Monday, january 26, 2015

Marketers swindle kerosene consumers N800m daily –Investigations EXCLUSIVE UDEME AKPAN

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arketers of petroleum products and their agents

Alison-Madueke

Vol. 5 N0. 1034

may have been extorting kerosene consumers an estimated N800m daily if official statistics are used as basis of demand.

National Mirror gathered from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corpora-

tion, NNPC, that national daily consumption of kerosene currently stood at eight million litres. The official supply price to the market is N50 per litre.

However, users get the CONTINUED ON PAGE 5>>

19 DAYS TO GO

Nigerians in UK reject shift in polls

Monday, January 26, 2015

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US warns against T post-election violence

PAUL ARHEWE AND ROTIMI FADEYI

WITH AGENCY REPORTS

...as John Kerry meets presidential candidates May 29 handover date sacrosanct –Jonathan Amazing!

Burnt Boli may cause cancer

he United States Secretary of State, John Kerry, yesterday urged leading presidential candidates in the country to refrain from fomenting violence after next month's general elections.

Kerry, who paid a surprise visit to Nigeria, also condemned savage attacks

by Boko Haram insurgents.

Kerry played down reports that the US had grown frustrated with Nigeria's CONTINUED ON PAGE 2>>

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All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (right) and US Secretary of States, Mr. John Kerry, during a meeting in Lagos, yesterday.

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Insurgents killed as troops repel Boko Haram attacks Sect releases 192 hostages in Yobe

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Monday, January 26, 2015

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Insurgents killed as troops repel Boko Haram attacks INUSA NDAHI AND LIVINUS MENEDI

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he military have, repelled Boko Haram insurgents during their attacks on Maiduguri and Monguno in Borno State yesterday.

Director Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, said an extensive cordon-and-search was ongoing as part of the mop up operation.

Scores of the terrorists were killed in the the attack, while many of the injured militants were also captured.

A Cobra Armoured Vehicle, heavy artillery and machine guns as well as other dangerous weapons were recovered from the terrorists.

Three Gulf cars loaded with explosives were also destroyed.

The 24-hour curfew imposed is expected to be lifted as soon as mopping operation is concluded. Citizens will be allowed to go about their lawful activities from 6am tomorrow.

Insurgents attacked Maiduguri and Monguno in a convoy of vehicles laden with Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs, and Rapid Propelled Grenades, RPG. Scores of the residents of the two towns were killed in the attack.

The terrorists also attempted an attack on the 333 Artillery base and troops hostel, leading to an exchange of gunfire with scores of the terrorists dead and a few casualty from the security operatives.

The attack came 12 hours after President Goodluck Jonathan visited Maiduguri as part of his campaign tour.

Some residents close to the scene told our correspondent that the incident started at 11pm on Saturday but it escalated and became worse yesterday.

Military sources and some members of Civilian Joint Task Force, CJTF, in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, said that the casualty figures in yesterday’s military barrack attacks and two other villages of Maronti and Njimtilo stood at 53 terror suspects and 12 residents that were buried yesterday at the Gwange central cemetery, Maiduguri.

According to a member

of JTF, many insurgents and some security operatives were also injured while repelling the insurgents that invaded Maiduguri metropolis through River Ngadabul.

“The Boko Haram sneaked into Maiduguri through that river, south of 333 Artillery military barracks on Kano road, Maronti.

“When we heard of their infiltration about 1am, some of us alerted soldiers at the hostel and Nigerian Air Force, NAF, base, before the gunmen in Hilux vehicles attacked the village and killed some of our soldiers last night," another member of vigilante who did not want his name mentioned said.

He said that troops from other section of the metropolis swiftly responded by 5:35am in repelling the armed militants that had targeted the army hostel.

“In September 2013, there was an attack on NAF base and the airport by the Boko Haram where many members of the military JTF were killed with some sections of the barracks destroyed before it was rebuilt early last year,” for re-occupation of troops,” he added.

As the troops continued to repel the insurgents from the village, 777 and 1, 000 housing estates, there were sporadic gunshots and deafening sounds of fired grenades that lasted from about 5am to 9:45am.

“The fighter jet from Yola is right now hovering over us, as we continue to flee to safer areas of Bulunkutu, Moduganari and Bulunkutu Abuja wards of Maiduguri for cover,” said a resident, Mallam Bello Chiroma Gomari.

“The stray bullets could hit and kill any of us; and that was why we are running away with our family members to Bulunkutu and other safer areas of Maiduguri,” said Modu Konto of Mor- anti village.

Our correspondent also learnt that all the affected areas had been cordoned off, including Kano-Maiduguri road from Airport Roundabout to Njimtilo village, eight kilometres west of the metropolis.

Motorists and other travellers to Damaturu, Potiskum, Kano, Jos and Abuja suspended their journey as some of the escaped militants fled through the same

river into Sambisa Forest.

Following the attack, military authorities announced the imposition a 24-hour curfew in Maiduguri.

This was contained in a statement by the spokesman of the 7 Division, Col. Sank Usman, and made available to our correspondent.

Another group of the sect also launched an attack on Monguno Local Government Area of the state.

Monguno is about 100 kilometres north of Mai-

duguri and had witnessed series of deadly attacks in recent past.

It was learnt that the terrorists that attacked Monguno targetted the military barracks in the town, leading to exchange of gunfire about 3am Many residents of the town and some security operatives fled for safety.

Residents around Maimalari, the headquarters of the 7 Division in Maiduguri and Shagari Low Cost

area of the metropolis told our correspondent that they woke up on Sunday morning and saw many fleeing residents of Monguno passing through their communities to Maiduguri.

It was, however, not clear whether there was any casualty from the Monguno attack as at press time.

Governor Kashim Shettima has called on citizens of the state to be calm, reassuring that security forces were making efforts to save

lives and property.

Meanwhile, a coordinated air campaign has taken over from ground forces in Monguno, as troops had to retreat from the location after the Brigade Commander and some of the troops were injured while repelling terrorists attack on the town.

Calm has been restored in Maiduguri and Konduga as operation continued with patrols and surveillance.

Olukolade said that CONTINUED ON PAGE 5>>

President Goodluck Jonathan (right) and US Secretary of State, Mr. John Kerry, during a meeting at the State House, Marina, Lagos, yesterday.

US warns against post-election violence CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

military commitment to fighting the sect.

He said the US was sharing intelligence with Nigeria and stood ready to do more if the February 14 election proceeded in a nonviolent, democratic fashion.

“The United States is deeply engaged with Nigeria,” he said. “Does it always work as well as we would like or as well as the Nigerians would like? The answer is no.”

Independent analysts have condemned the government's tactics against Boko Haram, arguing that they inspire support for a movement driven by joblessness, alienation, ethnic divisions and poor governance.

Speaking at the US consulate's residence overlooking the Gulf of Guinea, Kerry told reporters that America and others would closely watch the election.

“This will be the largest democratic election on the continent,” Kerry said.

“Given the stakes, it's absolutely critical that these elections be conducted

peacefully- that they are credible, transparent and accountable.”

Kerry spoke after meeting in separate locations with both leading candidates, President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress, APC..

Both candidates pledged to clamp down on violence, Kerry said, but the secretary also issued a warning: “Anyone who incites postelection mayhem will be ineligible to enter the United States.”

On terrorism, Kerry said he was concerned about the Islamic state group making inroads in Africa, but said he saw no direct link between those Syria- and Iraqbased militants and Boko Haram.

In a report last week, the Virginia-based Centre for Naval Analyses, a federally funded research corporation, called Boko Haram a locally focused insurgency.

“The conflict is being sustained by masses of un-

employed youth who are susceptible to Boko Haram recruitment, an alienated and frightened northern population that refuses to cooperate with state security forces, and a governance vacuum that has allowed the emergence of militant sanctuaries in the northeast,” the report said.

President Jonathan told Kerry of his commitment to the conduct of free, fair, and credible election in the country.

He stressed that it was critical that all political parties abide by the Abuja Peace Accord, which commits each to non-violence before, during, and after the election.

In a statement after his meeting with Kerry, Jonathan said he made it absolutely clear that the May 29, handover date is sacrosanct.

The President also said that the government would provide all resources required by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to ensure that the election was con-

ducted smoothly.

Pressident Jonathan also told the visiting US Secretary of State that INEC is an independent body, which makes its own decisions without any interference from the government.

He said that Nigeria is the largest trading partner of the United States in Africa, with more than $18bn in bilateral trade, stressing that the two countries and peoples share a mutual admiration for each other and a deep commitment to freedom, democracy, and human rights.

Jonathan noted that cordial relationship was the reason the two countries were together engaged in a struggle against a common enemy that promoted terror, fear, division, and violates human rights, most especially of women and girls, with complete impunity.

According to him, winning the fight against Boko Haram in Nigeria and West Africa was absolutely CONTINUED ON PAGE 5>>

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Monday, January 26, 2015

Good Health

Amazing!Burnt Boli may contain cancer-causing substances FRANKA OSAKWE

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any Nigerians will not be too pleased to hear this: As nourishing as roasted plantain. popularly referred to as boli in some parts of the country, could be, experts say it may contain some cancer-causing substances that could be dangerous to health. But that is when it is burnt, charred or roasted with heavy smoke.

This is sequel to several scientific reports showing that any roasted food that is burnt, if taken in large quantity, may be carcinogenic.

The reports have become a source of worry to Nigerians who love boli which is often processed in very smoky fire and sometimes burnt in the process. “it doesn’t have to be plantain, it could be meat, fish, potatoes or any other food. it is the tar particles from the roasting that is toxic”, an oncologist with the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Dr. Muhammad Habeeb told National Mirror. But the experts insist this should not stop Nigerians from enjoying Their favourite boli because roasted plantains are loaded with lots of vitamin, antioxidants and minerals needed by the body to stay in good shape. Indeed, Dr. Abimbola Ajayi, President, Nutrition Society of Nigeria, Lagos Chapter confirmed to National Mirror that there is nothing wrong with eating roasted plantain if it is not burnt or charred. “However, when it is roasted and burnt, particle from the charcoal will react with the content of the plantain producing carcinogens (cancer causing substance),” she said, warning that some food processing or cooking methods such as smoking, roasting and grilling could make foods unhealthy. According to her, such processes expose foods directly to smoke or extremely high tempera-

ture bringing about high concentration of cancer substances such as Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in such foods.

When properly cooked, she further divulged, roasted plantain is healthy because it is cooked without water or oil. “Plantain contains some water soluble vitamins which can be lost when cooked with water over a long period. Some of these vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A and C, Potassium and Magnesium can boost your immunity against diseases. Plantain contains high amount of dietary fibre which helps ensure healthy bowels and reduces constipation. More so, Plantains have more vitamin C than bananas. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin-C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harm-

DID YOU KNOW?

Sitting for long periods increases risk of disease, early death

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he amount of time a person sits during the day is associated with a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and death, regardless of regular exercise, according to a review study published today in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

“More than one half of an average per-

son’s day is spent being sedentary -- sitting, watching television, or working at a computer,” said Dr. David Alter, Senior Scientist, Toronto Rehab, University Health Network (UHN), and Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences. “Our study finds that despite the health-enhancing benefits of physical activity, this alone may not be enough to reduce the risk for disease.”

The meta-analysis study reviewed studies focused on sedentary behaviour. The lead author is Avi Biswas, PhD candidate, Toronto Rehab, UHN and the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, and the senior author is Dr. Alter, who is also Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Toronto.

ful oxygen- free radicals. It also contains good number of vitamin A and B-complex vitamins, particularly vitamin-B6 (pyridoxine).

They also contain folate, niacin, riboflavin and thiamin”, she noted.

According to her, the best way to cook plantain is to steam it for a short period, “that way, the nutrient is not dissolved and lost. But if you must roast it, do not roast it for long or let it be charred”, she added.

Meanwhile, research has suggested a link between well-done grilled food and cancer.

Documentation by American Cancer Society says that Acrylamide (a chemical known to cause cancer) forms in some starchy food during high-temperature cooking such as roasting, frying and baking. According to the documentation, the more cooked a food

is, the higher the concentration of carcinogens in it, especially Acrylamide. It further says that Acrylamides are formed in cooked carbohydrate-rich foods like bread, plantain, potatoes and pasta adding that the hotter the food is cooked or the browner the food turns out, the more acrylamides in it.

In 2003, researchers analyzed the acrylamide levels of some common Swedish foods such as processed potato products, bread, breakfast cereals, biscuits, cookies, snacks and coffee. They estimated the average daily intake of the chemical to be 31 μg/day, which they said could be associated with potential health risks.

While experts give the nod to boli lovers to continue enjoying their delicacy, they are however advised to heed the warning: Ensure your boli is only roasted, not burnt.

I

Closing your eyes boosts memory recall

n a new study, published recently in the journal Legal and Criminology Psychology, researchers from the University of Surrey have found further evidence to suggest that eyewitnesses to crimes remember more accurate details when they close their eyes. The team also discovered that building a rapport with witnesses also helped them to remember more.

178 participants took part across two studies.

In the first experiment, participants watched a film depicting an electrician entering a property, carrying out jobs and stealing items. Each participant was then randomly assigned one of four conditions, either eyes closed or open, and having built up a rapport with the interviewer or not. They were then asked a series of questions about the film, such as ‘what was written on the front of the van?’ The team found that closing their eyes led participants to answer

23 per cent more of the questions correctly.

Building rapport also increased the number of correct answers, however, closing their eyes was effective regardless of whether rapport had been built or not.

The second experiment took the memory task one step further, by asking witnesses about things they had heard, as well as things they had seen. This time, participants watched a clip from Crimewatch, showing a reconstruction of a burglary where an elderly man was attacked in his home. Results showed that closing their eyes helped participants recall both audio and visual details, both when they had built rapport and when they had not.

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Photo News

Monday, January 26, 2015

L-R: Corps Marshal and Chief Executive, Federal Road Safety Corps, Mr Boboye Oyeyemi; wife of Minister of Aviation, Mrs. Chidinma Chidoka; Minister/Guest lecturer, Chief Osita Chidoka; Vice Chancellor, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), Prof. Benjamin Ozumba and Mrs. Chinelo Ozumba, during the 44th convocation of UNN in Nsukka at the weekend.

L-R: Deputy Bursar, Babcock University, Prof. Sunday Owolabi; President/Vice Chancellor, Babcock University, Prof. Kayode Makinde; Director, SunPlus, Elder Mack Tennyson and Vice President, Financial Administration, Babcock University, Dr. Luke Onuoha, during the closing ceremony of SunPlus Accounting Seminar for Financial Officials of the institution, in Remo, Ogun State, at the weekend.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

L-R: Prof. Joe Irukwu (SAN) and former, Director General, Securities and Exchange Commission, Ms. Arunma Oteh, during her birthday celebration in Abuja, yesterday.

PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA

L-R: Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Tony O. Elumelu; Deputy President, William Ruto of Kenya; Prime Minister Daniel Duncan of Côte d’Ivoire, and President Boubacar Keita of Mali, discussing the energy deficit in Africa during the “Closing the Energy Gap in Africa” panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Friday.

National News OLUSEGUN KOIKI

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irlines operating in the country have lost about N4 billion to inclement weather in the last one month, among other constraints that continue to undermine effective operations.

The bad weather became very severe in late December 2014 till mid-January and led to diversions, delays and cancellations of several flights, especially in the South-South and Northern routes with the attendant huge revenue losses.

Some of the airports majorly affected were Asaba, Warri, Benin, Ilorin, Ibadan, Yola, Lagos, Abuja

Airlines lose N4bn to bad weather in one month –Investigation ....operators decry poor navigation facilities and Uyo, while flights to Kaduna and Kano were mildly disrupted.

Investigation by our correspondent revealed that in the three days of the first week of January alone, airlines lost N2 billion to cancellation of flights, while another N1 billion was lost in the past two weeks.

A source close to one of the domestic operators con-

fided in our correspondent that in all the airlines lost over N4 billion to inclement weather with at least 170 flights cancelled within the period, while an average ticket sold for about N20,000 per passenger for domestic flights.

Most of the airlines operate Boeing 737 aircraft with about 130 sitting capacities for both business and econ-

omy classes.

An airline operator, who did not want his name mentioned, identified ineffective navigational equipment in most airports as some of the challenges faced by operators in the industry.

The source confirmed that the airlines had made representations to the government in the past on the

need to improve facilities to allow aircraft take off and land even in extreme weather conditions without success.

He added that disunity in the Airline Operators of Nigeria, AON, the umbrella body of indigenous airlines, had not made the airlines to speak with one voice.

He said: “It is unfortunate that we have been

sucking all the losses on our own without any form of compensation from the government.

“It is obvious that the navigational equipment we have on ground is not of high standards because Europe and America have more severe weather than ours and this has not led to delay and cancellation of flights there.”

While urging preachers to avoid use of unguided utterances against leaders, Dasuki said that preachers were not politicians, but they must play politics.

In his remarks, Gov. Muktar Yero of Kaduna

State stressed the need for credible people to join politics in order to contribute their quota toward sanitising the system.

He cautioned people against the negative use of social media to blackmail others.

FG mulls ban on porn websites, says NSA

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ational Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), said the Federal Government was planning to introduce a law that would ban and block all porn websites in the country.

He stated this at the

closing ceremony of a three-day workshop on use of social media organised for Islamic preachers, Imams and youths in Kaduna yesterday.

The workshop, which was organised by the national body of Izalatil

Bid’a Wa’iqamatis Sunna, JIBWIS, was aimed at correcting anomalies in the use of social media.

Dasuki, who was represented by Minister of Special Duties, Alhaji Kabiru Turaki, said: “Government is planning

to ban and block websites that inculcate negative attitudes in our children, but we need a law to support such move.

“Because without a law, people can go to court and claim infringement on their rights.”

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

News

Monday, January 26, 2015

5

Marketers swindle kerosene consumers N800m daily –Investigations CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

product at varying prices that range between N130 and N200 per litre, depending on their locations.

A market survey conducted in Lagos and its environs showed that major marketers, including Mobil Nigeria Plc, Conoil Nigeria Plc, MRS and Oando Nigeria Plc, did not have the product in their retail outlets.

The Executive Secretary, Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, MOMAN, Mr. Thomas Olawore, said that the major marketers did not sell the product because they did not have allocation from the NNPC. He noted that the major marketers could not market the product because they did not have allocation.

Olawore lamented that marketers could not import because they were not permitted to make claim or seek reimbursement from the government.

“It is only the NNPC that can import kerosene because the Corporation has over the years been permitted to make claims from the Federal Government,” Olawore said.

He said it would not make any economic sense for marketers to import the product from the global market at a higher price to sell at lower price in the domestic market which the price is regulated by the government.

The survey showed that only small scale retailers had commercial stocks of

the product for sale at exorbitant prices (between N130 and N200 per litre).

“We always have stocks to sell to our customers because we have people who bring it in tankers to deliver to us,” said one retailer at Mile 12, Lagos.

The details of the present price regime could not be ascertained at the weekend as the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA website had been shut for reconstruction.

Efforts to reach officials of the agency did not yield any result as calls made to their phones were not responded to.

The General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of the NNPC, Mr. Ohi Alegbe, said the corporation had initiated a scheme aimed at cutting off the several layers of middlemen who made it difficult for the end user to enjoy the subsidy on the product.

He said this would be done through the ‘Kero Correct’ initiative, which the corporation claimed had commenced.

The Executive Director, Commercial, of the Pipeline and Products Marketing Company, PPMC, Mr. Frank Amego, explained that the new initiative was aimed at getting kerosene to the masses at the right price.

He noted that the Nigerian masses had not been enjoying the subsidy because of the long arbitrage

US warns against post-election violence CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

essential to beat back the tide of religious extremism around the world.

He told Kerry that the security forces had been working tirelessly and courageously to achieve this goal, noting that the United States, more than any other country in the world, had the most experience fighting armed insurgencies.

President Jonathan said that having suffered the devastating attacks of 9/11, its people also understand the insecurity and fear that is the reality for the vast majority of peaceful, tolerant Muslims and Christians in the North East.

Jonathan said he believed that enhancing and expand-

ing various channels of cooperation between the two countries, in the context of growing international coordination, were of the utmost importance, adding that he discussed a number of ideas with Kerry to move such cooperation forward.

The President expressed gratitude to the United States for standing with Nigeria in the fight against Boko Haram.

He reaffirmed the strong commitment to working together with the United States to put an end to global terrorism and particularly Boko Haram, stressing that Nigeria would also work to deepen and consolidate bilateral relationship between the two countries.

system involved in its distribution and retail, diversion of the product by marketers to the construction industry where it is used for blending bitumen.

Amego said this happened mainly because NNPC had no direct control over most of the marketers involved in the distribution and sales of the product.

According to him, the Kero Correct initiative is

designed to distribute and sell kerosene directly to end users from NNPC retail mega and affiliate stations across the country at the government-regulated price of N50 per litre to ensure effective control.

He assured that PPMC had enough stock of kerosene and that machinery had been provided to ensure efficient distribution of the product from Lagos and Oghara to

NNPC retail mega and affiliate stations nationwide.

The General Manager, NNPC Retail, Mr. Ufford Ibanga, assured that all of the 524 NNPC retail mega, floating mega and affiliate stations across the country had been keyed up for the Kero Correct scheme.

He explained that the volunteers were being brought into the project to help monitor discharge and sales of

the product to serve as an independent feedback system aimed at promoting transparency and ensuring that the product gets to the desired end users. The scheme will involve the distribution of 1,500 trucks of kerosene across NNPC retail’s mega and affiliate stations across the country to ensure that each consumer gets at least 25 litres of the product over the next three months.

Soldiers patrolling the streets of Maiduguri after the attack by Boko Haram, yesterday.

Insurgents killed as troops repel Boko Haram attacks CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

troops in Konduga repelled terrorists’ attacks twice yesterday.

The governor regretted the attack in Monguno, the headquarters of Monguno Local Government Area in northern part of the state, killing many residents.

Shettima said the government was screening and taking records of surviving victims to accommodate them and offer them immediate palliatives as internally displaced persons.

He told them to regard the attack as ordained by God, praying that the situation would come to an end through intensified commitments stakeholders and sustained invocation of God for divine intervention.

Shettima noted that his administration was providing necessary support to the armed forces involved in counter-insurgency operations across the state and would continue to do so until territories seized by insurgents were reclaimed.

The sect also struck again at some Adamawa communities in Michika Local Government Area, killing scores of villagers.

The attacks which oc-

curred at the weekend resulted in wanton destruction of properties by the sect.

Reports from the area indicated that the insurgents struck on Saturday about 6pm in their hundreds on motorcycles and few rickety vehicles, unleashing mayhem on their victims.

One of the escapees from Garta village, who identified himself as Vandu Kainu, told journalists on the phone that the insurgents stormed the town around 6pm, raiding homes and shops.

He said: “They burnt most of the houses after looting them, as most people had to climb the nearby mountains to save their lives.

“For now I can’t say the number of casualty as we are still in the bush, but they slaughtered many people like rams.

“They also abducted many trapped residents, mostly youths and women,’’ Member, representing Michika in the state House of Assembly, Hon. Adamu Kamale, confirmed the attacks.

“They kidnapped many youths and women.

“They attacked Mbororo,

Shahu, Liddle, Garta, Kamale and Ghumci. The attack continued since last Friday and there was no presence of security operatives in the affected areas.

“We are calling on the government to come to our rescue, some of the fleeing residents are now trapped on mountains,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, the sect yesterday released 192 out of the 218 people abducted at Katarko town, Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State.

A prominent politician, Alhaji Goni Katarko, told our correspondent that the insurgents called them and asked them to pick the captives at Woron Yinwa village.

“They were so lucky to get lorry that conveyed them to Gazargana village where we picked them through the aid of military personnel.

“The military kept them in a camp and pleaded with us to leave them for security reasons,” he said Goni said he had reunited with four out of his five family members abducted by the group.

“I received four of my five family members abducted. The other one is

among the 29 people that are yet to be released by the insurgents,” he said.

