Friday 28 Febuary 2014 by GLOBAL MEDIA MIRROR LIMITED

ASUU raises the alarm over corruption K EMI OLAITAN IBADAN

Fagge

Vol. 4 N0. 798

he Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, yester-

day raised the alarm over the high level of corruption in the country. The National President of ASUU, Dr. Nasir Fagge, raised the alarm

Misconduct: NJC axes two judges, warns three others

at a symposium organised by a group, Education Rights Campaign, ERC, held at the University of Ibadan. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2>>

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Mukhtar

Friday, February 28, 2014

N150

Why EFCC, ICPC can’t probe missing NNPC funds Anti-graft agency says it doesn’t have resources N/Assembly already investigating matter –Lamorde

GEORGE OJI ABUJA

he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and CONTINUED ON PAGE 6>>

L-R: President Goodluck Jonathan, Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal; former Head of Interim Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan and Head of Service of the Federation, Alhaji Goni Aji, at the Conference on Human Security, Peace and Development organised to mark the Nigerian Centenary celebrations in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: STATE HOUSE

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National Confab: Yoruba leaders ratify agenda

P.10 ...insist on regionalism One dies as Customs, youths clash in Ogun

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Reps suspend debate on budget Begin hearing on state of economy P.8

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Again, gunmen invade Adamawa OBIORA IFOH, ROTIMI FADEYI, INUSA NDAHI, LIVINUS MENEDI AND UBONG UKPONG

unmen suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect again yesterday invaded Michika, Kirchinga and Shuwa villages in Adamawa State, killing about 25 residents, including three security operatives. The gunmen also left many injured, while banks, three filling stations, a police station, about 50 houses and shops were set ablaze The gunmen also attacked the official residence of a Catholic Bishop (name withheld), a Christian Theological school and churches in Shuwa village. Shuwa is a community under Michika, while Kirchinga is a remote village in Madagali Local Government, which had served as a place of refuge to thousands of residents that fled Izghe, which was attacked three weeks ago, during which over 106 lives

were lost. Michika and Madagali are about 240 kilometres and 270 kilometres respectively away from Yola, the state capital. The coordinated attacks was said to have been carried out by over 100 members of the sect, who came in 13 Hilux trucks. It was gathered that the attackers first struck at Kirchinga, a border community in Madagali at around 8:30pm, where several people were killed and many houses set ablaze before proceeding to the Shuwa where they killed 11 persons. A source at Kirchinga village, who did not want his name in print told reporters in Yola that the gunmen struck Kirchinga, forcing residents to flee to Shuwa for safety. However, hell-bent on unleashing more terror on the defenseless, the terrorists chased the fleeing residents to Shuwa, where the 11 people met their untimely death. A source said: “The gunmen, large in number, us-

ing Hilux vehicles armed with rocket propelled launchers and improvised explosive devices, IEDs, invaded Michika town at about 9 p.m. on Wednesday and wrecked havoc on innocent civilians for over five hours. “The attacks in the three affected areas have claimed the lives of over 25 people including three suspected security operatives. “As the gunmen were unleashing terror in Michika council area, another group of terrorists ambushed Shuwa village at about 9:15pm, same day and set many houses ablaze, including churches, theological college and the resident of a Christian scholar before they fled without being arrested. “Also destroyed in the coordinated separate attacks are several commercial and private vehicles, motorcycles parked on the major streets, government structures, including schools as well as telecommunication masts. “The terrorists also destroyed three security pa-

trol vehicles.” Another source in Michika, who did not want his name mentioned said: “The gunmen also burnt almost all the major shops in Michika town, including a police station after killing over 20 residents and three security operatives. “Presently, many people who survived the attacks are relocating for the fear that the sects will regroup and come back again,” he said. Our correspondent gathered that the major road linking MadagaliGulak-MichikaGombi was on Thursday morning cordoned off by security operatives, who were busy conducting ‘Operation stop and search’ with a view to apprehend the culprits. The Chairman of Madagali Local Government, Mr. Maina Ularamu, confirmed the death of 25 persons during the attack. He also stated that over 50 houses were set ablaze. Spokesman of the 23 Armoured Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Yola, Captain Ja’afaru Nuhu,

confirmed the incidents, but said that he was yet to get the details on the number of casualties. There were criticisms by residents who faulted the response of military personnel to the attacks, with accusations that the soldiers stationed in the localities retreated while the attackers held sway for nearly eight hours. “When soldiers at the military check points saw the number of the attackers, they retreated into the nearby bushes as the gunmen operated without challenge during an operation that lasted throughout the night,” a resident alleged. In a swift reaction, the social media have been awash with calls on the youths in the North-East zone to stage a protest against the killings. The message reads in part: “The height of killings in Maiduguri and Yobe is enough; the neglect from the leadership of this nation is enough. The level of cowardice in our youth is enough. All the wickedness is enough! This is time for

action! We are calling on all youths in Nigeria and the entire North to join us in Unity Fountain, Abuja on Thursday, 27th February, 2014 at 10am for a protest against the poor handling of the insecurity crisis in the north eastern states. “Enough of politics with the lives of innocent women and children, we need a proactive measure to end the crisis and we want the people, children and women in the war zones to be protected”.

Nyako warns of revolt against FG Governor Murtala Nyako has warned of possible mass action on the part of the populace if doubts about the Federal Government efforts to contain the spate of killings by the Boko Haram sect in the North East region is not addressed. The governor, who said there is no reason whatsoever to excuse the senseless killings, urged the authorities to address the situation or risk mass protest from the citizenry. CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

ASUU raises the alarm over corruption in Nigeria CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

He said in normal and sane societies, heads ought to roll anytime there is scandal but regretted that such malfeasance is covered up in Nigeria while those doing the right thing “either lose their jobs or head.” He said corruption in the country is a tell tale sign that Nigeria is a sick society where leaders are suffering from serious slave mentality. The ASUU boss, who noted that those running Nigeria are interested in personal gains, rather than the development of the country, said the law, which protects leaders from been prosecuted for stealing public money is anti-masses. He said: “There is no sincerity of purpose in our leaders. We cannot trust them. May be in the future we will have leadership that can be trusted. The scandals that are taking place in Nigeria,

if it happens elsewhere in sane climes, heads will roll but they are covered up here. “In Nigeria unfortunately, when you are doing the right thing your head may roll or your job may be lost. “It is a tell tale of a sick society. You and me are not sick but we have leaders who are sick. They are suffering from serious slave mentality. The people who are running the country are interested in personal gains and not development of the country. “Our citizens are languishing in poverty with the smallest percentage raking the commonwealth. Our law that protects leaders who steal while in office from prosecution is against the masses and the progress of the country.” Fagge vowed to frustrate any move to hike tuition fee at the Lagos State University, LASU,

which is capable of denying students access to public education at the institution. The ASUU boss, who was responding to pleas by a group of students asking the union to intervene, informed them that a committee has been set up to meet with Governor Babatunde Fashola and the management of LASU. Noting that universities are not commercial centres for Internally Generated Revenues, IGR, but knowledge production centres, Fagge noted that moves to hike tuition fees will not take care of the institution’s problems. Meanwhile, Fagge said ASUU will organise a national education conference in July to address the problems facing the nation’s education system. He said that presentations at the conference CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

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Friday, February 28, 2014

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L-R: Head, Media/External Relations, Marketing and Corporate Communications, First Bank Plc, Mr. Babatunde Lasaki; media officer, Ms. Efeturi Doghudje; Deputy Managing Director, National Mirror Newspapers, Mr. Bankole Makinde; Senior Manager, Strategic Development, Alhaji Kayode Balogun and Media/External Relations, Marketing and Corporate Communications Officer, First Bank Plc, Mr. Aderemi Edwards-Adebiyi, during a visit of National Mirror in Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO: ADEMOLA AKINLABI

L–R: GM/Head, Listings Sales and Retention, Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, Mrs. Taba Peterside; Managing Director/CEO, Cadbury Nigeria Plc, Mr. Emil Moskofian; Head of Mainboard, NSE, Mrs. Cynthia Akpomudiare and Head, Corporate & Government Affairs, Mr. Bala Yesufu, at Cadbury Facts Behind the Capital Reduction at the exchange, yesterday.

L-R: Governors Idris Wada (Kogi), Jonah Jang (Plateau); Martin Elechi (Ebonyi) and Acting Governor of Taraba State, Alhaji Garba Umar, at the Centenary Conference in Abuja, yesterday.

L-R: Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Akinlawon Mabogunje; Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Ogun State, Mrs. Yewande Amusan; Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo and Glo Divisional Director, Ogun State, Mr. Gbolahan Olajide, at the 28th Lisabi Festival Seminar on Amalgamation in Nigeria and Egba National Independence in Abeokuta, yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

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Misconduct: NJC axes 2 judges, warns 3 others ISE-OLUWA IGE ABUJA

he National Judicial Council, NJC, yesterday recommended the sack of two serving high court judges from the bench over alleged misconduct. The affected judges are Justices Gladys Olotu of the Federal High Court in Abuja and Justice U. A Inyang. They are to proceed on immediate suspension from the bench pending when President Jonathan Goodluck would endorse their removal from office. Similarly, the NJC, yesterday also issued warnings to three other justices, including the Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal in Kaduna, Justice Dalhatu Adamu. The other two judicial officers who were warned to sin no more include Justice A A. Adeleye of the High Court, Ekiti and Justice D. O. Amaechina of the Anam-

bra High Court. The trio of Justices Dalhatu, Adeleye and Amaechina faced the NJC panel for absenteeism and low performance-related offences. National Mirror learnt authoritatively yesterday that more heads would roll in the on-going effort by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mariam Aloma Muhktar to cleanse the Augean stable in the nation’s judiciary. The CJN is the Chairman of the NJC which wielded the big stick yesterday. NJC is a creation of section 153 of the 1999 constitution, with statutory powers to hire and fire erring judicial officers. The Council had been talking tough since 1999 when the on-going democracy berthed. But it has not been as strict as it is under Justice Aloma Muhktar. The decision by the NJC is in tune with the policy

rolled out last year by the CJN Muhktar that not only judges indicted of professional misconduct would be shown the way out of the bench, but also judges of low productivity or who engage in petty misconduct like absenteeism. The NJC, in a release signed by its Acting Director of Information, Soji Oye, gave the details of the offences committed by each of the five sanctioned judicial officers. The statement reads in part: “that NJC at its meeting which was held on 26th February, 2014 recommended the compulsory retirement from office of Hon. Justice G.K. Olotu of the Federal High Court and Hon. Justice U. A. Inyang of High Court of Justice of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, respectively for gross misconduct. “Hon. Justice G. K. Olotu was recommended for compulsory retirement from of-

fice to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, pursuant to the ‘findings” by the Council on the following allegations inter-alia, contained in the petitions written against His Lordship:“That the Judge failed to deliver judgment, only to deliver same in Suit No. FHC/UY/250/2003, eighteen months after the final address by all the counsel in the suit, contrary to the constitutional provisions that judgments should be delivered within a period of 90 days; “The Hon. Judge admitted before the Fact Finding Committee of the Council that investigated the allegations that she forgot she had a pending ruling to deliver in an application for joinder. “That the judge entertained a post judgment matter in Suit No. FHC/ UY/CS/250/2003 in Port Harcourt after delivering Judgment, which made her functus officio.

“That in another case: Suit No. FHC/ABJ/ CS/505/2012, Hon. Justice Olotu failed to deliver judgment twice,” the statement said. It further said that “Hon. Justice U. A. Inyang of High Court of Justice of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja was also recommended for compulsory retirement from office to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, sequel to the “findings” of the Council on the following allegations leveled against His Lordship:“That the judge included in his Judgment, references to the Garnishee Proceedings, which came after the judgment had been delivered on 20th December, 2011. “That His Lordship also included the name of the counsel to Federal Road Maintenance Agency, FERMA, Chief Chukwuma Ekomaru, SAN, who came into the matter after the judgment of 20th December,

2011 was delivered; “That the judge recklessly signed a Writ of Execution, a day after delivering his judgment of 20th December, 2011, the same day a Notice of Appeal and Motion on Notice for Stay of Execution were filed. “That the judge continued with the garnishee proceedings, despite application for stay of execution and: “That before delivering his judgment of 20th December, 2011, Hon. Justice Inyang ignored a properly filed Motion on Notice for leave to file additional witness Statement on Oath. “In the meantime, the National Judicial Council has in the exercise of its disciplinary powers under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, suspended the two judges from office with immediate effect,” the statement added.

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ASUU raises the alarm over corruption in Nigeria CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

would be forwarded to the National Assembly

to form part of national policy on education. Fagge said that the

first challenge confronting Nigeria’s education system was the 1999

Constitution, which he said, was not people- oriented and needed to be

L-R: Former Governor of Ekiti State, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo; former Minister of Finance, Chief Olu Falae; Chairman/former Ogun State Governor, Aremo Olusegun Osoba and Vice Chairman, Gen. Alani Akinrinade, during the Grand Yoruba Summit in Ibadan, yesterday.

changed. “Our constitution is not people-oriented. We must jettison it. A law that protects a leader who steals public fund is definitely not people- oriented,” he said. He said that the fundamental right in the constitution did not make education the right of Nigerians. “We must have a right to quality education,” he said. Recounting the lessons learnt from the strike, which paralysed academic activities in Nigerian universities for six months, Fagge said the call to proceed on the strike was a difficult decision for the union. He said that the strike was an ‘eye opener’ for the union, adding that it helped to expose the de-

plorable state of higher education in the country. “The strike was beyond payment of salaries of universities lecturers, it was meant to pressurise the government to address the rot in the nation’s education system. “If we did not withdraw our services, we would continue to tur nout half-baked students who at best are quarter to best. “I, however, believe that if I do what is just, posterity will judge me,” he said. The ASUU president assured that the union had put in place appropriate machinery to ensure that the N200bn released to public universities by the gover nment was utilised for the intended purposes.

the President’s broadcast as insensitive, misplaced, and an embarrassment to the nation. “Even as the nation is still counting the death toll from Monday night’s senseless and gruesome murder of our children, and the ceaseless killings of innocent civilians before that, the President has already switched into a celebratory mood, dwelling on the money wasting centenary celebrations instead of leading a clearly distraught nation in mourning. “Nothing better illustrates the fact that the President showed more concern about the centenary celebrations than the calamity that befell the nation than the mention, in only about three paragraphs, of the tragedy in a speech that spanned over 40 paragraphs. “This is very sad indeed, considering that President Jonathan is the head of a government that has failed woefully in ensuring the welfare and security of Nigerians, especially those of our children, which is the very reason for the existence of any government,” APC said. The party said now that the President has goofed again, he should quickly make amends by visiting the scene of the tragedy to

empathise with the families of the victims as well as the government and people of the state, which is what any leader worth his salt will do under the circumstance. It said in case President Jonathan is still in doubt on whether or not to take a trip to Yobe, and indeed Borno State where hundreds of innocent citizens have been dispatched to their early graves by rampaging insurgents in the past few weeks, he should take a cue from what other Presidents do in times like this. “In the US, for example, President Barack Obama was his country’s ‘consoler in chief ’ as he visited scenes of the tragedies that have occurred in his country since he assumed office, whether it is the school massacre in Connecticut, the mass shooting in Fort Hood, Texas or the tornado in Joplin, Missouri. “While the nation waits for the President to hit the road to Yobe and Borno, we call on the Federal Government to massively scale down the Centenary celebrations, if it does not want to cancel them. It is incongruous, unconscionable, unacceptable and an assault on our collective humanity to be celebrating, throwing fireworks and popping champagne cocks

Again, gunmen invade Adamawa CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

Nyako tasked the Federal Government to investigate the source and origins of the arms used by the sect. “It is either these things are controlled by anomalous fellows or they are staged managed. “For instance in Yobe, we are told that the Army was withdrawn shortly before the attack was carried out at the college. Who ordered the military withdrawal? “When the Air Force base in Maiduguri was being raided, they (military) didn’t respond. Who told them not to respond? These are the questions the Presidency should answer,” Nyako said. “We are reaching a point when our people have to come on the street and demonstrate against things,” he added.

DHQ confirms killing six insurgents, commences special campaign in Yobe, Adamawa, Borno The Defence Headquarters, DHQ, yesterday said six sect members were killed in a new offensive aimed at wiping out the insurgents. The DHQ, in a press briefing in Abuja, also confirmed that two insurgents were captured in Adamawa State on Wednesday night, while one soldier and three

civilians died during the encounter. Director of Defence Information, DDI, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade, who described the killing of over 40 school children in Yobe State on Tuesday as mindless, said that the perpetrators of the evil action were currently trapped, as troops have closed in on them and already commenced killing them in fierce encounters. “The purpose of this briefing is to intimate you with the elevation of counter terrorism campaign in the country. The new approach marks another phase in the operations designed to further contain the terrorists and their activities. “The specialised campaign, which has commenced is being undertaken simultaneously in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa states. This operation is also in furtherance of efforts at apprehending the terrorists and ensuring they do not escape out of Nigeria as they are now so desperate to do. “Unfortunately, however, they have in the course of their flight towards various borders, continued to perpetrate mayhem as noticed in some parts of Adamawa State yesterday night where they attacked communities. “In desperation for mon-

ey and food, they looted and burnt banks, shops and filling stations along their way through Michika as they headed for Cameroon border. Six of their fighters were killed, two captured, while nine of their vehicles were destroyed; one soldier and three civilians also died in the encounter. “It is believed that those involved in this latest attacks are the elements that perpetrated the mayhem against students of Federal Government College, Buni Yadi, Yobe State and other places. “They have been holed up and are still engaged in suicidal fighting apparently with a view to attaining martyrdom status, as troops close in on the diehard ones among them. “Citizens in these states, particularly towards border areas, are requested to assist the security forces by reporting any movement of the group if noticed in their locality as it would further enhance the operations as well as assist in apprehending or eliminating them. All things being equal, the activities of this murderous group will be further degraded towards total elimination shortly”, he said. Olukolade stressed that the current activities of the terrorist group were a

reaction to the renewed offensive by the military adding that more insurgents had infiltrated the country to shore up their depleted membership and aid their counterparts in their daring acts to regain relevance by embarking on renewed attacks on soft targets.

Jonathan’s broadcast on Centenary rather than Yobe killings is misplaced-APC The All Progressives Congress, APC, has said that President Jonathan’s broadcast to the nation on Wednesday night ought to have focused more on the national tragedy involving the cold blooded murder of over 40 school children in Yobe State rather than the Centenary celebrations. In a statement issued in Lagos on Thursday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the President’s action sends a wrong signal to the world about the value, which the Nigerian government places on the lives of the nation’s children. The party wondered what was so important about the Centenary celebrations that it would be elevated over and above what in any nation would be considered a monumental tragedy. It went ahead to describe

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

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Again, gunmen invade Adamawa CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

when the ashes of our children, who were slaughtered and burnt to death for no fault of theirs, are still so fresh. “We should not do what will amount to dancing on the graves of the children whom we have collectively failed. Yes, we cannot bring those children back to life, but we can at least soothe the pains of their families through genuine empathy and soberness,” APC said.

World leaders vow to bring terrorism to an end

….Africa has had enough wars, loses $18bn annuallyJonathan ….EU pledges 15 million Euros to assist the police World Leaders yesterday in Abuja, pledged to fight and bring terrorism to an end to ensure global peace, stability and development. They spoke at the International Centenary Conference held at the International Conference Centre in Abuja, as parts of activities marking the country’s Centenary celebration. Presidents of various African countries, who

attended the conference, including Malawi, Gabon, Chad, Gambia, Malawi, Mali, Republic of Benin, Liberia as well as other leaders said the war against terrorism must be won. Similarly Presidents of the United States, United Kingdom, Israel and Germany, who spoke through their representatives also pledged to confront and defeat terrorism all over the world. President Goodluck Jonathan in his address on the occasion called on all African leaders to join hands

in the fight against the scourge of terrorism to ensure peace, stability and development in the continent. The President explained that terrorism remains one of the challenges that confronts and threaten human security and peace of Africa Jonathan, who spoke on the theme of the conference “Human Security, Peace and Development: Agenda for the 21st Century” said terrorism has become a global menace that has extended its tentacles to Africa and Nigeria.

Members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists protesting the unjust detention of three Aljazeera staff by the Egyptian government, in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA

Why EFCC, ICPC can’t probe NNPC’s missing funds CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, have provided insights into why they cannot for now probe the alleged missing $20bn oil funds. While the ICPC explained that their constraints stem from lack of adequate resources and technical manpower to carry out the inquests, the EFCC raised the issue of procedural challenges. Both commissions made their positions public yesterday when they appeared before the Senate Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes to defend their 2014 budget proposal at the National Assembly. The Acting Chairman of the ICPC, Professor Olu Aina told the committee, chaired by Senator Victor Lar (Plateau South) that the commission might need outside help to be able to probe the accounts of the NNPC. He said: “The account of

NNPC is so sophisticated that it will require us hiring experts to look into the account for us, but unfortunately, we do not have the means to do that.” On his part, the Chairman of EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, explained that his commission could not dabble into the investigations because the Senate is currently inquiring into the matter. According to him, it is only when the National Assembly completed its own investigation and hands off the matter that his commission can continue where the legislatures stopped. He cited the case of the fuel subsidy probe, which was forwarded to his commission after the National Assembly, first concluded their investigations. Lamorde said: “The issue about the NNPC is already being investigated by the National Assembly. For every investigation, once the National Assembly is on it, we have to wait until

they conclude. The fuel subsidy investigation, which we charged so many people to court, where the son of the immediate past PDP national chairman is one of the people standing trial, we did not go into the matter until it was concluded by the National Assembly and forwarded to us. “We can’t just jump into something that is still being investigated by the National Assembly. It’s not a mob kind of thing. There must be a sequence of events that would lead us to taking decision. Let the hearing of the National Assembly be concluded. Normally, when it is concluded, it is forwarded to us for investigation.” The EFCC boss expressed concerns at the haste at which Nigerians expect the anti-graft agency to rush into public investigation of reported cases of corruption and urged that his commission should be given enough time to conduct extensive investigations on cases before pros-

ecuting suspects. He said, “I think people are in a hurry. What people want to hear is that just because there is an issue today, tomorrow you are shouting kill him, stone him.... We don’t do investigation by the media. When we are ready to charge the individual to court we would do so. “But when the investigation is going on let the investigation be conclusive. Otherwise we will join into what everybody is saying. It’s like the market place where everybody is shouting at the same time. “Law enforcement investigation is not like that. It’s supposed to be systematic and you work towards getting evidence to sustain your case if eventually you go to court. “You can’t just go to court based on assumptions. We have gone very far with some of our investigations. Very soon when we are ready you will see us in court.”

He noted that in concert with regional and global partners, there should be continued response strategically and decisively to the scourge, adding that with the support of the people, there would be an end to killings and destruction. “Let us work together across boundaries, not only to coordinate and strengthen our defenses, but also to address any socio-economic roots on which these extreme ideologies thrive. “Terrorism must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. We all must work together, collectively, to rid our world of haters of peace, who use terror to maim, kill, instill fear and deny people their rights to peace and security,” Jonathan said. He noted that Africa has had enough of wars, saying the cost of wars and insurgencies are too high. According to him, it has been estimated that Africa loses $18bn per year from wars as well as insurgencies, stressing that wars, insurgencies and conflicts impact neighbouring countries even more, due to displacement of refugees, illegal trafficking of arms and disruption of economic activities. He said: “When there are wars or conflicts, we all lose. When there is peace, we all win. We must deepen our resolve to regulate the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, strengthen our enforcement of the regional protocols, such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, Their Ammunition and Related Materials and the Nairobi Protocol for the Prevention, Control, and Reduction of Small Arms and Light Weapons in the Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa. “We must do more to reduce some of the drivers of growth in illicit small arms, including human insecurity, inequalities, marginalisation, ineffective disarmament, social exclusion and the culture of violence.” The President also noted that Africa now faces a huge challenge with youth population bulge, saying that it has been projected that about 40 per cent of the population of the continent would be made up of young people below the age

of 15 years, while about 60 per cent of the population would be made up of young people below the age of 25 years. Jonathan further told the world leaders that the issues of human security and peace are indispensable in the life of every nation. The European Union Commission President, Jose Manuel Barroso, while expressing condolences over the attack on students in Yobe announced programme of 15 million euros aimed at reinforcing the security capabilities of the Nigerian police. In his goodwill message, Gambian President, Yahya Jammeh said that Nigeria must remain as a united country. According to him, a divided Nigeria can only mean catastrophe for the entire black race stressing that the country must ensure peace and unity. “The people of the Gambia, and black Africa in general look up to all Nigerians to maintain and strengthen the unity, peace and prosperity of Nigeria as Africa’s most populous nation and Black Africa’s power house,” Jammeh said French President Francois Hollande in his own goodwill message pledged the support of his country to help combat extremism in defense of democracy. “We will always stand ready not only to provide our political support but our help every time you need it because the struggle against terrorism is also the struggle for democracy,” Hollande said. The French President promised to double French overseas development aid to the continent within the next five years. Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon Ban Ki-Moon, who spoke through the Executive Director of the UN Population Fund, UNFPA, Babatunde Oshotimehin, stated that world leaders must make concerted efforts to eliminate the scourge of terrorism. He condemned the killing of scores of college students in the Yobe State, while expressing hope that the perpetrators of the dastardly act would be brought to book.

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Friday, February 28, 2014

Political differences won’t stall regional integration -Fayemi ABIODUN NEJO ADO EKITI

kiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has dismissed insinuations that political differences can truncate regional integration as being championed by the South-West geo-political zone. Fayemi said: “I believe the programme can be operated even with diverse political interests. This is not a programme for our parties, but a programme for our people”. The governor spoke yesterday during the opening of the two-day Third South-West Regional Integration Programme with the theme: “MicroSMEs as Solution to Unemployment and Economic Development” organised by Vintage Press Limited and CEEDEE Resources which is holding in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital. Fayemi, who described the region as pacesetter in Nigeria and hub of civilisation, education, indus-

try and commerce, advocated concerted effort to tackle poverty and youth unemployment which he described as time bomb capable of consuming the country’s leadership. He said Small and Medium Enterprises, SMEs, have significant roles to play in youth employment and poverty alleviation because about 50-60 per cent of the youth were employed through it globally. The governor said: “Figures from the Bureau of Statistics revealed that 70 million Nigerians are running SMEs, but could not yield results due to lack of enough capacity, good marketing strategy and access to finance. Bulk of the youth runs SMEs so they need to be empowered to drive the economy. “I want to say that the leaders may be consumed by fire of unemployment if proper innovation is not developed to tackle it. A time is coming that it will make us uncomfortable in our air conditioned offices, air con-

ditioned cars and in our air conditioned homes,” Fayemi warned. At the event attended by representatives of the governors of Lagos, Oyo, Kwara and Osun states, Ekiti State Commissioner for Integration and Intergovernmental Affairs, Funminiyi Afuye, said the regional integration agenda, “as a veritable strategy for national development, has become inevitable in the light of our history and the nostalgia of that era that has appropriately been described as our golden age.” Afuye, who said the integration strategy is gaining ground, stressed that “private, public and international bodies are now partnering in the consummation of this strategy for development.” Speaking on the occasion, the founder of Afe Babalola University, Chief Afe Babalola, who chaired the opening ceremony, described SMEs as a recognised economic weapon of growth.

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Reps suspend debate on budget revenue framework •Begin hearing on state of the economy WOLE OLADIMEJI ABUJA

he House of Representatives Committee on Finance yesterday suspended debate on 2014 budget revenue framework to allow it focus on the investigative hearing on the state of the nation’s economy. The committee invited the Minister of Finance and the Co-ordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and other relevant agencies to present updates on the status of revenue generation, collections and remittances from 2011to 2013 and their projections for this year. Representatives of agencies slated to appear before the committee today include Ministry of Finance, Director-General of Budget Office, Office of the Accountant General, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC),

Nigeria Customs Service, Department of Petroleum Resources and Federal Inland Revenue Service. The suspension of the debate on the 2014 budget was to, however, enable the committee to conclude the investigative hearing scheduled to ascertain the true state of the nation’s economy and robustly engage the Minister of Finance on her responses to the 50 questions sent to her. The hearing, which is

scheduled to hold from March 3to 6, 2014, will be declared open by the House of Representatives Speaker, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal. The committee is determined to unravel the mystery surrounding the state of the economy. Relevant stakeholders and interest groups have already been invited to submit memoranda. Preparations for the event have reached top gear.

L-R: United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Country Representative, Ratidzai Ndlovu; ILO Director, Sina Chuma-Mkandiwire; UNDP Country Director, Mr.Palamin Bayei and Executive Director,UNFPA, Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin, during a meeting of UNFPA Executive Director with United Nations Country team in Abuja, yesterday.

Confab: Ogun delegates fault Jonathan’s comment on 1914 amalgamation FEMI OYEWESO ABEOKUTA

gun State delegates to the National Conference yesterday faulted President Goodluck Jonathan’s national broadcast on the centenary celebration in which he claimed that the amalgamation of Nigeria in 1914 was not a mistake. One of the delegates, Sir Olaniwun Ajayi, disagreed that Nigeria was constructed contrary to political geometry. Ajayi, who spoke on behalf of the other delegates, asked Jonathan to acquaint himself with a copy of “My Life”, the book of Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello

wherein he the Northerners themselves acknowledged fundamental errors in the amalgamation. He said: “Somebody was reported in the papers today that there was no mistake in 1914 amalgamation, may be, that person has not had time to read ‘My Life’ by Sardauna of Sokoto when the motion for independence was moved in 1953 and Northern members in the House of Representatives got annoyed and they all departed and went back to the North and he said ‘Ha! Today, I remember the mistake of 1914, that’s the course of our problems and that mistake has been with us quite a long time.

“The problem really and truly is that Nigeria was constructed contrary to political geometry, that is why we have not arrived as a country because if we have leave together for 100 years and yet there’s no stability, there’s no concord, there’s no harmony, there’s no progress, those other countries like Brazil, Indian, China and Russia who were in the same bracket as we in 1960 are now far, far above us and we are far below them, why?”. Sir Ajayi, who observed that the failure to observe political geometry brought about all the problems presently confronting Nigeria as a nation however, expressed

optimism that participants at the national conference would reach a resolution that would bring peace to the country. “It is important for us to realise that those of us going there are going to try, God be our helper, to correct the serious error committed by the British when they were here”. Meanwhile, Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun presented the sixman delegates yesterday. The delegates included the Olu of Ilaro and Paramount ruler of Yewalan, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle; the General Overseer of the Later Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare and Senator Biyi Durojaye.

The committee believed that providing solution to the 50 questions raised for the ministry of finance would go a long way in resolving most of the problems facing the nation in the area of revenue genera-

tion and most importantly block all the leakages from revenue generating agencies. The committee will resume consideration on 2014 budget revenue framework on March 10,

Nigeria, France target N2trn trade in two years OLUFEMI ADEOSUN ABUJA

igeria and France yesterday launched the Nigeria-France Trade and Investment Council, with a target to double trade flows between both countries from the current N1.049 trillion to about N2.098 trillion in two years. The statement launching the Council was signed in the presence of President Goodluck Jonathan and his counterpart, French President Francois Hollande, during the Nigeria-France Business Forum on the sidelines of the centenary celebrations in Abuja. Apart from doubling trade, the Council also has the mandate to increase investment flows between both countries by 50 per cent in the next four years and will be co-chaired by the Vice-Chairman of the Nigeria-France Chamber of Commerce and Chief Executive Officer of Leadway Assurance, Mr. Hassan Odukale; and the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of PAI, Mr. Lionel Zin-

sou. The two Presidents also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on a $170m power financing deal between the Ministry of Finance and the Agence Francaise Developpement (AFD); and a 13MW Solar Power Construction MoU between the Osun State Government and Vergnet Groupe. Jonathan, who encouraged French companies to invest in Nigeria in order to cement the ongoing favourable trade and investment relationship between both countries, noted that the people of France, under the leadership of President Hollande, had shown an unprecedented level of commitment to Africa. The President said, “Nigeria has come of age economically, and this is the time to invest. We have made significant progress in our political, social and economic development. I always say that Nigeria’s economic transformation will be the strongest legacy of our generation, which is why we have invited all you investors here today.

INEC demands new salary structure for staff OMEIZA AJAYI

he Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is demanding a new salary structure for its workers. The commission said the demand became imperative in view of the critical importance and sensitivity of the work done by the workers. Consequently, the electoral body said it had sent its demand to the National Assembly, expressing hope that the lawmakers would act in its favour be-

fore the 2015 general elections. INEC, however, conceded that its demand could open a floodgate of demands from other agencies of government which equally felt that they played critical roles in the nation-building. A National Commissioner in INEC and Chairman, Election Monitoring and Observation, Dr. Ishmael Igbani, spoke yesterday during the inauguration of the 2015 Forum for Election Observers which was convened by the National Coordinator of Election Monitor, Mr. Abiodun Ajilola.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

South-West

Friday February 28, 2014

Ondo govt, workers bicker over pension OJO OYEWAMIDE AKURE

orkers in Ondo State have rejected the Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS, the state government has introduced and which implementation is expected to commence in March. They urged the government to rescind its decision to make deductions from their salaries as contributions to the scheme. The workers also

warned the state Head of Service, HoS, Toyin Akinkuotu, against ‘colluding’ with the Dr. Olusegun Mimiko government to introduce ‘anti-labour’ policies, saying the entire workforce would not hesitate to pass a vote of no confidence in him. According to a bulletin by the Publicity and Research Committee of the State Joint Negotiation Council, JNC, of the workers, the state government had concluded arrange-

ments to impose the implementation of the pension scheme on the workforce. The bulletin read: “The Ondo State Government has come again with a draconian and inhuman posture to effect the implementation of the Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS, by force from March, 2014. “Fellow workers, the Contributory Pension Scheme is a killing tablet to workers because a Grade Level 04 (worker)

will pay an average of N3,000 monthly, while (those on) Grade Level 08 will pay N5,000. Equally, Grade Level 14 (officers) will pay N10,000, etc. “What now becomes the survival of workers with peanut take-home pay that he/she will be left with, for their families? “The position of the entire workers of Ondo State is that we say no to poisonous policies that will kill the entire workers of this state.”

Man kills two-year-old boy in scuffle HAKEEM GBADAMOSI AKURE

he Ondo State Police Command has arrested a middleaged man, Kehinde Ayelehin, for allegedly killing a two-year-old baby during a fight which ensued between him and the mother. The incident occurred on Wednesday at Alumaliu Igbose quarters in Supare Akoko in Akoko South West Local Government Area of Ondo State. Trouble erupted when the suspect alleged that the mother of the baby revealed some information about

him to police in the town. According to an eyewitness, the argument between the woman, Faith Oluwabunmi and the accused degenerated into a fight after a heated argument. An angry Ayelehin reportedly forcibly removed the baby from the back of the mother and threw him on the floor. It was gathered that the baby was pronounced dead at a hospital, while the suspect tried to run away from the scene of the incident. He was, however, apprehended by some youths who handed him over to the police.

Ogun extends homeowners’ charter deadline to March 31

G L-R: National Treasurer, Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Dr Ademola Aremu; Coordinator, ASUU Zone D, Mr. Ezeibe Anderson; National President Dr. Nasir Fagge and Chairman, Socialist Party of Nigeria, Mr. Segun Sango, at the Education Right Campaign Public Symposium at the University of Ibadan, yesterday.

N1bn fraud: Court to determine Ajudua’s fate March 3 WALE IGBINTADE

n Ikeja High Court yesterday fixed March 3, 2014 to decide on an application filed by a Lagos socialite, Fred Ajudua, asking the court to quash the N1 billion fraud charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye adjourned the case, having taken arguments from both the prosecuting and the defence counsel. Ajudua was alleged to have defrauded a former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi (rtd) of about $5.9 million (about N1 billion). The EFCC alleged that Ajudua conspired with others (now at large) to perpetrate the fraud between November 2004 and June 2005. He was alleged to have defrauded Bamaiyi while they were both on remand at Kirikiri prison in Lagos for separate alleged crimes. Besides, the commis-

sion alleged that Ajudua obtained the money from Bamaiyi, claiming that it represented the professional fees charged by Chief Afe Babalola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, to handle his case. He is also allegeda to have claimed that the money would help to facilitate Bamaiyi’s release from prison. At the resumed hearing of the suit yesterday, Ajudua’s counsel, Olalekan Ojo, while moving the notice of preliminary objection, submitted that the 14-count charge against the defendant was made under a repealed law. Ojo argued that filing charges under the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act of 1995 as amended by Act No.62 of 1999, makes the charge fundamentally defective and liable to be quashed. Consequently, he submitted that the court lacked jurisdiction to exercise any form of authority over the matter. Ojo further argued that Bamaiyi in his petition and

statement to the EFCC had disclosed self-confession to various crimes, including conspiracy, aiding and abetting, money laundering and corrupting of public officers. “As a court with zero tolerance for illegality and corruption, Your Lordship has the inherent power to refer this admitted violation of the money laundering legislation to the appropriate authorities for investigation and possible prosecution,”

he argued. In his reply, EFCC counsel, Seidu Atteh, argued that Section 6 of the Interpretation Act conferred validity on the charge against the defendant. “The repeal of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act of 1995 as amended by Act No.62 of 1999 does not affect the offence that was committed then,” he argued. He urged the court to dismiss the application and ask Ajudua to take his plea.

overnor Ibikunle Amosun has extended the deadline for the collection and submission of forms for the Homeowners Charter Initiative in Ogun State to March 31. The move, he said, came after considering the requests made by residents to during his tour of designated centres on the charter. He added that it was also to enable people benefit from the opportunity which allows property owners in the state to get building plan approvals and certificates of occupancy at discounted rates. Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Yusuph Olaniyonu, said in a statement that the people now have additional one month to collect forms and submit them. The initial deadline was February 28, announced on December 16 when the scheme was launched in Abeokuta, the state capital. Olaniyonu stated that apart from being a direct response to

the requests by the people, the new deadline would enable the officials in charge of the programme enough time to attend to the huge crowd witnessed at the various centres. He added that government had directed that the number of centres be increased, while submission hours were to be extended for the rest of the period of the initiative. The government commended the residents, who have since been trooping out to embrace the programme, and for the confidence they reposed in the Amosun administration as it pursues with zeal the mission to rebuild Ogun State. “As promised by Governor Ibikunle Amosun when he toured the centres, government has put in place all necessary facilities and manpower support needed to process on time the thousands of expected applications by residents,” Olaniyonu stated, adding that inspection of sites had commenced.

Commercial cyclists back Fayemi’s re-election bid

housands of commercial motorcyclists on Wednesday stormed Ekiti State Governor’s Office to declare their support for the reelection of Dr. Kayode Fayemi ahead of the June 21 gubernatorial election in the state. The motorcyclists, popularly called Okada riders, led by their state chairman, Adebo Olu-Martins, said they were supporting Fayemi to continue ‘the good works’ of transform-

ing the transport sector by providing well-tarred roads, thus making their business easy. Olu-Martins, who spoke on behalf of his association, stated that the motorcyclists were not out for propaganda for the Fayemi-led government. “We have seen for ourselves what the governor has done in the last three years,” he said, adding that the efforts had been very impactful. He promised to embark

on a sensitisation exercise on behalf of the association to ensure that its members vote en masse for the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the forthcoming election. The cyclists who chanted different campaign slogans such as “4+4” and “Kodurosoke”, (let him remain in office), expressed gratitude to the governor for not banning okada operations in the state. “We are here to pay a visit to the governor, to

thank him for confirming the fact that he is not banning okada in Ekiti State. “We appreciate him for the construction of good roads because that is what is most important to our constituency, since we use the roads. Responding, Fayemi debunked rumours of banning okada after re-election, stating that he had only urged the riders to reduce their speed while plying the road to avoid unnecessary accident on the roads.

