Shell Evacuates staff from major facilities

...towards a better life for the people

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VOL. 25: NO. 63023

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N200

MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016

10 banks pay Reps raise alarm over missing kidney 143 directors of Nigerian in Italian N7.6bn in 2015 hospital >>10 >>18

2016 budget faces cash flow emergencies, may lose N1.4trn >>9

N I G E R D E LTA AV E N G E R S :

Shell evacuates staff from major facilities •More oil facilities to be bombed in N-Delta, other places —Avengers •Tension mounts in Niger Delta over Buhari's directives •Security chiefs, militants in separate meetings to review operations •Niger Delta Avengers does not exist — Ayiri

By Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, South-South, Sam Oyadongha, Egufe Yafugborhi & Tare Youdeowei

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ARRI—THE activities of Niger Delta Avengers, the new militant group in the oilrich region, have forced Royal Dutch Shell to evacuate most of its staff from its production facility, Eja OML 79.

This came as different security agencies and militants held separate undisclosed meetings to re-appraise their tactics, following a fresh directive by President Muhammadu Buhari that

Continues on Page 5

OAUTH performs successful open-heart surgeries >>8

Steal, go to jail, Kogi gov tells LG bosses >>42 Mr & Mrs PDP MEETING — From left: Governors Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa); Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), Emmanuel Udom (Akwa-Ibom) and Ben Ayade (Cross River), during South-South Governors' meeting in Asaba, yesterday.

COLUMNISTS:

Marauders, herdsmen and fellow Nigerians •P.33 C M Y K

A misguided editorial on Buhari’s refusal to devalue •P.32 Naira

Abacha never stole

Growth Accelerated Segun Ogunsanya •P.35 •P.34

CEO, Airtel Nigeria

2 — Vanguard, MONDAY MAY 9 , 2016

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Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016—3

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4 — Vanguard, MONDAY MAY 9 , 2016

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Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016—5

POCKET CARTOON

BITUMEN—Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi, examining sample of bitumen scooped from a site in Agbabu, in Odigbo Local Government Area, during a working visit to bitumen bearing communities in Ondo State.

Shell evacuates staff from major maintaining that the facilities militant group should not Continues from Page 1 the group, which claimed responsibility for the recent bombing of oil/gas installations in Warri, Delta State, be overpowered.

Shell evacuation was carried out by three helicopters weekend.

The evacuation saw 98 key personnel airlifted by helicopters from Eja OML 79, run by Royal Dutch Nigerian subsidiary, Shell Petroleum Development Corporation, SPDC, where production of 90,000 barrels of oil per day has been halted.

Sources said that a small group of staff was left on the platform to carry out skeletal operations. The staff and facility are offered protection by two gunboats belonging to the Military Joint Taskforce.

Close to Eja 79 is the Bonga Field, which has a larger production capacity and is operated by another Shell subsidiary, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company, SNEPCO. Sources said some staff had been evacuated from Bonga, while the wider

security implication is being reviewed by the company.

Last week, Niger Delta Avengers, blew up Chevron Valve Platform in Abiteye, Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State. They had earlier in the year, blown up pipelines in the state.

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, who spoke at the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, South-South governors meeting in Asaba, condemned the recent attack on Chevron facility, adding that “gas pipeline vandalism is very unfortunate.”

Meanwhile, former militant leader, G o v e r n m e n t Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, yesterday, said he had no apology to offer to the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, which, last Tuesday, issued him a three-day ultimatum to withdraw his alleged denunciation of the group and its violent activities.

Also, Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, apex Ijaw youth organisation, in a statement by its spokesperson, Mr. Eric Omare, threw its weight behind Tompolo,

IT'S UP TO YOU

BY AYO ADIO HENEVER a man wakes up is his morning, it doesn’t matter how much time you have lost, you can start now and make your life count. It's up to you.

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TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

Make it a point to challenge yourself daily while you work —Patricia Yankee

I

F you stay focused and challenged at what you do, you don’t become bored with your craft, lose respect for your talent, or grow complacent with your skills. Remember, there is always someone out there as good as you are in your field. You always stay up with your skills and knowledge when you are one step ahead of your competitors.

SAYINGS OF OUR PEOPLE

H

E who kills the native doctor that prepares charms for him, must not forget that his enemies are not all dead.

force him to support their destructive mission, just as the Centre for the Peace and Environmental Justice, CEPEJ, and Ijaw Peoples Development Initiative, IPDI, condemned the resort to violence by Niger Delta Avengers.

However, Itsekiri and Ijaw leaders, Chief Ayiri Emami and Johnny Michael, who spoke to Vanguard on phone, fingered an ex-militant leader for the bombings, saying the militant group was acting his script.

Tension in Niger Delta

Also, fresh tension mounted, weekend, in Delta State, as different security agencies met over President Buhari ‘s order to them to crush the new militant group.

It was gathered that riverine dwellers in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South West Local Government Area of the state, wary of the danger activities of militants posed to their lives, were relocating to Warri and other parts of the state, yesterday, to avoid being trapped in a cross fire.

On its part, the militant group seemed not ready to backtrack from its vow to devastate oil installations in the region and other parts of the country.

A source close to the group said: “The boys are not afraid of the security agencies, they will cripple oil and gas supply to the country as long as government remains recalcitrant to their demands.”

Last month, spokesperson of the group, Col. Madoch Agbinibo, said: “The Presidency can set up a permanent security force as stated by the Vice President when he visited the SPDC, Forcados Terminal. We are not deterred by such threats and shall continue blowing up pipelines until the Niger Delta

people are no longer marginalized by the Nigerian actors.”

Vanguard gathered that the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin, penultimate weekend, paid an operational visit to Bayelsa State as part of on-going efforts to rid the Niger Delta of pipeline vandals and crude oil thieves.

Efforts to reach the Commander of the Joint Task Force, JTF code named, Operation Pulo Shield, Major General Alani Okunlola and Commanding Officer of NNS Delta, Commodore Raimi Mohammed on the latest directive, proved fruitless.

Tompolo Tompolo, who also spoke to Vanguard through his Media Adviser and Consultant, Mr. Paul Bebenimibo said: “He (Tompolo) will not apologize to them (Niger Delta Avengers). If not for his current issues with the Federal Government, he (Tompolo) would have gone after them and exposed them because they seem to make things difficult for him, as the government is pointing fingers at him, but he cannot do anything in his current situation.”

He listed two prominent Itsekiri and Ijaw activists, both stalwarts of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Delta State, who he said, “are only looking for attention from the government, so they use the development to seek relevance from the government, they may be behind these guys.”

The militant group in a statement by its spokesperson, Col. Mudoch Agbinibo, May 3, was angered by Tompolo’s advice to servicing companies to go about their normal operations, particularly repair of the Forcados Terminal 48-inch pipeline.

The group alleged Tompolo had “taken side with the Federal government to fight Niger Delta people.”

Two days after the ultimatum, the militant group on Thursday, May 5, bombed the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC crude and gas lines and Well D25 in Abiteye, a key gas well operated by Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL.

Tompolo did the right thing — IYC

IYC spokesperson, Mr. Eric Omare, however, told Vanguard: “We do not see the justification in the Niger Delta Avengers embarking on destruction of oil facilities because Tompolo denounced the group. I think Tompolo did the proper thing by coming out to inform the

entire world that he was not part of the Niger Delta Avengers when there were insinuations to the effect that he was behind them.

“As with other cases of attack on oil facilities, the Niger Delta environment and people are the ultimate victim and would suffer from these latest attacks. The IYC believe that irrespective of the grievances, there are better ways of expressing them rather than contributing to the further destruction of the already massively degraded Niger Delta environment.

On fresh directive by President Buhari to security agencies to crush the militants, he said: “While the IYC does not support the attacks on oil facilities, we hasten to add that it should not be used as a justification to attack innocent Niger Delta communities.”

You’re causing more harm than good —CEPEJ

National Coordinator of CEPEJ, Sheriff Mulade, in a statement, condemning the bombings by Niger Delta Avengers, said: “The deadly attacks have cut oil and gas production and caused attendant devastation of the environment.”

It asked the militants to “lay down their arms as their activities were antithetical to the genuine agitation of the people and the overall development of the oil rich region.”

Stop bombing oil installations—IPDI Speaking through its national president, Austin Ozobo, the IPDI, yesterday, warned the Niger Delta Avengers to stop bombing of oil facilities to avoid further harm to the nation’s economy.

Faulting the recent attacks on major oil pipelines in the country, he warned: “Those threatening former agitator, Tompolo and the nation’s economy should desist from that."

He advised those complaining of marginalization of Niger Delta, particularly the

Niger Delta to lay down their arms.

N-Delta Avengers is non-existent — Ayiri

Itsekiri leader and activist, Chief Ayiri Emami, however, took a different position. While he condemned the attacks by the so-called NigerDelta Avengers, which he said does not exist, he said: “The attacks are just to create a platform for negotiation with President Buhari.

“I know that Mr. President is intelligent enough not to fall for just gimmick. Some of us volunteered to cooperate with the security agencies free of charge to fish out the perpetrators of these bombings, but the Delta State Government did not see reason with us. They held a state security meeting asking why security agencies were working with us.

"They know the person directing his boys to do these things and should bring them out.”

Stop jeopardizing Gbaramatu indigenes — Michael Ijaw leader, Chief Johnny Michael, who spoke in a similar vein, said: “There is nothing strange or new in what is happening. It is what we are already used to, but my worry is that these people should stop endangering the life of Gbaramatu people.

“The people causing this havoc are known, the security agencies should not compromise, they should have good intelligence information to identify them and bring them to book. I also want to say that they should stop calling the name of APC in this matter. APC is a progressive party, anybody who wants to join the party should do so, but they should stop blackmailing us.”

He said that many Gbaramatu leaders know those carrying out the bombings, but because of fear, they would not be able to speak out and urged the security agencies to do their work.

6 — Vanguard, MONDAY MAY 9 , 2016

Lawyer petitions police over threat to court bailiff’s life

By Onozure Dania

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AGOS—A lawyer and rights activist, Mr Dania Abdullahi, has petitioned the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2 Command Onikan, Lagos, on the abuse of office by the Divisional Crime Officer, DCO, in charge of the Ago police station, IsoloLagos. DSP Abdullai Kasimu.

In the petition dated May 4, 2016, the lawyer is seeking the immediate transfer of a tenancy case file being investigated by Kasimu.

He said that his client, Mr Ernest Nwanoro, a Senior Bailiff/ Sheriff of the Federal High Court, is resident at No 21, Ajoke Okunsanya Str., Ago Palace way, Okota, Lagos, which is owned by an exComptroller of Custom, Chief John Ogundoju, but managed by his daughter and husband, Mr and Mrs Eniafe Adeola.

He said that Nwanoro was given a notice to quit the apartment by an agent of the landlord, one Mr Lanre, but before the expiration of the notice, he (Lanre) in company of some policemen from the Ago Police division stormed his premises and disconnected, his power and water supply and also illegally barricaded the entrance to his premises.

He said that on April 28, 2016, at about 10pm, his client (Nwanoro) got a call from the said Lanre, asking him to report at the police station.

He said that his client was surprised at this call, as he was aware that such invitation ought to be served on him by a serving police officer and also ought not to be by night.

He said that surprisingly on May 3, his client got a call from the DCO, threatening to shoot him, if he failed to appear at the station without fail, adding that his client’s house was invaded afterwards, and he had to relocate his family to a friend's place for safety.

All efforts to get the reaction of the said house managers on telephone proved abortive as they refused to make any comment.

A’Court affirms 25-yr jail term for 3 Boko Haram convicts ...As Ambode bags Commonwealth job

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

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AGOS—THE Court of Appeal in Lagos at the weekend affirmed the judgment of a Federal High Court in Lagos convicting and sentencing three members of the Boko Haram terror group to 25 years imprisonment each.

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

Justice Ibrahim Buba of the

Federal High Court in Lagos, had on September 30, 2014, handed down the verdict after the Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of Justice, successfully prosecuted the terrorists before the court.

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

Prevention Act, 2013 and the Firearms Act, Cap F.28 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

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

Those convicted and sentenced are Ali Mohammed Modu, Adamu Ali Karumi and Ibrahim Usman Ali. Dissatisfied with the verdict, the convicts through their lawyer, had approached the Appeal Court in Lagos asking that the verdict be upturned on BRIEFING: From left: Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Mrs. Y e t u n d e Onanuga; G o v e r n o r Ibikunle Amosun; Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Ogun State, Adenrele Adesina and Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Ogun State, Mr. Bimbo Ashiru during a press conference to unveil the 3rd edition of Ogun State Investors Forum at Governor's Office, Abeokuta.

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HE National Agency for the Control of AIDS, NACA, yesterday gave details of its own side of the alleged fraud in the Global Fund grants for HIV, TB and Malaria to Nigeria, insisting that the Global Fund has not suspended its support to the country.

In a telephone chat with

Commonwealth appoints Ambode Investment Council’s VP

Meantime, the Commonwealth has appointed Governor Akinwunmi Ambode as the Vice President, Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council, CWEIC. CWEIC is an interest group established to promote trade and investment by facilitating engagement between government and the private sector throughout the Commonwealth.

It was established in July 2014 with the support of the Commonwealth Secretariat.

It is a non-profit membership company with a mandate to facilitate increased trade and investment across the Commonwealth.

Prof Adamolekun’s autobiography for launch Thursday

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ROFESSOR Ladipo Adamolekun, an accomplished academic, international diplomat, veteran author and one-time politician has documented his experience as an academic in various universities and at the World Bank in his new autobiography titled; ‘I Remember.’

The book, which will be launched on Thursday at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, NIIA, 13/ 15, Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, is in six parts covering his early years, educational maturation, academic administration, as

well as several national and international engagements.

He pulls back the curtains on the riveting recollections of his beautiful family heritage; his transition as a young promising lad with a passion for reading to a fulfilled adult who, through his doggedness and sheer dint of hard work, blazed the trail as a student at the University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University and Oxford University and reached the pinnacle of success in his careers – teaching at Ife, which peaked at a professorship at age 36, and public administration consultancy to several Pan-

African and international bodies.

This book covers his “Ife Years” devoted to teaching, research and academic administration, as well as his “World Bank Years” of multidimensional development work; and his activities in retirement as an “Independent Scholar.”

He closes with “A Note for the Millennials: Nigeria and I” - an overview of what he experienced in respect of three fond memories of his early years that are missing in his early old age: educational excellence, meritocracy and strong institutions.

FRAUD: Global Fund grants still on, NACA insists

By Sola Ogundipe & Chioma Obinna

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

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

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

Vanguard, the Director General of the Agency, Professor John Idoko, said that NACA has not been indicted by the Office of the Inspector General's report.

However, the DG confirmed the weaknesses in the system earlier pointed out by the report.

According to him; “NACA does not implement, it is the Sub-Recipients that implement and there are weaknesses in the

system which we are trying to strengthen. ''Part of the weaknesses is that the Primary Health Centres are not working.

“Global Fund has not suspended the grants to Nigeria. What has been suspended is the quarterly disbursement of funds. The grants are still ongoing. We are still on.”

Explaining further, the

N A C A boss, who reacted to t h e allegations point-bypoint, said that the EFCC is already probing t h e matter.

In recommending the book, Oxford-based Nigerian intellectual, Anthony Akinola said the book ‘I Remember’ will offer guidance to those who seek to operate at the highest level of professional calls.

He noted that aside from serving as a role model for generations, “The book also portray his parental upbringing which has a message for parents generally, his exploits as a student at school and university have a strong message for students.”

The second public presentation of the book comess up in Abuja on Tuesday, May, 17, at Merit House, Auditorium 1, 22 Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, at 11 a. m. prompt.

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016—7

8 — Vanguard, MONDAY MAY 9 , 2016

Adeniji–Adele for burial Wednesday

OAUTH performs successful paediatric open heart surgeries

By Sola Ogundipe

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

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HE remains of late Prince Ademola AdenijiAdele will be buried at Abari Cemetery, Lagos Island, on Wednesday, May 11, 2016, according to family sources.

Prince Adeniji-Adele, who passed on last Thursday, May 5, in an Indian hospital after a brief illness was a former Chairman of Lagos Island Local Government Area, and later Commissioner of Sports, in Lagos State. He was aged 60 years.

According to burial arrangements released yesterday, by Prince Babatunde Adele for the family, events to kickstart the burial will commence tomorrow, when his corpse is expected to arrive from India.

Adele said there will be lying-in-state overnight at the deceased residence at No 712 Road, A Close, House 29, Festac Town, tomorrow, while there will be similar lying-instate at the family house, 9 Idiomo Street, Isale Eko, the following day, Wednesday, between 9am -11am.

Subsequently, the lying-instate will continue at the City Hall, Lagos between 12 noon to 2.pm before a prayer session at Lagos Central Mosque at about 2.30pm, while interment follows by 4pm at Abari Cemetery, Lagos Island.

Ondo Justice Reform Team for inauguration today

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HE inauguration of the Ondo State Justice Sector Reform Team, OSJRT, has been fixed for today even as a 3 day retreat programme of the body will hold till the 11th of this month.

According to a statement by the Commissioner for Information, Mr Kayode Akinmade, the inauguration of the team will take place by 10.00am at the Ondo State Development and Property Corporation (OSDPC) Event Centre, Ijapo Estate, Akure.

The team is in partnership with the Justice For All Programme J4A and it is being put together with a view to addressing some of the challenges in the administration of Justice in Nigeria with special focus on Ondo State.

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AGOS—IN a rare medical feat, the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex, OAUTH, Ile Ife, Osun State, has carried successful paediatric open-heart surgeries on six children including five with holes in the heart.

The children, who are from various parts of the country including Ilesa and Ikire in Osun State, Akure (Ondo State), Warri (Delta State), Offa (Kwara State) and Port-Harcourt (Rivers State), had the surgeries performed on them between Tuesday, April 26 and Sunday, May 1, 2016.

The Chief Medical Director, OAUTH, Professor Victor Adetiloye, who disclosed this to Vanguard said another 20 children are already slated for June-July 2016 for open heart surgeries, which for now, the hospital hopes to perform routinely, at least quarterly.

“This is an accomplishment of our dreams and visions seeing that this is possible in Ile-Ife,” Adetiloye remarked, even as he commended the medical team comprising cardiothoracic surgeons, led by Drs. Akin Ogunrombi and Uvie Onakpoya, a paediatric cardiologist, Dr. John Okeniyi, an Open Heart Task Force, operating theatre nurses, and a host of other departmental staff of the hospital including the Dean, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, OAU, Ile-Ife, who freely donated blood.

Adetiloye, who regretted the high incidence of cardiac diseases and its contribution to poor health status and low life expectancy in the country, said it was in the bid to stem the tide, that the Management of OAUTH, Ile-Ife, over the past years invested heavily in the procurement of equipment, consumables and the training of personnel to be able to diagnose and treat heart diseases both medically and surgically.

He said the impact of heart diseases both acquired and

congenital which hitherto were considered as exoteric and uncommon is on the rise.

“In fact, the World Health Organization estimates that to be able to treat the heart diseases in any country, at least 400 open heart surgeries need to be performed for every one million population yearly.

“Assuming Nigeria’s current population is 170 million people, this means Nigeria should be performing at least 68,000 heart surgeries every year.

“Until this year, the OAUTH runs both adult and paediatric cardiology services and routinely perform closed cardiac surgeries such as Trans-thoracic PDA ligations, pericardectomies, pacemaker implantations and various other forms of closed surgical operations on the heart, blood vessels and the chest, but the desire to move up to start performing open heart surgeries spurred the management on the leadership of the current Chief Medical Director, two years ago to set up a task force for open heart surgery headed by Professor M.O. Balogun, a renowned adult cardiologist,” Adetiloye remarked.

To this end, the Hospital

One of the hole-in-the heart children operated upon. entered into a partnership with the Cardiac Eye International Foundation, a foreign NGO headed by Prof. Maqsood Elahi.

“An 8½-month-old female infant with congenital rubella syndrome referred from Delta State was the

I received funds from ex-NSA but not Dasuki – Okupe

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N aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan has admitted receiving funds from the office of the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.

Doyin Okupe, who served as former President Goodluck Jonathan’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, however denied the funds he received were part of the $2.1 billion arms fund allegedly misappropriated by Dasuki. Most of the funds are believed to have been used as slush funds for the 2015 elections.

The Ex- NSA as well as other members of the past administration are currently being prosecuted for their roles in the scam.

Mr. Okupe, who has been

mentioned as one of the beneficiaries of the largesse, took to twitter to state his position yesterday.

“I was not paid arms deal money.

NSA paid for running of my office monthly from August 2012. Dasukigate was in 2014,” he tweeted in the early hours of Sunday.

He added that “President is

A

Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, has struck out the suit instituted

by Assets Management Company of Nigeria, AMCON against Capital Oil and Gas Ltd, holding that the suit is premature and seeks to circumvent existing suits in different courts on issues relating to the alleged indebtedness of Capital Oil and Gas, which is currently under dispute.

Trial judge in the matter, Justice Idris, consequently struck out a petition by AMCON for the freezing of

Capital Oil and Gas’ accounts and winding up of Capital Oil and Gas over alleged inability to pay the disputed debt.

In the ruling delivered in Suit No. FHC/L/CP/506/2016, the judge upheld the contention of Capital Oil and Gas’ counsel, Ajibola Oluyede, that the winding up proceedings filed by AMCON against Capital Oil and Gas was intended to circumvent the existing actions in suits FHC/ABJ/CS/ 430/15; FHC/ABJ/CS/514/15 and FHC/L/CS/1529/15 wherein live issues pertaining to the consent

empowered by the Constitution to run his office as he deems fit. NSA is a staff of the president and subject to his orders.”

In trying to explain his tweet as well as another where he said, “I did not take part in campaign,” Mr. Okupe said: “I was not involved in any aspect of the campaign.

Neither was my office.”

LCDAs BILL: Oba Tejuoso asks for amendment before signature

By Daud Olatunji

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B E O K U TA — T H E Osile of Oke-Ona Egba, Oba Dr. Adedapo Tejuoso has warned Governor Ibikunle Amosun against

Court strikes out AMCON’s suit against Capital Oil

By Innocent Anaba

recipient of the first exploratory interaction between the Hospital and the Cardiac Eye International Foundation. In December 2015, she underwent a simultaneous PDA closure and repair of her bilateral cataracts successfully,”

judgment in FHC/ABJ/CS/ 714/2012 which is the subject matter of the winding up petition are pending in.

According to the court, “Until the issues raised in those suits are determined, it will be premature to say that the judgment debt has crystalized as provided in clause 2.4 of the consent judgment.”

In its defence, Capital Oil in its counter affidavit in opposition to AMCON’s petition, had contended that AMCON grossly violated the terms of the consent judgment entered between the two parties.

signing the creation of additional 37 Local Council Development Areas bill without including Orike-Oko as part of Obafemi-Owode and not Remo-North Local Government.

The monarch, who said signing of the amended bill, which had been passed into law by the state Assembly could lead to inter-communal clashes between the people of Orile-Oko and Remo North, adding that the people in Orike-Oko reject to be put under Remo local government but, prefer to be with their kins in Egbaland.

Addressing newsmen at his palace in Abeokuta, the Oluwo of Oke-Ona , High Chief Abayomi Jiboku, said the issue of Orile-Oko merging Obafemi-Owode had been settled in 2002 during the administration of former governor of the state, Chief Segun Osoba.

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016—9

2016 budget faces cash flow emergencies, oil price reverses gains, output declines further may lose N1.4trn As Losses wipe out 80% of budgeted CAPEX

By Emeka Anaeto, Economy Editor

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AGOS — THE 2016 national budget just signed into law

by President Muhammadu Buhari may have started suffering a major cash flow set back from oil revenue as prices shed $5 per barrel as at last weekend while output dropped further due to Chevron facility bombing just before the budget was signed, Friday.

The Federal Government had based the budgeted revenue on oil production of 2.2 million barrel per day but oil industry reports, last weekend, after the second attack on oil installations, indicated that output would be around 1.6 mbpd or even less.

Also, the budgeted oil price benchmark of $38 per barrel came with expectation that in the event of production shortfall, which had been consistent since this year, a premium of at least 20 per cent on the price benchmark which gives about $45.6 per barrel, would make up for the losses arising from output shortfalls.

But oil price receded to $41 per barrel, or less than 10 per cent premium on budgeted price benchmark as against $46.1 per barrel peak recorded in the previous week.

With the twin developments in the oil sector, the Federal Government is now losing about $8 million per day on oil price reversal, while production slump has resulted in a revenue loss to the tune of about $22.8 million per day.

The total loss from date to year end on annualized budgetary provisions would be $7.16 billion or about N1.4 trillion, if the oil price fails to rebound sometime down the year and production level remains depressed.

Losses wipe out 80% of budgeted CAPEX

The N1.4 trillion revenue shortfall would wipe out about 80 per cent of the total N1.8 trillion earmarked for capital expenditure, CAPEX, in the budget, thereby rendering the reflationary thrust of the budget ineffective from the on-set.

On the possibility of oil price upwards swing, the International Monetary Fund, IMF, last week said the average price for the year would be $41, with occasional downward and upward swings, meaning that the losses to price reversal would likely remain.

Also on the future of production level recovery, various factors that have combined to depress output to less than the budgeted 2.2 million barrel per day, such as joint venture hitches as well as militancy, appear to be on the increase rather than being eliminated.

Latest data from April Monthly Oil Market Report, MOMR, of C M Y K

the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, showed that Nigeria’s crude oil production fell by 67,000 bpd in March from 1.744mbpd to 1.677mbpd, with Nigerian industry experts saying that April did not do better, while last week’s attack on Chevron brought down output to about 1.637mbpd.

With the defiant posturing of the

militants and threats of further attacks, it appears the output challenges may even get worse, especially as the Nigerian security agencies appeared too weak to arrest the situation.

Already, reports indicate that other major oil producers such as Shell and Mobil may have started plans to shut-in production locations in volatile areas,

following the threats.

Apparently aware of the implications of these sudden developments last weekend while signing the budget, President Buhari said: “We are working night and day to diversify the economy so that we never again have to rely on one commodity to survive as a country.”

VISIT: Mr.

Bola Onadele Koko, Managing Director/ CEO, FMDQ OTC Securities Exchange (FMDQ) (left) and Mr. Mounir Gwarzo, DirectorGeneral, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), during FMDQ’s visit to SEC on Nigerian Sukuk Market Development Agenda.

....Presidency mulls monitoring team to halt looting, enforce implementation Restores Calabar-Lagos coastal railway, Odukpani-Itu-Ikot Ekpene-Aba highway

By Soni Daniel, Northern Region Editor

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BUJA—IN a deliberate move to ensure effective implementation of this year’s budget and prevent looting of funds, the Presidency plans to engage the services of experts in the area of monitoring and evaluation, M&E, to track the implementation.

A top Presidency official told Vanguard, last night, that President Muhammadu Buhari did not want the current budget to be messed up like previous ones and was, therefore, determined to take whatever measure was necessary to make it work in the interest of Nigerians.

The official said the Presidency had learned bitter lessons from recent events which had plagued national budgets and retarded national development and was determined to adopt stringent measures to block such leakages.

The official said the M&E team might be domiciled in the Budget and National Planning Ministry which falls under the purview of the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, who heads the National Economic Team under the Presidency.

“The aim is to make the M&E to have a robust check on the way the

budget is implemented so as to deliver the change which the present administration promised Nigerians,” the official said.

Vanguard learned that given the importance which the Presidency attaches to the full implementation of the budget, the team might be put in place as soon as Buhari returns to Abuja from his official trip to the United Kingdom this week.

Giving an idea of how the change agenda would be driven, the Presidency official explained that the government planned to give priority attention to the provision of critical infrastructure to diversify the economy and take care of the needs of Nigerians.

The top official disclosed that

as result of the drive, all the key national projects in the budget that were removed by the National Assembly, causing a spat with the Presidency, had been fully restored in the budget signed into law by President Buhari last Friday.

Top on the list of the restored projects are the Calabar-Lagos Coastal Railway with a vote of N60 billion counterpart funding.

The project is to be funded by huge cash from the Chinese government.

Vanguard also learned that the Odukpani-Itu-Ikot EkpeneAba highway, which vote was reduced from N6 billion to N1.8 billion, had been restored and that the the project would take

Tanker drivers debunk strike rumours

By Chris Ochayi

A

BUJA— The Petroleum Tanker Drivers, PTD, of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, yesterday, debunked rumours making the rounds that its members were embarking on strike.

National Chairman of PTD, Comrade Salimon Oladiti, while debunking the

purported industrial action in a statement, described it as false, unfounded and a figment of the imagination of the peddlers.

Oladiti explained that the union was dissociating itself from any form of industrial action and enjoined all members to continue in their effort to effectively distribute fuel products across the country.

NNPC remits N1.118trn into Federation Account in one year

By Mike Eboh

A

BUJA — THE Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, said it paid N1.118 trillion into the Federation Account between April 2015 and March 2016.

In its monthly financial report for March, the agency said as part of the total, it paid N69.544 billion into the Federation Account in March. The money was from domestic crude oil and gas sold as well as other income.

It added that NNPC also recorded N107.826 billion revenue in March against N104.804 in February.

It said that the revenue rose marginally by 2.88 per cent, adding that the expenses of the corporation dipped by 12.92 per cent to N112.368 billion from N129, 034 billion recorded in previous month.

According to the report, the corporation also made a loss of N18.89 billion in the month under review. It said the loss was an improvement from a deficit of N24.23 billion recorded in February.

A breakdown of the financial performance of its subsidiaries showed that the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, Integrated Data Services Limited, IDSL, and National Engineering and Technical Company Limited posted losses of N9.874 billion, N469 million and N69 million, respectively.

It reported that the Nigerian Gas Company recorded a profit of N5.155 billion.