One of the captives, simply identified as Aysha, said that the insurgents asked them to form two groups, saying those who wanted to stay with them should take one side and those not interested should go to the other.

“Many of us refused to accept their offer and the leader ordered that we should be taken out of the territory so that we can join the land of unbelievers out there. “They took us to Wuron Yinwa village before one herdsman led us to where we got a lorry driver that conveyed us to Gazargana village and finally picked by our relatives.”

She said that the insurgents divided them into camps after being kidnapped from their town.

“Some of us were taken to Ajigil, and some to Buni Yadi but they gathered all of us when they decided to release us”.

Journalists who visited the camp in Damaturu were denied access to the captives, saying that it was a directive from the top.

Relatives of the released abductees were also prevented access to them.

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Monday, January 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Enough of mudslinging, APC tells PDP …wants Jonathan to caution Niger Delta ex-militants

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ll Progressives Congress, APC, has challenged the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to tell Nigerians how it plans to move from the near zero governance of the past six years of the Jonathan administration to good and purposeful governance, instead of engaging

in perpetual and tiresome mudslinging.

“We believe that elections should be about issues that would be beneficial to the electorate, not about throwing everything but the kitchen sink at a particular candidate simply because of his soaring acceptability.

“Therefore, it is time for the PDP to end the muckraking and tell Nigerians how it plans to tackle the worsening insecurity in the land, the collapsing national currency, with the US dollar now exchanging for N215, massive unemployment, especially among the youth, decayed infrastruc-

ture and the unprecedented corruption under President Jonathan’s watch,” the party said in a statement issued in Lagos yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed.

It said the essence of the sustained campaign of calumny against Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, the APC

Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun and his wife, Olufunso (middle), flanked by the aged to cut his 57th birthday cake at the fourth edition of Uplifting the Aged, an initiative of the governor’s wife, held in Abeokuta...yesterday.

Group protests, wants Buhari charged for genocide OMEIZA AJAYI

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group, Northern Coalition for Good Governance and Justice, has again protested in Abuja, urging the International Criminal Court, ICC, at The Hague to prosecute the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, Muhammadu Buhari, for genocide.

The group, which is a coalition of about 17 human rights groups from the North, protested in Abuja yesterday.

The group’s Director of Research and Documentation, Ibrahim Baba, who coordinated the protest said: “We are here to reecho our case instituted

against the presidential candidate of the former Congress for Progressives Change, CPC, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, at the International Court of Justice, ICJ, in connection with his role in the 2011 post-election violence.”

He said with what is happening in the country today, there is need for the group to ensure that people who incited others to violence in the past are brought to book.

“We, as a coalition of organizations, have sued some of them who we think are culpable for the 2011 post election violence which Gen. Buhari featured prominently by his utterances in Niger, Kaduna and Borno states, where he spoke at length

in Hausa language that people should take the bull by the horn ..to rise against the system.

“So, as we approach the 2015 elections, there is need for us civil societies to ensure those people, especially the Bauchi 12 that lost their lives, get justice. That there be no more impunity, and that offenders are punished.”

The protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as, ‘Buhari incited violence in 2011’, ‘Let ICC take him into custody now’, and ‘2011 political violence: Justice must prevail.”

On why the protests were coming now that the general elections were fast approaching, Baba said the call was more

pertinent “because all Nigerians should not keep criminally quiet to allow what happened few years ago happen again.

“Our case has been instituted at the ICJ since 2011 and we are saying that justice must be served both from the international and local communities. The case is about justice and whoever is hearing us at the International Court of Justice, be it in Nigeria, what we need is justice for those who were slain, for those who have become martyrs of our democracy.

“Whatever time we collaborate to do this assignment, it is incumbent on us as non-state actors to work for posterity,” he said.

presidential candidate, by the PDP was to distract the APC from telling Nigerians how it plans to effect the much-needed change from zero to purposeful governance, and also to sweep under the carpet the glaring failures of the Jonathan administration.

“In both instances, the PDP has failed, as Nigerians have refused to be swayed by all the scandalmongering of the PDP, while the APC remained focused in selling its gamechanging manifesto to the citizenry,” APC said.

The party said the PDP and President Goodluck Jonathan should tell Nigerians what happened to the $20 billion missing oil funds, amid concerns that the money could have vanished into the ruling party’s slush funds for electioneering campaign.

“Nigerians are also asking Mr. President, where are the Chibok girls, who were abducted nine months ago, and who you promised to reunite with their families? What happened to the stage-managed truce with Boko Haram and why has no one been punished for deceiving Nigerians? Mr. President, where is the report of the forensic audit you ordered into the missing $20 billion oil funds? It is now two months since the deadline set by your Finance Minister for the release of that audit report.

Will the report go the way of others before it?

“Mr. President, why are our soldiers sent to battle Boko Haram without the necessary equipment, though trillions of naira has been budgeted for the security and defence sector under your watch? Why are soldiers buying even their uniforms and the wounded among them financing their medical treatment, as some soldiers said in a CNN interview?

“Mr. President, why have you castrated the anti-corruption agencies, rendering them comatose and unable to tackle the run-away corruption under your watch? What signals are you sending to the EFCC, for example, when you picked as your campaign

spokesman the same man who is facing corruption charges? Is that a way of telling the EFCC to let the notorious suspect off the hook?

“Mr. President, you vowed that those involved in the N2.6 trillion fuel subsidy scam would never go unpunished, but many months later none has been punished and it is back to business as usual. When will you consider stealing of public funds a serious act of corruption, sir?

“Mr. President, you said while campaigning for the 2011 elections that ‘four years is enough for anyone to make significant improvement, and if I can’t improve on power within this period, it means I cannot do anything’. Why should Nigerians trust you to deliver on your promises this time around, now that the power situation has gone from bad to worse under your watch? “‘Mr. President, instead of creating jobs for the teeming unemployed youth of Nigeria, your administration has been fleecing and sending them to their early graves, as it happened during the fraudulent immigration recruitment exercise in March 2014 when many innocent youths got death instead of jobs?

When will you move from creating phantom jobs to real jobs? These are the issues bothering Nigerians and these are issues they want answers to, instead of engaging in an unprecedented personality-focused campaign,’’ the party said.

The APC said PDP and President Jonathan don’t have answers to the serious issues raised, hence they decided to engage in a multi-pronged approach of mudslinging, campaign for election postponement and instigation of violence to scuttle next month’s general elections, among others.

Meanwhile, APC Campaign Organisation, APCPCO, has urged the president and PDP to call to order Niger Delta ex-militants who have threatened to wage war against the country in the event of their “son” losing the February 14 presidential election.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

News

Monday, January 26, 2015

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Attacks on Jonathan: PDP warns of grave consequences OBIORA IFOH ABUJA

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eoples Democratic Party, PDP, Presidential Campaign Organisation has warned the opposition All Progressives Party, APC, its presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, and their supporters to be ready for grave and far-reaching consequences if anything untoward should happen to Presi-

dent Goodluck Jonathan during the course of campaign.

The party also slammed APC over its claims that members of the PDP masterminded last week’s attacks on President Jonathan’s campaign convoys in Katsina and Bauchi.

Spokesperson of the PDP Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, expressed shock that the spokesperson of the opposition APC, Lai Moham-

med, could come up with such allegation even as he described the allegation as ridiculous, adding that the lies of the APC were unbelievable.

According to him, “All hell will break loose. The stoning, attacks, violence and intimidation have to stop and the safety and security of our presidential candidate, our supporters and our members must be guaranteed if we wish to avoid being propelled into

a vicious and reciprocal cycle of violence, turmoil, destruction and catastrophe in this country.”

He said: “The allegation by spokesman of the APC, Lai Mohammed, that the PDP were the ones behind the attacks on President Jonathan in Katsina and Bauchi are absurd, reckless. The shameless lies of the APC are simply mindboggling and as each day passes, they seem to be getting worse and worse.

“Does it make any sense for the PDP to hire thugs to chant ‘’sai Buhari’’ to waive brooms in the air and to physically attack their own candidate’s convoy? Does it make any sense for them to throw rocks at their own presidential candidate and injure his bodyguards?

“Honestly, it is clear to all those with discerning minds that the APC have lost touch with reality. They have been blinded by their hate, deceit and sheer des-

peration for power.

“The truth is that they are the ones that have the culture of violence and intolerance, and encourage brutal and barbaric behaviour and not the PDP. “The PDP values peace, tolerance, a plurality of views, differing opinions and the sanctity of life, but the APC does not. The PDP belongs to the modern age and the modern world, but the APC belongs to the dark ages.”

Jubilation in Ondo PDP as court workers end strike

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Beneficiaries of the National Directorate of Employment Skills Acquisition and Resettlement Programme in Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State, yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

2015: Kaduna’ll be lucky to have el-Rufai as gov –Utomi A ZA MSUE KADUNA

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ormer presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Mega Party, Professor Pat Utomi, at the weekend called on the electorates to vote All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate in Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, as governor in next month’s elections.

Utomi, who was speaking as guest lecturer at the El-Rufai Support Group Interactive Dinner held in Kaduna, described el-Rufai as the kind of leader that can implement good policies and secure premium return on investment.

On his part, Mr. Isaiah Mohammed, who chaired the dinner, explained that the ESG organised the dinner because its members know they have a stake in the future of Kaduna State, adding that the people should look up to him for a high level of purposefulness to lead Kaduna to greater heights.

Present at the dinner were professionals from

different sectors of the economy.

AIG Ibrahim Baba Ahmed (rtd), complained that the government’s response to insecurity is unsatisfactory, noting that the checkpoints dotted around the state had not yielded a single arrest, but were only effective at inconveniencing the public.

In his response, El-Rufai commended the organisers and participants at the dinner, saying that Kaduna is the second most indebted state in the country, with a huge wage bill and very low level of internally generated revenue.

El-Rufai said despite the state’s reliance on federal allocations and the poor level of governance the state has suffered, he will do his utmost to bring change.

He said he will prioritise education and healthcare, “All children in the state will be entitled to free and compulsory education for the first nine years in properly maintained schools and with qualified teachers.

El-Rufai further dis-

closed that there are less than 200 doctors in the state, indicating a shortage of medical personnel.

He said an APC govern-

ment would recruit more healthcare personnel into hospitals that will have better equipments and more drugs.

t was jubilation galore among candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ondo State for various elective positions at the news of the calling off of the judiciary workers strike nationwide.

The candidates, who were ordered to have their names listed by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, were prevented by the industrial action.

According to one of the candidates, Architect Olu Agbesua, with the calling off of the strike, they are happy that their case will be heard before the election to end speculations and illegal use of Governor Mimiko’s candidates in Ondo State.

The court had earlier before vacation directed INEC

and PDP to relate with the executive committee who had powers to present the list to INEC When the list was compiled the candidates had taken INEC before the vacation judge who had ordered that no further step be taken until January 6, 2015 when the judge who made the order was expected to interprete the order but before then, the judiciary workers went on strike.

INEC who claimed not to understand the meaning of ‘relate’ was directed by the vacation judge not to take any action until the matter is resolved.

Gov Mimiko was accused to have used executive powers to publish the list of his candidates notwithstanding of the court order.

New private investments in oil palm sector hit N45bn ...threatens to sanction rice import duties defaulters ADEOLA TUKURU ABUJA

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resident Goodluck Jonathan at the weekend said that new private investments into the oil palm value chain of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda, ATA, has increased

by N45bn.

This is just as he restated the commitment of his administration to make Nigeria sufficient in food production and a net exporter of processed agricultural products in the next few years.

The President said this at the just concluded 2015 AGRIFEST, held in Abuja.

He recalled the achievements recorded by the government across the various ATA value chains and threatened to deal with those working to undermine the current drive towards anchoring the

nation’s economic diversification agenda on the agricultural sector.

President Jonathan said: “Nigeria’s oil palm story is changing. We are providing nine million sprouted nuts of high yielding oil palm seedlings for farmers, all across the South-East, South-West, South-South and North-Central parts of our country.

“Over N45bn in private sector investments in new oil palm plantations are ongoing. We expect 70,000 hectares of new plantations to allow Nigeria to become selfsufficient in palm oil production by 2016.

“I am excited that today, Okomu, Presco, PZ-Wilmar and medium size oil palm estate operators such as Wilbahi are taking the lead in revamping our vast oil palm plantations.

“We will continue to sup-

port the revamping of our oil palm industry and support the private sector to build new refineries to process crude palm oil produced in Nigeria,” the President said.

On those owing import duties on rice imports, the President urged them to pay up or be prepared to face appropriate sanctions The President noted that he would not allow them to hold the country down in the current efforts to make it a self- sufficient rice producing country.

He said over six million rice farmers from across the country, particularly from Kebbi, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Bauchi, Gombe, Niger, Kogi, Ogun, Ekiti, Ebonyi, Rivers, Anambra, Delta, Edo to Bayelsa State had received improved rice seed varieties, boosting domestic rice production by

an additional seven million metric tons.

The President said: “There will be no sacred cows under my watch. All those owing Nigeria on rice import duties must pay.

“Our rice millers have taken advantage of these new opportunities and the number of integrated rice mills has expanded from one at the beginning of this administration to 24 today.

“And they are all here today. I celebrate you all. I eat Nigerian rice and can tell you it is better than imported rice,” he added President Jonathan urged the youth to embrace agriculture as plans were ongoing to to develop a new generation of 750,000 young commercial farmers and agribusiness leaders through the Youth Employment in Agriculture Programme,YEAP.

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South West

Monday, January 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Jonathan at Winners Chapel, asks for prayers FEMI OYEWESO ABEOKUTA

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resident Goodluck Jonathan yesterday made a surprise appearance at the Living Faith Church, also known as Winners Chapel, Ota, Ogun State, in what he described as “thanksgiv-

ing worship service” for clinching the presidential ticket of his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. National Mirror reliably gathered that the president’s visit caught worshipers by surprise, as they were not expecting him.

Sources at the church told journalists that President Jonathan told worshipers that he was attending the service to appreciate the church over their prayers for him, his political aspiration and the country.

A source, who craved

anonymity, added that the president also said he had come to thank God for being considered by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to stand for re-election in the coming February 14 presidential election.

President Jonathan, however, urged the

church to continue to pray for him and the nation.

“Yes, it is true, President Goodluck Jonathan worshiped in one of our services today (Sunday).

He did not say much. He thanked the church for their prayers for him and

the country as a whole.

“He also thanked God for being considered by his party to stand for re-election in the February 14 presidential election. Then, he urged the church to continue to pray for him and the nation.”

APC tasks Ekiti govt on N2bn ecological fund ABIODUN NEJO ADO EKITI

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ll Progressives Congress, APC, in Ekiti State has tasked the state government to explain how the N2 billion ecological fund allegedly paid into the purse of the state in December by the Federal Government has been spent.

APC state Publicity Secretary, Honourable Taiwo Olatunbosun, stated that although the governor had tried on many occasions to deny it, facts available suggested he had actually collected the money.

Olatunbosun stated: “Available facts suggested that N10 billion ecological fund was released to five states, among which was Ekiti State.

“We challenge Governor Fayose to tell Ekiti people how he spent the N2 billion Ekiti ecological fund he collected on December 30, 2014. On that day, N10 billion was released to five states, among them Ekiti, which collected N2 billion,” he stated.

The APC said that instead of the governor to tell the people what he would do with the money,

“he jetted out to Dubai for days without any indication that he had gone there officially on behalf of Ekiti people,” the party said.

According to Olatunbosun, denying ever collecting the ecological fund on state television is no longer tenable in the face of incontrovertible evidence that the governor actually collected the money, including refunds of money former Governor Kayode Fayemi spent on federal projects in the state.

But the state government, while debunking the allegation, said “Olatubosun and the APC were only writing fictions in the name of press releases to criticise the governor.”

Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Idowu Adelusi, however, said the APC should produce proof of its allegation.

Adelusi debunked APC’s claim that President Goodluck Jonathan during his campaign rally in the state said he reimbursed Ekiti for road projects, describing the claim as the figment of imagination of the APC, adding: “Nothing of such happened.”

L-R: Pastor Faith Oyedepo; Bishop David Oyedepo and President Goodluck Jonathan, after the service at the Living Faith Church, Canaan Land, Ota, Ogun State, yesterday.

Nigerians in UK condemn call for election postponement

…doubts credibility of NEDG FRANCIS SUBERU

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igerians in the United Kingdom have condemned call for the postponement of the forthcoming general elections, saying the reasons offered by the proponents of the idea are very flimsy.

National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd), had recently proposed postponement of the general elections

scheduled for February 14, 2015.

Speaking with newsmen at the weekend in Lagos, President of Nigeria Renaissance and Executive Director, Blackwell Security Services Limited, UK, Mr. Francis Okoemu, said the reasons advanced by the NSA were partisan and embarrassment to all intelligence gathering organisations in the world.

He said, “We Nigerians in the UK totally reject

PDP guber fallout: Bankole set to join LP FEMI OYEWESO ABEOKUTA

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trong indications emerged yesterday in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, that former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, may have perfected plans to defect to the Labour Party (LP) following his failure to clinch the governorship ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. National Mirror gathered that Dimeji’s father, Chief Alani Suarau

Bankole, held a closed-door meeting with Ogun State leaders of LP where he assured that Dimeji’s political structure would be collapsed into LP’s own.

A source at the meeting, which held at his Onikolobo residence in Abeokuta, told journalists that the former Speaker’s father also threw his weight behind the governorship candidate of LP, Bolaji Sunmola, and promised that Dimeji Bankole’s Movement, DBM, in the state would work for his

victory at the coming governorship poll.

Present at the meeting were the state’s Chairman of the party, Olabode Simeon, the secretary, Sunday Oginni, governorship candidate of the party, Abolaji Sunmola, his campaign Director-General, Abayomi Arabambi and other top leaders of the party in the state.

Our correspondent reliably gathered that the former speaker, who was denied the governorship ticket of the PDP, is however, con-

templating joining either the LP or the Social Democratic Party, SDP, to protest his failure to get the ticket.

Bankole’s father was quoted to have given his blessings to the LP governorship candidate whom he reportedly described as his son.

Confirming the meeting, the state’s Secretary of LP, Sunday Oginni, said the meeting with Bankole’s father was part of consultation with notable leaders in the state.

this call. This is a great disservice to Nigeria. It is disingenuous, flimsy and partisan. The timing is very wrong .I don’t know why a highly placed security expert like the NSA should say this to the whole world and dash the hopes of Nigerians both at home and in Diaspora, the international community, who are earnestly watching development in Nigeria few weeks to the general elections.

“As past president of Nigerian students in Manchester, United Kingdom, the students that paid courtesy visit to my office last week were very upset about the development and rejected the call as well. We are really worried about our great country. How things have turned upside down.”

He pointed out that the series of debates being planned ahead of the election does not meet international standard, saying the credibility of the organisers, who are political appointees and close allies of the present leadership in the country was appalling.

He said: “As far as we

are concerned, the debate is so low, opposition parties should not to be deceived into participating in that kind of sham debates being planned by the Nigerian Election Debate Group, NEDG. Seriously, we doubt the credibility of those behind it.

“We doubt the credibility of political appointees to organise a fair debate, we strongly believe the question has been leaked to the candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who will come to the debate with the question already answered.”

Okoemu said the controversy trailing General Muhammadu Buhari’s (rtd) certificate is also portraying the country in bad light in the comity of nations, adding that the former Head of State was a sound professional whose competence has been acknowledged by the international community.

They called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to live above board in the conduct of the forthcoming elections.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

South West

Monday, January 26, 2015

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SDP accuses Ajimobi of forcing teachers to attend rally KEMI OLAITAN IBADAN

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L-R: Peoples Democratic Party chieftain, Dr. Donald Obaseki; National President, Yoruba Council of Youth (YCY), Aremo Oladotun Hassan; representative of President Goodluck Jonathan, Chief Lemmy Wainidi and National Secretary, YCY, Prince Israel Akintola, during the endorsement of President Jonathan for second term by YCY in Lagos at the weekend. PHOTO: SAMUEL ADETIMEHIN

Nigeria can’t depend on oil alone –Amosun FEMI OYEWESO ABEOKUTA

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overnor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State has demanded diversification of the Nigerian economy away from oil to agriculture and tourism in view of the continuing fall in the price of crude oil in the international market.

Amosun, however, restated his administration’s commitments to developing agriculture, commerce as well as tourism potentials of Ipokia Local Government Area to shore up the state’s revenue base.

The governor gave

the assurance in an interview with journalists shortly after addressing supporters of the All Progressives Congress, APC, who trooped out to receive him during his re-election campaign tour of Maun in Ipokia Local Government Area of the state.

On oil exploration project in Tongeji Island in the council area, Amosun said due to dwindling proceeds from oil at the international market, Nigeria cannot continue to depend on oil and needs to diversify to agriculture and tourism to grow her economy.

Noting that the contin-

uous fall of crude price has direct negative impact on federal revenue accruing to states, Amosun stated that it was high time states, particularly Ogun, improved their revenue base by turning to agriculture, tourism and commerce potentials.

He recalled that Nigeria survived mainly on proceeds from agriculture before the advent of crude oil, adding, “We must go back to that era to rebuild our economy.”

The governor identified with agriculture, commerce and tourism potentials, which he said abound in Ipokia council, and assured that his

administration would accord it the priority it deserved.

He also vowed not to renege on his efforts towards ensuring that oil exploration on Tongeji Island takes off, but warned that agriculture remains Nigeria’s best option to survive.

Responding to demands of the people of Maun, who wanted secondary school and electrification of the community, Amosun explained that though it was the responsibility of the Federal Government, he would ensure his administration addresses their demands.

Group petitions Lagos CP over poster controversy FRANCIS SUBERU

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entre for Rights and Grassroots Initiative, CRGI, has petitioned Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Kayode Aderanti, over election campaign poster controversy in the state.

In the petition obtained by our correspondent and signed by Executive Director of CRGI, Nelson Ekujumi, the rights group sought immediate intervention of the police boss to avert imminent anarchy in Lagos.

The petition reads in part, “We wish to bring to your notice for urgent redress, threats to the con-

stitution, public peace, health, democratic and economic rights of Lagosians by the indiscriminate and unregulated pasting of posters and billboards of political parties ahead of the 2015 general elections.

“We are concerned about the indiscriminate and unregulated pasting of posters by political parties, which are nauseating, offensive, constituting environmental nuisance, degradation, hazardous to health and is a strong potential for breakdown of law and order.”

The group said its investigation revealed that the act of lawlessness and im-

punity had resulted in the termination of two outdoor agencies’ advertisements by their sponsors and economic loss to the tune of over N350 million to the national economy.

It argued that such act should not be encouraged in the face of the nation’s already comatose economy and urged the law enforcement agency not to take sides, but to ensure the rule of law prevails.

The rights group added in the petition, “We are quite aware that your office, in utter disregard to your oath, is responsible for engineering this flagrant violation of the constitution based on your press statement of

January 5, 2015, whereby you served notice that you have directed your men and officers in the state to arrest personnel of the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency, LASAA, from performing their statutory function.

“For your information sir, LASAA is an agency set up under the laws of Lagos State, under the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to regulate and control outdoor signage advertisements and hoardings in Lagos, which it has been performing professionally.

“However, we are disturbed that your office, which is constitutionally empowered to maintain

overnorship candidate of Social Democratic Party, SDP, in Oyo State, Mr. Oluseyi Makinde, has come down hard on Governor Abiola Ajimobi and his political party, All Progressives Congress, APC, demanding they allow workers in the state choose freely who to govern them in the February general elections.

He accused the governor of attempting to force people of the state to vote for him in next month’s election, describing the attempt as an exercise in futility that would fail eventually.

The SDP standardbearer said in a statement signed by Director of Media of his campaign organisation, Mr. Wale Adele, and made available to National Mirror at the weekend, further alleged that the governor forced teachers in the state to partake in a political activity at Government House last Friday, describing the action as gross abuse of office. He, however, won-

dered if such brazen use of force would make the teachers vote for him.

