Tuesday 3rd January 2017

Niger Govt Offers Minna Airport as Alternative During Closure of Abuja Airport Aviation minister to meet airlines, stakeholders on closure Laleye Dipo in Minna and Dele Ogbodo in Abuja The Niger State Government has asked the federal government to consider using the Minna airport as an alternative airport during the six weeks closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International

Airport in Abuja, when the runway will be undergoing rehabilitation.

Making this known yesterday, the state Commissioner for Information,

Mr. Jonathan Tsado Vatsa said all that will be required was for the dualisation work on the road from Minna, the Niger State capital, to Suleja to be fast tracked.

The government said it had decided to raise the issue so that the federal government would be reminded of the existence of the Minna airport and the role it could play

during the rehabilitation of the Abuja airport.

The Transportation Ministry penultimate week announced that the Abuja airport would be closed for six weeks,

Sultan Condemns Southern Kaduna Killings.... Page 10

starting next month, for work on the dilapidated runway, and had advised airlines and passengers travelling to and from Nigeria’s capital city to use the Kaduna International Airport, about 211km from Abuja.

Continued on page 6

Tuesday 3 January, 2017 Vol 21. No 7929. Price: N250

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NBS: Economy Generated 187,226 Jobs in Q3 Jobs rose by 20% over Q2, declined 61% year-onyear PMI shows rise in manufacturing orders in December James Emejo in Abuja

USHERING IN 2017...

L-R: Rivers State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Ipalibo Harry Banigo; Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike; his wife, Eberechi; and Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani, during the New Year banquet held at the Government House, Port Harcourt, Rivers State… Sunday night

The Nigerian economy added 187,226 new jobs in the third quarter of 2016 (Q3 2016), from 155,444 jobs in the previous quarter, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has stated.

Also, labour productivity for the quarter rose to N713.7 per hour, compared to N636.3 per hour in the second quarter.

Continued on page 6

Buhari Keeps Campaign Promise, Begins Payment of N5,000 to the Poor Tobi Soniyi in Abuja In keeping with one its key election campaign promises, the Muhammadu Buhari administration has commenced payment of the N5,000 monthly stipend to the poorest and the most vulnerable in the country through the Conditional Cash Transfer

(CCT) scheme of its Social Investment Programme (SIP).

A statement yesterday by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo’s media aide, Mr Laolu Akande, said that under the scheme, one million Nigerians would

receive N5,000 monthly payments as a form of social safety net for the poorest and most vulnerable as provided in the 2016 budget.

He said in the first batch that commenced last week,

nine states would be covered, and that beneficiaries had already confirmed that they had received their first payments last Friday.

“Funds for the commencement of the

payments in four states were released last week to the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) – the platform that hosts and validates payments for all government social intervention

Reuben Abati Writes on Tuesday... See Back Page

programmes.

“Funds for another set of five states to complete the first batch of nine states would follow soon,” Akande stated.

Akande said that though the sequence for the payment of the funds would be operationally managed by Continued on page 8

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Investment Banks Disagree on Oil Price Recovery in 2017 Ejiofor Alike with agency report Global investment banks have differed on their forecasts on the recovery of crude oil prices in 2017, a recent survey on the projections of 12 banks has shown.

Crude prices dropped from a peak of $115 per barrel in June 2014 to a 13-year low of $27 per barrel in February in 2016.

The global benchmark Brent crude also traded at $57.89 per barrel on December 12, 2016 before dropping to its current average of $55.

But the result of the survey by wall Street Journal indicated that the 12 banks – Credit Suisse, BNP Paribas, ING, Commerzbank, Deutsche Bank, Societe Generale, Citigroup, JP Morgan, Barclays, RBC, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Standard Chartered – all predicted a US crude price of around $45 per barrel and above in 2017.

However, three banks forecast that 2017 will end with crude oil selling at below $50 per barrel, while nine of the banks predicted that oil will close above $50 per barrel in 2017,

with Standard Chartered making the highest forecast of about $68 per barrel for the fourth quarter of 2017.

In the first quarter of 2017, half of the banks forecast prices below $50 per barrel, while the remaining six saw oil selling above $50 per barrel, according to the December 2016 survey conducted by the Wall Street Journal Market Data Group.

Three banks – Deutsche Bank, Barclays and Bank of America Merrill Lynch – saw oil averaging $55 in the first quarter.

The survey showed that in the second quarter, five of the banks predicted

below $50 per barrel for the price of oil, with ING and JP Morgan making the lowest forecasts of $45 per barrel.

Seven of the banks predicted oil prices above $50 per barrel in the second quarter, with Standard Chartered making the highest forecast of around $63, followed by Barclays’ average of $60 per barrel.

JP Morgan and ING saw US crude price settling around $45 in the second quarter 2017, according to the survey.

In the third quarter, only three banks – ING, Commerzbank and JP

Morgan – predicted below $50 per barrel for the price of oil, with forecasts hovering around $45, $48 and $45, respectively.

The other nine banks predicted an oil price of above $50 per barrel in the third quarter, with Standard Chartered giving the highest forecast of close to $65 per barrel, followed by Deutsche Bank and Bank of America, both of which predicted an average of $64.

Four banks – RBC, Barclays, Societe Generale and BNP Paribas – saw the price of US crude settling around $55 in the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter of 2017, ING, Commerzbank and JP Morgan still believed that oil price would remain around $45 per barrel.

However, Standard Chartered predicted the highest recovery of oil at about $68 per barrel in the fourth quarter of 2017, followed by Citigroup and Bank of America, which predicted around $62 and $61, respectively.

Credit Suisse and Societe Generale both saw oil prices around $60 per barrel in the fourth quarter, while RBC and BNP Paribas forecast $58 and $55 per barrel for oil, respectively.

NIGER GOVT OFFERS MINNA AIRPORT AS ALTERNATIVE DURING CLOSURE OF ABUJA AIRPORT Vatsa said in a statement in Minna that using the Minna airport as an alternative to the Abuja airport during the period of its repairs would save air travellers a lot of man hours that would be lost if airplanes were diverted to other places. “What is required now is for the road from Minna to Suleja to be dualised quickly to make movement to and fro smoother and safer,� Vatsa said in the statement.

He explained that the state government was confident that the Minna airport has the requisite facilities and manpower to serve as a very good alternative to the Abuja

airport, adding, “Niger State is also peaceful and secure.� “We have always said it that because of times like this, the Minna airport should be used as alternative to Abuja, and from an economical perspective as a cargo airport. “So with the planned closure of the Abuja airport for rehabilitation, I think it is wise economically to use Minna to serve Abuja. “You can see from here to Abuja is just about one hour plus, if the dualisation work on the Minna-Suleja road is fast tracked and completed as planned by the federal government. We therefore

call on the authorities to look into this viable alternative,� he added.

President Muhammadu Buhari recently directed the construction firm handling the construction of the Minna-Suleja road to return to site immediately.

The firm had pulled out of site in the weeks leading to the 2015 general election in the country.

Preparatory to the closure of the Abuja airport, the Minister of State for Aviation, Mr. Hadi Sirika, yesterday said the federal government has concluded arrangements to meet with airline operators, security agencies and the Kaduna State Government on Thursday on the

planned closure between February and March.

In a statement signed

by Mr. James Odaudu, Deputy Director, Public Affairs in the ministry, the minister said the decision to shutdown the airport for six weeks was to allow Julius Berger Plc complete rehabilitation of the airport’s runway.

According to the statement, Sirika and ministry officials will engage airlines, airport operators and industry stakeholders on issues that will guarantee seamless flight operations for passengers coming in and leaving Abuja.

According to the minister, the interactive

session will also afford him the opportunity to officially inform all concerned of the decision, and also brief them on efforts being made to ensure that the use of the Kaduna International Airport as an alternate route during the six weeks closure of the airport is seamless and hitch-free.

Sirika said the meeting was being held to allow stakeholder air their opinions that would help in formulating and executing policies, adding that the stakeholders would also be expected to key into plans to make their operations during the period less problematic.

Government, he said,

was aware of the likely high level of discomfort and inconvenience the proposed closure would cause air travellers, airline operators and other service providers, but explained that the decision was informed by safety and security concerns, saying that government would rather lose billions of dollars in revenue than risk lives.

He said: “The ministry would also invite other ministries, departments and agencies, including the security agencies, the Kaduna State government, the media and others that are expected to play critical roles during the six-week period.�

public service.�

The report said despite negative economic growth, net jobs created were still positive in both the formal and informal sectors as more jobs were created despite job losses especially through informal low paying jobs.

On labour productivity for the quarter, the NBS said the overall level was low, compared to the same period last year as a result of several challenges that generally impacted on output and labour, and indirectly on labour productivity, which kept it below optimal levels.

It said: “Investment in the economy was still relatively low, though some government investments were recorded during the quarter, the volume of private investment and foreign direct investments was still considerably low compared to previous years. “Power was relatively stable throughout the quarter, which partly accounted for the increase in labour productivity.

Though there was a contraction in the economy in the third quarter in real terms accompanied by an increasing unemployment rate, the growth in labour

productivity implies a gradual increase in labour efficiency employed in the economy.�

The labour productivity index also showed that the agriculture sector recorded a growth of 4.5 per cent, the highest among any major economic activity, as the third quarter was the harvest season in the Nigerian calendar.

The report added that other labour intensive sectors such as human health and social services, as well as accommodation and food services, also accounted for the most jobs created in Q3 2016.

Labour productivity refers to the quantity of manpower input required to produce a unit of output. High above productivity can be an important signal of the improvement in the real income (wages of workers).

Also, the manufacturing sector of the economy recorded an expansion in new orders in December after eleven months of contraction, the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) report released by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has shown.

The new orders index stood at 45.1 points in November but increased

to 51.8 points in the month under review, with five sub-sectors recording expansions in new orders.

The increase was reflective of increased demand for consumer goods during the yuletide season.

The sub-sectors that recorded increased orders last month were cement; food, beverage and tobacco products; textiles, apparel, leather and footwear; paper products; and fabricated metal products.

The plastics and rubber products sub-sector remained unchanged, while 10 sub-sectors recorded a decline in orders.

Notwithstanding, the manufacturing employment index in the month of December stood at 48.6 points, indicating a drop in employment for the twenty-second consecutive month.

However, the PMI showed a slowdown in contraction in m a n u f a c t u r i n g employment, compared to the preceding month.

The report stated: “Of the 16 sub-sectors, nine recorded a contraction in employment in the following order: computer and electronic products; electrical

equipment; appliances and components; printing and related support activities; furniture and related products; chemical and pharmaceutical products; primary metals; fabricated metal products; and nonmetallic mineral products.�

Nevertheless, the manufacturing raw materials inventory index indicated an expansion in raw materials inventory in December at 51.6 index points.

The manufacturing and non-manufacturing PMI report on businesses is based on data compiled from purchasing and supply executives.

Survey responses indicate whether there is a change or no change in the level of business activities in the current month compared with the previous month.

New orders for nonmanufacturing showed a slowing contraction in December at 46.6 index points while the composite PMI for the non-manufacturing sector declined for the twelfth consecutive month.

The index stood at 47.1 points, indicating a slowing contraction, compared to the previous month.

NBS: ECONOMY GENERATED 187,226 JOBS IN Q3 Notwithstanding the employment generation report, which was released alongside the labour productivity index by the NBS yesterday, the data came amid rising unemployment of 13.9 per cent during the quarter under review.

The NBS further stated that the economy needed to generate 2.6 million jobs annually to hold down the current unemployment rate, as the country’s labour force is estimated to grow at over 2.6 million per annum.

According to the job creation report, employment generation was insufficient to meet the ever-growing labour market, leading to the continuous rise in the level of unemployment in the country.

NBS said the huge number of unemployed was a reflection of the current economic realities, as only few businesses are growing and employing while many others are shedding jobs.

It further noted that both the public and private sectors are currently finding it difficult to create jobs due to the economic crisis, adding that most states are currently

finding it difficult to pay the salaries of existing workers.

According to the NBS, “In the third quarter of 2016, the total number of jobs generated rose to 187,226, from the 155,444 generated in quarter two, representing an increase of 20.4 per cent quarter-onquarter, but a decline of 60.6 per cent year-on-year. “The formal sector recorded 49,587 jobs, representing a 26.5 per cent share of new jobs in quarter three while the informal sector recorded a larger share of new jobs, compared to the previous quarter, reporting a figure of 144,651 jobs and representing 77.3 per cent of new jobs in quarter three. “The public sector again recorded a negative growth in employment, with a figure of -7,012 in quarter three. The reported negative growth in public sector job numbers over the last year has not been entirely surprising, as many state governments across the country have struggled to pay salaries, hence restricting the number of new intakes and in some instances placing a complete embargo on new employment into the

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STARTERS

Gowon, Obasanjo, Ekwueme, Osinbajo Sing for Nigeria’s Recovery

Two-Minute BrieďŹ ng NEWS Sultan Condemns Southern Kaduna

Killings The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), under the leadership of its PresidentGeneral and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, yesterday condemned the killings in Southern Kaduna. Page 10

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NEWS

Sultan Cond emns IG faults CAN

Dele Ogbodo

over killings

TUESDAY JANUARY

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in Abuja

News Editor

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Davidson Iriekpe

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Killings

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a person –unless it be The Nigerian Supreme Council or for spreading for murder which may for Islamic mischief on hide Affairs (NSCIA), the land- his punishmen political or even behind tribal, Commissio under the t would to religious garbs be as n (EFCC) Chairman, leadership perpetrate these of its wholeif he slew humanity as President-General coming to the heinous acts,� Mr. Ibrahim Magu, a he said. and if anyone for their media to say support since of Sokoto, Alhaji and Sultan life, saved a there that his Meanwhile, office last year. he assumed places.are 800 corpses in these leadership principles Sa’ad Abubakar Muhammad he savedreward would be as III, yesterday He said: “Whether . the lives of humanityif General of Policethe Inspector condemned According as a whole.� “This is sickening you are a to him, an the killings religious, political Idris, has faulted (IG), Ibrahim spot Southern Kaduna. on- when in assessmen because or community claims by the The NSCIA called on the Christian Association him across t of the crisis by countrypeople from outside the leader, you should have The NSCIA federal of the some principle hear this kind Administration, Director of governmeand Kaduna State (CAN), Kaduna State Nigeria Kaduna settlemenSouthern they would of thing, lacking and that is what chapter, contrary think is ts proved Isa Okonkwo Ustaz Christian urgency, nts to, as a matter of for the alleged killings is wrong with that something love here; we should have to the allegatio , in a statement of over 800 people of step into the for Nigeria this country. quoted the Sultan n Southern Kaduna that over 800 people situation as a country. “There extraction as describing and put a stop to what were to love is need for our leaders This is one thing (patriotism killed in the killings by unidentifi inhuman and it as bandits the currently going this country that an average attacks by ed bandits. ) last week. in Southern more than on of anomie. barbarous state they love American Kaduna as unjust, doesn’t lack.�

At a press themselves. heinous and The IG said: conference “The NSCIA Kafanchan Commending “I went to sickening for somebody It is of destructio dastardly acts the last Thursday, in Kafanch an yesterda to on the go the federal and would like Vicar General ns of lives news kidnappin the and y by saw Kaduna State property. g squad for antiand governm of the Catholic road and visited 800 corpses. say that he up to expectati living Archdioce ents to go all the villages; it The NSCIA a step Ibrahim se of Kafanchan on, he said further by “Even was marvelou police had proffering lasting , what I Yakubu, said grieved that was particularly solutions s there was in Rwanda, where arrested five saw. Policemen at the last count, bandits suspected had genocide, to attacked four were anybody alert and on no fewer than I don’t think kidnappers acts of hate these recurrent governme of the the ground former Minister local all the and savagery innocent Nigerian808 lives of Southern in figures. can quote that kind of villages of State for in Kaduna, nt areas in Southern It is very sickening.

Foreign Kaduna. to Kafanchan visited. I went you killing over 808 been lost while lives have Here Hirse, Affairs, Mr. Bagudu “We also have somebody , people.

Jere, nothing Speaking Gwoma who was kidnappe wish to call than 57 Nigerians less on the who says he is at a dinner and Kwoi repectively organised federal governm d , I saw all a religious leader saying in November last life-threatening have suffered to ent hierarchy, for top brass of Police people in festive mood enjoying these.� year in objectivel Kaduna.

The NSCIA injuries. the matter y investigate commendeyesterday night, Idris, themselves.�

The police He said the and prosecute boss berated events in its denounced these whoever d them, including While faulting political and entirety particularly would soon five suspects Economic and CAN’s that the because they be paraded Financial Crimes for the alleged killings claim for lacking religious leaders the irrespective is found guilty patriotism at force headquart of the person’s of over 800, he said: fundamental ran contrary to tribe, ers after “We have people that some of them , stressing all necessary Islamic law which creed and/or ordains human are yet investigations imbibe the “We urge all social status. life to be sacred principles of to into their activities Nigerians to and strongly true concluded had been forbids its unlawful continue to promote destruction . justice, preach, except for a just with teach and live in peace course. one another.

Quoting from “We enjoin all Nigerians the Sultan said: the Holy Quran, not to allow themselve “If anyone slew s to be used by forces of evil some of

of ex-foreign

affairs minister

Killing of Anoth er Nigerian in South Africa , Unacceptab le, Says Dabiri-Erew a

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign drugs.

Affairs and According to Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, man, popularlyeyewitnesses, the known as King the latest extra has described Kingsley, of a Nigerian judicial killing he was was not struggling after in arrested and “worrying and South Africa as but handcuffed, one of the condemnable.�

A statement his neck and officers held onto squeezed it tightly aide, Abdur-Rah by her media until blood started Abuja, said the man Balogun, in “My heart goesgushing out. latest gruesome killing of Tochukwu out to the families Nnadi God of the deceased and pray

by Police in to unacceptable South Africa is eternal grant the departed soul to rest,� the SSA government the people and prayed.

The Nigeria Union of Nigeria.

While reiterating in Pretoria has confirmed President the latest killing.

Muhammadu The Nigerians to Buhari’s calls to AdetolaSecretary of the union, Mr. avoid crimes Olubajo, told journalists drug peddling like in Pretoria stiff penalties, which attracts is calling that “Nigeria Union sometimes death, on the Nigerian L-R: Senate Minority she however Mission to noted that demand results Party (PDP), Obong Leader, Godswill Akpabio; killing of Nnadi the Paul Ekpo, at has brought of investigations of the number the ďŹ rst Akwa his wife, Unoma; and Akwa Ibom State to 20 Nigerians cases involving all murder Ibom Solemn killed i S Nig i Ass bl Ch i i

THANKSGIVING SERVICE

NL

EDITORIAL The Carnage in Southern Kaduna

ÍąËœ 2017

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A video has emerged online of some past leaders of Nigeria and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo singing hymns for the deliverance of the country from its multiple challenges.

The video, which was shot last month and shared by Osinbajo on his social media account, showed the law professor singing the popular Christian hymn “O God our help in ages past� alongside past leaders like former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former military head of state Yakubu Gowon.

Also in the choir were former Vice-President Alex Ekwueme; exInterim President Ernest Shonekan; Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe (rtd), the de-facto vice-president under

the Ibrahim Babangida regime; and Lieutenant-General Oladipo Diya (rtd.), a former military vicepresident under the Sani Abacha regime.

The past leaders sang lustily and with great emotion to a rousing applause from the audience who watched the performance.

After the song, the leaders gave thanks to God and hoped for divine help to save the country from the current “mess� as they described it.

Gowon said: “We pray to God that He grants us that peace and unity that this country greatly deserves.�

Obasanjo: “God created Nigeria as we are and God does not make

any mistake. We should thank God for that.�

Shonekan: “We must continue to work hard to ensure that we achieve the desired result.�

Ekwueme: “In spite of the mess we try to make of the country, He manages to rescue us when we get to the edge of the precipice and we thank Him for that.�

Ukiwe: “I am grateful to the Almighty God for accepting and accommodating us despite the mess we have made of ourselves.�

Diya: “We are grateful to the president and vice-president for calling us together for the festival.� r $VMMFE GSPN /BJK DPN

Lagos Set to Host Rasheed Gbadamosi Eko Art Expo The Lagos State Government has concluded plans to host the Rasheed Gbadamosi Eko Art Expo from Friday 27th to Sunday 29th of January 2017 at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, in fulfillment of the promise by the state governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode to host an art exhibition in honour of the former Minister of National Planning, the late Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi.

In a statement yesterday by the Commissioner of Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, the state government said the three-day event, expected to mark the beginning of “Lagos @ 50� celebrations, will showcase the works of students from tertiary institutions in Nigeria as well as other budding artists. “This exhibition will focus on the

visual arts specifically; the traditional fine arts such as drawings, paintings, photography, sculptural; architectural, environmental, and industrial arts such as urban, interior, products, and landscape designs. “Other works of art such as ceramics, works in wood, paper, metal and other materials will also be featured at the expo,� the commissioner said.

Ayorinde added that the project would encourage the creativity of visual art students across tertiary institutions as well as budding artists, thereby boosting the curation of contemporary and homegrown artworks. “Our vision is to position visual arts as a major contributor to the socioeconomic development of Lagos State, especially in the area of tourism� he said.

The statement added that intending participants and prospective exhibitors should log-on to www.ekoartexpo.org and register, create their personal profile and upload pictures of artworks proposed for the exhibition.

Each applicant, according to the statement, can send multiple entries of not more than three different artworks for screening. “The deadline for submission of entries is January 15, 2017 as the registration portal will be closed by midnight same date. An independent screening committee is charged with the three-stage shortlisting process. “Entries that make it through the final stage of screening would be showcased in the exhibition proper which will be formally declared open by Governor Ambode,� the statement added.

GE IN SOUTH ERN KADUN to A

Government must bring

justice the entrep he spectre of reneurs of violenc harrowin returned to Southern g impunity e Kaduna last when suspected herdsmen invadedweek area, killing dozens the of people, injuring If the governme scores of others nt can deploy and laying waste Birnin Gwari helicopters and communities many to help and is the same governmein tracking down the soldiers to the latest madness,farmlands. Before terrorists, why nt unwilling soldiers and to deploy the had a few weeks the same herdsmen helicopters to several people same ago Southern out the Fulani attacked and in killed herdsmen terrorisin Kaduna to help ush Government, Gogogodo community in Kaduna?â€? one of councils Jema’a Local g indigenes of last week. that also came Southern Unfortunately, under attack Against the backgrou savagery, shows the violence, which has the imprimat nd that had also raided ur of the herdsmen no promise of abating as Kobin village, these suspected herdsmen the combatan and the indigenou earlier in August, Sanga Local ts, Kaduna, Government, s people of ďŹ nd no common authorities shouldmowing down about 20 ground for peace. Southern tribunals of inquiries people, the have anticipate Many compounds and peace committe d the latest tragedy. trace the causes the problem es What is instituted of that help in ďŹ nding the several crises to able solutions peace on both those who ordinarily should and propose have has now been sides are fuelling sustainbecause governme been unsuccessful in that externalised the ďŹ re that given the mix religion. will to implemen nt, past and present, lackedtask largely of ethnicity and t their recomme the political The Socio-Eco ndations. nomic Rights (SERAP) has petitioned the and Accountability Project iven the human United Nations Rapporteur, Ms. Agnes Callamar Special crises, the federaland material costs of these d, on the bloody THE FAILURE carnage. to be more decisiveand state governments need According to in the handling GOVERNMENTOF which SERAP, the killings of It is scandalou has become a virtual criminalof this crisis, APPREHEND TO s that since the enterprise. citizens in Southern years ago, and escalation of PROSECUTE AND the in THI PERPETRATORS Kaduna “would person has been spite the rising body count, crises ďŹ ve EDITOR S DAY OF THE HEINOU DEPUTY EDITORS not a single

have taken place not several murders arrested, prosecuted and IN SOUTHERN S CRIMES

˜ MANAGING convicted for if the that have traces

DEPUTY MANAGINGDIRECTOR

the Nigerian authoritie It is indeed instructiv of a pogrom.

AND ELSEWH KADUNA DIRECTOR

CHAIRMAN s EDITORIAL e that after the have taken measures violence last BOARD EDITOR NATION’S TO ENCOUR ERE SEEMS Godogodo orgy year, CAPITAL

AGE THE of to prevent their inquiry into the Governor Nasir el-Rufai PROPENSITY

proposed an hapviolent FOR clashes VIOLENCE pening and to address the reports and in AS A WAY OF recommendationsSouthern Kaduna. But including the PERCEIVED REDRESSING persistent impunity of the previous 2014 GRIEVANCES ones, of those responsib the one el-Rufai General Martins Agwai-le T H I S DAY abuses�.

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Letters to the Edit

POLITICS When Silence Isn’t Golden

Screen shot of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, former Vice-President Alex Ekwueme, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe (rtd.), singing heartily for Nigeria

POLITICS

One of the reasons a majority of Nigerians voted massively for President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 presiden- tial election was to put an end to incessant killings in some parts of the country, which President Goodluck Jonathan and his other predecessors could not do.

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Group Politic s Editor Olawa le Email wale.o laleye@thisda Olaleye ylive.com 0811675981 9 SMS ONLY

EXEC

UTIVE BRIEFI NG When Silen ce Isn’t Gol den

President Muh ammadu Buha Kaduna isn’t ri’s silence over golden but a mark of his evide the spate of killings in the count nt incompeten ce, writes Davi ry, particularly in South ern dson Iriekpen

O

ne of the reasons a majority of Nigerians voted massively for President Buhari in the Muhammadu tial election 2015 presidenwas to put end to incessant an some parts killings in of the country, Goodluck Jonathan which President and his other could not predecesso do. rs former army The impression was knowledge general, he had political that as a to and political curtail the excesses will and of ethnic killers, who across the are on the country. prowl But today, the story is daily basis different. Almost media on a form of killing headlines are awash with one or other. Most community times, an entire is invaded killed. In just and tens or it is believed one and a half years hundreds killed under that more Nigerians in office, have been the From Zamfara current government Plateau, Enugu to Borno, Adamawathan ever. , Benue, States and the country, other field. Lives Nigeria has become parts of are no longer a killing are daily being wasted sacrosanct. People from the governme without nt. To know any word area, where that perpetrated the killings and banditriesmost mainly Christianare opposition dominate strongholds some quarters. fuels suspicion d and To in the further behind the know that killings are without a Fulani herdsmenthose strong word and government gives room against it from the Particularly to suspect conspiracy . Buhari and of Southern pathetic is what the el-Rufai...th through. Last Kaduna are currently people e Fulani brothers week, the going ex-presid Catholic Diocese leadership ent, Goodluck of the stunning figure, of Kafanchan Jonathan, released a silent on Southern saying that people were Kaduna. She over his waging the president a total of war against killed in 53 criticised for being 808 four local Boko Haram ists since his government villages across the issues saying: “Centralis silent over security fundamentalassumption the last one areas in the establishm ed control on the ongoing has roles to of office, his of Security play but not silence killings and year. Giving a statistics state in imperativ ent in our federal system speaks volume genocide in the last and local governme as much as e for a President destruction on makes it few the states Kafanchan in a statement the in-Chief to nts,� he ment of the of the perceived official weeks But pundits , the never be silentand Commanderdastardly and endorsein have faulted said. were injured church leaders said Even the recent defence saying as in such cases.� ungodly acts. the the at N5.5 billionwhile farm produce 57 people Associatio national leadership of The the president of the president’s Armed Forces, Commander-in-Ch assertion, the estimated n of silence that has received ief of the The statement was also destroyed sadness over Nigeria (CAN) has Christian governor deal decisively he is in the best briefing . expressed of disclosed further the manner position to 1,422 houses with the rampagin state unacceptable,Kaduna State on the from the herdsmen. governme the federal that and 16 churches a total of matter is because the g Fulani and that the attacks.

Kaduna killings.nts are handling the were burnt While observers presidency the people Southern It described knows said spread The affected communi during silence on feel that President protested the of the affected area silence has President Buhari’s across Kaura, the matter ties, had fuelled the Buhari’s Kauru Local as sad and Sanga, Jama’a they CAN National handling of governor’s unaccepta already Rufai has been killings, Governor unaccepta Governm ble biased the General ble. killings,� the buffeted by had been persistent ent Areas, where and Asake said elBut replying They feel searing body said. the continuou Secretary, Rev. Musa that there critics last week, attacks on by gunmen s killings said and actions not only have his criticism. communities that the Kaduna believed to the presidency utterances State governme have shown the President Buhari had aggravated According be Fulani herdsmen will power have wittingly been mute state Governor the situation nt “lacks the to the church to arrest the because . herdsmen or , but Nasir el-Rufai, unwittingly top of the what was leaders, “The under effective control. situation and bring and their situation. transformed a low-level was on ilk turned into killing it We know that Kaduna has Special Adviser into a full-blown series of massacres the fields and southern to the President killed mostly towns as directed been under 24-hour children and genocide. and Publicity, the opinion curfew daily They are also women, the elderly, by the governor, on Media Mr. Femi for cover. of the who couldn’t of Channels incendiary, that the governor through yet the enemies The Television’s Adesina, spoke on a run house people are still prowling inciting, and that pregnant level of barbarity his Daily, saying programm has made several to house killing divisive was going from women got e, Sunrise it was needless out and massacred their wombs such without governme to defenseless with the crisis. egregious errors outbursts blown people partspeak on the bloodletti for the president in dealing before their nt protecti these inn Some of th “Whil ap hild f

FEATURES Anambra: Celebrating Its Own

FEATURES

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2017 Ëž T

H I S D AY

Acting Featur es Editor Charle Email charle s Ajunwa s.ajunwa@thi sdaylive.com

Anambra: Ce lebrating Its Own

Recently, Anam for about 300 bra capped its six-m onth Eleke repor indigenes and non indig long celebration of ts that the awar the creation enes of the of the ds ceremony state was unforgetta who have impacted state with honours it. David-Ch ble in every yddy aspect

Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano on August 24th, 2016 held a world press confer- ence to mark the commence- ment of the 25th anniversary of the creation of Anambra State.

Page 18 A

L-R: Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, Dr. 25th Anniversar y cake at dinner Victor Ike Oye, Amb. Bianca Odimegwu held at the Governor’s Lodge Amawbia Ojukwu, Obiano , Ekwueme,

nambra State Willie Obiano Governor, Chief 2016 held a on August 24th, world press ence to mark conferment of the the commence25th anniversa of the creation ry State. The anniversa ry celebrationof Anambra would span he with variousabout six months, to had said be spiced activities i car i l l d

BUSINESS Why NNPC May Cancel Olokola LNG

Project in Ogun, Ondo States There are strong indications that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) may cancel the Olokola Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project situated between the border town of Ondo and Ogun States, THISDAYhas learnt. Page 21

EDITORIAL

THE CARNA

he spectre of harrowing impunity returned to Southern Kaduna last week when suspected herdsmen invaded the area, killing dozens of people, injuring scoresofothersandlaying wastemany communities and farmlands. Page 15

awards, making

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Justice Peter

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Nkem Okeke,

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of awards to be given out Stepping in one single event. the state left into the tent, one can no stone unturned feel that that a memorab in ensuring le event was unit air conditione held. The split rs o i d

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Quick Takes

Algeria to

DEEPENIN G THE OIL

L-R: President of Nigerian Executive OďŹƒcer Stock Exchange (NSE), Lagos ‌recentl of Seplat Petroleum DevelopmentMr. Aigboje Aig-Imouk y Company Plc, huede; Mr. Austin Avuru,his wife, Mrs. Ofovwe Aig-Imouk during Petroleum Club’s guarantorhuede and Chief ’s dinner held in

SECTOR

Why NNPC in Ogun, OnMay Cancel Olokola LN do States G Project

Stories by

Boost

Algeria’s state energy Oil Output to increase producer, cent in the output of natural gas Sonatrach Group, plans next four Mekmouche, years as newand crude oil by 20 and productiothe company’s vice projects start up, per Salah president n, said. “Sonatrach of explorati will bring on and Timimou on stream Tiguentourine, of the Berkinene natural gas projects basin, after as well as in Salah exploration spending and developm $9 billion oil wells said in an ent projects interview since 2015,� a year on at the field southeast Mekmouche of Algiers. company’s Rhourde productio Sonatrach Nouss gas n also plans Sonatrach from old oil wells in to increase plans to “invest Hassi as much as as little as Messaoud, he said. possible,�

Algeria is Africa’s Mekmouche possible and produce added. of the Organisa biggest natural-ga s producer tion of Petroleum crude productio and a member Exportin n increased in Novemb to 1.16 milliong Countries. Its declines ander, the highest since barrels a

by Bloombe no change in 2015, 2013, after three yearsday according rg. of to data compiled

Egypt Signs

$220m Oil

Deals

Egyptian Oil oil and gas Minister Tarek El Molla has signed of at least exploration and productio three offshore $220 million and Italian with France’sn deals worth a total oil major Total, Britain’s ministry said ENI’s BP, on Wednesd Egyptian subsidiar The deals y IEOC, the include drilling ay. of $9 million, for the ministry six wells and a signing the result said bonus of EGAS. They a tender called by in a statement, and Egyptian are are all in Mediterranean state gas exploration board blocks in The first deal, Sea. the Egyptian with a consortiu $75 million for an exploratio m of BP and block; the IEOC, is worth n block in second, with the North is in the North a consortiu Ras El Esh and the third, El Hammad block m of all three companie and is worth s, with BP alone, and worth is in the North $80 million, $65 million.

Egypt has Tabia block importer as gone from exporting domestic rising demand. output has energy to being a failed to keep net Saudi Arabia pace with of oil productsinformed Egypt last month expected been halted that shipmen under a $23 ts billion aid The governmindefinitely. deal had and Molla ent is seeking ways crude oil said last week that to help the country directly from cope Egypt wanted deal by the to import first quarterIraq and he hoped to finalise of 2017. the

Ejiofor Alike There are strong ENERG Y indications the Nigerian to embark that on He said the CorporationNational Petroleum dollar projectsuch multi-billion non-conc of the exit gas developm (NNPC) formalities lusion multinational and no other cancel the may sharehold for these Olokola Liquefied LNG plants, ent to feed new is willing ers had Natural Gas partner the NNPC to bring must (LNG) project search for new hindered any project the NNPC. Similar their own situated between investors, doesn’t have funding. NNPC thus heart located right inside the border imposing the financial town of Ondo the money. the of Niger Delta of sustaining burden and Ogun That in Brass is is new LNG plants THISDAY yet to take the project States, NNPC. has 7 of Nigeria off because - Train on the supply of gas It gathered learnt.

LNG, Brass constraints.

According and So, nobody OKLNG have not seen that despite at the weekend to the source, can guarante the NNPC of the day,� the commitment last Thursday’s gas that will e investment in has actually he added. light started He be by the Group the process of Managing winding down way from Niger piped all the was said the case of OKLNG activities on Director even more Delta to Ogun NNPC, Dr. to start OKLNG. the OKLNG of the complicated because the Maikanti as Where are the project was located carry on with Baru project has project the gas and far away from gas become the project, to a drain pipe, sources apparent economics take the gas the pipelines to depleting its resources for political does to the the not area? of the the multi-bill if the pipelines reasons rather ly favour Even “The statement corporation. than are in place, pure business decision. liquefaction ion dollar gas investors are was a political by the GMD plant. “The IOCs their money not ready to stake A dependab China Coal cause the project statement beinvestors are and other private le source NNPC told not sure of because they are China expects Output to economics THISDAY on at the not justify will not stakefor business and the security Rise tion of anonymity investment does pipelines,� condiof the even as it aims coal output and demand their money the source on the on that Chevron, project. That was explained. projects that have Shell and BG to increase “Again, as the world’s to cut 800 million why Chevron, Shell and political undertones. withdrew from tonnes of outdated by 2020 project without mainly joint gas projects are long efforts largest consumer NNPC the abandone BG withdrew capacity ventures between cannot do it,� alone of and the the conclusio d the project of their exit NNPC and sector more to tackle smog and the fuel ramps up n the NNPC. for formalities.

According he said. yearsmake its NNPC alone only oil companie the international Under its efficient. manufacturing not have the has commencto him, the NNPC s (IOCs). does position five-year financial capacity ed the process plan for the Developm The winding of the IOCs ent of down activities for them top economic and Reform Commisscoal sector, the National to invest is that on the ion (NDR pla i

Production f

PROPERTY GEF-UNDP Biodiversity Initiative

Records Major Success in Niger Delta The Niger Delta Biodiversity Conservation Project (NDBP) is a five-year biodiversity conservation programme within the Niger Delta.The programme is being implemented by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) ... Page 28

PROPERTY & ENVI

T H I S D AY

RONMENT GEF-UNDP Bio Success in Ni diversity Initiative Re cords Major ger Delta The loss of flora/ plant

Ëž TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2017

and fauna/anim of Nigeria is Conservationcapable of being regenerateal species from human activ Project (NDB d and this is exact ities in the Nige projects are locat P) sets out r Delta regio ly what existence and ed obviously understanto achieve. The communiti the Niger Delta Biodivers n livelihoods. Benn d their benefits es ity and are mainwhere the demonstration ett Oghifo repor streaming them ts into their

Sclater’s guenon

T

INTERNATIONAL Turkey Nightclub Attack: IS Says It

he Niger Delta Biodivers Conservati ity P

It

36

Carried Out Shooting So-called Islamic State says it was behind the new year attack on a Turkish nightclub that killed 39 people.

The group said in a statement it was carried out by “a heroic soldier�. At least 600 revellers were celebrating in the early hours of Sunday at Istanbul’s Reina nightclub... Page 36

INTERNATIO NA

L Turkey Nightclu b Attack: IS Say Shooting s It Carried Ou t TUESDAY JANUAR Y

3, 2017 Ëž T H

email:foreigndesk

I S D AY

@thisdaylive.com

So-called Islamic State says it was behind nightclub when the new year attack began on a Turkish the gunman nightclub that ďŹ ring indiscrimin in neighbour 39 people. killed dischargin ing Syria. ately, g some The militant The group said group has already rushing through the The gunman 180 bullets. in a statement entrance with a long-barrel is still at large been linked to at least it was carried Police are investigatin two attacks out by “a heroic and a manhunt is in Turkey last taken from the led gun he had he belongs soldierâ€?. g whether underway. year.

Police say they boot of the media report. to an IS cell The IS statement have made eight car.

The attacker At least 600 blamed ďŹ red randomly for an attack in June Turkey of shedding accused at people revellers were arrests so far.

A complete celebrating record of those Airport in Istanbul. on Ataturk killed in an IS has the in has yet of Sunday at the early hours attacks been blamed for recent of Muslims through“its blood seven minutes, assault lasting President airstrikes a Istanbul’s Reina body of one to emerge. The in Turkey, and mortar Recep security guard starting with Erdogan of those who attacksâ€? military action which is taking died accused groupsTayyip has yet to be and a travel Turkey launched in Syria. against the group agent near identiďŹ ed. as IS of trying such the entrance. a military operation in Security “to were killed.

