwide.

COURTESYVISIT

Former Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido (left), and Managing Director, THISDAY Newspapers, Mr. Eniola Bello during the former governor’s courtesyvisittoTHISDAYHeadOfficeinApapa,Lagos....yesterday AbiodunAjala

NLNG Gets New CEO as Attah Takes over from Omotowa Ejiofor Alike The Board of Directors of Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) has announced the appointment of Mr. Tony Attah as the new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the company. Attah takes over from Mr. Babs Omotowa, who was appointed in December 2011. Before his new assignment, Attah was at Shell’s Group integrated gas business as Senior Projects Advisor, working on projects in The Netherlands and Singapore. He was Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) before then. According a statement issued yesterday by NLNG’s General Manager in charge of External Relations, Dr. Kudo Eresia-Eke, Omotowa will be returning to Shell International in The Hague, Netherlands in a stronger position and well positioned for the next chapter of the company’s growth

Attah comes to NLNG with a 28 year experience in the Nigerian oil and gas industry. A trained mechanical engineer and an MBA holder, Attah started his career in Sokoto Cement Company as a Maintenance and Operations Shift Supervisor. He joined Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) in 1991, working in various technical and management roles in field maintenance, production operations, core engineering and major projects inaugurating, rotating equipment engineering, among others. Attah was also once Head of Joint Venture Economics in Commercial. Between 2005 and 2007, Attah managed the Soku Gas Plant as Asset Superintendent and Operations Manager of the initial NLNG gas supply as well as NLNG Train 3 construction works. Attah oversaw the operationreadiness of other petroleum and natural-gas production projects in Sub-Saharan Africa and the start-up

of a liquefied-natural-gas extraction system north of the Russian Pacific island of Sakhalin as the Regional Manager Operations Readiness and Assurance - Account manager for EPG Africa projects and Russia Sakhalin OR&A. In 2009, he was appointed General Manager Western Location & Sustainable Development External Focus; and in 2010, he became the Vice President (VP), Health Safety, Environment, Sustainable development and Corporate Affairs including Communications, Crisis and Reputation Management. In 2013, he was appointed the Vice President HR Shell Sub Saharan Africa, maintaining the business competitive edge through talent development, resourcing and providing support to the business. In 2014, Attah assumed the position of Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo), in addition to his role as VP HR. He was responsible for SNEPCo’s

offshore business integration and leadership, and managing a network of external and internal stakeholder. At NLNG, Attach will be responsible for sustaining NLNG’s top quartile performance in supplying LNG to the global energy market and advancing the company’s expansion programmes. Omotowa will take great pride and satisfaction in his numerous achievements including consolidating the company’s position as a reliable supplier of LNG and major player in the global LNG market, restarting the Train 7 expansion programme and with NLNG becoming ranked as the number one home-grown company in Nigeria. NLNG is owned by four shareholders, namely, the federal government, represented by the, NNPC (49 per cent), Shell Gas BV, SGBV, (25.6 per cent), Total LNG Nigeria Limited (15 per cent), and Eni International (N.A,) N. V. S. a. r. l (10.4 per cent).

FRIDAY JULY 15, 2016 • T H I S D AY

NEWS

Police Arrest Three for Robbing, Brutalising Vanguard Publisher Chiemelie Ezeobi Barely a month after the Publisher of Vanguard Newspapers, Pa Sam Amuka, was robbed and brutalised, detectives attached to the Lagos State Police Command have arrested three Chadians in connection with the incident. Amuka was attacked by a four-man armed robbery gang on June 5, 2016, who raided his Anthony residence in Lagos and made away with money for a foreign trip and other valuable items. The suspects who were

identified as, Atim Abubakar, Mohammed Musa and Razaq Hassan (the driver), were picked up from different locations within the metropolis last Wednesday. In his confessional statement, Abubakar, alleged that the attack on Amuka was hatched and arranged by two of the security men attached to his house. He said it was Mohammed, who actually contacted him for the operation, adding that he was only told that they were going to pick up some cash somewhere around Anthony area. He said: “During our interaction,

Mohammed told me that it was one Gambo who has the contact of the house we are going to rob. Mohammed said Gambo had assured him that they are not going to encounter any problem during the operation, since the security men attached to the house were in the know of the attack. “On the day of the operation, we stormed the house around 3a.m. On arrival, we met the gate open. The security men were already expecting us. We had no difficulty accessing the place. “The two security men on duty advised us to tie them down. They

also said we should not tie them too hard. Based on their instruction, we tied them and left them inside the gate house. “We entered the main house through the ceiling. We met only the owner of the house at home sleeping in one of the rooms upstairs. I stayed downstairs while Hassan and Musa went upstairs. “As I ransacked the cabinet in the seating room, I saw two pieces of foreign currency on the floor. At the end of the operation, I got N100,000 as my share of the stolen money and a wristwatch.” Lagos State Commissioner

of Police, Fatai Owoseni, while parading the suspects yesterday at the command headquarters in Ikeja said the fourth member of the gang is presently on the run. He said effort was presently ongoing to tracking down the fleeing gunman at all cost, adding that items such as sledge hammer, iron cutter and a Mitsubishi Galant Salon car was recovered from the criminals. The Lagos Police boss said: “Based on the account Amuka gave us, three persons out of the four suspects who robbed him have been arrested. From their

confessional statement, it is certain that the three suspects actually participated in the robbery. “A Mitsubishi Salon car used by the robbers, one sledge hammer, and one iron cutter were recovered from the suspects. The three arrested suspects are Chadians who are members of a notorious cross border bandit. “Investigation is presently ongoing. At the end of the investigation, we believe that we will get to the root of the matter since it was not the first attack on Amuka.”

Sex Scandal: US Ambassador Breached Communication Protocol, Says House Committee Postpones hearing over minister, envoy’s absence Damilola Oyedele inAbuja The House of Representatives Committee investigating the allegations of sexual misconduct against three lawmakers has accused the out going United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James Entwistle, of breaching diplomatic protocols, by writing directly to the Speaker of the House. Diplomatic convention requires that any communication to an arm of government by a diplomat, should be channelled through the Foreign Ministry of the host country, and vice versa. This is as the investigative hearing was yesterday adjourned due to the absence of Nigeria’s Foreign Minister, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama and Entwistle. It would reconvene on July 20, 2016. Onyeama is currently attending the 29th Ordinary Session of the African Union in Kigali, Rwanda. Entwistle in a petition dated June 9, 2016, had accused Hon. Mark Gbillah, Hon. Samuel Ikon and Hon. Garba Gololo of soliciting for sex while on a recent trip to Cleveland, Ohio on an International Visitors Leadership Programme in April. The Chairman of the Committee on Ethics and Privileges, Hon. Ossai Nicholas

Ossai, noted that the petition ought to have been routed through the Foreign Ministry. Notwithstanding this breach, the committee has followed the proper channel in inviting Entwistle to the investigative hearing, Ossai said. The outgoing ambassador was expected to appear at the hearing with Onyeama. In his opening remarks Ossai said all parties would get fair hearing. “Ordinarily, both committees (Ethics and Foreign Affairs) do silent investigations, but this issue has generated interest globally, and that is why the proceedings are public,” he said. Ossai expressed strong feelings at the breach of diplomatic protocol by Entwistle. “We do not want to look at the technicality of the correspondence between the US ambassador and the speaker, but the fact remains that due process was not followed. We as a committee would however look at the facts of the matter,” he added. “By writing straight to the speaker, he has tactically waived his right, but we would not relate that way,” Ossai said. Ossai read the letter from Onyeama intimating the committee

of his trip and requesting that a date, after July 19, 2016 when he would return to Nigeria, be set for the hearing. The Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations, Hon. Nnenna Ukeje, in her remarks, disclosed that the minister has already engaged with the ambassador on the matter. “We expect the minister to tell us the outcome of that conversation,” she said and added that the committee was committed to getting to the root of the allegations and laying the matter to rest. Ukeje however noted that the committee would work with the Foreign Ministry in the course of the investigations to ensure that the sanctity of Nigeria-US relations, is preserved. “He (Entwistle) breached the line of communication, that is an issue for us to ask him because we are aware that for him to communicate with any arm of government, it has to be through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” Ukeje said. All three accused lawmakers were present at the hearing. Gbillah’s wife, with a female infant strapped to her body, was also at the hearing. She declined to speak to journalists after the hearing was adjourned.

CAMPAIGN FOR A BETTER ENVIRONMENT

Representative of the Governor and Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Lagos Syate, Mr .Tunji Bello (right), plantingatreewiththeCommissionerfortheEnvironment,Dr.SamuelAdejare,duringthe2016TreePlantingDay exercise,attheNYSCCamp,IyanaIpaja,Lagos....yesterday KolaOlasupo

Poor Earnings, Procurement Hampering MEND Welcomes Dialogue with NDA Effective Implementation of 2016 Budget

to End Niger Delta Crisis The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) yesterday said it was glad that the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) was ready to dialogue with it on how to end the crisis in the region. Reacting to an interview granted to a national newspaper by NDA, MEND in a statement signed by its spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, said it welcomed NDA for dialogue on the Niger Delta question as the only credible and sustainable solution to the festering Niger Delta problem. It noted that with the development, it was imperative for the entire Niger Delta region to unite and speak with a single voice under a single umbrella in the forthcoming dialogue

on the Niger Delta question with the President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government. It however disclosed that the dialogue would hold under a single umbrella is the MEND Aaron Team 2 peace initiative headed by a former Minister for State for Petroleum, Mr. Odein Ajumogobia (SAN). The group said after receiving firm assurances from the highest level of federal government about its readiness to dialogue with the Aaron Team, it had decided to expand the representational capacity of the Aaron Team to accommodate the NDA on the grounds that it would among other reasons, “publicly renounce all forms of hostility against Nigeria’s oil and

gas industry by an unconditional ceasefire by virtue of the extant provisions of the Presidential Amnesty Proclamation of 2009, all Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) fighters and commanders who agree to ceasefire are automatically entitled to benefit from the Presidential Amnesty Programme after due diligence and documentation by the office of the National Security Adviser and the Presidential Amnesty office headed by Brigadier General Paul Boroh (rtd) “That the NDA shall publicly declare full allegiance to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and recognise President Buhari as the country’s President and Commander-inChief.”

Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja The federal government yesterday restated that the execution of capital projects in the N6.06trillion 2016 budget had been hampered by the poor release of capital votes caused by poor revenue generation and rigid procurement procedures. This disclosure was made by the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, while appearing before the Senate Committee on Appropriation to explain how the government has been implementing the budget. On Wednesday, the Secretary to the Government to the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal,

made a similar disclosure before the Senate, stating that government earnings had fallen by 40 per cent due to low oil prices and attacks by militants on oil and gas facilities in the Niger Delta. Udoma revealed that the government has only released N235.9 billion out of the N1.5 trillion budget for capital expenditure, representing 15 per cent of the total capital vote. According to him, the six months requirement for the procurement process for execution of new projects as provided in the Public Procurement Act had also made the implementation cumbersome and complicated. “No new project is ripe for any

capital releases because of the six months of procurement process including advertising and so on. It is only existing projects which already met the criteria for the various procurement stages that are qualified for capital releases,” he said. He also said the overall revenue realised in the first quarter was only 55 per cent of the projected revenue which according to him, was caused by the unrest in the Niger Delta as well as the difficulties faced by importers in accessing forex. “The bulk of the problem of low revenue generation came from militant agitations in the Niger Delta which affected oil production which prevented us from reaching the 2.2 million barrels projection even though the price is going up.

T H I S D AY FRIDAY JULY 15, 2016

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

COMMENT

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

BUHARI AND THE TRIUMPH OF LOW EXPECTATIONS

Phrank Shaibu argues the track record of the attorney general and minister of justice is not inspiring

he choice of Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, as the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice is already threatening President Muhammadu Buhari’s promises of free and fair elections. Presently, there exists petitions both local and international, alleging the partisanship of the attorney general, particularly in electoral matters. The common denominator of the complaints clearly suggests that the attorney general is brazenly politicising his office and abusing his powers in electoral issues. Most petitioners have accused the attorney general of hugely contributing to the surge of election crisis in the Buhari’s government and even suggested that Nigeria’s relatively credible electoral process instituted by the past government of which President Buhari was a major beneficiary is being threatened. Consequent calls have indicated that restoring purity in Nigeria’s electoral process should not be an issue of debate for President Buhari. On this, any objective Nigerian would agree that the president should demonstrate willingness to put aside politics for equity and preservation of his integrity as election abnormalities, if allowed to go unchecked, will not only obliterate Nigeria’s growing democracy but reintroduce endemic electoral violence. It is really sad that the alleged actions of the attorney general have suddenly become the kernel of political problem for the Buhari’s administration and which highly tended to question Buhari’s assurance of impartiality. This is an exceptionally sensitive issue, probably as sensitive as threatening our national security or diminishing the true value of Nigeria’s democracy. Indeed, the countless allegations against the attorney general, regarding the use of his office and undue interference in the affairs of some independent agencies need to be investigated. This is an issue that the Buhari- led government should not sweep under the carpet because Nigeria deserves a brilliant, dedicated and impartial attorney general that will always let the law take its course and will not only support the constitution of Nigeria but properly conduct the duties of the office of the chief law officer independent of any partisan political pressure. That Nigeria’s attorney general has certainly veered out of his assigned lanes by forging an unusual path in carrying out an orchestrated agenda against free and fair elections is well documented in the Kogi State governorship elections. In fact, any claim that the attorney general is the main source of the Kogi distressed election will be difficult to dispute. Of particular note is that on the Kogi election, for unprofessional reasons, the attorney general acted as if he was above the law. Unfortunately, that a series of documents have been leaked corroborating that the headship of Nigeria’s election regulating agency, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) instead of following the advice of its legal consultants opted for the opinion cum directive of the attorney general, is grossly disappointing. It is really difficult to believe that the leadership of INEC forgot that the attorney general as a political appointee of the ruling party has no right to interfere with such an issue which the federal government is not a party. Indeed, it would be ironic for anyone to think that the meddling

NIGERIA’S RELATIVELY CREDIBLE ELECTORAL PROCESS INSTITUTED BY THE PAST GOVERNMENT OF WHICH PRESIDENT BUHARI WAS A MAJOR BENEFICIARY IS BEING THREATENED

of the attorney general was not ill- motivated to enhance his party’s chances as a contestant in the Kogi governorship race. The naked truth is that the attorney general’s interference with the work of INEC was obviously not only to diminish constitutional independence of the electoral institution but to covertly decimate perceived opponents, a clear infraction on Nigeria’s democracy. Whilst Nigerians await the INEC’s mishandling of the Kogi situation and its attendant impasse to be resolved by the election tribunal, it is quite unfortunate that the same attorney general is increasing the anxiety and confusion he had created in the election. That he went on an open propaganda by granting a radio station an interview to give advice to the election tribunal is a clear intrusion on the duty of the court as his comments have the potency of prejudicing the interests of some parties to the case. Many analysts have stated that if the attorney general did not have a bias, he would have known that it was premature for the tribunal to admit any advice or interference even on the basis of “amicus curiae” that only comes appropriate to assist courts on matters overlooked by the parties and court on facts and the law. As such, what the attorney general did was not only presumptuous but inconsistent with giving legal submissions for the benefit of court. Whilst I will resist the urge to be dragged into the arguments advanced by some persons that the judgment of the election tribunal was patently biased and suffered from obvious errors as it did not properly consider the arguments put forth by some parties. However, it is important to note that the ruling of the election tribunal still has a long judicial road to travel as the issue of the constitution’s short fall in addressing the present Kogi entanglement of the death of a contestant in the middle of an election and what happens thereafter is still undefined. The simple lessons from the Kogi election and the aftermath of the many interferences cum accusations of bias of the attorney general which he has not refuted is that the Buhari-led APC, despite its ‘change’ mantra, seemed comfortable with the activities of an attorney general that is far from being fair. One question: Could the quality of the attorney general’s directives be a measure of his capacity or deliberate intent to please his masters? This remains a difficult subject because the attorney general in his recent remarks and actions have certainly steered the Nigerian constitution into complications. Indeed, as much as the Nigerian people want a solution to their electoral problems, the first step should be to send the attorney general to a school to learn how to separate politics from his constitutional responsibilities. Indeed, it is the opinion of many objective observers that the higher courts in their inherent powers ought to recognise that the ruling of the lower court on the Kogi election tussle, neither served the interest of any well-established principles of law nor the public interest. Shaibu, a Public Communications Consultant, wrote from Abuja

BLENDING OF MAJESTIC AURAS

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, urges academics to be innovative, writes Victor C. Ariole

ast July 7, the 30th day of Ramadan and the day the moon hid itself only to appear visibly at an obtuse angle of about 110 degree, the Ooni appeared at the University of Lagos as harbinger of the good news. It is a memorable day in the annals of UNILAG. The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, the Dean of School of Postgraduate Studies, Professor Solomon Akinboye, Babatunde and his Olori, Wuraola, appeared with clusters of human stars in the university. The Ooni’s entourage remained unrivalled in cultural display, and anyone who had read Camara Laye’s, ‘The Radiance of the King’ would attest to the affinity between the Mandigo/Mandinka of Guinea and the Ife display. The presence of a king in Africa shows at a glance the enormity of burden placed on him as human beings, rich, poor, beggarly, deprived, confused, etc., throng to see him. His pensive mood, and so it must be in public, exhibits his worry on how to make everyone claiming to be his subject happy. Like the Ooni like the vice chancellor who received him, both in quest of satisfying human beings in their varied existential demands and dispositions. Professor Rahamon Ade Bello welcomed the Ooni with his own entourage of human stars. As the Ooni was about to deliver his lecture, he was welcomed in the inner chambers with kola nuts. His lecture also centered on the parables of kola, knife, knitting, and the acknowledgement of the King of kings; in effect, the 5Ks. The title of his lecture was: “Redefining the Role of Traditional Institution for National Development.” Without any prepared speech or even jotted notes, the Ooni diligently, mythically and majestically anchored his lecture on the 5Ks. It was refreshing. The interlude

drama performed by the students of Creative Arts Department where the DVC, Management Services, Prof. Duro Oni is rooted, seemed to have mirrored the mind of Ooni in the preparation and rendition of their piece. The theatre group echoed their signature tune as “Patience Nkoo! Jonathan Nii!” Indeed, even if it was not the focus of the Ooni’s lecture the drama wanted to remind the rulers of Nigeria that, from where we are coming, it is clear that if majority of Nigerians have rejected Jonathan, it is uncalled for to be told to exercise patience. Aso Rock, the Presidency, before 2015 election, was occupied by the couple Jonathan and Patience. The group chorused: “We had been drinking contaminated water (with Jonathan) and now we are consuming contaminated tomatoes (from the north) and you want us to exercise patience”. Thank God that the Ooni in his lecture proved that Nigeria, nay Africa, has no excuse to remain at the level of taking contaminated items. Starting from Kola which is a great traditional crop, grown in the south and voraciously eaten in the north, to the knife used in skinning animals for human clothing, to the knitting process carried out by needle taught by Obatala, inspired by the King of kings, and the reign of the current computer technology and the awaited creation of vast knowledge in pharmacology, sourcing from herbs and crops, Africa, and its knowledge process, has no contaminant effect. The Ooni told the gathering that his tour of the United States of America opened his eyes to the fact that the brand Coca-Cola known worldwide and very much a living and tending to life enterprise, is a Kola and coca grass combination, an African product, and wondered what professors in the academia were doing to get more of such out to the world.

Furthermore, he reasoned that going back to our roots, the custodians of traditional knowledge, could be of great help in redefining knowledge process for the benefit of humanity. Japan has done that, South Korea has done that and even the current Chinese technology upsurge was as a result of that; hence the need for academics to work in close contact with the traditionalists so as to rediscover and improve on Africa’s knowledge process. Obatala is an inventor, and through Ifa, the software used in computer had always been, though not in the present form. The 5ks the Ooni expatiated on and his extolling the King of kings who made it possible for him to ascend the throne are very much relevant in causing better living for humans on earth as culture is dynamic and can only be living if it lends itself to renewal and progress occasioned by cross fertilisation of environment, weather, seasons and human discipline. Here, Profesor Wande Abimbola, former Vice-Chancellor, University of Ife (now OAU) and great priest of Ifa would not quite agree as he does not believe any religion on earth should be allowed to render Ifa worshipping a recessive religion. Notwithstanding, the Ooni acknowledged the worry of Wande but saw anything that originated from Africa, including all the races and species of human beings, as originating from the centre of creation and from where the spread of knowledge emanated; hence Africa does not need to contend with anything that takes its source from Africa. Like it is said in Ife: The child is wise and the adult is wise; that was how Ife was founded. Africa is the adult and others are the child. Both are wise as long as humans are not in peril. Uranium is found in Africa and it is refined

for greater needs of electricity; in its original and refined forms, positivity for humans is located as long as it is not used for the extinction of humans. Africa’s crude products or items must be used to give humans wherever they are refined products for better living. Again, we know that any originator craves for multiplication and it is said that if people who bear Ifa names like Faloju, Falaiye, Faturoti, Falade, Fajuyi, etc., fear to die or grow to adulthood for fear of multiplying, they should show others the grave of the original Ifa priest or worshipper. Ooni is a believer of progress, and as people claim that imperialism (Imperial Majesty) should be part of his title of which I disagree, his subjects beyond African continent are refining, everyday, the Ifa worshipping process and it does not betray the origin of ifa. One of the persons in his entourage said it all: the Ooni likes his shinning and lively complexion. Fola Adeola an unscathed personality in the complex maize of Nigeria financial empires, was the chairman of the occasion. Blending was indeed the symbol of the Ooni’s presence in University of Lagos and the vicechancellor wanted it to be the beginning of raising funds to get the School of Postgraduate Studies in UNILAG to an enviable level of remaining the university of first choice in sourcing lecturers with PhD holders for the emerging over 130 private and state-owned universities in Nigeria. The Ooni as presently constituted is a great personality holding fast a great institution the way Africans prefer it. That is, for any great institution there must be a great personality keeping it and not developing great institutions to be manned by weak personalities. Dr Ariole wrote from the University of Lagos

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

EDITORIAL DEATH IN PROTECTIVE CUSTODY

It is time to overhaul the country’s criminal justice and prison system

igeria is a signatory to international protocols prohibiting the use of torture and other inhuman measures to extract confessions from detainees. Indeed, Nigerian laws consider such acts a taboo. But most detention facilities in the country today are more or less death chambers, where suspects are treated to a cocktail of ordeals. Gbenga Omolo, a 70-year-old man and a member of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), for instance, was allegedly tortured to death while in detention in the cells of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Ondo State Police Command. Omolo was reportedly beaten by police officers for several hours at the Oda Road SARS office before he died in their custody. His real offence, according to members of his union who staged a protest, was having the effrontery to challenge a police officer in mufti for obstructing traffic. Similarly, Samuel Chimezie Omeagwa a 400-level student of University of Agriculture, Makurdi, met his untimely death in IT IS TIME TO PUT AN END weird circumstances TO A SITUATION WHERE last May. Omeagwa PERSONS TAKEN INTO and his friend, Ekene, CUSTODY COME OUT ONLY were whisked to the IN BODY BAGS Police Thunder Zone 4 Office, Old G.R.A, Makurdi, after complaining of losing his phone at the place where he went to buy oranges. At the station, they were laid on the bare floor with “a flash-light” permanently fixed to their faces. Thereafter, there was a “systematic session” of torture led by an officer nicknamed “undertaker”, perhaps for his brutality. By the time he was released the following day, Omeagwa had become incoherent. He was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre where he died on May 16, 2016. Death from torture in facilities run by security forces notably the police, the military, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and even the National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), is

Letters to the Editor

widespread. The mode of torture varies from one security agency to another and they range from suffocation and starvation to severe beatings with metallic or wooden objects as well as spraying of tear gas in the eyes. Some are shot in the leg during interrogation and left to bleed to death. Just recently, two suspects reportedly died in EFCC custody. A few months ago, a young man was also alleged to have been tortured to death by the Directorate of State Security Service at their Shangisha detention facility in Lagos. The Sokoto State Command of the NSCDC recently set up a committee to unravel the “mystery” behind the death of a 38-year-old suspect, Jamilu Abdullahi, while in its custody. It is common knowledge that the notorious trans-border convicted armed robber, Ahmani Tijani, died in Kirikiri Maximum Security Prisons last year.