South West

Friday, February 28, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Confab: Yoruba leaders ratify agenda •Insist on regionalism

KEMI OLAITAN IBADAN

rominent Yoruba indigenes from the six states of the South West geopolitical zone extending to Yoruba speaking tribes in Kwara, Kogi, Delta and Edo states, yesterday converged on Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, and ratified a draft Yoruba Agenda for the 2014 National Conference. The assemblage apart

from that equally told in clear terms, those who will be representing the zone against engaging in any acts capable of truncating the position of the Yorubas at the conference or risk being declared personal nongrata from the land. Present at the Grand Yoruba Summit, where the formal presentation and ratification of the Yoruba Agenda for the conference were an assemblage of coalition of leaders of

thought and socio-cultural groups in Yorubaland. The assemblage include: Chief Reuben Fasoranti, Chief Olaniwun Ajayi, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Senator Femi Okurounmu, Chief Olu Falae, General Alani Akinrinade (retd.), Dr. Kunle Olajide, Ooni of Ife, represented by Apetumodu of Ipetumodu, Oba James Adegoke; Owaoye Oke-Mesi, Oba Gbadebo Adedeji; the Olubadan of Ibadanland, represented by

High Chief Omowale Kuye Others are: Aremo Olusegun Osoba, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo, Hon. Sola Ebiseeni, who represented Governor Segun Mimiko, Speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly, Suraj Ishola Adekunbi represented Governor Ibikunle Amosun, Professor Dawud Noibi of Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN), Dr. Femi Akinola, represented Governor Kayode Fayemi,

Wife of the Governor of Ogun State, Mrs. Olufunso Amosun (right), immunising a baby girl during the launch of UPLIFTing Safe Motherhood Initiative and flag-off ceremony of first round of year 2014 National Immunisation Plus Days (NIPDs) at Primary Health Centre, Ode-Omi in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area of Ogun State, yesterday.

One dies as Customs officials, youths clash in Ogun FEMI OYEWESO ABEOKUTA

t least, one person has been confirmed dead in a violence clash that erupted between personnel of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the youths of Koko - Ilashe Community along the Idiroko border in Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State. The deceased, simply identified as Timothy was said to be one of the leaders of the youth groups from three communities of Koko, Alaari and Ilashe, who prevented the Customs officers from evacuating over 900 bags of rice smuggled into the country and kept in a warehouse at Koko Vil-

lage. National Mirror gathered that trouble started late Wednesday afternoon, when scores of youths from the three communities blocked all access routes to Koko Village, where the warehouse was located, with borne-fires and huge objects to prevent the Customs officers from leaving the area, with the contrabands already evacuated. Armed with guns, machetes, daggers, local charms, cudgels, as well as other life-threatening objects, the irate youths were said to have attacked the intruding Customs officials for their effrontery at seizing the contrabands from the warehouse. One of the officers, who had been hit with a cudgel

by the irate youths, allegedly fired shot in selfdefence before the bullet killed Timothy. When contacted, the Customs Public Relations Officer (CPRO), Chike Ngige, who confirmed the incident stressed that late Timothy had attempted to snatch the gun from the officer, who fired the shot into the air to scare the youths away before the bullet accidentally hit the deceased. Ngige, who emphasised that the contrabands were smuggled into the country, further explained that the menace of rice smuggling by notorious motorcycle riders “had been a serious concern to Ogun Customs Command.” National Mirror also

recalled that the Ogun Command of NCS recently revealed that the smugglers had resolved to use of motorcycles and small vehicles to move the banned goods due to difficulties faced in the use of long vehicles. The CPRO, however, stated that the Destination-Spot Approach adopted by the command to strike the smugglers at their warehouses resulted in the discovery and the Koko attack. “The Command reasoned that to checkmate this, it developed the Destination-Spot Approach, where the motorcyclists drop the smuggled rice at a spot. With our intelligence information gathering efforts, our operatives will strike.

Chief Wale Osun of Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG), Otunba Gani Adams of Oodua Peoples’ Congress and Professor Bunmi Ayoade, represented Oodua Foundation, USA, The Yoruba Unity Forum (YUF) was represented by Senator Tony Adefuye, Dr. Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu, Chief (Mrs.) Ritalori Ogbebor (Itsekiri), Senator Kofo Bucknor Akerele, Alhaji Lateef Jakande and Mr. Felix Adenaike. Gen. Akinrinade, while presenting the 15-page draft Yoruba Agenda, said it centred on a new Nigeria, consisting of a central union/ Federal Government and six regional governments (based on the current six geo-political zones -including all other Yoruba outside the imposed artificial boundaries, that is to say, in Edo, Delta, Kogi and Kwara) operating federal and regional constitutions. Other areas, according to him, are a negotiated legislative, exclusive, concurrent and residual list; the Westminster model of parliamentary government; the right to self determination on and up to the right to secede; and a just and equitable taxation system that would make the federating units equal and coordinating at the federal level to eliminate the current syndrome. The Yoruba Agenda also raised 15 other specific issues to be addressed like new peoples’ constitution; true federalism, regionalism with Fiscal Federalism in varying degrees; role of traditional rulers; status of Lagos and Federal Capital Territory among others. Pa Olanihun Ajayi moved for the adoption of the proposed agenda, as contained in the draft copy, while it was seconded by Oba Elijah Oyelade, the Salu of Edun Abon, Osun State and was unanimously adopted by all in attendance. The host governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, in his speech said, contrary to the view expressed by President Goodluck Jonathan that the 1914 amalgamation of Northern and Southern Protectorates by Lord Luggard was not a mistake; he said the amalgamation had earned the country several pains and calamities.

He said: “As you all know, the Yoruba people, like every other ethnic nationalities that make up this country did not willingly join the behemoth that was to later become Nigeria. We were coerced by the British overlords in the evergreen magical marriage of inconvenience called amalgamation of 1914. “Since then, Nigeria has presented as the forcefully conjured seeds in the walnut pod, what our people call ‘Omo inu awusa’. Different world-views, different ideologies, different cultures, different political beliefs, yet we were soldered into one component by the British colonial masters. “This forceful marriage has earned us several pains and calamities. It led to the 30-month old civil war, where the Yoruba suffered needless casualties in the course of fighting for the unity of Nigeria. The most recent calamity of our forced togetherness is the pain of being tagged as citizens of the same country with the senseless killers of children, who are inflicting needless pogrom in the North. “I imagine that when a Yoruba man walks up to fellow humans in the world and he introduces himself as a Nigerian, what comes to the mind of his naive audience would be that he shares the same humanity, the same human and national space with those blood-thirsty hounds called Boko Haram. It is the pain of the forced identity of 1914. “We, the Yoruba people, are one of the most blessed ethnic nationalities in the world. Blessed with human and natural resources, we demonstrated during the First Republic that we could hold our own in the comity of other republics. “The current pseudofederalism that we practice merely gathered, as our people would say the hen and dove under the same cage. It breeds redundancy, cheating and parasitism; it is a recipe for chaos. This is why we are very strong in canvassing a return to that system, where our forefathers proved their mettle to the rest of the world as brilliant administrators of men and resources.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

South East

Friday, February 28, 2014

Confab: Nwabueze group insists on self determination DENNIS AGBO ENUGU

he Professor Ben Nwabueze group of Igbo Leaders of Though has presented a book containing the desires and aspirations of Ndigbo at the proposed National Conference. The 15- page book further abridged to an Executive Summary of 56 pages is titled “The Position of The Igbo Nation at the National Conference for Renegotiated Constitution for Nigeria.” Nwabueze said that copies of the book would be presented to the five governors in the South East. Presenting the twoin-one books in Enugu, yesterday, Professor Nwabueze, surrounded by members of his Igbo

think tank highlighted some of the key contents of the book to include its objection to the Federal Government’s modality that the indissolubility of Nigeria is a no-go-area. Nwabueze stressed that right to secession is an inalienable right of a people to self determination, further guaranteed by the African Charter of Peoples and Human Rights that was domesticated as a law even in Nigeria. Though the constitutional lawyer expressed pessimism on the proposed conference enthroning a brand new and peoples’ constitution for Nigeria, he said they are encouraging delegates to participate in the dialogue. Nwabueze disclosed that himself and the sec-

ond Republic vice president, Dr. Alex Ekwueme had agreed not to be part of delegates for the conference, but they would be available to render advises to the delegates, especially in explaining the Igbo position to the delegates. He condemned the security crisis in Rivers State, noting that it was unconstitutional for a Governor, who is the Chief Security Officer of the state to rub shoulders with a state commissioner of police. He stated that in practice of true federalism, that kind of a situation is an aberration. Nwabueze highlighted one of the contents of the book to include the Igbo’s stand on the right of the present six geopolitical zones as federating units,

adding that it also insisted that the outcome of the conference should be subjected to a referendum. He maintained that the type of conference the Federal Government is calling for did not satisfy their desired dialogue for a brand new constitution that would bring about a renegotiated Nigeria. His words: “In this document we are proposing the rights of the zones as the federating unit to self determination, including the right to secession. The Yoruba have already accepted it; they are coming to the conference with this. It’s part of the law of the country already because the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights says that all people shall have unquestionable and inalienable rights to

self determination. “It is part of the law of this country already because I know that we have already enacted a law, the National Assembly enacted a law incorporating the African Charter as part of domestic law of Nigeria. “This is the only international treaty that has been incorporated as part of our domestic law. “So it’s nothing new; all that we are now saying is that it should be elevated from being part of the ordinary law of the country into a right enshrined in the constitution, that’s all that we are saying now. “Two questions frequently asked are, what does Prof. Ben Nwabueze want? And secondly, what is the agenda of Igbo Leaders of Thought?

“These two booklets provide the answer to these questions. We in Igbo Leaders of Thought, we have no agenda other than the production of these two booklets. That’s what we set out to do and we have done that. “Our mission, our aspiration or objectives are not yet accomplished fully by the production of this. You find here amplification of the type of national conference that we want. The conference that by law, enacted by the National Assembly will debate, discuss and adopt a constitution, brand new constitution, peoples constitution for Nigeria. Not a conference, whose deliberations and decisions will be integrated into the existing 1999 constitution, no!

Orji’s son’s PA assasination: Cleric charges police to fish out killers GEORGE OPARA ABIA

L-R: Lt. Abdul Abdul, GOC 82 Division, Maj.–Gen. Shehu Yusuf and Commander, 302 Artillery Regiment, Onitsha, Col. Jubrin Fegge during a familiarisation visit to Onitsha Military Cantonment and Naval Out-Post yesterday.

Okorocha welcomes defectors in Imo CHRIS NJOKU OWERRI

mo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha yesterday in Owerri played host to defectors from various political parties, who joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Owerri West Local Government Area of the state. Receiving the decamped politicians at the Government House Owerri, Governor Okorocha commended the leaders and the people of Owerri West LGA for their decision even when according to him; nobody had offered any monetary gratification to them.

He expressed joy that Imo people have become aware of the deceit strategy employed by politicians in the past and urged all to resist people who are bent on squandering the resources of the State through bad leadership. Governor Okorocha explained that PDP in Imo State has never been comfortable with the Rescue Mission of the government because the state allocation “is no longer being shared among the few elites rather, the money is channeled to social and infrastructural development of the state.” He enjoined the people to vote according to their

consciences and not to sell their votes to selfish politicians, who do not have their welfare at heart. “Election in Imo is no more people deceiving people,” the governor noted. The governor stated that free education, massive road and infrastructural projects, as well as free maternal health care programme were possible due to prudent management of state allocations. He avowed to complete all on-going projects, while assuring that more projects would be done before the end of his tenure. He expressed regrets that Imo State has not had

any Federal Government project after three years of massive vote for President Goodluck Jonathan and the People Democratic Party (PDP). He therefore urged Imo people to embrace the APC for the change that was about to come. Presenting the defectors to the governor, the Commissioner for Industry and Non Formal Sector, Mr. Ugochi Nnanna Okoro stated that the people of Owerri West had witnessed the positive impact and transformation of the current administration and expressed delight at their decision to identify with the government.

ecurity agencies handling the investigation into the death of late John Ndubuka, Personal Assistant to Mr. Chinedum Orji, eldest son of Abia State governor has been challenged to unveil the circumstances and killers of Ndubuka and not to allow the shooting to be like other unresolved murder cases across the country. The Catholic Bishop of Umuahia Diocese, Bishop Lucius Ugorji maintained that the issue of John’s death is not a case that should be swept under the carpet and that making findings of the incident that led to the shooting and killing of the young man public will make his soul to rest in peace. Bishop Ugorji, who said this in a homily at the funeral service for the late John at the St. Finbars Catholic Church, Umuahia insisted that his death was painful because of the tragic way it happened on the February 15. Bishop Ugorji said his death at his prime had brought the need for all to be prepared for death to the fore, adding, “As no one knows when it will happen and we also

need to reflect on the fragility of death”. The Catholic cleric noted that “the irony of death is that it does not hear the cries of the loved ones and that no one takes the turn of another in dying, adding that, “death is a path every mortal must take and debt which everyone must pay, which steals into a place with ease.” Governor Theodore Orji, in his speech said the death of Ndubuka was as a result of an accidental discharge and was not killed by anybody from his family since they would never kill or destroy a house they (his family) had built. “It’s one death that has pained me so much since I became an adult, as my family has been in disarray since that death to the level that I have lost appetite and finds it difficult to eat,” he said. He decried the politicization and trivialization of the death of the young man by some media organisations and social media, saying “since we have decided to take some of them to court to use them as an example they have been begging, but the court will decide.”

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

South South

Friday, February 28, 2014

Ex-rector, 2 others held over alleged murder EMMA GBEMUDU YENAGOA

en from the Nigeria Police Headquar ters, Abuja, have arrested the former rector of Federal Polytechnic, Yenagoa,

Bayelsa State, Dr. Ineye Ekpebu, over the alleged murder of one Frank Moses, a former staff of the institution. The former rector was arrested last Wednesday along with one Miss Ebinimi Olomu and another

suspect allegedly linked with the murder, a former financial secretary of the senior staff association of the polytechnic. It was learnt that the three suspects are currently being detained at the Force Headquarters,

pending the outcome of investigations. The polytechnic had been plagued by a leadership tussle in the NonAcademic Senior Staff Association before Moses, unionist, was allegedly killed.

Contacted, the State Commissioner of Police, Hilary Opara, confirmed the arrest of the suspects by the operatives of the Force Headquarters. Opara said Ekpebu and two others suspects were arrested based on the alleged murder of Moses. A source who pleaded anonymity said the suspects were taken to the Area Command at Opolo,Yenagoa, before being moved to Abuja. Moses, 35, was reportedly assassinated at Agudama-Epie, Yenagoa, shortly after seeing off a visitor last November. The former rector,

who was relieved of his appointment by the Governing Council of the institution in January, had earlier been by invited for interrogation by the state police command in connection with the death of Moses, but was granted bail. Relations of the deceased had petitioned the Inspector General of Police over an alleged shoddy investigation of the death of the deceased and wanted the case transferred to Abuja. They insisted that all the suspects linked with the killing should be brought to book.

UNIPORT4: Police deny torturing suspect

T Petrol hawkers on Aba Road, Port Harcourt, as scarcity hit the Rivers State capital, yesterday.

‘Cynthia’s killers are expert rapists’ …as court admits confessional statements

ale Igbintade An Investigating Police Officer, IPO, Inspector Joseph Edo, in the ongoing trial of suspected killers of Cynthia Osokogu yesterday told a Lagos High Court how the suspects planned the operation for days before it was executed. Led in evidence by the state Attorney General, Ade Ipaye, he told the court that the Okumo Nwabufo (first defendant) and Olisaeloka Ezike (second defendant) were experts in enticing ladies into hotels and raping them. Edo told the trial judge, Justice Olabisi Akinlade, that the 1st and 2nd defendants had the intention to rape Cynthia, saying “it is the defendants’ stockin-trade to invite women to hotels, drug and rape them.” According to him, few days before Cynthia was murdered, Ezike (second defendant) was sent to Agboju Market by the Nwabufo (first defendant) to purchase chain and cellotape, which they used in ‘killing’ Cynthia.

He said: “From my investigation, I discovered that the first defendant sent the second defendant to Agboju Market to buy the instruments they used for the operation -chain and celotape- few days before Cynthia was killed.’’ “The second defendant (Ezike), after getting the items and while still at the market, used his phone to snap the things he bought and thereafter forwarded the picture to the first defendant (Nwabufo). “He equally sent Nwabufo a text message from his phone, asking if “this was the chain and celotape you asked me to buy? Nwabufo replied Ezike that it will be okay for the job. The messages are all in their phones,” Edo stated. Besides, Edo told the court that he also discovered that the third defendant, Orji Osita, a pharmacist, assisted the primary suspects to carry out the crime by supplying them the Rohypnol used in suppressing Cynthia before they carried out the killing. According to the IPO, the 4th defendant, Nonso

Ezike, deceitfully received Cynthia’s Blackberry phone from his elder brother (second defendant). His words: “It was discovered that it was not the first phone he (Nonso) bought from the second defendant, and he had knowledge of the first and second defendants’ stock-in-trade. They specialise in bringing in ladies into hotel room, enticing them with one or two things and then rape them.” Earlier, Justice Akinlade in her ruling, admitted as exhibit, the confessional statements and video evidence made at Festac Police Station on August 20, 2012 by Nwabufo and Ezike, admitting the murder. In a ruling on the admissibility of statements made by the first and second defendants, Justice Akinlade held that the statements were not made under duress and admitted same as exhibits. The judge stated that the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that the statements were voluntarily made. She added that from her assessment of the con-

fessional statements, the handwritings of the defendant did not show they were under torture to write them. “The defendants were questioned in an open place and were also asked by the Area Commander if they made their statements voluntarily, which they attested in the affirmative. “Moreover, from the video evidence, the defendants looked well and not tortured. It was when the Area Commander realised their narration was the same as contained in their confessional statements that he requested for a cameraman to video them. “I hereby rule that the prosecution has proven its case in the trial-within-trial to determine the admissibility of the confessional statements made by the first and second defendants on August 20, 2012 at Festac Police Station were voluntary. “I hereby admit the confessional statements and video evidence made by the defendants and tendered by the prosecution as exhibits,” she held. The matter has been adjourned to March 13 for continuation of trial.

he Rivers Police Command on yesterday denied torturing a Port-Harcourt commercial taxi driver, Lawal Segun,to extract information from him in October 2012. The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, recalls that 12 people are standing trial for the alleged murder of four students of University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) at Aluu, near the university, in 2012. A chief superintendent of police, Henry Njoku, denied the allegation while he was cross-examined by the counsel to Segun, Joshua Kehinde. Njoku said the first accused person made a confessional statement without torture or any application of force. He said that Segun made two statements; one when he was arrested in October 2012, and the second after watching the video clip of the murder in Aluu village. But Segun insisted that the police beat him and threatened to shoot him if he refused to sign the statement. The first accused person, who was led in evidence by his counsel, Kehinde, said the police tortured and inflicted bodily injuries on him. Segun told the court, under cross-examination by Rivers State SolicitorGeneral, Rufus Godwins, that the injuries were on his head and back.

The accused, who attempted to remove his shirt to buttress his point but was restrained, said he was given a pain relieving tablet at the Port Harcourt prison clinic. He, however, admitted that he was not treated by a doctor. Segun said he could not complain about the torture to any police officer because nobody could have listened to him under the condition he found himself. He, however, contradicted his allegation of torture when he said that all the facts contained in his statement he wrote were correct. “All facts in my statement are correct,” Segun said. The solicitor-general said the onus of proof on the allegation rested on the shoulders of the defence in line with the Evidence Act. He said the allegation was the figment of the defence imagination. According to him, Lagos State has banned `trial-within-trial’ because lawyers used frivolous allegation to delay court proceedings. The judge, Justice Ledan Nyordee, warned lawyers appearing before him, to exercise caution, and said the court was not a market place or a town hall meeting. He adjourned the case to March 13 and March 27, for continuation.

Friday, February 28, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Politics

Shettima’s synopsis on Boko Haram, a bitter truth

Making Lagos anti-smoking law work

Rivers PDP accuse Amaechi of kidnapping members SAM OLUWALANA PORT HARCOURT

n an unusual political war tactics, Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has accused Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi of masterminding the kidnap of three of its members on Wednesday evening, even

as the state government has accused the opposition of being insensitive to the plight of its members. The Police in the state have also assured that it was on top of the situation and have swung into action over the matter. State PDP chairman, Chief Felix Obuah made the accusation during a

2015: IPAC to tackle voter apathy, electoral vices OBIORA IFOH ABUJA

he Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, has said it would work hard with all stakeholders to improve popular participation of the citizenry in the electoral process during the 2015 general elections. Speaking at the inaugural meeting in Abuja, the IPAC chairman in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Chief Anyaegbunam Okoye, said all political parties in the FCT have drawn up a code of conduct which guide their operations adding that the council intends to monitor all processes leading to the emergence of parties’ candidates for elections. Okoye added that IPAC will promote fair play among

the parties and encourage parties to freely canvass for votes by putting out programmes and manifestos thereby reducing thuggery and violence during the 2015 general elections. His words: “This pioneer IPAC in the FCT will work to encourage all political parties in Abuja to adopt internal democracy in the process of choosing their candidates for the next elections in 2015. “We shall collaborate with every relevant organs like the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, United Nationa Development Programme, UNDP, National orientation Agence, NOA and nongovernmental organisations to bring voter apathy to its bearest minimum within the FCT.”

news briefing in Port Harcourt, explaining that the party officials were kidnapped at the residence of one of the victims on Eagle Island, in the state capital. He gave the names of those kidnapped as a former member of the House of Representative, Hon. Chinyere Igwe, chairman of PDP in Port Harcourt Local Government Area, Mr. Alwell Ihunda and another party official. Obuah said that the party believes that the kidnap was masterminded by Amaechi and the All Progressives

ABUJA

fter picking his nomination forms for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP’s ticket in the June 9 governorship election in Ekiti State, former governor of the state, Ayo Fayose boasted that he would chase out incumbent Governor Kayode Fayemi from office and install “a people-oriented government.” Fayose swelled the ranks of aspirants who have collected the forms to three. Others were former Minister for Police Affairs, Navy captain Caleb Olubolade and Adedayo Ayeyeye. About 33 persons had indicated interest in the gov-

ernorship when last week they had a meeting with the PDP National Working Committee, NWC. Fielding questions from journalists after picking the Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms for N11 million, Fayose said he would restore government to the people, boasting that

her reaction to Obuah’s allegations, condemned the incident, while also taking a swipe at the PDP for playing politics with the lives of its members. She however, called on the Police to ensure that those behind the dastardly act are apprehended. Her words: “It is unfortunate that the PDP in Rivers has become so insensitive that they play politics with the lives of their members. “The Rivers State government condemns the kidnap of the three men and pleads

with the Police CP to kindly use his good offices to effect and search and rescue efforts apprehend the culprits who have done this evil.” Reacting, state Police Commissioner, Johnson Ogunsakin told National Mirror: “We are aware of the incident and we are on it. Our men have been mobilised to investigate and apprehend the perpetrators. I hereby assure residents of the state to go about their lawful businesses, as we shall continue to guarantee their safety and that of their property.”

L-R: Country Director, World Youth Peace Mission and Coordinator, Elections Observers, Plateau Local Government Elections, Chief. Boniface Okafor and a member, Mr Romanus Azubuike, at a press briefing on the elections in Jos,yesterday. PHOTO:NAN

I’ll dethrone Fayemi –Fayose OBIORA IFOH

Congress, APC-led government in Rivers. His words: “After careful examination of the circumstances surrounding the abduction, we believe that the kidnap was masterminded by Amaechi and the APCled state government. We are shocked that Governor Amaechi is playing politics with the security of the lives and property in the state, by branding his political opponents his worst enemies.” However, the state Information and Communications Commissioner Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, in

he has the capacity to defeat Fayemi, saying that since he defeated a supposed Fayemi’s political godfather in the past, he would not encounter any difficulty defeating “a political godson.” Fayose said: “The South West is not the home of APC. Don’t forget that APC operates like a cult. If they bring you they put you in the cooler. I am telling you PDP will win Ekiti state. “I am a grassroots man, Fayemi is gone; he is not at home with the people. In Ekiti when they reject you, you can’t beg them. “On March 15, there will be a proclamation and the only person that will be proclaimed by number is Ayo Fayose.”

Reps condemn Yobe killings, task FG on security OLAJIDE OMOJOLOMOJU

he House of Representatives’ Committee on Human Rights on Wednesday condemned the killing of 43 pupils of Federal Government College, Buni

Yadi, Yobe State, describing the act as barbaric. The vice-chairman of the committee, Hon. Rotimi Makinde, who addressed newsmen on the issue, said the massacre was callous, urging government to change tactics in its fight

against the insurgents. “The Human Rights Committee of the House Representatives is worried like every other right thinking Nigerian on the callous, torpid and inhuman nature of the sect especially on innocent pupils.

Olabayo counsels on 2015 elections AYO ESAN

rophet Theophilus Olabayo of the Evangelical Church of Yahweh has warned that Nigeria should pray fervently for the 2015 general election to hold. Speaking during a colloquium to mark his 68th birthday with the theme:

‘Prophet Olabayo: The man, God’s gift, his ministry in carrying each other’s burden’ in Lagos, Olabayo said Nigeria is sitting on a keg of gun powder, adding that only prayer can rescue the country, urging political leaders to always have the fear of God in all their dealings. He urged leaders to be more committed to the affairs of the country, saying that

they should always fulfil their promises to the electorate. “Our politicians and people in government should always be careful, listen to the voice of the people and fear God to avoid problem,” he said. He described the political situation in the country as chaotic, saying that this was as a result of the political leaders’ attitude.

Politics

Friday, February 28, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Making Lagos anti-smoking law work TOYEEB OLAYINKA looks at the new law against smoking in public places signed into law recently by the Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola, and how effective it would be in the Centre of Excellence.

agos, the Centre of Excellence is a no man’s land with its multi-ethnic nature, making it the commercial hub of West Africa. This is the notion of some ethno-centric individuals who believe that without the influx of these people, the state would have been commercially dead. With respect to the multi-ethnicity nature of the state, it automatically accommodates all kinds of people in the society making it difficult to make laws that will guide the conduct of people, even when it was an attempt to create an enabling environment for them. The executive governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, recently signed into law the anti-smoking bill which was sponsored by Gbolahan Yishawu, the lawmaker representing Eti-Osa Constituency II, to prohibit smoking in designated places and vehicles. Section 12 of the 16-section law also instructs owners of public places to place signs with the inscription: ‘No Smoking’ or symbols prohibiting smoking, as part of enlightenment for smokers and impending violators of the law. Under the law, places designated as no smoking areas include libraries, archives, museums, galleries, public toilets, hospitals and other health facilities, nurseries, day care centres and any facility used for the care of infants and children or adults. The law states that any person who repeatedly violates the provisions of the law shall on conviction be liable to a fine of N50,000 or six months imprisonment or both. It further states that any person who smokes in the presence of a child commits an offence and shall be liable, on conviction, to a fine of N15,000 or one month imprisonment term During the signing ceremony, which had top government functionaries and members of the Lagos State House of Assembly in attendance, the governor said the anti-smoking law will help government discharge its responsibility to the citizenry more efficiently. The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, LASEPA, has been saddled with the implementation of the law, while aggrieved residents who may have complaints against officials of the agency saddled with implementing the law, have the opportunity to report their grievances to the state Ministry of Environment. However, mixed reactions have trailed the smoke-free public places law. While some people see it as an attempt to send some people packing from Lagos, others see the law good riddance to bad rubbish Lending their voice in support of the smoke-free public places law, the Environmental Rights Action, ERA, Friends of the Earth Nigeria, FOEN and Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Center, CISLAC, described the law as a “timely vote for public health” that would control the excesses of indiscriminate smokers, who have refused to tow the honourable path of knowing where and when to smoke. Auwal Rafsanjani, Executive Director of CISLAC, said the signing into law of the bill by the governor, was a pointer to delivering pro-people governance without prejudice. His words: “The fact is that it took the governor less than a month to sign this pro-people bill into law owing to the importance of the law at providing a healthy environment for Lagos residents. It takes only a sensitive governor to consider signing the bill into a law.” A legal luminary who pleaded anonymity said the law has two sides, especially when the state concerned is a commercial centre. For those who sell tobacco, cigarettes and other nicotine items, it will definitely send them packing from Lagos. On the other hand, it was an attempt to rid the state of public smokers, particularly street urchins and miscreants. “As far as I am concerned, the law has come to stay and it would be effective on Lagosians provided it is well implemented by the appropriate authority. The rate at which

Fashola

THE LAW STATES THAT ANY PERSON WHO REPEATEDLY VIOLATES THE PROVISIONS OF THE LAW SHALL ON CONVICTION BE LIABLE TO A FINE OF

N50,000 OR SIX

MONTHS IMPRISONMENT OR BOTH people smoke in the public is both alarming and injurious, which poses a huge threat to the people. “I think it is because we have a sensitive governor who

is passionate about the lives and properties of the people, if not he would have not given his assent to the bill. The only likely effect the law would have on people is only in terms of sales and how many people are selling cigarettes except for the company that produces it. Moreover, the government has only banned smoking in public and not in totality,” she said. Mr. Oluyinka Taoheed, a medical practitioner also gave a nod to the law, saying that it is the right law at the right time as it would curb the scourge of heart diseases prevalent in the society. He, however, urged the government to put stringent measures in place in order to uphold the law. Taoheed said: “I am happy the state government took the bull by the horn by signing the law, just like accident victims rate declined in the hospital during the ban of okada, so also the rate of cancer and other heart-related diseases would reduce drastically. In fact, its laws are always pro-people although it may have their excesses on people, but at the end it is always worth it. “I must tell you, the very first day the law banning okada riders was implemented, I could recall I was on duty that day in the hospital and I discovered there were few patients on okada accidents because initially, most accidents were caused by some of these impatient and reckless okada riders. So, this same law, if well implemented will definitely have a positive impact on people’s lives, especially at addressing the unnecessary smoking in public.” On the other hand, Mallam Audu, a gate-keeper cum cigarette seller expressed his dissatisfaction over the ban of smoking in public places, lamenting the huge decline in patronage it would have on his sales and the attendant effect as an augment to his meager salary. He said: “Abeg! Abeg, the man wahala don too much jare, na only him be first governor for Lagos? If you do this you know do am well, if you do that you know do am well, wetin he want sef ? And job he no provide, make I go steal? I know say the law no go fit work for Lagos. The oga oga wey dey come smoke for my place no dey come again now.” He added that the law would have been best implemented if it were to be a small place like his community in the North, unlike Lagos which occupies over 15 million people of different ethnic backgrounds. The questions on the lips of residents are: Would the elites not be exonerated from the anti-smoke laws and will the law stand the test of time? Only time would tell whether or not this law would be effectively implemented in Lagos, the Centre of Excellence.

APC registers over .3m members in Ekiti OLAJIDE OMOJOLOMOJU

he All Progressives Congress, APC, has disclosed that its continuous registration exercise of its members in Ekiti State has yielded membership strength of 315,985 from the initial 226,527 as at February 12, when the party registration was officially concluded. The new figure showed an additional registration of 89,458 members, a situation traceable to the quality of awareness and mobilisation given the exercise by the APC on the one hand and the fact that other parties in the state are yet to find their bearings on the other hand. In a release by the party’s Director of Public-

ity and Media in the state, Segun Dipe, the APC said that the latest figure was a manifestation of the total dominance of the APC in Ekiti State, a result of the good work of the Dr. Kayode Fayemi-led administration. Dipe said: “We keep saying it that the APC is the most attractive party in Ekiti State and Nigeria today. We are the party of the grassroots and the only organised party in Ekiti State as of now. Our people are not gamblers; they are not going to leave certainty for uncertainty.” Also, expressing satisfaction at the massive turnout of party members for the exercise, the interim state chairman, Chief Olajide Awe described it as a proof of acceptance of the APC and the desire to retain the incumbent governor for a

second term in office. He said that no one can deceive the good people of Ekiti or lure them with money or any other largesse any more, saying: “What they want is stability and enduring legacy. Our people are no more confused, they know where they want to be and how to get there. Let other states begin to emulate our state by joining APC enmasse.” Chief Awe said there was no hidden secret behind the attraction other than proper mobilisation and “giving our people a sense of belonging. The APC is a merger of three functional parties rolled into one. Moreover, Dr. Fayemi has made the work very simple by providing a well-focused leadership. “He fulfilled his prom-

ises to the letter by not only empowering the youths but also the aged. If you do what someone had not done before, you will also get an unprecedented result. We are only reaping the fruit of our good work in the state.” A breakdown of the newly released figures showed that APC membership of APC in Ado Local Government has risen to 33,145, followed by Oye with 23,140 members and Ekiti South West with 22,133 and Ikere with 21,688 members. Other local government councils were: Ikole, 21,010; Irepodun/Ifelodun, 20,564; Ijero, 20,500; Ekiti West, 20,171; Ido/Osi, 19,115; Gbonyin, 18,775; Moba, 17,240; Ekiti East, 20,277; Ise/Orun, 19,675; Efon, 13,914; Emure, 13,606 and Ilejemeje, 11,032.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Politics

Friday, February 28, 2014

EMMANUEL EGHAGHE writes on the aptness of Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima’s synopsis on why the Boko Haram sect has continued to remain a thorn in the flesh of the Nigerian security agents, laying the blame at the doorsteps of the leadership of the country.

Shettima’s synopsis on Boko Haram, a bitter truth

he history of the dreaded Islamic sect, Boko Haram, dated back to as early as 2001, but it did not assume the international dimension it assumed todays until 2009. In simple translation, Boko Haram in Hausa language means “western education is sinful.”But since 2011, the sect has assumed the toga of international terrorist organization, waging war against the Nigerian state and her citizens in the Noth-Easten states of Yobe, Borno and Adamawa, wrecking havoc and leaving in their trail deaths, tears and sorrow. This had led to the declaration of state of emergency in the affected states and at a point when all thought that the military was winning the war, the sect has intensified it attacks, especially in Borno State, killing and maiming innocent Nigerians without let up. Recently, without mincing words or playing to the gallery, the governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, confessed that Boko Haram members are better equipped and motivated than the Nigerian Army. Shettima made this confession penultimate Monday after briefing President Goodluck Jonathan and the Service Chiefs on the attacks in Borno State over the weekend. The governor, who was summoned by President Jonathan over the attack penultimate week in Borno by Boko Haram noted that political leaders have failed the country with their inability to successfully tackle the outlawed Boko Haram sect. He told the State House correspondents that rather than blame the military, political leaders should take full responsibility for the carnage unleashed on innocent souls by the dreaded sect. He admitted that the Boko Haram group has always been ahead of the nation’s security agencies. The meeting, presided over by Jonathan and attended by the Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, Air Chief Marshall Alexander Sabundu Badeh, Service Chiefs, the National Security Adviser, NSA, the Director-General of State Security Service, SSS and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) followed renewed and persistent attacks by the sect. Briefing State House correspondents, Shettima said: “The sooner we stopped playing the ostrich and rise up to the challenges of the day, and marshal all resources towards … the antics of Boko Haram the better for all of us. “The bottom line is that we need more resources, more vote on ground. In all fairness to the officers and men of the Nigerian Army and police, they are doing their best given the circumstances they have found themselves in. “But honestly, Boko Haram members are better armed and are better motivated than our own troops. And believe me, I am an eternal optimist as I have always said, but I am also a realist. Given the present state of affairs, it is absolutely impossible for us to defeat Boko Haram.” Asked if he presented the enormity of the situation in Borno State to the President, Shettima said: “I made it emphatically clear to the President that the Boko Haram members are better armed and better motivated, anybody who is following events in this country can attest to the fact that they have a very smooth sail over-running communities, killing people. Have we ever succeeded in thwarting any of their plans? They went to Konduga and did what they wanted to do; they held sway for over four hours before they left. They were in Kawuri, Idzge and I don’t blame the Nigerian military. Honestly, we the leaders should be held responsible for our failure in leadership.” He said that in Idzge alone, 106 lives were lost while he could not give the exact figures of casualties in the other raids, adding: “Remember that some people were hospitalised with very great injuries, so I’m afraid the figures might climb,” he said. On the 2015 election, Shettima said that it was too early in the day to talk about election, when human lives were being wasted adding: “Power comes from God and he gives

Shettima

power to whom He wills. I don’t care a hoot whether elections are here but I do care that peace is restored in Borno and the North-East sub-region, so people should stop playing politics.” While many Nigerians shared Shettima’s sentiments, President Jonathan has disagreed with Governor Shettima’s comment and insisted that the Nigerian Army have the upper hand and that she is better armed and motivated. In its reaction, the All Progressive Congress, APC, has defended Shettima’s comments and strongly condemned the escalation of Boko Haram violence in the country’s North-East, calling the insurgents cowards for targeting unarmed civilians. Whichever side of the coin is tossed, it is certain that Shettima wears the shoe and knows where it pinches. He probably is more informed, as the man at the centre of the heat and therefore appreciates the situation better than those seated at the comforts of the offices in the nation’s capital, Abuja. Over the years, the Nigerian Army holds a distinctive reputation as far as Africa is concerned in the area of peacekeeping missions and security. A forerunner in both African Union and the United Nations peace keeping missions, but despite this prolific credential internationally,

BOKO HARAM MEMBERS ARE BETTER ARMED AND ARE BETTER MOTIVATED THAN OUR OWN TROOPS.... GIVEN THE

PRESENT STATE OF AFFAIRS, IT IS ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO DEFEAT BOKO HARAM

her home record is nothing to write home about. The security situation as been worsened with the emergence of different militia groups; motivated by different ideologies and also employing different means and devices in executing their operations. Today, groups such as the Oduduwa People’s Congress, OPC, Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND and most recently Boko Haram, have threatened the peaceful existence and security enjoyed in Nigeria long before now. Is the Nigerian Army adequately equipped? Is it really motivated? If yes, to what degree compared to the average terrorist, who is ready to die for that course he believes in? What is the welfare package of the average Nigerian security agent? What welfare package is available to his family, peradventure, he pays the supreme price in the course of or line of duty, so that they don’t suffer after his demise? The pension system in Nigeria has been marred with different irregularities and corrupt practices so much that retirees hardly get access to their money. On the other hand, the terrorists or suicide bombers, prior to launching an attack or laying down their lives, are assured that their families and those they are leaving behind will benefit from their adventure and as such, they are ready at any point to pay the supreme price. In terms of weapons and ammunition, terrorist groups, Boko Haram specifically, have used the different boarders to import all manner of sophisticated weapons that are used to unleash havoc on the Nigerian Army and the citizensy. They are never short of weapons as they are funded by unknown big shots. On the other hand, the security agencies confronting this monster cannot match them weapon for weapon or grit for grit. Insecurity in Nigeria is very glaring across the federation with every Nigerian living daily on faith or fate as the case may be. With headlines of bombings, onslaught on communities and other violence leading the front pages of newspapers and other media, the government should wake up to the responsibility entrusted in her by the citizens, instead of politicking and endangering the lives of innocent citizens. Recently, suspected members of the extremist Boko Haram were believed to be responsible for the killings of an estimated 50 students of the Federal Government College in Buni Yadi, Yobe State in the early hours of February 25. As 2015 beckons, there is need for the security story in Nigeria to take a turnaround for the better. And to achieve this, so many things must be put in place and so many others put away. One major thing that must be done is for government to first of all ensure adequate motivation for the security agencies, such that an average security agent would have a sense of fulfillment and be ready to answer the clarion call to duty, even the point of death. Their welfare and family should be of paramount importance to government as well. There should be assurance that all would be well with those they are leaving behind if they should pay the supreme price in the course of duty. Also, the armed forces should be adequately equipped to match the firepower of the terrorists. Government should also ensure the training and re-training of the personnel to bring them abreast of modern warfare strategies as well as counter-terrorism intelligence and warfare. Moreso, more troops should be deployed to flashpoints in the affected states for efficient policing. Government should put an end to lip service and take decisive action that would not only nip the violence in the bud, but also bring it to a permanent end. This was further reflected in the words of an obviously frustrated Shettima. Simply put, Shettima was advocating for a change in tactics and approach to combating the dreaded sect and the earlier the government takes the necessary action, the better for everybody.