Both August aimed “They are tryingcreate chaosâ€?. was one guard Fatih Cakmak pushing back at of the to... demorThe forces, with IS and Kurdish have gunman is reported to alise our people and destabilise His brother ďŹ rst to die. some of the said he narrowly removed his our country,â€? escaped a double overcoat most eeing intensive recent he bombing three during the chaos.before Turkey suffered said. weeks ago, IS around the ďŹ ghting against a bloody Turkish having been northern town with 2016 media reports of al-Bab. on quote carrieda series of attacks, some duty when Kurdish police sources militants as saying he out by Kurdish launched an Turkey has have been may More than militants. attack near also been a But a day before 50 football stadium, player with Russia key Kyrgyzsta from Uzbekistan or a the been killed in people have riot, IS claim, the banned in negotiating n. killing at with some executed a bloody prison a truce Kurdistan Workers’ least 44 people, riot in the Amazon Kyrgyzstan’s Party (PKK) was and forces between moderate rebel At least 69 mostly police. jungle city some released. quick to distance and the governme said the reports foreign ministry itself of Manaus, Overcrowded from the nightclub officials said that the suspect being treated people are nt.

Turkey’s Deputy might prisons Monday, in on be attack, in hospital, saying it would Prime Kyrgyz were The one “doubtful� “never target officials said, with prison violence of the worst clash massacre was the latest Numan Kurtulmus Minister but that it would innocent civilians�. said on between in years in Brazil. a serious condition three in Monday carry out The head with the Sao inmates aligned was a that the nightclub attack checks.

Some two-thirds . of security The nightclub “message�

Paulo-base of those Amazonas state, Mr Kurtulmu for , which sits s said Turkish were foreign, according killed on the banks Sergio Fontes, Capital Command drugd First operations in against Turkey’s authoritie told a news Syria but that of the Bosphoto gang, Brazil’s conference that they to identifys were still working media, among them citizens local rus, is one of death toll could the local most powerful, and a would not be affected.

Istanbul’s most Israel, Russia, from the attacker.

More details France, Tunisia, fashionable venues get a clearer rise as authorities knownManaus criminal group “Informat of Lebanon, the ion about popular nightclub idea of the scale attack have as the North ďŹ ngerprints the rebellion the and SaudiIndia, Belgium, Jordan with foreigner s and and basic sparked by a of Reuters news agency Family, gunman been emerging. The ance often frequented Arabia. arrived by taxi between rival fight by singers of the terrorist appearreported.

Bollywood Sunday’s riot drug gangs. sports stars. before found,� and have been The riot began he said. producer Abis director and in years. A 1992was the deadliest Some rebellion and was broughtlate on Sunday Carandiru of those who Rizvi was one to have guests are reported under control prison in Sao at the died, Indian thrown by around Paulo 7am on Monday, state saw 111 inmates into the water themselves Fontes said. to escape. killed, nearly Authorities were they all of them by police as still counting retook the jail. determine if the prisoners to Brazil’s overcrowd any had escaped, he added. routinely witness ed prisons Manaus’ Em out, with similarriots break per reported Tempo newspa- reported incidents that several of in October. dead had their the not immediat It’s decapitated ely clear what bodies sparked thrown over the the latest unrest.

The violence prison wall.

Brazil has the began after fourth largest group of inmates a exchanged prison population behind gunfire with the police and held US, China and Russia.

12 prison guards Horrific the largest prison hostage in inter-gang conditions and in Manaus, violence an industrial in many facilities, are seen city of the Amazon on the banks which some of network, Globo River, local TV drug are essentially run by gang leaders TV, reported. who continue Fontes said that 74 prisoners to run their criminal enterprises were taken hostage during the on the outside despite being locked up.

Dozens Killed In Prison Riot in Brazil City of Manaus

Equatorial Guin ea’s VP Obian g on Trial in Franc e

BUHARI KEEPS CAMPAIGN PROMISE, BEGINS PAYMENT OF N5,000 TO THE POOR NIBSS, beneficiaries in Borno, Kwara and Bauchi States had started receiving the money.

He gave the names of other states in the first batch to benefit from the CCT payments as Cross River, Niger, Kogi, Oyo, Ogun and Ekiti States.

Akande said the nine pilot states were chosen because they had an existing social register that successfully identified the most vulnerable and poorest Nigerians through a tried and

tested community based targeting (CBT) method working with the World Bank.

He, however, said other states had started developing their social registers and would be included in subsequent phases of the scheme.

According to him, beneficiaries of the CCT scheme would be mined from the social register initially developed by the eight states through direct engagement with the World Bank.

Those states were featured in the first batch, with the added inclusion of Borno State where a validated list of internally displaced persons was compiled in addition to the social register which is expected to go round the country.

He also said that government would start mobilisation for the creation of the register in more states soon so as to expand the scope and reach of the CCT across the country.

SPORTS Transfer: Mikel Snubs China for Valencia Super Eagles Captain, John Mikel Obi, is believed to have agreed a four year deal with La Liga side,Valencia.

Mikel who held talks withValencia’s Sporting Director, Jesus Garcia Pitarch, on Christmas day in London, with the prospect of switching to the Spanish club, snubbed big spending Chinese side Shanghai SIPG...

Page 44

TUESDAYSPO

Transfer: Mik RTS el Snubs Chin a for Valencia T H I S D AY

Ëž TUESDAY

JANUARY 3, 2017

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ik hazuagbe@th isdaylive.com

Duro Ikhazuag agency report be with fortunes around.

With just Super Eagles three wins their Mikel Obi, is Captain, John Che 15 league games, in believed to Los agreed a four have and are 17th in La Liga level on 12 La Liga side, year deal with Sporting points with Gijon, Mikel who Valencia. held talks with the relegation who are in Valencia’s Sporting zone.

Cesare Prandelli Director, Jesus Garcia Pitarch, on Spanish team last quit the Christmas after less than Friday day in London, with the prospect three months in charge. to the Spanish of switching The former big spending club, snubbed stepped Italy coach down following Shanghai SIPG,Chinese side disagreem a French side Olympique owners overent with the club Serie A duo Marseille and transfers matters.

Mikel of AC has and Milan to land made over Inter appearan 240 ces After 11 the deal. since joining for Chelsea seasons Stamford Bridge, Mikel at the summer the club in joining Valencia of 2006 is on a free Norwegian side Lyn. from transfer after Valencia host to let the Chelsea decided today’s Celta Vigo in for no fee,midfielder leave of-16 Copa del Rey roundsix months despite having club first leg with the former left on his current player deal. stepping in Voro Gonzalez as interim coach Valencia for the second announce is expected to season the deal as and fifth time this as they are soon When the newsoverall. able to trash out the modalitie of Mikel’s s of Mikel transfer first leaked, transfer with confidant is due some Chelsea. He captain of the Super Eaglesa which both compensation likely insisted that Mikel is agree on whichteams have to offer to settle for the biggest party will pay. he can attract Mikel, 29, because he for Chelsea has not featured to no longer has anything this season prove in the returning from after Two seasons game.

Olympic Games the Rio 2016 demande ago, Mikel Dream Team where he led million d a salary of six dollars only bronze VI to Nigeria’s if he were to tax-free a year medal at Games. quit Stamford the Bridge.

Pitarch confirme “He is not Spanish media, d to club looking for a “In the case Superdeporte: again,to win more trophies of he Obi is looking with Chelsea’s Mikel, for a permission, club, who will I met with the right money. give him on Christmahim in London more s day. reason the That is the “I informed agents are him of the now carefully studying option (of offers tabled the He said he joining Valencia). interested by all the clubs would think it.� about revealed in his services,� Mikel (left) on duty the close confidant Valencia is for Nigeria against looking to of Mikel. reinforce Tanzania late last year. He month in atheir squad this he“He has achieved all Although is Valencia bound what bid to turn can in football, in the winter the Chinese the offer from yet their the transfer window money now.�so he needs tempting, clubs appears time for the Jos-born sources from footballer legendary camp hinted Mikel ‘pension’ to go to Asia that it was for the most Nwankwo Kanu as yet. not decorated Europa League Mikel has outdone the star after he won Nigeria two Premier as well as both the UEFA Champion League s League and four FA Cup and two titles, League Cup winners’ medals.

RMD, Mim to Host Gloi Fawaz Eagles Coach to Work as Pun CAF Awards dit at AFCON 2017

Super Eagles Gernot Rohr coach will work kick off on Sports journalist as a pundit for a French in Gabon, butJanuary 14 , premium show host television He has Rohr will State, between channel during still be on vacation Sports 360 and presenter of Burkina bossed Niger, Cup 2009 and 2015. the AFCON Faso and Super Eagles as the Mofe-Damijo rivals Mimi Fawaz on Vox Africa, born “Rohr will in Gabon. who was failed to also in charge when was Algeria. Cameroon and qualify for and Nollywoo in legend, Richard hosts Gabon the cod attendedWarri, Delta State, for a Frenchbe a pundit for Nigeria leads Mofe-Damijo reached the a second tournament quarterf televisio n Midwest (RMD) have the 2018 Warri and Anglican College, network at the inals of AFCON World Cup been confirmed Rohr has straight time. 2012. as the official AFCON qualifyi ng Grammar in Gabon,� a School and Group B section working in a track record comperes the 2016 Glo-CAF was a member told AfricanF top source past The Franco-G Africa for of the Drama with six of the who ootball.c om eight Awards.

Club. He enrolled erman, points from two matches.

A graduate African has been holidayi into first handlyears after he in They resum the Universit of Cit footb ll’ Univ i sh d th M f

9

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TUESDAY JANUARY 3, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

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

Sultan Condemns Southern Kaduna Killings IG faults CAN over killings Police to parade suspected kidnappers of ex-foreign affairs minister

Dele Ogbodo in Abuja The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), under the leadership of its President-General and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, yesterday condemned the killings in Southern Kaduna.

The NSCIA Director of Administration, Ustaz Christian Isa Okonkwo, in a statement quoted the Sultan as describing the killings currently going on in Southern Kaduna as unjust, heinous and dastardly acts of destructions of lives and property.

The NSCIA was particularly grieved that at the last count, no fewer than 808 lives of innocent Nigerian lives have been lost while nothing less than 57 Nigerians have suffered life-threatening injuries.

The NSCIA denounced these events in its entirety particularly because they ran contrary to fundamental Islamic law which ordains human life to be sacred and strongly forbids its unlawful destruction except for a just course.

Quoting from the Holy Quran, the Sultan said: “If anyone slew

a person –unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief on the land- his punishment would be as if he slew humanity as a whole and if anyone saved a life, his reward would be as if he saved the lives of humanity as a whole.”

The NSCIA called on the federal and Kaduna State governments to, as a matter of urgency, step into the situation and put a stop to what it as inhuman and barbarous state of anomie.

“The NSCIA would like the federal and Kaduna State governments to go a step further by proffering lasting solutions to these recurrent acts of hate and savagery in Southern Kaduna.

“We also wish to call on the federal government to objectively investigate the matter and prosecute whoever that is found guilty irrespective of the person’s tribe, creed and/or social status.

“We urge all Nigerians to continue to promote justice, preach, teach and live in peace with one another.

“We enjoin all Nigerians not to allow themselves to be used by forces of evil some of

which may hide behind tribal, political or even religious garbs to perpetrate these heinous acts,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police (IG), Ibrahim Idris, has faulted claims by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kaduna State chapter, for the alleged killings of over 800 people of Southern Kaduna extraction by unidentified bandits last week.

At a press conference in Kafanchan last Thursday, the Vicar General of the Catholic Archdiocese of Kafanchan, Ibrahim Yakubu, said bandits had attacked four local government areas in Southern Kaduna, killing over 808 people.

Speaking at a dinner organised for top brass of Police hierarchy, yesterday night, Idris, commended them, including the Economic and Financial Crimes

Commission (EFCC) Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, for their support since he assumed office last year.

According to him, an onspot assessment of the crisis by him across the Southern Kaduna settlements proved contrary to the allegation that over 800 people were killed in the attacks by bandits.

The IG said: “I went to Kafanchan yesterday by road and visited all the villages; it was marvelous what I saw. Policemen were alert and on the ground in all the villages visited. I went to Kafanchan, Jere, Gwoma and Kwoi repectively, I saw people in festive mood enjoying themselves.”

While faulting CAN’s claim for the alleged killings of over 800, he said: “We have people

coming to the media to say that there are 800 corpses in these places.

“This is sickening because when people from outside the country hear this kind of thing, they would think that something is wrong with this country.

“There is need for our leaders to love this country more than they love themselves. It is sickening for somebody to go on the news and say that he saw 800 corpses.

“Even in Rwanda, where there was genocide, I don’t think anybody can quote that kind of figures. It is very sickening. Here you have somebody who says he is a religious leader saying all these.”

The police boss berated political and religious leaders for lacking patriotism, stressing that some of them are yet to imbibe the principles of true

leadership principles.

He said: “Whether you are a religious, political or community leader, you should have some principle and that is what is lacking here; we should have love for Nigeria as a country.

This is one thing (patriotism) that an average American doesn’t lack.”

Commending the antikidnapping squad for living up to expectation, he said police had arrested five suspected kidnappers of the former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Bagudu Hirse, who was kidnapped in November last year in Kaduna.

He said the five suspects would soon be paraded at the force headquarters after all necessary investigations into their activities had been concluded.

Killing of Another Nigerian in South Africa, Unacceptable, Says Dabiri-Erewa The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has described the latest extra judicial killing of a Nigerian in South Africa as “worrying and condemnable.”

A statement by her media aide, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, in Abuja, said the latest gruesome killing of Tochukwu Nnadi

by Police in South Africa is unacceptable to the people and government of Nigeria.

While reiterating President Muhammadu Buhari’s calls to Nigerians to avoid crimes like drug peddling which attracts stiff penalties, sometimes death, she however noted that the killing of Nnadi has brought the number to 20 Nigerians killed in South Africa through extrajudicial means in 2016 alone.

“The barbaric behaviour of the perpetrators is not only unacceptable, but also calls for urgent attention by diplomatic authorities in Nigeria and South Africa,” she said.

Dabiri-Erewa urged the South African government to ensure that justice prevails by carrying out investigation and bringing the culprit to book.

She reiterated her calls to Nigerians living abroad to always respect the laws of their host countries and be good ambassadors of Nigeria.

“While appealing to Nigerians to avoid crimes, the killing of Nigerians is condemnable and unacceptable,” she added.

A Nigerian based in South Africa, Tochukwu Nnadi, was allegedly choked to death by Police in South Africa on December 29 after he was arrested for allegedly selling

drugs.

According to eyewitnesses, the man, popularly known as King Kingsley, was not struggling after he was arrested and handcuffed, but one of the officers held onto his neck and squeezed it tightly until blood started gushing out.

“My heart goes out to the families of the deceased and pray God to grant the departed soul eternal rest,” the SSA prayed.

The Nigeria Union in Pretoria has confirmed the latest killing.

The Secretary of the union, Mr. Adetola Olubajo, told journalists in Pretoria that “Nigeria Union is calling on the Nigerian Mission to demand results of investigations of all murder cases involving Nigerian victims from the South African authority.’’

Olubajo said the union was not happy that all murder cases involving Nigerians in South Africa were never resolved.

In the year 2016 alone, it has brought to 20, the number of Nigerians killed in South Africa under such cruel circumstances.

Among such victims were Ikejiaku Chinedu, Monday Okorie, Gideon Ogalaonye, Nnamdi Michael, Adeniyi Olumoko, Christian Onwukaike and Tochukwu Nnadi.

Nigerians are perennial victims of the xenophobia in South Africa, with Nigerians losing more than 4.6 million Rand or N90 million during the last attacks.

About 150 South African business organisations are currently operating in Nigeria, despite the former’s allegedly restrictive policies, which have made it difficult for Nigerians to invest in the country.

THANKSGIVING SERVICE

L-R: Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio; his wife, Unoma; and Akwa Ibom State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Obong Paul Ekpo, at the first Akwa Ibom Solemn Assembly held at Ibom Hall, Uyo… yesterday

NLC to Partner FG to Halt Outsourcing of Jobs The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said it will collaborate with the federal government to stop out-sourcing of jobs in the telecoms sector, among others.

Its President, Mr. Ayuba Wabba, said this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Abuja.

“In this new year, we shall work with the relevant arms and agencies of government to checkmate and halt the practices of multinational corporations especially in the telecommunications, and oil and gas sectors that are adding to the economic crisis in the country by their new habit of outscouring jobs Nigerians can do to new destinations in Asia, especially Dubai and India,’’ he said.

He said there were reports that Ericsson Nigeria, a local subsidiary of the global

telecommunications solution provider, had disengaged all Nigerian staff in its network operating centres and transferred its operation to India.

Wabba noted that Ericsson Nigeria had in the last few years managed the MTN Network from among its Nigerian staff.

“Now, in the name of offshoring, Indian workers are being brought to understudy their Nigerian counterparts, and thereafter these jobs monitoring MTN and other telecommunicationd networks are then transferred to India.

“These have huge implications for our national security, in addition to the fact that jobs that Nigerians are competent in are being moved out of the country.

“As the unfolding cyber controversy between the United States and Russia is

unfolding, with the network operating centres moved out of the country. “we can be easily shut out from the rest of the world without we being able to do anything about it,’’ Wabba said.

However, the labour leader said the experience over Boko Haram and the SIM registration controversy with MTN clearly illustrates the inherent danger to Nigerian’s national security interest of the move by these multinationals.

He said HUAWEI, a telecommunications giant, was responsible for managing about 75 per cent of network operating centres such as Etisalat, Airtel, part of GLO and part of MTN network operating centres in Nigeria.

“They have also commenced the knowledge transfer from Nigerian engineers to their Indian counterparts preparatory to also moving their operations to

India.

“We will work with the relevant committees of the National Assembly, ministries and agencies to protect our national interest.

“We will be leading national campaigns against these practices in the telecoms and oil and gas sectors in this new year,’’ he assured.

Wabba said the affected multinationals must be made to understand that they would not be allowed uninhibited access to making millions of dollars off Nigeria as a nation without contributing to creating jobs.

He said there must be costs to every multinational decision to take the livelihood of Nigerian workers to other countries.

“We need the understanding, support and cooperation of government and its agencies in this fight to keep these jobs in the country,’’ NLC said.

TUESDAY JANUARY 3, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY

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NEWS

My Administration under Threat, Says Gov Emmanuel Okon Bassey in Uyo Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, has said his administration is under threat,

accusing the All Progressives Congress (APC) of trying to bring down his administration in the state.

At the Solemn Assembly to mark the new year the governor

Saraki Launches Made-in-Nigeria Products’ Contest Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, yesterday in Abuja launched a contest to promote Made-inNigeria products.

The contest which will run for the next three months is aimed at showcasing the process and raw materials used in producing such locally made goods.

A statement by Bamikole Omishore, Senior Assistant to Saraki on New Media, said the contest would identify good products that could be matched with investors and relevant government agencies.

Saraki said such agencies or investors would drive the products until they can compete favourably with any similar foreign product.

“Today, as promised, we kick-start the soft launch of the #MadeInNigeria Challenge. This campaign is organised to showcase everyday products that are used

by Nigerians and produced by Nigerians locally that serve as alternative to imported products.

“The next few weeks, we hope to identify products and ideas that can be matched with investors and government agencies. To wrap up the challenge, in March, we will be inviting some of the finalists to a Made-in-Nigeria Roundtable at the Senate.

“This roundtable will allow us - legislators, government agencies,

business owners, and everyday Nigerian consumers-to review and update the report of the National Assembly Business Environment Roundtable (NASSBER), which was held in 2016 to improve the ease of doing business in the country,” he said.

Saraki added that the roundtable would also be used to get feedback on the amendment to the Public Procurement Act passed by the Senate in 2016.

The amended Act mandates government agencies to give preference to local manufacturers in the procurement of goods and services.

The statement added that from feedback received from Nigerians, people want to see improved ease of doing business, access to funding, effective oversight on agencies to make sure they are actually giving preference to made in Nigeria and most importantly to make sure clear guidelines that are accessible online are set by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Nigerian Export Promotion Council among others.

He wished all the participants good luck and called on Nigerians to use the #MadeInNigeria in their submitted videos for the competition.

alleged that the federal government appointees largely from the APC in the state have been creating unnecessary tension in the state through unguarded utterances.

Present at the church service was the immediate past governor of the state and the Senate Minority Leader, Mr. Godswill Akpabio; Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr. Onofiok Luke; state exco members, National President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Dr Supo Ayokunle; the former President of CAN and Prelate Emeritus of Methodist Nigeria, Sunday Mbang, among other clergymen.

Accordingly, the governor warned that he would not take

it kindly the threat to rubbish his administration if such actions continue with misleading information on the activities of state government.

Emmanuel, a church deacon, worried by the position of the opposition groups in the state, urged the youths to rise against anyone who sings discordant tune to threaten the unity of the state.

“Let me warn every Akwa Ibom person; do not take our Christianity and humility for granted. In 2017, any Akwa Ibom son or daughter that has been given appointment anywhere, we thank God for your appointments. If you use your appointment to come into the state to cause disunity, I can

assure you that I have the full assurances of the youths not to let you go.

“Let the people know all over the world that for Jesus Christ to come in the form of man to be a leader was to learn humility. Humility is one of the qualities of a good leader. You cannot serve people if you are not humble. As a good leader, humility is required. You must subject yourself to what God wants to do,” he said.

In justifying his position, the governor said: “Do unto others what you wish others to do unto you,” adding that those who go about spreading falsehood in a bid to slow the progress of the state would not enjoy the mercies of God.

Several clergies were mobilised to the service with Pastor S A Isaiah, who preached at the service, titled: ‘I will Show Mercy’ drawn from Romans 9:15, saying that God could only show mercy to the people who are ready to receive His mercy. He urged the people to live in peace and unity in order for the state to enjoy the bountifulness that “God has in store the state.”

Bishop Emma Isong, who led one of the prayer sessions at the event, urged the people to shelve their grievance and come together to build the state.

He also said though the people of the state are good, he regretted that they do not know how to recognise their leaders.

Ijaw Activist Charges Buhari on Development of N’Delta Sylvester Idowu in Warri An Ijaw activist and National Coordinator of the Centre For Peace and Environmental Justice (CEPEJ), Mr. Sheriff Mulade, yesterday tasked President Muhammad Buhari to devote more attention to the development of the oil-rich Niger Delta region in the new year rather than chasing perceived corrupt politicians and ex-militants from the area.

Mulade, who is also the Chairman of Kokodiagbene Community in Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, in his new year goodwill message, lamented what he described as the criminal neglect of the region over the years and implored President Buhari to focus on the massive development of the area in 2017.

The activist declared: “Let President Buhari focus on the overall development of the Niger Delta region in 2017 and minimise chasing ex militants and perceived corrupt politicians to sustain the relatives peace in the area.”

According to him, “We have observed with total dismay the endless chasing of perceived corrupt political enemies and ex-militants and it is my appeal to the president to focus on the development of the region to give hope and sense of belonging to the suffering people

of the region.

“The focus of the president should be on the rapid development of the oil rich Niger Delta region in this new year. The administration should limit the chasing of exmilitants and perceived corrupt politicians and come out with the master plan for the development of the region.

“Previous time has been spent chasing ex-militants and perceived corrupt politicians who are not in the good book of this present administration. Let us channel energy, time and resources from now on for the development of the region, rather than wasting time on those things that will bring more lamentations to the people.”

Mulade urged the president to address the lingering issues surrounding the smooth take off of the Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko in Gbaramatu Kingdom, saying everything should be done by the President for full take off of academic activities in the university.

“This university has the potential of opening up development of the Niger Delta region. The university is a laudable project, it’s take off will give the deprived people of the region a sense of belonging and participation and it is my appeal therefore to the President to show concern over its smooth take off,”he stated.

AGRICULTURE AS A MAINSTAY

L-R: Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (third left) and other officials of the state during the governor’s inspection of the fish ponds at the Agric-YES (Songai Model Farm), Avia-Igborosun in Badagry, Lagos.... weekend

Rerun Polls: Rivers’ People Deserve an Award from INEC, Says Wike Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has said the people of the state deserve an award from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for standing up in defence of democracy in last December 10 rerun elections in the state.

Wike, who spoke while addressing the 2017 state new year banquet at the Government House, Port Harcourt last Sunday night, said the state government would stand by the families of those who died while defending the integrity of the state.

“Nobody will intimidate or blackmail me. No one person can own Rivers State,” he said.

He also assured the people of the state that his administration would embark on extensive empowerment programmes in 2017.

The governor also stated that the state’s share of the Paris and London Clubs Deduction Refund would be applied to aggressive projects execution in 2017 since the state government has already settled salaries and pensions.

Wike said his administration would combine aggressive projects execution with the empowerment schemes.

He said: “This year will be a year of the empowerment of our people. While we are doing projects, we will be doing stomach infrastructure.

“Our stomach infrastructure this year will go round the people.

We will transform the state in all ramifications.”

The governor said: “We will increase the tempo of projects execution in January to the level that our people will be amazed.

“Work starts on January 3, 2017. We will release more funds for the execution of the Ogoni

Andoni-Opobo-Nkoro Unity Road.

Sakpenwa-Bori road, Buguma internal roads, and several road projects will be executed.

“Between this year and early 2018, we will deliver on all our road projects. Within this period, Rivers State will witness total transformation.”

While commending the leaders of Rivers State for their support and loyalty, he assured them that his administration would continue to invest in the maintenance of security.

He also said he would never support the intimidation of the judiciary under any circumstances, pointing out that if the judiciary fails, democracy will collapse.

The governor declared that the state would roll out the drums in 2017 to celebrate the state golden jubilee.

In his remarks, former Transport Minister, Dr. Abiye Sekibo, said Wike’s style of

governance must be applauded as it has brought development and stability to the state.

He said: “This government has brought an inclusiveness that has never been seen for a long time in the state.”

In a welcome address, Head of Service of the state, Rufus Godwins, said the leader of the state had revived the state’s economy when the entire country was in a recess.

Prominent persons who attended the banquet include former state military Governor, His Royal Majesty, King Alfred Diete Spiff; former state governor, Sir Celestine Omehia; former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Austin Opara; former Deputy Governor, Tele Ikuru; and former acting National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, as well as members of the national and state assemblies.

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TUESDAY JANUARY 3, 2017 T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY TUESDAY JANUARY 3, 2017

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COMMENT

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

WHY BUDGET 2017 IS FLAWED Odilim Enwegbara argues that the 2017 budget is actually smaller than 2016’s

F

irst, let me tell Mr. President right away that if he hopes to grow the economy out of recession in 2017, this budget is not the one to do it. This is because it is not expansionary, proinvestment, pro-growth, and pro-jobs enough to be expected to perform such a magic.

Let us agree that like most recessions, our present recession is not a product of sudden accident. That is why this conviction in sending the economy to the emergency ward does not arise.

Like every recessionary economy, this economy too urgently needs serious restructuring along with unconventional policies, designed to permanently put it on a healthy and sustainable growth path. This has not yet happened because President Muhammadu Buhari is yet to bring together those gifted pro-expansionary Nigerians to begin performing this inevitable economic diversification surgery.

That is why the 2017 budget, with all the good intentions, rather than being an expansionary budget, is a contracting budget because it is smaller than the 2016. This, we can see comparing the 2016 budget and the 2017’s. A look at the proposed 2017 budget’s N7.298tn seems higher than the 2016’s N6.077tn in size.

But, then, taking N305 per dollar and over 18% inflation average into consideration against 2016’s N197 per dollar and 16% inflation average, it becomes certain that 2017 budget is smaller. It becomes far less expansionary than the 2016 with N2.24tn capital budget; at N305 per dollar it is only $7.344bn against N1.8tn capital spending at 197 per dollar which is $9.137bn.

No doubting the good news that since 1999, this is the first time a large portion of government’s fiscal deficit is funded through external borrowing; unlike the usual high domestic borrowings, not minding the cutthroat rates government contended with. But what should have been the justifications for government borrowing domestically, that between 2013 and 2016 we borrowed N2.721tn against N900bn external borrowing? This is notwithstanding our low savings culture and the financial sector’s low liquidity.

The only reason why this has been going on is because of the fact that top fiscal and monetary policymakers along with those in charge of DMO, have been conniving with the local banks to use bloated domestic borrowing to defraud the country trillions of naira. This is confirmed by the N3.628tn spent on domestic debt service against N217bn on external debt service. What economic sense does it make that a country with $350bn infrastructure deficit is okay with 14% debt to GDP ratio (with external portion less than 2%), whereas its peer economies such as South Africa, with such low infrastructure deficits and world-class infrastructure have as high as 44% debt to GDP ratio and 39.30% external debt component?

No doubt, the 2017 budget’s N2.36tn deficit, having N1.067tn (46%) external borrowing is different from the past where external borrowing accounted for less than 5% (in some cases 0%),which is a welcome development. But, then, with close to 40% government revenues spent mostly on domestic debt service — and N1.66tn this year alone, what other solutions do we have than quantitative easing (QE), printing enough naira to buy back our domestic debts? Or is it not called domestic debt so that when overwhelmed in serving it, government prints the same local currency to settle it?

Why opposing QE, when as far back as 1864, President Abraham

AT ABOUT 2% AND 25 YEARS MATURITY, EXTERNAL DEBTS ARE NOT ONLY FAR CHEAPER AND CONCESSIONARY, THEY ARE EASY TO REFINANCE THAN DOMESTIC DEBTS

Lincoln instructed his treasury secretary Portland Chase to print $480 million (greenbacks) and use it to settle America’s huge civil war debt.

And from 2009 and 2013 Barack Obama instructed Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke to print $4tn and use it to buy back corporate debts; and EU recently used QE to inject trillions of euro into the economy, paying off the Greece’s and other poor members’ domestic debts.

The false use of inflation to fiercely oppose QE, coming from the same local debt holders (mostly banks) and their top government counterparts (mostly CBN, finance ministry and DMO) — the same beneficiaries of the trillions spent on domestic debt — is understandable. What they are never discussing is that the same inflation is mostly imported since we import over 95% of all our consumption. But are we increasing inflation by increasing the cost of borrowing? Or can we reduce inflation without first reducing the cost of doing business which starts with reducing our huge infrastructure deficits? And by paying off our huge domestic debts the trillions saved could then be channelled into infrastructure spending.

Also, with our low national debt, why is government not aggressively borrowing externally? Given how much creditworthy we’re externally, shouldn’t we comfortably borrow as high as 60% of our GDP externally? At about 2% and 25 years maturity, external debts are not only far cheaper, and concessionary, they are easy to refinance than domestic debts. Also not crowding out real sector firms from the domestic debt market makes most domestic liquidity cheaply available at low interest rates.

Another important flaw in the 2017 proposed budget is the fact that most government departments and agencies have been operating without board of directors. With this, it is most unlikely that the National Assembly will entertain their respective budgetary spending.

This is because the law clearly states that the budget estimates of all government departments and agencies should pass through their respective board of directors, who should approve them before they get to the National Assembly for final scrutiny and approval.

Given that the boards of most of these departments and agencies disbanded July 2015 by President Buhari are yet to be reconstituted, then, the question the respective committees of both the Senate and the House should be asking when they come to defend their respective budgets is: which board directors approved their budget estimates before they were submitted to the National Assembly? The follow-up question: which board of directors will make sure that the appropriated funds in the 2017 budget are properly spent?

The announcement that with effect from January 2017 the federal government will stop meeting its joint venture cash-calls obligations raises a red flag. That red flag is, wouldn’t this cessation amount to withdrawing from the joint venture partnership which in other words means handing our shares in these joint ventures to the IOCs? If this is not backdoor and fraudulent sell-off of our joint venture shares for peanuts, then, what is it?

Setting the record straight and ensuring that this doesn’t mean the much-feared backdoor privatisation of important national assets, the National Assembly should put a hold on this.

Enwegbara, a development economist and chairman at PADCC can be reached at basil_enwegbara@yahoo.com

JAMES IBORI: THE NEW AVATAR? The celebration of Ibori’s release from prison is nothing new, writes Tony Ademiluyi

I

n 1997, the Nigerian media space was enlarged with the entry of the Diet newspaper. It paraded some of the finest wordsmiths in the clime and it seemed rather promising. Alas barely a year later, the ‘ogbanje’ syndrome crept in and it found its way into abyss where the requiem was done for many other newspapers and magazines which had entered with a similar loud bang.

The paper though short-lived gave national prominence to its publisher, James Onanefe Ibori.

Some sources speculated that he made a fortune as a “security consultant.� The controversies around him made him have a massive populist appeal and against all odds upset the apple cart by defeating late Senator Felix Ibru in the Peoples Democratic Party primaries of 1999. The late Ibru was backed by the influential Guardian newspapers – arguably the most powerful at the time, a bootload of inexhaustible cash from his late elder brother, Michael Ibru and an extensive network.

The upstart, Ibori who had earlier lost his bid to go into the Federal House of Representatives in 1991 was not intimidated by all these and proved to be the man of the moment indeed.

He proved to be a good student of Niccolo Machiavelli when he mounted the saddle as the second civilian helmsman of the state fondly referred to as the Big Heart. He ensured massive development came to his native Oghara and sold himself as a champion of the South-South cause by spearheading the fight for resource control and a better deal in the derivation formula that was a mere 13 per cent.

He had a brush with former President Oluse-

gun Obasanjo as a result of his resource control and pro-federalism stance. The erstwhile two time ruler was eager to maintain the unitary status of the nation and was not in a hurry to concede to this then Young Turk. Ibori smartly read the political barometer and made Tony Anenih Jnr, the eldest son of Obasanjo’s Man Friday, Chief Tony Anenih the head of the Delta State Contract Verification Panel so as not to jeopardise his chances of losing the 2003 re-elections.

While his colleagues were running to the Senate and angling for ministerial appointments to remain politically relevant, he emerged from behind the scenes as one of the power brokers in the administration of the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. He was allegedly the brain behind Chief Michael Kaase Aondoaka’s appointment as Attorney-General. His former finance commissioner, David Edevbie found his way to the villa as Principal Secretary – a newly created office. He never forgot the age-long adage that charity begins at home and ensured his cousin, Emmanuel Uduaghan who served as his health commissioner and secretary to the state government succeeded him. He was indeed the ‘voice’ of the South-South.

His die-hard supporters opine that his troubles started because he was in the bad books of Goodluck Jonathan whom he allegedly snubbed when the latter was vice-president. A salient fact remains that he pleaded guilty to the charges before the London Southwark Crown Court which casts a huge slur on the integrity of our judiciary. The invasion of the homes of some judges by the Department for State Security is a

pointer to the can of worms in the bench at all levels.

The culture of celebrating corrupt politicians has its roots even before the lowering of the Union Jack. In 1955, the late Adegoke Adelabu a.k.a Penkelemesi was forced to resign as the Minister for Social Services and was summoned to answer to corruption charges by the Nicholson Commission of Enquiry. Shortly before the trial, the charismatic politician opened the doors of his Cadillac and ensured that the masses passed through it. He then asked them whether any of them had ever gotten close to the car of his archrival, Obafemi Awolowo whom he unsuccessfully tried to unseat as the Western region’s premier.

The ‘hypnotised’ supporters screamed outside the courtroom that it was better that Adelabu embezzled their funds as a fellow Ibadan man rather than for it to find its way to Ikenne. In 1957, the great Zik of Africa hurriedly called for a general election after being found guilty by the FosterSutton tribunal of a conflict of interest in handling the affairs of the then African Continental Bank.

Throwing the nationalism card, the gullible masses swallowed his argument of being persecuted hook, line and sinker and returned him back to office with a landslide. Bode George had a party organised for him by his horde of hangers on. It was no surprise that Ibori’s supporters flew to London to celebrate the release of their hero who had demystified being behind bars by still calling the shots from there as an infamous guest of her Majesty. Senator Peter Nwaboshi openly praised the sagacity of his master and revealed that he was responsible for Bukola Saraki, Yakubu Dogara

and many positions of some present public office holders. Dogara was quick to deny this and Saraki has kept mum. The Nigerian political terrain is indeed an interesting and comical one.

We wait with bated interest as to when he would come back home and some lawyers are already divided as to whether he should be re-tried when he eventually arrives. There is some subtle talk for him to be granted a presidential pardon as his fans insist his travails were politically motivated and their master can do now wrong. With the current war against corruption, their request could be worse than a starry-eyed lad asking for the moon.

One thing is clear that the failed state that the ‘Giant of Africa’ has tragically descended into makes the hapless populace seek solace in corrupt politicians who are a bit ‘generous’ and remember to throw some crumbs at them. The rejoicing in Oghara, Asaba, Patani and other parts of the oil-rich state is a clear tragedy of how an emotionally and psychologically battered people can hold up criminals as role models and scramble to sniff their farts. There was pin drop silence from the same oppressed people when it was revealed by the Delta State government that Ibori was paid a whopping 250 million in jail as part of his entitlements as governor.

The latest pet project still being whispered is the possibility of him succeeding Buhari. Anything can happen as the emergence of Trump is one such proof. Would Ibori toe the path of Mandela and Obasanjo who emerged from prison to the presidency?

Ademiluyi wrote from Lagos

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EDITORIAL THE CARNAGE IN SOUTHERN KADUNA Government must bring to justice the entrepreneurs of violence

T

he spectre of harrowing impunity returned to Southern Kaduna last week when suspected herdsmen invaded the area, killing dozens of people, injuring scores of others and laying waste many communities and farmlands. Before the latest madness, the same herdsmen had a few weeks ago attacked and killed several people in Gogogodo community in Jema’a Local Government, one of councils that also came under attack last week.

Against the background that these suspected herdsmen had also raided Kobin village, Sanga Local Government, earlier in August, mowing down about 20 people, the authorities should have anticipated the latest tragedy. What compounds the problem is that those who ordinarily should help in ďŹ nding peace on both sides are fuelling the ďŹ re that has now been externalised given the mix of ethnicity and religion.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has petitioned the United Nations Special Rapporteur, Ms. Agnes Callamard, on the bloody carnage.

According to SERAP, THE FAILURE OF the killings of GOVERNMENT TO citizens in Southern APPREHEND AND Kaduna “would not PROSECUTE PERPETRATORS have taken place if the OF THE HEINOUS CRIMES Nigerian authorities IN SOUTHERN KADUNA have taken measures AND ELSEWHERE SEEMS to prevent their hapTO ENCOURAGE THE pening and to address PROPENSITY FOR VIOLENCE persistent impunity AS A WAY OF REDRESSING of those responsible PERCEIVED GRIEVANCES for the violations and abuses�.

Many of the communities are accusing the authorities in Kaduna State of holding them to different standards. “It didn’t take the government time to ďŹ gure out what to do to tackle armed robbery and cattle rustling in the Birnin Gwari area,â€? said the Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan, Kaduna. “Within the shortest possible time, soldiers were deployed and many of the cattle rustlers and bandits were either killed or arrested and cows in their hundreds were rescued.