M T H I S DAY

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IN PRAISE OF SALISU MAIKASUWA

n excited colleague of mine at the National Assembly said during a discussion in Kaduna last week Friday that his former boss, Dr. Salisu Abubakar Maikasuwa had assisted his children concerning their academic activities at the beginning of the current school session. Another colleague Mr. Ishaku Dibal also narrated recently how benevolent Maikasuwa had been to him during their interactions on both personal and at the official level. Apart from the fact that Maikasuwa is compassionate, it also showed that he related very well with his subordinates but even sustained a positive relation with them even after he has stepped aside and handed over the reins of power to an acting clerk in the National Assembly. As I reminiscence on our long standing relationship, it is to his credit that his relationship with his staff was clearly not the mechanical top-bottom type, devoid of a genuine human touch. An experienced and a well-grounded civil servant who rose through the ranks to the top at the National Assembly bureaucracy, Maikasuwa’s wide exposure, proven competence and legendary humility have combined to make him to be an accomplished public servant who has made positive contributions to the development of the nation,

any of the victims were often arrested arbitrarily while others were suspects arrested for crimes ranging from petty theft to armed robbery. In particular, armed robbery and kidnap suspects were arrested and paraded at crowded press conferences addressed by police commissioners. After the “media” trial, majority of the suspects would be extra-judicially executed and secretly buried in mass graves. The suspects were usually reported to have died during a shoot-out with the police anti-robbery squads or while attempting to escape from custody. But the unofficial justification is that if the suspects were charged to court they may be released and turn round to kill the police personnel who arrested them! Some of the deaths were, however, due to overcrowding, prolonged pre-trial detention and inadequate medical attention. But our laws are clear on issue of deaths in custody. They require thorough investigation. We therefore insist that from now on, the result of such investigations, in the form of autopsies, must be placed in the public domain. In addition, government should take concrete steps to overhaul the country’s criminal justice and prison system. It is time to put an end to a situation where persons taken into custody come out only in body bags.

especially through the deepening of the country’s democratic institution. As the clerk of the National Assembly, Maikasuwa had the distinction of being the only Nigerian to hold the job for a period of five years thereby creating a record of service at the assembly’s bureaucracy. He was in the first team which introduced work ethics and training programmes in the assembly’s bureaucracy as well. Indeed, Maikasuwa has come to epitomise hard work and was pivotal to a management which interacts with all workers freely. This writer was told that those who worked with Maikasuwa would confess that the assembly’s management was able to deliver on its mandate as a result of his leadership qualities. He introduced several productive measures which received the commendation of principal offices of the National Assembly and which within a short period transformed service delivery and made it a centre of excellence. No wonder he was described as a change agent. Some of his achievements include evolving pragmatic measures of making things to work, improving the welfare of the workers and creating a good environment for the lawmakers to do their work properly. Ibrahim Biu, Kuje, Abuja

FEDERALISM IS NOT RESOURCE CONTROL

or many people, federalism is interpreted to mean “resource control”. They hear the word “federalism” and they immediately think about oil and gas, and the Niger Delta’s “resource control” agitations of times past. However, federalism is not “resource control”. Federalism is in essence a system of governance characterised by a healthy devolution of powers to federating units in a country; in Nigeria’s context - to states and local governments. Federalism is essentially a form of community governance that enables and empowers the people to be able to determine their own political and economic destinies without rancour, all within a larger and united framework - ie: a country. Federalism deals with such things as: judicial systems, state policing, financial independence for states, diversification of income streams via the maximisation of competitive advantages by all federating units, and the development and imple-

mentation of local fiscal policies tailored to suit the needs of the smallest village. Federalism is a system that caters to the aspirations of all ethnic groups within a united country, thus reducing or eliminating inter-ethnic and or ethno-religious conflicts. It is in fact a system of accommodation and one that spurs growth and fosters unity of purpose amongst a people. Federalism ensures the freedom and ability of federating units within a federation to leverage on their unity, whilst concomitantly maximising their competitive advantages to advance the economic well-being of their people nay of the country. Federalism essentially seeks to instill community governance and ensures the liberty of the common man by giving him the power to largely decide his own fate, within the fold, free from encumbrance -real or perceived shackles, thus ensuring peace, social cohesion and unity amongst the peoples of a pluralistic society. Ugochukwu Joseph Amasike, Lagos

FRIDAY JULY 15, 2016 T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

POLITICS

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

PERSONALITY FOCUS

A Reconciliation Still Far off A possible reconciliation between Governor Dave Umahi and his predecessor, Martin Elechi is far from happening anytime soon, writes Benjamin Nworie

he 2015 democracy day celebration in Ebonyi State has once again reawakened the cold war between the former governor, Chief Martin Elechi and his successor, David Umahi. The car gift recently presented to the former governor was the bone of contention. Many thought that with the inclusion of Elechi in the award list, it was an indication that the two leaders might have decided to bury the hatchet. No doubt, the rumpus so far generated cannot easily be swept under the carpet as different opposing groups have already cashed into the opening. There are those who argued, however, that the rejection of the car gift does not make sense since it was heard in some quarters that the former governor had allegedly written to Umahi for two car assistance immediately he left office for Elechi’s wife, Josephine which was done. But observers have concluded that Elechi’s grouse was beyond the car gift, perhaps, still smarting from the post-2015 election trauma. The former governor had written to the government that the gift was a sharp contradiction to the purpose it was presented. But when the matter came up at the State Executive Council meeting, Governor Umahi allegedly said it should not be discussed and publicised so that it would not stir unwarranted controversy. Many had thought that with the elections gone, the two leaders would have come together to forge a common front for the growth, peace and development of the state. Yet, the resurgence of the impasse was caused by the car gift presented to him and other former governors of Ebonyi origin. Apart from Elechi, other recipients included former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim; former Abia State governor and Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu and the first Executive governor of Ebonyi State and Serving Senator, Senator Sam Egwu. They were honoured with a car gift, which was first initiated in the state by Elechi. In his second term shortly after the appointment of Anyim as SGF, perhaps, a move to secure the supports of the federal government, the former governor had organised an award ceremony to honour all Ebonyi indigenes with federal appointments. The awards, however, generated condemnation from many quarters when the state was groaning under economic hardship and inability to pay the “controversial” minimum wage to workers that led to the suspension/ withdrawal of workers’ salaries in the state. At that time, sources in the fourth assembly of the state House of Assembly even revealed that the consent of the legislature was not sought before Elechi carried such capital intensive project at a point all the sectors in the state needed serious intervention. At a point, Elechi even admitted the state had conflict of priority begging for intervention. If Elechi conceived any need to reject the car gift, opinions had it that he should have towed the path of peace and emulate the likes of Justice Nwali Ngwuta, who rejected Elechi’s car award without much ado or heating up the polity. Rumour had it then that out of their reciprocal generosity some recipients retuned the car to Elechi unpublicised for personal reasons. But Elechi’s rejection of the gift accompanied with a letter has further generated mix reactions in the state. The former governor has since been asked to toe the path of peace

Umahhi...moving on afterwards

Elechi...still bitter

for the development of the state, instead of being a clog in the wheel of progress by heating up the polity. The donation of the V8 Toyota Sport Utility Vehicle to Elechi and other personalities was in recognition of their role in the promotion of democracy in Ebonyi State. But Elechi’s rejection of the award was based on his claim that he was at loss to convince himself that his role in the promotion and sustenance of democracy in the state from all indication

was the antithesis of what is being practised in the state now. In his letter to the governor, Elechi noted that every one of his projects had become a subject of public ridicule, outrage and outright condemnation. “The only exception is probably the ultra-modern digital radio and television complex which I conceived and completed from scratch to finish. It is not condemned or criticised because it is an organ by which I am regularly vilified and rubbished. “The permanent secretaries I appointed and/or trained have been swept out of office for no known reason. Ebonyi State is today the only State being governed without Permanent Secretaries. As if the bad verdict on projects is not enough, there is the saga of malicious and false petitions against me and two of my children to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)… This is courtesy of Your Excellency’s ingenuity with your team players. “Why have I chosen to go down memory lane even though the issues raised above are only a tip of the iceberg? With so much calumny, character defamation and outpouring of invectives and unabated fresh petitions swelling up to the anti-graft agency on weekly basis, why am I considered worthy to receive a State’s honour? Where and what are those ‘meritorious services’ that justify my consideration for a gift of car, when I am being hounded day and night with my children? Is this not the height of contradictions? “Let me remind you that for the past twelve months, I have not been paid my salaries and second term severance allowance. These

When the matter came up at the State Executive Council meeting, Governor Umahi allegedly said it should not be discussed and publicised so that it would not stir unwarranted controversy. Many had thought that with the elections gone, the two leaders would have come together to forge a common front for the growth, peace and development of the state

are my entitlements under the law of Ebonyi State; they are not a favour… But of what use is this practice of sending seasonal gifts to a man, who is being hounded and denied of his lawful official entitlements?” At the International Conference Center in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, venue of the Agricultural Summit orgainised for Civil/Public Servants, Umahi seized the opportunity to bare his mind on the concerns and allegations raised by his predecessor in his rejection letter, which had gone viral in the state, noting that his greatest grouse was that Elechi was not advisable. “Now, what he said about EFCC. When he was a governor and I was deputy governor, somebody who is now in his camp wrote a petition against us. And the EFCC went into action. For example, they said his son did all the local government projects. I was not there, I didn’t award the projects. But it was clear that only two local governments were completed and the whole money was paid. “So, we had to find out the issue of going to the EFCC and the realities on the ground. That is one of the issues and this administration never wrote anything to EFCC. And I speak this before the God I serve. I told EFCC, leave this man because he is aged. “If you find him wanting in terms of money, let me know and I will be paying small, small till I pay it off. I say that in the name of He that brought us to leadership, but not for his children. The children will answer for whichever thing they committed. One of the children is also accused of doing multi-million ICT projects. Was I there when the job was given to them, but the civil servants were not happy,” Umahi recounted. In the first place, Elechi’s position was that Umahi was not qualified to rule Ebonyi, citing intolerance and lack of accommodating spirit. Elechi wanted former health minister, Onyebuchi Chukwu as his preferred candidate. But when the game failed, the former governor conscripted a businessman, Edward Nkwegu to succeed him under the platform of the Labour Party. But Umahi’s insistence on running against all odds snowballed into the skirmishes playing out between the two men now. At Elechi’s thanksgiving celebration on April, 3 2016, the former governor resurrected his grudge that he had “no regret” opposing Umahi’s candidature and if similar situation repeats itself, he would still toe the same line of stiff resistance to Umahi’s governorship ambition. Elechi’s argument was that Umahi had no accommodating spirit to rule the state. After the election which Umahi was declared winner, he maintained that his victory was for all and not to witch-hunt anybody, no matter his or her political, religious and geographical standing. But Elechi insisted that the governorship election in the state, including the PDP primaries that produced Umahi was a daylight robbery and stagemanaged. With the resurgence of the political dichotomy between Elechi and Umahi, it leaves no doubt that genuine reconciliation may be far from happening now. After the elections, Elechi still lamented the circumstances and developments that shaped the 2015 general election to the point of alleging that Umahi was responsible for his ordeal in the hands of the anti-graft agency. It is still, however, unbelievable to many that the former governor was still contesting the validity and credibility of the governorship election in the state, even after passing through the marathon of legal battles.

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

EVENTS&REPORTS

A Rare Symphony of Political Coalescence The All Progressives Congress recently held a formal reception in Abuja for one of Nigeria’s most controversial politicians, Chief Great Ogboru, and others like the erstwhile Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Victor Ochei, who defected from their former parties to the APC. In this report, Omon-Julius Onabu examines the significance of the event against the no-love-lost political relationship that existed between Ogboru and his kinsman, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, believed to have made the rare political union possible

ot a few political observers familiar with the hue of politics he was known for expressed pessimism about the rumoured efforts to persuade him to jettison his seeming strait-jacketed style of politics, but Chief Great Ovedje Ogboru eventually proved the pessimistic lot wrong. He showed that he could, after all, be cast in the mould of most politicians especially in this clime: that the only thing permanent in the game of politics is the interest of the player or political actor. On Tuesday, 28 June, 2016 two eminent citizens of Delta State, Ogboru and Hon Victor Ochei, one-time speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, formally became members of the All Progressives Progress (APC). A well-publicised reception, which was attended by the national leadership of the party, was held for Ogboru, Ochei and several other defectors from different parties in the state. Ogboru and the others were formally received at the event that took place at the national secretariat of the APC in Abuja, with the full complement of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC led by the party’s national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun. Also, conspicuously present were the party’s candidate in the 2015 governorship election in Delta State, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor and the Delta State APC chairman, ‘Prophet’ Jones Erhue. The duo of Emerhor and Erhue had actually performed the proverbially impossible feat of leading an apparently unwilling horse to the pool and making him drink as well. The two men spearheaded that deft political maneuvering that midwifed the new political union into reality. Ogboru’s sojourn in the political landscape of the country has been truly checkered as it has been intriguing. He was the gubernatorial candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in Delta State in the aforementioned 2015 election. Thus, both Ogboru and Emerhor took a shot at the coveted gubernatorial crown in their state from the opposing camps, the LP and APC, respectively. They both eventually lost that crown to Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the party that has remained dominant in the state since 1999 and on whose platform, Hon Ochei initially vied for the Delta North senatorial ticket in December 2014, albeit unsuccessfully, towards 2015. Ochei eventually used the Accord Party as vehicle but could not win the race as ex-state PDP chairman, Peter Nwaoboshi did. Nevertheless, it must be said that the international businessman and politician had not always been a member of the Labour Party nor was he contesting the governorship diadem of Delta State for the first time. As a matter of fact, Ogboru’s face and name has been a regular feature of gubernatorial elections in the state under the country’s present political dispensation except the maiden one in 1999. He was generally seen as a close political ally of his kinsman, Chief James Onanefe Ibori, who emerged the second democratically elected governor of the now 25-year old state. However, following what was regarded as irreconcilable differences between them, Ogboru parted ways with Ibori and would, indeed, attempt to throw Ibori out of the Government House, Asaba, by contesting the 2003 governorship election against Ibori. That attempt, which Ogboru did under the canopy of the defunct Alliance for Democracy (AD), failed. Prior to the said election, he had signaled his interest in party politics with the convening of the progressive stakeholders forum in 2000, a group that later merged with the

The duo of Emerhor and Erhue had actually performed the proverbially impossible feat of leading an apparently unwilling horse to the pool and making him drink as well. The two men spearheaded that deft political maneuvering that midwifed the new political union into reality

Emerhor and Ogboru...a rare combination

AD in 2003. Renowned for his dogged fighting spirit, Ogboru again took a gamble in 2007 in a renewed effort to take over the reins of power in the state, this time draped in the colours of the Democratic People’s Party (DPP). The attempt was again futile; he lost to the PDP candidate, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan. Ogboru would, however, not accept the outcome of the election as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and so commenced a long-drawn legal tussle that dragged on for over three years. The 2011 election was arguably the fiercest ever contested by Ogboru, who is fondly called “The People’s General”, a nickname earned from his alleged abortive but popular role in the April 1990 attempted military coup against Nigeria’s then military ruler, General Ibrahim Babangida. And like in the previous elections, Ogboru initiated a legal battle to claim what he considered the stolen mandate given him by the people at the polls. It appeared he was at the verge of realising his ambition following his partial victory at the state election petitions tribunal as Uduaghan was forced to step down as governor temporarily. Three-and-a-half years after, in 2010, Ogboru succeeded in removing Dr Uduaghan from office through the court as Uduaghan’s victory was invalidated by the Court of Appeal sitting in Benin City and a fresh election was subsequently ordered by the Court for January 6, 2011. The victory turned out to be a hollow one because of what some analysts blamed on technical error in Ogboru’s prayer before the court. He claimed in his petition that voting did not take place across the state during the governorship election in 2007. Understandably, his judicial victory had thrown his supporters and admirers into frenzied jubilation but the celebration was short-lived following INEC’s declaration of Uduaghan as winner of the January 6, 2011 governorship rerun election in the state. Then, he took yet another shot at the governorship position in April 2011, also against then incumbent, Uduaghan, who eventually secured another victory and a second term for himself under the canopy of the PDP. However, Ogboru could not upturn INEC’s declaration of Uduaghan as winner of the January 6, 2011 rerun election and the April governorship election as well despite series of court cases he initiated. Ogboru was back on the scene in 2015,

contesting the governorship this time on the platform of the Labour Party, whose only governorship victory in the country was by incumbent Governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko. Olorogun Emerhor was also contesting the coveted seat at Asaba as the candidate of the APC. Interestingly, although both men apparently had a common political foe in the candidate of the PDP who was then a serving senator, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, the two illustrious sons of Urhobo ethnic nationality – Emerhor and Ogboru – could not collapse their forces into a common front to wrest power from the PDP. Instead, the duo would rather engage in what many observers regarded as anticlimax of an epic battle. Rather than live up to his larger-than life image in the state’s political firmament, Ogboru apparently resorted to dissipating much energy shadow-boxing Emerhor for Urhobo votes as though oblivious of the fact that numerous key figures in the campaign committee of the PDP governorship candidate were also of Urhobo ethnic extraction. The supremacy battle between Emerhor and APC precipitated the balkanization of the once influential socio-cultural organisation of Urhobo people globally, the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU). The UPU became split into the Chief Joseph Omene and Chief Tuesday Onoge factions with the former supporting Ogboru and the latter throwing its weight behind Emerhor. The sharp division was said to be prompted by the spirit of “Uvwiamuge Declaration” with contention for Urhobo votes by the LP and APC candidates being accentuated by Ogboru and Delta State LP’s decision to endorse then incumbent and PDP presidential candidate, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. Conversely, Emerhor argued that the Urhobo people would be better off voting for Muhammadu Buhari of the APC. Another glaring factor in the 2015 gubernatorial battle in Delta State was the fact that the Labour Party in the state clearly lacked politicians that could be referred to as political juggernauts, just as it lacked formidable structure from ward to local government and state levels. Besides Ogboru, only Chief Ovie Omo-Agege, erstwhile governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in 2011, was the towering figure in the state chapter of the party. To worsen matters, Ogboru’s running mate in the 2011 governorship race under the DPP, Chief Fidelis Tilijie, had defected to the PDP following protest over the emergence of Emerhor as the

candidate of the APC where he had contested the primary for 2015. Nonetheless, it certainly wasn’t in the best interest of the two men to depict a picture of ethnic chauvinists fighting for Urhobo votes, which are mainly concentrated in one senatorial district, whereas they desired an office that required the entire state as their constituency. In the end, Ogboru lost the 2015 election in a manner that was viewed by analysts as probably his worst electoral outing since 2003. Similarly, Emerhor, who in 2007 was a governorship aspirant in the PDP, also lost as Senator Okowa of the PDP ran away with the victory. Subsequently, both men ultimately lost the long-drawn, energy-sapping legal tussle they separately instituted to challenge the electoral victory of Dr. Okowa. The legal battle went all the way to the Supreme Court but Okowa’s victory was upheld as the apex court drew the final curtains on the case. Ogboru and Emerhor then shunned the olive branch offered by Governor Okowa to join hands with him in his government. Today, Emerhor and Ogboru are sailing in the same boat of political destiny. Although he had in 2015 vowed, “I can never step down for Emerhor”, for the first time since 2003 ‘The People’s General’ has obviously settled for a political party not based on his own terms. As a matter of fact, some might even argue that Emerhor, his main adversary in the countdown to the 2015 Delta State governorship election, who is now the most visible figure in the state chapter of the APC, has probably saved Ogboru’s political career from total eclipse. Such argument should hold much water considering the fact that it was Emerhor who, with the state chairman of the APC, Mr Jones Erhue, formally presented Ogboru and ex-speaker Ochei to the national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, and members of the national working committee (NWC) of the APC, recently in Abuja. Even his alleged attempt to take most members of the LP along into the APC was rebuffed as the state chairman of the party, Chief Tony Ezeagwu, put his foot down firmly, saying the state chapter was never part of Ogboru’s negotiations to move to the APC. Further to the warning from the national chairman of the Labour Party, Alhaji A. Salam that the party in the state should not merge with the APC. NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD DOMESTIC CARRIERS TO SAVE N26.5BN ANNUALLY FROM WAIVER ON TARIFFS for commercial airlines in the country and reaffirming the Zero-Duty and VAT payment on the importation of commercial airplanes and its spare parts as a way of alleviating the cost burden and ensuring safe flight operations.” Meggison explained that the clarification on the Zero Duty and VAT was contained in a letter dated June 20, 2016 and signed by the Nigeria Customs Service. It stated inter alia that: “I am directed to inform you that by virtue of the Federal Government 2013 Fiscal Policy measures, Ref No. BD.12237/S.1008/T/11 dated 15th January, 2013. All Commercial Aircraft & its Spare Parts imported for use in Nigeria shall attract import duty rate of zero per cent (0%) and zero per cent (0%) VAT respectively.” Furthermore, the letter noted: “Approval for the implementation of the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET) 2015 – 2019 and 2015 Fiscal Policy measures (National List) confirmed the extension of the 2013 Fiscal Policy measures.” NIGERIA TO EMERGE AFRICA’S AUTOMOTIVE HUB BY 2050 “We would add steel, which is essential to industrialization, and note the FGN’s determination to revive the industry,” said analysts at FBN Quest. Why decrying low government backing for the industry, FBN Quest stressed that the projected numbers would amount to a transformation of the sector. “There is a government plan in place (the national automotive industry development plan), which includes a tariff structure to encourage domestic vehicle production. There are major boosts to employment and skills development, as well as balance-of-payments benefits, from the development of a sizeable auto industry. Among the larger emerging markets, Nigeria is almost alone is not having just an industry. Motor vehicles and assembly represented less than 0.1 per cent of constant price GDP in 2015,” they stated.

Group Business Editor

Chika Amanze-Nwachuku AgriBusiness/Industry Editor

Crusoe Osagie

Comms/e-Business Editor

NEWS

Nigeria Seeks Greater Collaboration with IMO Eromosele Abiodun

The Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has expressed Nigeria’s commitment for greater collaboration with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) for the sustainable development of the Nigerian maritime industry. Amaechi made the remark when he paid a courtesy visit to the Secretary General of the IMO Mr. Kitack Lim in London recently. The minister, who expressed Nigeria’s appreciation for the technical assistance the country has benefitted from the IMO, also called for more cooperation in the areas of combating piracy and maritime education. According to him, “Nigeria has already put in place action plans and initiatives through the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) for the implementation of the code of conduct entered into by the Heads of States and Governments of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), ECCAS and the Gulf of Guinea Commission on the fight against piracy, sea robbery and other maritime crimes.” Stressing the government’s determination to making Nigeria’s sea ports safer for international trade, the minister said the security assessment checklist of the International Ship and Ports Facility Security (ISPS) code are continually receiving adequate attention by both NIMASA and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

He also assured the IMO scribe that the findings and observations of the recently concluded IMO Member States Audit Scheme (IMSAS) of Nigeria, “is being studied with a view to preparing and implementing Corrective Action Plans (CAPs) within the stipulated time frame.”

Amaechi also called for greater technical cooperation from the IMO with a view to reviewing programmes and curriculum of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron to comply with the 2010 amendments to STCW and support to secure seatime training for the graduates of the academy.

Amaechi also requested for technical advice in converting the academy to a degree awarding institution and greater involvement of the IMO in building capacities of the Academy’s instructors. Responding, the IMO scribe commended Nigeria for its commitment towards meeting

the obligations of the IMO and other international organisations. The secretary general promised Amaechi of IMO’s cooperation in the areas of continuous training in maritime security, Search and Rescue (SAR), Port State Control (PSC) and capacity building for instructors of MAN in Oron.