Editorial

Friday, February 28, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

All the Facts, All the Sides A PUBLICATION OF GLOBAL MEDIA MIRROR LTD BARRISTER JIMOH IBRAHIM, OFR PUBLISHER

KAFILAT OGBARA

MANAGING DIRECTOR/CEO

BANKOLE MAKINDE

DEPUTY MD/CEO

SEYI FASUGBA

DAILY EDITOR

GBEMI OLUJOBI

SATURDAY EDITOR

KAYODE FASUA

ACTING EDITOR, SUNDAY

DOZIE OKEBALAMA

COORDINATOR, EDITORIAL BOARD

CALLISTUS OKE

EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR

ISE-OLUWA IGE

ABUJA BUREAU CHIEF

FIDELIS LEMCHI OWOAMANAM

REGIONAL DIRECTOR, S/SOUTH

KAYODE BALOGUN JNR

SM, STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT

KING ODODORU

HEAD, GRAPHICS

Exit of Stella Oduah, Joseph Mbu T he sack of Stella Oduah from President Goodluck Jonathan’s cabinet is a welcome relief, though belated. Indeed, the sack of Oduah and the redeployment of the Commissioner of Police (CP) Joseph Mbu away from Rivers State have given Nigerians the hope that public opinion counts no matter how slow President Goodluck Jonathan’s response may be. The issues surrounding Oduah’s tenure as Minister of Aviation; and that of Mbu as Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, fully buttress the nature of the Nigerian State and its leadership. Take Oduah’s case as one example. She is reputed to have vigorously campaigned for the election of President Jonathan into office. The reward for her effort turned out a plum ministerial appointment. Many vested interests in the aviation industry never wanted her on that job from the beginning. But the opposition to her appointment had not much to do with national interest. Some said they needed a technocrat on that post. Unfortunately, Nigeria’s experience seems not to justify the clamour for having technocrats as political office holders as yet. A visit to some of the nation’s airports will show the difference between the performance of former administrators of the aviation industry, some of whom were purported technocrats, and that of Oduah. The improve-

ments are very glaring. There are criticisms about substandard work. That may be true. However, in the past, Nigerian airports were very decrepit. Nigerians should acknowledge the fact that Oduah brought some improvements to the sector. A friend of the house, Ikeogu Oke, spoke glowingly about this aspect of Oduah’s tenure when he wrote in a piece published in many national dailies recently as follows: “… There’s hardly any airport in Nigeria today that was not impacted by her vision as a reformer… But, my favourite of all the airports she transformed was the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos. Easily Nigeria’s prime airport, it was in a decrepit, shame-inducing state when last I travelled from it to South Africa before her tenure, and my shame was amplified when I compared it to the Oliver Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg upon my arrival. Today, thanks to her good work, the quality of the infrastructure at the airport can be equated with those in other international airports worldwide”. The same testimony was given about the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, the Akanu Ibiam Airport, Enugu, which is now an international airport, and others, “from Calabar in the deepest south to Sokoto in the farthest north; from Port Harcourt to Yola

ODUAH MERELY

REPLICATED THE

INSENSITIVE AND CONDEMNABLE

BEHAVIOR PATTERN OF THE

NIGERIAN RULING CLASS

to Kaduna to Jalingo; from Jos to Minna to Maiduguri”. There are many other aviation sector projects that are on-going, and hopefully, Oduah’s successor will not deviate from her vision. It is also obvious that in doing what she did in the sector, Oduah must have stepped on many powerful toes. At a point, it became unclear whether criticisms against her were coming because an interest group lost grip on the aviation sector, or because of the geographical region Oduah hailed from. Then came the alleged certificate scandal, which involved the claim that she forged a Master’s Degree certificate. We do not know the actual truth about this allegation. What may be said is that a number of members of the ruling class have problems with the credibility of their academic qualifications. Many hoped she would resign because of the development, but she did not. The bullet-proof car scam was yet another case that

ON THIS DAY February 27, 1991 The first Gulf War ended. The war (August 2, 1990 to February 28, 1991), codenamed Operation Desert Storm was waged by coalition forces from 34 nations led by the United States against Iraq in response to Iraq’s invasion and annexation of Kuwait. The war is also known under other names, such as the Persian Gulf War, First Gulf War, Gulf War I, Kuwait War, or the First Iraq War.

Letters tothe theEditor Editor Letters to

February 27, 2004 Over one million Taiwanese participating in the ‘228 Hand-in-Hand Rally’, formed a 500-kilometre (310 mi) long human chain to commemorate the ‘228 Incident’ in 1947. The 228 Incident was an anti-government uprising in Taiwan that began on February 27, 1947 which was violently suppressed by the KMT-led Republic of China government and which resulted in the massacre of numerous civilians, beginning on February 28, or 2/28.

ought to have forced her to resign, given the public outcry that it was extremely profligate on her part to purchase two vehicles at N255m, when tertiary educational institutions were closed for lack of funds; and hospitals, the judiciary, etc., were under-funded. The snag, however, is that many of Nigeria’s rulers and parliamentarians own bullet-proof cars and private jets they purchased while in office. But the critical point being made is that Oduah merely replicated the insensitive and condemnable behavior pattern of the Nigerian ruling class. This partly explains why President Jonathan was reluctant to sack her instantly when the public cried out. Also recall that a minister in Ghana was compelled to vacate her post for merely expressing the desire to amass wealth while in office. But here we are! The case of the Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi and CP Mbu is another example of the ruling class’ political rascality. In the bid to struggle for power, anything goes. Neither the federal nor Rivers State government can be said to be truly on the side of the people in the Mbu-Amaechi saga. While we salute Oduah for her exemplary performance while in office, we in unequivocal terms condemn her profligacy, or tolerance of same from her erstwhile office or the agencies she superintended over while in the saddle.

x February 27, 2013 Pope Benedict XVI resigned as the pope of the Catholic Church, thus becoming the first pope to do so since 1415. Benedict XVI (born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger on April 16, 1927) is Pope Emeritus of the Catholic Church, having served in that capacity from 2005 to 2013. In that position, he was both the leader of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State. Benedict was elected on 19 April 2005.

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Views

Friday, February 28, 2014

Godswill Akpabio’s Akwa Ibom State THINKING WITH PRINCEWILL

ALOZIE

eople make history, but individuals can be very important catalysts in the history making process. Governor Godswill Akpabio is such a catalyst in the history making process of Akwa Ibom State and indeed of Nigeria. Just a few years ago, if people wanted “house helps”, maids or servants, the surer source was Akwa Ibom. That has completely ended, thanks to Godswill Akpabio’s governance objectives and style. Based on the neo-liberal perspective that is the guide for both the federal and state governments in Nigeria, it could be asserted that Obong Godswill Akpabio is one of the best governors in the country. Within the neoliberal framework, the governor is aggressively pursuing free, qualitative, compulsory primary and secondary school education in the state. This explains, partly why house servants and house maids do not now come from Akwa Ibom State. The governor’s education programme has

some in-built element for the other Nigerian leaders to learn from. I understand that even Nigerian citizens, who are residents of Akwa Ibom, can have their wards benefit from this education scheme. Compare this with those whose state anthem is deportation and discrimination of Nigerian citizens who are referred to as “non-indigenes”. This goes to show what such a governor like Akpabio could do, if he were to be the president of the country. I recall when I was a member of staff of the University of Calabar, the old capital of Akwa Ibom and Cross River states. The pioneer Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Emmanuel Ayandele, referred to the people as an “atomistic and perpetually at war with each other.” Akpabio has changed all that in Akwa Ibom. His development strategy spans over all parts of the state. My visit to Uyo a few days ago, made me curious to know, whether what I saw in Uyo, is an exception from other towns in the state. My investigation shows that all towns and people of Akwa Ibom will remember Akpabio administration long after he leaves office. Within a short time, he completed the first phase of the international airport that was at the foundation level when he came on board. There is the Le Meridien Ibom Hotel and Golf Resort that is of international standard. Uyo has an amazing number of modern housing estates. The building industry is thriving there. Roads are built to last and of high standard. Indeed, there is an outstanding e-library that is yet to be sur-

WHOEVER ASPIRES TO TAKE OVER FROM

GODSWILL AKPABIO MUST BE READY TO PERFORM UP TO HIS STANDARD SET OR BEAT HIS RECORD passed. Dr. Michael Okpara administration in the old Eastern Nigeria paid immense attention to the establishment of libraries in the region. Chief Obafemi Awolowo provided free education to Western Nigerians. Godswill Obot Akpabio combined the two positive aspects of those great leaders in his Akwa Ibom State: Free education plus an e-library. I tried to find out if the “wretched of the earth” have been forgotten. No. There are many job opportunities. They are absorbed in over 6,000 micro-projects that use direct labour. My investigation reveals that he has been permitted by the Federal Government to embark on the dualisation of Uyo-Calabar road. A 20th Anniversary Hospital that will be the hub of medical tourism in the country is under construction. A deep sea port is on the drawing board. Power supply, aluminum smelting company, agro-allied industries are some of the many projects Godswill Akpabio

have taken upon himself to actualize. It is true Akwa Ibom has allocation as an oil producing state. The same could be said of some neighbouring state, who cannot account for the money allocated to their states. Whoever aspires to take over from Godswill Akpabio must be ready to perform up to his standard set or beat his record. There is one area that must be addressed in subsequent development of Akwa Ibom and Nigeria. This will be under the umbrella of aggressive industrialization and manpower development in science, technology and research. When this area of development is tackled, Nigerians will not be fleeing the country, only to perish in the desert, or helped to drown in the Mediterranean Sea. A governor, who has done so much for his people, should be happy. I do not know about the private life of Godswill Obot Akpabio, but it takes a happy, positive mind to embark on these myriad of projects. It also appears to me that this particular governor of Akwa Ibom State has an eye on history. He will rightly wish to be remembered by the good work he has done to the people who elected him to govern them. Those governors and presidents, who corner the national wealth into personal and private wealth, will be sorry for themselves, if they were to have the privilege of reading how they are presented to generations after they might have departed from this world. PRINCEWILL ALOZIE (pravafrica@ yahoo.com 08058533415 (for sms only)

Shehu Shagari: Quintessential moderate at 89 COSMAS ODOEMENA

t was sometime in 2001 or thereabout, the place was the male surgical ward of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) Sokoto, and I am not sure again if there were two or three men who stood by the bedside of a patient, I could only see their back from a distance. But one of the nurses whispered to me that one of those men was former president Alhaji Shehu Shagari. At first, I did not believe her, because if the nurse was right I expected some kind of crowd around him and outside the hospital and some mean looking security operatives, perhaps. But soon the men were to round off their visit and to depart, and then one of them turned his face momentarily. Bespectacled, and in white babanriga and a white cap to match, I beheld a fair skinned elderly Fulani man with delicate features. It was former First Executive President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Shagari all right! He walked out of the hospital, accompanied by the others who on closer appreciation were traditional royal bodyguards, known as Dogarai, in their red and green attire. I hesitated, and then went after them. As I got close behind them, I said “Yallabai”, he paused and looked back and gave me a smile. And I let him continue. I could not hope to start a conversation if I could dare, not

AMONG NIGERIAN POLITICIANS THERE IS HARDLY ANY WHO CAN RIVAL HIM IN SOBRIETY AND HONESTY there anyway, and not at such a time. I just wanted to experience that rare moment. I stood transfixed, while he continued with his company. Simple. Graceful. Once, I went to see a friend in Sama road in Sokoto whose house is not far from the former president’s house. My friend showed me Shagari’s house. It was not on a hilltop and there was no grandiose about it. From what I was told, even his hometown house in Shagari carries the same simplicity. Now, I have the flair for fine arts, and in the early 80s as a young pupil I drew portraits. Shagari’s was one of those works, and one of those which have found a place in my cherished archives up till today. Indeed, I might not have remembered to write this tribute if I had not seen Shehu Shagari recently in a photo op with past Nigerian leaders after a National Council of State meeting. He stood among them, unbowed by age. He does not seek to be noticed and does not carry any hubris. While others, who had the privilege

of ruling this country, continue to heat up the polity in vain pursuit of political relevance, Shagari has continued a life of moderation. You can hardly hear him speak. But he is the unseen hand that rocks the cradle. His government was reforms orientated. He was the one who introduced a national minimum wage for Nigerian workers. He was the one who declared May 1st as Worker’s Day holiday in Nigeria as it should be worldwide. He established a Ministry of Housing and Environment and also a Ministry of Science and Technology. During his time as president Nigeria was affected by the international economic crisis. Shagari took steps to make the economy stronger. He cut the budget and involved the International Monetary Fund. But perhaps, the one that our African neighbours will not forget in a hurry is the expulsion of about two million illegal aliens, mostly Ghanaians, in what was called “Ghana Must Go!” He was never known to be corrupt. Like Nelson Mandela, he also has a forgiving spirit. He forgave all those who hurt him along the way, including those who forcefully took his office. He is non-judgemental and impartial. And does not play the ethnic card. Among Nigerian politicians there is hardly any who can rival him in sobriety and honesty. He had an image that was brighter than his political party.

He was a former school teacher, a former federal legislator, a former federal commissioner, who nursed the ambition to become a senator but ended up being a president. He is a farmer and has been active in his commercial farm called Jan-Zomo Farm along Sokoto-Kontagora road on the outskirt of Shagari. He is also a senior councillor of the Sokoto Sultanate Council and has the traditional title of Turakin Sokoto. Shagari represents Nigeria’s past, and its present. There is a lot we need to learn from his wisdom and experience, there is a lot he can give and should give, especially in this most trying period of our political journey. I use this opportunity to let this political sage of our time use his influence that has kept peace and security in Sokoto to also touch all other restive and unsafe places in the North. As he himself knows, it is “One Nation, One Destiny!” As he turned 89 on February 25, 2014, I join many of his well-wishers to wish, perhaps, the most moderate political figure of our time a happy birthday. Allah ya ba ka lafia. Allah ya baka yawancin rai. Dr Odoemena, is a Lagos-based medical practitioner. 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. Pseudonyms may be used but must be clearly marked as such.

Mail Mirror

Friday, February 28, 2014

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North east is emerging Nigeria’s worst faultline

ermit me to use your widely read newspaper to share a thought on the state of the Nigerian nation. When Boko Haram suddenly assaulted the consciousness of Nigerians more than four years ago, we all thought the insurgen-

Sanusi deserves ‘sack’

am at a loss why the ‘sack’ of the Central Bank of Nigeria governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi is generating unnecessary press attention. Recently, Eze Festus Odimegwu, as Chairman of the National Population Commission, revealed the shenanigans going on for years in the Commission, specifically census figures manipulation. Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State led northern leaders ‘war delegation’ to the Presidential Villa, Abuja, and pressurised Mr. President to sack him. When President Jonathan obliged their request everybody

had Odimegwu to blame for opening his mouth too wide. Now that Sanusi has been sacked he should also carry his can for opening his mouth too wide. He ought to have learnt his lessons from what happened to Odimegwu and co; for failing to do that I have no tears to shed for him. In fact, his sack to me is a case of good riddance to bad rubbish of an employee who wanted to become more powerful than his/her employer. It is the case of the proverbial bird, Nza, who challenged his chi to a wrestling match after a sumptuous meal. Chkwuma Dioka, Owerri, Imo State.

Prevalent egunje culture in unions

here is the prevalence of egunje unionism and owambe unionists in Nigeria. This fact is attested to by our pensioners’ plight, subsidy scam, psychotic corruption, no light, fuel scarcity etc. Unionists call off strikes as soon as they are settled by government agents and hence cannot defend the suffering mass-

es in Nigeria. We call for a change of guard and attitudinal reorientation in all trade unions in Nigeria –PENGASSAN, NUPENG, TUC, NURTW etc. There must be a renaissance to checkmate tentacles of mercenary unionists and cancerous unionism in Nigeria. Chief Bobson Gbinije, Warri, Delta State.

Rapists on the prowl

s Nigeria also a land of rapists in addition to being one of the most corrupt countries on mother earth? If one cannot trust colleagues in the office as the case of Emmanuel Ilori, the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) officer, who insulted his friend he visited recently by raping his nine year old daughter has shown, who then can we trust? No day passes without the media reporting cases of rape across the country, the most perfidious being against children under the age of 10.

Letters to the Editor

Very many Africans are kindness personified, which is why social visits are looked forward to and welcomed. The first gesture of welcome extended to a guest is to serve cold water, other things can follow later. But Africans can go to any extreme if you take undue advantage of their under-aged girls. All hands must be on deck to root out the paedophiles in our midst, confine them before they do more harm to womanhood. Doris Akpe, Lokoja, Kogi State.

cy will fizzle out sooner or later. However, the present reality is that it has become a cancerous monster that could devour Nigeria. With the coordinated assaults successfully carried out by the sect in Yobe and Borno states in the last two months, it is obvious that our military is ill prepared to handle the level of sophisticated counterterrorism presented by Boko Haram. The North East part of Nigeria is dissolving into anarchy with

civil governance completely hobbled. Governor Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe recently put the emerging scenario in perspective when he cried out: “We will be gradually wiped out”. His Borno State counterpart, Governor Kashim Shettima, betrayed the goriness of the scenario when he visited Aso Rock two times in less than one week. Why must we not confront the brutal fact? We need military discipline in the governance of the

states in the region. More than that, our military strategists should know that in the face of dearth of sophisticated technology driven force, only massive deployment of human force could contain the propensity for terror of the insurgents. Ordering the Chief of Army Staff to relocate to Maiduguri without the backing of a strong force is hollow exercise. Comrade Sylvester Agbi, Ojo, Lagos State .

PUBLIC MESS! A woman urinating in public at Mile 2 area of Lagos. PHOTO: YINKA ADEPARUSI

SOS to Gov Idris Wada

e members of the Middle Belt Youth Forum, wish to use your widely read newspaper as a medium to reach His Excellency, Governor Idris Wada of Kogi State on the goings-on in Idah Local Government Council. Sir, your legacies in the time past and at present have shown that you are a man of peace integrity and outstanding character. In particular, evidences of the social and economic development experienced by the state since your assumption of office have shown that you stand for the good of the state and people. Sir, your belief in justice to all Kogilites irrespective of tribe, religion, or political affiliations, and your expressed concerns on matters concerning the welfare of the people, most especially public servants in the state, have shown that you mean well for Kogi. However, and very unfortunate, many of the people at the helms of affairs in the various local government councils in the state do not key into your vision. This month will make it eight months that the workers of Idah Local Government Council have been denied their constitutional rights of getting their salaries as and when due. This unsavoury development has resulted in untold hardships

for their families, as most of them who are parents have been unable to pay their children school fees, settle medical bills, or even feed their family members. All the efforts made by important stakeholders in the state, including even the Attah of Igala, have not yielded any fruit. Investigation by the Middle Belt Youth Forum revealed that the local government council chairman’s claim of withholding the workers wage due to allegation of certificate falsification against majority of the workers in the council is untrue. Further investigation show that all the certificates of the affected staff have been sent to their various schools for verification and 99 percent of the controversial certificates where cleared by the various schools. The exercise was single handedly carried out by the chairman without instituting an investigation panel; he was the accuser and the judge in this case. Efforts made by the Forum, through the National Secretary, Engr Benjamin Apeh, hit a brick wall. The question then is why will an elected official hold the entire council hostage about issues that are not true? Who is promoting and supporting impunity in the council? Sir, the situation in Idah council is like adulterated kerosene waiting

for matches to explode it. Your timely intervention will not only calm the angry workers, but it will save hundreds of lives in hospital, children out of school and put food on the table for the suffering families. The action of the council chairman, Dr. Musa aka Major, is totally condemnable and unacceptable to the Forum in particular, and Nigerians in general. His action has confirmed the reasons why state governors and this Forum reject the push for autonomy for the local government councils. In as much as the Forum is not in support of certificate forgery, it will not fold it arms and see innocent citizens of idah Local Government Area deprive of their right and freedom to education, and their contribution to the economic growth of the LGA and the state. Therefore, the Middle Belt Youth Forum will not support any act of impunity from any elected public official in the region. The Forum therefore, gives the chairman of Idah local government council, Dr. Musa up till March to settle the workers. Your Excellency, act now by calling Idal local government council chairman to order before the impunity snowballs into a major crisis. Engr Benjamin Apeh, National secretary.

Send your letters The Editor reserves thethe right letters or or mails mailsto toPMB PMB10001, 10001,Ikoyi, Ikoyi,or orour our Email: Email:mirrorlagos@yahoo.com mirrorlagos@yahoo.comand andinfo@nationalmirroronline.net info@nationalmirroronline.netoror08056180209, 08054103275,07033375481 07033375481(SMS (SMSonly). only). The Editor reserves right to to edit and reject letters photographs. Psuedonyms may used, must clearly marked such. edit and reject letters or or photographs. Psuedonyms may bebe used, butbut must bebe clearly marked asas such.

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FRIDAY

Friday, February 28, 2014

Flavour

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

he Nigerian film industry otherwise called Nollywood may be back to the inglorious days of infighting. This time, it is coming as an aftermath of the visit of the members of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, AGN, led by Ibinabo Fiberisima to President Goodluck Jonathan last Tuesday. Some industry sources told Friday Flavour that other guild heads in the film industry are angry with the AGN executive members for ‘making a mess of such golden and rare opportunity with the number one citizen of the country in the pursuit of parochial interests’. Top on the list of the reasons why the other guild heads, represented as the Association of Movie Producers, AMP, Directors Guild of Nigeria, DGN amongst others are angry with Ibinabo Fiberisima, is her failure to make wider consultation with the industry stakeholders, before making some farreaching comments on behalf of the industry. Friday Flavour gathered that some of the comments made by Ibinabo Fiberisima during the visit, which were credited to the entire industry represented only the views of the Actors Guild of Nigeria which she leads and not that of the entire film industry.

Alex Eyengho

Rumblings as guild heads move against Fiberisima In a telephone chat, the National President of the Association of Nollywood Core Producers, Alex Eyengho, said he has been having consultations with other guild heads that are equally angry with the development. “With due respect, I think it is belittling of Mr President to take the patron-ship of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, because AGN is just one association in Nollywood. I will urge his aides in the Presidency to return the insignia from the Actors Guild of Nigeria. The whole industry should have decided when to honour the President and not for a few to go there on behalf of the entire industry. I think I will put the blame on the Presidential Adviser on Strategy and Research, Oronto Douglas for this. This has shown further that they do not understand how the film industry called Nollywood operates. There is no place in the world where the actors come to discuss the problems of the industry, where they do not put in any money. I specifically will ask that

the Presidency should turn down that patron-ship and allow the industry to honour the President because that is what he deserves. The guild heads have met and in the coming days, we are going to make our decision on this subject known to the world, because we want things to be done properly in the industry”. A film director, Dickson Iroegbu, who is the founder of the Greenwood Foundation, youth enlightenment and empowerment group also carpeted Ibinabo Fiberisma for the visit, which he called another divide and rule intrigue in Nollywood. He told Friday Flavour that the visit boils down to exploitation of the brand ‘Nollywood’ under the guise of being close to the corridors of power. “In as much as I do not want to begrudge anyone for knowing and visiting the President, I think that issues of this nature should be done in an orderly fashion. It also goes to show the kind of importance people attach to the people

in front-of-the-camera when in actual sense, the people behind-the-camera are the ones who should be talking about the industry. The actors are just employees, and do not understand the intricacies of film making to be able to speak for the industry. I am particularly displeased with the way they went to the place to call for the sack of Danjuma Dadu of the Nigerian Film Corporation as well as Particia Bala of the National Film and Video Censors Board. The actors do not interface with these agencies, so they do not have the right to call for the removal of their bosses. One would have expected them to begin to call for the establishment of a Ministry of Creative Entertainment, because the creative industry in Nigeria has gotten to the level where it should have a ministry dedicated to it.” Ibinabo Fiberisima refused to state her side of the issue. Meanwhile, Ibinabo Fiberisima has been appointed as a member of the board of the National Council for Arts and Culture.

WEEKEND STARTERS A Night of African Soul with Orliam

The Gidi Culture Festival takes over

lliance Francaise Unplugged featuring Orliam, an international musician from Benue State, Nigeria, will take place this night at Bogobiri House, Ikoyi, Lagos. To begin at 8pm the show that is heavy on the African Soul genre of music will also feature the Grand Style Band. Gate is free to those who intend to attend.

The Gidi Culture Festival will begin on Sunday and take place till March 3 from noon to midnight each day. With a lot of fun to catch the Elegushi Private Beach, Lagos venue of the event this is one party everyone would like to attend. Add to the fun the fact that Wizkid, Timaya, Lynxxx, Ice Prince, Seyi Shay, Jesse Jagz, Reminisce, and a host of oth-

Orliam

Zarita Fashion Show 2014

T Timaya

ers are billed perform and you have many more reasons to come out and party. DJ Hazan and DJ Obi will be on the wheels of steel all night long.

omorrow, the Zarita Fashion Show, which aims to be one of Nigeria’s biggest fashion shows presenting collections by Nigerian designers, will take place in Abuja. The event will be a fusion of fashion, music, musical performances and comedy. Designers billed to present include House of Limma, Salia Couture, Zarita Kouture, Avada Couture, Sobali Fashion and Disa Couture. Time is 5pm and venue is the Sheraton Hotel, Abuja.

Critics P. 22-23

NGOZI EMEDOLIBE

Andy Amenechi

P. 32

Zik Zulu

Mirror Mongers

Ibinabo Fiberesima

Inside FCT P. 24-25

Arty News

P. 26, 31

VOL. 4 No. 824

Artman In The House

Friday, February 28, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Films should reflect society Matthew Simpa, Sunday Ossai and the late Yemi Meshioye of then MESH Films produced Jagunlabi in the late 1980s, one of the earliest films that charted the course for what would later be known as Nollywood. The film was made on ‘reversal film’ a cheaper celluloid template to cut costs inadvertently opening the door to the even cheaper alternative of video widely embraced by Nollywood today. In this interview with Terh Agbedeh, Simpa talks about this and his new film project, ‘One Long Night’.

What is your new project about? It is a domestic drama about marriage. It is about a couple who happen to have dreams together when they married they believed they were going to succeed. Usually, every newly married couple has the idea of a rosy future but along the line, problems come up. The husband keeps getting in and out of job simply because he is idealistic, principled and of course, he will not change overnight so he keeps losing his job. All the while his wife supports him but at a point she gets tired when he gets another job and losses it. His wife says, ‘you need to do something. What is really happening? I think you are jinxed’. He has an idea that he should become an entrepreneur and this time around he deviates from his core field and goes into the production of chemicals. But he did not have capital so he was just going on hoping that someday he will make it. It is at that point that the wife completely turns against him... There is the thinking that the family is at that heart of all the problems in the country and this project looks like a fix it attempt pointing to the fact that if the family were better the country would be better for it. Is that the message? That is one of the points I want to make and I want to even state here that in the next couple of years my focus will be on marital issues. But the way I am going to resolve my own stories will be different from the usual Nollywood stories. I was discussing with a fellow film producer and he said he had done a story about marriage. This time it was the man who was maltreating the woman and the marriage broke up. Why should the marriage break up? Films are not supposed to mirror society, they are to reflect society. I discussed with one prolific soap opera director and he said films should mirror society but I said no. When you see yourself in a mirror, left becomes right and right becomes left. So if you mirror society that is what you get. But if you reflect you just take a part of society and put your own imagination to it and then give it your own conclusion based on an ideal. And then when you do that something who watches it can begin to think that life can actually be like this. Overtime, you get disciples who will now begin to live the way you expect them to.

Matthew Simpa on the set of The Burning Spear with Jibola Daboh & Vivian Anani

Matthew Simpa on the set of The Burning Spear

That is why they say that Hollywood makes America. By and large, the American films you watch are just a little reflection of the American society; you do not get to see everything that happens in American society but they reflect the part of America that they want you to see and then you say, wow, if this is America, I want to go there. The Nigerian film industry which you helped birth is now referred to as Nollywood. Do you have any misgivings with that name? The problem I have with nollywood is that it lacks originality but when you also consider the fact that even the Indian film industry is now known as Bollywood you want to just accept it. But we could have had another name for our industry because the UK has its own film industry and it is not known as UK-wood. Even Canada, they do films there too but you do not see wood in anything they do. I think it is just an attempt to try and show a sense of belonging. Now they even have Yoruwood and Kannywood? I am hearing that for the first time. So it is segmented. I am not really quite comfortable with that. But it is what people accept, I call myself a Nollywood person at least for easy identification. You and a couple of your filmmaking colleagues are said to be the ones who really started making films on the cheap the way Nollywood does it now? There was Sunday Ossai, Yemi Mesh-

With Sotimirin on the set of The Burning Spear

Matthew Simpa on the set of Contemporary Christian

ioye and me, Matthew Simpa, then we had Tajudeen Sowole. The four of us were the real technical people... Sowole, the art critic? Yes. He has jumped ship now. Actually, he was the first who got into MESH Films but we went to the same film school where we met. We were the four arrowheads of MESH Films and we had the technology. But then there was another guy somewhere, Muyideen Aromire, who was always coming to our base then at Sofolue Street in Mushin. He would come over and we would talk. He of course knew what we were saying and he also went on and made a films which were not as successful as our own. Somehow he got the idea to do something with video which caught on. Funny enough, we who had already started something that was not exactly the norm were also against what he had started. This is because we knew the limitations of video. In terms of the picture quality and speed, when you watch something that is shot on celluloid and compare it to video, you will see that the difference is there. What you people were shooting on was not celluloid? It was celluloid only cheaper. It is known as reversal film, 16mm gauge. The only difference between what we were shooting and what people like Ade Love and co were shooting on was one, possibly in the gauge, because some of them were shooting on 35mm and also in the kind of stock that we

were using. They were shooting negative film that required processing abroad. But we did not have the funds and did not even know how to go abroad so all we could just do was buy the reversal film, shoot them with 16mm cameras and then take them to NTA (Nigerian Television Authority) where there was a laboratory. These reversal stocks were then used for newsreel before video came that was the stock that was used by NTA for new gathering. But you could also shoot with it, process and show it at the cinema? In fact, it was possible to also make copies from the originals. But because we were hampered by funds we could not afford to go and do copies. That is why if you ask for copies of those films today you are not likely to get them because we had just the original copies and we were taking them all around to show. But it was celluloid all the same and we were projecting the films with projectors. So when it is said that Nollywood started out of necessity it is correct? Yes, it was just to see how we could cut corners to get what we wanted because if we were waiting for the funds then we would probably not be where we are now. But you guys were against video? That is right, initially, because we felt it was not adequate to do drama. Most television dramas were shot on video than but these guys came down as low as VHS so we considered the quality and it was nothing

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Artman In The House

Friday, February 28, 2014

–Matthew Simpa FACT FILE

close to what we had. And of course, during projection, you will see the problem as at that time. Now we have digital projectors but at that time it was not very good and we did not know how we could express ourselves well through the video medium. Like I was telling you about some effects we did then, for example if you shot celluloid, you could with just a pen, create special effect on the physical material. We were doing that and did one that light shot out of some actor’s eyes. It was just by scratching the film frame by frame. But how would you do that with video. We considered all these things and I for one did not even like the idea. There is this technique known as pixilation in film, by removing one frame you could achieve some effect, but how do you remove a frame in video? We did not know that then, we had not got this nonlinear editing stuff, it was then video to video editing. In fact, the editing was more cumbersome than the usual celluloid editing we knew then. We really did not quite understand how we could achieve what we wanted to achieve with video. So that was the problem. But people like Kenneth Nnebue of NEK Videos, who was selling videos anyway, saw a market and went ahead. Were you doing business with him? I tried to do business with him when I... Was that business related to reversal film? No, he did not come onboard at the time we were doing that, he came in when video... Did you approach him during your days of shooting on reversal film? We did not even know him then. I got to know him after he has released some films and I went to him with two stories. Was that after **Living in Bondage** was shot? No, not **Living in Bondage** the Yoruba films he was earlier involved with. I gave him two stories, one was contemporary and the other was traditional. I wanted him to give me some certain amount to do the productions but because the late Kokonsari had already gone to tell him that he did not have to spend so much money to do films, and he had this idea that you could do it with as little money as possible. Which was ridiculously low than and I just told him

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Born Matthew Olusegun Simpa on June 11, 1964, he hails from Kogi State, Nigeria and is married with four children.

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Simpa who enjoys reading and social commentary started his filmmaking career in the early 1980s when the phenomenon called Nollywood had not yet been birthed.

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Between June 1984 to August 1985 he was manager of Royal Cinema in Ado – Odo, Ogun State Nigeria.

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He went on to become assistant film director for Meshfilms Nigeria Limited located in the Mushin area of Lagos State around September 1986 to January 1990.

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He worked as freelance screenplay writer from 1990 to 1994 and freelance movie director from 1993 to 1999 before moving to Abuja where he did several jobs including as manager, Videotech from November 2002 to May 2003.

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The movies and soaps he has directed include: The Burning Spear (Soap Opera) 2009, co-director, and Angeli Nigeria (Angel of Nigeria)Yoruba TV Serial, 2013 for which he was producer/director/ editor. Others are: Osuwon Aye (1995), Iji Aye (1996), Aja Aye (1996), No Second Chance (1996), Valle De Baca (French

Simpa

that I did not know how to spend the little money to do the production but I will give you a story. If I had that script now and I shot it, and tell people that I wrote it some 20-something years ago, they will tell me that I am a prophet. It appears that has not changed and that except for the few stars people still have to work with peanuts? You are right. For everyone person who believes that film is supposed to be big business, that you make big money, there are a thousand and one who believe that the film business is just something to do anyhow. Is that why unlike literature or music where Nigeria has produced icons like Wole Soyinka and Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, film has not produced any world beaters? I won’t say that is the reason. I think the reason is just the fact that we are what we are in Nigeria possibly because, I do not know, I may be wrong, the fact that the film industry is coming at this particular point in our national development. At a time when there is so much crises, so much economic problem and everyone is just trying to survive. You discover that people go into film to survive. In fact, I tell you that if you see a graduate who is still looking for he would tell you he wants to act. So a lot of people come into film not because they have the passion and anything that is not driven by passion cannot attain excellence. Why we have not achieved anything like that is because we do not sit down to

study the language of film and understand how films are shot so that we can also do our films to look like Hollywood films. The technology could be responsible too but then our mindset is also part of the problem. But there are those who say that there are rules but those who break those rules get to rule. Nollywood broke the rule since until it came along no one knew you could shoot films on reversal film or video. But you can only go so far when you break the rule but beyond breaking the rule you have to also consolidate your position. If you study the history of film you will discover that a lot of technological breakthrough in cinema actually came as a result of mistakes or breaking the rule. I cannot go into the details now but that is what happened. But when they broke the rule they also consolidated and that is how Hollywood is where it is right now. We have to first of all understand the basics. We broke the rule in the medium we use but that has nothing to do with the language of film. It is like talking about fashion, you could decide to sew ‘buba’ and ‘soro’ or shirt and trouser but you will still use materials meant for clothing. So you have to study the language of film. There is a filmmaker known as Tyler Perry, he also broke the Hollywood rules but he did it within a kind of confine, he knew the language of film so he still did it. If you see his films, the acting is okay, the casting is okay, and if he needs to use a judge he goes all out and uses judges. So we have to get

all these things right, especially in acting. There are some roles where you see the cast and they are not fit for the role. You watch some films featuring top actors and see cameras being swung about as if they are just doing events ‘videography’. What happens is that such producers believe anybody can handle a camera and they get someone who does not know anything about film language. In the light of this would you agree with a lot of people that what is lacking in Nollywood is training? Proper training is what is lacking because a lot of people, when they want to train, I have interacted with some of them, one such prominent Yoruba actor said when a Yoruba filmmaker sets up a film school what they end up doing is gather people together and beat drums. Then they graduate them. They do not train them in the rudiments of dramatic acting; they train them in stage acting. At the end of the day, when these people come on they also take up people to train. What do they transfer? Half-baked knowledge. So that is basically it. Established film schools have been training but I still think we need to go further. When I was involved with the Aries Film Institute I went on the internet and downloaded so many materials. I have discussed with some of the people that have attended some of these institutes based on this material and they will tell you that this is different from what they teach us.

Critics

Book

Friday, February 28, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Dancing in women’s shoes

Night Dancer, a novel by Chika Unigwe, published by Parresia in 2013 is a story about the challenges and stigma of single-motherhood.

THE STYLE OF THE NOVEL IS WORTHY OF MENTION. IT IS AN EXCEPTIONAL NARRATIVE WHICH THROWS LIGHT INTO LOST MEMORIES WITH LETTERS AND FLASHBACKS

FEMI MORGAN

he main character, Ezi has passed on but she has left a couple of letters and memorabilia to her daughter, to come to terms with her identity, her mother’s personality, and the reasons behind her decision to become a radical single mother, in a highly conservative, hypocritical and courteous society. Set in three areas, Enugu, Lakponta and Kaduna, Unigwe focuses on the nuances of the middle class. In Enugu 2001, Enugu is depicted as a small township where everyone is conscious of his or her social standing. Although this is true of Enugu which was widely described as a ‘civil servant’ state in 2001, I strongly feel that Unigwe greatly reduces the variegated values of residents of Enugu. It cannot be true that Ezi did not find someone who had gone through the same experiences she was going through, who could share solidarity with. Incidences and mentions of the Nigerian civil war, the Kaduna riots over the reportage of a beauty pageant in 2002, the sharia law and the utter powerlessness of democracy remain placeholders that make **Night Dancer** far more Nigerian than **On Black Sister’s Street**, her 2012 NNLG Prize winning novel, which dwells more on issues of here and there, high level prostitution, among others. Ezi is a middle class woman, a graduate whose independence of philosophy and experience-based knowledge has charted a course and a disposition. ‘A marriage like soup is one in a million; the others are unpalatable concoctions pretending to be soup. Mama Chikezie, I do not know if you remember her- but she and her family lived in the flat where the widower now lives-always had a female visitor anytime her husband was away on a business trip. She said the young woman was a relative but everyone knew that she was more than that. Someone said she spied on them once, saw them touch each other like man and woman. Ha! The women can put on makeup, wear their smiles and put their arms around their husbands when they step out the door but I know that the smile is fake,’ she asserts. This leads me to one of the constant motifs of the work. It tries to reveal the cultural imbalances that have relegated the female gender into irrelevance. For example, a boy child is preferred to a female child, yet the female child is not given a broader space and opportunity to mingle and experience life. It reads ‘you stifled any desire they might show in sensible brassieres and you kept close watch on the relationships they formed.’ Mma, Ezi’s daughter is faced with being different from her peers, who have fathers, grandmothers and uncles, who visit the village and take family trips. She is alone with her mother. Her mother loves her but did not understand how to handle both roles of being father- instilling discipline and a mother; doling out the nectars of love to her child. Ezi only takes great leaps to strengthen her child for the stigmatisation ahead of her, for a time when suitors would abandon her because of her status as a child of a single parent. She helps her form great leadership skills and weans her into an independent-minded woman. Ezi, in trying to balance love with discipline did miss essential family values which made Mma, a potential emotional shipwreck. At a point in the novel, Mma goes in search of the normalcy of family and got a fuller picture of her mother’s angst against matrimony. Ezi forms magnificent brick walls and strategic escapist ways to make sure she is not bogged down by the gossips, the disappointments of losing friends and the sudden questions of the whereabouts of Mma’s father. Her utter nonchalance, her frequent dancing, and her constant search for peoples’ flaws in their cultural conformity was her own way. When Mma lost some friends, Ezi tells her ‘You don’t need such friends my baby-baby. If they don’t want you, we don’t want them…what a face the mother has. Twit… Twit…Twit. Like a chirping bird’.

