Binder1

NFF, NFSC in replica jersey scam Fans demand $150 refund each

S Maigari

Vol. 4 N0. 878

ome Nigerians in Brazil are accusing the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and Nigeria Football Supporters Club of fleecing

them of $150 each, which they allegedly paid to be provided with the new jerseys of the Super Eagles.

The Nigerian residents CONTINUED ON PAGE 53>>

Uruguay’s Suarez sinks England in 2-1 win

Friday, June 20, 2014

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Ekiti: IG deploys AIG, five CPs, restricts movements Police bar two governors from rally, APC alleges

OMEIZA AJAYI, DENNIS NAKU, SEBASTINE EBHUOMHAN

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arely one week after the InspectorGeneral of Police, IGP, Mohammed Abubakar, deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (Operations), Michael Zuokumor, in Ekiti State, CONTINUED ON PAGE 2>>

FG sets up committee to manage recovered N37.4bn Abacha P.5 loot Sympathisers signing condolence register at the residence of the late Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji Abdulazeez Arisekola-Alao, in Ibadan yesterday.

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Confab stops absenteedelegates’ allowances ‘We’re responsible people and that should reflect here’

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India displaces US as largest importer of Nigeria’s crude

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Confab stops absentee-delegates’ allowances OMEIZA AJAYI AND WOLE OLADIMEJI

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eeved by the high rate of absenteeism at its plenary sessions, the leadership of the national conference has halted the payment of allowances to absenteedelegates.

It said that as from Monday, it would stop payment of allowances to such delegates.

National Mirror observed that the conference had gradually lost momentum as some delegates no longer exhibited the vigour with which they began the exercise.

The conference leadership lamented that over 50 per cent of the delegates had now shunned its proceedings, preferring to go about their individual businesses.

It said the only delegates who obtained permission to be absents based on health grounds would be paid their allow-

ances.

The leadership, however, did not say if the unpaid allowances would be returned to government coffers.

Since the conference began debate on the reports of some of its 20 committees, some delegates had absented themselves from conference proceedings several times.

Debates on reports bordering on the social sector, science and technology witnessed some of the lowest number of delegates participating.

When the conference begins debate on constitutional issues, the membership is likely to increase due to its sensitivity and ability to inflame ethnoreligious passion.

While informing delegates of the decision yesterday, Deputy Chairman, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, lamented that more than half of the seats at the conference were empty, saying that government was worried that 50 per cent of del-

egates no longer turned up for plenary.

“They are reminding us that when members of an intervention agency are being paid sitting allowances, they should sit. We are considering not paying allowances to those, who do not turn up for plenary. We

don’t want to be pushed to a situation where we treat esteemed delegates like secondary school students.

“We don’t want it to get to that. We are all very responsible people and we should show that here.

“With effect from Monday, delegates who don’t

show up will not be paid sitting allowance except on health reasons and that should have been communicated to us.”

National Mirror learnt that the action was taken as a last resort to whip back erring delegates back in line.

Save for the four week extension granted the conference, the exercise would have since ended earlier this week.

Before now, the conference leadership had continued to pay all delegates whether they were present or absent from plenary.

Standstill on Kubwa Expressroad due to demolition of illegal structures in Galadima by Federal Capital Development Authority in Abuja, yesterday.

PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA

Ekiti: IG deploys AIG, five CPs, restricts movements CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

the police boss yesterday again deployed an Assistant Inspector-General of Police, and five commissioners of police to the state.

They are to coordinate police operations during tomorrow’s governorship election in the state.

In a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, the IGP described the redeployment as part of measures to ensure a proper coordination of security operations to achieve a hitch-free election, devoid of electoral fraud.

Those deployed are AIG Bala Nasarawa to supervise security arrangements. He will be assisted by four commissioners of police. While CP Ikechukwu Aduba will be in charge of Ekiti State for the period of the election, three other CPs will be specifically saddled with the responsibility of supervising security arrangements in the three senatorial districts of the state.

According to Mba, the CPs are Danladi Mshelbwala (Ekiti-North), Mohammed Ibrahim (Ekiti-Central) and Augustine Eubakhabokum (Ekiti-South). Hosea

Karma (CP in charge of Police Mobile Force, PMF) will be charged with the responsibility of supervising the operations of the Police Mobile Force and other special Strike Forces.

The IGP has also placed an order banning movements in and out of Ekiti State with effect from 6pm yesterday till the elections are over.

“On Saturday, June 21, 2014, which is the day of the election, movements will be restricted within the state between 6am to 8pm.

“Consequently, the states of Kwara, Kogi, Ondo and Osun which are contiguous to Ekiti State will have increased police presence with all entry and exit points in and out of Ekiti maximally policed,” Mba said.

However, persons on essential duties, including ambulance service providers, INEC officials, on-duty security men, accredited election monitors/observers and accredited journalists are not affected by this order.

Mba said the Force High Command noted that the restriction order was informed by the exigencies of overriding security consid-

erations.

Noting that the force is not ignorant of the citizen’s right to freedom of movement as enshrined in the constitution, it, however, reiterates that the order is informed by the need to forestall plans by criminal elements to undermine the electoral process as gathered through intelligence reports.

While empathising with the citizenry over the inconveniences the order may cause, the IGP implores them to see this restriction as a necessary sacrifice in the present circumstance geared towards the quest for a seamless, credible and successful gubernatorial election.

He also appeals to travellers to avail themselves of the use of alternate routes to their destinations where necessary within the stipulated days.

The force has also warned all security details to desist from accompanying their principals and politicians to polling booths and collation centres during the election.

It stressed that only security personnel specially assigned for election duties must be seen within and

around the election designated places.

Also, the Police Service Commission yesterday said it would be deploying its staff to monitor police conducts during the election.

Assistant Director, Press and Public Relations in the commission (name, pls.) said this was in line with the commission’s constitutional mandate of ensuring discipline in the force and that police officers on election duties adhered strictly to the rules of engagement, which is to maintain peace and security.

He said the delegation would be coordinated by three of its commissioners: Hon. Justice Olufunmilola Adekeye, Dame Comfort Obi and Chief Torngee Tor’ Anyiin based on the three senatorial districts.

“In case of any incident of misconduct or act of gallantry by officers of the Nigeria Police Force, members of the public are enjoined to call the following numbers: Ekiti Central Senatorial District – 08065265651; Ekiti North Senatorial District – 08072981057 and Ekiti South Senatorial District – 08033010905,” he added.

Meanwhile, security op-

eratives yesterday barred Governors Adams Oshiomhole (Edo) and Rotimi Amaechi (River) from attending the All Progressives Congress, APC, final rally in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital apparently on the “order from above”.

According to report from Benin, the Edo State capital, the Presidency was alleged to have ordered the grounding of the helicopter chartered to fly Oshiomhole from Benin to Ado-Ekiti where the governor was to attend the final campaign rally for the re-election of Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

Following the grounding of the helicopter, Oshiomhole, who was scheduled to address the rally, was left stranded at the Benin Airport for two hours.

Giving reasons for grounding the helicopter, the Commander of the 81 Air Maritime Group in Benin, Air Commodore Soji Awomodu, was quoted to have said that he stopped the governor after he received “a call from above” that no private jet or helicopter should be allowed to fly out of Benin to Akure or Ado-Ekiti.

However, another source

at the same 81 Air Maritime Group, who did not want his name mentioned, was said to have denied that the Presidency was behind the order, stating that the issue was purely a military affair.

The Benin Airport Manager, Mr. Sunday Ayodele and the Airspace Manager, Mr. Ibekwe, told our correspondents they had no hands in the governor’s aborted trip as they had no directive to that effect.

The helicopter, marked 5NBQ8, however, flew out of Benin at about 1:20pm without any passenger on board.

Oshiomhole expressed shock at the development, wondering why he was prevented from travelling even when some other APC governors and party leaders were allowed to fly to Ekiti State.

The same treatment was also said to have been meted to the Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, who was said to have been held hostage by soldiers at the Ondo/Ekiti State boundary.

Amaechi, who doubles as the Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, was scheduled to address the rally.

According to a statement CONTINUED ON PAGE 5>>

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Friday, June 20, 2014

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Photo News

Friday, June 20, 2014

L-R: Outgoing Managing Director, Julius Berger Plc, Mr. Wolfgang Goetsch; incoming Managing Director, Mr. Detlev Laubasch; Finance Director, Mr. Wolfgang Kollermann and Public Affairs Advisor, Mr. Clement Iloba, during the annual general meeting of the company in Abuja, yesterday.

PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA

L-R: Honorary Secretary of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering, Engr. Alex Ogedengbe; Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Engr. Andrew Yakubu and Technical Secretary of the academy, Engr. I. K. Inuwa, during the induction of Yakubu as a Fellow of the academy in Lagos, yesterday.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

L-R: CEO, Fidelity Bank Ghana, Mr. William Derban; Senior Vice President and Africa Regional Head, Accion, Mr. Brian Kuwik; Lead Consultant, Thistle Praxis, Mrs. Ini Onuk; CEO, Economic Associates, Dr. Ayo Teriba and CEO, Lotus Capital, Hajara Adeola, at the end of the opening session of the ongoing Thistle Praxis AR-CSR Conference in Tinapa, Calabar, yesterday.

L-R: Managing Director, Nigeria Reinsurance Corporation/New Deputy President Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria, Lady Isioma Chukwuma; Immediate Past President, Mr. Fatai Lawal and New President Mr. Oyebola Temowo during the Annual General Meeting/Investiture Ceremony PHOTO: SAMUEL ADETIMEHIN of New Council Members of the CIIN, in Lagos, yesterday.

National News CHIDI UGWU ABUJA

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he Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, has declared that India has replaced the United States of America as the largest importer of Nigeria’s crude oil.

This is contained in statement made available to newsmen in Abuja by the Group General Manager, Public Affairs Division of NNPC, Ohi Alegbe.

According to the statement, India leads the Asian countries in the importation of Nigerian crude, while China and Malaysia followed closely.

The US, which had traditionally taken the bulk of Nigeria’s crude, has in recent months drastically reduced its demand which now stands at about 250,000 barrels per day.

But the NNPC said India now purchases some 30 per cent of Nigeria’s daily crude production, which currently hovers around 2.5m barrels.

The statement, quoted

India displaces US as largest importer of Nigeria’s crude

NNPC’s Coordinator of Corporate Planning and Strategy, Dr. Tim Okon, as disclosing the development to newsmen in Moscow, Russia, at the on-going 21st World Petroleum Congress, that India leads the Asian countries to replace the US. Dr. Okon, who also doubles as the Director of Transformation of the NNPC, explained that Nigeria would not ignore any market in its quest to remain competitive in the global oil and gas industry.

“Asia is important and in that respect, we have regards for all markets; the important thing is to make sure that you are selling the products that you have and you do not ignore any market.”

According to him, Nigeria is participating in the congress to access global business opportunities in the petroleum industry, especially in the gas sub-sec-

tor to enable it to position itself as a major competitor in the hydrocarbon market.

He said as a natural resource rich country, Nigeria is working hard to do a better job in developing such resources and translating them to the wider economy.

While stressing that the country does not have preference markets for its products, he, however, admitted that the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, currently before the National Assembly, needs to be passed into law to enable the country to

maximise its potentials in the oil and gas industry.

Roundly regarded as the global oil and gas industry equivalent of the Olympics, the World Petroleum Congress is the biggest congregation of oil and gas experts on the global stage.

The Congress essentiality consists of an exhibition and conference.

Nigeria’s participation at the 2014 WPC is anchored on the theme `Harnessing Nigeria’s Gas Resources for Sustainable National and Regional Development’.

Provide licence, crude oil to illegal refiners, FG urged UDEME AKPAN

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he Federal Government has been asked to provide licence and crude oil in order to enable illegal operators refine petrol and

other petroleum products for local consumption.

The new President of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering, Prof. R. Salawu, who made the call at his investiture in Lagos yesterday, said the illegal refiners have the

capacity to boost petroleum products’ supply in the nation.

He said the increased local refining would also go a long way in reducing the present massive importation of petrol and other petroleum products

into the nation.

Salawu said instead of attacking the small scale refiners, the Federal Government should provide assist them to improve on their operations in order to increase fuel availability.

FG releases N200bn as 2nd quarter capital vote

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he Federal Government in Abuja yesterday announced the release of N200 billion for the execution of capital projects for the second quarter of the financial year.

A statement issued by the Special Adviser to the Minister of Finance, Mr Paul Nwabuikwu, said the release was in addition to N200 billion released in the first quarter.

The statement said that the total sum of N400 billion had been released so far and that the other ‘approved’ appropriations in the budget would follow accordingly.

It said the release showed the determination of the Federal Government to ensure that clear and measurable progress was achieved in the execution of capital projects.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

News

Friday, June 20, 2014

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FG sets up committee to manage recovered N37.4bn Abacha loot TOLA AKINMUTIMI ABUJA

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he Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, yesterday confirmed the payment of Euro 167m (N37.4bn) from the Government of the Principality of Liechtenstein and how government intended to manage it.

A statement by the minister’s Special Assistant, Paul Nwabuikwu, in Abuja indicated that President Goodluck Jonathan would constitute an inter-ministerial committee to identify the best projects and programmes in which to invest the funds for proper utilisation.

The minister also stated that the President had directed that part of the funds should be saved in the Future Generations Fund, one of the funds managed by the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, NSIA, to secure the economic future of Nigerian youths and unborn Nigerians.

According to her, as part of the terms of the agreement reached with the Principality of Liechtenstein, the World Bank will assist in monitoring the utilisation of the funds in specific projects.

Okonjo-Iweala noted that the return of the funds was the culmination of a 16-year effort by the Federal Government to retrieve the funds.

She also disclosed that the retrieval of the stolen funds was the result of President Jonathan’s efforts along with the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation, AGF, Mr. Muhammad Adoke, with support from her office and that of the National Security Adviser.

The minister attributed the delay in retrieving the looted funds to the suit instituted at the European Court of Human Rights, ECHR, by companies owned by the Abachas alleging infringement of their rights to a fair trial and to peaceful enjoyment of their possessions, which did not allow the Principality of Liechtenstein to proceed with the return of the funds.

To demonstrate the commitment of the Federal Government to retrieving the funds, Okonjo-Iweala

said that the AGF also filed a suit against Mr. Mohammed Abacha before the Abuja High Court.

According to her, as part of the negotiations to expedite the recovery of the funds, the Abachas agreed to discontinue their suit before the ECHR, a move which also made the Federal Government to subsequently withdraw the case against the Abachas, paving the way for the release of the looted funds

by Liechtenstein.

Adoke had on Wednesday announced the Federal Government’s decision to discontinue the prosecution of Mohammed Abacha, the eldest son of late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, over the role he played in the stealing of the money.

Although the Federal Government’s decision contradicted its position on corruption cases, Adoke relied on Section 174 (1) (c) of the 1999 Constitution to invoke his powers to discontinue the case, citing availability of new facts to justify his action.

However, analysts have questioned the rationale behind the Federal Government’s trade off with the Abacha family on the looted funds, particularly the unreasonableness of allowing the family to go away with the alleged N466bn looted from the public coffers.

National President, National Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN, Wale Ajani, described it as unfortunate and portrayed to the international community that the present administration was not serious about the fight against corruption.

Ajani said that there was no justification for any government to allow anybody that had stolen from the nation’s wealth to go scot free, particularly when such despicable acts had aggravated the socio-economic plights of Nigerians.

“It is rather unfortunate to hear that, especially when you consider the fact that the regime brutalised many Nigerians and caused untimely deaths of several Nigerians some of which cases are pending in courts and the children of those killed by the junta can never recover from the trauma,” Ajani said.

On the discontinuation of the suit against Mohammed Abacha, a legal practitioner and activist, Kayode Adaramoye, agreed that the AGF had the powers to discontinue with any case at any point, butdescribed the government’s action as undesirable for Nigeria’s development.

“Let me say that the action of the Federal Government is like patting corruption on the back and proof that the administration is not sincere about the fight

against corruption and if you look at it critically, even past governments in the country did not fare better.

“We have several cases of corruption that had been discontinued for no justifiable reasons just as you even have some thieves who should ordinarily be languishing in prison now walking at the corridors of power due to questionable pardon by the state.

“It is rather sad that all these are happening in a country that has the po-

tential to make its people amongst the best catered for in terms of socio-economic well being but ironically have millions of the citizens groaning under the burden of poverty,” Adaramoye added.

Another legal expert and civil activist, Eze Onyekpere, rued the stance of the government, which he said was encouraging corruption with impunity and capable of making Nigerians who ordinarily would want to live a decent

life of integrity to also get into the public funds looting game.

Onyekpere, the Lead Director, Centre for Social Justice, expressed serious concern about the trend of looting with impunity in the country, saying that since people knew if they stole and were caught, they could easily get away with the loot as far as they could explore the bargaining plea option or return a paltry sum to government’s coffers.

L-R: Former governors: Mr. Peter Obi (Anambra), Dr. Peter Odili (Rivers), Imo State Deputy Governor, Mr. Eze Madumere and wife of Charles Oputa, Diana, during the valedictory court session in honour of the late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa in Abuja, yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

Ekiti: IG deploys AIG, five CPs, restricts movements CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

by the state government, Amaechi was stopped at Olorunsogo-Ilado in Ondo State and refused entry into Ekiti State by military personnel who said they were acting on orders.

The governor, after being refused entry into the state, had to turn back and went to Akure hoping to travel back to Port Harcourt on his chattered aircraft that was parked at the Akure Airport.

He was, however, surprised when on getting to Akure Airport he was told the aircraft had also been grounded.

Reacting to the issue yesterday, Rivers State Government expressed dismay over the refusal to allow Amaechi entry into Ekiti State.

The state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, said that the governor’s life was in danger if the manner he was ambushed and held hostage between Ondo and Ekiti states boundary by soldiers and federal forces were any-

thing to go by.

She said: “The Rivers State Government is concerned about the safety of Governor Amaechi who is right now being held hostage in commando style by soldiers and Federal Government security agents in Otutu, Ondo State.

“Governor Amaechi as Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and as an APC governor and chieftain had left Port Harcourt this morning for Ekiti State where he was to join his brother governor in his last mega rally before the election.

“Governor Amaechi was ambushed and refused entry into Ekiti by military personnel acting on orders from above. He made a Uturn and returned to Akure where his chattered aircraft was parked, but was chased and rounded by armed soldiers and security personnel in Odudu, Ondo State.”

Semenitari alleged that the Army captain, who led the operation, said he had orders not to allow the governor entry or exit.

“In the meantime, the chattered aircraft that conveyed the governor has been grounded while the ministers of defence, police affairs and minister of state for defence have landed at the Akure airport.

“While we hold the person and office of the President in utmost regards, we believe that it is unacceptable that the Presidency would disrespect the person and office of an elected governor of a federating unit and consistently hound him,” she said.

The leaders of APC have condemned the barring of some of their governors from attending the rally.

APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Deputy National Chairman (South), Chief Segun Oni, Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha and Fayemi while speaking at the rally, said that the governors were prevented by security agencies apparently acting on ‘’orders from above’’ from travelling to Ado-Ekiti for the party’s final campaign.

A statement from the APC National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, which corroborated the position of the party leaders, said at least two governors - Oshiomhole and Amaechi - had so far been prevented from making the trip.

According to Mohammed, the helicopter that was to ferry Oshiomhole from Benin to Ado-Ekiti was refused permission to take off from the Benin Airport, while the plane carrying Amaechi actually landed in Akure, his convoy was stopped at the border between Ondo and Ekiti states and ordered to turn back because he would not be allowed to get into Ado-Ekiti.

The party said that while Amaechi’s convoy was being detained in order to force him to turn back, the convoys of the ministers of defence and police affairs came and were allowed to pass.

“These acts are illegal and definitely not in line with the Electoral Act, which stipulates that campaign for the election will only end at midnight on Friday.”

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Friday June 20, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

FG plans N13bn infrastructure in Abuja satellite towns

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hairman of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme, SURE-P, Gen. Martin Agwai (retd), has said the Federal Government would spend N13 billion to provide infrastructure in satellite towns in the Federal Capital Territory this year.

Agwai, who was a guest at the News Agency of

Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja, said SURE-P would fund the projects.

He said infrastructure that would be provided in the towns included roads, electricity and water.

He said the government decided to create roads and other facilities in Abuja and its environs to make construction of houses in the capital terri-

tory easier and to ensure that the buildings met international standard.

According to him, Abuja is a city that most people will like to come and see, but most of its satellite areas are not in the best of shapes.

“The plan is to meet international standard so that the disparity between the satellite towns and the

city of Abuja will not be too wide,” he explained.

The chairman noted that during the year, SURE-P would also provide N10 billion to support the funding of ongoing Abuja light-rail project to ensure its completion.

According to him, when completed, the rail project would help ease challenges in the transport sector

in the capital territory.

He explained that SURE-P was intervening in the rail project because it was Federal Government’s priority, adding that work had also begun on a new standard railway gauge from Abuja to Kaduna.

“We hope that by the end of this year, that rail line would be completed and we will have trains running from Kaduna to Abuja under two hours.

“Then, people can live in Kaduna and work in Abuja. After all, how long does it take people to come from Mararaba to work in

Abuja town,” he said.

Agwai explained that the role of SURE-P was to help in the provision of critical infrastructure in the country.

“Government also wants SURE-P to be an instrument, which when it leaves, would leave some capacity on ground.

“In line with this, SURE-P works with Project Implementation Unit from various ministries, departments and agencies. These PIUs are the link between us, the project and the ministry or agency,” he said.

LUTH: Finally, doctors call off strike

…as service costs slashed by 50%

T L-R: Iranian Ambassador to Nigeria, Saeed Koozechi; Iranian Minister of Industry, Mines and Trade/Head of Delegation, Mr. Mohammad Nemaizadeh; Minister of State (1) for Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri and Nigerian Ambassador to Iran, Alhaji Tukur Mani, during the 5th Nigeria-Iran Joint Commission meeting in Abuja, yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

Reps move to separate CCB from Presidency …want bureau to sack offending officials TORDUE SALEM ABUJA

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law is underway from the House of Representatives to remove the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, on the list of agencies under the Presidency.

The proposed law, sponsored by James Abiodun Faleke (Lagos-APC), and exclusively obtained by National Mirror yesterday, seeks to amend Section 254 and some subsections, to effect the transfer of powers.

“This Bill seeks to fur-

ther alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as Amended), among other things, to transfer the provisions relating to the Code of Conduct Tribunal from the Fifth Schedule to Chapter Seven (Judicature) of the Constitution.

“In order words, the Code of Conduct Tribunal will now be moved from being under the Executive arm of government, to be properly placed under the Judicial arm of government, where it rightly belongs,” the Explanatory Memorandum of the Bill

reads.

Other highlights of the bill are retirement age, mode of appointment of Chairman of CCB, tenure of the chairman of CCB, and the power of the bureau to sack public officers from office.

The House seeks to peg the retirement age of any chairman of the CCB at 70, and seeks the appointment of such chairman of the agency to be done by the President with recommendation and approval of the Senate. The president

exercises the sole responsibility of appointing the chairman.

The bill also seeks to confer on the National Assembly powers to legislate on the tenure of the head of the CCB, but however includes a rather controversial proposal to include powers of the board to sack any public office holder who fails to declare their assets or offends the authority of the board in any way.

The proposed law however allows for the decisions of the CCB to be appealed.

Scores killed as Boko Haram razes 8 villages in Borno, Adamawa INUSA NDAHI MAIDUGURI

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any people have been killed in Borno and Adamawa states as Boko Haram terrorists yesterday attacked eight communities bordering Cameroon.

The terrorists reportedly attacked Gwoza and Askira-uba local govern-

ment areas of Borno State and Madagali, the headquarters of Gulak local government area of Adamawa State and left scores of people either dead or injured.

Those who escaped the attack fled into the bush for safety.

Our correspondent learnt that the insurgents stormed Yaza, Kirshinga,

Kwargulam, Kuda, Shuwari bayan kogi in Adamawa State and some remote villages near Lassa in Askira -uba at about 2pm.

Several people, including the elderly and teenagers were killed, while several houses, churches, shops and vehicles were razed by the hoodlums.

Our correspondent

learnt that about 20 members of the sect invaded Kirshinga market and opened fire on traders and customers killing many.

Many of the villages have been deserted.

Efforts to confirm the attack from the Borno State Police Commissioner, Mr. Tanko Lawal or his spokesman proved abortive last night.

he management of Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Idi-Araba, has agreed to reduce cost of healthcare services in the hospital by 50 per cent.

The President, Association of Resident Doctors, LUTH branch, Dr Omojowolo Olubunmi, told newsmen in Lagos that this was part of the agreement reached between the hospital’s management and health workers.

Olubunmi said following the agreement, which also met other demands of the association and other health workers, the association had decided to end its three-week old industrial action.

“You cannot get 100 per cent of what you want, but I think we have got over 90 per cent and we are okay.

“The management has accepted and has reviewed downward some of the prices of services, especially some of the minor surgical procedures, to less than 50 per cent of the present rate.

“Also, management has issued letters to specify the tenure of residency training for all residents that are involved.

“It has also committed to issuing fresh letters to all residents immediately the circular we expect from the Federal Government comes.

“The issue of communication has also been taken care of.

“The only area we were not able to resolve is the issue of taxation, but we will continue to negotiate on that.”

Olubunmi said that the association, along with LUTH management and other hospital unions, under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, had signed “a mutually beneficial agreement.”

“The agreement we signed with the Ministry of Labour actually provided for a committee to monitor compliance on this agreement.

“So, I believe that management will comply with its own side of the bargain.

“The management should always be proactive and listen to the unions whenever they make their presentations.

They should engage in dialogue on time with sincerity.

“Also, there should be a committee or group of elders of the profession that will always serve as intermediary to intervene before things get out of hand.”

In her reaction, Mrs Hope Nwawolo, the hospital’s Public Relations Officer, said, “It is heartwarming that the strike has been called off.

“Generally, it may be absolutely difficult to prevent strikes because workers will always agitate from time to time.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Friday, June 20, 2014

N10bn Jet scandal: Court stops Reps from probing minister, NNPC ISE-OLUWA IGE ABUJA

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Federal High Court sitting in Abuja yesterday stopped the House of Representatives from going ahead with the probe of the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, over alleged spending of N10bn on chartered jets.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed granted the order of status quo in the matter, after it dismissed as puerile, an argument by the National Assembly that no court had powers to stop it from performing its

constitutional duty of lawmaking and the discharge of its oversight functions over the ministry and its agencies.

The court, however, agreed with the National Assembly that Section 4 of the 1999 Constitution clothed it with powers to make laws and carry out oversight functions over agencies of government, but added that Section 6 of the same 1999 Constitution vested judicial powers of the Federation in the court on all matters between persons or between government or authority, and to any person in Nigeria.

Justice Mohammed consequently held that while the House of Representa-

tives has the powers to invite officials of government for questioning in the discharge of its oversight functions, the court would not fold its hands and keep watching when the person so invited had earlier challenged the legality of such invitation.

He said the fact that the proposed probe by the House was already a subject of litigation was a sufficient reason for the lawmakers to await court’s pronouncement before going ahead.

The court added that the House ought not to do anything, pending determination of the case as both parties had submitted themselves to the jurisdiction of the court.

He explained that both parties were ordinarily caught by the principle of lis pendens to maintain status quo in the matter.

The judge consequently dismissed the argument by the National Assembly that stopping it from going ahead with its scheduled investigative probe would amount to granting a final order in the matter when the merit of the case was yet to be considered.

The judge, however, added that the order of status quo was to expire on the next adjourned date fixed for July 12, this year.

The court also restated that its order of accelerated hearing in the case subsisted.

FCT Minister moves to stop distortion of master plan OMEIZA AJAYI ABUJA

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he Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, yesterday announced his resolve to halt any further distortion of the Abuja Master Plan by some developers.

Mohammed stated this yesterday while inaugurating the reconstituted fivemember FCT Urban and Regional Planning Tribunal.

He said the relocation of the federal territory from Lagos to Abuja had exerted tremendous pressure on the city, resulting in unauthorised developments, changes in land use, traffic congestion and inadequacy in waste management.

ABUJA

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LASU releases new school fees

... as students resume Monday TUNBOSUN OGUNDARE

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arely a week after the students of Lagos State University, LASU, Ojo, went on protest, insisting that the school must come up with their exact school fees, the management of the institution yesterday released new figures.

This was based on the 34 to 60 per cent reduction of the fees, as announced by the state government, for students across different faculties.

The new fees, which have been approved by the school’s Governing Coun-

cil, in a release by the institution’s spokesman, Mr. Kayode Sutton, now ranges between N76,250 for a final year students in the Arts (49.3 per cent reduction) and N158,250 for a 200-level Engineering and Medical (Direct entry) students.

Under the new fees, a 100-level student in the Adebola Adegunwa School of Communication will now pay N103,250 and a 200-level student (Direct Entry) will be required to pay same fee, while a 200-level returning student pays N88,250.

For the College of Medicine, a fresh student will now be paying N115,750;

ditto a final year medical student, while a 200-level (Direct Entry) student in the same college will pay N158,250, representing a 36.4 per cent reduction.

While 100-level Engineering student will be paying N115,750, their returning counterparts at the 200 to 500 level will be paying between N106,750 and N143,250, with those at the lower levels paying more.

The new students at 100-level in the Faculty of Management Sciences and a final year (500-level) student will now be paying between N86,750 and N113,250, also with those in

higher level pay less.

The Faculty of Science got a reduction of between 42.3 and 51.6 per cent for those studying Fisheries, Botany and Zoology.

Now the students will be paying between N96,750 and N118,250, with those in lower classes paying more.

Sutton said the comprehensive details of the new fees are available on the school’s website.

The university directed all the students at the full and part-time, as well as postgraduate studies levels to resume on Monday.

The institution’s spokesman advised the returning students to be law-abiding.

Mohammed said the function of the tribunal is essentially to adjudicate on matters of contravention of the land use between developers and the control department of the FCT. The tribunal is to also assist in enforcement of standards or regulations, settle disputes arising from resettlement issues and act generally as an alternative dispute resolution institution in development matters.

Chairman of the tribunal, Ebenezer Oluseyi Olufadeju, said his team would ensure strict compliance with the Abuja master plan, pledging to work within the mandate of the tribunal and as well endeavour to keep to their oath of allegiance.

Nigeria sliding to police state —Atiku OBIORA IFOH

Member, Breast Cancer Screening Committee, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Prof. Mileani Obajimi (right) addressing women during a free breast cancer screening in Ibadan, yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

7

ormer vice president Atiku Abubakar has warned the Federal Government against turning the country into a police state, following restrictions placed on some All Progressives Congress, APC, governors and party members, from attending the campaign rally for their Ekiti State counterpart yesterday.

A press statement from the media office of the former vice president noted that the action of the PDPled Federal Government in stopping the governors of Kano, Rivers and Edo states from attending the APC governorship campaign rally in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, ‘in a Gestapo-like manner’, was capable of turning Nigeria into a Banana Republic, where fundamental

rights of citizens are trampled upon with impunity.

The Turakin Adamawa was particularly miffed at the way the Federal Government had been dragging the military and police into politics, warning that “the government must stop instigating state security agents, paid from tax payers’ money, against helpless, hapless and law-abiding Nigerians.”

The APC top chieftain, who promised at the party’s recent national convention that he would lead the vanguard to unseat the Jonathan administration he described as ‘inept and incompetent’, enjoined “our gallant military men to remain focused on securing and protecting the territorial integrity of our great nation, especially in this time of terror attacks and insurgency across the country.”

Bode-George’s wife is NDLEA’s new DG ROTIMI FADEYI ABUJA

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resident Goodluck Jonathan has appointed Mrs. Roli Bode-George as the Director-General of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA. A statement issued yesterday by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said Bode-George

takes over from Mr. Olufemi Ajayi, who is now the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, PTDF. Roli, who is the wife of a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olabode George, is also a member of the board of the National Population Commission, NPC. The statement said the appointment takes immediate effect.

8

South West

Friday, June 20, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

TRIBUTES TO ALHAJI ABDULAZEEZ ARISEKOLA-ALAO (1945 - 2014)

Amosun, Akinjide, others mourn Arisekola-Alao KEMI OLAITAN IBADAN

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he remains of the Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland and business mogul, Alhaji Abdulazeez ArisekolaAlao, was still being expected yesterday, just as important dignitaries across the country continued to troop to his Oluwo Nla, Basorun, Ibadan residence to commiserate with his family.

National Mirror learnt that his remains would be interred today, according to Islamic rites.

The Oyo State government had, yesterday, dispatched a delegation led by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Monsurat Sunmonu, to London to bring his corpse home. Others in the delegation include the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Mr. Olalekan Alli, and members of the State Executive Council.

Among the dignitaries that thronged his residence yesterday were the Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun; former Prelate of the Methodist Church, Archbishop Ola Makinde, Oba Otudeko, Chief Ebenezer Obey, Elder Wole Oyelese, Dr. Kunle Olajide, the Owatapa of Itapa-Ijesa, Dr. Olapade Agoro and Chief Dejo Raimi.

The state government has declared today a public holiday in the state in the late Aare’s honour.

Governor Abiola Ajimobi, while speaking on the death of the late Islamic leader, said: “He was a rare gem to this world, a foremost Islamic leader and philanthropist of note, an industrialist and business mogul of the first order.

“He was patriotic, a nationalist and undoubtedly the Adelabu of our time.

He was the Ibadan prince of the downtrodden. He remained the Mandela of the masses. Ibadan will never be the same without you,” Amosun eulogized.

Governor Amosun described the late Arisekola-

Alao as a good man who had gone to rest in the bosom of the Almighty Allah.

He said: “We will miss his smile, his warmth, his candour, his inspiring touch and leadership qualities; a devoted Muslim who cares for all and sundry, a philanthropist of repute.

Adieu, my dear brother.

May the Almighty Allah grant you Aljana Fidaus,” he prayed.

The Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Chief Olajumoke Akinjide, described the death of Arisekola as a great loss to the people of Ibadanland, Oyo State and Nigeria.

Akinjide, in a statement by her media aide, Mr. Adedeji Adeyemi, said the late business mogul would be remembered as a patriarch, religious leader, philanthropist and a bridgebuilder par excellence.

One of his sons, Idris Alao, while speaking with journalists, assured that the legacy left behind by his father would be protected by his children.

“We are sad that he left us suddenly. It is a monumental loss for his family, Oyo State and the world at large. My father was known to be the lover of the masses and his space will be hard to fill.

“We will also continue his philanthropic gesture and we shall continue to follow the path he left behind.

I will remember his smiles, laughs, plays and his fatherly role in my life,” he said.

One of his nephews, who is also the Special Assistant to the Oyo State Governor on Pubic Information, Mr. Demola Solalu, described the late lslamic leader as the most important person in his life, stressing that he contributed immensely to his success in life.

The President of Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes, CCII, Chief Bayo Oyero, said: “No word to use in describing his death, but shocking and tragic.

“When we look at the mystery surrounding his sudden demise, we wonder why. He will surely be missed by all Ibadan indi-

Arisekola-Alao genes, Oyo State and the country at large,” he said.

The Secretary of the Yoruba delegates to the ongoing National Conference, Dr. Kunle Olajide, on his part, stated: “Nigeria has lost a genius philanthropist, an extraordinary humanitarian and lover of the masses.”

To top musician, Chief Ebenezer Obey: “He was a man who believes in equality and religious tolerance. He will forever be missed by all and sundry.

He practices his religion with all his heart and he accommodates everybody, irrespective of their religion or nationality.” The General Officer Commanding, GOC, 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Major-General Emmanuel Abejirin, said the late philanthropist contributed immensely to the development of humanity, adding that his role would forever be remembered.

The state Chairman of National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Alhaji Taofeek Oyerinde (alias Fele) said: “It’s a great loss to humanity. I am still yet to believe that Baba is gone. I pray to Allah to forgive him and grant him eternal rest.”

Also, the lawmaker representing Ibadan North Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Abiodun Awoleye, described Arisekola as a philanthropist of life, lover of the masses and the needy.

“He is an Islamic scholar of extinction, we love him dearly but Allah loves him more. May his soul rest in peace,” Awoleye said.

Also, Chief Dejo Raimi, while speaking said: “My dear Aree Agbaye, you never told us that you would leave this sinful world so soon, as a devoted Muslim, philanthropist for the common people and a high chief in the Islamic environment who showed no symptoms of death before giving up the ghost.

“You came, you saw and you conquered, leaving your foot steps in the sands of history with those lives you have touched,” he added.

Meanwhile, the remains of the late Aare will be buried today at 9 am.

This was contained in a statement issued in Ibadan yesterday by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Dr. Festus Adedayo.

The body of the late Deputy President-General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA, is expected to touch down at the airport this morning, after which it would be moved in a motorcade to the Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Adamasingba, Ibadan, where prayers would be held.

According to the statement, Alhaji ArisekolaAlao’s remains would be committed to mother earth at his Oluwo Kekere residence, Bashorun Area, Ibadan.

…Ita-Giwa brands him a philanthropist EMMANUEL EGHAGHE

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hairman, National Conference Committee on Environment, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, has described the death of business tycoon and Islamic leader, Alhaji AbdulAzeez Arisekola-Alao, the Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, as a great loss to not just the Oyo people, but the entire Oduduwa linage and the nation at large.

In a statement released yesterday, Ita-Giwa eulogised the deceased and singled out the fact that in spite of his stupendous wealth, he was humble and amiable.

She recounted the late Arisekola-Alao’s hospitality and philanthropic gestures towards the needy and lessprivileged, which made his Ibadan home a Mecca of sort.

The statement read in part: “I join millions of Ni-

gerians in commiserating with the Oyo State government and the family of the late Alhaji Arisekola-Alao, who died in London on Wednesday, at the age of 69.

“So many qualities stood him out, but I am particularly touched by the fact that in spite of his stupendous wealth, he was humble, amiable and very hospitable,” she noted.

Ita-Giwa challenged all to emulate the deceased’s amiable quality by using their positions and possessions to add value to the lives of those in need of them, as the world is a marketplace and no one knows the event of the next minute, but God. She added that although the late Arisekola-Alao was not an active politician, he supported democracy in his capacity as a nationalist and a statesman, and that his contributions to national development would be missed.

…Oyo declares seven-days mourning

I

n another development, the Oyo State Government has declared seven days mourning, following the death of Alhaji AbdulAzeez Arisekola-Alao in the United Kingdom on Wednesday.

The Senior Special Adviser on Media to Governor Abiola Ajimobi, Dr. Festus Adedayo, made the disclosure on Wednesday night in Ibadan.

He said: ``The Oyo State Government has declared

seven days mourning for the Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji AbdulAzeez Arisekola-Alao.