WELCOME TO IMO

R-L: Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside; Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi; International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Secretary General ,Mr. Kitack Lim and Nigeria’s Alternate Permanent Representative to the IMO, Mr. Diko Bala, during a visit to the IMO headquarters in London… recently

Dorman Long Restates Commitment to Local Capacity Devt Ejiofor Alike The Chairman of Dorman Long Engineering, Dr. Timi Austen-Peters has restated the commitment of his company to local capacity development to ensure job creation and technology transfer in Nigeria. Speaking when the members of the House of Representatives Committee on Local Content visited the company recently in Lagos, Austen-Peters revealed that the company will develop a new yard in the south-south axis and/or in Lagos to better serve its various clients. He thanked the Chairman of the Committe, Hon. Emmanuel Ekon for his words of encouragement and assured the team of Dorman Long’s

commitment to Nigeria, “There’s no doubt that we are partners in progress and we would like to reassure you that we have extensive plans that will be strongly beneficial to Nigeria’s socio-economic climate. Our expansion plan will see significant job creation, skills and technology transfer, as well as capacity building,” he added. Earlier in his speech, Ekon said the committee was impressed with the achievements and facilities of Dorman Long. “We sincerely thank the Dorman Long team for their hospitality and strong commitment to building and sustaining local content in this country. We have witnessed the immense work you are currently doing

on the Egina Project amongst others. We are delighted to see a local company that is significantly contributing to the socio-economic development of Nigeria. Your presentation on the industry insight and challenges has been impactful and well received. We have also noted the gaps in the industry and we will ensure we address them. As a committee, we will discuss further to see how we can collectively build the capacity of this industry. However, I encourage your association, PETAN, to share a more holistic list of industry requirements that would allow your organisations meet their objectives. Our members are keen to build a good relationship with your association and of course we

are here to support and to work with you,” Ekon explained. The courtesy visit led by Ekon and 13 members of his team was aimed at further reinforcing their commitment to support local companies in achieving their long-term objectives. During the visit, the Dorman Long team discussed its key objectives showing itself to be a loyal partner to Nigeria. The team also took a tour of its fabrication facilities. The 100 per cent owned Nigerian Company was established in 1949 as a structural steel engineering fabrication and installation company, originally owned by British Steel (now Tata). The company has recently undergone major restructuring

to further provide increased customer focus and improved customer delivery. Dorman Long Engineering provides a full range of services and consistent project delivery to the Power, Telecommunications, Oil and Gas and Heavy Industries within Nigeria and West Africa. The company’s services include: engineering, materials management, fabrication, galvanising, asset management, and brownfield and marine maintenance. The company, the statement added, is “the only West African company to consistently hold and maintain ASME certification, in addition to being an IS09001 certified company.”

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 (Maritime)

FG Commends NIMET for Re-certification of Aeronautical Service Dele Ogbodo in Abuja The federal government has congratulated the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) on the recent re-certification of its aeronautical and meteorological services for conformance to the International Standard Organisation (ISO), standard for Quality Management System (QMS). This was contained in a

letter signed by the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Mr. Saibu Zakari, who quoted President Muhammadu Buhari, as commending NiMet’s management and workforce for their zeal and dedication in keeping the Nigeria skies safe. The statement said: “The ISO 9001 certification which was first issued to NiMet by the International Standards

organization in 2013 is centered on efficient and effective service delivery. So far only two countries in West Africa can boast of the ISO 9001 certification - Nigeria and Gambia. “As part of requirement for re-certification, NiMet organises periodic stakeholders meeting, a forum where industry experts, customers and airline owners critique

and make recommendations on how the Agency can better serve its customers and deliver on its mandate of advising government on all aspects of meteorology (climate/weather) as well as providing services to various sectors of the national economy.” It added that the quality management system (QMS) is a formalised system that

documents processes, procedures and responsibilities for achieving quality policies and objectives. “QMS helps coordinate and direct the activities of organisations in order to meet customers’ expectations and regulatory requirements with a view to improving its effectiveness and efficiency on a continuous basis.” the statement added.

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD

AvIAtION

Air Travel in a Depressed Economy Preventing accidents in the wake of an economic downturn can be daunting for the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, as the contraction may lure airlines into cutting corners, writes Chinedu Eze There are fears that the aviation sector may go back to the old ways when the country recorded many air accidents because of the difficult economic times. Airlines are finding it difficult to generate enough revenue to carry out their daily operation, a development, which industry experts fear, could lure them into cutting corners. There are reports of malfeasance among domestic carriers, which in the wake of the hard times are trying to survive by all means possible. Recently the Accountable Manager of Dana Air, Mr. Obi Mbanuzuo expressed the frustration Nigerian airlines are facing trying to operate during these economically perilous times. Mbanuzuo expressed displeasure over some of the challenges facing domestic airlines such as the rise in fuel price, multiple charges, high exchange rate among other issues. He said: “One of the issues domestic airlines are faced with is multiple charges. If these charges can be merged or eliminated, it will help the present situation of airlines. As it stands, airlines pay a statutory charge, which is fine, but some other charges, which the airlines need to grapple with, are not even applicable in other climes.’’ He also stated that presently, airlines peg fares in naira, whereas they pay for necessary maintenance in foreign currencies. It is the above reality that is fuelling the fear that the airlines may do anything possible to continue to operate and generate revenue, including cutting corners in the area of maintenance. In fact, there was a recent report from the NCAA that an airline attempted to secretly sneak an aircraft engine out of the country without the consent of the regulatory body. The engine was damaged and instead of notifying NCAA, the airline wanted to take the engine to an unknown maintenance facility overseas for repair. It was learnt that the NCAA stopped the move after it was notified. Industry experts have expressed concerns that such action may become rampant as the economy continues to nosedive; so the Authority has poised its antennae to detect and preempt such safety violations. Over the years, the NCAA has effectively regulated air safety in the aviation industry and it had been certified by international organisations such as the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with rating that could be compared to the best Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in the world. That is why Nigeria is a Category 1 status country and the country has passed the ICAO audit, ramping up marks to over 90 per cent, which is a rarity. But Nigeria has recorded many accidents even since the regulatory body was granted autonomy in 2006, so to ensure that the airspace is safe, the NCAA must reinforce its efforts. Effective Regulation Recently an airline notified NCAA after carrying out tests on its crew that one pilot was tested of excessive alcohol, while the other indicated using marijuana. The Authority promptly reacted by withdrawing the licences of the pilots. The regulatory agency said they were suspended for 180 days in line with the provisions of Part 2.1.11.8 (f)1 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (CARs) 2009. The indicted pilots were also asked to return their licences to the NCAA within 75 days. They were also directed to undergo compulsory detoxification and psychiatric evaluation by a Consultant Psychiatrist, after which, the result of the tests would be reviewed by the NCAA consultant before their restoration. The spokesman of NCAA, Sam Adurogboye told THISDAY that there are many other infractions by airlines but the regulatory body is always on top of it and has improved tremendously in monitoring the airlines. “I want to say categorically that we have a

Muhktar

solid system in place as a way of monitoring the industry in our oversight functions. If not for that, we would not have been able to nip in the bud the attempts of operators trying to carry out airplanes to service outside without initial report to us on what has happened to the engine. Without that we would not have been able to stop the crew that compromised rules on consumption of alcohol or taking of stimulants. “Over and over we have been able to sanction airlines, sanction flight crew. That was not the first time we suspended flight crew. It was just that we do not want to oversensitise the public so that people will not be scared away from flying. From time to time people have been sanctioned. Let me put it to you: there was an airline we sanctioned and we levied it N15 million and the airline is paying the money instalmentally,” Adurogboye said. He said the NCAA has been sanctioning airlines and they have been paying big fines, noting that the airlines would prefer that such penalty they pay is not made public so that it won’t destroy their goodwill as reliable and dependable operators. “We have sanctioned airlines and they paid huge sums of money in penalty without making noise about it. They prefer it than if we do a statement and publicise the violation. In fact, they would be extremely sad if it is publicised. However, they are the same people that go to the media to criticise NCAA. We are usually able to track those violations despite the fact they were the things that were done secretly. Our system is so solid that ICAO recommended us to some African countries. ICAO collects the safety manual that we have and share to other states. Our open items are so small when compared to other countries. Recently an audit in the UK revealed over 100 open items but we had only 20. I say it without equivocation that the certificate you take out from NCAA is respected all over the world,” Adurogboye said. Manpower Adurogboye also said unlike in the past when the regulatory authority could not

Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika

attract seasoned technical personnel in the agency, the federal government gave NCAA a waiver to employ the best hands and now it has the most qualified and experienced inspectors and others who have ensured that the rules are carried out and the airlines are closely monitored to ensure they abide by the regulations in their operations. “During the last audit ICAO noted that NCAA has highly skilled manpower and recommended that we should do everything possible not to lose them. All over the world they know what we have in NCAA and the way our oversight is done is not haphazard. If you talk to the airlines they will say we are over regulating them. Now, even the presidential fleet is under us. They said they prefer to be under us to the Nigeria Air Force. So Nigeria should go and have their sleep because we have very effective regulatory Authority,” he said. Autonomy But a senior official of a major airline told THISDAY last week that the NCAA regulation of the industry is limited because it only concentrates on airlines. The official noted that for the Authority to be efficient, it has to effectively regulate the aviation agencies, but unfortunately these other agencies see themselves as co-equal to the NCAA instead of subordinated to the regulatory authority. For example, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) was established by an Act, which makes it autonomous. It was due to Dr. Harold Demuren’s aura and power that he was able to close some airports that did not meet safety standards when he was the Director General of NCAA. FAAN management reluctantly abides by directives from NCAA and sometimes cite the Act the makes it autonomous. “The best way to effectively have a regulator is to give NCAA a sense of autonomy to oversight all navigational service providers. For example, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) monitors the banks and regulates them; it does not resort to the Ministry of Finance to take its decisions on the banks. It is the same role NCAA should play both for the

airlines and other aviation agencies. NCAA is not performing its oversight function well because it cannot do that in isolation. The agency cannot do proper oversight when it is regulating only the airlines and not the agencies. “For example, if there is a bird strike and I do the report as a pilot and in that report I cite that the birds are attracted to the runway area because of the refuse dump near the runway. NCAA cannot stop it from occurring again because it cannot direct FAAN, which manages the airports, to immediately remove the refuse dump. If NCAA cannot stop it, it will occur again. If the Authority is autonomous it will just direct FAAN to immediately remove the refuse dump from there and it would be done. FAAN, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) and others should not see NCAA as another agency because these agencies should truly be answerable to NCAA,” the official said. The Director-General of NCAA, Captain Muhktar Usman, in a recent interview with THISDAY, explained why FAAN and NAMA might not seek approval from NCAA before they introduce some charges. This, he said was because the two agencies have enabling laws that made them at least semi-autonomous. “Don’t forget that FAAN was created before NCAA and both have enabling laws. NAMA also was created that way. So those are some of the conflicts that are being addressed by the amendment of the civil aviation act, which is already an ongoing process. So those will be addressed where regulatory provisions were inadvertently put in those agencies. But the Civil Aviation Act 2006 is clear, NCAA is the only regulatory agency as far as civil aviation is concerned in Nigeria and I am sure with the amendment all will be brought in line with that provision under the Civil Aviation Act,” he said. Aviation industry experts are of the view that the NCAA, as the regulatory agency should fully take charge of regulation of the aviation industry to ensure safety of air operations and to also receive the flaks when that is compromised.

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD

AVIATION

Aligbe: AMCON Lacks the Competence to Manage Airlines Aviation consultant and CEO of Belujane Konsult, Chris Aligbe said Nigerian airlines are facing a bleak future and berates the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria for playing an ignoble role in the industry. He spoke to Chinedu Eze. Excerpts: What is your view about the rising cost of air travel in Nigeria? Until the economy changes, a whole lot of things will happen in the aviation sector, just as it would happen in other sectors of the economy. All these are a response to the slowing economy; because when you go into economic recession, which we have been thrown into; resolution does not come easy. It takes a while. Usually it is cyclical. It moves and then maybe it begins to recover and that recovery rate will depend on how effectively government’s policy on the diversification of the economy becomes effective. It no longer depends on oil revenue to revamp because from all indications, oil is not going to bounce back so soon. Many people believe that it would bounce back sooner but I don’t think so; I am not in that sector, but looking at the global economy and global politics, I don’t think that will happen so soon. So it would depend on the effectiveness of diversification. If we can achieve that, then the economy will begin to up again and passenger traffic will grow. Again, if we can manage our economy in our environment and return security and improve our investment climate, there will be more people coming from outside. This is a business destination, people want to do business but the odds are against us. We have so much challenges that we are not able to resolve. If there are no incentives the domestic airlines will collapse. The foreign airlines have the right to increase their fares because they are in business; they are not here to help us manage our affairs. That is not their business. Their business is to make money. But now they can no longer make money. That is why they have cut down their operations. Many of them will cut down on their business. They will either reduce capacity offered, which I think British Airways has done because it is no longer using Boeing B747 to Lagos. This is how they will respond. Immediately they found out that they are not making money, people are not travelling, they will respond to capacity. They will keep operating because Nigerians still travel, one way or the other. You find out that the area that will be impacted on is overseas students travel. Fewer students will now travel overseas because of the foreign exchange problem. The cost of training children overseas will be so high that parents will now start looking for highbrow universities in Nigeria. These universities will begin to receive enquiries from people who otherwise would have sent their children overseas to study. The passenger traffic will continue to reduce because many people cannot afford the increasing fares, so the high profile schools in Nigeria will now attract applications from students who would have travelled overseas for studies. This is the time to invest in very excellent universities in Nigeria because this situation you are looking at may linger for another four or five years before it begins to change. What you are going to find out is that universities in our neighbouring countries that are cheaper will attract more Nigerian students. That is what is going to happen. They are cheaper so students can go there by road, not even by air. So that is what will happen. Honestly speaking I think government should not seat back but take a global look at what is happening. We should look at the aviation industry. I do not know why up till today there has not been any attempt for special dispensation for the aviation industry. We keep on talking about it until we come to the level we will declare the industry infant

Aligbe

industry and put all the pegs to support an infant; otherwise we will not get out of where we are. Government has to take urgent action or the airlines will go under and when they do we will be faced with more challenges. That is what I think but airlines will increase fares. That is the only way to survive. The increase in fares is ignited by high cost of aviation fuel. Is there nothing that could be done to make fuel supply more efficient and at lower prices? The truth of it is that in as much as Nigeria is not refining, aviation fuel will remain as high as it is with the foreign exchange challenges that we have. We have to move very fast to begin the refining of aviation fuel locally. This is what we should do to reduce the cost. We should also resuscitate the pipelines that carry aviation fuel to the airports. They can give out the management and development of those pipelines out on Public, Private Partnership (PPP). Rehabilitating the pipelines will remove the extra charge of tankers carrying Jet A1 to the airport and it will also remove the challenges airlines are

having in waiting for fuel tankers to bring in the product. Let’s take example of Arik. It operates over 100 flights a day, including international flights and it requires several tankers to provide between 800, 000 to 1.2 million litres of aviation fuel. How will the airline continue to cope? So government should remove this challenge. Other airlines are also facing similar challenges, so they should resuscitate the pipelines to make it easy for the airlines to lift fuel. There are so many things we can do. We should not just sit down and bemoan these challenges. They can be resolved if we decide to address them. What do you think will happen to the Nigerian carriers with the present situation? What do you think will be their future? The future is bleak for Nigerian carriers. This is because the challenges coming from their operational environment is huge. The airlines have their own internal problems, but the challenges coming from outside their own system are much more than what is

coming from their internal challenges. Addressing these external challenges should not be piecemeal. I keep telling the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) that it is not coordinated. The operators are not together and they are not coming together to jointly make demands to government. Today they are asking for waivers for aircraft parts, tomorrow it is charges. These things you cannot ask one after another. They should just get together and push that the sector should be declared as an infant industry. That is what people do in countries where they have infant industries. When they declare it they put all the benefits, which you should derive as an infant and they give time to it and say, this will stay for a period of 10 years. After 10 years if you cannot grow out of infancy, then you can die as an infant. America has Chapter 11. As big as they are if you as an organisation have challenges you declare bankruptcy and apply for Chapter 11 and nobody will drag you for the debts that you have. There will not CONTINUED ON PAGE 23

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD

AVIATION

ALIGBE: AMCON LACKS THE COMPETENCE TO MANAGE AIRLINES be an organisation like Asset Management Cooperation of Nigeria (AMCON) to drag you. Nobody will drag you. They give you that period to re-order yourself and come out of your difficulties. If you cannot come out of your difficulties you can now self off your assets and begin to pay your debts, like Pan Am did. Pan Am entered Chapter 11 it could not come out. It sold everything including its routes to pay up its debts and then wound up. If you look at even the passenger capacity at the local routes is depleting and even at the best of times not even up to one percent of Nigerians is travelling by air, do you think anything could be done by government to boost increase in passenger movement? What should be done is for the airlines to sit down and see how they can work together with the objective of seeing the industry survive. They would ask themselves, within this infant industry status, what are we going to put in that will make you keep your fares at the level that Nigerians can still travel. Government cannot call the airlines today and say, reduce your fairs, no. Government cannot do that because they don’t have that right. But if you now give out something and say, it is quit pro quo, we can give you this so that you will lower your fares for the interest of the Nigerian public. The airlines will do it. The airlines want to survive. Government must focus on the airlines and say, what can we do to make sure you are offering services and you are offering it in a manner Nigerians can still benefit from these services. If this is not done eventually the airlines will collapse and Nigeria will suffer. Foreign airlines cannot do what domestic carriers can do for us. They cannot operate domestic services for us and the roads are not what they should be, the rail lines are not yet there. So I think that the President should call for major stakeholders’ meeting. I know that once or twice the President had held meetings with some stakeholders and asked what can we do with what these international airlines are doing? But this one should be a holistic meeting. When in 2005 and 2006 when those crashes came in quick succession, the President then, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo called stakeholders’ meeting and they brainstormed on which way forward. It was after that stakeholders meeting that there was a change at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and more importantly, the President commissioned Air Vice Marshall Dike Committee and this Committee was asked to look at the problems of the industry and find out what was needed to be done. And that government put in some money for it which led to the establishment of the safe tower project, the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON) and other critical projects needed for the industry. Talking about the future of Nigerian airlines, Aero is becoming moribund. What do you think should be done to revitalise the airline? It will be painful to see Aero go down. If that happens, jobs will be lost. People will be thrown out. The capacity offered on domestic route will be reduced and we will go back into the challenges of inadequate capacity again. You know Aero for many years was growing and even started the maintenance of aircraft on their own, A Checks, B Checks. Aero was growing that way. And you can at least trust Aero and rely on Aero. Now the airline has gone down, down, down, down. The management appointed Captain Fola Akinkuotu, but unfortunately they appointed him into a very difficult situation. They appointed him to manage an airline that was already in coma, so if Aero goes down today it will not be because of Akinkuotu; it will be because the airline was already in coma and needed a whole lot to put it back on track again. The airline needs refinancing, it needs restructuring and these are decisions that should be made about it in the midst of these economic difficulties. But if Aero goes down the country will suffer. The demise of Nigerian Airways cleaned out a generation of engineers and excellent professionals. If Aero goes down it will also clean up another

Aligbe

generation of indigenous engineers and excellent professionals. Would you say that AMCON aided the degeneration of Aero? I told you over time that AMCON has no competence in managing airlines. AMCON does not know what it takes to manage an airline and that is the fact of the matter. They cannot pretend about it. One of the problems in this country is that people know that they do not know but they still want to behave as if they know. And then if you don’t recognise your weakness; your inadequacies, you cannot maximise your strength. AMCON has not recognised its weaknesses and inadequacies in airline operation and management and therefore it cannot strengthen the airline. So AMCON cannot maximise its area of strength. The Corporation has a lot to do with airline collapses in Nigeria. Look at Virgin Nigeria, it has not told us what it did with the property of Virgin Nigeria it acquired. Look at the new Embraer aircraft that were acquired and they were allowed to rot. This is why many of us are tired of talking about aviation but we have to talk until we lose steam to talk about the industry. But this country can do better if we are

The future is bleak for Nigerian carriers. This is because the challenges coming from their operational environment is huge. The airlines have their own internal problems, but the challenges coming from outside their own system are much more than what is coming from their internal challenges

ready to do better; if we are ready to utilise all the resources available to us. There are many of us in the industry who are dancers and drummers. You have to pick people and put them where they can be effective. You cannot ask me today to come and manage airports. I don’t know how to do that. I can tell you about a good airport and how a good airport should be but it is a different thing when you say, come and manage this airport. We are not doing things right. We are taking round pegs and putting them in square holes. As it concerns the aviation industry, we have seen the first one year of the Buhari administration, if things continue the way they are now, what do you think will happen by 2019? It pains me because I voted him. I believe we are going to the time where we needed him. Whether I did that rightly or wrongly is immaterial, but that was what I believed when I went to cast my vote. But the way things are going today we have to do a whole lot of review. I am not praying that things should continue like this. I am also sure that he himself and maybe the people around him; men of goodwill around him who are looking at the country, the way himself is looking at the country because I think he is bordered about this country. There are also those who are bordered about this country, but there are those who are bothered about their own interest. If he can sort these later people out in order for us to move forward, we will need to move forward. Buhari must leave us a legacy; a legacy of not just fighting corruption. He ought to fight corruption because corruption became endemic in our country that would have killed the country. I wish him and all of us great luck. I had seen Julius Nyerere of Tanzania fought corruption and I was in that country when he was fighting it and I knew one or two things that happened. So I wish this country great luck that we succeed in fighting corruption. But fighting corruption is not only fighting against money stolen. One of the endemic elements of corruption has to do with employment. Most employment in government agencies is given to those who know one person or another; it is never given on merit. That is one of the greatest corruption we have in our country. Vacancies that are available are not given to people to apply for them. The

National Assembly should make a law on system of employment but unfortunately they are part and parcel of it, but it can make a law that no employment can be done through the backdoor. If such vacancies are not openly advertised the employment will be null and void. When you do this Nigerians will begin to feel that they are part and parcel of this country. So corruption is endemic in all facets of our lives. It is not only about stealing money. Corruption can be reduced to a good extend but it cannot be fully eliminated. When you look at corruption in the area of employment it is worse. We have a lot of things to do. I don’t pray that the situation remains the way it is. President Muhammadu Buhari should continue to review his appointees and what he is doing, separating those around him with selfish interest and work with those who are patriotic like himself. He should sort out those who are not going to allow the country to move forward. It is his responsibility to look at the quality of people around him. Buhari has tremendous goodwill; he has tremendous support, but it does not take a long time to lose goodwill. So Buhari should quickly wake up so that he does not lose this goodwill that he had by the time he was coming. Most of us who went to the poles depended on this and offered our votes free because of what we believe. But the assessment today is impacting on that goodwill. I am sure that he knows. But it is one thing to know and it is another to address the issues. I believe that the country will not continue to be the way it is today because he is doing everything to bring a change. That change will come but probably not as much as we expect it but it will not be a flicker but fundamental changes. To me, I am still looking up with hope. I don’t think it is too late to do something and I believe he is committed to doing something. So I won’t talk about 2019 because 2019 will depend on all these things we talked about. I am praying the industry should not continue like this because if it continues like this the industry will close down. It will not only be the fault of the industry but also the fault of government. So government should wake up and address the problem holistically. Remember that in 2017 the Yamoussoukro Decision will be implemented. We cannot push Yamoussoukro back. Open skies will start and there is nothing we can do.