“Kaduna, Port Harcourt and Warri refining companies recorded losses of N1.824 billion, N1.971 billion and N845 million, respectively, while the PPMC recorded a deficit of N923 million,” it added.

The report said the deficit recorded by NPDC in February and March 2016 were due to production shut–in occasioned by vandalism of Forcados Export Line.

This, it said, resulted in the loss of its entire revenue from crude oil sales of about N20 billion.

The report also put the combined value of output by the three refineries at import parity price in March 2016 at N22.93 billion, while the associated crude plus freight cost was N20.02 billion.

10—Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016

DINNER: National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John OdigieOyegun (left) and APC Woman Leader, Hajiya Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, during a dinner in honour of Odigie-Oyegun by Saint Patrick’s College (SPC), Asaba, Old Boys Association (Abuja Branch), in Abuja, Saturday.

Reps raise alarm over missing kidney of Nigerian in Italian hospital Vow to sue Italian govt, Nigerian Embassy Warn against ill-treatment of Nigerians overseas Patient dumped in mad people’s home

By Emman Ovuakporie & Johnbosco Agbakwuru

A

BUJA — THE House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora Matters has vowed to take legal action against the Italian government and the Nigerian Embassy in Italy over the disappearance of kidney of a Nigerian resident in Torino, Italy, after visiting a hospital with complaints of fever.

The House Committee, chaired

by Rita Orji, representing Ajeromi Ifelodun Constituency of Lagos State, also frowned on the attitude of Nigerian government towards the welfare of Nigerians living abroad and called for a change of heart by the government.

The legal action, she explained in an interview in Abuja, was in respect of a female Nigerian resident in Torino, Italy, and mother of one from Edo State, whose name was simply given as Madam Julie, who had gone to a hospital in Torino, complaining of fever.

She said after being administered drugs, the female patient became paralysed, while her kidney also disappeared in a controversial manner.

According to the lawmaker, Madam Julie is now bedridden and cannot even walk with her two legs again, while the Nigerian Embassy in Italy felt unperturbed over the predicament of a Nigerian national that had gone to Italy in search of greener pasture.

The ordeal Explaining the ordeal of the woman, Orji said: “The outcry

was about a woman named Madam Julie who is in Italy as a lawful Nigerian. She got sick, the sickness is just two percent increase in body temperature.

“Knowing full well that the normal temperature is 37 degree Fahrenheit, hers was 39 and she moved to a hospital for a checkup. On getting to the hospital in Torino, she was told that it was a minor fever.

"She took the drugs given to her, after they conducted a test, she received her test result and went home with the drugs.

“After taking the drugs for one week, she came back to report how she was feeling and on the day in question, she was asked whether she came alone, and she said yes innocently without knowing the reason that question was put across to her.

“As she was given a room to rest, they said they want to give her an injection that will lead to the completion of the healing process of the fever. That marked the beginning of her paralysis.

“She was asked to lie down.

Within two, three minutes, she was approached with a mixture in a cup and she drank it, believing that was for the fever she complained of, she drank it and became dizzy and she was telling them, oh my eyes are turning me, they said no problem.

Her legs and hands tied “Suddenly, they laid her down and the team of doctors came around and tied her legs and her hands on the bed and she started shouting, why are you tying me?

She raised alarm.

“One of the doctors responded, saying 'if you like shout at top of your voice, nobody will know what is happening here.' That was how they laid her face down and gave her injection on her base bone. After giving her the injection, she passed out.

“When she finally came up, she saw the lower part of the buttocks opened to where the bones were cracked and pieces of bone were fallen from there. Her bladder was disengaged from the source and urine was passing out uncontrollably.

"That marked the beginning of the story. This issue, this statement, this action took place end of 2008.”

More infuriating and disturbing to the lawmaker was that after allegedly causing Madam Julie to be paralysed, she was dumped at a mad peoples home where she was given drugs meant for mad patients, while the Nigeria Embassy felt unconcerned.

Attitude of Nigerian govt She said: “Do we really have protection as Nigerians abroad?

Do we really value life? Do we really understand the meaning of having an ambassy in any country? What is the role of the Nigeria Embassy wherever it is established?

“A Moroccan died in Italy, within the time I went, it was the king of Morocco that came to verify the fact leading to the death of the woman. So important, so

critical that they value the lives of their citizens. When investigations were thoroughly done that the woman died a natural death, they took the corpse home.

“Today, how many Nigerians are being dropped into the sea?

How many of them are being buried without the consent of their families? How many of them are subjected to this inhuman treatment as meted out on Julie?

“Somebody that walked into a hospital for a check-up and ended up in a paralytic bed.

Allegation of madness and stuffs like that, I want Nigerians to know that we are not safe.

“If the embassy is not ready to work for Nigerians, we don’t have a reason allocating any funds to them; we don’t have a reason having them over there.

“Because assuming they intervened when this poor woman submitted her result that this is what I brought from the hospital before they gave her injection, we would have saved her from getting this paralysis."

On whether the kidney was removed On whether the kidney was removed, she said: “Well, substances were pulled out from the kidney. The scan result which we conducted as we went there, proved that. The record is with us.

"It is not just that somebody is alleging that something happened to her. No, the result is with us, we are ready to tender it anywhere we are called upon.

“They were pulled from there, the bladder was yanked off in the process of tampering with the kidney, that is why the urine is uncontrollable. ‘’At a stage, she was passing blood. This was a healthy person before visiting the hospital. Even after our visit, Embassy officials have never gone to see the woman till today.

Remedy On what should be done to remedy the situation, she said: “The action that will satisfy me is number one, the whole world will notice the injustice and I want you to know that there is no compensation that is equivalent to what the woman has passed through.

“The foreign affairs, Nigerian President, everybody that is in this country have to rise to the defence of this young woman. I don’t think there is anything anybody can do for me to make me happy than to see this woman walk on her legs again and come back to the human being she is.

“I am saying that there will be a holistic compensation. And second, the team should take a medical analysis of her situation and proffer the best solution to take care of her.

Nigeria bans unauthorised use of drones

By Lawani Mikairu

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AGOS— THE Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, has banned the launching of Remotely Piloted Aircraft, RPA, in the Nigerian airspace without its permit and that of the Office of National Security Adviser, ONSA. This is contained in a statement issued by the General Manager, Public Relations, NCAA, Sam Adurogboye, in Lagos, yesterday.

The statement said the move was part of the safety guidelines issued by the regulatory agency to drone operators, following the proliferation of the technology in the country.

According to the statement, “in recent times, RPA/UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) are being deployed for commercial and recreational purposes in the country without adequate security clearance.

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

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

According to the statement, the International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO, is yet to publish Standards and Recommended Practices, SARPs, as far as certification and operation of civil use of RPA is concerned.

The statement said the NCAA had put in place Regulations/Advisory Circular to guide the certification and operations of civil RPA in the Nigerian airspace.

It said this was contained in the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CARs 2015 Part 8.8.1.33) and the Implementing Standards (Nig.CARs 2015 Part IS.8.8.1.33).

It said: “Therefore, no government agency, organisation or an individual will launch an RPA/UAV in the Nigerian airspace for any purpose whatsoever without obtaining requisite permit from the NCAA and ONSA. “The NCAA wishes to reiterate that all applicants and holders of permits to operate RPA/Drones must strictly be guided by safety guidelines.

“In addition, operators must ensure strict compliance with the conditions stipulated in their permits and the requirements of the Nig. CARs.”

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016—11

Murder of banker: Late wife feared hubby would kill her —Source

By Evelyn Usman & Monsuru Olowoopejo NDICATIONS EMERGED, yesterday, that the late Ronke Shonde, the banker that was allegedly killed, last week, by her husband during a domestic violence at their Egbeda residence in Lagos, confided in one of her friends about her husband’s sudden change of attitude. She expressed fear for her life.

But, preliminary investigations by the police revealed that there were marks of violence on the deceased face.

Vanguard was reliably informed that the late banker had complained of being beaten by her husband last month, during an argument, to her confidant (names undisclosed) Although her confidant kept the major cause of the quarrel secret, she was reported to have attributed one of the causes to Lekan’s over-bearing attitude.

Meanwhile, members of Redeemed Christian Church of GOD, RCCG, where the deceased worshiped, have expressed shock over the incident, stating that there were never any marks of violence on her before her death, as this would have made them to intervene.

When Vanguard visited the RCCG, Destiny Sanctuary, members were seen in groups discussing the fate that had befallen one of their own.

Speaking exclusively to Vanguard, Pastor of the parish, Pastor Olu Davids, said “on behalf of the church, we are still in shock over her death. This is because she was a member of this great church. I knew Ronke very well.

She and her husband attended our church.

“Though, she had never discussed her marital issues with me, I can tell you that she attended our church regularly. And before the incident of last Thursday, I never saw any injury on her that could have warranted me to ascertain the cause.

"Also, there was no sign on her face to portray that all was not well in the family or that she was ill.

As I said earlier, we are in shock because we don’t know what must have led to her death,” Davids added.

On their parts, residents of 3 Tiemo Crescent, where the Shondes reside, disclosed that the couple moved into the building three years ago.

One of them, who gave his name simply as Abu, said: “I don’t know the church the husband attends, but I know that he often wore white garment. But I can confidently say that his wife attended RCCG. "The circumstance surrounding this ugly situation is a mystery to everyone. This is because I never saw them engaged in a fight.

“Lekan usually leaves home during the week at about 5a.m. and returns at 8p.m. He was always seen with a polythene bag containing items for his wife and two kids.

“From my discussion with him,

Late Ronke Shonde with her alleged killer husband during their 'sweet' days

I don’t believe that Lekan would have perpetrated that act. This is because with my relationship with the family since they moved into this community, we have not had any reason to settle any differences between them.

"Because of their tight schedules, they employed the service of a nanny, who resumes by 6a.m. daily, to prepare their children for school and also attends to their needs after they return from school.

"But the nanny told us that on the day in question, Lekan called her and instructed that she should not come as usual, that the children would not be going to school that day.

“It was the screaming of the children, who saw their mother lying on the floor that alerted everyone. And we could not gain entrance into the apartment for hours because the burglary was locked. When a call was put through to her husband (Lekan)

he instructed us to break the key.

After several attempts we gained entrance, only to discover the lifeless body of his wife on the floor,” he said.

Their two children as gathered had been taken into custody by one of their relatives.

However, effort to reach Lekan had proved abortive as his phone was still switched off.

But Police sources assured that he would be apprehended.

Already, the nanny as gathered had been interrogated by the Police.

When contacted, the Lagos State Police Command, Dolapo Badmus said: “We are still on the look-out for him. Effort is ongoing to get him.

Meanwhile the case had been transferred to the Homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department,” she said.

Man allegedly kills elder brother over missing torchlight

By Evelyn Usman & Nicolas Esekhile

T

RAGEDY STRUCK at the early hours of yesterday in Charity area of Oshodi, Lagos, after a man allegedly stabbed his eldest brother to death during a fight over his missing torch light.

The incident which threw residents of 6, Adelaja street, off Afariogun Street, into panic, occurred at about 2a.m.

Vanguard gathered that there had been a lingering quarrel between the siblings identified as Mayowa Adelaja (50) and Aderemi Adelaja who is in his 40s. However, yesterday ’s situation took a violent dimension as it led to the death of Mayowa.

Trouble started at about 12midnight when the alleged killer, Aderemi, charged at his eldest brother, Mayowa, who lay at the veranda, accusing him of stealing his torch light.

Apparently regarding the accusation as an insult from his younger brother, Mayowa

The house where the incident occurred reportedly drew the attention of their mother , who was sleeping, to the accusation.

Entreaties by their mother to both aggrieved children to calm down, fell on deaf ears as they engaged in fisticuffs which woke other tenants from sleep.

Eye witnesses said Mayowa hit Aderemi with a rod twice and in retaliation, Aderemi rushed into the room , brought out a knife and allegedly stabbed his elder

brother in the stomach.

On noticing the magnitude of his action, Aderemi fled the scene, abandoning dying Mayowa in the pool of his blood.

When Vanguard visited the scene at about 7am , Mayowa’s corpse was still on the ground.

Tenants had fled their abodes for fear of possible arrest.

Policemen from Akinpelu division later visited the scene to remove the corpse.

Their septuagenarian mother, a bread seller, was sighted at a corner of her one-room apartment with her chin on her palm with expression of shock on her face.

She simply identified herself and also gave identities of her children but refused to speak further .

However, an eye witness, who simply gave his name as Mojeed, said “the quarrel between late Mayowa and his brother Aderemi started, when the latter with his five children, moved into their parents’ house, after losing his wife.

Aderemi and his children were staying with their mother in her one room apartment. Mayowa was always angry that their mother was assisting Aderemi and his children instead of him (Aderemi) providing for their mother.

On his part, Aderemi was not happy with his eldest brother’s life style. He sees him as a tout, accused him of stealing his things. We have settled several quarrels between them.

Perhaps, if this fight had occurred in the day time, no death would have been recorded because people would have taken the weapons from them.”

Confirming the incident, spokes person for the Lagos State Police Command, Dolapo Badmus said the alleged assailant was still on the run, adding that the case had been transferred to the Homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department , SCIID.

Butchers stab taskforce officials over clamp-down on illegal abbattoirs

By Olassunkanmi Akoni Some officials of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences Unit (Task Force) were weekend attacked by alleged miscreants during a raid on illegal abattoirs/ slabs at Oshodi and IdiAraba area of the state.

The officials were said to have been stabbed with cutlasses and broken bottles while two Toyota Hilux vans and a Black Maria belonging to the agency severely vandalized by the assailants.

The Public Affairs Officer of the agency, Mr. Taofiq Adebayo, who confirmed the incident, said Superintendent of Police, Supol, Wilson Alaba and a driver Mr. Adekunle Victor were among security backup deployed by the agency to escort officials of Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives during the raids .The illegal abattoirs were considered not in line with the statutory standards as contained in the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Laws.

According to Adebayo, the raid was sequel to information received of some illegal abattoir and slabs in operation around Oshodi and Idi-Araba.

The enforcement operations, that had successfully closed and sealed an illegal abattoir and slabs at Oshodi, however, met a stiff resistance from miscreants and operators at Idi-Araba.

The rampaging miscreants and operators of the illegal abattoir at IdiAraba in attempt to stop the team from carrying out the exercise came out in large numbers and attacked them.

One of the injured taskforce officials

12—Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016

Odubu: No evidence linking Oshiomhole to Auchi mayhem —Edo APC

By Simon Ebegbulem

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ENIN—All Progressives Congress, APC, in Edo State, has said that there was no evidence linking the state governor, Mr Adams Oshiomhole, to the shooting that occurred at Auchi, when his deputy, Dr Pius Odubu, visited the area to meet with APC delegates.

In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Godwin Erhahon, the party commended the intervention of the Inspector General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, who took over the investigation of the case, expressing optimism that the perpetrators will be arrested.

Reacting to the recent change in the leadership of the state House of Assembly, the party described the development as a “spontaneous reaction by majority of the members to the internal affair of the House. It was not instigated by any individual or group outside the House.

“There is no proof that the state government had a hand in the recent attack on the deputy governor's pregovernorship primary campaign team at Auchi. APC

commends the InspectorGeneral of Police for taking over the investigation of the incident.

“It was not Governor Oshiomhole who accused his Deputy, Dr Odubu, of attempting to hire a voodooist

to kill him. Rather, the governor, in good spirit, disclosed to his deputy what an informant had alleged.

“Attempts to get the informant to confront Dr. Odubu with evidence of the allegation are yet to yield

results.

The above clarifications have become necessary to diffuse the tension being generated by the antics of those attempting to create a gulf between the governor and his deputy,” the statement said.

VISIT: The Orodje of Okpe Kingdom, HRM Orhue I (5th right); Emir of Borgu, HRM Alhaji Mohammed Sanni Dan Toro, Kitoro IV (4th left), with other royal fathers during the Emir's visit to the Orodje, in Orerokpe, Delta State.

Orodje of Okpe, Borgu monarch partner for national unity

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HE Orodje of Okpe Kingdom, HRM Orhue I, has promised to collaborate with the Emir of Borgu, HRM Alhaji Mohammed Toro, Kitoro IV, to assist government in achieving unity across Nigeria.

The monarch disclosed this during a courtesy visit by the Emir of Borgu to his palace in Orerokpe, headquarters of Okpe Local Government Area, Delta State.

Speaking on the occasion, Alhaji Toro commended the Orodje and his Council of Chiefs for their warm reception, just as he condoled with the Okpe monarch on the death of his successor, HRM Orhoro I, whom he described as his father.

Toro said that he deemed it fit to seek the royal blessings of Orhue I to pilot his emirate, adding that his visit also was geared toward ensuring the unity of the country in the interest of the people. He poined out that a responsibility was placed in the hands of traditional rulers to resolve and proffer solutions to differences rather than build walls.

He called on all Nigerians to support the present administration and see themselves as one people.

In his welcome speech, the Orodje of Okpe described the Emir of Borgu as a friendly, detribalized man and a true Nigerian that believes in the C M Y K

unity of his country.

He expressed delight at the Emir's visit to his kingdom, noting that their collaboration was not necessarily because of his relationship with his

predecessor but because they have something in common, so, there was the need to work together to move Nigeria forward.

He advised the visiting monarch not to associate

himself with any political party, but see everybody as his child and pray that a better candidate wins. He urged the Emir to relate with all openly, as by so doing, he will reign longer than his late father.

DESOPADEC 2016 budget: Obitugbo community, ILoT differ on road project

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By Daniel Gumm

A R R I — LEADERSHIP of Obitugbo community in Warri North Local Government Area, Delta State, has extolled the spirit and courage of Itsekiri Leaders of Thought, ILoT, over its position on projects listed for the Itsekiri nation in the 2016 budget of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC. Chairman of the community, Sir Lawrence Ukubeyinje, who spoke in Warri, in a chat with newsmen, charged ILoT to take a second look at the twokilometre township road project for Obitugbo community in the commission’s 2016 budget meant to open up the fast growing and developing but long abandoned and deserted community ravaged by the infamous Warri crisis, insisting that when executed, the road which terminates at the Benin River bank and not a tank farm, will be a blessing not only to the

community in particular, but the entire Itsekiri nation in general.

The community chairman and former Secretary to the then Warri Local Government explained that through concerted efforts of the indigenes, the community has been able to produce a masterplan of the community, which features a network of

well-planned roads with provisions for health facilities, market, educational institutions and others, appealing to the Speaker and members of Delta State House of Assembly not to be dissuaded from approving the road project that will serve not only Obitugbo people but both Itsekiri and all other Deltans in general.

Dickson signs Appropriation, Child in its budgeting provisions.

Rights bills The governor, in a statement,

By Samuel Oyadongha

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ENAGOA—BAYELSA State governor, Mr Seriake Dickson, has signed the 2016 Appropriation Bill of the state into law.

He also signed the Child Rights Bill into law.

Assenting to the bills in Yenagoa, Dickson expressed the hope that the country ’s economic situation would improve to enable the government make projections

commended workers in the state for their patience and understanding over the nonpayment of salaries, noting that the government has been meeting with labour leaders on the way forward.

Dickson expressed delight that the new Child Rights Bill would offer protection to children of the state, stressing that, anyone caught violating the rights of children would be prosecuted according to the provisions of the law.

Jettison Grazing Reserve Bill, clergyman tells FG

By Festus Ahon

U

GHELLI—THE Vicar in charge of St Luke’s Anglican Church, OfuomaUghelli, Delta State, Revd.

Canon Godwin Ujevwecha, yesterday, urged the Federal Government to jettison the proposed Grazing Reserve bill before the National Assembly in the interest of peaceful coexistence of all parts of the country.

Ujevwecha, who gave the advice in his sermon during the thanksgiving service in honour of Chief Isaac Akpoveta on his appointment as Chairman, Governing Council of Delta State Contributory Health Commission, said herdsmen were into their private businesses and wondered why poultry and fish farmers are not being given such consideration in a country where the people have equal rights.

In his brief remarks, Chief Akpoveta thanked God, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and the people of the state for giving him the opportunity to serve as Chairman Governing Council of Delta State Contributory Health Commission.

Hitler lauds monarch over resolution of community's crisis

A

prominent leader in Ogulagha Kingdom, Burutu Local Government Area, Delta State, Chief Beck Hitler, has commended the paramount ruler of the kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Capt.

Joseph Timiyan, for his prompt intervention and peaceful resolution of the Sokubolou community crisis.

Hitler, in a statement, yesterday, in Warri, also thanked the people of Sokubolou community for embracing peace.

He sympathised with the family of the victim who lost his life and others whose property were burnt in the crisis, urging that the restored peace be sustained.

He charged oil and servicing companies operating in Ogulagha Kingdom to maintain cordial relationship with their host communities, who are law-abiding.

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016—13

Edo 2016: Obaseki, others escape death as thugs open fire at campaign venue

By Simon Ebegbulem

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ENIN—GOVERNORSHIP aspirant of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki and his supporters escaped death, yesterday, when armed men opened fire on them at Sobe, Owan West Local Government Area of the state.

However, brave youths in the area pursued the suspected thugs and apprehended them with their guns and they were handed over to the Police.

The state Commissioner for Arts and Culture, McDonald Obasuke, who confirmed the incident shortly after it happened at 5:30p.m., said he saw a man who went inside a vehicle and brought out a gun and shot at the venue where Obaseki was about to address the APC delegates.

Obaseki, who spoke to Vanguard about 6:30p.m., expressed shock over the incident, saying that he could not continue with the event because of the shooting.

According to Obasuke, “While we were still expecting delegates, Obaseki was already

C M Y K

inside with the party leaders when this boy, who pretended he was with us, went inside a car, brought out a gun and fired in our direction.

“We were lucky to dodge the bullet, so we immediately mobilised our boys and pursued him and others because it seemed they came to disrupt the event. We

caught them and handed them over to the police. It was really shocking but we thank God nobody was hurt. However, Obaseki could not address the delegates because of the shooting.”

Obaseki told Vanguard: “I called off the meeting with the delegates because I had to be whisked off by my security

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

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Osifo, when contacted, said he was yet to be briefed, but promised to call the Divisional Police Officer at Sabongida Ora for details of what happened.

Five killed in Delta communal clash

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O fewer than five persons are feared dead and several others injured in Okpolo-Enhwe community, weekend, following an attack by suspected youths of Igbide community in Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State.

It was not clear why youths allegedly from Igbide launched the attack on Okpolo-Enhwe community but sources at Eyara, a clan in Okpolo-Enhwe community which shares common boundry with Igbide community, said that a land dispute which had lingered for over four decades, sparked off

the attack which led to deaths and destruction of property worth millions of naira.

An eye witness who craved anonymity for fear of reprisals, said that trouble started between the two communities on Thursday /Friday which made Okpolo-Enwhe community lay formal complaint against Igbide community at the police station over the issue of the boundry separating the two communities. Subsequently, policemen were deployed to Eyara which shares common boundry with Igbide community after the intervention of the Chairman of the local government area

to keep the peace.

The source said: “On Saturday, at about 8a.m., armed youths from Igbide brandishing cutlasses, daggers, battle axes, guns and petrol bombs, invaded Eyara, shooting and burning houses of prominent OkpoloEnhwe indigenes. Everybody ran for safety. Women, children, the elderly, youths and even the police scampered to safety before reinforcement came from Ughelli and Warri.

“Over 10 houses were burnt dawn after they were vandalized and looted. Five Okpolo-Enhwe indigenes have not been found at press time as they are feared dead," the source added.

PDP S-South govs meet in Delta, warn against violence

By Festus Ahon

A

S A B A — G O V E R N O R S of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the South South, yesterday, warned party faithful against any form of violence during the party’s national convention slated for May 21 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The PDP governors are also mapping out strategy to clinch the Edo State governorship seat in the September election. Those in attendance were Senator Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta State), Mr Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Mr Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa), Prof Ben Ayade (Cross Rivers) and Mr Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom).

Fielding questions from newsmen after a closed-door meeting, Governor Okowa said the essence of the meeting, held at Government House, Asaba, was to enable them put their house in order ahead of the

14—Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016

Fani-Kayode meets EFCC today over N840m campaign funds

By Soni Daniel

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BUJA—AFTER many weeks of verbal exchanges, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, will today confront the spokesman of former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’s Campaign Organisation, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode, over N840 million he reportedly received a few days to the presidential election.

Fani-Kayode, who narrowly escaped arrest last Friday when about 10 EFCC operatives stormed his Maitama home in Abuja, is scheduled to appear before the commission today to explain why he collected the cash and what it was used for.

The former minister immediately raised the alarm that the agents of the commission had invaded his home and condemned them for doing so after he had given assurance that he would turn in.

The commission is, however, said to be monitoring his movement to ensure that he keeps the appointment.

It was not clear at press time if he would be allowed to go home after

reporting at the commission for questioning over the money he reportedly received from the former finance minister, Sen. Esther Nenadi Usman, who served as the Director of Finance of the Jonathan’s campaign team.

Usman, who had been detained for some days, only got some reprieve some days ago when she surrendered to the commission two Abuja homes and N140 million out of the N2.5 billion she is said to have received.

It was, however, learned last night that as part of the effort by EFCC to recover $115 million (N24 billion) that was made available for sharing by top government officials in the last administration, the EFCC would, this week, make more arrests of suspects for questioning.

However, a source, who spoke in confidence, declined to give the names of the key suspects likely to be taken in this week by the operatives, saying the agency was interested in recovering public funds from the suspects, no matter how highly placed they might be.

Legislative aides reject Melaye as Chairman

By Joseph Erunke

A

BUJA—AIDES of senators and members of the House of Representatives, under the aegis of National Assembly Legislative Aides Forum, NASSLAF, have rejected Mr. Sam Melaye, younger brother to Senator Dino Melaye, as their Chairman.

They said Melaye would not lead them, given that he failed in the election conducted to that effect.

The forum, in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Yusuf Bamidele, yesterday, said allowing Melaye to head them would also amount to violation of zoning arrangement in its constitution, given that he hailed from North Central geo-political zone, where the outgoing Chairman, Mahmood Muhammed, C M Y K

hailed from.

The statement said: “Our elections and leadership are driven by zonal arrangements. The last administration of Mahmood Muhammed, who is now a member of the House of Representatives, was from the North Central.

By so doing, the North Central has had its shot and cannot come again.

“We have North-West, North-East, SouthSouth, South-East and South-West, so we cannot allow a particular person or zone to shortchange us.”

The group, while noting that it held its election on Thursday, April 28, where Mr. Darlington Udeh emerged victorious, wondered why a section of people in the National Assembly management was trying to impose Melaye on it.

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016—15

Why I won’t contest 2019 Presidency —Okorocha

S-East govs, PDP chieftains meet over herdsmen attacks, budget

By Fintan Ibegwam

G

OVERNOR of Imo State and the chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC, Governors’ Forum, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, has said he will not contest the 2019 presidential election because of President Muhammadu Buhari, adding that the President had so far displayed leadership and should be encouraged.

Governor Okorocha spoke, weekend, while answering questions from newsmen during a tour of some of his administration's key projects.

Okorocha said: “I have been running for the presidency until God said I should settle for the Imo governorship. And that passion to become the President of the country is not just borne out of the thirst for the position, but had arisen out of the eagerness to offer the nation and her people a strong leadership; the essence would be to build a nation of our collective dreams and aspirations.

“President Buhari came in and, within one year, Nigeria has once again got the doors of the rest of the world opened for her.

“He has shown courage, confidence, maturity and strong leadership. There is now high feelings of leadership in the country.

What he, therefore, needs is to be supported and encouraged.”

SOUTH-EAST STAKEHOLDERS: From left—Former Governor of Imo State, Ikedi Ohakim; Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State; Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Enugu; Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu; Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia, and former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, at a meeting of South-East governors and stakeholders at Government House, Enugu, yesterday.

By Emeka Mamah, Chinedu Adonu & Chimaobi Nwaiwu

E

NUGU—THE governors of South-East geopolitical zone and leaders of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, rose from a meeting in Enugu with a resolution to introduce a more enduring and sustainable strategy to protect lives and properties of the Igbo.

This was even as the governors promised to ensure full implementation of the 2016 budget signed last Friday, to enable the people benefit in the area of roads, especially for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of EnuguOnitsha and Aba-Ikot Ekpene express roads.

Those who met in Enugu included Governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State; Dave Umahi, Ebonyi, and Okezie Ikpeazu, Abia.

Other PDP leaders, who met alongside the governors of PDP were the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu; former governors of Anambra and Imo states, Peter Obi and Ikedi Ohakim, respectively.

Ekweremadu, who spoke to newsmen after the meeting, said they met to appraise the developments in the zone, following the last herdsmen attack on Nimbo in Uzo Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State.

He said: “We intend to put in place endurable measures so that such attack will not happen again,” while commending President Muhammadu Buhari for signing the 2016 budget.

He, however, asked the Federal Government to implement the budget as it affects the South-East well, especially in the area of roads.

His words: “Most of the

Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, are back in their places.

We reviewed ways of finding a lasting solution for the protection of our people against further Fulani herdsmen attacks. We want to seize this opportunity to condole with the victims and are putting measures in place to forestall a repeat.

“On the Enugu-Onitsha, Aba-Ikot Ekpene express roads, among others, Federal Government had in the past, awarded contracts for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of these to incompetent contractors.

“This time, we will ensure that competent contractors will handle the road projects to give our people a sense of belonging.”

... as Umeh advocates restriction

Meanwhile, former National Chairman of All

Give schools back to religious bodies —Peter Obi

By Gabriel Olawale

F

ORMER governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, has urged state governors across the country to return schools to religious bodies and perform only supportive roles.

Speaking during Anglican Diocese of Lagos Mainland PreSynod breakfast fellowship, Obi said the success his administration recorded in education was made possible by the churches.

He explained that during the first two years of his administration, the state’s rating in West African Examinations Council, WAEC, and National Examinations Council, NECO, C M Y K

was not encouraging.