The style of the novel is worthy of mention. It is an exceptional narrative which throws light into lost memories with letters and flashbacks. It also gives copious details about the evolution of female characters. The novel is splendid for ordinary readers who do not really care about the inherent thematic philosophy, but would be most enjoyed by a mature literary audience who are conversant with perspectives of the hypocrisy of the middle class, nepotism and tribalism, religion and culture, as well as military and democratic governance in the country. You will also find fantastic satire, irony and colourful proverbs dotting the

work. My grouse with Unigwe’s style in Night Dancer is that she throws up these word formations that do not seem to add any stylistic presupposition to the work like M is for ‘Mother, Mommy, Mma, Mamanukwu…’ Sometimes Unigwe overanalyses the actions of her characters- perhaps for her foreign audience who could be lost in context. One character that is opposite of Ezi in the novel is Rapu, an illiterate girl who becomes elevated from a mere house girl to a wife. The rather ambitious village girl did find a balance between the cultural values of her people and the urban new culture. She gains the attention of Mike, Ezi’s husband because Ezi did not attend to any household chore. Although maids are not meant to be seen, Rapu begins to receive laurels as visitors commended her for her work. ‘At a point she (Rapu) felt like the mistress of the house. She had complete dominion over everything that mattered, everything that made one wife; she cooked, she cleaned. And it was she Uncle Mike called when he needed anything…’ Rapu’s evolution is splendidly and clearly described by Unigwe. In fact, the character, Rapu makes the novel all the more colourful. With the spare development of the male characters in the novel and social struggle among Mma, Rapu, Ezi and her mother-in-law, I believe that Chika Unigwe not only questions the imbalances of culture but also accuses women of perpetuating some of these evils that have relegated them to the background. **Night Dancer** draws one closer to how women feel about their place in culture and society. *Morgan is founder of Artmospshere a monthly literature, art and music event in Ibadan as well as content writer.

Film

FEPACI: Nekeitter’s pro Adoption of policies not ratified at the last Congress of the Pan African Federation of Filmmakers, presents a fresh challenge OLA BALOGUN

onestly, I am personally quite sceptical about the reasons that Seipati advances in justifying Marc Nekeitter’s continued presence at the Pan African Federation of Filmmakers, FEPACI secretariat. At best, the fact that she feels she needs a non-salaried unofficial member of staff to remain for several months in the office at her side pending the completion of the handover process can only be said to reflect her inexperience in the administrative field. In many years of working as a top civil servant and diplomat in the Nigerian Foreign Service and as a collaborator to several UN agencies, I have never heard of such an arrangement before: It is extremely odd indeed! Among other things, it is quite unprecedented that the FEPACI office should find itself in a position where it has no experienced office staff at its disposal. What kind of office is that? That is definitely not how to run an

office! I am also curious about how Marc has been able to remain in South Africa for so many months now working for FEPACI at his own expense. Is he that wealthy in his private personal capacity? What has he been feeding on? How does he pay for rent? It is certainly quite odd! Also, it is rather abnormal that he should be required to simply hang around and just keep waiting with no specific envisaged handover date in sight. Even if Seipati genuinely believes that she requires him to be at hand to help her during the actual handover process, the correct solution would have been to let him go back home and then recall him to South Africa for a few days during the actual handover process. There is no logical justification for requiring an unpaid member of staff to hang around for several months at his own expense in a foreign country waiting for a hand over date to be arranged. I certainly have never heard of any such arrangement before!

Finally, the list of tasks that she claims he has been accomplishing during all these months makes little sense. Firstly, does it take several months to draw up a list of Congress attendees? Secondly, is Marc an accountant, a financial expert or some kind of auditor who has had to be called in to draw up a Congress financial report? Whatever happened to the firm of auditors whom we were told were called upon (and paid!) to carry out an audit of FEPACI’s finances? Since they are a Johannesburg based firm, could their duties not have been extended into providing a breakdown of the Congress expenditure? It should be pointed out in passing that a competent accountant or middle level financial officer could surely have completed such a basic task within two or three days of the end of the 9th Congress. All that was required was a process of collating the various receipts and payments and reconciling them with available invoices and receipts! In normal circumstances, this basic task should have been ongoing during the entire duration of the Congress,

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Critics

Friday, February 28, 2014

HE LEAVES NO

Music

Looking at Mr. Fast Forward

OUT OTHER ETHNIC

From flow, speed, to rhyme and humour, Uzikwendu is capable of taking the ultimate rap challenge

CHANTS, CHORUSES

ONE IN DOUBT

THAT HE IS IGBO; BUT HIS WORK INCIDENTALLY DOES NOT LEAVE NATIONALITIES, AS AND REMARKS

NGOZI EMEDOLIBE

erhaps, it would have been better for Uzi to appear without mentioning his elder brother, Ikechukwu. Both however understand the dynamics of the Nigerian music industry and are putting it to work. Their secret? Do a song and announce your name. That is the musical bait from that clan! Hearing the song, Osiso, one would be forced to ask this question: Who is Uzi? But the answer is simple. He is a rapper, with a small but impressive profile, set to remind people of the Busta Rhymes and Twistas of this world. So determined about his career, is he that he shot a video that will teach the music video makers fresh tricks that would open a new vista in the industry at least in Nigeria.

His work opens on Uzi and his friend, who tries to introduce him by different sobriquets with copious acknowledgement from the principal character. He is identified as ‘Mr. Comot for Road’, and ‘Mr. Fast Forward’, and then the song starts, with Uzi’s tonguetwisting rap. Like the title of the song, Osiso, the scenes begin to unfold with spectacular pictures, taking the audience through several scenarios. Obviously, this work holds a lot of promises in the Nigerian music industry judging from what the director, who goes by the name, Walt Banger 101 (appropriate for his kind of work?) has done with the music video. On a number of premises, his efforts are really on point. The location could hardly be pinpointed, which is good for a work of this nature. While the spots are breathtaking, the camera works would not let

COULD BE HEARD IN MAJOR

NIGERIAN

LANGUAGES

Uzi

even a discerning mind guess accurately where this video was shot. Some portions look foreign while others look Nigerian, but the effects accompanying the scenes speak volumes of the director’s ability in generating computer-modulated locations. Costuming is another area this work will fascinate its audience. It may not be expensive but apt, and helps in telling the story. The principal acts were clad in black suits, and dark shades, but well-built in physique for the apparels. At another instance, Uzi, clad in shorts was surrounded by a bevy of girls, who appear like choreographers, with their slow body movement. Talking about the models,

the director of this video by this work also abandoned the age long reality of using soft porn to attract viewership. While there were girls dancing, every form of showing thighs or cleavages was avoided, which is commendable for someone plying the rap pathway. In fact, conscious effort seemed to have been made in shielding the girls’ cleavages while highlighting their prowess in twisting their bodies, in consonance to the theme of the song. The video is not only about music. Lovers of good humour will also find this piece interesting. Aside the initial portions where Uzi tries to call himself ‘Mr. Comot for Road’ and ‘Mr. Fast Forward’, the last portions of the video come with a relief

that is worth mentioning. A voice, determined to crack the ribs of the audience emerges to say ‘Can I ‘divided’ myself into three?’ in response to a rhetorical question about dancing and rapping and twisting. Uzi leaves no one in doubt that he is Igbo and his work incidentally does not leave out other ethnic nationalities, as chants, choruses and remarks could be heard in major Nigerian languages. The audience should expect this to become another anthem; although there were noticeable lapses in the area of following the lyrics of his rap. Someone would even be tempted to think, Uzi is blabbing. But he may just be in a hurry like the title of his song.

longed presence in Johannesburg SIMILARLY, ANY GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS WHO CLAIM TO EXIST AS ELECTED MEMBERS OF A

FEPACI ‘ADVISORY COUNCIL’ CAN ONLY DULY BE ELECTED TO THIS POSITION BY A VOTE OF THE

FEPACI CONGRESS

leaving only a final process of summarising and tidying up of the accounts immediately after the Congress ended. This is obviously a task that could have been accomplished within a couple of days at the maximum by any fairly competent person! How come we are now being told that it has been taking Marc Nekeiter several months to accomplish such a relatively simple task? At first glance, it all appears very odd indeed! Seipati confirms in her email dated February 3, 2014 that Marc Nekeiter was only employed as a collaborator for the duration of the 9th Congress. She also confirmed that his contract has not been extended beyond that period! It therefore falls to reason that he cannot possibly be justified in continuing to label himself as FEPACI ‘Project Manager’ (One

of the complaints that Fidelis Duker made in his attack on Cheick Oumar Sissoko is that he has somehow ‘failed’ to carry along the FEPACI ‘Project Manager’ ever since he was elected as Secretary General.) In conclusion, it is very fortunate that in the concluding part of her letter, Seipati actually writes the following phrase: “(...) Discipline and order must be encouraged at all times as we work towards a united FEPACI (...)” In view of this, I don’t think it would be out of place for me to point out that this vindicates my insistence that proper administrative procedure and the rule of law should be followed in running the affairs of FEPACI. To defend this point of view is not indicative of a rigid ‘mind set’, as some mischief-makers are wont to claim. Just like any other organisation or administrative body anywhere in the world, FEPACI cannot

be successfully run or administered in the absence of clear administrative procedures. That is all I have been saying! In essence, if there is a laid down procedure for appointing members of the FEPACI Advisory Council, and that procedure has to be followed in a transparent manner. Appointments and elections which do not follow laid-down rules are illegal. The outgoing members of the FEPACI Advisory Council (a body that has no constitutional backing, to begin with!) cannot therefore simply meet in private and decide to extend their own mandate by a further two years! A useful parallel is to be found in the manner in which the members of the UN Security Council are designated: The members of the UN Security Council never gather to prolong their own mandate. It is a body that derives its legitimacy from the UN General Assembly. Similarly, any group of individuals who claim to exist as elected members of a FEPACI “Advisory Council” can only duly be elected to this position by a vote of the FEPACI Congress. Some individuals cannot simply gather and decide that even though their mandate has expired, they have unilaterally decided to extend their mandate by two years beyond the 9th FEPACI Congress! I am definitely not being old-fashioned in pointing such things out. That is definitely

not the way things are done anywhere in the world! I don’t think it would be justified for FEPACI to seek to be a kind of ‘odd-manout-administration’ in which things are done without proper procedure: If Marc is an employee of FEPACI, he should have a contract that indicates this status. If he is not an employee of FEPACI, it is highly irregular if he should go about claiming to be FEPACI’s ‘Project Manager’. In essence, there is no such thing as a FEPACI ‘Project Manager’ or ‘Director General’ at the moment! As far as I am aware, no formal decision was made by vote at the 9th FEPACI Congress to establish or institutionalise such positions. The argument that these were matters that were discussed in draft form by some preparatory committee in the period preceding the actual holding of the Congress holds no water, I am afraid! The only valid and binding decisions emanating from the 9th FEPACI Congress were those that were submitted to the plenary body for formal notification and approval. I am fully confident that any properlytrained lawyer will definitely confirm that. I rest my case! *Ola Balogun, a renowned African filmmaker writes from Lagos

Friday, February 28, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Centenary: Thoughts on legal After a century of existence, the Nigerian legal system which is based on the English Common Law and legal tradition still has hundreds of received English laws that are applicable in the country but have become archaic or obsolete while scores of practice and procedures are no longer in line with current realities. FRANCIS FAMOROTI, Head, Judiciary writes.

igeria regarded as black African’s most populous country is a colonial creation. By textual references and jurisprudential evidence, the present day Nigeria came into existence with the formal amalgamation of conquered territories of the North and South by the British Colonial Governor, Lord Frederick Lugard in 1914. Late Lagos Lawyer and activist, Chief Gani Fawehinmi lends credence to this in his book, ‘’Courts’ System in Nigeria- A Guide (1992) when he states ‘’ Nigeria legally came into existence ‘’ by Order (Nigeria protectorate Order in Council 1913) of His Majesty King George V, made on 22nd November 1913. According to him, ‘’By virtue of and in the exercise of the powers vested in his Majesty by Foreign Jurisdiction Act, 1890, the country known as Nigeria was legally born with effect from the 1st of January , 1914, because the order was made to come into operation on the 1st day of January, 1914. ‘’ By extension, the first law made for Nigeria was the change of Title Ordinance No 1 of 1914 which was made on the 30th of January, 1914 and deemed to have come into full force on the first day of January 1914. National Mirror further gathered that in 1914, a vast reorganization of the country’s judicial system accompanied the amalgamation of Northern and Southern Provinces of Nigeria. This re-organisation included the unification of the laws of the administration, the appointment of a central Chief Justice and Attorney General, and the establishment of the three types of courts; the provincial courts, the Native’ courts and the Supreme Court. It suffices that like most other public institutions in the country, the evolution of the Nigerian judiciary followed colonial patterns. Several learned scholars have attested to this assertion. Among them is Prof. Dakas Clement Dakas, Director of Research, Nigerian Institute Advanced Legal Studies, NIALS, who is variously quoted to have argued that Nigerian judiciary was a product of the colonial power. According to him, during the period between the amalgamation and the independence in 1960 the mission of the judiciary was to reinforce colonial agenda. ‘’At independence, Nigeria did not sever its judicial ties with the British. For instance, the Privy Council was the court of last resort until 1963, when the Republican Constitution came into being. Since then, the judiciary has undergone metamorphoses in terms of its structure, personnel and judicial philosophy with varying degree of success.’’ Basically, the development of the Nigerian legal system has been greatly influenced by its colonial past as a part of the British Commonwealth. The common law of England, the doctrines of equity as well as statutes of general application in force in England as at 1st January 1900 form an integral part of the laws in addition to certain English statutes

Old Supreme Court building, Tinubu Square Lagos

that have been received into the country’s laws by local legislation. Other sources of Nigerian law include local legislation (State and Federal), Nigerian case law as well as customary law. The principles of judicial precedent and hierarchy of courts are also fundamental part of the country’s legal system with the Supreme Court of Nigeria at the apex of the court system. Nigeria operates the adversarial system of court proceedings similar to what obtains in other common law countries. However, the jury system is not used in the system of administration of justice, as the presiding judge is both a judge of the law and fact. Within the judicial system, several colonial era laws are still applicable that have tremendous implications for the administration of justice. These includes, among others, the Criminal Code (CC), the Penal Code (PC), the Evidence Act, the laws governing the Sale of Goods and so on. Regrettably, some of these laws are obsolete, outdated and not in line with modern day realities. A consideration of the role of lawyers in the country from the period of the amalgamation to independence deserves mention. Role of foremost Lawyers in Politics and Legislative Councils Indeed, the role of lawyers in politics cannot be thoroughly discussed without particular reference to Christopher Sapara Williams, the first Nigerian lawyer who was called to the English Bar by the Inner Temple on November 17, 1879. Sapara Williams once said: “A lawyer lives for the direction of his people and the advancement of the cause of his country”.

L-R Bode Thomas, Obafemi Awolowo and Samuel Akintola

Legal officers in 1959

In a lecture delivered at the 2010 yearly anniversary of the Law Students Association of Nigeria (LAWSAN), Babcock University, Ilishan, Ogun State, a Lagos-based legal practitioner, Chief Oladipo Jimilehin writes, ‘’ Sapara Williams was unquestionably the dominant figure in the politics of Lagos in the first decade of the Iast century. He devoted much of his time to serving public interest. The need for his legal talent was simply immense. ‘’ He notes that there were other lawyers who also took keen interest in public affairs namely Joseph Egerton Shyngle, Eric Moore and J. 1. Nelson-Cole. Jimilehin recalled that after Sapara Williams was nominated into the Legislative Council, Egerton Shyngle became the most active, zealous and ablest legal champion of the people’s cause. ‘’Because of the role that legal practitioners seemed to have played in the politics of Lagos before the end of the first decade of last century lawyers were being looked upon for leadership and as a fighting brigade of the people.

From about 1908, lawyers appeared to be less prominent in politics. However, it was learnt that one lawyer stood out prominently in opposition during the period, a discordant element, as it were in Lagos politics. He was Kitoyi later Sir Kitoyi Ajasa, perhaps the most controversial public figure of his time. In a nutshell, the period between 1901 - 1947 and 1951 - 1960 may well be described as the era of lawyers predominance in the country’s legislatures. By the 1940s the predominance seemed to generate resentment in the media. According to The Daily Comet, a Lagos newspaper in 1945, there was no reason why the Legislative Council of Nigeria should be wrongly regarded as an exclusive preserve of lawyers. It was not that the Legislative Council was an exclusive preserve of lawyers but as a professional group, they dominated it. Lawyers were also amongst the African unofficial members who held the longest tenure of office in the Council. Thus, Christopher Sapara-Williams was in the Council between 1901 - 1915, Sir Kitoyi Ajasa 1906 - 1933, Adey-

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Friday, February 28, 2014

developments in Nigeria

Alexander Sopara Williams

emo Alakija 1933 - 1941, S. B. Rhodes 1933 - 43, Eric Moore 1923 - 1938 and 1. A. Doherty 1928 - 1938. Early Lawyers and law partnership firms from 1917 to date Barely three years after the amalgamation, has investigation shown that Irving & Bonnar, founded in 1917, was the first law firm to be established in Nigeria. It took about 31 years later before the first indigenous chamber and other partnership firms emerged. The founding partners of Irving & Bonnar, who were Britons, had a vision to build a world class law firm based on the tradition and efficiency of an old prestigious English law firm. Despite the fact that Sapara Williams, was the first Nigerian qualified lawyer called to the English Bar in 1879 and he later returned home to enrol in 1888, there was no known record of the existence of law partnership firm in the country until 1940s. Hence, the first indigenous law firm was set up in 1948 when three friends and leading lawyers of the period, Chiefs Bode Thomas, Rotimi Williams, and Remi Fani-Kayode jointly formed the law firm called “Thomas, Williams and Kayode” TOWIKA chambers. The law firm groomed many distinguished legal practitioners of that era including Sobo Sowemimo. The unfortunate and untimely demise of Thomas at the age of 33 and the subsequent appointment of Rotimi Williams as the Attorney-General of the Western Region by the Obafemi Awolowo administration led to the eventual collapse of the firm. Another bold attempt to set up a partnership was evident in 1950 when the trio of Chief Chris Ogunbanjo, Michael Odesanya (later Justice) and the former Premier of Western Nigeria, Chief Samuel Akintola located their firm at Tinubu Square in the heart of Lagos. Following the dissolution of the law firm, Ogunbanjo established Chris Ogunbanjo & co in 1960. Notable among the partnership law firms set up within the same period was ‘’Poroye Chambers’’ founded by Otunba T.O. Shobowale Benson. The firm still exists today and is being managed by one of his children.

Adetokunbo Ademola

Punuka Chambers founded by Chukwueike Idigbe, later Justice of Supreme Court, is another law firm whose fortunes have changed over the years. Idigbe now late was the first Asaba lawyer in the then Asaba division covering the present Oshimili, Aniocha and Ika Local Government Areas of the old Mid-western state. He was also the first lawyer known then in Benin province from Ovia to Oredo and Etsako areas. After Idigbe was appointed to the Bench, the chambers did not fold up and was managed by Omo Bare (now retired judge). Despite Justice Idigbe‘s death in 1983, Punuka has undergone transformations and the firm’s management known as Punuka Attorneys and Solicitors is under Anthony Idigbe, SAN. Interestingly, many law firms have grown increasingly in size and strength and there are emerging trend towards the globalization of legal profession in the country. Modern day challenges of the legal profession The modern day challenges staring the legal profession the face are multifarious, diverse and full of complexities. They range from the existence of obsolete laws, lack of reliable data base on legal information, disobedience of court orders and corruption in the judiciary among others. Of interest is that fact that there have been endless calls to reform the process of the conferment of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) awards on lawyers. Nigeria imported from England the conferment of SAN award, the equivalent of the British concept of the Queen’s Counsel (QC) on ‘’deserving legal practitioners in the country’’. As one of the relics of colonialism in the country all Nigerian lawyers hitherto with QC’s titles were automatically converted to SANs, when the SAN award was introduced in 1975. Today, the SAN award is being flawed by many lawyers on the premise that merit was often discarded or compromised in preference for federal character and other considerations by the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC). Concerns have also been raised over the future of legal profession in the country.

Justice Aloma Mukhtar

TO ARREST AND TAME IMPUNITY IN SOCIETY, WE WILL NEED TO MAKE THE JUDICIARY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT INSTITUTIONS INDEPENDENT OF THE EXECUTIVE AND THE POLITICIANS Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama (SAN) in a lecture delivered at the 2013 State of the Legal Profession Lecture of the NIALS in Abuja last year states; ‘’Since the passage of the Legal Education Act in 1962, the Council of Legal Education and the Nigerian Law School have become static. From a humble beginning at Igbosere, Lagos in 1963, we now have many campuses of the Nigerian Law School that are centrally controlled in terms of admission and examination. There are clamours for private law schools or an adoption of the American model where each University has its own law school.’’ Similarly, the Chairman, Governing Council, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Prof. Chidi Odinkalu in an article title ‘’Reforming the Nigerian Bar ‘’ and published last year, is also worried that ’’ The mechanisms for electing the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) are out-dated, scandal-prone and liable to whimsical capture.’’ He advocated that to return credibility to the Bar, the NBA must set a target for leadership selection based on universal suffrage by 2016. Against this backdrop, the NIALS organised its centenary law summit in Abuja last June where it took stock on law and legal developments in the last 100 years. At the end, the Institute highlighted some imperfections

in the country’s legal system that required urgent attention of the legislature. The Director-General of NIALS, Prof. Epiphany Azinge, (SAN) succinctly stated that the Institute had done its part and the rest would be in the hands of the lawmakers and the executive arm of government for implementation. “Ours is to draw attention of the government and people of Nigeria to some of the issues raised at the summit, Issues such as obsolete laws, but the National Assembly is to make the laws.’’ The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mariam Aloma Mukhtar who also spoke at the summit had observed that “Although Nigeria has made giant strides in its legal development in the past 100 years, it is disheartening that many of our laws are still archaic, obsolete, alien and are therefore, not consistent with current realities. Indeed, many laws which have either been repealed or substantially modified in Britain, Nigeria’s former colonial power, still operate in Nigeria without any changes.” Consequently, the CJN called on both the executive and the legislative arm of government at both the federal and state levels to sustain efforts at reforming the country’s laws with a view to making them relevant to contemporary socio-economic and political realities. She maintained that unless the citizens take concrete steps in that direction, the society would move on and the law would regrettably be left behind, gasping for breath and suffering from a legitimacy deficit. At this turn of the country‘s centenary, it is envisaged that the prospect for the judiciary is to build strong and virile institutions that will foster the rule of law, enhance the administration of justice and also ensure an impartial, independent and corrupt- free judiciary . As an analyst once wrote, ‘’ We must strengthen the institutions that will enforce the contracts, rule of law and sanction the pervasive impunity in society. At the back of our weak democratic system is the sheer impunity that elections can be rigged, electoral laws can be broken and you can get away with it with the right connections. Elite impunity is also the reason why economic crimes and corruption are committed in public and private sectors because the institutions to enforce sanctions for wrong behaviour are weak or have been captured by a narrow cream of elite in their self-interest. To arrest and tame impunity in society, we will need to make the judiciary and law enforcement institutions independent of the executive and the politicians. The proposal to separate the office of attorney-general from minister of justice should be given a second thought by the legislature. While the Inspector-General of Police should report to the President administratively, he/she should be appointed independently of the executive for a fixed tenure by the National Judicial Council. The Police Service Commission should also report independently of the executive to a special arm of the judiciary.

Friday, Febuary 28, 2014 Yaum al-Jumu’ah, Rabi Al-Thani 28, 1435AH

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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

Al-Quran 5:32 “…if any one slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people.”

er, the sanctity of human life is accorded a special place. The first and the foremost basic right of a human being is the right to live. The Glorious Quran says:

Much ado about Islamophobia

to maintain the balance in which God created everything. Terrorizing the civilian population can never be termed as jihad and can never be reconciled with the teachings of Islam.

Al- Quran 5:32 “Not only did the terrorists hijack planes and destroy life, but they also hijacked the peaceful religion of Islam and split the brother and sisterhood of mankind.”

“…take not life, which God hath made sacred, except by way of justice and law: thus doth He command you, that ye may learn wisdom.”

Such is the value of a single human life, that the Quran equates the taking of even one human life unjustly, with killing all of humanity. Thus, the Quran prohibits homicide in clear terms. The taking of a criminal’s life by the state in order to administer justice is required to uphold the rule of law, and the peace and security of the society. Only a proper and competent court can decide whether an individual has forfeited his right to life by disregarding the right to life and peace of other human beings.

Islam considers all life forms as sacred. Howev-

Islam enjoins upon all Muslims to work actively

(Yusuf Islam) The sanctity of Human Life

Al- Quran 6:151

Al- Quran 5:2 “Do not let your hatred of a people incite you to aggression.” Al- Quran 5:8 “And do not let ill-will towards any folk incite you so that you swerve from dealing justly. Be just; that is nearest to heedfulness” AlQuran 2:256 “Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects evil and believes in God hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And God heareth and knoweth all things.”

L-R: Commissioner of Education, Kano State, Alhaji Tajudeen Gambo; the Chief Host, Chairman of Surat Group, Mr. Hikmet Coban; Deputy Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and other dignitaries at the commissioning of the modern and fully equipped building with the capacity of 5000 female students of the Nigerian Turkish International Girls College Kano recently.

How Shaytān lures man 27

Insecurity: State of Emergency not working -MURIC, MMWG

ijab the Muslim woman’s veil is her shield and protection, dignity and honour which the Almighty Allah Himself has designed for this precious creation of His, so how dare any creation challenges her of it. Wellthinking philosophers have also opined that everything that God made valuable in the world is covered and hard to get. This is a proof as related by one of the daughters of Muhammad Ali in an incident which transpired when Muhammad Ali’s daughters arrived at his home wearing clothes that were quite revealing. Here is the story as told by one of his daughters: “When we finally arrived, the chauffeur escorted my younger sister, Laila, and me up to my father’s suite. As usual, he was hiding behind the door waiting to scare us. We exchanged many hugs and kisses as we could possibly give in one day. My father took a good look at us. Then he sat me down and said something that I will never forget. He looked me straight in the eyes and said, “Hana, everything that God made valuable in the world is covered and hard to get to. Where do you find diamonds? Deep down in the ground, covered and protected. Where do you find pearls? Deep down at the bottom of the ocean, covered up and protected in a beautiful shell. Where do you find gold? Way down in the mine, covered over with layers and layers of rock. You’ve got to work hard to get to them.” He looked at me with serious eyes. “Your body is sacred. You’re far more precious than diamonds and pearls, and you should be covered too.” Islamophobia the phobia of fear and hatred of the West for Islam makes them harass, intimidate and victimize the Muslim woman. But come to think of it, why Islamophobia? Why do the West fear and hate Islam? The answer is not farfetched, Islam is the only religion whose civilization endures and can stand the test of time, and its bases are far from the Western concept. The fear of Islam today is because it is the only challenge to the Western hegemony. The fear of Islam has made the West to unleash

deliberate propaganda on Islam and Muslims. The propaganda is very strong and deludes the Westerners; they find it difficult to understand Islam which they misconstrue as an enemy; because it does not subscribe to the principles of the West. Secularism, materialism and lust are the guiding principles of this civilization today and God has been banished from the lives of man. Islam distances itself from the corrupting influence of these ideas. So, Muslim women in hijab therefore face challenges due to Islamophobia because the Muslim woman’s appearance poses a threat to the West and all those who subscribe to their thoughts and propaganda. The hijab reminds them of their total failure to give man tranquility and quench his thirst for peace. This hijab also reminds the West of the ripeness of Islam to prevail over their false power and to rule the world again and till eternity. Women in hijab find it difficult to secure a job in most circumstances unless on condition of compromising their hijab. Sisters! Let us rely upon Allah and be firm, let’s not compromise our dignity for any circumstances. You may say “after all I didn’t remove my hijab, I only reduced it”. My dear, this is very dangerous because it is the very beginning of compromise. The next you just hear will sound to you like a bomb when you will be told to either remove it or you loose your job. Women in hijab are discriminated in almost all spheres of interrelationship in the society. But not to worry, we must continue to fight for our right not through violence but through our positive contributions and participations in the society. Due to this Islamophobia, many Muslim women now begin to feel inferior and thereby get themselves intimidated by people who might not in many cases equal their standards in education, knowledge, integrity to mention but a few. Do Muslims need to feel inferior because of this trivial matter? Have we forgotten that Allah says we are the best ever evolved among mankind? Recently in France, there is a ban on the veil such that women’s veils are CONTINUED ON PAGE 29

Quality training for our children should be our priority -Oyewole

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How Shaytān lures man “O you who believe! Do not follow the footsteps of the Shaytan…” [Q24: 21]. The main enemy of the believers is Shaytan. He campaigns for indecency, disbelief and polytheism. He whispers into the hearts of people and exhorts them to commit Zina and eat forbidden foods. He is the number one enemy of Allah because he refused to obey His order. He is the number one enemy of man because he deceived him to disobey Allah. His final abode is hell. All those who enter hell shall have him as their springboard. Consequently, he is working day and night in collaboration with his numerous agents and agencies amongst Jinns and men to derail men from the path of Allah. It is, however, unfortunate that many people are falling victims to the snares of his campaign for hell. Whereas Allah has caution thus: “O children of Adam! Let not Shaytan deceive you, as he got your parents (Adam and Hawwa) out of Paradise; stripping them of their raiments to show them their private parts. Verily, he, and his soldiers see you from where you cannot see them. Verily, we made the devils helpers for those who believe not. [Q7:27] Allah and His Messenger (SAW) have exposed all the tricks, pranks and snares of Shaytan. Day-in, day-out, he is making vehement campaign towards his party. But Allah has rightly and authoritatively told us that he and his followers are candidates of hell. Right in hell too or on the Judgement Day, he will deliver a heart-

IT IS HOWEVER, THAT

SHAYTAN AND

HIS AGENTS DO NOT ALWAYS OPERATE

OPENLY.

THEIR MAIN

TARGET IS THE HEART AND MIND OF MEN.

THEY SNEAK IN AND WHISPER THEIR EVILS broken sermon that: “Verily, Allah promised you a promise of truth. And I too promised you, but I betrayed you. I had no authority over you except that I called you, so you responded to me. So blame me not, but blame yourselves. I cannot help you, nor can you help me. I deny your former act in associating me as a partner with Allah (by obeying me in the life of the world). Verily, there is a painful torment for the wrong doers.”[Q14:22] Through campaigns for illegal sexual intercourse and disbelief, he divides the society of men into that of evil and good. He disconnects one’s relationship with Allah and promotes immorality at an alarming rate. He disorganizes the social, economic and political fabrics of the society and topples the government

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MESSAGE

SHEIKH ADANGBA e-mail: ustazadangbe@yahoo.com

The roles of parents in religious training (2) oreover, it is part of the roles of parents to organize different activities, such as lectures, picnic, prayer, film shows, Islamic Library and festivities that every youth will participate in. It is my belief that it will thread fast in promoting Islamic value among the youth. Pen-ultimately, if the youths of today are not to fail in their endeavour to determine the value of Islam, they must first free their mind from western culture and ideology which believes and

recognizes only material needs, which realizes that man must have food for the body and always think of cheating the society (injustice through democracy). It is oblivious of the necessity of providing food for the mind and thereafter. If men were all off, if poverty and diseases have possible point, they will still provide a valuable society through the youths. It is exclusively among the good of the society and the hereafter that value of Islam is to be found. And only those who are indifferent to these values can persuade that the role of parents in promoting Islamic value among Muslim youth is not a waste. Finally, it is the duty of parents to educate the youth islamically and not as we see life on cables and satellite dishes in our different homes. “The blind and the seeing are not alike: nor are the depths of (chilly) shade and the (genial) heat of the sun: or are alike those that are dead. Allah can make any that he wills to hear; but thou can’t make those to hear who are in the graves (35:19-22).

IN HIS LIGHT with

USTAZ

A. ZAFARAN

PERTINENT TO STATE

ZAKAT IS 2.5% OF YOUR TOTAL WEALTH KNOWN AS NISAB AFTER HAVING FULFILLED ALL OBLIGATIONS,

Call to Worship

Friday, February 28, 2014 Yaum al-Jumu’ah, Rabi Al-Thani 28, 1435AH

e-mail: zatabumuneeb@yahoo.com based on truth for falsehood. He debases man into a life of bestiality. He makes materialism reign in all spheres and does not fail to continuously change his deceptive styles over and over. The following but not exhaustive are some of the ways of Shaytan; association of partners with Allah (worshipping of idols, rivers, sun or human beings), use of charms and love potion, magic, fortunetelling, divination, drinking of alcohol (this also include any assistance rendered in that cause), Zina (this include touching, hugging and gazing at non-mahram women (those that one can marry according to Islamic law), dresses, films, talks and books which can arouse sexual feelings, pornography, mingling between the opposite sexes, homosexualism, lesbianism, etc.), negligence of Salat, taking of Riba and bribery, disobedience to parents (for no Islamic reason), women disobeying their husbands, ruling people by laws other than that of Allah, advertising what can promote corruption, making mockery of the practice

of the Prophet (SAW), corruption, embezzlement, oppression, injustice, theft, armed-robbery, show off, hypocrisy, lying, envy, keeping malice, practice of any other religion apart from that of total submission to Allah alone; etc. The main issue is that all that are sinful and pathways to them belong to Shaytan. It is however, pertinent to state that Shaytan and his agents do not always operate openly. Their main target is the heart and mind of men. They sneak in and whisper their evils. They keep on reminding you ‘what about it’. They let you believe that there is good in evil. They make you to love the evil. Then, they proceed to help you map out strategies on how to reach or commit it. It may be that you should tell some lies or avoid some people. It may be that you should do that thing in secret. It may be that you should join hands with some people who are copartners in crime. To follow the footsteps of Shaytan in any way, one would have to disobey Allah or His Messenger in a way. TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK

Importance of the Qur’an to mankind

he holy Qur’an was revealed by God to prophet Mohammed (SAW) through Angel Jibril during the twentytwo years of Prophet Mohammed’s messengership. Qur’an is the only one of several divinely-revealed scriptures, including the books revealed to Musa and Isa. Quran is the book Allah revealed to his last prophet that shows you how to deal with all aspects of life and how to deal with Allah and people. The Qur’an speaks in powerful, moving language about the reality and attributes of God, the spiritual world, God’s purposes with mankind, man’s relationship and responsibility to Him, the coming of the Day of Judgment, and the life hereafter. It also contains rules for living which Muslims consider to be binding, stories of earlier prophets and their communities. From this divinelyrevealed source, the Book of God, Muslims derive the inspiration for their lives. Verses from the Qur’an are recited during each

of the five daily prayers which conscious Muslims observe. It is Muslims’ book of guidance, containing the Message sent to them by God Himself through His noble prophet, Mohammed (SAW), believed to be the most perfect of mankind. The importance of the Holy Qur’an to a Muslim is that because Muslims believe the Qur’an was sent down by God and that none of it has been written or edited by a man. The Qur’an tells people how to live, and not to drink alcohol so that you can concentrate on God. Also the Qur’an tells people scientific information, what will happen in the future and after the world has ended. Qur’an contains a wide variety of scientific statements that become only proven by state of

art of technology, science, and information. These scientific statements are considered as miracles of Qur’an that prove Qur’an is a God revelation and not human written text. Qur’an, as the holy book is the main constitution and guide to Muslims to follow the right path in worshiping Allah, lead a good life; live in harmony and mutual respect with other cultures and religions. From the Qur’an, Muslims learn morals of life to benefits of Muslims and all mankind. It provides information on marriage, divorce, inheritance, finance, etc. Muslims treat the Qur’an with respect because they believe it to be the words of Allah. In conclusion, the fact is that there is no book, at all times, like the Holy Qur’an, which has been the basis of intellectual and spiritual radiation for mankind. Sheikh Abdul Ganiyy Umar Arikunkewu is the Founder/National Chief Missioner of Jublatu Rohfatu Llahi Islamic Society of Nigeria (JUBFAT)

Call to Worship

Yaum al-Jumu’ah, Rabi Al-Thani 28, 1435AH

Friday, February 28, 2014

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Insecurity: State of Emergency not working -MURIC, MMWG AISHA TITILAYO

he Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC and the Muslim Media Watch Group, MMWG have condemned in strong terms the massacre of boarding students of FGC Buni-Yadi, Yobe State saying tackling the problem of insurgency arising from insecurity appears to have defied solution in spite of ‘State of Emergency’ declared by FG. The MMWG therefore called on the Chief of Defence Staff and the Inspector-General of Police to as a matter of urgency deploy military and police mobile forces to all boarding schools in Yobe, Borno,

Bauchi, Adamawa and Gombe States on 24 hours daily basis to ward-off future attacks. It is now clear that some evil-minded people are waging senseless war on peaceloving Nigerians and called on governments all over the country to govern with fear of Allah by using the financial resources at their disposal to better the lots of the less-privileged, enhance infrastructures, engage unemployed youth in profitable ventures and protect lives and property to stem the tide of insecurity once and for all. “Religious Leaders are enjoined to set-aside days for special prayers to Allah to spiritually change the minds of perpetrators of

the heinous crimes for better and put an end to insurgency in Nigeria. This was contained in press releases signed by Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim, Co-ordinator, MMWG and MURIC’s Director, Prof. Isiaq Akintola. MURIC stated that the Nigerian Army must explain this. The Federal Government (FG) must go beyond mere condemnation. We are constrained to ask why FG is treating Boko Haram with kid gloves. How can the massacre of innocent Nigerians continue unabated in spite of a state of emergency which has been in place for months? Who is fooling who? “Is it also true that there is poor welfare for soldiers posted to the area? Is it true

that soldiers in the region use their own money to pay for treatment? Who is keeping sophisticated weapons from reaching Nigerian soldiers fighting Boko Haram? Is it true that Boko Haram once stole more than 30 trucks of ammunition from the Nigerian Army? How can this happen when military operation demands first and foremost that weapons and ammunitions must be secured? What was the army doing when all these were happening? What happened to 24-hour vigilance around military location and hardware.” MURIC demanded that President Jonathan must explain why the Boko Haram phenomenon still flourishes long after the

L-R: Managing Director, Inciproduction, Mr. Cemal Yigit; Editor-in-Chief, Turkish Review, Mr. Kerim Balci and News Editor, The Guardian, Mr. Nnamdi Inyama, during the review on happenings in Turkey and the Middle East, in Lagos recently. PHOTO: YINKA ADEPARUSI

Lekki Central Mosque gets new Imam SHERIFAH ABASS

he Lekki Muslim Ummah (LEMU) has appointed Sheik Ridwanullah Kayode Jamiu as the new Chief Imam of the Lekki Central Mosque, located within Lekki Peninsula Scheme 1, in Lagos. A statement issued by the LEMU President, Engineer Yunus Adeniji Raji said Sheik Jamiu’s appointment takes effect from March 1, this year. Engineer Raji explained that Sheik Jamiu’s appointment was sequel to his emergence as the best of all the applicants interviewed for the post of Imam. According to the LEMU President, Sheik

Jamiu was adjudged a suitable candidate by a distinguished panel of interviewers by virtue of his exceptional brilliance, erudition, and deep knowledge of Islamic theology. The selection panel included the National Missioner of Ansarudeen Society of Nigeria, Sheik AbduRahman Ahmad, and Prof. Tajudeen Gbadamosi. Born 34 years ago in Ilorin, Kwara State, Sheik Jamiu is a cerebral lawyer and an adroit Islamic scholar who has memorized the whole Qur’an. He bagged a L.L.B degree in Islamic/Common Law from the University of Ilorin in 2007, and has already submitted his dis-

sertation for the L.L.M degree at Bayero University, Kano, where he did his masters degree programme. The new Chief Imam had earlier obtained a Hifzul-Qur’an (Qur’anic Memorization) Certificate from his father’s Arabic school, Jami’udeen Islamic & Arabic Institute, Isale Asa, Ilorin in 2003, and a Diploma in Arabic and Islamic Education from Ahmadu Bello Univesity, Zaria in 2001. For his primary school education, he attended St. John’s African School, Maraba, Ilorin, between 1986 and 1991, and had his secondary school education at Government Day Secondary School, Fate, Ilorin, between 1991 and 1997.