“The state government has also declared Friday, June 20, 2014 a public holiday, as mark of respect for the spirit of the departed soul,’’ he prayed.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that Governor Ajimobi had earlier on Wednesday visited the Ibadan home of the deceased.

Muslim students say he will be greatly missed SAIDAT ALAUSA

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he Amir of the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, MSSN, Lagos State Area Unit, Kaamil Kalejaiye, has joined eminent Nigerians to mourn the death of Arisekola-Alao.

According to Kalejaiye, the late Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland would be greatly missed for his love and milk of kindness that had touched the lives of many Nigerians posi-

tively.

The MSSN Amir, in a press statement made available to newsmen, described the late philanthropist as “a renowned Muslim whose contributions to Islam cannot be quantified.

“He will be greatly missed, not just by Ibadan people and the Muslim community, but by nonMuslims and Nigerians at large. We pray Allah in His infinite mercies to grant him Al-Janna Firdaus,” he said.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

‘Provision of Ekiti amenities not for election purpose’

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n spite of tight campaign schedule, the Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Prof. Modupe Adelabu, yesterday took time to inaugurate borehole projects in strategic locations in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

There were symbolic inaugurations of 12 such projects provided by the deputy governor at Isato Street and Adekunle Goat Market area at Oke-Oniyo Quarters, as well as in other parts of the city, to ease the water problem of residents.

Inaugurating the projects, Mrs. Adelabu said the occasion was coincidental with election campaigns and told her audience that provision of public utilities was not for election purposes.

According to her, the Governor Kayode Fayemiled administration has

always displayed its commitment to provision of social amenities since inception in October 2010.

She explained that new roads have been opened up for residents of the newly developed areas in the state capital while many of the roads that have been inaccessible for a long time have been opened up with regular grading and rehabilitation.

The deputy governor therefore called on the people to come out en masse on Saturday to vote for Fayemi, pointing out that a vote for the administration “is a vote for continuity.”

Chief Julius Aladeloye, the Erunwa of Irona Quarters, who spoke for Isato community, lauded the borehole project which he described as welcome and timely de-

velopment.

Aladeloye, who said previous governments neglected the street despite their several appeals, however, commended Fayemi for the borehole and for making the asphalt overlay of the road from Atikankan junction through Isato Street which linked the Ilawe dual-carriage road at IleAbiye junction.

He assured the governor of total support from the people living in the area and appealed to others who want to see a better Ekiti to cast their votes for the All Progressive Congress.

On behalf of the OkeOniyo Quarters, Femi Ologunja said all the four units in the area have benefited from the infrastructural development projects of the administration of the governor.

Don laments delay in Chibok girls, Boko Haram swap

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professor of Counselling and Criminal Justice at the University of Ibadan, Oyesoji Aremu, on Wednesday in Lagos, called on the Federal Government to effect the swap of Boko Haram members in its custody for the over 200 abducted girls of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State.

Addressing newsmen in Lagos on the forthcoming launch of his book slated for Thursday and titled: ‘Policing and Terrorism: Challenges and Issues in Intelligence’, the author, who will soon turn 50 years old, said

the trauma the girls and their families were going through should be brought to an end.

He said, “The girls are in a terrible situation in which they don’t know what might likely happen in the next minute, because with insurgents you cannot predict what will happen.

“Don’t let us talk about their education because that is post rescue efforts.

Some of them might have been put in family ways.

Since almost two months now the parents will be eating what we can call food but it is only something to hold their bodies and souls together in an-

ticipation of a warm welcome of their children.

“My advice is that government should enter into negotiation with the sect so that its incarcerated women would be released.

But for the real terrorists in detention, the government should allow the weight of the law to take its full course,” he said.

Expressing strong conviction for the trial of the real terrorists, he argued that since terrorism thrives on a two-step pyramid of sympathisers and real terrorists, he called on government to go ahead and try the real terrorist to deter them from continuing in crime.

Lagos to alleviate poverty through tourism

T

he Lagos State government has said it will continue to develop tourism in a bid to create wealth for the people.

The Commissioner for Tourism and InterGovernmental Relations, Oladisun Holloway, said this yesterday at a workshop in Badagry.

South West

Friday, June 20, 2014

“The government is investing heavily in tourism because God has so much endowed Lagos State, and we need to tap into it to create more wealth.

“Not everybody or states need to concentrate on oil, as tourism also creates wealth,’’ he said.

Holloway was repre-

sented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs Oluwafumilayo Balogun.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop was jointly organised by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).

9

550 Lagos workers bag service awards FRANCIS SUBERU

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agos State public servants, numbering 550, who have served the state for at least 30 years, were yesterday presented with Long Service Merit Awards as part of celebration for the 2014 Civil Service Week.

At the award presentation in Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa Secretariat, the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, said it was important to celebrate the staff, considering their immense contributions to the state, saying their services have helped the state government to implement its programme and policies over the years.

The deputy governor said the workers have impacted positively on the lives of the residents.

She said: “You have all committed your times, knowledge and energy in helping the state government implement its programme and

policies.

“I urge you to continue to show greater commitment to service because other junior workers are looking up to you for mentorship, leadership and others.

The state government also counts on you for continuous implementation of its services,” she charged.

Orelope-Adefulire noted that government on its part, in recognition of excellence and dedication to service of the civil servants, recently reviewed the Staff Performance and Appraisal and Development, SPADV. She said the government will continue to “pay emphasis on pay for performance, as well as performance based on promotion, with a view to restoring confidence in annual performance reporting staff, as a barometer for career progression.”

The Head of Service in the state, Mrs. Oluseyi Williams, commended the recipients, even as she reminded them

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that the objective of the award was to further encourage diligence, commitment and loyalty among public servants in the state.

She stressed that by doing so, it would spur them to continue to put in their best in the service to the state.

She also commended Governor Babatunde Fashola for his commitment and support to the general welfare of public servants in the state.

Speaking on behalf of the recipients, Permanent Secretary, Home Affairs and Culture, Mrs. Omotayo Olabenjo, who received award for her years of service, thanked the state government for recognising their contribution to the state, just as she pledged more dedicated service to the uplift of the state.

Olabenjo also urged civil servants to continue to put in their best, eschew corrupt practices, noting that recipients of the award were those who served without blemish.

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10

South East

Friday, June 20, 2014

Arrests of suspected insurgents: AYCF told to stop politicising insecurity GEORGE OPARA ABIA

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hanaeze Youth Council, OYC, has lashed out at the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, over the latter’s attack on the South East governors over last Sunday’s arrest of 486 suspected insurgents in the Abia section of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway by soldiers.

The AYCF was said to have warned South East governors to stop the arrests of Northerners in their area, saying the people arrested were not Boko Haram insurgents.

Reacting to the position

of AYCF, the Ohanaeze youth group warned their Arewa counterpart to “stop politicising the security problem in the country,” and reminded them that the 486 suspects were arrested by the nation’s security operatives, not South East governors.

The OYC, in a statement by its National President, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, also commended the South East “for their collective stand against terrorism, and support for Mr. President to tackle this menace.”

Calling on the people of South East to be vigilant in the face of the attempt by terrorists to infiltrate our zone and rob us of our

freedom, the OYC warned that “we shall not tolerate any security breach in any part of Igbo land.”

Reacting to AYCF’s position, Isiguzoro queried, “Did they expect the governors who are chief security officers of their states to clap for the suspected terrorists?” and maintained that “nobody in his right frame of mind would descend to the level AYCF did.

“In this era of security breach in parts of the country, is it not uncommon for such a number of persons to be transiting to another part of the country in a large convoy and in odd hours with no proper explanation of their

mission and motives?

“The suspects were arrested by Nigerian security agents and not South East governors. Those found innocent would be set free but those that have questions to answer would face the law.

“We cannot continue to play ostrich while the lives of innocent Nigerians are under threat. The governors of the South East have the constitutional right to secure their place.

We therefore condemn in unmistakable terms the inflammatory remark by the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum. This is a time for caution in our thought and actions,” the OYC said.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Bomb scare hits Umuahia FMC GEORGE OPARA ABIA

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omb scare yesterday rocked the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Umuahia in Abia State.

The scare came few days after 486 suspected Boko Haram insurgents were arrested by the military in the state.

As a result, commuters and residents are frightened for their safety as they carry out their daily economic activities in the cities and hinterlands.

Already, the people have begun to adopt safety measures by avoiding crowded areas, particularly motor parks in the metropolis.

And when alarm was raised over suspected bombs planted at the Medical Centre, everybody, including guardians of patients in the hospital, hustled to be evacuated.

The alarm checkmated movement everywhere.

But when contacted, ASP Geoffrey Ogbonna, the state Police Public Relations Officer, doused the tension when he said that the suspicion of an improvised explosive device, IEDs, was false. According to him, the object concealed behind a flower near the hospital laboratory was an air conditioner compressor suspected to have been stolen from the

store of the hospital or removed from one of the air conditioners by a yet-to-be identified staff waiting to cart it away at night.

Also captain A.U. Umar, army public relations officer of the 14 Brigade, Ohafia said as part of the security measures to checkmate any incidences of criminality and terrorism, all checkpoints were on alert.

In his words: “our boys are on alert and the screening of the arrested insurgents is in progress.”

Further the APRO assured that soon after the screening exercise were completed, the result would be made public.

Investigations revealed that security has been beefed up at all the border communities in the face of the threatening security situation.

Apparently in regard to the 486 suspected Boko Haram members arrested near Abia, the state PPRO said “we have not recorded any Boko Haram infiltration in the state.”

He added that the arrested insurgents were on transit to Port Harcourt, Rivers State on the Enugu/ Port Harcourt expressway before soldiers intercepted them, adding that the two buses reported to have escaped did not veer into any of the communities in Abia State.

Work begins on second Niger Bridge —Official

Son of the late Chief Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Chief Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Jr. (left) and National Chairman, All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Victor Umeh, during Umeh’s visit to Odumegwu-Ojukwu’s Cenotaph in Nnewi, Anambra State, yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

Court upholds sack of Ihiala LG boss CHARLES OKEKE AWKA

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he Anambra High court, sitting in Ekwulobia and presided over by Justice P. C. Obiora, yesterday upheld the nullification of the election of the chairman of Ihiala local government council, Chief Chigozie Awugosi, by the Local Government Election Petition Tribunal.

The court, therefore, ordered Awugosi, a chieftain of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, to vacate his office immediately, while the Anambra

State Independent Electoral Commission, ANSIEC, is to conduct fresh a election in the area within three months of the judgment.

Earlier the Electoral Tribunal, sitting in Onitsha, had nullified the election of Awugosi and ordered fresh poll, which prompted him to approach the High Court to reverse the decision in the form of an appeal.

It would be recalled that following the conclusion of the local government election, PDP chairmanship candidate for Ihiala LGA, Golden Iloh, had

approached the L.G. Election Petition Tribunal in Onitsha and sought nullification of the election of Awogosi on the ground that there was no election in the area on the said date, a prayer that was granted.

Delivering judgment on the matter, Justice Obiora noted that the absence of the ANSIEC, its agents or counsels at the tribunal to substantiate the authenticity of the council election result which gave victory to the APGA candidate, put the APGA candidate in a tight spot, a development that did not help his case.

Reacting to the judg-

ment, counsel to Iloh, Chief Okey Muoaroh, hailed the judgment, saying that sanity had been restored in the judiciary, while Iloh said the PDP would use the opportunity to restrategise in order to win the re-scheduled election.

Obiano

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reliminary workhas commenced on the construction of the long awaited Second River Niger Bridge in Anambra State.

Nurudeen Imam, chairman of Julius Berger, the construction firm handling the project, disclosed this in Abuja at the company’s Annual General Meeting on Thursday.

Imam said the company successfully entered the Public Private Partnership market and was selected as preferred bidder for the second River Niger Bridge project.

The chairman stated that the firm has also commissioned the Lekki-Ikoyi (Admiralty-Alexander) Link Bridge, West Africa’s first cable bridge, and has completed work on some other major and impressive projects.

Imam identified the projects as Procter and Gamble Baby Care Expansion Facility, the Central Bank of Nigeria branch office in Lagos, the Bonny River Terminal Airstrip and the Lagos Oando Jetty.

“We have also completed the Uyo-Abak road and several phases of the Uyo Government House as a direct result of our positive performance and partnership.

“The lifespan of these projects continue to be prolonged through award of extensions,” he said.

Imam told the shareholders that the company was diversifying and delving into other business areas as a deliberate policy objective.

“In this respect, project identification and prospective business potentials in the power, oil and gas as well as the private sector.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

South South

Friday, June 20, 2014

11

Traffic offence: Elite worst culprits —FRSC commander RICHARD NDOMA CALABAR

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ector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, in Cross River State, Albanus Nwachukwu, has indicted the elite, saying that they are the worst culprits of phone call-related traffic offences in the state.

Nwachukwu made the accusation yesterday during an awareness campaign titled: ‘Office-to-Office/ Shop-to-Shop Public Enlightenment’ embarked upon by the command at the State Secretariat complex, near Etim Edem Motor Park in Calabar.

The sector commander, who was accompanied by the sector’s head of public enlightenment, Noah Udoh, frowned at the ugly development which, according to him, is common among the elite and privileged ones in the society.

“The rate at which people use handsets while driving is very high, and it is usually by the elite and privileged ones; those who feel driving

and making calls is a kind of status thing…that they have arrived,” he added.

The FRSC boss cautioned motorists against making calls while driving, adding that most calls can be distractive.

While stressing the importance of the enlightenment exercise, he noted that it is a peculiar one because it is being carried out within the RS6 zone.

The RS6 zone, he disclosed, include; Rivers, Cross River, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa states.

Responding, the Director of Administration in the State Ministry of Health, Mr. Emmanuel Ogar, lauded the commission for embarking on the exercise, saying that it would go a long way in reducing road accidents in the state.

The enlightenment campaign train which attracted several officers and men of the commission, also visited the state ministry of education, where it was received by the Director of Administration, Mr. Takon Azu.

Sickle cell patients seek sack of Edo commissioner SEBASTINE EBHUOMHAN BENIN

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ickle Cell Anaemia patients in Edo State have called on Governor Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole to immediately sack the Commissioner for Health, Dr. (Mrs.) Aihanuwa Eregie, for alleged poor administration of the health sector.

They said by so doing, the governor would save himself and the state government the ‘shame’ of poor management of hospital facilities.

A statement made available to National Mirror yesterday, during the Sickle Cell Day celebration in Benin City, accused the commissioner of denying them 24-hour access to special healthcare facilities.

The patients, who protested at the Sickle Cell Centre, carried different placards expressing loss of confidence in the commissioner.

They accused Eregie of being a drawback in the governor’s cabinet, and called for her outright sack, or watch as they die gradually.

Made of up patients and

family members, the protesters kicked against a new directive of the ministry banning the use of the sickle cell centre facility for 24 hours by patients.

They feared that the directive could facilitate the death of many of them in times of emergency and pointed fingers at the commissioner and the permanent secretary in the ministry of health of making ‘subterranean moves’ to downgrade the hospital established since 1993 to a mere clinic, a situation that they claim would not augur well for them.

As a mark of their perceived poor administration

by Eregie, and particularly the Sickle Cell Centre, the parents of the anaemic shunned the party organised by the ministry for them in protest of what they further described as inhuman treatment and insensitivity to their plight.

They alleged that the centre currently lacked manpower, blood bank and laboratory even, as its drugs are sold at higher costs, in comparison to what obtains in pharmacy shops.

Peaceful protest by residents of Okoroba Community over alleged neglect of the 10-kilometre Opume-Okoroba Road linking Ogbia and Nembe local government areas, Bayelsa State, yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

500 illegal refineries destroyed in four months in N’Delta THEOPHILUS ONOJEGHEN WARRI

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he Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS Delta, has said no fewer than 500 illegal crude oil refineries situated along the Niger Delta creeks have been destroyed in the last four months.

It also disclosed that the security agency is winning the war against oil theft in the area, but that its success story was being hampered by lack of equipment to flush out oil thieves and to curb other criminal activities along the waterways.

The Commanding Officer, NNS Delta, Navy Captain Musa Gemu, disclosed this in Warri yesterday

while addressing the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Warri, who paid him a courtesy call at his office.

Gemu said the illegal crude oil refineries and other equipment used in oil theft cost over N2.5bn between February and June this year, adding that several suspects had also been arrested within the period.

He noted that, following the directive of Chief of Naval Staff, CNS, Vice-Admiral Usman Jibril, for zero tolerance on illegal bunkering and other illegalities along Niger Delta creeks, his men had intensified efforts to combat the ugly trend as several billions of revenue had been lost.

Gemu added that his command had recorded several achievements since he resumed office as the commanding officer, especially in fighting crimes in his areas of responsibility.

He added that the provision of more platforms would enable him perform better.

According to him, to produce one Cotonou boat costs more than N256m.

He stated that the Nigerian Navy would ensure that the waterways were free of the activities of oil bunkerers.

Gemu said: “Since I resumed as commanding officer, we have destroyed more than 500 illegal refineries, each one costing about N4.5m to construct.

“Also, we have, on a weekly basis, destroyed at least two to three wooden boats, which they also call Cotonou, each one costing about N8m.

“Our operations, which we constantly carry out with some of your members on our team, have sent most of these oil thieves out of Warri, because if you consider how much we have forced them to lose to our operations, there is no way they can stay very long in that business,” he revealed.

He said that although several achievements had been recorded since he resumed office, there were constraints of lack of functional equipments to fight the scourge of oil theft.

Why we want Amaechi impeached —Opposition lawmakers DENNIS NAKU

PORT HARCOURT

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on. Evans Bipi, the leader of the six members of the Rivers State House of Assembly opposed to Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, yesterday insisted that the governor has committed a lot of impeachable offences.

The State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, at a news briefing in Port Harcourt yesterday, had alleged that six opposi-

tion lawmakers were sitting at two different locations, including a hotel, in a bid to impeach the governor.

According to Semenitari: “The Rivers State government is all more worried, as the Ondo saga is coming on the heels of a plot by six PDP lawmakers this morning (Thursday) to carry out a kangaroo impeachment of the duly elected governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, first at Krisdara Hotels and later Bauchi Street, Port Harcourt,” she said, describ-

ing such move as illegal and unconstitutional.

But Bipi, in a telephone chat with our correspondent yesterday, said that the governor had committed a lot of impeachable offences, pointing out that the six lawmakers had the right to unseat Amaechi.

He listed some of the alleged impeachable offences committed by the governor as interference in the activities of the state judiciary, illegal borrowing of money from banks, and allowing lawmakers loyal to him

to sit at the Government House, Port Harcourt.

Bipi, who was picked as speaker by the five lawmakers opposed to the governor in the wake of the crisis rocking the State House of Assembly, alleged that Amaechi was afraid of impeachment because he was not doing the right thing.

The state chapter of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, has however debunked claims of a plot to impeach Amaechi, describing the claim as untrue and fallacious.

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North

Friday, June 20, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

FG begins staff audit Monday OMEIZA AJAYI ABUJA

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he Federal Government has directed the conduct of the verification and revalidation of credentials and records of all personnel in the Federal Civil Service.

This was contained in

a statement issued by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Bukar Goni Aji. Signed by the Assistant Director, Media Relations in his office, Ahmed Manga, the statement said the Head of Service gave the directive yesterday in his office, during an interactive

session with officials and private sector stakeholders managing the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).

Alhaji Goni also said that the exercise is being embarked upon in order to continuously update personnel data on the IPPIS platform and ensure that

there is synergy between the payroll and personnel information of all federal civil servants.

He announced that the first phase of the exercise will commence on Monday, and will involve states in the South-West, South-East, South-South and North West zones of the federa-

tion.

The exercise will commence in the remaining zones by August 2014, he added.

According to him, the IPPIS is one of the tools in the transformation agenda of the Federal Government being used to create a centralised data base system for the Nigerian Public Service with a single, accurate source of employee information that will aid Government Manpower Planning and decision making.

Other objectives of the IPPIS Project according to him, include the automation and storage of personnel records to support monitoring of staff emolument; payment against budget; prevention of wastages and leakages by ensuring that staff remuneration is based on factually correct information; and to ensure the prompt payment of salaries directly to employees account with appropriate deductions and remittances of third party payments.

Italy to repatriate 700 Nigerian prisoners –Envoy

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L-R: Chief Imam of Jos, Sheikh Balarabe Dawul; Catholic Archbishop of Jos, Ignatius Kaigema and Deputy Chairman, Jama’atu Nasril Islam, Alhaji Garba Abdulkadir, during the Religious Ethnic/Community Leaders Meeting in Jos, yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

Nyako, deputy yet to receive impeachment notices –Clerk …Okorocha calls for truce CHRIS NJOKU

OWERRI

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he Clerk, Adamawa State House of Assembly, Francis Gabsenso, has stated that he was yet to serve Governor Murtala Nyako and his deputy, Bala Ngilari, their notices of impeachment.

The Speaker, Alhaji Ahmadu Fintiri had, on Wednesday, directed the clerk to serve the duo with the notices of impeachment.

The Clerk, who spoke with newsmen on the development yesterday in Yola, said he was yet to serve the governor and his deputy who were out of town.

“I went to their respective offices but did not meet them,” Gabsenso told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Ibrahim Waziri, a former member of the state House of Assembly said the Clerk was wrong in attempting to serve the governor and his deputy with the notices

without the House sitting and adopting the procedures of the day.

He urged the House to stop what he described as ‘rush to impeach’ the governor and his deputy.

He said the move portrayed the lawmakers as pursuing a selfish agenda in which the Speaker and his deputy would be the major beneficiaries, and urged the legislative and executive arms to resolve their misunderstanding amicably in the interest of peace and development of the state.

In its reaction to the proposed impeachment plot on Nyako and his deputy, the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state has described the move as unfortunate and selfish.

A statement issued by Rev. Phineas Padio, the party’s publicity secretary, said the House was acting the script of the Peoples Democratic Party.

“This is blind ambition

by members of the House, and the good people of Adamawa will resist it,’’ he warned.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the APC, Governors’ Forum and governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, has called on the leadership and members of the Adamawa State House of Assembly to drop the impeachment purportedly served on Nyako in the interest of the peace of

the nation.

Okorocha also advised the President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan to intervene in the matter and see that the impeachment move against the Adamawa State governor is brought to a halt, adding that with the dire security situation in the country, it would smack of insensitivity for anyone to demand the impeachment of the governor.

igeria and Italy would soon conclude negotiations on a Prisoners Transfer Agreement (PTA) to facilitate the return of over 700 Nigerian prisoners serving in various prisons across Italy.

Italian Ambassador to Nigeria, Fulvius Rusticu, made this known yesterday in Abuja.

Rusticu said Nigerian and Italian officials would meet in the first week of July in Rome to finalise the agreement and possibly work out modalities for the immediate return of the prisoners.

The ambassador explained that under the agreement, Nigerian prisoners who qualify for the transfer must return home to complete their prison terms.

He said that government was not obligated to help improve the condition of prisons in Nigeria as a pre-condition for signing the agreement.

“Each country is responsible for its prisons;

the logic in signing a PTA is that we think that it is better for Nigerians and even Italians to serve their terms at home.

“Already to be in prison is not a nice experience; being abroad is even worse. So given a prisoner the chance to return home is in their own interest.

“It is very rare for a prisoner to want to stay in a foreign country, we have cases of Italians serving in prisons abroad and they look forward, and are happy to return home,’’ he said.

According to official figures from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, no fewer than 15,316 Nigerians are in various prisons abroad with the largest number of 752 in the UK. In January, Nigeria and the UK signed a PTA to repatriate some of the 521 Nigerians currently serving their terms in that country.

Prior to the signing, a major challenge on deportation had been the condition of prisons in the country.

Fresh Kogi road mishap claims 14 lives WALE IBRAHIM LOKOJA

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arely 24 hours after four persons died in a ghastly road accident along Okene-Abuja highway on Wednesday, another road crash along Magongo-Okene road in Kogi State has claimed at least 14 lives.

The State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission

(FRSC), Godwin Omiko, disclosed this while speaking with newsmen in Lokoja yesterday, explaining that the accident, which occurred about 10:15pm between Kogi and Edo states, involved three vehicles.

Omiko explained that the victims were mostly public health officers under the employ of the Local Government Service Commission, Kaduna State.

Inclusive were 400-level

students travelling to Cotonou, Republic of Benin, to write their first semester examination at Houdegbe North American University.

He noted that a female child on the trip with her mother also died in the accident, noting that the accident occurred when a Toyota bus with registration number Kogi LG 25 DAH collided with an on-coming Toyota Hiace passenger bus

with registration number Lagos AAA 463 XD, which also hit another vehicle.

The Sector commander noted that the passenger bus immediately caught fire and burnt 14 of the passengers beyond recognition.

The FRSC boss stated that three victims, including a female child were rescued alive by FRSC official but the child later died in the hospital few hours after.

Friday, June 20, 2014

Ekiti polls: Who wears the crown?

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

13

Politics

14 STORIES: BOLADALE BAMIGBOLA OSOGBO.

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PC campaign team has continued to canvass votes for Governor Rauf Aregbesola as they visited traditional rulers in Osun State, urging them to support the re-election bid of the governor in order to continue the steady growth his government has recorded.

The chairman, APC governorship campaign committee for Ede North/ South/ Egbedore/Ejigbo federal constituency, Hon. Najeem Salem, who led other leaders of the party on campaign train to the

APC campaign team canvasses votes for Aregbesola palaces of some traditional rulers in Ejigbo local government area of the state stated this during the visits, adding that the support and blessings of the traditional rulers before and during the election would be vital for success of the party at the poll.

At the palace of Olusongbe of Songbe, a town in Ejigbo local government, Sen. Mudashiru Hussain, the lawmaker

representing Osun West at the Senate, called for the support of the monarch, saying such was important for the success of the re-election bid of Aregbesola.

While describing traditional rulers pillar of support for the state, Hussein said it was necessary for the party to seek for their maximum support to achieve its aims.

In his response, Oba Ka-

milu Ajadi, the Olusongbe of Songbe said the people of the community would support the party and commended Governor Aregbesola for his development efforts in the state, as he assured that the people of the community would ensure he gets maximum votes from the area.

In their separate remarks at the palace of Ogiyan of Ejigbo, the Speaker of Osun State House of

Assembly, Hon. Najeem Salaam, and other leaders of the party, said no political party would make head way without the support of the royal fathers.

While praying for the success of the party at the poll, Ogiyan of Ejigbo, Oba Omowonuola Oyesosin, pleaded for peace before and during the election, noting that the traditional rulers are insulated from engaging in politics.

50 DAYS TO GO

Don’t allow desperate politicians to use you, Omisore urges youths

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he candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the Osun August 9, governorship poll, Senator Iyiola Omisore, yesterday urged youths in the state not to allow politicians to use them to foment trouble under any guise.

Omisore, in a statement signed by the director of media and strategy of his campaign organization, Prince Diran Odeyemi, and made available to newsmen in Osogbo, said the opposition party in the state has been reliably informed of a group called ‘State Boys’, who he claimed “are being trained by some politicians to cause violence and scare eligible voters away from making their free choice during the forthcoming poll.”

He then urged parents and guardians in the state not to allow their wards join any violent group, calling on stakeholders to support measures aimed at having a peaceful governorship election in the state.

He said, “I want to sincerely counsel our responsible and peace loving parents and guardians in Osun that we should dissuade our children who have already joined ‘State Boys’ to opt out in their

own interest and desist from any act capable of threatening the peace of this promising state.

“The federal government is absolutely committed to ensuring that no case of violence or killing is recorded before, on and after August 9 and no effort would be spared by the security agencies, including the Police, Department of State Security, DSS, and the military to provide effective security for all the citizens, irrespective of political affiliations on August 9, 2014.

Omisore assured that, if elected governor, his administration would ensure defiant characters are not allowed space to operate in the state and charged electorate to avail themselves the opportunity August 9 poll will provide to effect change in the leadership of the state.

L-R: Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola; Orangun of Ila, Oba Wahab Oyedotun; Deputy Governor, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori and Akirun of Ikirun, Oba Rauf Adedeji during the presentation of a Horse by Osun Divisional Conference of Obas in Osun Central Senatorial District, and Endorsement of his Second Term in Osogbo.

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ssistant Inspector General of Police, AIG, Zone XI, Mr. David Omojola yesterday reminded officers in the zone that Nigerians would consider the performance of police in the conduct of Osun State governorship poll as a foretaste of what may happen during the 2015 general elections.

In his opening address at a seminar organised

Osun 2014: Police performance indicator for 2015 general elections –AIG Zone XI for officers selected from all commands under the zone, Omojola said the performance of police before and during the poll, would serve as basis for what the nation would expect during the 2015 general election and urged the officers to be alive to

their duties.

While the police boss charged the participants to rededicate themselves to their duties and ensure the challenges associated with campaign period did not overwhelm them, he said, the timing of the seminar was right since

Investigate assassination claims, police urged

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ll Progressives Congress, APC, Osun State chapter has urged the Lagos State Police Command to conduct a thorough investigation into the alleged assassination attempt on the PDP governorship candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore, who had

on Wednesday explained how he narrowly escaped what was believed to be an attempt on his life, when some people, suspected to be hired assassins, stormed his residence located at 11, Thompson Avenue, Ikoyi, Lagos state.

The PDP governorship candidate, who was in

Ile-Ife, when the gunmen stormed his Lagos home early Wednesday morning, according to his campaign organisation director on media, Prince Diran Odeyemi, had earlier planned to travel to Lagos on Tuesday but shelved the trip and continued with his campaign tour of Ifedayo Local Gov-

ernment Area of the state.

But APC in a statement issued in Osogbo yesterday by its director of publicity, research and strategy, Barr. Kunle Oyatomi, said, “It is absolutely necessary because the intention of the subject in the story may be to draw undeserved attention.”

electioneering activities in Osun State that would climax in the governorship election on August 9 were nearing peak.

“The people of Nigeria no doubt, consider the conduct of Osun State gubernatorial election vis-a-vis the police performance as necessary incidence of predictive basis for 2015 election; hence the holding of this lecture to keep us reminded of our duties and responsibilities in such challenging period,” Omojola said.

He further stated that the seminar was directed at sustaining the social equilibrium before, during and after election in Oyo, Osun and Ondo states under the zone.

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Politics

Friday, June 20, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Ekiti polls: Who wears the crown?

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ayemi during the then Action Congress, AC, primaries in 2006, had in his electioneering promised 8-point agenda: governance, infrastructural development, modernising agriculture, education and human capital development, health care services, industrial development, tourism/environmental sustainability, gender equality and empowerment. Eventually, he won the gubernatorial election of 2007, but had his mandate stolen by the PDP. On October 15, 2010, 42 months after his election victory, his mandate was restored and on his inauguration on October 16, 2010 Fayemi re-iterated his resolution to carry out his 8-point agenda. To many Ekiti people, such promises was not new, they understood he was not the first to have made such promises and took it as the common gimmicks political office holders in most states in Nigeria use to sound and appear relevant.

To many political analysts, his ability to stick to many of those promises will to a very great extent form some of the reasons Ekiti people will re-elect him in this Saturday gubernatorial election in the state.

For Fayemi’s promise of good governance, many commentators have said he fulfilled it through careful planning, prudent management of resources and an avowed commitment to the welfare of the people, arguing that he has been able to deliver the dividends of democracy on a scale and quality that are unprecedented in the state. .

Many visitors to Ekiti attest that the nooks and crannies of the state are filled with projects both completed and on-going as well as state assisted community projects. His drive in education sector that saw him renovated and furnished a total of 183 secondary and 836 primary schools and furniture provided; there is free education up to secondary school level while tuition fees was reduced in the State University and provision of 48, 000 laptops to students and teachers in Ekiti State may form good reasons the electorate may re-elect him.

His good showing in the area of infrastructure, care for the elderly, youth empowerment, free health mission programme, resuscitation of Ire Burnt Brick and Ikogosi Warm Spring Resort, include other reasons his people may chose to return him to the exalted office.

In 12 days, the people of Ekiti State, who are eligible to vote, will make one of the toughest decisions in recent times by casting their votes for anyone they prefer, out of the 21 governorship candidates, vying for the number one seat of the state reputed to be Fountain of Knowledge.

On the other hand, going by what many Ekiti people are saying, the major weakness of Governor Fayemi and his APC is lack of political tolerance for the opposition. Many people of the state continue to frown at his pulling down of structures destroying billboards and posters of the opposition parties after all financial requirements have been made. This may force the electorate to give sympathy votes to the opposition.

Ayodele Fayose: As the former governor of Ekiti State, Fayose made remarkable impact at the grassroots as well as some shortcomings.

As Ekiti decides this Saturday who stares the sheep of the state in the next four years, EBERE NDUKWU, examines reasons that may inform the electorate choice of the three major candidates in the race, Dr. Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives Party, APC, Ayodele Fayose, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Michael Opeyemi Bamidele Labour Party, LP.

Fayemi

AS EKITI GO TO POLL THIS

SATURDAY, WE WAIT TO WATCH AND TO SEE WHO WEARS THE CROWN He was forcefully removed with the declaration of a state of emergency by then President Olusegun Obasanjo. In this election, he has consistently in his campaigns urged the people elect him so that he can correct some of the mistakes as well as prove that he is the better person to lead the people.

The unprecedented crowd recorded at his rally, shows even a doubting Thomas, that indeed he is a man of the people. Right from the day he emerged as the candidate of the PDP, his popularity has soared, making some political analysts to describe him as a governor of the man-in-the –street.

If there is anything, that may have the people vote for him, one of them certainly will be his good rapport with the masses who sees him as their own and one who will represent their interest better.

His belief in ‘stomach infrastructure,’ which entails giving people in need quick relief rather than asking such person to follow due process puts him in the minds of the people. His popularity among the common people explains why he easily defeated the incumbent governor in 2013.

One thing about Fayose is that he’s not afraid of any contest. He’s so sure of himself that he always insists on primaries for the emergence of the candidate. In 2003, he opposed the emergence of a consensus candidate, insisting that all aspirants should test their popularity with the party’s del-

Fayose

Bamidele

egates. He easily won, to pick PDP’s ticket, after which he won the governorship election. This year also, he insisted that PDP held primary election for the nearly 30 aspirants, when others wanted consensus arrangement. According to him, “any aspirant who is afraid of going for primary can never win general elections; such candidate will be afraid and only be relying on rigging to win.”

At last, he won the PDP primary, and that has since affected the calculations of the APC, which hoped that he never emerged as the party standard bearer.

Being in the PDP, which controls the centre, at a time the party is determined to break the backbone of the APC in the South-west gives Fayose a lot of opportunities to not only get financial support bust also logistics support. When Fayose was governor he employed many people into the Ekiti State civil service. For his benefactors, now is payback time, as these people are rooting for him. Also, his support for teachers, when he was governor, would produce positive support, as one good turn deserves another.

Some of the things that may also not work well for Fayose will be people’s perception that he has domineering attitude, an attitude some commentators argue some of his fellow party men are not comfortable with.

More so, his brushes with traditional rulers in the state may constitute obstacle to his aspiration. It is uncertain if the monarchs would be comfortable with his return, as some of them were said to have missed deposition by the whisker when he was in power. Again, the elite and stakeholders in the state, who appear not too happy with Fayose, may not be comfortable with his return bid.

Another thing about the ex-governor is that of his get-it-done-quickly attitude. His critics say he does a lot of things that were not properly documented. They point to controversial poultry project and others.

Opeyemi Bamidele: The experienced politician and lawyer, who initially was seen by many as playing a spoiler role has continued to show with his doggedness that he is in the race to win. His long years of experience in the art of mobilising people, which started about 30 years ago when he was a campus politician at the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile-Ife, Osun State, where he contested for the position of Public Relations Officer, PRO, of the Students Union and won in 1984, is a plus for him.

His position as the National Director of Publicity for the defunct Alliance for Democracy, AD, and later Action Congress , AC, as well as part of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s inner caucus, also give him sound knowledge of how to win people and get votes.

Some of the electorate will consider his experience and performance as a former Lagos State Commissioner for Youths, Sports and Social Development, and later the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, former Chairman of House of Representatives Committee on Information and currently the Chairman of House Committee on Legislative Budgets and Research at the National Assembly to cast their vote for him.

His promise to make education cheaper, in order for children of the poor to have access to university education, as is being done presently in Ondo State, where LP is the ruling party, may also endeared him to the electorate as well as his many other promises.

His obstacles may include his party’s lack of enough financial muscles and moneybags and the structure of the party in the state.

There are more reasons while Ekiti people may chose to elect any of this candidates on Saturday, but then, no man, no matter how good and efficient, can be approved by all. So, as Ekiti go to poll this Saturday, we wait to watch and to see who wears the crown.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Politics

Friday, June 20, 2014

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APGA crisis: Abia chapter chairman hails Appeal Court judgment GEORGE OPARA ABIA

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hairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Abia State chapter, Prince Ukaegbu, has lauded yes-

terday’s Appeal Court judgment which declared Sir Victor Umeh as the authentic national chairman of the party.

Speaking after the court’s ruling, Ukaegbu, who is also the chairman

of Conference of Nigeria Political Parties, CNPP, Abia State chapter, said the party was not surprised at the judgment and commended the judiciary for being just in the case.

Adding, “Right from time,

we knew the lower court judgment would stand the taste of time. I am a lawyer and I knew there was no way Maxi Okwu and his co-travellers could have won the case going by the issues involved.”

He said that the Appeal Court judgment has removed the last hurdle on the road for the emancipation of the Igbo man in Nigeria, stressing that APGA was now poised to take over the entire South East and proceed to other zones in the country to remove the erroneously held view that the All Progressives Congress, APC, is the main opposition party in the country.

He called on all those who he said had tried to derail APGA without success to come back as the doors of the party still re-

mains wide open to accommodate them, pointing out that some members of the Maxi Okwu group who came back to the party last week were well received.

The former state secretary of the Okwu group, Revd. Austin Chinonye Ehiemere, who was among those that returned to the Umeh group last week, said they had been reintegrated into the party and urged others who had not come back to do so as he expressed happiness at the judgment, stating that with it, progress would be made in APGA.

Confab committee wants tenure for sports commission DG WOLE OLADIMEJI, OMEZA AJAYI ABUJA

L-R; Vice President, South-South, Butchers Union of Nigeria,Prince Peter Ogigbo; National President of the Union, Chief John Osamadeh; Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed; State Chairman of the Union, Alhaji Olohuntoyin Badmus, and others during a courtesy visit by the Union to Government House, Ilorin yesterday.

2015: Ebonyi REC insists on permanent voters card ALIUNA GODWIN ABAKALIKI

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bonyi State Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Dr. Sylvester Okey Ezeani, yesterday vowed not to allow any electorate, including politicians who have no permanent voter cards, to participate in the 2015 general elections.