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD

PERSPECTIVE

Nigeria Has Reset Export Financing Policy with Two Funding Tools

Container vessel

Chinedu Moghalu As the steep decline in the global prices of oil took its toll on oil exporting countries, international development experts called for national development policies to attenuate the commodity price shocks. Among some of its several policy responses, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is working in partnership with the country’s Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) having recognised the important role DFIs play in promoting structural transformation. The short-term challenges of lower reserve buffers, negative output growth and inflationary pressures have not masked the dynamism of the Nigerian economy, which still remains the largest in Africa by a wide margin. Notwithstanding, these challenges present an opportunity to put Nigeria on the path of economic diversification and structural transformation. There would be no better time to get this done than in this current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari who has shown the political will for fiscal discipline. The important thing about the policy responses underway in Nigeria – and this must be emphasised – is that they are not short-term fixes. For instance, the policy on diversification in exports and domestic production is long overdue. For too long, Nigeria has been considered to be a Commodity Dependent Developing Country (CDDC) because her commodity export revenues contribute to more than 90 per cent of its total export earnings. Indeed, this is the bane of many African countries who constitute half of CDDC countries in the world, according to United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). In its latest Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa, the International Monetary Fund attributed weakening growth in the region to the decline in commodity prices and tighter financing conditions that have put the economies under strain. But despite the bogie of low oil prices, the impact of the shocks has varied across countries, depending on the proportion of a country’s exports that is primary commodities. For instance, Mexico, Indonesia, and Nigeria – which constitute the MINT economies, along with Turkey – are large oil exporters. However, in this group of economies that are considered to be the next big thing among the emerging markets,

Nigeria has been the most hit by the oil price decline, as the country’s total exports fell by 51 per cent from $102.9 billion in 2014 to $50.9 billion in 2015, according to the International Trade Centre (ITC), the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations. Meanwhile, the other MINT economies had much lower declines in the value of their exports – the least hit being Mexico at 4 per cent because of the disproportionately smaller share of primary commodities in its total exports. Export competiveness Improving the competitiveness of Nigeria’s non-oil exports is a key focus of Nigeria’s trade policy. This policy has received a significant boost with the N500 billion Non-Oil Export Stimulation Facility (ESF) recently launched by the CBN, and managed by Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM Bank). The apex bank also expanded the Export Credit Rediscounting and Refinancing Facility (RRF) by N50 billion as a liquidity window to encourage Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) to provide export credit. The facilities are designed to address trade policy issues affecting the ability of Nigerian export-oriented companies to integrate in regional and global value chains. As the Nigerian Government’s official trade policy bank – with a key role in implementing these interventions – NEXIM Bank recently organised a press briefing in Lagos last month to announce the commencement of the two facilities. During the press conference, NEXIM Bank’s Acting Managing Director/CEO, Bashir M. Wali, said improved export financing for exporters will enable them to upscale and expand their businesses and improve their competiveness. A strong and vibrant Nigerian economy is one that has globally competitive firms that are producing value-added goods and services not only to meet domestic demand but also for exports. A sustainable Nigerian economy is one that is creating jobs, raising incomes and offering social protection, especially for women, young people, and poor communities. The CBN’s partnership with NEXIM Bank will unclog what has been a bottleneck for a long time, namely, access to low interest (single digit) rate credit to the non-oil sector and enable companies in this sector connect to international markets for

trade and investment. Access to export credit The share of credit to non-oil exportoriented companies shrunk to less than one per cent last year. The CBN said inadequate financing was responsible for the drop in non-oil export revenues from $10.53 billion in 2014 to $4.39 billion in 2015. As a matter of fact, a report the apex bank recently presented at a Bankers’ Committee meeting shows that the liquidity conditions in the banking sector have been generally constricted. This is not to say that the soundness of the Nigerian banking sector is in question. To be sure, Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) of the sector is at 16.5 per cent, well above the prudential minimum of 10 per cent. What reasonably concerns the CBN is the drop in total deposits in the DMBs, which fell 5.6 per cent between April 2015 and April 2016 and the Non-Performing Loans (NPL) ratio that rose above the prudential limit of 5 per cent to 10.1 per cent in the same period. These challenges cascaded to impair the financial intermediation role of the banks over the last one year as gross credit to the private and public sector declined by N41 billion or 0.3 per cent between April 2015 and April of this year. Export-oriented companies face considerable financing needs, including procurement of raw materials, plants and machineries, spare parts, packaging materials as well as working capital. Other requirements entail making provision for export-value chain support such as warehousing, quality assurance and technology upgrade. Because a lot of the companies are unable to substantially meet these requirements, their capacity utilization remains low. This inevitably impacts on productivity growth for the sectors in which they operate. Perhaps this is the reason Nigeria’s share of world exports over the last five years peaked at 0.8 per cent in 2012 and has since steadily declined, recording 0.3 per cent in 2015. In ITC’s ranking of world exporting countries, South Africa, a smaller economy than Nigeria was ranked 37th in 2015, while Nigeria was ranked 49th. Also, Nigeria’s share of exports to GDP at 18.4 per cent is lower than the contribution of exports to the GDP of peer frontier and emerging countries. But there is now a policy reset in Nigeria to facilitate the economic diversification

agenda of the government and promote the growth of non-oil exports, create jobs, boost revenue generation and achieve sustainable economic development. The N500 billion ESF and the expansion of the RRF by N50 billion also has the objective of ensuring Nigerian export-oriented companies meet their obligations to international clients, thereby enhancing the export relationship. Critical impacts Investment facilitation: A key element of these interventions is also to bring about a much-needed improvement in the business environment. Access to medium- to long-term competitive export financing at single digit interest rate (ranging from 7-9 per cent), will stimulate private sector growth, encourage foreign investment and job-creation. Through trade and investment, Nigeria can benefit from technology transfer or the uptake of new technology that will enhance Total Factor Productivity (TFP), the measure of industry-level efficiency. Value-added products: The ESF and RRF are strategic financing partnership tools to move Nigeria to the higher end of the global industrial value chain. Growth of Nigerian exports would be driven by increasing the composition of value-added products. Put differently, the attractiveness of Nigerian exports will be determined by the level of sophistication of our main exports. NEXIM Bank is working with its clients to help the diversification of their export products and markets. The non-oil export stimulating facilities also come at a time when Nigeria’s key trade partner, the United Kingdom, has elected to leave the European Union, the world’s largest single market. Regardless of the fallouts of this decision, Nigeria-UK relations will remain strong; and even stronger if Nigeria increases its trade competiveness. Social impact: As development financing tools, the social impact of these interventions in terms of creating sustainable employment and gender balance in employment will also be measured. In due course, Nigeria will be a veritable case study for effective development financing because of this policy response that the CBN and NEXIM Bank have commenced. •Moghalu is Head of Corporate Communication at Nigerian Export-Import bank

28/COVER

15.07.2016

Nordica's Journey into Preserving Fertility Abayomi Ajayi, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, is the CEO of Nordica Fertility Centre, which specialises in In-Vitro Fertilisation. For over 15 years, he has used the various innovations available in Assisted Reproductive Technology to help couples that have difficulties making babies. Ajayi, in this interview with Mary Ekah, unravels the myth behind IVF services, his journey into the fertility business and Fertility Preservation, Nordica’s very latest procedure used in assisting conception of getting pregnant, so when we use genetics, we can nullify the effect of the age by choosing only the embryos that are viable.

Can you tell us how the fertility business started in Nordica? Nordica started in 2003 as a result of the fact that we saw the need to help people with infertility problem because then, people who were into the services of In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) were very scarce at that time in Nigeria. At that time, many people thought it was not possible to do IVF in the country because of the facilities were not there to support the service and so it was quite a challenge trying to make things like IVF work in this kind of environment. So, we started because we saw that probably, the greatest need for people with infertility was IVF. The commonest reason why people were infertile was either blocked tube or low sperm count and these are only amendable with IVF. So it was necessary that we had IVF at that point in time, we started in 2003 and since then we have not looked back.

Can the female egg be viable at any age? That usually is one big problem and like I said earlier, fertility in women decreases with age. As the woman grows older, the ability for her egg to become baby decreases. There is a rough guide that when you are below 35 that is when you are at your peak but from 35 you start declining and at above 40 it become more difficult for a woman to become pregnant with her own egg. Very few people get pregnant after 43 using their own eggs. That is why we emphasis on people to do IVF before age catches up on them. This where preserved fertility comes in, especially where women are career oriented and wouldn’t get married till when they are approaching 40 or even above 40. So now it is possible for you to store your eggs at the age of 30 and the good thing is that, even if you are above 40 by the time you are ready to use them, they will still look as fresh as when you were 30 and that might prevent you from using donor’s egg but if you were unfortunate to do that, when it get to that age, you just might have to use donors’ eggs.

It has been 13 years now, so how successful has it been? It has been obviously successful and now we have four centres in three major cities in Nigeria. We only hope to do better than we are doing now. We have had over 1500 babies and we are still having babies. What has been the challenges trying to get things done, especially in Nigeria where a lot of people are skeptical about IVF? The challenges have been in different stages. From when we started, the challenges we had were quite different from what we have now. Then, we needed to be able to master the process and then transfer the technology to Nigeria, because from the word go, we wanted to transfer the technology to Nigeria and I can say with all confidence that we berthed only for three months when we started and since then we have been working and people have been coming to us. What we wanted was for us to transfer the technology because what we had in mind in starting, was to be able to offer Nigerians the kind of services they get when they travelled abroad and that is what we have been benchmarking since then, while giving it a Nigerian face. Also, ensuring that the quality of the service you get was same thing you get anywhere in world and that is what we have been trying to achieve in the last 13 years. What do you have to say about the stigma that comes with what many Nigerians tagged ‘test tube babies’? I would say that it has been improving. You know, generally when human beings do not understand anything, they stigmatise it and term it witchcraft but the more we understand, the more we see the science behind it. So I think the more people get to understand IVF, the better their acceptance, which will mean there will be less stigma. This is not only peculiar to Nigeria; it’s all over the world. And one of the things we are still trying to let people know now is that babies born through IVF are very normal children. You know, initially they used to call them test tube babies and for some people they thought probably these babies are not normal but today the good news is that we have over five million babies all over the world born through IVF and they are not different from those who are conceived and born naturally. A lot of people still have negative views about IVF, so in what ways have you been trying to convince them that it is okay to have babies through IVF? It’s really not to convince them but to educate them because most of the people who have this

Ajayi

notion about IVF do not understand exactly what it is about. Initially when we started, they said we were playing God and all sorts, but now we are beginning to hear less of that because they are beginning to understand more and more about how IVF works. And if you don’t believe in God, when you come and do IVF, you will know that there is God. Why I am saying that is because you could do the same treatment for two different people and then one will succeed while the other will not succeed. Now you can’t tell if it is the doctor that made it not to succeed, if nothing else, you would say there is God factor in it. Talking about the success of IVF, how many times must one use the treatment before it can be successful? There is no prescribed number of times that you must go through it, of course why you go through IVF is because you want to have a child, but what we advice is that if you are less than 35, prepare your mind for two cycles. About 40 per cent of such people will be successful from the first procedure but for people above that age to be successful, they probably need like three cycles. Though that does not mean you may not succeed in the first cycle, but we understand the fact that before people decide to do IVF, they have been used to some kind of hopelessness, and suddenly you see the light at the end of the tunnel and when it fails, you just conclude what is the need. So that is why counseling is so vital in IVF to prepare people’s minds on the probability of a failure in the first attempt and for them to accept it when they fail in the first instance, so that they don’t just give up hope completely after the first trial. Another thing that we advice people is to do IVF on time so that the success rate for them will be in the neighbourhood of 40 per cent because as the woman grows older, the success rate decreases. Of course, that is what happens normally in natural reproduction. What IVF is always trying to do, is what happens naturally like when the sperm and the egg come together in the womb and that is what IVF is always trying to do. I must say that the success rate of IVF is a little better than what

nature can offer but the good thing is that in nature, you don’t have to pay, so people can continue to try but in IVF you have to pay and so you need to limit the number of cycles you go and that is why it is very important also for the patient to be able to choose good and reliable centres, so they don’t waste their money and time. How affordable is IVF? IVF is not expensive but it is not cheap as well. I always tell people that if you can buy a tokunbo car, you can do IVF and if you go on our roads you can see a lot of cars there. The only thing is that we need to prioritise things. What stand you out from other fertility centres in Nigeria? Many things stand us out. When we started, we had our first baby from assisted hatching and I would say that we have been playing on technology and our main strength is in the technology we have been able to acquire over the years. Whatever is the latest in the world, we try to bring to Nordica. Also, I would say that some of the things we do with genetics, I don’t think any other person does it in Nigeria and this is so because of our affiliation with many other fertility centres abroad, and as a result, we are able to do a lot of things. From 2003, we have been able to decode the human gene, so we are able to analyse all the genes in the human body and since then, there have been a lot of successes. The most important thing to everybody who wants to have a baby is that you want to have a healthy baby and genes transfer all the quality for a healthy baby. Most times, children inherit diseases even from their parents, but now with IVF, we prevent diseases from being transmitted apart from the fact that we can choose characteristics, which include the sex of the baby. Genetics in IVF is extending the frontier of IVF not only for infertility now but also even for people who are fertile but want to prevent transmitting diseases to their children or want a particular sex. Another thing we have been able to do is fertility preservation. Like I said earlier, the higher the age of a woman, the less the chances

What would be your advice to couples out there who have not taken the option of IVF or any other assisted reproductive method? I would advice them that there is hope when you are faced with infertility and that there are so many people that can help them solve the problem even in Nigeria. It is now left for them to gather a lot of information before they make the move. Fertility treatment should not be dictated by price but you must know exactly what you are doing. I am not saying go to the most expensive, but compare the ones you have on ground before you decide on which one to patronise. More so, in a country like Nigeria, where everything is paid out of pocket, you need to be wise with how you spend your money because money is a resource that is also limited. Not only money, you are also spending your time and your emotions, so it is important for you to be sure that you are going to a place where you can be helped. It is only because your friend said, but go there, ask question and like they say in Nigeria, ‘shine your eyes’, once you do that, I am sure you would get solution. Another thing is that we should also know that infertility is a medical problem and like every medical problem, should be taken to the hospital whilst I am not saying that prayers have no effects, even the Bible says, faith without work is dead. So while we are praying, let us be doing the things that God has revealed to us because it is God that made it possible for us to be able to do IVF. We should embrace technology and still pray because what I see is that every child is a miracle from God – whether the child was conceived through IVF or naturally, so we should be ready to receive our miracle. Apart from running Nordica, do you do any other thing? This is full time ministry, so I am fully occupied with Nordica but then I am involved with a couple of non-profit organisations like Endometriosis Support Group of Nigeria, Fertility Treatment Support Foundation and now I am developing a new case for educational foundations because I suddenly discovered that the educational system in Nigeria is in trouble, so I think I am more of a charity-oriented person if I’m not doing medical work. I’m married with four children, I have a grandchild, and so my family also is enough to occupy me fully. I love music and sometimes I dance.

29/XTRA

15.07.2016

‘I’m the Authentic Successor to Oshoffa’ Mary Ekah The leadership tussle rocking the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC) worldwide may take a different dimension as another ardent member of the church has claimed that he is actually the authentic successor to the founder, Rev. Samuel Biléhou Joseph Oshoffa, who founded the church on 29 September 1947 in Porto-Novo, Benin and died in 1985. Prophet Ehoun Xavier Gbedayi, a.k.a Sent by God, one of the prominent Celestial Church pastors in Benin Republic pastoring the Celestial Church of Christ, Jesulegowa-Adjagbo, Abomey - Calavi, Republic of Benin, was in Nigeria recently with his wife, Marlene Ehoun, who incidentally is a former beauty queen, formerly known as Marlene Quenum, won the Miss Benin 2007. The prophet, who was invited to Nigeria basically for weeklong power-packed crusades orgnanised by the celestial church brethren in Nigeria, claimed that late Oshoffa had predicted his coming before his death, noting that Oshoffa’s trademark was the performances of unprecedented miracles during his time and that the late CCC founded had handed over this legacy to him as his true successor. Gbedayi, who however said his recent visit to Nigeria, was divine mission, noted, “My coming to Nigeria is not by my own power but God called me to come. When I came, my first port of call was at Makoko II branch of the church in Nigeria, in Makoko, Lagos.” Gbedayi, who claimed he has been a close follower of Oshoffa for many years noted, “I have not just started this work. I have been a servant of God since 15 years ago, healing the sick and raising the dead. I have faced various challenges in carrying out the work of God but wherever I go to, God is always with me and He performs unprecedented miracles through me. “ He explained that God has sent him back to Nigeria again, after his last visit 13 years ago, adding, “While I was at Makoko during my recent visit to Nigeria, God again proved himself that He sent me. There were uncountable miracles and people were speechless when they saw what God did through me. When the leaders at the headquarters in Nigeria saw what God did, they wanted to install me immediately as the successor of Oshoffa but I declined their bidding, saying it was not yet time for me to take up the mantle of leadership. Late Oshoffa had prophesized that the person that will take his place will come with great signs and wonders and these have happened since 15 years ago.” Gbedayi joined Celestial fold a year before he was called to duty on November 7, 2001, to preach at seven parishes in Abomey - Calavi, Republic of Benin, after which God told him again the next day to go across another seven parishes at Tofin community in Benin Republic, and then the third day, he got the gift of mission where he became a prophet at Veki Village in Benin Republic on the same day, he began a missionary journey to Gbesou, still in

Rev. Pastor Prophet Ehoun Xavier Gbedayi (middle), Leader PJ Joseph Adelakun (left) and Pa Prophet Piye (in sunglass) with other dignitaries from Coted'ivoire during the Celestial Church of Christ Jesu Legowa Parish 2016 Adult harvest in Adjagbo Republic of Benin…recently

Benin Republic and on November 10, 2001, God appeared to him physically at 9am in the morning during which the day turned to night. Ever since then, he got greater power for miracles and healing and it has been so ever since, though with various challenges which he has surmounted with God by his side. The Celestial Church of Christ worldwide is said to have come into being by divine order on September 29, 1947 in Porto Novo, Republic of Benin (Formerly Republic Of Dahomey). The movement was founded by Samuel Joseph Bilewu Oshoffa, a former carpenter, born in Dahomey (now Benin) in 1909 and raised as Protestant (Methodism). He had a divine revelation on May 27, 1947, during a solar eclipse, in a forest where he was lost. He felt called to pray, to heal the sick and raise the dead and founded his church in September 1947. Having appointed himself prophet, reverend, pastor and founder, he occupied the highest office of the movement. The hegemony he exercised on doctrine and discipline issues made his succession difficult after his death in 1985 in Lagos. The movement has continued to grow since Oshoffa's death, but has also suffered setbacks, the most immediate being severe difficulties related to the matter of succession. Oschoffa was succeeded by Alexander Abiodun Adebayo Bada, who was head of the church until his death on 8 September

2000. Bada was briefly followed as leader by Philip Hunsu Ajose, who died in March 2001. There was a dispute over the succession to Ajose, with some declaring Gilbert Oluwatosin Jesse the leader, while others recognised the Reverend Emmanuel Oshoffa, son of Samuel Oshoffa. Following Jesse's death, his faction declared that Superior Evangelist Paul Suru Maforikan was the new spiritual leader of the church. Contrary to the procedure of succession in Nigeria, Porto-Novo, the supreme headquarter, successfully chose Benoit Agbaossi (1931-2010) to the head of the church, who in his turn appointed Benoit Adeogun as the next Rev. Pastor shortly before his death in 2010. In June 2015, the Celestial Church of Christ was enmeshed in another leadership crisis as Rev. Olatosho Oshoffa, another son of the late founder of the church, declared himself as a unification leader worldwide. His elder brother, Emmanuel Mobiyina Oshoffa, is one of factional head of the church until this latest development. Prior to this, there had been issues between the two Oshoffa brothers. Reverend Olatosho claimed he saw his father twice in his dream mandating him to unite all factions claiming right to the pastoral seat and he has reached out to his elder Rev Emmanuel Mobiyina Oshoffa, Rev Owodunni, Rev Adeogun, Rev Paul Maforikan, Rev. Shoneken and others for unification of the

church worldwide and to make Imeko the Celestial holy site accessible to all worshipers. It is therefore a mind-blowing revelation having Gbedayi, the Beninian’s claimed being Oshoffa’s successor. He nonetheless, claimed with glaring evidences he was definitely the authentic successor of late Oshoffa. Gbedayi, who whose last visit to Nigeria was on May 19 and lasted for about two weeks, went round town performing signs and wonders at crusades held in Makoko, Ikate, Aja, and even in Ijoko in Ogun State and many other places. With all the signs and wonders that Gbedayi performed lately coupled with all he has done in the last 15 years, raising the dead and curing the sick, he claims that without any reasonable doubt, he is the rightful and authentic successor to late Oshoffa. Buttressing further his authenticity, he said, “These are what late Oshoffa used to do, raising the dead and curing all kind of sicknesses, were his trademark and those are just some of the things, God has used me to do in Benin Republic until He asked me to come to Nigeria. I have been a good representative of late Oshoffa in Benin Republic over the years and now I been instructed by God to come and prove to my Nigerian brethren that I am actually the authentic successor of late Oshoffa.”

A. A. C. H. S. Class Of 92 Holds Reunion, Elects Executives It was a great day for class of 92 set of Awori Anglican Comprehensive High School Ipaja, Lagos as they held their first reunion. The event, which took place at their Alma mata had close to sixty former students in attendance. The occasion provided some the opportunity of meeting their schoolmates since leaving Awori in 1992. Also in attendance were three of their former teachers, Mr. Yemi Ojedokun (Mathematics), Mr. Folarin Adebayo (Physics) and Pastor Samuel Oluwibe (Further Mathematics). The teacher took turn to heap praises on their former students for what they have achieved over the years. They were excited to see their products doing well in their chosen career. The event also marked the inaugural election of the set with Gbenga Ogunwale who was the senior prefect 24 years ago emerging the pioneer president of the set. The first vice president is Christiana Esesuota while Toyin Sodipo was voted second Vice

President. Dare Ogunmolu was voted General Secretary while Tracy Amungha – Oseni will serve as Assistant General Secretary. Banke Adebola – Mogaji emerged as Treasurer. Pastor Ibrahim Badmus and Ponle Ademola will

both serve as advisers while Tayo Adeyemo is the publicity secretary. Other elected officers are Remi Adeola welfare officer, Lekan Akindele Social Director and Alaba Ogundiran - Bello Assistant

Social Director. In his inaugural speech, the newly elected President, Gbenga Ogunwale expressed appreciation to all members for giving him the mandate to lead them. He solicited for cooperation and support from all members in a bid to carry out the objectives of the body. He charged members to be responsive to one another as well as their Alma mata “This is the school that gave us sound education. We have returned here today to contribute our quota to the school and more importantly to maintain our 30 years of friendship. This set will speak with one voice, irrespective of our tribe and gender while we pursue the spirit of brotherliness “, he said while announcing the donation of a set of computer to the school. The occasion was rounded up with various jokes as members recount their play days while at Awori Anglican Comprehensive High School, Ipaja. The next reunion comes up on first of October.