Obi said: “I could remember that our state was number 25 in WAEC and NECO, while Oyo State was 26. The following year, we would alternate. I looked at it critically and ordered that every school must be returned to the church. I said any money meant for education should be given directly to the Bishop.

“Between 2011 and 2013, Anambra was number one in NECO. Religious bodies are the only thing that is saving us in this country, and we need to support them and Nigerians also need to be prayerful for everyone in office; that they

use public money for public good.”

Corroborating his view, the Diocesan Bishop and Archbishop, Province of Lagos, Most Revd Adebayo Akinde, said God gave the church the custody of education as Christianity moved side by side with education.

According to him, nothing was wrong with present education system and urged government to desist from frequent experimentation.

Meanhwile, Mr. Obi, weekend, said birthdays should not be a time of “show off, but a time to think about our lives and ask ourselves how faithful we have been to

ourselves and God,” and provide Nigerians time to share love, “especially the poor among us.”

Obi spoke when he joined the Anglican Bishop of Amichi, Most Rev. Dr. Ephraim Ikeakor to visit Holy Child Convent School, Amichi, Master Vessels School, Osumenyi and the Diocesan Hospital, Amichi, as part of his birthday celebration.

The celebrant, Bishop Ikeakor, expressed happiness that Obi’s love for education and provision of health care to the people did not wane even when out of office.

Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, and the party's candidate in the Anambra Central Senatorial re-run, Chief Victor Umeh, has said cattle rearers should be restricted to ranches in the North.

Chief Umeh spoke in Onitsha after attending the commissioning of Archbishop C. J. Patterson International Auditorium Complex.

Kingdom Lottery unveils Mr. Ibu as Brand Ambassador

By Anayo Okoli

K

INGDOM Lottery has unveiled Nollywood’s comedian, John Mr. Ibu Okafor as its Brand Ambassador.

Recently licensed by the National Lottery Commission, the company representative, Mr. Yalon Zilberkwit, while unveiling Mr. Ibu, said Kingdom Lottery was poised to take the sector higher than what currently obtains.

He told newsmen that the days people saw lottery as fraud were gone, adding that “Kingdom Lottery is uniquely different, because ours is a win-win situation for everyone as losers stand a chance to win at the periodic consolation draws.”

Elated, Mr Ibu, said: “Kingdom Lottery is very easy to win, transparent, genuine and it is much easier to collect your cash without any form of delay as in case of other lottery companies.”

16 — Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016 SENATOR Suleiman Nazif, who represents Bauchi North in the Senate, gave vent to his concern over the alarming proliferation of abandoned projects in Nigeria.

Most of these projects have remained abandoned and have outlived the various governments that initiated them. Indeed the problem is as pronounced at the federal as it is at the state level such that all sections of the country and tiers of government are heavily burdened with abandoned and uncompleted projects.

A particular project that has been crying for attention for years is the Ajaokuta Steel Company whose completion has remained in abeyance after many administrations spanning decades.

The senator’s worry derives from the fact that abandoned projects have remained a conduit pipe through which Nigeria’s resources are siphoned with criminal

Need to finish abandoned projects abandon at heavy costs to the nation. Most of these are wellconceived projects which if faithfully executed would be beneficial to the Nigerian economy, especially in the area of creating more job opportunities.

The plethora of abandoned projects that dot the country ’s landscape have been traced to the unwillingness on the part of incoming governments to complete the projects initiated by their predecessors for reasons often tied to corruption. Another major cause is the tendency of politicians to want to deny their predecessors the credit for projects they inherited.

They feel far more fulfilled to

abandon such projects and use available funds to start theirs which they can claim credit for.

This is totally petty, uncalled for and a great disser vice to the nation. And this is a mistake which the present administration at the federal level can ill afford to make.

We strongly recommend that the Muhammadu Buhari regime should take stock of all projects it inherited from the previous governments with a view to completing them before embarking on new ones. For instance, the administration should continue with the revival of the 117-year old Nigerian rail system which previous regimes have been

OPINION Edo 2016: A leap back to stone age

By Erasmus Ikhide

T

HE outgoing governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole has a date with history for entering the league of the tripartite most performed governor of the state in living history. Oshiomhole owns the unique distinction of being a governor who brushes aside primordial political inequalities and revives a few sectors of the state economy, against all odds.

It is to the eternal credit of the governor for empowering security concerns to boldly checkmate feral criminality, indolence and an innate social dysfunction that kept Edo State on the list of one of the most dangerous states in Nigeria. This is no mean feat. No one can take that away from him.

There is no doubt that Comrade Oshiomhole holds a large track to the APC nomination on who succeeds him, but he must resist the pressure on him to rewrite that page in our history book that celebrates openness; popular participation, one-man-one-vote and incremental progress. Better still, he should denounce miniature surfaces, impostors, imposition, godfatherism and other ancillary vices that reduce our humanity. It is a cynic platform on which democratic precedence/institutions should not be built.

That is the much I am demanding, Edo people and Nigerians are demanding for obvious reasons: Oshiomhole was helped to

the Action Congress, AC, nomination ticket in 2007 by many whose primary mission was not to have an anointed candidate or a surrogate as governor. Oshiomhole’s governorship was meant to derail an imminent tradition of dominant elite going by the name godfathers.

Liberal democracies or its organic institutions harshly condemned what the governor and his new found friends are trying to shove down the people’s throats, wholesale. They have taken a wreck ball to

Godfatherism is godfatherism irrespective of the guise, colour and creed the earliest liberal mantra and matrix of the AC, ACN and now APC; equalising it with the PDP to an indistinguishable and perilous point with known credentials for imposition.

This constitutes one of the major drawbacks of the present political engagement. No one can differentiate party A from party B. As it were, no one can doubt that banal imposition and unremitting crave for undiluted power suckled PDP’s victory in the last general election. There may be some private reasons why governor Oshiomhole settles for the oily Obaseki but such reason must be juxtaposed for the same reason he is being loathed by the same people who

constituted themselves into a combat army nearly eight years ago and chased away the godfather, a position the governor presently coveted in all its crudity.

Dr. Sunday Edeko, an associate Professor in the faculty of law, Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma, Edo State, saw my exposition on Mr. Godwin Obaseki’s many after-thoughts gaffs and missteps on the Benin history and his primitive middle-of-the-road economic theory for the state as misguided. Dr. Edeko who said Mr. Godwin Obaseki is grounded in the Benin history as well as a celebrated economist merely perceived something in Mr. Godwin that was not there!

To date, neither Dr. Edeko nor Mr. Godwin Obaseki seek to correct the deliberate falsehood “that when the British entered Benin Kingdom and attempted to do ‘business’ with Benin, his grandfather advised the then Oba of Benin, Oba Ovonramwen N’ogbaisi, to sign a treaty with the foreigners. Mr. Godwin has yet to contradict all available evidence which suggest that the British did not intend to do business with any of their eventual colonies, rather they were on a plundering colonial mission as they did also with Jaja, Nana, Attahiru and Kosoko, among others. Edo people are still waiting for Mr. Godwin to clear the air on the historical distortions.

Another point of departure with Mr. Obaseki’s economic myth is his acclaimed capitalistic daunting qualifications that seemingly plunged the state into debt from

carrying out considering the importance of rail to Nigeria’s transportation system.

Happily the Minister for Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, has pledged to complete all ongoing rail projects and extend rail lines to all parts of the country.

Other projects that should be pursued with vigour include the Second Niger Bridge, the East/ West Road , the Abuja/Kaduna Express, the Enugu/Port Harcourt Express, the Lagos/Ibadan Express, the Lokoja/Abuja Express, the Oshodi/Apapa Express and the completion of the transfer of the power sector to private business.

These and others in their class are not properties of any regime or political party but national assets that will boost the economic and social development of Nigeria. The interests of the nation must remain paramount and must be pursued at all times irrespective of regime.

borrowing homogeneous amount of millions of dollars by the state government on Mr. Godwin’s auspices. If an economist superordinate czar is about junketing for loans in financial markets globally, then Edo is in for real trouble.

Dr. Edeko admonished on page 34 of Vanguard newspaper of April 18th, 2016 thus: “If Mr. Ikhide ever had confidence in the governor, this is the time he needs to use his talents to promote the course of democracy and development in Edo State”.

Dr. Edeko intoned further: “The old order is dead and buried. Oshiomhole is a personification of the new order in Edo State.

Whoever he trusts enough to earn his endorsement is a product of the order”.

For the record, it is worthy of note that in 2007 my good friend, Dr. Edeko literally joined forces with me and others to fight the scourge of godfatherism in the state against the mighty pen of his boss, Prof Dominic Badaiki, the Dean of the Faculty of Law, whose office was a few metres from his office. He earned my respect as Prof Osariemhe Osunbor’s uncle, a man that was manipulated into the governorship seat by the godfather. Then, Dr. Edeko resisted Osunbor’s governorship. In retrospect, given Dr. Edeko’s noble antecedent, it is safe to say that the ebullient law lecturer has now misconstrued factual godfatherism for “the new order”.

Godfatherism is godfatherism irrespective of the guise, colour and creed.

•Mr. Ikhide, a political analyst, wrote from Lagos.

MAY 9, 2016 Others are Union Bank-N983 million, Diamond Bank-N195 million, Sterling Bank-N265 million, Fidelity BankN766 million and Wema Bank-N235 million

Executive Compensation

MTNF HANDOVER: From left, MTN Foundation Field Officer, Alhaji Nura Bello; Commissioner for Basic & Secondary Education, Sokoto State, Dr. Mohammed Jabbi Kilgori; Executive Secretary Arabic and Islamic Education, Alhaji Ahmed Baba Altine and Principal, Hafsatu Ahmadu Bello Model Arabic Secondary School, Sokoto State, Hajiya Asmau Abdullahi Maikano, at the handing over of furniture donated to the school by the MTN Foundation in Sokoto.

Ten banks pay 143 directors N7.6bn in 2015

Executive Directors pocket N4.6bn Union Bank tops CEOs pay Shareholders divided

BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE & PETER EGWUATU

T

he directors of ten banks collected N7.6 billion as fees and allowances in 2015, representing 1.58 percent of the banks’ profitability during the year.

The ten banks are Guaranty Trust Bank, Zenith bank, Access Bank, FirstBank, UBA, Union Bank, Diamond Bank, Sterling Bank, Fidelity and Wema Bank.

Analysis of financial statements of C M Y K

the banks for the 2015 financial year, reveal that the ten banks increased total money paid to 143 directors by 11 percent or N742 million, from N6.84 billion in 2014 to N7.58 billion in 2015.

The amount paid to the directors represents 1.58 percent of the profit before tax of the ten banks, which stood at N480 billion in 2015. The amount paid to the directors also represented 2.0 percent of total staff salaries (personnel cost) in the ten banks.

Further analysis reveals inadequate disclosures relating to directors compensation, fees and allowances to

board chairmen, and salaries of chief executive officers. For example, Wema Bank did not specify amount paid as compensation to executive directors, while Access Bank and Sterling Bank failed to disclose money paid to their chairmen and chief executive officers.

Total board expenses

GTBank led the ten banks, with N1.25 billion paid to its 14 directors in 2015, up from N1.2 billion in 2014. Zenith Bank came second, with N1.145 billion paid to 10 directors in 2015, up from N630 million in 2014. Acess Bank and FirstBank came third and fourth respectively, with N1.08 billion and N1.05 billion paid to 14 and 17 directors respectively. The fifth highest board expenses was incurred by UBA, which paid N603 million to its 16 directors in 2015, up from N600 million in 2014.

The ten banks, with the exception of Wema Bank, paid N4.63 billion to 52 executive directors. This represented two percent decline from N4.72 billion in 2014. On the average, each executive directors got N89 million in 2015, down from N91 million in 2014.

FirstBank came first as its six executive directors (E.Ds) were paid N784 million, up from N694 million in 2014.

GTbank came second, with N718 million paid to six E.Ds, up from N691 million. The seven E.Ds of Access bank were paid N705 million in 2015, down from N1,12 billion in 2014. Union Bank paid its six E.Ds N625 million in 2015, up from N542 million in 2014, while Zenith Bank paid its four E.Ds N595 million in 2015, up from N414 million in 2014. UBA paid its six E.Ds N547 million, down from N555 million in 2014. Others were Diamond Bank with five EDs - 149 million, Sterling Bank with six EDs - N156 million, and Fidelity with six EDs - N346 million.

Union Bank CEO tops pay

Analysis of amount paid to the highest director, the Chief Executive Officer (CEOs), by eight banks reveal the CEOs of eight banks were paid N903 million as salaries and compensations. This was 13 percent higher than the N798 million paid to the CEOs in 2014. The CEO of Union Bank received the highest pay with N208 million, representing 36 percent or N55 million increase from the N153 million earned in 2014.

GTBank CEO came second earning receiving N204.9 million, up by 12 percent or N22 million from N183 million in 2014. The CEOs of UBA and Fidelity Bank came third and fourth earning N125 million and N102 million respectively in 2015, up from N116 million and N94 million in 2014.

Others are FirstBank-N90 million, Zenith Bank-N78 million, Wema BankN70 million, and Diamond Bank-N25 million.

Shareholders call for review

Shareholders however were of the Continues on page 18

18 — Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016

Cover

How to choose your own business CONFERENCE - From left: Deputy Head of Mission/Counsellor, Embassy of Japan in Nigeria, Mr. Masaya Otsuka;Executive Vice President, Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), Dr. Katsumi Hirano; President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Chief (Mrs) Nike Akande;Deputy Minister for Construction, Engineering and Real Estate Industry, Government of Japan, Mr. Yasuki Kaibori; and Charge d'Affaires ad interim, Embassy of Nigeria in Japan, Mr. Bello Kazaure Husseini, during the Nigeria-Japan public-private conference for high quality infrastructure in Lagos.

Ten banks paid N7 .6bn tto o direct or 15 N7.6bn director orss in 20 2015 Continued from page 17 view that the amount paid to banks directors though huge and not in sync with economic realities, is necessary to prevent them from stealing depositors money, and also in view of the amount of work they have to do to generate earnings for their banks.

“If the banks’ executives are well paid, the temptation of stealing depositors’ money will not arise,” stated Mr. Boniface Okezie, Chairman, Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria, PSAN. “However, considering the economic downturn, I think the banks can equally cut the package they take home to reflect the present economic realities. If States Governors and Ministers are cutting their salaries, I think the banks should equally follow suit.

There are some allowances for banks’ executives that need to be cut down or completely be removed. It is time for companies to tighten their belts given the global oil fall which had affected the country’s income.

So, if the economy picks up, banks can review the packages paid to their executive directors. But under normal circumstances, the banks’ executive should be well remunerated given the nature of the risk they undertake. If they are under paid, then you be begin to see all kinds of stealing and rubbery in the banks through insider collaboration”, he said.

Mr. Taiwo Oderinde, Chairman, Proactive Shareholders Association of Nigeria, PROSAN, on his part said the huge money paid to directors was unfair to shareholders. He said, “ “The banks’ executive C M Y K

compensations is really on the high side when you compare it to other countries.

The executive directors of banks are given all kinds of allowances at the expense of depositors and shareholders.

We do react on this issue when we attend Annual General Meetings, AGMs. In some cases, we refused to approve their remunerations and ask them to go back and review it.

“The problem we are having as shareholders is that in some cases we don’t have shareholders’ representation on the board. By the time they set up committee to review the remuneration you will only see executive directors taking decisions. The executive directors are really feeding on shareholder’ fund and this has to be checked by

If the banks’ executives are well paid, the temptation of stealing depositors’ money will not arise

the regulators in the industry.

The executive directors have access to our funds and make use of it the way they

like. I think there should be regulation in this aspect of emolument to stop these mouth watering packages.”

According to the Chairman, Renaissance Shareholders Association of Nigeria, Ambassador Olufemi Timothy, “The banks’ executive emolument is not too much considering the earnings they make for the bank. These are people who toil all day and night to see that depositors’ money is kept safely. So the high risk element should also be another great reason why they should be paid well.

Even the so called Foreign Exchange, (forex ) are kept by these banks.

Furthermore, if banks’ executives are well paid the issue of stealing or fraudulent practices would be drastically reduced or even eliminated. I believe the packages for executive directors are not too much given the volume of work they do and the income they make for the institutions.”

“My position on this issue is that it should be looked at on the contribution they bring to the organisation”, stated, Mr. Nonah Awoh, a shareholder activist. “ It is not how big or how small the packages are, the concern should be on the equity remuneration of employees.

What is the disparity between the Chief Executive Director and other senior management?

If the differential is too high, then it is not good for the organisation. Banks should be careful if fixing remuneration so that it does not affect what they are giving to shareholders in form of returns on investment”, he said.

W

anting to start a business is a common desire, but how many people are actually born entrepreneurs?

Are you? Test your entrepreneurial capability by knowing what type of business to start. Your business should support your dream of becoming financially independent; but how to start is a different ball game.

After perusing the business ideas or generating ideas that suit your interests, values and passions, you need to decide which idea(s) is more is more likely to bring your success. Choosing between five alternatives is usually much easier than choosing between 10 and 20. List all the ideas, on individual index cards or pieces of paper.

If you have got a whole stack of business ideas, it is better to make some cuts. Go through your ideas and make two piles; ideas to consider and ideas to discard. When deciding what to toss, look first for those ideas that are not likely to get off the ground. Note that this is a gut check, focused on your feelings and instinct - not on accounting equations or an analysis of supply and demand.

The following questions may help you decide which ideas to keep and which to discard: Are you genuinely excited about the business idea?

How confident are you that you can make it work?

Would you be comfortable telling people about your business idea?

Your best business idea will be the one that aligns with your interests, goals, values, motivations, and passions.

Sure, there are many ideas for new venture opportunities for individuals. Clearly, when you see inefficiency and you have the resources and capability or at least the ability to bring together the resources and capabilities needed to correct that inefficiency – then it could be a very interesting business idea. In addition, if you see a product or service that is being consumed in one market and that product is not available in your market, you could perhaps import that product or service, and start that business in your home country.

Many sources of ideas come from existing businesses, such as franchises, you could licence the right to provide a business idea. You could work on a concept with an employer who, for some reason, has no interest in developing that business. You could have an arrangement with that employer to leave the company and start that business. You can tap numerous sources for new ideas for business. Perhaps the most promising source of ideas for new business comes from customers; listening to customers. That is something we ought to do continuously, in order to understand what customers want, they want it, how they want a product or service supplied, when they want it supplied, and at what price.

By so doing, one thing that everyone should go through is to ask the question, is the market real? In order to do so, the first thing you want to do is to conduct what we call a customer analysis. You can do that in a very technical way, by conducting surveys. Or perhaps, in a less technical way, you can attempt to answer the questions, “Who is my customer? What does my customer want to buy? When does my customer want to buy? What price is my customer willing to pay? So, asking the “W4 questions,” who, where, what, when. At the end of the day, the one thing every entrepreneur is looking for is revenue and the revenue will come from customers. That is why you need to ask yourself, is there a market place here?

Also, you want to ask yourself who else is supplying that particular market? That is what we call competitor analysis. Ask yourself who else is in this market, and what are they doing for the customers. Are they supplying a similar substitute product or services that you have in mind? That is the second thing you have to establish, and by doing that, you can understand better what need is not met.

For more on this, get my book” Success In Your Business”.

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016 — 19

L

ast week Wednesday, the European Union (EU) was quoted as asking Nigeria government to increase export of agricultural produces like rubber, cocoa and palm oil to the EU countries. The Head of EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr Michel Arrion, said this at a press conference on commemorate the 40 years of EU-Nigeria partnership in Abuja. Arrion said there were potential exports, which Nigeria could develop in commercial quantities, lamenting that such exports to the EU were currently in low quantities.

Ordinarily, the EU head of delegation call is a welcome development but deep down it is an insult to the people of Nigeria for him at this time to call for a continued export of primary commodities to the EU. For over 40 years, Nigeria and Africa countries have been exporting primary commodities to Europe to feed their factories and in return bring back the processed product at higher prices. They have not thought of helping to transfer technology to Nigerians to enable the country process and add value to the agricultural produce in order to sell at higher prices.

Perhaps the call is coming as a result of the fear that Nigeria is looking more to Chinese technology and developing a higher trading relationship.

The Union has every cause to worry because its traditional source of cheap raw material is being threatened by the growing trading relation between Nigeria and China.

All along and in the last forty years as it claims, the Union has not considered it necessary to set up local processing plants in Nigeria to process agricultural produce to either semi processed or finished products that could command higher value in their home countries.

Export rubber, cocoa, palm oil to us, EU tells Nigeria?

Even when Nigerian businesses struggle to set up such processing plants they are denied access to European market in the name of quality.

It is quite unfortunate that it is at this time that the present government is trying to refocus the economy that the EU is asking Nigeria to concentrate in producing and exporting primary commodity to Europe.

In the opinion of the EU “There are potential exports like rubber for instance for tiles that Nigeria could certainly develop. We will be delighted to import and to buy more rubber from Nigeria; the problem is that the production is very small. We will be delighted to buy more cocoa from Nigeria. We are buying most of our cocoa from Ivory Coast and Ghana, while not from Nigeria?” he said.

Is the EU a true friend of Nigeria? Knowing that the current economic crisis the nation is facing arose from the collapse of commodity prices in the global market, the EU is still urging Nigeria to continue to export primary commodities to it without adding value to them. The government must be wary of

such advice and take the necessary measures to ensure that no commodity is exported from Nigeria without value addition in the near future.

The current Federal government's policy on agriculture should be comprehensive enough to embrace the entire value chain in each of the commodities it intends to develop fully. The European Union knows too well that in the last ten to fifteen years nearly half of the country agricultural produce are wasted as a result of lack

Nigeria does not need the EU to remind it that it has a lot of possibilities in agricultural products

of storage facilities and processing capability. It has not one day attempt to offer a solution.

In recent years farmers in the northern part of the country had suffered losses of tones of tomatoes as result of lack of processing facilities. In recent months thanks to brave Nigerian business men like Dangote and the rest that have to set up tomatoes processing plants to help arrest the continued influx of processed tomatoes that were being dumped into the Nigeria market.

Time has come for Nigeria to seek home grown solution to its economic problems. In the case of cocoa while the majority of cocoa is exported as beans, the processing of other cocoa-derived products also takes place in Nigeria.

Cocoa processing consists in the conversion of beans into cocoa butter and cocoa powder, two intermediary products and such conversion is operated by grinders (or converters). The quantity of butter obtained from the beans depends on the fat content of the beans, while powder is normally considered as a by-

product of processing, as shells and paste. Butter and powder are subsequently recombined in different shares to obtain chocolate, with the addition mainly of milk and sugar. Cocoa powder is also used as a component in other confectionary products.

Instead of setting up chocolate factories in Nigeria, European firms prefer to import the beans into Europe at cheapgate farm prices and processed same into finished products as chocolate, cocoa beverage etc that are sold at higher prices as imported items into Nigeria Although Nigeria has the capacity to process locally some quantities of other cocoaderived products, such as butter, the local product is often tagged of a low quality when exported by European firms in order to discourage local production.

Nigeria does not need the EU to remind it that it has a lot of possibilities in agricultural products.

Nigerians are aware of the potentials. What Nigeria need are true friends that will help it convert the known potentials to realities that will generate employment opportunities to the teaming population.

Nigeria has had enough of good wishes, it needs fresh ideas not the same old diplomatic talk with tongue in check.

Economy Fir stBank reit erat es commitment tto o SMEs FirstBank reiterat erates

F

irstBank is committed to supporting its customers with customised products and services designed to ensure a continuous success story for every SME. According to the FirstBank’s spokesperson, Folake AniMumuney, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) are considered pivotal to national development. "However, to what extent do they play this role in ensuring the sustainable economic growth of the nation, especially at a time when the Nigerian government is looking to diversify its income stream?

Presently, there are many SME entrepreneurs with a myriad of unaccomplished aspirations and deflated business goals "First Bank of Nigeria Limited has over the years demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the business success of SMEs in Nigeria.

The Bank has a cocktail of C M Y K

products and bespoke solutions, specifically designed to help grow and sustain SMEs; enable them play out their business scripts as well as fulfill their goals and aspirations. In addition, the Bank offers advisory services that are tailored to meet the needs and aspirations of their SME customers.

"FirstBank is enthusiastic about the SME segment as one of the strategic platforms to stimulate economic development. Some of the Bank’s SME products include: Contract and Invoice Discounting Finance – This enables the SME seamlessly fund bigger contracts. The product is designed to finance contractors who need immediate funding for working capital requirements while awaiting payment for goods/services supplied or contracts executed for reputable companies.

"The Import and Export Finance is another product that helps the customer finance

imports and exports as well as track all transactions. The Import Finance Facility would provide a structured and controllable mechanism through which the Bank may provide finance to trading companies to support the importation of goods.

"The bank also uses the Payments and Collections Solutions to facilitate effective money collection from distributors and customers of SMEs. With these solutions, 3rd party payments can now be made with ease.

The Key Distributorship Finance is another vital product designed to ensure SMEs

never run out of stock as well as the timely execution of all customer orders.

"With a bouquet of bespoke products and services, FirstBank is set to place SMEs ahead of their competition through collaborations with the business owners to provide flexible and dependable services, helping each SME fulfill life time dreams for their businesses," she stated.

SERAS extends entry to other African countries

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ruContact CSR Nigeria, organisers of The SERAS- CSR Awards has extended entries for the 2016 edition to other African countries, calls for 2016 entry. th The award is in its 10 edition, and having enjoyed nine successful seasons, the organizers promise that the 2016 edition will be bigger and more exciting.

The theme for the awards is: Sustainable Development Goals and The Future of Africa: Organisations as The Game Changers.

Assessments and categorizations would the based on the recent globally launched seventeen sustainable development goals. Entry forms can be downloaded at www.theseras.com.

The theme according to the organisers is based on the launch of an ambitious global mission by the world leaders to reduce poverty and enhance

human development.

Africa and Nigeria was only able to attain a little under 15% of expected target impacts.

But with the take-off of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) by the United Nations, businesses have been urged to take the driver ’s seat in actualizing this huge agenda.

According to the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, business is a “vital partner in achieving the sustainable development goals”.

The UN holds the view that the SDG’s cannot succeed without the support of business to design and scale up sustainable solutions.

The SDG’s also provides immense platforms for companies to develop sustainable

20 — Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016

Business & Economy NIMASA warns oil firms over unpaid taxes, dues

Accion Microfinance Bank disburses N57bn loans

By GODWIN ORITSE & GODFREY BIVBERE

N

A

ccion Microfinance Bank has disbursed about N57 billion as loans to 227,000 people since it was licensed by the CBN in 2007.

The Managing Director of the bank, Mrs Olubunmi Lawson, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.

She said the company had embarked on branch expansion to take its services to more cities in the country.

Lawson said the expansion was designed to deepen financial inclusion for the poor segment of the population.

According to her, two branches of the bank are to be inaugurated in Ogun on May 19 toward the realisation of the goal.

Lawson said the branches to be opened at Sango Ota and Akute were in fulfillment of the promise made by the bank during its 2015 annual general meeting.

She said the bank, which had 31 branches in Lagos State, would open more branches in eight additional states before the end of the year.

Lawson said the bank’s target was to empower over 500 poor but active people in the new branches to support the Federal Government’s poverty alleviation drive.

“The bank plans to bring all the adults financially excluded in Sango Ota and Akute into the banking system.”

She said the bank would also extend financial aid to Small and Mediums Enterprises (SMEs) within the new areas.

“The bank is set to offer variety of financial services and products, ranging from savings, current, fixed deposit accounts and micro loans.

“It’s our hope that the branches will deliver a brighter future to its teeming and growing clients,” she said.

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AWARD - From left: Chief Marketing Officer, iSON Technologies, Opemipo Alebiosu, receiving award from Board Member, Great Place To Work, Mr Kunle Malomo, during Great Place To Work Award night in Lagos.

Ten great companies to work T

en companies emerged winners of the ‘Great Place To Work (GPTW) Nigeria awards, over the weekend.

These awards include: the Bright Spots award, a new category of awards which was introduced to recognise those organisations that are engaging with their employees, customers and communities in deep and authentic ways.

Three organisations were recognised for this award; Courteville Business Solutions, SANOFI Healthcare and iSON BPO. Eight organisations made it to the list of Best Companies to Work for in Nigeria 2016. The organisations include: EMC Information System Nigeria Limited, which came tops, Courteville Business Solutions, which also won in the Bright Spots Award category, came second in the Best Companies to Work for in Nigeria. Other companies that made the list include: Guinness Nigeria which emerged in the third place position, SC Johnson took the fourth position; Microsoft Nigeria, Poise Nigeria; Konga.com, and Chemical and Allied Products, in that order. This year’s edition, the fourth in the series, also had the “Best Practices Awards”. These are companies that delivered excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), People Leadership, Employee Wellness, and introducing a new category under this, the organisation that caters to the needs of Millennials. iSON Group, one of the winners in the Bright Sport Awards category, also won the award for excellence in CSR, Konga.com, which came seventh in the Best Companies to Work for in Nigeria, smiled

home with the Best Company to work for Millennials. Again, Courteville Business Solutions got the award for excellence in People Leadership while Guinness Nigeria Plc won the award for delivering excellence in Employees’ Wellness.

The Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah, who was keynote speaker at the event, described the award as “a welcome initiative and an avenue for inspiring greatness,” and challenged organisations to” rise beyond the ordinary to pursue excellence.”

While commending Great Place To Work Nigeria for the

initiative, Enelamah congratulated all the winners and awardees, pointing out that it was his desire that the awardees will see the awards, not as an excuse to bask in their accomplishment, but as a challenge to do more and even better and to be role models for others. “Individuals, brands and even governments rise and fall on the strength of the trust that people repose in them. The world’s most valuable companies hold much of that value to what experts call brand equity, which in lay man’s term is simply a reflection of the quality of trust they engender in their stakeholders,” Enelamah said.

igerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has warned International Oil Companies operating in Nigeria of dire consequences if taxes and levies are not paid as at when due.