Ezeani, who disclosed this while addressing

stakeholders of the state in his office in Abakaliki, said that the distribution of the permanent voter’s cards in the state will be between July 18 and 20, 2014, adding that the exercise will be carried out in phases across the country.

“Having the permanent voter’s card is very important for anyone who intends to vote in the 2015 general elections as only

that will be used to vote in the 2015 elections,” he said.

The REC also stated that every registered voter should go to his polling unit where he was registered, to identify himself before the collection of the permanent voter card in the exchange of the temporary one, stating that the collection of the permanent voter card would not be by proxy. He said any person who did not

find his name in the voters register at the polling unit should proceed to register again during the continuous registration.

The commissioner called on the people of the state to avail themselves the opportunity to participate in the exercises to avoid any one been disenfranchised at the forthcoming general election in the country.

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he National Conference committee on Civil Society yesterday recommended that the position of Director-General for the National Sport Commission, NSC, should be a tenure which should be appointment outside the civil service.

The Confab committee on Civil Society, Labour, Youth and Sport, chaired

by Mrs. Bola Ogunrinade and Comrade Issa Aremu, resolved that NSC should have nine external members with the Minister in charge of sport as the 10th member and chairman of the commission.

Presenting the reports and recommendations

We’ll conduct credible polls in Kwara –REC

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wara State Resident Electoral C o m m i s s i o n e r, REC, Chief Timothy Ibitoye, has said that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, will conduct free, fair and credible elections in the state.

Ibitoye gave the assurance last Wednesday when he received state executive members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, led by the Chairman, Iyiola Oyedepo, in his office where he assured the people of the state that INEC would

be fair to all the political parties in the state.

“INEC is established to serve the political parties by way of conducting free and fair elections. If the political parties are not there, INEC will have no place to work,” Ibitoye said.

He therefore, called on political parties to be actively involved in the commission’s programmes particularly, in its public enlightenment campaign. Adding, “I believe that enlightenment campaign at party level is more vigorous and more

acceptable to the people because political parties are closer to the people than INEC. When parties say something, the electorate will believe the parties and they will want to relate with whatever directives that political parties might be giving them.”

Ibitoye admonished political parties to discharge their duties responsibly to the electorate, promising that INEC on their side will from time to time be inviting registered political parties to round table dis-

cussions to educate and enlighten them about the commission’s programmes.

While commending the PDP initiative of the visit, Ibitoye noted that the electoral environment in Nigeria had become complex, hence the need for political parties to study INEC election’s document and digest it in order to know what had been prohibited and what was acceptable.

Oyedepo said the party executive came to show their appreciation for the role the commission

played during the party’s congresses in the state which showed that INEC is committed to making sure that democracy thrives in Nigeria.

“We have not come to INEC to beg for favour.

All we have come for is for the INEC to be an unbiased umpire in the conduct of the coming general elections,” Oyedepo said, noting that the 2011 elections were better than that of the 2007 and appealed to INEC to make the 2015 elections even better than the previous one.

yesterday on the floor of the conference Mrs. Ogunrinde stated that her committee resolved that all sports federations should be based in Abuja for effective coordination, monitoring and efficiency.

The committee recommended that the law backing the establishment and operations of the NSC should incorporate all these recommendations before being passed into law by the National Assembly. As it canvassed for the commission, unbiased structure negating nepotism, ethnocentrism and corruption, and need for ample spread of training and practice facilities in all the 774 local government areas of the country.

The committee said a befitting, competent, willing and well compensated leadership should be consolidated across the over 44 sporting federation and that adequate and prompt funding of all sports should be seen and attended to as a priority.

“Sports should be inclusive of all Nigerians, irrespective of gender, age, religion, tribe, ability or disability. Specialisation should be encouraged based on natural resources and physical features, for example, swimming at the riverine areas and polo in the north and other areas where there are established cultural festivals in wrestling, boxing, fishing and boat regatta etc.”, she added.

16

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HEAD, GRAPHICS

On Ekiti governorship poll

A

s the people of Ekiti State file out tomorrow to elect a new governor, it may be rightly observed that violence has been the hallmark of the politics of the state lately. Two months ago, one Mr. Ayodele Jeje, a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Erijiyan-Ekiti, in Ekiti West Local Government Area of the state, was shot dead one weekend by suspected political thugs. The killing was allegedly the fallout of political rivalry between members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state and PDP. But the APC denied involvement in the violence. Earlier (last November), Mr. Funsho Ogundare , a supporter of Opeyemi Bamidele, the Labour Party (LP) candidate, was also shot dead during a similar clash between Bamidele’s supporters and their APC rivals at Emure Ekiti. Some of the suspects are still in court.

Penultimate Sunday’s the police attack on Governor Fayemi’s convoy merely accentuated the popular imagination Nigerian elections are historically marred by violence, intimidation and longdrawn legal battles. During what was described as APC’s symbolic sweeping of roads (a day after President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign visit to the state) that went awry, reports said there was a breakdown of law and order, a

situation that compelled men of the Mobile Police unit on ground to shoot teargas canisters and live ammunition into the crowd about the time the governor visited the scene. An APC supporter, Taiwo Akinola, was shot dead in the process. The police and SSS said they had sent a security report to the governor advising him against the planned visit to the scene of the violence until they were able to contain it, but that the governor had ignored the report and rushed to the spot.

The APC claimed that the attack on the governor by the PDP was unprovoked. Fayemi told newsmen the following day that the attack was an attempt to assassinate him. But Ayodele Fayose, the governorship candidate of the PDP, responding to the attack, as well as the allegation that his party fomented the trouble, said one of his supporters was attacked by machete-wielding members of APC, adding that it was in the process one of the combatants died. We also recall that at a stage, Bamidele suspended his campaign in protest against alleged incessant attacks on his supporters and destruction of their property. He accused the ruling party as responsible for the attacks. It has thus been a blame game and buck-passing all the way, while political violence festered across Ekiti.

PAINFULLY, IN ADDITION TO THE STRIFE-TORN POLITY, THERE IS PALPABLE APPREHENSION THAT TOMORROW’S

GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION

IN EKITI STATE MIGHT BE MASSIVELY RIGGED Not to be forgotten was the report some days ago that a truck-load of imported, fake election materials was intercepted by soldiers at Ita-Awure in Efon Local Government Area of the state. The Brigade Commander, 32 Artillery Brigade, Akure, Brigadier- General Aliyu Momoh, who briefed journalists on the incident in Ado-Ekiti, said his men at a check-point stopped the suspects, and that the latter could not explain how they got the materials.

The suspects that operated with a Mercedes Benz truck were said to be conveying ballot papers, rubber stamps, ink pads, reflective jackets bearing the name of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC), among others.

Painfully, in addition to the strife-torn polity, there is palpable apprehension that tomorrow’s governorship election in Ekiti State might be massively rigged.

ON THIS DAY June 20, 1963 The ‘red telephone’ was established between the defunct Soviet Union and the United States following the Cuban Missile Crisis. The hotline linked the White House via the National Military Command Center with the Kremlin. Though popularly as the ‘red telephone’, the hotline was never a telephone line, and no red phones were used. The first implementation used teletype equipment, which was replaced by facsimile units in 1988.

Letters tothe theEditor Editor Letters to

June 20, 2003 The WikiMedia Foundation was founded in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. It operates several online collaborative wiki projects, including Wikipedia, Wikitionary, Wikiquote, Wikibooks, Wikisource, Wikimedia Commons, Wikispecies, Wikinews, Wikiversity, Wikidata, Wikivoyage, Wikimedia Incubator, and Meta-Wiki. It also owned the now-defunct Nupedia. Its flagship project, Wikipedia, ranks in the topten most-visited websites worldwide.

Reports early in the week said the police had deployed three surveillance helicopters, 40 amoured personnel carriers (APCs), a reinforcement team; etc., for the election. It might be said, however, that while enormous security preparations are necessary for this poll and subsequent one coming up in Osun next August, to ensure hitch-free polls, INEC officials, party leaders, contestants, election monitors and party agents, must work concertedly to ensure that fairness prevail.

Indeed, like Jeff Hawkins, the Consul General, United States Consulate General, Lagos, rightly pointed out lately: “It is undoubtedly important and interesting to see who the winners and losers in Ekiti and Osun will be, and how the outcomes will affect the national political picture in advance of next February’s elections. Beyond that, however, the Ekiti and Osun elections are crucial because of what they will tell us about Nigeria’s preparations for February 2015 – specifically, whether those elections will be, and be seen by Nigerians as credible”.

The security agencies, whose roles in most elections are suspect, as well as INEC, should see the polls as an acid test of their capabilities to deliver free and fair elections that reflect the wishes of the people.

x June 20, 2009 The Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece opened to the public. An archaeological museum focused on the findings of the archaeological site of the Acropolis of Athens, the museum was built to house every artifact found on the rock and on its feet, from the Greek Bronze Age to Roman and Byzantine Greece. It also lies on the archaeological site of Makrygianni and the ruins of a part of Roman and early Byzantine Athens.

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17

Overcoming violence in our electoral system NEW HORIZON Wale Ajao With

waleajao2002@yahoo.com, 08023112006 (sms only)

As the people get set for governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states, it is necessary to draw attention to the spate of political violence in the polity and condemn it. The growing incidents of political violence in the country is worrisome.

Somebody should tell the politicians that politics must be governed by law and tolerance. Political violence is evidence of lawlessness.

It is important for our political leaders to imbibe the tenets of democracy. As the people are ready to elect their leaders, the right of the people to choose must not be comprised. The meaning of democracy is that the people should choose their leaders freely. No one should coerce or intimidate the electorate. No politician should use forceful means to capture power. The idea of shooting political opponents is barbaric.

The All Progressives Congress (APC), People Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) should behave as civilized people. The leadership of these parties should not turn Ekiti and Osun states into a jungle where bestiality reigns su-

preme. Political violence is outdated. It is nonsensical. The leadership of the three political parties should educate their members and supporters. Let Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State set the ball rolling. As the sitting governor, he should make it abundantly clear that he is not a party to any violent acts from any member of APC anywhere across the state.

This writer knows Governor Fayemi as an activist. I have met him and Kayode Samuel in a number of seminars and workshops. Anyone who knows the antecedents of the two in the days of the struggle for democracy will accept that they cannot be apostles of political violence. This is why Governor Fayemi should do more to make his stand very clear. If possible he should convene a meeting of all party leaders from all over the state and espouse this non-violent approach to political competition. Former Governor Fayose and Honourable Opeyemi Bamidele should also do the same.

The state council of traditional rulers should also convene a meeting of all traditional rulers and community leaders to formulate strategies to eliminate political violence from the state.

All stakeholders should keep speaking and acting against political violence until everyone starts to see it as a very shameful thing. The law enforcement agencies must also conduct themselves properly.

The commissioners of police in the two

PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN SHOULD BRING NIGERIA INTO THE LONG AWAITED ERA OF FREE AND FAIR, PEACEFUL AND ORDERLY ELECTION states should bring their cadres together and enlighten them. The law enforcement agencies must be neutral. They should reject inducement and be fair to all contestants. It is a shame for the law enforcement agents to be implicated in political violence. It is extremely crude for a policeman to be trigger happy in this modern age. No policeman should rent out his uniform or arms and ammunitions to political thugs, who are paid by malevolent and centrifugal forces. Let youths of Ekiti and Osun states know that it is foolish for them to accept some naira notes and step out to engage in violence or be used in rigging. The civil society groups should organize series of seminars to sensitize the youths on the dangers of perpetrating political violence.

Let Senator Iyiola Omisore make a clear commitment to a free and fair election by doing more to drum it into the ears of his numerous followers that he is

an apostle of peace, not of war. We need to learn from the lessons of the political history of western Nigeria. It will be tragic if we drag back the hands of the clock to the dark days of ‘wetie’ when houses of political opponents were burnt down. As our people go to the polls tomorrow, we should allow peace to reign.

The violence that occurred during campaigns should not occur during voting and after. Let there be free and fair elections tomorrow in the interest of our nascent democracy. The responsibility to set a good example is on the leaderships at all levels of governemnt. However, President Goodluck Jonathan should bring Nigeria into the long awaited era of free, fair, peaceful and orderly elections.

He has a golden opportunity to prove his critics wrong. He should make it abundantly clear that he is not a power monger. He should, as his name goes, bring good luck to Ekiti and Osun not sorrow, tears and bloodletting.

This is so because as the chief security officer of the country and also its Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, his disposition goes a long way in determining what happens tomorrow. The INEC must be impartial.

My prayer is that our nascent democracy will not suffer a terrible set back tomorrow.

Wale is Assistant General Editor in this newspaper.

Ekiti 2014: All eyes on GEJ JOHN AJAYI

W

hen some months ago, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GEJ) said openly at a public forum that his ambition was not worth the blood of any Nigerian, not quite a few thought he was speaking with tongue-in-cheek. Indeed, the mayhem that heralded the peaceful rally of the All Progressives Congress (APC) held in Ado-Ekiti last Sunday has no doubt confirmed the lie in the president’s declaration.

It would be recalled that the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) had a day before organized a rally where it formally presented Mr. Peter Ayodele Fayose as its gubernatorial candidate in tomorrow’s governorship election. At the rally attended by the leadership of the party, President Jonathan in company of Vice President Namadi Sambo, had regaled themselves and audience with PDP’s mythical plans to bring developments to Ekiti State if only the electorate could give their votes to Fayose. Not done, Mr. President, in his characteristic manner, told his listeners about his plans to “provide adequate security that would enhance one man, one vote”.

While it is not out of place for him to provide adequate security for such an all important exercise, it is equally instructive to rethink the connotative and denotative motif behind such an assurance. This is particularly so against

AS AN EKITI, I CAN SAY WITHOUT ANY EQUIVOCATION THAT MY PEOPLE CANNOT BE COERCED TO SAY YES WHEN WHAT THEY MEAN IS NO the background of GEJ’s desperate bid to seek re-election in the 2015 general elections.

To realize this ambition, GEJ certainly needs the votes of the electorate in the south west region. In other words, if these votes appear to be difficult in coming due to the general apathy of the electorates, majority of whom have sympathy for the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), GEJ will spare no option in his presidential armoury to intimidate or cower the people in the region with the military and all other state security apparatchiks in realizing his goal.

As if to confirm the pledge made a day earlier, the APC rally in Ado Ekiti was ruthlessly and violently disrupted by the police team headed by GEJ’s kinsman, Mr. Gabriel Selenkere, head of the Mopol unit in the state. Following the brutal police intervention in the hitherto peaceful rally, APC had lost one of its members, while several others were severely injured.

For those who may not know, GEJ had just ordered the deployment of Selenkere, an indigene of Bayelsa State, to Ekiti State for a specific mission.

Having successfully unleashed an unprovoked attack on the hapless citizens in the presence of incumbent Governor John Kayode Fayemi, himself the Chief Security Officer of his state, no one should be left in doubt about the suicidal mission the anti-riot squad head is poised to lead.

Going by the present political equation in the state, there is no doubting the fact about who will emerge winner in tomorrow’s election, if it is held under a free and fair democratic setting.

But can a free and fair election be held in a highly militarized environment?

That is the question!

Never to worry. The Ekitis are no strangers to wars. Perhaps GEJ and his henchmen may not know, the Ekitis are the progenitors of Fabunmi and Ogedengbe Agbogungboro. These are legends and icons of the legendary Kiriji War. As an Ekiti, I can say without any equivocation that my people cannot be coerced to say yes when what they mean is no. The earlier the apostles of war and election riggers realize this fact the better it will be for the country as a whole. Anything short of this will be like a fairy tale; it is an ominous wind that may blow nobody any good.

A time like this actually calls for a deep introspection and reflection on

what Napoleon Bonaparte once said in his fiery days as the two-term emperor of France. In one of his most devious eccentric moments, he observed that “a leader is a dealer in hope”.

No matter how taciturn and desperate our politicians may be, they should be reminded that they are in leadership position to inspire hope in the people. Even if cynics say Napoleon was not so much of what he preached in his era, the veracity of his homily remains inimitable. As famous as he was in Europe and the world in his epoch, today Napoleon Bonaparte has become a footnote on the pages of history. For GEJ, he should be told in no unmistakable term that he should tread softly as his ambition is indeed not worth the blood of any Nigerian, least of all the Ekitis.

No amount of threats and intimidation will ever subordinate the Ekiti spirit. It has never happened and it will never ever happen. But GEJ and members of his artillery and soldiers of fortune should know that all eyes are on them as Ekiti people go to the polls tomorrow.

Ajayi is a Lagos-based journalist.

Send your views by mail or sms to PMB 10001, Ikoyi, or our Email: mail@ nationalmirroronline.net mirrorlagos@ yahoo.com or 08164966858 (SMS only). The Editor reserves the right to edit and reject views or photographs.

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18

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Friday, June 20, 2014

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Aregbesola’s economic wizardry

I What is wrong with Benue State government?

write to commend Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State for the astute manner he has handled the finances of the state. I read in the papers sometime ago how the share of Osun State from the Federation Account for the month of April 2014 dwindled to N2.6 billion. It was the least collected by any state for that month. It used to

be in excess of N4 billion in the past, until July last year when unchecked oil thefts brought a shortfall of 40 per cent to federally collectible revenues and the consequent spread of this misfortune to the 36 states.

Interestingly, the state has a wage bill of N3.6 billion, from the account I gleamed from the state’s Commissioner of Finance,

Dr Wale Bolorunduro. This huge wage bill is a potential crisis generator which has put many states at loggerheads with their workers on account of non-payment of salaries and pensions, slashing of salaries by up to 50 per cent and threat of reduction of the workforce. Many states owe their workers up to four months salaries, while the Federal Government

I

n Nigeria, primary schools are known to be the starting point of formal education, which people build upon in their journey towards building their life careers.

However, Benue State government under the leadership of Governor Gabriel Suswam has being so lackadaisical about education at the primary school level in the state. Teachers of the state owned primary schools have being on strike for more than eight months now and all the governor cares about is his 2015 senatorial ambition. His priority is the strategy to adopt against Senator Barnabas Gemade, incumbent senator representing Benue East Senatorial District, who wants a second term.

If Governor Suswan should think properly, he would have known that addressing the problem of primary school teachers so as to enable them go back to classes would be one of the major things that could make people vote for him in 2015, not by, in his own calculation, using money to buy people votes when time comes.

Let me at this point remind him that the provision of education for the people of Benue State is one of his core responsibilities as a gover nor. The people of the state ought not to be be gging him to do it. Therefore, as a matter of necessity and obligation, let him start doing what he is supposed to do to ensure that primary school teachers go back to classes peacefully.

It is time to remind our leaders of their duties and responsibilities. What is right must be done to end the persisting primary school teachers strike in Benue State.

Enough is enough.

Awunah Pius Terwase, Mpape, Abuja.

Letters to the Editor

Banana hawkers cover their goods to avoid patrolling Central Business District officials on Broad Street, Lagos.

PHOTO:ADEMOLA AKINLABI

Unilag’s new-look Mass Comm

T

he Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos, now wears a new look as the new Biodun Shobanjo Multi-Media Centre of Excellence was commissioned on Wednesday June, 11, 2014. The building was donated

by Mr. Biodun Shobanjo, chairman of Troyka Holdings and the CEO of the new reality TV series, Apprentice Africa. The building project commenced in 2012. After the proper commissioning of the building, it will be officially opened to the staff and students of the department for use. Asked why the building took so long to be completed, Shobanjo attributed the delay to the bureaucratic system of the university.

Present at the commissioning were former military head of state, General Yakubu Gowon, Vice Chancellor of Unilag, Prof.

Raman A. Bello, and deans of various faculties.

In an interview with the acting HOD, Mass Communication, Dr. Daramola, Shobanjo said: “It’s a dream come true. It’s a big contribution, and we have been waiting for the building to be completed and now it has finally been completed and we are happy that we have good facilities.”

Describing the donor of the building, Dr. Daramola said “he is so generous and magnanimous. This is a man I believe started from the scratch and has reached the pinnacle of the profession of advertising and in this he has made so much from and he felt this was the best way to give back to an industry that has given him so much and he felt the best way was to invest in producing the next generation of advertising practitioners”.

Dr. Daramola also said that the example of Mr. Shobanjo is a

wake-up call for other alumni of this great university.

Other buildings commissioned the same day included the Central Research Laboratory Building donated by Dr. Daniel Olukoya, the General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministry; and Alumni Jubilee House built and donated by the University Alumni Association in alliance with GT Bank Plc. Makanjuola Olaleye Ademola, Dept of Mass Comm, University of Lagos, Lagos.

owes workers in some agencies up to three months.

Aregbesola has been able to beat this menace first, by saving all the state’s excess crude accruals for the raining day and secondly, raising the state’s internally generated revenue (IGR). The IGR he met was a paltry N300 million a month. When in 2011 he introduced electronic payment system for all government revenues, the figure doubled the next month to N600 million. Today, it has risen to N1.6 billion with huge potentials to rise to N5 billion if well tapped.

When this is done, he needs not rely on the unstable federal allocations anymore.

He has thus been able to build roads, new schools, create jobs and make government more impactful on the people. He is also said to be frugal and has stopped the partying and other money guzzling frivolities of the past which was the bane of the state’s development by past administrations. All the free loaders of the past (including politicians and religious leaders) are now complaining that he no longer patronises them. They alleged that he has been busy spreading the commonwealth to the people, instead of squandering it on the elite and a coterie of palace hangers on. Many of them have secretly waged war against him and are the ones accusing him of habouring an islamising agenda.

Without doubt, how he has been able turn the fortune of the state around is a testament of astute and visionary leadership committed to development and welfare of the people.

It is my sincere hope that his mandate will be renewed and he will come out triumphant in the coming governorship election in the state.

Dele Oluyemo, Ilesa, Osun State.

Tragedy that is Chibok Girls

B

oko Haram has exposed the failure of the political leaderships of this potentially great country called Nigeria. The abduction of the Chibok school girls is emotionally sapping, given that more than two months after they were spirited away, the Federal Government is still clueless on how best to address the issue.

President Goodluck Jonathan must be told that his second term chances hang in the balance over the unresolved saga. I was pained to the bone

marrow when ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo graphically painted the fate of the girls saying they would never come back the same. He added that some of them, who would have become expectant mothers, should not be expected back immediately.

The fate of these girls ought to constantly assault the consciences of our leaders, military and civilian alike. And if this had been the case, the ill advised recent clamp down on the Nigerian press should not have happened. But for the

press, Nigerians would have been fed falsehood on the effort to rescue the girls; they would have had no inkling of the incompetence of our military in waging the war against insurgency.

Let President Jonathan be told that his best in the ongoing counter insurg ency war is not good enough.

He should up the g ame if he wants to be invested with a renewed mandate in 2015.

Comrade Steve Ilevbare, Afuze, Edo State.

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FRIDAY

Bantu

A six day workshop on ‘Live Show Production’ will be delivered by Sam Jones of Sound Thread Company, UK, working with sound engineers at Freedom Park, Lagos, between June 17th and 23.

The workshop will include sessions on recording, mixing and producing a live music performance. Participants will test their newly acquired skills working on live music collaboration with Afrikan Boy, a London based grime MC and Ade Bantu, a NigerianGerman producer and activist.

Abeni sizzles at Afropolitan Vibes

Abeni

‘Afropolitan Vibes’, a monthly openair concert featuring energetic performances across musical genres will be on again this weekend. Each month, the twelve-piece Bantu collective is joined on stage by special guests.

Scheduled to perform on Friday, 20th June are Queen of Waka Music Salawa Abeni; singer-songwriter Nosa, and the British-Nigerian Grime MC Afrikan Boy. The time is 8pm at Freedom Park.

Terra hosts The Divorce of Lawino Moremi

Crown Troupe

The weekend will be busy at Terra Culture as three art events will be ongoing simultaneously. A solo art exhibition by Ade Odunfa will be held between 20th and 28th of June.

A play titled ‘The divorce of Lawino Moremi’ organised by the Crown Troupe of Africa will be held on Sunday, June 22nd by 3pm and ‘The Wizard of Law’ organised by the Mosaic Theatre will also be held on Sunday, June 22nd by 3pm and 6pm.

A

s anxiety continues to mount, following tomorrow’s World Cup match between Nigeria’s Super Eagles and the national team of Bosnia and Herzegovina, many Nigerian musicians who have recorded songs in support of the team appear most vulnerable and hence their palpable fears.

Friday Flavour gathered that some of the artistes whose songs were already doing well in support of the national team are currently worried over what would become of their songs, should the Super Eagles fail to make it.

According to an industry source, “Everyone is worried, because if they lose, musicians will equally lose in terms of downloads of the theme songs that have been recorded for them. You know that man is a psychological being and as the popular saying goes, ‘music is the food of the soul’; this buttresses the fact that no matter the endeavour, man has a linkage with sound. That is why no sport can survive without the supporter’s songs and cheers. Those songs will sell according to how well the team is doing at the competition.”

The idea of cashing in on sports competitions has become the order of the day in the country since musicians like Tony One week and Austino Milado delivered ‘trademark’ songs in the past and their songs are still on the lips of most Nigerian supporters till date, and actually go up in sales whenever the Super Eagles win any match or a major competition.

While it is clear that the most likely reason why the artistes hit the studios is to make money, they also quickly express their intentions by encouraging the Nigerian populace to download such songs as caller tunes through most of the telecommunications networks.

Some new artistes have also launched their singing careers through this tactic.

The month of April, 2014, witnessed the Nigerian Football Federation, NFF, inking a multimillion naira deal with Afro hip hop star, Solidstar for the latter to produce an official theme song for Nigeria’s, Super Eagles. The threeminute long video of the song, features electrifying instrumentals and rich, sonorous vocals from the ‘Skibo’ crooner, with cameo appearances from other artistes like Iyanya, Youngsix and Emma Nyra amongst many others. The song titled ‘Clear the Road for Super Eagles’ contains lines like “Anybody wey we catch for road/ na sara/ because we

Olu Maintain in Brazil

go destabilise them o/ even if we catch Argentina o/ Na sara.

Friday Flavour notes that other music artistes have followed suit and the list is almost endless. Notable among them is the song by Flavour and Waje, which was immediately available for download as caller tunes. The song is a melodious rendition of a lyrically rich stadium-like beat, resembling the Tuface’s Power of Naija.

Tunde of the defunct RnB group Styl Plus, has also lent his voice to express his love for the Nigerian Football team and encourage them through his Sound Sultan vocal strength.

Talented scriptwriter and ‘Jagbajan- songs recorded for the Super Eagles tis’ crooner, Sound Sultan also featured for this competition actually rose with an ex-Super Eagle, Emma Babayaro in the belief that the team would do well a duet to encourage the Nigerian foot- at the event, following their spectacular performance at the Nations’ Cup in ball team.

While oldie Olu maintain, the ‘Ya- 2013.

“It was because of Nigeria’s spechooze’ hit-maker voiced out an Afro tacular showing at the 2013 African Hip hop song, titled ‘Olu in Brazil’ to Cup of Nations, where they emerged herald Nigeria in the World Cup, a new victorious.

It is therefore a ‘new line artiste, Oscar, also rendered a song to of business’ to make huge money from prove his mettle. Surprisingly howevcaller tunes since Nigerians are footer, of the entire World Cup ‘hit tracks’, ball crazy .

Nigeria had a very banal one song that made the best difference in terms of quality and composition display in their first match against is the one sang by the collaboration Iran and it looked like the songs were of On Air Personalities in some radio not enough to propel them to vicstations. The song titled ‘Game On’ tory. But we pray that things change which is being aired constantly on ra- subsequently.”

What will happen to the sales of dio shows depth of poetic lyrics and these theme songs out there will howrhythm. ever be determined by the outcome of Meanwhile, Friday Flavour was tomorrow’s match. told that the upsurge in the number of

EvEryonE is worriEd, bEcausE if thEy losE, musicians will Equally losE in tErms of downloads of thE thEmE songs that havE bEEn rEcordEd for thEm

P. 34

Arty News

Olawale Oluwadahunsi

Inside FCT P. 24-33

Theme songs: Artistes bemoan Eagles’ poor outing

P. 22-23

British Council teaches production at Freedom Park

Critics

WEEKEND STARTERS

16 PAGES OF ARTS, REVIEWS, LIFESTYLE AND BUZZ TO START YOUR WEEKEND

P. 20,21

Friday, June 20, 2014

Flavour

Artman

VOL. 4 No. 839

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20

Artman In The House

Friday, June 20, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

I left banking for television happened in school. Even my parents were surprised that from primary two, I was able to interact very well in good English even with one of my uncles that visited us from America. In all, I add good environmental influence. University of Lagos to me then was like London.

I used to say that if I don’t go to either University of Ibadan, or University of Lagos, or Nsukka, then you are nowhere.

I’ll just travel out of the country to study.

I wasn’t thinking of anything like business but just education because of these guys around me.

Dawodu

If there is one man whose skills have rubbed off positively on the Nigerian television industry, it must be Bolaji Dawodu. His impact has been felt on such timeless classics as The Village Headmaster, New Masquerade, Checkmate, Super Story and Papa Ajasco and Company aside many other film productions. He shares his experiences with OLAWALE OLUWADAHUNSI in this interview.

Excerpts: Let us start with your childhood?

Well, I was born in Lagos, Olowogbowo area of Lagos. I attended St Paul’s school, Breadfruit, Lagos. From there, I went to Igbobi College, and then to University of Ibadan and Television College, Jos. Growing up in Lagos Island, unlike what you see these days, was fun then. And for the job I am doing now, that inclination has been there since I was young. When I was really small, there was this mobile film that moves around town, Elegbata

was there to show films and there was this film house very close to our house.

They have turned the whole place into market now. Then, we go to watch film; we view the posters and learn to draw. I always see this inscription then; Art Director, and as an artiste then I became curious. Even though I didn’t know what it meant, I loved the name. At St Paul’s School then, I was in the drama group.

One drama that I won’t forget, ‘Babalawo to difa, t’o l’ojo yi oni ro, ojo naa lo ro yi’… it was so interesting. All that time, I never knew if I was going to be this or that. But, there was this artistic push in me that struggled to express itself. In those days, the best schools were the public schools, even up to secondary schools. In Lagos then, the so-called ‘Area boys’ were those we looked up to and emulated, not the kind of touts all around now. These were guys that were in the university, who we aspired to be like. They would call us to send us on errands to buy things, for their girlfriends and we were happy to go. They were not Area boys of drugs and alcohol. However, there was a tragic incident, that involved one of the ‘boys’, Kayode Adams and UNILAG’s Vice chancellor, Biobaku in which the VC was stabbed. This made our parents caution us from seeing them.

But, I personally enjoyed their company because they told me stories about what

How did your journey into arts begin?

In school then, there was this hall near our house, it was called Glover Hall where we used to go and watch epic films like Shakespare’s Macbeth and the likes. We would register in school and the school will transport us to watch these films. Even other schools participated.

I don’t know what is wrong with these schools these days. You can imagine me in primary school reading ‘Macbeth’.

Now, everything around are just markets. The only trading centre around St Paul’s School was Kingsway, SCOA, and UTC. So everywhere was serene enough for learning. Then when we wanted to buy newspapers, we would go to Tinubu Square; if we don’t see the vendor we would pick the newspaper and drop the money in his pouch. Then there were places of amusement like the Onikan Swimming Pool, the Race Course where horse race were being displayed, Ajasa and other cinema houses. There was no congestion whatsoever. The environment really influenced my talent positively.

My father didn’t like the idea of me going into arts. He wanted me to be a pastor, so he sent me to University of Ibadan to study Religious Studies. Actually, I wanted to travel out of the country without his knowledge to study arts. The only person I told was my sister whom I warned not to tell anyone. She finally told my dad and he caught me at the airport waiting to board the plane. He sent every other person to study abroad except me. When I was in the secondary school, you will find me in the best night clubs in Lagos.

I was a DJ and a good dancer at the same time. All these things, my father never liked it a bit; he kept asking ‘what kind of child is this?’ I was always going to Fela’s shrine and other night clubs. It was at the shrine I met Paul McCartney of the ‘Beatles’ and even Stevie Wonder. Maybe it was even my father that started influencing me because he took me to watch Millicent Small at the then National Stadium and even so many owambe parties. Next to our house was Victoria Bar, a night club where artistes like Orlando Owoh, IK Dairo played from time to time.

We had the opportunity to watch them in their rehearsals. Our house had a decked storey building where we watched them play at night. Those experiences got me interested in entertainment. I finally went to the University of Ibadan to study Religious Studies but I never liked what we studied. I was always going to the Arts department to watch stage plays.

After I passed the first year exams, I decide to see one of the professors of the arts department and asked him if I could switch. He asked what my passion was and I told him. He then encouraged me to apply. I did and the following year, I was given the admission. It was when I got to my finals that my dad knew the course I studied. In my final year, I majored in directing. There were just five of us in class then.

Why? It was tough to be chosen to study directing. We had to prove ourselves. I was in the same class with Lola Fani-Kayode, the director of Mirror In The Sun. Wow, that’s interesting…

Yes it was. I continued and went to serve in Kano state. Kano was very peaceful and had so many accommodating people even then we had a bigger Kano then.

I don’t understand where all these Boko Haram came from. I really enjoyed my stay in Kano. I wasn’t posted to any place of primary assignment, but I decided to work with Kano State Council for Arts and Culture. I organised an arts, dance, drama and debate competitions between all the schools in Kano and I got the support of the Governor, Abubakar Rimi.

That was in 1981. I completed my youth service and came back to Lagos. My dad referred me to an uncle who worked with Savannah bank. He gave me a job in the bank at the corporate affairs department.

I worked there for one day and never returned. I got a letter from NTA to start work as a production staff. My people at home were surprised because the money I was to be paid in Savannah Bank was four times as much as what I received at NTA. My siblings were already driving big cars and I was jumping from one bus to the other. Still, I never felt bad about it.

I was just contented with what I was doing. I went to Television School in Jos to further study about production and film making.

How was the experience like at NTA? I used to say I did my PhD at NTA because I learnt so much from there. It was a whole lot of training and exposure from television production, music, documentary, jingles, and so on. At NTA, there were very good guys. We were like a family who were only out for the best.

Funny enough, I was the only Yoruba there. It was there I met Tade Ogidan and Zack Amata. My parents left me alone to do my thing when they saw me dancing on television. I was given a documentary

I mean, look at dIrectors lIke

tade ogIdan, obI emelonye and kunle afolayan, theIr qualIty speaks volume

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Artman In The House

Friday, June 20, 2014

after one day

Faze and Dawodu on the set of Soul Sisters Show Flanked by comedian on the set of Papa Ajasco

on dance to produce and anchor by our then NTA director, Victoria Ezeokoli. I did it well and added tourism to it in such a way that I went in to serious research to different states in the North and exhibited there dance steps interestingly.

When it was previewed in the office, they were all shocked and marveled. Since then, I was a point man for the director.

He was never afraid to give me any job to do. I continued as a production manager for ‘The New Masquerade’. An incident occurred that led to the director’s daughter’s death and couldn’t continue the job.

When we went for a condolence visit in his house, he announced that he won’t be able to continue as the director. Everybody asked “who will take over?” and he said “Shebi Bolaji is there, he can do it now…” I was shocked and unprepared.

On the first edition, I literarily fumbled and it was so glaring. I remember Mr. Peter Igho telling me that they weren’t going to chose anyone that I should go and prepare for a re-recording. I did my best, read the script and did it well the second time. That’s how I became a full director.

I directed The Village Headmaster, The New Masquerade and many other jingles.

It was fun then. I even got recognised by the United Nations to direct one of their projects The Sesame Street in 1990 because of my work at NTA. How did Checkmate come about?

We had a writer’s circle then at NTA then where we use to sit and discuss stories and write them. I met Amaka Igwe then, at another writers’ meeting. She was young and unmarried. She called me to give me a script she had written for New Masquerade. I read it and shouted ‘Oh my God!’ it was so interesting. I remember vividly the name of that episode was Goat Head. We used it and from there, I decided to invite her to our writers circle at NTA. She came and we held meetings together. Some weeks later, she told me she had another script for me to read. I got it from her and read it. It was another shocker. The story was totally different from what we use to have in the T.V then. She told me that she wanted me to direct it. I accepted and began production in Lagos. I had to borrow equipments from the NTA without their consent. I was still working with them then and I was able to manage it. I told only my Oga then. We went to several compa-

–Bolaji Dawodu

On a set with Nkem Owoh

nies for sponsorship and at the end of the day, we got Lever Brothers. I remember a sound I heard when I was on official assignment at London Heathrow airport.

It was so unique and I decided that we were going to use it as the soundtrack for ‘Checkmate’. The song was by ‘Squadron 999’. We wrote to the copyright owners of the song and they gave us permission to use it.

Nigeria to find them. To get Ego Boyo for that role she played, we needed someone who had the same personal experience and it was quite challenging. We had to get her through her cousin.

Did the NTA get to know you directed Checkmate?

You know that when you tell someone anything, the whole world has heard.

I don’t know how they got to know but they knew. I was using a pseudo name as the director just to conceal my name.

Even when we completed some parts of the episodes, we went to NTA to show as a review. I still used a pseudo name. I was called upon with others to preview the episodes and everyone liked it. Peter Igho, the director called me to tell me it was a challenge to NTA if private people could write and produce a lovely soap opera such as Checkmate. On the long run, they got to know and the authorities started giving me official trips to attend outside the country so I won’t be able to have time for ‘Checkmate’. When I noticed this, and the fact that I didn’t want to continue hiding my name, I resigned. That was one month close to 10 years, which would have availed me the opportunity to get my pension and gratuity. But I forgot all that and resigned and I am not regretting it because Checkmate was an all round success.

Why did you have to end the soap?

It was because of the actors. They were getting jobs and also getting very busy with personal issues. For example, Ego Boyo was pregnant for a while and we had to search for a look alike. That was when we got Mobolaji Jonson’s daughter to play the role and she did it well. The soap ran for five years.

Most of the actors in Checkmate are star actors of today. How did you get them?

Yes it is true. The best of the star actors we have now got their recognition from Checkmate. Ego Boyo, Kanayo O. Kanayo, Antar Laniyan, Bob Manuel Udokwu and so many of them. In fact I never knew Richard Mofe Damijo got his stardom from Checkmate until he mentioned it at Amaka Igwe’s Service of Songs. ‘Checkmate’ had a peculiar story that the actors just have to be excellent in delivery. We had to search the nooks and crannies of

21

With Olu Jacob and ‘Nnenna’ on the set of Papa Ajasco

How financially rewarding was it?

Oh, it was very rewarding. The sponsorship we got from Lever Brothers was amazing. We also won several awards.