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Mary Ekah

‘Even at 60, There’s Still More to Achieve’

As the Senior Pastor of The Fountain of Life Church, Pastor Taiwo Odukoya and his twin sister, Mrs. Kehinde Hassan, recently marked their 60th birthday in what would be best described a low key celebration, one thing that was glaringly clear is that even at 60,the cleric still has so much to achieve in life. The twins’ birthday, which was celebrated with a less than two hours evening service at the Fountain of Life Church, Illupeju, Lagos, had the Bishop of the Redeemed Evangelical Ministry TREM, Bishop Mike Okonkwo as special guest while other prominent men of God were present. But surprisingly the celebration was done in a very mild manner with praise and worship rendered to God for his grace in their lives. Speaking on how he felt at 60, Pastor Odukoya, who was obviously excited and humbled by the calibre of personalities who turned up at the birthday service, noted in an in-house magazine, ‘The Fountain’ that, “The older you get the more you realise that there is a lot more to achieve.” Adekoya who obviously couldn’t hide his

L-R: Pastor Taiwo Odukoya, his wife, Nomthi and Pastor Clem Emesowei at the event

gratitude to God, all through the period the service lasted, for His grace for bringing him from a very humble beginning to the state he is today, observed: “Considering the grace God has given me, I will say I am grateful to Him because many people

would like to be where I am today.” He noted however that despite the numerous instance of grace that God has bestowed on him, his potential has not been fully realised. Asking God grant him more grace, Odukoya

Cleric Tasks Nigerians on Brotherly Love Mary Ekah As members of the Celestial Church of Christ, Zion Parish, Itedo, Lekki Phase 1, recently celebrated Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Shepherd–in-Charge, Evangelist Richard Adelu, enjoined members and Nigerians generally to exhibit brotherly love amongst them and also at the same time, extol peace. Speaking during the event, which took place at the church premises in Lekki, Lagos, Adelu said, “When we have brotherly love, peace will reign and there will not be evil in our society as it abound today. No one will want to steal money when you have brotherly love for your fellow human beings.” The event is an injunction by the Pastor founder of the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC), Rev. Samuel Biléhou Joseph Oshoffa, that Holy Virgin Mary Feast should be celebrated every year following an instruction by Mary, the mother of Jesus sometime in July 1977; that was when late Pa Oshoffa decided that the Holy Mary Day should be celebrated in the Celestial Church, worldwide every first Friday of July. “The Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary is basically to celebrate the assumption of the Holy Mary Virgin into Heaven, whereby there wasn’t any bodily translation because it wasn’t as if she died. That is basically what we are celebrating”, said the Chairman, Planning Committee of the Holy Mary Day Celebration, Evangelist Oluseyi Ogunmuyiwa. Holy Mary Day within Christendom, according to the Chairman, Planning Committee, is perceived as the day of assumption to Heaven of the Holy Virgin Mary. “In other words, it is the bodily translation of the body of the mother of the Lord Jesus Christ whereby she was translated from the earthly form to heavenly form,” he added. As part of the celebration, items were donated to widows in the church; this Ogunmuyiwa said was decision of the Shepherd–in-Charge of the Church, adding, “Part of the celebration of today within this parish is what Adelu does for the widows.” Highlights of the day also included words of

said, “Just driving along the streets here, you will see that many people are suffering. We just can’t allow things to continue like this, so this usually stirs me up to want to do more. This is more so when you realise that with little help, many people will really swim out of the shallow waters of poverty and despondency to a place where they can themselves lift up others.” The cleric who derives great satisfaction in seeing people happy, noted, “I am most satisfied when I am busy; when I’m contributing something. I find a lot of satisfaction when I see that the helpless man or woman rise up from despondency or obscurity into his or her divine calling. Really, nothing compares to contributing something to life – to the destiny of others.” Odukoya described his lowest moment as when he lost his wife in an air crash, which he said came with a sense of great loss. “I honestly wished, it never happened”, he remarked, noting however that he had no regrets it happened. “God remains God and as it is written in His word: "And we know that all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Breathless Nominated for Another Movie Award

Breathless actor, Mike Ezuruonye

something from him. Then the pastor found himself descending the steps until he sighted a church, which a reverend father emerged and bowed in homage to him repeatedly. The pastor found himself ascending again back to the spot where he earlier saw the fair lady. This time, the lady showed to him what she was concealing - a baby and pointing to the baby she said, this is Jesus Christ, tell people that those who would worship him must tread the path of cleanliness at that point, the pastor realised the lady was Holy Mary. She enjoined the pastor to remain undaunted by the colour of his skin because race is of no significance in things of the spirit.” Almost a years after the incident, late Pa Oshoffa was reported to have fallen ill during which it was spiritually revealed, also in a trace that due recognition shall be given to Holy Mary in Celestial Church of Christ by commemorating the above incident annually. Consequently, the pastor declared first Friday of July every year as Holy Mary’s day to be s observed by full congregational service throughout the Celestial Church of Christ all over the world. The First

Breathless, the movie, which debuted at the cinemas on 1 July, has received nomination for another movie award. This time, it is fifth annual Nollywood and African Films Critics' Awards (NAFCA) also known as the African Oscars, at which Mike Ezuruonye has been nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in Breathless. The awards ceremony will hold on 17 September at the Orpheus Theatre, Los Angeles, USA. The movie, starring Ezuruonye and Uti Nwachukwu, had already earned nominations at two prestigious African movie awards. Breathless, through Mike Ezuruonye’s role, got a nomination for Best Actor Drama (TV/ Series) at the 2016 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA), while Nwachukwu, was nominated for the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Breathless, a suspense-filled movie, offers a gripping narrative of unspeakable secrets of an unsolved mystery murder, heightened by bitter sibling rivalry. Charles Uwagbai directed it. Executive producer of the movie, Jenkins Alumona, said: “We were concerned about producing a film that is world class. From the cast, crew, storyline, directing, equipment, locations and lots more, we ensured we throw in only the best. Our films are our representations and we are trying to tell the world Nigerians have some of the best story tellers,” he said.

expects, but it could help one do something in the end so as not to starve to death. “Radio wasn’t in my plan at all. Radio has fed me and given me a reason to give back. It has made me the luckiest man alive because I didn’t go to broadcasting school or have any training. I just got lucky with a nice-spirited man called Amin Moussalli, my boss of bosses. He gave me that chance to fill a vacuum, and here I am. “Deep down in my bones, in my soul, in my heart, I am a songwriter, and I starved myself of many things in life, hoping to become a successful writer.” Essien said his education, personal life and family all suffered because he wanted to sing, adding, “I never ever thought I would write about it. I wanted to be the most popular songwriter or musician in the world! I got messed up

wondering why the universe didn’t give me what I wanted. I tried for a long time but failed too many times, and I needed, and I needed to do something with my life. “So life made me what I am, on the air every morning, talking to people on radio- teaching, motivating, playing hit songs and giving. Like Donald Trump, I won a different kind of war! Asked about what inspired him to write the book, he said, “When I was in the UK, I met a lady who was only 23 suffering from a rear allergy and she almost died and she wrote about it. When she told me her story I was inspired and I had to write my own story. I looked at my life that there is a story. I have had failures and trials in music and television, but radio did not fail me, so I said that journey is very important so people out there should not think life is easy.”

L-R: Administrion and human Resources Celestial Zion International Bible Centre,Kolawole Oyekunle; Senior Evangelist, Ezekiel Adegor; Church Secretary, Senior Evangelist,Babatunde Aina; Shepherd -in-Charge, Superior Evangelist, Richard Disu Adelu; Senior Evangelist, Bayo Oniwinde and Chairman Planning Committee, Evangelist, Oluseyi Ogunmuyiwa at the event.

exhortation, lecture, ministration by students from Pacelli School for the Blind and Partially Sighted Children, amongst other things. Speaking further, Ogunmuyiwa said, “As a member I feel very comfortable within this parish because for a man to be so dedicated to God as to make this happen in God’s ministry is itself a miracle. So the interpretation and understanding of a day like this could mean different things to different people.” Explaining more on why the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated in Celestial Church of Christ, Ogunmuyiwa said, “This is in commemoration of the appearance of Holy Mary to the Founder of CCC, late Pa Oshoffa on July 15 1977. After that experience he now decided that every first Friday in July every year would be the celebration of the Holy Mary Day, some kind of celebration of the assumption of our Blessed Virgin Mary. “The pastor founder of CCC in trace saw himself climbing a number of steps until he got to a place full of fallen leaves and sighted a fair lady clad from top to toe in a blue apparel standing in a posture indicated she was shielding

Mannie Launches ‘What a Life’ Funmi Ogundare Disc Jokeys, radio presenters, family and friends, last weekend, converged on the Monty Buffect, Victoria Island, Lagos, to honour one of their own; Emmanuel Essien popularly called Mannie, the host of the Morning Show on Cool FM 96.9 radio, who launched his book titled, ‘What a Life’. The 149-page book talks about his life right from when he was 11 years old to the present day, the challenges he went through, and his journey through the world of music before he could achieve fame. According to him, “the book talks about what I experienced from primary, boarding secondary school since I was 11 years old and the book has 48 songs in it. I wrote these songs

at different times in my life, therefore every song is a story. That is what makes it unique because in my growth, I was writing, there was something that happened before I wrote that story, good or bad, some are very bad, some people ask me why did I tell that kind of story, but I tell them it’s my life. I went through religious crisis and relational crisis, as painful as it is, I told the story.” On how he found himself on the radio, he said,” I am known as Mannie d’Maestro on radio, but hardly anyone acknowledges the fact that I came from a musical journey because I blew up as a radio star. Everyone loves my show. I love the job really, but having experienced this life at different levels, it’s hard to believe it all began with a pen and paper.” He described life as that which may not give one what one

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Kennedy Okonkwo: Providing Shelter for Nigerians Recently, Forbes Africa featured one of the leading property entrepreneurs in Nigeria, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Nedcomoaks, Mr. Kennedy Okonkwo. Anayo Okolie who was among the journalists that visited most of the massive projects executed by the developer, reports Though, this is not the first time the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Nedcomoaks, Mr. Kennedy Okonkwo, is dominating the pages of newspapers. Apart from Forbes Africa, he has appeared in several newspapers following his contribution to the development of the economy by providing employment and shelter to Nigerians. His company, Nedcomoaks, today is one of the leading real estate companies engaged in the acquisition, development and management of properties across Nigeria with its properties highly diversified with respect to design and styles. From inception, Nedcomoaks made it a policy and priority to build the best properties at affordable prices. This strategy elevated his company to be one of the best property developing companies in Nigeria. But despite his achievements, his wealth does not get to his head. He is humble, intelligent and smart young man. He is one successful man whom many would want to work and identify with, not particularly because of what he has accomplished because you must learn something once you meet with him. Some of his close associates even thought he would become a lecturer after school but little did they know God had another plans for him. Okonkwo is a devote Christian and a great philanthropist who is presently developing a community hall and an ultramodern sports complex in his home town in Ojoto Anambra State. Okonkwo just like Conor Mc Gregor, who believes in taking inspiration from everyone and everything, gets inspired by current champions, former champions, true competitors, people dedicated to their dream, hard workers, dreamers, believers, achievers and that has helped in elevating him today. Listening, he believes gives one the opportunity to learn more because of course, “nobody has monopoly of knowledge.” You cannot pretend to have all the knowledge in the world because nobody knows everything, and nobody knows anything. He is a highly motivated and innovative entrepreneur who has attended diverse management courses in Mauritius, USA and the United Kingdom in order to improve himself. His experience spans information technology, human resource management, manufacturing and most importantly process and systems driven construction management. Okonkwo is a customer centric entrepreneur because he consistently talks about how client must have value for money anytime they key into any of his projects and he believes so much in his human resource as he claims that only a motivated work force can propel any organisation to greatness. Okonkwo, however, started like many other Nigerian businessmen. At first, it was as if the business won’t succeed but with hard work, determination and commitment, Okonkwo was able to conquer that stage. He was working as a strategic adviser for a company and his part time job in real estate had a deal that was worth N18 million ($90,000). He was going to provide accommodation for expatriates and the company issuing the contract was waiting for him to come and see them but he was busy doing a strategy session and he lost the deal to a competitor and that when he said to himself “it’s time to focus on the property business,” and he resigned his white-collar job. Since he ventured into the property business, Okonkwo has been able to successfully put up several massive projects such as Kiryan Court, Dream Court IV, Crystal Dreams Apartment, Crystal Court, Sandton Court and most recently he just delivered Victoria Crest I, while work

Okonkwo

3 and 4 bedroom terrace house

has fully commenced on the Victoria Crest II which is presently on sale. Victoria Crest II, he said, is an estate of 76 units of 3 and 4 bedroom homes and it’s located by the secondd Lekki toll gate on Buena Vista Road and situated adjacent to the Buena Vista Estate and estates. In its proximity includes, Lake View II, Essential Homes, Ocean Bay Estate, Bricks and Brains Estate, Golden Leaf Estate,and the Shell Cooplag Estate. However, Victoria Crest I, is a collection of 92 units of 3 and 4 bedroom terrace duplexes, all rooms ensuite built for first time home owners

I went into the property business because I felt there is a real need for it. For everybody, when you look at your needs, it’s probably food first and then you think of shelter. So there is no way anybody that is providing shelter will get it wrong. I think there are enormous opportunities to tap into in the Nigerian property market today and the reputation of the developer matters a whole lot

or smart investors. It is fully serviced residential community. Victoria Crest offers a unique opportunity to acquire and invest in a property within a private gated community which is located in the reserved and much sought after area of Lekki, Lafiaji. Victoria Crest, according to Okonkwo is now selling at rate N30m for 3bedroom terrace homes and 34.7m for the 4bedrooms with flexible payment plan. The project features, according Mr. Vincent David, who is one of the residents include fitted wardrobe and cabinets, stainless steel staircases and balconies, Turkish security doors, quality tile finishing, generous living areas, spacious main plus family lounge, gate house, fitted kitchen with cabinets, kitchen sink and tap, beautiful ambience and great neighbourhood, street lights, excellent drainage infrastructure, central water treatment plant, ample parking space and many more. Dream Court IV located near the Pinnock beach estate developed by UPDC is another gigantic project being developed by the company. The project which comprises 30 luxury flats with an attached Boys quarter, according to the company will be a contemporary luxurious design hoping to surpass the expectations of subscribers who have commenced buying into the project on an offplan basis stemming from the huge return on investment of its previous project and the company's remarkable project delivery track record riding on the success of Kiryan Court, Dream Court I-III, Crystal Dreams apartment and the Victoria Crest apartments. The project features, Okonkwo said include large en-suite bedrooms with wardrobes fully fitted kitchen, independent alternative power supply provided via power generating sets guaranteeing uninterrupted power supply, elevator, fitted

air-conditioning system, electronic controlled vehicle entry system, electronic, perimeter fence, contemporary bathroom fittings, fibre to home system provided by a telecom partner, integrated home PABX system, state-of-the-art fully integrated home audio system contemporary light fittings, fire hose reel and water hydrant system. It is luxuriously finished with guaranteed annual rental returns estimated to be about at N3million makes this property a must have for the smartest of investors and for those looking for a great environment to reside. In the serenity of this estate is second to none as this estate has a children’s playground, swimming pool, gymn and lounge and parking spaces have been carefully laid out to ensure that you have an minimum of two car park slots per apartment. Investing in Dream Court II is currently rated by pundits as one of the premium developments around Lekki. Some of the prestigious neighbourhoods around the development includes: Northern Foreshore Estate, Friends Colony, and the new Lekki Circle Mall. Facilities provided also include all rooms en-suite, fitted kitchen with oven, cooker and heat extractors, central PABX system, balcony, Turkish security doors, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, 3D walls in main lounge, excellent drainage facility, Italian tiles, beautiful road networks constructed by HFP, interlocking paving stones, electric fence, adequate parking space, gate house and central water treatment plant. The industry despite all Okonkwo’s achievement still has a long way to go to satisfy the growing demand of Lagos residents in providing sufficient housing for them. According to him, the country is lacking about 17 million houses with about 60-70 per cent living in slums and informal settlements. The Centre for Affordable Housing and Finance in Africa, estimates that 700,000 more homes are needed each year to keep pace with the population explosion. “I went into the property business because I felt there is a real need for it. For everybody, when you look at your needs, it’s probably food first and then you think of shelter. So there is no way anybody that is providing shelter will get it wrong. I think there are enormous opportunities to tap into in the Nigerian property market today and the reputation of the developer matters a whole lot. “In the operational aspect of construction, it has a tendency to drive up the cost of the construction because most of the finishing materials are imported and so the restrictions of FX make it difficult to import these goods which drive up the price. On the other hand, a property that was selling at $150,000 can now go for $100,000 if the person has FX, so for these people, there is a higher advantage,” Okonkwo said. The vision Nedcomoaks is to become a leading real estate management and development company in West Africa and with the success recorded by the company in a decade, it’s indeed edging close to its dream. Nedcomoaks today without any iota of doubt emerged one of the most highly rated and respected building construction companies in the property development business. The company and its workers are dedicated to providing custom-tailored solutions and high standards of advice. Okonkwo, who is a Psychology graduate from the University of Ibadan (UI), also holds an MBA in Marketing from the Lagos State University. He confessed that it was juicy when he first ventured in the property business. Every business, he said comes with challenges but with determination and commitment, he was able to progress. “Initially, we would look for money to develop one property and once we sold that, we would build three more properties because we would market and get other people to buy more.”

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15.07.2016

Dexlearn: Promoting E-Learning Management System Mary Ekah Productivity has always been linked to knowledge and competent skills. However, learning is the platform that breeds both assets, which any nation or organisation strives for when building their human resource base. Gone are the days when wealth of nations is measures in terms of natural resources, but the dynamics has changed. It is on record that nations like Japan and Singapore might not boast of expansive natural resources, but rich human resources who are well skilled and knowledgeable which are evident in their collective wealth today. It is not in doubt that Nigeria desires to shift emphasis from dependence on oil and other natural resources alone to grow its economy and be relevant in the community of nations. Over the years, the country has been tinkering with its educational system with a view to ensuring that it adept and produce skilled human resources capable of driving this vision. However, in a dynamic world learning methodology and platforms keep changing. Today, learning is not limited to the four walls of classroom; technology has been adapted to ensure that learning takes place with minimal disruption to other endeavours by the learners. This space has been properly filled by e-learning which has come to the rescue. All of over the world today, learning and skill acquisition have been made possible with e-learning. Several e-learning platforms abound through which this is achievable. E-learning is electronic learning, and typically this means using a computer to deliver part, or all of a course whether it's in a school, part of your mandatory business training or a full distance learning course. Today, e-learning is globally accepted with millions of subscribers on several learning platforms. Platforms such as Udemy, Cousera, GO1 and Edx are familiar all over the world, Nigeria inclusive. But the number got swollen recently with the advent of Dexlearn, an e-learning platform, with equal features, capacity and much more, wholly designed and developed in Nigeria by Nigerians. Any user of e-learning platform anywhere in the world today can join Dexlearn platform to hone skills and acquire knowledge. Before, poor infrastructures have prevented African countries from exploring the massive opportunities available in e-learning both to spread knowledge and generate income. That however seems changing with the recent arrival of fiber optic connectivity, access to satellite, which is the primary connectivity medium as well as gradual move to fiber optics cables that dramatically increases availability of bandwidth. Furthermore, the ongoing

In the word of Managing Partner/CEO of DexNova Consulting Limited, Mr. Adewole Oriade, Dexlearn LMS is designed in accordance with international standards and therefore can compete favourably with any other learning management system in the world. According to him, trend has shown that Nigeria will be the second-largest user of e-learning platforms in Africa after South Africa by 2016, and therefore expediency dictates that Nigerians tap into this massive global market that can generate income as well as produce the much needed human resource base to support massive economic and technological transformation. He stated that the objective of Dexlearn is to have a very robust learning management system for soft skill courses. Soft skills, he pointed out are increasingly becoming the hard skills of today’s work force, stressing that it not just enough to be highly trained in technical skills without developing the softer and outer interpersonal relationship building skills that would help people to communicated and collaborative effectively. “The standard practice all over the world is to support class room learning method with online learning management to ensure time maximisation and sustain productivity while learning is taking place. E-learning has been adopted by all levels of education”, he explained. Oriade explained further that considering the strategic position of Nigeria in Africa, the country couldn’t afford to lag behind in this global trend, which is a major motivation for DexNova to have invested massively in this noble initiative. He enumerated some of the benefits of e-learning to include cost effectiveness, learning 24/7 anywhere, easy tracking of progress as well as discreet learning. According to him, there are over 100 soft skills courses on Dexlearn platform as well as professional certification courses such as PMP Exam Prep, Prince 2 Exam prep, ITIL, Six Sigma, ScrumStudy, CBAP/CCBA, adding that the platform is set to revolutionise knowledge and skill acquisition among Nigerians and any discerning person around the globe. He listed the value added features of Dexlearn LMS to include course guide, instructor led, self-paced training, progress tracker, simulated assessments, participants’ discussion forum, downloadable training Oriade materials, participants online and offline Good enough this is a private sector-led interaction. rapid expansion in the telecommunication Oriade explained that though Dexlearn is industry across African continent must have initiative of DexNova Consulting Limited, provided the needed impetus for Dexlearn a strategic process management outfit, with homegrown solution, but it has international offices in Lagos and Port Harcourt. With standard and features that will attract Nigerians birth. Put at 15.2 per cent, this current growth this feat, Dexlearn is the newest platform to embrace the solution. Beside, Dexlearn rate for self-paced e-learning in Africa stands emanating from Nigeria to join several global payment gateway is PayPal, which is an better chance of acceleration and penetration e-learning platforms that have millions of international payment gateway as well as contents of international repute. subscribers worldwide. with the arrival of Dexlearn.

School Takes Students on Tour around Culture Rebecca Ejifoma Although many Nigerians are said to have imported and adopted other foreign cultures as theirs, schools like New Estate Baptist School, Surulere, has opted to standout with an annual, exclusively tempting cultural reorientation day for pupils and students to always remember their root. Laid on the solid rock of Christianity, the school said the indigenous, eclectic culture celebration is simply to plant the seed of Nigeria’s culture into the participants. This way, the school upholds that it will spur both pupils and students to learn to speak other languages, too and make the nation one. The Principal of the school, Mrs. Orawole Alice, said, “Culture is everything about life. It is life itself – our dressing, language and the food among others. We need to be celebrating this culture so that we do not forget our origin and our roots.” According to her, because of

Western education now the Nigerian culture is eroding gradually, adding that because they had observed it, they want to resuscitate it. “We want our children to still have the feeling that they belong to a nation, to a special group because every ethnic group is unique.” On the theme ‘Celebrating Jesus in our Cultural Diversity’, the principal enthused that it is to remind all participants that they are still one despite their different cultures and ethnic groups. “In wrap, the theme simply spells out that we are one in Christ.” Orawole, also, added that because we have Igbo and Yoruba classes in school, we allow the pupils and the students to communicate in their various vernacular languages. But then we will include in their activities that, at least, once in a month, everyone speaks his or her local dialect. That will be fantastic. Head Teacher, Muogbo Nchedo, expounded that the Nigerian culture is rich. But she

decried that in Lagos, many parents are not doing enough in terms of speaking their vernacular. “So, as a school, we feel it is our responsibility for them to be aware of culture and values. The international culture, having studied ours, we felt it was a great opportunity for us to study other culture, too, to move into India, China, Germany. As a Christian school, we studied and found out that Christianity is not in that aspect of the country. We are telling the missionaries and evangelists to move into these countries and preach the good news because we studied and found out that Christianity is in those countries. She said speaking other people’s languages can bring unity, love, understanding and tolerance among us. When you hear somebody from another ethnic group, you will feel happy. This is what we want to nurture in the children. Speaking on the flop of parents, the Head Teacher urged that it is good we speak our

mother tongue. “At home, please speak your mother tongue. When they come to school, they will speak the English language – it is spoken everywhere in Lagos State.” Interestingly, New Estate Baptist School flagged only Nigerian cultures at its cultural day last year. But this year, however, it went international. There were displays in Indian, French, Chinese, Ghanaian and South African dressing lifestyle among others. Truly, some were dressed in colourful Indian Sari and accessories while others wore Ghanaian fabric (Kente), Chinese gowns and South African among others. Pupils and students read news in various languages. They recited the National Anthem in both Yoruba and Igbo dialect. Indeed, cultural day at New Heights Estate School was electrifying and melodious. It was attended by guests including Chairman of the occasion, Omolaja Oyerinde and the Chairman, Board of Governors NEBS, Mr. Deji Adenekan.