He maintained that it had become a habit for Ajimobi to force the workers to attend his campaigns, using the instrumentality of governance.

But in a swift reaction, the state’s chapter of APC advised Makinde to desist from raining insults on select people in the state.

The party in a statement by its Director of Publicity and Strategy, Olawale Sadare, faulted Makinde’s accusations, adding: “In Oyo State, and indeed across the globe, public/ civil servants, including teachers, are recognised as a population of discerning, informed and dynamic minds.”

Makinde will, however, begin his campaign today from Atisbo Local Government Area.

According to a programme released by the governorship campaign team and signed by its Director General, Kehinde Ayoola, the campaign train would spend the next two days in Oke-Ogun area of the state, then move to Ogbomoso for two days.

Mobilise for Jonathan, Kuku charges Ijaw leaders OJO OYEWAMIDE AKURE

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pecial Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Niger

public peace, order and synergise with other state agencies for public good, is seen as a protagonist of this latest acts of lawlessness and impunity, which has the potential of threatening public peace and tranquility.

“We are disappointed that the police as an agency of the state set up by law can threaten and intimidate another agency of the state (LASAA), established by the same law from performing its statutory responsibilities.”

The CRGI urged the commissioner to ensure safety of LASAA personnel from attacks and arrest by his men while discharging their functions.

Delta Affairs, Kingsley Kuku, has urged Ijaw leaders in Ondo State to work for the victory of President Goodluck Jonathan in the February 14 presidential election.

He also advised members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state to embrace peace and shun any act capable of causing dichotomy within the party.

Kuku said only peace and unity among PDP members in the state could aid their delivery of maximum votes for the President in the election.

The presidential aide, who spoke at Arogha, Ese Odo Local Government Area at a special meeting of leaders of the party, called on the Solomon Tunyan-led council executive to brace up to the task and take the gospel of transformation to all wards and communities in the council area to enable them vote massively for Jonathan.

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South East

Oshiomhole sacks 2 commissioners, appoints 6 officials SEBASTINE EBHUOMHAN BENIN

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do State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, has terminated the appointment of two of his commissioners.

They are Orobosa OmoOjo, former Commissioner for Transport; and Donald Osikhena-Boih, former Commissioner for Lands and Survey.

Although the governor did not give reason for sacking the commissioners, he however, has nominated four new people for the state’s legislature approval.

The new commissionerdesignates are Joseph Ayeg-

beni Ugheoke, Kenneth Edebiri, Saturday Uwulekhue and Prestly Ediagboya.

Also, the governor announced the appointment of two deputy chiefs of staff.

They are Frank Okiye, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor (Administration), and Kenneth Ihensekhien, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor (Political Matters).

The appointment of two other cabinet officials takes immediate effect, while names of the commissioners-designate have been forwarded to the House of Assembly for screening and approval.

Jonathan not interested in free, fair polls —Amaechi DENNIS NAKU

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overnor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State has accused President Goodluck Jonathan of ordering soldiers to occupying the stateowned Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Igwuritali, near Port Harcourt.

It would be recalled that soldiers had taken over the 40,000 capacity facility on Saturday morning ahead of the planned flag-off of Mr President’s South South campaign slated for Wednesday, January 28.

Amaechi, who spoke at Government House in Port Harcourt on Sunday, said the development shows the President was not committed to the conduct of a free and fair election.

He described the occupation of the stadium by soldiers as undemocratic, wondering why a President who was democratically elected and serving in a democratic regime should order soldiers to take over a facility belonging to the state government.

Amaechi said: “Why should a president elected in a democratic election serving under a democratic dispensation order soldiers to take over a state-owned stadium?

“In an ideal federation, the president is supposed to respect our position, essentially after we asked them to use the Liberation Stadium at Elekahia, in Port Harcourt city.

“Why is the president

insisting on using the Adokiye Amiesamaka Stadium after we have told the PDP that work is currently going on there? It is unfortunate that the president is preaching one thing and doing another.

“If the president truly wants to conduct a free and fair election, why did he order armed soldiers to forcefully take over a state government-owned facility when it was not given to him or the PDP?” Meanwhile, Rivers State Chairman of the PDP, Felix Obuah, has confirmed that the party will hold its presidential rally at the Adokiye Amiesamaka Stadium.

Obuah in a statement issued in Port Harcourt and signed by his media aide, Jerry Needam, yesterday said the reason given by Amaechi while refusing the party’s request to use the stadium was unacceptable.

The statement claimed that the stadium was built with Rivers tax-payers’ money, adding that the project was conceptualised while the governor was a member of the PDP.

Amaechi

Monday, January 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmir-

Ex-gov berates defected PDP members in Ebonyi ALIUNA GODWIN ABAKALIKI

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ormer Ebonyi State governor and senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for Ebonyi North zone in next month’s election, Dr Sam Egwu, has carpeted PDP members who defected to the opposition Labour Party, LP. Egwu slammed the defectors during PDP governorship rally at Ngbo Central School in Ohaukwu Local Government Area.

The former Ebonyi helmsman, while noting that the defectors were not original party members, recalled that everybody took it in good fate in 2007 when Chief Martin Elechi emerged his successor. He wondered why now that El-

echi wants to hand over to another person that some people decided to join LP, describing them as disloyal to PDP. National Mirror gathered that Elechi had said he would not stop anybody from defecting to any political party and had equally used several means to campaign for LP candidates in the state.

National Mirror also learnt that since PDP governorship campaign started in the state, Elechi had boycotted the rallies, raising suspicion that he was aiding opposition parties from the North zone of the state to wrest power from him despite his avowed power shift to the South.

Addressing a mammoth crowd, Egwu noted that all politicians in the state were

PDP products and that it was unfair for them to use their party-given resources to fight it, stressing that no other political party can defeat PDP in the state.

He said: “PDP started in Ohaukwu, where the first executive governor comes from. And with your mass attendance, you have shown that Ohaukwu is the father of PDP. Some said they are in Labour. Labour is not a political party, but association of labourers.”

The former governor expressed dismay that they have been taken for granted, adding that time has come for them to prove they were not kids, as the Abakaliki political bloc, which comprises South and Central senatorial zones, believe in equity and that power should go to the south.

He urged the people to support PDP governorship candidate, Engr. Dave Umahi, because he is qualified, mature and experienced.

According to Egwu, “we have a culture of equity in Abakaliki bloc. We support that power should go to the South since the North and Central have taken their turns. We cannot deny them that. In the South, the only person that is qualified, mature, and experienced is Engr Dave Umahi.”

He added that Umahi embodies the total Ebonyi man, noting that “in 2007, his house and property were burnt because he was not supporting the opposition.

I am here to tell Ohaukwu people that I am supporting Umahi. He will not disappoint us because he has the heart of a ruler.”

L-R: Mrs. Stella Nnadi; Enugu State Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Godson Nnadi; Peoples Democratic Party gubernatorial candidate, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Deputy Governor Ifeanyi Nwoye, during a thanksgiving mass at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Ohom, Orba Parish, Enugu, yesterday.

DENNIS AGBO ENUGU

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ll Progressives Congress, APC, in Enugu State has called on Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to urgently remove the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Prof Eze Onukaogu.

The party, while expressing lack of confidence in Jega, pointed out that in an ideal society, Onukaogu ought not to be part of any

electoral process because of his antecedents during the Anambra State governorship election in 2013.

The state’s chairman of APC, Dr. Ben Nwoye, who disclosed this at the weekend during a forum by state correspondents’ chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, maintained that the opposition party had serious reservations against the REC. Nwoye, who is also the 2015 Enugu East senatorial candidate of APC, said: “It is on record that Professor Onukaogu is synonymous

with electoral manipulation as demonstrated in Anambra in 2013, where he conducted the worst election in modern political history.”

He insisted that INEC should immediately effect the removal of Onukaogu before next month’s general polls, to prevent a repeat of what happened in Anambra under his watch.

The APC chieftain stressed that as a democrat and ardent believer in the rule of law, allowing the likes of Onukaogu to remain in the nation’s

electoral system would continue to do more harm than good to the growth of democracy in the country.

He also urged the electorate to embrace APC at the state and federal levels, arguing that the opposition party has all it takes to correct all the political blunders of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Nwoye, however, restated his party’s resolve to resist all manner of electoral fraud during the forthcoming general elections in his zone and state in general.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

South South

Monday, January 26, 2015

11

Oshiomhole: Shifting elections won’t prevent APC’s victory SEBASTINE EBHUOMHAN BENIN

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do State Governor, Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, has branded the subterranean plot by the Federal Government to postpone the 2015 general elections as a futile attempt to postpone the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, evil day.

Oshiomhole spoke during his campaign rally at the palace of the Otaru of Igarra. He underlined the call by the National Security Adviser, Colonel Sabo Dasuki, urging the Federal Government to postpone the elections for three months as a sign that PDP is afraid of its looming defeat.

Oshiomhole said, “The issues are very clear. They have seen it and are now calling for the postponement of the February 14 election. You cannot postpone the evil day. Nigeria must go for a peaceful election and the election will be peaceful. When God has decreed, no man can do otherwise. When your time is up, you can’t postpone it.

“What we need now is a leader with courage. The courage to stand for Nigeria and that is why after trying PDP for 16 years we believe we need General Muhammadu Buhari to take over and secure our country so that we can live our life.

“When General Buhari was in power, the War Against Indiscipline, WAI, was felt everywhere. Nigerians have to make a very bold decision. We must make Nigeria work. When General Buhari was a Commanding Officer in the military and some extremists rose up around Kano, he led a squad and pursued them as far as Chad.

“Those are the kind of leaders we need now; leaders who will confront issues of security squarely.

Leaders don’t lament. You don’t change your wife’s condition by joining her to cry; wife is crying, husband is crying, children are crying; who then will fix the issues? A man has to come out, this election is about our survival,” the governor said.

Oshiomhole accused the Federal Government of gross incompetence and lack of vision for security

of the nation.

He said, “We now have Nigerians who are refugees in their own land. So, even to secure the territorial integrity of Nigeria, PDP has shown gross incompetence and today insurgents are controlling a number of our local governments.

So, the issues this year are about our survival.

“I think the president needs to agree that he failed Nigeria and we cannot give him our key anymore. He needs to go back home, so we can try another driver.

If PDP remains in power, the people will never have power. A vote for PDP will mean a vote for backwardness. They deserve to be punished for 16 years of gross mismanagement of our national assets.”

Oshiomhole assured that his administration would continue to execute projects and programmes for the development of Afemai people and urged them to reciprocate by collecting their Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, to vote for APC candidates.

Thereafter, he presented Mr. Francis Alimikhena for Senate, Hon. Peter Akpatasson for House of Representatives, Hon. Kabiru Adjoto and Mr. Emmanuel Agbaje for Edo State House of Assembly, respectively.

In a related development, President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Mr. Augustine Alegeh (SAN), has stated that the call for postponement of the elections by three months lacks justification.

Alegeh said, “The NBA is deeply concerned by the statement credited to the National Security Adviser, NSA, Colonel Sambo Dasuki, calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to postpone the forthcoming general elections for a period of three months.

“The NBA appreciates that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999 as amended) provides for holding of elections ‘not earlier than 150 days and not later than 30 days before expiration of the term of office of the last holder of the office’ and this puts the cut-off date for the general elections on 29 April, 2015.”

L-R: Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson; Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Hon. Kingsley Kuku and Leader of the Niger Delta Peoples’ Volunteer Force, Alhaji Mujahid Asari-Dokubo, during the governor’s meeting with ex-Niger Delta freedom fighters in Yenagoa, at the weekend.

Spate of political violence worries group THEOPHILUS ONOJEGHEN WARRI

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iger Delta rights group, Centre for the Vulnerable and Underprivileged, CENTREP, has expressed worries at the spate of political violence across the country ahead of next month’s general elections.

According to CENTREP, if the trend continues unabated, it is capable of endangering the nation’s nascent and fledgling democracy.

The group called for restrain among all supporters and members of the different political parties.

Executive Director of the group, Mr Oghenejabor

DENNIS NAKU

PORT HARCOURT

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pecial Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Chairman, Presidential Amnesty Programme, Kingsley Kuku, has accused the All Progressives Congress, APC, of plotting to instigate political crisis in the country if President Goodluck Jonathan wins the February 14, 2015, general election.

But the Presidency has said it would not allow the opposition party to actualise its threat of forming a parallel government if Jonathan is re-elected next month.

Kuku made the accusation at a summit for lead-

Ikimi, in a statement made available to National Mirror yesterday in Warri, said within the space of three weeks the office of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State and that of her governorship candidate in Bauchi State were blown with dynamites or razed with fire by unknown political thugs.

Ikimi said: “President Goodluck Jonathan and his campaign team were both stoned in Katsina and in Bauchi states recently by hoodlums, while his billboards and posters were destroyed in the process by suspected thugs. As if the above was not enough, party stalwarts of the APC in Rivers State on a campaign tour of the state were

recently attacked in Okrika by suspected political thugs.

“The above developments and many more unreported similar ugly incidents ahead of the general elections are indeed sad, as these are a threat to our democracy and we appeal to politicians and their supporters alike to eschew violence and embrace peace by respecting the Abuja peace accord signed by the 14 presidential candidates.

“After all, elections should not be a do or die affair. The above advice had become necessary in the face of warning issued by the Inspector General of Police of a possible crackdown on political thugs, as we believe the Nigeria Po-

lice Force under the present leadership of Mr. Suleiman Abba has little or no solution to the avalanche of political violence in the polity owing to her partisan nature, as the above threat could be tantamount to a ploy to crackdown mainly on opposition parties.

The statement called on founder of the Defunct Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force, Alhaji AsariDokubo, and the Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, who openly vowed to retaliate the recent attacks on President Jonathan and his campaign team in both Katsina and Bauchi states, respectively, to exercise total restraint in the interest of national peace, unity and fledgling democracy in the country.

ership of youths organisations in the Niger Delta region held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, at the weekend.

Kuku restated the resolve of the Federal Government to ensure that the 2015 election would be free and fair, wondering why the APC was contemplating violence if the party was confident of winning the presidential poll.

He pointed out that Nigeria was too big for any group of people to contemplate the idea of forming an alternative government when a legitimate administration voted into office by Nigerians already existed.

The president’s aide recalled that before the 2011

general elections, some politicians who are now members of the APC had threatened there would be unrest if President Jonathan won the election, adding that after that election violence was unleashed, resulting in the death of many persons, including members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC. He noted that no chieftain of theopposition condemned the wanton destruction of lives and property in 2011.

Continuing, Kuku said despite the unwarranted attacks against President Jonathan he (the President) will continue to steer the ship of state with human content rather than resorting to

tyranny like some people had done in the past.

He cited the Boko Haram insurgency as one major indicator that the president does not believe in the use of force to resolve issues.

Kuku noted that the president had offered Boko Haram members amnesty on several occasions to no avail, saying as a result the Federal Government finds it disturbing that some persons are bent on taking vengeance against the former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Onyeabor Ihejirika, just because he tried to combat Boko Haram to preserve the unity of the country.

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North

Monday, January 26, 2015

Buhari’s certificate: Police debunk school principal’s assassination JAMES DANJUMA KATSINA

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atsina Police Command yesterday dismissed report that Bello Isyaku, principal of Government College that released Gen. Muhammadu Buhari’s WASC certificate, had been assassinated by unknown gunmen.

Dismissing the report, the command’s spokesperson, DSP Aminu Sadiq, said the rumour was unfounded and that it was

the handiwork of mischief makers.

Sadiq said the command had contacted top officials of the Ministry of Education, and principal of the junior section of the school, who confirmed that the principal was hale and hearty.

He said the police “contacted Commissioner for Education, Prof Khado Kurfi, zonal director of education, and DPO in charge of the area the principal resides” and was assured that nothing happened to

the principal.

“We are surprised to read online that the principal had been killed by unknown gunmen.

“The command wishes to state that the principal in question is currently organising a naming ceremony for a new baby that came into his family a week ago.”

He called on members of the public to disregard the report and go about their normal businesses, adding that some disgruntled elements were out to cause

disaffection among residents of the state.

It would be recalled that online reports had alleged that Isyaku had been assassinated by unknown gunmen for releasing Buhari’s secondary school result.

Before the incident, the principal had reportedly raised alarm about receiving death threats from unknown persons, and that his decision to release Buhari’s certificate was aimed at protecting the school’s image.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

APC faults Niger govt’s comment on violence PRISCILLA DENNIS MINNA

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iger State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has condemned the statement by the state government that the party should be held responsible for any violence in the forthcoming elections.

The party described the comment as coated with lies, frustration and a product of despair from a failed government, this coming on the party’s insistence that peoples votes must count in the election.

It said it had on good authority that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Deputy Governorship candidate, Isah Liman Kantigi, may resort to violence in the election.

In a statement signed

by APC’s Publicity Secretary, Mr. Jonathan Vatsa, “the governorship running mate of PDP may resort to violence in the next election. It is not a new thing to him, from evidences available. So, if there is anybody out for violence Mr Aliyu

should just check himself and his candidates.

“We have him on tape making such statement as he goes around campaigning; if you doubt it, we will soon release this and many others to the press.

“We will continue to insist that the people’s vote must count and they should protect their votes and shun violence, which is being misconstrued for violence. We are ready to educate our teeming supporters and people in Niger State against the antics of conspirators to subvert their wish in the forthcoming elections.”

The party’s spokesman further stated that no matter how the state government tries to associate the APC with violence, the people know better and will protect their votes in order to effect the desired change.

“Already, we know he (governor) held a meeting with the Resident Electoral Commissioner last week; we are watching to know whether the new REC will be going for financial gains like his predecessor.”

CAN laments pastor’s killing in Taraba JUSTIN TYOPUUSU L-R: Adamawa State Governor Bala Ngillari; his Gombe counteroart, Ibrahim Dankwambo and Minister of Youths Development, Mr Boni Haruna, addressing newsmen after a meeting with Adamawa State Peoples Democratic Party stakeholders in Yola at the weekend.

Jang accused of promoting ethnic politics JAMES ABRAHAM JOS

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abour Party governorship candidate in Plateau State, Amb Bagudu Hirse, has accused Governor Jonah Jang of promoting ethnic politics in the state, and urged that this be resisted at all cost.

He said if allowed, the fragile peace in the state may be truncated, noting

that his call was to promote unity and halt ethnicity, which he said had been raised to such heights that could divide the state.

Hirse said this during an interactive parley with members of Plateau G5 Forum, a professional and faith-based organisation in the state.

The governorship candidate told the forum that the Governor Jang was about to impose his tribesman in

northern senatorial zone to succeed him, hence he (Hirse) decided to buy form to stop the ‘impunity’.

“Jang has pitched one ethnic group against the rest and if he is not stopped now, this would not augur well for peace in Plateau, which is struggling hard to go back to her days of peaceful glory,” the former Foreign Affairs Minister of State said.

According to him, he is

ready to partner any party which has genuine intention for peace, justice and equity to prevail in the state, adding that “I am not desperate to be governor.”

He revealed that his seven-point agenda included return of peace, respect for the rule of law, power supply, education, health, agriculture and to ensure the return of investors, who abandoned the state during its crises.

NBC vows to punish broadcast houses ABDULGAFAR OLADIMEJI KANO

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igeria’s broadcast regulator, National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, has vowed to clamp down on violators of professional ethics guiding the industry.

In a statement issued

by Director of NBC North West zonal office, Alhaji Ibrahim Isah Wada, the commission said it would punish broadcast stations identified to have failed to comply with laid down regulations.

Wada said politicians were using broadcast organisations to send state-

ments that have stirred disharmony, leading to overheating of the polity.

He said: “Broadcast stations are therefore, enjoined to exercise professionalism and live above any parochial interest, for the overall good of our country.

“The commission

wishes to emphasis that electioneering exercise is a game of rules, likewise the broadcasting profession. It is therefore essential that the rules of the game are adhered to by all players.

Thus, no politician should be allowed to use the broadcast media unlawfully to the detriment of society.”

JALINGO

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eactions have continued to trail last Friday’s killing of Pastor Joshua Ada, a missionary in Taraba State.

Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Wukari chapter, Pastor Jerry Agabison, in an interview with National Mirror yesterday described the death of Pastor Ada as one death too many.

Agabison lamented that the Chediya Mahanga Bantaje axis of Wukari-Jalingo federal highway has become a death zone in recent times as the people there have taken laws into their hands, killing any Christian whose vehicle breaks down in the area.

“People are being killed on regular basis on that axis of the road. Pastor Ada was easily identified because his car was branded ‘missionary’.

“When his car broke down on his way from Jalingo to Wukari at Chediya, he called his mechanic from Jalingo, but before

his mechanic could come, assailants hacked him to death having discovered he was a pastor.”

The CAN chairman explained that the remains of the deceased has been removed from Wukari mortuary and taken to the state’s Specialist Hospital in Jalingo and that the church was planning a befitting burial for him.

He called on government to rise to the occasion and protect lives and property of people plying federal highways, as lives of innocent people were being wasted on daily basis in the area.

A resident of Dan-Anacha, who spoke on the development, called on the state government to beef up security in the area to prevent the killing of innocent travelers.

Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Joseph Kwaji, had earlier told journalists in Jalingo that unknown persons last Friday strangled Pastor Ada to death along Chediya-Bantaje axis of the busy Wukari-Jalingo road.

Monday, January 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

13

Politics

Why I set up campaign group for Jonathan –Obanikoro 19 DAYS TO GO

Immediate past Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, recently launched an independent campaign group to advance President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid. In this interview with journalists, he frowns at how the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Lagos State, is getting tough on the opposition, especially by destroying their posters. AYO ESAN brings the excerpts:

Why did you set up an independent campaign group for President Goodluck Jonathan?

I set up the Lagos Independent Presidential Campaign Group for President Goodluck Jonathan to deepen the President’s presence in Lagos State and take his message directly to the people. There is a lot of misinformation going on and a critical way to counter that is through grassroots mobilisation. The group will therefore ensure that misinformation is removed and they will take the information on President Jonathan’s achievement to the grassroots.

The presidential election will hold on February 14; how would you assess Jonathan’s chances?

I have no doubt in my mind that the President will win.

It is going to be a close election, but I have no doubt in my mind that at the end, the President will carry the day. However, from the distribution and collection of Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, it is clear that the APC wants to rig in the North. How do you explain states like Borno and Yobe with the dislocation of insurgency recording 80 per cent collection? APC is setting the stage to write election results. I am more convinced about this, because their candidate is not a known democrat, so he doesn’t mind doing or condoning whatever it takes to win. He has no history of promoting the rule of law.

Do you foresee any outbreak of violence after the presidential elections?

I hope not, and that is why I am happy about the peace accord signed by General Muhammadu Buhari. Let’s not forget that it is his silence that escalated the violence we are witnessing today. After his loss in 2011, his followers went on the rampage, and he kept quiet. This degenerated into the activities of Boko Haram. Prior to that, the activities of the sect were not as deadly as they became after the 2011 elections.

What are Jimi Agbaje’s chances in the gubernatorial election in Lagos State?

I am confident with the feedback I am getting from an average person on the street of Lagos that they are clamouring for a change that will end one man’s control over our resources in Lagos. They are clamouring for a government that will invest in education as a way to end the slavery in our state. Just recently, Lagos State Government placed a N10, 000 fee on children sitting for JSS 3 exam. This is wicked and grossly insensitive on the part of a government that promised to give hope to the hopeless. When education is no longer affordable, how can the people have hope? I am confident that the mood of Lagos State at this time favours the victory and emergence of Jimi Agbaje as the next governor of Lagos State, and we are putting in everything legitimately possible to make this dream a reality.

THE APC GOVERNMENT IN LAGOS IS NOT CONCERNED ABOUT DEMOCRACY. THEY ARE TRYING TO KILL THE OPPOSITION IN

LAGOS WHILE

WE HAVE CREATED SPACE FOR THE OPPOSITION AT THE CENTRE today, three people were killed at Shomolu during one of their campaigns. They have also officially christened their thugs, TEAM LAGOS, and they have bought lots of deadly weapons that they want to use on Lagosians. I think it is time for the police to begin to beam their searchlight on these people.