Letters to the Editor

If the government can deploy helicopters and soldiers to Birnin Gwari to help in tracking down the terrorists, why is the same government unwilling to deploy the same soldiers and helicopters to Southern Kaduna to help ush out the Fulani herdsmen terrorising indigenes of Southern Kaduna?�

Unfortunately, the violence, which has the imprimatur of savagery, shows no promise of abating as the combatants, the herdsmen and the indigenous people of Southern Kaduna, ďŹ nd no common ground for peace. Many tribunals of inquiries and peace committees instituted to trace the causes of the several crises and propose sustainable solutions have been unsuccessful in that task largely because government, past and present, lacked the political will to implement their recommendations.

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iven the human and material costs of these crises, the federal and state governments need to be more decisive in the handling of this crisis, which has become a virtual criminal enterprise.

It is scandalous that since the escalation of the crises ďŹ ve years ago, and in spite the rising body count, not a single person has been arrested, prosecuted and convicted for the several murders that have traces of a pogrom.

It is indeed instructive that after the Godogodo orgy of violence last year, Governor Nasir el-Rufai proposed an inquiry into the violent clashes in Southern Kaduna. But the reports and recommendations of the previous ones, including the 2014 General Martins Agwai-led inquiry and the one el-Rufai instituted on the outbreak of the violence on the eve of his inauguration on May 29, 2015, have not been attended to by the government.

The failure of government to apprehend and prosecute perpetrators of the heinous crimes in Southern Kaduna and elsewhere seems to encourage the propensity for violence as a way of redressing perceived grievances. It is therefore our recommendation that government must bring to justice all those who use unlawful means to settle scores even as it strives to remove the fundamental basis of the strife that had plagued the area for decades. But ďŹ rst, efforts must be made by all the stakeholders to restore peace in Southern Kaduna. For that to happen, we call on religious leaders to desist from inaming passion with their rhetoric.

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

BEFORE RESIDENT DOCTORS ARE PILLORIED

I

have listened to the Press claiming they are always on the side of the oppressed anytime doctors embark on strike.

They argue from the side of the members of the public who are the victims of government’s arrogance and neglect.

I wonder why the same members of the press have equally refused to be on the side of the doctors now that another national strike is looming. As usual, agreements had in the past been reached but our insensitive government has severally reneged on her promises.

In view of this, I have decided to reproduce part of the demands of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) as thus: Road map and timeline for the implementation of the National Health Act signed into law in 2014 z Timeline for the revamping of THI’s facilities and equipment zImmediate release and implementation of the White paper on residency programme without any ill-intended alteration of the recommendations of the committee, by Federal Ministry of Health zPayment of December 2015 salary to doctors in Federal Medical Centre, Owerri who were not on strike but locked out by FMOH. zRescind selective application of no- work- no- pay rule and work without pay punishment to only resident doctors and for equity, justice and fairness, pay affected centres before December 31, 2016 or close of fiscal year as government paid JOHESU currently on strike in FMC Owerri, NOH Enugu; lecturers who recently embarked on strike, nurses while on nationwide strike and centrebased strike in UDUTH, Sokoto, etc. The centres affected include, FMC Umuahia, ESUTH Enugu, UPTH Port Harcourt, UBTH Benin,

FNPH Uselu, FNPH Aro, FMC Owo, LAUTECH Osogbo, LUTH Idi araba, FMC Lokoja, FMC Bida, UITH Ilorin, JUTH Jos, ABUTH Zaria and FMC Birnin Kebbi. z Pay with immediate effect all outstanding salary arrears, percentages or shortfalls to centres especially FMC Yenogoa, UCH Ibadan, ABSUTH Aba, IMSUTH Owerri, NOH Enugu, LAUTECH Osogbo, LTH Ogbomoso and DELSUTH Oghara. z Release the circular on house officers/medical officers entry level as agreed since 2013 but yet to be released even when very recent agreements with others have been transmitted into circular by NSIWC which is still a major source of crisis in many centres. zImmediate release of the directive to PENCOMM, BOF and chief executives of THI’s to abide by Pension Reform Act 2004, deduct the pension of residents, both the counterpart funding by BOF and employees contribution by respective hospitals and remit same duly to our respective PFA’s z Appropriate placement of newly employed doctors/correction of the wrongful placement of previously employed doctors to maintain seniority and annual incremental step within the period JOHESU skipped in line with NICN judgment of 2013 on skipping that rendered CONHESS 10 equivalent of CONMESS 2 non-existent and the myriad of circulars and letters from government since 2013 that entitled doctors to skipping and lateral skipping. zStop forthwith all attempts to remove relativity between the salary of doctors and other health workers as well as stop all moves to revert/reverse skipping for doctors. z Immediate reinstatement of members sacked unduly without

recourse to the circular on the employment/tenure ship of resident doctors and the 2010 High Court judgment on tenure ship of resident doctors in favour of OOUTH Shagamu z Stop forthwith all victimisation of unions, union leaders and members in line with the high court judgment above, the labour law, circulars on relationship with unions and membership to unions in the interest of industrial harmony. zImmediate enrolment of residents into IPPIS with their appropriate skipped salary grade level. z Abridged-minimum end points, z a white paper on residency training programme, z implementation of NHA and z payment of full salary, z appropriate placement of house officers and residents, z pension deduction and remittance, z uniformity in the no application of the circular vis-a-vis no work no pay, z Reinstatement of sacked residents, z An end to victimisation of our colleagues and the unions and z immediate enrolment of residents into IPPIS with appropri ate skipping I urge the members of the Press to make these demands known to the members of the public and our insensitive government because very soon the resident doctors will embark on a nationwide strike.

Dr Paul John, Port Harcourt

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T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2017

POLITICS

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

EXECUTIVE BRIEFING

When Silence Isn’t Golden President Muhammadu Buhari’s silence over the spate of killings in the country, particularly in Southern Kaduna isn’t golden but a mark of his evident incompetence, writes Davidson Iriekpen

O

ne of the reasons a majority of Nigerians voted massively for President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 presidential election was to put an end to incessant killings in some parts of the country, which President Goodluck Jonathan and his other predecessors could not do. The impression was that as a former army general, he had political will and knowledge to curtail the excesses of ethnic and political killers, who are on the prowl across the country.

But today, the story is different. Almost on a daily basis media headlines are awash with one form of killing or other. Most times, an entire community is invaded and tens or hundreds killed. In just one and a half years in office, it is believed that more Nigerians have been killed under the current government than ever.

From Zamfara to Borno, Adamawa, Benue, Plateau, Enugu States and other parts of the country, Nigeria has become a killing field. Lives are no longer sacrosanct. People are daily being wasted without any word from the government. To know that most area, where the killings and banditries are perpetrated mainly Christian-dominated and opposition strongholds fuels suspicion in the some quarters. To further know that those behind the killings are Fulani herdsmen and without a strong word against it from the government gives room to suspect conspiracy.

Particularly pathetic is what the people of Southern Kaduna are currently going through. Last week, the leadership of the Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan released a stunning figure, saying that a total of 808 people were killed in 53 villages across the four local government areas in the state in the last one year. Giving a statistics on the killings and destruction in a statement in Kafanchan, the church leaders said 57 people were injured while farm produce estimated at N5.5 billion was also destroyed.

The statement disclosed further that a total of 1,422 houses and 16 churches were burnt during the attacks. The affected communities, they said spread across Kaura, Sanga, Jama’a and Kauru Local Government Areas, where there had been persistent attacks on communities by gunmen believed to be Fulani herdsmen.

According to the church leaders, “The herdsmen and their ilk turned the towns into killing fields and killed mostly women, children and the elderly, who couldn’t run for cover. The level of barbarity was such that pregnant women got their wombs blown out and massacred before their children. And these innocent children were not spared either.

“This level of viciousness was never witnessed even in the brutal tyranny and regime of Adolf Hitler. What is most intriguing is the level of sophistication of weapons like AK 47, machine guns and many other deadly instruments of death which were freely used.

“The viciousness of these self-styled Jihadists sends shivers into the spines of our traumatised people. In the Godogodo and Pasakori attacks for example, the military merely watched and supervised the burning of our homes. When the youths mobilised to repel the attackers, the soldiers deliberately blocked them from entering the town.”

To know that the president has not spoken since the news on the killings started making headlines is a surprise to many observers.

They wonder why the government is in place if not to protect lives and property. Moreso as the same Buhari is always quick to issue a statement when killings happened abroad, while thousands perish frequently under his nose without a word.

This is why some observers feel that President Buhari’s silence has fuelled the killings. For instance, recently, a former Minister of Education, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, likened Buhari to

Buhari and el-Rufai...the Fulani brothers

ex-president, Goodluck Jonathan, over his silent on Southern Kaduna. She criticised the president for being silent over security issues saying: “Centralised control of Security establishment in our federal system makes it imperative for a President and Commanderin-Chief to never be silent in such cases.”

Even the national leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has expressed sadness over the manner the federal and state governments are handling the Southern Kaduna killings. It described President Buhari’s silence on the matter as sad and unacceptable.

CAN National General Secretary, Rev. Musa Asake said the continuous killings have shown that the Kaduna State government “lacks the will power to arrest the situation and bring it under effective control. We know that southern Kaduna has been under 24-hour curfew daily as directed by the governor, yet the enemies of the people are still prowling going from house to house killing defenseless people without government protection.

“While we commend President Buhari for

While observers feel that President Buhari’s silence has fuelled the killings, Governor elRufai has been buffeted by searing criticism.

They feel that not only have his utterances and actions aggravated the situation but have wittingly or unwittingly transformed what was a low-level series of massacres into a fullblown genocide

waging war against Boko Haram fundamentalists since his assumption of office, his silence on the ongoing genocide in the last few weeks speaks volume of the perceived official endorsement of the dastardly and ungodly acts. The recent defence of the president’s silence that the president has received briefing from the governor of Kaduna State on the matter is unacceptable, because the presidency knows that the people of the affected area had already protested the governor’s unacceptable biased handling of the killings,” the body said.

But replying critics last week, the presidency said President Buhari had been mute because the state Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, was on top of the situation.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, spoke on a Channels Television’s programme, Sunrise Daily, saying it was needless for the president to speak on the bloodletting in the restive part of the North-western state since the governor assured that he was in full control of the violent crisis and had been briefing his boss regularly.

According to him, as the chief security officer of his state, it is the responsibility of the governor, who has pledged to bring perpetrators of the violence to book, to deal with the matter.

Adesina said local authorities must play a crucial role in stopping the violence, adding that states and local governments have a major role to play in tackling herdsmen crisis. He said the president was always in constant touch with governors whenever an attack occurred. He also said the position of the president was that there must be collaboration between the states and the grassroots leaders in local governments to stop such crises.

“You don’t have to hear from the president on that matter. When it pays us, we talk about federalism and true federalism; yet you want the president and presidency to talk about everything. When a thing like this happens in a state, there is a chief security officer and he is supposed to be on top of the matter.

“El-Rufai was at the villa recently to brief the president, so why should the president then be talking about it? In true federalism it is the governor that should be in charge and he is in charge of it. The federal government

has roles to play but not as much as the states and local governments,” he said.

But pundits have faulted the assertion, saying as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, he is in the best position to deal decisively with the rampaging Fulani herdsmen.

While observers feel that President Buhari’s silence has fuelled the killings, Governor elRufai has been buffeted by searing criticism.

They feel that not only have his utterances and actions aggravated the situation but have wittingly or unwittingly transformed what was a low-level series of massacres into a full-blown genocide. They are also of the opinion that the governor through his incendiary, inciting, and divisive outbursts has made several egregious errors in dealing with the crisis. Some of these errors are in approach, thinking, and mentality.

Also not left out of the criticism are the northern governors, who have hardly spoken on the incident unlike when in December 2015 that they quickly held an emergency meeting after the Shiite-army clash in the state. Analysts feel that the silence of the governors, who are mainly Muslims might not be unconnected with the fact that the people of Southern Kaduna constitute no threat to them.

They feel that rather than look for a solution to the crisis, el-Rufai’s utterances and actions before and now that he his governor has exacerbated the problem and emboldened the attackers. They also feel that apart from the occasional curfew usually imposed on some areas each time there was crisis, he has not done enough to protect the lives of people for political reasons. They wondered why he has not set up a judicial commission of inquiry to unravel the immediate and remote causes of the crises in the area.

They also accused the governor of tribalism, saying when cattle rustlers and bandits took over Birnin Gwari, it didn’t take time for him to figure out what to do to tackle the situation by deploying soldiers to flush out the criminals and restore normalcy to the area.

“It didn’t take the government of el-Rufai time to figure out what to do to tackle armed robbery and cattle rustling in the Birnin Gwari area. Within the shortest possible time, soldiers were deployed and many of the cattle rustlers

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T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2017

PERSPECTIVE

Between Fayemi and the Ondo Election Femi Odere addresses some of the misconceptions about the role of the Minister of Solid Minerals and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, in the recently held governorship election in Ondo State

“

Silence can never be quoted.”- A statement by the Minister of Solid Minerals and Steel Development Dr. John Kayode Fayemi during a private meeting at his office.

I decided to use this phrase by the Honourable Minister as an epigraph not only because it was what triggered my desire to write this piece in the first place, but I also felt almost immediately these 5-words were uttered that it offered a significant window through which Dr. John Kayode Fayemi can be better understood as a politician, who ironically, feels at home with the “sound of silence” than being voluble which is the trademark of politicians not only in Nigeria but the world over.

There’s also this feeling that it’s probably because of Fayemi’s knack for calmness in the face of unwarranted political onslaughts and propaganda that contributes to his being misunderstood. From this foregoing, I therefore thought it would be fitting to bring a statement uttered during a private conversation into the public domain with the hope that readers of this piece in particular and Nigerians in general may have a better understanding of the true essence of the man.

My meeting with Dr. Fayemi was not to pry anything out of him in order to find something to write about him, neither did it have anything to do with looking for information to launder about his present national assignment as a Minister of one of the key ministries of the Buhari administration that has been strategically positioned to drive national economic rebirth and growth since crude oil is inevitably on its way out.

The above statement was triggered by the question I had asked him after discussing the primary issue that brought me into his office, which was what he would do about what seems to me to be the new and insidious narrative that has begun to cast him in a bad light, a destructive narrative that started probably since he became the minister of the federal republic.

It’s a narrative that now unsavourily describes him in such terms as a “sell out” and ascribes to him such reprehensible name calling as a ‘mini Akintola’ (a reference and a throwback to Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola, the Premier of Western Region in the First Republic and Obafemi Awolowo’s trusted lieutenant, who preferred a political alliance with the North in defiance of the counsel of the late sage, his political leader) of the South-west.

While I agreed with him that silence may be the best answer under a given circumstance, I also quickly reminded the Honourable Minister that silence can also be misconstrued to mean acquiescence on the part of the accused or convey a feeling of I-do-not-care-whatanyone-thinks, both of which are capable of conveying the impression of guilt even when the accusations are nothing but blatant lies and negative insinuations that stand the truth on its head, however temporal.

One would have been unperturbed if this insidious and odious narrative that describes Fayemi in such pejorative terms as an ungrateful ingrate who revels in biting the fingers that fed him are issued from the camp of opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

But for this nihilistic narrative to be emanating from within members of his political family in the All Progressives Congress (APC) particularly in the South-west smacks of the most despicable low that some people would rather go in giving the dog a bad name in order to hang it to achieve their inordinate ambition for recognition and relevance within the same political party.

And that’s why this unfortunate situation must be interrogated and addressed by wellmeaning progressives in the South-west before it gets out of hand.

Perhaps, the efforts to cast aspersions on Fayemi’s person probably commenced almost immediately after his invitation by Buhari to serve in his government, an invitation now

Fayemi...no less an asset

believed not to have had the blessing of his political mentor, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu.

These efforts gathered more momentum in the governorship election of Ondo State in which Fayemi played a major role as a consummate strategist, who may have taken after Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu himself (his first boss under whom he was an apprentice and through whose source he undoubtedly came into political reckoning in the nation’s political landscape) that culminated into the electoral victory of Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) of All Progressives Congress (APC).

One can then reasonably infer that the drive to cast aspersions on Fayemi by his political traducers was probably predicated on two main arguments, one of which was an assumption as far as I am concerned while the other was an undisputable fact that couldn’t have happened any other way.

The first argument that probably necessitated the unfortunate name calling by those who would rather fan the embers of discord for whatever reason(s) is that Fayemi is one of the South-west leading lights in the Buhari administration, who are now derisively referred to as the “Abuja Boys” and are perceived for the most part to be at loggerheads not only with the “Lion of Bourdillon,” but are also hand-in-glove with the Northern hawks to whittle down his political influence in the South-west and across the nation.

As much as one can admit that this argument has gained enough traction most particularly in the South-west, where Asiwaju is still largely the region’s foremost and undisputed political leader, there’s no credible evidence to suggest that any serious ‘war’ is underway between the Jagaban and Fayemi and the “Abuja Boys.”

And as long there’s no official or public statements from either Fayemi or the “Abuja Boys” on the one hand, and Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu on the other that the centre is no longer holding, it’s pointless to dignify what is at best an assumption, and at worst, a mischief that serves no useful purpose for anyone with any commentary in this piece.

Fayemi was further pilloried for casting his strategic political skills behind Rotimi Akeredolu despite the controversial APC primaries that produced the senior lawyer as the party’s candidate, an outcome that infuriated the National Leader so much that he publicly called for the resignation of the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.

As if he did not see that filing behind his party after its primaries was bad enough,

Fayemi was picked, and accepted, by the national leadership of the party to coordinate the Ondo election, thus becoming the face of the party’s national secretariat with which Asiwaju had crossed sword.

As much as Fayemi’s key role in the recently concluded election in Ondo that culminated in the electoral victory for Akeredolu was a fact that cannot be disputed, it still borders on mischief that anyone would see anything wrong with Fayemi’s role in winning an election for a party in which he’s not only a major stakeholder, but also through which he became a minister of the Federal Republic.

It bears mentioning here that a rancorous seed of discord was inadvertently planted, ab initio, in the APC South-west family when some of the region’s key players, who are members of the inner caucus of Asiwaju’s political family supported other aspirants, who were different from whom the Jagaban himself had endorsed prior to the party’s primaries.

For instance, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the governor of the State of Osun supported Chief Olusola Oke all the way until the conclusion of the election on November 26th while Baba, Pa Bisi Akande covered Sen. Ajayi Boroffice’s back. It matters very little to these key leaders in the South-west that the National Leader had publicly endorsed Chief Olusegun Abraham.

From the foregoing, one cannot but wonder why Fayemi was being blamed for working for the electoral victory of his party’s candidate.

Aside the fact that the national leadership of APC, if not also the presidency saw Fayemi as fitting enough to superintend the Ondo State election assignment having had the proven record as a consummate political strategist, it’s the height of political naiveté for anyone to think that Fayemi should not be interested and not be actively involved as to who becomes the next governor in a state that shares kinship and common boundaries with his own state in which he was its immediate past governor.

Although the ignoble role that the Jonathan administration played in Fayemi’s defeat in his re-election bid is now known and well documented, the erstwhile governor (now a Minister) cannot and should not forget Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s perfidy in the Ekiti State election abracadabra.

I do not expect Fayemi to forget so soon how Mimiko, it was who invited Opeyemi Bamidele (who was vehemently opposed to his re-election bid) to the Alagbaka Government House from where he was taken to Aso Rock for a meeting with Jonathan just to make sure that he never realised his ambition to be

re-elected for a second term.

Nothing exemplifies the throwing away of the baby with the birth water than the egregiousness of the October 2014 on the part of Opeyemi Bamidele. Thus, Fayemi became beleaguered on all fronts for no reason other than his audacity to ask for a second term even when his political enemies admitted that his first term had recorded remarkable achievements.

The APC primary that produced Akeredolu may not have been perfect, but any committed member in the hierarchy of the party couldn’t have done anything otherwise than to support the party’s candidate once the party took an official stance as to who its standard bearer should be.

More importantly, anyone with the acute understanding of what a political party should be and its role in properly navigating the polity in a representative democracy cannot help but act in the way Fayemi acted by supporting his party in its quest for electoral victory during elections.

The Nigerian nation would move forward only when major actors subsume their egos and their narrow primordial interests for party supremacy. But the party must also not only play by the rules, it must be seen to play by the rules of the game. Fayemi should be thanked for setting a good example and maintaining fidelity to his party, not to talk of his strategic role that helped in bringing Ondo State into the progressive column rather than being excoriated.

Perhaps, what the people who coined the “Abuja Boys” moniker for a segment of our leading lights from the South-west in the Buhari administration in which Kayode Fayemi and Babatunde Fashola seem to have been squarely placed with unjustifiable disdain is their failure, if not their inability to recognise the emergence of a New Left in the region’s dominant progressive ideological spectrum.

These “Abuja Boys” have established such noble and envious pedigrees in political leadership such that their collective trademark is that they’re relatively young, urbane, intellectual taskmasters, whose overarching purpose in governance is probably their disdain for how things have been, and still are, and it would therefore be to their eternal collective delight if they can subvert the archaic but dominant political paradigms for the greatest number of Nigerians.

Rather than being vilified, what should be our main concern in the South-west is whether Fayemi and the rest of the so-called “Abuja Boys” would be able to find their match across the Niger to move the Nigerian nation towards the path of sustainable liberal democracy, as we’re beginning to find out to our chagrin that those of their contemporaries whom we thought are in the same intellectual and ideological pedestals with them from the arid regions have started to buckle under the weight of religion-propelled conservative politics of their own environment that has chained them down for so long, and by extension, the entire Nigerian society.

The “Abuja Boys” as exemplified by Fayemi and Fashola are our assets. They should be seen as adding feathers to our region’s political hat. Their standing in the nation’s body politic should be encouraged, nurtured and emulated by up and coming leaders in their primary political constituent. It’s high time this “destructive pettiness” is promptly discarded.

A process for genuine reconciliations must be set up by our progressive Yoruba elders if there’re sufficient and reasonable reasons to suggest that a schism truly exists between our region’s political pathfinder and some of his lieutenants for the greater good of the Yoruba nation within the context of that time-tested Together Everybody Achieves More (T.E.A.M) spirit.

-Odere is a media practitioner and a member of All Progressives Congress (APC).

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY

FEATURES

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

Anambra: Celebrating Its Own Recently, Anambra capped its six-month long celebration of the creation of the state with honours for about 300 indigenes and non indigenes of the state who have impacted it. David-Chyddy Eleke reports that the awards ceremony was unforgettable in every aspect

L-R: Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, Dr. Victor Ike Oye, Amb. Bianca Odimegwu Ojukwu, Obiano , Ekwueme, Justice Peter Umeadi, Dr. Nkem Okeke, Igwe Nnemeka Achebe, Dame, Virgy Etiaba, cutting the special Anambra 25th Anniversary cake at dinner held at the Governor’s Lodge Amawbia

A

nambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano on August 24th, 2016 held a world press conference to mark the commencement of the 25th anniversary of the creation of Anambra State. The anniversary celebration he had said would span about six months, to be spiced with various activities including lectures, carnival, trade fair, awards presentation and so many others.

The awards presentation which was part of the last among the six-month-long event was held recently, but it turned out to be bigger than what was expected. It was an occasion that must have been painstakingly organised. Starting from the array of cars in the very expansive compound beside the governor’s lodge which served as car park, to the make of the cars, one can tell that it was a convergence of men of means even without setting feet inside the equally expansive tent which served as venue of the occasion.

It was simply an event packaged to honour those who have made Anambra’s story a success since its 25 years of existence. Everyone who had contributed anything to the growth of the state in whatever way seemed to have been remembered by the organisers in one category or another. Most were dead already, while so many others were not from the state, but for their contribution, the governor insisted that they were worth being honoured.

In all, over 300 of such people carted home

awards, making it almost the highest number

Governor Obiano who displayed exceptional strength by personally presenting the awards to all the recipients radiated in smiles after the presentations. He conveyed his thanks and happiness over the attendance and also restated his drive to make Anambra a business destination for anyone willing to invest in business around the country

of awards to be given out in one single event.

Stepping into the tent, one can feel that the state left no stone unturned in ensuring that a memorable event was held. The split unit air conditioners oozing white smoke first send a chill down one’s body on stepping into the tent from the blazing sun outside.

The seat arrangements and the lightings in the hall were exquisite, but the candles, six in number that burnt on every table made even all the difference as guests trooped in and took their seats, depending on where they were designated to sit.

The entry of the governor, Obiano, signaled the full commencement of the event as shouts of Akpokuo Dike Aguleri; his traditional title rented the air. When he mounted the stage to address the people, his first statement was to express happiness about being the first jubilee governor of the state in the history of its creation. “I am happy to the jubilee governor of the state, words cannot express my happiness.” He added that Anambra people are hardworking, industrious and enterprising, and have remained so in any part of the world that they found themselves, and that the day was a day to reward all for what they stood for.

The awards were presented in 10 different categories including; Pillars of Our Heritage Awards, Light Bearers Awards, Lifetime Achievement Awards, Philanthropists Extraordinaire and Business Titans Awards, Ambassadors of Excellence Awards and Outstanding Public Service Awards. Other categories are; Lifetime Achievement Awards

for Pillars of Inter-denomination Harmony, Icons of Education Awards, Icons of Tradition and Service to Humanity Awards and Evergreen Posthumous Awards.

Under the Pillar of Our Heritage Awards, Anambra government honoured Sir Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu, father of former Biafran leader, Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, who was recognised for his acumen in business and known to be the man who lent his exotic Rolls Royce car to Nigerian government to convey the Queen of England when she visited Nigeria during the colonial era. His son, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu who led the secessionist struggle for Biafra in the 1960s was also honoured in the same category. Others were; Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, renowned novelist, Prof. Chinua Achebe, Olaudah Equiano, said to be the first slave to buy back his freedom from his slave masters and later fought against slavery and Francis Cardinal Arinze, reputed as the first black man that came near to being the Pope.

In the Light Bearers Awards, Dr Alex Ekwueme; former vice president of Nigeria, Chief Emeka Anyaoku; former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, former Eenate presidents; Chuba Okadigbo and Nwafor Orizu, Louis Mbanefo, Arch Bishop Jude Okolo; Papal Nuncio to Dominican Republic, Arch Bishop Valerian Okeke and Arch Bishop Christian Efobi, both Catholic and Anglican Arch Bishops respectively. Obiano explained that both categories already mentioned would have streets named against their names in

19

Ëž T H I S D AY TUESDAYËœ ÍąËœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ

FEATURES

Former Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme (left) and Governor Obiano, at the event

Former APGA national chairman, Chief Victor Umeh, displaying his award

Former Anambra State deputy governor, Emeka Chinedu (right) receving his award from Governor Obiano

Obiano and Amb. Bianca Odimegwu Ojukwu, at the Silver Jubilee dinner held at the Governor’s Lodge Amawbia

major towns in the state.

In the third category, the Lifetime Achievement Awards, General Ibrahim Babangida was honoured for being the Head of State that created the state. Alongside the military general are past governors of the state, both military and civilian. The likes of Col. Joseph Abulu, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Col. Michael Attah, Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju, Dr. Chris Ngige, Mr. Peter Obi and Dame Virgy Etiaba, were all honoured in the category.

In other categories, traditional rulers who have served over 30 years on the throne were also honoured, while business men and philanthropists who Anambra have in their numbers were also called out for honour. In this category, the likes of Prince

Obiano (middle) and dignitaries during the Anambra anniversary awards ceremony

The Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe had in the anniversary lecture titled; Aku Ruo Uno, which means letting one's wealth come home, reminded the people of the state on the need to invest at home to grow the state economy

Engr. Arthur Eze; Chairman of Oranto Oil, Sao Tome and Principe and defunct Triax Group was honoured, alongside Dr. Innocent Chukwuma of Innoson Motors, Dr. Ifeanyi Uba of Capital Oil and Gas, Dr. Cosmas Maduka of Coscharis Motors, Chief Ernest Azudialu Obiechesi of Obijackson Foundation among numerous others were also honoured under the category; Philanthropist Extraordinaire and Business Titans Awards Members of the National Assembly, both past and serving were also honoured under the Outstanding Public Service Awards, while religious leaders from various denominations were honoured under the Pillar of Inter-denomination Harmony Awards.

Obiano who displayed exceptional strength by personally presenting the awards to all the recipients radiated in smiles after the

presentations. He conveyed his thanks and happiness over the attendance and also restated his drive to make Anambra a business destination for anyone willing to invest in business around the country. He added that the honour to all was though for their contribution to the state but added that it should signpost the beginning of what the state demands from them.

For business men, Obiano reminded them of the need to ‘bring back your Dollars and Naira and invest in our state.’ He assured that he and his team have created an enabling environment for business to thrive in the state, and that it was left for them to invest at home. The Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe had in the anniversary lecture titled; Aku Ruo Uno, which means letting one's wealth come home, reminded

the people of the state on the need to invest at home to grow the state economy.

Most of the awardees who spoke to THISDAY expressed happiness over the awards, and also lauded the governor for the initiative which they said kept nothing back in ensuring that all that were worthy to be celebrated were not left out. Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Pauliinus Ezeokafor said the ceremony met every expected standard both in planning and those who were honoured. He however added that through human error, some people may have been omitted unintentionally, but the overall planning was perfect. He urged those who were not lucky to bag awards in the celebration to wait for a better time as better awards may be awaiting them in the future.

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IMAGES

L-R: Permanent Secretary,Lagos-State Ministry of Health,Dr.Omodele Osunkiyesi,Wife of Lagos-State Governor,Mrs Bolanle Ambode,Chairman, House Committee on Health,Mr Olusegun Olulade;Lagos-State Commissioner for Health, ,Dr. Jide Idris;Mother of the Baby,Mrs Grace Samson and Her Husband,Mr Olayinka Samson during the goodwill visit to Badagry General Hospital by Mrs Ambode to welcome the 1st Baby of the Year 2017 in Lagos State....recently

The Bishop of Kaduna Anglican Diocese Rt.Rev’d Timothy Yahaya [rghtti] lleading the Choir procession to the 2017 new year service at the Cathedral of St.Michael,Kaduna...recently IDRIS EGAJI.

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Photo Editor ĂŒĂ“Ă™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă˜ ÔËÖË Email Ă‹ĂŒĂ“Ă™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă˜Ë›Ă‹Ă”Ă‹Ă–Ă‹ĚśĂžĂ’Ă“Ă?ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁĂ–Ă“Ă Ă?Ë›Ă?Ù×

R-L: Bishop of Evangelism, Methodist Church Nigeria (MCN), Rt. Rev. Edoka Amuta; Prelate, MCN, His Eminence, Dr. Samuel C, Kanu Uche; Secretary of Conference, Rt. Rev. Michael O. Akinwale and Bishop of Tinubu, Rt Rev. Oladapo O. Babalola, during the New year Church service at Methodist Church of the Trinity, Tinubu, Lagos on Sunday 01-01-2017.

KOLAWOLE ALLI

L-R: The Baale of Surulere, High Chief Kareem Awoyemi; Director, Co-Curricula Science and Technology (Education District IV), Mrs. Abimbola Muyinat; wife of the Baale, Olori Awoyemi; and the Principal, Obele Community Senior Secondary School, Surulere, Mrs. Esther Babatunde during the commissioning of reconstructed block of classrooms of Obele Community Senior Secondary Schoo by Access Bank Plc in Lagos,... recently

A cross section of the elected Chairmen from the 17 Local governments in Abia state taking their oath of oďŹƒce at the Michael Okpara Auditorium in Umuahia.....recently

Senator Omisore giving a goodie pack to a patient at the Male Surgical Ward at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH) Ile Ife, Osun State during his visiiit to share his annual new year goodies to patients in all the entire hospital and also pay o debts of detainee patients who have not been able to pay their outstanding medical bills.for over 8 months in lle-lfe....recently

L-R; 1st Vice-President of Parliament of Republic Benin, Mr. Eric Houdete; Amir, Ahmadiyya Muslim JamaĂ­at Benin, Rana Farooq Ahmad; Amir Ahmadiyya Muslim JamaĂ­at Nigeria, Dr. Mashhud Adenrele Fashola and Amir et Missionaire en Chef, Mali, Zafar Ahmad Butt, during the 28th Jalsa Salana (Conference Annuelle) JamaĂ­at Islamique Ahmadiyya Du Benin...recently

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BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S NIBOR OVERNIGHT 1-MONTH

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Group Business Editor ChikaAmanze-Nwachuku Email: chika.amanzenwachukwu@thisdaylive.com 08033294157, 08057161321

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Quick Takes Algeria to Boost Oil Output Algeria’s state energy producer, Sonatrach Group, plans to increase output of natural gas and crude oil by 20 per cent in the next four years as new projects start up, Salah Mekmouche, the company’s vice president of exploration and production, said. “Sonatrach will bring on stream Tiguentourine, in Salah and Timimoune natural gas projects as well as oil wells of the Berkine basin, after spending $9 billion a year on exploration and development projects since 2015,� Mekmouche said in an interview at the company’s Rhourde Nouss gas field southeast of Algiers. Sonatrach also plans to increase production from old oil wells in Hassi Messaoud, he said.

Sonatrach plans to “invest as little as possible and produce as much as possible,� Mekmouche added.

Algeria is Africa’s biggest natural-gas producer and a member of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Its crude production increased to 1.16 million barrels a day in November, the highest since 2013, after three years of declines and no change in 2015, according to data compiled

by Bloomberg.

Egypt Signs $220m Oil Deals

DEEPENING THE OIL SECTOR

L-R: President of Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede; his wife, Mrs. Ofovwe Aig-Imoukhuede and Chief Executive OďŹƒcer of Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc, Mr. Austin Avuru, during Petroleum Club’s guarantor’s dinner held in Lagos ‌recently

Why NNPC May Cancel Olokola LNG Project in Ogun, Ondo States Stories by Ejiofor Alike There are strong indications that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) may cancel the Olokola Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project situated between the border town of Ondo and Ogun States, THISDAY has learnt.

It gathered at the weekend that despite last Thursday’s commitment by the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru to carry on with the project, its economics does not favour the multi-billion dollar gas liquefaction plant.

A dependable source at the NNPC told THISDAY on condition of anonymity that Chevron, Shell and BG withdrew from the project without the conclusion of their exit formalities.

ENERGY He said the non-conclusion of the exit formalities for these shareholders had hindered any search for new investors, thus imposing the financial burden of sustaining the project on the NNPC. According to the source, the NNPC has actually started the process of winding down activities on the OKLNG project because the project has become a drain pipe, depleting the resources of the corporation. “The statement by the GMD was a political statement because the project economics does not justify investment on the project. That was why Chevron, Shell and BG withdrew and abandoned the project for only the NNPC. NNPC alone does not have the financial capacity

to embark on such multi-billion dollar project and no other multinational is willing to partner the NNPC. Similar project located right inside the heart of Niger Delta in Brass is yet to take off because of gas supply constraints. So, nobody can guarantee investment in gas that will be piped all the way from Niger Delta to Ogun to start OKLNG. Where are the gas and the pipelines to take the gas to the area? Even if the pipelines are in place, investors are not ready to stake their money because they are not sure of the security of the pipelines,� the source explained. “Again, gas projects are mainly joint ventures between the NNPC and the international oil companies (IOCs). The position of the IOCs is that for them to invest in new

gas development to feed new LNG plants, the NNPC must bring their own funding. NNPC doesn’t have the money. That is new LNG plants - Train 7 of Nigeria LNG, Brass and OKLNG have not seen the light of the day,� he added.

He said the case of OKLNG was even more complicated as the project was located far away from gas sources apparently for political reasons rather than pure business decision. “The IOCs and other private investors are for business and will not stake their money on projects that have political undertones. NNPC alone cannot do it,� he said.

According to him, the NNPC has commenced the process of winding down activities on the Continued on page 22

Production from Nigeria’s OML 18 Excites San Leon Africa and Europe-focused San Leon Energy Plc, a partner of the Erotron consortium that acquired Oil Mining Lease (OML) 18 from Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), has stated that production from the Nigerian oilfield has been encouraging.

Under the Master Services Agreement between the two firms, San Leon provides services to Eroton in OML18, through its oilfield services subsidiary.

According to the work programme, numerous wells have

ENERGY been identified which require re-entry for recompletions in new zones using a service rig and San Leon expects to provide workover rig, drilling rig and production facility construction services to Eroton starting in 2017.

In an operational and cash flow receipts update relating to its indirect interest in the onshore field, which was released at the weekend, San Leon noted that it has seen an encouraging performance from

OML 18.

The firm said that reperforation operations on a well on the field had proved successful, with gross OML 18 production increasing to approximately 61,000 barrels of oil per day.

According to the company, the well has now been temporarily shut in to allow minor production upgrades and additional work-over operations and current gross production on the field currently around 53,000 bopd.

San Leon said the reperforation programme would continue

to be implemented across a number of wells on the OML 18 field in the coming months.

San Leon also reported that wells on its Krakama field are now ready to produce and that production here is expected to come online during the first two months of 2017. The firm also expects production to start on the Buguma field in March 2017.

San Leon also reported that it has been informed by its partner, Eroton, that compliance Continued on page 22

Egyptian Oil Minister Tarek El Molla has signed three offshore oil and gas exploration and production deals worth a total of at least $220 million with France’s Total, Britain’s BP, and Italian oil major ENI’s Egyptian subsidiary IEOC, the ministry said on Wednesday.

The deals include drilling for six wells and a signing bonus of $9 million, the ministry said in a statement, and are the result of a tender called by Egyptian state gas board EGAS. They are all in exploration blocks in the Egyptian Mediterranean Sea. The first deal, with a consortium of BP and IEOC, is worth $75 million for an exploration block in the North Ras El Esh block; the second, with a consortium of all three companies, is in the North El Hammad block and is worth $80 million, and the third, with BP alone, is in the North Tabia block and worth $65 million.

Egypt has gone from exporting energy to being a net importer as domestic output has failed to keep pace with rising demand.

Saudi Arabia informed Egypt last month that shipments of oil products expected under a $23 billion aid deal had been halted indefinitely.

The government is seeking ways to help the country cope and Molla said last week that Egypt wanted to import crude oil directly from Iraq and he hoped to finalise the deal by the first quarter of 2017.

China Coal Output to Rise China expects coal output and demand to increase by 2020 even as it aims to cut 800 million tonnes of outdated capacity as the world’s largest consumer of the fuel ramps up yearslong efforts to tackle smog and make its manufacturing sector more efficient.

Under its five-year plan for the coal sector, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country’s top economic planner, said on Friday it is targeting output of 3.9 billion tonnes of coal in 2020, up from 3.75 billion tonnes in 2015.

Consumption will increase 3.5 per cent to 4.1 billion tonnes from 3.96 billion tonnes over the same period, the NDRC said.

Under the strategy, the government aims to close smaller mines in the east and northeastern regions including Beijing, and consolidate production around a cluster of 14 basins, which will produce the majority of the nation’s output, it said.