Speaking at the ongoing Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) currently taking place in Houston, Texas, NIMASA’s Director- General, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, said that the agency will no longer tolerate a situation where IOCs renege on the payment of levies due the agency as enshrined in its enabling instruments.

Peterside also said that NIMASA is ready to enforce its statutory responsibilities especially in the area of preserving and protecting the marine environment from the adverse impact of oil exploration and other commercial activities.

He explained that NIMASA as a strategic agency of government has been grossly misunderstood over time and assured stakeholders of the management’s commitment to the development of local content in the maritime industry adding that a review of the Cabotage Act was long overdue so as to make it more beneficial to Nigerians.

NB pays FG N16bn tax , creates 4,000 jobs

By PETER EGWUATU, FRANKLIN ALLI & PRINCEWILL EKWUJURU

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igeria Breweries Plc has disclosed that despite tough operating environment, it paid N16 billion as tax to the Federal Government for the financial year 2015 and also created 4,000 direct jobs.

It further disclosed that the beer industry in the country grew by one percent in 2015, while beer consumption per person stood at 11 liters.

Mr. Nicolaas Vervelde, Managing Director/ CEO, disclosed this during the company’s PreAGM Media briefing held in Lagos last weekend.

According to him “ Employment-wise, the company has 4,000 Nigerians are on its payrolls across its 11 beer plants and two malt production plants across the country while 280,000 people have been indirectly employed by its transporters, distributors and other ancillary businesses. Vervelde said that the slow growth in the economy in terms of lower oil prices, fall in the value of the Naira, scarcity of foreign exchange , low purchasing power of consumers are some of the economic indices that affected the industry like other businesses in the country.

According to him, the beer industry in Nigeria has been undergoing slow growth for

four consecutive years, adding that the sector grew by 1 percent last year compared to 9-10 percent recorded in the years before 2010.

He explained that the slight growth recorded by operators in the sector were in the areas of products innovation and expansions of beer plants driven by acquisition. He said that the company is the leading brewer in the industry with 20 products category, 11 beer plants and two malt plants across the country.

Shedding light on per capita beer consumption in Nigeria, he noted: “Although, 23 percent of Nigeria population is middle class, yet per capita consumption of beer is low compared to markets across the globe. “ In Nigeria with a population of over 170 million, it 11 liters whereas in Brazil with 200 million population per capita consumption of beer is 70 liters; Russia 64 liters, Mexico 60 liters and South Africa it is 60 liters per person; Burundi 40 liters, Cameroun 40L and SubSaharan Africa 17liters. The last time Nigeria had high per capita consumption of beer was 1984, and it was 17 liters per person.”

Fielding questions on the impacts of their operations on the economy, he replied that the company has been doing business in Nigeria for 70 years, adding that government, host communities; shareholders feel their positive socio-economic impacts.

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016 — 21

Banking & Finance

BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

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he Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has banned all forms of discriminatory practices in the provision of electronic payment service.

This was one of the highlights of two revised guidelines relating to epayment services issued by the apex bank on Friday. The guidelines are: Guidelines on Transactions Switching in Nigeria; and Guidelines on Operations of Electronic Payment Channels in Nigeria Among other things the CBN stated, “According to the guidelines on transaction switching, “ Among other things the guidelines on transaction switching prohibited Abuse of dominant position by any operator. It stated, “No parties to Switching Services shall abuse its dominant position by directly or indirectly imposing unfair or discriminatory condition and fees in the provision of its services; Equally, no parties to Switching Services shall limit or restrict the provision of switching services or market thereof or technical or scientific development relating to switching services to the prejudice of consumers; No parties shall indulge in practice or practices resulting in denial of market access.

The guidelines also banned Nigeria Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS) from competing with any epayment service firm in the country. It stated, “Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc (NIBSS), the Nigeria Central Switch (NCS) and any company, person or group of persons performing the roles, duties or functions of the Nigeria Central Switch SHALL NOT under any circumstance whatsoever or howsoever engage in competition with any Payment Card Industry Scheme, Operator or Service Provider.

Accordingly, Nigeria InterBank Settlement System Plc (NIBSS), the Nigeria Central Switch (NCS) and any company, person or group of persons performing the roles, duties or functions of the Nigeria Central Switch shall not: Be or engage in any business as: Card Scheme, Issuer of Payment Cards, Issuer-Processor, Acquirer, Acquirer-Processor.” It also banned NIBSS from supporting or promoting any card scheme as well as from owning, deploying, maintaining, installing and acquiring devices such as Point of Sale.

Under the guidelines on operations of electronic C M Y K

Gwarzo, Razia Khan to address custodians’ conference

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ROUNDTABLE: From Left: Mr Johnson Ivase, Marketing Manager, Mrs Efe Obiomah, Public Relations Manager, both of GOtv and Mr Jenkins Alumona, Managing Director, Strategic Outcomes Limited during the GOtv Media Round Table, Friday, Lagos, On Friday 6-5-2016, PHOTO: Kehinde Gbadamosi

CBN bans discriminatory e-payment services payment channels in Nigeria, the CBN staed, “No card scheme shall discriminate against any ATM owner or acquirer. Every card-scheme must publish for the benefit of every ATM owner or acquirer and the Central Bank of Nigeria, the requirements for acquiring ATM transactions under the card scheme.”No

ATM owner or acquirer shall discriminate against any card scheme or issuer. Stand-alone or closed ATMs are not allowed.

“To achieve interoperability, all POS terminals deployed in Nigeria shall accept all transactions arising from any card issued by any Nigerian bank. Accordingly, Acquirers

and other service providers shall be card neutral entities that have no reason to promote or favour any card brand over the other. “ Every acquirer must be able to accept all cards issued

by Nigerian Banks, whether through a direct license or via an arrangement with any other acquirer that is licensed under the relevant card scheme/association.”

Davodani MFB targets ten branches with state license

By Babajide Komolafe

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avoDani Microfinance Bank (MFB) is set to open ten branches across Lagos State, in line with its new status as a state MFB. Chairman of the Bank, Prince Austin Enajemo-Isire disclosed this at a press briefing held at the bank’s head office in Lagos. He said that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has granted and upgraded the bank to a State MFB. He said, “We wish to announce the upgrade of Davo Dani MFB to state MFB status through approval conveyed to us by Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in their letter of 3rd May 2016, having satisfied all the necessary conditions attached thereto.

By this new state microfinance bank license, we can now commence branch establishment across the entire Lagos State Local Government Council/Areas to enable us achieve the vision and mission of the bank as well as the National Policy objective on Micro, Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (MSME).

“The bank focuses its businesses on traditional and specialized savings, current accounts and investment products as well as risk assets, carefully designed to empower Micro, Small and Medium Entrepreneur. Its core values and qualities centre on products innovation and excellent customer service.” He said that with this development, “The bank is positioned to carve a niche for itself in the market space, having just joined the group of State

Microfinance Banks to create jobs and empower Micro, Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (MSME) through unhindered access to our financial services, as clearly spelt out in our mission statement.

We will do this with a balance of financial sustainability and the social impact in poverty alleviation as well as create employment to a number of unemployed Nigerian population residing in Lagos State.

The breath of outreach in our first phase of action will cover branches in Ikorodu, Ladipo Mushin, Alaba International and Boundary, Apapa in addition to the Head Office in Ogudu Road, Ojota.” He disclosed that the management of the bank is poised to target clients not less than 500,000 in this first phase of action plan representing 50 percent of the bank’s medium term plan. He added that the management will also explore partnership with relevant government agencies to facilitate support for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). He said, “Micro, Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (MSMEs) and individuals at the bottom of the pyramid constitute the bedrock for economic development of a nation and the state in particular. Therefore, we are open to partner with the Lagos State Government and other government agencies in the implementation of the National Policy on Micro Small and Medium Entrepreneurs.

Our channels of distribution will be deployed through which the state can effect disbursement of micro credits and financial awareness training to her citizen in the Lagos areas.”

he Association of Assets Custodians of Nigeria (AACN) will hold its fifth annual investor conference this week 2016 in London.

The theme of the conference is Nigerian Economy: Identifying the silver linings. The purpose of this event is to provide expert insight on Nigeria’s current market conditions, developments and prospects.

The conference is an opportunity for significant interaction among the various Nigeria capital market operators and investors. This year ’s conference is co-sponsored

by FMDQ OTC PLC, Central Securities Clearing Systems PLC (CSCS) and First Registrars & investor Services Limited.

The 2016 investor conference will host the following speakers representing the regulators and key market operators: The Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mallam Mounir Gwarzo, the Executive Director, Capital Markets, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Haruna Jalo-Waziri, the CEO, NASD Plc, Bola Ajomale, the CEO FMDQ OTC Plc, Bola Onadele KOKO, the Chairman, WACMIC and Director BRVM, Dr. Edoh Kossi Amenounve. and the Chief Economist, African Global Research, Standard Chartered Bank – the highly regarded and respected Razia Khan as well as the Managing Director of the CSCS, Mr. Kyari Abba Bukar.

Other speakers participating in panel discussions include Mathew Pearson of Standard Bank, Seher Sagizli of Citibank, the president of Institute of Capital Market Registrars (ICMR), Bayo Olugbemi, Chairman Lafarge Africa, Bolaji Balogun, Korede Adenowo of Standard Chartered Bank, Olubunmi Asaolu CFA, Head, Equity Research FBN Quest, as well as major foreign portfolio investors and global custodians.

The 2016 investor conference will provide a platform to facilitate dialogue between Foreign Investors and Nigerian capital/financial market operators, while keeping participants abreast of Nigerian securities market developments and achievements over the last year.

22 — Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016

Banking & Finance

Sterling Bank backs Ogun State Investment Forum

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s part of its drive to partner with stakeholders in the growth of the nation’s economy both at the state and national levels, Sterling Bank has announced its sponsorship of the third edition of the Ogun State Investment Forum.

The theme of the two day event starting on May 9, 2016 is “Ogun State: Open for BusinessEmerging Economic Powerhouse”.

It would be recalled that the Bank also sponsored the 2014 edition of the programme and stands out as a major partner with other state governments especially in the area of education and economic development. Last year, the Bank presented an e-library to the College of Education, Ikere Ekiti in Ekiti State and commissioned cobranded verve/identity cards which serve as access control system and identity management solution for staff and students of the Benue State University in Makurdi.

Also, in line with the plan of the Federal Government to diversify the economy occasioned by the declining revenue generated from crude oil exports, Sterling Bank has remained committed to supporting production and consumption of locally made goods and services by supporting local manufacturers with the introduction of the “made in Nigeria” week and its partnership with Innoson Motors; the first in the manufacturing of locally made vehicles.

The Bank, in a statement signed by its Group Head, Strategy & Communications, Mr. Shina Atilola explained that the involvement of the Bank in the Forum was informed by the need for public - private partnership to achieving rapid economic development in Nigeria.

While commending the Ogun State government for opening the state for domestic and international investors, Mr. Atilola noted that the step taken by the government would accelerate the desired growth and development of the state’s economy curtailing the challenge of unemployment and improving the standard of living of her citizens.

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Decline in external reserves weakens Naira in futures market

BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

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he Naira weakened in the foreign exchange forwards market due to declining confidence triggered by persistent decline in the nation’s external reserve.

The forwards market is for foreign exchange transactions to be delivered at agreed dates in the future.

Last week the external reserves dropped by $104 million from $27.12 billion on April 29th to $26.919 billion on Thursday may 5 th .

Cumulatively the external reserve has fell by $2.15 billion from $26.92 billion at the beginning of the year.

This continuous slide in the external reserves, according to Cowry Assets Management Company led to depreciation of the naira in the forwards segment of the foreign exchange market.

For the One month forward contract, the naira depreciated by 0.44 percent to N201.32 per dollar, while it depreciated by 1.61 percent to N206.95 per dollar for the Three months forward. Six months and 12 months forward depreciated respectively by 3.19 percent and 1.37 percent to N215.77 per dollar and N224.17 per dollar.

This trend, according to Cowry Assets might persist this week. “We anticipate pressure on the naira exchange rates following weakened external sector environment”.

Meanwhile cost of funds remained stable in the interbank money market last week due to stability in the level of liquidity in the market.

Though the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) mopped up N150 billion from the market through sales of treasury bills, the market also experienced

inflow of N150 from payment of matured treasury bills.

Hence market liquidity remained between N391 billion and N380 billion during the week. As a result short term interest rates remained stable at 3.0 percent during the week.

Afrinvest Plc however projected that interest rates movement this week will be dictated by liquidty infow and outflow from the market. The company in its weekly market update stated, “The financial system liquidity opened the week at about N300.1 billion on Tuesday (being the first trading day of the week due to Monday’s public holiday).

Open Buy Back (OBB) remained at last week’s closing levels of 3.1 percent while Over Night rates

declined 0.2 percent to 3.5 percent by the end of Tuesday ’s trading session.

However, OBB and ON rates rose 0.2 percent and 0.3 percent to 3.3 percent and 3.8 percent on Wednesday consequent on Deposit Money Bank’s FX provisioning, rising to 3.6 percent and 4.2 percent at the end of Thursday ’s trading session. As expected, there was a T-bills maturity of about N150.6 billion on Thursday but the impact of this on liquidity was offset by a rollover of the same net amount. OBB and ON settled at 3.6 percent and 4.1 percent on Friday, up 0.5 percent and 0.4 percent Week-on-Week (Wo-W.) In the T-bills market, average rate started the week 0.1 percent higher than last week’s average closing rate of 8.2 percent. There was a T-

bills auction on Wednesday where N45.2 billion, N23.4 billion and N82 billion worth of the 91-days, 182-days and 364-days T-bills were issued at stop rates of 8.0 percent, 9.0 percent and 11.1 percent.

Consequently, average T-bills rate rose to 8.4 percent by the end of Wednesday’s trading session. However, average Tbills rate declined 0.1 percent to 8.3 percent by Thursday, eventually settling at 8.1 percent, down 0.1 percent Wo-W. In the week ahead, barring any unexpected mop-ups, we expect money market rates to move in tandem with market liquidity dynamics as dictated by the foreign exchange provisioning by DMBs and refunds by the CBN, as well as OMO maturities and auction (about N32.0bn expected to hit the system next week Thursday).

VISIT - From left: Hon. Yusuf Tajudeen, Chairman, House Committee on Capital Market & Institutions; Mr. Bola Onadele. Koko, Managing Director/CEO, FMDQ OTC Securities Exchange (FMDQ) and; Hon. Tony Nwulu, Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Capital Market & Institutions, FMDQ’s visit to the House of Representatives Committee for Capital Market and Institutions, in Abuja

Ogun S tat e attract ed o 14 Stat tate attracted ovver N690bn in invvestments in 20 201

BY GABRIEL OLAWALE

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GUN State government has said that the state attracted over N690 billion investments in 2014, signaling its emergence as the nation’s number destination for private sector investment.

Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, disclosed this while addressing a press conference ahead of this year's Ogun State Investor’s forum.

He said that over 90 companies have invested in the state within the space of five years that his administration opened the state for business, adding that more than 10 additional companies are waiting for commissioning with each investing not less than $100 million, “When we start this Investors Forum in 2012, it was like a test case, but precisely on 14th of February, 2014 prior to the second edition we took drastic action and approached World Bank.”

“If you remember, in term of doing business in Nigeria, Ogun State was number 35, but when we adjusted in those areas where there

were complaints, we moved from 35 to number third.”

“In 2014 alone, new investment of about N514.87 billion came in to the state and before the end of that year, it eventually rose to N691. 77 billion.

As at this year, we have close to 2000 people who have applied for land among other thing, but we are very conscious because we want genuine investors.” Amosun hinted that some of these developments have made the state ranked fourth in area of Internally Generated Revenue, “To encourage these investors, we created One-Stop Shop Investment Centre, OSSIC, to assist potential investors with procedure for investment and documentation processing. We are glad to announce that, the largest American investment in Nigeria is situated in Ogun State.”

He explained that all the achievement and success story did not come as a magic, but through creation

of enabling environment, “We constructed more than 14 link bridges, rehabilitated Ota Akute road, Mowe Ibafo road, Agbara Industrial Estate and reduced rates of access to commercial and agricultural land. We have also improved in area of security.” Speaking on the focus of this year Investor Forum, the Chairperson, Organizing Committee and Honourabe Commissioner Budget and Planning, Ms Adenrele Adesina said that the renewed focus is to make environment friendly, movement of goods more easier and creation of transformation through agriculture were the focus of this year gathering.

“As we are having more companies, we need to look at environmental impact, analysis and carry out assessment. Also all these companies need to transport their goods and services, that is why we are focusing on transportation, and our agricultural agenda needs to be moving on.”

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016 — 23

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24 — Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016

Corporate Finance

Goldlink Insurance plans N8bn fresh capital injection

By NKIRUKA NNOROM

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oldlink Insurance Plc has revealed plans to raise N8 billion from the capital market to enhance its shareholders’ fund and to strengthen its balance sheet.

The Ag. Managing Director, Mrs. Olufunke Moore, who disclosed this at the Facts Behind Restructuring on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, said the fund either by way of rights issue or public offer.

She stated the fresh capital injection was part of recommendations by the Interim Management Board, IMB, inaugurated by the National insurance Commission, NAICOM in 2012 to audit the accounts for the years ended 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 .

She added that the fund raising exrecise would enable the company to meet up with the share capital requirements of the 2003 Insurance Act, as composite insurer, while expressing optimism that it would return the company to solvent position in order undertake big ticket transactions.

According to her, stated that proceeds from the offer would deployed in upgrading its information technology, while some parts of the proceeds would be invested in fixed instruments and real estate.

She further stated that Goldlink would reinvigorate its marketing strategy in 2016 in pursuit of its objective of reclaiming its market shares in the insurance industry.

She explained that the company would grow its gross premium income from the set target of N5.2 billion in 2016 to N10.5 billion in 2019 on successful conclusion of the offer. Moore noted that Interim Management Board, IMB, reconstituted by NAICOM in February 2016 with the mandate of assuming oversight responsibilities and performing normal duties of Board of Directors for sound management and growth of the company, was able to reorganize the management with resultant return of vibrancy and efficiency in managing the company.

The IMB also took steps to reinforce budgetary control as an effective tool for financial and expenditure management and also commenced the review of past financial and employment policy and practices of the company.

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Investors, customers okay FCMB’s retail banking drive

By PETER EGWUATU

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ocal shareholders and customers of First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Limited have expressed their support towards its management drive to build a valuable franchise in the retail space.

The center point of attraction includes the firm’s innovative products and service offerings that resonate with the needs and lifestyles of the market with an excellent customer service strategy that is currently generating customers’ commendations and accolades.

Some of the shareholders and customers who spoke to Vanguard stated that the s conscious drive by the bank to carve a niche for itself in service delivery can be seen in its team of friendly, courteous and professional staff carefully positioned across the bank’s branches nationwide.

According to Mr. Livinus Akanda, a customer of FCMB “They are usually willing to go the extra mile to meet the needs of their existing and potential customers. Added to

•Mr. Ladi Balogun, MD, FCMB this is the strategic location of the Bank’s over 220 branches nationwide and its fast growing portfolio of alternate channels, which are designed to provide prompt and convenient banking services, while promoting financial inclusion.”

Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Mr. Ladi Balogun was recently quoted to have

•Godwin Emefiele, CBN Governor

assured ‘’We will remain focused on improving operating efficiency, whilst also continuing with our

We are confident our progress will be sustained, as we continue to grow our market share

Shareholders approve Wema Bank’s acquisition, merger bid

By NKIRUKA NNOROM

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hareholders of Wema Bank Plc have approved the bank’s bid to either acquire or merge with any financial/nonfinancial institution to expand its business.

They also authorised the bank’s directors to raise additional capital in readiness to pursue the acquisition plan. The shareholders gave the approval at the bank’s Annual General Meeting, AGM, in Lagos.

Addressing shareholders at the meeting, the Chairman, Mr. Adeyinka Asekun, explained that the approval for the capital raising exercise would allow the bank to take advantage of any merger/acquisition opportunity that may arise in the course of the year.

He explained that the bank would seek strategic partnerships with during the year, adding that it commenced relationship with key players in various business segments and the relationships are expected to add value to the bank in terms of brand equity and bottomline.

“As we go into 2016, I am confident that we are well positioned for better success. Our national authorisation will allow us to significantly scale up our operations across the country.

However, our investment decision will be long-term in order to achieve more efficient operations, which will enable us deliver superior returns to the shareholders.”

Continuing, he said: “The impact of TSA and the harsh monetary environment for large part of 2015 financial year significantly impacted the industry with large government funds

sterilised from the banking sector. In spite of this, the bank recorded improvement in overall deposit volumes with a growth rate of 10 percent well ahead of inflation.”

Laying the financial results before the shareholders, Asekun said: “The bank’s earning capacity remained robust during the year despite the constraints on assets growth in 2015 due to the sustained restrictive operating environment. Gross earnings increased by eight per cent to N45.9 billion in 2015.

The headline performance reflects the simultaneous growth in interest and noninterest income, which grew by 4.6 per cent and 26 per cent respectively.”

He, however, stated that profit before tax declined marginally by 1.6 per cent to N3 billion from N3.1 billion, given the impact of the TSA, depressed international crude market, ever thinning margins and rising costs of operations.

Throwing more light on the M&A plan, the bank’s Chief Finance Officer, CFO, Mr. Tunde Mabawonku, said that Wema is simply positioning to take advantage of any M&A transaction that could occur during the year.

He assured that the bank would dividend at the end of 2016 financial year, saying that the process for paying dividend is on-going.

“If you look at the bank’s balance sheet, there is what is called negative retained earnings.

Very soon, we will be coming back ton seek some scheme of re-arrangement, to move some negative retained earnings to the share premium, so until we do that, the bank will be in a position to pay dividend.”

steady customer acquisition drive and consolidation in alternate service channels in order to provide a more consistent and convenient customer experience.

Overall, we are confident our progress will be sustained, as we continue to grow our market share, and improve our margins and efficiency ratios”.

Indeed, these developments have impacted significantly on the profile of FCMB helping the Bank to consolidate its position as the largest retail lender in the country, granting over 240,000 loans a year. The corporate players – telecoms, oil and gas, manufacturing, agribusiness and allied firms, among others are also constantly being financed by the Bank as part of its support for the economic revival and growth of the country. In the same vein, the Bank’s customer base has been on the rise; moving from 1.8 million in 2013 to 2.5 million in 2014 with a target to further grow this to 4 million by the end of this year, 2016. FCMB now has 689 Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), 12,000 Point of Sale (PoS) terminals and 71 agent banking outlets (with a plan to grow to 800 agents), across the country.

On product offering, FCMB has an array of innovative products that cuts across socio-economic and demographic segments.

These products (current and savings accounts), which are easy to open and affordable to operate, include nairawise, kids account, Flexx account, (a youth product that meets the needs of this very important segment of the population) as well as the esavings account.

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A8— Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016 YOUR LUCK TODAY

LEISURE

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139

SCORPIO: Better than yesterday. And the more cooperative you are today the better for you. Those of you travelling for love are in for an exciting day.

SAGITTARIUS: Those of you willing to let go hard feelings at work are for a progressive day to the betterment of your finances. Let go yesterday, move ahead.

CAPRICORN: Once again, you’ll have the needed opportunity to assert yourself to the administration of others. Both love and financial success can be yours with efforts. Reason with your tried and trusted friends.

AQUARIUS: You can make it a successful day with positive approach on your part. You will be in a better position to defuse tension within your working arena. Try to be more ambitious.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

O

NE of the greatest fallacies mankind is saddled with is the belief that the rich don’t cry. But my questions are: why should the

So, The Rich Also Cry? rich cry? Is the rich not a human being? Has he no feelings? Does he not eat? Does he got not go to the

TERROR MUDA

toilet? has he no blood running in his vein? Does he have more than one head?

I pity the rich

in “Never say goodbye”

man. He wants companionship, yet, no one is ready to offer him any, because, everybody sees him as self-sufficient in everything.

By Lanre Kehinde

PISCES: Yes! You’re not scared a bit even, when opposition and/or competition come your way but, if you give in to diplomatic approach, you’ll fare better today.

ARIES: Pressure that came your way suddenly will give way unexpectedly, today, to the betterment of your course.

The more financially ambitious you are today, the better for you. Be steadfast.

TAURUS: You sincerely believe in intelligent argument or discussion. And if you allow your ability to be diplomatic come to play today, you’ll be better for it. Enjoy your love life.

GEMINI: You’ll tend to become both creative and persuasive to the administration of others. Then those who’ve been resisting secret love may slip suddenly and become excited.

CANCER; Even if opposition persists, supports you are getting from the influential people will be enough to see you through. Yet, the more cooperative you are the better.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Pretty Lunatic’

By Andy Akman

LEO: Your creativity quotient within your working arena will today be enhanced. You’ll be blamed if you keep official issues secrets from your challenges at work.

VIRGO: After a few tension soaked days, you’ll have the needed opportunity to look through windows of the world and have your way as well. Magnetic and/or magic days is predicted for lovers today..

LIBRA: Even if you continue to work under pressure via increased workload, you will have good results to show for your efforts today. Be steadfast.

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING Send yyour our dat th ttoo the As tr ological datee and place of bir birth Astr trological Counselling, PP.M.B .M.B 1100 00 7, Apapa, Lagos 007,

Public spiritedness partnership in Life

VIRGINIA

dadadekola@yahoo.com

Dear Joshua, I am interested in knowing character of Libra Star Signs.

Muyiwa, Ikeja.

Dear Muyiwa, Here-under are the basic characteristics of Libra-the Star of money, marriage and justice.

BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF LIBRA Libra is the 7th Zodiac sign related to public spiritedness partnership, marriage, rival, close associates, open opponents, justice, harmony and/or care for peace and concord.

Through Venus - the ruler of Libra, Librans are artistic inclined and as Venus rules money, money, music and comfort are truly important to all Librans and you are not an exception. Libra is a cardinal star sign which induces it’s natives to desire action and importance in a peaceful manner. Things ruled by Libra as stated above must be taken seriously by you.

You see, if a Libran makes mistake while trying to make a partnership choice either of business or emotional type, it will profoundly affect many other areas of his/her life. Equally, business rival and/or open opponents must not be treated with levity.

Element of Libra is air. Natives of air Star signs are naturally intelligent and must think twice of their ideas before trying to discard them. Because their ideas are truly brilliant and most of them can lead to success both for themselves and others.

Libra is the social butterfly of the Zodiac and the issues of justice, fair-play and equity are very important to the natives of Venus ruled Libra. Some people who need to know better erroneously believe that Librans’ love of peace makes them a weak set of people but Librans can revolt, if and when injustice is done to them.

Some other times however, the desire for peace in your innerself at times get the better off-you, to the point that you seek others’ approval before you do anything. And this your weak point can be taken advantage of by some dubious people who will not hesitate to do so.

But as peace loving as Librans are if a Libran discovers real or imaginary injustice against self, he/she will feel cheated especially, if the matter at hand concerns RELATIONSHIP, few of them will then react violently but many will sulk.

Yet, influence of Libra makes you a socially developed person and if you care, you can commercialise your sparkling personality. Social activities management courses and/or workshop on such w ill help bring out your ability along this line.

HOME & ABROAD

By Lawrence Akapa

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016 — 25

C M Y K

26 — Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016

Coporate Finance 'Transcorp’s expansion drive to boost shareholders’ value'

BY NKIRUKA NNOROM

T

ranscorp Plc, with interests from hotels, agriculture, power generation and oil exploration, has said that the various expansion initiatives it is currently undertaking will enhance the company’s earnings and therefore boost shareholders’ returns.

The company also reiterated its resolved to continue to improve operational and cost effectiveness as well as explore opportunities to expand product offering.

Speaking at an interactive session with journalists in Lagos, the President/CEO, Mr. Emmanuel Nnorom, said that following major acquisitions in power and agribusiness, new initiatives in its hotel and tourism business and the on-going exploratory activities from its existing oil block, shareholders have already started reaping rewards.

He noted that the company has already made significant progress in key sectors of its business, especially in the hotel and power sectors, a development that is already impacting positively on the company’s performance According to him, the expected higher utilisation and availability of power in the 2016 financial year, as well as the higher tariff for electricity business now in place are all expected to rev up the company’s profitability.

Continuing, he said: “This year, we expect business in the hotel will run steady; we have already seen that in the first quarter. Compared to last year, our hotel business is almost 20 – 30 per cent better than the previous year in terms of where the first quarter is and the trend is still continuing. We expect that to run at N15 billion of revenue this year,” he stated. ‘’Transcorp, has made several important business decisions which will have significant impact on its fortunes. Some of these initiatives include additional turbines for power generation, increase in the output of the plant from 160MW to 650 megawatts in 2015 and being on track to deliver 850 megawatts of available capacity in 2016.

Our target is to be responsible for at least 25 per cent of the total power generated in Nigeria.”

C M Y K

Total domestic investors participation on NSE down 17%

BY NKIRUKA NNOROM

T

otal domestic investors’ participation on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, fell by approximately 17 per cent in the month of March as apathy continues to greet equity investment in the nation’s capital marke According to figures released by the NSE, weekend at the end of the month of March , domestic investors reduced their stake to N61.87 billion, indicating 63.52 per cent participation from N74.49 billion they committed in the market in February this year.

This represents a total decline of 17 per cent during the period.

Similarly, foreign portfolio investors’ participation took a downward trend falling from N42.78 billion, representing 36.48 per cent participation to N34.44 billion, which represents 35.76 per cent participation level.

Generally, total transactions at the nation’s bourse decreased by 17.87 per cent from N117.27 billion recorded in February 2016 to N96.31 (about $0.49 billion) in March 2016. In comparison to the same period in 2015, total transactions decreased by 47.66 per cent from the N184.02 recorded in March 2015.