A prolific author, Sheik Jamiu has written many books on various subjects, ranging from spiritual to mundane matters. His books include “Teach Yourself Arabic”, Zakat And The Salary Earners”, The Arrow Of Truth”, “Life Of A Corper”, “The Prophet’s Supplication And 90 Common Mistakes In Du’a”, and “The Key To The Kingdom Of God”.

Sheik Jamiu

declaration of emergency rule. “It is our considered opinion that Mr. President lacks the political will to conduct the military campaign against Boko Haram. He is not ready to give it what it takes. “Why did the president allegedly give a paltry N2 billion to the three states under emergency rule when Niger Delta militants swim in wads of naira notes that make Mount Everest green with envy? It gives the impression of

a tale of two regions: one over-pampered, the other neglected. Why is the allocation to Niger Delta militants higher that of the army and the police put together in the proposed budget for 2014? The militants got N54 billion while both the military and police received N46 billion. This is appalling! No wonder the army cannot cope with Boko Haram. FG has imposed inferiority complex on its own soldiers.”

Humuani Alaga’s book for presentation

he family of Humuani Alaga of Oja-Oba, Ibadan holds the 21st Anniversary Thanksgiving and Presentation of a Book on Late Alhaja Humuani Alaga, M.B.E (Former Otun Iyalaje of IbadanLand) on the 8th of March, 2014 at Isabatudeen Girls’ Grammar School, Ojoo Express Road, Ibadan. She took one of her daughters, Musliat to a mission school for admission. She was asked to wait until all the Christian girls were attended to. This upset her so much that she left the venue and called a special meeting of the Isabatudeen Society and narrated her experience. There and then, members decided to contribute nine pounds each towards founding a school for Muslim girls. This incident led to the founding of Isabatudeen Girls’ Grammar school on 24th January, 1964 with a population of thirty girls. It was the first Muslim girls’ secondary school in Ibadan. The entrance ex-

amination took place in December 1963 and by the end of 1964, the number of students rose to one hundred. Fifty years after, the school has over one thousand students. She took one of her daughters, Musliat to a mission school for admission. She was asked to wait until all the Christian girls were attended to. This upset her so much that she left the venue and called a special meeting of the Isabatudeen Society and narrated her experience. There and then, members decided to contribute nine pounds each towards founding a school for Muslim girls. This incident led to the founding of Isabatudeen Girls’ Grammar school on 24th January, 1964 with a population of thirty girls. It was the first Muslim girls’ secondary school in Ibadan. The entrance examination took place in December 1963 and by the end of 1964, the number of students rose to one hundred. Fifty years after, the school has over one thousand students.

TNTIGCK moves to new building

he Nigerian Turkish International Girls College Kano (TNTIGCK) moved to a new, modern and fully equipped building with the capacity of 5000 female students which was commissioned on Tuesday 25th February 2014 by The Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Rabiu kwankawso, who was ably represented by his deputy, Alhaji Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. The new building was

commissioned at the school premises located at Hadeja Road Bypass by Ring Road, Yankaba Kano by 10am. High officials such as the Commissioner for Education Kano State, Alhaji Tajudeen Gambo, the representative of the Emir of Kano and the Chairman of Surat Group, Mr Hikmet Coban graced the event. Parents, royalties, technocrats and politicians of the highest caliber were also present at the occasion.

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Friday, February 28, 2014 Yaum al-Jumu’ah, Rabi Al-Thani 28, 1435AH

Call to Worship

Quality training for our children should be our priority -Oyewole

… says more brilliant women should be given opportunity to serve

lhaja Silifat Jadesola Oyewole, former National Treasurer of Federation of Muslim Women Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN), attended Tottenham College London and started Muslim Ladies Circle, is one of the children of the late scholar and merchant Alhaja Humuani Alaga, Otun Iyalode of Ibadan Land, in this interview with newsmen speaks on making marriages work, women activism, girl-child education and others. EXCERPTS: What is your advice to women on keeping their homes and work? They should pray to God to give them the right husband. It is good to respect your husband and husbands should reciprocate that too. It will be a great mistake to be married to somebody who’s not close to God, he will likely maltreat you. We should also make our children better off in terms of moral and religious training. In the 50s, 60s, people were not well educated about Islam but things are better now. What led to the book presentation in memory of your mother? It was my mother’s baby, they started with Egbe Ifelodun. Then, most schools were Christian schools. One of my sisters wanted to get to St. Annes’s school but could not, she advised her friends to start a Muslim school and God helped her to start sSabatudeen in Ojo. She loves helping people; she helped a lot of people in their education, getting jobs.

Mrs. Oyewole

IT WILL BE A GREAT MISTAKE TO BE MARRIED TO SOMEBODY

WHO’S NOT CLOSE TO

GOD, HE

WILL LIKELY MALTREAT YOU

What can today’s women learn from her on politics: On insecurity in the nation:

What is your advice to those in position of power? Those in position of power and the rich should fear God, help people and be ready to account for everything. I could remember that my mother was always eager to render all accounts no matter how small the amount might be. She loved giving detailed accounts about every spending. She won’t lie and hate people lying, she loved accountability so much and I think we must all learn to be that way. What brought about the book presentation? The idea came from the grandchildren who said they have been hearing a lot about grandma thereby suggesting that we should put it down in book format and we started. How best can women be involved in activism and politics without rancor? In those days, they did politics with love, now it is money and power. That does not mean women cannot take part, they should do it with honesty. For instance, the likes of my mother and Madam Funmilayo Ransome Kuti used the opportunity they have to help a lot of people, but now, we can’t get close to them. You must know what you want before going into politics. Our men should stop holding meetings late in the night. In other parts of the world, no political meetings at night. Going into politics does not mean there shouldn’t be time for the family. Many women are brilliant and will deliver if given the opportunity.

On Education: We should start training our children from tender age. I am in support of decent dressing and early training in terms of using the Hijab by female Muslims because every girl-child should be well-protected. Apart from spending on, lecturing and talking to them, we should train them to dress well. Tight fitting clothes can be tempting.

On teachers’ training: Teachers should devote time to quality teaching, take students as their own children; show them love, so that they can concentrate and cooperate with teachers. Government should also give teachers continuous training, good salary and treat them well. Teachers’ training in those days was quite superb and we must continue and even improve on that.

ety protested. Thereafter, the late premier of Western region, Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola (S.L.A) intervened and the Ministry of Education gave approval four years later. The society built a maternity center at Mapo, headquarters of Ibadan Municipal Council which was later handed over to the Council. The society morally and financially contributed to the building of the Ibadan central Mosque. Her enthusiasm and ability to raise funds earned her appointment into Olubadan’s Palace Committee. On her market women’s associations’ activities: Gbagi was the central market, so Alhaja Alaga was the overall leader. In 1938, she led the Women Cotton Trade Union in protest against the Lebanese merchants who still sold in retail at reduced prices thereby undercutting the women traders. The council chiefs investigated and ordered the Lebanese traders to put an end to the practice. In 1953, she led a delegation from Ibadan African Textile Association to Mapo Hall, seat of the municipal government to protest. They also protested the movement of Dugbe market to a new site. They marched barefooted and without their head ties to Olubadan Yesufu Kobiowu’s palace and gave a three-day ultimatum to change the decision. They succeeded in their request. In 1978, Alhaja Alaga with the market women marched to the Governor’s residence to protest against the killing of demonstrating students by soldiers.

People should love their neighbours. I could remember my mum used to help a lot of people around her. Advice for women on home and career: I will want our women to be contended no matter how little, with God’s blessing. It’s unfair for a woman to be outside her home anything after 7pm. We need to be there for these children. But when you are not at home, so many things can happen. It should not be about money and career always, quality training of our children should be our pride and priority and we don’t need to have plenty money to train children well.

On religious training: We thank God our children have a lot of opportunities nowadays. Muslim parents should assist in training their children in Islamic way.

On your late mum: Alhaja Humuani Alaga attended adult training classes both for western education and the Qur’an. This is to let us know that no age is too old to learn. She was a very active woman, good disciplinarian, hardworking, religious, who loves woman, very respectful, she believed so much in the Qur’an and practiced it. She is older than my father and gave him all the respect. I could remember seeing her kneeling down to demand food money. Saying the money from her husband is more blessed. She was always seeking her husband’s consent in all things. What led to her establishing a school? She took one of my sisters, Musliat to a mission school for admission. She was asked to wait until all the Christian girls were attended to. This upset her so much that she left the venue and called a special meeting of the Isabatudeen society and narrated her experience. There and then, members decided to contribute nine pounds each towards founding a school for Muslim girls. This incident led to the founding of Isabatudeen Girls’ Grammar school on 24th January, 1964 with a population of thirty girls. It was the first Muslim girls’ secondary school in Ibadan. The entrance examination took place in December 1963 and by the end of 1964, the number of students rose to one hundred. Today, the school has over one thousand students. There were obstacles in granting approval for the school. At the initial stage, government of the Western Region refused to grant approval for the school in 1964 because it was an all girls’ school, the soci-

Alhaja Alaga’s success in her field and courage earned her respect in all quarters. Though not literate in western education, she was a strong member of the Action Group party under the leadership of the late chief Obafemi Awolowo. She was one of those appointed to draw up plans for the formation of the women’s wing of the party in 1953, she was made the deputy leader of the wing, the only non-literate and non-Christian in the executive. She was a co-founder and former President of the National Council of Women’s Societies (NCWS). Her election to the post was opposed because she was not literate but Prof. (Mrs) F. A. Ogunseye recounted her chains of achievements and therefore saw no reason why she could not hold the post. She opposed the legalization of abortion; instead, she suggested that the government should create centers to care for the children whilst the mothers play productive roles in the society. Other NCWS members were astonished by Alaga’s intelligent views. She attended a conference in Dublin, Ireland in 1961 with other members of NCWS.

On gender advocacy: In an interview, late chief Mrs. Fola Ighodalo, the first woman Permanent Secretary, few days before she died said Alhaja Alaga led her and a few women in the civil service to then state Governor for a meeting. She demanded from the Governor, (pointing to some of the women) if they had been performing their assigned duties credibly, the Governor reportedly answered in the affirmative. She then queried why they were not paid the same amount as their male counterparts. She also frowned at the situation where women were placed on daily-pay system whilst the men were on monthly salaries. The Governor in his remark was said to have quoted from the government’s set rules and regulations but Alhaja replied that she did not know book (meaning that she was not literate.); all she wanted was what she had said (equal pay for equal job). Thereafter, she left the office with her team and that led to a change in the life of women in the state’s civil service. Although she was not literate in western education, this intelligent, courageous and industrious woman used her Islamic education, which is all encompassing to influence the lives of women in the fields of religion, economy, education, social welfare and politics. She was a force to reckon with in all endeavours. She was an activist, a Muminaat who influenced women to play active part in state, national and international affairs. She is a source of pride to Muslims.

Call to Worship

Yaum al-Jumu’ah, Rabi Al-Thani 28, 1435AH

Friday, February 28, 2014

Stop these senseless killings A nother round of the senseless killings occurred again when over 43 students of the Federal Government College in Yobe State were brutally massacred by some faceless group. This gruesome killing is maddening really and must stop. This is unbelievable in a state under emergency, where were the security men? Enough of all these senseless mere condemnation after each attack. Something serious must be done to stem the tide. The question

remains; how can the massacre of innocent Nigerians continue unabated in spite of a state of emergency which has been in place for months? All those who are connected to this mayhem should fear the wrath of almighty God and desist from their evil plans. We must keep up our fasting and praying as well as nothing is beyong the almighty Creator of all creatures! It will quite absurd when we have so many families in Yobe State and

other parts of the country who are in deep mourning due to the callous and brutal killing of their innocent school children as well as every wellmeaning Nigerians who are worried about this relentless attack of the faceless Boko Haram group that has accounted for about 300 deaths in 2014 alone, for the presidency to be “celebrating centenary” rather than mourning. We should be asking ourselves what exactly we are celebrating when we can’t guarantee the safety of the citizens.

Attaining MDG3 through Hijab

he Millennium Declaration, endorsed by 189 world leaders at the UN in September 2000, is a commitment to work together to build a safer, more prosperous and equitable world. The Declaration was translated into a roadmap setting out eight time-bound and measurable goals (8 goals, 18 targets and 48 indicators) to be reached by 2015, known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). These are development priorities and are as follows: eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality and empower women among others. To Muslims, the hijab is not just a covering, it’s a religious duty. It is this realization that makes Muslims the world over clamour for the use of the hijab, for themselves as well as for their girls. Historically, various missionaries have denied Muslims their right to freedom of religious expression and thus many Muslim parents stopped their children, male and female, from attending the ‘western’ type schools. This accounted for the disparity in enrolment and literacy among Muslims and non-Muslim population in Nigeria. With the advent of democracy along with various statutes and conventions on eradication of various forms of discriminations, Muslims saw the need to take their rights and make demands within legal limits. Denial of these rights by govern-

ment portends great danger for the attainment of MDG 3, which seeks to promote gender equality and empower women. The state of women globally showed that most of the poor people in the world are women and their children. The exclusion of women from education and from opportunities to contribute equally with men in public life has severe social and economic consequences in gender relations. They are caught in the vicious cycle of poverty, lack of education and technical skills leading to low-skilled, low income work leading back to poverty, high maternal and child mortality. Allowing the Muslim girl-child wear her hijab to school is a major step towards achieving the MDG 3, because two of the rationales for MDG3 are; to educate girls and women. Educated girls tend to become women with greater economic independence. They have an increased ability to negotiate and bargain in home, community and economic life. Educated girls and women tend to participate more in public life, and they can manage natural resources in a more sustainable manner. Is Hijab anti-MDG 3? No. It actually a dignifying garment for the Female Muslims coupled with the fact that Islam actually enjoins all adherents to seek knowledge as much as possible. Yet it is a religious duty to obey our creator in all spheres of our mundane and religious lives.

The hijab is an act of obedience to Allah. Allah says in the Qur’an: `It is not befitting for a believer, man or woman, when Allah and His messenger have decreed a matter that they should have an option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has indeed strayed in a plain error.’ (Qur’an chapter 33 verse 36). Any government that disallows the optional use of hijab by the Muslims girl-chid in public schools run by all tax-payers money is definitely working against the attainment of MDG 3. In conclusion, MDG 3 attainment as well as attainment of the other goals can be made possible only through stronger partnerships among state actors, non-state actors and the citizens. Protection of our religious rights which include allowing our children wear the hijab in public schools is vital to eliminating gender disparity in primary, secondary and all levels of education no later than 2015. An excuse to attend schools where waywardness and nudity is game, in the name of civilization and emancipation is deceit and the West being victim of its effects is exporting it to other cultures, is not what Muslims are ready to overlook. Sherifah Yusuf-Ajibade Coordinator, Al-Mu’minaat Social Advocacy Project (SAP)

Book Review

inning the heart of your wife’ is among the series of the happy Muslim family, its aim is to create a solid, sincere and understanding Muslim family, reigned by admiration, respect, love, commitment, mental tranquility and happiness. A woman is weak, affectionate, emotional and cannot bear a man when raising his voice and showing his muscles. She needs his care all the time. She needs his care all the

time. She needs affection, compassion, a smile and true love. She needs safe direction and the right advice, and she needs to be addressed with wisdom, tenderness and the proper style because she is the mother of the children. The wife has to be loved by her husband. He should call her by her best name and treat her with difference. He has to treat her family kindly by praising them in her presence, exchange visits and invite them on every occasion.

Also, he has to listen to her, respect her opinion, and accept her advice if it is right. In short, any matter considered in our Deen and tradition to be good should be adopted in marriage relation. So, it is appropriate for us to improve our characters and our behaviour towards our wives, and offer them what Allah has obliged us with trust and loyalty. I ask Allah to grant us all happiness in this world and in the hereafter, and may the bless-

ing and peace of Allah be upon our beloved prophet Muhammad. It’s a mustread for all

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THE PLATFORM with

Sekinah

Lawal E-mail: sakinah207@yahoo.com

That pain might not be normal after all!

et me welcome you to the world of women faced with Endometriosis. Many women suffering from this medical condition described it differently; Ever-present pain, No one can understand, Dark nights of the soul, mind and body. Outright frustrating! Makes life miserable, Everyone else tries to tell you what you “should” do, They really don’t get it, Relive the same pain over and over, It’s irrational, ostracizing, surgery, surgery, and more surgery! Immobilizing, Support you long for, so you won’t have to feel so alone. I know many will be asking is it that serious? Yes, it can be that bad. It is only those who feel it that know it. And this is why the ESGN (Endometriosis Support Group Nigeria), a non-governmental organization with the sole aim of assisting women, both young and old who are challenged with the Endometriosis condition has been actively lobbying for better outcomes for these women affected with endometriosis; help women understand the condition, learn about treatment options and best care practices, as this condition affects females from as early as puberty. The month of March is the designated month for endometriosis worldwide and each year, the ESGN celebrates this month via series of activities. The “Million Woman March for Endometriosis Worldwide” is a globally initiative where women unite all over the world and take a stand against Endometriosis. It is a fairly common gynecological disorder which can cause extremely painful periods, chronic and disabling pelvic pain anytime during the cycle but usually worse during

menses, and subfertility/ infertility, amongst other symptoms. Endometriosis develops when endometrial-like cells similar to those lining the inside of the uterus (endometrium) begin growing in other areas or organs of the body. Like many other disorders, endometriosis can be a chronic condition, with symptoms ranging from mild to severe. Diagnosing endometriosis can be difficult for a non-specialist because symptoms can vary widely and the only way to definitely diagnose endometriosis is by undergoing a surgical procedure called laparoscopy. Unfortunately many women and girls with endometriosis experience an average of about 6-10 years delay before being accurately diagnosed in developed parts of the world and probably never in many parts of Africa. It is not too late, let us join the Endo Team Nigeria via registration online for the walk as well as supporting this worthy cause. Please register online at http://www. endometriosis-sgn.org/. Emails can also be sent to endomarch.nigeria@ endometriosis-sgn.org It’s about us, women and young girls; our wives, sisters, daughters, granddaughters and friends, we must all be involved. In Lagos, March 8, 2014 is the Million Women March for Endometriosis – 8:30am to 12noon. Venue is Onikan Stadium where further consultations and other interactive sessions will take place with the US and Nigerian Endo teams. It will be the turn of FCT Abuja on March 18, 2014 with Endometriosis Lecture at Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja while Asaba, Delta State is for March 20, 2014.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Friday, February 28, 2014 Yaum al-Jumu’ah, Rabi Al-Thani 28, 1435AH

Recovering lost Paradise

ere is a confession: This view concerning womanhood I am about canvassing belongs to the old school; it is of the past and thus archaic. It has been defeated in the past by modernity, since the Industrial Revolution. It is like returning to the era of ignorance, jahilliyyah in the language of the Arabs. Some will accuse me of slipping back into the Dark Age from the Renaissance. But I deserve to be heard first before a fatwa is invoked on me. First, let me assert that women have become masculinised and that our society is losing the values and virtues of womanhood. Stretching further my argument, I wish to conclude that the collapse of the social or moral order is as a result of the compromise of womanhood and the dearth of proper parenting, in which the woman as mother is the real factor of human development. I wish to posit that the collapse of the family is brought about by the misguided idea of women liberation. So, accept my parochialism. Please, accept my blindness. So are the rest of you. Only our Creator has perfect sight, who suffers no sight ailment. He is the Perfect Most Excellent master, who creates and restores. Paradise lies at the feet of mothers; it denotes beauty and calmness, where you can luxuriate, surrounded by flowers, inviting fruits, lush green and well manicured

lawns. It is an expansive garden with many orchards beneath under which rivers flow, singing rivers. You have a clear view of the sky and the horizon in it; the breeze is cool; its scents sweet. In the bible, it is called the Garden of Eden. In the Qur’an, it is called Al-Jannah, which has many grades, the highest of which is Firdaus. If such a beautiful garden is at the feet of mothers, WOMEN really, it means they must be very good managers, well trained in the management of facilities, with eyes for details and perfection, uncompromising on environmental sanity and sustainability. Your entrance into the garden is at the discretion of the facility manager. But if the facility manager lacks or loses her managerial acumen or is wrongly trained to manage the facility, all sorts of beings will gain entry: agberos, area boys, the deranged and the insane, the elewe omos, the alagbos and the herbalist aafas searching for herbs; the firewood gatherers soon take over the garden already turning into a bush. They will compromise the environment and the peace in the once beautiful and scenic garden; the herdsmen with their rampaging, hungry, riotous cattle will also smash through portions of the weak fence to graze in the garden now overgrown with wild weeds and useless shrubs. What is to be done? Sack the manager

Call to Worship

AL-FAJR with

Abdulwaarith

for negligence? Find another? Unfortunately, women as facility managers in raising responsible children korewareeth@yahoo.com, 08090585723 and managing the home will always remain one species. But her children are in the hands of You cannot get another. It is that same spe- some nannies that pump them with valicies that you must re-orient and bring back um tablets to keep them asleep while mumto its original function – managing the gar- my is away on duty. Her innocent teenage den of the family and parenting. daughter is in the arms of some devils It is sad that in the permissiveness of deflowering her as madam has no time today’s modernity, there is denaturing of to guide or groom her to be a responsible women. Many of the modern ideas are adult. Her 20 year old son is at some joint turning men and women from the best of wasting precious time since mummy has conduct to the beast of nature. With mod- no meaning in his life to mentor him. Now, ernization, many lose sense of shame, the misguided and the unguided on air and worse than animals copulating in the open. in print are parenting on her behalf. Many abdicate parenting to the screen and Who should we blame? It is the world some senseless surrogates and maids. that removed the skirt and the wrapper Modernity has turned women into a from today’s woman and forced her into tool of sales promotion and object of enter- tight trousers and jeans to box and fight tainment. The woman is now the best show like an agbero in the motor park while haspiece when Mirinda is to be marketed; she sling for daily bread or to roar like a lion is on display when KFC is to enter a local over every little thing because she must asmarket; her hot legs and slender arms in- sert and affirm herself as a strong woman. vite to the showroom of the latest Benz, She is now so strong that a man makes no BMW or Volvo; her snow-white teeth with meaning in her life as a marital mate. So, wide smile keeps the banquet guests glued the paradise is lost as women lose the virto their seats; her courteous greetings wel- tues of motherhood. come the tired travellers at the entrance of How do we regain this lost paradise? seven-star hotels, and on board flights as You guess is as good as mine. hostesses and cabin crew members.

SOLANKE

Much ado about Islamophobia CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26

forcefully removed and whoever caught will be made to pay a fine. At the Nigeria Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Muslim women face a lot of trials just because of being obedient to their Lord, to the extent that some have to remove their hijab so that they will not be decamped, in the so-called Shariah State, Zamfara where I served, the Zonal Inspector Mike Obemeata had the guts to cut the trousers sisters wore for their training on camp, forcing them to wear “semi-pant” shorts that other ladies wear. Oh! Permit me to say this; I do not mean you should disobey the rules of NYSC but rather you should stand for what you profess and you will by Allah’s grace, be allowed to participate with your hijab and modesty. The Muslim Corps Association of Nigeria (MCAN) should still intensify efforts to fight for members’ rights. Worst still, some Muslims are not left out of this. Some of them say you are extremists, fanatics and all sorts, they say women in hijab are too extreme in dressing and ideology. They

frustrate them more than the unbelievers do. These Muslims could be their parents, their lecturers or employers. Muslims should pause to ponder on this; in any way we might be causing harm to our fellow Muslim brethren just because they are able to submit to Allah than we do, calls us to repent sincerely to Allah. Mustafa kemal of Turkey who banned the use of any symbol that linked people with Islam and declared a secular state in resemblance of that of the European, was the one who ordered Muslim women to remove their hijab and replace it with the European hat. Jamal Al-Nasir of Egypt tortured and murdered many Muslims of the Ikwanul Muslim led by Hasan Al-Banna just for propagating Islam and calling people to the worship of Allah. Also, the present day “Return of the Pharaoh” as Al-Sisi continues the tortures handed down from his father and grandfather, Pharaoh and Al-Nasir on the poor Muslims who are merely seeking freedom and justice. Syria on its own is a horrible experience

where dangerous chemical weapon is used to wipe out millions of Muslims; children and women alike. These and many other Muslims are being manipulated by the West against their fellow Muslims. Muslim brethren! Enough of disunity; let us support and love one another for Allah’s sake. Muslims are tagged terrorists and most recently BOKO HARAM, so, some Muslims now feel shy to present their views in a debate or argument. Some even disguise and are ashamed to come out to say boldly that they are Muslims. Muslims are neither terrorists nor Boko Haram because these latter’s concept is not of Islam. We have been ideologically brainwashed through films, news and western education, to mention but a few. Whatever the case may be, we should always find out the Islamic views on all matters and Islamize all knowledge acquired. Ruqayyah Alli sent her piece from Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN.

Hajia Basirat Abiodun Kassim flanked by her daughters, Aramide Fatimah and Hassanah Kehinde Kassim while cutting her 50th birthday cake in Sango Otta, Ogun State recently.

Call to Worship

Yaum al-Jumu’ah, Rabi Al-Thani 28, 1435AH

Friday, February 28, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Every Friday with

Khalifatul

Ahmadiyya

Religious wars should come to an end

n extremely important and fundamental aspect of our teaching is that in this era, religious wars should come to an end. Further, we believe that anyone who desires to convey or spread any teaching should only do so in a spirit and atmosphere of love, compassion and brotherhood so that he can become the source of establishing peace, reconciliation and harmony. This important aspect, which is based on the true teachings of Islam, is being promoted and propagated by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community all over the world. The Community is now spread over 200 countries of the world, and consists of millions of followers. I wish to convey the following message to you: that the world is currently passing through a most harrowing and perilous period. Indeed, it would appear that we are rapidly drawing closer to a world war. Hence, in this context, all world leaders of great superpower should play theirr role to save the world from the destruction that looms before us. Irrespective of nationality, religion, caste or creed, we should strive to our utmost to save humanity. In China, after the revolution took place, there was great progress and change. Honourable Mao Zedong, who was a great leader of your nation, established the foundation for high moral standards, which can also be described in other words as the most excellent standard of human values. Although you do not believe in the existence of God and your principles are based on morality, I would like to make it clear that our God, Who is the God as portrayed by Islam, revealed the Qur’an as guidance for all mankind, and the Qur’an inculcates all such morals that you act upon, but it is also filled with even further moral guidance. It contains beautiful teachings expounding the means of sustenance for humanity and establishing human values. If the world—the Muslim

IF THE WORLD ADOPT THESE QUR’ANIC TEACHINGS, ALL PROBLEMS AND CONFLICTS

L-R: Wife of Ekiti State Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi; Secretary to the State Government, Ekiti State, Dr. Ghaniyyu Owolabi and Amir, Dr. Mashhud Adenrele Fashola, at the renovation of Ahmadiyya Mosque in Ekiti.

WILL BE RESOLVED world in particular—adopt these Qur’anic teachings, all problems and conflicts will be resolved and an atmosphere of peace and harmony will be fostered. Today, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community endeavours to further this very purpose and objective in every part of the world. Through our peace symposiums and through numerous meetings that I hold with various categories of people and groups from all walks of life, I remind the world of this vital goal. It is my prayer that the leaders of the world act with wisdom and do not allow mutual enmities between nations and people on a small-scale to erupt into a global conflict. It is also my request to you that, as a great superpower of the world, play your role to establish world peace. Save the world from the horrifying consequences of a world war, for if such a war breaks out, it will come to an end with the use of atomic weapons. It is quite possible that as a result, parts of certain countries and areas of the world will be obliterated off the face of the earth. The effects and aftermath of an atomic war will not be limited to just the immediate devastation, rather, the long-term effects will result in future generations being born disabled or with defects. Thus, expend all energy, capabilities and resources in the effort to save humanity from such dreadful consequences. It will ultimately be to the benefit of all nations to act upon this. It is my prayer that all countries of the world, large and small, come to understand this message.

L-R: PA to Amir, Bro. Soliu Akewugberu; Dr. Ghaniyyu Owolabi; Representative of Ekiti State Governor, Alhaji Saheed Jinadu and Sadr, Majlis Ansarullah Nigeria, Alhaji Mikail Odukoya.

L-R: Dr. Zikrullah Eniola; representative of Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Chief B.A. Olotin and other High chiefs at the ceremony.

Fayemi commissions Ahmadiyya Mosque

he wife of Ekiti State Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi recently commissioned the Ahmadiyya Central Mosque, Ado Ekiti and commended the activities of the group in the country. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat Nigeria renovated two Mosques in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State and Ibereko, Badagry Lagos State. The Amir, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, Dr Mashood Fashola, appreciated the love and understanding shown by the governor, his wife, government functionaries as well as the people of Ekiti State to the Ahmadiyya jamaat in the state. He used the opportunity to inform the general public on the essence of Islam as a religion of peace and the unique place of the mosque

in any society as a center of knowledge, moral and spiritual sanctuary for all. Other dignitaries at the occasion include the Secretary to the state government who represented the Governor, Kayode Fayemi, top government official, members of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat from Lagos and surrounding states. Similarly, the mosque at Ibereko, Badagry in Lagos State was also commissioned by the Amir. The mosque was rebuilt by Alhaji Abdul Fatai Shokunbi, the Chief Executive, Farm Embassy Suites, Ibereko. The mosque was inaugurated in the early 1990s and built to the ground floor level when Alhaji Shokunbi took over.

L-R: Secretary-General, Muslim Community of Oyo State, Alhaji Mursiq Siyanbade; Chairman, Alhaji Ishaq Sanni and Vice-Chairman, Alhaji Mufutaudeen Oloyin during the press conference on the Oyo State Muslim Unity Day In Ibadan.

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Arty News

Friday, February 28, 2014

Barbados and five of its beautiful beaches Barbados has always been described in travel literature as beautiful. No doubt those who holiday there in their droves have experienced this beauty as showcased in the five beaches mentioned in this write up culled from Caribound.com.

ut first, Barbedos is a sovereign island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is 34 kilometres in length and up to 23 kilometres in width, covering an area of 432 square kilometres. It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about 168 kilometres east of the islands of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and 400 kilometres north-east of Trinidad and Tobago. If that description is not beauty itself, what is? The top five Barbados Beaches definitely. If you are heading down to Barbados you are obviously going to be tanning on a beach, but the question is – which one? There are many to choose from depending on your location and how willing you are to travel to one. Whether you are looking for a nice, relaxing, high-end beach where all the A-list celebrities vacation to or just someplace to tan and swim after having some lunch at a local restaurant, there is definitely a place for you! Read on and decide which beautiful beach you will be travelling to. CRANE-BEACH-BARBADOS First, there is the famous Crane Beach. This public hotel beach can be found on the wonderful South-East coast of the island in the parish of St. Philip. Here, you can venture out to do some boogie boarding on the large waves of the Crane or just have some lunch at one of the hotel restaurants. Right on the beach there is The Grove Bar & Grill where you can order food and drinks to your umbrella and chair (which, by the way, can be rented there for under $15). There is also their signature restaurant L’Azure, which is set on the terrace with a beautiful view of the beach. Note that this restaurant is a little fancier than bikini’s and flipflops, maybe venture there for a romantic dinner with your significant other after a few hours of beach fun. Make sure to jump off of one of the small cliffs into the ocean! If not, sit up there for a while and enjoy the breeze and wonderful view of the Atlantic Ocean. Next is Ju Ju’s Beach which is situated on the West Coast. It stretches along St. James just past the Fairmont Royal Pavillon Hotel. It is not officially called Ju Ju’s, but Alleyne’s Beach, but because of the local restaurant most people refer to it as this. About 2.5 km North of Holetown, you will find this beautiful beach that is perfect for lei-

Beach 1 : Photo Credit: My Beautiful Adventures

sure swimming. Swim out far enough and you can play with the turtles! You can rent lounge chairs and umbrella’s if you don’t already have your own and enjoy some snacks from Ju Ju’s Beach Bar while you are at it. Thinking about water sports? Just ask! There are an abundance to choose from. Accra Beach is another well-known beach in Barbados. Often busy, the beach is often filled with tourists as well as locals. There are a bunch of restaurants to choose from in terms of lunch, just walk across the street and there you have it! There are also jewellery and swimsuit shops in the strip mall as well. If you are looking for some more authentic and original pieces, there are beach vendors there willing to give you great deals. The beach is located on the South coast and has a small wading area for children where small fish swim around. There are minimal waves so it’s perfect for a light swim. This perfect location also includes multiple coconut trees and life guards for swimming reassurance. The famous Sandy Lane Beach is also a must-see. It is just South of the famous 5 star Sandy Lane Hotel in St. James, All the A-list celebrities that vacation at the hotel so be sure to bring your camera to take some snaps! If famous stars vacation here, this can definitely assure a beautiful white sandy beach and clear blue waters. There are also many water sports to choose from! The waters are filled with turtles if you get out far enough while snorkelling. But be warned, security won’t allow you in through the hotel lobby so in order to

Crane-Beach-Barbados. Photo Credit: Sun Surfer

get to the private hotel beach on the other side of the public one out front, make reservations at the hotel restaurant. This can guarantee you a leisurely stroll after your lunch on the beach. Last but not least, just South of the island is Miami Beach. Also known as Enterprise, this beach has two sides to offer from. One side is perfect for small children because of the low tides and calm waters, while the other side has great waves to body surf on. Hungry? Grab a snack at Mr. Delicious snack bar which is famous for their fish cutters and fish cakes. This beach is just a five minute walk from Oistens fish market and the busy streets of Barbados that lead all the way to Bridgetown by bus. Picnic benches are available and beach chairs can be rented as well as umbrellas. For the avid surfer, this beach is located right next to Freights Bay which is perfect for surfing and swimming with turtles. After tanning for a few hours, walk a little further past Oistens to get to the St. Lawrence Gap – that’s where the party is! So these are the top five beaches in Barbados that you got to visit. Have fun!

FACT FILE •

Capital and largest city: Bridgetown

•

Official languages: English

•

Recognised regional languages: Bajan

•

Government: Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy

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Legislature: Parliament

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Independence: from the United Kingdom on November 30, 1966

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Population: 2010 census 277,821[2] (181st)

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Currency: Barbadian dollar ($) (Although USD is widely accepted) (BBD)

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Time zone: Eastern Caribbean (UTC-4)

•

Calling code: +1 -246

People In The Mirror

Friday, February 28, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Screen Nation Awards 2014! Here are some pictures of celebrities who dazzled at the 9th Screen Nation & Television Awards which took place on Sunday 23rd of February 2014 at the luxurious Park Plaza Riverbank Hotel London.

Obi Emelonye and wife, Amaka

Alex Ekubo

Caroline Chikezie and Ali Baba

Chukky Venn

Cornell John, (Actor in Eastender)

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Jealous Me, (comedian)

Khali Best

Lian Okoli

Miss K and Jackline Wabara

Pauline Long

Shavani Seth

Toya Washington

Charles Novia and Deejay Abass

Jimmy Akingbola

Nana Afua Antwi, model

Yetunde Oduwole

Chizzy Akindolu

Julieth Osodi

Ngozi Thompson

Yvonne Hays W PHOTOS: AFRICAN DAZZLE

Arty News

Friday, February 28, 2014

Music

Hero: Excitement as ambassadors return to camp

Hero’s crew

NGOZI EMEDOLIBE

he Lekki camp of the Hero: Back to the Root, a reality TV show filming in Lekki lagos State is fun-filled following the resumption of camp activities by the ambassadors of the show. According to the producer, Chinyere Ogbukagu, the ambassadors numbering about eight now, resumed camping after a one week break which afforded them the opportunity to spend time with their relatives. “They are back to the camp and it is fun, I can tell you. They are still being groomed by some knowledgeable people in the industry for the task ahead. By the time the housemates move into the camp, their roles will be more pronounced, because they are going to be performing their tasks

of guarding the housemates. They are being drilled on rudiments of living in camp and also the need to shed biases about the cultural differences in Nigeria.” According to the producer, the ambassadors were selected due to their passion for African culture, carriage and intelligence. Meanwhile Favour Dapa, who hails from Rivers State, has been elected head of the ambassadors, after emerging tops during the task given to the ambassadors earlier in the week. According to Favour, it is a position she cherishes a lot, because it has availed her opportunity to interact with people from various cultures in Nigeria. “Aside the cultural aspect, I am also learning how to adapt to the other side of life. All my life, I have never cooked with firewood, but that has become part of me here because of this new orientation”,

said Favour, who graduated in Microbiology from the University of Port Harcourt. Other ambassadors are: Mary Ann Ozioko, (who also goes by the name Sequence which she earned due to her orderliness while not only in the school but also at the camp); Maduka Chioma, (the deposed leader of the ambassadors who has always had her eyes on the entertainment industry despite the fact that she studied Microbiology at the Abia State University, Uturu); Princess Esther Nwani (who hails from the Nwani royal family in Ebonyi State and has featured in five movies since she moved to Lagos from Kaduna where her parents live.); Obikwelu Chidubem, (who hails from Oyi, Anambra State and Amaka Neze, the last child of her family, which hails from Aguata in Anambra State.

Top artistes dazzle at SWAG concert I t was an all-star outing for the SWAG concert featuring Wiz Kid, Banky W, Wande Coal, Sound Sultan and Harry Song sponsored by Diamond Bank Plc, to commemorate the end of the 24th edition of the Nigerian University Games, NUGA. One of Nigeria’s finest disc jockeys, DJ Exclusive, was on hand to entertain as were students of the host institution, the Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, while comedian, Seyi Law, kept everyone laughing all through. Thereafter, the main acts stepped on stage one after the other to perform hit track after hit track. The audience swayed to the beats of the artistes, singing along much to the elation of the artistes. Banky W, who was performing for the first time at OAU, hailed the crowd for the warm reception accorded him. Wiz Kid was so thrilled at the students’ rendition of his songs that he exclaimed,

“It seems I have a choir here!” The SWAG concert, which was held at the institution’s Amphitheatre, was indeed a night of music, comedy and dance, laced with a huge dose of fun and excitement as the students savoured the performances. The concert was earlier declared open by Mr. Uzoma Dozie, Executive Director – Retail Banking, Diamond Bank Plc. “This is not an evening for long speeches rather; we are here to relax and have fun. However, I would like to thank you all for embracing the Diamond SWAG (Students With A Goal) Account and for all the support we have received from the students of OAU in putting this event together. I have no doubt it is going to be a night of pure fun, so please relax and enjoy the event,” he said. Launched during the just-concluded games, the SWAG account by Diamond Bank is designed with the objective of providing Nigerian youths with the right sup-

port to help them achieve their financial goals. The NUGA games, which started on February 12, closed on the 22nd.

Wizkid and Banky-W

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Afrinolly to eliminate financial barriers in film industry KUNLE A ZEEZ

igeria’s telecoms operator, MTN, has said the main objective for its MTN Afrinolly competition was to eliminate financial barriers to movie production. Speaking during the prize presentation and award ceremony of the competition for the winners at an event held at the MUSON centre in Lagos at the weekend, General Manager, Consumer Marketing, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Kola Oyeyemi, asserted that MTN will always love to develop every area where it operates. “Our core objective for sponsoring Afrinolly is to empower African youth to tell their own stories from their own perspective and eliminate financial barriers to movie production. We look forward to ultimately creating a new generation of content providers in the Africa movie industry,” he said. During the event, MTN Nigeria rewarded 10 winners in the competition including Florian Schott, who won the first prize ($25,000) in the short film category with Everything Happens for a Reason; Daniel Etim Effiong, who won the second prize ($10,000) with Your Cup of Tea while Gbenga Salu came third ($5,000) with 10:10. In the documentary category, Victor Okoye won the first prize ($25,000) with Creative Minds, Ronke Ogunmakin’s Awele’s Diary came second winning $10,000, while Ng’endo Mukii came third ($5,000) with Yellow Fever. Other finalists in both categories received $500 each. Meanwhile, Schott, who was the grand winner in the competition, has revealed that winning the $25,000 prize money was a great opportunity for him in moving the Namibian film industry forward. The ecstatic Namibian film maker said, “It’s amazing. I am more than excited coming tops in the MTN Afrinolly short film category. My success was based on the passion I put in; the extra effort I made in achieving this and a lot of movie enthusiasts that voted for my film. I am extremely grateful to MTN for the $25,000 prize money and award given to me; this will help in pushing the Namibian film industry further because, I will re-invest the money into film production in my country.”