Obanikoro

Do you think there is a level playing ground for the campaigns in Lagos?

Not at all! The APC government in Lagos is not concerned about democracy. They are trying to kill the opposition in Lagos while we have created space for the opposition at the centre. In Lagos, they are hiding under LASAA to deprive us, the opposition, a voice. In today’s Lagos, an average person cannot contemplate running for office because of the huge cost of running a campaign. This is what they are doing consistently to ensure only their posters and billboards are out there. This is a recipe for unnecessary crisis. Because when you remove other candidates’ signposts, billboards and posters, they on their own too can retaliate, and this can lead to violence. I believe people deserve to know what the opposition is saying and put it side by side with what the APC is saying. On another level, the APC campaign has been largely crisis-ridden. Just

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he Peoples Democratic Party, will on Monday, 26th January flag off her campaigns for the February elections.

The flag-off which has been boasted to be a mega rally that will demoralise the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state is deliberate to officially kick start the campaigns for all the PDP candidates in the elections. According to the

Propagandas are being employed by politicians to promote their acceptance. Do you see that as healthy?

A lot of mudslinging and misrepresentation have been made of the Jonathan administration. People are trying to sell blue as white to Nigerians. We cannot afford to go backward. What we are expecting are brighter days that the Jonathan/Sambo administration will bring not darker days. The change they are selling is backward change.

That is why we are putting all energy to ensure victory for Jonathan and Agbaje in Lagos. The best thing that can happen in Lagos is to have Jonathan and Agbaje at the centre and in Lagos. If the PDP takes over power in Lagos, it would give the state more edge and more advantages.

It will help the state to move forward more and get more support at the centre without antagonising the Federal Government to the detriment of the people of Lagos. The best thing for Nigeria is to stay with Jonathan. It’s either we embrace the future or go back to the trenches as we inch closer to Election Day.

Lagos PDP flags off campaign

party, the flag-off which has been tagged many appellation indicating its appropriateness at this time in lagos polity is expected to be graced by chieftains of PDP within and outside the state.

Speaking further, the state chairman, Tunji Shelle, confirmed the programme. “We shall have our mega rally to officially

start our campaigns and the unstoppable movement to send APC out of Alausa.

Yes, we have been having pre flag-off programmes as part of our reach out strategies, but at this occassion, we will officially present the governorship candidate to lagosians. We see the rally as the “God’s Annointed Rally” We shall reel out major-

ity of our realisable promises to Lagosians and give them the reasons to vote PDP at all the elections in February” Meanwhile, the PDP has cautioned any miscreant or sponsored agent provocateur to steer clear of the venue as adequate security has been put in place to put under control any mischief maker.

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Politics

Monday, January 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Agboola flags off senatorial campaign in Oyo KEMI OLAITAN IBADAN

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ith less than three weeks to the February 14 Presidential/National Assembly election, the Deputy-Senate Whip, Senator Hosea Ayoola Agboola, at the weekend, flagged-off his re-election campaign for Oyo North senatorial election at a ceremony witnessed by mammoth crowd of party faithful from the entire Oke-Ogun and some

parts of Ogbomosoland.

Agboola, the only senator elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the whole of South-West geopolitical zone in 2011, assured to consolidate on the number of infrastructural facilities he either facilitated or personally carried out for the development of the entire 13 local governments area that make up the senatorial district.

The campaign flag-off held at the outer precinct

of the sprawling palace of Aseyin of Iseyin, was witnessed by the PDP governorship standard bearer in the state, Senator Teslim Folarin; former Deputy national chairman of the party, Alhaji Yekini Adeojo; Senator Ayoade Adeseun; Senator Robert Koleoso; former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. , Asimiyu Alarape; State PDP Chairman, Alhaji Yinka Taiwo, and party supporters from the entire district who defied scorching

sun to honour the senator.

Speakers at the event lauded the unprecedented achievements of Agboola which included N500million UCH Annex in Sepeteri, construction of three major roads, ultramodern museum in Itesiwaju, maternity centres in seven locations, blocks of classrooms in virtually all the 13 council areas and empowerment tools for over 5,000 women in addition to bursary allowance to a number of students of

the senatorial district.

Agboola thanked the people for their support and appealed to them to re-elect him and other candidates of the party most importantly President Goodluck Jonathan and Senator Folarin, saying only PDP has programmes for all the segments of the society and the down trodden masses.

Adeojo eulogised Agboola for being a worthy senator of the party, just

19 DAYS TO GO

as he described Folarin as a youthful and vibrant gubernatorial candidate with burning desire to transform the state, urging the electorate to vote him and other PDP candidates at all levels.

Folarin assured that if elected as the governor, he would transform the state with human face and rule with the fear of God.

Bauchi youths condemn attack on Jonathan’s convoy

...vow to resist plots to scuttle democracy

EZEKIEL TITUS BAUCHI

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L-R: Rivers State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, gubernatorial candidate, Mr. Nyesom Wike; former deputy speaker, House of Representatives, Mr. Austin Opara and deputy gubernatorial candidate, Mrs. Ipalibo Banigo, during the inspection of Adoke Amasiemeka Stadium for the forthcoming PDP presidential campaign rally in Port Harcourt at the weekend.

PHOTO: NAN

ABIODUN NEJO ADO EKITI

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ouse of Representatives member and Labour Party, LP, chieftain, Hon Opeyemi Bamidele, has said that his support for the presidential ambition of All Progressives Congress, APC, standard bearer, General Muhammadu Buhari, is to ensure the country is rid of corruption and insecurity.

Bamidele, who said he had not returned to APC, explained in Ado Ekiti yesterday that he, alongside his teeming supporters

A DEOLA TUKURU ABUJA

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head of the 2015 general elections, Conference of Minority Tribes in Nigeria, CMTN, have expressed displeasure over inflammatory comments and attacks on some politicians.

The organisation condemned plans by various groups to make the country ungovernable after 2015, if their candidates fail to win the forthcoming election.

Why I support Buhari –Bamidele would work in coalition with APC to ensure the victory of Buhari in the election, adding: “It is a wind of change. I want to be part of the change”.

Bamidele who said he had not returned to the APC yet despite his appearance at the APC presidential rally in Ado Ekiti on Saturday, said modalities for his return would be discussed after the general election in which his LP is fielding candidates for state and National Assemblies positions.

He told journalists in Ado Ekiti yesterday: “Whatever detailed talks about APC would begin to hold after the election. APC members have been looking forward to our working together.

“The mission before us now is to work together to ensure the victory of Buhari and the running mate, Prof Yemi Osinbajo. I am committed to it,” he said.

The LP chieftain said that as a progressive, the task of joining other likeminded Nigerians to rid

the country of corruption, insecurity and unemployment, was his priority for now.

He enjoined Nigerians to use the present opportunity offered by Buhari’s candidature to disentangle themselves from the clutches of socio-economic crises bedeviling them.

“Buhari remains the best option for our country at this present time and that is why we are deploying the Ekiti Bibiire Coalition political platform for him.

auchi Youths Organisation for Jonathan Continuity 2015 has condemn in its totality the recent attack on the convoy of the President and describe as an act of cowardice.

Just as the organisation vows to resist every attempt by selfish individuals and group to hijack and scuttle the nascent democracy under ruling PDP who have done a lot to transform the nation especially under Jonathan tenure.

Mr Ayuba Yerima, the director of the organisation made the assertion in a chat with selected media in Bauchi weekend, said the attack on Jonathan justify disrespect to the office of the President which supporters of APC yearn to occupy.

“We want to make the record straight that the attack on Jonathan has given the PDP clear support from all quarters because there is no need to vote a violent party. This time around, we have mobilise

Group decries increasing electoral violence It said the act is not only anti- democratic but a total contradiction of free, fair and transparent elections anywhere in the world.

In a press statement signed by the coordinator of the group, Comrade Okpokwu Ogenyi Shagari, described the recent attacks on President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s campaign train in Katsina and Bauchi

states as unwarranted.

He said the twin events are signs that ethnic bigots are footing plans to visit the peace of the nation with violence and untold hardship based on their presumed outcome of the 2015 general elections.

“In as much as Nigerians and observers of our democracy have unequivocally condemned the unwarranted attack on the

campaign train of President Goodluck Jonathan in Katsina and Bauchi states, “We will not be fast to commend the peace summit organised by the Bayelsa State Governor, Serike Dickson knowing fully well that more than 200 ex-militants attended the meeting at a time that members of the Ijaw Youth Council are threatening retaliating attacks on General Muhammadu Buhari, the presi-

dential candidate of the All Progressives Congress,” he said.

The group warned that Nigerians must learn from history, as Boko Haram which has caused the Nation grievous national and economic damages, is still believed by many as a product of inflammatory comments by north leaders to make Nigeria ungovernable should Jonathan wins in 2011.

youths across the 20 LGAs of Bauchi state to tackles trouble band mischief makers,” said Yerima.

The organisation described APC claims that the attack was carried out by PDP supporters as callous statement without roots and assured that no voter can support violent party with religious bigotry.

“Bauchi people is suppose to reciprocate Jonathan’s gestures through votes during the elections.

According to the organisation, Federal Governemnt under Jonathan has witnessed the construction of international airport, including the establishment of universities in Bogoro and Tafawa-balewa with the appointment of professor Sule Elias Bogoro to move education forward which is among Jonathan priorities.

The youth director stressed that Jonathan has done a lot not only in Bauchi State in the areas of training and empowering the youths through various Federal Governemnt agencies for self reliant and therefore deserves a block votes from the state He urged the youths not to be used by politics of religion and ethnicity and caution them to eschew politics of bitterness to ensure peaceful elections in the country.

“We are ready to contain no matter the situation to ensure the repeat of 2011 post election violence is not repeated just because of selfish interest of some groups and individuals with quest to cause trouble” Yerima maintain.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Views

Monday, January 26, 2015

15

Reflection on issue-oriented campaigns Mirror of the moment ABDUL-WAREES A SOLANKE korewarith@yahoo.com, 08090585723 (SMS only)

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national daily recently categorized campaign strategies into party-centred strategy, issue-oriented strategy and image-driven strategy. It went on to lament that “none of these is discernible from what is on offer so far” in Nigeria. It also advocated that candidates must make promises that are specific and set targets that are measurable, attainable and timebound. However, as I noted on this column last year, election is about choice of candidates, parties, programmes and policies, all represented by faces of actors and that behind any face are antecedents.

In the emergence of any electoral candidate, the questions that will normally be asked are: What are his antecedents? What interest does he represent? What is his experience? Ideally, as I noted, antecedents, interest and experience should be enough to sell a candidate. Irrespective of the political party, the purpose of government remains the same: providing services and ensuring that all socioeconomic deliverables are distributed justly and equitably. Also underlying this imperative is the notion of the social contract, meaning the agreement between the ruler and the ruled. There is

only one way of meeting this social contract: ensuring distributive justice in service provisioning and access to privileges and opportunities.

So, when we talk of issue-oriented campaigns, we expect candidates to confront the electorate with issues of concerns of the moment and future. We expect them to provide policy options for dealing with such issues. We expect them to outline the plans and strategies for implementing such policies. We expect them to tell the electorate the possible outcome and impact of such policies. And we expect them to explain the costs and sacrifices required from such policies and how they will be mitigated. They must tell the electorate why such policies are necessary and the likely implications of not embracing them.

Serious issue-oriented campaigns require the employment of social statistics and demographic projections to convince the electorate. More importantly, issueoriented campaigns require real public engagement by vote seekers to address public problems. When we talk of issue-oriented campaigns, we expect that the office seekers, regardless of their ideological persuasions, are sufficiently informed about the societal problems, and that they are grounded in the ways and means of solving them.

Unfortunately, except those in the middle class who are sufficiently educated to understand policy options and implications, majority of the electorate will vote on sentiments and pedestrian promises. This is a tragedy for most developing countries.

THERE SEEMS TO BE NO REGULATION OF POLITICAL ADVERTISING IN THE COUNTRY SUCH THAT COPIES BRISTLING WITH ENMITY ARE SPLASHED ON PAGES Even then, members of the middle class who have entered the political class hardly distinguish themselves in issue-oriented campaigns on the premise that “the masses don’t understand dogo turenci”.

That is why vote seekers would hardly border to belabor themselves with rigorous, issue-based and intellectual campaigns because in Nigeria, we are used to campaign ground yabis, singing and dancing, comics and comedies of all sorts that make nonsense of the existential challenges that ought to be extensively addressed by the candidates. During a discussion, a colleague indeed romanticized about the depth and grasp of the likes of the late Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Sir Tafawa Balewa, Adegoke Adelabu and Anthony Enahoro. Our campaigns schedules today hardly give room for the electorate to interrogate candidates on their plans and programmes. Perhaps, except the organized media debates, no other campaign platform readily serves to offer the public proper insight into the parties or candidates.

The impression we have of political campaigns in the country is that majority of those who throng campaign grounds are jobless party members mobilized with N500 per head and three or four yards of atanpa or ankara. If this is the profile of majority of those who attend political rallies and campaigns, will they understand serious and complex socio-political and economic issues that need robust policy intervention? It is of little surprise that campaign grounds in many instances turn into theatre of blood in the struggle for rally ground’s gifts and mementos.

But many of us as communication managers are also guilty of reducing the value of electioneering by enrobing it in the garb of do-or-die. You will marvel how some opinions and analyses passed the editor’s gavel to assault not only political personalities, but also denigrate values of segments of the electorate. Similarly, there seems to be no regulation of political advertising in the country such that copies bristling with enmity are splashed on pages. Where are APCON, NBC and NPC, regulators of advertising, broadcasting and the press respectively?

The efforts and calls made so far to get all the political gladiators to ensure decorum in their utterances are reasonable and commendable, but they lack any enforcement capacity because some other stakeholders and interests that are supposed to generate or amplify public issues that should define the election are busy inflaming passion and hatred, rather than promoting issue-based campaigns.

Still on options for dealing with difficult people SANDRA AKUOMA

THERE IS A FINE LINE BETWEEN

Today I will discuss the last set of difficult people.

F

or the agreeable, the person who hardly say no, when in the work environment, thus ending up accepting any assignment, even those given to them by people other than their own boss, because they might be afraid to be seen as incompetent or unable to carry enough of the load, or simply do not know their limits, your best approach is build a relationship with them. The goal is to earn their trust and get them to be comfortable with you.

This shows them you are concerned about them.

In other situations, it might be that the employee is a rookie or newbie on the team and doesn’t want to let the others down; for others it is a personality issue, or even the result of the culture in which they were raised. In some cultures, saying no is highly discouraged. As a result, people raised in this environment have a hard time when it comes to balancing the work-load effectively.

Once you have built a good level of trust, you can begin by asking questions that are designed to help them understand that they are out of balance. Be careful, though, as they will often be very sensitive.

In their mind, they are doing a really good thing. From their point of view, if they

CONSTRUCTIVE COMPETITION AND DOWNRIGHT ENVY were not doing the work, it really would not get accomplished. Quite often though, even if they do manage to complete all of the work that they have taken on, the quality of that work will suffer.

And on the know-it-all, first remember this sort of person has a low tolerance for contradiction and correction. You new behaviour will be know your stuff because if you don’t they will point it out very quickly; at all times, state your position, be assertive and invite discussion. The goal is to help them have an open mind and see alternatives. But be aware of similar behaviour in yourself !

In dealing with people like this, here are some bottom-line items to be aware of. Typically, they have been around a long time and know a lot. So, make sure you know your stuff, because if you don’t, they will point it out very quickly.

Recognize it, and respect it, but show them that maybe their ideas aren’t always the right answer or the right way. The typical know-it-all tends to be a bit of a bully as well.

There stallers (procrastinator): They

don’t want to upset anyone, which really means that they want to please everyone.

In their mind, the way to accomplish this is never to make a decision that ends up upsetting everyone! They don’t want to take a stand. Instead, they take the attitude that if they just leave the issue alone, it will go away. Yes, quite often it will go away, but only because someone else will have done the work, and now they’re mad too!

Your approach is to allow them time; show confidence in them, and work towards a solution. The goal is to get them to make a stand, a commitment, a decision.

One way of helping them is to discuss the benefits of deciding. Talk about all the good that comes through getting off the fence and making a decision - work is actually accomplished, people are happy, morale will go up, etc.

On the envious person, your new behavior is flood them with more good news even if it hurts; confront them when you can, especially if it’s a horrible gossip, or ignore them It really depends on the situation. The goal is get them not to have complex by appreciating what they have.

And envy from colleagues: Competition among co-workers can make for a healthy and thriving work environment, but there is a fine line between constructive competition and downright envy. If you are feeling the envy vibes from a coworker, you may not know exactly how

to confront him/her. Should you speak to your co-worker directly? What if he/she denies envy, or finds a way to make you out to be the bad guy?

The best way to deal with such a situation is to ignore it. Giving the matter your attention will only cause it to grow into a more uncomfortable situation.

Avoid speculating with other co-workers about this person’s alleged envy towards you. Also, do nothing to feed the fire.

Just let it lie and be cordial or civil, especially when you guys are working on a project. Just focus on the task at hand and sometimes hint to them some of the good skills they have so they do not feel too threatened by you by developing a complex.

Conflict between people arises inevitably and we all have to be prepared to manage difficult relationships at home and in the workplace from time to time, we should be aware and conscious of our actions and adjust ourselves accordingly.

Sandra Akuoma wrote from Lagos via sanlifepointers@hotmail.com and can be reached through 08165583876

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.

16

Editorial

Monday, January 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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

SUNDAY OLAJIDE MANAGING DIRECTOR/CEO SEYI FASUGBA DAILY EDITOR GBEMI OLUJOBI SATURDAY EDITOR AYO OLESIN SUNDAY EDITOR BEN MEMULETIWON GENERAL EDITOR DOZIE OKEBALAMA COORDINATOR, EDITORIAL BOARD CALLISTUS OKE EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR ISE-OLUWA IGE ABUJA BUREAU CHIEF FIDELIS LEMCHI OWOAMANAM GM, ENERGY NEW PRESS GABRIEL SUNDAY

ACTING HEAD, GRAPHICS

Fate of local government autonomy

W

ith most state legislatures in Nigeria rejecting a constitutional amendment proposal for granting financial autonomy to local government areas in the country, it is curious that a lot of our state lawmakers are either confused or hypocritical about the full intent of a government structure that will promote the devolution of powers and responsibilities to reduce the complexity of public service delivery. The National Assembly, in October 2014, transmitted to the state legislatures 23 items it had amended in the 1999 Constitution, which required the concurrence of two-thirds of the country’s 36 state houses of assembly, in line with constitutional provisions.

Among the items forwarded was the proposal for local governments’ financial autonomy, as against the joint account they have been running with state governments in line with provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as altered).

Surprisingly, however, about 23 states’ legislatures have rejected financial freedom for the local governments, having voted against the proposal. Their reasons for so doing included purported irregularities in the LG Autonomy Bill; lack of sustainability of the proposed autonomy; and immaturity of LGs’ political office holders to be left unchecked by state legislators. States whose lawmakers stalled the proposal are Ondo, Ekiti, Osun, Borno, Yobe, Taraba, Bauchi, Gombe and Kaduna. Oth-

ers were Kano, Kebbi, Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara, Rivers, Cross River, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Akwa Ibom, Enugu and Imo. In contrast, Oyo, Ogun, Lagos, Ebonyi, Anambra, Adamawa, Nasarawa, Plateau, Niger, Kogi, Benue, Kwara and Abia voted for autonomy for the third of government.

As far back as 1976, the Guideline for Local Government Reform outlined detailed parameters for local governments’ autonomy. According to the said guideline, such freedom would enable them have substantial control over local affairs and their staff; vested in them institutional and financial powers to initiate and direct the provision of services; determine and implement projects to complement those of state and federal governments in their areas, as well as ensured, through the devolution of functions, that local initiatives and responses to local challenges were maximized.

In practice, however, inter-governmental relations in the country do not reflect these lofty ideals, which have largely remained contentious, in spite of several restructuring and constitutional amendments that Nigeria has witnessed. One factual observation is that encroachment on local governments’ finances by state governments has negatively impacted the performance of the tier of government in terms of constitutional responsibilities, for example. The setting up of

IT IS NOT RIGHT TO BLAME THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FOR CERTAIN WEAKNESSES BEING ASCRIBED TO THEM Local Government/State Joint Account Committee, LG Service Commissions, Ministries of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, among others, at the state level, has made local government autonomy a mirage in Nigeria.

A concerned observer says it was discovered that before1976, when a unified local government system was adopted throughout the country, each of the nation’s federating units operated the type of local government system unique to its political needs. But with the advent of military regimes and the centralization of government, the arrangement was altered. However, with the reemergence of civil rule in 1979, the former arrangement was again embraced. Thus, the 1979, 1989 and 1999 constitutions recognized the local governments as the third tier of government, though subject to the control of state governments.

But the abuse of constitutional provisions on local governments, especially by state governments, intensified agitations for their

ON THIS DAY January 26, 1991 Mohamed Siad Barre was removed from power in Somalia, ending the country’s centralized government; and Ali Mahdi took charge. Siad Barre (1919 – 1995) was the military dictator and President of the Somali Democratic Republic from 1969-1991. At the time of independence in 1960, Somalia was touted in the West as the model of a democracy in Africa. However, clanism and extended family loyalties and conflicts reared up their heads.

Letters tothe theEditor Editor Letters to

January 26, 2001 An earthquake struck Gujarat, India, causing more than 20,000 deaths, injuring 167,000 people and destroying nearly 400,000 homes . The earthquake occurred on India’s 52nd Republic Day, at 08:46 AM local time; and lasted for over two minutes. The epicentre was about 9 km south-southwest of the village of Chobari in Bhachau Taluka of Kutch District of Gujarat, India. The earthquake reached 7.7 on the moment magnitude scale.

autonomy.

If states are claiming that local governments, as constituted, are immature, can a system that stifles and prevents them from taking full charge of their responsibilities help them grow, mature and be accountable any time soon? We don’t think so. Therefore, it may be stated with all candour that it is not right to blame the local governments for certain weaknesses being ascribed to them. The real culprit is the national political culture that compromises the requirements of leadership and representation at the local government level. One of the complaints against the structure of government in the country over the years has been that the centre is too powerful and unwieldy, while states are over-bearing and breathing down heavily on local governments.

How can local governments mature under such a repressive circumstance? The National Assembly’s latest effort to amend the constitutional provisions on local governments ought to have been seen by the renegade lawmakers at the state level as one of the genuine measures to bring government closer to the people and improve governance. Sadly, however, they chose to bury their heads in the sand like the proverbial ostrich, while majority of the people that voted them into power and their communities wallow in government neglect, rejection and underdevelopment. Pity!

x January 26, 2009 Rioting broke out in Antananarivo, Madagascar, sparking a political crisis that resulted in the replacement of President Marc Ravalomanana with Andry Rajoelina. The political crisis began on January 26, 2009, with the political opposition movement led by Antananarivo mayor, Andry Rajoelina, which sought to oust President Marc Ravalomanana from the presidency. The crisis reached its climax on 21 March 2009.

A2 18

Business Courage

Monday, January 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Cover

Why the stock market is losing The Capital Market investors’ base is shrinking and dwindling by the day as the market continues to record bearish transactions due to the lack of trust and confidence of the prospective investors and the total neglect of the corporate governance principles by the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE. Reports, Denise Okone

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he Nigeria Stock market seems to be up on a gum tree in its efforts at attracting investors to the market. The problem began since the 2008 financial Meltdown. Though, the Meltdown did not seem to affect the country at the time, however, some banks are on record to have failed basically because of exposures.

This economic scenario, led to several investors losing their lifetime investments in the capital market. Some were reported to have died from the shock brought about by the crash in share prices across board.