37/THISLIFE

15.07.2016

Aisha Buhari

Aisha: When Grace and Elegance Meets Altruism Femi Odere A society whose very essence has never known anything fundamentally ennobling and uplifting since the civil war, but rather wallops in the most despicable form of abuse and degeneration of its being in every material, moral and even spiritual spheres can be forgiven for its inability to recognise someone’s emergence on its landscape because it has been comatose for far too long. It’s now a little over a year that President Muhammadu Buhari and his wife Aisha, Nigeria’s First Couple, has been on the nation’s consciousness that not a few of the population still wonders how they’re able to live such unblemished lives in a society where your upward mobility on the socio-economic and political fronts has direct correlation to how morally bankrupt, criminally minded and fantastically corrupt you are. Just as Buhari continues the socio-economic re-engineering of the polity in accordance with his electoral mandate, thereby changing the way the Nigerian people think about governance, there’s also a tectonic shift in the way Nigerians now look at the wife of their president. In deference to her husband after the president said that the Office of the First Lady was not known to the country’s constitution, Mrs. Aisha Buhari is comfortable with simply being called “the wife of the president.” From this officially humble beginning Mrs. Buhari started her own quiet ‘revolution.’ Mrs. Buhari’s interventions in the lives of everyday Nigerians, though tremendously significant, are not what would normally generate sensational headlines. But as her husband continues to do the heavy lifting in his old age in remaking a new and saner Nigeria, a paradigm shift is taking shape in how Nigerians look at the First Lady. It will probably take Nigerians a little more time to realise and understand the essence, grace, dignity and ‘soft power’ that Mrs. Buhari brought into the Presidential Villa in order to compliment her husband’s office. The virtues inherent in Mrs. Buhari are not what Nigerians are used to. For decades they’re familiar with their president’s wife more powerful than her husband that cabinet members would rather see the First Lady first on their way to the office of the Chief of State. They are used to seeing their First Lady leading the country’s First Citizen into the presidential aircraft on their way to a foreign land. On getting there,

she would also be the first to emerge from the aircraft that the welcoming officials would be momentarily confused as to who the real president was. For a little over a year that Mrs. Buhari has become a public figure virtually for being the wife of the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, she had positively impacted the lives of those Nigerians who may have already given up hope on the improvement of their conditions, if not their very existence. Her several humanitarian interventions had been timely and specifically-targeted to the critical needs of the vulnerable people in society who had encountered heart-wrenching and life-threatening challenges through no fault of their own. These are people such as the wives of soldiers fighting the Boko Haram insurgency, pregnant women, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), and orphanage children among others. In cases where the benefits of these interventions must extend to hundreds of thousands of people Mrs. Buhari would partner with other professional bodies. Perhaps the “Future Assured Medical Outreach” programme under the auspices of Mrs. Buhari’s “Future Assured Initiative” will probably go down as the most important undertakings of her many humanitarian intervention programmes. The Future Assured Medical Outreach is a country-wide medical intervention that caters for women and their dependents. First launched in Nasarawa State, this life-saving and life-enhancing medical outreach has taken its benefits to several states of the federation including Adamawa, Cross River, Enugu, Oyo, Katsina, Ogun, and Kebbi where hundreds of thousands of women and children were beneficiaries. On January 2016, Mrs. Buhari was at the 44 Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna to see soldiers on admission who sustained various degrees of injuries in the fight against the Boko Haram insurgency and receiving treatment. The wife of the president used the occasion to appeal to the Nigerian Army authorities to ensure prompt payment of entitlements to families of deceased soldiers who lost their lives in the war front in order to alleviate the suffering of the loved ones they left behind. Several gifts were given to wounded soldiers, pregnant and nursing women in the Accident / Emergency and Obstetrics/Gynaecology wards. On December 2015, Mrs. Buhari was at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at the Dalori

Camp in Maiduguri where more than 21,000 victims of the insurgency lives. She donated food items such as rice, semovita, cooking oil, seasonings, plastics, milk, and juice among other things. She said she would continue to assist IDPs by donating food and other essential items to reduce their suffering. On September 2015, the wife of the president was in Calabar in Cross River State where she donated nutritional supplement---the Frisomum Gold brand--- to more than 250,000 expectant and nursing mothers who were randomly drawn to avoid any appearance of political undertone of favouritism. The Frisomum supplement is an alternative to breast milk. Several thousands of the Islamic faith had reasons to offer special thanks to their Creator in the just concluded Eid-El-Fitri celebration for sending a kind-hearted Mrs. Buhari their way with foodstuff and other non-edible gift items that were distributed in sixteen states of the federation. It will take several years for Musa Murtala to be able to spell the name of the wife of the president, let alone have an acute understanding of her impact in his life. Musa is a 20-month old toddler who was badly mutilated by his two stepmothers who broke his legs, hands as well as caused injuries to his private part and tongues. On hearing about the barbaric acts meted out to this sinless baby, Mrs. Buhari had him brought to Abuja where she had him taken to Crest Hospital in the Federal Capital Territory for treatment. Injuries that could have caused a permanent and irreversible damage to his health and wellbeing, if not death for little Musa were treated. He has since been discharged from the hospital. These are some of the synopsis of the many interventions of the wife of the president since her husband came to power. Her gentle mien, grace, humility and her willingness to seek comfort in the shadows of her husband in accordance with traditional and religious tenets she holds dear was therefore a breath of fresh air for Nigerians, most especially the women folks when she emerged that some of them could not help but comment on these extraordinary virtues they probably never experienced with any of their first ladies. “I met Aisha Buhari three times, and she seems to be a very humble person, very friendly and a good listener,” said Ebere Ifendu, a lawyer who is also the head of an Abuja-based Women in Politics Forum. Yemisi Ransome-Kuti, head of the Nigerian Network of NGOs also has

something to say about Mrs. Buhari. Hear her: “Our current first lady cannot be compared to our immediate past first lady by any stretch of the imagination. Patience was like a bull in a china shop [with] no control whatsoever. I hope she’s capable of looking at Aisha to reflect on her own life now that her husband is out of power. ” But there’s a mad and raging bull that Nigerians have agreed that the polity would be better for it if he’s confined to a china shop. But he roams the country’s landscape desecrating everything in his path, including the exalted office in which a combination of devilish shenanigans, alleged murder and a self-inspired mayhem thrusts on him. It’s one thing to place advertorials in just about all the national dailies during electioneering campaigns telling voters that her husband would die in office if elected because Mrs. Buhari is well aware that politics can make some people lose their sanity. But it’s another thing altogether to engage in some pre-meditated character assassination with a patently false and baseless accusation in his mistaken belief that Mrs. Buhari’s humility is devoid of a voice of her own. So when the governor of Ekiti State Ayo Fayose apparently crossed the political line in his false accusation that Mrs. Buhari had engaged in a criminal act in faraway United States, not a few thought about how Fayose could have been so far gone in his madness to have been thoroughly disgraced by a harmless woman when she referred to him as “a mad dog that isn’t chained” on her Twitter handle. The wife of the president knows politics when she sees it, and that’s probably the reason she made sure that her presence should not be felt in that vocation but on humanitarian interventions. No woman that takes her hardearned integrity seriously---and that she must guide jealously---would have kept quiet in the face of Ayo Fayose’s blatant lies that smacks of the most virulent criminality. In Hajiya Aisha Buhari came divine calm after so many perfect storms. Mrs. Buhari’s humility and kind-heartedness that continues to manifest in her several humanitarian gestures to the vulnerable people of the Nigerian society is indeed a breath of fresh air to the Nigerian people. Odere, is a media practitioner. Email femiodere@ gmail.com

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD

MARITIME

President Buhari

the national carrier. We will also create a group that will move it forward. “The performance audit will tell you how to move the industry forward. It makes you know what the problems are and make possible suggestions on how to move forward. Even when the performance audit is over, I will not make those decisions alone, I will try and meet experts in the industry and we will share these views with them.” Amaechi also spoke on the need to upgrade the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) Oron to strengthen its capacity to produce skilled manpower for the sector, and pointed out that the academy would have been well equipped and developed by now if the fund invested to establish the Maritime University, Okerenkoko had been put into it. “Anybody who has invested in Okerenkoko should have invested the money in MAN Oron. That is why the institution has not developed. We cannot continue to build another institution when we have not equipped existing ones,” he said. President of Association of Marine Engineers and Surveyors (AMES), Charles Uwadia in his remarks called for a holistic review of the maritime sector human capacity development. Uwadia said the failure of the sector was due to lack of in-depth technical input in maritime policies and their implementation in line with international best practice. He added that the decline in standard, quality and profitability of the ships of Nigerian flag was as a result of their poor technical standards occasioned by the owner’s reluctance to comply with national and international standards and regulations. Former Alternate Permanent Representative to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), Mr. Olu Akinsoji in his presentation said individuals with specialised knowledge especially in human capacity development are required to ensure policy formulation and implementation to move the sector forward. Akinsoji explained that most of the challenges faced in the sector are due to the deficit of human capacity development, which according to him must be looked into before establishing a new national carrier. Obasanjo’s fears Reacting to the proposed new shipping line, former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, advised the federal government against resuscitating the defunct Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL). Obasanjo, who gave the advice in his address at a recent two-day stakeholders’ conference on the maritime industry, which held in Lagos, blamed the demise of NNSL on the lack of professionalism and high level corruption at

Amaechi

the time. He said: “NNSL had been liquidated, they tried Nigeria Unity Line, it collapsed. Nine brand new ships were specially built for Nigeria and we did not take delivery of some of them until I left office in 1979. When I came back in 1999, NNSL had been liquidated with all 19 ships and the five already in existence gone. Two of the ships were missing for almost two years and it was discovered that one military man was using them all over the world without accountability.” Obasanjo urged the present administration to ‘think out of the box’ and come up with what should be done to grow the maritime industry. However, Amaechi, said that the federal government was ready to create an enabling environment for steering the maritime industry to its rightful position. The minister said government would provide safe environment for both foreign and indigenous investors to reap returns on their investment without compromising the nation’s economic benefits. The Fall of NNSL Obasanjo and other stakeholders’ fears may not be out of place given what happened to the NNSL in the past. The company was established by the Nigerian government in 1959. Despite heavy investment and subsidies, the state-owned company was unable to compete with European lines. Much of the investment went to enriching the political elite. Deeply indebted, the NNSL was liquidated in 1995 and all 21 of its vessels were sold. At inception in 1957, 33 per cent of the capital was held by the Elder Dempster Line and 16 per cent by the Palm Line, both British companies, while the Nigerian government held 51 per cent. In 1961, the Nigerian government acquired all the shares. The NNSL started operations in 1959 with three vessels. Nigerian seamen who had been employed by British shipping companies in the colonial era moved to work for the Nigerian line. By 1964 it had grown to a total of 16 vessels. The public company was assisted by private businessmen. Sir Louis Ojukwu was an early member of the board before he died in 1966. The chairman from 1967 to 1973 was Oloye Adekunle Ojora, formerly of the United Africa Company (UAC), who later became a highly successful businessman in his own right. During the Nigerian Civil War the army made free use of the NNSL for transport of troops. The ships played a key role in the advances along the coast in 1969. With the end of the Civil War in January 1970, General Yakubu Gowon announced an extensive programme to revive the economy. In place of expensive

hired vessels two new ships were bought for the NNSL and the ports at Calabar and Port Harcourt were rehabilitated. In 1977 the government ordered construction of 19 new vessels to replace the aging fleet. By 1979 the company had 24 oceangoing ships. The NNSL was an important source of training for seamen of the Nigerian Merchant Navy (NMN). While addressing newsmen in January 1980 about his first 100 days in office, former President Shehu Shagari had said that during this period the NNSL increased its percentage of imported goods from about 8 per cent to 11.3 per cent and had started bringing in components for the Peugeot assembly plant in Kaduna, components that had previously been flown in. On a less positive note, heroin smuggling by crew members was a significant issue in the 1970s and 1980s, with Nigeria serving as a major transit point for drugs bound for Europe. A 1987 study of the NNSL for the World Bank compared results to the benefits that the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) had estimated would come from entry of Nigeria into shipping. The findings were that the investment had made no significant contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), employment, the balance of payments, exercising countervailing power, national security or the country’s image. The gains had been less than the opportunity costs of the resources used. In 1988 the National Maritime Authority (NMA) granted six Nigerian shipping lines “national carrier” status, including the stateowned NNSL. The NMA planned to extend this status to more domestic companies so as to reduce control of trade by foreign-owned lines. The Shipping Policy Decree of 1987, which established the NMA, gave approval for a 50-50 share between foreign and domestic lines for non-conference cargos. However, in 1988 the 24 ships of Nigerian national carriers including the NNSL took only 11 per cent of the cargoes at Nigerian ports. The NNSL and the private companies suffered from financial problems and lacked the facilities needed to attract cargoes. In the 1990s several of the company’s vessels were seized in different parts of the world for alleged breach of contract and unpaid bills. Finally, the NNSL was liquidated in September 1995 and its assets were assumed by the newly formed National Unity Line (NUL). The NUL, fully owned by the Nigeria Maritime Authority, began commercial operations in July 1996 as Nigeria’s national flag carrier. The NUL had just one ship, MV Abuja. In August 2005 the government put the NUL up for sale. In July 2010 it was reported that the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the successor to the NMA, had completed ar-

rangements to establish a new national shipping line for Nigeria. A fresh attempt was made to re-launch and sell the NUL in 2011. Committee on Reform The Minister of Transport is determined to move the maritime industry forward. To that end, he recently set up two committees with mandates to brainstorm and assist in laying foundations for the establishment of the national carrier as well as the overhauling of the NIMASA. In addressing the problems of industry non-performance, the minister assembled experienced and very brilliant people within the maritime industry, and enjoined them, to assist the federal government to deliver on its campaign promises. The experts and stakeholders, included the pioneer Chairman, Indigenous Ship-owners Association of Nigeria (ISAN), Chief Isaac Jolapamo, former Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron Rector, Mr Olu Akinsoji; Arrowhead of Ship-owners Association of Nigeria, Mr Greg Ogbeifun; Lloyds Ambassador, Mr Emmanuel Ilori; the Secretary General, Abuja MoU, and former NIMASA Director General, Mfon Usoro; and Shipping Forum Boss, Margaret Orakwusi- Onyema. The stakeholders were actually assembled, at Amaechi’s instance, following a summit of the AMES in Lagos, during which the minister emphasised that since he was not a maritime expert. He had stated that he would ensure he harmonises the strength of the industry operators, to restore the country’s lost glory, following the collapse of the Nigerian National Shipping Line. The first committee whose duty would be to guide the authorities on how to create the national carrier, it was learnt, also has the job of midwifing vibrant ships that would fly the nation’s flags, in addition to providing oasis of refuge for Nigerian cadets, whether studying at home or abroad. The second committee was saddled with the onerous task of making the NIMASA as agency, work by providing strong teeth where it lacks it, making sure the agency conscientiously works within the ambit of its enabling Act in addition to ensuring that the Cabotage law is allowed to function in tandem with the nation’s economic interest. Subsequently, fundamental issues which included those bordering on freights, carriage of goods on cost, insurance and freight, as against the current free on board regime were all discussed also at the forum. The minister’s attention was also drawn to how Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Malaysia amongst others, that have made their shipping policies fuel the growth of their countries’ economy.

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

CITYSTRINGS

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

Ebonyi’s Fight against Female Genital Mutilation The wife of Ebonyi State governor, Rachel Umahi, through her pet project Family Succour and Upliftment Foundation, has started the campaign against female genital mutilation in the state. Benjamin Nworie writes

Mrs. Umahi (middle)...leading the campaign against FGM in Ebonyi

he fight against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) has taken a centre stage in Ebonyi State. This time, the state First Lady, Rachel Umahi has taken the frontal lead to end the barbaric culture that has refused to go into extinction. The need for the advocacy and fight against the menace in the state cannot be over emphasised. Ebonyi, according to reports rank second in the practice. With all the enabling laws, the practice seems to have overwhelmed its enforcement. In most rural communities, the practice is still evident, while the perpetrators still argue that it was just a fight against tradition and modernity. In Igbo adage, a promiscuous child was seen to have not been circumcised. FGM which has been adjudged a life threatening operation is practiced on girls usually in the range of 0-15 years with unsterilised instruments, such as sharp knife, razor blade. No matter the age of the victim, any mistake detected was often repeated. The pains are not considered. The clotting of the pool of blood is treated with the application of hot water till the wound hails.

The prevalent rate must have propelled the initiator of Family Succour and Upliftment Foundation, Mrs. Umahi to take the bull

We can’t continue to live in dark ages at the detriment of our women in the name of female circumcision or genital mutilation. Our women have suffered a lot in this traditional harmful practice against them and we must stop it, we must wage serious war against the practice. A situation where women reproductive organs are butchered in the name of cultural practice is no longer acceptable

by the horns to end the age-long practice. The First Lady’s pet project, Family Succour and Upliftment Foundation has also taken the burden to touch the lives of the poor, less privileged and downtrodden members of the society especially in the state who have nobody to care for them. From all indications, Mrs. Umahi is determined to wipe out the tears from the downtrodden, women, children and youths. Since the programme was launched after the swearing-in of Governor Dave Umahi, the foundation has shouldered the burdens of need of many residents in the state, including health, education, economic empowerment, prevention of evil vices, women liberation. Family Succour and Upliftment Foundation has remained the window with which the state government reaches out to the poor and a testimony of the initiator’s humble beginning. “I have a humble beginning without hope of rising to the position of First Lady and my drive is to use this God-given position to touch lives positively. I want to provide succour to those in need, who are languishing without attention and this I want to do with sustainable impact,” Mrs. Umahi envisioned.

The flag of the campaign against FGM at the state Women Development Centre, Abakaliki, was a day of reckoning and hope, as leaders of thought and government were in their full numbers to give the necessary supports to the actualisation of the programme. It was a day of new dawn as respite beckoned. At last, every girl-child would be freed from obscene culture. The presence of popular Nolly Wood Actress, Stephanie Okereke added glamour and flavour to the noble campaign. The actress promised to use her talent in film making to propagate the fight against the practice in any part of the country, and further commended Ebonyi First Lady for rising to protect and preserve the dignity of womanhood. The campaign has further renewed the fight against the operation as the state government has thrown its full weight to support the lofty dreams of the proponents for the safety of every girl-child in the state. Mrs. Umahi commended the wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, for supporting the fight against the Female Genital Mutilation in the state and promised that her foundation would sponsor a bill to the State House of

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

CITYSTRINGS

Female school children during lecture against FGM

Assembly for an amendment on the law against the practice. Speaking on the occasion at the Women Development Centre, Mrs. Umahi described female genital mutilation as a harmful traditional practice against womanhood which must be put to an end. ‘’We can’t continue to live in dark ages at the detriment of our women in the name of female circumcision or genital mutilation. Our women have suffered a lot in this traditional harmful practice against them and we must stop it, we must wage serious war against the practice. A situation where women reproductive organs are butchered in the name of cultural practices is no longer acceptable,’’ Mrs. Umahi vowed. She noted that the state ranks second with 74 per cent after Osun State as states in the country with prevalent rate of female genital mutilation, leading to her decision to begin the campaign against the practice through her pet project, Family Succour and Upliftment Programme. The campaign being organised by the pet project of the governor’s wife in collaboration with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) drilled the audience on the strategies for eradicating FGM in the state. On his part, Governor Umahi said he would retrieve a bill before the State House of Assembly against female genital mutilation which has not been passed and amend it to provide severe sanctions against the mutilators. The governor said that his administration would support efforts aimed at ending the harmful practice in the state. Some repented female genital cutters at the event renounced the practice and surrendered their crude tools to the organisers. The state Chief Judge, Justice Alloy Nwankwo, who was represented by Justice Destina Oko of Onueke High Court, said anyone caught practicing the act in the state would bag five years imprisonment with option of N2, 000 fines. She reiterated the readiness of the judiciary to partner with Ebonyi First Lady to stop female circumcision in the state. The Country Representative of the United Nations Population Fund, Mrs. Ratizai Ndulovu, assured the state that UNFPA had the support of UNICEF and other development partners to ensure that the practice waseradicated in the state. With the official flag off, the Ebonyi First Lady is expected to traverse the length and breadth of the state in her campaign against FGM.

I was a victim. I was circumcised when I was four years. After that my mother said it was not done well and it has to be done again. I did not know the health implication. They said it was mandatory, that it was for preparing me for womanhood. I know the pains I went through. It was severe. If I see any of the perpetrators now, I will retaliate

Some of the repentant female genital cutters displaying their tools

However, experts have advised that the intensive campaigns against FGM should be extended to all pilot schools in the state so that the girls would be educated on the health hazards of the practice. Country Representative of UNICEF, Mrs. Jean Gough, urged the state Ministry of Education and state Universal Basic Education to train and orientate head teachers to train staff about the risks of FGM and make all schools teach children and young people about the risks of FGM in an age-appropriate manner. She also urged the state Ministry of Health to promote and develop the capacity of health facilities to integrate FGM awareness and services for survivors into routine health services. The Ministry of Health and regulatory associations were urged to explore ways of eradicating FGM. She further urged the traditional, faith-based and opinion leaders to open up the spaces for conversations to end the harmful practice. Regrettably, despite the laws protecting women/girls against the practice of FGM, the 1999 Constitution (As Amended), Child’s Right Act, State Laws on the Protection of

Women, Ebonyi, the practice still remains endemic. In the state, certain cultural interpretations are given to why a female child should be circumcised. Although, it has always been the father of the child that always insists on the act while the wife remained vulnerable and subordinate to any decision taken by her husband. In Igbo rich cultural setting like Abakaliki, whatever the man says remains sacrosanct and unchanged. When the man okays the circumcision of his daughter, the mother has no choice because both of them are briefed on the rampant health implications of the practice. Though, they are not deterred due to its cultural benefits. Some of the reasons for the practice include: FGM was believed to decrease sexual desire in women and in turn reduce promiscuity. It was believed to make women feminine and more attractive to men, and prepare them for womanhood. FGM was believed to encourage cleanliness by reducing vaginal discharge. Circumcision was mandatory for females to prepare them for marriage; for easy delivery; to meet up with the expectation

of her age mates; to be obedient to her husband, to avoid stigmatisation among others. The Principal of Girls Secondary School Ezzamgbo, Mrs. Agatha Egwu said “I was a victim. I was circumcised when I was four years. After that my mother said it was not done well and it has to be done again. I did not know the health implication. They said it was mandatory, that it was for preparing me for womanhood. I know the pains I went through. It was severe. If I see any of the perpetrators now, I will retaliate.” Egwu noted that PRAWA’s intervention was apt as some communities in the state still indulging in the act. A student of Girls Secondary Azuiyiokwu who preferred anonymity noted “I was circumcised at the age of nine because my parents claimed I was promiscuous,” stressing that the Anti-Genital Club would forestall further preparation of the act in any parts of the state. Contrary to the misconceptions of genital mutilation, the use of unsterilised instruments could infect the victim with dreaded diseases like HIV and can lead to Vargina Visco Fistula. The traditional ruler of Nkaleke-Echara Ndiebor Community, HRH Eze Pius Akam Alo, lauded the programme, stating that they completely aligned themselves to ensure the eradication of the practice in the area by spreading the message to all the other community leaders, women and youths.

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T H I S D AY FRIDAY JULY 15, 2016

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T H I S D AY FRIDAY JULY 15, 2016

FRIDAY JULY 15, 2016 T H I S D AY

FRIDAY JULY 15, 2016 • T H I S D AY

INTERNATIONAL

email:foreigndesk@thisdaylive.com

May Shakes up British Govt in Preparation for Brexit

Zacheaus Somorin with agency reports

New Prime Minister Theresa May showed a ruthless streak yesterday in building a cabinet to lead Britain’s exit from the European Union, while her finance minister said he would do whatever was necessary to restore confidence in the economy. A day after replacing David Cameron,according to Reuters, May moved to impose her authority by axing a handful of prominent ministers including Justice Secretary Michael Gove, a leading ‘Brexit’ campaigner who had staged his own bid for prime minister. Her most contentious appointment is Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who compared the EU’s aims to those of Hitler and Napoleon during the campaign leading up to Britain’s vote last month to quit the 28-nation bloc. The surprise choice drew a withering response from French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, who described the former London mayor as a liar. Three weeks after the referendum, May’s new government faces the formidably complex task of extricating Britain from the EU - itself reeling from the shock of Brexit - while trying to protect the economy from feared disruption to confidence, trade and investment. The Bank of England kept interest rates unchanged on

Thursday, wrong-footing many investors who had expected the first cut in more than seven years. But it said it was likely to deliver a stimulus in three weeks’ time to support the economy, once it has assessed the fallout from the June 23 vote. The pound rose sharply on the news, while shares fell. New finance minister Philip Hammond signaled he would take a less aggressive approach to cutting the budget deficit than his predecessor George Osborne, who was dumped on Wednesday. “Markets do need signals of reassurance, they need to know that we will do whatever is necessary to keep the economy on track,” Hammond said. “Of course we’ve got to reduce the deficit further but looking at how and when and at what pace we do that ... is something that we now need to consider in the light of the new circumstances that the economy is facing.” May, who had favoured a vote to stay in the EU, must now decide when and how to start official divorce proceedings from the other 27 countries, who are pressing her to move quickly to lift the uncertainty now hanging over them all. In her first words to the nation on Wednesday,shepromisedtochampion socialjusticeandtohelpordinary Britons in their struggle to make ends meet. “The government I lead will be driven not be the interests of the privileged few, but by yours. We will do everything we can to give

you more control over your lives,” she said. BritonschoseBrexitdespite a barrage of warnings that severing ties would create huge uncertainty and plunge the economy into recession. The winning ‘Leave’ campaign dismissed what it called ‘Project Fear’, saying Britain would prosper if it regained independence from Brussels. One of the first economic indicators to capture the postreferendum mood showed on Thursday that British consumer confidence fell sharply after the vote. The Thomson Reuters/Ipsos Primary Consumer Sentiment Index fell to 49.4 in July from last month’s 51.2. “It’s too early for most people to experience any direct economic impacts from Brexit, but fear for the future is clearly being felt by many,” said Bobby Duffy, managing director of public affairs at Ipsos MORI. In one of her first acts, May dismissed finance minister Osborne, a figure synonymous with austerity policies and a leading voice among those who had warned that leaving the EU would spell economic doom. On Thursday she followed up by removing the justice, education, culture and cabinet office ministers. Work and pensions minister Stephen Crabb, who had also sought the prime minister’s job, resigned citing family reasons, days after the married politician had hit the front pages for allegedly sending

flirtatious WhatsApp messages to a young woman. The Northern Ireland minister also quit. Veteran right-wingers David Davis and Liam Fox - both ardent campaigners for Brexit - have been named, respectively, as Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union and head of a new international trade department, key positions in the arduous negotiations ahead. Asked if Britain would launch the formal process of quitting the EU by the end of this year, finance minister Hammond told LBC radio: “No, that’s a decision that we haven’t made yet.” He said the decision to vote for Brexit would mean Britain would leave the EU’s tariff-free single market, and it would then have to negotiate a new deal as a trading partner rather than a member. “The question is how we negotiate with the European Union not from the point of view of being members but from the point of view of being close neighbours and trade partners,” he added.