Friday, February 28, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Mirror Drive

Dana, KIA Motors sign agreement on assembly plant in Nigeria

ne of the leading automobile companies in Nigeria, Dana Motors earlier in the week signed an agreement with KIA Motors Corporation, KMC, South Korea to set up an assembly plant in Nigeria. Dana Motors is the sole distributors of KIA Motors in Nigeria. An online media statement signed by its Marketing Manager, Mr. Kayode Adejumo stated that the agreement between the two firms indicated their commitment to the development of the Auto policy in Nigeria. The auto companied stated that for the federal government’s auto policy to be effec-

tive, it would only be possible with a well equipped world class facility, in which KIA Motors Corporation (KMC) will provide the technical know-how for plant, machinery and assembly of the vehicles, restructuring its existing short term obligation to align with investment done in long term assets. Adejumo noted that the government’s policy is commendable and fully supported by Dana Motors and KIA, saying that this sets the stage for a new era of industrial, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises development in the, country, which is intended to transform the nation’s

industrial landscape, e, leading to an increase e in skillss d e ve l o p ment, job b creation and connserve foreign eign exchange. He added ed that the policy would also so fast-track industrialisation, accelerate ation inclusive economic growth, transform Nigeria’s business environment stopping the drain foreign reserves by importing and start production and assembly locally. He informed that Dana management team was led by its Managing Director, Mr. Jacky Hathiramani while an offi-

cial from South Korea, Mr. Homer Kim led the delegation of officials from South Korea. He stated that the documents were signed in the presence of Director of Policy and Planning, National Automobile Council, NAC, Mr. Luqman Mamudu who represented the Director-General. The Director NAC, comD mended Dana Motors for takD ing a bold bol step to establish a Motor vehicle assembly plant, which would crew ate sign significant good quality employment and a wide emplo range rang of technologically advanced manufaca

turing o p p o rtunities. Hathiramani in his response said that Dana Motors aims to set an example for others to follow with state-of-the-art systems, technology and logistics applied to the assembly plant. He further communicated that the project has been planned to have minimal adverse effect on the health and safety of the workers. He stated, “Dana Motors aims to surpass cus-

tomers expectations and t h e d with ih growing population of KIA cars across Nigeria there is a need to better support for maintenance by upgrading facility and investing in people thereby creating jobs, increasing skills and ultimately producing cost effective vehicles and also to promote the development of the automobile sector and drive the components parts requirement of international standard at competitive prices.”

Volkswagen passenger cars deliver about six million vehicles in 2013 OLUSEGUN KOIKI

olkswagen Automobile says its passenger cars brand closed the year 2013 with a new record, delivering 5.93 million vehicles to customers for the first time ever in a twelve-month period. The auto company stated that the brand handed over 535,200 units in December, 2013. An online media statement signed by the sole distributor of Volkswagen products in the country, Stallion Autos, stated that there has been further growth for the Volkswagen passenger cars brand in spite of the challenging market conditions. The statement signed by its Marketing Man-

ager, Santhosh Nair stated that the new Golf in particular has done extremely well in its first full year on the market and has strengthened Volkswagen’s competitive position. Nair however noted that the automobile company would be facing new and difficult challenges in 2014, but assured of the company’s readiness to face the challenge. On the overall European market, where the situation remained difficult, Volkswagen passenger cars delivered 1.64 (1.70; -3.7 per cent) million vehicles, of which 263,300 (267,100; -1.4 per cent) were handed over to customers in the Central and Eastern Europe region. The brand delivered 156,300 (164,700; -5.1 per cent) units in Russia, the

r e gion’s largest single market. Deliveries in Western Europe (excluding Germany) were down 3.9 per cent to 811,800 (844,500) units. Volkswagen Passenger Cars delivered 560,100 (586,100; -4.4 per cent) vehicles to customers in Germany in 2013. In the Asia-Pacific region, the brand enjoyed a substantial 15.0 per cent increase in deliveries for the full year, handing over 2.73 (2.37) million vehicles to customers, of which 2.51 (2.15; +16.6 per cent) million were delivered in China (incl. Hong Kong), the region’s largest single market. Volkswagen handed over 616,800 (623,300) vehicles to customers in the North America region, of which 407,700 (438,100; -6.9 per cent) units were delivered in the United States.

L-R: Managing Director, Dana Motors, Mr. Jacky Hathiramani, a delegate of Kia Motors, South Korea, Mr. Homer Kim and Director in National Automobile Council, Mr. Lukman Mamadu during the signing of the Letter of Intent to build an assembly plant in Nigeria recently.

Five Hyundai models emerged ‘Most Loved’ in America

n celebration of Valentine’s Day, the Hyundai Elantra, Sonata, Genesis, Equus and Santa Fe have all been named to Strategic Vision’s list of the “Most Loved Vehicles in America.” With five “loved” cars, Hyundai has more than any other brand. This report, from research-based consultancy Strategic Vision, demonstrates how hard people can fall in love with the cars they drive. These five Hyundai vehicles ranked “Most Loved” in their respective segments as rated by new vehicle buyers: Small Multi-Function Car (Elantra), Mid-Size Car (Sonata), Luxury Car (Genesis), Luxury Car (Equus), and

Mid-Size z ze C U V (Santa F e ) . N o t o n l y d i d Equus win its category, but it was also the second highest scoring vehicle overall, behind only the Tesla Model S. “Hyundai owners really love their cars,” said President, Strategic Vision, Alexander Edwards. “They had more segment winners in cars than any other brand and Hyundai’s Equus premium sedan finished second overall. ‘Love’ should be on any brand’s internal scorecard and is the pinna-

cl e o f achievement. Hyundai’s results demonstrate its commitment to customers and in turn their loyalty.” “Love” scores are calculated using attributes delivered by the vehicle and the dealership experiences – commitment, overall satisfaction, total top emotional responses, proposed repurchase loyalty and actual repurchase loyalty – to provide a Most Loved Index.

Cocktail

Friday, February 28, 2014

Confused Japanese tourists lead U.S. police on chase

he Utah Highway Patrol said a car that led police on a seven-mile chase turned out to be driven by a confused Japanese tourist. Lt. Brad Horne, commander of the state’s DUI squad, said he noticed a vehicle traveling only 37 mph and wandering out of its lane Sunday on Interstate 15 in St. George, but the car sped up instead of stopping when he turned on his lights, the Salt Lake Tribune reported Wednesday. “The vehicle was all over the road -- on the shoulder, in between the two lanes -- and the ve-

hicle didn’t stop,” Horne said. Horne said the car came to a stop after about seven miles when police put out spike strips and popped three of its tires. Police ordered the occupants out at gunpoint and determined there was something unusual about the situation when a Japanese couple and their 7-year-old son exited the car. “That’s when we realized there was probably something wrong, because they could not follow any simple instructions or directions in that process,” Horne said.

Teenager survives after falling down 250-foot cliff

yler Grandy, 17, was spending time with friends near the edge of a cliff and he lost his footing and fell 250 feet. A friend was able to reach Tyler on his cellphone and he was able to communicate with rescue

workers until a CHP helicopter pulled him out Tuesday afternoon. He has a moderate head injury and is expected to recover. “I’m grateful that he’s resilient and bounces like a ball,” said his mother, Mary Grandy.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Oddities

Family finds rat baked into cake A Long Island family says that they found a rat tail and part of its body in a birthday cake. The family made a horrifying discovery when celebrating their Uncle Joe’s 96th birthday. Uncle Joe Valente took a bite of the cake that he specifically requested, his favorite German Apple cake from King Kullen supermarket, and he immediately knew it didn’t taste right. Neil Gold told News 12 Long Island, “All of a sudden my girlfriend’s uncle got sick, had real stomach problems and thought it was the cake. And I cut a piece into the cake and I noticed something black. Looked like mold at the bottom. And we flipped it over and it evidently seems to be a tail of a rat and part of its body in the cake.” The rat tail was reportedly five-inches long and part of the rat’s head was also detected. The partygoers were disgusted and the fam-

ily grew angry. Gold said, “Doesn’t anybody regulate anything? Does anybody look at what their cake, what they’re baking and what they’re putting in a package for people to eat?” Attorney Edward Yule told the station, “This is a case of absolute negligence by the store itself in their policies, in the way they conduct their busi-

ness.” He’s contacted the New York Department of Agriculture and Markets to begin an investigation. The cake came from the King Kullen store in Commack, New York and the company says that they are also looking into the matter. The German Apple Ring cake, noted on the King Kullen website as “A customer favorite,” has been removed from

the store. Lloyd Singer, a company spokesperson said, “Product has been removed from the bakery and the premises have undergone a thorough inspection. There are no known safety or rodent issues in this bakery department and it is in good standing with all Department of Agriculture inspections.”

A Long Island family says that they found a rat tail and part of its body in this birthday cake.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Arty News

Friday, February 28, 2014

27 37

Second Lagos Theatre Festival begins

L-R: Acting Chief Executive Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Matthew Willsher; Winner, Etisalat Prize for Literature, Bulawayo; Runners-Up, Jennings and Omotoso at the award ceremony.

Bulawayo wins Etisalat Prize for Literature as N’Dour sizzles N oViolet Bulawayo emerged winner of the maiden edition of the Etisalat Prize for Literature organised by Etisalat Nigeria a ceremony in Lagos featuring a superlative performance by Africa’s music legend, Youssou N’Dour. The announcement was made in Lagos on Sunday evening at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island. Bulawayo, who was shortlisted alongside Yewande Omotoso and Karen Jennings, won for her book, We Need New Names. Etisalat Nigeria’s Acting Chief Executive Officer, Matthew Willsher, said the prize was designed to recognise and reward debut writers of fiction in Africa, with the objective of discovering new creative talents from Africa and promoting the growing publishing industry on the continent.

“As a rite of passage, published and unpublished literary works of art have been passed down from generation to generation in Africa. Etisalat Nigeria is indeed pleased to celebrate all authors in the African literary spectrum. As such, Etisalat Nigeria is proud to use its maiden pan-African Prize for Literature to recognise and celebrate the amazing work done by these unique individuals,” he said. The Zimbabwean-born winner of the Etisalat Prize for Literature, Bulawayo, in addition to the cash prize of £15,000, was presented with an engraved Montblanc Meisterstück, a Samsung Galaxy Note and will attend the Etisalat Fellowship at the prestigious University of East Anglia as well as being mentored by Giles Foden – Author of the Last King of Scotland. She will also have book tours in three African

cities and get the chance to start work on her second book. An elated Bulawayo specially thanked the judges, patrons, and Etisalat Nigeria for the award and for the opportunity the Etisalat Prize for Literature afforded her. “I am thankful to the organisers of this event, Etisalat Nigeria for this most excellent and necessary prize. We are all aware of the shortage of literary prizes and it is heart-warming to know that Etisalat Nigeria sees and values the significance of such literary works in Africa,” she said. Runners-up, Omotoso and Jennings were presented with Samsung Galaxy notes. They also won book tours to two African cities. N’Dour spiced up the occasion with a special performance of six songs, including: Redemption Song and New Africa.

he British Council will declare the second Lagos Theatre Festival open today in Lagos. First experienced in February last year, the biggest outdoor theatre fest in Lagos promotes the concept of ‘Theatre in Unconventional Spaces’ and offers opportunities for professional exchange between Nigerian and British artistes culminating to a festival of site specific theatre. Part theatrical experience, part real life and part city journey, the organisers said this year’s festival will transform historic Freedom Park, a public space born out of the ruins of a colonial prison and reconstructed to preserve the history and cultural heritage of Nigeria. Productions will feature collaboration between UK and Nigerian theatre companies and the audience will be invited to experience intimate promenade performances using an audio guide to delve into the world of the Park and the stories it has to tell. Time for the event is 11 am at Freedom Park on Broad Street, Lagos. Look Left Look Right, a Multi award winning interactive theatre company based in the UK will premiere their new production, Make We Waka, a collaboration with Nigerian performers that invites the audience to take part in an intimate promenade performance, exploring the hidden corners of Freedom Park. Aided by an audio guide, participants will delve into the world of the park and the stories it has to tell. In addition, three other new productions will be staged, the result of an open call launched in September 2013 to invite people across Nigeria to submit their stories about Lagos, the most populous city in Africa. Three stories were selected and have been turned into scripts by writer and filmmaker Jude Idada (who won an AMAA (African Movie Academy Award) for Best Screenplay in 2010), playwright and essayist Lekan Balogun and internationally acclaimed Nigerian writer and director Wole Oguntokun. The new works will examine themes including Lagos nightlife, the national lottery and the healthcare system. The British Council is UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.

Nollywood’s best to be celebrated at AMVCA 2014

mstel Malta, which launched its reality TV series, Amstel Malta Box Office, AMBO in 2005 producing stars like: O.C Ukeje, Bhaira Mcwizu, Wole Ojo and Ivie Okujaye will celebrate Nollywood’s best at the second African Magic Viewers Choice Award, AMVCA. Always been affiliated with the entertainment, especially the movie industry, the malt brand is again the headline sponsor of the AMVCA. Only last year, O.C Ukeje won the Best Actor, Drama and

Ivie Okujaye emerged the Industry Trail Blazer making Hannatu Ageni-Yusuf, the drink’s brand manager to express her excitement over Amstel Malta’s involvement with the award. “Amstel Malta has always focused on getting people to be the best they can be and our partnership with the AMVCA gives us the opportunity to not only encourage people that have put in their best in the movie industry but also inspire others by reinforcing the brand message – Be the Best you can Be,” she

said. This second edition of the awards will begin with a cocktail event on March 7 and end with the awards night on the next day. Voting lines are still open for the public to choose their favourite nominees. Amstel Malta has promised that this year’s AMVCA will be an unforgettable one and encourages everyone to look forward to the awards night, as there will be a major surprise for Nollywood and Amstel Malta consumers. Oguntokun

Friday, February 28, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business & Finance A total of $2.9tn is required to close Nigeria’s infrastructure gap over the next 30 years.

X-Alert was an improvement over the old system. It would provide investors with details of transactions on an investment account via a text message on the recipient’s mobile phone or via an e-mail to the recipient’s box.

Chairman, Nigeria Economic Summit Group, Mr. Foluso Philips

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, NSE, MR. OSCAR ONYEMA

NSIA says long-term outlook beneficial for economy AYO OLESIN

he Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, SWIA, has assured that the sovereign wealth funds under its administration will have long term beneficial impact for Nigerians apart from interventions in specific sectors of the economy in the near term. The Managing Director/CEO, NSIA, Mr. Uche Orji, said yesterday in Lagos while giving a update of the organisation’s activities that already some of the funds invested with offshore fund managers were already yielding returns within set targets. He however pointed out that the NSIA had a long term outlook and that the SWF was expected to emerge as a potent force for economic stability in the coming years, pointing to the examples of Abu Dhabi, which deployed its savings to counter the effects of the real estate market crash in 2009. He said the criteria that would guide SWIA activity would be to ensure that the projects its funds would have national impact and that the funds under investments make reasonable set of returns. He added that the funds would be deployed in a way to attract even more capital while the regulatory environment emplaced must allow such investments.

Orgi said the fund invested offshore were secure as they were being managed by - Credit Suisse, UBS and Goldman Sachs – which are big time tested fund managers that were chose after a rigorous vetting process. Orji said that the NSIA had now fully allocated the initial funds of $1bn with 20 put in the Stabilisation Fund and 40 per cent each in the Future generation and Infrastructure funds. He however said that though the initial funds may appear small, what matters was being consistent and true to the goals of establish-

ing the SWF pointing out that a country like Norway earns $1bn a day from its SWF investments valued at about $840bn, though it started in 1990 with just a small amount. He said the decision of the Infrastructure Fund to focus on five key areas – power, motorways, real estate, agriculture and healthcare – was due to the need to make significant impact amid the current limited resources. The NSIA said its power intervention initiative has already attracted interested parties and opportunities were being sought

in distribution and generation companies in terms of new and secondary investments. He said that already a private equity firm has agreed to match NSIA equity at the ratio of 2 to 1 on selected investments. He also said that the NSIA was seeking opportunities in gas-topower projects noting that the Federal Government had recently released $550m for such investments apart from an MOU signed with AMA-Sinohydro, a Nigerian- Chinese consortium which has interest in hydro power, dams, real estate and transport infrastructure.

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Med-View Airline

L-R: Executive Director Investments, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authorlty, Mr. Hanspeter Ackerman; Managing Director/Chief Exective Officer, Uche Orji; and Executive Director Risk Management, at the press briefing on Nigeria Sovereign Investment Progress Update held in Abuja, recently.

Nigeria to experience drop in FDI in 2014 –Expert

n economist with the Lagos Business School, LBS, Dr Doyin Salami, yesterday said that the quantitative tapering in the U.S. would cause a drop Nigeria’s for-

FLIGHT SCHEDULE

eign investment inflow in 2014. Salami made the assertion during a breakfast meeting organised by the Fund Managers Association of Nigeria, FMAD, in Lagos. He said that the U.S. quantitative tapering would lead to investment out flow in emerging and frontier markets, including Nigeria. Salami that the nation would face weaker currency, high interest rates, inflation rates, high expenditure and slippery revenue due to

forthcoming general elections. He also said that in spite of the challenges, the Nigerian economy would experience stable growth in the medium-term with progress in power reforms and transportation transformation. Salami stressed the need for development of new products and markets by fund managers for economic growth and development. “For Nigeria to remain competitive in the global market there is

Electricity: Consumers urged to utilise complaint offices 40

Lagos- Abuja (Mon-Fri): 07.00, 08.50, 12.00, 16.30. Abuja- Lagos (Mon-Fri): 09.00, 14.00, 15.00, 18.30. Lagos-Yola (Mon-Fri): 8.50am. Yola-Lagos (Mon-Fri): 13.00. Lagos- PHC (Mon-Fri): 17.00. PHC-Lagos: 19.00. AbujaYola: 11.00. Yola-Abuja: 13.00. Lagos-Abuja (Sat): 08.00, 08.50. Abuja-Lagos (Sat): 10.00, 15.00. Lagos-PHC (Sat): 17.00. PHC-Lagos (Sat): 19.00. Lagos-Yola (Sat): 08.50. Yola-Lagos (Sat): 13.00

need to develop dynamic products and new markets where foreign investment inflows could be channeled to other sectors of the economy,” he said. Salami said that the market stakeholders needed to be concerned on how to improve local participation in the market. He said that fund managers should strengthen their risk management strategies to avoid being displaced by international players.

We are set for merchant ship building –Nigerian Navy

New investors stake N3.24bn in cocoa

Business & Finance

Friday, February 28, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Electricity: Consumers urged to utilise complaint offices CHIDI UGWU ABUJA

lectricity Consumers have been urged to seek redress for poor service delivery through effective utilisation of the forum offices being commissioned in distribution centres across the country to tackle consumers’ electricity complaints. This is even as the Eko Distribution Company, otherwise known as Eko Disco has said that over N42bn has been earmarked to improve its network over the next five years. Speaking during the official commissioning of Eko forum office in Lagos yesterday, the chairman House Committee on Diaspora Affairs, and a member of House Committee on Power, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, charged Nigerians and indeed Lagosians to take advantage of the forum

office which provided to ensure that consumers have a say in what happens with regards to electricity supply. Hon. Dabiri-Erewa, who maintained that consumers have the right to complain and seeks redress expressed hope that the newly commissioned edifice, would take care of some consumer issues like billing, metering. “One thing you should know is that if you have a problem with your meter, they should get it solved within five days. But I do not know whether that is happening, now with the set up of this Eko forum I hope that will happen. And I think one of the major problems of consumers has to do with metering, all of sudden meters have disappeared. They are supposed to put meters in your houses but they tell you they do not have them, espe-

cially in rural areas. So I want you to go to the rural areas and ensure that meters are supplied so that the billing problems will stop. But most important is the awareness that this service is there, and let everybody take advantage of this service that NERC is providing, because more often than not we just discovered we are not asking questions. And NERC is telling you through Eko Disco that it is your right to seek redress. It is your right to complain. It is your right to be served. And I know that this will be done under this district” she said. In line with government’s transformation agenda for the power sector, the office is expected to protect vulnerable electricity consumers from exploitation by service providers. The Chairman of NERC, Dr

Sam Amadi said the Eko office was the second level of appeal in the chain of consumer complaints, adding that issues beyond the forum were to be handled at the final appeal stage by the NERC. Amadi, who was represented by the Commissioner, Government and Consumer Affairs, of NERC, Dr Abba Ibrahim, stated that the office would significantly reduce the incidence of protracted and expensive litigations. The chairman also congratulated the newly inaugurated forum members who had been chosen to serve in this national assignment.

RTEAN to deploy biometric data capture to ascertain membership base OLUFEMI ADEOSUN

n order to keep constantly keep a tap on its members, the road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), are to undergo biometric data capturing process to ascertian their membership base across the 36 states of the federation and FCT. National President of RTEAN, Musa Isiwele disclosed the information in Abuja,, at a meeting with Joop Goos, President of La Prevention Routiere Internationale(PRI), the global President on road safety issues. Isiwele who estimated the union’s current membership base to be around 16million, nationwide, noted that there was the urgent need to incorporate tricycle owners who recently got af-

L-R: Corporate, Media & Brand Manager, Nigerian Breweries PLC, Mr. Edem Vindah; Actress, Funke Akindele; Managing Director, M-net Africa, Mrs. Biola Alabi and General Manager, Marketing and Sales, MultiChoice Nigeria,Mr. Martin Mabutho, during the Africamagic Viewer’s Choice Award Nominees Brunch in Lagos recently.

IPMAN decries high price of petroleum products in S/East

he Independent Petroleum Marketers Associated of Nigeria, IPMAN, yesterday blamed the increase in the price of fuel in parts of the South East on charges by private depot owners. The Chairman of the Enugu Zone 1 of the association, comprising Anambra, Enugu and Ebonyi, Chief Linus Mgbakaogu, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Awka that the NNPC depots provided skeletal services at the government regulated prices. Mgbakaogu said the skeletal loading at the NNPC depot had resulted to the scarcity of the products at major filling stations. He also urged the NNPC to urgently revamp the Enugu depot to ease the distribution of petroleum products in the zone. The IPMAN zonal chairman

also assured consumers in the area that efforts were on to normalise the price and availability of the products. “All private depots in the country are selling products at between N110 and N115 per litre. NNPC is selling at government price but due to skeletal loading, most marketers cannot get product from there; so we go to these private depots to get so that we can service customers. “We have concluded discussions with NNPC so that we can get intervention supplies. So we are appealing to customers to bear with us in the meantime as things will revert to normal soon,” he said. Meanwhile, the price of petrol in Awka and its environs has remained N130 in most of the filling stations.

The NNPC mega station outside the state capital with long queue of motorists is the only station offering fuel at the regulated pump price. A marketer, Mr Benjamin Abimaje of Femas filling station, Awka said he got his supply at N122 per litre from private depots. “The sales volume has reduced drastically because customers are reacting negatively but we cannot sell below purchase price. “It now takes longer time to get delivery after payment, may be because there is shortage of supply at the depots. Its difficult getting supply at NNPC which is selling at normal price,” he said. Mr Bonny Akunna, a motorist, said the fuel price hike had affected his finances as he spent more to keep his car on the road.

‘‘Just a year ago the Ikeja customer’s forum was commissioned; this shows the commitment of NERC towards effective consumer’s right on electricity supply chain to reform the sector.`` The focus is for the benefit of electricity consumers in Nigeria, there is history of very poor electricity service and high level of inefficiency within the electricity sector. ‘‘Which calls for the reform which commenced in 2001, while most of the agenda has been achieved by privatising the power sector,’’ he added.

filiated to the union. Meanwhile, RTEAN,Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and La Prevention Routiere Internationale have entered into a tripartite agreement to sustain the overall objective of the decade of action for road safety (2000-2020). He equally disclosed that under the partnership arrangement, functional mobile clinics are to established in the 36 states and Abuja. The scheme when fully operational would employ at least 7 personnel to man each of the clinics. According to Isiwele, efforts should go beyond advocacy in sustaining the concept of zero tolerance for road victim and road safety in Nigeria, rather support should be given to critical institutions and infrastructures necessary to ensure safety on our roads.

Insurance brokers lament high cost of business acquisition MESHACK IDEHEN

he President of Association of Professional and Practicing Insurance Brokers of Nigeria, APPIBN, Mr. Delly Ajufo, has said the association is complaining about the high cost of business acquisition for underwriters and insurance brokers in the country. Ajufo said the high cost of business acquisition in the country is horrendous, saying the income of insurance brokers was in inverse proportion compared to their investments, and that insurance practitioners were facing shrinking business and hardship. The APPIBN president told journalists on Thursday during the inauguration of the association, that the cost of processing an application for appointment, proposal or insurance bid was now N50,000 and could run as high as

N500,000 in some cases, particularly where prospective clients demanded for both hard and soft copies of applications in multiples. He explained that the APPIBN was established to protect insurance practitioners, whom he said operated under a heavy yoke of disproportionate penalties imposed by the National Insurance Commission, NAICOM, for minor errors, noting that the sum total effect of the load of challenges is that the industry continues to face very grim challenges instead of experiencing a face-lift. According to him, “In insurance applications today, the insurance practitioners, especially, brokers, have to re-certify and obtain the National Insurance Commission certificate, the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers’ certificate, tax clearance, certificate of incorporation, birth certificates as well as our ACII certificate, to mention just a few.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business & Finance

Friday, February 28, 2014

Rice importers eager to resume business, await new tariff announcement EMMANUEL OGBONNAYA

eassured by the recent move of the federal government to implement a downward review of tariff on imported rice, importers of the commodity have called off their self imposed suspension on rice importation. The President of Rice Importers Millers and Distributors association of Nigeria (RIMIDAN) and the MD of Elephant Group Tunji Owoeye, made the disclosure at a press briefing in Lagos yesterday, stating that the importers were pleased with the development as it would ensure that rice imported directly into the country against the awaited reviewed tariff will effectively stamp out smuggling in the sector. He explained that due to smuggling, genuine rice importers unanimously agreed to suspend the importation of the commodity into the country since last year as their interests were not being

protected and also it no longer became profitable to do so. “Because of the policy of government in encouraging rice production in Nigeria tariffs were raised so that there will be patronage for locally produced rice in Nigeria but they (government) did not envisage that economic saboteurs were going to take advantage of this by illegally bringing in rice from neighbouring countries at cheaper prices than the locally milled and produced rice,” he said. He disclosed that the importers were out to secure the agreement and support of distributors in the various markets in ensuring that the menace of rice smuggling in Nigeria is effectively combated, stressing that the only way to curb this menace was to sit the distributors down and read the riot act to them that importers will not do business with them unless they stopped patronising smugglers. “You will recall that government in her wisdom reeled out policies under the Agricultural

transformation agenda especially as it has to do with the rice commodity, which hasn’t taken off efficiently because of the menace of smuggled rice coming into Nigeria and now we feel is the best time to address the issue especially for those receivers who happen to be in the distribution segment of the value chain,” he said. He said that they were aware that the ministers of agriculture and finance respectively have worked on the inter-ministerial committee document for a sustainable rice policy and were just waiting for the final document from President Goodluck Jonathan that will revive the sector again. He acknowledged that Nigeria was yet to attain self-sufficiency in rice production as unpretentiously acknowledged by the federal government stressing that there was an obvious gap between production and consumption and this demand was being met by importation.

National Gas flare Conference kicks off March 10

national roundtable of gas resources begins March 10, at the International Conference Centre, Abuja. The conference is being organised by the Senate Committee on Gas Resources in collaboration with major local and international stakeholders such as the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Department of Petroleum Resources, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Chevron and the Shell Petroleum Development Corporation. A statement signed by the chair of the Senate Committee on Gas Resources, Senator Nkechi Nwaogu, said President Goodluck Jonathan will declare the conference open. According to her, the conference will deliberate on “Deepening Domestic Utilisation of Natural Gas and Routine Flare Elimination” and its major out-

Customs seeks collaboration on security

he Area Comptroller of the Seme Command of the Nigeria Customs, Mr. Willy Egbudin, has called on security agencies to collaborate with the customs to ensure security at the nation’s borders. Egbudin made the call yesterday when he paid a courtesy visit on the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2 Command, Mr Mamman Tsafe, at his office in Onikan, Lagos. He also said that collaboration between security agencies needed to be strengthened to tackle the current insurgency in the country. “In order to tackle the security situation in the country, all security agencies must work together. “The purpose of this visit is to strengthen the existing ties between customs and police officials

to help in stopping smuggling. “Inhabitants around Seme Border take smuggling as their trade but we have been employing intelligence to tackle it in order to prevent violence or bloodshed. “We want the police to keep putting efforts and keep on with its support.’’ He commended the police at Seme for the assistance being rendered to customs. “We would continue to demand for more from your command because we know you would give us all the necessary support and we would achieve our respective aims,’’ he said. Tsafe urged customs officials, especially those in junior cadres to desist from being over-zealous. “The junior cadre in customs should learn not to be overzealous.

“Probably due to inferiority complex, they have the tendency to misbehave at times so they must be called to order. “The senior officers should guide the junior ones into the right path and I’m sure, all will be better,’’ he said. The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Umar Manko, pledged to support the Seme Command of customs. Manko stressed the need for security agencies to collaborate wherever they found themselves. “When crises happen, we are the ones who would take the blame so to prevent such, we must work together. “We would continue to render our assistance to make sure that crisis is averted and peace continues to reign,’’ he said.

come would be zero gas flare in Nigeria in the next few years. Nwogu said, the conference which foreign collaborators on the project include Ecocare, GCFR and Microgas, is aimed at harnessing the potential of the natural gas sector with a view to stimulating, highlighting the problems and challenges of exploiting and distributing gas for commercial and domestic use. She stressed the need to find a collective solution to effective flare gas recovery was long overdue and that the conference would accelerate the process zero gas flare in Nigeria within the shortest possible time. “The problem of gas flare is becoming and embarrassment. It is not just a matter of legislation. Enforcement is a more critical issue now and that will be effective when you bring the stakeholders together in a roundtable,” she explained.

CBN, IFC to host 2014 International Sustainable Banking Forum in Lagos

L-R: Commissioner for Energy, Delta State, Hon. Charles Emetulu; Orhue 1 the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom, Felix Mujaperho; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Ambassador Godknows Igali; Anglican Bishop of Sapele Diocese, Bishop Blessing Erifeta; Chairman, Eurafric Power Limited, Mr. Tony Onoh and Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mrs. Heather Onoh, during the hand over of Sapele Power Plan, in Delta State recently.

he International Finance Corporation, IFC and the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, have announced plans to host the second International Sustainable Banking Forum in Lagos from March 3 to March 4. IFC which made this known in a statement in Lagos yesterday said that the forum would serve as a platform to share experience and build partnerships for sustainable banking in emerging markets. The forum is to attract policy makers from governments, multilateral development banks, financial institutions, civil society organisations and technical institutions. It will also provide experts opportunity to share insights and ideas also on sustainable bank-

ing. Acting Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria ,CBN, Dr Sara Alade, was quoted by the statement as saying that “the financial sector in emerging markets has a critical role to play in fostering sustainable economic growth”. “We are partnering with IFC to create knowledge sharing through the forum and generate critical guidance on environmental and social risks management for banks and other financial institutions.” The IFC Country Manager for Nigeria, Mr Solomon AdegbieQuaynor, said that “the forum will bring together representatives from the Nigerian financial sector with colleagues from all over the world”.

LIRS closes 4 firms over N31.7m tax offences

he Lagos State Internal Revenue Service, LIRS, has closed four companies for failing to remit N31.7 million personal income tax of workers into the state government’s account. Head of the Distrain Unit of the LIRS, Mrs. Folasade CokerAfolayan, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, yesterday in Lagos. Coker-Afolayan, who led the enforcement team, said that the companies were closed on Wednesday during the state-wide tax law enforcement. She said that the affected companies’ tax liabilities ranged from one to three years. The team leader said the enforcement would continue until taxpayers imbibed the culture of voluntary tax com-

pliance, adding that tax evasion was a criminal act. She said that tax payment was a civic responsibility of every citizen, saying that the proceeds were being used by the government to provide infrastructure. “Tax payment is a civic responsibility of everyone because that is the only way government can provide the necessary infrastructure for citizens and also improve their standard of living,” she told NAN. Coker-Afolayan urged taxpayers to remit their taxes promptly to avoid their premises being shut. She said that the tax authority normally sent a demand notice to defaulting companies to notify them of their tax liabilities.

Maritime

Friday, February 28, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Cost of running seaport terminals highest in Nigeria –Hastruup there is nothing NPA can do about that. We do not expect NPA to acquire generators to provide us power because the power is not just generated by the Power Holding Company of Nigeria PHCN. So the issue of power all over Nigeria is a big problem. What happens at the ports where people provide power for their businesses is what is happening to us on Burma Road or elsewhere because you can see we are running the generator here.

Nigeria’s seaports are believed to be most expensive to utilise and terminal operators have always been accused of arbitrary charges. But Chairman, Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria, Mrs. Vicky Hastruup in this interview with journalists says it is a reflection of high cost of doing business in Nigeria, double taxation and levies by agencies government. FRANCIS EZEM, was there. How do you assess the port reform programme? Eight years ago, we all can remember what it was, how difficult it was to do business at the Nigerian seaports. Since the terminal operators took over in 2006, there have been tremendous improvements in the way operations are conducted within the Nigerian seaport terminals. This is quite evident in the growth of the volume of cargo in all the terminals in Nigeria. The volume of activities for last year grew by about 13 per cent that is like something that has not happened before. In fact, all the terminals have done like 250 per cent increase cargo throughput from 2006 till date. There is no way to describe it than to say something good is happening at the seaports, jobs are being created, efficiency has returned to the port system in the country. If there is no efficient service delivery, normally people would have gone to neighbouring seaports within the West African sub-region. That the cargo volumes are growing means that the stakeholders have confidence in the way cargo is being handled in all the seaports in the country. It is also evident in the fact that the terminals have also been developed. All you need to do is to go to the terminals and see how well they have done in developing the ports. We may not have been where we want to be. It is like when you are renovating a dilapidated old building. You cannot compare a terminal like the Green View, that was a green field that was developed from the scratch to meet their desired operation. When you have a ‘rundown’ building, it is even more difficult to rebuild an old building because what you end up doing is to put a lot of cosmetics to keep things going. For us the concessionaires, that is what we are doing because it go to a point where we were wondering how the Nigerian Ports Authority was discharging ships without equipment, there were lots of potholes within the port environment that could even swallow a trailer. There were no gears to discharge the ships, pilferages, labour issues and all of that. By the grace of God, we have overcome all that and that has brought a lot of confidence to our business. The concessionaires have done very well I am proud of their achievements because I know what we took over. How much investments have you made? We have invested so much really but I do not have the accurate figures now but as soon as they are updated, I will furnish you with that. Most people believe that the port access roads are in bad shape, what is your take on this? The port access roads are really congested. I think that is one of the greatest challenges that we have here. You see trucks taking roads that they ordinarily should not take. But for the construction works going on here, you would have seen containers lining up Burma Road, which is not a major road. So you see all these trucks in these small adjourning roads and that shows you the level of congestion in Apapa. Access to the ports is one of the greatest challenges that we have here because for those coming in to take cargo or those discharging, it is a serious problem in

What is the situation with the container haulage started by the Nigerian Railway Corporation last year? The services are still skeletal. They move about 40 containers per week, which represents less than one percent of the container volume. To me, that is not working. As far as I am concerned, there is no rail system in Nigeria. If APM Terminal is transporting only 40 containers per week through the rail, then there are no rail services in the country. To me that is not in existence because that is not what happens in the other parts of the world. That is why all our roads are getting bad because of the weight those trucks are carrying and that is why the Lagos State Government has imposed the Wharf Landing Fee, to make up for part of the cost of maintaining and resurfacing the roads and I do not blame them because they spend so much doing that. That is also why the trailers and containers flip over themselves killing people on our roads because I am such that those roads were not built for this level of activities. So Nigeria does not have the rail system for now.