We in Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) don’t reject power allocated to us. When there is extra load in the system, we have always taken it to ensure that we meet the demands of our customers,�

Managing Director, AEDC, Ernest Mupwaya

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BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

WHY NNPC MAY CANCEL OLOKOLA LNG PROJECT IN OGUN, ONDO STATES

SON Tasks Technical Partners on Quality Imports

OKLNG project. “A memo has been issued to that effect. The OKLNG staff have been relocated to the Gas and Power Investment Company Limited (G &PIC) of NNPC in Abuja because since the exit of the other shareholders, it is only the NNPC that has been sustaining the project and this has depleted its lean resources. For now, NNPC is only maintaining the project on what is called preservation mode,� he added.

Baru had told the management of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) that the corporation was determined to implement the Brass LNG and OK LNG, and also confirmed THISDAY’s exclusive report that the shareholders of the Brass LNG would meet in London next month to decide the fate of the multi-billion project, according to a statement by the spokesman of the NNPC, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu.

Crusoe Osagie

PRODUCTION FROM NIGERIA’S OML 18 EXCITES SAN LEON

with all financial covenants and rations stipulated in their Reserve Bank Lending (RBL) facility agreement have been met. Commenting on the status of the field, the Chief Executive Officer of San Leon, Oisin Fanning stated that: “We are encouraged by the performance of the OML 18 field to date, including the approximate doubling of production over what was expected when the RBL was first put in place. We are confident, and fully supportive of Eroton in its attempts to satisfy all the conditions of the RBL facility in order to declare dividends in order for San Leon to receive its first cashflow from OML 18.�

The company, however, identified two conditions that have not been met to include: reservation of nine months’ worth of upcoming debt repayments due in the debt service reserve account, as well as the submission of audited financial statements

by Eroton whereby 60 per cent of audited net profits can be paid to dividends account.

Group Business Editor

Chika Amanze-Nwachuku AgriBusiness/Industry Editor

Crusoe Osagie

Comms/e-Business Editor

Emma Okonji

Capital Market Editor

Goddy Egene

Senior Correspondent

Raheem Akingbolu (Advertising) Correspondents

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

Nume Ekeghe (Money Market) Nosa Alekhuogie (Cap Mkt)

Nigeria’s economic and industrial growth depends on the standard and quality of products in circulation either locally made or imported.

Again, it is critical to ensure that imported products meet high quality benchmarks which would in turn stop the dumping of sub-standard imports in Nigeria.

These were the submissions of the Director General, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Mr. Osita Aboloma when the agency renewed its partnership agreement with SGF, an Independent Accredited Firm (IAF) in Lagos recently. The pact will build technical capacities in a bid to ensure that only goods that meet minimum requirements of the Nigeria Industrial Standards (NIS) are traded in Nigerian markets.

According to Aboloma, IAFs are very critical to achieve the agency’s agenda to reduce influx of substandard goods in the country.

The firm, SGF donated textile testing machines to SON, even as Aboloma commended the IAF’s support to the agency in its fight to achieve its mandate of combating influx of fake and substandard products in Nigeria.

He tasked IAFs to continue their fair dealings and honesty with the agency especially towards issuance of SONCAP for importers, saying that the present administration plans to discourage unwholesome imports while targeting economic diversification and export drive. “Let me sincerely thank the

management of SGF-one of our reliable and dependable IAFs, helping us immensely, in the very critical areas of products certifications, quality conformity and quality control.

To underscore the importance of this brief ceremony to the agency, I decided to be physically present today to warmly receive the equipment,� the SON DG declared.

He said there is no other crucial time than now that

SON needs the technical assistance and support from the IAFs, maintaining that the agency has since upped the ante on quality infrastructure development. “Your kind gesture to the agency, demonstrates the level of your firm’s commitment towards helping the nation to grow industrially. We want to assure you that these machines would be properly deployed and adequately put into use

by our laboratory services department,� he said.

According to him, SGF has set the ball rolling, pointing out that standards body hopefully, will be looking forward to receiving more of such technical assistance from other IAFs and development partners, stressing that IAFs remain critical in its mandate of products registration, accreditation and certifications. “Our own part, we are

intensifying efforts towards building capacities and quality infrastructure. We will in no distant time complete and accredit more laboratories.

Through the development of standard laboratories, locally made products would enjoy high patronage at home and global acceptance. This is part of our strategies towards economic diversification (oil-to non-oil sector) and industrial growth,� the SON helmsman disclosed.

STOCK TAKING

L-R: Executive Director, Finance, NIPCO Plc, Ramesh Virwani :Executive Director, Corporate Services, Mr. Abdulkadir Aminu; Managing Director, Venkataraman Venkatapathy and Company Secretary, Paul Obi, at the company’s Extra Ordinary General Meeting held in Abuja ...recently

Otakikpo Field Offshore Pipeline 80% Completed, Partners Invest N2bn in Power Project for Oil Communities Says Lekoil Ejiofor Alike Africa focused oil and gas exploration and production company with interests in Nigeria and Namibia, Lekoil Limited has announced that the offshore pipeline leading from the storage tanks to the tanker offloading manifold in the Otakikpo oil field is 80 per cent completed.

Otakikpo is sited in a coastal swamp location in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 11, adjacent to the shoreline in the south-eastern part of the Niger Delta.

According to the production update issued by the company, crude oil is already flowing at the Otakikpo field to onshore storage tanks, where it will be evacuated upon completion of the offshore pipeline. “All onshore facilities have been fully commissioned and signed off by the regulators, and the offshore pipeline leading from the storage tanks to the tanker offloading manifold is 80 per cent complete,� the company said.

The company said upon completion of the pipeline, the joint venture partners comprising Green Energy International Limited as operator and Lekoil as

technical partner, will start transporting to the export terminal and subsequently, be able to gradually ramp up production to 10,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd).

Commenting on the update, the Chief Executive Officer of Lekoil, Lekan Akinyanmi said: “We are delighted to announce this key milestone from the Otakikpo field.

I would like to thank the entire team that has worked so hard on this project, our partners Green Energy, investors, debt financiers, our host communities and our government regulators for their continued support.�

Strong indications for first oil had emerged when the company announced the successful well tests of C5 and C6 zones in the Otakikpo field at the rates of 6,404 barrels of oil equivalent per day and 5,684 bopd and with a target to hit 10,000 barrels per day by the end of 2016.

According to the results concluded in April 2016, the Otakikpo-002 well flowed oil from two upper zones during two production tests.

The JV had expected to start commercial production by the end of second quarter of 2016.

Akinyanmi had noted that

in about a year and half, Lekoil and its partner, GEIL had managed to bring to life a marginal oil field, which is expected to produce 10,000 bopd by year-end.

He said the feat was a demonstration of its technical and financial strengths as well as illustrating the fast-track approach by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to developing previously marginal fields and unlocking value for the benefit of Nigeria. “Lekoil as a financial and technical partner also commends the support of its stakeholders and host communities whose people and services stand to realise sustainable value.

These successful tests represent another major step towards continuous production and are the most significant accomplishment since operations began – demonstrating our disciplined approach to developing an asset efficiently. Safety remains our key priority and we will continue applying the highest standard to our operations as we grow production to, and beyond, our initial Phase 1 target,� Akinyanmi had explained.

Chineme Okafor in Abuja Green Energy International ltd (GEIL) and its partner, Lekoil, who are operators of the Otakikpo marginal field in Oil Mining Lease (OML 11) in Andoni Local Government of Rivers State, have disclosed a plan to invest about N2 billion in the generation of electricity for host communities of the oil field. The communities - Ikuru town, Ayama Ekede, Ugama Ekede, Asuk Ama and Asuk Oyet are expected to benefit from the planned 6 megawatts (MW) electricity project which the firms said would provide uninterrupted electricity to them. According to the Director of Sustainable Development of GEIL, Mr Ayo Olojede, in Abuja, the electricity project would also boost the economic life of the fishing communities.

Olojede said the power plant would utilise the gas produced from the marginal field to generate its electricity. “Part of the package to transform the area economically is the plan to encourage the communities to establish an industrial park where companies can leverage on the uninterrupted electricity for industrial use and small scale industries. The total initial

cost of the electricity project is in excess of N2 billion,� said Olojede. He said the partners are currently processing application with the relevant regulators for the installation of a gas processing facility to extract liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and condensate from the wet associated gas from the Otakikpo wells.

According to him, under its corporate social responsibility(CSR), GEIL and its partner has designed a scheme with the communities that would involve local entrepreneurs to distribute the LPGs within and outside communities. He stated that the company has also introduced a unique community engagement strategy to embark on community development projects under a trust fund which over N1 billion would be put into in all the communities.

Olojede explained that the Otakikpo marginal field was designed as a pilot scheme to demonstrate the applicability of the Small Scale Gas Utilisation Program (SSGUP) concept of the federal government to eliminate gas flaring and promote utilisation of gas derived from the field to energise the economic potentials of the oil producing communities.

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BUSINESSWORLD

ENERGY

As NNPC Moves to Rehabilitate Enugu Depot The steps taken by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation to rehabilitate its Enugu Depot will boost jobs and help sustain fuel supply in the South-east, writes Ejiofor Alike A recent status report by the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC), a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), showed that only few of the 21 NNPC depots were active.

The report had noted that these active depots were mainly the refineries, coastal depots and few other depots in the western part of the country.

Also only few segments out of 20 segments of the pipelines were available and these active segments were in the south west.

The report had also revealed that there were no butanisation plants for Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), except in Apapa, while poor products accountability led to products gaps at the depots According to the report, in-depot losses were also high due to obsolete facilities and inefficient operations, while the period was also characterised with long fuel queues at filling stations because of product scarcity.

With some of the depots in deplorable condition for years, and others shut down due to incessant attacks on pipelines that supply products to them, it became necessary for the PPMC to engage the services of private depots to enable bridging to inactive depots, especially to the Northern and South east regions.

NNPC has incurred huge bills in the use of private depots as the owners of the depots are paid daily for the use of their facilities to receive and store imported products.

By 2016, PPMC claimed that many of the 21 loading depots were active, while many of the segments were also active, with several kilometres out of the 5,120 kilometres of crude oil and products pipeline network available.

However, the situation on the ground, coupled with the traffic congestion caused by fuel tankers in Lagos contradicted PPMC’s claim that many depots were working.

Today, marketers from Enugu, Port Harcourt, Sokoto and Maiduguri still travel long distances to the Lagos depots to load petrol, thus causing damage on the roads, gridlock, accidents and loss of man-hours.

Enugu Depot But a recent revelation that the rehabilitation of the Enugu Depot will be completed by April this year has rekindled the hope of restoring over 3,000 jobs lost as a result of the long inactivity of the depot.

PPMC had claimed that Enugu depot was also re-activated in 2014. The company had also claimed that Aba Depot, which was moribund for about seven years, was re-commissioned in 2012 after it had rehabilitated the PH-Aba segment, while the North western and North eastern depots of Kano and Gusau were said to have been re-activated after the company rehabilitated the Kaduna-Zaria-Kano and Kaduna-Zaria-Gasau pipelines segments.

However, despite these claims, most of these depots, including that of Enugu have been out of service for over 10 years.

Enugu depot, which was built in 1979, is one of the PPMC’s 21 depots and jetties across the country. The depot became inactive around 20 years ago following the vandalism of the pipelines through which it receives refined products from the Port Harcourt Refinery.

It stores Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) or petrol, Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK) and Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), which are loaded with tankers by over 500 marketers for distribution to Enugu, Anambra, Kogi, Ebonyi, Imo, Benue and Cross River States.

Since the depot, which can supply six million litres of petrol, two million litres of kerosene and two million of diesel daily, became inactive, marketers from the south eastern axis have been sourcing products from Lagos, Warri and Port Harcourt.

Apart from the attendant loss of jobs and the collapse of business activities around the depot, its inactivity has also contributed to the gridlock in Lagos roads, as well as accidents involving trucks on the highways. This development has also contributed to the damage on the roads by heavy duty vehicles and caused nightmare

PPMC depot to other road users.

This is because tankers, which could have lifted petrol from the Enugu depot, travelled long distances to the depots in Lagos in search of product.

However, the National Coordinator of AntiPipeline Vandalism and Petroleum Products Adulteration, Mr. Nexin Udoka Ahanonu, reportedly said in Enugu recently that the rehabilitation of the pipelines had almost been completed. “It has been work is in progress. In the past two weeks, we have been parading the pipelines.

For more than 10 years now, we have not had supply to this depot. It has seriously affected those of us operating the depot. We have lost many of our members due to the unavailability of products in Enugu depot. Many of us have gone bankrupt because some of us are using bank loans to do business and since the depot stopped working, many of us are going as far as Lagos, Port Harcourt, Warri to source for products. In the process, most of us lost funds. Trucks were hijacked and what have you.

Before the end of April next year, Enugu depot will start working,� he reportedly explained.

By 2016, PPMC claimed that many of the 21 loading depots were active, while many of the segments were also active, with several kilometres out of the 5,120 kilometres of crude oil and products pipeline network available.

However, the situation on ground, coupled with the trafďŹ c congestion caused by fuel tankers in Lagos contradicted PPMC’s claim that many depots were working

PPMC’s bogus claims During the tenure of the past administration, PPMC had claimed that work had been completed at Mosimi, Calabar, Suleja, Minna, Kano, and Yola depots, while depot losses had been drastically reduced with fuel queues eliminated.

According to PPMC, Suleja and Minna depots were re-activated in 2011 with the rehabilitation of the Kaduna-Suleja-Minna pipelines segments linking them.

It also added that Jos depot was also activated with the purported recovery of Kaduna-Jos pipeline segment.

The company also claimed that Aba depot, which was moribund for about seven years was re-commissioned in 2012 after rehabilitating the PH-Aba segment. Also the North western and North eastern depots of Kano and Gusau were re-activated after rehabilitating the KadunaZaria-Kano and Kaduna-Zaria-Gasau pipelines segments, according to PPMC. One of PPMC’s reports had also noted that in 2013, Benin and Gombe depots, which were out of service for over 10 years were equally re-activated after rehabilitating Warri-Benin and Jos-Gombe pipelines segments.

Over the years, some of the pipeline systems became unavailable, thus hindering smooth distribution of petroleum products.

According to PPMC, with the phased rehabilitation works, the pipelines were linked to their depots, with Kaduna-Suleja – Minna segments linking Kaduna to Suleja and Minna Depots in 2011,while in 2012, PH-Aba segment was said to have been linked to PH and Aba Depot.

Kaduna-Zaria-Kano and Kaduna-Zaria-Gasau pipelines segments linking Kaduna depot were also purportedly linked with Kano and Gusau depots, according to a claim by the PPMC. In the area of LPG, the company had stated that Butanisation Plants in Kano, Enugu, Gusau

and Gombe were rehabilitated in 2013 and re-commissioned with Apapa LPG Butanisation Plant upgraded.

Makurdi and Ilorin LPG Butanisation Plants were also said to have been re-commissioned in 2013. The company had also claimed that the high in-depot losses recorded due to inefficient operations as a result of obsolete depot facilities were reduced by 2014.

However, all these claims have not led to reduction in the number of trucks travelling from the far north to Lagos to load products.

Loading meters Apart from active depots, the installation of digital loading meters also enhances accurate and effective loading and products accountability.

But most of the loading arms in the 21 Depots were installed with analogue meters, thus leading to inefficiency in products dispensing and poor products accountability. Tank gauging system was also inoperable at the depots, thus limiting inventory control to manual operations.

However, out of 296 installed analogue meters at the PPMC’s depots, the PPMC had commenced efforts to replace 167 of them with Accuload digital meters representing 56 per cent of installed capacity.

For instance, the installation of the digital meters had progressed if not completed in Satellite, Aba, Benin, Calabar depots; Mosimi, Calabar, Suleja, Minna, Kano, and Yola depots.

Also the company had started the replacement of other 123 meters during the tenure of the past administration.

Also under the past administration, PPMC had embarked on Phase I of the rehabilitation and upgrade of Tank gauging systems in 10 depots – Atlas cove, Satellite, Mosimi, Ore, Ibadan, Ilorin, Benin, Suleja, Escravos and Calabar.

THISDAY could not, however, ascertain the progress of work on most of these PPMC’s projects.

The May 2016 upward review of the price of petrol has stabilised supply and ensured product availability during Christmas. Previous Christmas and New Year celebrations were marred by acute fuel shortages, which disrupted movement of people and economic activities.

To sustain the current serenity in filling stations, the NNPC should rehabilitate all the 21 depots to reduce pressure on Lagos and also reduce the distances covered by marketers in search of product.

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BUSINESSWORLD

ENERGY

Mixed Performance in the Power Sector Chineme Okafor writes that Nigeria’s privatised power sector experienced twists and turns in 2016 The year 2016 made it three years since Nigeria formally handed over the running of its public electricity generation and distribution to private investors in a reform exercise that ended the tenure of now defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

Specifically, on November 1, 2013 , Nigeria handed over the successor generation and distribution companies of PHCN to private operators after signing the transaction and industry agreements.

This then advanced the privatisation exercise, which many at that time, regarded as a remarkable development in the country’s power sector.

The development also opened a new phase which was expected to lead to improvements in investments, service delivery and regulatory practices.

But after three years, the privatised sector in 2016 came face to face with its first real challenges. These challenges reportedly shook its foundations of the sector such that there were palpable fears of its survival if nothing reasonable was done.

Operational challenges From very poor gas supplies to power generation plants, generation shortages, inadequate or weak transmission system, to stranded capacities or complete loss of transmission capacities, poor revenue collection and remittance levels, and regulatory uncertainties, the operational narrative of the power sector in 2016 was quite unfortunate.

On power generation, average generation capacity in 2016 was quite abysmal at 3500 megawatts (MW). While the target generation figures on which the 2015 tariff was built was between 6000MW and 7000MW, actual generation never got to that level.

In fact, after a record generation of 5,074MW momentarily achieved in February 2016, daily power generation in the country oscillated between 2800MW and 3500MW. This only grew to 4000MW on December 30, 2016.

Instances of poor gas supply, low water levels, revenue shortages and other unwholesome business conditions ensured that the productivity of the generation companies were encumbered. There were also reports of stranded generation capacities owing to either poor gas supplies or transmission constraints.

Another operational challenge of the sector was its protracted practice of poor revenue remittance by the distribution companies (Disco) which became very proclaimed in 2016.

As at September 2016 when the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) Limited, Chiedu Ugbo spoke at a function in Abuja, the market shortfall was reportedly at N809 billion. This, amongst many other challenges, threatened the financial foundation of the sector.

Ugbo had that his NDPHC was been owed up to N105.235 billion by the market as unpaid cost of energy supplied. He explained: “The market operator settlement process shows we are owed N105.235 billion as at today.

Just to take us back to history, in 2011, we invoiced N8.2 billion; in 2012, we invoiced N21.9 billion; 2013 - N46.9 billion; 2014 - N51.3 billion; 2015 - N62.4 billion and 2016 - N44.6 billion, and that is the total of N235.4 billion.� “Of these invoices, in 2011 we got 39 per cent, 2012 we got 26 per cent, 2013 we got 62 per cent, 2014 we got 72 per cent of the invoice, 2015 we got 62 and 38 per cents in 2016. It keeps going down in 2016, and for the June invoice, we got about 18.5 per cent and 19 per cent in July. “When you compare this to our operational expenses, you will see that we are already in trouble. From the collections, our gas bill in January and February N3.8 billion, March was N3.4 billion. There is no month we have a gas bill less than N2.4 billion. The total we owe for gas now is about N42.207 billion,� he added.

Also caught up in the mix was the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), which could not attract the kind of investment need to expand its capacity. The TCN had also in 2016 ended its management contract

Buhari relationship with Canadian firm, Manitoba Hydro International (MHI).

The TCN was expected to have improved on its service delivery efficiency under MHI, but this could not be said to be the case as at when MHI left. Its corporate governance practices were still ranked very low by operators in 2016.

Like other market participants, the TCN also complained of poor revenue generation and disregard for market rules by operators.

It said these were part of the challenges it had to overcome to offer stable services to the sector.

Its acting Managing Director, Dr. Atiku Abubakar, who was represented by the acting Managing Director of the Transmission Service Provider (TSP), Tom Uwah at another meeting in Abuja, said the plans and activities of the TSP were being impacted by the poor financial remittance and compliance levels of the Discos.

He explained that plans to grow the trans-

Beyond the operational challenges, the electricity sector also operated for one year without a properly constituted regulatory commission. For untold reasons, the government refused to appoint board of commissioners for the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). confirmation

Fashola mission capacity from 5500MW to 6000MW

by December 2016, and then 20,000MW by 2022 would be determined by the market’s respect for existing rules.

For the distribution segment, their reported disregard for the market rules and poor revenue remittance levels were said to have contributed greatly to the sector’s challenges.

While the 11 Discos made efforts to absolve themselves of any blame, the rise of the market’s financial shortage to over N809 billion was linked to their reported illicit financial behaviours.

Whereas they were accused of failing to provide meters to consumers to guarantee optimal revenue collection, the Discos in turn pushed the blame back to the Regulator and government, alleging that they have not been allowed to charge cost reflective rates for electricity supplies.

They cited instances of poor regulatory decisions like the tariff freeze in 2015 for certain cadres of consumers, abrogation of collection losses, and huge debts owed by the government for energies consumed by its agencies, as parts of the reasons for their failure.

Other bad patches Beyond the operational challenges, the electricity sector also operated for one year without a properly constituted regulatory commission.

For untold reasons, the government refused to appoint board of commissioners for the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). And when the government eventually decided to appoint, the nominees became controversial with the chairman-designate allegedly turning down the offer and refusing to show up for Senate confirmation.

This development meant that the sector operated with a makeshift regulatory agency for one year. The significance of this was that the government, by its actions, had continued to disregard the dictates of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act 2005, which gives legal bearing to the existence of the privatised sector.

Notwithstanding, there have been clear signs of the impact of the absence of a fully constituted board of commissioners for the NERC on the sector. One of such impact is the seeming reluctance of the market and its participants to enter into a Transition Electricity Market (TEM), one which emphasises on contracts and obligation. The refusal of the market to enter into TEM had indirectly

contributed to the sector’s very bad financial status.

An assessment It was based on some of these operational failures of the market that the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote last year declared that the power privatisation was a failure after three years of its operation.

Dangote specifically based his judgement on the inability of the operators to make the needed investments in capacity expansion. He said the privatisation process was flawed and asked the government to reverse it entirely.

But the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), which conducted the process described his call as too early and not reflective of the true status of the sector’s operations and challenges.

In response to Dangote, BPE’s acting Director General, Dr. Vincent Akpotaire said a call for the power privatisation to be reversed was unnecessary. He explained that the agreement signed with the investors upon their acquisition of the power assets allows that they take at least five years to invest in and stabilise their networks.

According to him, based on that, Dangote’s claim of the exercise’s failure was not factual, adding that the next two years would afford the operators the opportunity to build on the lessons they may have learnt in the last three years to improve the efficiency of their assets and services.

Any bright spots?

The bright spots perhaps in the power sector in 2016 was the decision of the government to activate its longstanding pledge to include solar power in Nigeria’s energy mix It then signed Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) with 14 solar power promoters who would build solar farms to generate 1125MW of the solar electricity in the country. The pioneer solar plants will cost their promoters up to $2.5 billion worth of investment.

Another cheery development in the sector was NERC’s stepping up of its enforcement actions against operators for operational malfeasance and breach of service agreements.

The regulator had before now failed to wield the big stick against recalcitrant operators.

As at the close of the year, the NERC had fined almost every operator in the sector millions of naira for respective breaches. The recovered fines would be paid to the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) in line with the dictates of the EPSRA.

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FAO Warns of Hunger Crisis in Africa Crusoe Osagie with agency report Countries in the Horn of Africa are likely to see a rise in hunger and further decline of local livelihoods in the coming months, as farming families struggle with the knock-on effects of multiple droughts that hit the region this year, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has warned.

Growing numbers of refugees in East Africa, meanwhile, are expected to place even more burden on already strained food and nutrition security.

Currently, close to 12 million people across Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia are in need of food assistance, as families in the region face limited access to food and income, together with rising debt, low cereal and seed stocks, and low milk and meat production. Terms of trade are particularly bad for livestock farmers, as food prices are increasing at the same time that market prices for livestock are low.

Farmers in the region need urgent support to recover from consecutive lost harvests and to keep their breeding livestock healthy and productive at a time that pastures are the driest in years. Production outputs in the three countries are grim. “We’re dealing with a cycli-

cal phenomenon in the Horn of Africa,� said Dominique Burgeon, Director of FAO’s Emergency and Rehabilitation Division. “But we also know from experience that timely support to farming families can significantly boost their ability to withstand the impacts of these droughts and soften the blow to their livelihoods,� he stressed.

For this reason, FAO has already begun disbursing emergency funds for rapid interventions in Kenya and Somalia.

The funds will support emergency feed and vaccinations for breeding and weak animals, repairs of water points, and seeds and tools to plant in the spring season. FAO is also working with local officials to bolster countries’ emergency preparedness across the region. “Especially in those areas where we know natural hazards are recurring, working with the Government to further build-up their ability to mitigate future shocks is a smart intervention that can significantly reduce the need for humanitarian and food aid further down the line,�

Burgeon said.

Kenya is highly likely to see another drought in early 2017, and with it a rise in food insecurity. Current estimates show some 1.3 million people

Nigerian Bottling Company Celebrates 65Years in Nigeria Stories by Crusoe Osagie Nigerian Bottling Company Limited (NBC), manufacturers of Coca-Cola products, stated its commitment to continued investments in Nigeria as it celebrated its 65th Anniversary.

The statement was made at a celebratory cocktail reception with industry stakeholders in Lagos. The engagement was part of the various programmes NBC is rolling out to commemorate its historic milestone and themed, ‘Celebrating a Tradition of Excellence’.

NBC was incorporated in November 1951, and is the bedrock of global bottlers, Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company. “Over the last 65 years, NBC has established itself as a key player in the Nigerian non-alcoholic beverage industry. The Company has remained strong and committed to satisfying its consumers and continue to thrive in a challenging business environment and competitive market terrain.

Speaking at an engagement session with one of the stakeholder groups, Managing Director of NBC, George Polymenakos said, “NBC is continuously making major investments and upgrading its systems, including our human capital to drive world class operations. Over the last six years, NBC has invested over $600m as part of the Company’s transformation journey to drive world class standards in its operations.

As NBC continues to pursue excellence in its operations, people and systems, so much is being invested to transform our

business, to better satisfy our market and loyal consumers.�

Also remarking at one of the engagement sessions with stakeholders, Sade Morgan, Legal, Public Affairs and Communications Director, stated that, “a key part of the Company’s sustainable growth and development agenda, is its commitment to ensure NBC is in touch with communities, partnering and collaborating with them on a regular basis.

Nothing is more important and occupies the heart of our business, than ensuring that the communities we operate in are positively impacted�, the Company’s spokesperson added.

NBC is also championing and driving investment in the well-being of its communities through its intervention programs in the areas of skill acquisition and support initiatives for the youth, women empowerment and other community shared value projects, in other to leave a lasting legacy for generations to come. These projects have received numerous commendations and awards from regulators and other industry stakeholders.

Since incorporation in November 1951, NBC has been consistently manufacturing, marketing and distributing global leading Coca-Cola brands, with an ever widening range of non-alcoholic beverages to the ever growing Nigerian market. The bottling giant has received several industry awards and recognition as a reputable manufacturer and for performing its operations in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way.

are food insecure.

Based on the latest predictions, the impacts of the current drought in the southern part of the country will lessen by mid-2017, but counties in the North - in particular Turkana, Marsabit, Wajir and Mandera - will steadily get worse.

Families in these areas are heavily dependent on livestock.

Now, with their livelihoods already stressed - the last reliable rain they received was in December 2015- they will get little relief from the October-December short rains, which typically mark a recovery

period but once again fell short this season.

In the affected counties, the terms of trade have become increasingly unfavourable for livestock keepers, as prices of staple foods are rising, while a flood of weakened sheep, goats and cows onto local markets

has brought down livestock prices.

To ensure livestock markets remain functional throughout the dry season in 2017, FAO, is training local officials in better managing livestock markets -in addition to providing feed, water and veterinary support

INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION

L– R: Representative, Georgia House of Representatives, Mr. Billy Mitchell; Senator, Georgia General Assembly, Mrs. Gloria Butler; State Representative & Founder/President One Georgia, Mrs. Dee Dawkins- Haigler; Managing Director/CEO Airtel Nigeria, Mr. Segun Ogunsanya; State Representative, Kendrick Dar’shon and State Representative, Roger Brucs, during the conferment of honourary citizenship of the State of Georgia on Ogunsanya, in Atlanta Georgia, United States...recently

SON Arrests Two Chinese over Importation of Substandard Mobile Phones The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has arrested two Chinese nationals for importing fake and substandard mobile phones into the country.

The Director General, SON, Mr. Osita Aboloma, who was represented at the clamdown on the office of the importers by the Director Compliance, SON, Mr. Bede Obayi, explained that the agency has continued to receive numerous complaints about the KZG phones from consumers in the country.

Aboloma during an enforcement exercise in Lagos, said: “We have information on the activities of these Chinese people who are operating this KZG mobile here in Ikeja, Lagos, that people are complaining about the quality of their products and SON has to ensure that the quality of products sold in Nigeria is in compliance with the Nigerian industrial standards.�

Obayi said the Managing Director of the company that refused to talk to the press had earlier accepted responsibility for the importation of the substandard phones into Nigeria. “His attitude shows that he knows what they are doing here and they are not ready to talk, they are not ready to give us information about what they are doing here and their major warehouses.

Based on the information we have gathered and what we found on ground in the office and the documentation of importation indicates that he is one of the leading sup-

plier of sub-standard phones in Nigeria,� Obayi said Aboloma added that SON will seal up the warehouse and their offices until further investigation is being carried out, pointing out the agency will stop at nothing to bring down the rate of substandard products in circulation in Nigeria “We decided to take this action because such phones could have lots of hazardous effect dangerous to human health. SON has the SONCAP certificate for the products imported into the country, while the products manufactured in Nigeria must have MANCAP,� he stated.

In his words, “We have seen here that these people are not genuine manufacturers, Nigerian who are using the products have complained to us about the products, therefore SON has decided to clampdown on them.� He noted that apart from sealing their warehouse, there would be an awareness to alert consumers about the dangers using these substandard phones According to him, the two alleged suspects have been handed over to the police for further investigation and prosecution, adding that its new SON act has given the agency power to prosecute erring importers. “We hereby warn importers to ensure they obey the law of the country for the purpose of doing their business, the office is already closed and they are going with us to clarify themselves,� he stressed.

NSE Commends Nigerian Breweries on Corporate Governance The Chief Executive Officer of The Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, Mr. Oscar Onyema has commended Nigerian Breweries Plc for her commitment to corporate governance standards.

The NSE CEO made this commendation when the management of Nigerian Breweries Plc visited the Exchange for the closing gong ceremony on Wednesday in Lagos.

Speaking during the visit, Onyema congratulated the company on its 70th anniversary and for winning the Most Compliant Listed Company award for the year. He described the company as a good corporate citizen which has shown good example to other listed company companies on the Exchange.

The Most Compliant Listed Company award is given by The NSE to a company that demonstrates the highest degree of compliance with the rules and regulations regarding disclosure obligations of listed companies to on the exchange in a particular year.

Onyema noted that as CEO of the Exchange, part of his agenda is to consolidate his relationship with quoted companies on the Exchange and to ensure the Exchange continues to be a more robust platform that will attract the confidence of local and foreign investors. He also explained that Nigerian Breweries was qualified to join the Exchange’s Premium Board, the listing segment for the elite group of issuers that meet the

Exchange’s most stringent corporate governance and listing standards.

In his remark, Chairman of Nigerian Breweries Plc, Chief Kola Jamodu, who led the management team of the company to the Exchange, in his remark, lauded Onyema for his development strides since he assumed office. He reiterated that corporate governance remains the only tool to increase the credibility of The Exchange and urged The NSE to continue with improvements in that regard.

Jamodu intimated the CEO and his team that Nigerian Breweries has grown from its humble beginnings as a company that started 70 years ago with one brewery to eleven breweries spread across the country. He disclosed that the company has over 4000 workers in its direct employment and is also one of the highest dividend paying entities with 120,000 shareholders.

He noted that the backward integration policy of the company has enabled it to engage over 250,000 farmers in its sorghum and cassava value chains, adding that this has gone a long way to provide jobs for the people.

The management team of Nigerian Breweries was later invited to the trading floor where Jamodu beat the gong to close the market for the day and later received the certificate of the Most Complaint Company Award from Mr. Onyema.

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BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

Abuja Disco Blames Transmission Failure for Poor Service Delivery Chineme Okafor in Abuja The Managing Director of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Plc (AEDC), Ernest Mupwaya has said the recent drop in electricity distribution services to its consumers was caused by series of transmission constraints recorded from faults at various transmission equipment of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) servicing it.

Mupwaya stated that contrary to claims it was part of eight electricity distribution companies (Disco) that allegedly rejected up to 1300 megawatts (MW) of electricity allocated to them recently by the TCN, it does not reject electricity allocated to it by the System Operator (SO) but rather taken load in excess of its allocation to meet its customers’ demands.

According to a statement from the Disco’s, Mupwaya said the proportion of electricity it supplied to its consumers in

August, September, and October 2016 dropped below its usual allocation from the SO because of transmission constraints and not that it rejected allocations. “We in AEDC don’t reject power allocated to us. In fact, when there is extra load in the system, we have always taken it in order to ensure that we meet the demands of our customers,� said Mupwaya.

He urged customers of the Disco to discountenance the claims that it was part of the eight Discos that rejected energy allocated to them, saying that various faults which occurred largely on some TCN equipment had made it difficult to transmit electricity to it.

Mupwaya listed the series of disruptions from the TCN equipment which happened in September 2016 to include a fault at Katampe Transmission Station, a relay failure on 60MVA transformer at

Katampe, a fault on another transformer at Katampe, a letdown by a 60MVA transformer at Katampe, a relay problem on Lugbe’s 33Kv Feeder from Katampe, a fault on 60MVA transformer at Ajaokuta Transmission Station, a circuit breaker mechanism problem on L34 Feeder at Gwagwalada

Transmission Station, as well as a voltage transformer problem which caused an outage at the Kontagora Transmission Station.

He also stated that within the same month, a fault on a 132KV incomer circuit breaker due to low SF6 gas occurred, an outage on a

60MVA transformer at the Transmission Station in Kubwa also happened, as well as another letdown from a 150MVA transformer at Katampe.

Mupwaya noted that apart from August, September and October 2016, its records showed that it utilised higher

electricity than what was allocated to it in the other eight months of the year from January 2016 to November 2016.

He stressed that data on the cumulative power it utilised for the 11 months of 2016 showed higher net energy utilisation than what was allocated to the Disco.

China, Nigeria Collaborate on Food Safety Crusoe Osagie The Peoples’ Republic of China, through her embassy in Nigeria, has donated Mycotoxin handbooks to Nigeria as the two nation’s collaborate to enhance food safety.

Receiving the handbooks from the Ambassador of the Peoples’ Republic of China, Dr. Zhou Pingjian, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, noted that there has been a lot of slow selfpoisoning going on in Nigeria for many years as we do not have enough information and education on what we eat. He therefore stated that the book will help to avert the dangers inherent in the food we eat in the country and promote export of Nigeria’s food and agricultural products.

He described the handbook as a very vital publication, which should be used for massive education and training of farmers, extension workers/agents, food vendors, processors, consumers, market men and women, as well as agricultural value chain actors to propagate the message and information in the handbook.

The Minister directed that copies of the handbook should also be made available to all agricultural institutions and other relevant stakeholders in the country to help spread the message in the handbook, adding that, “It is better to prevent the ailment than to cure it.� He thanked the Peoples’ Republic of China, the embassy of China in Nigeria, the authors of the handbook and all those who contributed to putting the handbook together.

In his welcome address at the handover ceremony, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Shehu Ahmed, who was represented by Dr. Gidado Mohammed, informed that detection of mycotoxin in agricultural commodities usually leads to rejection, destruction and wastage, which inherently leads to reduced income, loss

of foreign exchange earnings and poor image of the country.

He urged all relevant government agencies, nongovernmental organisations, development partners and other agricultural and food value chain actors to emulate the kind gesture of the Peoples’ Republic of China, so that the book can reach numerous actors in the agricultural and food value chains, with a view to mitigate the mycotoxin menace.

While presenting the handbooks to the Minister, Ambassador of the Peoples’ Republic of China in Nigeria, Pingjian informed that China stands ready to continue the cooperation with the Nigerian government and people to implement the outcome of President Buhari’s visit to China earlier this year. He added that the production/ donation of the handbooks is one of the steps towards assisting Nigeria to achieve her food safety objectives.

The handbook, according to the Coordinating Director, Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service, Dr. Vincent Isegbe, addresses simple ways of identifying and understanding mycotoxin as they affect human lives on daily basis.

The book is also intended to protect human and animal health, enhance agricultural development, facilitate trade and overall improved human and animal health, reduced economic losses and enhance national economic growth and prosperity. The educational handbook was written by Dr. Maimuna Habib of the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service and Dr. Anthony Negedu of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council, both in Abuja.

Mycotoxins are poisonous chemical substances produced naturally by certain strains of some fungal species growing on agricultural and agro-allied commodities, which have been shown to be the number one threat among food contaminants.

NOW EMPLOYED

L-R: Executive Secretary, Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) Mr. Akintunde Oyebode; some of the successful applicants of LSETF, Mrs. Sukurat Modupe Alausa; Mr. Charles Chike Obi and Miss Olayemi Zainab Balogun, during the distribution of Oer Letters to beneďŹ ciaries of the N25billion Employment Trust Fund (ETF) pilot scheme in Lagos‌ recently.

KOLAWOLE ALLI

Ogun Honours IITA, AATF, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for Agric Devt

Chevron Appoints Jeffrey Ewing MD for Nigerian Operation

Crusoe Osagie

Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), operator of the joint venture between the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)and CNL, has announced the appointment of Jeffrey Ewing to the position of chairman and managing director (MD) of Chevron companies in Nigeria, effective January 1, 2017.

Ewing succeeds Clay Neff, who has been named President of Chevron Africa and Latin America Exploration and Production (CALAEP), with effect from January 1, 2017. Ewing, who is currently the Director, Deepwater & Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) for the Nigeria Mid-Africa Business Unit, will be responsible for Chevron’s upstream operations in Nigeria and West Africa in his new position.

According to a statement by the company’s General Manager in charge of Government and Public Affairs, Mr. E.O Brikinn, the new MD joined Chevron in 1985 as a Drilling Representative in New Orleans after graduating from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor’s degree in Petroleum Engineering.

The statement added that since then, he has held numerous technical and management positions of

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation were honoured by the Ogun State Government for their work on agricultural transformation in Ogun State in particular, and Africa in general.

Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibukunle Amosun presented plaques of honour to the three institutions during a courtesy visit to his office. The visit to the governor came at a time when AATF organised a stakeholders’ meeting on cassava mechanisation in Abeokuta, Ogun State. The governor, who sent a delegation to the meeting, also invited the three organisations to his office for further discussion on possible collaboration in agriculture and other developmental areas.

Governor Amosun said the current realities (fall in oil prices and rising unemployment) facing Nigeria underpinned the need for the diversification of the Nigerian economy, emphasising that agriculture was the way to go.

He expressed readiness to further collaborate with the three institutions with the view to unlocking the agricultural

potential of the state especially in areas such as cassava, maize, poultry, and aquaculture.

Dr Audu Grema, who spoke on behalf of the delegation explained the mission of the team to the state and also put in context the work of the Gates Foundation in Nigeria, and Africa in general with regards to agriculture and other sectors.

He thanked the governor for the warm reception and commitment to agriculture and expressed optimism that the team would be willing to partner the state government whenever the opportunity arises.

Located in South-West Nigeria, about one hour from Lagos; Ogun state is one of the states in Nigeria with abundant arable land and mineral resources.

However, like several other states in the country, most of the arable land is untapped and a lot of youths in the state migrate to urban areas in search of white collar jobs which in most cases are not available. Governor Amosun said he intended to reverse the rural-urban migration by making agriculture attractive. “But this can only happen if the state and the country at large adopted mechanisation,� said Claude Fauquet, a Director with the Global Cassava Partnerships for the 21 century.

increasing responsibility in different locations; including Democratic Republic of Congo, Indonesia, Kuwait, Scotland, the United States of America, Venezuela and Nigeria.

Brikinn quoted Neff as saying that Ewing was appointed to the position based on his “demonstrated leadership, breadth of experience and proven ability to build effective relationships with key stakeholders.�

Neff succeeds Ali Moshiri, who is retiring, effective April 1, 2017 per the company’s mandatory retirement policy.

Neff’s appointment was effective January 1, 2017, the San Ramon, Calif.-based company said.

As president of Chevron Africa and Latin America Exploration and Production, Neff will oversee E&P in 15 countries across Africa and Latin America.

He will report to Jay Johnson, the executive vice president for upstream. Neff obtained a bachelor’s degree from Louisiana State University in 1984 and joined Chevron as a drilling engineer in 1985.

At Chevron, he has worked in engineering, operations, commercial and management positions across the US, Angola and Nigeria.

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Why the 2017 Budget is flawed Odilim Enwegbara argues that the 2017 budget is neither expansionary, nor progrowth to take the Nigerian economy out of the recession First, let me tell Mr. President right away that if he hopes to grow the economy out recession in 2017, this budget is not the one to do it. This is because it is not expansionary, pro-investment, pro-growth, and pro-jobs enough to be expected to perform such a magic.

Let us agree that like most recessions, our present recession is not a product of sudden accident. That is why this conviction in sending this economy to the emergency ward does not arise.

Like every recessionary economy, this economy too urgently needs serious restructuring along with unconventional policies, designed to permanently put it on a healthy and sustainable growth path. This has not yet happened because President Muhammadu Buhari is yet to bring together those gifted pro-expansionary Nigerians to begin performing this inevitable economic diversification surgery.

That is why the 2017 budget, with all the good intentions, rather than being an expansionary one, it is a contractionary budget because it is smaller than the 2016. This, we can see comparing the 2016 budget and the 2017’s. A look at the proposed 2017 budget’s N7.298 trillion seems higher than the 2016’s N6.077 trillion in size.

But, then, taking N305 per dollar and over 18 per ent inflation average into consideration against 2016’s N197 per dollar and 16 per cent inflation average, it becomes certain that 2017 budget is smaller. It becomes far less expansionary than the 2016 with N2.24 trillion capital budget at N305 per dollar is only $7.344 billion against N1.8 trillion capital spending at 197 per dollar is $9.137 billion.

No doubting the good news that for the first time since 1999, this is the first time a large portion of government’s fiscal deficit is funded through external borrowing; unlike the usual high domestic borrowings, not minding the cutthroat rates government

Buhari

Also, with our low national debt, why is government not aggressively borrowing externally?

Given how much creditworthy we’re externally, shouldn’t we be comfortably borrowing as high as 60 per ent of our GDP externally?

At about two per cent and 25 years maturity, external debts are not only far cheaper, concessionary and easy to refinance than domestic debts.

Also not crowding out real sector firms from the domestic debt market makes most domestic liquidity cheaply available at low interest rates

contended with. But what should have been the justifications for government borrowing domestically that between 2013 and 2016 we borrowed N2.721 trillion against N900 billion external borrowing.

No doubt, the 2017 budget’s N2.36 trillion deficit having N1.067 trillion (46 per cent) external borrowing is a reverse from the past where externally borrowing accounted for less than five per cent (in some cases 0 per cent),which is a welcome development.

But, then, with close 40 per cent government revenues spent mostly on domestic debt service — and N1.66 trillion this year alone, what other solutions do we have than quantitative easing (QE), printing enough naira to buy back our domestic debts? Or is it not called domestic debt so that when overwhelmed in serving it, government prints the same local currency to settle it?

Why opposing QE, when as far back as 1864, President Abraham Lincoln instructed his treasury secretary Portland Chase to print $480 million (greenbacks) and use it to settle America’s huge civil war debt? And from 2009 and 2013 Obama instructed Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke to print $4tn and use it to buy back corporate debts; and EU recently used QE to inject trillions of euro into the economy paying off the Greece’s and other poor members’ domestic debts?

The false use of inflation to fiercely oppose QE, coming from the same local debt holders (mostly banks) and their top government counterparts (mostly CBN, finance ministry and DMO) — the same beneficiaries of the trillions spent on domestic debt — is understandable.

What they are never discussing is that the same inflation is mostly imported since we import over 95 per cent of all our consumption.

But are we increasing inflation by increasing

the cost of borrowing? Or can we reduce inflation without first reducing the cost of doing business which starts with reducing our huge infrastructure deficits? And should by paying off our huge domestic debts the trillions saved should then be channeled into infrastructure spending?

Also, with our low national debt, why is government not aggressively borrowing externally? Given how much creditworthy we’re externally, shouldn’t we be comfortably borrowing as high as 60 per ent of our GDP externally? At about two per cent and 25 years maturity, external debts are not only far cheaper, concessionary and easy to refinance than domestic debts. Also not crowding out real sector firms from the domestic debt market makes most domestic liquidity cheaply available at low interest rates.

Another important flaw in the 2017 proposed budget is the fact that most government departments and agencies have been operating without board of directors. With this, it is most unlikely that the National Assembly will entertain their respective budgetary spending.

This is because the law clearly states that the budget estimates of all government departments and agencies should pass through their respective board of directors, who should approved them before they get to the National Assembly for final scrutiny and approval.

Given that the boards of most of these departments and agencies disbanded July 2015

by President Buhari are yet to be reconstituted, then, question the respective committees of both the Senate and the House should be asking them when they come to defend their respective budgets is: which board directors approved their budget estimates before they were submitted to the National Assembly?

The follow-up question also becomes: which board of directors will make sure that the appropriated funds in the 2017 budget are properly spent?

The announcement that with effect from January 2017 the federal government will stop meeting its joint venture cash-calls obligations raises a red flag. That red flag is, shouldn’t this cessation amount to withdrawing from the joint venture partnership which in other words means handing our shares in these joint ventures to the IOCs? If this is not backdoor and fraudulent sell-off of our joint venture shares for peanuts, then, what else should be?

Setting the record straight and ensuring that this doesn’t mean the much feared backdoor privatization of important national assets, the National Assembly should put a hold on this. The respective committees should invite both the petroleum minister of state and the group managing director of NNPC to a public hearing to explain to Nigerians why such a decision shouldn’t be short-changing the country.

In the case of CBN’s exchange rate policy, the use of this policy to defraud the three tiers of government in the 2016 should not be allowed to also happen in the 2017 budget. In the 2016 budget, N197 was the official exchanged rate per dollar. But by June 2016 — barely a month the 2016 was signed into law — the CBN floated the naira by allowing market forces determine the actual value of the naira.

With this, the naira nosedived, quickly reaching N300 per dollar in the interbank forex market. The CBN refused to allow the same market forces determine the official exchange rate. By handing the three tiers of government N197 per dollar when at the interbank market, N300, the CBN defrauded them N103 per dollar.

At N305 official rate, what happens if in 2017 the rate becomes N450 per dollar?

Should that means that rather than giving the three tiers of government their extra N145 per dollar, the CBN will also defraud these cash-strapped tiers of government the extra revenues they badly need?

Making sure this fraud is not continued in 2017, the state governors should, during the next national economic council, insist on either having been handed their own share in dollars so that they go to the interbank market to change it into naira, or during every Federal Account Allocation Committee meeting, the prevailing interbank forex rate is used in CBN’s monetization.

Another flaw in the 2017 proposed budget is the fact that price of oil is benchmarked at $42.50 per barrel.

It is important to fully interrogate this because at a time of recession like this, all avenues to increase government revenues should be stretched as far as they can go.

My insistence that benchmarking oil price at $42.50 per barrel should be increased to $50 per barrel is based on the fact that in 2017 oil price should be expected to rise as high as $65 per barrel.

My reasons are obvious.

First, one reason Putin supported Trump in 2016 presidential election is for him to help reverse oil prices upward, possibly close to what it was in 2013 before the US-led west to punish Russia for invading Ukraine manipulated it down. And that Trump is signalling to do that is explained by appointing Mr. Rex Tillerson, the ExxonMobil CEO as his Secretary of State.

Second, like Putin, Trump too would like to see oil prices upward for the simple reason that high oil prices is needed if his government should be able to raise the trillions of dollars to be injected into improving America’s infrastructure. It is a welcome development because if huge American infrastructure spending happens, that would result in a global economic growth.

- Enwegbara, a development economist and chairman at PADCC can be reached at basil_enwegbara@yahoo.com

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T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2017

PROPERTY & ENVIRONMENT GEF-UNDP Biodiversity Initiative Records Major Success in Niger Delta The loss of flora/plant and fauna/animal species from human activities in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria is capable of being regenerated and this is exactly what the Niger Delta Biodiversity Conservation Project (NDBP) sets out to achieve. The communities where the demonstration projects are located obviously understand their benefits and are mainstreaming them into their existence and livelihoods. Bennett Oghifo reports

Sclater’s guenon

T

he Niger Delta Biodiversity Conservation Project (NDBP) is a five-year biodiversity conservation programme within the Niger Delta. The programme is being implemented by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with the support of Ministries of Environment within the implementing States, non-Governmental Organisations and the participating communities.

The main aim of the project is to enhance cooperation between the Government, the Oil and Gas industry and local communities within the Niger Delta in building and piloting new biodiversity action planning tools for proactive biodiversity management in the Niger Delta region.

In order to meet this objective, a set of activities were carried out, and among them is the implementation of Community Biodiversity Action Plan (CBAP) which started in 2014 within the participating Niger Delta States Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers State.

Communities and their projects…

Just before Christmas, last year, a group of journalists undertook a tour of these biodiversity conservation projects in the participating Niger Delta states- Akwa Ibom, Rivers, and Delta.

Community Forest of Ikot Uso Akpan Itam, Itu...

The tour began in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, in the Community Forest of Ikot Uso Akpan

Itam, Itu that is being regenerated through the project for the conservation of specie of Monkeys endemic to Nigeria, known as Sclater’s Guenon.

The council of elders, led by the village Head, Chief Asuquo Simon said the Ikot Uso Akpan community has high regard for these primates, stating that it is the only habitat Sclater’s guenon in Akwa Ibom State.

Hunting of the animals is prohibited because they are sacred to the community.

“We call the Monkeys the ‘First Daughter’ of Itam- Awa Itam.

The Monkeys give us pride; they make us bold to tell people in the world that we are the only community that owns everything because our Monkeys stay on top of every animal on the ground. Monkeys that are seen in surrounding communities are from our community and at the end of the day, they usually return to their home in our forest where they are safe. This is the only community that conserves the plants – the trees, fruits that these Monkeys eat. We thank the UNDP that gave us money to plant these trees- we have done it and the fruit trees grow very well and very soon the Monkeys will start eating the fruits.”

Monkeys have made their community popular, and there is cordial relationship between them and members of the community, saying that the primates mimic their women when they knead ropes, said Chief Asuquo, who had with him Chief Effiong Etok, Chairman; Kingsley Nkutt; and Elder Oku Elapa, as well as youths and women,

who later danced for their guests.

The women leader confirmed the village Head’s assertion, stating that the Monkeys are friendly and do not cause them any harm. “We see the Monkeys as our sisters and brothers.

They chase away other animals, particularly Grass cutters from destroying our crops.”

The project’s team leader, Dr. Dore advised the community leaders to take their Monkey conservation initiative a step further by putting their mascot at the airport in Uyo. “This community should declare a Sclater’s guenon Conservation Day, a day set aside to mark the conservation efforts of this community; when lovers of the primates and those who want to associate with them would come and celebrate them. It should be called Sclater’s guenon Day.” Dore urged them to consider his suggestion, adding “The Minister of Information and Tourism is looking for such ventures and story-types. So, you should be able to talk about it early enough. The beginning of the Sclater’s guenon Conservation Day may not be glamourous but gradually it will become renowned.”

Eket forest conservation...

The team was received by the Village Head, Odoro Enen Akaiedoholdua in Eket Local Government Area, His Highness, Chief Enodien, who is the custodian of the community’s forest.

It was late in the evening and the team had to get to the forest early and leave before it becomes dark. The forest is 16.5 hectares, as surveyed by the community, and it is very

rich in biodiversity.

The guide, whose voice is almost drowned by forest sound, said the forest is the home of the community’s deity. “People don’t just come here and do whatever they like and so when we came here we realized that some exploitation was going on somewhere and we talked to those involved. Apart from being a sacred forest it is also a community forest that can be exploited rationally and preserved for posterity. We embarked on enrichment planting wherever there was opening in the forest; we used new seedlings.”

Before then, the team was at a forest where Georgie Environmental Conservation Services did a regeneration project. It moved on to Mogho community in Ogoniland of Rivers State and to two other forests in Port Harcourt.

The journey moved west thereafter to Abraka in Delta State, through Ughelli to the source of the glassy River Ethiope at Umuaja. The expected stop in Bayelsa State was aborted by security reports. Regardless, there were updates about the project there from the Niger Delta Biodiversity Conservation Project Coordinator, Dr. Mathew Dore, who led the tour.

In this year and age in Nigeria, it is grossly inconceivable for anyone to forage in the forest for their livelihood like in the early age. This sums up the thought process of Niger Delta Biodiversity Conservation Project Coordinator on the deforestation that is leading to the loss of indigenous flora and fauna in the Niger Delta area of the country.

The regeneration is being done with indigenous species alone, said Dore.

29

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2017

PROPERTY & ENVIRONMENT

Sun Heaven Hotel Berths an Architectural Masterpiece in Asokoro Bennett Oghifo Sun Heaven Hotels and Resort, fast-growing hotel chain, has unveiled a newly-built luxury boutique hotel in upscale Asokoro area of Abuja.

The new hotel is an architectural masterpiece, housing 25 cozy serene, deluxe and luxury suites, a restaurant serving mouth-watering continental and local dishes, a well-stocked bar, a conference room with adjourning meeting rooms, a standard swimming pool and an in-house gym among other facilities.

The ultra-modern exclusive facility is tastefully finished and furnished to meet worldclass standards of business and leisure guests. It was inaugurated recently at an event attended by members of the diplomatic community, corporate executives, businessmen and top government functionaries.

The stay of guests at this landmark facility is designed to remain memorable and evergreen; from the ambience of the location and a warm reception from the immaculately

dressed doorman in addition to a refreshing drink to usher in guests and coupled with the uninterrupted high-speed complimentary WI-Fi access.

All these and many more, make Sun Heaven, indeed a home away from home for people that appreciate special treat.

According to the United Kingdom (UK)-born Managing Director of the hotel, Michael Pinder, the new hotel located in Asokoro is borne out of the need to have a one-stop hospitality facility that will meet the expectation of guests across board in the Federal Capital Territory.

The veteran hotel expert said, “The success stories of all our facilities including Lagos has been the driving spirit in expanding our reach and scope as we continue to offer exceptional and personalised services to our existing and potential esteemed guests.

“Our target is to have six facilities running and providing unbeatable services by the end of 2017.

“We are working endlessly to complete our signature

Sun Heaven’s delux room

facility at Ikoyi, Lagos, which consists of 80 bedrooms,” he concluded.

With the inauguration of Sun Heaven Hotel, Asokoro, a bumper discount package was

introduced by the management of the hotel giving guests a 10 percent discount on all

categories of room plus a complimentary drink on arrival.

El-Salem Dazzles at London Key Drivers of Change Series (1): Land Reform ity. And labour, for instance, sit as lords of the manor and it has given to western societHousing Show Tunji Olaopa automatically becomes the focus collect revenues accruing from ies? His answer: third world Nigerians living in the United Kingdom had a joyful experience recently, when leading property developer, El-Salem Homes International and the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry put on display in London the magnificent Abuja property market.

The well-attended event tagged, Abuja Housing & Investment Road Show UK was coordinated by housing NGO, Shelter Rights Awareness Initiative.

The event, which held at the Hilton London Tower Bridge Hotel; 5, More London Place, Tooley Street, London on Saturday, December 3, 2016, was designed to enable Diaspora Nigerians in the UK to see investment opportunities in Abuja and to own a home back home in Abuja or in any part of Nigeria, even though they still resided in the UK. An enthused Nigerian High Commissioner in London, His Excellency, Mr. Adah Simon Ogah, described the event as a great initiative, adding that the issue of housing development was critical to human and national development.

He emphasised on the need to always maintain standards and to put in place a robust management to maintain houses in estates.

The High Commissioner also called on property developers to emulate the El-Salem Group in delivering high quality and affordable housing for Nigerians.

In his address, Chairman, El-Salem Group, Mr. Ben Gbade Ojo, highlighted the strategic importance of Abuja to Nigeria and Africa and said it was to ensure that Diaspora Nigerians are not left behind in the ongoing rush to buy homes in Abuja and also to ensure that they buy on favourable terms that the event was organised.

“Diaspora Nigerians must begin to plan ahead for their return to the motherland to contribute to the development of Nigeria.

For, as it is usually said, “East or West, Home is the Best”. So, even as we excel in our various professions abroad, we must not relent in ensuring that we plan for our future return to Nigeria by building or purchasing a home in Nigeria now”, Mr. Ojo said.

He pointed out that the current economic recession makes it much easier and cheaper to buy a home in Nigeria now as the foreign exchange rate is now in favour of Nigerians in the Diaspora.

He further emphasised that “there is no better time to build or buy a home in Nigeria than now.

“Homes purchased in Nigeria now can be rented out or leased out to generate a steady flow of income until whenever the owner returns to Nigeria.

The generated income can be used to take care of dependants in Nigeria, start-up businesses or saved for future use,” the El-Salem chairman said.

He later made a power-point presentation of a portfolio of exquisite estates developed in Abuja and other parts of Nigeria by the award-winning El-Salem Group which currently holds the Most Outstanding Estate Developer in Abuja award. One of the estates he presented was the beautiful and magnificent Sam Nujoma Housing Estate in Galadimawa District, Abuja; a luxury estate currently being developed by the El-Salem Group.

The theme of the event was “Creating Enduring Wealth through Home Ownership and Investments in Abuja.”

This piece commences a series on policy discourse which the Ibadan School of Government and Policy (ISGPP) lines up through its 2017 flagship programmes; Seminar Series, Book Reading Events, Policy Dialogue, etc. Apart from Land Reform, other topics that will feature would include among others, Internet Policy and Governance, Youth Unemployment, Public Service Reform, Unraveling the Fundamental Gaps in FGN Growth and Recovery Strategy and Budgeting, Getting Governments into the art of Strategic and Development Communication, etc.

In the popular discussion of the elements that serves as the condition for national development in Nigeria, there is often a deserved focus on socioeconomic issues and ideas relating to infrastructure, capital utilization, power, human capital development, and other economic dynamics we could regard as constituting major development framework tried and tested everywhere around the world. The issue of national development is a multidimensional matrix around which the progress of any nation is calibrated.

And very often, attention is usually directed at other factors of production—capital, labour, and entrepreneurship—except land. The critical nature of land as a significant factor in national development is not a popular topic for discussion.

The transformation of the development profile in Nigeria is often hinged around a paradigm shift in productivity.

I have equally written a lot on the imperative of recalibrating Nigeria’s productivity paradigm through the reform of the public service institution. Productivity, for instance, is often stalled when government invest enormous cost on administrative activities without requisite returns in terms of productiv-

of such increased productivity.

The bloated nature of the public service in Nigeria has remained a source of concern for many successive governments as well as reformers and scholars of public administration. Yet, there are only few reformers who have staked their reputations on the transformation of existing legal architecture concerning land use in Nigeria.

That land has not received the deserved attention it deserves as a critical element in national development is best demonstrated by Nigeria’s stubborn fixation with the Land Use Act of 1978, and the political intrigues that have stalled any serious attempt at connecting the dots between the legislative intelligence that went into the crafting of the Land Use Act thirty eight years ago and the exigencies of development that confront Nigeria in the twenty first century. Land use in Nigeria is enmeshed in a lot of factors, beginning from the principle of primogeniture down to the idea of kinship. While the modern state in Nigeria exercises immense control over most dimensions of people’s lives, land use in Nigeria is still essentially a community and customary affairs. More than this, land use in Nigeria has been integrated within the dynamics of political economy and the struggle for socioeconomic relevance that dictates how, for instance, the state governors in Nigeria have been reacting to proposed amendments of the Land Use Act in consonance with the imperatives of socioeconomic development.

At a superficial level, it is very easy to be incensed at the continued existence of an Act, since 1978, which contradicts all essential lessons of land use everywhere on the globe.

It is even very easy, but more frustrating, to interpret the governors as mere political obstacles who are content to

the exiting state of land use in Nigeria. One’s frustration will definitely be compounded with the awareness that in the Ease of Doing Business Index for 2016, Nigeria is 169 out of 190! However, no matter how frustrated one might be, there is a need to see the big picture in order to be able to achieve a composite understanding of what is on ground and what needs to be done.

The Land Use Act and all the political drama that has attended its proposed amendments fall squarely within the ambit of a lopsided federalism with a unitary intent. The promulgation of the Land Use Act undermines the very spirit of federalism because the Act is a federal law which overrides any peculiar customary or legal dynamics existing within the states. In a true federal situation, land belongs with the local communities, and hence with the state governments. In this context therefore, the reluctance of the state governments to actively get involved in the amendment of the Act should be seen as one of the fallouts of a controlled reaction against a “federal” legislation which has consigned all sources of revenue to an exclusive constitutional list. The Land Use Act ought to be on the concurrent list which permits some levels of flexibility in the relationship between the government at the federal and state levels.

Such a structural hindrance to the insertion of land use into the socioeconomic calculation of national development in Nigeria has even a bigger implications.

In The Mystery of Capital (2000), Hernando de Soto, the Peruvian economist, explores the question why capitalism is triumphal everywhere else in the West but its development charm has so far failed to rub off on the third world. Why, that is, has capitalism failed to deliver the kind of development wealth

countries have all that it takes to reproduce the trappings of capitalism, but they lack the most essential requirement in capitalism—capital. According to de Soto, the non-Western societies may have huge resources, but they mostly “hold these resources in defective forms.”

One example he gives is relevant to our discussion on land. In most third world societies: “houses built on land whose ownership rights are not adequately recorded, unincorporated businesses with undefined liability, industries located where financiers and investors cannot see them.” When, as is the case with Nigeria’s knotty land use dynamics, lands are not properly documented, then they cannot be turned into capital for investment and other purposes. Elsewhere, a house on a parcel of land together constitutes a huge investment capital for the owner because the government has already mapped out the procedural requisites for purchasing, leasing or owning lands.

It becomes immediately obvious to the discerning that the achievement of capital for development purpose requires sustainable institutional capability and capacitation. I remember that in his autobiography, Prof.

Akin Mabogunje dedicated a chapter to his concern about the land reform in Nigeria.

He narrated the enthusiasm with which the late President Yar’Adua inaugurated the committee on land reform and how that led to the establishment of a larger commission that was to take up the herculean task of a cadastral mapping and registration of all lands in Nigeria.

Dr. Olaopa is Executive ViceChairman, Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy (ISGPP) Email:tolaopa2003@ gmail.com tolaopa@isgpp.com.ng

30

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2017

PROPERTY NEWS

Reps Works Committee Commends Umahi on Management of Federal Roads The House of Representatives Committee on Works has lauded the Ebonyi State Government for complying with standards in the construction of federal roads in the state.

The committee made the commendation when its members, led by Toby Okechukwu inspected the Nkalagu-Ehamufu Road, Abakaliki-Afikpo Road and the Amasiri-Okposi-Uburu Road, which are being reconstructed by the Governor David Umahi-led administration.

The inspection by the committee is a part of their oversight function on Federal Government roads in the states of the federation. Okechukwu told journalists that what they had seen was a clear manifestation that the Ebonyi State Government had enormous capacity to improve road infrastructure.

“Seeing is believing. I think the efforts of Ebonyi State Government is manifestingly clear. The quality of work and strategic nature of the investment on infrastructure, very good. I believe what they are doing is futuristic. And that is expected because, His Excellency is an engineer, so he knows what will last,” he said.

The chairman assured that the committee would make recommendations to the Federal Ministry of Works for refund of monies expended by the state government on the federal roads based on verifiable evidence.

The lawmaker also pledged to make recommendations for the

inclusion in next year’s budget, the second section of ObolaforNkalagu-Ehamufu-Ikem Road to alleviate the suffering of motorists and transporters.

Hon. Okechukwu said the team was encouraged by the massive investment of the Ebonyi State Government on projects that were futuristic and strategic. He specifically mentioned the three flyovers and other road projects going on in the state.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Works and Transport, Engr.

Fidelis Nweze, who conducted the committee members round the road projects, had appealed to the Federal Government to show its presence in the state by constructing more federal roads and refunding the state about 75 per cent of its resources invested on federal roads.

The commissioner listed the federal roads receiving attention from the state government as the Nkalagu-Ehamufu Road, Abakaliki-Afikpo Road Amasiri-Okposi-Uburu Road and Amasiri-Ngudu Edda Road.

He told the committee that all efforts were geared towards the completion of the roads before March 2017.

“We are doing these because we cannot allow our people to continue to suffer because we have federal roads. I am appealing to you sir, to tell our brothers over there to look into Ebonyi State and come to our rescue on federal projects and road construction.”

Umahi condoles with Udom...

Meanwhile, the Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi has described as calamity, the collapse of a church building in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State in which scores of people were killed. Umahi, in statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Emma Anya, said he put a phone call across to Governor Emmanuel Udom shortly after the incident

occurred on Saturday.

“My heart is heavy. I feel so terribly sad over this calamity.

My heart is with my brother governor, who escaped death by the whiskers. My heart is also with the families of those who lost their loved ones to the incident. My heart is with the entire people of Akwa Ibom State. All Ebonyians share their pains,” he said in the statement.

He prayed for the repose

of the souls of the deceased and for quick recovery of those injured.

Umahi used the opportunity to call for stricter rules guiding building constructions, saying now was the time for Nigeria to have a workable national building code.

“I also feel that the time has come for the Nigerian Institute of Building, the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners,

Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers and other relevant professional bodies to buckle up and effectively monitor the activities of their members,” he advised.

Nigeria, according to the Governor, “has lost too many lives to building collapse and this latest one in Uyo is way too much. A stop must be put to this.”

R-L: Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare; Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr. Adeyemi Saliu and a guest at the state’s Parks and Gardens launch... recently

Stakeholders Advise Better Towards a Viable and Robust Energy Market in the West African, Tracking of Biodiversity-Related ECOWAS Region Development Finance Adeola Adebiyi Stakeholders at the on-going UN Biodiversity Conference in Cancun, Mexico has advised the global community to institute better tracking of biodiversityrelated development finance.

Presented by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), this workshop, moderated by Gabriela Blatter, Federal Office of Environment, Switzerland, engaged participants in discussing current methods of tracking biodiversity-related financing.

Markus Lehmann, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Secretariat, highlighted the challenges faced by parties in meeting the financial mobilization targets, noting that mainstreaming biodiversity into all sectors makes financial reporting difficult, and pointed to the additional challenge on reporting private assistance.

In the first session, on approaches to tracking biodiversityrelated development finance, Galina Alova, OECD, presented the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) Creditor Reporting System (CRS) used to monitor development finance targeting the three Rio Conventions. She described the Rio Markers, which are used to capture data to track financing of Rio Conventions’-related activities and goals. She reported bilateral biodiversity-related official development assistance (ODA) of US$8.7 billion in 2014-2015, with the top five contributors being Germany,

the US, Japan, France and the EU. In a brief discussion, participants noted difficulties in ensuring data consistency due to the qualitative nature of the Rio Marker.

Luis Antonio Sánchez Perales, Ministry of Environment, Peru, spoke about his country’s approach to tracking biodiversity-related expenditure, stressing that “we must know how much goes to salaries and how much goes to trees and birds.” He presented an online platform where data on both public and private expenditure for biodiversity-related finance can be tracked, noting that an average of US$500 million was spent between 2010 and 2014 on waste management, waste water treatment and in situ conservation of potato breeds.

Bart Missinne, European Commission (EC), highlighted that the EU’s strategy for “biodiversity-proof” development cooperation must ensure that biodiversity is considered in: strategic environmental assessments, to identify and prevent undesired side effects of development projects on biodiversity, and through mitigation measures from development projects; and sector-wide planning, such as for health and infrastructure projects. He demonstrated how the EU has doubled total biodiversity-related ODA to developing countries by 116% against a baseline of average spending from 2006-2010.

Despite the complexities of their development, regional energy markets provide an opportunity to take advantage of economies of scale, reduce overall cost of energy, leverage technologies and rally international and domestic investments by expanding market size.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region, comprised of 15 West African countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo), boasts an abundance of energy resources (both conventional and renewable), yet the region is characterized by low electricity access. Electricity consumption levels are also very low in the region (150 kWh per annum). Moreover, access rates vary greatly from country to country and range from as low as 9% to more than 90%. The region’s power sector, which is comprised mainly of isolated national systems, proves inadequate in meeting rising electricity demand.

These are some of the reasons that have led to the establishment of specific energy institutions in the ECOWAS region, such as: the West Africa Power Pool (WAPP), the ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERERA), the West Africa Gas Pipeline Authority (WAGPA) and the

ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE). These institutions work together to ensure that the region achieves regional energy integration and cooperation.

These institutions, together with international partners, civil society and the private sector, got together for the maiden edition of the ECOWAS Sustainable Energy Week, which took place from 17-19 October 2016, in Accra, Ghana. The Week, which was supported by the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC), the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), focused on how the region can forge ahead with the establishment of a sustainable robust and viable regional energy market. Discussions not only highlighted the historical efforts of the ECOWAS on regional energy integration, but also took stock of the current status of the regional electricity market.

Through the West African Power pool agency, ECOWAS has developed the ECOWAS Generation and transmission master plan, to promote the exchange of electricity among the 14 inland ECOWAS States.

For its part, ECREEE seeks to take advantage of the potential of the abundant renewable energy resources in the region and is developing the West Africa Clean Energy Corridor (WACEC) in cooperation with the International Renewable

Energy Agency (IRENA).

ECREEE is currently focusing on developing a 2 GW solar corridor. Efforts are well advanced in identifying the projects that will form part of the solar Corridor. The measures currently being taken include: zoning and resource assessment; country and regional planning; the development of enabling frameworks for investment; capacity building and awareness raising; and the promotion of political support.

One of the main messages from the ECOWAS Sustainable Energy Week was that “ECOWAS member States have set their mind to develop a single robust regional energy market to pool regional energy resources together to increase access to modern and sustainable energy services for its citizens.” This market must also be designed to increase the share of renewable energy to take full advantage of the region’s potential and shift away from environmental polluting resources and technologies, such as coal and diesel oil. The market must also be guided by best practice rules that foster power exchange across borders.

Cross border cooperation for energy is not new. In fact, the ECOWAS Energy Protocol is modeled after the European Energy Charter Treaty. The Protocol, which was signed in December 2003 by ECOWAS Heads of State, seeks the swift elimination of cross-border barriers to trade in energy.

Going forward, all the re-

gional entities (WAPP, WAGPA, ECREEE and ERERA) have shown a commitment to the Protocol and to the development of the single market. All four entities are actively engaged in fulfilling their part through a number of regional actions.

For its part, ERERA will have to harmonize market rules that free cross border trade of energy. The WAPP is tasked to scale up the planning and construction of interconnection infrastructure, as well as the control and commercialization of cross-border electricity exchanges, while ECREEE is to ensure a significant increase in renewable energy in the overall power pool.

Overall, there is consensus that the inter-connection of national power grids, the development of a regional power pool, as well as other regional infrastructure will go a long way in achieving the energy delivery objectives of the region. All stakeholders, including the ECOWAS member’s States, are looking forward to the next edition of the ECOWAS Sustainable Energy Week when real concrete progress would have been made. In the words of John Jinapor, Deputy Minister for Power of Ghana, “the establishment of the West African energy market is long overdue.”

Adebiyi is Project Officer, Sustainable Energy Policy and Climate Change, ECREEE (Source: AfricanSD

31

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2017

PROPERTY NEWS

Stakeholders Brainstorm on Easy Access to Clean Cooking Energy for All Fadekemi Ajakaiye The Federal Ministry of Environment, in partnership with the Nigerian Alliance for Clean Cookstoves organised the Nigeria Clean Cooking Forum 2016.

The event, which held in Abuja, was an opportunity to review existing policies and programmes on cooking energy, take stock of lessons learned, proffer gaps to be filled and opportunities to be accessed in the clean cooking industry.

It has been determined that Nigerians suffer a “silent” energy crisis – poor access to clean cooking energy. “Over 20 million households and about 122 million Nigerians depend on primarily wood as a source of fuel for cooking.

This is despite the abundance of modern cooking energy sources including natural gas.”

According to the WHO report on use of fuelwood, traditional use of firewood is estimated to cause 95,000 deaths annually in Nigeria. After malaria and HIV/ AIDS, this is Nigeria’s third highest killer of mostly women and children. The traditional cooking method is expensive, burning up to 90% more wood than is necessary and costing poor families money that could be put to better use on education, health and nutrition. Even though the country is one of the world’s largest exporters of LPG, most Nigerian households rely on firewood for cooking

The cooking energy poverty is felt most among persons who are affected by internal and external crisis such as refugees and internally displaced persons. In North East Nigeria, persons displaced by the Boko Haram crisis are facing severe challenges in meeting their basic needs including access to cooking energy and fuels.

Fetching of firewood around camps and host communities lead to conflicts and increase the chances of gender based violence against women. Both boys and girls spend time that could be used for education in fetching wood for family cooking.

Christine K, Chairperson Steering Committee of the Nigerian Alliance for Clean Cookstoves said, “Typical camps for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) are characterized by lack of opportunities for employment and meaningful livelihood. This contributes to youth restiveness and tension.

Adopting alternative fuels and energy technologies can create jobs for IDPS, especially women and youths. The use of clean and efficient cookstoves also reduces the risks of physical and sexual attacks faced by IDP women,” she concluded.

The Minister for Environment, Amina Mohammed, stated that her ministry was pleased to host the Nigeria Clean Cooking Forum in partnership with the Nigerian Alliance for Clean Cookstoves.

The Forum was conceived as a result of the need to expand access to clean cooking energy in the country. She reminded the audience that climate change presents a growing challenge to both men and women. Its negative effects are likely to hit the poorest people in the rural parts of Nigeria which women constitute a major part of. This is even more urgent particularly in rural areas where resources are scarce and the ability to cope is lower than in the urban areas.

The Minister also brought to the attention that IDPs and refugees suffer the most energy poverty in Nigeria. She stated that in order to facilitate the displaced communities’ return home or to settle down where they wish to, providing access to energy will be a key element among the range of enabling

measures.

The President of the Senate, represented by Senator Philip Aduda, Senate Minority Whip, in his keynote address pledged the willingness and readiness of the National Assembly to support and pass laws that will promote clean cooking in the country. In this connection, support to provision of a strong value chain for efficient and clean cookstoves and fuels were mentioned. All these will be in line with the “Made in Nigeria” campaign. He concluded by stating that “the Senate will work with the Federal Ministry of Environment to ensure the provision of budgetary allocations for the clean cookstoves sector in Nigeria in the 2017 budget.”

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of State for Petroleum, Ms. Brenda Ataga, SA

(downstream) in her address at the Forum, stated that “in furtherance of the government’s efforts to promote clean cooking, the administration is working on a national gas policy to enhance quick adoption of LPG as a choice fuel for cooking in the country” In line with this, the Executive Vice Chairperson, Mrs. Nkechi Obi, Techno oil Ltd mentioned that the company is about to launch an ultra-modern cylinder production plant to make LPG more affordable and accessible. In addition, a coastal LPG terminal of 15000MT will be commissioned by next year.

Mr. Dayo Adeshina, president, NLPG Association alerted on need to tackle the challenges of affordability, availability, accessibility and acceptability in rolling out LPG on a mass scale.

The Managing Director of

Shell, Osagie Osunbor, represented by Igo Weli, General Manager External Relations remarked that “Shell is doing a lot in the clean cookstoves sector by partnering with the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves in ensuring that cleaner and safer fuels are available in the country.” He emphasized the need for a strong collaboration with the federal government and legislative arm to deliver clean cooking energy in Nigeria.

Furthermore, the British High Commissioner, H.E Paul Arkwright commended the Nigerian Alliance for clean cookstoves and the Federal Ministry of Environment for the good initiative and reemphasized the need to find appropriate solutions that works for Nigerian in terms of affordability, financing and so on.

value ascribed to their ‘Bingo’ is certainly of a different kind than what we as Nigerians are used to.

It doesn’t need a detective or diviner to prove that there is an inherent pride in the citizenry of these nations – a pride that has come from an understanding that today is an incontrovertible result of the jigsaw puzzle that was the turbulence, inventions and personal and ideological struggles of yesterday which will continue in an unending cycle to make our tomorrow.

Their pride comes from knowing, appreciating, understanding, learning from their indelible and valued past – their history. And because the item, place, relic or dance routine (for example) is passionately valued locally and outwardly valued too, visitors from far and wide come curious to know wherein lies the reason for the value?

This is an appetite that is very rarely sated – it feeds off the locals pride and so there is always another place to visit, another anecdote to hear, another fact about an amazing people that enhances our appreciation of where these people are as a nation and where they are headed. It’s a national sort of pride.

Nigeria hasn’t got it yet. Maybe it never will.