Analysts have said that investors are increasingly finding investment in risky assets (equities) more unattractive following the

delayed take-off of the new government’s economic policies, depletion in the foreign reserve occasioned by dwindling crude oil price and the exchange rate crisis among others.

According to them, investors are also shying away from the equity market due to not-toogood financial result being released by majority of the quoted companies.

However, domestic investors outperformed foreign investors by 28.48 per cent in

the review period. Monthly foreign outflows outpaced inflows which was consistent with the same period in 2015.

Foreign outflows decreased by 40.20 per cent from N31.84 billion in February 2016 to N19.04 billion while foreign inflows increased by 40.77 per cent from N10.94 billion in February 2016 to N15.40 billion in March 2016.

Meanwhile, a turnover of 910.659 million shares worth N6.409 billion in 15,023 deals were traded by investors on

the floor of the Exchange in contrast to a total of 1.210 billion shares valued at N7.115 billion that exchanged hands in 15,973 deals in the preceding week.

The Financial Services Industry (measured by volume) led the activity chart with 757.354 million shares valued at N3.180 billion in 8,853 deals; thus contributing 83.17 per cent and 49.62 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively.

BRIEFING: From left: Ugochi Kanu, GM, Operations; Mrs Ifeyinwa Ighodalo, CEO; and Mr. Kola Ademuwagun, Head, Accounts & Finance, all of DO.11 at a maiden press conference to announce the commencement of company expansion plan in Lagos.

NASD executes over N50bn trades, targets fresh capital injection

BY NKIRUKA NNOROM

N

ASD OTC Securities Exchange Plc has said that over N50 billion transaction was executed on its platform in 2015 financial year, even as it targets fresh capital injection to bridge its financial position.

The chairman, Mr. Olutola Mobolurin, who addressed rd the shareholders at the 3 Annual General Meeting, AGM, in Lagos, said the market witnessed an extraordinary trade in excess of N40 billion, the first of its kind since inception and over 140 days of continuous trading up till the end of 2015.

He attributed the feat to the release of the rules on trading in unlisted securities by the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, during the year, while expressing optimism that the market would experience more activity from both local and foreign investors as they tap into the transparency and value offered by the platform.

“The Securities and Exchange Commission showed its commitment to

strengthening the OTC market by the release of the rules on trading in unlisted securities in April 2015. The rule ensures that all securities of unlisted public companies are to be traded only on a SEC registered securities exchange.

The release of this rule effectively made illegal the informal market where these

securities were hitherto exchanged without supervision. The rules and penalty provision has significantly increased investors’ confidence and made the Nigerian capital market more attractive for both local and foreign investors,” he said.

Mobolurin said though 2016 poses uncertainties for

the economy and the capital market, the NASD remained optimistic of attracting new securities during the year.

On the the financial performance, he explained he company earned N242.8 million as trading commission in the year under review in comparison to to N11.6 million achieved in the preceding year.

Shareholders okay Fidelity Bank’s N4.6bn dividend payout

BY PETER EGWUATU

S

hareholders of Fidelity Bank Plc have unanimously endorsed the N4.6 billion dividend proposed by its Board of Directors for the financial year ended December 31, 2015.The dividend translates to 16 kobo per ordinary share payable to shareholders whose names appeared on the bank’s Register of Members as at the close of business on April 18 - 22, 2016.

Speaking the bank’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos, the Acting Managing Director/CEO, Fidelity Bank Plc, Mohammed Balarabe, said the bank’s 2015 performance reflects the disciplined execution of the management’s medium term strategy and the resilience of evolving business models despite the extremely challenging business environment in 2015.

A glimpse of the financial results show that

gross earnings for the period ended December 31, 2015 grew to N146.9 billion from N136.1 billion recorded in 2014 Financial Year (FY).

Profit after Tax (PAT) for the period ended December 31, 2015 rose marginally to N13.9 billion as against N13.8 billion in the comparable period in 2014. Whereas total equity increased by 6.0 percent to N183.5 billion from N173.1 billion in 2014 , net operating income stood at N83.9 billion, a moderate 12.5 percent rise from N74.6 billion in 2014.

Balarabe pointed out that the financial year under review was challenging due to a number of factors; the difficult operating environment, the tight monetary stance of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) and currency devaluation concerns which culminated in negative earnings headwinds in the banking industry.

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016 — 27

Homes & Housing Finance

•Some exhibitors’ stands at 2015 Abuja Housing Show

Experts to parley on expanding access to affordable housing Abuja Housing Show hosts participants from 10 countries Stories by YINKA KOLAWOLE

H

ow to expand access to affordable housing in Africa will be the focus of stakeholders in the built environment as participants from 10 countries and 200 indigenous companies gather th at the 10 Abuja Housing th Show scheduled for 18 to th 20 July, 2016.

The Abuja Housing Show is an annual one stop-shop for real estate stakeholders presenting new products, innovative services and technology. It is a unique forum where practitioners in the housing and construction industry meet to exchange ideas and proffer solutions to housing problems.

The forum offers an ideal platform for networking, meeting visitors who have buying capacity face to face and sealing deals. Over the years, the event has been able to generate not only high quality audience and sale for exhibitors but also great bargains for attendees.

Participants are expected from Turkey, China, Netherlands, UK, USA, Ghana, South Africa, Ireland, Kenya and Brazil. The event is organised yearly by FESADEB Communications Limited, producer of Housing Programme on AIT Abuja and Housing Time on Raypower FM will also showcase top building materials producers and housing finance companies. The theme of the C M Y K

event, “Expanding Access to Affordable Housing in Africa” will be declared open

by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. Speakers from Spain, South Africa, USA, Gambia and Nigeria have been carefully selected to deliver lectures on diverse topics.

According to the organisers, Minister of Power, Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola is the Chief Host while the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Muhammad Bello is Guest of Honour.

Guest speakers are the MD of Hydraform from South Africa, Mr Robert Plattner , MD of Global Green Built

from Spain, Mr Alejandro Pons ,Mr Mustapha NJIE MD/CEO TAF Homes, Gambia, Hakeem Ogunniran MD of UPDC, Loren Zanin of Lafarge , Prof. Mustapha Zubairu , FUT Minna and Prof. Charles Inyangete MD of NMRC.

The forum offers an ideal platform for networking, meeting visitors who have buying capacity face to face and sealing deals

Other eminent speakers include Richard Esin Acting MD of FMBN, Kunle Faleti, Mortgage Consultant NHFP, Abiodun Oki Special Adviser to the minister of Power, Works and Housing, Surv.

Ugochukwu Chime, President, Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria, Prof. Mohammed Almin, MD Federal Housing Authority, Sa’adiya Aminu, COO of Urban Shelter, Dr. Chii Akporji, Executive Director NMRC and Sen. Osita Izunazo, Chairman Sungold Group.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of FESADEB Communications, Barr. Festus Adebayo, at a press briefing, said there will be lottery and award dinner to mark the 10th anniversary of the show and appreciate stakeholders for their efforts in the industry.

He said the star prize for the lottery is a vast piece of land to be won through a raffle draw.

According to Adebayo, the Abuja Housing Show which is similar to the American Builders Show has contributed immensely to housing development in Nigeria. He said the programme has led to creation of stand-alone Ministry of Housing in Jigawa, Rivers and Bayelsa states.

Partners in this year’s show include: AFP Furniture, a subsidiary of Julius Berger Plc; Dangote Group; cement manufacturer Lafarge, wood preservative producer Solignum; West Africa Ceramics; Haven Homes; UPDC; Platinum Mortgage Bank; Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company (NMRC); Rock of Ages Properties Limited; and Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN).

Estate surveyors seek review of land administration laws

E

state surveyors and valuers have called on the Federal Government to ease land administration in Nigeria by reviewing and enacting title registration laws in the country. This is in a bid to tackle the challenge of the dearth of housing supply amidst rising demand.

In a proposal to the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, the surveyors, under the umbrella of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), said that the Land Use Act has impeded efficient land administration in the country.

They urged the minister to approve the regulation proposed by the Presidential Technical Committee on Land reforms and the National Council of States, which will necessitate the title and register of land

both in the urban and rural areas.

NIESV also considered as poor or inadequate inventory of public or government fixed assets. “It is impossible at the moment to find a complete record of all Federal Government fixed assets in one location or lands department, which ideally is government’s repository of such records.

“Apart from the loss or damage of records sites, government has not consciously invested in inventory of its fixed assets, and creating a reliable database there from is money well spent.

Not only will it minimise the loss of government property, it will make portfolio management easier and critical decisions on rationalisation of non-core assets can be taken transparently,” he stated.

FCTA to partner FMBN on lowincome housing

T

he Federal Capital T e r r i t o r y Administration (FCTA) has declared readiness to partner with the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) to develop low-income houses for low-income workers in the territory.

FCT Minister, Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello, stated this when a delegation of FMBN led by its Acting Managing Director, Mr. Richard Essien, visited his office. He noted that FCTA has the highest number of employees in the FCT. “What we need today in Abuja is low income houses which low income earners can afford, and that is what my administration would further encourage to take care of the less privileged people in the society. We have too many highbrow houses in Abuja which have remained vacant despite the housing deficit the workers are experiencing in the city,” he stated.

The minister decried a situation where estates were built in the past without provision for recreational facilities; children play ground as well as conversion of green areas to build houses. He directed that all new estates henceforth must make provision for such essential facilities.

Sokoto NLC to build 3,050 housing units

N

igeria Labour Congress, NLC, Sokoto State Chapter, has revealed plan to build 3,050 housing units for civil servants in the state.

According to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the State Chairman of the NLC, Aminu Umar, disclosed this in Sokoto during the 2016 May Day Celebrations.

Umar, who was represented by his deputy, Abubakar Malami, said that the houses will be built in partnership with some private estate developers.

“So far, about 100 hectares of land had been acquired on which the houses would be built including other facilities like clinic, mini market and schools, among others. Therefore, I will like to solicit your continued cooperation in order to help us achieve the set goals of improving the welfare of workers,” he said.

28 — Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016

W

“

e are looking asking for an eighteen-month moratorium before we can start paying , so that we will be able to strategise…To develop the IGR is not overnight, it is a long term programme that one has to plan for…and we cannot say we are going to cut salaries and wages.” Governor Yari, Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum, April 28, 2016, in Abuja.

The road to hell, whether for governments or individuals, is sometimes paved with good intentions. When President Buhari, late last year, offered a bail-out to states to enable them pay accumulated salaries and wages, most economists and finance experts realized that it was a stop gap measure and would turn out to be the beginning of more requests or demands for more relief from the states to the Federal Government. Two weeks ago, the Minister for Finance announced a one month waiver of monthly deductions for the loans taken by states as part of the bail-out agreement in late 2015. She also made it clear that the Federal Government might not extend the waiver beyond one month. Poor Mrs Adeosun, she obviously has never heard about the story of the ‘Traveler and His Camel in the Desert’.

As the story went, one night, when it got very cold, as it often does in the desert, the traveler set up his tent to sleep and tied the camel to a tree nearby. A few hours after, the camel poked its head into the tent and said, “Good master, you are warm in the tent, I am cold outside. Can you at least allow me to warm my right ear?”. “Ok, go ahead, but please, let me sleep”. Shortly after, the camel again called.

Bailing out: FG’s exercise in futility “Beloved master, one ear is warm, the other is cold. By morning I will be deaf in one ear. Can I put my head in the tent so both ears can be warm?” “No problem, but, please let me sleep.” Soon, the camel said again. “My legs are numb with cold; I will not be able to carry you tomorrow unless I warm the two front legs.” “For God’s sake, warm them, but, let me sleep. I have a busy day tomorrow.” By then, the traveler was already pushed to one small end of the tent. At last, the camel announced. “What is the use of two warm legs, when I need four to move, I must warm the hind legs as well.” Without waiting for an answer, the camel stepped into the tent; and kicked the traveler out in the cold.

The FG provided one month’s forbearance in response to the pleas by some of the most desperate states.

While Buhari and Adeosun were indulging in selfcongratulations for their

generousity, governors were planning to make the next set of requests. They are now asking for eighteen-month moratorium on payments, sharing of the balance in the Excess Crude Account, ECA, now at $2.259bn [N451.80bn] and review of the sharing formula on account of which the FG collects 52% of revenues and states 26 per cent.

Naturally, like the camel, they want to use more of the “tent”.

And just in case, Buhari has not got the point of their (is it non-negotiable?) demand, Yari said flatly, “we cannot say we are going to cut salaries and wages” – as if the FG is under constitutional obligations to help states pay salaries and wages. In other words, the governors want to avoid the tough decisions that would ultimately have to be made.

The incumbent governors, want to pass the bucks to the FG and their successors – while pretending to forget that the Federal Government has its

own financial problems. When Buhari humbly pleaded that “You all know the problems we have found ourselves in. You have to bear with us”, he might as well be speaking to thirty-six deaf people. The last thing the governors want to do is to bear with the FG. As much as possible, they want to continue to operate the states in the same reckless manner to which they were accustomed.

Yari had removed from the discussions one of the causes of the problems of states when he announced that “we are not going to cut salaries and wages”. Perceptive Nigerians would recall the appointment of several hundred Special Assistants in Adamawa State under Nyako and one thousand people in Osun state as Special Assistants. Each of those initiatives was advertised as “Job Creation” when it was in reality political give-away.

All the states of Nigeria had, since 1999, employed Special Advisers or Assistants to perform duties which were left

to career civil servants under the parliamentary system.

Ahmadu Belo, Awolowo and Azikiwe never Advisers to govern the old Eastern, Northern and Western Regions — same territories now under 36 governors each engaging dozens of political vultures as Advisers.

Additionally, none of the founding fathers needed a private plane. Military governors also had no need of planes and helicopters. But, from 1999, nothing less than six state governors have acquired planes even when there is no airport in their states. The maintenance cost of one of those expensive Executive toys remains unknown.

That is not the end of profligacy. No Premier, in the First Republic had a fleet of more than six cars. Governors of the poorest states in Nigeria would make any car dealer grin with envy. I once counted forty-five (45) vehicles in one Governor’s Lodge in Imo State.

There is no need to list seriatim, all the financial irresponsibility of state governors when the price of crude was over $100 per barrel, as well as the dereliction of duty of the state legislatures.

Advertising & Media

HP mulls 3D printing innovation in future STORIES BY PRINCEWILL EKWUJURU

H

ewlett Packard, HP Inc says it’s planning innovation in 3D printing which will lead the market in the nearest future.

The Managing Director of the company, Mrs. Ifeyinwa Afe, made this revelation during a conversation in her office in Lagos. She said that HP’s focus had been always on Personal Computers, PCs, printing and mobile devices, stating that 3D printing is an innovation HP intends to be leader in the nearest future.

She went further to say, “It’s important we appreciate and re-invent tomorrow. We must think about what kind of technology that is better for any one. That is the only way we can always remain first.

We must always remember that we need these technologies. We must always need these innovations.”

Continuing,” we want to let you into what we have been cooking in our oven. What we have been planning, what we are coming forward with.”

“Consumers are familiar with our devices, our products and services. We are number one globally in terms C M Y K

of the PC and printing business and we intend to remain that way. She noted.

The Managing Director further stated that the Nigeria information technology market has a lot of untapped potentials.

The PC penetration in this market is still under 11 percent, so we have a long way to go.

Now, HP is quite strong in this market and we haven’t even started the brand yet.

We have a long term strategies as well as short term strategies for this market and we intend to remain in this market as long as possible. I think we are the oldest so far, HP has been in this market much longer than a lot of companies we have today and that shows our power and our intent to remain in this market.

She also said that there are lots of untapped opportunities within the education segment. “I think education is very key because that is the only medium for us to improve on the lives of the youth and we are dividing the youth into various segments because some of them are already exposed to computer to some degree and some have little

or no exposure yet. So, I will say that education is very key area for us to continue to improve. We want to take our HP Life running programme to a lot of schools here. We plan to do a lot of school race and activities where we actually go there, be part of them, understand what they

need and we will go back and build the software on the product that will really address them better and that is the key area for us now.

That is one area we are really focusing on.”

According to her, “I think if we start within the African continent, Nigeria is a very

strong market to Africa and then we move to global economy. I think one of the key things we have in Nigeria is that we have a lot of strength pace and strength starter in the country. We have a lot of people that are exposed and open to this technology we talk about and so we have a strong adoption of these services we still push.

ASUS opens exclusive store in Nigeria

A

SUS has unveiled its first ever brand experience center at the Computer Village, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria’s Information Technology hub.

In a statement, Simplice Zaongo, ASUS Nigeria Country Product Manager, Notebook, disclosed that the new ASUS brand center is an exclusive store that will stock only ASUS certified devices and accessories.

It is the first of its kind in Nigeria, with others planned in major cities across the country in the coming months.

“Given our growing presence in Nigeria, ASUS is glad to announce this initiative geared at bringing top-notch technology to end-users in Lagos. The market is already responding positively to the best-in-class quality that ASUS guarantees and we assure end-users that the new brand ASUS exclusive store will satisfy their yearnings for authentic brand engagement in the Nigeria IT space,” Zaongo added.

He said: “We are pleased to announce the

opening of the first ASUS brand experience center in Nigeria. The shop is an exclusive store where end-users can experience the ASUS brand firsthand.

“Currently Asus is ranked as the Number 1 Laptop Brand in Europe and a Top 3 Global Laptop Brand,we believe that the ASUS brand exclusive store will drive deeper awareness about the brand, provide a credible avenue for authentic engagement with end-users as well as serve as a ready repository for the purchase of genuine ASUS product offerings.”

In December last year, ASUS introduced its innovative offering of ZenFonefamily of smartphones into Nigeria. This includes:Zenfone Selfie, Zenfone Laser, Zenfone Go 5.0 and ZenfoneGo 4.5.

Remarkably,, the ZenFone Selfie made its anglophone West Africa debut during the launch.

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016 — 29

Aviation

NCAA denies knowledge of foreign airlines demanding dollars from Nigerian passengers

By LAWANI MIKAIRU

N

igeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, has said the regulatory authority is not aware of any reported case of foreign airlines operating in Nigeria charging Nigerian passengers dollars instead of

Naira the official currency of the country.

Investigations by Vanguard revealed that most of the Public relation consultants of the foreign airlines operating in Nigeria are not aware of this development also. The Media Executive, JSP Communications, Ijeoma

Okolie, media consultants to Emirate Airlines, said she is not aware of the airline charging fares in dollars and compelling Nigerian passengers to also pay in foreign currencies.

Reacting to Vanguard enquiry, Manager, Public Relation, NCAA, Muhammed

TOUR - Dr. Dikko Umaru Radda, Director General, SMEDAN; flanked by Chinyere Nwoke, Coordinator, Industrial Development Centre (IDC) of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Ikorodu (right); Eng. Abu Ozigi, Head, Engineering and Technology, SMEDAN and other members of staff during the Director General tour of the IDC in Ibese Ikorodu, Lagos.

Paucity of funds slows down pace of work at cargo airports

By LAWANI MIKAIRU & DANIEL ETEGHE

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he Managing Director of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Engr Saleh Dunoma has disclosed that paucity of funds is responsible for the slow pace of work at the cargo airports under construction across the country and that some equipment for the airports have arrived.

Engr Dunoma made this disclosure while speaking with aviation correspondents shortly after commissioning the aviation white house constructed by the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association ATSSSAN as part of activities marking the May Day celebration. He also said that a lot has been done to improve on safety of both the airlines and passengers at airports.

According to the FAAN MD, the agency will commence work by prioritizing six of those cargo airports and completing them as soon as fund was available stressing that the revenue generated from the airports will C M Y K

be channeled to complete others.

He also said work on the air side in some airports have been completed which can be attested to by the pilots that use the facilities. He further explained that passengers will soon start experiencing better facilities as soon as the new terminals were put into use noting that work has reached advanced stage.

On the Labour management

relationship, Engr Dunoma commended Labour for the peaceful co existence between them. He congratulated ATSSSAN on the great feat by erecting the edifice and pledged his support towards the development of the Union.

On debts owed the agency by various organizations, Dunoma said both FAAN and agencies involved were discussing with a view to ensuring that the debts were paid.

Jimoh, said the agency was not aware of foreign airlines demanding dollars as air fare from Nigerian passengers. And there has not been any reported case It will be recalled that there has be speculations that some foreign airlines have concluded plans to quote and receive payment for tickets only in the United States dollars.

The speculation is fueled by the inability of the foreign airlines to repatriate funds out of the country due to scarcity of the US currency.

They claimed that over $2 billion of foreign airlines’ debts have been trapped in the country since October last year, a situation that has affected their operations. The airlines hinted that the new policy on forex by Nigeria could hinder them from transferring their salaries to their respective home countries.

However, according to stakeholders, a weekly clearance plan for the blocked funds has been put in place by the authorities. This, they said, has had very limited impact on the backlog of funds trapped in the country. Consequently, some of the airlines’ booking and payment platforms, particularly, that of Delta and United Airlines’ could not be accessed as intending passengers could only pay directly in the airline’s offices or pay outside the shores of Nigeria.

This development , according to the speculation, has rattled Travel Management Companies (TMCs) who said passengers, who usually patronise them for their travel needs, called endlessly for assistance. “For instance, passengers in Nigeria, who intended to travel to New York via Delta Air, made frantic efforts to make payment, but all to no avail.”

Aeronautic engineers told to brace up for challenges ahead

By LAWANI MIKAIRU & DANIEL ETEGHE

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he President of the Nigerian Society of Aeronautical Engineers, Engr Bola Bido has called on Engineers to brace up for greater challenges ahead as the engineering profession is expected to bring out its best during economic downturn by sustaining the critical aviation infrastructure with minimal resources.

Bido said the call became necessary as a result of the present dwindling economic activities in the country. And therefore challenged engineers in the aviation sector not to rest on their oars as there was a great task of transforming the sector through ingenuity adding that the era of

analogue was over as every sector has been digitilised. While lamenting the high rate of ageing workforce in the aviation sector, he said it remained a source of worry to the association and stakeholders and appealed to various state government across the country to embark on the training of Aeronautical engineers in aviation colleges to replace the old ones.

He reiterated his call on the need to imbibe maintenance culture as a norm adding that lack of maintenance culture has been attributed as reason responsible for the poor state of some companies in the country.

Bido urged engineers to continue to play leading roles in all agencies in the aviation sector as the industry was being driven by technology manned by engineers.

30 injured as turbulence hit Etihad flight

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ore than 30 people were injured when an Etihad Airways flight hit “severe and unexpected turbulence” flying into Indonesia. According to the airline, “The flight from Abu Dhabi was about 45 minutes away from Jakarta, yesterday,(Wednesday) when the turbulence hit.

The plane, an Airbus A330200, landed safely after the incident, but nine people were taken to hospital. The United Arab Emirates’ national airline said the cabin luggage bins were damaged and passengers said oxygen masks were released during the shaking.

In a statement, the airline said 22 people had been “treated by paramedics for minor injuries at the airport.

Nine other passengers have been taken to a local hospital”.

Indonesian transport ministry spokesman Hemi Pamuraharjo said at least eight Indonesian passengers and a foreign flight attendant were hurt, with several suffering broken bones, the Associated Press news agency reports.

A number of those on board were Muslim pilgrims returning from Saudi Arabia. “It happened when I was performing prayer,” passenger Nenden Nurhaini told the Jakarta-based news website Okezone.

Emirates wins three awards at Business Traveller Middle East Awards 2016

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mirates has won three awards at the recent Business Traveller Awards 2016. The airline took home the coveted ‘Best Airline Worldwide’ title, and two further awards including Airline with the Best Economy Class, and Airline with the Best Cabin Staff.

The Business Traveller Middle East Awards 2016 were presented at a gala dinner attended by travel industry professionals, and were chosen through a voting process open to the readers of the publication.

Representing the airline at the Business Traveller ME awards, Thierry Antinori, Emirates’ Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, said: “Customers have always been at the heart of whatever we do.

That is why we continually invest in developing high quality products on board, and our cosmopolitan cabin crew put in every effort to deliver exceptional service.

30 — Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016

Economy

Inflationary pressures to continue as international prices rise STORIES BY EMEKA ANAETO, ECONOMY EDITOR

A

head of next week’s scheduled release of April 2016

inflation reading, economists at FSDH Merchant Bank have predicted a continued spike in the headline index.

According to them the April 2016 inflation r a t e (yearo n year) is expected t o increase to 13.7 per cent from 12.77 per cent recorded in the month of March

•Kemi Adeosun

2016.

“We expect the increase in the inflation rate to come from increase in food and transportation cost”, they stated in their latest inflation research report.

The National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, would release the inflation rate for the month of April 2016 on May 18, 2016.

FSDH alluded to the Food Price Index, FPI, that the Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO, released last week which shows the FPI continuing its upward trend for the third consecutive month.

The Index increased by 0.7 per cent in April from March level on account of increase in vegetable oil prices coupled with a modest gain in the prices of cereals.

The increases in both vegetable oil and cereals were more than enough to offset the decline in dairy and sugar prices.

The FAO Vegetable Oil Price Index was up by 4.1 per cent

from March. The increase in the Index was primarily driven by palm and soy oil prices, as weak production outlook and growing world demand trails production.

The FAO Cereal Price Index was up by 1.5 per cent, driven by the weaker U.S Dollar. The prices of maize quotation largely impacted on the Index.

Wheat and rice prices on the other hand dropped marginally. The FAO Meat Price Index was up by 0.8 per cent, the notable increase was recorded in bovine meat prices while prices of pig and poultry remained steady.

On the flip side, the FAO Dairy Price Index was down 2.2 per cent due to a build-up of stocks in the major exporting countries.

Also the FAO Sugar Price Index fell by 1.7 per cent in April 2016 reflecting large export availabilities in Brazil, supported by expectations of a drop in demand.

According to FSDH “our analysis indicates that the value of the Naira remained stable at the inter-bank market while it appreciated at the

World Bank raises crude oil price forecast to USD41 in 2016

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he World Bank has raised its 2016 forecast for crude oil prices to USD41 per barrel from USD37 per barrel earlier forecast in its January 2016 report.

This followed increase in crude oil prices from an average of USD25 per barrel in January 2016 to around USD46 a barrel in April owing to intermittent supply disruptions in places like Nigeria as well as slowing production in the United States.

In its latest Commodity Markets Outlook, the Bank said an oversupply in markets is expected to recede.

“We expect slightly higher prices for energy commodities over the course of the year as markets rebalance after a period of oversupply. Still, energy prices could fall further if Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) increases production significantly and non-OPEC production does not fall as fast as expected,” John Baffes, Senior Economist and lead author of the Commodities Markets Outlook said.

The crude oil market rebounded from a low of USD25 per barrel in midJanuary to USD46 per barrel in April following production disruptions in Iraq and Nigeria and a decline in nonC M Y K

OPEC production, mainly United States shale.

The World Bank forecast was coming at the backdrop of the presidential accent to the 2016 Nigeria’s national budget 2016 on oil benchmark of USD38 per barrel, indicating that a premium of USD3.0 per barrel may be underway for excess crude account.

“Nigeria’s 2016 budget assumes oil production of 2.2 million barrels per day at 38 dollars a barrel”, the Minister of National Planning, Senator Udo Udoma, said on Friday, shortly after President

Muhammadu Buhari signed the delayed Appropriation Bill into law.

But the assumptions appear threatened by the continued attack on oil production infrastructure by some militant groups in the Niger Delta region of the country.

In continuation of their onslaught on oil facilities across the Niger Delta, suspected gunmen last week simultaneously blew up the recently repaired Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, crude trunk line supplying both the Warri and Kaduna refineries

crude.

An oil flow station fielding the Chevron Tank farm in Warri South West Council Area of Delta State was also reportedly attacked.

Chevron has taken some 90,000 barrels per day of oil offline following the attack which may have forced Nigeria’s upstream sector producing at its lowest levels of about 1.7 million barrels per day, with attacks likely to intensify.

Chevron’s Okan offshore platform feeds crude gas into the massive Escravos export facility, which is jointly owned

parallel market by 0.41 per cent to close at US$/N320.70 from US$/N322.00 at the end of March.

“The appreciation recorded at the parallel market between the two months under review moderated the impact of the increase in the imported consumer good prices in the domestic market”.

The report also stated that the prices of most of the food items that FSDH Research monitored in April 2016 increased.

“The prices of tomatoes, garri, onions, sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes, meat, yam, rice, fish, vegetable oil and palm oil increased by 337.5%, 16.67%, 12.5%, 10%, 10%, 10%, 8.33%, 7.69%, 3.13%, 2.63% and 2.22% respectively”, according to the report.

“The movement in the prices of food items during the month resulted in 2.0per cent increase in our Food and Non-Alcoholic Index to 198.07 points. “ We also noticed increases in Transport, Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels divisions between March and April 2016.

by Chevron and NNPC. The militants have launched at least three attacks recently on Niger Delta oil installations, including a February attack on the Forcados export pipeline run

by Shell. After the attack, Shell declared force majeure to stop shipments without breaching contracts, as this attack put some 200,000 bpd offline.

Though the repairs on Forcados would be completed later this month, the losses to Nigeria will already be about USD1.0 billion, according to Bloomberg’s calculations, based on data from the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016 — 31

Microfinance

CBN's cashless policy, card schemes driving growth in Nigeria’s payments landscape — JONES

By Providence Obuh

The introduction of card schemes as well as the Central Bank of Nigeria ‘s (CBN) cashless policy and other regulation are core driver of growth in Nigeria’s payment landscape, said, Visa Head of Products, Anglophone West Africa, Ms. Holly Jones, stating, “I have been working in the Nigerian market for almost a decade and I have seen huge evolution in the payments landscape.”

Visa has been in Nigeria for quite some time, what are your plans for the Nigerian market Visa’s vision is to bring more people into the formal banking system through access to electronic banking systems and services to provide Nigerians with a safer, more convenient and reliable means to pay and be paid. Electronic payments are critical when developing a strong, modern economy. Visa products can promote transparency and accountability, reduce transaction costs and decrease the size of the grey or informal economy, all of which helps to stimulate economic growth and employment.