Somehow, the situation then was different in that the prices of oil in the international market were stable, much at the country’s advantage. But the ongoing crash in the Nigeria capital market is caused by the pummeling prices of crude oil in the international market. This is because oil is the mainstay of the Nigeria’s economy and form about 85 percent of the country’s foreign exchange earnings. The various sectors in the capital market have lost valuable amount of money as their shares are being sold off by investors particularly the foreign investors who had invested in the market before the price of began to slump. This invariably affected the naira which according to a member of the Financial Market Dealers Association, FMDA, at one of its meetings held on Wednesday, “ the naira could head to 200 to the dollar, thereby creating extreme volatility and adding to the deteriorating liquid-

ity conditions”. The naira recorded a closing low of N189.2 to the dollar on Wednesday.

But a parallel market operator at Okota area of Lagos told Business Courage that the naira is now N206 to the dollar. The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has been doing all it could to defend the naira with the much valued foreign reserve which now stands at $34bn but the naira just continued to fall. This prompted the devaluation of the naira in November, 2014 to about 8 percent yet with the prevailing monetary situation of the naira, it could be on its way to yet another devaluation.

CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele said on Tuesday that the naira was “appropriately priced” and the bank would “not tolerate speculative attacks”.

Sam Oguntayo, the Managing Director of Midas Securities Limited who has seen the ups and downs in the money market told Business Courage that” the perception of the money market generally now is the problem of liquidity”. He said it will be difficult for the stock market to return to its past glory. According to him the system has destroyed the trust the investing public has for the stock market and so it will take a long, long time. Not in the nearest future , he said. Right now, he added, there is “no opportunity to raise fund in the market with the exception of right issue.”

Oguntayo who started with the Capital Trust brokers Limited before moving on to work with Corporate Trust Ltd in 1986. Later moved to Equity securities; then to Wema se-

Mounir Gwarzo, Acting DG SEC

curities and later established Independent securities. He also worked with IBN Securities, later to Mission securities, a subsidiary of Universal Trust bank Plc and finally to Midas securities said, the “Conditionality of the CBN is now stifling growth in the economy”. He said “the low business as a result of the lull in the market, the difficulties in paying overheads, salaries and to fund the business, the meager commission of stock firm and the high running cost of maintaining the office are some of the factors working against the quick recovery of the market” The craving for better investments with higher yields

may just have caused the low activity in the capital market as investors were discouraged from the stock market as they felt that lesser risk government assets are generating more returns than higher risk stock market assets. For investors to patronize any riskier assets, then it has to generate returns in excess of 15 percent as this was the rate of returns of most government assets. Most stocks on the stock exchange are making returns less than 10 percent or basically no returns or at loss in most cases in 2014.

Thus the best parameter to analyse the performance of the stock market is to look at their return on investment,

ROI. The ROI will consider the dividend payout to shareholders and the capital gains (Capital appreciation) at the period. Also, their financial performances are vital to the survival of the firms as well as the firm’s goodwill.

Interestingly, investors seem to be much more interested now in the investments that will give them a guarantee on their investments. It may not be surprising that funds may just be heading to the fixed-income securities. Securities that promise to make payments of specific amounts to investors at specified dates. However, most fixed-income securities are debt instruments. A Bond is a

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business Courage

Monday, January 26, 2015

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patronage – Stakeholders

Emefiele

security which is an evidence of debt issued by firms and governmental bodies that requires that the issuer make one or more payments to the owner in future.

Although, there may many prospective investors out there, they may just not know what to do to become an investor or what steps to take.

It therefore imperative to educate the public or an investors about the stock market.

Knowing something is generally better than nothing, but it is crucial in the stock market that individual investors have a clear understanding of what they are doing with their money. Investors who really do their homework are the ones that succeed. Though,

there have been attempt at tickling investors imaginations by the show biz event that have been staged to create awareness by the leadership, more still have to be done. One basic area to look at is the best practices angle which the leadership seemed to have jettisoned.

There seem to be many fiddles in the market. These fraudulent activities and market infraction has impacted on the degree of confidence in the market. This is the reason why the investing public does not have confidence in the market and it will invariably disrupt the market from growing. However, long-term confidence in Nigeria’s economy is desirable and a cred-

ible explanation for the recent stock market decline is will go a long way to repose confidence in the market. The recent decline is reminiscent of Nigeria 2008 stock market crash. After which, the market stalled for years until recent rally in 2013. However, the CBN decision to increase the interest rate is the signal that the government wanted to tighten monetary policy, which is typically very bad for stocks.

Liquidity is the ability to buy or sell an asset readily, at low cost and without substantial impact on its price. Some prefer the term marketability instead of liquidity. Liquidity reduces the cost of capital because investors value liquid-

ity. Liquidity gives them the option of selling their investment if they need funds unexpectedly or if their assessment of the investment changes.

Nigerian Economy is in bad shape, especially with falling oil prices. Oil is the main stay of the Nigerian economy and without any other source of revenue, the economy is shrinking and this will adversely affect the stock market and make investors to flee to other income generating investments.

Market is yet to recover from the last capital market crash of 2008. In 2014, we realise that many people are still afraid of the stock market especially those that got their fingers burnt the last time the market crashed. Thus, the year recorded the lowest capital market investment as investors shy away from the market. At the end of the year (December, 2014), billionaires were buying stocks with both hands because of the low valuation of stocks. Stocks are underpriced at the moment.

Stocks that should be selling for a much higher price are now very much lower and discerning investors have seized the initiative to buy waiting for the prices to rise before selling. In Nigeria, the economy faltered and the banking system experienced a crisis in 2009, triggered by global events.

The former CBN Governor, Lamido Sanusi Lamido had said, “the stock market collapsed by 70% in 2008-2009 and many Nigerian banks had to be rescued. In order to stabilize the system and return confidence to the markets and investors, the CBN injected N620bn of liquidity into the banking sector and replaced the leadership at 8 Nigerian banks. Since then, the sector seemed considerably stabilized until the recent oil slump scenario.

We all know that the functioning of the financial system matters to everyone –to the economy at large and also to each one of us. The Nigerian economy has huge potential for growth unless the gamblers that took depositors funds to speculate on the stock market and manipulate share prices are stopped in their tracks”. According to him, Nigeria’s financialisation

was far too rapid for the real economy to benefit. The economy was not able to absorb of the excess liquidity from oil revenues and foreign investments in productive sectors.

This resulted in significant flows to non-priority sectors and to the capital markets, mostly in the form of margin loans and proprietary trading camouflaged as loans. As a result, market capitalisation of the NSE increased by 5.3 times between 2004 and its peak in 2007, and the market capitalisation of bank stocks increased by 9 times during the same period. This set the stage for a financial asset bubble particularly in bank stocks. The rapid rise in asset prices and the over concentration of bank shares in the stock market index were clear indications of an accident waiting to happen.

Instead of raising concern among regulators, these developments were cheered by most, and voices of protest were waved aside with arrogance. In 2007, the Nigerian Stock Exchange was “the best performing” bourse in the world even though there was no evidence to suggest a commensurate improvement in the fundamentals of real sector corporations “.

“All other countries that experienced equally rapid financial asset growth crashed and suffered years of low or negative growth. As credit levels rose and stock prices inflated, the CBN failed to halt this vicious circle and foresee the consequences. The CBN did not highlight or failed to communicate the problem to fiscal authorities and the market in general. The sad story in all this is that we now have evidence that junior officers in the CBN did document their concerns to CBN top management at that time, but no action was taken.

We also have evidence that the NDIC documented its concerns but its efforts to get the CBN leadership to act quickly were rebuffed”. Despite the huge sell out of the shares, some investors are buying large quantities of shares hoping to resell after the the February 14, 2015 election in the country, when it is hoped that the shares would have begin to return to their original price levels. BC

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Business Courage

Monday, January 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Economic Outlook

The economy in 201

‘

In 2014 SURE-P Board of Directors alone spent over one billion naira for their Board meetings! That will not be available in 2015, as the Board will now have to be contented with 50 million naira for their Board meetings and Board running costs, as allocated in the budget!

‘

T

he year 2014 has proven to be one of the most difficult financial years ever after the Second World War. The year is the link between the end of the recession of 2008 and the recovery insight for the better financial year of 2015.

Economists and financial experts did what can be regarded as a first class job to bring out the entire world from what almost turned to a depression on our hands.

In America for instance, it was bail out. In Britain, it was qualitative easing. The simple meaning of these big words is the fact that more money was printed for the economy to recover. There were lots of interventions from various central banks across the world in terms of buying toxic assets from banks so as to provide cash for the banks to continue their operations, since the recession stripped our banks naked!

The most surprising thing is the fact that while we could say, in precise terms, what the developed countries were doing, it was very difficult to say what the developing countries of Nigeria and Ghana were doing.

Rather than printing more money, the central banks of these countries embarked on voyages of discovery, particularly in Nigeria, hounding those who took loans from banks, as if they ate the money. Again, both in Ghana and Nigeria, way to go after the EURO BOUND borrowing billions of dollars and celebrating the ignorance of over subscription to loans. The loans we have to pay back at alarming interest rates, depicting the sovereignty of these countries as being the only guarantee for the loans. It is terrible to borrow money at that level to pay recurrent expenditure such as salaries and wages.

Ghana came out with a bogus celebration of an oil haven, borrowed 860 million dollars on the development of the oil well, even when the production capacity is almost below the investment. What followed in Ghana was some set of data saying that after China, Ghana was the fastest growing economy in the world! This was demonstrated by the borrowing of over a billion EURO at about 7% to fund the economy, using the county’s sovereignty as collateral, and the devaluation of the cedi by the market forces, exchanging one US dollar to three and half cedis, coming from an exchange rate of one

dollar to one and half cedi!

Ghana lost the prestigious position of donor country to attract foreign exchange, having celebrated the status of oil producing nation when it was yet to be admitted to the membership of OPEC. It is in doubt if Ghana has three months full support funds for import to qualify clearly as a solvent country under the World Bank definition of solvency.

The situation in Nigeria is not better, except that Nigeria is not insolvent to the extent of not being able to provide for the import support of three mouths required by the World Bank.

The Central Bank under Sanusi performed very badly in the management of the economy.

For instance, in the five years audited accounts published on its web site, the Central Bank of Nigeria revalued its assets to create an impression that the bank was doing well. This is something the bank will not accept from commercial banks; revaluing their assets and allowing full revaluation value in any given year!

A diagnosis of the five years account of the Central Bank under Sanusi indicated that the Federal Government of Nigeria had surplus available funds of eighty billion naira. The truth of the matter is that about sixty two billion naira of the said funds account for revaluation of assets of the Central Bank.

The amount actually available for the Federal Government to spend is less than twenty billion without considering other exceptional items that do not have immediate cash value.

The mischievous will easily say that Jonathan cannot account for eighty billion naira, when the truth is that the said money is only on paper, being proceeds of revaluation of assets, of which assets were not sold so as to realise the said money.

A further review of the account in 2009 shows that the Central Bank increased her operating expenses by over 300% with over 700 billion naira, when compared to 201 billion naira of the traditional running expenses of the bank in the previous year. We are of the opinion that the running expenses of over 700billion naira in 2009 is unreasonable, considering the fact that even in 2012, the running expenses of the bank stood at 305 billion, which is still on the high side.

Nigeria has the best price for the sales of oil in the world market and the output for production was most stable at about two million barrels per day, considering the unprecedented level of stability achieved by the government in the Niger Delta area.

In the developed economy, the global reason for 2014 being the most difficult year was mostly the recovery period for the home equity line of credit arising from the 2008 recession.

For instance, those who took mortgage before the recession in 2008 had 2014 as the cut off year (regrettably those years of pre recession were boom years that accounted for lots of credit interest, liability generation and massive risk taking). The repayment for the loans and the risk investments became more difficult with the loss of jobs and the collapse of the capital market. It was almost impossible to pay back the home owner equity mortgage and they did not have any option than to return the keys of their homes to the banks or for the banks to create extended mortgage at the expense of the demand for cash.

Again, the property market was at a low ebb, for most home owners found the same property bought pre-2008 below the purchase price in 2013, experiencing depreciation in prices as opposed to apprecia-

tion. The cumulative results of pre-2008 were cleared in 2014 largely. It is expected that the economic damages of 2008 will now be fully cleared in 2017, with positive signals emerging from 2015.

In the developed economies of England and America, the recovery will pick up in the second quarter. While the third quarter may show some signs of concern, the fourth quarter presents an impression that all is well.

In the developing countries, the impact of the recession will manifest due to lack of adequate preparation or proper measures put in place for managing the 2008 recession.

It will be fairly difficult to achieve the 5% growth target.

One or two countries may move above the 5% growth rate, but it appears political insurgency may wipe off some of the gains likely to be recorded. In most developing countries that will record growth above the 5%

projection, the major issue has always been the reflection of the data on the living standards of the people.

Three events are likely to manifest from 2015 when one considers the challenges created by the recession. There are the great opportunities that came with the recession. Also, every country and government will have her destiny determined by the extent to which they can manage such events.

Those events are as follows More insurgency likely in 2015 The year appears to be one that may further manifest insurgency than any other year.

It is not likely that terrorists will give up in 2015. If anything, they may advance more than the previous years. There is the need to adequately plan in the budget at every level of government for the protection of lives and property of the citizen.

The year also presents the

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Business Courage

Monday, January 26, 2015

A5 21

15 –Jimoh Ibrahim ‘ It is left for government officials to be advised on the management skills of the budget of 2005, when in January of that year, the price of oil was a little above $38 dollars. There is nothing new under the sun, as life must go on.

Beyond the accruable excess money from the crude account, the theoretical framework of the previous budgets was based on a certain benchmark. The disparity between the said benchmark and the new oil price today is contained by the increasing non oil revenue

‘

likelihood of increased self awareness of individuals in security matters and the need to support government on matters relating to security.

There is nothing to show that we are going to war and there is nothing suggesting that we are not going to go to war.

The nature of insurgency presented by the year is not only in terms of physical use of guns. For instance, Ebola presented a kind of quiet insurgence that is capable of killing millions of people with little or no notice. The year 2015 will present this type of insurgency in addition to the usual social crises and unrest.

There will also be massive protest as the tension created by poor standard of living and the demand for right to life created by social awareness will be higher in 2015. This is in addition to religious protests and political pressures for free and fair elections.

The nature and distribution of insurgency will be different from country to country. For instance, in developing counties, it will be largely matters arising from social unrest and strange diseases, in addition to political consideration and the demand for free and fair election.

Reflections from Boko Haram indicates that there is the need to be more scientific, as there appears to be more indications that the group is following the guerrilla war strategy, which will require major political will to resolve. This can easily be done by a government with high level of legitimacy or improved acceptance. It is not likely that immediate provision of economic needs will satisfy Boko Haram at this point.

Most developing counties will experience more challenges from their citizens like never before and a military approach to governance is not likely to help issues. The crises will largely arise from demands for citizen rights. Governments in developing counties should also be ready to manage disasters arising from human error. (Aviation issues come to mind in this regard).

There’ll be more wealth creation in 2015 A global net growth of 3.3% has been predicted by the World Bank. The economy posited a good recovery in Europe and America. An upsurge in consumption is expected generally and more specifically in developed economies. The rate of unemployment will drop in

those countries. The developed countries will drive growth in 2015. One interesting fact is that most developing countries that project and develop agriculture and mining activities will recover faster than any other country and create more wealth in 2015.

Ghana and Sierra Leone will be among the twenty fastest growing economies in the world in the year under review.

The economies of developing countries will attract growth in 2015. The developing countries that made the list of the twenty fastest growing economies in the world are Uganda +6.2%, Cambodia +7.3%, Tanzania +7.4%, Zambia +7.6%, Panama+7.5%, Sri Lanka+7.5%, Uzbekistan+7.4%, Gambia +7.8%, Rwanda+7.6%, Congo +7.0%, Ethopia+7.9%, Angola8.8%, Laos+8,8%, Ghana+8.15%, Mozambique +8.7%, China+8.7%, Sierra Leone+9.54%, Timor Leste+20.6%, Iran+12.2% and Mongolia+13.6%.

Regrettably, Nigeria is not on the list of the twenty fastest growing economies in 2015. It is interesting to know that things will move better and faster in Ghana in 2015. It appears that Ghana will attract more direct foreign investment in the year under consideration. This is as a result of relative political stability. Ghana may improve her culture to attract more major foreign investment decisions in the New Year. It is predicted that the IMF may assist Ghana more in 2015, as Ghana is creating alternative identity to the

African brand.

It is not likely that there will be huge increase in stock appreciation. But it’s important to state that the year will present a good evidence of the return of integrity to the capital market.

The US dollar will continue to enjoy a good level of appreciation in the first and second quarters of the year 2015.

Wealth creation is arising from the result of the efforts of government policies in the recession years. Companies that were bailed out in the 2008 recession year will show a strong evidence of stability and will contribute to the employment growth of those counties.

In England, there will be strong evidence of stable and strong banks. With more strict regulations and over regulation, more efforts will be put in place with new regulations in the developed counties. Most developing countries operating banks in those counties will find things very difficult and it is expected that they will be on the cautious line. More regulations will be directed at them, more importantly on KYC and documentation. The integrity on money transfers to the developed counties will attract more checks. Global banking will witness very great challenges in 2015, yet the banking sector will remain one of the most attractive sectors of the economy, particularly in areas relating to security of investment.

Major wealth creation is expected from agriculture, fishing, mining, commodity exports and tourism as it relates to the developing countries. For instance, Cocoa export in Ghana will definitely create more wealth for Ghana in 2015.

Life expectancy will increase and people may live longer.

The year 2015 is a foundation year for building long life.

Adjustments in life expectancy are coming as a result of more awareness in living standards and health matters. As the economy recovers in 2015, issues of threat to life arising from lack of employment and low consumption pattern will begin to disappear. Except for the increased insurgency expected in the year, there is high possibility of long living.

Studies show that women have the opportunity of living longer than men. Women will live for 87 years compared to men, who are posited to live for 86 years. The interesting thing here is that the difference in projected life expectancy for

men and women is only one year!

Regrettably, African countries did not make the list of the top ten countries in the world that will enjoy increased life expectancy. The highest life expectancy in the world is in Japan, with 87 years. Other countries in the high life expectancy group are China, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Cymas Island and Iceland.

The country with the lowest life expectancy is Lesotho, with 49 years. Others in the low life expectancy group include Afghanistan, Sierra Lone, Botswana, Zambia, and Chad The good news is that Nigeria now falls in the middle of the life expectancy ladder. It appears Nigeria’s life expectancy has moved from the usual 46 years to 62 years. So relatively, Nigerians are going to be living longer. But that is if the insurgency is contained!

Where to make money in 2015 Many investors will make more investments in different sectors of the economy in 2015.

There are many sectors that will attract good returns on investment. For instance, the consumption sector of the economy will grow with good profit returns on production of food, all forms of wears and clothing materials. The development in this area is largely encouraged by the improvement in consumption patterns in the year under review as the economy recovers.

The reverse is the case in the construction industry, which will posit poor returns on investment in the year 2015, particularly in the developing countries. The recovery cannot accommodate new construction until 2017 when we begin to consolidate the gains of the recovery. Those who work this industry should expect delays in the payment of salaries, as the activities in that sector will begin to reduce even in the early months of the year. The strategic decision to take in the construction industry is for the sector to focus on the renovation aspect of construction, as that area of the business will witness reasonable activity.

Government, which is the major spender in this sector, will also be confronted with cash flow problems and will only fund essential construction and renovation of existing properties that need concern. The level of return on investment for the construction industry in Continued on pg A6

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Economic Outlook

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Monday, January 26, 2015

The economy in 2015 –Jimoh Ibrahim

developing counties in the year under review will be very low.

The church will make more money Church offerings will increase by 7% in developing countries like Nigeria. As we create more wealth (at least above 5%), the possibility of thanking God more is in sight. The beneficiary of such increase in offering is the church. The increase in offering will only be noticed in churches that have no major project that will easily consume the offering. Where a church is having many ongoing projects, especially high rise buildings or university projects, the increase may not be noticed. And the project may not witness the expected development until 20172019, when it is expected that the economy will recover to the extent that such projects can be accommodated.

Offerings and tithes will give the church more money in 2015. It is also expected that the church will recover every investment made in special services in the year under review. The warning area is for the church to be more proactive in investment decision in the year under review. Areas to be avoided include major capital projects and large projects. This is because the year 2014, being the link year between recession and recovery, the year 2015 is the beginning of recovery from the recession that started in the

year 2008. In the recovery year, only the foundation or concern for continuity can be established, and the year may not be able to carry additional load to the existing loads. Such projects can be postponed till the last quarter of 2016. But there is increasing indication that those projects can be well accommodated in the year 2017.

What is expected for now is for the church to fund continuity in the form of increase and prompt payment of salaries to prepare for a robust work force for the years ahead.

Improved dividends may not come Return on investments in the form of dividends may be disappointing in the year under review. But share appreciation may not be completely written off, as the year proves to be the beginning of return of integrity in the capital market.

Many investors will buy more shares in the capital market. They will be taking position for the future. As a matter of fact, this year may be the very last year for cheap prices of shares in the capital market. Most companies will stabilise, while others will simply disappear.

It is a year of Passover for corporations across the world.

It is a year not to be involved in any new project but to concentrate on funding survivors. To

‘

The main issue to be addressed is: will the private sector pay her increased taxes to government in 2015 only for it to be used to pay the salary of public servants or their travelling expenses?

The only thing that can encourage payment of any kind of taxes is for us to see that those taxes are used for capital development projects, especially the provision of good infrastructure.

‘

The property industry will also witness low level of returns on investment. Many people will create cash from their properties. The year will witness a large proliferation of the market, as many properties will be out for sale. Prices of property will go down very drastically, as little cash will be available for many properties. 2015 is a year of opportunity to acquire properties at low prices. Those who work in the property industry may witness large volumes of activities with low cash flow and may experience delay in the payment of salaries. Except for those who want to acquire and take position for the future, it is not likely going to be a better year, as cash flow will create great impediments.

Those who will make tomorrow’s money may invest in properties today, as the gains will be immense from 2017. One area of interest this year is the business of renovation of properties.

The renovation business will be up and running in the year 2015, most especially in the third and fourth quarters. For instance, most investors who offered their property for sale early in the year without success will begin to renovate the same property as the year ends with the improved cash from other businesses. Even those who did not offer their property for sale in the year will consider investment in the form of renovation for enhanced value in the last quarters of the year.

in fishing will enhance revenue in the year under review.

Domestic agriculture will create wealth in 2015, to the extent of providing alternatives to those agric products that we import for consumption. Agric money makers should target those products that we import for consumption and provide alternatives to them.

some of us, it is a year of managing continuity in the corporate world.

There’s more money in agriculture The US budget for Agriculture for the year 2015 is 140 billion dollars, which is about 28 trillion naira or seven full years of Nigeria’s budget as at today. The likelihood of surplus food in America this year is established. Prices of food may also be as low as ever. And with the robust dollar, the chances of exporting agric goods to the United States to make money

may be a dream, except for cocoa and fish farming. This means more wealth from any form of agriculture engaged in this year.

Most countries that made the list of the twenty fastest growing economies in the year 2015 made it simply because of their involvement in agriculture. The reason for this scenario is in the fact that the year symbolises a foundation for improved consumption.

There appears to be a lot of improvement in the contribution of forest farming in the year 2015. So also development

Medicine will not make money in 2015 except...

It appears no form of medicine will make serious money in the year under review. The eco system will provide the opportunity for improved health. The advancements recorded in technology will reduce the amount of money doctors can make in 2015. There appears to be a shift to Research and Development in terms of money making than practical medicine.

A medical practitioner has suggested, and I agree with him, that developing countries like Nigeria will only make money in medicine if policy makers enforce and encourage health insurance. Health Insurance can guarantee good health for the citizen at reduced cost.

There appears to be great wealth to be created in Nigeria via the health insurance scheme. For example, in 2014 only 2.8% of the total population embraced the scheme, as opposed to countries like Ghana recording 60% coverage. Nigeria is still not in the loop as far as medical tourism is concerned, and it’s only when health insurance is put in place that wealth can be created, as this will reduce the movement of Nigerians abroad for medical treatment.