What exactly is our present situation?

Despite being a UNESCO World Heritage site, the 14kmlong defensive city walls in Kano known as Kofar Na’isa which were completed mid-14th century were demolished in 2010.

The 161-year old Afro-Brazilian style Olaiya House at Tinubu Square, Lagos popularly known as the Ilojo Bar was reduced to rubble on September 11th again despite its listed status. As if we hadn’t had enough trauma, more recently the famous JK Randle Hall and its ancillary buildings were demolished later that same month. Are we not in a state of crisis? How much more of our built heritage will disappear in the next year? It is extremely important to create the awareness of what our valued heritage is amongst Nigerians, especially the upcoming generation. Legacy (a not-for-profit group involved in the conservation of Nigeria’s architectural heritage) is a role model in this regard and I can only commend most sincerely, its efforts in creating innovative fora at which our creation stories can be told in different easy-toappreciate formats such as in the pictorial form of Dimeji Coker’s recent superb monochrome photographic exhibition, Ile.

Six Environmental Leaders Receive Champions of Earth Award Six inspirational environmental leaders, representing government, research and grassroots action have received the United Nations’ highest environmental accolade, the Champions of the Earth award, during a global conference on biological diversity in Cancún, Mexico.

The annual award recognizes outstanding figures from the public and private sectors and from civil society whose actions have had a significant positive impact on the environment.

From an indigenous activist killed for protecting the environment, to the world’s largest beach clean-up organizer, this year’s awards recognize bold visionaries who confront the defining challenges of our generation, such as climate change, marine litter and the depletion of natural resources.

Each of the laureates, in different ways, shows how shifting the world onto a path that is low-carbon, efficient, inclusive, and socially, economically and environmentally sustainable is not only possible, but already in progress.

The 2016 winners are: For Policy Leadership: H.E. Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda, for outstanding leadership in fighting climate change and in national environmental action.

For Science and Innovation: Leyla Acaroglu, founder of Disrupt Design, New York, Eco Innovators, Melbourne, and UnSchool, for dedication to positive change through design, innovation, communication and

human connection.

For Entrepreneurial Vision: Masen - the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy, for its commitment to advancing solar power, making solar energy affordable and innovative approaches to green financing.

For Inspiration and Action: Afroz Shah, for outstanding leadership and initiative in mobilizing large-scale public support to remove 3000 tonnes of litter from Versova beach in Mumbai. Berta Cáceres, recognized posthumously for her tireless campaign for the rights of indigenous people in Honduras and the protection of their natural environment.

Lifetime Achievement Award: José Sarukhán Kermez, for a lifetime of leadership and innovation in the conservation of biodiversity in Mexico and around the world.

The head of UN Environment Erik Solheim said: “All around the world, we have seen significant efforts to translate last year’s historic sustainable development agreements into action, from the ratification of the Paris Agreement on climate change and the New Urban Agenda to the intensifying of efforts to combat illegal wildlife trafficking.

“But governments know they cannot do it alone, and this year’s Champions have demonstrated the vision and engagement needed at all levels to improve our stewardship of the planet, to develop it sustainably, and secure the prosperity of all of its people.”

The Olaiya House Photo: courtesy Unilag Architects Alumni

Now That We Have Forgotten Bisi Olumide 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington DC Buckingham Palace, London Eiffel Tower, Paris Robben Island, Cape Town A visit to any of these cities would be incomplete without a whistle-stop and an opportunity of a selfie at one landmark location, at the very least.

But why are these places important in today’s hyperspeed gigabyte and terabyte social-media-meanseverything global-village world? Simply because to the nations that these edifices belong, they represent a significant aspect – time, event, personality, achievement – of the development of that nation.

Note that I have chosen to use the word nation as the term country does no justice in this context. In other words, the heritage of these nations which has been a long time in formation, is a critical part of the journey to where they are now. Their today couldn’t have happened without their several yesterdays. And they are proud to say so. Proud to remember their past and determined to make it a reference point that shows their progress in all aspects of life as a people.

Acknowledging differences, learning about personalities, healing wounds of a tortuous

pathway to development: all in a bid to make sure that a collective amnesia does not envelope the citizens of the geographical entity and make them erroneously believe that only today matters.

So where are we now in Nigeria? If size was all that really mattered, Nigeria would be on top in almost all areas – population, land mass and potential – compared at least to her neighbours. As many have found out to personal embarrassment, knowing how to use a resource is also key to its value and a definite factor on its ROI. The answer is even more simply put: we have lost it. We don’t even know where we want to go to, where we have come from and therefore it stands to reason that we are going nowhere in a hurry.

If you call your pet dog Bingo, everyone else will address it in the same way. No-one will say, . . . “come here, Rover” because you who owns Bingo has placed value, identification and relevance in the dog as Bingo and nothing else. Bingo is representative of something (or anything) that is held dear or that is simply held.

In this context, our Bingo is our heritage and the various ways in which it manifests in our everyday lives. Obviously in the UK, USA and even in our sister nation South Africa, the

Olumide, a Chartered Architect, lectures in Lagos

32

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34

TUESDAY JANUARY 3, 2017 T H I S D AY

CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA www.cbn.gov.ng

INVITATION FOR SUBMISSIONS FOR THE PRE-QUALIFICATION OF CONTRACTORS FOR THE PROVISION OF FURNITURE FOR CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA IBADAN DIAGNOSTIC & TREATMENT CENTER INTRODUCTION The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is desirous to undertake a pre-qualification exercise for the supply and installation of furniture to its Diagnostic & Treatment Centre Ibadan.

THE SCOPE OF WORKS The scope of works includes: i) Supply and installation of office work-tables, straightedge (stage) tables, curved conference tables, linear office tables, L-shaped office tables and coffee tables ii) Office cabinets. iii) High/mid-back swivel chairs, sofas, visitors chairs and waiting seats.

Consequently, the Bank wishes to invite competent and reputable contractors to indicate interest to pre-qualify to undertake the project as referenced below: Supply/Installation of Furniture: ref CBN/IDC/F REQUIREMENTS A. MANDATORY Interested and competent contractors wishing to carry out any of the above referenced jobs must submit the following documents for verification: a) Evidence of registration with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). b) Certified true copy of Memorandum and Article of Association. c) Evidence of payment of tax for the last three (3) years as at when due (evidence should reflect the value of the projects undertaken by the Company in the last three (3) years). d) Current Pension Clearance Certificate from PENCOM. e) Certificate or evidence of compliance with the provisions of section 6(1)(3) of the amended Industrial Training Fund (ITF) Act No.19 of 2011. f) Evidence of Registration with FRC (Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria). g) Evidence of Registration on the National Data Base of Contractors, Consultants and Service Providers. h) Evidence of ownership of Furniture Factory or proof of being a manufacturer's representative. Subsequent inspection of the factory/showroom may be undertaken for confirmatory assessment.

B OTHERS 1) Comprehensive company profile including CV of key personnel, address of registered office, functional contact e-mail address, GSM phone number(s) 2) Current company's audited statement of accounts duly stamped by licensed auditors.

3) Verifiable reference or evidence of satisfactory performance at similar jobs executed in the past from at least three (3) previous clients.

4) Reference letter from a bank stating the financial ability of the vendor to carry out such project(s).

SUBMISSION The submission for prequalification accompanied by the above listed documents should be forwarded in a sealed envelope boldly marked at the top left corner: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Prequalification for the Supply/Installation of Office Furniture items to the Central Bank of Nigeria Ibadan Diagnostic Treatment Centre (Ref: CBN/IDC/F)â&#x20AC;?

And addressed to:The Secretary, Major Contracts Tenders Committee nd 2 Floor, Wing C, CBN Head Office Complex, Central Business District, Abuja, FCT Nigeria.

Phone No: 09-462-37216 e-mail:- mctc@cbn.gov.ng CLOSING DATE All submissions must be received at the above Office not later than 12.00 noon on 14th February, 2017 OPENING DATE All submissions will be opened immediately after the close of th nd submission on 14 February, 2017 at the 2 Floor Wing D, Procurement & Support Services Department (PSSD) Central Bank of Nigeria Abuja.

IMPORTANT NOTICE a) This is not an invitation to tender. Full tendering procedure will be applied to Companies pre-qualified and found capable of executing the projects. Thus, only Successful Companies will be contacted for the tender process. b) Documents included in your submission must be clearly itemized on the Application. Applicants are entirely liable to the veracity of documents submitted by them. c) Nothing in the advert shall be construed to be a commitment on the part of the CBN. For further information, please call 07002255226

Signed:

Management, Central Bank of Nigeria

T H I S D AY TUESDAY JANUARY 3, 2017

35

36

TUESDAY JANUARY 3, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY

INTERNATIONAL

email:foreigndesk@thisdaylive.com

Turkey Nightclub Attack: IS Says It Carried Out Shooting So-called Islamic State says it was behind the new year attack on a Turkish nightclub that killed 39 people.

The group said in a statement it was carried out by “a heroic soldier”.

At least 600 revellers were celebrating in the early hours of Sunday at Istanbul’s Reina

nightclub when the gunman began firing indiscriminately, discharging some 180 bullets.

The gunman is still at large and a manhunt is underway.

Police say they have made eight arrests so far.

IS has been blamed for recent attacks in Turkey, which is taking military action against the group

Dozens Killed In Prison Riot in Brazil City of Manaus More than 50 people have been killed in a bloody prison riot in the Amazon jungle city of Manaus, officials said on Monday, in one of the worst prison violence in years in Brazil.

The head of security for Amazonas state, Sergio Fontes, told a news conference that the death toll could rise as authorities get a clearer idea of the scale of the rebellion sparked by a fight between rival drug gangs.

The riot began late on Sunday and was brought under control by around 7am on Monday, Fontes said. Authorities were still counting the prisoners to determine if any had escaped, he added.

Manaus’ Em Tempo newspaper reported that several of the dead had their decapitated bodies thrown over the prison wall.

The violence began after a group of inmates exchanged gunfire with police and held 12 prison guards hostage in the largest prison in Manaus, an industrial city on the banks of the Amazon River, local TV network, Globo TV, reported.

Fontes said that 74 prisoners were taken hostage during the

riot, with some executed and some released.

Overcrowded prisons The massacre was the latest clash between inmates aligned with the Sao Paulo-based First Capital Command drug gang, Brazil’s most powerful, and a local Manaus criminal group known as the North Family, Reuters news agency reported.

Sunday’s riot was the deadliest in years. A 1992 rebellion at the Carandiru prison in Sao Paulo state saw 111 inmates killed, nearly all of them by police as they retook the jail.

Brazil’s overcrowded prisons routinely witness riots break out, with similar incidents reported in October. It’s not immediately clear what sparked the latest unrest.

Brazil has the fourth largest prison population behind the US, China and Russia.

Horrific conditions and inter-gang violence are seen in many facilities, some of which are essentially run by drug gang leaders who continue to run their criminal enterprises on the outside despite being locked up.

in neighbouring Syria.

The militant group has already been linked to at least two attacks in Turkey last year.

The IS statement accused Turkey of shedding the blood of Muslims through“its airstrikes and mortar attacks” in Syria.

Turkey launched a military operation in August aimed at pushing back IS and Kurdish forces, with some of the most intensive recent fighting against IS around the northern town of al-Bab. Turkey has also been a key player with Russia in negotiating a truce between moderate rebel forces and the government.

Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said on Monday that the nightclub attack was a “message” against Turkey’s operations in Syria but that they would not be affected.

More details of the nightclub attack have been emerging. The gunman arrived by taxi before

rushing through the entrance with a long-barrelled gun he had taken from the boot of the car.

The attacker fired randomly at people in an assault lasting seven minutes, starting with a security guard and a travel agent near the entrance. Both were killed.

The gunman is reported to have removed his overcoat before fleeing during the chaos.

Turkish media reports quote police sources as saying he may have been from Uzbekistan or Kyrgyzstan.

Kyrgyzstan’s foreign ministry said the reports that the suspect might be Kyrgyz were “doubtful” but that it would carry out checks.

Mr Kurtulmus said Turkish authorities were still working to identify the attacker.

“Information about the fingerprints and basic appearance of the terrorist have been found,” he said.

Police are investigating whether he belongs to an IS cell blamed for an attack in June on Ataturk Airport in Istanbul.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused groups such as IS of trying “to create chaos”.

“They are trying to... demoralise our people and destabilise our country,” he said.

Turkey suffered a bloody 2016 with a series of attacks, some carried out by Kurdish militants.

But a day before the IS claim, the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) was quick to distance itself from the nightclub attack, saying it would “never target innocent civilians”.

Some two-thirds of those killed were foreign, according to local media, among them citizens from Israel, Russia, France, Tunisia, Lebanon, India, Belgium, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

Bollywood director and producer Abis Rizvi was one of those who died, Indian

media report.

A complete record of those killed has yet to emerge. The body of one of those who died has yet to be identified.

Security guard Fatih Cakmak was one of the first to die.

His brother said he narrowly escaped a double bombing three weeks ago, having been on duty when Kurdish militants launched an attack near a football stadium, killing at least 44 people, mostly police.

At least 69 people are being treated in hospital, officials said, with three in a serious condition.

The nightclub, which sits on the banks of the Bosphorus, is one of Istanbul’s most fashionable venues - popular with foreigners and often frequented by singers and sports stars.

Some guests are reported to have thrown themselves into the water to escape.

Equatorial Guinea’s VP Obiang on Trial in France Equatorial Guinea’s flamboyant vice-president has gone trial in absentia in France on charges of corruption after he failed to stop the landmark case.

Teodorin Obiang Nguema is accused of buying a mansion and sports cars in France with a fortune amassed from oil-rich Equatorial Guinea’s public funds.

Mr Obiang, who is the president’s son, denies the allegations.

The trial is the first since France started investigating African leaders accused of illegally acquiring wealth. It comes after a nearly decade-long campaign by anticorruption groups demanding that France act against leaders suspected of stashing their “illgotten gains” in Europe.

Mr Obiang’s six-storey Paris villa, estimated to be worth more than $100m (£80m), is located on Avenue Foch, in one the most prestigious neighbourhoods of the French capital.

The West African state’s government launched a bid at the International Court of Justice to prevent the trial from going ahead, arguing Mr Obiang had diplomatic immunity.

The United Nations’ court

turned down the request last month.

In November, Swiss authorities seized 11 cars belonging to Mr Obiang, accusing him of moneylaundering.

Among them was reportedly a Porsche valued at more than $830,000 and a Bugatti Veyron which sells for $2m.

In 2014, Mr Obiang agreed to surrender a Malibu mansion, a Ferrari and Michael Jackson memorabilia as part of a settlement with US authorities.

The US had filed claims against his US-based assets worth more than $70m, alleging they were proceeds of corruption.

Equatorial Guinea, a small country on the west coast of Africa, struck oil in 1995 but most of its population still lives in poverty.

Its president, Teodoro Obiang Nguema, is Africa’s longest serving leader.

He seized power in 1979, and promoted his son to the post of vice-president in 2012.

Mr Obiang has “always said that he earned the money legally in his country,” one of his lawyers, Emmanuel Marsigny, told AFP news agency.

Equatorial Guinea’s vice-president Teodorin Obiang Nguema, accused of corruption is facing trial in absentia in France.

He is accused of buying a mansion and sports cars in France with public funds AFP

Syria Kills 8 Islamist Militants An air raid has struck several cars in northwestern Syria, killing at least eight people, including al-Qaida-linked fighters and a senior commander with a Chinese Islamic militant faction, an activist group and a local jihadi commander said Monday.

The attack occurred late Sunday on a road leading from the town of Sarmada to the Bab al-Hawa area on the border with Turkey, said the Britainbased Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and a local commander with the Fatah al-Sham Front, an al-Qaidalinked group. The militant spoke via text messages on condition of anonymity because of security concerns.

It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack, but the Observatory’s chief Rami

Abdurrahman said it is widely believed to have been carried out by the U.S.-led coalition.

The U.S. has killed some of al-Qaida’s most senior commanders in Syria over the past two years in airstrikes. Those targeted included members of the so-called Khorasan group, which Washington describes as an internal branch of al-Qaida that plans attacks against Western interests.

The Observatory said eight people were killed in the airstrike, including three jihadi commanders. The dead include a senior al-Qaida commander known as Khattab al-Qahtani, who was from the Gulf region and fought for the group in Afghanistan.

Abu Omar al-Turkistani, a top commander with the Turkistan Islamic Party, and

a Syrian al-Qaida commander known as Abu Muatasem al-Deiri, were also killed. The Turkistan Islamic Party mainly consists of minority Uighurs from China, many of whom have traveled to Syria to help battle President Bashar Assad’s forces alongside other jihadi groups.

The Fatah al-Sham commander confirmed that several people were killed, including al-Qahtani and al-Turkistani.

He said the attack was most likely carried out by drones.

A video posted online by the Syrian Civil Defense searchand-rescue group, also known as the White Helmets, showed rescue workers spraying a car with fire extinguishers as a body was removed and placed in a black bag. The video appeared genuine

and corresponded to other Associated Press reporting.

Earlier Monday, Syria’s state news agency said al-Qaida militants knocked out electricity towers near the capital, causing power cuts in a southern province. SANA said Fatah al-Sham fighters bombed three towers southwest of Damascus, causing electricity cuts in the Quneitra region.

The report came as a ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey held for the fourth day amid sporadic violations. Fighting has raged in the water-rich Barada Valley northwest of Damascus over the past two weeks.

The Fatah al-Sham Front, previously known as the Nusra Front, and the Islamic State group are not included in the truce.

37

TUESDAY JANUARY 3, 2017 Ëž T H I S D AY

INTERNATIONAL

Gambiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Teranga FM and Hilltop Radio Closed Security forces in The Gambia have shut down two private radio stations, the main press union has said, amid a crisis over President Yaya Jammehâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s refusal to step down.

The closure of Teranga FM and Hilltop Radio was a â&#x20AC;&#x153;slap in the faceâ&#x20AC;? for democracy, said Emil Touray, the head of The Gambia Press Union.

This is the first sign of a crackdown on the media since Mr Jammeh refused to accept defeat in the 1 December poll.

He first took power in a coup in 1994.

The Gambian strongman initially conceded to property developer Adama Barrow, but then launched court action to annul the result, saying the poll was marred by irregularities.

The electoral commission said the poll was free and fair.

Both radio stations were

closed on Sunday, Reuters news agency reports. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People will not have access to information in this critical period of our history,â&#x20AC;? Mr Touray is quoted

by Reuters as saying.

Four National Intelligence Agency operatives and a police officer visited the offices of Teranga FM to demand its closure, a staff member told AFP on condition of anonymity.

There has been no official comment from the government.

Teranga FM manager Alagie Ceesay was arrested in July 2015 on charges of sedition and â&#x20AC;&#x153;publication of false newsâ&#x20AC;? - allegations he denied.

The Gambia ranked 145 out of 180 countries in media campaign group Reporters Without Bordersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 2016 World Press Freedom Index.

It said there was â&#x20AC;&#x153;a climate

of terror around anything remotely to do with journalismâ&#x20AC;?.

The UN and West African regional body Ecowas have urged Mr Jammeh to respect the will of the people and step down when his term ends on 19 January.

Ecowas officials say that neighbouring Senegalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s troops are ready to intervene if Mr Jammeh refuses to hand power to Mr Barrow.

Mr Jammeh said that any deployment would be an â&#x20AC;&#x153;act of warâ&#x20AC;?.

Mr Barrow caused a major upset by defeating Mr Jammeh by 43.3% to 39.6%.

The Gambia has not had a smooth transfer of power since independence from Britain in 1965.

It is a popular tourist destination because of its beaches.

Egypt OfďŹ cial Accused of Corruption â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Kills Himselfâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; A top Egyptian government official has killed himself in jail after being arrested in connection with a corruption investigation, reports say.

Wael Shalaby was a former secretary general of Egyptâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s administrative courts system.

He resigned on Saturday, a day before his arrest.

The public prosecutor said his arrest was part of an inquiry into accusations of officials receiving bribes.

A gag order on all media over the corruption case has now been issued.

Mr Shalabyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resignation came after a procurement manager at Egyptâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s State Council, the umbrella organisation for the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s administrative courts, was arrested.

Gamal al-Din al-Labban was charged with receiving bribes worth millions

of Egyptian pounds.

The public prosecutor has referred to the two arrests as part of the same case.

Alongside his role in the State Council, Mr Shalaby also served as a deputy chief justice in the administrative courts, according to the Reuters news agency.

Mr Shalabyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lawyer, Sayed Beheiry, told Reuters that his client hanged himself using a scarf he was wearing. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He was going through a terrible psychological state during his questioning,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is very hard to be a big important judge and suddenly you lose everything and sit in front of an investigator being accused of taking a bribe.â&#x20AC;?

The lawyer told the Daily News Egypt newspaper that his client was subjected to

interrogations that deprived him of sleep for nearly 40 hours. Mr Shalaby, he added, had also said his arrest was illegal, because prosecutors had not issued an arrest warrant.

The interior ministry, which oversees prisons, has not commented. The public prosecutor has ordered an autopsy, state news agency Mena reports.

Shortly after the death was confirmed, Egyptâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Prosecutor-General Nabil Sadek placed a gag order on the case until the investigations are concluded.

Local and foreign nongovernmental organisations say corruption is rife in Egypt. The country was ranked 88th out of 168 countries on Transparency Internationalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2015 corruption perceptions index.

Spain Ceuta: Migrants Found Hidden in Car and Suitcase Police have detained two Moroccans who tried to smuggle migrants into Spainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s North African enclave of Ceuta - two hidden in a car and one in a suitcase.

When police checked a car on Monday one person was found hidden in the dashboard and another in the hollowed-out back seat. The man and woman, thought to be Guineans, received first aid as they had had little air to breathe.

Separately, a young African man was found hidden in a womanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s suitcase.

That incident happened on 30 December and again the man - believed to be from Gabon - required urgent medical attention. A 22-year-old Moroccan woman had tried to smuggle him into Ceuta, but customs officers ordered her to open the case, which was tied to a trolley.

The incidents coincided with a mass attempt by sub-Saharan

Africans to storm the 6m (20ft) border fence separating Ceuta from Morocco. Fifty Moroccan and five Spanish border guards were injured when 1,100 migrants tried to get over the fence on Sunday.

None managed to get through, but two people were injured scaling the fence and were taken to hospital in Ceuta. One guard

lost an eye, officials said.

A similar assault on 9 December involved more than 400 African migrants.

There have been many such attempts by sub-Saharan Africans living illegally in Morocco, who desperately want to reach Europe.

Melilla - Spainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s other North African enclave - is similarly targeted by migrants.

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TUESDAY JANUARY 3, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

Nigeria Climbs to Step Three in Global Aviation Safety Rating Chinedu Eze The Nigerian aviation has climbed up to step three in global safety rating and it is now among the world leaders in air safety.

This was disclosed yesterday by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), which described the high rating as Level 3 State Safety Programme (SSP).

By the rating, NCAA said Nigeria has therefore joined countries like the United States of America, United Kingdom and other highly rated countries in that category.

“This categorisation is dependent on the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which tracks the SSP implementation process of member-states via its Integrated Safety Trend Analysis and Reporting System (iSTARS).

“Member states in tandem

therefore deploy this platform to undertake Gap Analysis, define their action plans and benchmark their progress,” NCAA said in a statement signed by its spokesman, Sam Adurogboye.

The regulatory authority said only two member countries: Australia and Sri Lanka have achieved full implementation of the SSP, according to ICAO records, adding that Nigeria is striving to achieve Level 4 of the safety rating, which would be attained 100 per cent by the end of 2017.

“The State Safety Programme process is inaugurated in member countries in compliance with the ICAO requirements as contained in Annex 19 on safety management.

“Consequently, Nigeria’s advanced level has put its SSP implementation process amongst states that have defined an action

plan for all non-implemented Gap questions. In other words, Nigeria has completed its Gap Analysis, implemented 43.6 per cent of the required SSP tasks. In addition, the country has developed a detailed action plan for the accomplishment of the outstanding tasks with an established and approved timeline,” NCAA explained.

It noted that in pursuance of the above, Nigeria has commenced the implementation of the SSP processes and has achieved several milestones, which include the completion of the SSP Gap Analysis and the establishment of the implementation plan approved by the Director General of NCAA. The authority also disclosed

that other completed SSP tasks include the official authorisation of the Director General of NCAA as the accountable executive of the SSP and the designation of the NCAA as the placeholder organisation of the SSP in Nigeria by the Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika.

“The approval and publication of the State Safety Policy Statement, the Enforcement Policy in an SSP-SMS environment including Nigeria’s Voluntary and Confidential Reporting System, among others, are among the tasks that have been concluded.

“The ICAO Aviation Safety Plan (GASP) has recognised the relevance of establishing and maintaining

fundamental safety oversight systems as a prerequisite to the full implementation of an SSP,” NCAA said.

It noted that member states with robust safety oversight system had been called upon to progress towards full implementation of State Safety Programme (SSP).

NCAA further explained that an SSP is an integrated set of regulations and activities aimed at improving aviation safety, which would be monitored through Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) Continuous Monitoring Approach (CMA) after such a state has achieved an Effective Implementation (EI) of over 60

per cent.

According to NCAA, it is required that states that have achieved EI levels of over 60 per cent should endeavour to fully implement SSP by 2019.

Nigeria achieved an EI Level of 67.36 percent during the immediate past ICAO Audit in March 2016, which is above world average of 63.54 per cent.

While congratulating NCAA for the high safety rating of the industry internationally, an operator said the regulatory authority should concentrate now on how to make airline operation in Nigeria profitable in order to ensure continuity and progress in the industry.

Sexual Harassment: Court Acquits UI Professor A Federal High court sitting in Ibadan has discharged and acquitted a lecturer at the University of Ibadan, Professor Martins Fabunmi, of alleged sexual harassment of a female student of the institution, Miss Thelma Uzoma Adoseh.

As a result of the allegation, the university management had reportedly dismissed him from service.

The presiding judge, Justice Abdulmalik J.O, while delivering judgment said it was curious that parents, whose children were accused of assault and armed robbery or whose daughter was sexually abused would in turn write a letter of apology to the alleged molester.

He noted that “the ‘Exhibit E’ definitely deflates the hype from the applicants’ suits because it begs reasoning”.

Fabunmi had earlier reported Adoseh, Kolawole Adesina, Peter Ogere and Olufemi Adesina, students of the institution at Ibadan Divisional Police Station, Sango over allegation of assault and armed robbery and upon which they were arrested and later granted administrative bail.

But, the suspects jumped bail and this informed why the police contacted their sureties, Messers Ogundele Oyeleke and Adeleye Adebayo, who are both staff of the university to produce them.

The sureties then approached the applicants to save them from police harassment by producing their children.

But, instead of producing the suspects, the parents of the suspects headed to court and filed suits against the police authorities and the embattled lecturer, Fabunmi.

In the three separate suits marked FHC/IB/CS/69/2016, FHC/IB/CS/70/2016 and FHC/ IB/CS/71/2016 filed by three of the parents of the students, Mrs. Stella Ogere, Major Joseph Adesina (rtd) and Mr. Innocent Lucky Adoseh respectively before Justice J.O. Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, they complained that it was not proper for the police to arrest them for alleged offence committed by their children.

The applicants through their counsel, Olapade Delano and Olumide Oridupa argued that their arrest for not being able to produce their children to face charges for the offence allegedly committed by them was ‘unlawful, unconstitutional and breach of their fundamental rights to personal liberty and human dignity and freedom of movement’ as guaranteed by the constitution of Nigeria.

They subsequently prayed the court to restrain the respondents from violating or infringing on their fundamental rights as well as the payment of twelve million Naira (N12,000,000.00.) as damages.

Having listened to counter arguments by the respondents’ counsel, S.E. Aruwaji who held brief for the Police and Femi Aborisade and Nweke C. Umunna, counsel for Fabunmi, the judge held that the applicants instituted the suit as a decoy to lure the police authorities from their investigation.

Justice Abdulmalik said, “I find from the entire submissions in applicants’ applications that there is no reasonable cause of action in the motions against the respondents”.

The court held that the applicants failed to debunk the fact that the suspects were not reasonably indicted by the police authorities pursuant to the complaint of Fabunmi to warrant their production by their sureties.

Relying on ‘Exhibit J’ which is the letter of apology from applicants’ children and ‘Exhibit E’ which is another letter of apology signed by the parents themselves from which the judge quoted that “we are convinced that the case is a set up against you and we therefore apologise on their behalf and plead with you to tamper justice with mercy”, the judge added that it was curious that parents, whose children were accused of assault and armed robbery or whose daughter was sexually abused would in turn write a letter of apology to the villain.

He added “the ‘Exhibit E’ definitely deflates the hype from the applicants’ suits because it begs reasoning”.

SOLIDARITY VISIT

Esama Ekpeye Logbo, Prince Chibudom Nwuche (left), and Ekpeye Eze Robinson, during Nwuche’s visit to the monarch in his palace, Rivers State...yesterday

Tension Envelopes Ilorin over Brewing Religious Crisis Hammed Shittu in Ilorin Palpable tension yesterday enveloped the busiest Oke-Odo, Tanke area of Ilorin, the Kwara State capital over the purported plan by Muslim and Christian groups to engage in religious crisis in the area.

The Oke-Odo, Tanke area is one of the busiest areas housing many students of the University of Ilorin.

The purported religious crisis according to THISDAY checks, however was quickly averted by men of the state police command and operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) to the area.

It was gathered that the crisis started when some Muslim youths in the community had resisted a plan by a Christian group to convert a structure meant for another purpose in the area to a worship centre, which nearly resulted in altercation.

THISDAY further gathered that the Muslim group was said to have been uncomfortable with what a source referred to as a “subtle move” to build a church near an existing mosque built almost two decades ago.

Some Muslim leaders, it was learnt, had earlier reported the brewing crisis to security agencies in the event that the structure is

turned to a worship centre contrary to the approval it obtained from relevant government agencies.

Sources said that Christian worshipers were said to have trooped into the structure with the intention to worship on Christmas day but were vehemently resisted by the aggrieved Muslim youths, leading to palpable tension.

Some leaders of the Christian group were said to have reported the incident to the police at ‘F’ Division, Tanke, following which a team of armed policemen was drafted to the scene.

The arrival of the police team was said to have doused the tension while normalcy was restored.

However, a copy of a letter written to the state Director of DSS and signed by General Secretary, As-Sunnah Academy of Da’wah and Research, Alhaji Musa Jibril Sahban, alleged that the Christian group planned to cause mayhem with their intention to start worshiping in the structure.

“The Jammah (Congregation) wishes to bring to your notice that it is important and extremely urgent to intervene on the persistent and provocative conversion of a structure meant for another purpose in the name of Christian evangelism.

“It should be noted that this peace loving Islamic organisation located at As-Sunnah Street, Opposite Bekandims Hotels, Tanke Oke-Odo, Ilorin has written series of letters to the appropriate authorities in charge of religious matters as well as briefing different law enforcement agencies.

“It is on record that we wrote a letter titled ‘Sensitisation Letter’ dated March 1, 2009 to the Chairman, Kwara State Committee on Religious Affairs stating the implications of locating a church near an existing Mosque, which has been on ground over the years.

“Astonishingly, after almost a decade of our various correspondence with Kwara State Committee on Religious Affairs and security agencies, a church named Redeemed Church emerged on December 23, 2016 to conduct a noisy programme, drumming, singing, clapping and constituting other environmental nuisances.

“Again, on December 24, 2016, our breathen in the controversial church cheaply blackmailed our organisation, engaged in campaign of calumny and gave a false report/ statement at F Division Police Station that we have attacked them and make the entire Oke-Odo

ungovernable which led to police rapid response from F Division to As-Sunnah Street only to be discovered by the DPO led team on arrival that the allegation was nothing but a falsified blatant lies.

“In the light of the above bitter, irritating and provocative development, we deem it fit to brief the appropriate authority for urgent intervention in order to avert religious disharmony in our peaceful and loving society where Mosque has been in existence for almost two decades without any problem. This we have envisaged and complained in our letters under reference, which a group of Christian has persistently treated with ignominy while inciting disturbance of public peace.

“As law abiding citizens and good ambassadors of religion of Islam, which connotes and preaches peace, we are of the view that a stitch in time saves nine and it is better to make hay while the sun shines as we continue to struggle for our constitutional rights,” the letter partly read.

When contacted, the spokesman of the state police command, DSP Ajayi Okasanmi, said men of the state police command had been drafted to the area to maintain law and order.

TUESDAY JANUARY 3, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY

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Keyamo Petitions Ogbeh over Alleged Illegal Occupation of FG’s Facility by Minister Lagos-lawyer, Festus Keyamo, has petitioned the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, over illegal occupation of a federal government facility in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The petition , which was written on behalf of Blacksprings Nigeria Limited signed by Omonade O Matthew, dated December 12 and addressed to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development,

Chief Audu Ogbeh alleged that Lokpobiri had forcefully taken over the Borokiri Coastal Fishery Terminal after it was officially leased to Blacksprings for two years by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.

According to the petition, Blacksprings Nigeria Limited following an agreement with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, was assigned military officers that were posted to the terminal and have been able to curb all illegal

Airtel Named ‘Best Company in Support ofYouth Development’ Telecommunications services provider, Airtel Nigeria, has been named the ‘Best Company in Support of Youth Development’ by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Lagos State chapter.

The award was presented to the telco at the maiden edition of the Lagos Public Relations Industry Gala and Awards (LaPRIGA) organised by the Lagos State Chapter of NIPR. While reciting the award’s citations, the organisers commended Airtel’s contributions towards the development of youths in Nigeria through its various empowerment and youth-oriented programmes, which were described as consistent and impactful.

Commenting on the award, Chairman of NIPR, Lagos State chapter, Mr. Olusegun McMedal said: “Airtel is one of the responsible corporate bodies that give priority to youth development by investing in meaningful initiatives targeted at youth not only in Lagos State, but in Nigeria as a whole.

“That is why the organisation has been recognised for its commitment to youth development. And we encourage the Company to keep it up.”

Some of the telco’s youth development programmes include its recent partnership with the Lagos State on International Youth Day 2016; sponsorship of the Aso

Villa Demo Day, a presidential initiative aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and innovation through the use of technologies; Airtel Rising Stars, a pan-Nigeria football tournament for kids under 17; its Adopt-a-School programme targeting underprivileged children and Airtel-Trace Music Star, a Pan-Africa mobile-based singing contest, among other initiatives.

Airtel also offers innovative products and services such as SmartTRYBE Junior, a mobile education platform aimed at enhancing the learning experience of children in the age bracket of five to sixteen; the repackaged SmartTrybe bundle for voice and data as well as other offerings designed to empower youth.

The colourful LaPRIGA event themed ‘Celebrating Comms Professionals’ held at Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos. It celebrated practitioners, organisations and outstanding projects carried out by corporate bodies. It was attended by industry leaders, reputable public officials, media icons and performances by prominent entertainers.

The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) is the umbrella body of professional Public Relations practitioners chartered to regulate as well as direct its development and the practice. It has Chapters in the 36 States of the Federation including the Federal Capital Territory.

Niger Govt Assures Residents of Adequate Security in 2017 Laleye Dipo in Minna The Niger State Government has assured the people of the state of adequate protection of their lives and property in 2017, saying this will be done by giving financial and material support to all the security agencies in the state.

The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Isa Ladan, gave the assurance in Minna yesterday when he received members of the state vigilante board led by the Coordinator of the scheme, an Assistant Inspector General of Police (rtd), Ibrahim P Machi, in his office.

Ladan said the administration had been supporting the security agencies despite its lean purse but said more emphasis would be put into this especially when some members of the Boko Haram sect escaped from the captured Sambisia forest.

He declared that “effective protection of lives and property of all citizens at all times is the fundamental constitutional

responsibility of any responsible government,” adding that the state government attached great importance to the security of lives and property of the citizens.

The SSG assured the people that the vigilante group in the state would also be strengthened to make it perform its functions optimally so that it will meet the expectations of the government and the people of the state.

“You are required to be more active than ever before, this is the time that the people require your service in order to stop the infiltration of unscrupulous people into any part of our state.

“I enjoined Nigerlites to be vigilant and security conscious with a view to keying into the development aspirations of the government,” Ladan added.

Earlier, the state Coordinator of the Vigilante Board, Machi, had commended the efforts of the state Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, in repositioning the group established in 2013 which now has 9,911 members in the 25

bunkering activities going on in the area.

It, however, noted that on December 5, 2016, armed soldiers allegedly acting on the orders of Lokpobiri invaded the facility and ordered military officers on positing and Blacksprings workers to vacate the facility.

The petitioner, who noted that the facility had been under siege of armed soldiers, described Lokpobiri’ s action as “ absolutely illegal, unlawful, uncouth, uncivilised, unconstitutional, incomprehensible and untenable in a sane and civilised society.”

According to the News Agency

of Nigeria (NAN), the petitioner therefore asked Ogbeh to call Lokpobiri to order and also direct the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 6th Division, Nigeria Army, Bori Camp, to order his men to leave the premises.

The petition read in part: “Sir ordinarily our client would have proceeded to Court to institute action for trespass but considers it necessary to draw your attention to the actions of Senator Lokpobiri, Minister of State for Agriculture which our clients believes you are totally oblivious of. In the light of the above, we call on you to use your good office to call Lokpobiri,

Minister of State for Agriculture and his boy, Ayakpo Wilson Dauyegha to order as their action which was allegedly taken on behalf of your ministry constitutes trespass.”

“Sir we demand that you direct the GOC of 6th Division, Nigeria Army Bori Camp, Port Harcourt to hand over possession of Borokiri Coastal Fishery Terminal, Port Harcourt, Rivers State which has been under siege of Military officers from 6th Division, Nigerian Army, Bori Camp, Port Harcourt since December 5, 2016 back to our client” In another petition to the GOC 6 Division, Major General Kasimu Abdulkarim titled: ‘A case of Unjust

Invasion, Trespass and Military Siege at the Borokiri Coastal Fishery Terminal, Port Harcourt by military officers from 6th Division, Nigeria Army, Bori Camp, Port Harcourt, Rivers State,’ it described the actions of the military officers that invaded the facility as unlawful.

The petitioner therefore asked for the intervention of the GOC to order the soldiers brought by Lokpobiri to handover possession of the facility back to Blacksprings Nigeria Limited and direct previous military officers guarding the facility to return to work.

COURTESY VISIT

L-R: Pro-Chancellor, Anchor Universit, Lagos (AUL), Professor Silas Dada; Registrar University of Lagos, Dr. Taiwo Ipaye; Vice Chancellor, Unilag, Professor Rahamon A. Bello; Chairman, Board of Trustees, AUL, Pastor Philip O. Oluwi; Deputy Vice Chancellor, Management Services, Unilag, Professor Duro Oni; Member, Board of Trustees, AUL, Professor Nesther Alu, during a courtesy visit to the University of Lagos by the Board of Trustees of the newly licensed AUL, which is AUL’s mentor university.