Hastruup

HERE YOU HAVE DOUBLE TAXATION, ALL MANNERS OF LEVIES ON US. ASK ANY INDUSTRIALIST, THE COST OF PRODUCTION IS HIGHER IN

NIGERIA THAN ANYWHERE ELSE THAT IS WHY THE PRICE OF LOCALLY MADE GOODS IS HIGHER THAN THE IMPORTED ONES fact I think it is becoming frustrating to them and for us some times we are not able to discharge as much as we can because the trucks cannot even come into the terminals because of the congestion on the roads. Apart from the poor access roads, there are a lot of businesses that are situated in Apapa that are not supposed to be here for instance the tank farms. People do not like when I say but the truth must be told, the tank farms are too close to the seaports where we discharge other types of cargoes, they are too close near each other. Granted that Apapa is an industrial area so when you put all that together, you get that clog, which makes it very frustrating for us and other people doing business in Apapa. NPA under the concession agreement is supposed to provide some common-user facilities such as power and water. What is the situation? The power system is zero, all the terminal operators still operate on over 90 per cent reliance on generators because the public power supply is not just there. This makes the cost of doing business in Nigerian ports very high. You know the cost of one litre of diesel today. It is part of the agreement but in fairness to NPA, I am not trying to hold brief for them, the public power supply has failed and so

The three main reasons for concessioning the ports were to enhance efficiency, reduce turn around time of vessels and reduce cost of doing business. The other two have been achieved but the problem is still the high cost of doing business at the ports. The concessionaires have been accused of imposing arbitrary charge. What is your take on this? Thank you. I will explain something to you. It is more expensive to run port in Nigeria than in other neighbouring African countries. It is actually much more expensive to run a seaport terminal in Nigeria than any other place in West Africa. The Republic of Benin for instance has electricity before, Nigeria was giving them electricity before now but what happens now? They are self-sufficient. In Ghana, they rarely take off the light. Nigeria is still dependent on generators. You know how much of diesel and generators you use in your home may be 90 per cent of the time, you do not have electricity here. It is therefore much more expensive to run a seaport terminal here so where do we recoup all these monies? I want to tell you that concessionaires do not increase charges arbitrarily. Here you have double taxation, all manners of levies on us. Ask any industrialist, the cost of production is higher in Nigeria than anywhere else that is why the price of locally made goods is higher than the imported ones. There are also so many other things that constitute the high cost of duty by all of us. Let us start with Customs duty and other charges. On rice, Customs duty on rice is 110 percent, in Republic of Benin it is seven percent and zero percent in Camouroon. You have the shipping agents, the clearing agents, charges on containers etc what we collect are our statutory charges as contained in our concession agreement. Since we took over, the percentage of our increase is not commensurate with the increase in the cost of doing business. When we took over diesel was N65 per litre today it is N155, what percentage increase is that? The cost of plants and equipment has gone up due to inflation. You have charges by government agencies such as NAFDAC, SON, Plant Quarantine etc. Those peddling these rumours are those that were benefiting from the rot in the old system because people were making more money then. Now no ship can disappear and they cannot under-declare their tonnages. So we are the enemies of such people.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Maritime

Friday, February 28, 2014

We are set for merchant ship building -Nigerian Navy STORIES: FRANCIS EZEM

bout two years after it launched Nigeria’s first indigenously built ship, NNS Andoni, the Nigerian Navy has said it is fully prepared for the commencement of merchant ship building, a development stakeholders believe will bring a lot of relief to the indigenous shipping firms operating in the country. This is sequel to the full commercialization of its shipyard located on Victoria Island, Lagos, which implies that the yard, which provided the facilities for the building of NNS Andoni is now available for full commercial ship building and dry-docking activities. NNS Andoni, commissioned by President Goodluck Jonathan on June 1, 2012, is a 31-metre seaward defence boat built entirely by the Nigerian Navy, which is the first of its kind in the 56-year history of the Navy. Commander Peter Agbolaji of the Western Marine Command of the Navy, who spoke at a media briefing on the forthcoming Nigeria Maritime Expo NIMAREX conference and exhibition slated for next month in Lagos, said that the Nigerian Navy is primarily charged with the responsibility of protecting the nation’s maritime space against illegal activities. He however disclosed that the organisation has gone a step further than that by venturing into shipbuilding, which led the building of the NNS Andoni, the nation’s first fully indigenously built

NNS Andoni

vessel. “The Nigerian Navy has moved a step forward, as it has commenced the process of ship building, which led to the building of NNS Andoni and I assure you we will build much more vessels”, he said. It was gathered that barring any last minute change of mind, the Nigerian Navy has concluded plans for the exihibition of its ship building potential at the forthcoming NIMAREX conference and exhibition. Chairman of the planning committee

Rice import resumes, as 394,000 MT arrives Lagos Ports

trong indications emerged that rice importers may have commenced fresh massive importation of par boiled in response to government’s proposed reduction of the 110 per cent duty and levy on the commodity. National Mirror had penultimate week reported that no fewer than 13 shiploads of both bulk and bagged rice are currently stranded at the Lagos waters in anticipation of reversal of Federal Government’s policy on rice imports through the seaports. Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala had hinted recently that the Federal Government may review the current tariff on imported rice. Official daily statistics of the Nigerian Ports Authority, which also displays a list of vessels expected at the Lagos Pilotage District shows that a total of 293, 441

metric tonnes of the commodity loaded on board 13 vessels are expected to arrive the seaports in Lagos. Details of the vessels show that a ship called Haci Ali Atlantic City is expected to discharge 117, 000 metric tonnes of the commodity while Hector City Atlantic City, laden with 21, 945 metric tonnes is also expected to discharge at ENL Terminal. Also discharging are Star Capellica Atlantic City laden with 30, 000 metric tonnes, Wariya Nareekipelo is laden with 32, 959 and 259 metric tonnes respectively even as Sil Vretta is expected to discharge 24, 000 metric tonnes, among several others. The minister had said at an interactive session with members of the Manufacturers’ Association of Nigeria MAN, held in Lagos, that President Goodluck Jonathan is currently consulting with the

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akinwumi Adesina and the Finance ministry, which might lead to possible review of the tariffs. “It has become necessary to review the 100 per cent duty and 10 per cent levy on rice because it has created significant challenges even though it has also led to a marked increase in rice output in the country and created a significant number of jobs mostly in the northern parts of Nigeria”, the minister had said. Okonjo-Iweala also said that the high tariff on imported rice has led to an increase in the nation’s rice production particularly in the Northern parts of the nation with the attendant creation of jobs, but regretted that it also caused a significant reduction in customs revenue, as it was largely hijacked by smugglers and neighbouring African countries.

of the event, Mrs. Margaret Oraekwusi, who spoke at the briefing, disclosed that former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida has accepted to chair the occasion. According to her, this year’s event is

unique in the sense that it coincides with the nation’s centenary celebration, which will examine the progress and even challenges faced by the country in its 100 years of nationhood. “This year’s event is unique in the sense that it celebrates the maritime industry on its 100 years of existence, review successes made and challenges in addition to drawing a roadmap for the future”, Oraekwusi stated. She also noted that the event will in addition expose the indigenous operators other ancillary services, adding that more than 70 per cent of the exhibitors are indigenous players. On the commencement of commercial ship building operations by the Nigerian Navy, she noted that the event will also provide the platform for the Nigerian Navy to showcase to the whole world that it has world-class ship building facilities. She said that the members of Nigerian Ship Owners Association will be the greatest beneficiaries of the Nigerian Navy ship building facilities. “With the commercialisation of the Nigerian Navy shipyard, it is better and more cost-effective for Nigerian ship owners to dry dock their ships instead of going to Ghana, where they have always done it before now.”, Oraekwusi further stated

We are committed to fight against smuggling, says Seme Customs

he Nigeria Customs Service, Seme Border command has said it is more than ever committed to implementing Federal Government’s fiscal policies, especially as it affects its anti-smuggling campaign along the borders. The Federal Government had in its 2013 budget speech imposed a 110 per cent duty and levy on imported parboiled rice as part of measures to curtail its consumption thereby promoting the consumption of locally made brands. Public Relations Officer of the command, Mr. Ernest Olotta, who gave the assurance at the weekend, spoke against the insinuations that operatives of the command collect a whopping sum of N2.5 million per truck to allow smugglers haul the commodity across the borders into the Nigerian market. It was also alleged that said large trailers with the capacity to carry between 60,000 and 72,000 metric tonnes of the commodity are now used to smuggle rice into the country from the neighbouring Republic of Benin.. According to him, the command will not yield to such cheap blackmail by abandoning its statutory duty of enforcing Federal Government’s fiscal policies, which had made the command to sustain its hard stance against smuggling, especially rice through the land borders. He disclosed that the command’s resolve to curb smuggling activities through the land border recently led to the seizure of large quantities of imported rice through the land borders valued at over N7.5 million. He said: “It is pertinent to state here that

Mr. Willy Egbudin, the Customs Area Controller CAC in charge of Seme Command did not only sustain the anti smuggling tempo he met on the ground when he took over, but has increased it as every one can see”. According to him, the intense anti-smuggling operation initiated by the CAC during the last quarter of last year, particularly through the Yuletide period resulted in the seizure of N11 million worth of rice within one weekend, which is in addition to other numerous other seizures of rice at various times, which would not have been possible if the operatives were collecting money for such consignments to pass across “The Comptroller General of Customs, Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko has invested in capacity development for the officers and men of the service in addition to providing operational logistic support and therefore, we have no reason to fail in sustaining his zero tolerance on smuggling policy”, Olotta also said.. He insisted that while cases of smuggling across the Seme Border has reduced drastically, the CAC has also vowed not to yield to any form of arm twisting through such blackmail and falsehood. While making a strong case for the verification of information, he noted that the command runs an open door policy to enable the stakeholders, especially the media to seek clarification on issues. Meanwhile many stakeholders have hailed the Federal Government’s policy on rice importation, through which it has also established so many rice farms and mills across the country to drive its self-sufficiency initiative.

Agri Business

Friday, February 28, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

New investors stake N3.24bn in cocoa TOLA AKINMUTIMI ABUJA

ndications that more foreign investors are keying into the nation’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda emerged as a new set of investors were said to have indicated their intention to invest $20m (about N3.24 billion) in the cocoa business. This is even as another is also opening discussions with the government of one of the cocoa producing states with a view to establishing a Cocoa Academy for the training of personnel involved in the entire cocoa value chain to sharpen their technical and operational skills in the cocoa processing and marketing business. Giving the hint during the inauguration of the inauguration of the Nigeria Agribusiness Executive Leadership Group in

Abuja, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, who did not specifically mention the identities of the new investors, said the investments would boost Nigeria’s local production and processing capacities, create more jobs and support government’s efforts of recapitalising cocoa plantations in the country. Adesina explained that it was in furtherance of the Cocoa Value Chain programme implementation that the Ministry is now distributing free of charge 114 million seedlings of cocoa to farmers in the various cocoa producing states, adding that the inflow of more investments into the cocoa business in the country would help farmers to have market for their produce. The minister, who spoke elaborately on the various staple crop

value chain components of the ATA, said the Federal Government was not only building farmers, processors, marketers and other stakeholders’ capacities to enhance productivity but also creating market support and storage facilities that are bound to mitigate the post-harvest losses in the agricultural sector. Adesina said it was no longer reasonable for Nigeria to continue to push her cocoa beans in raw form into the global market and keep importing chocolates from other countries at huge cost to the nation’s foreign reserves. He disclosed that with the new investors’ funding commitment, about 20,000 farmers had been registered and certified to supply cocoa to them even as the country continues its drive towards processing of cocoa beans into chocolates and other food derivatives in

Cocoa harvest

Senate seeks improved agric budget TOLA AKINMUTIMI ABUJA

mpressed by the successes recorded so far in the Federal Government’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda, ATA, the National Assembly has indicated its intention to see that improved budgetary provisions are made for the implementation of ATA programmes in order to ensure food security and improve agricultural sector’s contribution to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product ,GDP. Disclosing this during the launching of the Groundnut Val-

ue Chain of the ATA in Abuja, a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Senator Joshua Lidani, said the Groundnut Value Chain launch was desirable to moves by government to restore the glorious days of groundnut as one of the staple food crops from which Nigeria earned substantial incomes in the pre oil-boom era. The lawmaker said in view of the achievements of the ATA, especially its relevance to current efforts to diversify the nation’s economic base by boosting nonoil sector productivity, there was need for more funding to the agricultural sector, promising that

the National Assembly would give special consideration to the sector in the current year’s Appropriation Bill with a view to seeing how improved budgetary allocation is provided to consolidate on the ATA gains. Senator Lidani said: “There has been provision in the budget for the Groundnut Value Chain programme but we will look at the budget and see whether the provision is adequate and if it is not adequate, we will seek other sources of funding in which we can use to augment what is there in the budget.

the years ahead. The Minister said: “What is the brain surgery in making chocolates. And that’s why we said for cocoa, we started working with the stakeholders in the entire value chain. We are distributing 114 million seedlings of cocoa free of charge to farmers in South West, South East and South South to recapitalise our plantations. “Secondly, we are working with the largest cocoa processors in the world, they are investing $20 million in Nigeria to buy cocoa from 20,000 certified farmers from Nigeria over the next five years. “The value chain approach gives market access to farmers, it stabilises the prices for them, it ensures that industries use what we have and process it into value addition, that is what it does”, Adesina said. Although Nigeria is the world’s 4th largest producer and exporter of cocoa, the country is however operating at a competitive disadvantage of the global market with over 90 per cent of the cocoa produced exported yearly raw. Cocoa revenues are set to grow strongly in Nigeria, the world’s fourth-largest producer, thanks to efforts to improve productivity, and higher prices on international markets. Nigeria’s cocoa production will rise by 10 per cent in the 2013/14 season, boosted by higher prices and the planting of more diseaseresistant strains of beans, Mr. Robo Adhuze, a spokesman for the Cocoa Association of Nigeria, CAN, told international press re-

cently. According to Oxford Business Group, Nigeria ranks behind Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana and Indonesia in cocoa production, according to the International Cocoa Organisation, ICO. OBG said CAN is still putting together data for this season, which has two stages – the main harvest running from September to March and a second, smaller crop from June to August, though periods can vary depending on the weather. Annual output has been around 200,000-250,000 tonnes in recent years, rising to 270,000 in 2012/13, according to the CAN. The industry peaked in the early 1970s, when output reached 300,000 tonnes per year, ranking Nigeria second in the world at that time, behind Brazil. It experienced a decline to 90,000 tonnes in 1999, as farmers replaced cocoa plantations with other crops, but the segment has revived since then, thanks to plantings in the middle of the last decade, according to Adhuze. In June 29013, the Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, reiterated the government’s plans to double output to 500,000 tonnes by 2015. The government has been looking to spur activity in several key agricultural sectors – ranging from cassava to oil palm, as well as cocoa – with a host of initiatives to strengthen yields, revive dormant land, improve efficiency and enhance infrastructure.

Grain farmers cautioned over early planting

he President, Grains Farmers Association, Ekiti chapter, Chief Remilekun Ajayi, on Wednesday advised farmers in the state not to be deceived by the early rainfall witnessed this week to begin planting. In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, at Omuo, Ekiti East Local Government Area of Ekiti state, Ajayi said: “We have witnessed three downpour consecutively now and farmers might be deceived to rush and plant maize. “Farmers should exercise patience because rainy season is yet to begin and any attempt at planting maize now would be regretted. “Dry season will soon resume

till late March when normal rainfall will commence and time will ripe for planting of maize and other grains.’’ The president further urged all farmers to make adequate preparation ahead of the rainy season so as to have a successful planting season. He advised members to purchase high yield and treated maize seeds for planting, saying that high yield varieties would increase maize production. Ajayi appealed to state governments and the Federal Ministry Agriculture and Rural Development to make adequate provision of weed chemicals and other inputs for farmers.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Capital Market

Friday, February 28, 2014

Index up 0.06% as Cadbury reduces share capital by N12bn JOHNSON OKANLAWON

rading in equities continued on bullish note on the Nigerian Stock Exchange yesterday, as more investors took position on stocks. The All Share Index rose 0.06 per cent to close at 38,885.93 points, compared to the increase of 0.76 per cent recorded the preceding day to close at 38,862.87 points. ABC Transport Plc led the gainers’ table with seven kobo or 8.05 per cent to close at 94 kobo per share,

followed by Wema Bank Plc with seven kobo or 6.80 per cent to close at N1.10 per share. Cutix Plc added 10 kobo or five per cent to close at N2.10 per share, while Presco Plc gained N2.10 or five per cent to close at N44.10 per share. Guinness Plc was up N8.58 or 4.99 per cent to close at N180.36 per share. On the downside, Academy Press Plc lost 23 kobo or 9.47 per cent to close at N2.20 per share, while Fidelity Bank Plc lost 12 kobo or 5.22 per cent to close at N2.18 per share.

Flour Mills Plc shed N4.12 or 4.99 per cent to close at N78.38 per share, while Courtville Plc appreciated four kobo or 4.94 per cent to close at 77 kobo per share. Red Star Express Plc declined 23 kobo or 4.74 per cent to close at N4.62 per share. A total of 197.1 million shares valued at N2.10bn were traded in 4,222 deals. Meanwhile, Cadbury Nigeria has reduced its share capital by N11.9bn, indicating a cancellation of two of every five ordinary shares held by investors.

Speaking at the Facts Behind the Cancellation at the Exchange, the company’s Managing Director, Mr. Emil Moskofian explained that under the capital reduction, the company has returned excess capital of N11.9bn to its shareholders by cancelling two out of every five ordinary shares currently held by the shareholders. He said that the company reduced the share capital account by an amount equivalent to the par value of the cancelled shares and share premium accounts by about N11.27bn.

Source: NSE

Wall Street flat after Yellen remarks

nited States stocks were little changed yesterday, as comments from Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen failed to provide clarity on the impact of a harsh winter on recent economic weakness, while concerns rose over turmoil in Ukraine. Addressing the Senate Banking Committee, Yellen said some economic data had been weaker since she spoke to the House of Representatives on February 11, but that it was difficult to say how much of that was due to weather. Yellen also confirmed that the central bank would keep to its stimulus-trimming schedule. The theory that some recent lackluster data was due to the weather rather than worsening fundamentals had helped investors shrug off the data and recently took the S&P 500 to a record

high. However, the benchmark index has struggled to break decisively above its 2013 year-end closing level of 1,848.36, and trading could take a more pronounced turn to the downside on indications the economy is slowing. In the latest economic report, orders for durable goods fell one per cent in January, a drop that was less than forecast. However, jobless claims unexpectedly rose in the latest week. “Durables came in better than feared, but it is difficult to tell what the weather impact was, and what the impact of an actual slowdown might be,” said Joseph Tanious, global market strategist at J.P. Morgan Asset Management in New York. “I think we’re in a cyclical slowdown now, and the weather isn’t helping, although it should create pent-

up demand.” Geopolitical tensions mounted after armed men seized the regional government headquarters and parliament in Ukraine’s Crimea and raised the Russian flag. Ukraine’s parliament appointed former economy minister Arseny Yatseniuk as prime minister, while ousted leader Viktor Yanukovich said he was still president in a statement sent to Russian news agencies from an unknown location. The Ukraine uncertainty spurred investors to head for the safety of US Treasuries, where yields fell to twoweek lows. “As an investor, you need to weigh the possibility of something going wrong against the probability of something going right,” said Tanious. “It is a headwind to sentiment, but unless it has a big impact on

oil, which I don’t expect, we should work through it. The Dow Jones industrial average was up 6.52 points, or 0.04 per cent, at 16,204.93 points, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index was up 0.69 points, or 0.04 per cent, at 1,845.85. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 6.54 points, or 0.15 per cent, at 4,298.61 points. Both J.C. Penney Co Incorporation and Best Buy Co Incorporation jumped after posting strong results, with Penney late Wednesday forecasting more improvement in its comparable sales and gross profit margin this fiscal year and Best Buy posting adjusted earnings that topped forecasts. Penney surged 21 per cent to $7.23 while Best Buy advanced 5.4 per cent to $27.22. The S&P retail index .SPXRT dipped 0.1 per cent following a five-day rally.

UK stocks decline for a second day as Tesco, ITV drop

nited Kingdom stocks declined for a second day yesterday, as Tesco Plc dragged the FTSE 100 Index lower. Tesco fell 2.7 per cent after Oriel Securities Limited said Britain’s largest retailer failed to announce the measures needed to turn around a decline in its same-store sales at yesterday’s investor day. ITV Plc dropped 2.2 per cent after the broadcaster’s advertising revenue disappointed some analysts. Weir Group Plc rose 7.1 per cent after the supplier of pressure pumps

reported operating profit that beat estimates. The FTSE 100 retreated 31.35 points, or 0.5 per cent, to 6,799.15 at the close in London. The benchmark has still gained 4.4 per cent in February, putting it on course for the best month since July. The broader FTSE All-Share Index also lost 0.5 per cent, while Ireland’s ISEQ Index slid 0.8 per cent. “The lack of a positive catalyst has cast a shadow over the market,” Richard Hunter, head of equities at Hargreaves Lansdown Plc in London, wrote in an e-mail. “Tesco remains

under pressure after its recent strategic update. Analysts are less concerned with the details of the strategy, such as pulling back on some of its UK investment, but rather are more interested in what will likely be a further delay in the company fully achieving its transformation.” The Office for National Statistics confirmed that Britain’s gross domestic product expanded 0.7 per cent in the final three months of 2013, matching its initial estimate. The U.K. economy grew at its fastest pace since 2007 last

year. In the US, the Commerce Department reported that sales of new houses climbed 9.6 per cent to a 468,000 annualized pace in January, the most in more than 5 1/2 years. That beat the median economist forecast of 400,000 in a Bloomberg survey. Tesco slid 2.7 per cent to 326 pence after Oriel downgraded the shares to hold from add. The brokerage said that yesterday’s announcement of 200 million pounds ($333m) in price cuts would prove too small to prompt a recovery in sales.

Source: FMDA

Market indicators All-Share Index 38,885.93 points Market capitalisation 12.50 trillion

Stock Updates GAINERS COMPANY

OPENING

CLOSING

CHANGE

% CHANGE

ABCTRANS

0.87

0.94

0.07

8.05

WEMABANK

1.03

1.10

0.07

6.80

CUTIX

2.00

2.10

0.10

5.00

PRESCO

42.00

44.10

2.10

5.00

GUINNESS

171.78

180.36

8.58

4.99

LEARNAFRCA

1.81

1.90

0.09

4.97

EVANSMED

2.44

2.56

0.12

4.92

AIICO

0.82

0.86

0.04

4.88

MAYBAKER

2.10

2.19

0.09

4.29

UNILEVER

43.32

45.00

1.68

3.88

LOSERS COMPANY

OPENING

CHANGE

% CHANGE

ACADEMY

2.43

CLOSING 2.20

-0.23

-9.47

FIDELITYBK

2.30

2.18

-0.12

-5.22

FLOURMILL

82.50

78.38

-4.12

-4.99

COURTVILLE

0.81

0.77

-0.04

-4.94

REDSTAREX

4.85

4.62

-0.23

-4.74

COSTAIN

1.57

1.50

-0.07

-4.46

RTBRISCOE

1.35

1.29

-0.06

-4.44

OANDO

20.00

19.18

-0.82

-4.10

ASHAKACEM

18.64

17.90

-0.74

-3.97

CILEASING

0.53

0.51

-0.02

-3.77

Primary Market Auction TENOR

AMOUNT (N’mn)

RATE (%)

DATE

91-Day

22,057.31

11.50

07-Nov-13

182-Day

30,000.00

11.59

07-Nov-13

182-Day

47,786.39

13.05

07-Nov-13

Open Market Operations TENOR

AMOUNT (N’mn)

RATE (%)

DATE

178-Day

86,709.13

12.35

07-Nov-13

175-Day

95,368.69

12.35

07-Nov-13

Wholesale Dutch Auction System AMOUNT OFFERED

MARKET DEMAND

AMOUNT SOLD

DATE

$350m

N/A

$343m

04-Nov-13

$400m

N/A

$399m

30-Oct-13

Capital Market

Friday, February 28, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Stock exchange daily equities summary Equities as at February 27, 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)

Friday, February 28, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Community Mirror When the come , come to come e Nobody consulted me before any nomination was made. I learnt that one governor was everybody will sitwas up to in be thisdiscussed Ministry.. . Rev. Chris speaking invited to Okotie, the meeting. The governor did not even know what on the state of the nation

HON MINISTER PETROLEUM RESOURCES,ALIISON MADUEKE E NIGERFOR STATE GOVERNOR, DR. MUAZU BABANGIDA ALIYU

Man dies after romp with commercial sex worker GEORGE OPARA ABIA

middle aged man simply identified as Ogadinma Chukwu has died in a hotel in Aba, Abia State during sex romp with a commercial sex worker. The late Chukwu which an identity cardfound on him showed he was a member of the Man’O War organisation is said to be a regular visitor to

the hotel. According to information, the deceased went to the bank and withdrew some money, after which he headed to the brothel to visit a prostitute. Sources said the deceased has been a regular customer to the hotel, as he is said to have been patronising a particular girl. The incident caused a pandemonium, thereby

forcing many sex workers and their clients to immediately desert the hotel. The adjourning streets were also deserted by traders who feared arrest by the police. Eyewitnesses said the deceased was foaming from the mouth, even as they were of the opinion that he may have died of exhaustion. When our correspondent visited

the scene, the hotel was deserted, as shop owners were seen closing their shops, even as the police from the Central Police Division, Aba were seen conveying the corpse to the mortuary. When contacted, the Commander of Man ‘O’ War, Abia State, Mr. Uche Egbuziem, denied that the deceased was their member, even as he said the late Chukwu may have been a member

L-R: A beneficiary of 300 free JAMB Forms of Amuwo Odofin Local Goverment; Former Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Abayomi Kiyomi; Vice-Chairman, Amuwo Odofin Local Government, Alhaja Qudrat Dada and Chairman, Comrade Ayodele Adewale during the official distribution of the forms in Lagos yesterday.

Governor’s wife empowers persons with HIV/AIDS ABIODUN NEJO ADO EKITI

total of 108 persons living with HIV/AIDS in Ekiti State have been given empowerment materials by wife of Ekiti State Governor and chairperson of the state AIDS control agency, Mrs Bisi Fayemi. The governor’s wife said the gesture underscored the commitment of the government to give beneficiaries a

new lease of life. The beneficiaries, who converged under the aegis of the Network of People Living With HIV and AIDS in Nigeria, NEPWHAN, received deep freezers, computers, video cameras, sewing machines, grinding machines, photocopy machines and clothings, among other items. The governor’s wife pledged the continued support of the government for the NEPWHAN members

to live a meaningful life, adding that a lot more was being done to reduce the HIV/AIDS prevalence in the state. She said: “When I became the chair of SACA, I insisted that in everything we do around HIV/AIDS in Ekiti State, we should ensure we empower people living with HIV/AIDS and should be able to tell those with HIV that it not the end of the world. We need to be able to set an example and

demonstrate practically what it means to be living with HIV/AIDS and still have hope. Testing positive is not the end of the world.” She appealed to those yet to know their status to visit the nearest health facility and for test and counseling. She said that the government had provided free medical care for those living with HIV, as part of measures to mitigate the challenges confronting them.

of the proscribed Man ‘O’ War Association of Nigeria. The Police Public Relations Officer, for

Abia State, ASP, Geofrey Ogbonna, could not be reached for comments as at time of filing this report.

Police smashes baby factory in Uyo ANIEFIOK MACAULEY UYO

he Police in Akwa Ibom State have arrested one Miss Grace Akpan, a prophetess and founder of Jubilant Garden Ministries, for operating a baby factory. The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Umar Gwadabe, said that Akpan operated a baby factory under the guise of religious organisation. Gwadabe said that following a tip off, the Criminal Investigations Department, CID, of the command stormed the ‘church’ located at No. 5 High Tension Street, Uyo and arrested Akpan, five girls and four men. He said the girls and men were housed by Akpan for the sole purpose of producing babies for sale and human trafficking. He said: “Following an intelligence report, a woman Prophetess Grace Daniel Akpan was arrested at at No. 5 High Tension Street by Edet Akpan Avenue, Uyo. The woman was arrested for operating a baby factory under the guise of a religious organisation called Jubilant Garden Ministries, where the girls and men were camped for the sole purpose of producing babies for sale. In view of some reported cases of child stealing and abduction in the state, we have resolved to act decisively by arresting these criminals. They will soon appear in court to serve as

a deterrent to others,” he said. The girls arrested include: Blessing Paul, 14, Patience Etim, 17, Margaret Effiong, 20, Emmanuelle Effiong, 18 and Esther Effiong who is nursing a baby and Unos Effiong 21. The male suspects are Ndifreke Umana, 31; Ezekiel Umana, 29; GodstimeJohnson, 18, and Ukeme Etim, 20. But the prophetess claimed that all the pregnant girls were married and were brought to the church by their parents for assistance. She said, “The police claimed that people told them that I keep pregnant women here and they do not know reasons for it. I am a trained nurse and I have a certificate from St. Luke Hospital, Anua to show for it. “The pregnant girls were brought into the church by their parents, who saw that their problems could only be resolved spiritually. Some had swollen legs, while some experienced bleeding before being brought here, even as some were brought in by their husbands”, she added. When interviewed, one the girls, Blessing Paul, who claimed to be married and was brought to the place by her husband refused disclosing the spouse’s name. The police however called on the public to give any useful information that will help in stamping such practices in the state.

TRANSITION

Friday, February 28, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Prince Simeon Origbemisoye Victoria Origbemisoye

ate Prince Simeon Oluwatemi Origbemisoye was born in 1916 into the family of late Simeon Origbemisoye Oridupa of Akinbiale family of Ibeware quarters and late Mrs. Omobamidele Origbemisoye of Omotehinse in Ode-Agee family of Oba-Akoko. Pa Origbemisoye started his primary education at Jubilee Central School, Ikare Akoko in 1928 and later proceeded to St. Andrew’s Primary School, Owo to complete his primary education in 1942 where he was made the Senior Prefect for his set. He obtained his Grade III Teachers’ Certificate from Akoko Divisional Teacher Training College, Ikare Akoko in 1946. He obtained his Grade II Teachers’ Certificate in 1972 from St. John/Mary’s Teacher Training College, Owo. He proceeded to the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife where he obtained the Associate Certificate in Education (English) in 1985. He started work as a teacher in 1947 at St. David’s Primary School, Afo in Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State and between 1948 and 1986, when he retired, he worked in many primary schools in Akoko and its environs, among which were: Ifira/Ipesi United School (19481950), St. James Primary School, Supare – Akoko, St. Peter’s Anglican Primary School, Oba-Akoko, Baptist Dayy School, Oba-Akoko and Zumuratu Islamiyah Primary School, Oba – Akoko where he retired voluntarily as a Head teacher. Late Prince Simeon was a staunch and committed member of the Anglican Communion. A member of the Egbe Baba Egbe in the church, he was appointed

Advert space for sale CHANGE OF NAME

NNOROMELE: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Nnoromele Grace Chidi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Anyanwu Grace Chidi. All former documents remain valid. Ministry Of Health Imo State and Nurses and Midwifery Council of Nigeria and the general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

ONUMAJURU: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Onumajuru Adaku Lois, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Dike Adaku Lois. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

twice as a Church Secretary, and also a member of PCC between 1966-1969 and 1973-1980 respectively. He was a member of Works and Finance committees of the church and was a solid pillar behind his wife, Adebanke, when she was appointed Iya-Ijo of St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Oba-Akoko in 1987. He got married to his wife, Adebanke in 1950 and was blessed with children. He died on November 23, 2013 at the age of 97 years. He will be buried today after a funeral service at St Peter’s Anglican Church, Oba Akoko, together with the love of his life, Adebanke. He is survived by children and grandchildren.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known called and addressed as Miss Beauty Opara and Mrs Beauty Ariel Abe, l now wish to be known and addressed as Miss Beauty Ariel. All Former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

IRUKA: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Iruka Ngozi Jane, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Ndukwu Ngozi Jane. All former documents remain valid. Alvan Ikeoku Federal College of Education, Owerri, Imo State and the general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

NNAMANI: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Ngwu Modestankiruka, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Nnamani Modesta Nkiruka. All former documents remain valid general public take note.

PUBLIC NOTICE ASSOCIATION OF CEMENT MERCHANTS, EKITI STATE

Notice is hereby given to the general public that the above named Association has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja for registration under Part ‘ C ‘ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990

THE TRUSTEES ARE:

1. Olusola Joseph Falayi - Chairman 2. Adenike Abioye (Mrs.) 3. Babalola Joseph Olopo - Secretary 4. Alade Moses Tunde 5. Tiamiyu Lasisi 6. Olukotun Onisola 7. Fakehinde Anthony Idowu THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To foster unity among member. 2. To protect and promote the interest of members. Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

SIGNED: TRUSTEES

ate Mrs Victoria Origbemisoye was born in Oketere quarters of Oba Akoko to the late Mr. Orimogunje Ajomowa and late Madam Oladimboye Ajomowa of the family of Ajomowa (popularly known as Ojomo) of Odokele quarters of Oba Akoko in 1926. In her days, female education was not encouraged because parents believed female children would always end up in the kitchen, but despite this limitation, she attended St. Peters Primary School, Oba Akoko, where she obtained her Standard Six Certificate, but could not continue her academic pursuit because there was no other institution of learning that offered certificate higher than that in her town. A very hardworking woman, Chief (Mrs.) Origbemisoye was was ready to learn and this led her to Ibadan, where she learnt fashion designing. She was the first fashion designer from the town and upon her return home; she affected the lives of many by solving the problems of unemployment, training more than 300 tailors which earned her the name Olori Sewing as she was popularly called by all and sundry in Oba Akoko. She got married to Prince Oluwatemi in 1950. She was an intelligent, caring and brave woman. She was a specialist in dispute resolution in the community and was always very quick at proffering solutions to emergent situation. She would be remembered by all for her frankness, discipline, honesty and determination to succeed. In recognition of her contribution to her town, the Oloba of Oba Akoko, Oba

LOSS OF INTERNATIONAL PASSPORT

This is to notify the public of the loss of original International passports belonging to Abel Ariel Beauty and Abel Ariel Kathryn of Amassoma Town in southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa state, with International Passport no A00693525 for myself and A00693527 for my daughter respectively, were issued by the Nigerian Immigration Service on the 17th December,2008.The International Passports where last seen on 24th December2008. All efforts made to recover the said International Passports proved abortive.

CHANGE OF NAME

UNGBUKU: Formerly known and addressed as Miss. Ungbuku Ibafaundu Rose, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Kalaiti Mcdonald Ibafaundu Rose. All former documents remain valid.General public take note.

LASISI: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Lasisi Olubamipe Sekinat, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Aremu Olubamipe Sekinat. All former documents remain valid. SUBEB and General public should please take note.

LOSS OF DOCUMENT

This is to notify the public that the original building C of O belonging to Mofus Nigeria Limited dated 4th day of January 1991 with Reg. No 92/92/543 got lost. Ministry of Lands Enugu and general public take note.

This is to inform the general public of the loss of my landed document of land located at Ozoagu Umuenewene Iji -Nike Registered as No 82 at Page 82 in volume 1280 at land Registry Enugu got loss. Please if found contact 08039559976.

PUBLIC NOTICE JACK SOUL UNITY AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT CENTRE

The public is hereby notiÀed that the above named Organisation has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, of 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: Nicholas Moorkwap Solomon Gokas Dauda Dachomo Ahmed Mohammed

CHANGE OF NAME

MATTHEW: Formerly known and addressed as Matthew Rosemary Boboyie, now wish to be known and addressed as Rosemary Boboyie Kekai. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

KAREEM: ormerly known and addressed as Miss Kareem Moronkola Sekinah, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Muhammed Jamiu Moronkola Sekinah. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and General public should please take note.

1. 2. 3. 4.

Adeniyi Adegoroye I conferred on her chieftaincy title Akowajo of Oba land. A member of Egbe Isoji in the church, her contributions paid off in 1987 when she was unanimously elected the Iya Ijo of Saint Peter’s Anglican Church. She belonged to many other societies in her community, like Egbe Irewole, Egbe Amuludun, Egbe Ijoye Obinrin and to crown it all. She died on September 14, 2013 at the age of 87 years and will be buried today, alongside her late husband after a combined funeral service at the Saint Peter’s Anglican Church, Oba-Akoko. She is survived by children and grandchildren.

- Chairman - Secretary

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To provide free education, drinking water and health care services to rural areas.

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: SECRETARY

PUBLIC NOTICE

MOBILE PHONES DEALERS AND TECHNICIANS ASSOCIATION, OGUN STATE. The public is hereby notiÀed that the above named Organisation has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, of 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Ogunsina Ganiyu Adekunle 3. Adebayo Adebowale Joseph 5. Togunwa Ifebola 7. Olujobi Adebisi Wuraola 9. Fadeyi Lukmon Adeyemi

2. Ogundimu Ibrahin Gbenro 4. Babalola Monsuru Olawale 6. Olagoke Kazeem Omotade 8. Babarinde Adebisi Olusegun 10. Abioro Akeem Anthony

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To promote information communication technologies as practical and evolving globally. 2. To foster peace, unity and understanding among members. Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral Corporate Affairs Commission, plot 420 Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication

SIGNED: TRUSTEES

Friday, February 28, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

World News “I can work with the UK to reform the European Union but it will not be “a piece of cake”. –GERMAN CHANCELLOR, ANGELA MERKEL

Uganda snubs West threat to cut aid over anti-gay law PAUL ARHEWE

WITH AGENCY REPORTS

ganda yesterday shrugged off foreign aid cuts and international criticism of its tough new antigay law, saying it could do without Western aid. “The West can keep their ‘aid’ to Uganda over homos, we shall still develop without it,” government spokesman Ofwono Opondo said in a message on Twitter. On Monday, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed a bill into law which holds that “repeat homosexuals” should be jailed for life, outlaws the promotion of homosexuality and requires people to report on homosexuals. The signing of the law came despite fierce criticism from Western nations and key donors, including US President Barack Obama, who has warned that ties between Kampala and Washington would be damaged. US Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday compared the “flat-out morally wrong” and “atrocious” law to anti-Semitic legislation in Nazi Germany or apartheid in South Africa. Diplomats and rights groups had pushed Museveni -- already under fire from key Western donors over alleged rampant graft and for stifling opposition groups and media -- to block the legislation. But in a blunt speech after signing the law, Museveni warned Western nations not to meddle in the east African nation’s affairs and said he was not afraid of aid being cut. Some donors were quick to

A Ugandan taxi driver reading a daily newspaper with a front page story on a new anti-gay law, in Kampala, on Tuesday.

punish Kampala by freezing or redirecting aid money, while Sweden’s Finance Minister Anders Borg, who visited the country on Tuesday, said the law “presents an economic risk for Uganda”. The Netherlands froze a seven-million-euro subsidy to Uganda’s legal system, while Denmark and Norway said they would redirect around six million euros each towards private sector initiatives, aid agencies and rights organisations. The Ugandan shilling dipped against the dollar this week, with the central bank spokeswoman Christine Alupo saying dollars had been sold to “maintain stability”. But she also said it was “way too early to say” if aid cuts would have any impact on the strength of the shilling.

Five killed in South Africa explosives truck accident

our South African police officers and a motorist were killed yesterday after a vehicle collided with a truck carrying explosives on the main highway between Johannesburg and Zimbabwe. Three other officers were seriously injured in the blast, which blew a crater in the middle of the motorway in the northern province of Limpopo and scattered debris over several hundred meters. “A grocery truck collided with

a truck carrying blasting cartridges and soon after the police arrived on the scene of the collision the cartridges went off,” the government said in a statement. The highway was closed in both directions. Road use is the primary means of travel in Africa’s largest economy. The government has introduced tough laws to clamp down on reckless driving and poorly maintained vehicles in an attempt to curb high accident rates.

“Western ‘aid’ to Africa is lucrative and (a) profitable trade, they cannot cut off completely,” Opondo said. “Slave trade, slavery, colonialism, imperialism, and ex-

ploitation, Africa must stand up to Western domination.” The passing of the bill was largely a popular move in conservative Uganda, where Museveni -- in power for 28 years

Somali capital hit by car bomb blast

suicide car bomb has exploded in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, killing at least 12 people and wounding eight others near the security service headquarters. The bomber targeted a security vehicle. Three members of the security forces were among the dead, witnesses said. The al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab group said it carried out the attack. The group is waging an insurgency in Somalia against the UN-backed government. “A suicide car bomb targeted a national security car passing along these tea shops,” police official Abdullahi Hassan told

Reuters news agency. He added that several civilians had been killed. There has been an increase in violence in Mogadishu in recent weeks, including night-time mortar raids and daytime clashes between the security forces and al-Shabaab. Last week, the group carried out a car bomb attack outside the presidential palace in Mogadishu, killing officials and guards. Al-Shabaab was driven out of Mogadishu in 2011 but it still controls many smaller towns and rural areas of the country. Some 22,000 African Union troops are helping the government battle al-Shabaab.

Militant Islamists have stepped up attacks in Mogadishu in recent weeks

WORLD BULLETIN Turkish prime minister targeted in second audio tape An audio recording purporting to be of Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan giving his son business advice has been published on YouTube, following one earlier in the week that fuelled a corruption scandal and unnerved markets. Erdogan said a similar post on the video-sharing site YouTube on Monday, allegedly of him telling his son Bilal to dispose of large sums of cash as a graft investigation erupted, had been faked by his political enemies. The recordings, posted under pseudonyms, appeared within days of his AK Party launching its campaign for local elections in March, and are potentially the most damaging allegations in a scandal that became public on December 17 with the arrest of businessmen close to Erdogan and three ministers’ sons. The audio track posted on Wednesday by the user “Haramzadeler” purported to be of Erdogan advising Bilal to hold out for a better offer in an unspecified business deal. “Don’t take it. Whatever he has promised us, he should bring this. If he is not going to bring that, there is no need,” says the voice on the recording.

Protesters ransack government buildings in Guinea Protesters angered by the death of a young man in police custody ransacked a police station and government buildings in Guinea’s main aluminium smelting town, local residents said. Work at Russian aluminum giant RUSAL’s Friguia refinery has been suspended since April 2012, hitting household incomes hard and aggravating social unrest in the town of Fria, 160 km (99 miles) north of the capital Conakry. Protesters threw stones and burned tires in the town’s streets, before attacking the police station. “The municipal police station is looted. The youth are in the streets showing their anger after the death of their friend,” Fria resident Mamadou Gueye told Reuters. “The few gendarmes and police officers who were on duty have fled the city,” he said.

North

Friday, February 28, 2014

Two killed, 50 houses razed in fresh Plateau attack JAMES A BRAHAM JOS

unmen have struck again in Plateau State. This time, the gunmen killed two people in Diyam- Rim of Riyom Local Government Area of the state. During the attack which occurred in the

early hours of yesterday, the gunmen destroyed over 50 houses, many vehicles and farmlands. It was learnt that the gunmen also carried out another attack on Rakok and Razat villages in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of the state. The Interim Chairman of Barkin Ladi Local

Government Area, Habila Dung, told journalists on phone that the gunmen stormed the villages in the early hours of yesterday and destroyed everything in sight. A lawmaker representing Riyom Constituency in the state House of Assembly confirmed on telephone that two persons were killed by the

gunmen. According to the lawmaker, the gunmen stormed the villages and opened fire at an isolated house, killing two members of the family in their sleep. He said two other family members injured by the gunmen are currently receiving treatment in the hospital.