Sesame Street studio, UK

Who was Amaka Igwe to you?

She was a rare creative writer. She never took ‘no’ for answer. Many people don’t know what she has done for the movie industry. She redefined it with her creativity and made many stars out of it.

I miss her a lot.

What will you say about Nollywood today?

They are trying. It’s just that the issues we are facing are internal and external. Internal issues like lack of creativity and laziness. When I want to direct any film, I always look for a template film to beat and not to photocopy. That was what I did with Checkmate. I also remember when I directed ‘Battle of Musanga’.

It was and is still one of Nigeria’s best epic films. The story was written by a university professor and it was well-researched. After the release of that film, so many epic films flooded the market. I was even shocked when a director says he can shoot 10 films in a year. I mean, it’s ridiculous. It means the story is just ordinary. I mean look at directors like Tade Ogidan, Obi Emelonye and Kunle Afolayan, their quality speaks volume.

Another issue is piracy and I think the solution to that is the creation of more cinema houses. Credit should be given to

When I Want to dIrect any fIlm, I alWays look for a template fIlm to beat and not to photocopy

Silverbird for what they are doing.

How has working with Wale Adenuga been?

It’s been awesome directing ‘Super Story’, Papa Ajasco and Company, and ‘This Life’. What Wale Adenuga is doing is a template for the next generation in Nollywood. It’s a decent and lovely entertainment for the whole family.

Who are your mentors?

My parents, my uncle who worked with Savannah Bank, IMF and Central Bank and not forgetting Professor Adekunle, former Vice Chancellor of University of Jos. What else do you do?

I watch films a lot and I direct adverts for so many companies. I am a lecturer with PEFTI. I am also presently working on my film.

Like which ones?

I can’t mention them, I am not supposed to.

How are your children?

Children…? I am a grandpa now o (laughs). One painful incident was the death of my first daughter who was really interested in this job I’m doing.

What kind of music do you listen to?

I love Fela’s music till tomorrow. I love Davido, D’banj and Asa too.

Critics

22

Friday, June 20, 2014

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Book

Fierce-burning fire of culture

The need for cultural renaissance is the focus of John Osumune’s new book, ‘Fire in the Centre’. Its presentation, however, sets it apart.

Austyn njoku

I

t is indeed edifying, almost gratifying, for me, to behold in these hollow, pop times, Fire in the Centre, a new novel

by John Osumune, a former teacher and graduate of Applied Biochemistry.

Set in rural and traditional community of Amudo, the rather mundane cover illustration of the book symbolically sets the stage for a sprawling, sometimes chilling, eerie and esoteric narrative of the eternal battle of supremacy between ethereal forces of good and evil. In a fit of anger and loss of faith, Ochendo desecrates Arushi shrine, leads Amudo into a war of attrition against her neighbour, Amaku.

Amudo, badly scalded, retrogresses in the aftermath of the damnable encounter.

To further punish Amudo for her disobedience and unprovoked aggression, the gods impose a wicked bastard on them as king. The Chief Priest and protagonist, Okwuoha, and elders of Amudo resolve to obey and keep faith with the gods. Elder Ofoma, the supposed progenitor of Onwuka, the king-to-be, commits abomination by taking his own life before his bastard son is installed as king.

Like King Saul of the bible, Eze Onwuka unleashes angst, vengeance, hatred and wickedness foretold, on Amudo. He takes Okorie’s wife, snubs the elders, and eventually kills Okorie for daring to be a man at the wrong time! The king himself kills the sacred serpent, Eke, of the community where he is king! The gods become angry and show it when eke which never bites,

stings a young boy. The Chief Priest and the elders offer sacrifices, supplications, to appease the angry gods.

Eze Onwuka’s evil cup spills when he insists on dragging Amudo into another war of shame, simply because his sister is involved in a domestic accident with her husband. Amudo refuses to go to war.

The king hires mercenaries! Ntueke is attacked. Homes are razed. Blood is spilled.

Angst, vengeance, dangles in the air like a dark imminent downpour.

The ignoble one-man revenge exaction from Ntueke leads to the cold murder of Ifeanyi, industrious only son of Okwuoha, Chief Priest and preacher of peace! Okwuoha is devastated. Ojiugo weeps. Amudo weeps. The youths storm Eze Onwuka’s palace. The irate king becomes rabid. He calls down death to consume Amudo, his subjects, in seven days! Like Pharaoh, he shuns reason and dines with arrogance.

The Chief Priest and elders of Amudo, hand him over to their gods and ancestors.

John Osumune’s Fire in the Centre is deep, deliberately didactic, tingling and spiced with proverbs, romance laced in poetic diction; rich in vocabulary, cultural and traditional leitmotifs. It inexorably calls to mind, Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, No Longer At Ease, Arrow Of God; it romances Elechi Amadi’s The Concubine; and more recently, Chukwunyere Chukwu’s Songs of Wisdom and Odili Ujubuonu’s Pregnancy of the Gods, Treasure in the Winds. These authors are from different parts of eastern Nigeria.

Whereas there appears to be too many names and characters in the book, Osumune ensures that there are memorable

ones like Okwuoha, Chief Priest protagonist, Eze Onwuka the bad guy, Uredie alias ‘evil bird’ the cantankerous comedian, old Akuigwe her crony, Okorie the brash brat, Ifeanyi the beloved, Akirika the usual village comic sot, elders Eluma, Opkara, Echefu and others who help to stoke the suspense, tempo and rhythm of the story.

The dense atmosphere, the racy eyeof-God narrative style with sweet, wicked descriptions and strong poetic intros, make Fire in the Centre quite a rivetting read.

But, at the allegorical realms, John Osumune is simply telling us that any nation bedeviled with carcinogenic, raging corruption at the Centre, is a nation doomed with calamities such as kidnapping, rape, armed robberies, bombings and killings such as boko haram is unleashing on north-eastern Nigeria, and Nigerians as a whole.

This is the fire in the centre! It burns and consumes all around it, till it burns and consumes itself.

It is intriguing to read ‘Fire in the Centre’, a story set in pre-colonial era, written by Osumune of Igbo extraction, who was born

John osumune’s Fire in the Centre is deep, deliberately didactic, tingling and spiced with proverbs, romance laced in poetic diction; rich in vocabulary, cultural and traditional leitmotifs

and raised in Lagos in the early seventies. John speaks and writes Igbo language, though this reviewer feels his inclusion of the Chief Priest’s praise song in Igbo, just like the caveat at the back of the book, is unnecessary. But this shows that hope is not lost for the continued propagation of our indigenous languages and their rich cultural heritage.

That said, it is also pertinent to observe that whereas self-publishing has come to stay, intending authors must endeavour to engage the services of book editors, proofreaders, to forestall avoidable infelicities that mar total enjoyment of a puissant story such as Fire in the Centre. This is a novel WAEC, NECO, movie makers, libraries, schools and all lovers of good literature should add to their reading lists.

Austyn Njoku is an award-winning poet and author of ‘Scents of Dawn’

Music

Wanted: Leaving cultural values in arts?

Tiwa Savage’s new music video, Wanted, evokes the feelings that works should not be only about sensuality.

ChArles noviA

P

ersonal thoughts could be the voice of a silent, quivering majority or a hemlock to the dense, obtuse and dim-witted minority.

The latter best describes proponents of the video who have been screaming to high heavens that there is nothing wrong with the video. Indeed, there is nothing wrong. How can anything be wrong to those set of people? Those kind of people who dress up and go to church on Sundays and come out all holier-thanthou but have selective obedience to the teachings of their faith? Those kinds of people, a new and lost generation mostly, who were born into a world of seamless

and acceptable sexual laxities and swallow anything the mainstream American pop media spit out at them without even thinking for themselves?

Truth be told, as we all know, Nigeria is now very sick. It is not only the politicians and the ‘militia-cians’ who are sick. The whole bloody citizenry is sick.

I am in my early forties. I come from a generation grappling with the last vestiges of a sane and moral code in a world fast disintegrating into factions of lewdness and sycophancy. My generation seems to be overawed by what is happening in today’s cultural dysfunctionality.

Everyone just seems to look away. Hell no! Those of us who can speak out must speak out. I chose to. Not because I am holier than the other person but because there are still real and extant moral rules in the world we live in today which must be left to stay in the world those I call the opposites try to rebuild.

If my voice will be the loudest and the last from that generation, then it will be. And I won’t back down in the face of

impunity. What I say and will continue to say is a legacy of logic and thought I leave for the sane few and a pricking of dead conscience for the insane many.

And so, I must talk. I must ventilate.

I must critique. Because someone has to do it. I do it not for pecuniary gains or for fame; I don’t need those. I have built a brand and body of work over the years which vindicate me. I critique because you don’t say it enough, so I have to say it more.

The Nigeria you dream about, that utopian Nigeria cannot come to pass if you trample all you hold sacred. Morality is an appendage of culture in progressive societies. Once that moral fibre is cut off, then your society goes to the dogs. A new society cannot be built without a cultural revolution. A change of the mindset. A mental re-orientation. Please someone should go and study China and how their cultural revolution has made them the world’s largest economy and the biggest world power presently or in a couple of years. Countries like China eschewed

The video

Western cultural imperialism and built their country on values peculiar and modelled to shape their future.

What cultural values are we building? Nay, what moral values? Yes, some may argue that some ignominy abound

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Critics

Friday, June 20, 2014

23

Movie

Serving our fatherland

Film directors in the quest to say something overlook vital aspects of their works. Emeka Jonathan’s work is a classic example.

Ngozi EmEdolibE

T

he film is not the typical Nollywood movie that parades a galaxy of stars, too recycled for their typical roles. It is not about exotic cars and sprawling homes. It is also not about a glossy film jacket. It is about a story that touches our society, something everyone would relate with: story of the menace of National Youth Service Corps members.

The movie tells the story of four NYSC members split on both divides of the moral scale, who are posted to a typical Nigerian village for their primary assignment, which is teaching. While Mike and Usman are bent on doing their assignment diligently, James and Benson see it as an opportunity to sow their wild oats. They engage some of the students left in their care in their immoral ways, and regrettably, James lures Perpetual (Rita Yua) to bed after drugging her. She gets pregnant and tries to get an abortion which complicates her matter, heralding a period of unhappiness for the hitherto promising Perpetual.

Worst hit is Perpetual’s father, who in the quest to find solutions to his daughter’s problems, falls victim to a syndicate of conmen, camouflaging as prophets. But the matter is resolved when it gets reported to the police and then the school principal.

In an era when movie-making is driven by commercial interest, the flick comes clean with the intention to drive home the advantages of morals, which is commendable. The menace of male

in Nollywood as well. It does. And my voice is never at the lowest decibel there when it does. Artistes in Nigeria are the last bastion of hope in the skewed society. The power of our art in music and movies makes them the first line of be-

members of the National Youth Service Corps is obviously a re-occurring one in Nigeria, and has left many unsuspecting girls emergency mothers, further heightening the poverty in the system.

What the movie has also achieved is setting apart a character called Mike, who believes that he could have a passion for what he does and sees his job as a service to the nation. People like that who are few in our modern day Nigeria, should have been rewarded in the story to make this movie complete. But this did not take anything away from the movie.

Although the lean budget which the movie was shot with is obvious, the artistic director was able to get the best from the actors. James (Stanley Kings), did his ‘bad boy’ role very convincingly, much like other characters in the film, and this could have resulted from long rehearsals.

But certain aspects of the movie will raise a lot of questions. Technically, the director left a lot of holes in narrating his story. On several instances, he ignored the use of Cut Away shots. A typical example is the scene where the youth corpers were drinking and suddenly some school girls walk past to the admiration of the boys. They were described as beautiful, and the audience would have had a better understanding by being shown who the youth corpers were talking about. So many instances like that abound in the movie.

The audience would also find disgusting the fact that an enlightened Perpetual’s father would seek the help of a spiritualist in unraveling a medical condition

like pregnancy. Perhaps it was a leeway for the director to exert his special effects, which Nollywood hypes mostly in their trailers.

In Lord Have Mercy, it was unnecessary.

Other issues about the film include some cases of bad English, having only seven pupils in their classrooms, allowing the sound man come into shot, and the flagrant display of Bob Marley’s no-

lievable role models in Nigeria. With music and movies which stir hearts and moves souls to action, the artiste is the person whom the common man and the starry-eyed kids are likely to believe in.

Not the politicians. That is the power of art.

When you misuse those powers for immoral proclivities, then you have killed the moral future of millions of kids and conscionable people who look up to you.

You have created a dysfunctional moral society in one fell swoop through your visual adventurism.

But alas! In Nigeria, most artistes do not care about that. It’s all lip service.

A woman marries and the next thing she is pushing a new visual sexual agenda for the kids and her supporters are egging her on by saying it’s her body or using a silly mantra that her husband likes it like that. The one which makes me chuckle is when some say she is an entertainer and her short-of-strip-dancing antics in the new video is all about entertaining you.

Tufiakwa!

I live in Africa. I am a Nigerian and last time I checked, my country still has laws against that. I will not subscribe to an infidel agenda even if any other person does. A married woman, no matter the career path she chooses, in this part of the world should evoke respect and admiration for sterling values. Does that video evoke anything short of wanton

Corps member on parade

table song, ‘One Love’ as a ring tone in the movie, thereby violating his rights.

While the essence of every movie is to attract attention ‘Lord Have Mercy’ (by title and sleeve design) brought in a lot of Catholicism, perhaps to create a marketing niche, which is wise. However this work typically reminds one of a rickety car running on a very sound engine. The engine in this case is the story, while the chassis is the packaging of the work.

With music and movies Which stir hearts and moves souls to action, the artiste is the person Whom the common man and the starryeyed kids are likely to believe in. not the politicians. that is the poWer of art

abandon and wagging fingers? You decide. But in these days of anomie, nothing really surprises me anymore.

Charles Novia is a film director and writer who lives in Lagos.

24

Inside FCT

Friday, June 20, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

POWA:

@50

Succour for bomb blast victims

Cutting the anniversary cake

Some residents of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, benefitted from the humanitarian gestures of Police Officers Wives Association, POWA, writes OMEIZA AJAYI.

L

iving in an era where insecurity, mayhem, corruption and immorality has taken siege, the association as part of its 50th anniversary has embarked on programmes targeted at relieving the pains inflicted upon unsuspecting victims of Boko Haram bomb blasts, create more security awareness and as well reach out to widows and orphans of Police officers.

Since 2010 when terror was massively unleashed on Nigerians, the rising figures of victims of these attacks have increasingly affected the life style of every Nigerian in and out of Abuja.

The recent Nyanya bombings and abduction of over 200 girls from Chibok, have increased tension in the country allowing for government, associations and individuals to proffer proactive steps to secure lives and one of such associations is the Police Officers Wives Association, POWA. Started in 1964 by Mrs. Margaret Louis Edet, wife of the first indigenous Inspector General of The Nigerian Police Force, Louis Edet, POWA has evolved into an effective sustainable organisation that actively enhances community partnership, post conflict rehabilitation, youth empowerment and the quality of life lived by police women and children to improve their welfare.

Over the years, POWA has lived to its expectations by reaching out to the less privileged in society, embracing and empowering widows and orphans and lending a hand to victims of insurgency to relieve their pain through various means to play a supporting and complementary role to their husbands, the gate

keepers of security in the country.

Just recently in Abuja, POWA embarked on a week long programme of activities designed to Members of POWA reach out to society through a security awareness campaign, visiting the victims of the Nyanya bomb blasts, sporting activities, talent shows, fund raising dinner amongst others, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the association.

At one of the events, the President of POWA, Zahra Bunu-Abubakar, called on government and Nigerians to always support the families of those who sacrificed their lives while on the line of duty to protect the lives and property of both Nigerians and Foreigners.

She explained that most families of deceased Police Officers need love, affection and financial aid to reduce the thorns of untold hardship, loneliness, anger and misplaced priorities as a result of the demise of the breadwinner.

She said: “In 2013 alone, 1585 Policemen were killed in the line of duty. Their wives, children, siblings and parents will never see them again. They died protecting our lives, they died in hands of bandits, political and religious extremists, and they died helping innocent citizens and protecting governments and foreign missions.

“I have visited a number of barracks and seen firsthand, the lives of the families of policemen. Beyond the physical structures and people lies a third inhabitant, the unseen inhabitant- the untold

stories of loss, anguish, pain, anger, sadness, depression, sacrifice, despair and resilience “This is our reality and sadly, this reality has gradually begun to hunt us as a nation. Disadvantaged and vulnerable population s amongst us are easy recruits for activities that can pose a threat to society, we must act now”.

Security awareness campaign Following the prevailing security situation in the country, POWA kicked off the commemoration celebrations on the 12th of May, 2014 with Security Awareness Campaign in major markets in Abuja.

The markets which benefitted from the sensitisation programme on the need to embrace environmental consciousness to avoid ugly incidents of insurgency were Wuse and Garki markets. The sensitisation crew took time to explain the need to be alert at all times while passing on security tips to market women.

In spite of the growing bomb scares in various markets in the city, traders still flooded the market against all odds to sell their wares to enable them cater for their family. To them, caution is the word, even as they said they believe that such awareness campaigns can help

Kogi Governor Presenting Award to a Former POWA President (Mrs. Gambo Jimeta)

stem the tide of bomb attacks. For someone like Janet Agbim, she is ready to sell her wares at the market any day, anytime whether there is a bomb scare or not.

According to her “there has been this type of rumour here but since this is where we work, we cannot stop coming to do our business” and for so many like her, they always consider such a rumour as to be false.

Since calling on people not to go out at all lest go to the market is not feasible, the association led by the President of the association, Mrs. Bunu-Abubakar accompanied with the management team and executive members of the associa-

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Inside FCT

Friday, June 20, 2014

tion, took conscious efforts in ensuring necessary information flow is enhanced to equip the sub consciousness of market women in Abuja.

pep talk by representatives of the Nigeria Police Force Micro-Finance Bank to enhance self sustainability by accessing soft loans from banks to carry out small

scale businesses.

They were also advised to encourage their spouses register for National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS,to access the free adequate health services provided for families to reduce the cost of medical bills incurred and to ward off frequent ailment as a result of non treatment due to financial | constraint.

The crux of the celebration was the presentation of grinding and sewing machines by the POWA President to Police widows won through free raffle draws and presentation of bags of rice to other widows. Also, school bags and other educational items were given to Police Orphans.

A delegation led by the POWA President, Mrs. Bunu-Abubakar visited the Police Hospital located at Area 1, Abuja to donate wheel chairs and other medical consumables to the hospital.

ria has caught these set of young people in the cobweb of poverty without alternative jobs.

Without mincing words, a number of policies such as banning of commercial motorcycles, popularly known as ‘okada’ high cost of tricycles simply called “Keke Napep” bombing in the Northern part of the country, demolition of petty trading, shops and kiosks in the Federal Capital

Territory. FCT, without providing social and economic succour have no doubt left them vulnerable.

A survey by Inside FCT across the communities such as Mpape, Lugbe, Kubwa Katampe, Gisiri, Jahi satellite towns in Abuja shows that many water vendors hardly sell two kegs of water per day compared to dry season sales.

However, some water vendors who spoke with ‘Inside FCT’ lamented the poor sales even as rainy season has worsened their socio-economic situation Muhammed Danbaba, who operates his water vendor in Wuse Zone 1, explained that he resorted to this menial job in order not to become a criminal.

He said: “Since the beginning of rainy season this year, sales has dropped. If it’s the dry season, sometimes I go home with N2,000 to N3,000 depending on the number of customer I have, but these days, I hardly get N500 after a long wait. I think this is because every house gets water from the bore hole.

Love and support to humanity The April 14th and May 1st bomb blasts carried out at Nyanya motor park in Abuja by the Boko Haram sect was an incident that cost the lives of innocent Nigerians with many of them admitted in various hospitals receiving various forms of treatment.

In line with her commemoration activities to mark her 50th anniversary, POWA took time to pay visit to the victims receiving treatment at the National Hospital, Abuja where cash donations were made to the 23 victims recuperating from varying degrees of injuries to assist in their fast recovery. This show of love and support for those in need was also extended to widows and orphans of Policemen in the course of the celebra-

POWA President with members during a visit to victims of Nyanya bomb blasts at National Hospital, Abuja

tion.

Widows and orphans were admonished to take up businesses in other to cater for themselves and family during a

Tale of woes for water vendors Joel aJayi

I

t is commonly believed that life is of two sides. To some people it is good, and to others life is not rosy at all in view of the challenges they contend with on daily basis.

For instance, whereas farmers are always happy with the coming of the rainy season because of the bumper harvests they would experience after the planting season, the story is a different for other groups such as water vendors, popularly known as ‘mairuwa’, whose sales have been poor, particularly in the Federal Capital Territory.

The water vendors are ubiquitous at residential areas, offices, the road sides, waiting for clients or customers to beckon at them for delivery of potable water.

Like traders, these vendors want to earn their daily bread by fetching and transporting water with jerry cans parked in

Water vendors waiting to fill their jerry cans

their wheelbarrows for a fee.

However, like other business-oriented people with very good knowledge about market opportunities, the young, energetic, vibrant boys are also determined to eke out a living in the FCT, against all odds.

Frankly speaking, unemployment corruption, illiteracy, unfavourable economic policies, insecurity and selfishness on the part of leaders and policy makers in Nige-

25

World Cup: Viewing centres boom against odds Rotimi Fadeyi

T

he World Cup football matches which started on Thursday, June 12 has resulted in the upsurge of soccer loving Nigerians who troop to various football viewing centers in the Federal Capital Territory.

Unlike before the World Cup when they watch football matches played between various international club sides in the world, the excitement has increased now that countries of the world are on the field of play while also fielding a number of soccer stars already known to football lovers.

Most of the viewing centres now open for business anytime of the day when there is any World Cup match to be featured on television via satellite.

While new viewing centres are springing up, the existing centres are doing everything to ensure that they record more patronage and make more money.

Viewing Centre

With the World Cup currently in progress, operators of the viewing centres have increased sitting capacity and provided bigger viewing screens to attract more football fans.

Apart from increasing sitting capacity and putting up giant screens, the operators also ensure that there is constant electricity supply while viewing World Cup matches; therefore they also make provision for electricity generating sets

in order not to disappoint football fans and lose patronage.

So many of the football fans prefer to go to the viewing centres and pay to watch the World Cup matches since they are sure of constant electricity supply than staying at home to watch the matches not sure of electricity supply or power outage during the transmission of matches.

According to one of the operators of

the viewing centres located in Kubwa, a satellite town in the FCT who simply gave his name as Felix, World Cup football match between Nigeria and Iran on Monday attracted the highest number of ‘spectators’ at his viewing centre since the commencement of the competition on June 12.

This large turnout of football fans were also recorded at other viewing centres in the area during the Nigeria- Iran match. It, however, ended in a goalless draw.

Unlike the “gate fee” charged for matches between international club sides before the commencement of the World Cup matches, operators of the viewing centres now charge football fans higher fees to watch live World Cup matches.

While some of the operators of the football viewing centres charge fees ranging from N50 to N100 to watch football matches before the World Cup completion, they now charge about N100 to N150 to watch World Cup matches.

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Mirror Mongers

Friday, June 20, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Finally, Alagbole toll gate

Okorocha

Okorocha’s royal rumble nly God knows the outcome

O

of this royal rumble Governor Okorocha of Imo State has gotten himself into with HRH Cletus Liomuanya. MM gathered Governor Okorocha has moved to remove the royal father from the Confab by withdrawing his certificate of recognition as a traditional ruler in the state.

According to Okorocha, ‘since he had been dethroned, the monarch should give way for another serving traditional ruler to take his place at the conference’.

He said Ilomuanya was nominated to the Confab on the platform of traditional rulers.

Offor, the deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor said the governor had appointed Eze Ohiri to replace Ilomuanya, adding that the Federal Government should recall Ilomuanya as a delegate since he came on the platform of the traditional rulers.

He said the clarification became necessary following an observation made by a South-East delegate representing Forum of former Speakers, Mr. Anayo Nnebe, that the National Conference should stop further intervention of state governments in traditional institutions across the country.

The buzz is that before the latest move to dethrone the Orlu monarch, Okorocha had cautioned him against parading himself as the Chairman of Imo Council of Traditional Rulers due to offences he allegedly committed.

Mourning before klieglights

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emember that hundreds of personalities from government, media, music, business and Nollywood, attended the special Service of Songs held in honour of Nollywood icon, Amaka Igwe, in Lagos. But that could not be said for her burial ceremony in her husband’s home town, Arondizuogu in Imo State.

MM learnt that unlike the Lagos event, there were few Nollywood practitioners at the burial in Imo state. Yes, most of those celebrities, who were busy hugging the limelight in Lagos, falling over themselves to grant interviews on how nice Amaka Igwe was were not anywhere near the place. Even the guild heads who usually hurry to the press to showcase their activities were absent.

From the label on some of the canopies, it was obvious that the family expected the industry at the burial on 13th of June. But most of the big wigs were not there! Bob Manuel Udokwu, the senior special assistant to Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State, was however there, leading the industry from his state. Others who made it to the burial are: Paul Obazele,Yibo Koko, Gabosky, Chiwetalu Agu, Tom Njemanze, Nkem Owoh, Mike Nliam, Peace Anyiam Osigwe, Ngozi Nwosu, Julius Agwu, Zack Orji, Chinwe Owoh, Steve Eboh, Frank Dallas and Uche Odoputa.

Alagbole bridge construction

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any great things have little beginnings indeed. You will understand this when you watch a farmer and his seedlings.

This is almost the word on the lips of the residents of Alagbole-Akute axis of Ogun State where a major road construction is being undertaken by the Governor of the State, Ibikunle Amosun. Now that the residents are praying that the rains subside so they can make use of the alter-

native routes, MM gathered that they are worried about the gridlock that usually locks down the end where people on foot can pass.

In case one is wondering what is going on there, the buzz is that the mobile policemen stationed at the spot to protect the construction workers have turned the place to a toll gate for drivers who have money and can pay their way across the spot. Although they would not give

anyone a ticket to justify any payment, the minimum motorists who expect to use the road are expected to pay is N500.

Yes, so far people are paying and the passers-by are gnashing their teeth in anguish. Meanwhile work at the Akute end of the road has been suspended again, leaving the residents wondering when this agony would be all over.

Behold Keke Wamakko

S

okoto State Governor, Aliyu Wmakko is at it again. And this time around he is reminding Nigerians what they have forgotten about the Nigerian High Commissioner to Canada, Ojo Maduekwe, who in 2000 launched a campaign to get Nigerians to be riding bicycles. The buzz is that Aliyu Wamakko actually prefers a power bike as captured in a photo published by ‘Sokoto Today’ magazine which has since gone viral online. Although opinions are divided, so many people are

insinuating that very soon the Governor would introduce that keke Wamakko, as it has been dubbed to push away the okada riders, whom some of the states in the north are wary of because of the menace of insurgency.

As Wamakko grins from cheek to cheek atop the bike, some residents also feel it would not be a bad idea, if he could adopt it as the ‘official ride’ at the Government House.

ONE-SECOND Q & A

Wamako keke

ABBA MORO After the controversies that trailed the recruitment exercise into the Nigeria Immigration Service, many Nigerians have been wondering what steps have been taken to assuage some of the victims. Comrade Abba Patrick Moro, Minister of Interior, reacts:

What is the update on the botched recruitment into the Nigeria Immigration Service?

Moro

Let us say that we are talking about March and May and Mr. President on the course of reflecting on the botched recruitment gave Presidential directives and some palliatives, to provide succour for the victims of that exercise and it is being processed.

Mr. President specifically charged no less a person than his Chief of Staff to coordinate the implementation of his directives and that is exactly what we are going to do. The only thing I can say at this point is to ask for the understanding of the ordinary person on the workings of the system but definitely, Mr. President’s directive on automatic employment for the victims of the exercise will be implemented.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Friday, June 20, 2014 Sha’ban 22 1435 A.H.

27

Call to Worship On the authority of Anas bin Malik, the servant of the Messenger of All, the prophet said: “None of you [truly] believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.”

RELATED BY BUKHARI AND MUSLIM

IN HIS LIGHT

with

USTAZ

A. ZAFARAN e-mail: zafabumuneeb@yahoo.com

M

an is from the quintessence of clay and despised mingled semen.

Different things also make him because he is a product of different substances. He is born with his innate behaviours. He can do good or bad, smile or cry, befriend or fight, conceal secret or reveal it and be patient or impatient. He has a nature of changing from one state to another.

This starts from the point of fertilization through varied metamorphoses till birth, and from then through infancy till old age and eventual death. His body after death also changes from what was once a beautiful body to a smelling corpse.

Allah (SWT) created man and sent him

Ramadan returns, Ramadan reminds to this world to worship Him by managing the affairs of the world in conjunction with His Will. Alas! Man is in loss. He is not only acting against the Will that brought him to this world but he is also acting against his own nature. He is covetous, contentious, envious, unjust, hasty, niggardly, rebellious and hypocritical.

Man is not created from the laboratory as to have a standardized pattern of behavior with others. The variation among men is to keep life going. The inhumanity of man to man today is very alarming.

One man is in prison languishing under fetters for crimes he has either committed or not. Another man is in the hospital because his health has failed him. There is another man in the office enjoying coolness of the air-conditioner. Another man is in the market transacting lawful or unlawful business. There is another man at home sleeping on his cozy bed. Another man is in his farm tilling the earth. Another man is

travelling; the other is on his way to school.

Everywhere you go, you will come across a man involving in one endeavour or the other. Man can be strange and funny. You may not be able to predict his character at times.

He can befriend you today but fight you tomorrow. He thinks a lot. His Creator alone knows all that he thinks. No man can say everything about a man. A man is a man.

The true man is a true Muslim.

All men are from sperm drop but composed of elements that are from the earth.

That informs why man appears to be always drawn to the earthly desires. The soul in him belongs to the higher realm. If man obeys and follows the law of Allah, he will sail on a higher plane. Otherwise, he will belong to the lowly of the lowliest. Man by the simple fact that his origin is from the earth has no cause to be walking on it arrogantly. Also, it is not expected that the he will be committing mischief on it as he has been appointed as a viceroy over it. Again, he should call to mind the day he will return to the womb of the earth. It is also ungrateful for man to be defiling the earth with innumerable vices while the earth continuously brings forth his provisions upon which he depends. Man has a limited time to dwell on it and to in-

volve in virtue or vice. It will thereafter be the turn of the earth, after the death of man and his burial, to either expand for him for pleasure or conscript him in pains.

Thus, Ramadan comes every year to remind and return man to desired nature by Allah (SWT) and make him live peacefully in this world and prepare for the Hereafter.

It rekindles hope for Muslims in general and the believing ones specifically that they could change themselves and their society.

No normal human being can deny the fact that morality is at its lowest ebb today. We have all experienced insecurity or heard how people were helpless at gun points. No man today can predict what will happen to him or those associated with him. Insecurity remains the scarcest commodity today.

Observing the fast of Ramadan secures and purifies the soul of man from all pollutions like materialism, corruption, etc.

It positions man as an ambassador in this world. He is not beguiled by the glittering of the world no matter how much he suffers wants. He prefers to go hungry and thirsty rather than causing fellow men any kind of pain. A man who could go hungry for thirty days for almost thirteen hours daily is qualified as a leader for others.

Arisekola Alao: End of an Era

T Lagos Amira of Al-Muminaat, Hajia Aisha IIyas (standing) discussing with medical personnel during Al-Mu’minaat’s medical caravan in Lagos recently.

Ramadan Special Reports!

The Holy month of Ramadan is days away and in our usual way of advocating Islamic tenets and providing a window for the advertisers, we wish to consolidate on our annual Special Ramadan Report. For more information, contact us on: 0805 510 2994 or email: sakinah207@yahoo.com.

Ma asalam and Ramadan Kareem in advance!!

Book Haram and she emerged UNILAG youngest medical doctor

28

We are not practising democracy in Nigeria –Don

29

he Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, has described the death of Alhaji Abdul Azeez Arisekola Alao, the Aaare Musulumi of Yorubaland and Vice-President, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) for Southern Nigeria as an end of an era.

In a release signed by MURIC’s Director, Prof.

Ishaq Akintola, he said Muslims were saddened by his departure from this world as he was a shining model for all and a leader of exemplary qualities.

“Arisekola was a deeply re-

ligious man. He was a lover and promoter of peace.

He was a philanthropist nulli secundus, a humanist primus inter pareil and a patriot numero uno. He was kind to a fault and he was also a very pious man.

As a committed Muslim, he single-handedly funded the propagation of Islam in the whole South-West of Nigeria for several decades. As a philanthropist, his generousity knew no religious or ethnic bounds.

He fed thousands on a daily basis without asking for anything in return. He was a true friend of the poor. He loved the city of

Ibadan with immense passion, Oyo State with great zeal and Nigeria with an unusual patriotism.”

Unlike many other wealthy Nigerians, he rose from a very poor background. With little education, he built a great business empire by dint of hard work and transparency. His business acumen and fame started manifesting from the 50s.

The death of Aare Arisekola Alao has left a mighty lacuna which may be difficult to fill for a very long time. MURIC commiserated with the Sultan of Sokoto.

ZAKAT IS 2.5% OF YOUR TOTAL WEALTH KNOWN AS NISAB AFTER HAVING FULFILLED ALL OBLIGATIONS, PAY YOUR ZAKAT

Lagos hijab ban: Government makes u-turn 30

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Call to Worship

Sha’ban 22 1435 A.H. Friday, June 20, 2014

Book Haram and she emerged UNILAG youngest medical doctor

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ear young ones, you need to get some inspiration from Maryam’s story. Yes, some think book is haram but our 21 year-old Maryam Opeyemi Raji emerged the youngest graduating medical student at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, during last week’s graduation ceremony of the 2012/13 academic session.

Expectedly, she was very excited about the feat, saying “It’s Allah’s favour that I would be the youngest.” Having spent the last six years of hard work at the College of Medicine, she deserved the reception she got. According to her, being the youngest graduating medical student is a dream come true. “It’s my dad’s dream I become a medical doctor. Unfortunately I lost him at age 8. People around me, especially my mum, nurtured the dream.

She helped me keep the goal; it was very challenging but having her around kept me focused. So, let’s do it again!

Nominate DR. MARYAM OPEYEMI RAJI, UNILAG’s youngest medical doctor for: The Future Africa Award (TFAA) Prize in Education

and the Future Africa Award (TFAA) Prize for Young Person of the Year. Deadline for nomination has been extended to June 21, 2014. Try to nominate her before the final date. Nominations can be done via the website www. thefutureafrica.com/awards or via SMS on +234 802 2222 6712. Nominees must be aged 18 – 31. You need the following information to nominate her; first name: Maryam, Last name: Raji, city: Lagos, country: Nigeria, phone no: 07043278692, email address: maryambintiy@yahoo. com, age: 21. Reason(s) for Nomination(s); In your own words, please describe in detail your nominee’s specific accomplishment (e.g youngest medical doctor) with a focus on impact, potential for growth and the ability to inspire.

Many should learn from this great mind! “The fact that I am a Muslim is the first gift. As a conscious Muslim, I didn’t engage in acts forbidden by Allah; like drinking alcohol, clubbing, partying, and engaging in unlawful relationship, among others.

Also, my secondary school, Vanguards Academy was a

training ground for me. It groomed me to become what I am today. I don’t miss classes, except when it clashed with obligatory act of my deen (Islam). I know the right time to read and I will understand whatever I read through Allah’s mercy. This was made possible through the memorisation of the glorious Qur’an. It makes me to remember a lot of things I have read. These are the secret of my success story.”

She dedicated her achievement to Almighty Allah and her late dad. “Muslim women must not relent in seeking for knowledge. There is no religion that talks about the importance of knowledge other than Islam. Early Muslims led the world because of their disposition to knowledge. What we know today as western education has its origin in Islam.”

Also, it is a thing of joy that the second youngest graduating medical student is also a Muslim. She’s Miss Aisha AbdurRazaq, born in January 1993, same year with Maryam, but 4 months older. They are both 21.

As the glorious month of Ramadan approaches, a lot

Do medical checks before Ramadan -Al-Mu’minaat … Urges govt to check noise pollution AISHA TITILAYO

G

overnment at all levels, have been charged to step up the campaign against noise pollution in the society.

The call was made recently by a Medical Expert, Dr. Muftau Safiyyah, during A 2-Day Medical Caravan organised by the Lagos State chapter of AlMu’minaat (the believing women) organisation. Dr. Muftau, while speaking on the theme “You and Your Ear”, said the ear is one of the most important organs of the body and it is expected it is given adequate attention for effectiveness. “People are now faced with different challenges, and one of it is hearing problem. When the ears have problem, which is mostly caused by environmental pollution, one won’t be productive either at home or work. You won’t be useful to yourself because it’ll affect other part of the body.

That’s why it’s important for everyone to take care of his/her ear by taking note of early warning signs. People should know early symptoms of ear problem by seeking medical advice on time. We also advice them not to use any sharp object on their ears,” she stated.

“We have a lot of noise pollution in our society, and they are a big threat to the ears. We call on government to step up their campaign in order to eradicate noise pollution in our society. We need to increase screening exercise on hearing for children and adult. We need more ears specialist centres.

A lot of people are not aware; most of them go to nearby chemists or traditional herbalists for ear problems. Some of them don’t have money; this is where government needs to come in.”

Over 300 Nigerians benefited from the free medical treatments held at Iwaya Health Centre and Egan

Central Mosque, EbutteMeta Local government, Lagos. Screenings carried out include blood pressure, blood glucose, BMI, Malaria and lots. The president of the society, Hajia Aisha IIyas expressed satisfaction on the success of the exercise. She said the need for this year’s Medical Caravan was borne out of the need to sensitize people on the importance of hearing.

“In the next couple of weeks, fasting would commence. We want to use this programme to educate Muslims on healthy living during Ramadan,” she stated.

For us to be healthy throughout ramadan and beyond, guest lecturer, Hajia Basirah Oreagba said, “Eat little, drink water a lot, and be close to God. We should spend more on fruits and vegetable because they are low in calorie and they contain lots of minerals and vitamins which are good for our health. We should take little of carbohydrate, protein, fats and oil.

is expected of us especially career women, in ensuring a hitch-free fasting month visà-vis our home and career.

We surely need to plan our time very well so that none of them suffers a setback.

With the traffic situation in the country and Lagos roads especially, even closing early from work might not help matter at times. And we need to maximize our time in order to gain maximally from the month of Rahma. …What happens to our Chibok girls’ sanitary needs?

As we continue to pray for the safe return of our abducted girls, we must realized that these are young girls with hygienic, dietary,

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THE PLATFORM with

Sekinah

Lawal t: 08055102994 e: sakinah207@yahoo.com sanitary and other needs.