All evidence points to the fact that the more people who join the banking system, the more stable it becomes. This in turn has a positive and lasting effect on an economy, social reform and government efficiency. Visa remains committed to finding new ways to enable its client financial institutions to deliver improved services to the banked and unbanked. We will continue our market support by extending our products, services and payments expertise; providing extensive financial literacy tools and resources; and developing key partnerships focused on finding new ways to reach the financially underserved.

What is the future of C M Y K

cashless policy in Nigeria I have been working in the Nigerian market for almost a decade and I have seen huge evolution in the payments landscape. This has been driven by the card schemes as well as the Central Bank of Nigeria not only through the cashless policy but also by regulation intended to help shape the industry as a whole.

Looking ahead, the next decade should yield a period of even more rapid changes particularly if we can create an enabling environment for new technologies. The aim has to be on not only getting the banked population to move more of their spend to electronic payments but also on how to solve the challenges of the unbanked.

Only then will we really have a cashless policy for Nigeria as a whole.

What would you say is the major challenge of epayments in Nigeria In the past, I would have said the reliability in terms of networks is a major challenge as without a network, the payments simply cannot go through. This remains a challenge however we have seen dramatic improvements in this space.

Fundamentally, the biggest challenge that I see today in e-payments in Nigeria is that we have not solved for the informal sector where the majority of retail is done.

Until we have acceptance in the markets across Nigeria, we will not truly be able to capture a large percentage of consumer spend.

The technology is there to solve for this and I am very excited to be in payments in Nigeria to be able to witness the changes that are coming.

The initiative called “Visa Local Offers” what about it The Nigeria local offers is an initiative aimed at bringing more value to Visa cardholders and to encourage point-of-sale usage in

Harcourt and Abuja but we are looking to expand this further. We are very excited at the adoption rates of the offers, even in the first few weeks, particularly in health and beauty as well as general retail segments, including BM Pro, House of Tara, Medplus, Mopheth Pharmacies, among others.

What are the participation processes and duration of the initiative It is very simple, as long as you have a Visa card (credit, debit or prepaid) you can access the discounts or exclusive offers every time you pay with your Visa card at participating locations. In order to find out where the discounts apply, you can download the Visa Explore app or visit our local offers website for a full list of merchants, stores where the discounts/offers apply and full terms and conditions. The Nigerian local offers are intended to be a long-term focus. We do not see the offers as a short-term campaign but rather a valueadded benefit that we intend to continue to refine and improve over the months and years to come. We intend to monitor the redemption of the offers and use this data to inform us which offers are really appreciated by our cardholders so that more of the same can be added.

Asides initiatives like this, what are your plans to continue growing debit usage and acceptance in Nigeria We continuously work with our client banks to develop strategies across the lifecycle of payments – from acquisition (obtaining a new cardholder) and activation (getting the cardholder to activate the payment card) to

The biggest challenge that I see today in e-payments in Nigeria is that we have not solved for the informal sector where the majority of retail is done

alignment with the CBN’s cashless policy.

What mechanism have you put in place to make the initiative work We have a wide variety of discounts and exclusive offers at over 100 locations including grocery shops, restaurants, cafes, health and beauty and electronics. The offers cut across Lagos, Port

usage (driving the cardholder to use the card at point-ofsale) and retention (keeping the customer an active cardholder of the bank). We also drive improvements in the acceptance space. This work helps us to collectively develop the right strategies to grow usage and acceptance.

Our focus for now is more on how we overlay new technologies to drive the

changes that are required to make the impact that we all aspire to make.

Despite the increasing number of transactions through ATMs, Point of Sale (POS) transactions remain quite low.

What is responsible for this I think there are two main points to address here, the first is that there are not widespread POS machines in the places where the average Nigerian spends the majority of his money (markets, many fuel stations, informal eateries etc). This is one thing that we are looking to fix and this will undoubtedly drive a change in behaviour away from cash. The second challenge is that even where there is acceptance, people do not always use their payment cards. There are many reasons for why this happens – perception of reliability, habit, lack of confidence to name a few – but we must address this as an industry.

Initiatives such as the Visa local merchant offers will start to give cardholders another reason to take the step to try using their card over cash.

New media conference 2016 holds

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he second conference on New Media – applications and technology billed for May 27, 2016 in Lagos to bring together key new media practitioners, corporate brands and digital media agencies for a comprehensive overview of the rapidly expanding digital media space.

In a statement, the organisers said that the the conference themed, “Business Unusual: Nurturing a more Vibrant New Media industry in Nigeria,” would be a gathering of New Media stakeholders aimed at charting growth in marketing and advertising standards in the Nigerian online/digital media space.

Meanwhile, the conference will feature a keynote speaker, industry experts, well moderated sessions, brand exhibitions and key takeaways, attracting over 300 participants.

According to Conference Organizer, Ms. Tosin Ajibade, “This year ’s conference is particularly important, we are converging to articulate interests and inputs from stakeholders in the Nigerian online/digital media space and seeking to turn the results of that conversation to real-world uses.

32 — Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016

(0805 220 1997)

A misguided editorial on Buhari’s refusal to devalue Naira

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t is common practice in the print media for a Newspaper to identify and evaluate an issue of public significance and then make sensible recommendations that would be socially beneficial.

Ultimately, after presumed exhaustive debate of the subject by a seasoned team of journalists and external consultants, a statement is distilled and published as the Newspaper’s Editorial opinion.

It is therefore not unusual that a dispassionate and incisive Editorial could strike the right chord with the reading public to ultimately instigate decisions and or actions by appropriate authorities.

Consequently, Newspapers put a high premium on their Editorials, as wrong conclusions from poorly researched or partisan opinions could equally be wrapped in populist and powerful narratives that could unwittingly instigate adoption and implementation of policies and processes which work against our common good.

Interest groups, particularly political and business associations, clearly recognise the potential value of the positive impact, on their aspirations and activities, of a favourable well crafted Editorial in a popular Newspaper.

Indeed, with the prevailing depth of self interest and fiscal impunity, made possible with collaboration from inebriate regulatory agencies, and a rent seeking rogue financial subsector, it is not unusual to find seemingly innocuous newspaper opinions which appear superficially progressive, but on closer scrutiny, will be found to be clearly divisive or anti social; ultimately, such recommendations may in fact circuitously serve the selfish ends of a target, elite interest

group, regardless of the oppressive impact on the rest of us.

For example, despite the serious danger in presently allocating 35kobo out of every Naira of earned income to national debt service, some editorials still call for increased government spending which will evidently be funded with further debt, despite the clearly oppressive cost of such loans; such editorials which advocate increased spending, generally argue that Nigeria’s national debt to GDP ratio still remain very modest! Similarly, some editorials call for an urgent need to increase spending and diversify our economy, as if merely wishing will transform our fortunes, regardless of the prevailing double digit inflation rates which constrict consumer demand and deepen poverty; furthermore expanding business activities and increasing job opportunities, will certainly also remain restrained so long as businesses are compelled to borrow at over 20%. Nonetheless, such media misinformation seems perfectly fine, for example, with commercial banks, whose main customer base invariably become the CBN and other departments and agencies of government, which unexpectedly enjoy the lion’s share of available bank credit.

Ironically, these huge government loans are indirectly funded primarily from the cash reserves of the same banks which benefit from the humongous slush funds, which are often stolen from the public treasury and warehoused in private bank accounts; nevertheless, the hollow cries from the media, for diversification of our economy, would persist even when the dilemma of the very troublesome and catalytic issues of unreasonably high inflation

and interest rates, which cannot promote robust inclusive economic growth remain unresolved.

In this regard, the Punch Newspaper Editorial of May nd 2 titled “Buhari on Naira devaluation debate”, may have probably, unwittingly also played into the hands of the predators of increasing government debt and the rent seeking opportunities that evolve from an unrepentant monopolist forex market.

However, despite this odious reality, the editorial, under reference, however, appears ‘innocently ’ cofounded and therefore wonders why “Buhari is spurning the devaluation of the Naira?” According to the paper “the President’s logic is faulty, because, the fact that Nigeria never gained from devaluations of the past does not necessarily mean that a subsequent policy move in this direction may beget a disastrous outcome”.

Despite the serious danger in presently allocating 35kobo out of every Naira of earned income to national debt service, some editorials still call for increased government spending which will evidently be funded with further debt

Naira was further devalued; however the writer of the Punch editorial, regrettably seems rather uncomfortable that Buhari’s refusal to devalue the Naira also “enjoys the support of ” in the words of the writer, “the likes of Emeka Anyaoku, a former Secretary General of the Commonwealth”, particularly, when, presumably other lettered and knowledgeable local and international experts, according to the editorial, have recommended that the Naira be devalued.

The editorial also appears unusually concerned, for example, that the call by a local scholar and member of the Monetary Policy Committee for an exchange of N220/$ was rebuffed.

If this recommendation was implemented, however, it is unlikely that such a marginal depreciation would significantly reduce dollar demand, especially if the parallel market rate still hovers as high as N300=$1.

Conversely, if crude oil remains around $40/barrel, any attempt to bring the official rate abreast with the current parallel market rate will invariably propel deregulated fuel price above N250/litre; ironically, however, higher crude oil prices will ‘unfortunately ’, similarly instigate market price of petrol well beyond N300/litre, even if Naira rate remains stable.

Incidentally, Buhari has repeatedly assured critics that he is willing to consider Naira devaluation if any benefit can be realized by so doing.

Consequently the Punch editorial should have endeavoured to identify any one of such possible benefits to support its advocacy for Naira devaluation. Regrettably, the Punch editorial failed unconscionably in this respect.

See www.Lesleba.com , Devaluation: IMF Vs Buhari.

Unfortunately, the editorial gives no reason for the optimism for another major Naira devaluation, this time around, when nothing has changed.

Curiously also, although the editorial acknowledges that currency pegs allow nations to keep inflation and export prices stable, it nonetheless hastily condemns “the present fixed exchange rate of N197-$1”, together with the “limiting of dollar sales at the forex market, and the barring of 41 items from the official forex market.”

It is not clear if the editorial is hereby suggesting that import controls were inappropriate in the face of our rapidly dwindling dollar reserves. Nonetheless, both real and speculative demand would have undoubtedly driven our reserves to crisis levels if CBN had not quickly imposed these exchange controls.

Furthermore, if the Naira rate was left unpegged, and import controls were also removed, as obviously preferred in the editorial, the resultant acute shortage of dollars in just three months, would have pummeled the Naira exchange well beyond N1000=$1 before year end.

Thus, fuel prices (without any subsidy) would sell for close to N900/litre; if however, Nigerians resist such a horrendous spike in fuel price with its severe inflationary consequences, government may compulsively once again oppressively spend over N450/ litre (50% of market price) as subsidy on the daily fuel consumption of 40 million litres; unfortunately, in such event, over 20% of total subsidy values will be lost to cross border fuel smuggling annually, because of a weak Naira exchange rate.

Indeed, President Buhari should in fact be commended, for recognizing and saving us from the tortuous reality that would have manifested if the

Business & Economy BoI, Sokoto seal N2bn MSMEs funds deal

By FAVOUR NNABUGWU

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he Bank of Industry and Sokoto State government have signed an agreement to establish N2billion matching fund for onward lending Micro Small, Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the state.

Acting Managing Director, BoI, Mr. Waheed Olagunju in Sokoto on Wednesday said the state would be required to provide N1billion which would be matched in like sum by the bank for on lending to entrepreneurs in the state.

Apart from Sokoto, the bank is already having a subsisting C M Y K

matching funds arrangement deal with 18 state governments across Nigeria.

Olagunju noted that the bank came up with the finance model because the bank could not single handedly finance industries in the country without collaboration with the states who are the custodians of lands. He challenged entrepreneurs in the state to come up with viable business plans, adding that once they are bankable, the bank would finance them.

Olagunju explained the synergy between the bank and the state government,” We look at our mandate of

transforming Nigeria’s industrial landscape and we realise that we cannot do it alone. Finance is just one of the factors of production.

There are other things that needed to come into the fore before we can support entrepreneurs across the country.

“Entrepreneurs are located in the states. They must have a piece of land before they can do business. And under the Land Use Act, land is vested in the governors. That makes partnership with the state governments an indisputable part of our business.”

Omoh Gabriel Babajide Komolafe Clara Nwachukwu Peter Egwuatu Yinka Kolawole Favour Nnabugwu Godwin Oritse Godfrey Bivbere Michael Eboh Franklin Alli Ifeyinwa Obi Rosemary Onuoha Nkiruka Nnorom CONTRIBUTORS Princewill Ekwujuru Jonah Nwokpoku Naomi Uzor Providence Obuh LAYOUT

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Group Business Editor Deputy Business Editor Energy Editor Asst. Business Editor Snr Bus. Correspondent Insurance Correspondent Maritime Correspondent Maritime Correspondent Energy Reporter Industry/Agric. Reporter Maritime Reporter Insurance Reporter Capital Market Reporter

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Media/Marketing E-Commerce Industry Micro Finance Graphics Department

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016—33 Send Opinions & Letters to: opinions1234@yahoo.com Lokoja-Okene road who once put Okene in a lockdown and were strong enough to attack a long military convoy.

It is historically true that crop farmers settle and cultivate the land while herdsmen are mobile and

Marauders, herdsmen and fellow Nigerians

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HERE is anger in the land.

The horrific massacre of people in the Ukpabi Nimbo Community in Uzo-Uwani, Enugu State has put country on the boil.

Coming on the heels of similar attacks in other parts of the country, Fulani leaders in the area had alerted the inhabitants that some herdsmen were camped nearby ready to attack.

The Uzo-Uwani Local Government Caretaker Chairman, Mr. Cornel Onwubuya told the press “Some Fulani leaders told us that the herdsmen were camped very close to our community.” He took the logical steps of informing the Governor who is the chief security officer of the state and the State Police Commissioner. Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi in turn convened a meeting of the State Security Council where the heads of the security services assured him that the attack will not take place. But it did.

There are two primary conclusions I draw from this scenario. First is the failure of the Nigerian state which despite being put on notice, could not defend its citizens against a handful of

marauders. The second is that the invaders are external as the local Fulani community spied on them, and provided timeous and useful information that could have led to apprehending the criminals before they struck. So we may be dealing with two sets of Fulani; the peaceful and law abiding who owe their loyalty to the community, and the external invaders.

There are three basic assumptions in the attack; that the criminals are herdsmen, Fulani and Nigerian; all three suppositions can have margins of error. Unfortunately, the emotionally charged reactions have not given much room for critical analysis, and the insensitive statements credited to the Northern State Governors and Senators have further complicated matters.

While our attention is focused on the Nigerian Fulani herdsmen, we might be missing clues that these marauders might be a trained insurgency force, like the defeated Chadian rebels who in the 1990s operated along the Lafia-Makurdi road. This might also be true of the bandits operating today on the

There are three basic assumptions in the attack; that the criminals are herdsmen, Fulani and Nigerian; all three suppositions can have margins of error tend to live off the land, however, humanity has since transformed into ranching, but we are stuck in the past. There is nothing inherently evil in the herdsman; some of my favourite Biblical figures; Abel, King David who wrote beautiful poetry in a collection titled PSALMS and, the Three Wise Men to whom the birth of Jesus was first revealed, were all herdsmen.

To me, the wanton killings and the sway of criminals is reflective of the Nigerian state which is unwilling and incapable of checking impunity. A State exists to provide security of lives and property, and deliver basic needs and services to the citizenry. In return, the people cede part of their sovereignty and even pay taxes.

Where a State fails to meet its basic obligations, it becomes a failed state.

Oil:: Ef Efffects on Nigeria (2)

By Patrick Cole

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OME say that oil has always been a corrupt business. It started with corruption; it grew with corruption, it dominates through corruption; its DNA is corruption: it cannot and does not exist without it. Oil is dirty business literally and figuratively. It would be tedious to catalogue the corrupt practices of oil companies from the very beginning. Now that the Chinese have come into the business, their activities speak volumes about corruption.

Oil activities in Persia, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, and the rest of the Middle East were characterised by corruption.

Right from the outset, the Anglo Persian Oil company was born at the beginning of the 20th century on Oil corruption. The Oil cartel used its position to topple a lawfully elected government in Persia sending its own Prime minister to exile.The West then carved the oil producing areas into states of their own liking. Oil was important and strategic, it was used to drive the navy; and the western industry oil was needed at any cost, the exploitation in the US saw unprecedented corruption from scions of the Rockefellers, Du Ponts, etc .There was too much money in it for it not to be corrupt. There is more US legislation against oil companies than even against the mafia: Anti trust laws had to attempt to break up Standard Oil Companies, even then, the breakup was merely cosmetic but it took the United States several decades before waking up to the fact that this monster, oil, had to be tamed. It has still not quite succeeded even today.

The ethos of oil (a misnomer) is corrupt; it is like the Railways Barons in the US, with gutter morality, all based on corrupt entrepreneurs; skillful and born liars, dissimulators who never intended to keep to their contracts, who diddled and fiddled and deceived land owners and stole their land from them and consequently, their wealth.

In the US, in the Middle East, in Africa – everywhere, the story is the same.

C M Y K

No honest man ever made money from oil.

Every single oil entrepreneur we know Standard oil, Texaco, Esso, BP, Total and all others were ruthless double dealers. What has oil done to Nigeria?

Oil pushed everything else to secondary place: this was detrimental to all Nigerians, both the oil producing states and the rest of “Nigeria – oil enjoying states”, in the latter, agriculture suffered. They farmed less and less; lost the ability to get income from their farms, the expertise in that enterprise and all the auxiliary benefits of farming, good nutrition, hides and skin leather factories,

Oil is doing harm to all of us growth of cotton, groundnuts, millet, sorghum etc. vanished. Manufacturing became less important as everybody depended on importation of goods; our own industries could no longer cope; resulting in loss of technical know–how, growth in unemployment while at the same time the existence of extravagant conspicuous consumption of foreign goods.

More people wanted to be educated – more schools were built, more went there to use that education in the pursuit of oil. The belief is that education opened the gateway to jobs and related interests in oil. Unethical activities were encouraged to acquire less than good education: All wanted certificates and would pay for them. Universities adapted to the new demands.

In politics to rule Government is a life and death affair: to govern is to have or control oil revenues and therefore all else. Young “graduates” became political thugs – the first rung of the political ladder. No crime was too heinous to achieve success. Nor would the desire for success allow the law

Nigeria is not a failed State, but it is failing in providing some of the basic services of a State. For instance, it is incapable of policing its borders thereby leaving the country open to a deluge of foreigners fleeing conflicts in Libya, Mali, Darfur and Central Africa. Nigeria virtually does not produce arms, yet illegal arms flow freely like the River Niger.

How do so many arms flow into a country that has Customs, Immigration and a massive tribe of security agencies? It is a failure of the State.

The Lake Chad has virtually dried up and Chadians, Cameroonians, Nigeriens and Nigerians who farm and graze in the Chad Basin are propelled southwards in order to survive.

The failure of the Nigerian state to envisage and tackle this, and the increasing challenges of desertification and climate change, is palpable.

For decades there have been continuous bloody battles between pastoralists and crop farmers from Zamfara to Sokoto, Taraba to Benue. It is the failure of the Nigerian state to check these widespread massacres that has led to the spread of mass killings to the South.

The loud cry for people to arm and defend their homes against marauders is logical and understandable, but it is no solution. At best, we can achieve a balance of terror. The rise or proliferation of armed ethnoreligious militia will be a greater danger. Already, some states especially in the South are in the grip of cultists and thugs to the extent that it is virtually impossible for simple electoral contests to take place. In some states, we have the hegemony of

enforcement authorities to work. They were simply subdued and bought over to smoothen their ambitions.

The pay of National Assembly members is US$ 1.5 million per annum, State Assembly is US$ 1.0 million per annum; Chairmen of Local Governments receive US$750,000 – US$1000,000 per annum, other councilors were equally richly rewarded directly by salaries or other non-ethical means.

If National Assembly and State Assembly members, Local Governments Chairmen earn over US$ 1.0 million annually, what do you pay doctors, lawyers, civil servants, everyone else?

How can the society maintain any rules or values in such an atmosphere? How do we see ourselves? Is Nigeria a country where you can succeed to the highest of your potential regardless of class, gender, tribe, and religion? This is the US model and idea: to succeed you must take powers (which are the Nigerian reality) - i.e. oil – whether you are a civilian or in the military?

So you must be a Northerner or Westerner, or a “politically useless and powerless minority”, occasionally propped up by the North and the West to have powers in Nigeria. This paradigm has no place for service of the people, their freedom or development.

How about the Igbos? Are they not Nigerians? They have used their undoubted abilities to carve a niche for themselves in the oil business. What has oil done for Nigeria?

Many books have attempted to answer this question – “This House Cannot Stand”, “A Swamp Full of Dollars”, “Thieves of State”, “The Looting Machine” etc.

Oil sets up national appetites and mentality which is more like a gambler’s mentality: with the concomitant inability of the gambler to stop himself. He must go; he is propelled to go on because he believes his luck will change, despite the clear indication, scientifically proved, that the gambler has the odds stacked against him, he cannot beat the house.

In the South-South there is resentment; jealousy, youth anger: whereas the impoverishment of the North, it’s under development, is blamed on the South-South.

the armed and dangerous, the greedy and the unprincipled; the supremacy of the bullet over the ballot. This, from Bayelsa to Rivers State has bred a culture of inconclusive elections. Elections are due in Edo State next September, and the unfolding scenario points to another bloody, and possibly inconclusive election. To mix this with the rise of armed communities and militia, is to endanger the people themselves.

The Government has the primary duty to disarm and bring to justice, invading marauders and local cultists, armed pastoralists and armed local thugs. We cannot express outrage against invaders while dressing local war lords in legislative, gubernatorial and ministerial togas.

Those who shout ‘To your tents, oh Israel!’ or ask each Nigerian to paddle his canoe, may not understand that there is no part of our country that is monolithic.

In fact, the North is more fractious than the South which has some ethnic cohesion in the West, East and large parts of the Niger Delta. But even these are not immune to internal conflicts, including bloody ones. There is also a tendency for countries that breakup, to face bloody internal contradictions like we are witnessing in South Sudan. So what we need is to build a strong Nigerian State.

Nigerians need to clear any cobwebs in their heads, put on their thinking caps and plot a the way forward. What is clear in my mind is that we must put an end to impunity whether by marauders or thieving politicians; cultists or religious bigots.

The South-South claims all the wealth has gone to the North and the West. People are now beginning to compare who exactly is making money from oil – the debate between Arewa/Emir of Kano and Alabo George is heating up.

The truth is that everybody is a loser. But those who live where the oil is produced have added losses. Compare the aborigines of Australia who occupy land where minerals are developed: they are poor, neglected and a mere curiosity in the Australian landscape. No aborigine has any mines or interest in these mines. The native people in America who inhabit landwhere gold, silver, oil were developed suffered a similar fate. The glare of oil wealth, the pursuit of it will never give those in whose land it exists any chance; that glare is like a light in darkness: it attracts insects most of which carry diseases and kill off the inhabitants.

Maybe if oil is found in North Eastern Nigeria, there may be a change. I doubt it: the same will happen to the indigenous population who may not be Kanuri where the oil is located. Even if they are Kanuri they would not be able to escape the destiny of poverty so evident in the South-South as we can see even now in Southern Sudan and Angola. A few corrupt people would make money: the people will remain poor just as they are in Cameroons.

There was Arabia before the House of Saud.

There was Persia before the House of Pevlavi.

There was Jordan before the House of Hashemite. Oil would continue to destabilize these states and no one can or is willing to stop that. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a construct – all these are glued by the highest glue of all – religion. What would happen when the glue begins to disintegrate? More fundamentally the present day Middle East was the creation of Britain, France, Germany and the United States – i.e. the West – because of oil. Its chronic instability is because of oil.

Nigeria cannot escape its fate. The knob of the argument here is that the oil is doing harm to all of us.

*Dr.Cole, OFR, a former ambassador, wrote from Lagos.

34 — Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016

“Nigeria is awaiting receipt from Swiss Govt. of $320 million, identified as illegally taken from Nigeria under Abacha” – Buhari @NGR President, 5:09 PM – 27 APR 2016

W

HEN Twitter-addicted Nigerians stumbled on this posting on President Muhammadu Buhari’s Twitter handle last week, the whole Internet went abuzz, with most people expressing their dismay at Buhari’s refusal to call a spade by its correct name.

Before we go on, let us try to reason out the meaning of this statement, especially against the backdrop of its nexus to our history where Abacha and Buhari’s paths crossed.

It is obvious why the President or the operator of his Twitter handle chose to describe this amount (which is over N100 billion, a third of what the Federal, State Local governments shared in February 2016) as money “identified as illegally taken from Nigeria under Abacha”, rather than the usual “Abacha loot”. The answer is simple. Buhari, long before he was elected president, stubbornly insisted that Abacha “never stole”, and that he was not corrupt.

“Illegally taken from Nigeria” is a ploy to sidestep the word: “stolen”. “Under Abacha” portrays it as if other people, not Abacha himself, committed the “illegality” without Abacha’s knowledge.

Some unknown individuals were taking money from Nigeria and lodging it in Abacha’s Swiss bank accounts? For what purpose? Perhaps, they knew that our economy would be in trouble in the future and decided to “save” for this rainy day for us? If that is what President Buhari wants to say, let him say so openly, so that we all will join him in congratulating the Abacha family for the sacrifices their patriarch made for Nigeria.

In the past sixteen years, series of sums of money in foreign currency have been brought back from Western countries, especially Switzerland, where former military Head of State, the late General Sani Abacha stashed funds which he looted from the Nigerian treasury. These monies have always been called “Abacha loot”. Abacha is the only former ruler boldly ascribed, even in official circles, to have “stolen” or “looted” our public funds. He certainly was not the only one who did so. And most of us

Abacha never stole believe that he was probably not the biggest looter. Then, how come it is only his loots that are being “identified” and repatriated? Is it because he is dead?

If he were still alive like most of his fellow former rulers, would there be any such thing as “Abacha loot”? I doubt it, since his predecessors and successors who probably took more have never even

Abacha is the only former ruler boldly ascribed, even in official circles, to have “stolen” or “looted” our public funds. He certainly was not the only one who did so. And most of us believe that he was probably not the biggest looter. Then, how come it is only his loots that are being “identified” and repatriated? Is it because he is dead? been officially accused or made to return their own “loots”. In fact, one of them majestically struts over the landscape calling other people corrupt without justifying his own obvious affluence after his long stint in the Presidency.

Are we a nation of cowards and dastards, mobbing Abacha and his estate simply

because he is dead?

More questions: if Abacha had not arrested, tried and jailed General Olusegun Obasanjo for his part in the 1995 coup attempt to unseat him, would Obasanjo have launched the campaign to recover Abacha loot? If Abacha had not died and he played a role in the election of Obasanjo as President in 1999 as Generals Ibrahim Babangida, Abdulsalami Abubakar, Theophilus Danjuma and their civilian Northern cohorts had done, would Obasanjo have started the campaign to retrieve the Abacha loot?

Still more questions: if Buhari had been the one elected as the civilian president of Nigeria in 1999, would he even be talking about receiving money from Swiss Government “illegally taken away” under his regime since he maintains, against all concrete evidence, that Abacha never stole our money? So, is it only when a person deals with us and dies that he becomes corrupt, but when he treats us nicely (as Abacha did to Buhari) he becomes a “saint”? If Abacha had not rehabilitated Buhari after being jailed by Babangida; If Abacha had not appointed him as the Executive Chairman of the defunct Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), where he was given unlimited powers to spend billions of Naira between 1996 and 1998, would Buhari have stuck out his neck for him and say he was not corrupt?

Is this the mentality we take with us in fighting corruption, making sure that those who helped us are regarded as clean, while those who wronged us are pursued with a single-minded quest to retrieve their loot and sent to jail? Is this our national standard for integrity?

How are we sure that retired Col. Ja’afaru Isa, a close Buhari acolyte who was reluctantly arrested, briefly

detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,EFCC, and released after a couple of days for allegedly returning part of his share of Col. Sambo Dasuki’s bonanza, actually returned anything?

Everybody calls President Buhari a “man of integrity”, in spite of certain things we read and hear which do not add up to conclusively justify that branding. Buhari made his declared assets public. But he never disclosed their financial worth, nor did he let us know where they could be found as late President Umaru Yar’Adua voluntarily did. He never followed Yar’ Adua’s exemplary footsteps of including the assets of his wife. And from the look of things, ever-smiling Madam Aisha Buhari is very well-to-do, what with her reported donation of N135 million to displaced persons in Adamawa during the campaigns last year, which has not been denied.

I still cannot reconcile the fact that Buhari, as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had to borrow N25 million from banks to pay for his form in October, 2014 when his wife could so easily have given it to him from her own resources. There were even some reports that Buhari was once ejected from his “rented” mansion, No 11, Queen Elizabeth Drive, Asokoro, Abuja in 2012. That report was never debunked. Elaborate efforts have always been made to brand Buhari as a retired general who lived on his military pension before he became elected President.

Yet, when he became President and the foreign exchange crunch set in, he told parents who have their children in foreign schools that they should look for forex wherever they could find it as the Federal Government could no longer afford to provide it. When reminded that he had his own children in foreign schools, he simply retorted: “I can afford it”.

These conflicting signals about our President and his true mindset on corruption as well as his real standing financially, is being noticed, and nobody is a dummy. Even the younger generation of Nigerians are watching, reading and taking note of this confusion and wondering what “integrity” actually means here in Nigeria.

It is not only the youth that are confused. I am certainly no longer a youth, but I am confused!

OPINION Nigeria, MTN & bungled regulation

By Gabriel Zowam

I

MAKE this submission because the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, is trying to railroad the government of President Muhammed Buhari into a major policy blunder that could set Nigeria back by many decades!