The media will not make money in 2015 The list of consumption priorities in 2015 does not include newspapers. It appears there is increasing demand for free information (Internet), and the media must manage how to translate free information to profit. The strategy may include diversifying ownership, creating more equity by offering company shares for sale and investing money realised towards free distribution of newspapers for more coverage to enhance advertisement. They may also use other strategies. But it appears at least two or more newspapers may say goodnight to the market in Nigeria this year.

The public sector and the 2015 game The challenges identified in the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs, as constrains to Nigeria’s growth were not addressed in the 2015 budget, perhaps as a result of revenue decline in capital project allocation for the year. This remains a strong indicator of the country’s development.

The issues of large control of over 50 percent of revenue allocation to the 36 states and 774 local governments (au-

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Monday, January 26, 2015

A7 23

The economy in 2015 –Jimoh Ibrahim about 300 billion higher than 2014. The federal government intends to generate the revenue from the rich. For instance, the Federal Government is introducing new tariffs this year or increasing existing ones. Government identified those areas of revenue sourcing in the New Year to include those who fly business and first class, who will need to pay additional surcharge as contained in this year’s budget. Specifically, government intends to generate the total sum of 23billion from the rich in the following ways: 10% surcharge on private jets (3.7 billion), 39% import surcharge on luxury yachts (1.6 billion), 5% surcharge on luxury cars (2.6 billion), surcharge on business and first class tickets on airlines, 3% luxury surcharge on Champagnes, Wines, and Spirits (2.3 billion).

Residents of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, who have houses valued at more than 300million will pay one percent of such value in the year under the newly introduced mansion tax!

The 2008 recession budget is better than the 2015 recovery budget and that explains the many predictions of difficult times ahead. For instance, more than a trillion naira was available in 2008 for capital projects. In 2015, we are going into the year with 40% of that amount.

The danger in the 2015 budget is that if the demands for the funding of insurgency increase more than one hundred billion naira, notwithstanding the allocation of 985 billion for

defence and security, we may have to resort to external borrowing for such funding or forgo capital projects. Or better still, spend from the allocation from the capital budget, which is a little above 300million dollars.

Now that we are not going to spend that much for the subsidy, specifically that we have budgeted the sum of two hundred and ninety one billion naira for petroleum support, we ordinarily expect a reduction of the pump price of petroleum products, A litre should now cost ninety naira only. The leftover of the sum of six hundred and eighty billion naira gain from the subsidy or as widely claimed, specifically the six hundred and eighty billion naira saved from the subsidy will now be used for other things.

The prayer is to keep oil price at the benchmark otherwise a further depletion will create crises if the recurrent expenditure is affected or the subsidy for petroleum products

‘

is depleted.

It is left for government officials to be advised on the management skills of the budget of 2005, when in January of that year, the price of oil was a little above $38 dollars. There is nothing new under the sun, as life must go on.

Beyond the accruable excess money from the crude account, the theoretical framework of the previous budgets was based on a certain benchmark. The disparity between the said benchmark and the new oil price today is contained by the increasing non oil revenue.

The main issue to be addressed is: will the private sector pay her increased taxes to government in 2015 only for it to be used to pay the salary of public servants or their travelling expenses? The only thing that can encourage payment of any kind of taxes is for us to see that those taxes are used for capital development projects, especially the provision of good infrastructure.

Regrettably, the amount

Regrettably, the amount estimated to be collected from non oil revenue this year is five times more than the total amount government intends to spend on total capital project. This means we are now going to pay tax to fund the salaries of public servants from the private sector!

‘

tonomy) has not translated to physical development in infrastructure, health and education policies of the government at various levels. There are also serious concerns about human resource development, investment climate and agricultural policies of the government.

It does not appear that government is taking very seriously the revenue warning signals arising from unstable oil prices.

For instance, the disappearance of the balance of payment surplus of 2011 to 2013 and official foreign revenue decline, from almost 49 billion dollars at the end of April 2013 to 46 billion on September 19, 2013.

There is also the issue of the short term portfolio capital inflow that reportedly reached 17 billion dollars in 2012. Those inflows have been targeting the bond market of the government.

Revenue warning signals were recorded with the decline in oil revenue excess crude oil account from 9 billion dollars in early 2013 to 5 billion dollars by midyear. This largely affected the implementation of capital projects and the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) of the government in 2014. Nigeria’s oil revenue accounts for 90% of export, which is about 75% of the nation’s budget.

The Federal Government (inclusive of SURE- P) budget before presentation in 2015 came down by about 400 billion naira, specifically, from 4.9 trillion naira to 4.6 trillion naira!

At 4.6 trillion, it is a projected income and should the income not be realised, there will be further depletion.

2.6 trillion is for recurrent expenditure and 0.6 trillion or 633 billion naira is the amount available for capital project, which fell from the 1.5 billion naira in the 2014 budget. The sum of 291 billion is the fixed amount for subsidy on petroleum products. Other items of importance in the budget include the statutory transfer of 411 billion naira, debt servicing of 934 billion naira. The government will borrow the sum of 570 billion in 2015 and by the end of the year; the sum of (755 billion) would have accrued as deficit financing. In 2014, the Federal Government share from the excess crude account was 324 billion. In 2015, that amount will not be available, as the federal government projected share for this year amounts to 80 billion. SURE-P will run her operations with 102 billion as against 267 billion last year.

In 2014 SURE-P Board of Directors alone spent over one billion naira for their Board meetings! That will not be available in 2015, as the Board will now have to be contented with 50 million naira for their Board meetings and Board running costs, as allocated in the budget!

The Federal Government intends to be aggressive in non oil revenue in the year 2015. The government projected the total sum of 3.5 trillion, which is

estimated to be collected from non oil revenue this year is five times more than the total amount government intends to spend on total capital project.

This means we are now going to pay tax to fund the salaries of public servants from the private sector!

The neglect of Nigeria’s oil by the United States of America since July 2014 calls for great concern in view of the strong relationship between Nigeria and the United States. But the good news is the progressive interest developed by China and India in recent times. One is only worried about the reliability of these new interests!

In any case, there is no way it will be acceptable to anyone that there is no capital project for a population of over 160 million people or that anyone will shout Hallelujah for a year with capital project of less than three hundred million dollars for over 160 million people.

The salaries of staff will be regular, but I doubt if contractors will not look elsewhere for money beyond the Federal Government in the year under review. Government may not have the money to pay contractors and those that depend on government for money may wait beyond this year, except if such money is in the recurrent expenses. For instance, those that supply food and drinks or diesel will have their money paid faster than those that construct roads or provide infrastructures.

State governments that borrowed from the capital market may not be able to pay salaries, as some of them have signed irrevocable letters of authority to the Accountant General of the Federation, to pay their allocations to specific bank accounts from where the deductions of both the repayment and interest elements of their loans will be paid.

Only a fraction of their monthly allocation will be made available by the concerned banks after the deduction, which may not be sufficient to pay salaries. The increase in interest rates and reduction in revenue allocation as the oil price projection depletes, will create further problems in the affected states, such that a lot of their projects will be abandoned. No amount of propaganda will replace good governance in those affected states, such as Ondo State. So also states that borrowed from foreign banks will be confronted with depletion in the country’s currency arising from foreign exchange loss. The cumulative effects are bad governance and poor living standards!

Those who thought we should not save for the rainy day yesterday, including the World Bank, may have achieved their bad intention of making us poorer, since they discouraged us from saving. They must now be happy to see Nigeria on a dangerous financial lane!

By Dr. Jimoh Ibrahim, CFR GMD, Energy Group BC

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Business Courage

Monday, January 26, 2015

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News

Akinwumi Adesina, Minister of Agriculture

Cocoa farmers in Ogun seek FG’s support

S

olomon Williams, the Chairman, Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria,CFAN, Ogun Chapter, has appealed to the Federal Government to provide all essential inputs to improve cocoa production.

Making the appeal in Abeokuta on last week, Williams said the government should empower farmers with inputs such as fertiliser and agro-chemicals as well as facilitate easy access to loans.

He added that the lack of equipment and insufficient funds was one of the major problems affecting cocoa processing.

“Government should help farmers by giving them agricultural inputs and finance, to maintain their farms.

“Maintenance of cocoa farms is very imperative and capital consuming.

“It takes about two years for cocoa trees to start yielding well, which needs essential maintenance.”

The chairman noted that more cocoa farms had stopped production due to inadequate funds, increase in interest rate on agriculture loans and high cost of raw materials.

William also urged the government to ensure early disbursement of fertiliser and other chemicals that are very important in cocoa production.

“The government only supplies us with fertiliser in Ogun which we do not really need much of it compared to the chemicals that we need most.

“We have also never benefitted from government loans; they have refused to pay attention to the cocoa sector as it was in the past.

“Government has forgotten

the past glory cocoa brought to Nigeria; cocoa was once the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy.

“We can point out so many things cocoa money was used in developing this country, but when oil came up everybody forgot about the sector,” he said.

He expressed the fear that the challenges might lead to low productivity and marginal profits, if not checked.

He urged the Federal Government to enable cocoa farmers to have access to single digit bank loan, saying that it would enhance steady growth in the agriculture sector.

He, therefore, appealed to the government to always involve cocoa farmers when decisions on agriculture were being taken.

“We believe that as key stakeholders in the agriculture sector, government must seek our own input on any issue that concern agriculture in the country,” he said.

Seplat wins deadline extension for Afren takeover

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eplat Petroleum Development Company has won an extension to a deadline for announcing whether it intends to make a firm offer for oil producer Afren, the London-listed firm said on Monday.

Seplat confirmed earlier this month that it had made a preliminary approach to take over Afren and that it faced a Jan. 19 deadline to firm up the deal.

“The board of the company has received the consent of the UK Takeover Panel for an extension to the deadline until the 30th January 2015 to enable the parties to continue

Austin Avuru, CEO, Seplat

their ongoing discussions,” Afren said in a statement.

Seplat, which lost out on the assets that Shell divested in October, has been on the hunt for acquisitions in Nigeria, encouraged by falling oil prices.

Afren said in October it had dismissed its founder and chief executive after a review by law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher found that they had received “unauthorised payments”.

Afren has also seen a slashing of resource estimates at a Kurdistan oilfield.

Shares in Afren were trading down 8.6 percent.

Poultry farmers want interest free loans from Delta Govt

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oultry farmers in Delta have urged the state government to support them with interest -free loans, to enable them expand their business.

The farmers said in Asaba that support from the state and local governments, would lead to expansion and growth of poultry farming in the state.

Vivian Edijana, a poultry farmer in Asaba said: ``Poultry business is lucrative when the farm is large and for us to really do well in the business there is need for government to support us with interestfree loans. ``Providing soft loans will not only help to boost our business, but also help to attract more people, especially youths, to venture into agriculture.’’

Another poultry farmer based in Okpanam, near Asaba, James Anazia, said that he had been selling about 1, 000 birds every December in the past 10 years. ``With my experience in the business, if there is support from the government, I will produce more birds and egg,’’ he said.

Also speaking, Isaac Anigboro, said that poultry business had prospects and challenges, especially with regards funding and good knowledge of the business.

Anigboro identify funding as one of the challenges facing those in the business, stressing that with enough capital, the farmers the farmers could producemore birds and eggs in the state.

Poutry farm

Cynthia Okolie, another poultry farmer in Asaba, said that the increasing cost of poultry feeds, was another major challenge facing the farmers. ``The feeds we were buying at the cost of between N1800 and N2, 600 in 2013, has increased to between N1, 900 and N2, 800. ``It takes between three to five months for our birds to mature and feeding these birds is always very expensive. ``I will want to use this opportunity to appeal to the government for more support to enable us expand our farms. This will also discourage the importation of frozen chicken to the country,’’ Okolie said.

Anosike

Chamber wants FG to establish task force to enforce fuel price reduction

T

he Onitsha Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, ONICCIMA, has advised the Federal Government to inaugurate a committee to enforce the reduction of the pump price of petrol to N87.

The President of the chamber, Dr Tim Anosike, who gave the advice in Onitsha,

Anambra, described the reduction of the pump price of fuel as ``very laudable``.

Anosike said without a committee to enforce the price reduction, most fuel stations would deliberately refuse to implement the new price of the product. ``I watched with gladness last night when the minister was talking about it; she said 12 mid-night. ``Unfortunately, even when I went out this morning, I went out with joy to see if I could get the product at that N87 (per litre). I still got it at that higher price N97. ``So, it is not only (about) announcing it, government should follow it up (with action); maybe set up a monitoring team to make sure that petrol marketers adhere strictly to that directive because it would ease the sufferings of the masses and business will thrive. ``People will feel comfortable going about their normal businesses and my prayer is that they would sustain it.`` He said the downward review of the fuel pump price would cushion the effect of the global slump of oil prices. ``This is one directive that would have positive impact on all Nigerians no matter where he or she resides within the country.``

NNPC initiates ‘kero correct’ scheme to crash kerosene price nationwide

T

he Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation,NNPC, has initiated a scheme aimed at getting kerosene to consumers across the country at the regulated price of N50 per litre.

This is contained in a statement issued on Sunday

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in Abuja by the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, of the corporation, Ohi Alegbe.

It said the scheme ‘Kero Correct’ initiative’ was also aimed at cutting off the several layers of middlemen who made it difficult for the end user to enjoy the subsidy on the product.

The statement said that the Executive Director, Commercial, of the Pipeline and Products Marketing Company,PPMC, Frank Amego, announced the initiative at a one-day workshop in Abuja.

It said the workshop that was organised by the NNPC was to enlighten some Non-governmental Organisations ,NGOs, and volunteers engaged to help monitor the sales of the product at NNPC Mega and affiliate stations across the country.

It quoted Amego as saying that the scheme was aimed at getting kerosene to the Nigerians who used the product as their domestic cooking fuel at the correct price He observed that though kerosene was the most subsidised product, Nigerians had not been enjoying the subsidy.

He said this was because of the long arbitrage system involved in its distribution and retailing, and diversion of the product by marketers to the construction industry where it was used for blending bitumen.

“The Kero Correct initiative is thus designed to distribute and sell kerosene directly to end users from NNPC Retail mega and affiliate stations across the country at the government-regulated price of N50 per litre to ensure effective control,” he stated.

He said the scheme which would be officially launched soon, would involve the distribution of a total of 1,500

Alegbe

Business Courage

Monday, January 26, 2015

trucks of kerosene across NNPC Retail’s mega and affiliate stations across the country.

This, he said, was to ensure that each consumer gets at least 25 litres of the product over the next three months.

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2nd Niger Bridge

FG has spent N10bn on 2nd Niger Bridge – Jonathan

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resident Goodluck Jonathan said the Federal Government has spent N10bn on construction of the 2nd Niger Bridge out of the N130bn total cost of the project.

The President disclosed this when he stopover at the project’s site in Asaba on Saturday on his way to PDP campaign in Onitsha, Anambra.

Jonathan said it was a big project being executed under a Public Private Partnership, PPP, arrangement.

He said that now that it had taken off, its execution would go on smoothly and uninterrupted through to 48 months completion period. ``So far, out of the N130m total cost of the project, we have spent about N10bn. ``It is a big project and now that it has taking off, it will go on smoothly through the 48 months completion time.

“The project is a PPP arrangement, I am quite impressed with what I have seen”, he said.

He added that most components required for the construction had been procured and piling work had commenced.

Mike Onolomemen, Minister of Works said a lot had been done since the flag off of the project in March 2014.

Onolememen said the contracting firm, Julius Berger Nigeria, was engaged because of its antecedents, adding that almost all the procurements for the construction of the bridge were imported.

According to him, works are in progress with the piles being driven into the ground and dredging going on along the River Niger. ``For us, it is a thing of joy and certainly before the next raining season, a lot of piles would have been driven

Jonathan

in. No doubt, development of infrastructure takes a long time.”

Detler Lubasch, Managing Director, Julius Berger, said work on the project would be sustained.

Lubasch said the project would be of enormous social and economic benefits and significance to the country.

The President was accompanied to the project site by former Gov. Peter Obi of Anambra, among other dignitaries.

Institute develops chemical-free storage facility for beans, maize

T

he Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, ARCN, said on Tuesday that it has developed a storage facility that could preserve beans and maize without using chemical contamination.

Dahiru Adamu, a Deputy Director, Product Development said in Abuja that the invention was part of council’s contribution to-

ward food sufficiency in the country.

Adamu, who is also the Second Vice President, Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology, said the invention was a ‘triple bagging system.’

He said the system could help in achieving year-round beans and maize availability.

“Beans and maize are good example of staple food that should be stored. We have had cases whereby people consume beans wrongly preserved and fell sick or even lose their lives.

“But our food scientists have developed a storage system whereby beans can be stored in a safer way. It is called the triple bagging system.

“This bagging system doesn’t use any chemical; so the produce is free from any kind of chemical contamination.

“It is very good. It is also cost effective. The food scientists have been working very hard towards that angle and I know it can only get better. ``It’s one thing to cultivate and produce food it’s another thing to safely store the produce for later use,’’ Adamu said.

He also said that the council was involved in continuous research and development programmes to foster safer preservation of the country’s other agricultural produce.

Speaking on the Bio-safety Bill, Adamu said it was major to the achievement of food safety in the country.

He called on the National Assembly to hasten the passage of the bill.

Tthe council was established to achieve significant improvement in agricultural productivity, marketing and competitiveness of the country’s agricultural sector.

It generates appropriate technologies, proffers policy options and promotes innovation in the agricultural sector.

It is also involved in the establishment of a knowledge management capacity and strengthening of the agricultural research system.

Abia Govt. awards N110m contract for solar traffic lights

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he Abia Government said it has awarded N110m contract for the installation of solar powered traffic lights at strategic junctions in Umuahia, the State capital.

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Chief Anthony Agbazuere, said this at a news conference on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting in Umuahia on Thursday.

He said the traffic lights would be mounted at Okpara Square, Federal Medical Centre, Isi-Gate-Umuwaya, BCA, Uzuakoli Road Junctions and the Government House roundabout.

He also said the inauguration of the proposed airport in Ikwuano would soon take place, adding that the peace meeting between the government and land owners was being concluded.

He said the Aba Mega Mall had been completed while about 2,000 shops were ready for subscription by interested traders.

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Monday, January 26, 2015

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MTN Nigeria unveils insurance scheme for SMEs

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he Acting Chief Enterprise Solutions Officer, MTN Nigeria, Tsola Barrow, said on Friday that the company has unveiled an insurance scheme for the Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises (SMEs).

A statement in Lagos, signed by Barrow, said that the insurance scheme, under the MTN Y’ello Biz, was being offered in collaboration with Mansard Insurance Plc. The statement said that the scheme would protect small businesses against flood, fire and other risks.

It also said that MTN Business, the business-to-business division of MTN Nigeria, was rolling out a series of awareness campaigns in major open markets across the nation on the MTN Y’ello Biz. ‘’The campaigns seek to empower traders and small business owners in general with an affordable and easily accessible insurance cover, in a society where business insurance is largely seen as the preserve of big businesses and the rich. ‘’At MTN Business, we believe that the SMEs are the anchor of local economies and, as a critical agent for national economic development, we believe in enabling not only big businesses but also small businesses. ``’’We are providing them the necessary insurance protection they need, at an affordable cost, to run their businesses with peace of mind. ``This also bespeaks the vision we have of delivering a bold new digital world to our customers,’’ the statement said.

It added that the MTN Y’ello Biz, which can be bundled with voice, data and SMS services, was from the stable of the MTN Y’ello

Cover, a suite of insurance services offered by MTN to customers on its network.

The statement said that for just N300 a week, subscribers of the service would enjoy a N1 million Mansard Insurance cover for their businesses. ‘’Thus, they will experience peace of mind, knowing that their goods are protected against sudden and unanticipated losses,’’ it said.

According to the statement, to get started, all that new customers need do is to simply text the word BIZ to 770.

It quoted Yomi Onifade, Director of Retail Business, Mansard Insurance, as saying that Mansard was pleased to extend its customer-focused insurance services to the SMEs, covering some of the most frequently occurring business hazards. ‘’We are assured that with the MTN Y’ello Biz, SMEs too can now enjoy the confidence that comes from being under the Mansard cover,’’ the statement quoted Onifade as saying.

At N87 per litre, FG still subsidises petrol – PPPRA

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he Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency,PPPRA, on Friday said that Federal Government was still subsidising the current pump price of petrol at N87 per litre.

This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja

by PPPRA spokesman, lanre Oladele.

The statement said that the Executive Secretary of the PPPRA, Farouk Ahmed, gave the clarification.

According to it, Ahmed said that the price of crude oil dropped to a point where the open market price of petrol also fell to a level where the government acted accordingly.

He explained that the government felt that it was appropriate to relieve some of the burden imposed on Nigerians by the knock-on effect of the dwindling price of crude oil on the economy. ‘’The price of crude oil averaged 62 dollars per barrel in December, 2014, and dropped to an average of 50 dollars per barrel for the first half of January, 2015,’’ he said.

Ahmed said that government reduced the pump price of gasoline, commensurate

with the amount announced, after a consistent and diligent monitoring of the trend.

He explained that even at the lowest crude oil price of $47.23 per barrel recorded on Jan. 16, 2015, the open market price of petrol was about the same as the former price of N97 per litre.

“What this means is that at the new price of N87 per litre, government is still subsidizing the pump price of petrol,” he stated.

He dismissed the argument that the price of crude oil had reduced by about 50 per cent and that the pump price of petrol must reduce in the same ratio.

According to him, crude oil price was only one of the several components in deriving the pump price of petrol. ``Therefore, there is no linear relationship between the price of crude oil and the pump price of petrol,’’ he said.

He said that the price of crude oil reached its peak of $114.26 per barrel on 18 June, 2014 and that the open market price of petrol was N157 per litre.

He said that government, however, maintained the price of N97 per litre and still subsidised the difference of N59.51 per litre.

Ahmed noted that in determining the amount of reduction on pump price of petrol, government was mindful of the impact that an upward swing in the price of crude oil would mean in the amount of subsidy exposure.

``We will comply with the new price regime when we finish the old stock that we have. We will have a very serious loss if we should sell at N87. ``We are still selling at N100 and our customers are still patronising us because they know that we do not adjust our meter to shortchange them,’’ he said.

The Manager of another station, Nneka Nnaji, said they had not started selling at the new pump price because they bought the product at an old rate which she did not disclose.

“I am ready to sell at the normal price. To revert to the new price will not be a problem for us, but it must be within the range at which we bought the product.

“I will even appreciate if the price will come back to N65 per litre,” she said.

A motorist said he was happy with the new price regime but called on relevant government agencies to ensure the compliance of marketers with it.

He noted that the enforcement had become necessary to enable the residents of the state to enjoy the reduction as directed by the Federal Government. ``I want to join other Nigerians to thank President Goodluck Jonathan for putting smiles back on the faces of the governed,’’ he said.

IPMAN in Enugu still sell petrol above N100 per litre

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he members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, in Enugu have yet to comply with the new pump price of premium motor spirit approved by the Federal Government.

On Friday, five days after the pronouncement by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani AllisonMadueke, most of the filling stations were selling the product between N100 and N105 per litre.

This means that they retained the price they sold the petrol during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.

At one of the filling stations in Trans-Ekulu, the Manager, Mr Peter Nwafor, explained that they were yet to exhaust their old stock bought at an exorbitant price.

Atoki

Consumer protection council boss gets U.S. citizenship award

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he Director-General, Consumer Protection Council, CPC, Dupe Atoki, has been awarded the honourary Citizenship of the State of Georgia, United States of America.

This is contained in a statement issued by the Deputy Director, Public Relations of CPC, Biodun Obimuyiwa, on Wednesday in Abuja.

It said the award was given

in recognition of Atoki’s continued contributions to the development of the Nigerian state.