This event should be of great concern to all people of conscience. This is a criminal enterprise.

Unfortunately, our leaders are clueless and are busy trading blames. For Allah’s sake sake, bring back our girls. If we have a working CCTV Camera in all our schools, many unanswered questions would have been unraveled. There is a dire need to improve our security starting with community and state policing as a sine qua non.

Maryam Raji

Different forms of fasting

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asting is total abstainment from both eating and drinking over a particular period of time. Many Prophets had come before the coming of prophet Mohammed (SAW). All of them fasted while their stay on earth lasted. The only difference is that their fasting are not uniform or similar in all ramifications. In other words, it varies from one Prophet to another.

It would be recalled that chapter 2, verse 185 states that fasting is prescribed for all Muslims as it was for those before us. This piece will try to enumerate different types of fasting as practiced by the Prophets.

Prophet Adam fasted for 30 days and night following his disobedience not to eat out of a certain fruit in the garden of Eden. Although, satan misled his wife who in turn enticed Adam to eat the fruit. Fasting was a sort of punishment for disobeying his creator because thirty days fasting was prescribed for him after seeking for forgiveness.

His fasting was unique in four ways thus: Details of this can be seen in chapter 2, verses 35 – 37 of the glorious Qu’ran. Equally, page 13 of Durat-Naashihin says much on this. Prophet Ibrahim was another prophet that fasted for Almighty Allah. It would be recalled that he had a dream that he sacrificed his only son in worshipping Allah. While

on his way to fulfill his promise, he was on fasting between this time and when Almighty Allah replaced his son with a ram.

This is the more reason while Muslims do not eat when they are going for Idil-Adha prayer. Chapter 37, verses 102 – 111 of the holy Qu’ran explains further on prophet Ibrahim’s fasting.

Prophet Musa equally fasted when he was preparing for a show down with King Pharaoh of Egypt in order to liberate them. Allah instructed him to fast for thirty days; he complied but decided to brush his teeth at the end of thirty days fasting. This made Almighty Allah to direct him to fast for additional ten days thereby making it forty days. Details of this is in Qu;ran; chapter 7, verse 142. Also, Prophet Zakariyau fasted when he was pleading with Almighty Allah to give him a child who will serve Him after his demise. He requested for a sign as a form of confir-

mation that his prayer has been answered. Almighty Allah now told him to fast for three days. During this period, he did not eat, drink nor talk. Chapter 19, verse 10 of the holy Qu’ran explains further on this.

Prophet Yunus also fasted. He refused to pass Allah’s message to his people (because they were stubborn in accepting Allah’s messages) and decided to run away. He was in a boat when a heavy storm started. Being the culprit of the incident, he decided to jump into the river in order to save the lives of those that are in the boat. He was promptly swallowed by a big fish and stayed there for days. While his stay lasted in the fish belly, he did not eat nor drink anything.

Further analysis of this can be found in the holy Qu’ran, chapter 37, verses 39 – 148.

From the fore goings, it is clear that all those that lived before fasted, although it varies from one generation to another. Ramadan is compulsory for all Muslims save some exceptions. These exceptions and other lessons of the holy month would be discussed in our subsequent piece.

Sheikh Abdul Ganiyy Umar Arikunkewu is the Founder/National Chief Missioner of Jubulatu Rohfatu Llahi Islamic Society of Nigeria (JUBFAT)

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Call to Worship

Friday, June 20, 2014 Sha’ban 22 1435 A.H.

29

We are not practising democracy in Nigeria –Don SEKINAH L AWAL

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he Vice-Chancellor, Sokoto State University and former Vice Chancellor, University of Abuja, Prof. Nuhu Yaqub has stated that the current form of government in Nigeria is far from being a

democratic government.

He made these known at the Pre-Ramadan lecture organized by the University of Lagos Muslim Alumni, UMA, in Lagos recently. According to the don, what we have can best be described as a civil rule. “We have not been able to consolidate democracy as what we have

is not democracy but a civil rule. Why should we still be pegging the age of those who can contest the post of presidency to 45years and above when we have bright and capable hands who are below 45years. If we are truly running a democratic government, we should not be talking about bad roads, poor

healthcare delivery, lack of electricity among others.”

Speaking on the topic; “Democracy beyond electioneering”, he posited that any Nigerian should be free to contest for any election not minding state of origin or other mundane considerations. “Those at the ongoing confab should

The President, University of Lagos Muslim Alumni, UMA, Alhaji Lere Alimi; his deputy, Dr. Khalid Adekoya; Vice-Chancellor, Sokoto State University, Prof. Nuhu Yaqub and Prof. Amidu Sanni of Lagos State University at the 20th Pre-Ramadan lecture organized by the University of Lagos Muslim Alumni, UMA, in Lagos recently.

look into the age restriction for those who want to contest for the post of presidency and others.” The don also called for a special recognition for those who are physically-challenged and the women.

As we approach another election year, Prof. Yaqub urged INEC to be responsible and unbiased while urging Nigerians to rise and demand for good governance as well as work hard towards ensuring that competent and incorrupt people are elected to govern them. Also speaking, another erudite scholar, Prof. Amidu Sanni of Lagos State University enjoined Nigerian leaders to eradicate poverty as poverty usually made people to sell their conscience and not doing the proper things when it comes to election period. The UMA President, Alhaji Sikirullah ‘Lere Alimi urged Muslims to use the coming period of Ramadan for self-purifi-

cation of their sins and to re-energised themselves towards doing good always.

“As brothers and sisters, irrespective of tribe or religion, we must learn to live in peace.”

UMA had other programmes during the year which include the biennial Re-union luncheon, the launching of Abuja chapter, the annual work for health and blood donation.

Free medical screenings were done for those who attended the lecture by members of the Islamic Medical Association of Nigeria.

In addition, scholarship awards were given to qualifying Masters Degree and PHD students. According to Alhaji Alimi, out of 48 students awarded since inception, 5 have completed PHD and 3 of them have been employed. The others are at different stages of completion.

For this year, 22 awardees were selected, 7 Ph.D. and 15 Masters Degree.

El – Rufai delivers the Companion’s lecture

A Cross section of participants at the Sisters’ Seminar of MSSN Kosofe Area Council in Lagos, recently.

AISHA TITILAYO

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s against the belief of many that Muslims are behind the Boko Haram insurgents who have caused many mishaps in the country, the Conference of Islamic Organisation, CIO, has refuted this.

While speaking at the 9th Pre-Ramadan seminar which took place at Beleke Smith Mosque, Surulere, Lagos, CIO’s Chairman, Sheikh AbduRahman Ahmad urged the Federal Government to look inward and also intensify efforts aimed at rescuing the students abducted by the Boko Haram insurgents from Chibok while praying for their safe return.

According to him, recent developments across the country have lend credence to the growing concerns among Muslims that the socalled Boko Haram insur-

s part of its persistent campaign against corruption in government and effort to contribute to the ongoing debate to check the raging security challenges in the country, The Companion, an association of Muslim Men in business and professions holds a National Discourse on Sunday, June 22 on corruption in Lagos.

In a release signed by the

Companion’s National Amir, Barrister Musibau Oyefeso, the lecture with the theme: Corruption; Insecurity; Boko Haram and the Challenge of Good Governance is to be delivered by the former Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Mallam Nasiru El – Rufai and is billed to hold inside the University of Lagos auditorium, starting from 11am.

Boko Haram members are non-Muslims –CIO gents may be non-Muslims tutored to act as Muslims, with a view to malign Islam.

“A case in point is the May 18 foiled attempt by some Osun State Christian leaders to launch a fake Boko Haram attack on a church in Olaoluwa Local Government of the state, with a view to implicate Muslims and smear Islam.

Had they escaped, the attack would have been blamed on Muslims in the town and the conflagration that might have ensued afterwards would have been grave.

Also, CIO rejected the move to sweep the case under the carpet, and demanded that the state police command thoroughly investigates the matter and arraigns the suspects accordingly; calling on the Inspector General of Police to wade into the matter to

ensure that justice is done.

“It will be recalled that on February 26, 2012 nine members of a COCIN church at Miya Barkate, 20 kilometres along Jos-Bauchi Highway in Bauchi State, were apprehended when they attempted to bomb their church. The case was apparently swept under the carpet as nothing is heard of it again.” The Osun State matter should not go the same way, in the interest of justice and fair play.

On the demand by the Christian leadership in Lagos that Governor Raji Fashola’s successor, come 2015, must be a Christian, CIO said; “We state unequivocally that any attempt by any political party to foist any candidate on Lagos on the basis of religion will spell doom for such candidate at the polls.”

A member of CIO, Sheikh Ishaq Adebayo urged Nigerians to hold FG responsible. He recounted that few months after the current government assumed power, President Jonathan had a closed door meeting with the President of America, Barak Obama, no one knew what they discussed. “There is every possibility and indication that they both discussed how America would have a base here in Nigeria.

“You can all remember how hard America tried to have a base in Nigeria while Olusegun Obasanjo was in power, likewise Yar’adua but the two former heads of state refused to grant her request.

The federal government is the one sponsoring Boko Haram so as to put the nation on fire. Now that there is chaos everywhere and it seems that all hope lost, America offers help; just as planned. What next? Amer-

ica comes into the country, gets a base and starts to control everything Nigeria has.”

Adebayo added that he was abroad few days before the Chibok girls were abducted and he saw on the news that such thing was about to happen but the government didn’t make any move to prevent the abduction. Also, few hours to the act, soldiers from all around Chibok were nowhere to be found.

‘Use your contact, experience for development’

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he Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat in Nigeria has congratulated the new Emir of Kano , Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Sanusi on his recent elevation by Almighty Allah to the exalted position in the Kano emirate and urged him to use his contact and experi-

ence for to develop Kano and Nigeria in general.

“As the custodian of Islamic culture and tradition of the people in the Kano emirate, the Ahmadiyya Islamic community prayed to Allah (SWT) to give the new Emir wisdom and good health to lead his people.

The organization called on the new Emir to use his international contacts and wealth of experience in public service to bring sustainable development to Kano and Nigeria as a whole while calling for support of the people for the new Emir’s peaceful reign.

30

Call to Worship

Sha’ban 22 1435 A.H. Friday, June 20, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Every Friday with

Khalifatul

Ahmadiyya

A many-sided message A s opposition continued to mount, the Prophet and his followers were doing all they could to make plain to the Meccans the Message of Islam. It was a many-sided Message and of great ultimate significance, not only for Arabs but for the whole world.

It was a Message from God. It said: The Creator of the world is One. None else is worthy of worship. The Prophets have ever believed Him to be One, and taught their followers so.

Meccans should give up all images and idols.

Did they not see that the idols could not even remove the flies which dropped on the offerings laid at their feet? If they were attacked they could not repel. If they had a question put to them, they could not answer. If they were asked for help, they could do nothing.

But the One God helped those who asked for His help, answered those who addressed Him in prayer, subjugated His enemies, and raised those who abased themselves before Him. When light came from Him, it illumined His devotees. Why then did the Meccans neglect Him and turn to lifeless images and idols and waste their lives? Did they not see that their want of faith in the One True God had made them utterly superstitious and incompetent? They had no idea of what was clean and what was unclean, of right and wrong. They did not honour their mothers. They treated savagely their sisters and daughters and denied them their due. They did not treat their wives well. They tormented widows, exploited orphans, the poor and the weak, and sought to build their prosperity on the ruins of others.

Of lying and cheating they were not

ashamed, nor of burgling and loot. Gambling and drinking were their delight. For culture and national advance they did not care. How long were they going to ignore the One True God, and continue to lose and lose, and suffer and suffer? Had they not better reform? Had they not better give up all forms of exploitation of one another, restore rights to whom they were due, spend their wealth on national needs and on improving the lot of the poor and the weak, treat orphans as a trust and regard their protection as a duty, support widows and establish and encourage good works in the whole community, cultivate not merely justice and equity, but compassion and grace?

Life in this world should be productive of good.

“Leave good works behind”, the Message further said, “that they may grow and bear fruit after you are gone.

There is virtue in giving to others, not in receiving from them. Learn to surrender that you may be nearer to your God. Practise self-denial for the sake of your fellowmen, that you may multiply your credit with God. True, the Muslims are weak, but do not go after their weakness, Truth will triumph.

This is the decree ofHeaven.

Through the Prophet, PBUH, a new measure and a new criterion of good and evil, of right and wrong, will be set up in the world.

Justice and mercy will reign. No constraint will be allowed in the matter of religion, and no interference. The cruelties to which women and slaves have been subjected will be obliterated. The Kingdom of God will be instituted in place of the kingdom of Satan.”

Amir Ahmadiyya presenting the Jama’at Literatures to Grand Qadi Kwara State Alhaji Hon. Justice Salih Oloruntosin Muhammed

Group photograph by Amila Members with th Grand Qadi Kwara State

Prof. Saidat Mabadeje and other dignitaries at the 20th Pre-Ramadan Lecture organised by The University of Lagos Muslim Alumni, UMA, in Lagos, recently.

Ondo Muslims pray for peace HAKEEM GBADAMOSI, AKURE.

M

uslims across Ondo state gathered at the Akure Central Mosque to offer Special Prayer for the progress and peaceful co- existence of the people of the state. The programme put together by the Ondo State Special Committee on Muslim Welfare include Quran recitation, special prayer and a special lecture titled “ Poverty Alleviation : Islamic Solution which was delivered by the Missioner of NASFAT, Owo, Alhaji Yusuf Bello Declaring the prayer session open, the Chairman, league of Imam and Alfa, Alhaji Ahmad Aladesawe urged people to live together in peace and join hands

with the Federal government to flush out terrorism in the country. He called on people not to see Boko haram as an Islamic sect saying the activities of the group is not in tandem with the provisions of Islam and Holy Quran. He said “there is no provision in the Holy Quran whatsoever that forbids. Education, western or otherwise as Prophet Muhammed himself enjoined all faithful to search for knowledge from the cradle to the grave” He however urged the people of the state to be security conscious and called on federal government to redouble its efforts in the fight against terrorism while urging media practitioners from calling the terrorist, Islamic militant

or extremists.

The chairman of the committee, Alhaji Abdul Yekini Alli appreciated the people of the state for living in harmony with other religious body and urged them to let the relationship continues for the state witness more development.

The Vice Chairman of Nigeria Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Kilani called on the state government to increase the number of Muslims in the state cabinet noting that Muslims have been neglected in the past.

Some of the Islamic leaders who graced the state include the Chief Imams of Ondo, Alhaji Basir Alimi and Akure, Alhaji Hakeem Akorede, Grand Mufti of Ondo State, Sheik Surajudeen Batuta.

Dignitaries at the 20th Pre-Ramadan Lecture organised by The University of Lagos Muslim Alumni, UMA, in Lagos, recently.

Lagos hijab ban: Government makes u-turn

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he last has not been heard on the legal imbroglio between the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, MSSN and the Lagos State Government over the ban on the use of hijab (Muslim Veil) in Lagos public schools.

At the Lagos High Court on Wednesday, counsel to the state, Mr. Lawal Pedro (SAN) informed the court that they have filed a counter affidavit against

the application of the applicants on Tuesday, June 17, 2014 stating that Lagos State government is against the application of the MSSN and will not negotiate with their counsel outside court.

It will be recalled that the Lagos State Government had initially sought for an out of court settlement when the case opened on may 27, 2013 before the former judge

handling the case; Justice Oyewole to give them time to negotiate. A situation the MSSN called unnecessary delay tactics.

Pedro told the presiding judge; Justice Modupe Onyeabo that the out of court negotiation has broken down and he prayed that an extension of time be granted to the state in order to be able to file a counter affidavit to the application of MSSN.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Friday June 20, 2014

People In The Mirror

31

L-R: Daughter of the celebrant, Mrs. Mojisola Sesan-Aina, sisterin-law, Mrs. Bisola Akinmurele, son, Mr. Makanjuola Akinmurele and Anuoluwapo Oderinde during the 75th birthday celebration of Mrs. Florence Alaba Akinmurele in Lagos, recently.

The celebrant, Mrs. Florence Alaba Akinmurele cutting the birthday cake.

PHOTOS: YINKA ADEPARUSI

L-R: Chairman, AshakaCem Plc, Alhaji Umaru Kwairanga; Company Secretary, Mr Bello Abdullahi, and Director, Mr John Stull at the 2014 Annual General Meeting in Abuja.

PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA

L-R: Director, Retail Sales, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Charles Ogunwuyi; Country Manager, Core Group Africa Mr. Sachin Verma and Head, Devices, Etisalat Mr. Olayiwola Onafowokan, at the official launch of iPhone 5s in Lagos.

L-R: Managing Director, AshakaCem Plc, Mr Leonard Palka; National Coordinator, Independent Shareholders of Nigeria, Sir Sunny Nwosu; Kwairanga and Mr Abdullahi PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA

The newly wedded couple, Mr and Mrs Damilola Adedeji flanked by the groom’s parents, Mr Amos and Mrs Oluwasayo Adedeji at their wedding ceremony in Ikorodu, Lagos.

The newly wedded couple, Mr and Mrs Damilola Adedeji

L-R: Business Director, Globacom Plc, Mr Olukemi Kaka; Senior Special Assistant to the President on Research and Documentation, Dr Fedinard Agu and Director General, National Lottery Regulatory Commission, Mr Adolphus Ekpe at the launch of Centenary Lottery by Globacom in Abuja.

PHOTO ROTIMI OSASONA

L-R: CFO/ED, Union Bank Plc, Mrs. Oyinkan Adewale; GMD, Mr. Emeka Emuwa; Chairman, Sen. Udoma Ido Udoma and Company Secretary, Mr. Muyiwa Sonubi, during the bank’s Annual General Meeting in Lagos.

32

Arty News

Friday, June 20, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Meet Pheelz, new music production sensation

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ou must have heard his voice in so many collaborations, but obviously need a background check to understand where he is coming from.

He is Moses Philip Kayode, fondly called Pheelz.

Born in June 5, 1994, he was raised in Ojo, Lagos to a religious family. He began to learn to play piano at the age of twelve and the drums a year later. Pheelz’s father is a pastor and he began to sing at the age of ten.

He says he practiced singing five hours every day until the age of fifteen. Pheelz later met Ekaette crooner Maye Hunta when he was in high school and the latter introduced him to ID Cabasa and the ‘Codedtunes’ clique. Pheelz featured on rapper, Olamide’s first album, Rapsodi (I’m Goin In).

Developing his musical skills while still a student, he established his own independent production sound in 2011. The result was the massive hit singles First of All and Jale, almost the hit song on YBNL album by Olamide (Baddo) at the young age of 18.

He has worked with notable names in the industry; Olamide, Wizkid, Ice Prince, MI to Vector and many upcoming artistes.

A major commercial breakthrough came with the success of Olamide’s hit single Durosoke in June 2013.

He was nominated as the Best Producer of the year for Durosoke at the Headies Award 2013. He was also among

Pheelz

the NOTJUSTOK top 10 Hottest Producer in 2013.

At this year 2014 Nigeria Entertainment Awards (NEAAWARDS) in New York, Pheelz was nominated as Best Producer of the year.

Late in the year 2013 Olamide’s third album Baddest Guy Ever Liveth demonstrated just how powerful his production work can be. Now at 20, He is one of the hottest of young production talents in the music business.

Adeshina

Adeshina makes case for safety in tourism Joel AJAyi

T Queen Ayuk

C’River Most Beautiful Girl emerges

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bubra LGA of Cross River State has produced, the Most Beautiful Girl in Cross River State.

She is Prosper Ayuk, 19, who beat 17 other beauty during the pageant’s grand finale and award night which held in Calabar.

The maiden edition with the theme, ‘Essence Of The Woman’ was indeed a massive turnout with headline celebrities, notable beauty queens, top government officials, supermodels and Calabar residents all in attendance. Several security details were deployed across the venue to provide security for the pageant with regards to the state of the nation. Before the leggy beauty ambassadors took to the stage for the grand finals, the audience was treated to a unity dance by the contestants. In the days leading up to the final, the contestants had courtesy visits and also took part in a series of “challenge” events in camp for which they were awarded points.

The very final event ended with the presentation of the brand new car to the queen at the event venue.

She is also to get N500,000, a fully furnished apartment, and represent Cross River In MBGN amongst other entitlements. The first and second runner up winners have also been given their cash prizes of N100,000 and N50,000 respectively.

‘Cross River Most Beautiful Girl pageant is packaged

by Bellesabel Grooming Agency, owned by former Most Beautiful Girl In Nigeria, Isabella Ayuk In collaboration with Silverbird Productions.

Earlier, reports had it that she crowned her sister but Isabella has long debunked the rumour as she only shares the same surname with the winner whom she first met at the audition exercise.

“The stories making the rounds that I crowned my sister are not true, we are not related, just same surname. It’s just like sharing same surname with another person.” The former MBGN queen further buttressed that the Cross River Most Beautiful Girl’s father bears Achu Ayuk and that they are both from different villages.

he General Manager of AES Luxury Apartment in Abuja, Femi Adesina rose from the celebration of one year anniversary of the Apartment with a recommendation that introduction of health and safety officer policy will no doubt boost Nigeria tourism.

Adesina told newsmen in Abuja that implementation of health and safety by the Ministry of Tourism to all hotel owners in the country will make sure their hotel is run with standards adding that if done, it would boost patronage in Nigeria as well increase Nigeria economy.

According to him, health and safety are one of the paramount things, and wants the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation to take this into cognizance.

“This policy, if formulated, will serve as a pre-cautionary measure for all hotels in the country. The policy will allow the health and safety officer to go from one hotel to another, as a regulatory body to check facilities of the hotel and make sure the lives of the people are safe.

“Hotels in Nigeria are actually improving from survey, which revealed that about 42 hotels are about to crop up in Nigeria and if these hotels eventually crop up that means it is going to improve Nigeria economy.

Despite the security challenge of the country people are still willing to visit Nigeria. Tourism is improving but it still needs government to back it up”.

Speaking further on the anniversary, he thanked all the management and staff of the resort for their selfless service toward the achieving the target. “One of the challenges we are facing is epileptic power supply, but this did not disrupt the quality service we are known for and let me tell you through this quality service AES Luxury has bagged an award at the International Quality and Technology conference in Frankfurt, Germany.”

In his remarks, the AES boss, Oluyomi Ogunyomi, noted that the essence of the anniversary is not to celebration one year anniversary but to appreciate the esteemed customers who have remained with them.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Arty News

Friday, June 20, 2014

33 33

Nollywood: Investors eye cinema outlets

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he huge attendance at cinemas across the country, occasioned by a growing middle-class is drawing a lot of investors to the cinema outlet business.

Industry pioneers, Silverbird Cinemas and Genesis Deluxe Cinema, among others, have so far invested over N10 billion in the big screen business.

Harold Igbenusa, a building and project management consultant, says it takes about N200 million to build a standard cinema, and about N50 million to establish a standard big screen including rent, rights and technical partnerships.

But as high as the cost of building a cinema and technical partnerships is, the high return on investment (ROI) in the business, according to Igbenusa, is wooing most of the recent investments.

It is this high return on investment, Igbenusa says, that inspired Silverbird Cinemas, which started in 2004 with its Victoria Island, Lagos outlet, to expand beyond Nigeria’s borders. With over 10 cinemas and 50 screens in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Uyo, and two in Ghana, Silverbird Cinemas is currently the largest cinema chain in West Africa.

Following the success of Silverbird, The Filmhouse Cinemas, a new entrant, is making waves with eight cinemas across the country, some of them in Surulere, Dugbe Ibadan, Calabar, Samonda Ibadan, Kano, two in Asaba, and others in the pipeline.

Yet, Filmhouse Cinemas Limited, which prides itself as a dynamic film exhibition company with a vision to be the foremost cinema brand in Nigeria, is implementing a strategic development plan to roll out 25 cinemas

Home video shop

over a six-year period that commenced in December 2012.

Similarly, Genesis Deluxe Cinema, another indigenous cinema company, is furthering the entertainment bouquet for cinema lovers across the country with its Lagos, Enugu, and Port Harcourt cinemas.

Explaining the sudden cinema boom, Ademola Martins, sales director in a cinema company, says besides the upgrade in cinema facilities that has made cinemas more welcoming to viewers, the attitude of cinema operators and their business models have changed.

“We now have a situation where cinema going is fun for everyone, and even foreigners here, because there is no difference with our cinema here and the one they

Big Brother Africa starts September

Igho

A

frica’s biggest reality TV series, Big Brother Africa season 9 will kick off in September and already fans anxious about who the winner will be, considering the media and online buzz that come to personalities on the show.

Unlike previous years’, this year’s entry process is slightly different as potential housemates are invited to come in their numbers for auditions in their respective country venues. Auditions will take place at Protea Hotel Leadway, Ikeja, Lagos on Monday, June 30 and Tuesday, July 1.

Africa Magic, which has always been associated with unearthing, nurturing and recognising talent from around the continent, insists they are committed to; transforming ordinary citizens into stars.

“We are very grateful and remain pleasantly surprised by the overwhelming response that the show has been receiving over the years. We look forward to the selection of our potential housemates coming in large numbers to auditions at the specified venues and take that chance at being the next Big Brother star,” said M-

Net Africa Regional Director (West Africa) Wangi WaUzoukwu. “The fact that the fans truly adore the show is all the motivation we need to keep it fresh and that is always made possible by the enthusiastic and fun-loving young Africans who will answer to Big Brother. We are rearing to go and we know that this will definitely be another exciting season that is full of quality entertainment!” she adds.

Her sentiments are echoed by Endemol MD Sivan Pillay who says, “We have been producing this series for M-Net for a number of seasons now and as partners, together we have seen this show grow to the phenomenon that it has become. We hope the season will be even better as we strive to improve on our offering season after season. We will not hold back on the quality and exciting unpredictability that has become synonymous with Big Brother Africa. Audiences and fans can expect yet another high quality production and of course, another group of fun-loving housemates who will keep you guessing on who will be left standing come day 91.”

MultiChoice Africa CEO Nico Meyer says: “As MultiChoice Africa we are always pleased to welcome each new season of Big Brother Africa onto our platforms and we applaud the amazing success and ability to bring together audiences from all across the continent.

The inclusion of Rwanda in this season is even more exciting as this displays that our reach and growth into the various sub-Saharan markets is going from strength to strength. We look forward to seeing further growth as well as the impressive social media presence that the show enjoys.”

All persons over the age of 21, who are citizens of one of the participating countries and have a valid passport, can enter Big Brother Africa 9. Previous editions of Big Brother Africa have boasted huge cash prizes for winners and this it is no different as the prize money is $300, 000.

Entries are open to the following countries: Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The show will be screened live on DStv channels 197 and 198 while GOtv audiences will see highlights of the show, which begins on Sunday September 7.

patronise in London,” said Martins.

“Probably the difference may be the genre of movie on offer here, but the environment, service, easy payment option and refreshments are first-class,” he says.

Clement Onyeka, a film critic, attributes the growing cinema viewership to the vast improvement in the quality of Nollywood films over the years, and the fact that moviemakers are now using film premieres in cinemas as a strategy to beat the menace of piracy, as is done in developed countries.

“We are happy that the Bank of Industry and NEXIM Bank, among others, are now financing big-budget Nigerian movies,” said Onyeka.

“But the only way to assure these banks return on their investments is through film premieres in cinemas.

If not, how do you expect high-budget movies such as Half of a Yellow Sun, which cost $9 million to produce, would break even? How do you expect Figurine that gulped about N10 million, Last Flight to Abuja that cost about N20 million, among others, to pay?” he asks.

He assures that since most movies released in recent times are high-budget films, the cinemas will have more movie premieres and fresh offerings that will sustain visits to cinema houses across the country.

But a staff of Silverbird Cinemas observes that as the cinemas are growing, there should be control to ensure standards are maintained because most people would like to invest in the business just for the profit, not minding the technological requirements.

Group wants Obiano to clampdown on musical pirates Charles Okeke AWKA

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he National President of Musical Products Dealers Association of Nigeria, MPDAN, Mr Joseph Okpahikunne yesterday in Onitsha, urged Governor Willie Obiano to deploy the Joint Task Force, JTF, services against the people who engage in musical piracy.

In a press statement Obiano released to journalists yesterday onbehalf of their group;Okpahikunne and his secretary,Mr.Sunny Chris Agubosim stated that the work of the JTF would be incomplete if the Pirates were not flushed out of Anambra State.

The group regretted the menace being caused by musical pirates in Anambra and urged Obiano to act fast and check the trend.

They cried out to Obiano saying, “your Excellency sir, we wish to bring to your notice the menace caused by some individuals and corporate bodies who transfer musical products into MP3 and MP4 cards, flash disks, CD and memory cards, etc. and sell to the general public without prior permission of the rightful owners”.

The group recalled that they have been waging battle against piracy in Anambra using legal means with out much success.

According to them, “last year the Nigerian Copyright Commission, NCC, Onitshazone led us in a one day raid at the Onitsha International Electronics Market, along Onitsha/Asaba Express way which is a major hide out for those pirates. The raid was successful as some of the culprits are currently facing prosecution”.

The National President had in the said press statement urged plaza owners in Onitsha not to allow pirates to use their facilities for their illegal business.

34

Escape

Friday, June 20, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sao Tome and Principe: Rich in The country has a perfect blend of African and Portuguese cultures to tourists’ delight Ngozi EmEdolibE

WITH AGENCY REPORTS

S

ão Tomé and Príncipe, located about 140 kilometres apart and about 250 and 225 kilometres, respectively, off the northwestern coast of Gabon. Both islands are part of an extinct volcanic mountain range. São Tomé, the sizable southern island, is situated just north of the equator. It was named in honour of Saint Thomas by Portuguese explorers who arrived at the island on his feast day.

With a census population of 187,356 (2012), São Tomé and Príncipe is the second-smallest African country, behind Seychelles The islands of São Tomé and Príncipe were uninhabited before the arrival of the Portuguese sometime around 1470.

The islands were discovered by João de Santarém and Pêro Escobar. Portuguese navigators explored the islands and decided that they would be good locations for bases to trade with the mainland.

The dates of discovery are sometimes given as December 21 (St Thomas’s Day), 1471 for São Tomé, and January 17 (St Anthony’s Day), 1472 for Príncipe, though other sources give different nearby years. Príncipe was initially named Santo Antão (“Saint Anthony”), changing its name in 1502 to Ilha do Príncipe (“Prince’s Island”), in reference to the Prince of Portugal to whom duties on the island’s sugar crop were paid.

The first successful settlement of São Tomé was established in 1493 by Álvaro Caminha, who received the land as a grant from the crown. Príncipe was settled in 1500 under a similar arrangement.

Attracting settlers proved difficult, however, and most of the earliest inhabitants were “undesirables” sent from Portugal, mostly Jews. In time these settlers found the volcanic soil of the region suitable for agriculture, especially the growing of sugar.

The cultivation of sugar was a labourintensive process and the Portuguese began to import large numbers of slaves from the mainland. By the mid-16th century the Portuguese settlers had turned the islands into Africa’s foremost exporter of sugar. São Tomé and Príncipe were taken over and administered by the Portuguese crown in 1522 and 1573, respectively.

However, superior sugar colonies in the Western Hemisphere began to hurt the islands. The large slave population also proved difficult to control, with Portugal unable to invest many resources in the effort. Sugar cultivation thus declined over the next 100 years, and by the

mid-17th century, the economy of São Tomé had changed. It was now primarily a transit point for ships engaged in the slave trade between the West and continental Africa.

By the late 1950s, when other emerging nations across the African Continent were demanding independence, a small group of São Toméans had formed the Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe (MLSTP), which eventually established its base in nearby Gabon. Picking up momentum in the 1960s, events moved quickly after the overthrow of the Caetano dictatorship in Portugal in April 1974. The new Portuguese regime was committed to the dissolution of its overseas colonies; in November 1974, their representatives met with the MLSTP in Algiers and worked out an agreement for the transfer of sovereignty. After a period of transitional government, São Tomé and Príncipe achieved independence on July 12, 1975, choosing as the first president the MLSTP Secretary General Manuel Pinto da Costa.

In 1990, São Tomé became one of the first African countries to embrace democratic reform, and changes to the constitution — the legalization of opposition political parties — led to elections in 1991 that were nonviolent, free, and transparent. Miguel Trovoada, a former prime minister who had been in exile since 1986, returned as an independent candidate and was elected president.

Trovoada was re-elected in São Tomé’s second multi-party presidential election in 1996. The Party of Democratic Convergence (PCD) won a majority of seats in the National Assembly, with the MLSTP becoming an important and vocal minority party. Municipal elections followed in late 1992, in which the MLSTP won a majority of seats on five of seven regional councils. In early legislative elections in October 1994, the MLSTP won a plurality of seats in the Assembly. It regained an outright majority of seats in the November 1998 elections.

The islands of São Tomé and Príncipe, situated in the equatorial Atlantic and Gulf of Guinea about 300 and 250 kilometres (190 and 160 mi), respectively, off the northwest coast of Gabon, constitute Africa’s second smallest country. Both are part of the Cameroon volcanic mountain line, which also includes the islands of Annobón to the southwest, Bioko to the nor theast (both part of Equatorial Guinea), and M o u n t Cameroon on the coast

The culture of São Tomé and Príncipe offers a cultural

Pico Cão Grande

of Gulf of Guinea.

São Tomé is 50 km long and 30 km wide and the more mountainous of the two islands. Its peaks reach 2,024 m (6,640 ft) - Pico de São Tomé. Príncipe is about 30 km long and 6 km wide.

Its peaks reach 948 m (3,110 ft) Pico de Príncipe. Swift streams radiating down the mountains through lush forest and cropland to the sea cross both islands. The equator lies immediately south of São Tomé Island, passing through an islet Ilhéu das Rolas.

The Pico Cão Grande (Great Dog Peak) is a landmark volcanic plug peak, located at 0°7′0′N 6°34′00′E in southern São Tomé. It rises dramatically over 300 m (1,000 ft) above the surrounding terrain and the summit is 663 m (2,175 ft) above sea level.

At sea level, the climate is tropical— hot and humid with average yearly temperatures of about 27 °C (80.6 °F) and little daily variation. The temperature rarely rises beyond 32 °C (89.6 °F). At the interior’s higher elevations, the average yearly temperature is 20 °C (68 °F), and nights are generally cool.

Annual rainfall varies from 5,000 mm (196.9 in) on the southwestern slopes to 1,000 mm (39.4 in) in the northern lowlands. The rainy season runs from October to May. São Tomé and Príncipe does not have a large number of native mammals (although the São Tomé Shrew and several bat species are endemic). The islands are home to a larger number of endemic birds and plants, including the world’s smallest ibis (the São Tomé Ibis), the world’s largest sunbird (the Giant Sunbird), the rare São Tomé Fiscal, and several giant species of Begonia. São Tomé and Principe is an important marine turtle nesting site, notably for hawksbill turtles.

Since the 19th century, the economy of São Tomé and Prín-

cipe

h a s b e e n based on plantation agriculture.

At the time of independence, Portuguese-owned plantations occupied 90% of the cultivated area. After independence, control of these plantations passed to various stateowned agricultural enterprises. The main crop on São Tomé is cocoa, representing about 95% of exports. Other export crops include copra, palm kernels, and coffee.

Domestic food-crop production is inadequate to meet local consumption, so the country imports some of its food.

In 1997 it was estimated that approxi-

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Friday, June 20, 2014

culture, resources, memories mately 90 percent of the country’s food needs are met

and subsequent emergency spending.

Following the truce, the IMF decided to send a mission to São Tomé to evaluate the macroeconomic state of the country.

This evaluation is ongoing, reportedly pending oil legislation to determine how the government will manage incoming oil revenues which are still poorly defined, but in any case expected to change the economic situation dramatically.

Petroleum exploration

In 2001, São Tomé and Nigeria reached agreement on joint exploration for petroleum in waters claimed by the two countries of the Niger Delta geologic province. After a lengthy series of negotiations, in April 2003 the joint development zone (JDZ) was opened for bids by international oil firms. The JDZ was divided into nine blocks; the winning bids for block one, C h ev ro n Te x a c o, ExxonMobil, and the Norwegian firm, Equity Energy, were announced in April 2004, with São Tomé to take in 40% of the $123 million bid, and Nigeria the other 60%.

Bids on other blocks were still under consideration in October 2004. São Tomé has received more than $2 million from the bank to develop its petroleum sector.

Supertree Grove Gardens by the Bay, Singapore

t h ro u g h imports. Efforts have been made by the government in recent years to expand food production, and several projects have been undertaken, largely financed by foreign donors.

Other than agriculture, the main economic activities are fishing and a small industrial sector engaged in processing local agricultural products and producing a few basic consumer goods. The scenic islands have potential for tourism, and the government is attempting to improve its rudimentary tourist industry infrastructure. The government sector accounts for about 11% of employment.

The São Toméan Government has traditionally obtained foreign assistance from various donors, including the UN Development Programme, the World Bank, the European Union (EU), Portugal, Taiwan, and the African Development Bank. In April 2000, in association with the Banco Central de São Tomé e Príncipe, the IMF approved a poverty reduction and growth facility for São Tomé aimed at reducing inflation to 3% for 2001, raising ideal growth to 4%, and reducing the fiscal deficit.

In late 2000, São Tomé qualified for significant debt reduction under the IMF– World Bank’s Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. The reduction is being reevaluated by the IMF, due to the attempted coup d’état in July 2003

Music of São Tomé and Príncipe

São Tomé and Príncipe is an island country off the coast of Africa. Culturally, the people are African but have been highly influenced by the Portuguese rulers of the islands.

São Toméans are known for ússua and socopé rhythms, while Principe is home to the dêxa beat. Portuguese ballroom dancing may have played an integral part in the development of these rhythms and their associated dances.

Tchiloli is a musical dance performance that tells a dramatic story. The danço-congo is similarly a combination of music, dance and theatre.

The godfathers of São Toméan popular music was the band Leoninos, which was founded in 1959 by Quintero Aguiar.

The groups were well known as spokesmen for the people of São Tomé and Príncipe, and were champions of their culture. Leoninos was banned by the Portuguese radio station after he released “Ngandu”, which criticised the Portuguese colonialists.

Leoninos broke up in 1965, but were followed by Os Úntués, led by Leonel Aguiar, who added American, Argentinian, Congolese and Cuban musical influences, and introduced the electric guitar and other innovations. Popular music from the islands began to diversify, as bands like Quibanzas and Africa Negra.

Among these groups was Mindelo, who fused São Toméan rhythms with rebita, an Angolan style, to form puxa.

In the latter part of the 20th century, songwriters like Zarco and Manjelegua found a domestic audience, and São Toméan-Portuguese musicians like Camilo Domingos, Juka, Filipe Santo, Açoreano, Gapa established a Lisbon-based scene.