It all has to do with some frightening developments on the whopping $5.2 billion (N1.04 trillion) fine that NCC slammed on Nigeria’s telecoms operator, MTN, in October 2015, for failing to deactivate about five million unregistered subscribers on its network. The trend of events since then has become quite alarming!

They All Sinned Before visiting NCC’s performance on this matter, which is inflicting a worsening damage on the nation, let us clear the air! If there was a “grave” sin (such as any security implications of the long years of noncompliance) then MTN was not the only sinner! All the operators would have been guilty! According to reports, NCC originally gave the operators a deadline of June 2013, to deactivate ALL their unregistered subscribers; but as at September 2014 (over one year after the deadline) NONE of them had complied. But instead of being decisive, NCC continued to extend the deadline – to October 2014, to July 2015, to August 11, 2015, and so on. Reports also suggest that even after the August deadline, NCC continued to hold discussions with ALL the network operators, about compliance.

Indeed, the greatest guilt could go to NCC, for being rather casual in enforcing the deactivation. As a good regulator, NCC should have known that the operators C M Y K

would naturally delay the deactivation for as long as they could get away with it, because deactivation would cost them the revenues from those subscribers.

The appropriate regulatory response was to ensure that no operator profited from non-compliance. If for example, 20% of an operator’s subscribers were unregistered, and NCC simply imposed a 20% fine on the operator’s total revenue, with a progressively increasing percentage penalty as the non-compliance continued, it would have triggered a rush by the operators to comply! But NCC seemed not to be decisive, which would have encouraged the laxity of the operators!

Regulatory Arbitrariness More seriously, NCC has projected Nigeria as a nation of regulatory arbitrariness! How on earth did it arrive at the titanic rate of N200,000 (or $1,000) for every unregistered subscriber that was not deactivated? If according to reports, the average revenue per Nigerian subscriber is only $5, what impression are we creating to the global investing public with such a draconian arbitrariness? Was NCC effectively saying to the operators, “You have already invested, there is nothing you can do now”?

What has particularly baffled the global community is that NCC should have, as a responsible regulator, considered the implication of a humongous $5.2 billion fine on MTN! If the fine exceeded MTN’s net asset value of about US$900 million, it was effectively making the company technically insolvent – for an offence that should even have been handled routinely! The global community can’t help being perplexed about the regulator’s goal! To kill MTN? As Nigeria’s

Mohammed Haruna pointed out, “Penalties are meaningful and sensible only if they serve as deterrence to the culprit and to others. They are useless, or worse still, they amount to cutting one’s nose to spite one’s face, if they serve only to kill the culprit and risk discouraging investors at home and abroad from betting on Nigeria’s future.” Besides, there was no precedence for such a whopping fine in Nigeria’s telecoms history, which prompted Simon Kolawole of Thisday to ponder: “If poor service quality to 120 million subscribers attracts a fine of N5m, failure to disconnect five million subscribers should not attract N1.04trillion”! A good regulator is predictable, not erratic. Regulatory arbitrariness is the worst thing global investors want to face!

Again, look at how we went about granting discounts to MTN on the fine. First, NCC announced a 35% reduction. Even before analysts could figure out how it arrived at 35%, it reversed itself, and changed the discount to 25%! To a perplexed global community, it was all just like playing God to a defenceless foreign investor!

Enormous International Damage All these have been disastrous to our nation’s investment prospects! From the highly influential Forbes we have got “a huge red flag”! For David Lerche of Avior Capital Markets, “The incident has brought to light the high level of risk when doing business in Africa”. Forbes, still in another piece: “a statesanctioned mugging … almost 40 times larger than the next-biggest fine imposed anywhere in the world on a telecoms operator”!

Continues tomorrow on pg 18 Mr. Zowam , a reform & governance expert, wrote from zowam@yahoo.com

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016 — 35

Growth Accelerated A

CERTAIN global community of CEOs believe that they possess the unlimited capability to learn and to develop themselves. Their ultimate goal is to share knowledge and experience and thus create a better world. In that league belongs Segun Ogunsanya, the helmsman of Airtel Nigeria.

In his spacious and sparsely furnished office on Banana Island overlooking the Lagos lagoon, Ogunsanya told me: “I learnt very early from my father that one of the key elements of growing is your capacity to learn.His key principle is: ‘Knowledge is weightless. You can carry it anywhere you go.’

He also observed: “Knowledge is perishable. If you don’t keep renewing your knowledge, it’s going to go out of date”. The strategy of renewing knowledge at every key turn in life has indeed been manifest in his seamless approach to the navigation of his career. Ogunsanya started out as an electrical engineer before venturing into accountancy.

Segun Ogunsanya CEO, Airtel Nigeria And I would like to salute my colleagues and my leadership team who all supported me in achieving almost all the core objectives that were given to me when I took over the leadership of this company.”

In the past year, the great milestone for the company was the acquisition of a 30 million subscriber base in Nigeria. With this feat, Airtel now enjoys a huge slice of the mobile subscribers’ market in Nigeria, controlling 20% of the total market share. Airtel’s precursor company, Econet Wireless,pioneered the GSM revolution in Nigeria. This reason largely accounts for its strong presence in the Nigerian telecoms space. Statistics from the Nigerian Communications Commission showed that the

Profitable business Prior to his current role at Airtel Nigeria, he had been CEO of Coca-Cola in three countries – Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria.

Ogunsanya exudes enthusiasm and versatility. He finds that change has been seamless for him as he moved from selling Coca-Cola beverages to telecoms airtime “That’s because of my capacity to learn. And I really don’t care where the learning is coming from. I just think that if you’re ashamed of learning you’re not going to grow,” he asserted.

On his assumption of office as Airtel CEO in November 2011, his mandate was to create a good environment for “employees to deliver their best”, create a viable and profitable business and be among the key operators in the market place. He elaborated: “To a very large extent, we’ve delivered on those objectives.

Our key indices for driving growth includes priortizing rural markets by way of rollout

networks soared from 181,625 in May 2015 to 182,643 within the same period. “Crossing the 30 million mark is a major threshold for us,”Ogunsanya says, “and of course, we are very appreciative of all our customers who made it possible.” On the heels of the company’s milestone achievement came a number of complementing awards. They include the highly coveted Customer Friendly Operator of the Year Award.

The award was bestowed on the company for the fourth consecutive time for its consistent robust service platforms that boosts customer experience, in addition to its bespoke, innovative and affordable value-offerings.

The company was also recognized by the Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria when it bagged a merit award for its pioneering investment in the Nigerian telecommunication industry. Airtel’s winning streak is also brought to the fore by its Corporate Social Responsibility reputation. Since inception, the company has recognized the importance of being socially a n d environmentally conscious.

Consequently, it has often taken on charitable

number of mobile subscribers spiralled from 144 million in May of that year to 146 million in June 2015. Following this lead, Mobile operators upped their new subscribers by 2.1 million in June 2015. The subscriptions to fixed

BIO BRIEFS Education: Bachelors Degree in Electrical & Electronics Engineering from University of Ife Previous Work: *Eco Bank Transnational Inc, *Nigerian Bottling Company *Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company Inc. C M Y K

•Segun Ogunsanya

initiatives. Chief amongst its CSR initiatives is the Airtel Touching Lives programme whose aim is to “enrich Nigerians and provide succour to under-privileged members of society”. Touching Lives proclaims what the company is, what it believes in, and how it is doing business.

“Touching Lives is unique and very different from what has been doing in the past”, Ogunsanya says of the initiative.

“It’s not so much about money for exposure but about doing things for those who can’t pay us back. What we do is to ask different stake holders to select communities, individuals and causes that are very important to them. And then, we step in by mitigating the pains of the people and community involved so as to make that cause very productive, recounting a case-inpoint, he says: “One of the first causes we supported was that of a man whose son was crippled”.

“He is a vulcanizer, so each morning before resuming his work routine; he would carry his son to and from school on his back. We stepped in by providing a wheel chair for the crippled son, making it easier for the man to ferry his son to school”

Providing a wheel chair “These are the kind of things we do through the Touching Lives Initiative. We cannot always completely transform lives, but we simply make it easier for people and communities to cope with their problems with greater ease. I must also commend my good-hearted colleagues for also supporting causes voluntarily” “They take money from their salaries, donate clothes and their time. And for you to be a good company, you must initiate good programmes for your communities. I’m very excited about the positive things we’ve been doing to support people and communities.”

Winning is not just a sudden occurrence for Airtel.

Like Ogunsanya, the company has been through several learning curves.

Starting out in 2001,

the company has morphed through name changes – Econet, Vodafone, V-Mobile, Zain and now Airtel. Since reaching its current position, Airtel has had to deal with many problems.

Ogunsanya explains that the company is grappling with a number of industry issues which are not unique to his company: “We have issues of multiple taxation at different levels (local government, MDAs, state government, federal government) and we are working with all the stakeholders to minimize the pain of having to pay different taxes to different authorities at the same time.

That’s a major issue for the industry,” he explains.

Backlash and implications The advent of Global Systems for Mobile Communication (GSM) in 2001 came with great economic benefits as well as some backlash and implications.

Nigerian state governments believed that Telecoms weren’t giving enough back to a society from which they made huge profits. This led to the imposition of multiple taxation. In recent months, there has been a hue and cry from Nigerian telecoms operators. This resulted in the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) and the Nigerian Communications Commission meeting to explore ways to check multiple regulation and taxation in the telecommunication industry.

The Convener of the meeting, the boss of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Professor Umar Garba Danbatta, is himself optimistic that other government agencies are being carried along in order to improve the relationship with telecommunication service providers who are the victims of multiple taxes and regulations.

On this, Ogunsanya expresses satisfaction. “We are working with government in terms of multiple taxation as there are different bodies set up by different key players in the industry to engage all the authorities. We now have a unified taxation mechanism that is still a work in progress” “Faced with all these challenges, the company still finds ways to continue to expand the network and invest in quality people” Ogunsanya sees this as “a key indices driving growth”. Driving growth also means prioritizing rural markets by way of roll-outs.

Though he admits Voice revenue remains stable, most of the growth he sees in the industry is coming from data. “It’s already happening in many other economies but it’s very slow here mainly because we don’t yet have a sufficiently expansive fiber network that can create a good data quality experience.

But as we evolve and put more investment into the fiber infrastructure, I’m very optimistic that data will begin to drive most of the things we do in this country,”he said.

36—VANGUARD, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016

Why anti-corruption war is selective — Ayo Obe NIGERIAN born, British citizen, Ms Ayo Obe (née Ogunsola) was unarguably the most outstanding lady in the pack at the advent of the modern day civic society movement, a point that was consolidated by her election as president of the Civil Liberties Organisation in 1995.

Obe, a partner with the Lagos law firm, Ogunsola Shonibare; following her stint as president of the CLO was in 2006 appointed to lead the Elections Programme of the National Democratic Institute in Nigeria.

A trustee of the International Crisis Group, ICG, she is also a member of the board of the Centre for Law Enforcement Education (CLEEN). She has in the past served on the board of the Open Society Initiative for West Africa, OSIWA (2006 – 2010) and was appointed by President Olusegun Obasanjo as a member of the board of the Police Service Commission, from 2001 to 2006.

In an interview with Vanguard, Ms Obe who is a leading advocate for the Bring Back Our Girls, BBOG movement speaks on what she describes as the shame of the continued abduction of the girls, the anti-corruption war of the present administration, sectarian violence in the country among other issues. Excerpts:

By Clifford Ndujihe

Y

OU appear to be lying low I am a legal practitioner I was president of the CLO until 2003, that is 13 years ago. When I was CLO president, I personally didn’t issue press releases. The CLO did. It is not a matter of lying low, if you go to Falomo roundabout, Lagos, any Saturday, you are likely to find me there campaigning for the return of our Chibok girls. Even then, it is not a matter of saying, ‘look at me, I am the person. It is a matter of going there to support a cause.

It is alleged that the Bring Back Our Girls Group, has become soft under President Muhammadu Buhari compared to what it was under President Goodluck Jonathan?

That is a lie that some newspapers have been pressing and falsely pushing.

Rescuing the Chibok girls?

It was two weeks after the Jonathan government did nothing about the Chibok girls’ kidnap that we said let us set up a committee. We asked ourselves why we didn’t do anything to rescue the Chibok girls? That was how 59 school boys were slaughtered at Buni Yadi, Yobe State, we all did nothing and moved on. Then the Chibok girls were kidnapped. We said, ‘are we going to move on again?’ So, since that time, everyday in Abuja, somebody has been sitting out in respect of the Chibok girls, and we gather every Saturday at Falomo.

It did not stop when Jonathan stopped being president. But some people who are Jonathan’s supporters kept pushing the lie:

‘They have stopped, they are no longer pressing.’ To say that the campaign waned after Jonathan lost the election is a complete and utter lie. The people, who insist that the only purpose of the Bring back our girls campaign was to get President Jonathan out need to apologise to the parents of those girls and the bring back our girls campaigners. We have met the parents from time to time. We have met the people of the Chibok community. And we ask the same question: Are you saying that not a single girl has managed to escape in all this time?

Some of the girls escaped …

That was during the kidnap.

That is why we have 219 still missing. During the kidnap, some of them managed to escape. Then, there was a girl who was supposed to be married to one of the Boko Haram fighters and she said ‘let me go home and tell my parents after all marriage is a family affair.’ So, she went home and did not return. But the Boko Haram insurgents went to the village, raided the place and carried her off again.

As far as we know, the Chibok girls are not being used for suicide bombing. We don’t know what they are being used for.

When we hear stories that they have been raped, pregnant, etc; it does a disservice to us as Nigerians.

We must not just bring back our girls physically; we must bring them back socially, mentally, emotionally, culturally and totally rehabilitate them. When Bring Back Our Girls started it was to tell the President, bring back our girls. That was in 2014. We didn’t even know who would be the presidential candidate. The opposition was still forming its coalition. So the only person we had to call on was the president.

•Obe: Chibok girls must be brought back

By July 2014 when Malala Yousafzai came to Nigeria to spend her 16th birthday with the Chibok girls, I remembered that at that time the president had not reached out to the Chibok parents. I was in Abuja and came out of the hotel to buy newspapers and I saw the picture of the president side by side with Malala grinning.

I said to myself, don’t the people around him understand how bad this looks? And then he now met with the Chibok parents. Why couldn’t he meet some of these parents before hand and be seen with them so that by the time Malala came it wasn’t that it was this young girl

Some say the fight is selective.

What is selective? The people, who were ‘chopping’ were in a party

from Pakistan, who lives in Britain, who has reminded our president that he has an obligation to his citizens? I didn’t like it at all. Those were the things that President Jonathan did or people around him did to

him and for him. It wasn’t the Bring Back Our Girls campaigners.

The Jonathan administration felt the Bring Back Our Girls campaigners were taking money from the opposition. Even if it were so, it should have been a reason for the government to preempt the opposition, go the extra mile and bring back our girls.

Challenge to rise to the occasion The Jonathan administration did not see it as a challenge to rise to the occasion. The current administration, unlike the previous government, is not pretending that they don’t know it is their job. The President has said, I can’t say I have defeated the insurgency if I don’t bring back our girls.

On fears that the girls may no longer be rescued We have to account for them.

We know the names of these girls, we have their photographs, and we know their number. Since the army started beating back Boko Haram, we discovered that there are thousands of people we didn’t even know were missing.

That is a terrible indictment on us as a country.

Anti-corruption crusade The Buhari administration should not just go after people, who have corruptly taken the nation’s money but should also institute systems that will defeat corruption. I believe that the Buhari administration should have made Nigeria a very attractive destination for investors and all of us.

Now, we have the Treasury

Single Account, TSA, and the use of Bank Ve r i f i c a t i o n Number, BVN. When a new government comes into power, people sit up because they don’t know the body language of the new ruler. But after some time they go back to the old ways. We need a system that will make it difficult for people to revert to the old ways.

During the time of late General Sani Abacha, the CLO came up with the idea that we need two approaches. One was Freedom of access to Information and the second was Ethics in Government. We started the first but the second never really took off. I remember going to a workshop that was to hold in Abeokuta and learnt that the Abacha government had stopped it.

Freedom of Information But the Freedom of Information continued, and we eventually established the Media Rights Agenda, MRA, to pursue it, and it became a coalition and eventually it was President Jonathan that signed that legislation into law.

When Obasanjo came to power and was talking about fighting corruption, we said, ‘wonderful, we have a beautiful tool that will help you.’ We had some legislators in the United States, who had enjoyed Freedom of Information and they said we need sometime like that in Nigeria. Obasanjo’s response was you can present it.

We felt if it were presented as an executive bill, it would get speedy passage but Obasanjo was more interested in setting up ICPC and then EFCC. Instead of our having a holistic approach that makes it harder for people to be corrupt in the first place, what we have allows people to be corrupt and we start going to catch them.

Selective anti-corruption battle, resistance of the corrupt As we have seen at every single stage, every time we have people being arrested or charged with corruption, we hear the expression, ‘yes, what about Mr A or Mr B?’ The whole design is if we cannot do everything at

Continues on page 37

VANGUARD, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016—37

Grazing reserves "ll cause war— Ayo Obe Continues from page 36 once, we should not do anything at all. People would say they were being prosecuted because of their ethnic group or political party. Some say the fight is selective. What is selective?

The people, who were ‘chopping’ were in a party.

Again, you are always going to pick the people, but the Federal Government has its books. You come into office; you inherit the books. You look at the books and say, for instance, this money has been paid for a helicopter, where is the helicopter, etc?

You are examining your books. State governments are also coming to examine their •Obe...grazing reserves won't work books.

By the way, the state government does not need the EFCC comfortable not having its demand for because the state laws against corruption El-Zakzaky produced before it met.

On IPOB, you don’t expect me to have are there. If you are saying the Federal a lot sympathy for establishing a separate Government is using the EFCC, the state government has the attorney state of Biafra. It is one thing to say people general and director of public should not separate but to say that people prosecutions. As a state government, if cannot talk about separating I don’t see you examine what your predecessor how that is compatible with our right to from another political party did, they will freedom of expression.

What was even worse was this recent say it is selective.

Personally, I don’t expect it not be statement by the DSS about the killing of selective in that sense. As a general people they identified them as Fulani marching into battle, I will, first of all, deal herdsmen. They now said they were killed with the enemy in front of me before I start by IPOB supporters, and yet nobody has fighting the troops that are supposed to been charged to court.

It tells us how bastardised the security be supporting me. I don’t believe we are running a government of saints. I don’t services are. What is their business in believe we are running a government that making such a statement? Is it not a police matter? To just come and make a is not composed of hypocrites.

We all have our double standards, and I categorical statement and then there is no don’t expect that these people are going arrest, no charge, nothing is not good to be super-human. That is why I agree enough. The outcry against the with Jonathan that we should make it depredation of the Fulani herdsmen is impossible for our face to be a factor in the very large. The concerns of people where fight against corruption and I expect that herdsmen are bringing their cattle where this will be implemented as we go forward. they never used to bring them, in my What she makes of the crises ravaging capacity as the vice chairman of the the country on account of the Boko International Crisis Group, I wrote an Haram insurgency, Fulani herdsmen essay on the future of conflict and I menace and the IPOB agitation for Biafra identified the situation in Lake Chad as a cause of conflict because what we call Lake Republic In a way, none of these is new. You didn’t Chad in Nigeria, we don’t have any lake again. And the steps we ought to be taking even mention to restore the lake we have not taken them. the Shiite For us to Moslems issue.

In terms of hear that Symbol of where the 357 people, climate change s e c u r i t y agencies are at Nigerians, It is a symbol of climate change in our fault, there is were killed backyard. People who should be able to nothing new in live from Lake Chad, are not able to live. and buried that. What we The areas where cattle used to graze are expect to see is after a clash gone. You find that there are pressures, a government with the and it has been missed. Why are we having that responds that issue of cattle roaming because and doesn’t military is always, from Cain and Abel there is always allow issues to something conflict between the farmer who is farming be swept under crops and the farmer who is rearing cattle. that we the carpet.

So the question is how are we going to For us to hear cannot just tackle it in this modern day and age? that 357 people, There are Fulani, who are not roaming Nigerians, were brush aside around. There are Fulani, who keep cattle. killed and buried In fact, if anything, you hear from people after a clash with in the North, how they suffer from cattle the military is rustlers – people who come to steal their something that we cannot just brush cattle. So what is that we should do? If we aside. It is a terrible indictment. I wait are going to have grazing reserves where for the outcome of the panel of inquiry, should the grazing reserves be? I used to but I don’t think that it should end at think it would be a good solution but now the panel of inquiry particularly when I can see that it would be the cause of the there are perceptions about the ability greatest conflict. of that panel to do its job when it is

38 — Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016 — 39

40 — Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016

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VANGUARD, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016—41

Egyptian court recommends death penalty for journalists

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•Three Spanish journalists who were kidnapped last year in Syria by alQaeda’s Syrian affiliate, the al-Nusra Front upon arrival yesterday in Spain after they were released by their abductors.

SYRIA: Kidnapped Spanish reporters return home T HREE Spanish journalists, kidnapped while working in Syria last year, have been released and have arrived in Madrid to a rapturous reception from friends and family.

Antonio Pampliega, Jose Manuel Lopez and Angel Sastre disappeared from the northern city of Aleppo 10 months ago.

The three were flown on a Spanish defence ministry jet from Turkey.

They appear to have been captives of alQaeda’s Syrian affiliate, the al-Nusra Front.

Al-Nusra was in charge of the part of Aleppo from which they were kidnapped nearly a year ago. However the circumstances of their

release have not been disclosed.

A statement from the prime minister ’s office said that “allied and friendly” countries had helped to secure the journalists’ release, highlighting the role of Turkey and Qatar which had provided assistance

taxes for rich people may have to go up in an apparent reversal of his stated policy.

“On my plan they’re going down. But by the time it’s negotiated, they’ll go up,” Mr Trump

LOBAL progress fighting AIDS could be lost because prevention programmes are suffering from a lack of leadership, accountability and funding, the head of the United Nations warned on Friday. Headway in tackling the epidemic has

been “inspiring,” with a 42 percent decline in AIDS-related deaths since a peak in 2004, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a report.

The progress has caused life expectancy in countries most affected by HIV to rise sharply, he added.

the minimum wage, telling the programme: “I’m allowed to change.”

Mr Trump is all but certain to become the official Republican candidate for the November presidential election.

Several top Republicans have said they will not vote for him.

On the Democratic Party side, Hillar y Clinton has a substantial lead over Bernie Sanders.

Mr Trump’s tax plan says the wealthiest individuals would get a tax break. But he told ABC his “optimum plan” would be negotiated with Democrats, but not be approved as such.

latest since a crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood after an army takeover stripped Morsi of power in 2013 following mass protests against his rule. Mursi and other Brotherhood leaders, as well as leading figures from the 2011 popular uprising that toppled autocrat

week ago had risen to 49 after more bodies were pulled out of the rubble.

The six-storey building in Huruma, a poor neighbourhood in the city, was constructed near a river and had been condemned by the authorities but it is

Hosni Mubarak, many of them secular activists and journalists, are now in jail.

Morsi has been sentenced in three other cases, including the death penalty for a mass jail break during the 2011 uprising and a life sentence for spying on behalf of Hamas.

Congo captures senior commander of Rwandan genocide rebels

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UTHORITIES in Democratic Republic of Congo said they had arrested the deputy commander of a rebel group linked to Rwanda’s genocide, in a blow to a militia at the heart of two decades of conflict in the region.

But in a reminder of

Death toll in Kenya building collapse rises to 49—police

Trump says tax on ENYAN authorities K said on Sunday the number of people killed rich may go up when a multi-storey RESUMPTIVE US told ABC’s This Week. residential building P Republican nominee He also apparently collapsed in the capital Donald Trump has said reversed his position on Nairobi more than a

Fight against AIDS threatened by lack of money, leadership— UN

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“especially in the final phase”.

PM Mariano Rajoy posted a photographHYPERLINK “https://twitter.com/ marianorajoy/status/ 729232342296973313” of them arriving beneath the caption “Welcome!” on his Twitter account.

N Egyptian court on Saturday sought the death penalty for three journalists and three others charged with endangering national security by leaking state secrets and documents to Qatar.

The final ruling is expected on June 18, after the sentence has been referred to the top religious authority, the Grand Mufti, for a nonbinding opinion.

The verdict against former President Mohamed Morsi, who is charged in the same case, was postponed to the same day.

The three journalists, one Jordanian, were sentenced in absentia.

Two of them work for Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera. They can appeal.

The sentence is the

unclear why it remained occupied.

It tumbled down in a heavy downpour on the night of April 29.

“Seven more bodies were retrieved at the collapsed building over the weekend, bringing the death toll to 49,” Japheth Koome, Nairobi police commander, told Reuters. He said the number of those rescued now stood at 140 and that a rescue operation continued at the site.

ongoing violence in Congo’s conflict-torn east, suspected rebels from another group hacked at least nine people to death near the boundary between North Kivu and Ituri provinces on Friday.

General Leopold Mujyambere, the chief of staff of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), was arrested earlier this week in the eastern city of Goma during a routine police stop, government spokesman Lambert Mende said.

“He was recognised (by) the security services who were there,” Mende told Reuters.

Mujyambere has been transferred to the capital Kinshasa, where the military justice system will decide whether to try him in Congo or extradite him to his native Rwanda, Mende added.

Afghanistan hangs six Taliban prisoners

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FGHANISTAN has hanged six Taliban inmates in the first executions since Ashraf Ghani became president in 2014.

The group “perpetrated grave crimes against civilians and public security”, the presidential palace said.

President Ghani has pledged a tougher response to the Taliban after an attack in Kabul last month left 64 dead.

Meanwhile Taliban fighters have attacked police checkpoints on the outskirts of Lashkar Gah, the main city in Helmand

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province. The assaults bring to an end a lull in fighting during the annual opium harvest in Helmand, a Taliban stronghold.

The Taliban said it overran two checkpoints, killing 15 security officers.

But police said 14 fighters were killed before the group was driven off.

N/Korea will use nuclear arms if attacked— Kim Jong-un

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ORTH Korean leader Kim Jong-un has said his country will not use nuclear weapons unless its sovereignty is infringed on by others, state media reported.

Speaking spoke in Pyongyang on Saturday to thousands of delegates gathered for the first Workers’

Party congress in more than 35 years.

“As a responsible nuclear weapons state, our republic will not use a nuclear weapon unless its sovereignty is encroached upon by any aggressive hostile forces with nukes,” the KCNA news agencyquotedhimassaying.

•Egyptian Judges and other officials at the sentencing of Aljazeera journalists in Egypt

African countries deeply divided over ivory trade made public this week, it would provide cover to

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EMBER states of the U.N. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) are not meeting until September, but some African countries have already drawn their battle lines on divisive issues such as the ivory trade.

Proposals for the meeting in Johannesburg were

pitting bids by Namibia and Zimbabwe to open up the trade in elephant ivory, against initiatives led by Kenya for a complete global ban on the coveted commodity.

Those seeking to open up the trade of wild animal products argue it will raise badly-needed funds for conservation, but others say

poachers and make products that can endanger species socially acceptable to consumers.

“In all of these issues we have two competing views.

They are all aiming for the same objective which is ensuring the survival of species in the wild,” CITES Secretary-General John Scanlon told Reuters.

42—Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016

Steal, go to jail, Kogi gov tells local council administrators

NULGE decries 10-month unpaid wages for council workers

By Victor AhiumaYoung

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IGERIA UNION of Local Government Employees, NULGE ,has claimed that councils workers are owed not less than 10 months salaries in many of the states of the federation.

NULGE President, Ibrahim Kahleel said in Abuja that from statistics available many states had not paid salaries to the local government workers, lamenting that councils workers were the most affected by the issue of nonpayment of salaries.

According to him, despite the hardship and suffering these workers were passing through, President Buhari and the state governors seemed not to be bothered , rather, their attentions were only on workers at the state level.

“There are no correspondent efforts to settle the issue of non-payment of salaries at the local government like that of state workers by the President.

The President should also focus attention at the local government and ensure that the governors also extend the usage of the bail outs to the local government,” he said.

Kahleel said the immediate problem facing the local government was “the inability of some state governments to meet the payment of salaries of local government employees across the country. In many of the local governments across the country; workers have not been paid salaries for up to 10 months. It is a very terrible situation. Our expectation is for government to address the issue of non-payment of salaries, regularize it, so that every worker will be sure of getting his or her salaries at the end of every month.”

On the issue of local government autonomy, he said: “The biggest demand of local employees is how to strengthen the institutional framework of local government democratically and financially."

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OVERNOR YAHAYA Bello of Kogi State, has warned newly appointed administrators of local government councils in the state against looting of councils’ funds, saying anyone caught in corrupt practices would face the full wrath of the law.

Inaugurating the administrators, the governor called on them to key into the New Direction Policy, NDP, of his administration by improving the lives of their people.

He said: “This is a position of trust given to each of you to impact on the From left, Guest Speaker, and Executive Director, Human Rights Monitor, Mr. Festus lives of your people. Our Okoye; former Managing Director, New Nigerian Newspapers, Mallam Haruna administration is committed to Mohammed, representative of the Minister of Information, Asst. Director HMR NOA, empowering the people and today, Kaduna, Mallam Hamza Audu, and the chairman, Nigerian Union of Journalists, you have been appointed as agents of NUJ, Mr. Garba Mohammed, at the rally and launching of 'Advocacy Against this initiative. The funds that come to Corruption at the Grassroots,' by the NUJ, Kaduna, yesterday. Photo: Olu Ajayi the local government councils belong to the people and should be used to improve education, health, agriculture and rural infrastructure. The era of stashing away local government funds in foreign and local bank accounts of private individuals is over. Under my watch, the resources of the people will He listed other items recovered Emergency Agency, Ahmed IGERIAN ARMY, work for them.” yesterday, said it had to include: suicide bomber’s hijab, Satomi, yesterday in Maiduguri, Governor Bello said his cleared seven more villages a cell phone and one dane gun, said 35,000 households had so administration had granted full occupied by suspected Boko as well as foodstuffs and cooking far benefited. financial autonomy to local Haram insurgents in Borno State utensils. The troops also rescued He said the agency planned government areas in the state, in its bid to end terrorism in the 15 persons that were held hostage to reach out to 1.4 million warning the administrators by the Boko Haram terrorists in Internally Displaced Persons North East. against being arm-twisted by (IDPs) taking refuge in other Col. Sani Usman, the Acting the area,’’ Usman said. officials of his government.