Ugwuanyi Donates 85 Motorcycles to Neighbourhood Watch Groups in Enugu Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has donated 85 motorcycles to neighbourhood watch groups in the 17 local government areas of the state to help them beef up security in their respective areas.

The governor had recently, during a stakeholders’ meeting at Nsukka announced that his administration would donate five motorcycles to each of the local government councils as a way of supporting their efforts to reinforce their neighbourhood watch groups currently working hard along with various security agencies to tame criminality in the state.

Speaking at the state office of the

Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), the e governor who was represented by the state Commissioner for Local Government Matters, Mr. Chijioke Edeoga, said: “The presentation of these motorcycles is to aid the increasing consciousness with regards to security and community policing in all the local government areas of the state.”

He assured that the state government would continue to do more to promote all relevant agencies and bodies working to ensure security of lives and property in the state. He lauded the current efforts of local government chairmen whom he said have contributed a

lot in curbing criminality in their respective areas.

“The state government is presenting these motorcycles to aid the increasing consciousness with regards to security and community policing in all the local governments.

“This administration has done so much to protect lives and property in the state. These motorcycles are just to argument what has already been done,” the commissioner said.

Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the governor on Security Matters, Brigadier General Fred Eze (rtd), said the presentation of the motorcycles which he called the “enablers” would go a long way in enhancing the task of securing the

state, stressing that certain terrains where suspected criminals reside can only be easily accessed using the motorcycles.

In his remarks, the state ALGON chairman, Prince Cornelius Nnaji, said the presentation is to support local government chairmen in reducing crimes to the barest minimum in the rural areas of the state.

He said ALGON was grateful to the state governor who made the donation in spite of the present harsh economic condition in the country and considering the fact that his administration has done quite much in combating crime in parts of the state.

Obono-Obla, Others Survive Car Accident Bassey Inyang in Calabar The Special Assistant to the President Muhammadu Buhari on Prosecution, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla, yesterday afternoon survived a car accident at a spot along Okigwe –Umuahia road.

Obono-Obla was travelling from his country home in Ugep, Cross River State, to Owerri, Imo

State capital, when the lone vehicle accident occurred.

When THISDAY put a call to his phone line few minutes after the accident occurred, Obono-Obla, who from every indication was in very stable condition, said all the occupants of the vehicle; himself, his driver and orderly survived the accident.

“The miracle is that the vehicle

summersaulted several times and returned to standing position and we are still alive. I didn’t sustain any injury, we were all using our seatbelts, and the driver too is okay, only the orderly sustained very minor scratch”, Obono-Obla said.

The president’s aide who spoke with THISDAY at about 1.33 p.m. said he was on a mission to Owerri and to explain some of President

Buhari policies and his stance on anti-corruption to some stakeholders who invited him.

At about 1.27 p.m., the president’s aide had taken to his facebook page, where he wrote: “Just had an accident along Okigwe-Umuahia Road on my way to Owerri but miraculously no occupant sustained any serious injury! My driver hit a pot hole which caused him to lose control!”

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TUESDAY JANUARY 3, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

Kogi APC to Reject Faleke as Ocholi’s Replacement for Minister Yekini Jimoh in Lokoja The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State has called on President Muhammadu Buhari not to nominate or appoint Hon. James Faleke as Minister from the state

as such move will bring serious crisis to the party in the state.

This was contained in a statement jointly signed and issued by the leaders of the party from Kogi West, Alhaji Suleiman Ejibunu and Chief Richard Asaje,

Wike Reassures Rivers People that No Project will Be Abandoned Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has reassured the people of the state that his administration will not abandon any ongoing project, irrespective of the economic downturn in the country.

Speaking at the symposium/ heroic award by the Grand Patron of Apara Committee of Friends, last weekend, Wike noted that his projects execution framework had been properly laid out to accommodate all ongoing projects.

He noted that his principled and consistent execution of projects have stimulated economic growth across the state.

The governor who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Chukwuemeka Woke, said: “We will not abandon any of our ongoing projects. We will continue our infrastructural development in 2017.”

He recalled that when his administration came on board, projects in Rumupirikom were abandoned and a major oil tank

farm that was bringing petroleum products into the city was also cut off.

“As a government, let me assure you that we are very well prepared for the administration of Rivers State. You will recall that the outgone administration declared publicly that Rivers State government will not be able to pay salaries after they wasted all the resources of this state playing national politics.

He said because the administration was well prepared, it was able to tackle projects abandoned by the immediate past administration and initiate new projects for the people.

He expressed happiness that the Apara Committee of Friends recognised his administration’s achievements with the conferment of an award on him.

He said he would never disappoint the people of the area in his commitment to the development of the state.

Sokoto to Set up 488 Integrated Islamiyya/Nursery Schools Mohammed Aminu in Sokoto The Sokoto State Government yesterday said it had concluded plans to establish 488 Integrated Islamiya/ Nursery Schools across the state.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the 2016/2017 edition of the State Quranic Recitation Competition, to select the representatives of the state to the forthcoming national and international editions of the competition in Tambuwal Local GovernmentArea, GovernorAminu Tambuwal, said the gesture was aimed at integrating western and Quranic school system.

Tambuwal stated that the state government had recently upgraded 15 community female Islamiya schools with a view to enhancing their performances.

The governor promised that he would continue to do more to ensure the growth of Islamic education, as well as facilitate the proper recitation and memorisation of the Holy Quran. “’We will continue to construct, rehabilitate and expand mosques and Islamiyya schools across the state. ‘’I am hereby directing the chairmen of the 23 local governments to do same. I am also calling on wealthy individuals to help in this direction,” he said.

The governor announced that he had recently signed the law establishing the state Zakkat and

Endowment Committee, to further reduce the suffering of the people, as well as street begging.

Tambuwal to this end, donated a vehicle to the state coordinator of the Quranic Recitation Competition, Sheikh Bello Galadunchi.

In a remark, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, represented by the District Head of Binji, Alhaji Kabiru Usman, pledged the Sultanate Council’s commitment to enhance Quranic recitation and memorisation.

The Commissioner of Basic and Secondary Education, Dr. Jabbi Kilgori, commended Tambuwal for his sustained support to the annual competition.

The Chairman of Tambuwal Local Government, Alhaji Zaki Bashire, said the one-week event was conducted peacefully according to the laid down rules and regulations.

During the event, N1million was doled out to each of the male and female best overall winners in the memorisation of 60 hizbs category, with Tajweed and Tafseer.

In addition, they were each given hajj seats by the governor, together with the mother of the female best overall winner, while the father of the best male winner also got a hajj seat. Similarly, the best male overall winner got a motorcycle from the Sultan, while the monarch also donated assorted furniture and other bridal items to the winners.

which copy was made available to journalists yesterday in Lokoja.

According to the statement, the case in question was the case of the state ministerial slot as it was claimed in some quarters that Faleke, a serving member of Federal House of Representative representing Lagos State, who lost power in the state will fill the vacant position of state ministerial slot.

“If at all Faleke and his godfather, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, deserve any post, it is not the ministerial slot of Kogi State in order to avoid serious crisis in the state APC as such move may lead to exit of prominent, loyal and committed members of the party while also aggravating the

fractionalisation of the party along many divides.

“We are also unequivocally resolute to stop Tinubu’s expansion into the state or any state in the North-central; we are determined to push out all his consults from the state in 2018/2019. It is a task that must be done through all legal/ political means. They have failed and they will continue to fail,” the statement noted.

The leaders noted that Faleke, representing Lagos State in the National Assembly was known to Kogi State APC only during the governorship struggle when “Tinubu imposed him on the state APC as the deputy governorship candidate to late Prince Abubakar

Audu.

“This generated a lot of discomfort to the founding member of APC who built the party and fought the then sitting government in all national election and won. However, we swallow the pains to fight and win the governorship election in the state.

“Faleke took the party to court up to Supreme Court and lost while some leaders have remain from begging to support and build APC in the state, if those leaders’ efforts are left to this ugly power play with humiliation of this nature, what type of party and country are we building?

APC asked.

APC added that party reconciliation was propose as

Faleke rejected any form of reconciliation with the state Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, at one-year anniversary prayer for late Audu at Ogbonicha confirming his determination to continue to fight APC. “Giving him such an appointment will amount to providing him fuel to fire up the disintegration of APC in the state. Faleke alongside Hon. Buba Jibril in the West Senatorial Area of Kogi State have formed illegal party structures and lay claim to illegal stakeholder structure for which a petition is already before the national leadership of the party on Jibril,” the party leaders added.

REACHING OUTTO THE NEEDY

L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Oladiran Olusegun Adebutu (OOA) Foundation, Mrs. Kemi Sokenu-Morris; Baby Treasure Davies; Chairman of the foundation, Oladiran Olusegun Adebutu; and a donor, Chief Kenny Martins, at a special picnic organised by OOA Foundation for the 300 orphans and vulnerable children to formally meet with their donor in Lagos .....yesterday ABIODUN AJALA

Ambode Mulls Upgrade of Badagry Demonstration Farm Project to boost state agro tourism, food security drive Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, at the weekend expressed the readiness of his administration to upgrade the Songhai Model Farm in AviaIgborosun, Badagry, with a pledge to transform the project and use it to boost the agro tourism and food security drive of the state government.

The project, which is sitting on a massive 167 hectares of land with additional available land for other projects, was copied from Songhai in Republic of Benin under the Agric-Yes initiative of the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture.

Speaking during inspection of the project alongside top government officials, Ambode said government will come up with strategies and policies to upgrade the farm and put it to optimal use with the view to keying it into the efforts of government to enhance food

security, among other drives.

While briefing the governor on the project, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agric, Dr. Shakirudeen Olayiwola, said the farm started in 2012 and it was copied from the Songhai model of farming which mainly are organic agriculture, zero waste agriculture and training.

Olayiwola said a lot of Nigerians usually go to Songhai for training, and that the development was one of the reasons why the state government decided to establish one in Badagry to train Nigerians on modern techniques of farming.

He said: “We have a training centre, a demonstration centre and also a centre for agro tourism. “Here, we have been able to have a lot of facilities and our target is mostly existing famers who want more knowledge in the area of agriculture as well as

youths who want to train in the area of agriculture and students of tertiary institutions. We are also bringing some of the old extinct crops.”

Responding, the governor said the reason for inspecting the project was first to appreciate the level of investment already committed to the farm by government and then see how to scale it up where necessary.

He assured that the state government would explore the possibility of using the farm to train students of agric in the tertiary institutions in the State to give them practical knowledge, adding that the idea behind the project must be well projected with the view to ensure viability of the farm.

He said: “If we have Department of Agriculture in our polytechnic or

our university, nothing is stopping us from linking their curriculum with this project so that there will be that interface between the young ones that we want to produce and there is nothing stopping the Ministry of Agric also from introducing some kind of diploma programmes or a certificated course for farmers which we will now project nationally and then make this place to run year round.

“We want to upgrade and scale up this project where necessary and key it into our agro tourism drive and effort to ensure food security for our people,” Ambode said.

The governor also directed the Ministries of Agric and Education to work together and see how to put the project to practical use and project it nationally commencing from 2017.

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Youth Group Expresses Concern over Incendiary Statements by Fayose Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja A group under the aegis of Middlebelt Youth Leaders Forum (MYLF)

has expressed concern over what it described as unnecessary attacks and inciting statements targeted at President Muhammadu Buhari

FG Saved N192bn from Technology Transfer Agreements in FiveYears Dele Ogbodo in Abuja The federal government through the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), a parastatal under the Federal Ministry of Science Technology, has said it saved N192 billion through technology transfer agreements signed between the country and multinational companies, between 2010 and 2016.

Making the disclosure at a media briefing in Abuja, the Director General of the agency, Mr. Ibrahim Dan’Azumi, said the money would have gone out of Nigeria as capital flight.

In the break down, he said, N188.2 billion was saved between 2010 and 2014 while $10million, was saved between 2015 and this year, adding that between 2010 and 2014, NOPTAP saved for Nigeria N188.2 billion that would have gone out of this country as capital flight.

Explaining how the money was saved, he said: “When an agreement from companies outside the country comes to us, we look at the content and if we see anywhere we think Nigerians can handle we insist Nigerians should handle that.

“Sometimes we take preregistration visit to the companies and they usually would want us to believe most times that these companies don’t exist. That could be a source of capital flight.”

According to the DG, more than 90 percent of country’s economy is driven by foreign technologies, adding: the consequence of this is that, Nigeria loses a lot of money annually through these channels.

He said: “We cannot just fold

our arms and watch this to continue. Nigeria cannot develop technologically if we allow this to continue.

“If you see the huge amount of money that is leaving this country through foreign technologies, you will be sad. And no patriotic Nigerian will allow this to continue.”

The current foreign exchange impasse, the DG said, was partly also caused by capital flight from use and adoption of foreign technologies.

However, he said Nigeria for now could not do without foreign technologies as research institutes lack the capacity to churn out appropriate technologies to power the economy.

The DG said: “Most of our research institutes, universities and polytechnics do not yet have good and up-to- date labs to carry our researches that will produce such technologies that could march those produced abroad. This is why we must allow foreign technologies till such a time when we will be able to produce our own.”

According to him, very poor culture of intellectual property among Nigerian researchers is also contributing to the country’s underdevelopment technology.

He said: “In the last three years, we have been able to send patent applications to Patent Registry and over 40 certificates have been issued to science and tech researchers in the country.”

According to him, 38 Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property offices have been established across Nigeria in the past few years, adding that 3 have been commissioned.

We Dont Reject Load Allocation, Says Kaduna Electric Kaduna Electric has taken strong exception to a recent report suggesting that the company is rejecting electricity allocated to it from the National Control Centre.

In a press statement issued by its Head of Corporate Communications, AbdulAzzez Abdullahi yesterday, the company maintained that contrary to the newspaper report, it has a “maximum demand of about 500MW as verified during the stress test conducted by the company in November, 2015.”

Abdullahi attributed the discrepancy between the load allocation from the National Control Centre and the load taken by the company to system “instability and capacity limitation of Transmission Company of Nigeria’s (TCN) infrastructures.”

According to him, TCN substations in Birnin Kebbi, Talatan Mafara, Gusau and Kaduna as well as some transmission lines within the company’s franchise area are

either aged or grossly over loaded to guarantee full load.

“It is practically impossible for our company to strictly adhere to load allocation of the NCC due to auto under frequency relay operations of the TCN on the Kaduna town 2 132KV line,” he contended.

He argued that the situation was further compounded by the frequency and voltage control limitation operations the company is subjected to by the intermittent instruction of the TCN. He appealed to the authority concern to, as a matter urgency, upgrade the 330/132KV, 90MVA transformer T1 in Birnin Kebbi transmission works centre to 150MVA to enable the company improve power supply to Sokoto and parts of Zamfara states.

He also called for the upgrading of the transformers in Gusau and Kaduna and rehabilitation of the Funtua-Gusau 132Kv line accordingly.

by Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose.

It accused the governor of allegedly fanning the embers of ethnicity, warning that the inciting statements by Fayose could heighten ethic tension in the country.

The group described the recent statement by the governor where he claimed that President Buhari was clamping down on potential challengers in 2019 elections, as one of the numerous instances where Fayose had attempted to instigate attacks against the president.

The National Secretary of group, Terrence Kwuanu, raised the concern while addressing a press conference yesterday in Abuja.

According to him, “The last quarter of 2016 was full of too

many deliberate plots by these ethnic warlords to provoke the peace of the over 250 other ethnic groups.

“It is an urgent matter that requires demand for immediate caution and restraint as and any further attempt by these persons who have misplaced their offices for the gutter will be rejected with stiff opposition. Their plot is to divert every attention from their inglorious activities of killing, looting, stealing and mismanagement of taxpayers’ money in their states.”

Kwuanu noted: “He had made several spurious accusations in the days and hours preceding his latest attack. Some few days before that, Fayose’s brother-in-arm, the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, had similarly ratcheted the regular insults he pours on the

federal government with the claim that there was a plot to bomb his plane.

“We observed that these irresponsible comments and behaviour increased in intensity and frequency after a phone recording in which both men were discussing the roles they played in committing crimes, to wit the rigging of parliamentary re-run elections in Rivers State where security agents were assassinated at will on Wike’s orders.”

The group leader emphasised that as much as the crude talks by both men may be “politicking” and games to their minds, the MYLF are gravely worried as to the possible consequences of such behaviour on national cohesion and peaceful coexistence even

in the short term.

“This is because the attacks on President Buhari are often launched in words aimed at stoking ethnic hatred and targeted at being derogatory to persons of particular ethnic extractions.

“The veiled hate speeches being promoted by Fayose and Wike are already yielding results on the streets where verbal abuses among Nigerians have spiked. It is a matter of time before full blown ethnic clashes break out on account of the mindless irresponsibility of these two supposed leaders.”

The group therefore urged the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to censure Fayose and Wike for allegedly promoting hate speech with a view to putting them on trial at the appropriate time.

AWARD FOR A HARD WORKING GOVERNOR

Representative of the Rivers State Governor and Chief of Staff, Chukwuemeka Woke (right), receiving an Award of Excellence from former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief Onueze Okocha (SAN) conferred on Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike by the Apara Committee of Friends in Port Harcourt....yesterday

Dangote Lauded on Sponsorship of African Food Festival in Calabar Crusoe Osagie Cross River State Governor, Professor Ben Ayade, joined participants at the maiden African Food festival in Calabar to commend Dangote Industries Limited for sponsoring the event.

The governor represented by his wife, Dr. Linda Ayade, who declared the food festival open lauded the exemplary attitude of Dangote Group in sponsoring events especially the now rested Children’s Carnival.

With the African Food festival replacing the Children Carnival, she said Dangote Group stepped in as the pioneer sponsor of the event proving that the Group is truly committed in partnering all stakeholders for a better Nigeria.

Ayade said the food festival is to bring together different cuisines in Africa as the continent is very rich in tasty cuisines.

She added that through the partnership of the sponsors, cuisines from different nations

have been gathered in Calabar and urged all present to savour the taste of the cuisines available.

In her welcome, the convener of African Food festival, Calabar, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, said the food festival aims to unite all tribes in continental Africa through their respective cuisines. She said that the maiden food festival is to showcase African dishes and culinary skills adding Cross River State is very rich in dishes.

Giving an insight on how the food festival evolved, she said “In Calabar we have our cuisine, you go to Ibo they have their cuisine, you go to Yoruba they have their cuisine, in Hausa, they have their cuisine” the idea of having all of these under one roof was sold to Governor Ben Ayade whom is open to ideas and He bought it and fused it to the Calabar festival Calendar.

Ita-Giwa commended Dangote Group for its partnership which enabled the food festival to become a reality. She said that

since the cessation of Children’s Carnival, Dangote Group stopped participating in Calabar Carnival but with the introduction of Food festival, the Group is back. She described Dangote Group as a leader in the food industry with subsidiaries as Dangote Flour, Dangote Sugar, NASCON and Dansa as proven leaders in their respective sectors.

The Convener also called on industries and investors to take advantage of the abundance of food and cuisines in Cross River and invest in the state.

Investing in the state according to her will add values and create more jobs. Particularly, she called for investors to invest in food processing and preservative plants as the raw materials are readily available.

Participants in the food festival included the Republic of Benin and Ghana, Hausa, Ibo, Yoruba, Market Women, Cross River State

and she promised the event will get better as the years go.

Leader of Igbo Women Association, Calabar, Dr. Franca Odigwe, described the food festival as the first of its kind and innovative. She commended the sponsors and Ita-Giwa for conceiving the idea and enabling different tribes to showcase their culinary skills. The Igbo women prepared bitter leaf soup, ugba, ofe oha and other dishes which they gave participants to President, Yoruba Women Association, Calabar sample, Mrs. Ajoke Oyeleye said the event has reawakened interest in traditional dishes and expressed readiness to participate in the next edition. On display at the Yoruba women stand included amala, ewedu,alibo, gbegiri as well as traditional dancers.

Hajia Fatima Abullahi, leader of the Hausa Women also commended the concept of African Food festival, saying it has given everyone a sense of participation in the Calabar festival.

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We’ll Fast-track Budget Passage, Says Gbajabiamila The Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, has said the nation’s lawmakers would work towards speedy passage of this year’s budget.

But he said they would not sacrifice thoroughness in doing so.

Gbajabiamila spoke with journalists in Lagos on the occasion of his constituency’s celebration of the new year baby

at the Maternal and Child Care Hospital, Surulere, Lagos.

He also donated gift items to children with health challenges at the Heart of Gold Children’s Hospice, also in Surulere, to mark the New Year.

The lawmaker said though the budget was presented late, efforts would be put in place to pass it promptly.

“It’s unfortunate that the budget

was presented late. I have always been an advocate that budget be presented in September or first week in October as done in advanced democracy.

“You don’t present the budget late in December and expect quick passage. The financial year is supposed to start by December 31 or January1.

“We cannot sacrifice thoroughness and good work on the altar of time, we still need to do our work; we will ensure we fast-track the passage in the shortest possible time.

“When we go back to the house, we will double and triple all efforts and make sure that this budget is passed on time,”

he said.

Gbajabiamila saidhopefully, the budget would revive the country’s economy and make life better for Nigerians.

“The good thing is that the budget year has been extended to March and there are safeguards in the constitution that provide that when the

budget has not been passed during a certain period, there are certain things that can be done to keep the government running.

“But the budget will be passed soon and like it has been tagged -‘Budget of Recovery and Growth’, hopefully, that is what we will see in 2017,” he said.

MURIC to Nigerians: Unite and Kill Corruption in 2017 The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has enjoined Nigerians to unite and fight corruption to standstill in 2017.

The Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola, said in a statement that it looks towards a 2017 where Nigerians appreciate honesty and integrity, and also place accountability above licentiousness.

“MURIC wants Nigerians to kill corruption in 2017. We must intensify and prioritise the war against corruption if we as a people really want to take our destiny in our own hands. It is the only way to stop the sufferings of Nigerians. Diezani Alison Madueke vanished with $20 billion.

Patrick Akpolobemi helped himself to $12 billion from NIMASA coffers.

Sambo Dasuki messed up $2.1 billion arms fund. N40 billion developed wings and flew into thin air under former customs boss Abdullahi Dikko.

The list is endless.

“Instead of condemning these thieves, some Nigerians started accusing President Muhammadu Buhari of being motivated by vendetta. Some claimed he was only targeting opposition members.

Strangely enough, they still remained recalcitrant even after members of the ruling party including a personal friend of the president and a chieftain of the ruling party were arrested for corruption and dealt with,” Akintola said.

He added: “Jafaru Isa who was accused of stealing N170 million returned N70m just one week ago. He had earlier returned N100 million before he was released from custody. That means he has returned the whole loot.

Abdullahi Dikko paid back N1 billion before bail was allowed.

Only those who are blinded by partisanship or ethnic jingoism will refuse to accept this as the real change.”

While saying the nation is on the right plane with Buhari as the pilot, Akintola said the president’s doggedness is yielding results, as nobody asked thieves any question before Buhari came on board and that some of them are now in jail, while corrupt judges are not being spared with some ‘have started vomiting what they swallowed’.

AIG Blames Contractors’ Association for Collapse of Buildings in Nigeria Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City The Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Zone 5, Benin-city, Edo State, Abubakar Mohammed, yesterday said the conspiracy between contractors and building engineers are largely responsible for the spate of building collapse in the country, The police boss stated this in Benin City while playing host to the executive members of National Association of Contractors who were in his office to seek collaboration between the body and security agencies.

Abubakar, however, tasked the group to avail the police any useful information regarding criminal activities of shylock contractors, saying: “We are law enforcement agents committed to enforcing the law. When you talk of building collapse, contractors knows the cause and should be held responsible. If they adhere to the rules, buildings will not collapse, rather, contractors want to cut

corners to maximize profit which eventually lead to this kind of disasters we witness in the construction industry today.”

Lampooning the group, he warned that security wise, anybody whose building collapses, would be pursued by the police.

“Anybody selling substandard material will also face the full wrath of the law, we need information as quickly as possible in the construction industry,” he stressed.

Earlier, President of the group, Mr. Onuche Okoh, disclosed that over 75 building collapses were recorded in Nigeria in the last three years, lamenting that most Nigerians are unaware of the fact that the building requires to be re-enforced after 30 years.

Explaining reasons for the visit, he stated that: “We decide to embark on this visit because of the things happening in the country today. We are visiting security agencies so that they can support us, as we are looking into many ways contractors have failed. So we want to collaborate with them to ensure efficiency in our activities.”

HER

The Chairman of the Board of Premium Pension Limited, Aliyu Dikko, joined by other board members, management and staff as they cut the anniversary cake during the company’s end-of-year get-together and 11 anniversary celebration in Abuja.... recently

Na’Abba Leads New Kano Political Group A former speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Ghali Umar Na’Abba, has become the head of a newly formed political group in Kano State called ‘Siyasar Kano Ina Mafita’.

Speaking during the official launch of the political group, the former Speaker said the formation of the political group had become necessary, having taken into cognisance, the way and manner politicians were being deprived of their rights in all

the political parties in the state.

Na’Abba, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), also said the sole aim of forming the political group was to seek a possible way out of the present situation faced by those deprived.

“We have seen the damage done to democracy in Nigeria for almost two decades now. And you will agree with me that the outcome of such damage done to Nigerian politics only spell doom for politicians.

“We have asked ourselves that for how long shall we fold our hands and watch things growing from bad to worse. It is time for us to unite and look for possible avenues to liberate Nigerian polity and Nigerian politicians,” said the former speaker.

One of the elders in the new group, Professor Sule Bello, explained that the membership of the group cut across all political parties with the aim of liberating all politicians from being politically deprived.

In Kano, members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) openly associate themselves with either Kwankwasiyya or Gandujiyya movements - platforms loyal to former Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and the incumbent governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

It is, however, not yet clear whether the new platform is created to provide an alternative for the aggrieved ones in the existing movements in Kano State.

Itsekiris Describe PANDEF’s Claim to Niger Delta Mandate as False Sylvester Idowu in Warri Again, Itsekiri Leaders of Thought (ILoT), the apex Itsekiri socioeconomic and cultural group, yesterday disparaged the Chief Edwin Clark-led Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) for claiming to have the mandate of all the peoples of oil-rich region to dialogue with the federal government.

ILoT, while reacting to a recent statement issued by the PANDEF and published in the media, warned the federal government to be wary of the body which claims to have the blessings of leaders and stakeholders of the region which it described as false.

According to a statement signed by the body’s Secretary, Chief Edward Ekpoko, and issued in Warri, Delta State, ILoT also charged the federal government to ignore

PANDEF’s call for the withdrawal of armed forces from the region, noting that the relative peace in the region was as a result of the efforts of the security forces.

ILoT lambasted PANDEF for some of its 16-point demands from the federal government, particularly the demand for oil block allocation and the reopening of the Nigerian Maritime University in Okerenkoko, which it noted had no legal framework.

The body charged government to ensure its responsibility to secure the lives and property of the people of the Niger Delta is kept intact by allowing the current security structure in the area to remain.

“The Itsekiri Leaders of Thought has read the statement credited to the PANDEF in one of the national dailies of January 1, 2017, wherein it falsely claimed that it has the

mandate of the Niger Delta leaders and stakeholders to dialogue on its behalf. This is false.

“The Itsekiri leaders and other major stakeholders in the Niger Delta have repeatedly called on President Buhari and Nigerians to be wary of PANDEF as many of its leaders are not to be trusted and are hands-in-glove with militants. They simply want to eat their cake and still have it.

“A body that will also demand the re-opening of a Maritime University that was never in existence in the face of the law, cannot be taken seriously. The bill to establish the university has just passed second reading in the Senate, neither can any reasonable government cave in to any demand for the withdrawal of the military/security personnel

from communities that are prone to destruction of oil and gas facilities as the only panacea for peace as it is the case with PANDEF. PANDEF is being promoted by a section of the media.

“We state that the relative peace in the Niger Delta is as a result of the presence and activities of the security forces and the plea by some well-meaning traditional rulers and community leaders in the Niger Delta and certainly not PANDEF. “Once again, we reiterate our earlier position that the security of lives and property is the responsibility of the government.

Government does not need to enter into negotiation for this purpose.

This must be separated from the development of the Niger Delta,” it added.

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CRIME&PUNISHMENT Aderiye’s Murder: Faparusi Wants NJC to Investigate Incarceration of Suspects Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti A member of the seventh House of Representatives, Hon Bamidele Faparusi, has called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to investigate prolonged imprisonment of accused persons linked with the murder of former Chairman of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Ekiti State, Mr. Omolafe Aderiye.

Faparusi said those being trie d by the state High Court over their complicity in the gruesome murder of the NURTW’s boss were allegedly being victimised by the state Governor, Ayodele Fayose, for their political belief, using the instrumentality of the judiciary.

Aderiye was murdered in 2014 by unknown gunmen in Ado Ekiti and eight persons, who are known All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains are being incarcerated in court on the order of Justice Lekan Ogunmoye since December 2014.

Those being tried included two former Chairmen Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria, Mr Rotimi Olabiwonnu (aka Mentilo), and Bayo Adeyiye (aka Ojuigo), Mr. Sola Durodola, Oso Farotimi , Ajayi Kayode, Sola Adenijo and Chief Niyi Adedipe(aka Apase).

The APC chieftain, who said this in Ado Ekiti yesterday while presenting gifts to the families of the suspects, pointed out that the NJC as regulatory body on judicial officers in Nigeria must probe the reason the accused persons were being imprisoned without justifiable reasons.

He said he decided to reach out to the families of the accused persons as a way of identifying with them at this ‘trying time’ when their breadwinners were being imprisoned over allegation that cannot be proved.

“It is very unfortunate that Fayose is using the judiciary to take a pound of flesh against political foes. It was clear that these accused persons were being prosecuted over trumpedup charges. As we speak now, no veracious evidence has been linked to them with the murder of Aderiye.

“Any country where justice is not being served stands the risk of violence, so NJC must do the needful in this matter. The court has been hiding under technicality to prolong their stay in the prison.

“The plaintiff, which is now the state government, has been

frustrating attempt to bail them out of the prison. These accused persons are notable people who cannot jump bail. For two times now,

the families had lost the opportunities of celebrating the Christmas and new year with their breadwinners and this is a great injustice which

and other crimes within Jos and its environs. The state Police spokesman, Mr. Terna Tyopev, had said most of the thefts happen at event centres, drinking joints as well as marriage and funeral ceremonies.

He advised car owners to adopt security measures to secure their vehicles, and suggested pedal or steering locks too.

“Car owners should also install modern tracking devices to help in the tracking of their vehicles. Organisers of events should also inform the police in order to obtain security coverage or advice,” he advised.

Tyopev also called for extra vigilance, especially in rural areas, cautioning residents against boarding vehicles outside designated motor parks.

FCE Gombe Expels 29 for Riots No fewer than 29 students of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Gombe, have been expelled for their involvement in the June 9 and 10, 2016 disturbance, which led to the closure of the school.

The management and the academic board of the college also withdrew 35 students and made 11 others to repeat the 2015/2016 academic session over the same offence.

The Provost of the college, Dr. Adamu Abbas, disclosed this in a statement.

He said the decision was based on the findings of a panel set up by the school authority to investigate the students’ riot.

He said the recommended punishments, as approved by the Minister of Educa-tion, were made by the Expanded Management Committee of the College to sanction the students based on their level of involvement in the riot.

No death was recorded during the fracas, but school property and a police van were destroyed by the students.

has come for the accused persons to be granted bail for Nigeria to prove that it is still operating an egalitarian society.

FREE-TRAIN RIDE

A cross section of Osun indigenes boarding free-train ride provided by the Osun State Government from the Osogbo Railway Station to Lagos after the new year celebrations ....yesterday

Residents, Police Alarmed by Increasing Rate of Crime in Jos NDLEA Discovers Cocaine arresting the criminals.

Seriki Adinoyi in Jos The state Police Command had Inside Soles of New Foot Residents of Jos, Plateau State earlier expressed serious concerns capital, have raised the alarm over the increasing rate of car theft Wears over high rate of crime, especially car theft in the state, and called on security operatives to step up measures towards nipping the crime in the bud.

Several persons, including a journalist with Nigerian Pilot newspaper, Mr. Golok Nanmwa, became victims of cars theft during the yuletide season. Narrating his ordeal, Nanmwa said: “I parked my car on December 24, 2016, at a popular recreation spot around Jos International Breweries (JIB) village in Jos and went into the spot. I came out after about one hour and found that the car had been stolen.”

Another victim, who gave his name as Yinka, said his car was also stolen during the Christmas period in the state.

The victims appealed to security operatives to step up efforts at

must be corrected,” he stated.

Speaking on behalf of the affected families, Mrs. Seun Adenijo and Mrs. Sola Durodola said the time

Officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja have discovered parcels of whitish substance that tested positive for cocaine inside foot wears.

The cocaine, according to a statement yesterday in Lagos by the agency’s spokesperson, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju, weighed 9.150kgs. “The discovery was made in a shipment of shoes during inward screening of passengers on a Turkish airline flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil.

“The cocaine was industrially concealed in the soles of new foot wears. “It was the last arrest of 2016 at the Abuja airport with an estimated value of 3.8 million pounds in Europe.

“There was an arrest at the weekend of a 34-year-old suspect, Kingsley Okolo. “The suspect who is a motorcycle parts dealer said that he was offered N1 million to smuggle the drugs to Nigeria. “Investigation is ongoing and the suspect is cooperating with our team of undercover officers,” the statement said.

The statement also quoted the chairman of the NDLEA, Mr. Muhammad Abdallah, who said that the huge profit derived from drug trafficking has made it a top priority for drug cartels to be financially incapacitated.

“We must continue to take deliberate steps to intercept drugs and ultimately prevent the criminal enrichment of drug cartels. “Illicit drug proceeds negatively affect economic development and could be used to corrupt government officials and fund terrorism, thereby subjecting mankind to widespread destruction,” Abdallah stated.

Abdallah, also commended the arresting officers, describing the seizure

as one of the benefits of training.

“The seizure is a validation of enhanced capacity of officers due to series of training programmes carried out by the agency.

“The training covering investigation, raid operations as well as prosecution was conducted with the assistance of the United States government, European Union (EU) and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

“This is just a tip of the iceberg because as the benefits of these training begin to manifest, more drugs shall be detected and cartels dislodged in the days ahead”.

The NDLEA boss appealed to stakeholders to intensify the antinarcotics campaign adding that ‘we needed all hands on deck as we begin the new year. “The suspect will soon be charged to court,” he added.

Rising Wave of ‘Area Boys’ Threat to my Domain, Monarch Cries out Olakiitan Victor in Ado Ekiti An ex-envoy and the Alawe of Ilawe-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Oba Adebanji Ajibade Alabi, has lamented the rising activities of the street urchins popularly called ‘area boys’ in his town, calling on the state Governor, Ayodele Fayose’s government and stakeholders to tackle the menace to prevent crime.

The monarch, who is a retired diplomat, also urged the government to set up a Banana industry in the town being the hub of banana and plantain plantations in the state to create employment for the teeming unemployed youths.

The traditional ruler said this yesterday at a ceremony held with stakeholders comprising Ilawe elites and political bigwigs from the town.

The monarch expressed profound

Police Arrest 21 Kidnappers, Cattle Rustlers, Recover 477 Cattle Laleye Dipo in Minna The police in Minna, Niger State, yesterday said it had made a breakthrough in its offensive against cattle rustlers and kidnappers with the arrest of 21 suspects and recovery of 477 cattle, 90 sheep and confiscation of assorted weapons.

Five of the suspects were reportedly arrested in Tegina, Rafi Local Government Area, where suspected fleeing Boko Haram members raided last week leading to the death of not less than four people and rustling of

over 400 cattle.

The police did not make reference to this incident but said locally made pistols were recovered from the suspects arrested in Tegina.

In the operation which the Police Public Relations Officer, Bala Elkana, tagged: ‘New Year raid’ made available to journlalists said: “ on December 28, 2016 working on credible intelligence the police also arrested “ the most wanted cattle rustler” by name Abdullahi Alhaji Altini of Ejiga Randege, Birnin Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

thanks and appreciation to the people of Ilawe for their support since he ascended the throne five years ago.

According to him, “We have resolved to address as a matter of urgency the need for additional bank in Ilawe and to end the menace of ‘Area Boys’ syndrome in this town and the commencement of banana industry project, so that our youths can get employment.”

Taking stock of the progresse made in 2016, Oba Alabi praised the human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), for his contributions to the construction of a Federal Government College in Afunremu, a section of the community, saying this will help to boost education at the grassroots level.

The monarch also revealed plans by a group of educationist to establish a private university in Ilawe, adding that details would be made public later.

He stated that the sum of N7 million realised during the launching of a civic centre under construction project beyond foundation level hence therecoursetoprivateentrepreneurship for speedy completion of the edifice.

The monarch thanked Fayose for his plans to dualise Ilawe major highways in 2017, saying this will also boost the aesthetic value of the town. Alabi also set up a 15-man planning committee for his fifth year coronation anniversary scheduled for April, 21 to 23, 2017.

The committee has Falana as its chairman, Mr. Philip Amujo as vice chairman and Chief Bunmi Olugbade as Secretary.

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY JANUARY 3, 2017

44

TUESDAYSPORTS

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

Transfer: Mikel Snubs China for Valencia Duro Ikhazuagbe with agency report Super Eagles Captain, John Mikel Obi, is believed to have agreed a four year deal with La Liga side, Valencia.

Mikel who held talks with Valencia’s Sporting Director, Jesus Garcia Pitarch, on Christmas day in London, with the prospect of switching to the Spanish club, snubbed big spending Chinese side Shanghai SIPG, French side Olympique Marseille and Serie A duo of AC and Inter Milan to land the deal.

After 11 seasons at Stamford Bridge, Mikel is joining Valencia on a free transfer after Chelsea decided to let the midfielder leave for no fee, despite having six months left on his current deal.

Valencia is expected to announce the deal as soon as they are able to trash out the modalities of Mikel transfer with Chelsea. He is due some compensation which both teams have to agree on which party will pay.

Mikel, 29, has not featured for Chelsea this season after returning from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games where he led Dream Team VI to Nigeria’s only bronze medal at the Games.

Pitarch confirmed to Spanish media, Superdeporte: “In the case of Obi Mikel, with Chelsea’s permission, I met with him in London on Christmas day.

“I informed him of the option (of joining Valencia).

He said he would think about it.”

Valencia is looking to reinforce their squad this month in a bid to turn their

fortunes around.

With just three wins in their 15 league games, Los Che are 17th in La Liga and level on 12 points with Sporting Gijon, who are in the relegation zone.

Cesare Prandelli quit the Spanish team last Friday after less than three months in charge.

The former Italy coach stepped down following a disagreement with the club owners over transfers matters.