US Launches Quiet Diplomacy to Ease South China Sea Tension The United States is using quiet diplomacy to persuade the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and other Asian nations not to move aggressively to capitalize on an international court ruling that denied China’s claims to the South China Sea, several U.S. administration officials said on Wednesday. “What we want is to quiet things down so these issues can be addressed rationally instead of emotionally,” said one official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private diplomatic messages. Some were sent through U.S. embassies abroad and foreign missions in Washington, while others were conveyed directly to top officials by Defense Secretary Ash Carter, Secretary of State John Kerry and other senior officials, the sources said. “This is a blanket call for quiet, not some attempt to rally the region against China, which would play into a false narrative that the U.S. is leading a coalition to contain China,” the official added. The effort to calm the waters following the court ruling in The Hague on Tuesday suffered a setback when Taiwan dispatched a warship to the area, with President Tsai Ing-wen telling sailors that their mission was to defend Taiwan’s maritime territory. The court ruled that while China has no historic rights to the area within its self-declared nine-dash line, Taiwan has no right to Itu Aba,

also called Taiping, the largest island in the Spratlys. Taipei administers Itu Aba but the tribunal called it a “rock”, according to the legal definition. The U.S. officials said they hoped the U.S. diplomatic initiative would be more successful in Indonesia, which wants to send hundreds of fishermen to the Natuna Islands to assert its sovereignty over nearby areas of the South China Sea to which China says it also has claims, and in the Philippines, whose fishermen have been harassed by Chinese coast guard and naval vessels. One official said new Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte remains “somewhat of an unknown quantity” who has been alternately bellicose and accommodating toward China. Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that ahead of the ruling he had spoken to Carter, who he said told him China had assured the United States it would exercise restraint, and that the U.S. government made the same assurance. Carter had sought and been given the same assurance from the Philippines, Lorenzana added. China, for its part, repeated pleas for talks between Beijing and Manila, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi saying it is time to get things back on the “right track” after the “farce” of the case. On Thursday, the official newspaper of China’s ruling

Communist Party said China had shown it can fix territorial issues via talks, pointing to agreement reached with Vietnam over their maritime boundary in the Gulf of Tonkin and ongoing talks with South Korea. “China is a faithful defender of the principle that countries large and small are equal and has consistently upheld using consultations to resolve border issues on the basis of sovereign equality and mutual respect,” the People’s Daily said in a commentary. Meanwhile, two Chinese civilian aircraft landed on Wednesday at two new airports on reefs controlled by China in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, a move the State Department said would increase tensions rather than lower them. “We don’t have a dog in this fight other than our belief ... in freedom of navigation,” State Department spokesman Mark Toner told a briefing on Wednesday. “What we want to see in this very tense part of Asia, of the Pacific, rather, is a de-escalation of tensions and we want to see all claimants take a moment to look at how we can find a peaceful way forward.” However, if that effort fails, and competition escalates into confrontation, U.S. air and naval forces are prepared to uphold freedom of maritime and air navigation in the disputed area, a defense official said on Wednesday.

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T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

WORLD OF ISLAM

Edited by: MJO Mustapha Email deji.mustapha@thisdaylive.com

Beneficiaries of Zakat

IslamiCity/The Peninsula

Zakat is one of the major religious duties in Islam. Literally, zakat means to “purify”. It refers to the purification of a believer’s wealth and soul. Wealth purification denotes the mobilization of assets for the purpose of financial growth and justified distribution. Purification of the soul implies freedom from hatred, jealousy, selfishness, uneasiness and greed. Other Quranic connotations also include the purification of sin. Zakat is a fixed proportion collected from the surplus wealth and earnings of a believer. It is then distributed to prescribed beneficiaries and for the welfare as well as the infrastructure of a society in general. This contribution is made payable by a Muslim once every year. Zakat is paid on the net balance after a Muslim has spent on basic necessities, family expenses, due credits, donations and taxes. Every Muslim male or female who at the end of the Hijri year is in possession of the equivalent of 85 grams of gold or more in cash or articles of trade, must pay his or her zakat at the mimimun rate of 2.5percent. Zakat has a deep humanitarian and social-political value. This religious act prevents the hoarding of wealth and advocates solidarity with humanity because excessive wealth is distributed amongst the poor. The paying of zakat also helps purify one’s soul and encourages a person to have gratitude towards God’s bounties. Zakat is mentioned along with Salat (prayer) in 30 verses of the Quran. It was first revealed in Surah 73:20; “…. and establish regular prayers and give regular charity; and loan to God a beautiful loan. And whatever good ye send forth for your souls, ye shall find it in God’s presence, Yea, better and greater in reward and seek ye the grace of God: for God is oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.” In another verse, God declares that those who pay zakat, are included within the Muslim society “But (even so), if they repent, establish regular prayers, and practice regular charity, they are your brethren in Faith: (thus) do We explain the Signs in detail, for those who understand.” (9:11) God says in the Quran: “They were enjoined only to worship God, sincere in their faith in Him alone – and of upright religion – and to establish the Salat and the Zakat. Such is the upright religion, (98:5) “Those who lay up treasures of gold and silver and spend them not in the way of God; give them the news of a painful punishment, on the Day when that (wealth) will be heated in hellfire, and their foreheads and their sides and their backs branded therewith: “This is the treasure which you laid up for yourselves! Taste, then, your hoarded treasure!” (9:34-35). “Let not those who are miserly with what God has given them of His bounty think that this is good for them. Rather, it is bad for them. That which they withhold shall be hung around their necks on the Day of Arising. (3:180) Bukhari and Muslim relate on the authority of Ibn Abbas that the Messenger of God sent Mu’adh to the Yemen he told him, “You are going to a people who have a Scripture, so call them to testify that there is no deity but God, and that I am the Messenger of God. If they respond to this, then teach them that God has imposed five Salats upon them in every day. If they respond to this, then teach them that God has imposed upon them a charity to be taken from the wealthy amongst them and given to their poor. If they respond to this, then beware of taking any more of their wealth! Beware also of the prayer of the oppressed, for there is no veil between such a prayer and God.” Then he recited the verse: “Let not those who are miserly with what God has given them of His bounty think that this is good for them. Rather, it is bad for them. That which they withhold shall be hung around their necks on the Day of Arising.” (3:180)

Conditions for Zakat

Several conditions must be fulfilled before zakat can be paid. These conditions are necessary as zakat can only be applied on those who are of legal age and who own enough assets. These conditions are categorized into two broad categories, namely performer and asset. Every Muslim who is of a certain age and owns enough assets is required to pay zakat. Zakat Asset Full Ownership: A Muslim will only be required to pay zakat if he or she has full and legal ownership of an asset. Zakat is payable only on those assets that are acquired for the purpose of creating or generating wealth. Some examples of this type of assets are

livestock or crops that are traded or sold, inventory of goods used for trading, and investments such as gold or securities that have potential for appreciation in value. However, zakat is not payable in the case of fixed assets such as buildings, if they are not subjected to “capital circulation”.

Assets that exceed a minimum value

Zakat need only be paid on those assets that exceed a minimum value. This minimum value is calculated based on the market price of 85 grams of gold or 595 grams of pure silver. This minimum value is termed Nisab. The Islamic Fiqh and Research Councils, as well as Jumhur (majority) of Ulama’ recommend that gold be used as the basis for the calculation of nisab.

Completion of Haul

Haul is defined as the completion period for a zakat asset. The length of time for haul is one Islamic or Hijri year (1 year Hijri = 354.5 days, 1 year Solar = 365.25 days). Zakat is only payable on assets that have been held for at least this period.

Beneficiaries of Zakat

The Holy Quran (9:60) classifies the due recipients of zakat under the following eight categories. “Zakat is for the poor, and the needy and those who are employed to administer and collect it, and the new converts, and for those who are in bondage, and in debt and service of the cause of God, and for the wayfarers, a duty ordained by God, and God is the All-Knowing, the Wise”. Zakat can only be distributed to any of the eight eligible beneficiaries (asnaf) that are mentioned in the Quran in Surah Taubah:60. However, priority should be given to the poor and needy. Where there is no central authority to administer zakat, it can be paid directly to the needy. “Alms are for the poor and the needy, and those employed to administer the (funds); for those whose hearts have been (recently) reconciled (to the truth); for those in bondage and in debt; in the cause of God; and for the wayfarer: (thus is it) ordained by God, and God is full of knowledge and wisdom.” (9:60) • The poor (Faqir/Fuqara) – Those without any means of livelihood and material possessions. • The needy (Miskeen) – Those without sufficient means of livelihood to meet their basic necessities. For instance, those who, although may have a job, a house and a car, but whose income is below the minimum requirement. • The administrators of zakat (Amil) – Those appointed to manage and administer zakat. This category is sub-divided into the following categories: • Group of people who go out to the society and determine those who fall Fuqara and Miskeen categories. • Those who collect the Zakat money. • The accountant of the Zakat money. • The administrator, manager, clerical worker or secretary who puts the files in order. • Those who handle Zakat distributions. • The auditor who audits overall Zakat management and administration. • The sympathizers (Muallaf-at-Quloobuhum) – Those whose hearts are inclined towards or have accepted Islam. • To free slaves (Riqab) – Zakat can also be used to free slaves or captives. • Those who are in debt (Gharimin) – Zakat can be used to pay off the debts of a person who has borrowed to pay for basic necessities so that he/she can lead a normal life. Zakat can also be distributed to those in financial difficulties e.g. bankruptcy due to the loss of employment and heavy debt. • For the cause of God (Fisabillillah) – Zakat can be used to finance any form of struggle or work for the love of God. The following examples fall under this category, e.g. Da’wah; building & developing society’s infrastructure; defending Muslims, who are being oppressed; assisting poor travelers and sponsoring a student’s educational expenses. • Those who are stranded during a journey (Ibnus Sabil) – Zakat can also be used to help a traveler facing difficulties in continuing his journey due to reasons such as loss of money or the breakdown of his vehicles, the repair of which he cannot afford. The Prophet said, “If someone gives as charity so much as the equivalent of a single date from honest earnings – and God accepts only what is honest – God takes it in the Right Hand, then makes it increase for the one responsible, just as one of you raises foal, until it becomes as big as a mountain.

FRIDAY JULY 15, 2016 • T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

House to Probe Bailout Funds to States Wants accountability, transparency in use of security funds Passes N241bn FCT budget

Damilola Oyedele inAbuja The House of Representatives yesterday resolved to set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the terms and conditions for the disbursement and utilisation of the N689 billion bailout funds to 27 states, to enable them meet their financial obligations particularly to workers. The House said this was necessary to determine the level compliance and to ascertain the necessity for further disbursement as being considered by the federal government. The resolution was sequel to a

motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Hon. Karimi Sunday (Kogi APC) who recalled that the sum of N20 billion was released as bailout to his home state four months ago. He expressed worry at the report by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) which indicted several states on the utilisation of the funds, adding that the good intention of the federal government has been frustrated. Karimi lamented that several states owe their workers between two and seven months salaries, despite the funds received, including

Soyinka Recommends Jail Term for Corrupt Persons Sheriff Balogun in Abeokuta Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, yesterday recommended jail term for anyone found guilty of corruption. Soyinka stated this while speaking on the theme: ‘Corruption: A battle for the Arts’, during an event organised for the 82 students who participated in the edition of the Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange programme to mark his 82-year birthday. According to him, anybody caught or found to be guilty of graft should be made to face the full wrath of the law. While calling on stakeholders across the country to join hands in the fight against corruption, Soyinka said: “It is a battle for everybody. “The nation must be returned to its place of honour and dignity where anybody found to be corrupt in the society should be ashamed to walk freely.” Speaking on the way forward on the corruption menace, Soyinka

said corruption had eaten deep into the fabrics of the nation. While explaining on the rationale behind the theme, he said: “Yes, it’s a battle for everybody, and definitely the arts must be in the front as usual, not just the arts, the theologians, the moralists, philosophers, architects, builders; it’s everybody’s duty, including you (journalists) and lawyers.” He noted that: “There is only one way for corrupt people… prison.” Meanwhile, Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has challenged students and youths in the country to emulate the life of heroes like Soyinka. He urged them never to give up on Nigeria in spite of the many challenges facing the nation. He expressed joy that many Nigerians now appear to appreciate arts while promising to extend the participation in the subsequent edition of the programme to all students in Nigerian and beyond.

owing retirement benefits and gratuities of their civil servants. “Many states were reported to have stocked the funds meant for staff salaries in interest bearing accounts, while employees continue to wallow in hunger, poverty and lack. Some of these workers have even lost their lives because of inability to meet their daily needs,” he added. Several members, in their submission, raised the issue of the legality of the bailout funds without appropriation by the National Assembly. Speaker Yakubu Dogara, cited Section 80 (2) of the 1999 Constitution on usage of funds from the Consolidated Revenue Fund, which must be through an Appropriation Act. The Majority Leader, Hon. Femi Gbajabimila supported the

argument, but noted that the good intention to bailout states which seemed in desperate needs of funds, may have made the National Assembly drop the ball on the matter. “When you do not pay salaries, you do not stimulate the economy,” he said and also cited the ICPC reports stating that some states diverted the funds. The Minority Leader, Hon. Leo Ogor, said there is a need to determine if there was any abuse in the process of disbursement, and if the Ministry of Finance followed due process. Ogor acknowledged that while the bailout funds were disbursed without appropriation but with good intentions, the constitution must be respected. In another development, the House also called on various heads of the executive arm of government to ensure that security funds are properly

utilised to secure the country. It also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently come up with a lasting solution to address the problem of insecurity in the country, thereby forestalling further loss of lives and destruction of property. Hon. Kingsley Chinda (Rivers APC) in a motion, expressed concern at the security challenges which the country has been battling with in recent times, particularly the invasion of communities by herdsmen, and the continued assault on Nigerians by Boko Haram. “There is an annual budgetary allocation set out as security funds for governors of the states of the federation who have the responsibility to ensure that such funds are judiciously utilized in carrying out security operations,

including purchase of security gadgets, equipment, additional upkeep and maintenance of police and military personnel to secure the country,” he said. Chinda added that an apparent lack of accountability and transparency in the disbursement and use of security funds have adversely affected proper security operations and have had unfavourable effects on the psyche and morale of the security agencies and have further endangered the lives of Nigerians. Meanwhile the lawmakers passed the N241 billion appropriation bill for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for the year 2016. This includes the sum of 34,388,260,823 for overhead costs and 154,084,744,288 for capital projects.

CONDOLENCE VISIT

R-L: Daughter of the deceased, Olari Maduekwe; Senator Emma Anosike; Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio; and Deputy Senate President,SenatorIkeEkweremadu,duringthecondolencevisitofthePeoplesDemocraticParty(PDP)SenateCaucustothefamilyofthelateSecretary oftheBoardofTrustees(BoT),PDP,ChiefOjoMaduekweinAbuja....weekend

FG to Tackle Cattle Rustling with Special Force NNPC Subsidiary, NETCO Grows Profit to N2.5bn Dele Ogbodo in Abuja The Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd), yesterday said government had concluded arrangements to tackle the menace of cattle rustling in some parts of the country with a ‘Special Force’ within the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). He made the disclosure when he received a delegation from the Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC) led by its Executive Secretary, Air Commodore Yusuf Anas (rtd), in Abuja. He explained that he was already working in collaboration with his counterpart in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh, in that direction. Dambazzau said: “It is necessary to partner with the CCC in the area of strategic communication because this ministry is the hub of public safety and basically what we do here is to enhance the ease of doing business in Nigeria. “For people who are abroad, their major source of information is the media. If they keep reading

negative reports about crisis in any part of the country, they will not come and invest because the impression they would have is that Nigeria as a whole is not safe. “We are working with the Ministry of Agriculture to create a special force in the civil defence that will protect agricultural investments and products”, he stated. On the ongoing reclamation of some parts of North-east from Boko Haram, he said government is doing a lot of training for the police and the NSCDC in order to deploy them in all liberated areas. According to him, the CCC has a lot to offer government in her peace-building efforts among the people especially with different religious leaning. In a remark, Anas, thanked the minister for accepting to be part of the centre’s forthcoming seminar on crisis communication in Rivers State. He stressed that the ministry has a strategic role in the security architecture of the country, considering that it superintends over the police and four paramilitary services.

in Three Years Chineme Okafor in Abuja The National Engineering and Technical Company Limited, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), grew its profit before tax to N2.5 billion within three years from N193 million and N963 million in 2012 and 2013 respectively, its Chairman, Mr. Bello Rabiu, has disclosed. Rabiu disclosed this yesterday in Abuja when the company had its combined Annual General Meeting (AGM) for the three years that the profit margin represented a 160 per cent increase for the firm. He also said the company increased its revenue by 49 per cent from N7.9 billion in the previous year to N11.8 billion in 2014, and that the increase was mainly from the contract it executed for Samsung Heavy Industries Nigeria Limited on the Total Egina Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel (FPSO). At the AGM held at the corporate headquarters of the NNPC, Rabiu explained that NETCO was able

to record such profit despite the harsh operating environment in the oil and gas sector. “Despite the challenges in the oil and gas industry, NETCO recorded impressive performance during the years under review. The profit before tax exponentially increased from N193million in 2012 to N963million in 2013 and N2.5billion in 2014,” Rabiu said. Explaining the reason for combining the AGMs, Rabiu said: “It was due to the migration of the National Accounting Standards to International Financial Standard Reporting which took auditors a while to complete.” He added: “In addition, there was no substantive managing director in NETCO for a period of 15 months.” Similarly, the Managing Director of NETCO, Sikuye Aliyu, stated at the side-lines of the AGM that for the first time in Nigeria, NETCO was able to collaborate with two other local engineering companies and together the joint venture was able to record more than 550,000 man-hours on a strategic project.

“We did the entire detail engineering for the Total JV Egina FPSO project and we delivered it on time, safely and within budget. So that really tells you that there’s a lot of capabilities in the country and NETCO being the largest indigenous engineering company in Nigeria is really putting all the other resources together to execute all these projects. “And we can do that for other projects that are still coming as there are quite a number of them in the pipeline now,” he said. Aliu disclosed that NETCO was partnering the engineering division of the NNPC to fix the country’s refineries and urged operators to see the firm as the first point of call for engineering, procurement and construction activities in the country. He stated that: “Currently we have what we call the engineering division of the NNPC that has actually been supervising and doing all the work in the refineries. But right now NETCO is working with them and we intend to collaborate with them to do a lot more work in the refineries.”

“For me NETCO should be the go-to company for all engineering activities that NNPC may have. We should be the first stop and it is only when we cannot do it that we should take it out. And I have also appealed to the chairman and a number of other stakeholders that they should come to us as the go-to company. “This is because we’ve grown from just an engineering company to an engineering, procurement and construction company by joining other partners locally to be able to execute projects. We have executed two EPC projects successfully. There is one with Nigerian Gas Company, which was successfully done and right now we are doing another one with mobil which is a $500 million contract and we are executing it,” he added. Going forward, he stated that the firm would expand its collaboration with international engineering companies, adding that NETCO will sign some memorandum of understanding with foreign EPC firms.

FRIDAY JULY 15, 2016 • T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

Court Refuses Omokore’s Firm’s Application to Stop FG from Terminating Agreement with NPDC, NNPC Tobi Soniyi in Abuja A Federal High Court in Abuja has refused a request by two firms linked to Jide Omokore, an associate of former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, for an order restraining the federal government from taking steps to cancel an agreement between them and two government agencies. The firms - Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Limited and Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited - had by an ex-parte application applied to restrain the Nigerian Petroleum

Development Company Limited (NPDC) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) from terminating the Strategic Alliance Agreement (SAA) signed between them. While moving the ex-parte application yesterday, counsel to the applicant firms, Mr. Babatunde Fagbohunlu (SAN), urged the court to grant his prayers to enable parties resolve the dispute relating to the SAA, which he said ought to be referred to arbitration for resolution. However, in his ruling, the trial judge, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, refused the motion on the grounds

Buhari Meets Alake, Na’Abba, Oguntade behind Closed Doors Tobi Soniyi in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday at Presidential Villa met separately behind closed-doors with the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo; a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Na’Abba, and a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Goerge Oguntade. The meeting with Gbadebo which took place inside the president’s office lasted for less than an hour. Nobody accompanied the traditional ruler to the meeting which was described as “private.”

In furtherance to its bid to diversify the nation’s source of income, the federal government yesterday announced that it has suspended the ban on wood exports. The suspension, it stated, came with very stringent guidelines some of which include the issuance of a new international trade certification. Other guidelines include the cut one tree and plant five trees’ policy with a view to arresting deforestation and preserving the environment. The Director of Forestry at the Federal Ministry of Environment, Mr. Philip Bankole, who disclosed this yesterday, said Nigeria as country risks massive deforestation if it does not control the way and manner woods are cut and exported to other countries. Bankole added that the federal government had raised concerns on the degradation of the environment due the activities of wood exporters who cut down trees without replanting. However, he stated that the lifting of the ban was partial after which government will further review the situation and know what next to do with regards to wood exports. He explained that the forest is being conserved not only for wood export, but for other purposes, adding that Nigeria has fallen short of reserving about 25 per cent of its land for forest reservation which currently stands at less than five per cent. According to him, “The solution to this problem is to plant more trees; those of you who are involved in the wood export business will

“These include suit No: FHC/L/ CS/701/2016 and in which the applicants herein did file a motion dated 16/0/16 asking for the proceedings to be stayed and the matter transferred to arbitration. “The second is a criminal charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/121/16 which came up for hearing on the 04/07/16. In this charge, the SAA occupies a centre stage. “In the context of all the aforementioned proceedings, in which the SAA, being sought to be enforced before me, are pending, I am concerned that the principles of order in administration of justice, and also of public accountability are equally implicated. “In the light of that, it appears to me, and I hold that it would be an injudicious exercise of my

discretionary powers to exercise my discretion and grant the interim injunctions ex-parte as sought without first, hearing the respondents. “However, because on a general view, I am concerned that some merit exist in the case of the applicants as to make them deserving of interim preservatory orders, I therefore order that the respondents should appear before me on Wednesday, July 20, 2016 to show cause why the interim preservatory orders as sought should not be issued.” Omokore, former Managing Director of NPDC, Victor Briggs; former Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production, NNPC, Abiye Membere; Manager, Planning and Commercial, NNPC, David Mbanefo and the two firms

have been charged to court over alleged complicity to defraud the government through the SAA. They were arraigned on July 4 before Justice Binta Nyako (also of the Federal High Court, Abuja) on a nine-count charge. They were accused of obtaining under false pretence and engaging in money laundering estimated at about $1,646,140,379.90. Omokore was alleged to have used the Strategic Alliance Agreement signed between the NPDC and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Limited to swindle the NPDC and the Nigerian government of monies running into billions of dollars through the lifting of crude oil from some oil wells between March 2013 and May 2014.