He said unfortunately, two communities.

Director Army Public Relations, According to him,“I will not stated this in a statement issued Armoured Fighting Vehicles, “We are targeting the most demand a dime from you. Any AFVs, ran over an Improvised vulnerable couples, widows and in Maiduguri. of my officials who demand “As the ongoing clearance and Explosive Device, IED, but those who have passed through money from you should be rescue operations gained however, said the formation did great hardship as a result of the exposed.

We are serious about momentum, troops of 28 Task not sustain any human casualty insurgency. Apart from our IDPs fighting corruption, in line with Force Brigade have successfully as the damage to the AFVs was in the 28 camps, we also have the policy of President Buhari’s about a million of them taking cleared enclaves of Boko Haram minimal. administration. refuge in host communities of Meanwhile, no fewer than terrorists along Galtha Baba, "We will beam our searchlight and Maiduguri Galtha Musa, Bulakurma, 500,000 households displaced by Jere on the operations of your Shatimari, Chukruk, Bulangaje, the Boko Haram insurgency will Metropolitan Council. The token respective local government and Disa villages. During the benefit N17,000 each from the would be given to them to areas to ensure you act in line operation, one Boko Haram World Food Programme in 2016, encourage them to start up with the rule of law. Nobody something that would enable terrorist was captured alive,” an official has said. influenced your appointments.

The World Food Programme is them cater for their families to Usman said.

I considered you as partners in a project of the United Nations alleviate their suffering,” he said.

According to him, three my onerous task at developing motorcycles, bags of grains, that addresses hunger and Mr. Satomi also spoke of the the state." procedure for giving out the terrorists’ flags and uniforms had promotes food security.

The Chairman of Borno State money. also been recovered.

Army clears insurgents from 7 more villages in Borno

…500,000 displaced families to receive N17,000 each

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Soldiers, policemen take over communities over killing of 12 persons by herdsmen

By Emeka Mamah

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RMED SOLDIERS and riot policemen have taken over Coromo, Dan- Anacha and Mutum Biyu communities in Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State where herdsmen

reportedly killed 12 persons including seven men, two women and children, and seriously wounded about 18 others.

Altogether, 13 houses were burnt.

Information about the attack

was sketchy, but it was said that the Fulani herdsmen reportedly launched the attack Friday night, following a long standing dispute over farm lands.

The Fulani herdsmen reportedly stormed the three communities and started

As it is today, democracy Kwara gov approves payment of salaries, pension to 24, 000 workers

By Demola Akinyemi

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LORIN—GOVERNOR Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State, has given approval for the payment of March and April salaries and pensions of 24, 042 workers and pensioners, who have been cleared in the ongoing Staff C M Y K

verification exercise in the state.

This was contained in a statement by the Secretary to the State Goveernment, SSG, Isiaka Gold.

According to SSG who is also the Alternate chairman of the State Committee on Personnel Database Development, the approval

followed the final clearance of the affected workers and pensioners by the Nigerian Interbank Settlement System, NIBSS. Alhaji Gold, explained that the March and April salaries and entitlements of the workers and pensioners would be paid this week.

He however said that 1, 427 workers and pensioners found to have submitted invalid Bank Verification Numbers, BVN, would however have their entitlements withheld pending further investigation.

attacking Tivs who had returned to their farm lands.

It was said that hundreds of the natives of the area had fled to other neighbouring villages while others ran to the Gassol B Police Divisional headquarters for safety.

As at the time of this report, Tiv people were fleeing the local government for fear of further attacks, despite the presence of armed security men just as there was tension in the Fulani herdsmen settlements over fear of reprisal attack by the Tivs in both Benue and Taraba states.

Vanguard, MONDAY, May 9, 2016 —

43

Condemnation trails militants’ attack on Chevron’s oil facility Umar Babuga Abubakar Nigeria is bigger than Niger Delta. Government is playing with time. Act of sabotage will not be condoled any more.

They should note that government of today is not the same with government of yesterday.

Lenin Iwaka It is a pity to read and hear our educated Niger Delta brothers throwing their support behind the Niger Delta militants. Some of them are direct beneficiaries of the loot and some are sponsors. Nearly all of them will not allow their children, brother or friend to carry guns or get involved. Others have flown their families out of the country. Let’s sit back and reflect. What have we really achieved so far by blowing up pipelines?

•Niger Delta militants

AVENGERS: The new face of Niger-Delta militancy Almaty G Valentine Our enemies see us as terrorist. But God sees us as freedom fighters. We don’t kill innocent people neither do we kill our own people. They can’t take what belongs to us by force neither do they think we are fools or blind. We shall protect our land.

Common sense I am in full support of the Niger Delta people. They need

to start their militancy and cripple the oil industry and Nigerian economy. Their demands are reasonable. The Niger Delta people own the oil land.

Reagan If the International oil companies and federal government of Nigeria think that the Niger Delta militants are criminal as they claimed and fail to meet our demands,

the militants are going to activate its elite unite the Niger Delta Force code name strike team 1. The International Oil Companies will be our first target including oil facilities.

Nonyelum Louis Until Nigerians understand that there is hidden agenda in this administration. And if we are afraid to voice it out,then Nigeria is doomed. This administration won’t achieve anything fighting with the militants.

John Esiri If I have my way, I will join the militants . This nation as it is, belongs to a few They deceive themselves by calling us one Nigeria.

Meon Kimi regan Niger Delta is underdeveloped because of one Nigeria. The region is infinitely exploited with nothing to show for it. The youths are tired. It is enough to form an army or strike force.

Herdsmen killings:

Jonathan

Blame foreigners — IGP Arase

Sheriff

PDP Crisis: We are disappointed in Jonathan’s support for Sheriff —Ex–Ministers McRemmy Myk Ognob Thank God as PDP continues to disintegrate. The more this type of news occur, the more PDP disappears from Nigeria’s affairs and the better for everyone.

Ikedichukwu Emmanuel The so called ex-ministers were the major problem PDP had and that made the party lost elections. Most of you are not politicians and had not even attended political meetings in your respective wards and local governments.

James-grim-teacher Buhari is a very good leader. The Fulani herdsmen invasion was caused by Biafra posture. They sensed weakness in the area and hoping that the FG will be too angry with the region.

Herdsmen Okpia Inspector General of Police, sir, did I hear you state clearly that you banned police road blocks? Pls sir there is police road blocks everywhere and they collect money in broad daylight with impunity. During the time of IG Muhammed the road blocks were not there but they are now back on the road in your time. You need to check this out sir. Weldone.

Mike Olanihun How many foreigners have you arrested? You are supposed do your job by protecting the President ‘s kinsmen.

Okolie Olisa The problem Nigeria is having is the police. Every sector of the police need retooling.. What are you doing about the killings?

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Pastor Adeboye declares ‘holy war’ against kidnappers, killer-herdsmen Tukur Ladan Where were you when Boko Haram were killing innocent peole? Are the Boko Haram saints that deserve his sympathy?

Olayinka Richard Are those people kidnapped Christians only? If all terrorists are not Muslims, why did they have to dress or act as one before they could carry the action?

John A dolinma Sir, please pray also for electricity, good roads, potable water, humility among our policemen and women, among others.

44—Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016

Extreme heat, rainfall linked to severe asthma

By Chioma Obinna HERE are fears that extreme heat and heavy rainfall may increase risk of hospitalisation for asthma. Meanwhile, no fewer than 15 million Nigerians are suffering from asthma.

According to findings by scientists at the University of Maryland School Of Public Health, extreme heat and heavy rainfall are related to increased risk of hospitalization for asthma.

The findings published in the Journal Environmental Health revealed that the increases in risk were particularly high during summer months.

"Previous scientific studies have shown that extreme weather events are becoming more common, more intense, and longer lasting in response to changing climate. Our study shows is that increases in the number of extreme heat and extreme precipitation events, particularly during summer months, lead to more asthma hospitalisations.

Meanwhile, experts have raised alarm over the increasing number of Nigerians living with asthma.

At an event to mark World Asthma Day in Nigeria, Nigerian Thoracic Society (NTS), warned that a large

T

number of them stand a high chance of dying from the disease due to inadequate education.

In his submission, President of NTS, Prof. Peter Etete, said that currently in Nigeria, 75 per cent of hospital admissions from asthma and as many as 90 per cent of the deaths from the disease are avoidable.

Etete who is also the Chief Medical Director of

Currently in Nigeria, 75 per cent of hospital admissions from asthma and as many as 90 per cent of the deaths from the disease are avoidable Universality of Uyo, Alkwa Ibom State, lamented that Nigeria has lost many gifted and illustrious people to asthma.

Etete said asthma is one of the most common chronic lung diseases affecting approximately 400 million

Asthma is one of the most common chronic lung diseases people worldwide, adding that despite, the availability of different asthma drugs, the underlying reason for many of the deaths is inadequate education.

He further called for a stronger patient education to ensure that Nigerians know that although, the disease may not be cured, it can be controlled.

"Globally, people with asthma will grow by more than 100

million by 2025, adding that the condition was typically characterised by recurring respiratory symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightening.

Etete encouraged patients and relatives of individuals with recurrent cough, noisy breathing, and breathlessness to report to the nearest health facility for necessary tests to rule out asthma. He declared the association's readiness to

Moses, 33, seeks N7m for kidney transplant

‘I

AM dying slowly even as I speak to you. My strength is failing me. Where do I go from here? All my money, efforts have gone down the drain. My family is starving. My children have dropped out of school. We now live hoping that God will send a helper every seconds of the day."

These were the lamentation of a 33-year-old Kidney patient, Mr. Moses Ezeolisa while at Vanguard Media Limited Corporate head office Tuesday in

Lagos.

Father of three children, who tried to fight his emotions could not but broke down in tears. Only a man with stone-heart could resist his (Moses) battered emotions. Moses is battling with End Stage kidney disease, also called chronic kidney failure.

Chronic Kidney Disease, CKD, according to experts is a gradual loss of kidney function. Kidneys filter wastes and excess fluids from the blood, which are then

Sick Moses on a Dialysis machine at the Cardiac and Renal Centre, Gbagada, Lagos.

excreted in the urine. When chronic kidney disease reaches an advanced stage, dangerous levels of fluid, electrolytes and wastes can build up in the body.

Cardiologists at the Cardiac and renal Centre Gbagada handling his case confirmed that Moses is currently faced with such challenge.

Life-saving procedure In a medical report signed by the Medical Officer at the centre, Dr. O.A Alli who confirmed that the patient has been on dialysis in the last one year said Moses needs urgent Kidney Transplant to live again.

Alli who expressed fears apparently due to Moses inability to proceed with the life-saving procedure due to financial constraints said about N7 million is urgently needed to save his life.

Narrating his ordeal to vanguard, Moses who betrayed all emotions in a laden-voice said: "I can no longer afford to pay for my dialysis." It all began last year when I discovered that I was having consistent malaria which defiled all medications. At a point I travelled back to my village Orlu in Imo state and my mother took

me to University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi where it was diagnosed.

"Since then, life has not been easy. Initially I was taking treatment at St Nicholas Hospital.

Then I was spending about N100, 000 every week because I was expected to dialyse three times a week. Now, I am using the Gbagada cardiac and Renal Centre where I diagnosed twice weekly. Unfortunately, I cannot afford the cost for one session which is about N25, 000 and drugs of about N8, 000.

Moses who was once a successful business man is appealing to Nigerians, Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha and the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode to come to his aid.

"I have no connection to my state governor or the state governor; I am appealing to Nigerians to please save my life. My children are still young. Please help me save the future of my children," he pleaded.

If you are touched by Moses plight, please contact 07080259583 or send your donations to account number, 2008511869, Name: Onyejiaku Adaeze Maria, Zennith Bank

collaborate with Governments in conducting epidemiological studies to determine the exact burden of the disease and implementation of evidence based approach to managing the disease.

Ambode, ministers, for 3rd NHEA

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O fewer than 29 Nigerians a n d organizations would be recognised at the upcoming Awards of the 3rd Nigerian Healthcare Award.

Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Awards, the Oscar of the Nigerian healthcare is an annual event taimed at celebrating individuals and organizations who have contributed to the development of the healthcare sector through innovative, efficient and qualitative healthcare delivery services that have significantly impacted the health and wellbeing of the citizens.

Among dignitaries to grace the occasion billed to hold 24th of June, 2016 are the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Folorunsho Adewole, Minister of State for Health, Country Director, Rachid Benmessaoud, World Bank, Nigeria, Dr. Rui Miguel Vaz, Country Representative for Nigeria, World Health Organisation.

NHEA is an initiative of Global Health Project and Resources in collaboration with Anadach Group, USA.

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016—45

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46—Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016

FG set to pay contractors

Execution of railway projects a priority— APC

By Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief

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HE National Chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief John OdigieOyegun, has disclosed that the execution of railway projects contained in the recently passed N6.06 trillion 2016 budget remains one of the priorities of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

While recalling that 30 percent of 2016 budgetary provision had been committed to capital projects, the APC National Chairman identified the railway projects as one of the critical infrastructural focuses of the administration.

Odigie-Oyegun made the disclosure in Abuja at a dinner held in his honour

by Saint Patrick’s College, Asaba, Old Boys Association, Abuja branch, on Saturday night.

The APC National Chairman graduated from the school in 1957.

He said in the coming months, the safety net created by the administration to cater for the poorest and vulnerable Nigerians and other economic initiatives aimed at diversifying and boosting the economy, would be implemented.

VANDALS, HERDSMEN: DHQ warns ‘mischief makers’

By Kingsley Omonobi

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B U J A — FOLLOWING renewed militants’ attacks on oil facilities and herdsmen's activities, the Defence Headquarters, DHQ, yesterday, reiterated its warning that it would not condone acts capable of causing a breakdown of law and order in any part of the country.

Acting Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Rabe Abubakar, said in a statement: “Citizens are advised to refrain from taking laws into their hands and avoid actions that may cause a breach to harmonious coexistence.”

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MEETING: President, African Development Bank, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina (right), and Executive Director/CEO, NEPC, Olusegun Awolowo, during a strategic meeting and presentation of zero oil plan initiative at Abidjan.

N78.6bn: MDAs, military biggest electricity debtors—DISCOs

By Chris Ochayi

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BUJA—ELECTRICITY Distribution Companies, DISCOs, have cried over the huge debt owed them by the ministries, departments and agencies, before and after the privatisation of the power sector, which they put at N78.6 billion.

The Executive Director of Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors, ANED, Sunday Oduntan, who disclosed this in Abuja, put the Nigerian military as top on the list of 166 customers with a debt of N22.4 billion.

Oduntan stated that the distribution companies had already perfected debt recovery plan to go after their debtors to recover them.

He said: “We are targeting our historical debtors, with a view to recovering our money.

MDAs debtors from pre- and post-privatisation, at the end of April, stands at N78.6 billion.

“We plan to carry out the exercise in a very careful, safety and efficient manner and we must succeed.”

Of all the Discos across the country, the ANED boss said Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC, has the highest debt record of about N18.6 billion, followed by Eko Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC, with N8.6 billion.

He pointed out that the agreement at the point of sale did not allow them to sell more

than five percent of their shares in five years.

“Even if they wished to, there are legal constraints that they cannot circumvent,” he added.

He said since government owns 40 percent of the shares, government could consider divesting part of its own to help raise the needed liquidity in the sector.

Mr. Oduntan, who noted that the event of last month, regarding the power outage, was challenging, pleaded with customers to bear with the DISCOs. Oduntan blamed the outage being experienced on recent attacks on oil and gas pipelines, but assured that the nation would get over it.

Senate backs FG’s plan to import grazing grasses from Brazil

By Henry Umoru

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B U J A — S E N AT E Committee on Agriculture said, yesterday, that it was supporting President Muhammadu Buhari’s order to import grasses for grazing from Brazil.

According to the Senate, the move to support the action of the Federal Government has become imperative as the importation of grazing pastures for cattle at designated places across the country will proffer permanent solution to the protracted crisis between farmers and herdsmen.

The committee also hailed President Buhari’s directive for the release of 10,000 tonnes of grains.

Speaking yesterday in Abuja, Chairman, Senate Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, dismissed criticism of the move by some

professors of agriculture.

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

Senator Adamu, who noted that importing grazing grasses and making them available to cattle rearers would stop the movement of cattle from one place to another, stressed that the move would also stop the growing spate of killings by herdsmen.

He said government will provide pasture to curtail the continuous movement of cattle by herdsmen.

He noted that in the United States, pastures and water were provided to grow nutritious grasses for cattle, adding that government must face the reality of the moment by taking painful decisions to end the herdsmen and farmers’ clashes.

EDERAL government contractors, who have been waiting to be paid, can now heave a sigh of relief as the Ministry of Finance is set to pay so they could return to sites.

Mr. Festus Akanbi, Special Adviser (Media) to the Minister, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, told Vanguard yesterday that contractors handling various roads and other infrastructure projects would be one of the first beneficiaries of the N350 billion to be immediately pumped into the economy, after President Muhammadu Buhari signed the 2016 budget.

His words: “The Federal Government is determined to reflate the economy by stimulating various activities that will bring about jobs and wealth creation.

“One critical group is the contractors, who are undertaking various roads and other infrastructure projects across the country.

“Recall that most of these contractors have left sites and laid off their workers because they were not being paid.

“What the governments wants to do is to pay these contractors; but we will get a commitment from them that they must reengage their workers and return to sites.

“By so doing people will work, get paid and have money in their pockets to spend. It is when they have the purchasing power and make purchases that we can have many other activities going on in the economy to strengthen the economy.”

Mr. Akanbi also said that power sector would receive urgent attention now that the budget had been signed, in order to increase electricity supply to consumers.

According to him, with better power supply, a lot could be achieved in the manufacturing sector and among the medium and small entrepreneurs, whose activities revolve around electricity.

He added government, working with the two other tiers of government, will create the enabling environment for farm produce to reach markets.

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016 — 47

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MIR Khan’s dream of unique British boxing glory disappeared like a mirage into the Nevada desert and into the mists of semi-consciousness.

The skies outside the new T-Mobile Arena wept, perhaps partly with sympathy for a brave but fallen world middleweight title challenger from across the pond, on a strangely rain-swept night in Las Vegas.

The storm also swept away the notion that a two-time world light welterweight champion from Bolton could rise up to shock a middleweight as strong of body, forceful of mind and heavy of punch as Mexico’s heir to the legendary Julio Cesar Chavez.

Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez took just under six rounds to come to terms with Khan’s lightning start, shudder him to the body, find his range to the head and then fell

Khan falls in six

Continues from BP Lobi Plateau Warri Wikki

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MFM FC Sunshine Rivers Utd Nasarawa

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Zenith Bank WBL: Dolphins, First Bank begin well

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•GOOD NIGHT: Amir Khan on the canvass after receiving a vicious right hook from Alvarez him with a blow of dynamite impact that it started somewhere near the ringside seats and detonated on his chin and not only sent him into a stupor but crashed his head against the canvas.

Referee Kenny Bayless had hardly begun counting when he waved

his arms, first over the prostrate figure of Khan, then to summon medical assistance.

The immediate concern was not for Khan’s future but the time it took to come round and be helped to his feet.

Power conquered quickness. Strength derailed an express train.

Khan was taken to

hospital immediately after leaving the ring.

However, Golden Boy promoter Oscar De La Hoya said: ‘Amir ’s just been taken for a check up. He is alright but it is right to take this precaution.’

Khan sent this message from hospital: ‘I’m OK. That’s boxing.

Congrats to Canelo.

Love to all the fans.’

ENITH women basketball league defending champions, Dolphins Basketball club of Lagos were off to a fine start at the weekend when they defeated hard fighting Delta force of Asaba 83-65 in defence of the title they won last year thereby opening a good campaign for the 2016 Zenith bank woman basketball league final 8 play off.

The Ochuko Okworogun, tutored girls also went ahead to inflict the first defeat to IGP queens yesterday to set up today’s match-up against Plateau Rocks of Jos. Ochuko Okworogun said their mission is to defend the title they won last year, without actually focusing on any particular

team.

In other matches played so far, Nigeria Customs team out dunked Ahip Queens of Kano 68-44, while former champions First Bank defeated Benue Princess.

Plateau Rocks lost 37-45 to IGP Queens. Captain of Plateau Rocks, Gloria Umeh blamed their loss to fatigue having travelled by road to Lagos for the games “We travelled long way from Jos and arrived late. We did not have enough rest before facing the Police ladies. We hope to make it up in the remaining matches.” But her opposite number Hannah Makanju, captain of the Police team dismissed her opponents excuses while insisting that they actually worked hard for their victory.

Djokovic wins Madrid Open N

•Djokovic

Celtic Continues from BP week’s victory at Hearts and came into the game nine points clear of Aberdeen with three matches to play, as well as having a goal difference that was superior by 35.

Only a point was needed to officially seal the Premiership title with two matches to spare and it appeared as though they were coasting to victory as Patrick Roberts’ first-half double and Mikael Lustig’s strike early in the second half gave them a three-goal lead.

The Dons made a fight of it, though, as two goals in seven minutes from Niall McGinn and Andrew Considine brought them back to within one, but

Celtic held firm to begin the title celebrations.

Celtic - knocked out of the Scottish Cup by rivals Rangers - now only have league matches against St Johnstone and Motherwell to round off their season.

Manager Deila will then depart the club after two seasons at the helm having announced he will step down following the semifinal loss to Rangers.

This is Celtic’s 47th topflight title in their history, placing them seven behind their Old Firm rivals in the all-time table.

Celtic need to win another four if they are to match Rangers’ famous run of nine-in-a-row from 1989 to 1997, a mark they also achieved themselves with nine successes between 1966 and 1974.

OVAK Djokovic defeated Andy Murray, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, in the Madrid Open final on Sunday to win a record 29th career Masters title.

Djokovic saved seven break points in the final game and converted on his third match point of the night to secure the win over the defending champion, moving one victory ahead of Rafael Nadal in Masters tournament victories.

It was Djokovic’s second title in Madrid, and fifth of the year this season. He reached 33 wins, the most

Rangers Continues from BP point ahead of secondplaced Kano Pillars with Abia Warriors a close third.

Chisom Egbuchulam put Rangers ahead from the penalty spot after 80 minutes after he was upended inside the box.

However, Tope Orelope, who came close to signing for Rangers in the close season, drew Shooting Stars level in stoppage time also from the penalty spot after Matthew Etim handled the ball inside his own box.

In other matches, Plateau United were held to a goalless draw by Sunshine Stars and Lobi Stars pipped MFM FC 1-0 at home.

on tour in 2016.

The loss allows Roger Federer to surpass Murray for No. 2 in the world on Monday. It also kept the British player from winning his 12th Masters 1000 title, and second on clay.

Djokovic dominated the first set but it was even from then until the end, with both players faltering on decisive moments.

Djokovic hit 25 winners but had as many unforced errors, while Murray had 10 aces in the match that lasted 2 hours, 6 minutes at the “Magic Box” center court in the Spanish capital.

The thrilling last game finally ended when Murray sent a forehand into the net, giving Djokovic his 15th straight win against top-10 opponents, a streak in which he has lost only two

Nigeria striker Continues from BP then missed the second penalty in the 41st minute, when the game was 2-0.

He has scored just once this season.

He scored 15 goals last season to help Carpi gain promotion to Serie A. Ogenyi Onazi, who is preparing for his wedding, was an unused substitute for Lazio.

of 35 sets.

The top-ranked Serb has won four of the last five Masters titles, including three this year. He had already won in Indian Wells and Miami, and had also clinched the Australian Open in a final against Murray.

The nine Masters tournaments of the season are elite tournaments ranked just below the four Grand Slams.

It was Djokovic’s first clay-court tournament since being upset by 55thranked Jiri Vesely in the second round in Monte Carlo last month.

PSV

Continues from BP Eredivisie title for Phillip Cocu’s PSV and the 23rd in the Eindhoven club’s history.

Ajax went into the final day of the season ahead of PSV on goal difference and only needed to beat De Graafschap to seal their 34th Dutch league title.

Amin Younes gave Ajax the lead in the 16th, but Bryan Smeets leveled the scores 10 minutes after the break and Ajax could not break through for a winning goal in the remainder of the second half.

La Liga Continues from BP powerfully headed a Mauricio Cuero cross into the back of Jan Oblak’s net.

And just a minute from time, the home side found a shock winner. Giuseppe Rossi completed a swift counterattack with a cool left-footed finish to end Atleti’s hopes of a second league title in three seasons.

Meanwhile, Barcelona kept their La Liga dream alive with 5-0 defeat of Espanyol in the Catalan derby. A Lionel Messi free kick in the eighth minute calmed any early nerves at the Camp Nou — the Argentine’s left footed effort from just outside the box finding the near-post top

corner despite a slight touch from Espanyol goalkeeper Pau Lopez.

Luis Suarez then put the game out of reach seven minutes after the break — the Pichichi leader slotting home a Messi pass from from close range. Suarez added further insurance — and his 37th La Liga goal — just after the hour mark with an unstoppable header past Lopez from a Neymar corner. Rafinha then scored with an easy tap-in after a Lopez blunder, before Neymar capped the day with one of his own on 83 minutes.

Real Madrid took care of their business with a 3-2 win against 10-man Valencia at the Bernabeu.

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016

Khan falls in six Rangers draw, top NPFL R

ANGERS are back on top of the Nigeria league despite dropping their first points at home this season on the back of a 1-1 draw with Shooting Stars on Sunday.

Rangers now have 28 points from 15 matches, a Continues on Page 47

Nigerian striker misses two penalties

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IGERIAN striker Jerry Uche Mbakogu failed to lift his Italian Serie A side Carpi

Celtic win 5th consecutive Scottish title

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FE Ambrose Scottish club, Celtic have been crowned Scottish champions for a fifth consecutive year after holding off an Aberdeen

fightback in a thrilling 3-2 victory on Sunday.

Ronny Deila’s men had all but won the Scottish Premiership title with last Continues on Page 47

when it mattered most on Sunday as he missed two penalty kicks in a 2-0 home loss to Lazio.

Carpi are 18th on the 20team Serie A table and deep in the relegation zone with 35 points from 37 games.

Mbakogu missed a spot kick in the 15th minute when the game was goalless.

The 23-year-old striker Continues on Page 47

SUCKER PUNCH: Alvarez lands with a potent overhand right to put Khan on the canvas and ends his hopes of snatching the WBC middleweight title

La Liga: Atletico crash out; Barca, Real win A

•Messi

•Ronaldo

TLETICO Madrid crashed out of La Liga’s title race with a 2-1 loss at relegation side Levante yesterday, while wins by Barcelona and Real Madrid ensured the champions will be decided on the final matchday.

Fernando Torres had put

Atletico in front after two minutes with a delicious chip over Levante goalkeeper Diego Marino after being played into space. Levante found an equaliser on the half-hour mark through Victor Casadesus, who

PSV Eindhoven clinch Eredivisie title

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SV Eindhoven successfully defended their Eredivisie league title by beating PEC Zwolle 3-1 on Sunday as NPFL Akwa Utd Rangers Enyimba Heartland Pillars

Ajax could only manage a 1-1 draw at second-last De Graafschap.

It was the second straight Continues on Page 47

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Ifeanyi Ubah Shooting Tornadoes El Kanemi Ikorodu Utd

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Continues on Page 47

Continues on Page 47

QUICK CROSSWORD

T OD AY'S PUZZLE ODA

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

DOWN ACROSS 1 Respect (6 1 Rogue (6) 2 Fighting (6) 5 See-saw (6) 3 So be it (4) 9 Parrot (5) 4 Subsequently (5) 10 Attic (6) 5 Domesticated (5) 11 Repaired (6) 6 Pitcher (4) 12 Fresher (5) 7 Boredom (6) 14 Gap (4) 8 Blush (6) 17 Colour (3) 13 Occidental (7) 18 Rage (4) 15 Irritated (5) 20 Fear (5) 16 List (5) 22 Female (5) 18 Market-place (5) 23 Relative (7) 19 Manufacturer (5) 24 Respond (5) 21 Parched (3) 26 Adjusted (5) 22 Damp (3) 29 Inactive (4) 24 Tape (6) 30 Sphere (3) 25 Fish (6) 32 Lake (4) 33 Booby-trapped (5) 27 Tidy (6) 28 Wreckage (6) 35 Nuptial (6) 30 Lubricated (5) 36 Rota (6) 31 Cap (5) 37 Spree (5) 33 Horse (4) 38 Required (6) 34 Distribute (4) 39 Ball-game (6)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 4, Padre 7, Amazed 9, Led 10, Per 12, Rinse 13, Itch 15, Eerie 17, Hearse 19, Ugly 20, Creep 22, Cad 24, Defiled 27, Den 28, Least 31, Opus 33, Addled 35, Water 37, Mode 38, Under 39, Dog 41, Act 42, Patent 43, Death.

DOWN: 1, Maniac 2, Gauche 3, Pep 4, Peri 5, Adieu 6, Restless 8, Deer 11, Rescinded 14, Heed 16, Real 18, Aped 21, Response 23, Dell 25, Feat 26, Deem 29, Adored 30, Treaty 32, Sweet 34, Drop 36, Arch 40, Gap.

How to Play Sudoku

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lace a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can have two of the same number).

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row.

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

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