Mikel has made over 240 appearances for Chelsea since joining the club in the summer of 2006 from Norwegian side Lyn. Valencia host Celta Vigo in today’s Copa del Rey roundof-16 first leg with the former club player Voro Gonzalez stepping in as interim coach for the second time this season and fifth overall.

When the news of Mikel’s transfer first leaked, a confidant of the Super Eagles captain insisted that Mikel is likely to settle for the biggest offer he can attract because he no longer has anything to prove in the game.

Two seasons ago, Mikel demanded a salary of six million dollars tax-free a year if he were to quit Stamford Bridge.

“He is not looking for a club to win more trophies again, he is looking for a club, who will give him the right money. That is the more reason the agents are now carefully studying the offers tabled by all the clubs interested in his services,” revealed the close confidant of Mikel.

“He has achieved all what he can in football, so he needs the money now.”

Mikel (left) on duty for Nigeria against Tanzania late last year. He is Valencia bound in the winter transfer window Although the offer from the Chinese clubs appears tempting, sources from Mikel camp hinted that it was not

yet time for the Jos-born footballer to go to Asia for ‘pension’ yet.

Mikel has outdone the

legendary Nwankwo Kanu as the most decorated Nigeria star after he won both the UEFA Champions League and

Europa League as well as two Premier League titles, four FA Cup and two League Cup winners’ medals.

RMD, Mimi Fawaz Eagles Coach to Work as Pundit at AFCON 2017 to Host Glo CAF Awards Sports journalist, premium show host and presenter of Sports 360 on Vox Africa, Mimi Fawaz and Nollywood legend, Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD) have been confirmed as the official comperes of the 2016 Glo-CAF Awards.

A graduate of City University of London, Mimi who is half-Nigerian (her mother is from Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria) and half-Lebanese, has worked for CNN, ESPN and ITV Television networks.

Described as the ‘driving force behind UK’s first original African football show’, Mimi has successfully carved a niche for herself in a field dominated by men.

Mimi is delighted by the opportunity extended to her to host the show and has promised Africa and the rest of the world a spectacular delivery.

Popularly known as RMD, Richard Mofe-Damijo was born July 6, 1961. He is a Nigerian journalist, actor, politician and lawyer. He was the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in Delta

State, between 2009 and 2015.

Mofe-Damijo who was born in Warri, Delta State, attended Midwest College, Warri and Anglican Grammar School and was a member of the Drama Club. He enrolled into the University of Benin where he studied Theatre Arts.

RMD has featured in several top-notch soaps and films such as Ripples, Out of Bounds, Three Wise Men, Oloibiri and Hush.

A multiple award winner, RMD in 2005, won the Best Actor in a Leading Role at the maiden edition of the African Movie Academy Awards. He is the face of Globacom’s powerful television commercials which celebrated the company’s ground-breaking launch of Nigeria’s first nationwide mobile 4G LTE network.

Mimi Fawaz and Richard Mofe-Damijo will complement the glamorous event known as the Oscars of African football and scheduled for the night on 5th January, 2017 at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr will work as a pundit for a French television channel during the AFCON in Gabon.

“Rohr will be a pundit for a French television network at the AFCON in Gabon,” a top source told AfricanFootball.com African football’s showpiece event will

kick off on January 14 in Gabon, but Rohr will still be on vacation as the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the tournament for a second straight time.

Rohr has a track record working in Africa for the past eight years after he first handled Tunisian club Etoile du Sahel in 2008.

He has bossed Niger, Burkina Faso and was also in charge when cohosts Gabon reached the quarterfinals of AFCON 2012.

The Franco-German, who has been holidaying in Madagascar, the birthplace of his wife, has said he will use the AFCON to spy on World

Cup rivals Cameroon and Algeria.

Nigeria leads the 2018 World Cup qualifying Group B section with six points from two matches.

They resume the series in August, when they welcome second-placed Cameroon to Uyo in the first leg of a crucial double header.

Kiptum Vows to Retain Access Bank/Lagos City Marathon Title The surprise winner of the 2016 edition of the Access Bank/Lagos City Marathon, Kenya’s Abraham Kiptum, has vowed not only to retain the title he won last year but promised to run a sub 2.10:00.

Compatriot Peter Kiplagat was favoured by athletics buffs to win the first international marathon in Nigeria in 31 years but Kiptum surprised bookmakers when he won in 2.16: 21.

Said Kiptum in a statement made available by the Communications and Media Department

of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon: “I want to retain my title and run a sub 2.10:00 on February 11, 2017. I came to Lagos as an underdog, nobody gave me a chance, and people were expecting Kiplagat to win, so I ran without any pressure. I know I will be the center of attraction on February 11, but am mentally and physically prepare for the challenge, I know am in good shape to win and do it under 2.100.’’

Kiptum also praised the Lagos crowd and the weather, “for a city that does not have a marathon

culture like we do in East Africa, I was shocked at the people’s enthusiasm and support for the runners. They cheered us so I am appealing to the Lagos crowd to please to come out again in their thousands and support us in February.”

“The weather was also agreeable, I was expecting it to be very hot but it wasn’t, the weather was good’’.

Kiptum praised the Lagos State Government and the sponsor, Access Bank, for putting Nigeria on the global marathon map again,

“I strongly believe that Nigeria can compete with the world in marathons and road races if they invest in the talents they have. Remember, about 30 years ago they had Abbass Mohammed who was doing 2.16:00 then.

At the last outing there was Philip Sharabutu who ran 2:30:51 and some other young runners who finished the race under 2.40:00. If these runners are supported with the right coaches and they run regularly, they can catch up with the rest of the world in five years,’’ said Kiptum.

45

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY JANUARY 3, 2017

TUESDAYSPORTS

AFCON 2017… AFCON 2017… AFCON 2017…

Afobe Pulls out of DR Congo Squad Bournemouth striker Benik Afobe has pulled out of the Africa Cup of Nations finals to stay with his Premier League team despite recently switching his allegiance from England to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Congolese Football Federation (FECOFA) yesterday confirmed Afobe’s withdrawal from a 31-man preliminary squad, who have gathered in Yaounde, Cameroon for pre-tournament preparations.

“Afobe has forfeited from the tournament,” said media officer Gerard-Desire Angengwa without offering any reason.

British media reported that Afobe had told the Congolese coach Florent Ibenge he wished to consolidate his place in the Bournemouth starting line-up after scoring against Swansea City in a 3-0 away win on Saturday.

“The manager showed faith in me by starting me and I wanted to repay him

with a goal, so I’m happy,” the 23-year-old told his club’s website (www.afcb.co.uk) after the victory on New Year’s eve.

“The goal was a great relief and a goal at a crucial time.

The lads have been helping me a lot and I want to improve personally.”

Afobe now has two goals in his last three starts for the Cherries but could be banned from playing for his club for the duration of the three-week tournament, which starts on January 14, if the Congolese federation take up the issue with FIFA. Afobe’s decision comes less than two months after receiving Fifa’s permission belatedly to switch his international allegiance after previously playing for England at the under-21 level.

He was supposed to debut for the Congolese in November’s World Cup qualifier at Guinea but was stymied when the Football Association sent his paperwork

Black Stars at training ahead of their AFCON 2017 opening game for the switch of nationality to the wrong federation, embarrassingly mixing up DR Congo with neighbouring Congo-Brazzaville.

Afobe had been left frustrated after flying all the way to Africa to find he was not eligible to play, permission coming too late

after the mix-up in London was discovered.

DR Congo has a tough group at the tournament in Gabon, competing with holders

Ivory Coast, Morocco and Togo in Group C. Their opening game is against Morocco in Oyem on January 16.

Mbengue, Sow Back Leicester’s Schlupp Left out of Ghana’s Black Stars for Senegal Senegal restored experienced defender Cheikh Mbengue and striker Moussa Sow to their 23-man squad for this month’s Africa Cup of Nations finals in Gabon.

The pair had missed November’s World Cup qualifier in South Africa but both return to participate at their third Nations Cup tournament.

Henri Saviet of St Etienne was also recalled by coach Aliou Cisse for the threeweek tournament where Senegal play in Group B against Algeria, Tunisia and Zimbabwe.

The squad includes 12 players who competed at the last Nations Cup finals in Equatorial Guinea, where Senegal failed to get past the

first round despite being one of the pre-tournament favourites.

Senegal open their campaign in Franceville on January 15 against Tunisia in Franceville.

Squad: Goalkeepers: Abdoulaye Diallo, Khadim Ndiaye, Pape Seydou Ndiaye Defenders: Saliou Ciss, Lamine Gassama, Kalidou Koulibaly, Cheikh Mbengue, Kara Mbodj, Zargo Toure Midfielders: Mohamed Diame, Pape Kouly Diop, Idrissa Gana Gueye, Cheikhou Kouyate, Pape Alioune Ndiaye, Cheikh Ndoye, Ismaila Sarr Forwards: Famara Diedhou, Mame Biram Diouf, Diao Balde Keita, Moussa Konate, Sadio Mane, Henri Saivet, Moussa Sow

Feghouli, Medjani out of Algeria Squad Midfielder Sofiane Feghouli was a surprise omission as Algeria named their 23-man squad on Saturday for the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Gabon.

Algeria, among the pretournament favourites, also left out Carl Medjani, who has been a consistent choice since his debut in 2010.

Feghouli has featured in just seven league games for his club West Ham United this season and been the subject of speculation over a move back to France.

The choices by coach George Leekens came after just one match in charge for the veteran Belgian trainer, appointed only last month after Algeria’s poor start to the 2018 World Cup qualification campaign.

He included uncapped 21-year-old Rennes defender Ramy Bensebaini in his squad who will warm-up with two friendlies against Mauritania next week before heading to

the tournament.

Goalkeepers: Malik Asselah (JS Kabylie), Rais Mbolhi (Antalyaspor), Chemseddine Rahmani (MO Bejaia) Defenders: Hicham Belkaroui (Esperance), Mokhtar Belkhiter (Club Africain), Ramy Bensebaini (Stade Rennes), Mohamed Benyahia (USM Alger), Liassine Cadamuro (Servette Geneva), Faouzi Ghoulam (Napoli), Aissa Mandi (Real Betis), Mohamed Rabie Meftah (USM Alger), Djamel Mesbah (Crotone) Midfielders: Mehdi Abeid (Dijon), Nabil Bentaleb (Schalke 04), Yassine Brahimi (FC Porto), Rachid Ghezzal (Olympique Lyonnais), Adlene Guedioura (Watford), Saphir Taider (Bologna) Forwards: Baghdad Bounedjah (Al Sadd), Sofiane Hanni (Anderlecht), Riyad Mahrez, Islam Slimani (both Leicester City), El Arabi Soudani (Dinamo Zagreb).

Ghana Coach Avram Grant named a provisional 26-man squad for the Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon yesterday, with Leicester City’s Jeff Schlupp a surprise omission.

Schlupp’s Leicester teammate Daniel Amartey was included as was another English Premier League player, Andre ‘Dede’ Ayew of West Ham. Aston Villa’s Jordan Ayew - Andre’s brother - was one of three English Championship players named, alongside Christian Atsu of Newcastle and Andy Diadom of Barnsley.

There was no place for Juventus midfielder Kwadwo

Asamoah who was struggling to make the cut following a series of knee injuries.

The Black Stars will now go to the United Arab Emirates for a training camp from where Grant will reveal his final squad of 23 by the 4 January deadline.

The tournament kicks off in Gabon on January 14.

Ghana will be based in Port-Gentil where they will face Mali, Egypt and Uganda in Group D. The Black Stars’ first match will be against Uganda on January 17.

GHANA SQUAD:

Goalkeepers: Razak Braimah (Cordoba, Spain), Adam Kwarasey (Rosenborg, Norway), Richard Ofori (Wa All Stars, Ghana) Defenders: Harrison Afful (Columbus Crew, USA), Andy Yiadom(Barnsley, England), Baba Rahman (Schalke, Germany), Frank Acheampong (Anderlecht, Belgium), John Boye (Sivasspor,Turkey), Jonathan Mensah (Anzhi, Russia), Daniel Amartey (Leicester City, England), Edwin Gyimah (Orlando Pirates, South Africa) Midfielders: Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu (Udinese, Italy), Afriyie Acquah (Torino,

Italy), Mubarak Wakaso (Panathinaikos, Greece), Christian Atsu (Newcastle, England), Ebenezer Ofori (AIK Stockholm, Sweden), Thomas Partey (Atletico Madrid, Spain), Samuel Tetteh (Leifering, Austria), Joseph Larweh Attamah (Baakehir, Turkey) Forwards: Asamoah Gyan (Al Ahli, UAE) Jordan Ayew (Aston Villa, England), AbdulMajeed Waris (Lorient, France), Andre Ayew (West Ham, England), Ebenezer Assifuah (Sion, Switzerland), Bernard Tekpetey (Schalke, Germany), Rahpael Dwamena (Austria Lustenau, Austria)

Renard Names Strong Morocco Squad Morocco has named their provisional squad to take part in the Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon which kicks off on January 14.

The Atlas Lions who are in Group C at AFCON 2017 alongside DR Congo, Cote d’Ivoire and Togo play their opening match on the 16th against the Leopards in what is expected to be a cracker.

Morocco will embark on residential camp in the United Arab Emirates where they

will play warm-up matches against Iran on January 6 and then Finland to gear up for AFCON. The two time AFCON winning coach has kept faith with the bulk of players who did duty during the AFCON 2017 qualifiers.

SQUAD Goalkeepers: Yassine Bounou (Girona, Spain), Yassine El Kharroubi (Lokomotiv Plovdiv, Bulgaria), Munir Mohamedi (Numancia, Spain).

Defenders: Amine Attouchi (Wydad Casablanca), Mehdi Benatia (Juventus, Italy), Fouad Chafik (Dijon, France), Manuel da Costa (Olympiakos, Greece), Nabil Dirar (Monaco, France), Hamza Mendyl (Lille, France), Mohamed Nahiri (FUS Rabat), Romain Saïss (Wolverhampton Wanderers, England).

Midfielders: Youssef Aït Bennasser (Nancy, France), Nordin Amrabat (Watford, England), Younes Belhanda (Nice, France), Sofiane Boufal (Southampton, England),

Mbark Boussoufa (Al Jazeera, United Arab Emirates), Mehdi Carcela (Grenada, Spain), Karim El Ahmadi (Feyenoord Rotterdam, Netherlands), Fayçal Fajr (Deportivo Coruña, Spain), Ismail Haddad (Wydad Casablanca), Mourir Obbadi (Lille, France), Oussama Tannane (St Etienne, France).

Forward: Rachid Alioui (Nimes, France), Khalid Boutaib (Racing Strasbourg, France), Youssef El Arabi (Al Lekhwiya, Qatar), Youssef Ennesyri (Malaga, Spain).

Mazembe Coach Departs for Tunisia African Confederation Cup champions TP Mazembe Englebert of the Democratic Republic of Congo have lost their coach, Hubert Velud, who has signed for Tunisia’s Etoile du Sahel.

Etoile were eliminated by Mazembe in the semifinal of last year’s competition.

Frenchman Velud, also a former national coach of Togo, takes over from the veteran Faouzi Benzarti,

who led Etoile to African Confederation Cup success in 2015 at the expense of Orlando Piates.

The 57-year-old Velud has also previously worked at Algerian clubs Entente Sétif and USM Alger.

Mazembe now have to find a new coach as they prepare for next month’s African Super Cup against African Champions League winners Mamelodi Sundowns.

Benik Afobe out of DR Congo AFCON 2017 squad

46

T H I S D AY ˾TUESDAY JANUARY 3, 2017

TUESDAYSPORTS

Mata, Ibra Seal Victory for Man Utd Manchester United stretched their winning run in the Premier League to six matches after Juan Mata and Zlatan Ibrahimovic secured a 2-0 victory at 10-man West Ham yesterday.

Spain international Mata struck midway through the second half at London Stadium to break the valiant resistance of Slaven Bilic’s side, who played for 75 minutes a man down, before Ibrahimovic blasted in a controversial second in the closing stages.

West Ham had lost none of their previous four league meetings with United but they were dealt a big blow on 15 minutes when Sofiane Feghouli, on his first start in England’s top flight, was sent off for a late tackle on Phil Jones.

United struggled to carve out many meaningful chances despite their numerical advantage - although Darren Randolph made one stunning save to deny Antonio Valencia in the first half - and the Hammers spurned a great chance to take the lead when Michail Antonio shot straight at David de Gea when clean through one-on-one.

Mata steered in a fine finish only three minutes later to compound Antonio’s frustrations before Ibrahimovic secured maximum points for United, who are back to within a point of fourth-place Arsenal, having played a game more.

An encouraging start from

West Ham was brought to a halt on 15 minutes when Feghouli was shown a straight red card after crunching into Jones in a 50-50 challenge close to United’s area.

Referee Mike Dean gave himself time to consider before brandishing a red card that incensed the home fans and Bilic on the touchline, although the way Feghouli jumped off the turf certainly made the challenge look careless.

United failed to muster a shot in the first half hour despite their advantage, but they contrived to miss a glorious chance to take the lead 10 minutes before the break.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan turned Ibrahimovic’s cross back towards the near post from the right and Randolph somehow clawed Valencia’s effort from point-blank range off the line before Jesse Lingard inexplicably hit the post with the rebound.

West Ham looked a threat when they broke forward and De Gea was forced to tip Manuel Lanzini’s curling effort from 20 yards away from the top corner just before half-time.

Mourinho made an attacking change for the second half, introducing Mata for full-back Matteo Darmian, and West Ham were perhaps fortunate not to concede a further advantage to the visitors when Cheikhou Kouyate escaped a card for

PREMIERSHIP Team

P

W D

L

GF GA GD Pts

Chelsea

19

16 1

2

42

13

29

49

Liverpool

20

13 5

2

48

23

25

44

Man City

20

13 3

4

41

22

19

42

Arsenal

19

12 4

3

41

19

22

40

Tottenham

19

11 6

2

37

14

23

39

Man Utd

20

11 6

3

31

19

12

39

Everton

20

8

6

6

28

23

5

30

WBA

20

8

5

7

28

24

4

29

B’mouth

19

7

3

9

26

31

-5

24

S’hampton

20

6

6

8

19

25

-6

24

Burnley

20

7

2

11

22

31

-9

23

Watford

19

6

4

9

23

34

-11

22

West Ham

20

6

4

10

23

35

-12

22

Leicester

20

5

6

9

24

31

-7

21

Stoke City

19

5

6

8

22

32

-10

21

M’brough

20

4

7

9

17

22

-5

19

Palace

19

4

4

11

29

35

-6

16

Sunderland

20

4

3

13

19

37

-18

15

Hull City

20

3

4

13

17

44

-27

13

Swansea

19

3

3

13

21

44

-23

12

a two-footed challenge on Mkhitaryan.

Chances remained scarce but Antonio wasted a glorious opportunity for the home side when he shot straight at De Gea after being played clean through on goal

by Lanzini.

Just three minutes later, that miss was punished with aplomb. Marcus Rashford surged into the penalty area before cutting back onto his right foot and teeing up fellow substitute Mata, who curled a first-time shot beyond Randolph’s left hand

and into the top corner.

Paul Pogba fired a good opening wide and a Rashford shot almost squirmed through Randolph’s grasp and over the line, but United made certain of the points 13 minutes from the end following another decision

Ibrahimovic celebrating the second goal with his team mates

Guardiola Hints on Ending Coaching Career Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola feels he is already nearing the end of his coaching career.

Guardiola, 45, has a three-year contract at the Etihad Stadium but does not envision continuing in the same capacity far beyond that.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest coaches of all time, the Spaniard has won 22 trophies since starting out at Barcelona B in 2007.

The Spaniard led Barca’s first team to a historic treble in 2008-09 and won three successive Bundesliga titles in as many years at Bayern Munich.

But, despite being in the early stages of his time at City, Guardiola says he is already winding down his career.

“I will be at Manchester for the next three seasons, maybe more, but I am

arriving at the end of my coaching career, of this I am sure,” he told NBC Sports, prior to City’s 2-1 Premier League win over Burnley yesterday.

“I will not be on the bench until I am 60 or 65 years old. I feel that the process of my goodbye has already started.”

Meanwhile, Guardiola delivered a series of curt answers in response to questions over another red card for Fernandinho against Burnley.

The Brazilian was sent off just after the half-hour mark yesterday but Man City coped admirably with their numerical disadvantage, however, and two quickfire goals in the second half from Gael Clichy and substitute Sergio Aguero put them ahead before Ben Mee gave the Clarets

hope wih 20 minutes to go.

Fernandinho’s dismissal was his third in six outings for City after red cards against Borussia Monchengladbach and Chelsea, but a clearly irked Guardiola was in no mood to discuss the decision of referee Lee Mason, whom he remonstrated with angrily at full-time.

“You are the journalist, you can see and explain it,” he told Sky Sports.

When it was put to

Defoe Scores Two Penalties as Sunderland Holds Liverpool Two Jermain Defoe penalties meant Sunderland twice came from behind to earn a point against second-placed Liverpool.

The Reds took a deserved lead when Daniel Sturridge flicked in a header after Dejan Lovren’s mishit shot.

Sunderland equalised six minutes later as Defoe scored from the spot following Ragnar Klavan’s trip on Didier Ndong, before Sadio Mane put the visitors back ahead with a

close-range finish.

However, Mane then handled in his own 18-yard box and Defoe converted the penalty to snatch an unlikely point.

The result leaves Liverpool five points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea, who play their game in hand on Wednesday at Tottenham (20:00 GMT kick-off).

However, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp will surely see it as two points dropped after

that left the home fan’s irate.

Ander Herrera’s pass fell to the feet of Ibrahimovic just inside the West Ham area and he spun and lashed the ball low into the net, with the officials failing to spot that the Swede had strayed offside.

his side led twice, had 71% of the possession and had 15 shots on target.

Only an inspired performance from Black Cats keeper Vito Mannone denied Liverpool further goals, before Mane needlessly stuck out an arm to block Seb Larsson’s free-kick, costing his side dearly.

To make things worse for Liverpool, Sturridge, who scored only his second Premier League goal of the

season, limped off late on after clashing with Papy Djilobodji.

RESULTS Middlesbrough 0 - 0 Leicester Everton 3 - 0 Southampton Man City 2 - 1 Burnley Sunderland 2 - 2 Liverpool West Brom 3 - 1 Hull City West Ham 0 - 2 Man Utd

Guardiola

him that the reporter was not paid to explain it, Guardiola replied: “Me neither. I explain about the games, not the red cards and so on.”

Guardiola brought David Silva and Aguero off the bench at half-time, and was asked if it was an error not to start the duo.

“Sure, I did a big mistake, you are right,” he said with a hint of sarcasm.

“Yes [I corrected it], I am intelligent.”

47

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY JANUARY 3, 2017

TUESDAYSPORTS

Hero’s Welcome as Oscar Lands in China Brazilian star Oscar was given a hero’s welcome when he landed in Shanghai yesterday in a €60-million-euro deal from Chelsea that smashes the Asian transfer record.

Dozens of chanting Shanghai SIPG supporters mobbed the international midfielder, 25, at the city’s Pudong airport.

Oscar’s arrival in the Chinese Super League (CSL) comes ahead of that of Argentina’s former Manchester United striker Carlos Tevez, who signed for Shanghai Shenhua in another big-money deal last week.

Tevez’s transfer fee was €0.5 million, according to the website transfermarkt. com, which tracks football transfers, and the 32-year-old is reportedly set to become the highest-paid player in the world with a two-year contract of €38 million per season.

Oscar’s deal with Shanghai SIPG is thought to be €24 million a season -- which would put him above Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi -but the fee they paid to Chelsea eclipses the estimated €55.8 million the ambitious Chinese side shelled out for Brazilian striker Hulk in July.

SIPG General Manager, Sui Guoyang, admits that Chinese clubs need to offer eye-watering sums of money if they are to get in the big names.

“If we don’t offer €60 million, do you think he will bother to come?” Sui asked last week of Oscar, according to Sky Sports.

“There’s such a huge gap between CSL and Europe’s top leagues. It’s unrealistic to suggest that we would have done it in a different way.

“The cost of signing the player was €60m indeed, not £60m. The club’s senior management personally flew to Paris to seal the deal.”

Chelsea Manager, Antonio Conte, who dropped Oscar this season and deemed him surplus to requirements at the Premier League title-chasers, last month said the burgeoning financial muscle of Chinese clubs was “a danger” to football because few other teams in the world could compete with the vast sums they are splashing out.

After escorting Oscar through a media scrum on arrival, Sui dismissed concerns raised by Chinese state media of a market bubble in the Chinese league, again arguing that prices have to be higher to attract players away from big European leagues.

“The league is developing so of course it will go through many different stages,” Sui told AFP. “I believe that from now on the Chinese Super League will become healthier and more normal.”

Oscar (2nd right) signing autographs on arrival in Shanghai yesterday Some fans put it more bluntly.

“In the end if you do not

pay the money then nobody would be willing to come over here,” said SIPG supporter

Zou Jiahuo.

Oscar and Hulk will work under former Tottenham

Hotspur and Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas at the Shanghai club.

Nicklaus: McIlroy Will Need to Improve to Become Dominant Golf’s most prolific major winner, Jack Nicklaus, has said that Rory McIlroy must improve if he is to dominate the sport.

McIlroy goes into 2017 with only Jason Day above him in the world rankings and with four major titles to his name.

Nicklaus believes the 27-yearold from Northern Ireland now has to decide whether he wants to try to become the sport’s greatest player.

Speaking to BBC Sport, the 18-time major champion was also optimistic about golf’s future but renewed his call for a cut in the distance the ball travels.

In recent years Nicklaus has developed a strong friendship with McIlroy, who often practises at the 76-year-old American’s Bears Club in Jupiter, Florida.

“Rory is one of those young men who has got a tremendous amount of talent,” Nicklaus said.

“He has won and played on his talent to this point. If he wishes to dominate and go forward then he’s got to improve.”

Nicklaus warned that standing still at the top of the game means only one thing - quickly being passed. And

he believes the UK’s leading player is now approaching the prime of his career.

“He has to work hard, he’s got to focus on what he is trying to do and it is up to him. Certainly he has all the tools to be able to do it - it is just whether he has the desire and the willingness to give up some other things.

“And that’s his call. I mean, whatever Rory does, he has established himself as one of the great players that has ever played the game.

“Whether he wants to be the greatest player to have played the game, that’s his determination and it’s his decision whether he wants to make that effort to try to do that.”

The 2017 season is likely to be a pivotal year in McIlroy’s life with his wedding to fiancee Erica Stoll rumoured to be scheduled for the weeks following April’s Masters.

Nicklaus famously combined a successful family life, bringing up five children, with collecting a record number of majors and an astonishing 118 tournament victories worldwide.

“It’s just management of time,” Nicklaus said. “When you are young and single and just one dimensional you pretty

much can do things at your leisure.

“Once you start getting married, having a family, other business interests, then you’ve got to learn how to manage your time and use it efficiently.

He’ll learn that.”

McIlroy has won two US PGA Championships as well as the 2011 US Open and 2014 Open. Next April he will arrive at Augusta seeking, for the third time, to complete a career grand slam.

“I think he will win the Masters [some day],” said the man who donned the famous Green Jacket on a record six occasions.

“He certainly has the type of game that would do well at Augusta and he has done well before - he just hasn’t finished it.”

And Nicklaus says McIlroy should not be put off by the hype that will accompany his continued attempts to land the one major to have eluded him.

“The media are going to focus on this because he hasn’t won it,” Nicklaus added. “He’ll win it. He’s a good player.”

Although Nicklaus says he feels McIlroy needs to improve, the American veteran refuses to be drawn on specifics.

“I always felt like I was

climbing a mountain and trying to get to the top of it,” he said.

“And once I got to the top I was probably close to my mid-forties. And then I thought, maybe it’s time to take a slide down the other side. But as you’re playing and working at it you have to keep climbing and trying to get better.”

One could apply this analysis to his views on the game in general. For decades he has been heavily involved in the business side with his course design company. Nicklaus also hosts his memorial event on the PGA Tour.

“I think tournament golf is very healthy,” Nicklaus said.

“Anything stagnates at one point or another and has to figure out how to reboot and move forward.

“And I think they’ve done

Federer Beats Evans to Lift Hopman Cup Roger Federer marked his return from injury with a 6-3 6-4 victory against Dan Evans as Switzerland beat Great Britain 3-0 in the Hopman Cup. Federer, 35, made short work of the British number three in his first match after a six-month knee injury setback.

World number 76 Heather Watson lost her tie against Belinda Bencic 7-5 3-6 6-2 to give Switzerland the victory.

Federer and Bencic then combined to seal the whitewash, beating Evans and Watson 4-0 4-1 in Australia.

The Hopman Cup, played in Perth, comprises two

singles matches and a mixed doubles contest between nations in a round-robin format with two groups of four.

France beat Germany in Group A’s other fixture, with USA, Spain, Australia and the Czech Republic completing the line-up in Group B.

McIlroy

a pretty good job of it. I think we are now moving back in the right direction.”

But he hates the fact that golfers can routinely propel the golf ball more than 300 yards off the tee. “It is the most ridiculous thing in the game,” he said.

“I mean, who cares how far it goes as long as it is relative to the other person. If a golf ball goes 20% shorter it is not much different to what it was 20 years ago.

“Some of the biggest problems we have are the cost of the game, the amount of time it takes to play, the difficulty of the game. All those things are things that can be addressed with one fell swoop with the golf ball.

“We can play the game faster, play the game cheaper, play the game a little less difficult. It takes less land,

it takes less water, takes less chemicals - all kinds of things that help us.”

And he has no time for the leading golf officials who celebrate the fact that the likes of McIlroy can generate gasps of awe from watching galleries through their prodigious hitting.

“When I belted it 280 yards they thought that was pretty good too,” Nicklaus said.

“Before me, when [Ben] Hogan hit it 250 yards, they thought that was pretty good.

“I think the fans get used to what they are looking at. I don’t see a change in the golf ball soon but I think common sense says you should do it.”

It’s also clear that Nicklaus believes fans will see more McIlroy majors in the coming years, especially if the Northern Irishman is able to make the most of his vast potential.

TR

Tuesday January 3, 2017

UT H

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Price: N250

MISSILE PANDEF to Federal Govt “To make matters worse, the government is reported to have earmarked a whooping N29 billion of oil revenue to fight militancy in the Niger Delta region.

“This, of course, will further exacerbate the crisis in the region, where PANDEF has been working assiduously to ensure permanent peace.”

– Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) lambasting the federal government for earmarking N29 billion to fight militancy in the Niger Delta instead of embracing dialogue.

TUESDAY WITH REUBENABATI abati1990@gmail.com

Nobody Comes to Abuja to Read

I

thoroughly enjoyed reading Pius Adesanmi’s “A Nigerian, Library and Lawmakers” (Sahara Reporters, December 24). I will like to add a footnote to what he has raised: hopefully, the likely beginning of a useful conversation around the subject of reading, literacy, politician-constituency relationship, and the normative/practical value of knowledge and research in governance. At the risk of over-simplification, Adesanmi’s argument is that Nigerian politicians, unlike their counterparts in Canada and I suppose elsewhere also, do not read. They don’t do research. Nigerian legislators don’t make use of libraries either for research or for any other purpose.

The average Nigerian politician does not connect with his constituents at the level of ideas. What drives Nigerian politics is the sharing of cheap envelopes, containing a percentage of stolen funds. Adesanmi laments in that elegantly comparative piece, but he does not tell us what can be done to get the Nigerian, not just the politician, to return to a culture of reading and research.

I’ll probably also spend more time in the next paragraphs, lamenting. That is how bad and serious the problem is.

When I arrived in Abuja in June 2011 to take up appointment as Official Spokesperson and Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Goodluck Jonathan, one of my first concerns was how to set up a library at home. It would have been difficult for me to move my libraries (in Lagos and Abeokuta) to Abuja.

I needed to set up a new one, focusing majorly on the new assignment and its research requirements. I made contacts and asked for the big bookshops in town.

I didn’t know I was fooling myself. I spent more than a week, driving around the city trying to locate bookshops. I was told there was a bookshop around the old secretariat in Area One. When I got there, the most important item on display was stationery and different copies of the Bible from King James’s version to the New International edition. I left the place.

I was then directed a few days later to Odusote Bookshop, Abuja branch. I was excited. Odusote Bookshop used to be a major book centre in Ibadan in those days.

Together with the CSS bookshop around Oke Bola, and the University of Ibadan bookshop, the Odusote bookshop served the city of Ibadan and its intelligentsia very well. This was before the arrival of Mr Kolade Mosuro’s Booksellers Limited in Jericho. I rushed to Odusote Bookshop.

What did I find? A shadow. Old, worn out books. The Abuja branch looked like a run-down store. Books have a certain smell.

Bibliophiles sometimes go to bookstores just to smell the books, have a feel of the new arrivals section and then take a cup of coffee and go home. A bookstore is a centre of culture; in London and Washington DC, some of my favourite bookstores truly fit that definition. A dusty, stale bookstore discourages you. I bought a few books from Odusote, but my search around Abuja continued.

I kept calling persons I thought would

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mohammed Musa Bello... superintends over a city without public libraries

know, but no one could really help.

Each time I asked for a bookshop and mentioned something about buying books, the conversation always ran into a ditch.

The only person who paid attention was Oronto Douglas. He offered to introduce to me a gentleman who would help me set up a library. He would get the books from wherever and deliver them. I only needed to indicate subject areas. I didn’t think this was the way to go. I like to choose my own books. I enjoy moving from bookrack to another, engage the booksellers, examine the books the way a pimp checks out a prostitute, before making a purchase.

If it is a recommended book, I like the experience of going after the book myself and when it arrives, nothing compares to the exhilaration of a new discovery.

I finally found what looked like a book section inside a Supermarket at the Abuja Silverbird Galleria. I walked round. The best books you could get there were “how to” books, those get-rich-quickbecome-a-strategist-and-an-achiever-inone-week-type-of-publications. I read such books too, but in this particular bookshop, there was no doubt that the books were dollar-denominated. They were so expensive you’d be busy palpitating while reading the books later, once you remembered the cost. I tried other stores around the city, but these were mostly those stores where books are displayed next to groceries, cosmetics and toiletries.

I wanted law books. I eventually found specialized bookshops, which sell only law books around the FCT High Court and the Corporate Affairs Commission.

Building up a law section on my shelves was probably the easiest task.

I later stumbled on another bookstore at Ceddi Plaza. It was newly set up by a young man who knew what he was doing and who obviously understood the importance of knowledge. It was a neatly organized bookshop, small, but wellappointed. The fellow had read some of the

books himself and he could recommend books of interest. It was always a delight going there to look at new acquisitions.

One day, I went back there and found the place boarded off. I asked around.

What happened? The bookshop had been transferred to another floor. The owner could no longer afford to pay for the strategic location he had chosen. I found the bookshop in a hidden corner of the Plaza. Six months later, it had disappeared altogether. The owner’s dream died. The gentleman is probably now busy running a pepper soup joint, a short-time hotel or he is at best, a harried investor in the MMM Ponzi scheme: these are far more profitable enterprises in Nigeria than the selling of books or ideas.

One day, someone took me to Biobak Restaurant for lunch, and in between trying to find a parking space, I saw something that looked like Booksellers in a place called City Plaza. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I rushed into the place. Booksellers: Abuja branch? It didn’t quite look like the big centre in Jericho, Ibadan but I established a relationship with the staff, and throughout my stay in Abuja, they helped me to source any book I wanted, if they could. But for the most part, I bought books from Glendora in Lagos, at the airport outlet and Awolowo Road, and from Amazon (by order) and Waterstones on Oxford Street, London: my favourite spot in London.

I have gone through this narrative simply to show that in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory, nobody is interested in books or ideas. Abuja does not even have a public library, digital or analogue, that I know of. And yet it hosts about five universities (!), and just a few kilometres away in neighbouring Nasarawa state, there is another university in Lafia. Abuja is the home/workplace of probably the most important people in Nigeria from lawmakers to the big politicians, but it is also an ideas-person’s hell. The first day I went to the bookshop in Area One, the man on duty, sensing my agony, called me aside and told me: “Oga, are you new in town?”

“Yes” “The way you are looking for bookshops and books, I can figure it out” “For me, books are important.”

“Oga, take it easy, nobody comes to Abuja to come and read. Everybody is here to make money.”

I was puzzled. He continued: “I am telling you. This place is the city of government and contracts. People are looking for contracts and money. This our bookshop, we are just selling stationery and exercise books and religious books that the people will need, because anybody that comes here either has an alfa or a prophet working for them. With time, you will learn. I will advise you to forget about books. Look for contracts, Oga.” Asking me to forget about books is like asking me to forgo oxygen. But the man was right and Pius Adesanmi put his fingers on it. And it is not simply an Abuja problem. Since the politicians took

over governance, they stopped worrying about education, reading, research and ideas. We like to blame the military for everything, but ironically, under military rule, things were not this bad. I wrote my Ph.D thesis in those days visiting a local library in Imo, Abeokuta. It was owned, and managed by the local council as a community library!

That library was later moved to Ake, just behind the Centenary Hall. When the universities were shut down and we were all sent away, I ended up writing three chapters in that new library. This was in those days when we relied on index cards for research and those secondary school graduates who helped to type our drafts on manual, usually damaged typewriters, often insisted on correcting syntax and punctuation, instead of admitting that their typewriters were either faulty or that they did not understand what they were typing.

There were libraries in other major cities in Nigeria too. You could borrow books from the community library and return them later. Local councils built libraries. State governments encouraged reading and even bought books for students. There were national archives, with the most patronized domiciled at the University of Ibadan. In those days, when Nigerian lawmakers stood up to make a contribution in parliament, people listened because they made a lot of sense. They spoke like men and women who could think. Today, things have gone so bad we now have lawmakers who know next to nothing about anything. They want to ride the most exotic cars that money can buy. They import the prettiest girls from across the globe. They insult women. They don’t even know the history of Nigeria.

Abuja big men and women in fact employ assistants to read newspapers for them!

While Abuja has no libraries, standard bookshops, or gentlemen, it is nonetheless very rich in hotels and napoi joints. Hotels have become the new libraries. They are the only places where any form of thinking takes place. As it is in Abuja, so it is in the states, and that is why government at all levels seemingly considers investment in education, an avoidable distraction. There is an Ake Arts and Book Festival. Before it, there was the Garden City Book Festival in Port Harcourt, but government no longer cares. Reading is anathema to the populace.

Nigerians read to pass examinations, thereafter reading is abandoned. We are in the age of google-it-intellectuals.

Ideas drive and build nations. A country without a positive and deep current of thought is bound to run into crisis. So it is with Nigeria where the leaders only become animated when they want to share money or play partisan politics. The root of the crisis lies in the recruitment of wrong persons into power. Try and compare the cabinet list in Singapore with that of Nigeria, for example. The difference is clear. The message is clear. The answer lies in a re-configuration of the leadership recruitment process and the vigilance of civil society insisting on higher values.

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