Jackfruit arils& and seeds

Saotomean women hawking herbal solution to viagra

Angolan pop music is called Kizomba and was born out of Zouk music. Kizomba supports a fairly large number of artistes singing in both English and Portuguese.

Santomean cuisine comprises the cuisine, dishes and foods of São Tomé and Príncipe, a Portuguese-speaking island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa.

Primary food crops include bananas, breadfruit, taro, maize, beans, papaya, palm oil, and primary agricultural production crops for export include cocoa, copra and coffee. Fish and seafood is prominent in São Tomése and Príncipe cuisine, and the fishing industry there contributes approximately 25 percent to the country’s gross domestic product.

Poultry is also raised in São Tomé and Príncipe. The nation’s cuisine has been influenced and shaped by African and Portuguese settlers.

Staple foods include fish, seafood, beans, maize and cooked banana. Tropical fruits such as pineapple, avocado and bananas are a significant component of the cuisine. The use of hot spices is prominent in São Tomése cuisine. Coffee is utilized in various dishes as a spice or seasoning. Breakfast dishes are often reheated leftovers from the previous evening’s meal.

• Arroz doce is a traditional breakfast food prepared with sweet corn and coconut.

• Banana pap is a porridge • Barriga de peixe is a traditional Santomean dish of grilled fish served with rice, breadfruit or manioc (cassava).

• Blablá • Broa (corn roll) • Chicken • Chicken with coffee sauce is prepared with chicken, coffee, white wine, cream, garlic, coffee beans and spices.

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Cooked corn on the cob is highly loved

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2 0 1 4

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Mirror Drive

300C

OLUSEGUN KOIKI

T

he 2014 Chrysler 300 is a rolling olling refresher course in everything erything that makes cars great. Large rge and in charge, with a robust roster ter V6 engine, the 300C commands the road like a classic highway cruiser. uiser.

At the same me time, the luxurious, high-tech cabin bin makes the 300C an attractive alternative to a wide range of premium ium sedans.

Another Chrysler rysler 300C calling card is its slinky y styling, which is great for turning Thanks ng heads. he to the high beltline and small windows, rear visibility is less than ideal. Fortunately, a rearview camera comes standard on all, but the base model, ensuring that maneuvers in reverse, at least, won’t require too much guesswork.

The 2014 Chrysler 300C is a superior creation comprised of topnotch materials. It is a vehicle with RWD performance, superior handling and maximum road comfort.

At the unveiling of the vehicle recently in Lagos, the authorized dealer of the brand in Nigeria, Weststar Associates Ltd, described the Chrysler 300 as more than relevant for 2014 and one of the best cars a buyer can find for the money.

The Managing Director, Mr. Mirko Plath expressed optimism about the success of Chrysler 300C’s fate in the auto market. Plath noted that a raked-back windshield and forward-leaning fascia create improved aerodynamics with an aggressive stance, while tailored finishes of the iconic grille, LED headlamps and tail lamps give the Chrysler 300 a look unlike any oth-

erthat of sheer boldness, beauty and class.

He emphasised that the Chrysler 300C has a number of amenities in place to pamper the driver or passenger on the way. There’s riding comfort com with eight-way power seats featuring in four-way lumbar support for the driver and front passenger. The luxurious seating for five, not only adjusts to accommodate the driver and passenger(s), but also when storing your belongings.

The 60/40 split rear seatbacks fold down to store longer items in the rear.

The Chrysler 300 he noted also possesses a power tilt and telescoping steering column feature, which stores personalised height and angle adjustment preferences for two different drivers while the column can adjust both up and down as well as forward and back.

Body styles The 2014 Chrysler 300 is a fullsize sedan available in six primary trim levels: 300, 300S, 300C, 300C John Varvatos Luxury Edition, SRT8 Core and SRT8.

Even the base 300 comes loaded with luxuries, including 17-inch alloy wheels (19-inchers with all-wheel drive), automatic headlights, heated mirrors, keyless entry and ignition, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, cruise control, an 8.4-inch central

Big, Bold, Cruiser touchscreen interface, dual-zone automatic climate control, leather upholstery, heated front seats, an eight-way power driver seat (with four-way power lumbar adjustment), a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity and a six-speaker sound system with a CD player, an auxiliary audio jack, iPod/USB connectivity and satellite radio.

The 300C is something of an island in the 300 lineup following to the base 300’s equipment list: 18inch alloy wheels (19s with AWD), remote start, foglights, additional chrome exterior accents, a driverside auto-dimming mirror, LED cabin lighting, heated and cooled front cup holders, power-adjustable pedals, a power tilt-and-telescoping heated steering wheel, leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, driver memory functions, heated rear seats, a power

rear sunshade, a rearview camera, a navigation system with Garminsourced software and a six-speaker Alpine audio system.

The 2014 Chrysler 300C is fortified with an arsenal of standard and available active and passive interior and exterior safety and security features. For instance, a Park View Rear Back Up Camera, Blind Spot Monitoring, Rear Cross Path Detection, Park Sense Front and Rear Park Assist, Reactive Front Head Restraints, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and a FourWheel Disc Antilock Brake System are just a handful of the features offered.

This dynamic engineering and solid Chrysler brand craftsmanship comes standard with a 3.6L Pentastar V6 engine and eight-speed automatic transmission, which runs on a performance of 292 HorsePower and 353

NM of Torque. There’s also the optional power of a 5.7L HEMI V8, 363 HorsePower and 531 NM of Torque with Fuel Saver Technology.

Performance The 2014 Chrysler 300C comes standard with a 3.6-litre V6 that produces 292 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque.

EPA-estimated fuel economy for the V6 is a respectable 19mpg city/31 mpg highway and 23 combined. Allwheel drive, which is available on all V6-powered models, drops those numbers to 18/27/21.

Safety Every 2014 Chrysler 300 comes with antilock brakes, traction and stability control, front side airbags, side curtain airbags, a driver knee airbag and active front head restraints. A rearview camera is standard on all but the base 300.

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G

eneral Motors has issued a recall for more than a half million Chevrolet Camaros as a result of an ignition-switch safety hazard.

The auto company said the problem affects Camaro models from the 2010 to 2014 model years.

Approximately 464,712 cars are impacted in the United States, and 511,528 overall in North America and Africa.

GM said it would alter the Camaro key to a more standard design, and would notify car owners with a recall notice in the mail.

In an announcement, the company said the ignition switches on the Camaros are fundamentally different parts than the older ignition switches found on defective cars that are responsible for killing at least 13 people and causing 54 crashes in re-

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Friday, June 20, 2014

Mirror Drive

GM Recalls over 500,000 Chevy Camaros for ignition-switch defect cent times in America alone.

But, the consequence is roughly the same; like the faulty Chevy Cobalts and Saturn Ions involved in those earlier accidents, a driver's knee can inadvertently bump the key fob in the Camaros and cause the key to move out of the "run" position. This can lead to a reduction or loss of power.

GM said it knew of three Camaro crashes related to the problem, and those accidents resulted in four injuries. No further information on those crashes was immediately available.

GM said the problem was dis-

covered during internal testing that followed the recall of more than 2.5 million cars for faulty ignition switches earlier this year. That problem, along with the company's decade-long delay in recalling affected cars, has become the subject of Congressional hearings and multiple federal investigations.

It said the Camaro issue "may primarily affect drivers sitting close to the steering column."

GM announced three other recalls last week.

They included recalls for 28,789 Saab 9-3 convertibles from the 2004 to 2011 model years that had a defective tensioning system cable in the driver's side seat-belt system; 21,567

Chevrolet Sonics from the 2012 model year for a condition in which a transmission turbine shaft may fracture; and14, 765 Buick LaCrosses from the 2014 model year,

MAINTENANCE TIPS

Interior design The Chrysler 300’s cabin is not ot exactly avant-garde, but there is no question that it’s a classy place to be. Every 300 employs rich finishes es and extensive soft-touch materials. ls.

On the technology front, the he standard 8.4-inch touchscreen interface is one of our favorites, pairiring large buttons and crisp graphhics with a logical menu structure. re.

The 300’s also have diverse array ay of audio options, including an Alpine system, a Harman Kardon on system, and of course the thumpmping Beats by Dr. Dre setup.

Given the Chrysler’s ample ple proportions, it should come as no surprise that there is plenty of room for occupants of all sizes. The adjustability of the driver seat and tilt-andtelescoping steering wheel is particularly generous, while the rear seats are both spacious and supportive.

How to make cooling system enhance car’s performance Continues from last week

H

ow does the cooling system of your car work?

The coolant, which is a mixture of anti-freeze and water, is the one that absorbs the heat from the engine. It is drawn by the water pump from the radiator and is pumped through engine block and the cylinder head to absorb the heat from the engine and its parts.

It goes back to the receiving tank of the radiator through the radiator hose. The radiator has tubes that contain large amount of water and has fin area to allow outside air to pass through. As the coolant spreads over the top

of the radiator tubes, it transfers heat to the air.

The performance of your car is greatly dependent on your cooling system. No matter how gutsy its engine is, it can’t work normally without a cooling system. The engine can even be inutile in an instant if it overheats and all other auto parts under the hood can also be damaged.

They could melt as the engine burns the fuel inside the combustion c chamber and pistons a be a d tthe ep sto s in the cylinder could expand extremely y that they can no longer move to complete the whole process in the engine.

So iff you notice a problem on a particular ular part in your cooling system, m, consult the best auto mechanic in town.

But if you think the problem oblem is worst, rst, y o u m a y a s well r e place i t right away.

which had a wiring problem in the driver's door.

GM said it was unaware of any crashes or injuries related to these problems.

Toyota expands airbag recall to 2.2 million vehicles worldwide

T

The he SafetyyTec package ge adds a blind-spot ot warning system, a rear cross-trafaffic warning system and a forward rd collision warning system.

37

he global auto giant, Toyota Manufacturing Company has expanded the airbag recall to 2.2 million vehicles worldwide.

The automotive giant says that it found "the involved serial numbers provided by the supplier incomplete, and did not include all of the potentially involved inflators," according to its official statement.

Toyota's April 2013 inflator recall covered the Corolla, Matrix and Tundra from the 2003 and 2004 model years, the Sequoia from 2002 to 2004 and the Lexus SC 430 from 2002 to 2004.

At the time, the company said it would need to inspect about 510,000 vehicles in the United States alone, but only expected to replace around 170,000 inflators.

However, the latest announcement increases that figure to about 766,300 vehicles in the U.S. alone. Toyota spokesperson Cindy Knight told Autoblog that the new amount is the combination of owners who need to have their vehicle looked at again and those who didn't come in for the initial recall.

The company learned

about the problem when Takata, the supplier, provided it with an improved list of the faulty part's serial numbers.

According to The Detroit Free Press, the latest recall affects about 2.27 million vehicles from them worldwide. Knight said owners would receive notification of the problem around the end of the month but repairs would come in phases because the automaker doesn't have all of the necessary parts at the moment.

The original problem occurred because the front passenger airbag inflator from Takata could have an improper propellant that could cause it to burst in an accident and not allow the airbag to deploy properly. Toyota inspected all the vehicles listed but only changed the inflators with specific serial numbers.

Now, it's replacing them all.

This was not just a problem for Toyota, though. Honda, Nissan and Mazda also used the faulty inflators and issued recalls at the same time.

Autoblog has contacted the other Japanese automakers about whether similar campaigns are necessary for them. We will update this story, if we hear back from them.

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Thief in Italian town of Bra arrested for stealing brassieres, undergarments

A

n Italian thief in Bra has been placed under house arrest for stealing brassieres and underwear from washing lines in town.

The alleged thief was busted after bagging bras and pinching panties that had been left out to dry on lines and balconies in the northern Italian town.

The 28-year-old conducted his undergarmentsnatching operation overnight.

When police searched the suspect’s home in nearby Pocopaglia, he allegedly

had “a house full” of women’s underwear, La Repubblica reported. According to the paper, he had harassed a former girlfriend in the past.

According to the Local, a 64-year-old Italian man was also arrested for stealing 17 bras from a supermarket in August.

Renzo Cavalieri’s arrest came only months after he was released from a yearlong sentence that he had received for stealing underwear. “I have no idea why I keep stealing bras,” he reportedly told police.

Oddities

Porn star celebrates team’s World Cup win with 12-hour sex session A Chilean porn star not only followed through on her promise to have sex for eight hours if her country’s team won its first match at the World Cup -she took it one step further.

After announcing on Twitter that she would be a willing participant in an eight-hour sex marathon if Chile beat Australia,

Marlen Doll actually extended the time limit to 12 hours after the Chilean team ended up earning

Marine fighting to convince govt agency that he is alive

A

Houston veteran is going through the battle of a lifetime while trying to convince the Department of Veterans Affairs that he’s not dead.

Former Marine Joe Morris was wrongly classified as deceased on April 1 and his parents even received a condolence letter from the government; his wife is still getting them.

“My mom called me up and said, ‘Hey, you’re

dead.’ I said, ‘No, I’m not,’” Morris told KPRC. Morris, who served two tours in Iraq, had been getting a disability check related to his service for seven years until something went wrong in April. He contacted VA officials on April 14 after his check didn’t come, but apparently that wasn’t enough to prove that he was still breathing.

In addition to the issue with the checks, the VA also notified the So-

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cial Security Administration that Morris had died, making the process of buying a home much more difficult.

“Now it’s hard to get a loan for a home because none of the credit agencies have me as alive.

They have me as deceased,” Morris said. “I want it corrected. I want somebody to let the Social Security Administration know I’m still alive. I don’t want this to happen to anybody else,”

Doll

three points.

Doll shared her contact information on social media after the game, after

Chile’s 3-1 win over Australia. Although her Twitter account has since been suspended.

Friday, June 20, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Business Maritime

Rumbles at ports over differential tyre import tarrif The recent imposition of 25 per cent import duty and Value Added Tax for some category of tyre dealers and five per cent concessionary rate for others under the new automotive policy, has elicited reactions from industry stakeholders. Many of such stakeholders believe that the policy will only succeed in creating artificial monopoly to the detriment of the final consumers.

FRANCIS EZEM reports.

Tyre importation

T

he controversies and economic dislocations created by the recent federal government’s automotive policy, through which it intends to promote local car assembly may linger longer than expected. The policy, which is contained in the 2014 budget speech, announced a new 35 per cent import on used cars, which was 20 per cent before now and also on used buses, which until the new fiscal policy 10 per cent duty rate, which took effect March, 2014.

This is in addition to another 35 per cent levy on used cars, buses and Sports Utility Vehicles SUV, which also have a 35 per cent duty rate, bringing to a total of 70 per cent levy and duty on all classes of vehicles across board. The 35 per cent levy is however expected to take effect July 1, 2014.

This new tariff on imported vehicles is currently taking its toll on the economy as many importers have commenced massive diversion of vessels to neighbouring countries, a development stakeholders believe will end up enriching the seaports of sister African countries such as Republic of Benin, Togo and Ghana, among others.

According to the government, the essence of the new policy is to discourage importation of Fully Built Units FBU, of vehicles and encourage local vehicle assembly. President Goodluck Jonathan, who has stoutly defended the new policy had argued that apart from creating jobs, the policy will launch Nigeria into the league of vehicle exporting nations.

The Federal Government in tandem with the line of tought, also granted five per cent concessionary import duty rate to local tyre manufacturers and vehicle assembly plants on the importation of tyres while other categories of importers will pay 20 per cent import duty in addition to five per cent Value Added Tax VAT, bringing a total of 25 per cent tariff.

Most stakeholders who have apart from faulting the 70 per cent tariff hike on imported vehicles even when the local assembly plants are not yet in place, which

For the avoidance oF doubt, there is currently no tyre manuFacturing Firm that produces in nigeria. all the auto tyres in

nigeria are imported

will negatively affect the entire transport system, have also questioned the government’s rationale of creating un-level playing field for importers of auto tyres within the same economy.

This also implies that the government is not aware that currently, there is no single tyre manufacturing firm in the country, as all of them have eighter shut their production plants completely or relocated to neighbouring African country in reaction to the harsh operating environment, all them now resort to importation.

For instance, National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents NCMDLCA in a letter dated May 24 and addressed to President Goodluck Jonathan, observed that rather than boost local production, the new policy will only create an artificial monopoly of a few people close to those at the corridors of power.

The letter signed by the president of the association, Mr. Lucky Amiwero, noted that most of the tryre manufacturing plants in the country have all shut down in the last 10 years due to the harsh operating economic environment occasioned by poor public power supply and other ancillary high product cost, which made it impossible for them to breakeven.

The letter reads in parts: “We applaud the federal government in its quest to revive the tyre industry in other to create employment, which will in turn impact positively in the economy. In the new tyre policy, we have observed areas that need serious government urgent attention on certain issues”.

Investigations have shown that the two

biggest tyre manufacturers in Nigeria Michelin and Dunlop Plc, had to relocate their production factories to Ghana and South Africa respectively after struggling with the poor economic conditions in Nigeria for several years without any response from the government with the attendant loss of jobs.

Both tyre manufacturing giants only import their products into Nigeria.

“The concessionary rate of five per cent granted to some local tyre dealers as against the 20 per cent duty payment and five per cent VAT for others have a disadvantage of 15 per cent tariff, which will eventually create extreme monopoly to the non existing local manufacturers at the expense of other stakeholders in the value chain”, the letter also said..

The letter also drew the attention of the government to the fact that tyre manufacturers in Nigeria have all stopped in the past 10 years, as all of them are now involved in the importation and marketing business, insisting that there are no existing local tyre manufacturing plants operating in the country, as they have either closed down or moved out of the country.

“The privileged status of importation at the rate of five per cent duty will only encourage massive importation by the privileged few that are close to government under the ploy that they operate tyre manufacturing plants that do not exist. This policy will therefore enable this few privileged ones stock pile their warehouses to the detriment of other importers without any commitment to revive the tyre industry in Nigeria”, It also stated.

Meanwhile a local tyre dealer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, accused the government of trying to benefit its political friends by granting them a mouth-watering five per cent duty while others import at 25 per cent.

“For the avoidance of doubt, there is currently no tyre manufacturing firm that produces in Nigeria. All the auto tyres in Nigeria are imported. The only differrence is that some import from their parent companies abroad”, the dealer insisted.

He also noted: The direct implication of this differrential in the rate of tariff is that those importing at a higher tariff might soon be driven out of the market to create an extreme monopoly for the very few privileged ones, who are close to those in government” Moving forward, stakeholders have made a strong case a deliberate policy that will revamp the local tyre manufacturing industry with a view to making it vibrant again.

Part of such policy should be initiatives such as the creation of energy efficiency and modenisation of technology equipment, which will address most of the challenges faced by the local producers The stakeholders had argued that there was a time when it was cheaper to buy locally made tyres because they also had higher quality than the imported counterparts.

They argued that the local production plants, which shut down or relocated was due to harsh operating environment occasioned by the total absence of basic infrastructure such as public electricity, especially given that tyre production consumes a lot of energy and poor access roads to move the products to the market location.

This absence of infrastructure was worsened by the unchecked influx of substandard tyres and prohibited used ones through the porous land borders.

These obvious facts call for an urgent review of the tyre policy in the overall interest of the Nigerian economy.

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Terminal operator laments low scanner capacity utilisation StorieS: FranciS ezem

A

bout six months after the takeover of the Destination Inspection DI from the service providers, one of the terminal operators based in Lagos has accused the Nigeria Customs Service of grossly under-utilising the scanners at the ports, which makes cargo release slow and more cumbersome.

The Comptroller General of the Service, Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko had following the takeover of the scheme in December last year, claimed that most of the scanners it inherited from the service providers were substandard and faulty.

He had also indicated that there were plans for the Federal Government to acquire at least 50 units of both mobile and fixed scanners, a development most stakeholders criticised, describing it as a mere drain pipe.

A top official of one of the terminals in Lagos, who spoke in

an interview, disclosed that more than 90 per cent of the cargo are subjected to 100 per cent physical scanning leaving less than 10 per cent of the entire cargo volume to scanning, which fuels delays.

The official noted that while it takes less than five per cent to scan and anylyse a 40-foot container, it takes over five hours to examine the same container physically, as it requires physically offloading the containers, which is 100 per cent a manual effort with the attendant waste of time.

“The official, who pointed at some of the trucks littered at the terminal, noted that most of the trucks were waiting for their consignments to be physically examined before they could be loaded and exit the port.

“Level of efficiency in the release will be a lot faster and efficient if the cargoes are scanned and released as it is the case in other climes but this practice of un-stuffing the containers before examining the contents physically wastes a lot of time and slows

down efficiency”, he noted.

Apart from subjecting the consignments to physical examination, the official disclosed that the detention of the same containers after the various government agencies have examined and released them by some special units of the service constitutes another major cause of delays at the terminal.

He disclosed that the terminal on its part has made huge investments in state-of –the-art equipment for the terminal to facilitate ease of cargo handling, insisting that importers and their agents will stem their consignments at terminals that have equipment that will facilitate efficiency.

Meanwhile a clearing agent, who spoke on the physical examination of cargo and the attendant delays that come with it, noted that the importers and their agents are most of the time placed at the receiving end.

According to him, as long as the consignment remains at the terminal, the rent charges will continue

Mobile scanning operation at a port

to build up, adding that most of the terminal operators would not want to listen to any plea for waiver on rent.

“Sometimes it seems the terminal operators are even happy with the delays because they are the greatest beneficiaries since the longer the cargo stays at the terminal, the more the importer or his agent pays, the terminal operator has nothing to lose”, he insisted.

On the delays at the gate by the special units of Customs, the clearing agent noted that at various fora, the management of the service has declared severally that such special units have been disbanded only for you to go back to the terminal the same day and see them detaining cargo at the exit gates.

Meanwhile the Customs management had over the years insisted that the service will continue to carryout 100 per cent physical examination on over 80 per cent of the cargo, citing the low level of compliance to import regulation by the importers and their agents.

The service claims that most of the consignments that come into the country are fraudulently declared, which makes it imperative for the service to adopt the option of physical examination to be thorough.

The service has also cited the homogenous nature of most of the consignments that come to the nation’s seaports, a development that makes it extremely difficult to be handled with a high level of accuracy with scanners alone.

China blocks proposed three-way shipping alliance

T

he world’s three biggest container shipping groups have abandoned plans to set up an operational alliance for three of the biggest global trade routes after Chinese regulators blocked the tie-up.

AP Møller-Maersk, Mediterranean Shipping Company and CMA CGM had hoped to form the so-called P3 Network to reduce costs and boost the number of sailings on Asia-Europe, transPacific and transatlantic routes by pooling 250 ships.

Shares in Denmark’s Maersk – the only quoted company of the trio – dropped as much as much as 8 per cent on Tuesday’s news, their biggest fall in two years.

The tie-up was designed to shake up container shipping synonymous with global trade - by reducing the chronic overcapacity that has plagued the industry in recent years and has caused most operators to be lossmaking.

Maersk insisted the rejection of the alliance would have no impact on its results this year. But the profitable Danish shipping to oil conglomerate indicated only last month that it expected approval from Chinese regulators.

Nils Andersen, chief executive, said on Tuesday: “The decision does come as a surprise to us, of course, as the partners have worked hard to address all the regulators’ concerns.”

Mr Andersen insisted that Maersk would be able to continue to cut costs and boost its performance without the P3 Network.

In a statement posted on its website, China’s commerce ministry estimated that the alliance would control 47 per cent of container traffic on Asia-Europe routes, “greatly increasing market concentration”.

China’s rejection is one of the most high-profile uses of its sixyear-old merger review system, under which it is increasingly flexing its muscles. Mostly, it has set conditions on global mergers or pushed companies to offer disposals, as Glencore did to complete its takeover of Xstrata.

But Chinese regulators did reject Coca-Cola’s attempted purchase of juice maker Huiyuan in 2009.

The EU and US had already approved the operational alliance, although Brussels had reserved the right to monitor how the P3 Network performed in practice.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

ROTIMI FADEYI ABUJA

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he Federal Government yesterday said it would not hesitate to revoke the licences granted to some companies for the ownership of coal blocks if they fail to start operation.

Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Mr. Musa Sada disclosed this at the end of the meeting of the National Council of Privatization, NPC, presided over

by Vice President Namadi Sambo

Business News

Friday, June 20, 2014

41

FG to revoke coal mining licences of non-performing companies at the Presidential Villa.

While briefing State House Correspondent on the outcome of the meeting, Sada said Government would not allow the process to be on speculative basis.

According to him, the decision was in line with the provisions of the current Mineral Mining Act.

He noted that owners of coal blocks must operate them or it would be taken over by government and given to those who are ready to start operation.

Sada said the coal blocks belonged to government but were sold to various companies who ought to have been in full produc-

tion of coal.

“We are looking at the agreement they signed with the Bureau of Public Enterprises, we are looking at the Mineral Mining Act, we are putting the two together, some of them we have already started interfacing with them and we are making progress in terms of making progress to start something tangible on that”, Sada said.

The Minister also disclosed that the $5bn Ajaokuta Steel Company in Kogi State would soon become operational as the present administration is doing everything possible to ensure that the facility comes back to life, He said the intention of government is to privatise a live company, stressing that everything would be done to make sure that an inves-

tor that has competent technically and financially run Ajaokuta Steel Company.

Speaking in the same vein, the Sole Administrator of the Steel Company, Isah Onobere said government has invited investors that are interested in operating the company, stressing that it is about 98 percent technically ready to start operation.

Minister of Power, Professor Chinedu Nebo who was also at the briefing explained that the nation would benefit from the operation of the coal blocks in generating power supply He stated that coal operation was critical as it would complement the efforts of the Federal Government in exploring various source of generating power.

IFDC partners Nigerian firms on cassava production TOLA AKINMUTIMI L-R: Head, MSME Propositions, Diamoond Bank Plc, Mr. Chima Nnadozie; Director, Enterprise Development Centre, Mr. Peter Bamkole; Head, Corporate Communication/High Value Events and Sponsorships, Etisalat Nigeria, Mrs. Ebi Atawodi and Head, Business Segment, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Bidemi Ladipo during the 8th Edition of Etisalat Market Access in Port Harcourt, yesterday.

Cybercrimes: Nigerian banks lose N40bn to internet fraud KUNLE AZEEZ

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ommercial banks operating in Nigeria lost N40 billion to various cases of cyber frauds in 2013.

This was disclosed by the Chief Information Security Officer, CBN, Mr. Taiwo Longe, in a presentation during a two-day National Cybersecurity Forum organised by the Office of the National Security Adviser, in Lagos.

According to Longe, Cybersecurity has become an issue that the apex bank is taking with all seriousness and thoroughness in the ongoing cashless economy scheme.

He said as the cashless scheme goes live nationwide next month, the CBN was not unaware of the need to collaborate with various industry stakeholders with a view to ensuring that banks and other players in the financial services sector ensure maximum information security.

“Information security is concerned with the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data regardless of the form the data may take: electronic, print, or other forms.

“Financial institutions, hospi-

tals, telecommunication, corporations and private businesses etc amass a great deal of confidential information about their customers, employees, products, research findings and financial status among others.”

He said, “As such, there is a need for maximum security of this information that is collected, processed and stored on computers and transmitted across computer networks.

“When any of the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data is impacted, security is said to have been breached.

There are various threats to in-

formation security. Some are very dangerous and disruptive; others are just a nuisance.”

Longe stressed that the fight against cybercrimes and other threats to information security can only be won through the agreement of robust information security policy framework.

He also explained that the CBN has been engaging he banks to comply with some basic currently global security standards in the management and security of customer information, stressing that the apex bank has, indeed, ensured compliance with such standards itself.

ABUJA

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he International Fertiliser Development Centre (IFDC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Nigerian Breweries Plc, a subsidiary of Heineken, and Psaltry International Limited, a cassava processing firm, to promote commercial cassava production in Nigeria for the production of beer.

A statement by the Communications Coordinator, IFDC Nigeria, Feyikemi Adurogbangba, indicated that the ceremony was attended by the Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Lilianne Ploumen, and representatives of the Nigerian and Dutch business community.

She stated further that the partnership was being established in the framework of the Dutch-funded Public Private Partnership (PPP) programme, 2SCALE, which is implemented

CBN to enhance access to bank credit TOLA AKINMUTIMI KADUNA

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overnor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr Godwin Emefiele, has restated his determination to create appropriate institutions, systems and policies that will make easier for productive agents in the economy to access bank credit.

Giving the assurance at the 19th Seminar for Finance Correspondents and Business Editors in Kaduna, the apex bank chief said to enhance access to credit in

the immediate term, a National Credit Scoring System.

According to him, efforts will be focused on totally preventing frauds and bad loans from the banking sector through the strengthening risk based supervision framework as part of the primary target of financial system stability in the sector.

Emefiele, who also restated his determination to transform the apex bank into a professional, apolitical and people focused institution, said he was not going to devalue the Naira but will pursue

initiatives that will ensure exchange rate stability in order to build up and maintain a healthy external reserves position.

He said: “As a means of ensuring financial system stability, the CBN will pursue zero tolerance policy on fraudulent borrowers by enhancing the operation of Credit Bureaus and to establish a National Credit Scoring System so as to enhance access to credit.

“The Bank will further strengthen risk-based supervision framework for the Nigerian banking system”, Emefiele added.

by IFDC, Base-of the Pyramid Innovation Center and ICRA. It stated: “As a large scale cooperation we like to support small scale organisations, said Henk Wymenga, Nigerian Breweries Technical Director. “We have chosen to work in the cassava industry as we see a potential in the root crop, and this partnership is a step by step process in shifting the root crop from subsistence to a commercially viable crop”.

Nigeria is the largest producer of cassava in the world with an annual production of over 42 million tonnes.

The root crop is mainly produced by smallholder farmers using basic implements, inadequate inputs and sub optimal cultivation practices.

Since 2009, IFDC has worked to develop a sustainable cassava value chain, by building the capacity of smallholder cassava farmers, increasing the use of improved cassava varieties, worked with the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture, IITA, and Notore to develop specific fertiliser blends for cassava, connected farmers to improve mechanised practices and linked farmers to credible agro-dealers in various intervention areas.

Commenting on the new deal with the Nigerian companies, IFDC’s North and West Africa Division Director, Andre De Jager, said the Centre’s “experience in sustainable increase in cassava productivity, jointly with a secured market by Nigerian Breweries can make a huge contribution to increasing farmers income and improving their livelihood”.

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Cement standardisation: 1 million jobs on the line, union claims MESHACK IDEHEN

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ational Union of Chemical Footwear Rubber Leather and Non-Metallic Products Employees, NUCFRLNMPE, has said over one million workers in the cement sector would lose their jobs if the Federal Government makes good its plan to stop production of 32.5grade cement, The union said the workers would include 15,616 direct workers in cement companies like West African Port Land Cement, Ashaka Cement, Sokoto Cement company, PureChem, Unicem and Atlas Cement Company.

President of the union, Mr. Boniface Isok, told journalists on Thursday it was not true that the 32.5grade cement which had been in existence for over 70 years was responsible for building collapse.

Besides, the union said the proposed ban of 32.5 grade would be felt more in the northern parts of

Nigeria, where cases of building collapse are not being documented.

It would be recalled that the Federal Government plans to step up the nation’s cement grade to 42.5 with a view to arresting the spate of building collapse in the country is welcome According to Isok, there are 27 types of cement in the world serving different purposes. He wondered why the proposed 42.5 grade cannot co-exist with the existing grades of cement in Nigeria.

“Cement type has nothing to do with building collapse rather it is poor application, sites corruption that is evident in stealing and compromising, lack of technical know-how on the part of personnel on sites with respect to determining what reinforcement is required for a particular soil type and at a particular location, poor soil analysis and other human factors are the major reasons why building collapse is rampant in Nigeria nowadays”, he said.

He also revealed that the planned introduction of 42.5 grade of cement is a subtle agenda to create monopoly in the sense that the proponents of the cement standardization didn’t take several factors into consideration.

According to him, it will require at least two years to upgrade cement plants in the country to produce 42.5 grades of cement, adding the implication of that development is that Lafarge cement, Sokoto cement and four other cement companies in the country will close shops while the upgrading lasts.

He said this move will result to scarcity of cement, high price, high demand, importation of cement, unemployment, and delay in the ongoing construction works.

“Supporting 42.5 type of cement as the only cement to be produced in Nigeria would mean that all on-going construction projects have to be re-designed to conform to 42.5 type of cement.’’

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Real sector key to Nigeria’s future economic rating –Kale TOLA AKINMUTIMI AND UDO ONYEKA KADUNA

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he Statistician General of the Federation, Dr. Yemi Kale, has said Nigeria must be committed to boosting real sector growth if it intends to maintain or surpass its current position as the largest economy Africa and the 26th in the world.

Kale said this on Wednesday in his paper titled “Rebasing of Nigeria Gross Domestic Product, GDP: Issues, Facts and Fiction,” at the CBN’s Seminar for Finance Correspondents and Business Editors which kicked off in Kaduna.

Represented at the forum by his Special Assistant, Kayode Olaniyan, the National Bureau of Statistics ,NBS, boss said other countries may overtake Nigeria if the country relaxed on its current rating in the global economic order, adding that the real sector must be provided the policy and other enabling supports for inclusive and sustained growth and development.

According to him, the rebasing showed that Nigeria is a servicedriven nation; a trend he said must be urgently addressed in order to create employment in the country.

Kale pointed out further the government needed to concentrate more on labour-driven sectors such as construction, agriculture, manufacturing, small and medium enterprises amongst others in the real sector.

In his paper titled “Gross Domestic Product, GDP, Rebasing and the Impact on Nigeria’s Investment Environment”, the Head of Research and Documentation, Financial Derivatives Company, FDC, Dr Afolabi Olowookere, advised the government to boost the nation’s Foreign Direct Investment, FDI, rather than Foreign Portfolio Investment ,FPI, for economic growth in view of the former’s broader multiplier effects on any domestic economy.

Olowookere pointed out that currently there appeared to be over-dependence on FPI by government, a development which, he said, was not desirable for the economy in terms of job creation and inclusive growth as FPI investors are never fully committed to building capacities for real sector growth.

He also said that the portfolio investors could easily move out their ‘hot monies’ from the system particularly, from the capital market at any given time if there was any negative development.

Competition will bring out the best in aviation –Arik Air boss OLUSEGUN KOIKI

T L-R: Regional Sales Manager, North Central, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Kierian Ombu; Senior Manager, Sales and Distribution, Mrs. Amina Usman; Senior Manager, Government Relations, Mr. Austin Iyashere, and, Principal, Goverment Secondary School, Karu Mrs.Patience Oti during the MTN 21 Days of Yello Care visit to GSS Karu, Abuja, yesterday.

he Group Chief Executive Officer, GCEO, Arik Air, Dr. Michael Arumemi-Ikhide has said that healthy competition in the airline sub-sector will enable passengers have various choices in the sector.

He also said that Arik Air was ready to explore opportunities in major long haul routes across the world in a bid to further enhance

PFAs must enlighten workers on pension, financial matters –PenCom MESHACK IDEHEN

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he National Pension Commission, PenCom, has said Pension Fund Administrators, PFAs, have a compulsory duty to keep enlightening Retirement Savings Account, RSA, holders and the retirees on pension and financial matters.

Head of PenCom’s Benefits and Insurance Department, Mr. Lana Loyinmi, said during a workshop organized for retirees in Lagos that the commission has observed that one of the challenges facing

the contributory pension scheme in Nigeria is inadequate communication enlightenment of RSA holders/retirees by PFAs. Loyinmi listed the rights of contributors under the scheme to include continuous enlightenment on pension and financial matters by the PFAs, transfer RSA before/ after retirement from one PFA to another when the window opens, negotiate/change mode of withdrawal of pension benefits from programmed withdrawal to annuity for example, as well as provide quotation/provisional agreement from a life insurance company to the PFA for the purchase of annu-

ity and receive periodic statement of account from the PFA, by hard copy or e-mail.

He pointed out however, that the regulation does not allow change from annuity back to programmed withdrawal at present.

According to him, PFAs other obligations to retirees include enlightening the retiree on the features of the Programmed Withdrawal and Annuity, filing request with the pension regulatory body for any retiree changing from annuity, issuing payment instruction to PFC for periodic withdrawal, re-issuing standing order every 12 months and instructing

PFC to effect payment of annuity premium to insurance company.

PFAs according to him, are also required to confirm the identity of Next of Kin (NOK) of deceased, in case any pensioners dies or is declared missing, and advise NOK to provide the following documentations: valid letter of administration or will admitted to probate (basic) and certificate of death/ cause of death or certificate of registration of death or police report (if death is by accident) or burial warrant issued by a local government council or evidence of death/burial issued by religious leader.

the travelling potentials of Nigerians.

Speaking during the week at the unveiling of the plans of the airline to commence direct flights to United Arab Emirates, UAE, Dubai and the launch of its Frequent Flyer Programme, otherwise known as the Arik Affinity Wings at the MURTALA Mohammed Airport, MMA, Lagos, Arumemi-Ikhide assured the clients of the airline of its delivery of qualitative services to any routes it flies into.

The GCEO argued that with intense competition, the market forces would determine those who would remain in business, saying that Nigeria has huge potential with its about 170 million populace.

On its Dubai route, he exuded confidence that the airline would continue to fly the route for a long time to come, just as he said that it was ready for competition from other airlines on the route.

Speaking on the competition on the route, Arumemi-Ikhide said the airline had done its feasibility study well before embarking on the Asian route, saying that the route was one of the most lucrative for travellers within the country.

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Business News

Friday, June 20, 2014

Security beefed up at ports over intercepted military uniforms FRANCIS EZEM

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coalition of security forces made up of the Nigeria Police, Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies have beefed up security at the various seaports across the country following recent interception of military uniforms and other clotihng at a port terminal in Lagos.

This coming less than one month after the Oyo and Onne in Rivers State commands of the service intercepted military uniforms, which many believed were part of the worsening security situation in the country, occasioned by the coming of the insurgents.

The Ports and Terminal Multiservices Limited, PTML area command of the service had Wednesday intercepted a bale of army camouflage uniform and other military apparel concealed in a used Volkswagen vehicle im-

ported through the command.

The seized items include military wears, berets, jackets, boots, bags and helmets Deputy national public relations officer of the service, Mr. Joseph Attah, who spoke in a telephone interview, disclosed that the various security agencies will intensify surveillance at the ports, especially given the worsening security situation in the country.

“In addition to anti-smuggling activities and collection of revenue, the service also does what we call the inter-agency services, through it collaborates with the other security agencies whereby arms and ammunitions seized by the service will be handed over to the army and vice versa”, he said.