Youths protesting the killings of students in Yobe State and Maiduguri by Boko Haram sect in Abuja, yesterday.

5,115 police inspectors promoted ASP OMEIZA AJAYI

he Police Service Commission (PSC) yesterday said that it had approved the promotion of 5, 115 Inspectors to the rank of Assistant Superintendents of Police II. Assistant Director, Press and Public Rela-

tions of the Commission, Ferdinand Ekpe, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja. He said among those promoted are 4, 628 officers in the General Duties while 487 are Specialists. “The promoted officers are those who were successful at the Departmental Selection Board inter-

view,” Ekpe said. According to him, all the promotions are with effect from December 31, 2013. He said the promotions are in line with the Commission’s statutory functions of formulation and implementation of policies aimed at efficiency and discipline in the Nigeria Police Force.

Ekpe also quoted the Chairman of the Commission, Sir Mike Okiro, as charging the officers to put in their best in the discharge of their constitutional mandate of protecting lives and property. He also urged them to imbibe the principles of modern policing in the light of the current security situation in the country.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Biyi Bandele, Nigerian writer, is guest on Glo/ CNN African Voices

NN African Voices, sponsored by Nigerian telecommunications operator, Globacom, will this weekend continue its tradition of bringing to viewers Africans who have excelled in different spheres of life by profiling Nigerian writer, Biyi Bandele-Thomas. The novelist and playwright will be the special guest on the 30-minute magazine programme which runs at 8.30 a.m. on Friday, with repeat broadcasts at 3.30 p.m. on Saturday, 3.30 a.m., 9:00a.m and 6:30 p.m. on Sunday. There will be further repeats on Monday at 2:30a.m., 10:30a.m., and 5:30 p.m. and on Tuesday 5:30a.m. Born in 1976, Biyi Bandele, as the writer is generally known, is regarded as one of the most versatile of the UKbased Nigerian writers. Acclaimed as both a prolific playwright and a versatile novelist, his 1997 adaptation of fellow Nigerian, Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart for the British stage confirmed his place as an important voice on the post-colonial stage. Bandele was born to Yoruba parents in Kafanchan, northern Nigeria, and spent the first eighteen years of his life in the northern part of the country. He studied drama at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, and finally left for London in 1990. His talent was recognised early on and he won the International Student Playscript competition of 1989 with an unpublished play, before claiming the 1990 British Council Lagos Award for an unpublished collection of poems. In this weekend’s edition of African Voices, Bandele, who is also a film director,

lets viewers into his literary world and tells the story of how he fell in love with reading at age six. He shares the defining moments that have helped shape his career and how his passion and skill for telling stories led him to direct a film about one of the most intense periods in Nigeria’s history. As a playwright, Bandele has worked with the Royal Court Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, and has written several radio drama and screenplays for television. His plays are: Rain; Marching for Fausa (1993); Resurrections in the Season of the Longest Drought (1994); Two Horsemen (1994), selected as Best New Play at the 1994 London New Plays Festival; Death Catches the Hunter and Me and the Boys (published in one volume, 1995); and Oroonoko, an adaptation of Aphra Behn’s seventeenth-century novel of the same name. Brixton Stories, Bandele’s stage adaptation of his own novel, The Street (1999), premiered in 2001 and was published in one volume with his play, Happy Birthday Mister Deka, which premiered in 1999. He was the Judith E. Wilson Fellow at Churchill College, University of Cambridge, in 2000-2001, and also acted as Royal Literary Fund Resident Playwright at the Bush Theatre from 2002 to 2003. Among the awards he has won are International Student Playscript Competition – Rain - in 1989; London New Play Festival - Two Horsemen – in 1994; Wingate Scholarship Award in 1995; Peggy Ramsay Award in 1998; and EMMA (BT Ethnic and Multicultural Media Award) for Best Play – Oroonoko- in 2000.

Auditor-General denies receiving N200m from SWV TORDUE SALEM ABUJA

he Auditor-General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Samuel Ukura, has denied allegation that his office received the sum of N200 million from the Service Wide Vote (SWV) as part of its 2013 budget allocation. Ukura spoke when he appeared before the

House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee to defend the 2014 budget and update the committee on the 2013 budget performance. The chairman of the committee, Hon. Solomon Adeola, had alleged that from records made available, the AuditorGeneral Office was a beneficiary of N200 million from the SWV as part

of its 2013 budget allocation. But Ukura denied receiving such amount of money saying: “We did not receive N200 million from the SWV in the 2013 budget.” He, however, admitted that all the budgetary allocations in the recurrent expenditure for 2013 budget were released. The Auditor-General

explained that out of the N647, 620 million budgeted for capital expenditure, only N374 million was released, representing about 52 per cent. Ukura also told the committee that based on government policy of patronising local manufacturers, the Bureau for Public Enterprise (BPE) directed his office to get its supply from Innoson

Motors. Ukura claimed that out of the N149, 968 million set aside for the purchase of operational vehicles, only N49 million was spent on the purchase of four Toyota Hilux vans and one Prado Jeep, adding that the remaining N100 million was mopped up and remitted to the Federation Account.

He said as at December 2013, Innoson was still unable to supply the remaining vehicles despite several letters sent to the company by the AGF Office. Ukura, however, explained that if all the vehicles were supplied as was agreed, the AGF Office would not have returned the N100 million to the Federation Account.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

North

Friday, February 28, 2014

Kaduna health workers begin indefinite strike over pay A ZA MSUE KADUNA

he Joint Health Sector Union (JHSU) yesterday declared indefinite strike in Kaduna State over non-implementation of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) agreement signed two years ago. Addressing a news

conference in Kaduna, JHSU Chairman, Mr. Cecilia Musa, said the government only implemented 70 percent of the agreement, saying the industrial action would begin on March 1, 2014, if the state government failed to fulfill the remaining 30 percent of the agreement. Musa claimed that nurses in the state worked

under stressful condition as they attend to 30 patients daily against the World Health Organisation (WHO) standard of a nurse per six patients. He noted that some of the union’s members had decided to seek greener pasture in other health facilities where CONHESS is fully implemented. Musa said: “We held meeting with Kaduna

State Head of Service after we sent our letter reminding the government of CONHESS agreement. The Head of Service told us that the budget is deficit and our demands not captured in 2013 budget. “We went back and consulted our members, but they refused.We are calling on all our members to stay at home as from March 1, 2014 to

Illegal petrol sellers with their cans at a filling station in Bauchi, yesterday.

Students rewarded for promoting fight against sub-standard products MARCUS FATUNMOLE

ABUJA

he National Agency for Foods and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) yesterday in Abuja rewarded secondary school students who distinguished themselves in promoting the

fight against sub-standard foods and drugs. The award was the 11th in the series which the agency’s Consumer Safety Club (NCSC) conferred on the students who excelled in quiz competitions that covered activities of the agency. Yesterday’s award covered 2013 activities of NCSC.

Speaking at the event, NAFDAC Director-General, Dr. Paul Orhii, said the programme was one of the agency’s public enlightenment exercises in the eradication of fake and sub-standard products. In his remark, Chairman, Governing Board of NAFDAC, Prof John Ibu, urged

the agency to continue to explore all means through which its mandate could be maximally achieved. While pledging his board’s support for the agency, Ibu appealed to parents and youths to be agents of zero-tolerance to fake and sub-standard drugs, foods and other products.

Yuguda worried over size of Bauchi workforce •May slash workers’ pay EZEKIEL TITUS BAUCHI

overnor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State is worried over the large size of the state’s workforce, a source has said. The source said that the governor is contemplating meeting with the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) with a view to address the worry. The source, who did not want his name in print, said that Yuguda is contemplating sacking some

of the workers or slashing their salaries as a way of the issue. The source claimed that Governor Yuguda had summoned the NCL leaders and expressed dismay that the government is spending over 82 percent of its allocation and revenue on payment of salaries thereby affecting execution of developmental projects. But the NLC, the source said, rejected plan by the governor to sack workers or slash their salaries. He said: “NLC vehemently kicked against

the governor’s decision to sack its members for no justifiable reason. “The action of the government is contrary to labour Act Cap. 198 LFN 2004 which say: ‘except where it is expressly permitted by this Act or any other law, no employer shall make any deductions or make any agreement or contact with a worker for any deduction from the wages to be paid by the employer to the worker, or for any payment to the employer by the worker, for or in respect of any fines provided that, with

the prior consent in writing of an authorised labour officer, a reasonable deductions may be made in respect of injury or loss caused by the employer by the willful misconduct or neglect of the worker.” It was, however, learnt that the state government and the NLC had begun negotiation to douse tension of over the matter. When National Mirror visited the state secretariat, civil servants were seen in groups discussing the matter in hush tones for fear of being victimized.

comply with industrial action, if the government fails to pay our complete CONHESS. “We appeal to the public to understand and

bear with us. We started this struggle with doctors, but the government is paying the doctors 90% now, while our own is still 70 per cent.”

FG to produce standard document on drinking water MARCUS FATUNMOLE ABUJA

he Federal Government has said that a document that will set standard for drinking water quality and help reduce prevalence of water-related diseases in Nigeria would soon be produced. The document, according to a statement signed yesterday by Chief Press Secretary, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Mrs. Boade Akinola, will serve as a guide for safe drinking water supply and protection of public health. It is also expected to help speed up the process of upgrading non-protected water system and improving the management of all drinking water systems in Nigeria. The statement said the decision was the product of the second Technical Com-

mittee Meeting on the Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality organised by the Ministry of Water Resources in collaboration with Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) in Abuja. The statement claimed that the meeting would give every stakeholder opportunity to look at the comments so as to collectively come up with document that would be nationally acceptable and implementable. SON Director-General, represented by the organisation’s Assistant Director, Mrs. Elsie Ofili, was quoted in the statement as saying that Nigerian standard for drinking water quality was approved for use as a functional tool for the regulation of drinking water quality by the SON Governing Council as required by law in April 2007.

Kogi awards N1.4bn contract for 500 housing units WALE IBRAHIM LOKOJA

ogi State Government has awarded contracts for the construction of 500 housing units for N1.4 billion. The Commissioner for Information and Home Affairs, Alhaji Yabagi Bologi, told journalists yesterday shortly after the state executive meeting in Lokoja that the tender board had approved the construction of the 500 housing units for N1.4 billion to four competent companies. He said that 300 of the houses would be located in Lokoja, the state capital, while the remaining 200 would be spread across the 20 local government areas of the state. Bologi said the houses comprise one, two and three bed-room flat. The commissioner added that the contracts

would be financed from the proceeds of the bond obtained by the state government. Accprding to him, the contracts were awarded to Fakojo Property Limited, Hacosa Construction Company, SAMA International Service Limited and Dorina Nigeria Limited. Bologi also said that Kabba township road contract had been award to EEC International Limited for N289 million, while that of Ankpa township road was awarded to TEC Engineering Limited for N642 million with a completion period of four months. The commissioner added that the state government had concluded arrangement to collaborate with Bio-Ethanol Company, Brazil, in the conversion of cassava into ethanol for domestic use as cooking fuel.

Friday, February 28, 2014

CHANGE OF NAME

ENILARI: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Enilari Ope Kehinde, now wish to be known, called and addressed as Mrs. Jaiyeoba Kehinde. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

OMOSANYA: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Omosanya Basirat Olaide, now wish to be known, called and addressed as Mrs. Motolani Basirat Olaide. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

EGOIGWE: Formerly known and addressed as Mr Egoigwe Chidiebere Clement, now wish to be known and addressed as Mr Osiegoigwe Chidiebere Clement. All former documents remain valid. First Bank Plc and general public take note.

OGUNDARE: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Ogundare Opeyemi Helen, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Olowoyeye Opeyemi Helen. All former documents remain valid. Ekiti State Teaching Service Commission Emure-Ekiti, University of Ilorin and general public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Mr Omolaja Oladele Yusuf, is the same person as Mr Makinde Oladele Yusuf. All former documents remain valid. Osun State College of Technology, EsaOke and general public should please take note.

ODUYEMI: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Toyin Oduyemi, now wish to known and addressed as Mrs. Oluwatoyin Omolola Mcintosh. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

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UGWUOKE: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Ugwuoke Lovelyn Uchenna, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Eze Lovelyn Uchenna. All former documents remain valid NYSC and general public take note.

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MAKINDE: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Makinde Mary Olawunmi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Oluronbi Mary Olawunmi. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

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AKANBI: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Akanbi Yemisi Victoria, now wish to be known and addressed as As Mrs Ilori Yemisi Victoria. All former documents remain valid. MAPOLY Abeokuta, NYSC and general public take note.

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CHIAKPO: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Chiakpo Obiageri Linda, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Okeke Obiageri Linda. All former documents remain valid General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

OKOLOCHA: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Okolocha Mary Chekwube now wish to be known as Mrs Onuogeli Mary Chekwube. All former documents remain valid. The general public take note

OWOLABI: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Owolabi Victoria Oluremi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Babatunde Oluremi Victoria. All former documents remain valid. Ekiti State Judiciary High Court of Justice Ado Ekiti and general public take note

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OLUYEMI: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Oluyemi Yemisi Funmilayo, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Oladejo Oluwayemisi Funmilayo. All former documents remain valid. Federal Polytechnic Ede and general public take note.

EZEBUIRO: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Ezebuiro Blessing Adanma, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Ukeje Blessing Adanma (nee Ezebuiro). All former documents remain valid. National crop Research Institute Umudike and general public take note.

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ADEDEJI: Formerly called and addressed as Miss Adedeji Adelore Eunice, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Ayodele Adelore Eunice. All former documents remain valid. Ilesa West Local Government Omi Aladiye, State of Osun and general public should please take note.

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FADIPE: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Fadipe Kafilat Olayinka, henceforth wish to be known and called Mrs Giwa Kafilat Olayinka. All former documents remain valid. Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board Ibadan and general public should take note.

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ADENEKAN: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Adenekan Elizabeth Oluwatoyin, now wish to be known and addressed as Solanke Adenekan Elizabeth Oluwatoyin. All former documents remain valid. Ogun State Ministry of Education and general public take note.

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ADEWUNMI: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Adewunmi Abisola Azeezat, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Adeyemi Azeezat Abisola-Pedro. All former documents remain valid. The Polytechnic Ibadan, NYSC and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME We formerly known and addressed as Okoroikpa Family, now wish to be known and addressed as Chimezie Family. All documents bearing our former name remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME KALU: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Kalu Grace Nkiru,, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Christopher Grace Nkiru. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

ELEANYA: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Nene Jenifer Nduka Eleanya, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Nene Jenifer Ikechukwu. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public take note.

ALABI: Formerly known and addressed as Alabi Bamijoko Stephanie Ohunene, now wish to be known and addressed as Anyibuofu. B.S. Ohunene. All former documents remain valid. Subol Hospital and General public take note.

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AROWOJOBE: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Arowojobe Adeola Musilimot, now wish to be known as Mrs Akinyele Adeola Musilimot. All former documents remain valid. Lagos State Primary Health Care Board and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

LOSS OF DOCUMENT

This is to inform the general public that the Original Certificate of Occupancy in the name of Lt. Gen. SVL Malu (Rtd) over plot No. BNB 9935 situated at HUDCO Quarters, High Level, Makurdi Local Government Area, Benue State is missing. All efforts to trace the said document proved abortive. If found, please contact the nearest Police Station.

CHANGE OF NAME

OLANIPEKUN: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Olanipekun Bukola, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Akinjayeju Bukola Racheal. All former documents remain valid. general public should please take note.

DUMBIRI: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Dumbiri Emenejo Jemima, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Ososanya Emenejo Jemima. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME UKWAT: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Lucy Effiong Ukwat, now wish to be known, called and addressed as Mrs Lucy Effiong Asuquo. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

AREMU: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Aremu Adepeju Ganiyat, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Akande Adepeju Ganiyat. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

OJO: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Ojo Iyabo Funke, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Fakolade Iyabo Funke. All former documents remain valid. National Directorate Of Employment and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

IWEKA: Formerly known and addressed as Josephine Adesuwa Iweka, now wish to be known, called and addressed as Josephine Edomwande Bello. All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note.

OSASONA: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Osasona Rachael Oluwabunmi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Oladunni Rachael Oluwabunmi. All former documents remain valid. Yewa North LGEA, SUBEB and general public take note.

AKUPUOME: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Felicitas Amarachukwu Akupuome, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Felicitas Amarachukwu Ibebugwu. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME OGBONNA: Formerly known and addressed as Ogbonna Nelson, now wish to be known, called and addressed as Nelson Eze. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

RAHEEM: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Raheem Basirat Olamiji, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Oliyide Basirat Olamiji. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

AGWEGWE: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Cynthia Ifeoma Agwegwe, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Cynthia Ifeoma Nwokoro. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

AJANI:Formerly known and addressed as Ajani Chinedu Godwin, now wish to be known and addressed as Aniekwe Chinedu Lawrence. All former documents remains valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

OWOLABI: Formerly known and addressed as Owolabi Idowu Omowunmi, now wish to be known, called and addressed as Mrs. Olaniyan Idowu Omowunmi. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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ATAGANA: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Atagana Ufuoma Bridget, now wish to be known as Mrs Egbeme Ufuoma Bridget. All former documents remain valid. TASUED and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as Williams Olufemi Adegboyega Lateef Tokunbo, now wish to be known and addressed as Williams Olufemi Adegboyega. All former documents remain valid. Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

PUBLIC NOTICE

ALL COCOYAM TOMATO AND PEPPER FARMERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA

The general public is hereby notified that the above named Association has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under part C of the Companies and Allied Matter Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE:

1. Mrs. Fape Cecilia Olubunmi 2. Folodun Akin Martins 3. Akindipe Emily Biola 4. Fape Folashade Sarah 5. Adetimehin Akinwumi 6. Bolorunduro Benjamin 7. Olatunji Deborah 8. Oyewumi Risikatu 9. Musa Tiamiyu Fabiyi 10. Adegunna OjoAde Benedicta THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:

1. To promote unity among members and to disseminate information on the importance of farm products and cultivations to the members of the public. 2. To make available in large qualities of farm products to consumers in the state and across nations and to reduce the dependency of importation for provision of farm products for our table. Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission (C.A.C) P.M.B 198, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi Irosi Street, Maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

SIGNED: MRS. FAPE CECILIA OLUBUNMI

CHANGE OF NAME

AKINWALERE: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Akinwalere Funmilayo Atinuke, now wish to be known as Mrs Babalola funmilayo Atinuke. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

BOBO: Formerly known and addressed as Ezewoka Prince Bobo, now wish to be known and addressed as Ezewoka Prince Ugochukwu .C. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

AJANI: Formerly known and addressed as Ajani Okechukwu Marcel, now wish to be known and addressed as Aniekwe Okechukwu Marcel. All former documents remains valid. General public take note. OTTAH: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Promise Nnenna Ottah, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Promise Nnenna Onyemata. All former documents remain valid. Madonna University and the general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

UMAHI: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Umahi Chidinma Marytheodora, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Udeh Chidinma Marytheodora. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

EZECHUKWU: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Ezechukwu Chijindu Peace, now wish to be known, called and addressed as Mrs Innocent Chijindu Peace. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

PIPA: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Pipa Dimie Patience, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Festus Dimie Patience. All former documents remain valid. NSITF & the general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

OZULUONYE: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Ozuluonye Anna Ekene, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Obasi Anna Ekene. All former documents remain valid. Abia State Polytechnic, N.Y.S.C. and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

NZE: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Nze. Chinwe Blessing, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Orakpor Chinwe Blessing. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as Miss Rakiya Yahaya Ibrahim, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Rakiya Ojo. All former documents remain valid. Authority concerned and the general public should please take note.

PUBLIC NOTICE GEM MEN HONOURABLE CLUB.

The general public is hereby notified that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja for registration under part â&#x20AC;&#x153;Câ&#x20AC;? of the Companies and Allied matters act no. 1 of 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Engr. Ayomobi Oko-Ofaiye 2. Mr. Arikpo Sunday 3. Engr. Victor Umanah 4. Mr. Ubi Arikpo 5. Engr. Joseph Uke

CHANGE OF NAME

DIKE: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Dike Chizoba Anthonia, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Okafor Chizoba Anthonia. All former documents remain valid. Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), NYSC and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

SULE: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Sule Mariam Omolade, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Tijani Mariam Omolade. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

Any objection to the above registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent off Aguyi Ironsi Street Maitama PMB 198 within 28 days of this publication.

SIGNED: TRUSTEES

CHANGE OF NAME

NNADILI: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Nnadili Nneka Mariagorathy, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Eneje Nneka Mariagorathy. All former documents remain valid. Federal Polytechnic Oko, NYSC and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

ADESANYA: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Adesanya Modupe Temilade, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Adegunle Modupe Temilade.. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

ADEYEMI: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Adeyemi Nimota Adebimpe, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Lawal Nimota Adebimpe. All former documents remain valid. D.S Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic, Ewekoro and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

NWACHUKWU: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Nwachukwu Ifeoma Linda, now wish to be known, called and addressed as Mrs Amaefule Ifeoma Linda. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

OKPEAMA: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Okpeama Deborah Nwakaego, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Ekeh Deborah Nwakaego. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

ADEDEJI: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Adesumbo Grace Adedeji, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Fajemidagba Adesumbo. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

ELU-IJU COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL IJU, OLD STUDENTS ASSOCIATION

The general public is hereby notified that the above named Association has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under part C of the Companies and Allied Matter Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Pastor Ajayi Olusegun Samuel 2. Mr. Olawale Olajide Ezekiel 3. Mr. Olasehinde Kolawole 4. Mrs. Pelebe Christianah Oyeyemi 5. Mr.Olatowode Emmanuel

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:

1. To promote unity among member and to create a forum for the members to meet and exchange ideas on issues affecting them as individual and the school. 2. To work for the development of Elu-Iju Comprehensive School Iju and to encourage and provide humanitarian services for the school. Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission (C.A.C) P.M.B 198, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi Irosi Street, Maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

SIGNED: PASTOR AJAYI OLUSEGUN SAMUEL

PUBLIC NOTICE BLESSED QUEEN MUSIC MINISTRY

This is to inform the general public thatt the above named Foundation has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part C of the companies and allied Matters Act 1990

1. Sister Ifechukwude Queen 2. Brother Felix Ofuzor 3. Evangelist Samuel Ohunojuri

1. To enhance youth and social development 2. To promote unity among members 3. To ensure co-operation and solutions to problems that might occur between members 4. To assist one another in achieving common goals 5. To collaborate with relevant government agencies and social groups in youth and social development

CHANGE OF NAME

AJUMOBI: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Ajumobi Mary Oluremi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Ogunsanya Mary Oluremi. All former documents remain valid. Oriade Local Government Education Authority (SUBEB) and general public should please take note.

PUBLIC NOTICE

THE TRUSTEES ARE:

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:

CHANGE OF NAME

ENENMUO: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Grace Ngozi Enenmuo, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Grace Ngozi Obijiofor. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

- Chairman - Secretary - Member

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. Global music ministration for Christ 2. To reach out to souls for Christ and winning them for the kingdom of heaven Any Objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registral General, Corporate Affiars Commission Plot 420 Tigris Crecent off Aguiyi Ironsi way, Maitama Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

SIGNED: SIS IFECHUKWUDE QUEEN

Friday, February 28, 2014

CAF Cup: Bayelsa faces first round ouster

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sport

For me, I will really be ready whenever I am called upon to deliver. No more, no less – Super Eagles’ striker, Ike Uche

54 JOEL AJAYI, ABUJA

irector-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye, has expressed optimism that the new jersey of the Super Eagles would boost the senior national team to win more international laurels. Speaking at the unveiling of the jersey yesterday, in Abuja, Elegbeleye who represented the Sports Minister, Bolaji Abdullahi, at the event, said the Super Eagles need constant rebranding. “The Nigeria Super Eagles are the biggest brand in the history of African football that need to be rebranded for more glory in the round leather game,” he said. The NSC DG added, “It is obvious that the results we have so far are signs that we are working hard as a football family in Nigeria. Nigeria won the AFCON last year for the first time in 19 years, won the U-17 World Cup which means, Nigeria is best football country at the under-17 level in the whole world. We also came third at the last CHAN in South Africa.” He, however, urged the NFF not to relent on their efforts. The new jersey produced by adidas has intense green colour for home matches, white and some intense green colour for away games, while goalkeepers kits have yellow and black colours, which also strike a balance between tradition and captures the team as young, vibrant, fresh and peace and unity in diversity as well as the nation with talent and potentials. In his opening remarks, the NFF President, Aminu Maigari, who was represented by NFF Vice President, Chief Mike Umeh, said the FIFA World Cup remains the biggest showpiece in the world and as far as football is concerned, it brings together the best people in the world to the battles of over 30 days for one victory of 18 karat gold trophy that only eight countries have won in the 19th editions of the completion so far. In his goodwill message, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Sports, Hon. Godfrey Gaiya, applauded the NFF for the innovation brought to the sport.

New jersey will boost Eagles –NSC DG Super Eagles Ejike Uzoenyi (left), Abubakar Yahaya and Chigozie Agbim at the launching of the national team’s World Cup jersey in Abuja, yesterday

Amokachi prays it brings luck in Brazil

T Amokachi

he Super Eagles of Nigeria will hope for more international glory wearing their new World Cup kits, according to assistant coach, Daniel Amokachi. Yesterday, the NFF unveiled the kits to be worn by the Eagles at Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup. The home kit is in two refreshingly different shades of green from the current jersey, while the away kit is white with trimmings of green

and red numbering. “Our prayer is that the successes we have enjoyed so far continue with this new kit,” Amokachi told MTNFootball. com at the public presentation of the World Cup jersey in Abuja. “The jersey reminds us of the playing days of my boss ‘The Big Boss’ in the 80’s. It has the shade of green they used back then and a touch of the green we used in Atlanta 96.”

CHAN MVP, Ejike Uzoenyi, was one of the first Eagles stars to model the new kits at the ceremony. He said, “The jersey is great. It feels light on the skin and it’s top quality. I like its texture and cannot wait to wear it for action next week.” The Eagles will next Wednesday in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States of America launch the jersey in a World Cup warm-up against Mexico.

Sport

Friday, February 28, 2014

NFF relocates in April, says Amadu JOEL AJAYI ABUJA

he Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will relocate to its new head office in April, so says General Secretary, Barr. Musa Amadu. Speaking to newsmen yesterday, shortly after the unveiling of Supper Eagles new World Cup jersey, Amadu said, “It is obvious and of course high time we moved into this house. We have some delay because of scarcity of funds to furnish the place very well, but we are determined and have decided that we must move to this place before the World Cup.”

erman legend, Franz Beckenbauer, will be an ambassador for Libya as the hosts of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). The 68-year-old, who won the World Cup as a player and a coach, agreed to the role while in Tripoli on Wednesday. He was attending a ceremony for the laying of the foundation stone of a stadium for the event in three years. “Mr. Beckenbauer promised he will do whatever he can to help Libya make

‘Kogi strikers, defenders’ nightmare’

“The movement will be in three phases; the first phase will be in April, the second phase will move in May and the last phase will be in the June. We shall make funds available for the movement, so, by June we shall be operating from the Sunday Dankaro NFF office” he affirmed It’s been seven months (precisely on July 18, 2013) since Vice President Namadi Sambo commissioned the 2-storey edifice named “Sunday Dankaro House” built by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) and handed over to the NFF as its permanent secretariat. Because of lack of use wall paint of the structure is already fading.

AFCON: Beckenbauer backs Libya 2017 this event something special,” Libya FA member, Mabrouk AlMisrati, told BBC Sport. “We have chosen him because he is one of the great players during the ages. “He was happy to be nominated as an ambassador and he promised to support us by any means he can.” Libya was due to host the 2013 edition of the tournament, but precarious security saw the event switched to South Africa, who had been down to host in 2017

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Kogi striker, Odeyemi

AFOLABI GAMBARI

ollowing Kogi United’s 2-0 victory over Sokoto United on Wednesday in the Nigeria National League

Match Day 3 in Lokoja, defenders in the league have been alerted on the attacking potential of Kogi’s point men. Sokoto United defender, Lateef Adeshina, revealed that the combination of both Ebenezer Odeyemi and Abdulkadir Aminu in the Kogi’s forward could neutralize any dfence, no matter how close-nit. “Ebenezer is a player with physical strength and fighting spirit. So, most of my markings were always on him,” Adeshina said. “Aminu is also dangerous because his eyes are always on goal, and as a defender you must always be very alert to mark him. Of the two, I think Ebenezer is more deadly. “Overall, I think they have a very good team and could pick one of the Premier League tickets if they sustain their performance.” Kogi sits third in the log after two wins in three games.

B’ball: Ufuk Foundation set for tourney

fuk Dialogue Foundation is organizing a sports event to cement peace in our society. Accordingly, the foundation has concluded plans to stage an International Dialogue Basketball Tournament tomorrow at the Nigerian Turkish Nile University Sport Complex, Abuja. The tournament will consist of 16

teams that will be drawn from various people of different nationalities in Abuja. The finals will hold on March 22 during the Nigerian Turkish Cultural Festival. Organisers said the foundation aimed to promote the culture of coexistence and mutual understanding amongst the various countries.

Transfer: Red Devils Red House wins Builders’ prize move to R block RVP M

anchester United will not consider selling Robin van Persie this summer, according to reports yesterday. The Dutch ace has been linked with a move away this week, amidst speculations that Spanish and Italian teams are in jostling for his services. But Manager David Moyes and the club’s board are determined that Van Persie and Wayne Rooney will spearhead the club’s attack next season and will resist any bids to lure the former Arsenal striker away. Van Persie was devastated when Sir Alex Ferguson retired nine months after taking him to the club. But, asked about Moyes, he said: “Robin is working hard at it and so are we. It’s easy to point the finger but I’m not like that. We have to do better ourselves.”

Robin van Persie

ed (Mohammed) House has emerged winner of the 8th Interhouse sports competition of Builders International School held the Lagos State University (LASU) Museum, Agege. The house won the trophy with 190 points with the Green (Badaki) House on 175 points taking the second position and the Blue (Afelogun) House and Yellow (Lawrence) House coming third and fourth positions respectively. Proprietress of the school, Mrs. Modupe Lawrence, said the event was aimed at training its students add physical well-being to academic excellence. “Children need to exercise their body and it is part of education that you can’t take it out,” she said.

Chairman of the occasion, Mr. Akin Akinronbi, stressed the need for students to embrace inter-house sports as conveyor for unity. “The essence of competition is not just in winning, but principally in participating,” he counseled. Akinronbi appealed to stakeholders in the education sector to invest in physical education with a view to facilitating a healthy society. “I hope this event is sustained by the school and further encouraged at both secondary and tertiary levels,” he added. The one-day event was sponsored by Bobo Food and Beverages Limited and Friesland Campina, maker of Peak Milk.

NUGA: Makurdi pledges ‘best games’ IFEANYI EDUZOR

ost of the 2014 Nigeria University Games Association (NUGA), University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State has said it will host the best games of the event. Vice Chancellor, Prof. Emmanuel Kucha, said his institution had learned from the recently ended 24th edition hosted by the Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife and would devise the best strategy to attain its aim. “We are committed to giving the

games the best in terms of facilities and standards,” Kucha said. “We are currently seeking partnership with the private and public sectors to help us raise the needed funds for the games,” he added. Meanwhile the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Council of the university, Chief Chike Udenze, has assured that adequate logistics will be installed ahead of the games. “We will explore all our contacts and friends to be part of it and we promise it would come out the best at the end of the day,” Udenze assured.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sport

Friday, February 28, 2014

Defoe set for Spurs exit

ottenham Hotspur striker, Jermain Defoe, has played his last game for the club after being ruled out o of the Europa League clash with Dnipro p Dnipropetrovsk last night. The 31-year old striker, who signed with MLS club Toronto FC last month, w was w set to say his farewells to Spurs fans at a White Hart Lane in the Round of 32 second leg against the Ukrainian club se but b a hamstring strain has denied him the th opportunity to do so in a playing capacity . p “He’ll be out of the game. He will say his goodbyes at half-time hopefully,” h Manager Tim Sherwood said yesterday. M Of Defoe’s Tottenham career, Sherwood added: “Jermain is possibly one of w the th best goal scorers this club has ever seen. se “Whenever he put on the Tottenham shirt, he always played with his heart sh and a spirit for the club and would give everything. e “Everyone appreciates his efforts here and he certainly will be a legend at the a football club.” fo

Fortune Chukwudi

CAF Cup: Bayelsa faces first round ouster C

ash-strapped Bayelsa United are in danger of being walked over in the CAF Confederation Cup as the team was stranded in Nigeria at press time yesterday, hours to the tie in Congo. Bayelsa faces AS Kondzo of Congo in Brazzaville today at 2.30pm local time.

But officials said they were yet to receive cash from the Bayelsa State government for their flight tickets and allowances for the trip to Congo after they personally sourced funds to secure entry visas for the team. “We’re under serious pressure as money has not been released to us by government for the trip,” Bayelsa United

Chairman, Akpofini Odogwu told MTNFootball.com. The players were holed up in IjebuOde, where they have been training for the first round first leg clash, while the chairman and secretary were in Yenagoa. Reports said the team would rely on a chartered flight early today to honour this match.

Why I hired Becker–Djokovic

Djokovic

oach Boris Becker can help Novak Djokovic acquire a greater mental toughness to better his recent record in grand slam finals, the Serb said yesterday. The world number two will returned action this weekend in what is his first appearance since a bid for a fourth straight Australian Open title ended in a quarter-final defeat to eventual champion Stanislas Wawrinka. “We’re not significantly changing anything in my game and no onehanded backhands,” six-time grand slam winner said.

“The biggest part he can contribute is the mental approach. “That’s one of the reasons Boris is here, because of the big matches and grand slams. I felt I dropped two or three titles in the last two years I could have won. “I felt there was a mental edge I was lacking.” Djokovic said Becker’s serve and volley playing style would help him advance from his preferred position on the baseline. “I have been working on that in the last year and a half,” he added.

Defoe

WORLD RECORD

Fastest rail link

Vol. 04 No. 799

Friday, February 28, 2014

The line between the cities of Guangzhou and Wuhan in China is the world’s fastest rail link with trains achieving an average speed of 350 km/h (217.48 mph), covering the 1,069-kilometre (664.24 mile) distance in just three hours.

N150

NASS’ lip service to capital budget

f the reader could recall, the House of Representatives, on Thursday, July 20, 2012, threatened to commence the process of impeachment against President Goodluck Jonathan over his government’s poor implementation of the 2012 budget. The heat was also extended to the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, whose office was accused of non-release of funds to ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of government to implement capital projects. The minister was given a deadline of 100% implementation of the capital budget before the end of that year. She virtually exhausted the saliva in her mouth churning out figures to justify government’s usual ridiculous performance in the implementation of its capital budget. Recall that the 2012 was N4.887 trillion. The recurrent expenditure was N2,425,049, 954, 640, while capital expenditure was

FRIDAY WITH Dozie Okebalama

dozieokeama@yahoo.co.uk 08164966858 (SMS only) N1,519,986,106,691. As at October 10, 2012, when Jonathan took the estimates of the 2013 budget to the National Assembly, only N711.6 billion out of the capital component of the 2012 budget had reportedly been released to the MDAs. Jonathan had presented a N4.9 trillion budget proposal for 2013 to a joint-session of the NASS that October, perhaps the earliest annual budget estimates sent to the parliament so far. But members of the House of Representatives threatened not to touch the document until the 2012 budget was satisfactorily implemented. Jonathan and the Presidency were obviously panic-stricken by the strike threat. Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, in response, had stated: “The House and the President are on the same page on budget implementation. Just as the House is concerned, Mr. President is concerned too...’’. But all that is over now. Jonathan was not impeached; and Okonjo-Iweala, to public knowledge, did not meet the target of 100% implementation of the 2012 budget. To crown it all, the lawmakers eventually passed the 2013 budget in spite of their ‘shakara’. Worse still, they have not raised any dust on the poor implementation of the 2013 budget, even when it is common knowledge that ours is a country where the capital component of annual budgets scarcely exceeds 30% (it is less most years); and that meagre percentage is hardly implemented a hundred percent. Now, last December, shortly before the Yuletide, President Jonathan, through Okon-

ON WHAT MORAL FIBRE CAN NASS RELY IN CASTIGATING THE

PRESIDENCY

AGAIN FOR POOR CAPITAL BUDGET PERFORMANCE?

jo-Iweala, presented a N4.6 trillion budget estimate to NASS for the 2014 fiscal year. The minister said the budget would focus on the diversification of the economy and job creation. The capital component is N1.1 trillion, which represents roughly 27% of the budget. The rest goes to recurrent expenditure.That budget presentation, however, ended on an embarrassing note, with Okonjo Iweala literally making a jest of members of the House of Representatives, who gave her 50 questions to answer on the state of the economy. But that is not the issue. The point being made here is that as you read this, the NASS, which claims it has interest in the 100% implementation of capital budgets, has still not passed the 2014 budget. The lawmakers had earlier deferred the presentation of the budget on several occasions, which probably compelled President Jonathan to deny them his personal presence during the presentation and sent Okonjo-Iweala instead. The lat-

est heard about the budget was that it scaled through the second reading last week; and was passed to various committees to enable them attend to MDAs expected at the NASS to defend their 2014 budgetary allocations. The first quarter of the 2014 fiscal year is almost over. And like experts have pointed out, one of the sickening implications of the delay in passing the 2014 budget is that instead of having 12 months, only about eight months would be available for the implementation of capital projects, and that is if the Federal Ministry of Finance is generous enough to release the funds. Sadly, too, projects, even if embarked upon, would suffer because funds might be made available during the rainy season, when not much work can be done. And when this becomes the trend, the standard of living will nosedive because capital projects are the major, if not the only benefit of ordinary Nigerians from the government. Besides, like one commentator rightly observed, the delay will make corruption fester because there will be surplus funds towards the end of the year, and crooks holding political offices and their accomplices in the bureaucracy will have a field day awarding dubious contracts to make sure they ravage available funds before the end of the 2014 fiscal year. Do these represent the wish of NASS for Nigerians? President Jonathan and his team should share portions of the blame alright. But cognizance must be taken of the fact that part of the reasons for the Presidency’s delay in presenting the budget to the NASS was the failure of the two chambers of parliament to harmonise their differences on the crude oil benchmark of the 2014 budget. While the Senate passed $76.5 per barrel as the benchmark, the House of Representatives passed $79. As it stands, presently, can NASS, particularly the lower chamber, claim with all candour that all its noise about poor budget implementation in 2012 was in the interest of the Nigerian public? It is doubtful! By the same token, on what moral fibre can NASS rely in castigating the Presidency again for poor capital budget performance?

Sport Extra

Coaching: Villas-Boas enters Barcelona radar

atest reports said sacked Tottenham Hostpur manager, Andre Villas-Boas, is being linked with Barcelona Coach Tata Martino’s job. Martino is under pressure at Barca after the side’s 3-1 drubbing away to Real Sociedad last weekend.

According to the reports, the former Porto, Chelsea and Spurs coach gaffer is one of five candidates to replace the Argentine at Barca should he be sacked in the summer. Villas-Boas, 36, is one of three “continuity” options, alongside current Celta Vigo coach and former

Barcelona star Luis Enrique and Athletic Bilbao boss Ernesto Valverde. There are also two “disruptive” options said to be on the table managers who will come in and shape the playing style, rather than merely adhering to the club’s philosophy.

They are the current Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone and Borussia Dortmund’s Jurgen Klopp. Villas-Boas’ philosophy of “giving reins to the youngsters” ran him into troubled waters at Chelsea and lately Spurs.

Musa Villas-Boas

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