The discussion between the president and the monarch was not made public, neither did he speak with State House correspondents at end of the meeting. The presidency also did not issue any statement on the meeting. After the meeting, Buhari also granted audience to a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Na’Abba. The meeting also took place inside the president’s office. The president later received a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Oguntade, in his office. No statement was issued on the agenda of the separate meetings.

FG Lifts Ban on Wood Exports Eromosele Abiodun

that it would not be fair on the respondents if the court granted the prayers without giving the other parties a hearing in view of the many issues surrounding the agreement. He ordered the service of the motion on the respondents to enable them appear in court and be heard on their position. “I feel a number of principles are implicated here. First is the principle of sanctity of contract, an on that basis, the Clause 22 of the SAA containing an arbitration contract is that which ought to be obeyed ordinary. “However, I have also noted that the SAA, which provisions are being sought to be enforced and protected are subject of a number of legal proceedings before the Federal High Court, both criminal and civil.

know that there are some species of woods that have gone into extinction. The Iroko, the Obeche, the Mahogany, Ebony trees have all disappeared. So much is being taken from the forest and little or nothing is being ploughed back into it.” Bankole said the government frowns at a situation where woods are being exported raw without any value addition. He said so many jobs and economic value are lost to exporting these woods in their raw state, adding that only processed or semi-processed woods will be allowed for export. The director said: “There is a need to add value at every stage of processing these woods for export, at every stage of production, you are creating labour within the country, and you are reducing poverty. So the concern of government is that if you cut one tree, you must plant five to replace it so as to safe guard the future of unborn generation.” He warned that any consignment for export that is not accompanied by CITIES certification would be confiscated by the destination country. Speaking in similar vein, the President of the Tropical Wood Exporters Association of Nigeria (TWEAN), Mr. Tayo Omotoye, lamented that members of his group suffered huge losses since the ban. He however said now was the time to be re-committed to the preservation of the environment by ensuring that it is protected and preserved even while the wood export business is going on.

TOWARDS IGBO UNITY

L-R: Igbo leaders, Paschal Dozie; Dr. Emeka Ezife; Deputy Governor Enugu State, Celilia Ezeilo; Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha; Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe (rtd); Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu; Chief Jim Nwobodo; Prof. Anya O. Anya; Chief Enwo-Igariwey, Rear Admiral Allison Madueke (rtd). duringameetingin Owerri...yesterday

IMPEACHMENT: APC REACTED TO UNFOUNDED RUMOUR, SAYS SENATE his patience ran thin when she again stood up and according to the Kogi senator, call his a “dog” and “thug” who must be “tamed”. He said it was at this point, he stood up and said to her, “you are stupid,” adding that the subject of impeachment was never discussed at the meeting, but some persons who wanted to score cheap political points made it up and opted to tell lies to the press. Melaye who said Tinubu kept shouting “dog”, “thug”, repeatedly described as untrue reports that some senators shielded her from his assault, saying he never made any attempt to get close to her, nor did any senator interfere in the shouting match between them. He added that no senator attempted to caution him during the altercation because everyone was irritated by Tinubu’s action and expression. He alleged that his trouble with the senator and her husband, Bola Tinubu, started after they called him several times and asked him to withdraw his support for Senator Bukola Saraki during the contest for the Senate presidency last year, a demand which he said he rejected. He said he had read a threat credited to Bola Tinubu when he said that he (Melaye) had reached the end of his political career, adding, “Tinubu is not god” and he would never go to

his house to request for any help. He also denied the allegation that he threatened to beat and impregnate Mrs. Tinubu, arguing that the statement was unnecessary because she is menopausal.

Magu’s Confirmation

The clarifications provided by the Senate and Melaye on what really transpired at the executive session on Tuesday, notwithstanding, Senate President Bukola Saraki yesterday finally read out the letter from Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, in his capacity as acting president, asking the Senate to confirm the appointment of Ibrahim Magu as the substantive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The letter dated July 17, 2016 and delivered to the Senate on June 22, was reported exclusively by THISDAY last month when it got to the Office of the Senate President. But the letter was not read the day after it was received as is usually the tradition of the National Assembly. The letter also sought the Senate’s confirmation for four other persons as members of the commission. They are Nasule Moses, Lawan Maman, Garandaji Imam Naji and Adeleke Abebayo Rafiu. Osinbajo in the letter said the appointments were made in strict

compliance with the provisions of the EFCC Act. The letter read: “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Act of 2004 established the commission and makes it responsible among other things for the coordination and enforcement of all economic and financial crime laws and enforcement functions conferred on any person or authority. “Section 2 (1) of the Act also provides that the commission shall consist of a chairman who shall be the chief executive and accounting officer of the commission; be a serving or retired member of any government security or law enforcement agency not below the rank of assistant commissioner of police or equivalent; possess not less than 15 years cognate experience apart from other ex-officio members of the commission provided for in Section 2. “The Act also provides for four eminent Nigerians with any cognate experience of the following that is finance, banking, law and accounting. Section 2(3) further provides that chairman and members of his commission other than ex-officio members shall be appointed by the president and the appointment shall be subject to confirmation of the Senate. “Section 3 of the Act provides

that the chairman and members of the commission other than the ex-officio members shall hold office for a period of four years and maybe reappointed for further term of four years and no more. “In view of the following, I hereby draw your Excellency’s attention to the vacancy that existed in the EFCC. “Having carefully considered eminently suitable qualified Nigerians for the vacant position. I am pleased to inform you of the appointment of the following and to propose them for confirmationoftheSenateasprovidedby theEFCCAct:MaguIbrahimMustapha, ACP(chairman);NasuleMoses(member); Lawan Maman (member); Garandaji ImamNaji(member);AdelekeAbebayo Rafiu (member). “The curriculum vitae of the appointees are attached for the information of the distinguished senators. I hope the screening will as usual be carried out expeditiously by the distinguished Senate. Please accept the assurances of my highest regards.” Buhari, last November, removed the former chairman of EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, and replaced him with Magu in an acting capacity. Magu, who is an Assistant Commissioner of Police, was until his appointment, a member of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-Corruption and a former Head of the Economic Governance Unit (EGU) of the commission.

FRIDAY JULY 15, 2016 • T H I S D AY

CRIME&PUNISHMENT Lagos Police Arrest Prostitute for Forcing Teenagers into Sex Trade Arrest 83 other suspects in one month Chiemelie Ezeobi The Lagos State Police Command has arrested one Chinonso Okoronkwo, a prostitute, whose alleged stock in trade was to lure underage female school children to a hotel in Surulere and use them as sex slaves. The suspect, who was yesterday paraded at the state police command in Ikeja, Lagos, was nabbed following a raid by the police at the hotel where she operates. Confirming the incident, the state Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, said the suspect’s specialty was to lure innocent girls to a hotel in Surulere and use them as sex slaves. He said: “Among the 84 suspects we arrested in one month is a

professional prostitute, who went about picking teenagers and forcing them prostitution.” However, the suspect denied all the allegations, adding that although she was a prostitute, she had no hand in luring the underage girls to the hotel as sex slaves. She said: “I lost my husband so things were difficult for me and my children. When I told one of my friends about my predicament, she brought me to Lagos. You know that we were staying in Port-Harcourt. “My friend took me to the hotel where she introduced me to the management of the hotel. They gave me a room where I hustle sleep with men and they pay me money. I am just trying to survive. “As for the secondary school

girls, I don’t know anything about them. I used to see them in the hotel. They would come in school uniforms and change to mufti. “After sleeping with customers, they change back to their uniforms. I don’t know the arrangement between them and the hotel management. I was arrested in company with others when the police raided the hotel. “Others have been released and I don’t know why the police are still keeping me. I want to beg the police and journalists not to expose me as I am hiding here and I don’t want people to know what I am doing for a living.” On the total arrests made within one month in the state Owoseni said, the suspects were nabbed for cultism, armed robbery and rape,

amongst other crimes. He said: “40 were picked up for cultism and street fights,most of them are members of the Aiye and Eiye confranternities. “Out of 44 others, some are armed robbery suspects, three are suspected rapists, amongst other criminal offences. “I want to let you know that 26 of the suspects have been arraigned in the court and three armed robbers died during exchange of gun duel with the police. “10 different weapons and 208 rounds of live ammunition and 12 cars were recovered from the suspect.” The police commissioner said the suspects would soon be charged to the court while efforts were being made to arrest other members of the different gangs.

CAUGHT IN THE ACT

L-R: Hassan Abdul-Razak; Atim Abubakar; and Umar Usein, all suspected armed robbers who robbed the Publisher of Vanguard Newspapers, Mr. Sam Amuka, being paraded at Lagos State Police Command in Ikeja....yesterday

Ugwuanyi Shuts Enugu Amusement Park over Death of Two Sisters Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu Following an accident that claimed the lives of two children of the same parents at the Oakland Amusement Park along Ebeano Tunnel Bypass, Enugu last Monday, the state government yesterday shut down the park, ordering a full scale investigation into the unfortunate incident. The Commissioner for Information, Godwin Udeuhele, who announced government’s decision while briefing journalists after the state executive council meeting yesterday, described the incident as totally unfortunate. Udeuhele said one of the facilities at the park malfunctioned and caused the death of the children while they were there to recreate. “While we sympathise with the family, the state government has since ordered the closure of the centre as well as set up a committee to undertake a fact-finding mission there,” the commissioner said. Udeuhele said the committee would also visit other event centres in the state to ascertain

the standards of their facilities and how they had been functioning. An eyewitness who was at the park when the accident occurred, said a fatal accident occurred on Monday, July 11, at about 6p.m. when a group of children who came for a birthday party went on the coffee cup ride. According to the source, the children, about seven in number, got on the coffee cup machine after some children who were on excursion got off the ride “As the children were ushered to different cups and they sat down, the machine was switched on by the operator. A couple of seconds after the ride started to spin, some of the children attempted to get off the ride, apparently out of fear. “On realising this, the operator attempted to get the children to sit down but unfortunately, it was too late. He too got hurt because he stepped on the floor of an already spinning machine. “Out of the panic that ensued, visitors to the park got into the control room and attempted to stop the ride but apparently increased the speed. At that time some of the children fell off the ride and

were badly hurt.” Aside the two sisters that died instantly, four other children were

badly injured and are now lying critical at a private hospital in the state capital.

Eight Persons Arraigned over Kidnap of Reverend Sisters James Sowole in Akure For alleged robbery and kidnap of two reverend sisters and their driver, eight persons, including a woman were yesterday arranged before an Akure Magistrate’s Court. The suspects were said to have committed the crime at Onipetesi in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State. The accused, Reuben Akinbehinje and his wife, Abimbola, Saheed Oyewo, Seun Lajuwomi, John Imoleayo, Seun Iseoluwa Akintan, Damilare Akundasa and Lateef Fayemi Hammed, were arraigned on a seven-count charge bordering on kidnap, robbery and conspiracy contrary the relevant laws of the state. According to the prosecution

led by John Olowokere, the accused allegedly conspired to kidnap and rob two reverend sisters, Perpetual Apo, and Bukola Roseline Familade. And their driver, Yohanna Zibai on May 12, 2016. Olowokere noted that the accused had been in custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) because they were arrested when the state judicial workers were on strike. He therefore, sought the court order to remand the accused in prison pending the legal advice from the state Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP). In his ruling, the Chief Magistrate Adedapo granted the application that the accused be remanded at Olokuta medium security prison and adjourned the matter till August, 16 for review of the case.

In Brief Six Offices Burgled at Osun State High Court

An undisclosed amount of money was yesterday stolen as some suspected hoodlums in the early hours of yesterday burgled six offices in the Osun State High Court in Osogbo. Sources told THISDAY that the suspected burglars, apart from breaking into the cashier’s office, also attacked maintenance section and four others offices located within administrative building of the court. Though the sources in the judiciary confirmed that some amount o money was stolen during the incident, they could not however say whether documents were also lost during to the invaders. It was also confirmed to THISDAY that all night guards who were on duty when the incident happened had been apprehended by the police. A very reliable source told THISDAY that a similar incident of burglary happened in an Ilesa High Court, adding that the perpetrators were later apprehended. When contacted, acting Police Public Relation Officer of Osun Command of Nigeria Police Force, Egbedele Ajibade, said a number of people had been arrested in connection with the matter.

Cultists Invade Federal Medical Centre Lokoja

Two brothers were yesterday at the gate of Federal Medical Centre in Lokoja shot dead by suspected rival cultist just as a 32-year-old man was also killed in his house in Ogaminana by unknown gunmen. THISDAY reliably gathered that the late Ogu Achem also known as Ogwu-Araka and his brother whose name could not be immediately ascertained, were said to have visited their sick mother admitted at the FMC. According to the source, the victims were on their way out of the hospital at about 8.30p.m. on Wednesday night when their car was suddenly blocked by another car thereby forcing them to pull over. The source added that immediately, the other rival cultist quickly came down from their own vehicle and opened fire on the victims, adding that people in the vicinity had to take cover. An eyewitness account further said more than 200 shots were fired at the duo in an apparent move to make sure they are dead. The late Ogu Achem was a former Senior Special Assistant on Security Matter in charge of Kogi East to the immediate past governor of the Kogi State, Captain Idris Wada. In another similar incident, a 32-year-old man, Victor Sadiq, was allegedly gunned down in his house at Zango village, Ogaminana in Adavi Local Government Area of the state. According to sources closed to his family, some suspected gunmen stormed his house at about 3a.m. yesterday, adding that on getting to his house, the said Victor was dragged out of his house as he was allegedly questioned by the gunmen. A source disclosed to THISDAY that the late Victor was gunned down at close range before the unknown gunmen escaped. Meanwhile, the Police Public Relations Officer, Kogi State Police Command, Mr. William Aya, while confirming the report, said the command was investigating the killing of Ogwu Achem while adding that the command was yet to confirm that of Victor.

Police Nab Suspected Car Thief in Lagos

Operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command yesterday said it had arrested one Benjamin Michael, for attempting to steal a Mercedes Benz A-Class with the registration number UB 202 AAA from the park at a popular night club in Ikeja on Wednesday night. The 27-year-old suspect, who hails from Ughelli in Delta State, was arrested after the policemen prevented an angry mob from exerting jungle justice on him after they sighted him entering the car. THISDAY gathered that the policemen who were on their routine patrol along the axis, rescued the suspect when he was about to be set ablaze by the enraged youths. The suspect, who had sustained various degrees of injuries on his head before the arrival of RRS operatives, was taken to the hospital for medical attention by the police. Afterwards, on his arrival at the RRS headquarters at Alausa, Ikeja, he confessed that his plan was to indeed steal the vehicle and take it out of Lagos to a neighbouring country to sell.

Police Parade Suspected Criminals in Calabar

The Cross River State Police Command yesterday at its headquarters in Calabar paraded crime suspects among them alleged armed robbers, kidnappers and child traffickers, murders. Addressing journalists, the state Commissioner of Police, Jimoh Ozi-Obeh, said the armed robbery suspects arrested include Samuel Francis, Okon Ekpe Okon, Umeh Udofia, Lawrence Paul John, Godwin Udoh and Effa Effiom Bassey. Ozi-Obeh, also said an alleged child trafficker by named Gift Etim Ikono was arrested together with her sister, Esther Ikono and one Florence Victor Ekpo for child trafficking. He said the two girls gave birth to two different babies and “the babies were sold out by the suspect to an unknown buyer. Investigation is ongoing to get to the root of the matter.” The commissioner said some suspects among them, Monday Edet Akpan and Etim Okon Etim allegedly connived with a native doctor, Felix Edet Umoh, to murder two un-named victims whom they accused of killing their children through witchcraft power. He said a Lexus Jeep, with registration No. LSD 281 CY, which was snatched in Calabar was trailed to Gwarimpa, Abuja where it was recovered. The commissioner said the suspects were helping the police with investigations. He assured the people of the state that the place was safe for every person to live and work in.

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

FRIDAYSPORTS Eagles Drop to 70th Spot in FIFA Ranking

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

Femi Solaja Super Eagles free fall in global football ranking continued yesterday in the July FIFA rankings as Nigeria plunged to 70th position from the 61st it occupied last month. Eagles equally slipped from the 12th spot of June to 17th in Africa. While the poor form continued for Eagles, Nigeria’s major foe in the 2018 World Cup qualifier, the Desert Foxes of Algeria maintained their number one spot at the top of African football.

Nigeria once a powerhouse in African football topped the continent and ranked 5th when the ranking system was introduced prior to the World Cup in 1994. Elephants of Cote d’ Ivoire are second in Africa and 35th in the world while Ghana’s Black Stars are rated third best in Africa and 36th in the world. The Teranga Lions of Senegal are fourth and 41st in the world. Other better rated African countries include; Egypt, Tunisia, Cameroun, Morocco, Congo DR, Mali, Cape Verde Island, Guinea and South Africa in the 5th to

13th positions respectively. The other countries that occupied the 14th, 15th and 16th positions are Benin Republic, Uganda and Congo. Argentina remains at the summit of the July FIFA world ranking but only after a tumultuous month of action that resulted in plenty of movement further down. Belgium occupies the number two spot and

Colombia, Germany, Chile and Euro 2016 champions, Portugal taking the number three to six positions. The Euro 2016 runners-up, France, Spain, Brazil and Italy make up the top 10 spots in the world. A total of 228 ‘A’ internationals contributed to the new order with those big events in Oceania, Europe and the Americas especially

important in propelling nations upwards. New Zealand emerged as the month’s biggest climbers moving up a whopping 54 places to 93rd on the back of an OFC Nations Cup victory that both qualified the All Whites for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup and furthered their FIFA World Cup qualifying ambitions. The next FIFA world ranking

will be published on Thursday, August 11, 2016. AFRICA’S TOP 10 Algeria Cote d’Ivoire Ghana Senegal Egypt Tunisia Cameroun Morocco Congo DR Mali

Iyaye Congratulates Sirawoo Rivers State Sports Commissioner, Honourable Boma Iyaye has congratulated Mr. Honour Sirawoo following his election as National President of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN). Mr Sirawoo was elected unopposed as SWAN President in Illorin, Kwara State on Wednesday, July 13 and he becomes the first individual from Rivers State to hold the position. Honourable Iyaye explained that the Government and people of Rivers State are delighted with

the news of Sirawoo’s successful election and charged him to justify the confidence reposed in him. “This is the first time someone from Rivers State has been elected National President of SWAN and it is indeed a landmark occasion. “I want to congratulate Sirawoo but at the same time urge him to use his wealth of experience to take the Association to heights never previously attained. “I am sure that he will succeed in this latest assignment,” Honourable Iyaye said.

Adu Dominates Millionaire Chess Championship International Master Oladapo Adu still remain the man to beat at the ongoing 2nd Millionaire Chess Championship at the Chevron Recreation Center, Gbagada , Lagos. Adu, a veteran of several international tournaments, so far has translated his wealth of experience to ensure a perfect score of four points after the close of proceedings last night. Aside the International Master, the likes of Rotimi Dashaolu, Edet

Udeme, Daniel Anwuli and Ochuko Onovughe are also in contention in the Masters Category with 3.5 points each. The event will end tomorrow with distribution of prizes in all the categories of play. The overall winner in the master section would be rewarded with an all-expense-paid trip to USA and play at the prestigious Millionaire Masters event in Atlantic City, New Jersey in October.

Sodje Extols Okowa on Sports England-based retired rugby player, Bright Sodje, has urged Governor Ifeanyi Okowa not to relent in his efforts to reposition sports in Delta State. Sodje, a member of the famous Sodje sporting family from Delta State which has produced international footballers like Efetobe Sodje, and Sam Sodje among others, has commended Governor Okowa for his moves to revive sports, especially at the grassroots level in the State. He urged the state’s chief executive to take advantage of the roles of sports as unifying factor by giving due attention to the development of the sector. According to Sodje,”as a family that is an icon in sports; we came through inter-house, and even interschools sports. Schools sports was greatly promoted when we were in the old Midwest state under Dr Samuel Ogbemudia.Former Governor James Ibori continued Ogbemudia’s agenda; but since

Ibori left the scene, sports has suffered setback in the state, and this is an area Okowa is presently addressing.” Sodje equally commended the Governor for the appointment of a seasoned sports administrator , Tony Okowa as Chairman of the Delta State Sports Commission, adding the confidence that the new sports leader will take the state to the next level. According to Sodje,”I have held several talks with the new chairman of the Sports Commission, and he impresses me as a focused person, and one that is committed to taking the state to the next level in sports.” He also hailed the governor for appointing his younger brother, Sam Sodje, as the Chief Executive of the state’s Under-16 League. He expressed confidence that his younger brother will deliver in his new assignment especially with his repertoire of knowledge in the game.

IGHALO NEW MULTICHOICE AMBASSADOR

L-R: Managing Director of MultiChoice Nigeria, John Ugbe, Super Eagles and Watford forward, Odion Ighalo and General Manager, Marketing and Sales, MultiChoice, Mr. Martin Mabutho at the signing of Ighalo in Lagos …recently

Beautification of Keshi’s Illah Country-home Begins Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba As activities toward the burial ceremonies of former Super Eagles Coach, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi, reach advanced stage, renovation work has commenced at the country-home of the late football icon at Illah in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State. This development has ended speculations in some quarters

that Keshi might not be buried in his hometown because the late former Nigeria’s soccer coach had no building in the town. However, THISDAY learnt that Keshi actually built a house on a large expanse of land in the quiet part of Illah. Delta State Commissioner for Information, Mr Patrick Ukah, on Wednesday paid a visit to the house to see the extent of the renovation work as the town prepares to receive an array of

personalities particularly from local and international sporting community coming for Keshi’s funeral later this month. Ukah, who was conducted round the house by the eldest brother of deceased coach, Mr Sylvester Keshi, and a nephew, Mr Eboka Ofuonye, disclosed that the visit was to see the extent of the renovation as the funeral was quite close. He noted that the Delta State Government was assisting the

family to see that the house and its surrounding was put in good shape for the event considering the number and calibre of dignitaries expected “to come to pay their last respect to the fallen hero.” Ukah disclosed that Keshi’s burial ceremonies would begin in Abuja on July 26, 2016, and concluded with interment at Illah on July 29th and thanksgiving service expected to take place on July 31, 2016.

LMC Appoints NASD Plc NPFL Official Supporter A historic step towards restructuring Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) Clubs’ ownership and open it to private sector investments was initiated on Wednesday in Lagos when the League Management Company (LMC) and NASD OTC Securities Exchange signed a Memorandum of Understanding to partner towards actualising the listing of NPFL clubs in the secondary capital market. At a well attended ceremony inside the event hall of Westwood Hotels on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, the Chairman of LMC, Shehu Dikko and the Managing Director and CEO of NASD Plc, Bola Ajomale, signed the MoU and separately pledged to drive

their respective organisations to bring about the attainment of the set objectives. Dikko, in his remarks after the signatures were appended said the partnership is very important to the LMC as it “sign-posts a step towards realising the vision nursed by the LMC to provide a strong structure for the NPFL club ownership. It is a journey that has been long but potentially fruitful for the League, the clubs, our partners, NASD, Corporate Nigeria and the general football stakeholders”. Taking a historical look at club ownership in Nigeria, the LMC chairman recalled that in the late 1970’s to early 1990’s, individuals

and companies dominated club ownership and funding listing the likes of Stationery Stores, Udoji United, Leventis United, Abiola Babes, Ranchers Bees, Ayufsalam Rocks, BCC Lions, Jasper United, ACB, New Nigerian Bank, Flash Flamengoes and Iwuanyanwu Nationale and many other s. Dikko explained further that the domination of state ownership of clubs in contemporary times is a result of downturn in the economy in the 1980s as a result of the oil glut in the international market which affected mostly private businesses. “Today, the fluctuating oil revenue is hitting harder at states’ resources while the organised private sector

are now driving the economy hence we are seeking this platform to take football to the organised business and the people as is obtained in some more prosperous leagues such as those in Germany, Spain and coming closer home, North Africa has since been appreciated by the LMC hence we took steps to seek the actualisation. “You will recall that in the quest for this, we did sometime in the past visit the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE) all in our bid to bring about this change to a more enduring club ownership structure. We are therefore very glad that NASD has embraced this vision and has offered to work with us towards the actualisation”.