He noted that these inter-agency services, which have been ongoing, have also partly led to the seizure of these military wares, noting that all the agencies will intensify surveillance at all the nation’s air and seaports with a

view to ensuring tighter borders.

He also said: “The security situation in the country today requires more surveillance, vigilance and stronger collaboration between all the security agencies and Customs will continue to do all it takes to ensure tighter entry points into the country” He recalled that there have been recent cases, whereby either Police or any of the Military units will handover smuggled items to the service, which is in the spirit of the inter-agency collaboration, which must be intensified this time around.

Customs Area Controller of the command, Comptroller Folorunsho Adegoke had said that the bale of military camouflage which was concealed in a Volkswagen vehicle, was discovered during routine physical examination by operatives of the command and other security agencies.

L-R: Head of Leaf, British American Tobacco Nigeria, BATN, Mr. Thomas Omofoye; Chairman, Oyo State Steering Committee on Child Labour and State Controller, Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Mr. Timothy Ayodele, and Manager, BATN Mrs. Oluwaseyi Ashade, at a workshop on the elimination of child labour, jointly organised by BATN and the Steering Committeee, to mark the World Day Against Child Labour in Otu, Oyo State, yesterday.

MESHACK IDEHEN

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he Managing Director of Industrial and General Insurance Plc, Mr. Rotimi Fashola, has said his company is not losing any sleep over the influx of foreign insurance firms into the country.

He said some operators are losing sleep over the feared invasion of the Nigerian insurance market by international finance groups, saying the renewed interest of foreign operators in the Nigerian and continental insurance markets would not pose any threat to IGI. Fashola told journalists in Lagos all that it required to excel is a level playing field for every operator as against giving undue preference to foreigners who would cash

Entrance of foreign insurers poses no threat to IGI –MD in on that to out-perform other local and continental insurers.

According to him, his group was not threatened by the presence or coming of any foreign insurance group into the Nigerian and continental insurance market.

“We are not threatened. Globalisation is taking its own position and you cannot stay in one position and do everything. People will come to Nigeria and we too will go to other countries. Those that are coming to Nigeria are going to work with Nigerians and whatever they bring will create something for those of us that are there and so we can also improve on our own line of businesses,” he

said.

The IGI managing director said he is appealing to sector regulator, the National Insurance Commission, NAICOM, to put in place a level playing field for all operators whether local of foreign insurer such that competition for business would be free and fair.

“We are asking for a level playing field for everybody because we tend to pamper foreigners here in Africa. We tend feel that the colour people are superior and we tend to serve them better than our own people. So that is what we do not want.

“If they come, let there be a level playing field not the other way round.’’

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LCCI inducts new members ABOLAJI ADEBAYO

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he Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, has extended its membership to another 64 companies, which will be awarded certificates of membership on Tuesday next week in Lagos.

The Chairman, Membership and Welfare Committee of the Chamber, Mr. Babatunde Ruwase, noted that more companies keep joining the Chamber due to the economic benefit they derive from its membership such as provision of avenue for members to zeal business partnerships with foreign counterparts.

He added, “Interested members also take advantage of the Chamber’s regular trade missions to exhibitions abroad. Countries visited within the past one year include China, U.S.A., Turkey,

U.K. and Germany. New members are admitted into the Chamber every quarter while reception ceremonies are held for them twice a year.”

According to Ruwase, LCCI, which is the leading Chamber of Commerce in the West African sub-region, was established in 1886 and part of its advocacy roles is to create conducive business environment for its members in particular and the Nigerian business community in general.

“Many business organisations operating in Lagos and even beyond, are registered members of the Chamber whose flagship is the Lagos International Trade Fair which holds in November of every year. This year’s edition will hold from 7th to 16th November at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos.

It has the theme “Promoting the Nigerian Economy as a Preferred Investment Destination,” he said.

Airtel Nigeria wins ‘Best Corporate Website’ Award

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irtel Nigeria, has emerged the telecoms operator with the best corporate website (www.ng.airtel.com ) according to Web Jurist panelists and leading consulting firm, Philips Consulting, organisers of the highly respected and prestigious Web Jurist Awards.

According to the organisers, Airtel beat all its closest rivals including MTN, Etisalat and Glo to clinch the coveted prize in the telecoms category at an event that was attended by telecoms professionals, bankers, business leaders and pundits within the Information Communications Technology domain.

Airtel Nigeria’s General Manager, Revenue Assurance, Kingsley Unah, received the award on

behalf of the company.

A citation read in honour of Airtel at the event said the company’s corporate website has the best aesthetics and sits on an elevated pedestal when compared with other contenders in the category. The organizers also said the criteria used in the rating of websites of corporate organisations in Nigeria include aesthetics, technical aspects, web content, customer experience and performance.

Commenting on the accolade, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya, said the honour is a glowing testimony to the company’s efforts at repositioning as Nigeria’s leading mobile Internet Company.

Skye Bank pledges support for SMEs’ growth JOHNSON OKANLAWON

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he Group Managing Director designate of Skye Bank Plc, Mr. Timothy Oguntayo, has pledged the commitment of his bank to support the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the country as a way of launching the economy on the path of sustainable growth and development.

Oguntayo stated this in Lagos yesterday while performing the bell ringing ceremony to close business of the day on the floor of the Nigeria Stock Exchange.

According to him, the bank has a good track record and pedigree in SMEs development and financing, having taken some small scale enterprises from zero level to pub-

lic liability status.

The bank boss said the commitment of his bank to develop and fund the SMEs aligned with the agenda of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s new leadership which has identified the small businesses as the engine of the nation’s growth.

He said that the would also support worthy micro finance banks for them to be able to successfully help fund the micro businesses which help power economic activities among the poor.

On the bank’s contributions in other key sectors of the economy, Oguntayo said the bank had helped many oil companies to grow, especially the indigenous oil firms which are presently doing very well and contributing to national growth and development.

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Agribusiness

Friday, June 20, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

AGRIBUSINESS

Nigerian cocoa price may not be fixed, says Riman

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he President of the Nigerian Cocoa Association, Sayina Riman has declared that the country may not introduce a fixed price for cocoa as other West African cocoa producing countries have due to lack trust and low productivity synergy between the public and private sectors.

“I don’t think Nigeria would contemplate introducing a fixed price. Why? Because there’s still a low synergy between the public and private sector and a low level of trust of the public sector,” Riman said.

It was reported that both Ivory Coast and Ghana, the world’s top two growers, have fixed cocoa prices, which are currently below world prices.

Speaking on the sidelines of the World Cocoa Conference

held in Amsterdam, Riman said: “Most often the Nigerian price at the farm gate is higher than the international market price because of competition within the market.”

The International Cocoa Organisation estimates Nigeria’s 2013/14 crop at 250,000 tonnes, making it the world’s fourth largest producer behind Ivory Coast, Ghana and Indonesia.

Nigeria’s cocoa production peaked at around 400,000 tonnes a year in the 1970s, but the government began to neglect the sector with the discovery of oil.

The industry’s decline accelerated after it was deregulated in 1986, with the abolition of the cocoa board.

“One of the major factors (for the board being dissolved) was its inability to pay farmers who

had supplied to the board, and that farmers were already cutting down their trees for lack of being paid and for lack of this synergy and support that is critical for the industry from government,” Riman said.

He continued, “After the discovery of oil, government shifted its focus away from agriculture. Nigeria has the potential to do better than Ivory Coast and Ghana put together.”

In recent years, oil and gas discoveries have opened up new opportunities in the energy sector for Ivory Coast and Ghana’s economies too.

“I’m sure they would have learned from the bitter lessons of Nigeria. Oil is not sustainable, it will go one day, but cocoa and other agricultural products are replenishable,” Riman said.

Cocoa

Cross River oil palm estate to start production in 2016

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roduction of palm oil will begin in the 6,384 hectares Wilmer Calaro Oil Palm Estate in Mbarakom, Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River in 2016, the Senior Estate Manager of the plantation, Mr. Henry Dusmin has said.

Dusmin, who made this known recently, told newsmen that the planting of new improved high-yielding specie of palm tree seedlings had started since 2012 with the cultivation of 125 hectares.

It was learnt that the estate was inaugurated in 1954 as Ca-

laro Oil Palm Estate on a 6,384 hectares of land acquired from Mbarakom Community in Akamkpa Local Government.

Over the years, only 5,394 hectares were cultivated with palm trees under the state government until 2011 when the company was sold to Wilmer International of Malaysia.

The Malaysian company is expected to manage the estate for 25 years before the management contract can be renewed afterwards.

Dusmin said the company now could only develop 1,755 hectares, while 1,400 hectares

were being cultivated with palm trees.

“In the first planting sometimes in 2012, we planted 125 hectares. We expect it to produce in three years,” he said.

The manger recalled that palm tree seedlings were taken from Cross River in 1950 to Malaysia and now brought back to grow the state economy.

He said that no fewer than 740 young people from Cross River and its environs had so far been engaged to manage the palm plantation, while the main staff of the company were 40.

Africa to curb outbreak of banana disease AbolAji AdebAyo

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n a bid to prevent the widespread of a banana disease called fusarium oxysporum in Africa, a consortium of international researchers and growers, supported by policymakers in regional blocs of eastern and southern Africa, has been pooling efforts to tame the disease.

Fusarium oxysporum, a highly pathogenic form of the banana Fusarium wilt, reportedly confined to Asia, was recently introduced to a farm in northern Mozambique.

Foc TR4 (also known as Panama disease) is caused by a fungal strain that can survive for decades in the soil, and cannot be eradicated once introduced to a country.

Production of Cavendish types of banana which dominate export markets, and some other local forms of banana, has been devastated across Asia.

Plant Pathologist at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, IITA, Dr. Fen Beed, noted that the introduction of the disease to Africa was probably through importation of infected planting materials from the affected continent and that it has already had a massive impact on the commercial plantation in Mozambique.

He said efforts have been put in place to contain the disease on the affected farm in Mozambique in order to avert further spread and to prepare other African countries against similar incursions.

Curtailing the introduction and spread of Foc TR4 in Africa was the focus of the African Consortium with the theme: “Development of a Strategy to address the threat of Foc TR4 in Africa” recently held in Stellenbosch, South Africa.

At the workshop, a concession was reached to develop and implement a continental strategy under the direction of an African Foc TR4 task force to contain the incursion of Foc TR4 in the Nampula province of Mozambique and prevent similar incursions elsewhere.

The consortium also provide and enhance technical capacity on the continent, and to implement and monitor phytosanitary systems, including wider use of International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs) and

other matters concerning plant health to address the threat of Foc TR4 in Africa.

Among the resolutions of the workshop was to report and map electronically by means of a web portal any new outbreaks of Foc TR4 in African member states and communicate information on new outbreaks, successful containment, and prevention initiatives.

It would establish recognition that Foc TR4 is a continental issue that requires coordination and collaboration between NPPOs, RECs, ICPs, research institutions, universities, governments, and other relevant stakeholders throughout Africa by means of regular meetings and consultations.

The member countries also resolved to develop and apply appropriate diagnostic services, provide training, raise awareness, monitor disease spread, and screen banana germplasm for Foc TR4 resistance for deployment by vulnerable banana growers.

They would also develop a regional Pest Risk Analysis document and a set of phytosanitary measures to be enforced by member states to prevent the introduction and spread of Foc TR4 and other quarantine pests of banana.

In addition, the member countries were charged to encourage governments in Africa to formulate the necessary legislation and to implement the required activities to protect the crops of vulnerable farm owners against destructive exotic pests.

The consortium therefore called upon African and international organisations to recognise and support the activities of AC4TR4 by investing in research, awareness programs, human capacity, and infrastructure development on the continent.

Participants in the workshop included the representatives from the Southern African Development Community, SADC, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, COMESA, the East African Community, EAC, Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa, ASARECA, Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO, National Plant Protection Organizations, NPPO, IITA, Bioversity International, Stellenbosch University, National Research Organisations, and commercial growers.

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Capital Market

Friday, June 20, 2014

45

Why companies don’t opt for IPOs –Experts JOHNSON OKANLAWON

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he development of proactive human capital contributes to obtaining performance and developing Nigeria’s economy, the President of David Graduate School, Mr. Tunde Adeyemi has said.

Speaking in Lagos with financial journalists on the training workshop for bankers, finance analysts and lawyers coming up in August, he noted that the Nigerian capital market will do well if companies are raising money successfully within six months, with at least 10 per cent retail investors participating.

According to him, there is need for human skill development to drive the local investors to the market.

He said, “From the last public offer we had in the country, we discovered that investors relied on information. But today, over 80 per cent of stock brokers don’t go out to market companies anymore.

“They sit down in their offices due to their recent experience of crash in the market. That is why you see foreign investors dominating the market.

The foreign investors are being driven by some fund managers that explains to them that despite the insecurity in the country, they can make 40 per cent gain on their investment in the country every quarter.”

He pointed out that there is urgent need for marketers that can explain to the local investors reasons why they should invest in the market.

“Today everybody wants to buy land becuase it appreciates, Nigerians need information on the stock market to invest,” he added.

Adeyemi explained that the challenges can be summounted if the country starts developing people that are actually understand the financial market, saying that for the economy grow, there is need for human skill development.

He said, “The problem we are having in the country is that we have the people that have the money and the people that have the idea, what we are waiting for is people that will bring the two parties together, which is the financial market.

“We dont’ have venture capitalists and private equiies investors or fund managers. The regulators are coming out with differenct idea

but the people that will actualise the idea are not there.”

On why there is shortage of skills needed in the country, the Vice President of the school, Mr Sola Opadere said that in the last 30 years, higher institutions of learning have not changed their curriculum and 60 per cent of what they teach today should be practical, as fresh idea are churning in on daily basis.

“People are still in the school, using the same handouts. We are focusing currently on final year students and those in graduate school, even despite first class, second class, some of them don’t know what to do. Companies don’t even train workers today, over lack of money,” he said.

Index drops 0.3% as 26 stocks shed weight

JOHNSON OKANLAWON

T

rading in equities closed on a bearish note on the Nigerian Stock Exchange yesterday despite the gains recorded in the oil and gas sector.

The All Share Index depreciated 0.25 per cent to close at 41,068.93 points, as against the increase of 0.09 per cent recorded the preceding day to close at 41,171.16 points.

Market capitalisation shed N34bn to close at N13.56trn, in contrast to the rise of N12bn recorded the preceding day to close at

N13.59trn.

The NSE 30-Index lost 0.47 per cent to close at 1,869.22 points, but the Insurance Index gained 0.11 per cent to close at 147.83 points.

The Banking Index shed 1.14 per cent to close at 429.37 points, while the Consumer Goods Index lost 1.01 per cent to close at 1,006.75 points.

The Oil and Gas Index rose 3.91 per cent to close at 482.87 points, while the Lotus Islamic Index added 0.42 per cent to close at 2,746.95 points.

The Industrial Index was up 0.29 per cent to close at

2,573.96 points. The Alternative Securities Market remained flat at 950.94 points.

Oando Plc led the gainers’ table with N2.56 or 10.24 per cent to close at N27.56 per share, followed by Vitafoam Plc with 32 kobo or 7.27 per cent to close at N4.72 per share.

Caverton Plc was up 32 kobo or 5.61 per cent to close at N6.02 per share, while MRS Oil Plc gained N2.83 or five per cent to close at N6.02 per share.

Conoil Plc appreciated N2.96 or 4.99 per cent to close at N62.23 per share.

On the flip side, Court-

ville Plc dropped three kobo or five per cent to close at 57kobo per share, while Champion Breweries Plc fell 59 kobo or 4.98 per cent to close at N11.26 per share.

CWG Plc declined 27 kobo or 4.93 per cent to close at N5.21 per share, while Transnational Express Plc dipped 11 kobo or 4.68 per cent to close at N2.24 per share.

Costain Plc was down seven kobo or 4.55 per cent to close at N1.47 per share.

A total of 317.8 million shares valued at N4.19bn were exchanged in 5,162 deals.

CAP posts N2.1bn pre-tax profit, declares N1.5bn dividends

C

hemical and Allied Products has recorded another year of sustained impressive performance with shareholders rewarded with a dividend of N1.6bn.

Announcing the results of the 2013 financial year at the company’s Annual General Meeting in Lagos yesterday, the Chairman, Mr Larry Ettah said that despite the challenging operating environment in 2013, the company ended the year with an impressive performance.

The company recorded a turnover of N6.2bn, an increase of 18 per cent over the previous year and a profit be-

fore tax of N2.1bn, which represents an increase of 26 per cent when compared to 2012 financial year.

Reviewing the operations of the company, Ettah said, “We expanded our spread during the year with the opening of eight new Dulux colour shops in Umuahia, Dopemu, Akure, Jigawa, Abuja, Katsina, Aba and Ughelli.

“We successfully executed the Dulux Mobile Room Makeover, an innovative marketing campaign in the Nigerian clime, to the delight of our teeming consumers. We commenced ink jet coding of our product packages, mak-

ing adulteration of the product more difficult.”

He assured that the company’s products will continue to meet global quality standards.

He noted that the company’s consistent drive to conduct its operations in a healthy and safe manner, complying with all relevant laws and regulations and ensuring minimal impact on the environment, was rewarded in the year with the award for the first time, of ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management System (EMS) certification.

On the challenges of the economy, the chairman noted

the growing insecurity in the Northern part of the country with its attendant consequences in the loss of lives and properties and the denial of the enabling environment needed for businesses to thrive.

Concerning the 2015 elections, he stated that the transition activities have started to gather momentum which is taking away the focus from the economy to politics.

“We hope that policy makers will ensure that increased tempo of political activities does not negatively affect the business and economic environment,” he added.

Source: NSE

Market indicators All-Share Index 41,068.93 points Market capitalisation 13.60trn

Stock Updates GAINERS COMPANY

OPENING

CLOSING

CHANGE

% CHANGE

OANDO

25.00

27.56

2.56

10.24

VITAFOAM

4.40

4.72

0.32

7.27

CAVERTON

5.70

6.02

0.32

5.61

MRS

56.61

59.44

2.83

5.00

CONOIL

59.27

62.23

2.96

4.99

ASHAKACEM

27.51

28.88

1.37

4.98

TRANSCORP

4.45

4.67

0.22

4.94

REDSTAREX

4.75

4.98

0.23

4.84

UPL

4.36

4.57

0.21

4.82

GOLDBREW

0.68

0.71

0.03

4.41

CHANGE

% CHANGE

LOSERS COMPANY

OPENING

CLOSING

COURTVILLE

0.60

0.57

-0.03

-5.00

CHAMPION

11.85

11.26

-0.59

-4.98

CWG

5.48

5.21

-0.27

-4.93

TRANSEXPR

2.35

2.24

-0.11

-4.68

COSTAIN

1.54

1.47

-0.07

-4.55

WEMABANK

0.99

0.95

-0.04

-4.04

OASISINS

0.52

0.50

-0.02

-3.85

MBENEFIT

0.54

0.52

-0.02

-3.70

ZENITHBANK

24.80

24.00

-0.80

-3.23

HONYFLOUR

4.20

4.07

-0.13

-3.10

FGN Bonds Offer

Bid Description

Price

Yield

Price

Yield

13.05 16-AUG-2016

2.16

102.55

11.66

102.70

11.58

15.10 27-APR-2017

2.86

108.15

11.64

108.30

11.58

16.00 29-JUN-2019

5.03

116.05

11.69

116.35

11.61

16.39 27-JAN-2022

7.61

120.40

12.19

120.70

12.14

14.20 14-MAR-2024

9.74

110.75

12.27

111.05

12.22

10.00 23-JUL-2030

16.09 80.00

12.99

80.30

12.94

Closing Market Prices of June 19, 2014

Treasury Bills Maturity Date

Bid

Offer

18-Sep-14

10.30

10.05

4-Dec-14

10.35

10.10

7-May-15

10.20

9.95

NIBOR Tenor

Rate (%)

O/N

10.6250

1M

12.2885

3M

13.2337

6M

14.1950 The Fixings - NIBOR, NITTY and NIFEX of June 19, 2014

46

Capital Market

Friday, June 20, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Stock exchange daily equities summary Equities as at June 19, 2014 1st Tier Securities

1st Tier Securities Sector

Company name

No Of Deals

Quotation(N)

Quantity Traded

Value of Shares(N)

Sector

Company name

No Of Deals

Quotation(N)

Quantity Traded

Value of Shares(N)

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

47

Friday June 20, 2014

Community Mirror We are prepared for this election. Nobody should interfere with it. Security agencies that have not been assigned for this election should stay away INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE, ALHAJI MUHAMMED ABUBAKAR

Security adviser raises alarm over cybercrime LEONARD OKACHIE

C

oncerned at the alarming widespread growth of cybercrime which is adversely affecting nations across the globe, the National Security Adviser,NSA, Mohammed Sambo Dasuki has advo-

cated proactive approach to tackle the increasing menace due to the growing technology tools being used by criminals.

Dasuki, who was speaking at the First National Cybersecurity Forum in Lagos said “Realising the importance of cyber space, the Federal Government has designated cy-

ber security as a national priority, with the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, stepping up efforts towards meeting the challenge by working in close collaboration with all stake holders to ensure a safer and more secure cyberspace.”

He added that experi-

ences from other jurisdictions have shown that success of national cyber security initiatives can best be achieved by adopting a coordinated and integrated approach encompassing Law; Technology; Institutional Capacity Building; Private Sector Partnership, PPP,

and International Law Enforcement Cooperation.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary Special Services, Alhaji Ibrahim Mahe, the NSA said that computers and the internet represent modern tools used by criminals and the trend would continue for the foreseeable future because cybercrimes are particularly lucrative.

He said: “They are generally non-violent crimes; yield high profits and have relatively low risk of capture. Incidents of cybercrime have caused extensive loss to the national economies and pose challenging threats of cyber terrorism among nations.”

Giving an overview of the Draft National Cyber security Strategy in Nigeria, Ambassador Haruna Wando, Director of Communication, Office

of the National Security Adviser, said that with the growth of computer technology in Nigerian businesses and personal life, so also is the increase in computer based crimes originating from Nigeria or aided by Nigerian citizens around the world.

He said, “The telecommunication and banking industry have been the worst hit by this menace due to its high dependence on the internet and its many online tools. Traditionally, Nigerian Cybercrime activities appear to be only limited to money fraud Internet based crimes. The recent trend of web defacement or hijacking and e-mail scams has now changed this perception. Web bullying instances are on the rise in the country, especially with the coming into being of social networking websites like facebook and twitter.

Lord’s Chosen holds crusade

Farmers working in a rice field along Mulak Dandanko in Bauchi, yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

Police alert Ikorodu residents on security

T

he Assistant Commissioner of Police of the Area `N` Police Command, Mr Yekini Ayoku, has called on residents of Ikorodu in Lagos State to take security issues more seriously to stay alive.

Ayoku gave the advice at the maiden edition of the Police Community Relations Committee, PCRC,

seminar, at Ijede in Ikorodu.

The seminar with theme: ``Safety and Security Awareness’’ drew participants from eight communities, making up the Area ‘N’ Division.

Represented by the Divisional Police Officer, Agbowa-Ikosi Division, Mr Hakeem Fijabi, Ayoku stressed the need

for citizens to be alert to incidences of kidnapping, burglary, rape and other crimes.

He advised residents to always keep pets like dogs to help secure the environment and wade off strangers and also use security guards and CCTV cameras for surveillance. ``We must know where our family members are at

all times most, especially at night. Always sensitise your family members on security matters,’’ he said.

Also, Assistant Corps Commander, RS 2.115 Airport Unit, Mr Victor Aladegbami, delivering a lecture entitled: ``Defensive Driving, Causes of Road Crashes and Psychology of Driving,’’ urged participants to be safety conscious.

Niger SSG becomes Dan Walin Nupe PRISCILLA DENNIS MINNA

T

he Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, has conferred the traditional title of Dan Walin Nupe on the Secretary to the Government of Niger State Hon. Saidu Ndako Id-

ris Kpaki.

In a letter of June 12th, 2014, the Etsu Nupe who is also Chairman of Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers said the title was in recognition of Kpaki’s record of service right from the local government to the state government levels.

The royal father described the new Dan Walin Nupe as hardworking, experienced, trustworthy and God fearing, who has distinguished himself in every aspect of human endeavour.

He urged the SSG to see his conferment as a call to

service to Niger State and Nigeria, while praying for Allah’s guidance in his endeavours.

The Estu said, “It is my hope and prayer that many good things will follow this title which Bida Emirate Council has conferred on you.”

T

he Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Movement is organising a two-day International Crusade for Saturday June 12 and Sunday June 21, 2014, at Ijesha, Surulere Lagos.

According to the organisers, the event with theme, “And the Enemies Submitted”, is part of the church’s continuous evangelical campaign to meet the three-fold visions and 10 billion souls mandate before the coming Jesus Christ.

In a statement, the church’s founder and General overseer, Pastor Lazarus Muoka disclosed that in every two years when the devil, demons and human agents, might have done their worst, God visits through this programme to bring them to submission.

He said: “As we all are aware that for some time

now, the activities of these enemies like killing, robbery, kidnapping, political turmoil, terrorism, economic recession, pestilence, diseases, poverty, insecurity have increased all over the world. No nation or being can stop these end time activities beside the Almighty God unto whom every knee shall bow. He has therefore decided to intervene to deal with them to submission through His great powers. So, as we call upon Him in these two days that all our enemies shall submit with their attendant problems in Jesus name.

“Above all, the crusade is aimed at winning souls and preparing the saints for the coming of our Saviour Jesus Christ. Thus, it is part of our continuous evangelical campaign to meet the Threefold visions and 10 billion souls mandate”.

48

Transition

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Friday June 20, 2014

Arisekola Alao

B

orn on a Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1945, to the family of Alhaji Abdur Raheem Olatunbosun Olaniyan Alao and Alhaja Rabiatu Olatutu Abegbe Alao who hailed from Ajia in Ona Ara Local Government Area of Oyo State, the young Alao had his elementary education at St. Luke’s School, Adigun, and later ICC Primary School, Igosun, both in Ibadan, after persistent persuasion of one school teacher, Mr. J.O. Oladejo, because he initially was not interested in the acquisition of Western education, as he was contended with Islamic education which he began at the age of three years. On completion of his primary education in 1960, he sat for the entrance examinations into two of the notable schools; Christ School, Ado-Ekiti and Lagelu Grammar School, Ibadan. He was the best candidate in the

Baba Olatinwo N

o matter how aged one’s father or mother is, it is always the wish of the beloved children that they live forever.

This was exactly the feeling among the Northern States’ Council, NSC of the AnsarUd-Deen Youth Association of Nigeria, ADYAN, all the while, until last Saturday, when it received the shocking news of the death of Alhaji Tiamiyu Adebisi Olatinwo, who until his death was its Grand Patron and Deputy National President of Ansar-Ud-Deen Society, ADS. He was aged 81.

Born into the family of Alhaji Onaolapo Olatinwo and Madam Ayisatu Jaiyeade Asande, of the renowned Olatinwo and Ijewi compounds respectively on 29th August 1933, in Offa, Kwara State, Baba Olatinwo started his educational sojourn at the famous Ogidiri Christ African Church Primary School in Offa for his primary education.

From there, he proceeded to Offa Grammar School, where he excelled brilliantly in Mathematics, and in spite of his western educational background, Baba Olatinwo also found time to enroll for Qur’anic education, at Oja CHANGE OF NAME

DEHINBO: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Kunbi Dehinbo, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Shabi Kunbi Omowunmi. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

IRO: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Iro Ugo Eze, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ugonma Ude Oduko. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public take note.

Christ School examination, while he emerged as the third best candidate for admission into Lagelu Grammar School.

However, despite his brilliance, he could not advance his western education as a result of the poor economic standing of his parents who were peasant farmers. But his lack of western education was compensated for by his sound Islamic education and a strong resolve. Buoyed by the zeal to survive and make a decent living, Alao ventured into business, armed with admirable qualities such as intelligence, truthfulness, aggressiveness and the determination to succeed.

No sooner had he started his business did he become a household name in the old Western Region. He built up his business and used the platform to build a wide network in politics and religion. His involvement in and support for religious causes made the Muslim Ulamah in Yoruba land to confer on him the title of Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland in 1980. Alao was a detrabilised Nigerian, who accommodated people irrespective of their religious or ethnic backgrounds.

He was a co-founder and highest donor of Barakat International

School, at Bodija, while he also had endowments in a number of universities including private institutions of higher learning across the country. A foremost industrialist, he established outfits under the Lister conglomerate, which cut across food production, real estate management, insurance, transport, and publishing.

Alao was among the Muslims who paved the way for the establishment of the Grand Council for Islamic Affairs in Nigeria in 1996, while he also financed the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN) and the National Council of Muslim Youth the Organisations (NACOMYO), among other Islamic organisations even outside Nigeria. He was a member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA until his death.

A compassionate fellow, Alao built a 100-bed ward as part of Oyo State Muslim Hospital which was named Rabiatu Alao Ward, after his mother. His exemplary contributions to the growth of the nation as a whole earned him a national honour, Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), during the administration of the late Alhaji Umar Musa Yar’ Adua in 2008.

Prince Sowole

P Oba, at a very tender age.

He was still very young, when he graduated from the Qur’anic school.

He ventured into the business world, where he had a stint with the famous SCOA. Upon exiting the reputable company, he established his own business enterprise, known as T.A. Olatinwo & Sons Ltd, which today has grown into a huge business concern as a major distributor of items of many manufacturing companies in Nigeria.

As someone who valued education, he also contributed immensely to the establishment of the AnsarUd-Deen (AUD) College, CHANGE OF NAME

ADEYEMI: Formerly known as Miss Adejoke Deborah Adeyemi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Adejoke Denorah Osinubi. All former documents remain valid. TASUED and the general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

ONYII: Formerly known and addressed as Nwachukwu Mercy Onyii, now wish to be known and addressed as Nwachukwu Mercy Onyebuchi. All former documents remain valid. First Bank Plc and general public take note.

Offa and other similar AUD Colleges, including primary schools, across the State. In fact, until his death, he was the Society’s National Education Board Chairman.

A recipient of several awards and honours, Baba is blessed with children, several grand children and great grand children, who are all doing great in their respective endeavours. Prominent among them are: Dr. Mufutau Olatinwo, Rector, Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Dr. Muslimat Adebanke Nuhu, Lecturer, University of Ilorin;,Mrs. Mutiat Shittu, Lecturer, Yaba College of Technology, and Professor Abdulwaheed Olatinwo, the Chief Medical Director of University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital.

As family members, friends across the religious divide gather in Offa, this Saturday for your Fidau prayer.

CHANGE OF NAME

IWUAGWU: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Iwuagwu Hannah Akudo, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Nkem Hannah Akudo. All former documents remain valid. Imo State University and general public take note.

rince Solomon Kolawole Sowole, J.P was born on 23rd May, 1933 into the family of Ogboku Alasa and Liyangu, ruling house in Sagamu, Ogun State.

He had his early education at St. Paul Anglican Pry School, Sagamu, Ogun State and Saka Tinubu Memorial High School, Olushi, Lagos Island, Lagos. After this, He learned Electrical course at Pan Electric Ltd, a division of UACN in 1958. He was transferred to UACN Iddo, Lagos in 1962.

He had while in services of UACN received and attended series of training and management development courses locally at the UACN develop-

CHANGE OF NAME

OLUWATOSIN: Formerly known and addressed as Mr. Oyerinde Kabir Oluwatosin, now wish to be known, called and addressed as Mr. Oyerinde Abdulkabir Tosin.

All former documents remain valid.

General public to note.

ment training school, Apapa, Lagos, Nigeria Institute of Management, Yaba College of Technology and university of Lagos, Akoka.

Solomon Kolawole also did management studies at Sunridge Park Management centre Kent in U.K. and attachment in Lylon France. He was the Lagos Area manager and was later transferred to Ibadan as the Western Area manager that covers Ogun, Oyo, Ondo and Kwara State respectively. He left UACN in 1983 as the western Area Manager after 25 years of meritorious service.

Late S.K. was a devoted Christian and played active role in the Church, He was baptized in St. Paul Anglican Church, Sagamu, he became a full Communicant at Trinity Methodist Church Tinubu, Lagos on Sunday May 14, 1967.

After then, he proceeded to Zion African Church Alagba (ZACA) Iyanapaja with his Family. He was honored in ZACA Iyanapaja, Lagos with maiyegun onigbagbo in 2001 and honored with Asiwaju Okunrin Ijo ZACA in 2012.

A dedicated family man, he left behind wife, children and grand children, he was the father of the late Navy Lieutenant Adeyemi David Sowole. Prince Sowole died on May 3rd, 2014, and he has since been buried according to Christian rites.

CHANGE OF NAME

IBEKAKU: Formerly known and addressed as Rosemary Onyejelbechi Ibekaku as indicated in the opening of my bank account now wish to be known, called and addressed as Mrs Roseline Onyejelbechi Ibekaku. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME, DOB OBI: Formerly known and addressed as Godwin Anayo Obi, now wish to be known as Chikezie Onuoha Joachim. That in my international passport with passport no A2145948 they mistakenly wrote my date of birth as 8th January 1968 instead of 1st November 1976. All former documents remain valid. South Korea Immigration and the general public take note

Friday, June 20, 2014

Obama approves US air strike on Iraqi insurgents

50

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

World News

“I expect you (Palestinian president) to help in the return of the kidnapped youths and the capture of the kidnappers”

ISRAELI PM, BENJAMIN NETANYAHU

Ex-Liberian President Taylor seeks to leave UK prison Paul arhewe

WITH AGENCY REPORTS

E

x-Liberian President Charles Taylor has asked to serve the rest of his war crimes sentence in Rwanda, claiming that being detained in the UK denies him the right to a family life.

Taylor’s wife and children have been unable to visit him in County Durham, lawyer John Jones QC said.

He was convicted of aiding rebels who committed atrocities in Sierra Leone.

The UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone trial was held at The Hague on the agreement he was jailed elsewhere.

The overseas venue for the court case was chosen in case the trial sparked renewed unrest in West Africa.

An act of parliament was passed to allow for Taylor to serve his sentence in the UK, at the cost of the British government, following his conviction.

Taylor was sentenced in 2012 and arrived in the UK last October, having unsuccessfully challenged the decision to be detained there.

Legal papers have now been lodged with the court claiming that serving his sentence in the UK breaches his human rights.

The former leader, 66, says it would be more “humane” for him, and his wife and 15 children, if he was to return to Africa to

complete his sentence.

His lawyer told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “In the eight months that he has been in the UK he has not received a single visit from his wife and children.

“He has minor children. When he was in The Hague on trial, he had regular visits, they came, they saw him, they went back.”

Players of the Sierra Leone civil war amputees football team pose on 7 April 2006 at a beach in Freetown, Sierra Leone Many victims of Sierra Leone’s civil war had limbs hacked off by rebels Jones added: “What we are saying is the UK has a duty to ensure family life, not just for him but for his family. It’s a clear duty under international law and English domestic law.”

The UK would save money if Taylor was transferred, he claimed.

“He is not suing the British Government, he is not seeking damages from the UK and, on the contrary, for the UK taxpayer it would be much, much cheaper if he were to serve his sentence in Rwanda with all the other prisoners from the special court,” said Jones.

Jones said visas had not been granted to members of his family as immigration officials were “not satisfied that they are going to return to Liberia after their visit to see him, which is ridiculous”.

He said Taylor was the only

Taylor awaiting his trial in February 2011.

person convicted by the special court for SCSL to be transferred from their home continent and that he had the impression “there is a deliberate will to isolate him” - not just in the UK, but in the North of England.

Taylor has been kept in the hospital wing at HMP Frankland since his arrival as he is considered vulnerable, according to the document submitted to the court

Egypt court calls for death sentence for Brotherhood leader

A

n Egyptian court signalled yesterday that it wanted death sentences for the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood and 13 other defendants charged with murder and firearms possession, when it referred the case to the country’s religious authorities.

Judicial sources said a judge at a court session held at a Cairo police institute had referred all 14 of the defendants to the Mufti, the highest Islamic legal official, who must give an opinion on death sentences before they can be confirmed. The court’s final decision is expected on Aug. 3.

More than a thousand suspected supporters of Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood have already been given death sentences this year which were referred to the Mufti. Their cases have provoked outrage among rights

groups and Western governments.

Thirty-seven of the sentences have been upheld, and more than six hundred others are awaiting a final decision. But so far none of the sentences has been carried out.

The court decision came less than two weeks after former army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi took office as president. Sisi ousted President Mohamed Morsi of the Brotherhood last July.

Morsi’s ouster was followed by the bloodiest period in Egypt’s modern history, with widespread protests by his supporters and a crackdown by security forces in which hundreds of Islamists were killed and thousands jailed.

The movement emerged after the 2011 revolt as the country’s best-organised political force. But it has been driven underground and designated a terrorist or-

49

by his legal team.

An anonymous letter sent to Taylor, possibly from within the prison, threatening him with bodily harm and death demonstrates the “seriousness of the danger”, the document adds.

Speaking to the BBC news website, Mr Jones stressed that Rwanda was a more humane place for Taylor to be, as “everything is different here” - from the “freezing cold” weather to British food.

Taylor was convicted on 11 charges including terrorism, rape, murder and the use of child soldiers by rebel groups in neighbouring Sierra Leone during the 1991-2002 civil war, in which some 50,000 people died.

The former Liberian leader was found to have supplied weapons to the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels in exchange for so-called blood diamonds.

The rebels were notorious for hacking off the limbs of civilians to terrorise the population.

Taylor has always insisted he is innocent and that his only contact with the rebels was to urge them to stop fighting.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “Charles Taylor is being treated in accordance with the United Kingdom’s obligations and in the same way as any other prisoner in England and Wales.”

The Foreign Office said it did not comment on individual prisoners or individual visa applications.

21 companies to attend British trade mission in Nigeria

R Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie is shown during his trial at a police academy in Cairo, recently.

ganisation since Morsi was overthrown.

Sisi has said the Brotherhood would cease to exist in his presidency.

The Thursday ruling related to clashes during protests in July following the army’s ouster of Morsi after mass protests nine people and incitement to kill that led to 21 other deaths, judicial sources said.

epresentatives from 10 energy and 11 multi-sectorial companies will be participating in the Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce (AGCC) and London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) annual trade mission to Nigeria taking place between 23 and 26 June 2014.

AGCC and LCCI are regular visitors to the region. They have teamed up again to explore the growing business opportunities and deliver value to UK businesses.

This year’s mission will be led by Subhash Thakrar, Deputy President, LCCI and Julien Masse, International Trade Team Leader, AGCC. Both look forward to helping and supporting mission members do business in Nigeria.

Some participants have expressed positive expectations during the trade mission.