According to statement, a delegation of United States lawmakers from the Capitol Hill of the Georgia General Assembly notified her of the award on Tuesday in Abuja. `` The delegation comprised the Chair of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus, Dee Dawkins-Haigler, Donzella James and Dr Ken Giami, the Chief Executive Officer of African Leadership Magazine,’’ it said.

The statement reported Dawkins-Haigler as saying that the award was conferred on individuals deemed worthy and who had great experience and knowledge doing great work abroad.

She commended the director-general and her team for the good work they were doing in CPC, stressing that “it is admired, not just here (in Nigeria) but abroad’’.

She noted that much could be learnt from the team as long as consumer protection was concerned, because they had brought the protection of consumers up to a new level.

James presented Atoki with an official senate pin on behalf of the Senate and Governor of the State of Georgia, saying that it represented the key to the state.

According to the statement, the award can not be done outside the Georgia, hence, Atoki was formally invited to the state for the conferment of the award in March 2015.

Atoki, while responding to the award, said it was a good new year present for CPC and herself.

According to Atoki, the task of protecting consumers in Nigeria is a huge one as consumer abuse and the impunity of business reign side by side. ``But where you have strict compliance measures, everybody streamlines and for us here we have had and continued to have gross consumer abuses. `` These abuses have remained in the system over the years and have unexpectedly led to consumer apathy. `` I have tried to sensitise consumers to their rights and responsibilities and also take up businesses that have had the reign of impunity. `` It will be a long process to make the desired impact, but the “journey has already started” and the council should be given time for it to succeed. BC

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Business Courage

Monday, January 26, 2015

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Brand Watch

CSR: MTNF project receives accolades in Imo Stories by Adejuwon Osunnuyi

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he Imo state government has given glowing accolades to MTN Foundation, the Corporate Social Responsibility vehicle of leading ICT company, MTN Nigeria on its implementation of the second phase of its highly successful Eyesight Restoration Intervention Scheme, MTNF EyeRIS, in the state.

Through the EyeRIS CSR

project, at least 6,000 people are expected to be screened for cataract and other ocular diseases in Imo State and environs.

The initiative, which enjoys the endorsement of the Federal Ministry of Health, is being implemented in partnership with the Eye Foundation Centre for Prevention of Blindness (EFCPB) and in collaboration with the Imo State Ministry of Health.

Speaking at the commencement ceremony held at the

Imo State Specialist Hospital, Umuguma, Owerri, Chairman of MTN Nigeria, Dr. Pascal Dozie stated that many cases of blindness and visual impairment in the country are preventable.

According to him, the Foundation had in the last two years been actively engaged in the efforts to stop visual disabilities in country.

“MTN Nigeria takes it corporate social responsibility very seriously which is why we

L-R: Abayomi Awelewa, Communication Officer, HarvestPlus Nigeria; Abimbola Ajayi, Local Govt Inspector (LGI), NYSC, Akinyele LGA; Dr Paul Ilona, Country Manager, HarvestPlus Nigeria; Kenneth Okonji, Executive Officer, NYSC, and Anthonia Ilo, Assistant LGI, NYSC, during the Skill Acquisition Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) training programme for Corps Members serving in Akinyele LGA, Ibadan recently.

are perhaps the most visible Foundation in the country going to the nooks and crannies of Nigeria to implement key intervention programs in the areas of Education, Health and Economic Empowerment.”

Commending the Foundation for availing the people of the state with free eye care and corrective surgeries, the state governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha said that visionless is the worst thing that could ever happen to any people or society but through the MTNF’s effort, this problem would become a thing of the past.

“Early detection can prevent blindness or any other eye diseases; MTNF is joining the effort to curb blindness within the state, offering free eye care and cataracts surgeries to 6,000 patients which is a number that no other organisation has been able to impact. This intervention further demonstrates the strong partnership between the Imo State government and MTN Foundation in our shared value of assisting the poor and under-privileged in the society,” said Okorocha.

Also speaking at the ceremony, Executive Secretary of the MTN Foundation, Ms. Nonny Ugboma said that about 4million Nigeria are estimated to be either blind or afflicted by some visual impediment.

“Under the first phase of the EyeRIS project launched in April 2013, a total of 33,364 patients in six states have been treated for cataracts and provided with drug packs to treat

various ocular diseases. Some of these beneficiaries also received free surgery to remove cataract while others received glasses to treat presbyopia,” said Ugboma.

Ugboma also added that through the intervention, the Foundation hopes to contribute to increasing the cataract surgical rate from 0.1 per cent to 0.7 per cent in the selected states, as this is in consonance with the World Health Organization’s Vision 2020 Right to Sight initiative.

The beneficiaries, who turned out in thousands expressed gratitude for their restored eye sights and were full of praise for the MTN Foundation and the state government in making their dreams come true.

MTN Foundation currently has 341 project sites across the six geopolitical zones of the country and has spent over 10 billion on social projects in the areas of health, education and economic empowerment. Aside from the three major portfolios, the Foundation also proactively responds to national emergencies, providing millions of naira worth of urgent relief materials to victims of such occurrences.

In the first phase of the MTNF EyeRIS project, Osun, Niger, Delta, Abia, Sokoto and Jigawa States benefitted from the intervention. Imo, Oyo and Akwa Ibom states will enjoy these free eye screenings and surgeries as well as the provision of glasses and drug packs in the program’s second phase. BC

HarvestPlus engages corps members on cassava production, marketing

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n furtherance of its objectives, chief among which are the promotion and adoption of Vitamin A biofortified staple crops, and delivery to Nigerians especially the rural poor, HarvestPlus Nigeria has intensified effort to reach out to as many Nigerians as possible by engaging young school leavers with a view to making them partners through sustainable agricultural entrepreneurship.

HarvestPlus leads a global effort to improve nutrition and public health by developing and deploying staple food crops that are rich in vitamins and minerals working with diverse partners in more than 40 countries.

The organisation is part of the CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH).

At a recently held monthly National Youth Service Corps,’ NYSC, community development programme for the youth corps members serving in Akinyele Local Government Area of Ibadan, Oyo State,

HarvestPlus’s team, led by its Country Manager, Paul Ilona, was at the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development, SAED, training to sensitise the corps members on the huge opportunities in Vitamin A Cassava production and distribution.

Speaking to the over 300 corps members present at the training, Ilona said: “HarvestPlus is pleased to showcase to you opportunities in Vitamin A Cassava value chain, which will help you to reach your potential, generate income and employ others.”

He added that HarvestPlus is committed to fighting hidden hunger manifested through micronutrient deficiencies in foods by deploying biofortified staple crops and foods to the vulnerable population across the country and urged the youth corps members to partner with the organization to achieve this noble objective.

According to him, the areas of active entrepreneurial en-

gagement that the youth corps members could invest in include Vitamin A cassava stem multiplication; tuberous root production; service provision; and establishment of point of sale (POS) outlets in strategic locations, among others.

“Last year, over 450,000 farmers received Vitamin A cassava stems from HarvestPlus. This year, over 500,000 farmers will get stems for multiplication across the country and this comes in a value range of about N240 million,” Ilona said.

Speaking further, Ilona noted, “Last year, we opened a pioneer point of sale (POS) to demonstrate to our partners that there is market for their Vitamin A cassava products.

This year, HarvestPlus intends to work with partners from the nooks and crannies of Nigeria to establish 300 more points of sale. An online sales portal to connect the points of sale is nearing completion with huge benefits for those who come on board now.”

He assured the corps members that HarvestPlus will train willing partners and provide technical support to ensure their successful take-off.

According to HarvestPlus, the organization will continue to work with strategic partners to deepen knowledge, penetration and adoption of biofortified cassava products in Nigeria.

Last year, the organization partnered Nollywood to produce a movie entitled “Yellow Cassava” and looks out for further opportunities to engage more groups in 2015.

NYSC’s Local Government Inspecto, LGI, for Akinyele LGA, Mrs Abimbola Ajayi, thanked HarvestPlus for the Vitamin A Cassava initiative and the effort to reach out to the youth corps members as a way of helping them to plan their future if they wish to invest in agriculture.

She described the youth as a critical segment of the population whose role in Government’s effort to create jobs and eradicate poverty can never be

over-emphasized and urged the corps members to key into the Vitamin A Cassava initiative to enrich themselves and benefit the country by becoming HarvestPlus’s ambassadors.

Ajayi added that Government established SAED with a view to equipping youth corps members with useful skills that will enhance their life after the service year.

President of the Corps Members’ Educational Development Group for Akinyele LGA, Mr Akinyode Emmanuel, thanked HarvestPlus for the training and promised that the group would continue to build on the foundation already laid

by HarvestPlus to ensure they maximize the benefits of the skills acquisition training.

One of the youth corps members with HarvestPlus Nigeria, Samson Uche Onyekwelu, said introducing the benefits of Vitamin A cassava to his colleagues was borne out of the need to help build capacity that will sustain the youth in future. BC

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Business Courage

Monday, January 26, 2015

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Yomi Badejo-Okusanya

Consummate impresario, PR consultant

He was born into a respectable and by all ramifications, a very comfortable family. Though the sudden death of his father, a renowned entrepreneur who owned a record company known as Badejo Sounds Studio, at the age of nine made life unbearable for him and the other members of the family, but through competitive spirit, passion and resilience which have become his hallmark, today he heads a multinational PR firm known for its specialty in management perception. He is Yomi BadejoOkusanya, Chairman/Owner of CMC Connect Ltd Badejo-Okusanya

By Adejuwon Osunnuyi

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miable, polite, and a gentleman to the core, Yomi Badejo-Okusanya, is an enigma of sort. Endowed with keen business acumen and penchant for doing things to improve the image and welfare of others, he is never a rookie as far as the field of perception management is concerned. A successful Public Relations guru and perception management expert, he has in the past 20 years been creating tremendous value for both local and foreign business organisations through his leading PR consulting firm, CMC Connect Ltd, (Perception Managers.)

Noted for having positive attitude to change initiatives, BadejoOkusanya, a graduate of History from the University of Benin and an indigene of Imodi-Imosan in Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State, has to his credit over two decades of work experience in integrated marketing communications consulting for organisations like the British American Tobacco, Coca-Cola, Virgin, Mastercard, Samsung, Lagos and Delta State governments, to mention a few of his clients. To him, doing business in Nigeria, it requires a lot of innovation, identifying a niche market, deploying a cutting edge technology and having the required resources and well trained manpower to deliver top of the mind services to its clientele.

However, for Yomi, the urbane and bow-tie loving PR man fondly called YBO by his friends, surviving and running such a successful business has been as a result of fate, determination as well as perseverance. Born on 24 December

1962 into the family of late Emmanuel and Olasumbo BadejoOkusanya, though as a young boy, Yomi had everything going for him, but the death of his father, a renowned entrepreneur who owned a record company known as Badejo Sounds Studio, which produced the following legends – Victor Olaiya, Dele Ojo, Yusuf Olatunji, Bobby Benson among others when he was barely nine years old, nearly put an end to his education. While his mother had been a full time house wife, sustaining her late husband’s business had been very difficult since she was not trained on the intricacies of the business. Hence, things were no longer the way they used to be, as the family started having challenges; perhaps quite fast. “Things were no longer the way they used to be; we could not manage the business. He had not trained my mother on the intricacies of the business and so we were not able to sustain the business. It went down quite fast. We started having challenges; perhaps quite fast.

“Perhaps while he was alive, he had challenges too, but we never knew because cars were changed clockwise, food was always available, we were never late in paying our school fees. I did not know how he was doing it but a while after he died; we started to notice the difference. It was so rosy that I recall my mum never ever bought her petrol while he was alive; all she needed to do was go to the gas station, fill the tank, the driver signed and my father’s office paid, so my mum knew nothing about the car. She was not paying a driver, my dad did; he bought the cars in the company’s name and so anytime they were due for ser-

vice, they would take it for servicing and whenever they were due for a change, they were changed.

There were times when my mum would travel for holidays and on returning, a brand new car would be waiting for her. All of a sudden, all that changed and another world beckoned. So yes, it was pretty difficult but it was a long time ago.”

The death of Pa Badejo-Okusanya actually saw his mother’s life style suddenly dropping as the family had to vacate their family house on Oduduwa Crescent, Government Reserved Area, Ikeja and moved into a rented apartment somewhere in Ilupeju. His mother took that decision so that they could raise enough money to meet their needs.

Though the Badejo-Okusanyas have since got back their GRA Ikeja home and even built two others in the same vicinity, he finds the experience too exacerbating to forget.

“Our life transited from what one called a very well -provided for life to facing the stark reality. We found ourselves in a situation that was quite traumatic and we just had to cope with it. We were really very young; it was a challenge for my mum. I saw my mother struggling to cope, I saw her lifestyle drop.

“At one point in time, we had to leave when we were issued a quit notice. In another rented apartment the landlord had to get an injunction over us, asking us to leave his house. It was not easy. But the most important thing is that today; we are back in our house here at the GRA Ikeja, and we have two other buildings still in this GRA.”

But not daunted with his father’s death, Yomi simply grew up and decided to face challenges head on. He was to later continue with his education attending Igbobi College in Lagos as well as the University of Benin where he studied History.

For the consummate PR guru, his journey into the world of public relations was however, apparently never by accident. Though he started his career with an advertising agency, but right from onset, it was apparent that he had his mind made up ending up as a PR practitioner.

As revealed by the PR guru, he was actually spurred by what people said they saw in him hence, he decided to go for it. “Apparently, one of the things was that everybody used to tell me that I would make a good PR practitioner, but I did not know what PR was about.

I do not know what they saw in me but they just kept saying that I would make a good PR person and so at the end of my service I asked myself, ``What do I want to do with my life’’? At that point there was the option of going back to school to study Law which was what I had wanted to study at the beginning, but I thought to myself that going back to school for another three to four years was not going to be easy for me and I was not interested in doing it. I had spent enough time in school already and needed to get out there and start making some money and stand on my own. Basically, that was what I did, and I said to myself that I was going to try my luck at the PR that people said that I was so good at. So, I actually did go in and started learning about PR and that was it.”

Immediately he finished his first degree in History, rather than start up his PR firm as he had wanted to do, though there were no PR consulting firms in those days and that could have been an advantage to him, he opted to work in an advertising company as he was naive that he could run a PR firm successfully by himself.

According to him, while he had made up his mind never to go into any paid job and instead, set up his own PR consulting firm, he was approached by Olanrewaju Tayo; Managing Director of CT& A, who was also an ex- Igbobi College student to come and work with him. He accepted his offer and like he put it, he has never regretted taking such a decision because it indeed served as a launching pad for him. While he was with CT& A, and was working main stream advertising as a client service person, he nevertheless was promoting the management of PR as an addition. “In those days, to win a business, we just had to say, ``Yes, we are an advertising company but we will throw in the PR for you free.’’ So, we were not even charging for the PR, we would get the business and give back extra.

But at a point in time, I simply decided that it was time I went fully into PR.” Having spent four years with CT & Associates, he decided to take his own destiny in his own hands. And talking about destiny, the ebullient technocrat believes that “God has deposited what each and everyone needs to survive in life”.

Hence, in 1992, Yomi started CMC Connect Ltd in his residence, a flat which served as both his office during the day and his

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Apparently, one of the things was that everybody used to tell me that I would make a good PR practitioner, but I did not know what PR was about. I do not know what they saw in me but they just kept saying that I would make a good PR person

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home at nights. However, today, by dint of hard work, strategic thinking and planning, the multiple award winning agency has been surmounting every challenge that comes its way.

Recounting his starting point, Yomi revealed how he used to move from one office to the other, making presentations, until one day when luck smiled on him.

“When you look at where you are and where you want to be, you ask yourself the next question –How can I get there? The company has undergone a lot of metamorphosis since we started in 1992 and the fact that we still exist, means we have adopted different strategies at different times to keep us on board and we are still adopting new strategies because we must take it to the next level.”

Yomi revealed that at the beginning, he used to move from one office to the other, making presentations, until one day when luck smiled on him as he had his first major break with ABG Communications owned by Alhaji Bawa Garba who at that time pioneered the satellite system. “I went to him and said I would like to do business with him and he replied, “Young man, I admire your courage but beyond you doing PR for me, I would like you to also do some selling for me,” which I did alongside the PR job.”

Buying into LTC advertising ltd in 1997 as well as becoming an an affiliate with Arcay Commmunications in 2008, CMC Connect draws its competitive strength from collaborations with stronger partners both local and foreign.

Aside the sense of vision and purpose which have driven and sustained the company all these

Business Courage

Monday, January 26, 2015

years, attesting to factors that have accounted for CMC’s longetivity, the PR guru noted that partnering with the likes of Lawson Thomas and Colleague Group, LTC and perhaps the flagship of that organisation LTCJWT advertising firm and also STB McCann ,the local affiliate of McCann Ericsson has been the magic wand. “It is easier to coast along when other people think about your problems and challenges. A major problem with Nigerian business is that we are all too small, we lack capacity and capability and cannot deliver the best.”

“I am looking forward to my retirement because I know I have other people who share the burden and have a larger interest in this business and continue to advance the frontiers of the business.”

Five years after formation of CMC, precisely 1997, then, realising that advertising was the be- itall, hence, putting on his thinking cap, YBO decided to speak to a couple of agencies including LTC, specifically Billy Lawson as he proposed partnership to them because piece meals were left for PR firms. He established a good rapport with him and this seemed to have been made possible considering the fact that they attended the same old school, Igbobi College.

While Igbobi has been a tradition that binds its alumni together, they bonded quickly. They bought into his business and they decided to look out for one another. The game plan was that they would present him with PR opportunities and he would do same to them if he saw adverting opportunities.

They commenced that relationship in 1997 and in 1999 they had a joint pitch with STB McCann for the Nigerian Sports Lottery which they executed well. While they all came together, McCann Erickson also bought into CMC because Yomi literally owned CMC 100 percent at that time but shared it.

While CMC, in the last 20 years has been the toast of the industry coasting home so many

awards and recognitions, including emerging Most Outstanding PR practitioner for the past two years at the NIPR Golden Awards, to YBO, it is not yet Uhuru as he maintained that he is not resting on its oars. “Well, we thank God for all we have done so far; but I think that it is time to move on and that is exactly what we are doing. There is still a lot out there to catch.” He said.

CMC Connect offers an array of services such as Strategic Communication, Corporate Communication, Marketing PR, Public Affairs, Digital Media, Perception Audit, Media Services as well as Financial PR. Majorly in the last 20 years, the firm’s clients, according to Yomi benefit from its varied skills through the firm’s cross-functional approach to assignment execution. For instance, when it got the mandate to manage Sweet sensation on the heels of the crisis it had in 2009 leading to the closure of one of its outlets, CMC swung into action initiating and facilitating the meeting between the MD, Sweet sensation and the DG, NAFDAC. At the end of the day, Sweet Sensation was let off the hook opening more outlets.

CMC also manages Cocacola’s all-year mutual relationship and understanding between clients’ brands activities and the media among others.

“Our current achievements could be likened to a fisherman who, by merely fishing by the sea shore, caught a good number of fish, felt great about it and left for home without realizing that there is a whole lot more fish that could be caught if only he had the presence of mind to venture deeper into the sea. So, we are not resting on our oars; we are aiming to achieve even much more successes - successes in the light of which current achievements would pale into insignificance.”

Recently, the firm entered into a strategic partnership with global publisher, the Oxford Business Group, OBG,in a move that will see the PR firm handle all the Group’s PR activities in Nigeria.

The partnership, according to Yomi, is a significant step in establishing and reaffirming the company as one of the nation’s most sought after public relations firms in Nigeria and beyond. Expressing the firm’s excitement at the prospect of working with Oxford Business Group, he enthused “We are very happy about this partnership; it is a win-win situation. CMC Connect will gain a wealth of experience from OBG while they also will have something to gain from our experience in the Nigeria market.”

On her part, Brooke Butler, a representative of the group in Nigeria said she believes that the partnership will help position and promote the various services that OBG offers to various companies in Nigeria.

In 2009, affirming its great strength and acceptability, CMC established the Abuja office.

One of the things that have kept Yomi going is the fact that he really relishes his work with an

undiluted passion. According to him, “Public Relations is a management tool and when you make a difference and assist the client to achieve some set objectives, it becomes exciting. I believe that some of the times we have pitched for businesses and won have also been very rewarding because it is one thing to plan on paper and another to implement.”

However, running the business for more than two decades, unknown to many, going through one challenge or the other, there had been occasions which had made YBO consider quitting his job. “There were times I keep on asking myself, what am I doing here? Sometimes, I think of quitting when I am depressed but the joy is in solving clients’ challenges and that compensates for the trouble.” One of the major challenges he admitted has been access to capital. “The major challenge has been access to capital. It was 20 years ago and is still a major one today and this is because unlike other businesses, government and multinationals do not pay ahead and we end up borrowing money to execute jobs and most times the high interest rate erodes on the profits! Secondly, capacity building is a major challenge and this cuts across board because standards have fallen in schools.

Can you imagine engaging a degree holder who can barely write a letter successfully without mistakes? Another challenge is the clients themselves and this is occasioned by the tightening of the economy. Some clients resort to playing tricks including yanking some businesses or under-cutting us and I say that with every sense of responsibility.” He submitted.

But despite all these, it sounds rather strange to him, because according to him, not so many people and organisations believe in hiring perception managers to manage their image.

“It’s been extremely challenging running a business like ours in this country,” he says. “A lot of people and organisations do not appreciate the role of Public Relations and even those who appreciate it are not ready to pay the required service value, such that could make us excel in what we are doing.

“It’s been a very challenging journey. Sometimes, you ask yourself, why are you in this kind of business? However, we have been able to survive by evolving the strategies that suit the challenges of time.”

Radiating a sense of triumph and warmth, the high net worth organizations which his company had done business with, and those still on their bill include Samsung, International Monetary Fund ,IMF, ASO Savings & Loans Plc, MasterCard, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Virgin Group, British American Tobacco,BAT, Hewlett Packard ,HP, PDP, Guinness Nigeria Plc among others.

The gentleman, who is the secretary-general of the African Public Relations Association, is a also a member of the Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations ,NIPR, and a past

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Chairman of NIPR, Lagos State Chapter.

Some of the awards which the company has in its kitty include NIPR Golden Eagle Award, Best PR Agency of The Year 2011, Best Use of PR in the Print Media 2011, Best Use of PR in the Print Media & PR Golden Eagle Awards 2010, PR Company of the Year both in 2005 and 2009.

Married to Oyinkansola, who is the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola on Justice Sector Reform, he revealed that their relationship developed from being family friends to being husband and wife. The marriage is blessed with a child.

Badejo-Okusanya has a clear picture of where he is taking CMC Connect and he does not shy away from telling whoever cares to listen. “I want to build an institution out of CMC Connect. What is an institution? An institution is something that outlives the owner.

“All things being equal, I would have wished by now I should have retired from CMC Connect. So I could hand over to a younger generation. I see CMC Connect in the future being one of the most notable perception management consulting firms, running on cutting edge technology. I see it solving communication problems of the future, based on the young brilliant minds that will be working here”.

Disclosing why he has been so passionate about PR over the years, he noted “I have learnt the tools of Public Relations and I realize that they are literally the tools of life; if you apply them, you are bound to be successful. There is something unique about Public Relations; it has a tool to deal with every life situation, more or less, and that is understandable because as the name implies, it deals with the publics’ relations.

In the base form of it, it is public and relations, so it is relationship building, whether at home, in your family or with your friends, your boss, your subordinates etc.

The whole essence of Public Relations is stakeholders’ relationship, which is what it is.

“I find out that it helps to prepare me for a vast range of things; PR has got so much in it that if we could mine it, we would be much better as individuals, as a nation and as a continent. Nigeria is not at its best, not because we do not have resources but because we do not mine the resources. An example I always give - when you talk about the crime rate in South Africa, it is far higher than that of Nigeria yet a lot people still flock to South Africa because of what they sell to us. They are able to turn what ordinarily looks like an adversity into a strength or an advantage and this is the kind of thing that Public Relations does for a nation the ability to tell a story from a certain perspective.

“Some people call it a spin; I disagree - we are not spin doctors.