WORLD BULLETIN Kenyan security forces kill five coast attack suspects Kenya’s security forces have shot dead five people suspected of involvement in attacks on the coast this week that killed about 65 people, the Interior Ministry said yesterday.

Somalia’s al Shabaab Islamist militant group, the usual suspects in such attacks, claimed responsibility for this week’s assaults that were 24 hours apart on the town of Mpeketoni and a nearby village.

Both areas are near the coast in Lamu County.

President Uhuru Kenyatta dismissed the group’s claim and accused his political rivals of being behind the attacks, saying they wanted to stoke ethnic tensions.

The opposition swiftly denied the charge, which risks deepening political divisions.

“Five suspected attackers shot dead while escaping, three AK-47 guns and several ammunitions recovered,” the Interior Ministry said on Twitter, locating the incident in Lamu County.

A Kenyan army source, who asked not to be named, confirmed five suspects were killed in a forested area during a combined operation involving the army and other security forces.

South Africa probes ‘wife gift’ for SABC head An investigation has been launched in South Africa into allegations that the head of SABC, the public broadcaster, was given a wife as a gift.

The Commission for Gender Equality said it had received a complaint after it was reported that Hlaudi Motsoeneng was given a bride by traditional chiefs.

They were part of a cultural group asking for more programmes to be broadcast in the Venda language.

The government said their behaviour was “regrettable”.

Motsoeneng has not commented.

The incident is said to have occurred during his recent visit to the northern Limpopo province where he and other SABC executives met the Venda lobby group, Mudzi wa Vhurereli ha Vhavenda.

About 10 girls had paraded in front of him, Humbelani Nemakonde from the Mudzi group was quoted as saying in South Africa’s Sowetan newspaper.

“He chose the one he liked.

“All the girls were there with their parents. Their parents knew what was going to happen and they all agreed.”

According to the Sowetan, Motsoeneng chose a 23-year-old human resources management student who was pictured barebreasted next to him.

He is also alleged to have been given a cow and a calf.

50

World News

WORLD BULLETIN UN Security Council expresses condolences for journalists killed in Ukraine The United Nations Security Council yesterday voiced its deepest condolences to the families of all journalists who have been killed while covering the crisis in Ukraine, and encouraged a thorough investigation of all such incidents.

Among the casualties are two Russian journalists killed on 17 June, and an Italian photojournalist who was killed on 24 May along with his Russian interpreter.

“The members of the Security Council encourage a thorough investigation of all incidents of violence involving journalists,” Ambassador Vitaly Churkin of Russia, which holds the Council’s presidency for June, said in a statement to the press.

“The members of the Security Council expressed concern about reported cases of detention and harassment of journalists covering the crisis in Ukraine,” he added.

Council members also voiced support for the freedom of expression as a human right, including for members of the media.

Ukraine has witnessed ongoing violence, especially in the eastern part of the country, characterized by growing loss of life and a deteriorating humanitarian situation, according to UN officials, who have continued to call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a resolution of the crisis.

King Felipe VI sworn in, calls for new Spain King Felipe VI has called for “a new Spain that we will build together” after being proclaimed head of state in a ceremony in parliament.

Earlier, King Felipe received the royal sash from his father, Juan Carlos, at the Zarzuela Palace near Madrid.

He acceded to the throne at the stroke of midnight after King Juan Carlos formally abdicated on Wednesday.

The proceedings have been kept low key, as many Spaniards are suffering economic hardship.

The swearing-in ceremony took the form of a proclamation rather than a coronation. It is the first royal transition in Spain since democracy was restored in the 1970s.

The new king, 46, swore an oath promising to uphold the constitution.

The speaker of the lower house of parliament, Jesus Posada, then proclaimed him king, declaring: “Long live Spain!

Long live the king!”

In a speech to parliament, Felipe said he had “great hope” for the future of Spain and called for unity.

“You will find in me a loyal head of state who is ready listen and understand, warn and advise as well as to defend the public interest at all times,” he said.

Friday June, 20 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Obama approves US air strike on Iraqi insurgents

T

he United States said it is ready to launch air strikes at insurgents, as Iraqi government forces are battling the Sunni Muslim militants for control of the country’s biggest oil refinery.

President Barack Obama said the US is ready for “targeted and precise military action” against Islamists in Iraq.

But he stressed “American forces will not be returning to combat in Iraq”.

He said that up to 300 military advisers would be sent to help the Iraqi government’s efforts.

He also urged Iraqi leaders to pursue an “inclusive agenda”. Shia Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has been accused of anti-Sunni policies.

Officials insisted security forces were “in full control” of the Baiji refinery, about 200km (130 miles) north of the capital Baghdad.

But militants led by the jihadist Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) have surrounded the facility.

Iraq has asked for US air strikes on the militants.

Unnamed US officials have been quoted as saying that the US will send deploy 100 special forces to aid the Iraqi army’s operation.

Earlier, a spokesman for the party of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki told the BBC

the country’s leaders had felt “abandoned” by the international community as several northern cities and towns were seized by attacks by ISIS and its Sunni Arab allies.

ISIS-led militants launched an assault on the Baiji refinery early on Wednesday.

Yesterday, the Iraqi military said some 100 assailants had been killed as troops and helicopter gunships repelled repeated attacks that continued overnight.

But witnesses said the militants had breached the perimeter and set fire to several storage tanks.

Video footage showed smoke billowing from the refinery and the black flag used by ISIS flying from a building.

Nearly all the 15,000 workers at the refinery and 100 foreign experts left on Tuesday when the plant was shut down in anticipation of the attack.

Yesterday morning, about 250 to 300 workers were evacuated under an agreement brokered by local tribal leaders, one of the workers told the Reuters news agency.

For several days, production has been halted at Baiji, which supplies much of the country’s domestic fuel.

The shutdown has sparked panic buying in northern regions, with long queues at petrol stations in Iraqi Kurdistan, even thought there are not yet

A member from the oil police force stands guard at Zubair oilfield in Basra, southeast of Baghdad, on Wednesday.

Photo: Reuters

any real shortages, the BBC’s Jim Muir reports from Irbil.

Hostilities have been reported elsewhere in the north and west of the country, including around the airport of the strategic town of Tal Afar.

Police told the BBC that ISIS-led militants had killed 13 police officers and Kurdish peshmerga militiamen while capturing the village of Bayshir, south of the strategically important northern city of Kirkuk, over the past two days.

Shia militiamen have been sent to assist in the defence of the capital of Diyala province, which has effectively become a front line, and the nearby city of Samarra, site of a major Shia shrine.

State television quoted Maliki as saying volunteers who

Rebels beg Russia for help as fighting rages

I

ntense fighting raged yesterday in eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russia insurgents said they were losing the battle with government forces and begged the Kremlin for military help.

NATO’s chief, meanwhile, accused Russia of resuming a military buildup along the border designed to intimidate Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been under pressure from nationalists at home who have demanded that he send troops into eastern Ukraine to help the rebels. But Putin has stonewalled insurgents’ pleas to join Russia and welcomed a peace plan and proposed cease-fire put forward by new Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

That plan, however, requires a secure border between Russia and Ukraine, Poroshenko says — and it’s not clear when that will happen.

Both the Ukrainian government and the rebels said heavy fighting took place Thursday near Krasnyi Liman, just east of the rebel stronghold of Slovyansk, a city in the Donetsk region that has been the epicentre of the insurgency against the government in Kiev.

Vladislav Seleznev, a spokesman for Ukrainian forces in the east, said in a statement posted on Facebook that four government troops were killed and 20 wounded

in fighting yesterday. He said up to 200 rebels were killed and hundreds more were wounded in the battle. That statement could not be independently confirmed.

Rebel chief Igor Strelkov, however, said in a statement on YouTube that his men were far outnumbered and outgunned by Ukrainian forces and were likely to retreat from their positions in Yampol and Seversk near Krasnyi Liman. He said the Ukrainian military advance would completely cut rebel supply lines to Slovyansk and issued a desperate plea to the Kremlin for military assistance.

“I hope that they have enough conscience left in Moscow to take some measures,” Strelkov said.

Russia has dismissed Ukrainian and Western claims that it was fomenting the rebellion in the east, saying that Russian citizens among the rebels are volunteers and rejecting Western reports that it has sent heavy artillery across

the border to the rebels.

Denis Pushilin, one of the insurgent leaders in Donetsk, told reporters yesterday in Moscow that the rebels did have a few tanks but insisted they had seized them from Ukrainian forces. The U.S. government, however, has said it had evidence that tanks and heavy military equipment came over the border from Russia to Ukraine.

As pitched battles continued in Ukraine, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said yesterday that Russia had resumed a military build up near the Ukrainian border, calling it “a very regrettable step backward.”

“I can confirm that we now see a new Russian military build up — at least a few thousand more Russian troops deployed to the Ukrainian border — and we see troop manoeuvres in the neighbourhood of Ukraine,” Fogh Rasmussen said in London.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, centre, and former foreign minister Andrei Deshchitsa, right, congratulate new Ukrainian foreign minister Pavel PHOTO: AP Klimkin in Kiev, Ukraine, yesterday.

went to fight in contested areas would be given 750,000 Iraqi dinars per month (£378; $644).

Maliki has tried to assure Iraqis that the momentum is shifting, but the representative of Grand Ayatollah Ali alSistani, the most senior Shia cleric in Iraq, told the BBC that religious leaders sensed “a real danger which threatens Iraq and its unity”.

Iraq’s military is awaiting President Obama’s decision on air strikes.

On Wednesday, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen Martin Dempsey, warned that the US military still lacked sufficient intelligence to take action. He told a congressional hearing that pilots would have difficulty knowing who they were attacking from the air.

US actor, Ford, breaks leg in accident, publicist confirms

Harrison Ford’s left leg was broken in the injury he suffered while shooting the new Star Wars film, the US actor’s publicist has confirmed.

It was previously believed the 71-year-old had broken an ankle in an incident involving a door at Pinewood Studios on 12 June.

“His surgery was successful and he will begin rehab shortly,” continued Ina Treciokas in a statement.

“He’s doing well and looks forward to returning to work.”

Ford, who is reprising his role as Han Solo in Star Wars: Episode VII, was airlifted to John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford after the accident.

The BBC understands he was injured while filming a scene involving a door on the Millennium Falcon, Solo’s beloved spaceship.

Last week a spokesman for the Lucasfilm production company said the actor had “sustained an ankle injury” and shooting would continue while he recuperated.

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police confirmed officers had been called to the studio in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, just after 17:00 BST following reports of a man being injured in an incident involving a garage door.

A spokeswoman for South Central Ambulance Service said they were called to an incident involving “a door that had fallen”.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

ABIODUN NEJO ADO EKITI

L

eaders of the All Progressives Congress, APC, have condemned the alleged bar placed on its governors from attending yesterday’s rally of Ekiti State governor, Kayode Fayemi, in Ado Ekiti.

The party leaders, including APC national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; APC Deputy National Chairman (South), Chief Segun Oni;

Politics

Friday, June 20, 2014

APC leaders decry barring of governors from attending rally Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha, and Fayemi said at a rally in Ado Ekiti yesterday that the governors were prevented by security agencies apparently acting on ‘’orders from above’’ from travelling to Ado-Ekiti for the party’s final campaign.

A statement from the

APC national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, which corroborated the position of the party leaders, said at least three governors - Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers) and Rabiu Kwankwanso (Kano) had so far been prevented from making the

trip, adding that the helicopter that was to ferry Oshiomhole from Benin to Ado-Ekiti was refused permission to take off from the Benin Airport, while the plane that was flying Kwankwanso to Akure was denied permission to land.

According to the APC,

All Progressives Congress Governorship Candidate, Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi (middle) with party officials and supporters, during the final mega rally of the party ahead of the June 21 governorship election, in Ado-Ekiti, yesterday.

We’ve done our homework for victory –LP

T

he Labour Party, LP, in Ekiti State said yesterday that the party was continuing with members’ mobilization to ensure victory in tomorrow’s election.

The LP media and publicity secretary, Bolanle Olatunde-Bruce, in a chat with National Mirror in Ado Ekiti assured said the party was busy putting finishing touches to its house-

to-house campaign across the 177 political wards in the state alongside one-onone campaign. Assuring that her party would win the election with its sustained mobilisation and maintenance of contacts.

Olatunde-Bruce said, “Some people have taken themselves as the Goliath in this election, but we are the David of our time. We are going into this election with the

assurance that we will win.

We have done our homework.

We will continue to harvest until the Election Day. Our victory is sure,” she said.

The LP chieftain, who explained that the party was mindful of the need to convert the crowds that had attended its programmes and events to votes, said: “We are into actual politicking with the mobilisation of our mem-

bers and we are maintaining close contact with the electorate”.

She added that LP was busy harvesting from the internal wrangling in other political parties, just as the party candidate, Hon Opeyemi Bamidele, yesterday rounded up his campaign activities with a road show around the state capital, Ado Ekiti with assurance to emerge as a winner.

Rep warns INEC on guber polls TORDUE SALEM, ABUJA

A

member of the House of Representatives, representing Makurdi/Guma Federal Constituency of Benue State, Hon. Emmanuel Jime of All Progressives Party, APC, has advised the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to shun all traps to compromise its resolve to hold credible elections in Ekiti State tomorrow.

The lawmaker said this during a media briefing

51

in Abuja yesterday where he also advised the agency to consider the use of back-up data on eligible voters from mobile telecommunication agencies and employ optimal use of card-reading machines for future elections.

“After guaranteeing a free and fair election in Ekiti on Saturday, the electoral umpire should also source data on all Nigerians of voting age from mobile telecommunication outfits in Nigeria as a back up to make sure all eligible voters are captured to participate in fu-

ture elections, should the present direct registration system fail”, he advised.

Jime, who is a governorship aspirant in Benue state, advised INEC to explore the possibility of using card-reading machines to avoid multiple voting and ballot-snatching. He said if adopted, it will guarantee truly free and fair elections.

“And again, I would use this medium to advice that after the Ekiti Elections, INEC should bring all the amendments it wants to be effected in the Electoral Act for amendments

by the National Assembly.

Any areas INEC thinks must be addressed for us to have credible elections in future elections, can be treated with despatch and patriotic seriousness by us”, he said.

The lawmaker however regretted that despite efforts by the House and the Senate to appropriate for sufficient funding for the commission, INEC was still putting forward excuses for failure. Adding that the success of the Ekiti and Osun elections would be test cases for the success of the 2015 elections.

while the plane carrying Amaechi actually landed in Akure, his convoy was stopped at the border between Ondo and Ekiti states and ordered to turn back, because he would not be allowed to reach Ado-Ekiti.

The party said while Amaechi’s convoy was being detained in order to force him to turn back, the convoys of the Ministers of Defence and Police Affairs came and were allowed to pass. ‘’These acts are illegal and definitely not in line with the Electoral Act, which stipulates that campaign for the election will only end at midnight on Friday. It also represents a manipulation of the electoral process when all the candidates will not be allowed a level playing field to campaign for the election,” the APC said.

But spokesperson for the 132 Artillery Brigade, Akure Captain Ademola Adeleke, debunked the insinuation, saying soldiers did not prevent any governor from accessing Ekiti State.

The spokesman for the Police in Ekiti State, Mr Victor Babayemi, also said there was nothing like that yesterday as no dignitary was prevented from attending the rally.

Meanwhile, at the rally which was the maiden event at the State Pavillion in Ado Ekiti, PDP state deputy chairman, Hon Femi Bamisile, led high profile defectors from the party to the APC. The former PDP chieftains who officially joined the APC on the occasion included Justice Edward Ojuolape and Elder Dapo Alibaloye.

1 DAYS TO GO

CNPP, artisans, okada riders endorse Fayemi

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he re-election bid of Ekiti State governor and All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate, Dr Kayode Fayemi, received a boost yesterday as the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, CNPP, artisans and the Association of Commercial Motorcycle Operators, ACMO, endorsed his candidacy.

The leaderships of the three bodies, CNPP state chairman, Mr Tunji Ogunlola; the chairman of okada operators in Ekiti, Mr Martins Adeyi; and the chairman of artisans, Mr Julius Adu stated at a joint press conference in Ado Ekiti yesterday that their support for the APC candidate was based on the need to consolidate on what Fayemi had achieved so far in office.

Their spokesman, Mr Ogunlola, said the stakeholders declared support for Fayemi in view of the peace that had been enjoyed in the state since his

assumption of office and to give him the opportunity to further consolidate the democratic gains to the people.

The CNPP boss urged the electorate to cast their votes for Fayemi in the election, describing him as the best option considering the spate of development he had achieved in the state.

He said: “We are therefore declaring that 21 political parties in the state are in support of Dr Fayemi’s re-election. Also my colleagues here from motorcyclists’ association and artisans are endorsing the candidature of the governor.

“We appeal to the electorate not to allow themselves to be bought over by any politician. You should also be law abiding and follow due process during the accreditation exercise.

Once you cast your votes, adhere strictly to directives by the electoral officers”, he advised.

52

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Formerly known and addressed as Miss Sholola Rukayat Aweni, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Balogun Sholola Rukayat Aweni. All former documents remain valid. general public to take note.

PUBLIC NOTICE EVIDENCE OF FAITH INT’L PRAYER MINISTRY

This is to inform the general public that the above named body has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under the part C of the Company and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE:

1. Rev. Dr. Augustine Ikechukwu Nwokoro - Chairman 2. Bar. Pastor Jubilee Chinonso Nwokoro - Vice Chairman 3. Yanwi Princewill-Ete Ekakaa - Treasurer 4. Henry Elikwu - Member

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:

Worship God and propagate His Kingdom Any objection to the above registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Trigis Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja, within 28 days of this publication.

SIGNED: REV. DR. AUGUSTINE IKECHUKWU NWOKORO

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OYEDIRAN: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Oyediran Jumoke Christianah, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Fadahunsi Jumoke Christianah. All former documents remain valid. SUBEB Authority, Otun Ekiti, Ekiti State Ministry of Education, Ado Ekiti and General public take note.

PUBLIC NOTICE

GLORIOUS ETERNITY GOSPEL MINISTRY

This is to inform the general public that the above named body has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under the part C of the Company and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE:

1. Prophet Sada Shadrack - Founder 2. Pastor Sada Joshua Oke 3. Pastor John Otuloho 4. Deaconess Sada Elo 5. Deacon Nuvwaidue Sunny Oghenebredjo

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:

1. To preach the Gospel of Christ to sinners Any objection to the above registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Trigis Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja, within 28 days of this publication.

CHAIRMAN

SIGNED: PROPHET SADA SHADRACK FOUNDER

PUBLIC NOTICE HIGHER GROUND BIBLE MINISTRY

PUBLIC NOTICE OWO DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE

This is to notify the general that the above organisation has applied for registration with Corporate Affairs Commission under the Land Act Pecrtual succession. The organisation has the following names as their trustees.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Pastor Ojumu Napoleon Bolaji Pastor & Dr. (Mrs) Ojumu Florence Rev. Olaniran Taiwo Deaconess Ogunleye Lydia Pastor Ojo-Righteous Iyanu Evang. Ojumu Shalom Tijesu

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:

1. To preach the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission,(C.A.C) P.M.B 198, plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

SIGNED: PASTOR OJUMU NAPOLEON BOLAJI

The general public is hereby notified that the above named association has applied to Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja for registration under the part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act of 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE:

1. Mr. Kola Akinmulero Chairman 2. Mr. Idowu Olakunri Secretary 3. Sir Ademola Adetula Member THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To promote Socio-Economic Development of Owo Kingdom.

2. To promote the Cultural Value of the Kingdom and also its Tourism Potentials.

3. To promote the Rapid Industrialization of the Kingdom for youth empowerment in particular and for the betterment of the Kingdom in general.

4. To work fervently for the promotion of peace and unity in the Kingdom.

5. To make education a priority with a view to elevating it to a higher level.

6. To join hands with like minds to achieve these objective.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

SIGNED: BAR. BOLU AWOFOLAJU

ILO: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Ilo Ogochukwu .A., now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Obiora Ogochukwu. A. All former documents remains valid. General public take note.

PUBLIC AUCTION NOTICE

This is to inform the general public that Approval has been given by Enugu State Govrnment to dispose by Public Auction the unserviceable corroded water steel pipes and Asbestos pipes belonging to Enugu State water corporation located at Nchatancha, Elco Workshop, Emene Plant Yard, Emene Material Yard, Obunofia Booster Station, Nsukka Zonal Office, 9th MILE CRASH PROGRAMME, ENSWC HEADQUARTERS, M.O.W and Infrastructure Enugu Yard, Okwojo Ngwo and Amugu Obimo-Ajuona Nsukka.

The Auction Sales will start from 26th June 2014 by 10am at Emene Plant Yard.

N.B: Auctionner’s decision is the final.

Interested buyers are to inspect only the allotted pipes during working hours at the above mentioned places.

Announcer Williams Okeke (For Mak-Williams Ventures Ltd) Government Licensed Auctioneer; 08033767788.

PUBLIC AUCTION NOTICE

This is to inform the general public that there will be Public Auction sales of Unserviceable Vehicles, Plants (Gen-Set) and Equipment’s belonging to post Primary Schools Management Board HQ Enugu,

by Enugu State Government on 26th and 27th June 2014 By 10am at Ejindu Street. Mechanic workshop Coal Camp Enugu.

Interested buyers are to inspect the Allotted items at Secondary Schools in Enugu State during working hours from today 20th June 2014.

Announcer Williams Okeke.

(MAK-WILLIAMS VENTURES LTD) Government Licensed Auctioneer; 08033767788.

PUBLIC NOTICE CHRIST LAND OF PRAISE AND PRAYER CHURCH

The general public is hereby notified that the above named Church has applied for registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja, under part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act of 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE:

1. Prophet Adebayo Kayode 2. Mrs Akewusola Fasilat Oluwaseyi 3. Mr. Aladetimehin Joseph Olusola

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:

1. To preach the Gospel of the Lord.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar- General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Tigris Crescent, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

SIGNED: BARRISTER CHARLES ADEKIYA 08055530922

Friday June 20, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

53

Sport

Quite unexpected, the strike force has been awesome so far and I am very impressed

Nigeria vs Bosnia: Onazi relies on divine favour 54

”–Former England striker, Gary Lineker

th

world cup JUNE 12 – JULY 13

Our bonus demands not excessive –Yobo

S

uper Eagles captain, Joseph Yobo, has said that the team did not hold the nation to ransom with their demand for appearance fee at Brazil 2014, contrary to reports.

“We are ready to play for Nigeria even if we don’t get paid for that,” insisted yesterday.

“Look at the players who are playing in Nigeria, this money is a life changer for them. This will change their family, they will be happy because they worked hard to get here.

“This money won’t change my life, but as the captain of the team I know what the players deserve.

“Most countries have appearance fee and this was what we spoke about.

“The meeting with NFF on appearance fee was peaceful and quiet, there was no problem, but at the end of the day it came out differently in the media.”

The Norwich City defender, who is at his third World Cup, argued that the issue of an appearance fee for the players should not have been thrashed at the last minute.

“They should have addressed this much earlier than when it was almost game time. Sadly, we waited till the last minute.”

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has agreed to pay the squad 30 per cent of the cash it will receive from FIFA for participation in the first round of the 2014 World Cup. The players will receive more cash should they go past the group stage.

TODAY’S MATCHES Italy

Joseph Yobo played as a substitute in the Monday’s game against Iran which ended goalless

vs Costa Rica

Switzerland vs France Honduras

vs Ecuador

NFF, NFSC in replica jersey scam Fans demand $150 refund

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

NFF boss, Maigari

told National Mirror that the failure of the NFF and NFSC Rafiu to supply the jersey replicas to them had contributed to the poor turnout of the Nigerians at the stadium during the Iran versus Nigeria match on Monday.

“We paid USD$150 each to be provided with the new jerseys

with a view to painting the Curitiba Stadium green during the match. But despite collecting our money, the NFF and the supporters club are yet to provide the jersey,” one of their leaders, Mr. Christopher Izevbkoh, disclosed.

Izevbkoh added that when the President-General of the Supporters Club, Oladipo visited Brazil prior to the tournament,

he had assured them that the jerseys would be provided, but expressed disgust that nothing had been done.

“Please, tell them to refund our money. $100 is not small money here in Brazil,” he added, hinting that the Nigerian community may not troop out to Cuiaba on Saturday to cheer the Eagles against Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Meanwhile, some members of the supporters club are also alleging that their leaders have abandoned them since their arrival in Brazil.

“We can’t even see out President General (Dr. Rafiu Ladipo) to talk about our welfare here and plan how to mobilize for the remaining matches,” one of the aggrieved members who craved anonymity said.

54

Sports

Friday June 20, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

‘Thunder’ Balogun bags Centenary Award UK Andrew ekejiubA

N

igerian football legend, Teslim “Thunder” Balogun, has been selected for a posthumous honour in the United Kingdom version of the Nigerian Centenary Awards for his contribution to the promotion and prestige of Nigerians in the Diaspora, especially in the UK, during his life time.

The Nigerian Centenary

Awards UK, endorsed by the Nigerian High Commission to Britain, is being held to recognize and celebrate the unique achievements of Nigerians who have participated in the British society over the last 100 years.

The event, billed for June 27, at the Waltham Forest Hall, Forest Road, London, is designed as a classy Gala Night that will attract eminent Nigerians, diplomats, captains of industry, top media executives, celebrities

and the Nigerian community in the UK. Nigeria’s Nobel Prize Laureate, Wole Soyinka, is expected to attend the event where Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the UK, Dr. Dalhatu Tafida will also attend.

Meanwhile the final of Teslim Balogun Memorial U-15 football competition also organized in his honour will take place tomorrow at the Campos Square, Lagos, with FIFA/CAF

instructor and former national team coach, Chief Adegboye Onigbinde, as well as the Secretary General of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, Babatunde Popoola, among other top dignitaries expected at the match.

Representatives of the Teslim Balogun family, Kayode Balogun and Engineer Rasheed Balogun, who are billed to grace the London ceremony, said their effort was aimed at sustaining the country’s football future.

Blatter bemoans

Yobe killings

F

Adeolu johnson

T

he Nigeria Boxing Federation (NBF) has invited 30 boxers to its Abuja camp in preparation for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

The games, scheduled for Glasgow, Scotland from July 23 to August 3, would feature 6, 500 athletes and officials in 17 sports.

NBF’s Head Coach, Tony Konyegwachie, said the boxers commenced camping for the tournament on Tuesday.

Konyegwachie, who was in charge of the training, however said only dependable boxers capable of making appreciable marks in the competition were called to camp.

“The three-week compact session which will end on July 24 will enable the boxers shape-up properly into the federation’s plan for the Commonwealth Games,” he said.

“The selected boxers are class champions of different national tournaments in the recent past,” the coach added.

According to him, the boxers were pruned from its original 43 to 30 to allow the crew to concentrate on only those with comparative edge.

ITTF lists umpires for Lagos Tour

T

Blatter

IFA President, Sepp Blatter, yesterday expressed sadness over the death of World Cup football fans in an explosion at Damaturu in Nigeria on Tuesday.

About 21 people lost their lives while lots more were injured in the attack which occurred at the Tsamiya Lilo area of Damaturu, Yobe State where they were watching the game between Brazil and Mexico.

Blatter decried the incident,

C’Wealth: NBF invites 30 boxers

stating that football is supposed to be an instrument of unity, not division.

“It’s terrible to read of fatalities and injuries in Nigeria where fans were watching the World Cup. Football should unite people, not divide them,” Blatter said.

Earlier in the week, suspected Al Shabab militants attacked football fans in Kenya, killing about 49 fans, and leaving scores injured.

NPL: Rangers half Obuh’s salary

E

nugu Rangers Coach, John Obuh, and his coaching assistants will be on half pay for the next two months and have been given a four must-win match ultimatum for the second round of the Nigeria league.

Rangers are 15th on the table with 24 points from 19 matches.

“Management on Wednesday, after a crucial meeting with the technical crew, took far-reaching decisions to improve the club’s performance in the second round stanza after poor run in the first stanza,” club’s Media Officer, Foster Chime, said yesterday.

“This included four mustwin straight matches starting with the El Kanemi match in Enugu; placing the technical

crew on half salaries for two months to improve and possible reductions.

“The coaches were advised to beef up the team with quality new players, while plans are on to reduce the current playing staff strength of the club, which rubbishes the club’s earlier denial of placing some quality players on the transfer list.

Obuh

he International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has listed 36 umpires for the four-day tournament to ensure that only certified and qualified officials handle proceedings at the Lagos World Tour tagged Nigeria Open.

The umpires were drawn from Nigeria, Ghana, Algeria, Libya, Togo, Congo Brazzaville and Benin while Malaysia’s Cyril Sen and Netherlands’ Albert Roojimans will coordinate the affairs during the tournament.

According to the Main Organizing Committee (MOC) of the tournament, the total number of countries expected to officiate at the championship exceeded the number recommended by ITTF. The umpires are made up of 22 male and 14 female.

Meanwhile, Singapore, Russia and Luxembourg are expected to arrive on Saturday while other teams will touch down in Lagos this weekend as well.

About 15 countries have been confirmed for the fourday championship serving off on Monday June 23 with N6.4million as prize money.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sports

Friday June 20, 2014

55

th

world cup Nigeria vs Bosnia: JUNE 12 – JULY 13

Onazi relies on divine favour S

uper Eagles mid midfielder, Ogenyi Onazi, has said he Nibelieves God will see Ni geria through against Bosnia-Herzegovina in a crunch World Cup Group F clash tomorrow.

The clash will see debutant Bosnia gunning for its first win at the World Cup, while African champion Nigeria also wants maximum points after it dropped two points in a must-win clash against Iran on Monday.

Onazi, who is a convert of Prophet T.B Joshua of The Synagogue Church of all Nations and featured for the faith healer’s club My People FC in Lagos, said the Eagles would put the country’s World Cup campaign back on track with divine help.

“It is important we win this game. Even for our first game, all our hopes were we will win the game,” Onazi said.

“I believe God is on our side in this one and we will triumph,” the Lazio player said.

NTDC sells Nigeria abroad

D

irector-General of Nige Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Mrs. Sally Mbanefo, is in Brazil with her contingent to cheer the Nigerian team to victory in an efef fort to sell domestic tourism.

The Nigeria Football FederaFedera tion (NFF) and NTDC recently sealed an agreement to promote and market Nigeria’s vast tourtour ism products and potential within and outside the country.

Under the terms of agreement, the NTDC shall endorse NFF as a sport tourism partner for dodo

Super Eagles midfielder Ogenyi Onazi (in green shirt) vying with Iran’s Reza during their group game on Monday

Entry ban: Nigerian supporters petition FIFA

R

eports here in Brazil yesterday indicated that Nigeria Football Supporters Club has sent a petition to FIFA over the refusal of overzealous Brazilian Police to allow members of the club enter the stadium with their musical instruments on Monday.

Officials attached to the Arena Baisada in Curitiba had stopped the supporters from entering the stadium with their drums and trumpets, alleging that the equipment could be easily converted to missiles.

The petition, addressed to

FIFA President Sepp Blatter and signed by the President General of the club, Dr. Rafiu Ladipo, noted that the club had in its traditional manner sought to add glamour to the game while supporting the Super Eagles to bring out their best.

“The Nigerian supporters club is not known for violence and this is not our first World Cup appearance,” the petition said.

“During the opening match, the host country was allowed to use their samba with various instruments and drums.

So, it is not proper to stop the Nigerian supporters from gingering their team,” it added.

The petition urged FIFA to give a positive answer to the club before Nigeria’s next match on Saturday, due to the game’s importance.”

Meanwhile, Ladipo has attributed the 0-0 draw with Iran to absence of the supporters club musical instruments in the match.

“We have a way of communicating to the players through our drums and that was missing in the game against Iran,” the NFSC boss said.

mestic and international sports tourism, grant NFF reasonable rights to branding of NTDC events, publicise NFF during NTDC events and promote sports tourism at all local and international football matches, starting with the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals in Brazil.

“We believe in our team and we are sure that we shall come back victorious,” Mbanefo said.

“The whole world attention is already focused on Brazil and it is a great conglomeration of people. Our aim is to achieve maximal growth in our domestic tourism,” she added.

Hazard plays down ‘star’ tag

B

elgium forward, Eden Hazard, has declared he is unworthy of his national coach’s praise, insisting he needs to improve in order to be one of the best.

Belgium Coach, Marc Wilmots, said on Wednesday that Hazard “can be one of the five best players in the world”, yet the player himself believes he does not deserve the tag just yet.

“Well, I never like to talk about myself in that way because, to be honest, I don’t think I deserve it at the moment,” the Chelsea player said.

“I would really need to score almost every game because that that is what the best play-

ers in the world, like Messi and Ronaldo, do every season.

“These are the guys everyone else has to aim for. It’s nice of the coach to say such things, but I wouldn’t say the same.”

Belgium came back from behind to secure all three points in their opening World Cup fixture against Algeria, and Hazard believes there is much that he and his side can do to improve.

“This was just a start for us, and we have won our first game, which we always felt would be the most important one,” the 23-year-old said.

Belgium next faces Russia in their second Group H fixture on Sunday.

WORLD RECORD

Darkest manmade substance

Vol. 04 No. 877

Friday, June 20, 2014

N150

The darkest man-made substance is a low density carbon nanotube array created by researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Zu-Po Yang, James A. Bur, Prof.

Shawn-Yu Lin) and Rice University (Dr. Lijie Ci, Prof. P.M. Ajayan) (both USA).

Boko Haram in Abia, Imo N ear extreme insecurity, you can call it insurgency, in Nigeria, is approaching a tipping point. The country is on the brink of a major ethnic conflagration, with the desperation of the violent Boko Haram Islamist sect to export its campaign of wasting innocent blood and property, and perhaps the kidnapping of women, to other parts of the country, particularly the South West, and of late, the South East geopolitical zones. It will just take the reckless striking of a match stick and an ethnic war that may snowball to a major civil war will strike Nigeria again and prove the American experts who predicted that the country (Nigeria) may break up on or before 2015 right.

Reports, beginning from last weekend, had it that a major disaster about to be perpetrated by terrorists suspected to be of the Boko Haram stock was averted in Owerri, the Imo State capital last Sunday, when the Nigeria Police uncovered and

A

Yaya Toure-inspired Cote d’Ivoire yesterday failed to consolidate on the first Group C game win over Japan as the Elephants lost 2-1 to Colombia to put the Southern American nation on the verge of a second round berth.

FRIDAY WITH Dozie Okebalama

dozieokeama@yahoo.co.uk 08164966858 (SMS only) defused two or three improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted by terrorists at a branch of a Pentecostal church – the Living Faith Church (Winners Chapel) on Port Harcourt Road, Owerri. Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, apparently relying on security briefing, was quoted as saying that the bombs had the capacity to cover about 500 metres and would have visited a huge disaster on the state if they had exploded. The Winners Chapel branch targeted is said to be capable of accommodating 10,000 worshippers. Therefore, even if such number of worshippers were not yet in church when the planted IEDs were exploded, dozens of innocent Nigerians in that church that Sunday to worship and cast down their cares before their creator would have perished.

Six suspects, the police say, have been arrested in connection with the planned church bombing. Reports earlier, and this is of significant note, had quoted Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State, one of the states that Boko Haram insurgents have virtually overrun, as saying that the violent Islamist sect had the capacity to extend its havoc to other parts of the country.

The governor stated: “If Boko Haram succeeds in overrunning the North East as they seek, they will surely want to extend greater havoc to other parts of the North; and if they overrun the North, they would want to extend to the South”. Shettima was dead right. For, just a day after the

BEFORE THE DOOMSDAY, LET THE LEADERSHIP OF STATES

SOUTH GIRD THEIR LOINS, INVEST IN THE

MORE IN SECURING THEIR STATES AND THEIR PEOPLE AND

‘SHINE’ THEIR EYES THE MORE failed Owerri church bombing, the Nigerian Army arrested 486 suspected members of the sect in Abia State in the South East about 3.00 a.m. The suspects, eight of them females, according to reports, were travelling to God knows where at that ungodly hour of the night in a convoy of 33 ‘Hummer’ buses.

How they beat the security machine where they took off from and were able to make it up to the Abia State axis of the Enugu-Port Harcourt highway unhindered is yet to be explained by the police and the armed forces that are supposedly tracking insurgency in the country.

Reports also say some of the terrorists escaped. When such reports are tied to the Owerri church bombing attempt, it be-

comes obvious that ‘Boko Haramists’ have penetrated the South East. South East governors, namely: Theodore A. Orji (Abia); Willy Obiano (Anambra); Martin Elechi (Ebonyi); and Rochas Okorocha (Imo), who was absent, were said to have rushed to Abuja last Monday on a solidarity visit to President Goodluck Jonathan following the Boko Haram threats in Imo and Abia.

Their mission, according to the Anambra State governor, “was to assure him (Jonathan) that we are with him all through the way and that he can count on us”. Obiano said the President is under intense pressure and that some other people are making his work a lot more difficult for him.

The Anambra governor did not mention who those ‘other people’ are. But it can be visualised that South East governors are not comfortable with ‘something’ about the handling of Boko Haram insurgency by their colleagues up North. Many Nigerians share this position.

In the South West, too, there has been the lingering scare of Boko Haram assault.

Lagos State in particular has been battling to contain or ward off the threat, for example. But the point that must be made, however, is that any proven case of Boko Haram attack in any part of the South will ignite a civil strife whose end will be unpredictable. Indeed, any bombing linked with Boko Haram in the South will rudely wake up the countless militant groups in Niger Delta in unison.The same goes for the Movement of the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) in the South East, as well as Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) in the South West. These groups will also enjoy the full support of their respective governments in the reprisals and pogrom that will follow, mainly because the roles of leaders up North, both temporal and spiritual, in containing the insurgency ravaging the area, have been at best, vague.

But before the doomsday, let the leadership of states in the South gird their loins, invest more in securing their states and their people and ‘shine’ their eyes the more.

Sport Extra World Cup: Elephants misses chance to lead group, falls to Colombia Colombia had beaten Greece 3-0 in the first game on Saturday but looked to struggle against the Ivoriens and managed to hold on till the end.

The Elephants pressed for goal with Wilfried Bony

spearheading the attack but the Swansea forward did not manage to trample the opponent.

James Rodriguez headed in a near post corner and Juan Quintero slotted home after Serey Die was caught

in possession to put Los Cafeteros 2-0 up.

But Gervinho skipped past three Colombia defenders and powered in a shot to give the Ivoriens some hope.

Interestingly, the Ivoriens are still well-placed to reach

the last 16 after their opening game win as they next face Greece in the last group game.

YESTERDAY’S RESULTS Colombia 2-1 CIV England 1 - 2 Uruguay

Toure

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