If you get water from a natural source, you purify it, that is what Public Relations does - we just purify the information approach, we filter relations process.” BC

A14 30

Business Courage

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Monday, January 26, 2015

ThebuddingEntrepreneurs

Improve and make progress A

BUSINESS KLINIC

‘

With Mamora Victor Mamora is a system thinker and advisor whose belief and activator leadership strengths are directed towards improving workers perspective for city and enterprise development.

e-mail: olusegunmamora@gmail.com

stand still without.

The law of progress says “First within and then without”. All progress remains at a state of rest until a mental force is applied. Emphasis has to be on mental work because it is what gives value to physical work. Education, study, professional training, and reading books sharpen ones cutting edge in life.

I should say that in any organisation where individual do not improve mentally the corporate cutting edge potential will be blunted. Therefore, it is important to encourage workers to invest in personal improvement and the potential for corporate success and national development has a chance of reality.

Slow business growth and country development is an effect of business and society unguided by the principle of progress. Principle of progress gives creative power and a leverage for everybody. Principle is fair to all whether an African, American, Asian, European.

I will encourage that you take steps towards improving yourself and by this responsibility, your contribution to country economy will improve the potential of the national economic growth. Therefore, take note of these responsibilities as explained below for personal improvement.

First: Make up your mind to improve You need to make up your mind that it is possible to improve on many things. You can improve your professional skills, soft skills, business image, personal image, office location and types of client, market share, sales, marketing strategy or your business process. Set goals for improvement. There is no success without goals. You can imagine how boring a football match will be where there are no goal posts. The player will not be motivated to improve on their football skills. You need to have improvement goals and plan. The planning brakes down the processes

In any organisation where individual do not improve mentally the corporate cutting edge potential will be blunted

‘

dewale, fondly called “Dewale Alapere” (which means, ‘Dewale the basket weaver) grew up in a village, south west Nigeria.

He grew up on a farm with parents who could not afford to buy a bed but always slept on bamboo with mat and lived in mud house until he departed for the University of Ilorin where he had his first opportunity to view television.

He and his family were classified as poor in his young age but ‘Dewale has a passion that circumstances could not take away. While his sibling were eager to receive Christmas clothes and look forward to the luxury of eating rice and chicken, which was a special Christmas menu, he would insist that his portion of the fund be diverted to purchase his school books. As a young boy, he has passion for personal improvement.

Today, my friend “Dewale Alapere” is a top performance leader and excellent manager of resources in one of the top 2 new generation banks in Nigeria. His decision for personal improvement has improved his community, family and the organisation he works with. I understand that Adewale often meet his target latest by 3rd quarter of the year.

The last time I visited him and checked his personal library, it impressed upon me that personal transformation is impossible without private responsibility to improve one’s knowledge base. This is the reason that notable people in any economy usually are people of “Note and Table”. They seat, study, strategise and execute. Adewale has moved beyond “Dewale Alapere” whose job was to weave basket to a PhD holder and works with a bank that performed best in Nigeria in the year 2013. He is so passionate about personal improvement that the tedious bank job in Nigeria could not stand in his way to start and finish his PhD degree at the University of Ibadan in the year 2013.

Dear friend, the journey from rags to riches, grass to grace, is an internal trip.

You cannot travel within and

to achieve the improvement goals.

Second: Never allow outside to catch up with your inside Be far inside your mind than what people will see outside you. It does not matter how excellent people perceive your work, products and service make it an attitude of having a mind that sees beyond what people celebrate now. When people see the best local brand then in your mind, you are seeing world best brand in that category.

What I mean is, do not allow complacency. Celebrate new improvement, thank God for it, appreciate everybody who supported you and move to the next level of your improvement goals.

Third: Develop a private library

Motivational Business Quotes

L

ife is too complicated not to be orderly. – Martha Stewart

Business is more exciting than any game.

– Lord Beaverbrook

The winners in life think constantly in terms of I can, I will, and I am. Losers, on the other hand, concentrate their waking thoughts on what they should have or would have done, or what they can’t do. – Dennis Waitley

Let every man be respected as an individual and no man idolized. – Albert Einstein

Business opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one coming. – Richard Branson

If it really was a no-brainer to make it on your own in business there’d be millions of no-brained, harebrained, and otherwise dubiously brained individuals quitting their day jobs and hanging out their own shingles. Nobody would be left to round out the workforce and execute the business plan. – Bill Rancic

Leadership is doing what is right when no one is watching. – George Van Valkenburg There is no royal, flower-strewn path to success. And if there is, I have not found it.

For if I have accomplished anything in life, it is because I have been willing to work hard. – C.J. Walker

We are currently not planning on conquering the world. – Sergey Brin

It takes more than capital to swing business. You’ve got to have the A. I. D. degree to get by — Advertising, Initiative, and Dynamics. – Ren Mulford Jr. BC

Have a private home or office library. Leaders are readers. There can be no progress in the business of a leader whose knowledge base is struggling to catch up with the reality of present business sphere. Few years ago, I learnt that Dr. David Oyedepo, the chancellor of Covenant University has one of the largest and functional personal library with tens of thousands of books. That reflect in his effective management and leadership of one of the world largest and wealthiest faith based organisation in the world. It is a smart decision to have a personal library or laboratory where you can develop ideas, consult other books and work on projects.

Four: Every little improvement counts Sometimes wanting to see result happen immediately can stand in the way of your improvement effort. The smart people improve little by little and consistently improving daily for many years.

Improve your study habit by 5 minutes daily will amount to additional 1825 study minutes in a year. You can focus on little effort to exercise by doing 10 push up daily, read one chapter of your bible daily, and listen to 10 minutes inspiration message daily.

Attend one professional development seminar yearly.

Every little effort towards improvement accumulate to reposition your for success.

It takes you up beyond your imagination and makes you smile upward in life.

Dear friend, there is no world class brain anywhere.

Every human brain has the same potential. We only have people who have taken world class responsibilities for their brain potentials and stretched their mind to achieve what others feels impossible. These are the people whose business command world class attention and larger shares of the world market distributions of products and services.

My personal belief is that if they can achieve it, you can do it too. Take courageous steps to improve now, you will surely be better off at the end. BC

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business Courage

Monday, January 26, 2015

A15 31

Number Portability: So far, so fair?

Almost two years after the Nigerian telecommunications Commission ,NCC,introduced the mobile number portability,MNP, exercise, how far has the scheme gone?

Are Nigerians really porting?

By Adejuwon Osunnuyi

T

he mobile number portability, MNP, exercise was introduced in 2013 to checkmate unwholesome practices and poor quality of service (QoS) by Nigerian telecommunications Commission, NCC. Prior to the introduction of the MNP, many Nigerians have had cause to change from network due to poor quality of service, as well as other sundry complaints against operators, thereby making many of them having multiple telephone lines as well as multiple telephone sets. But with the MNP service, Nigeria’s over 134 million active mobile subscribers were given the freedom of changing from one network to the other without losing their numbers. Thus, a subscriber who has been using an MTN number, which many of his business associates, customers, families and many others have known him with, might decide to dump the MTN network probably due to one dissatisfaction or the other for Etisalat but he would still be using the MTN number. With MNP, you can now move your personal number to any network without having to bother about getting new number or losing important contacts.

The scheme, which many stakeholders applauded is said to have deepened competition in Nigeria’s telecoms industry as mobile operators jostle to woo new subscribers whilst retaining existing ones.

However, two years down the line, aside the excitement actor Saka–Hafiz Oyetoro – who had long been associated with Etisalat Nigeria in most of the company’s TV commer-

Oyetoro

cials generated when on the same day the MNP started, he was shown in a TV commercial, dancing and singing that he had “ported” to a rival telecoms provider, it seems not many Nigerians up till date are really excited about the exercise.

According to investigations carried out by Business Courage, based on the available statistics on the website of the NCC, as at September, 2014, out of the total 134, 507,196 active subscribers, only 38, 662 have actually port-in or out.

When NCC first released its first data after the commencement of MNP in October 2013, porting activities showed that about 16,217 actually ported-in and out of various networks. While the data showed that MTN as the biggest loser as 4,453 representing 55 per cent ported out of its network, Airtel also suffered 1,447 loss representing 18 per cent, Glo having 1,204 representing 15 per cent leaving its network and Etisalat having 1,001 representing 12 per cent loss. At the end of that month, 8,105 were recorded to have ported out of their various networks.

In the same month, Airtel became the biggest gainer as it recorded 3,615 represent-

ing 45 per cent new entrants to its network. Etisalat had 2,806 representing 35 per cent, Glo, 1,082 representing 13 per cent and MTN having just 609 new entrants at eight per cent.

Porting activities on the

Willsher

various networks in July 2014 showed that while there were 11, 110 port-outs, about 11, 320 ported in. as it had been the trend since the porting scheme began, MTN was the worst hit as a total number of 4, 924 subscribers represent-

ing 44 per cent left the network as against 1,252 representing 11 per cent port-ins. However, Etisalat had 2,634 subscribers leaving the network while it gained 4, 791 new entrants.

For Airtel, while about 1,630 subscribers left the network for other networks, it gained 3,312 new subscribers as Glo lost 2,632 subscribers and gaining 1,965 new subscribers.

For the month of August 2014, again, while MTN lost a total of 6,836 subscribers, it could only gain 720 new subscribers as Etisalat which lost 1, 598 subscribers was able to garner 7,715 new subscribers. While Glo lost 2,632 subscribers, it was able to gain only 2065 representing 15 per cent. Airtel attracted about 3,056 new subscribers but lost 2, 812 subscribers in the month under review.

As at September, 2014, activities of the porting exercise continued as a total of 18,920 subscribers ported out of their various networks while another 19, 682 were seen porting in to various networks. While MTN continued with its woeful performance as about 8,863 subscribers again left the network, it was only able to garner 1,304 new Continued on pg A16

A16 32

Business Courage

Adebayo

entrants. Again, Etisalat was seen as the top gainer having a total of 9, 749 subscribers representing 49.52 per cent as new subscribers as against 2, 682 subscribers that left its network in the same month.

For Airtel, it had 3,490 subscribers leaving the network while it was able to gain 6, 523 new entrants. In the development, Glo lost 3, 945 subscribers as it gained 2,112 new subscribers.

Industry analysts are of the view that MNP still appears to be dull in terms of uptake of the service. Matthew Wilsher, chief executive officer, Etisalat Nigeria admitted this in an interview. According to him, “The multi-SIM nature of the country is impacting on the process greatly, but I can stress that there has been huge explosion in porting in Nigeria.”

Commending the NCC for introducing the scheme, Wilsher said the process had given subscribers freedom of choice. “Porting has become very easy now and this is good for customers,” he said.

To Gbenga Adebayo, chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), the MNP has seen the telcos being put under pressure to invest in network upgrade, which seems to be one of fallouts of the MNP introduction.

With this being put in place, Adebayo believes most Nigerians might not really need to be porting in and out of networks.

In view of this, it would be recalled that most of the networks have in the last few years embarked on a massive network expansion and technical network upgrade project, which has significantly enhanced the quality of customer experience on their networks.

The expansion project involved network upgrade and overhaul of infrastructure across the country, as well as expansion and densification projects.

“Appropriately targeted capital expenditure leads to improved network performance,” said Johan Haeger, head of tactical marketing, business unit networks at Ericsson. This, he further added translates into better market performance which is shown to boost financial returns.

However, many believe that with the availability of multiSIMS phone sets in the country, there is no need of porting. For instance, speaking to Business Courage, Abiodun Bamgbose, submitted: “I don’t need to port because I currently have Airtel, MTN, Etisalat, Glo and Visafone lines. And none holds any serious qualitative/customer

Monday, January 26, 2015

service edge over the others.”

Speaking in the same vein, another respondent, Olamide Elizabeth, echoed: “I won’t port, simply because I already have all the networks; so no need. Moreover, all of them are the same, erratic service as usual.”

To Chike Kanu: “Portability simply means jumping from frying pan to fire.

Thanks to multiple SIM handsets. If MTN is messing up, I switch to either Glo, Airtel, or Etisalat. That way, you avoid jumping into fire.”

Nnenna Azuka said: “MNP came too late. I currently have two phones, one housing three SIMs and the other my BB. All the networks offer same terrible service. Even if I had only one phone, there is no encouragement to port.

Did you see the litany of steps one has to take to marry another network for 90 gruelling days? I would rather buy a N100 SIM card than go through the process.”

According to the NCC, before porting can take place, the subscriber must meet certain conditions: his/her mobile phone number must be registered; the subscriber wishing to change from one operator to another is expected to terminate service with his/her existing service provider before initiating porting with the new service provider; the subscriber must visit a customer care office, retail shop or outlet of his/her chosen new service provider and meet with the authorised sales person to request to port his/her number; the subscriber must present a proof of identity such as identity card, passport or driving licence or an officially-validated photographic identity document; once porting has taken place, a subscriber must use the network for 90 days before being eligible to port again.

With such conditions, many had wondered if subscribers would look forward to porting, when it will cost far less to get a new SIM card.

According to Azuka Onwuka, a brand consultant, in his own contribution on why Nigerians might not be enthusiastic with porting, he submitted, “Nigerian subscribers want to port, but not from one network to another; rather they want to port from run-of-the-mill telephone service quality to excellent service. They deserve it for their long years of loyalty and patience.” BC

Technotalk

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

with Esther Ozue (ozueesther@nationalmirroronline.net) 08059234648 (sms only)

Younity, your personal cloud

Y

ounity lets you have all your files on all your devices at the same time without planning ahead or incompatibilities of storage limits, configuration or management of any kind. Younity creates a personal cloud for all your files, built from your devices and your online services, so that all your devices work as if they were a single device.

Cloud access to important files is easy with applications and services like dropbox, google drive, apple’s icloud, or window’s sky drive. If you want to access all of your media files and large documents stored directly on your computer, you should check out iOS file streaming app and service like Younity.

Younity is an easy, instant access to all types of files, but especially media libraries. Not only does your personal media management need to be maintained, but these files need to be streamed in a way that allows fast, easy access. Younity lets you have all your music playlists, HD movies, personal videos, entire photo albums and more all on each device you have, regardless of storage via Windows, Mac OS X, and iOS device.

In other words, it creates the equivalent of a VPN (virtual private network) between a user’s home and office desktop PCs, laptop PCs, tablets, and smartphones.

With Younity there’s no cloud storage limits to think about, if your computer(s) and iOS devices are on and connected to the internet, Younity provide access to all your files on your computer and it can even stream your movie and song files without having to download those files to your mobile devices.

To use Younity, you need to download and install it on your iPhone and/or iPad and install the windows or OS X client on your computer. You have to also register each of your devices using your facebook, google, or a Younity email account.

After installing the Younity desktop app, you then register for a Younity account. It will scan for all the files on your computer by automatically sorting all music, video and photo files that it detects; no matter how scattered the files are across your computer.

By default, it will pick the root directory of your computer, so you can gain access to every file on your computer.

A great advantage of Younity is that your files are not uploaded or copied to any server. Instead, it creates an entirely personal cloud for your devices so they can be accessed remotely.

Younity acts like a remote file browser and only loads the file when you open it. This means it doesn’t use up much mobile Internet data.

If you need access to certain files for offline use, you can even pre-download the files you need. To download files onto the app, simply navigate to your desired document or media file and tap on the blue arrow at the bottom left corner of the screen. Select the files you want offline access to before tapping the download button.

In conclusion,Younity as a free app is an awesome alternative to the mainstream cloud services and gives you even more flexibility when it comes to browsing just the files you need while on the go. Files on your computer cannot be deleted or moved with the app and you can’t share your content with others, who is not in your cloud ecosystem One drawback of Younity is that your computer has to stay on when using Younity to download the files.

Currently Younity is available for iOS devices and computers running windows from XP to 8 and Mac OS X from 10.6 to 10.8. BC

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Google launches online portal for Febuary’s elections

aged to make a pledge. The more people who commit, the greater the voter turnout and the better Nigeria’s democracy would be for it”.

Stories by Adejuwon Osunnuyi

G

oogle has launched an online portal where voters can keep an eye on the latest news about Nigerian politics in the run-up to the general elections in February.

According to Google’s Communications and Public Affairs Manager for Nigeria, Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, the portal is a one-stop resource containing voting information and news relating to the elections.

All news, videos and digital media to have appeared about the election or the parties are collected in one place and can be viewed on desktops, tablets and mobile phones.

Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade stated that “The Internet continues to play an increasingly major role in the way political parties and voters take part in elections in Africa. Today, it’s easier for voters to actively take part in the electoral process because they now have faster access to news and information relating to the process.

Visitors to the Portal will be able to access news, features and audiovisual content on the political parties and their candidates, other major players and the various preparations by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in the run-up to the polls.

There are also interactive platforms that will enable the candidates better articulate their manifestos to the voting public, who in turn can task the office seekers on issues of interest to them.

While the major theme of the portal is Information and Enlightenment, there are other features that are also designed to encourage eligible voters to vote come Election Day. “We have the ‘Pledge to Vote’ feature which allows visitors to publicly commit to vote via personalized #pledgetovote badges which can be downloaded and shared with their friends and the public via social media”, KolaOgunlade says.

“We think that by sharing pictures and images of their badges with friends or acquaintances on Facebook and other social media, they too may be encour-

Business Courage

Monday, January 26, 2015

Brandimarte

goSwiff gets the nod to bring mPOS to Nigerian banks

A

global mobile commerce and marketing services provider, goSwiff, has announced that its mPOS platform has been certified for the Nigerian market, to support Nigerian government’s “Cashless Nigeria” initiative.

It would be recalled that the Central Bank of Nigeria aims to reduce the amount of physical cash circulating in the economy, and encourage more electronic-based transactions.

According to the firm, goSwiff mPOS will enable merchants in Africa’s largest economy to accept card payments in a secure and easy way, using mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets with card readers.

The certification is the first for an internationally recognized mobile POS solution and covers both the goSwiff mPOS platform, chosen already by over 50 banks globally, and goSwiff PINPad card reader, specifically designed for harsh mobile environments.

The CEO of goSwiff, Simone Ranucci Brandimarte, said, “Certification of the goSwiff solution for Nigeria means that banks can now help local entrepreneurs to start accepting card payments with goSwiff’s secure and fully certified platform.

With goSwiff’s global expertise in mobile payments, banks in Nigeria will be able to roll out a safe and reliable solution enabling merchants to accept card payments.”

“Most banks cannot afford to take the risk with unproven solutions, so we are thrilled that goSwiff can help

to accelerate the expansion of card acceptance in Nigeria.”

With Nigeria’s population currently put at over 178 million, it currently has about 34 million cards in circulation.

The mPOS helps increase electronic transactions and reduce the dependence on cash, whilst extending the reach of the financial services infrastructure also to the unbanked due to the mobile nature of the solution. mPOS facilitates full service agency banking, enabling banks to expand into rural areas and providing a platform for other transactions: loans, insurance as well as other services. People who live in rural communities without bank branch offices are now gaining access to banking and transactions through mPOS applications.

MTN empowers Nigerians with millions of naira in Cash Quest Promo

I

n fulfillment of its promise to continually make its subscribers’ lives better, MTN Nigeria has given out cash prizes, ranging from N10 million to N1 million to lucky subscribers, who participated in its ongoing Cash Quest promo.

Sharing his story, one of the N10 million winners, IkennaEkeaku, a 32 year old man from Enugu State noted that his experience could be best described as “from setback to a big break.”

“I came to Lagos some years ago to learn electronics trading under my uncle. After some years of diligent service under my business mentorship, he couldn’t assist me to start my own business as expected. I was depressed about this development. I tried to move on by raising funds myself to do other things but none worked out as planned. Things got really sore that I had to relocate cate back to the village.”

Speaking further, Ikenna kenna said that he was in the e village when he got a calll from MTN that he won N10m. m. “I was dumbfounded after er receiving the call. The quesuestion I asked myself was, so miracle still happens?”

“I am grateful to gMTN for this life changing opportunity I have been given and I know things have become better for me again.”

Beside Ikenna, ChigozieOkoh, a 30 year-old indigene of Ebonyi State, also won the N10m prize.

Also on the winning streak were over 20 other subscribers that won N1m each.

One of the winners, Phibian Otuche, was particularly happy with the timing of the promo.

“I commend MTN for this promo and more importantly for the timing. Things are better appreciated when they meet your need at the most desired time. This is what this gesture has done for me as an individual and I feel truly empowered.”

A17 33

screen, and be powered by an octacore Huawei/HiSilicon processor with 3GB of RAM. Like Ascend Mate 7 (and rival products from Apple and Samsung), P8 is expected to include a fingerprint sensor.

The device is also likely to have an aluminium body, as opposed to metal detailing on the Ascend P7.

It has also been reported that Huawei is working on an “ultra high-end” smartphone, under the D8 codename.

This is likely to feature a 5.5-inch 2K display, 64-bit processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of native storage.

Huawei to “cut-off” Ascend Brand – Report Whatsapp finally goes live on deskstop uawei is reportedly plan-

H

ning to drop the Ascend brand from its smartphone range, after having used the name on its consumer devices for some years.

According to media reports, the company’s next flagship will be called Huawei P8, following on from the Huawei Ascend P7.

Huawei has used the Ascend-brand across the bulk of its devices, with other designators used to differentiate specific product lines.

For example, P-branded devices are flagships, Mate is used to identify phablets, and G is for “affordable premium” products.

Huawei is also building its Honor range of devices for mass-market and direct-toconsumer sales. In some regions this is being positioned as a standalone.

It was reported last year that Huawei is looking to reduce its own-brand lowend smartphone activities, as it looks to focus its efforts on higher-margin devices.

It has also been suggested that P8 will make its debut at Mobile World Congress this year. This would mark a change for Huawei, which unveiled its predecessors at standalone events a little later in the year.

Recent speculation indicates that the device will have a 5.2inch full HD

Huawei Ascend P7

W

hatsApp is now available on desktop, thanks to a web client that launched yesterday, January 21, 2015, for Chrome and Android via a new live page at web.whatsapp.com.

“The primary use is of course still on your phone,” a spokesman said, “but there are people who spend time in front of a computer at home or at work and this will help bridge the two.”

In order to make use of this service, your phone will need to stay connected to the web for the client to work. All user messages and information will still reside on the phone, but WhatApp is hoping the client will give users more flexibility.

According to a spokesman, the company is planning to bring the same experience to iOS, although the timeframe is still uncertain. In a subsequent blog post, the company said: “We really hope you find web client useful in your everyday lives.”

With over 600 million active users, WhatsApp is one of the largest chat clients in the world, and the company’s growth has fueled various rumours about their next move. In November 2014, WhatsApp partnered with Whisper Systems for end-to-end encryption, bringing strong security to an unusually broad user base.

Also in December 2014, the company’s plans for voice-calling were revealed by images scraped from WhatsApp’s public site, although the company has yet to publicly release the feature. BC

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Business Courage

Monday, January 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Behind d Wheels This page is open to sponsorship

Autocare Checking and adding fluids to vital vehicle components (3)

W

E

xactly one quarter-century has passed since an upstart Japanese luxury car brand named Acura introduced an ambitious mid-engine sports car called the NSX. Sold in other markets as a Honda, the aluminum Acura NSX was light, stylish, and fast, yet its less sexy qualities—everyday drivability, friendly ergonomics, and Honda reliability—are what ended up turning the exotic-car world on its nose. From that moment on, Ferraris and Porsches couldn’t get away with being tempestuous, occasional-use money pits. The NSX was the world’s first everyday exotic, one that cost a fraction of its mid-engine competitors.

The overall shape hasn’t changed since the NSX concept cars started floating around, the production version has grown more than three inches in length, one inch in width, and about a half inch in height.

Compared with the original NSX, it is considerably larger, as well, particularly in width, up by 5.1 inches, and wheelbase, which has grown by 11.0 inches. Its space-frame structure is comprised of aluminum, high-strength steel, and “other advanced materials,” and the floor is carbon fiber. Acura did not provide estimated curb weight, but we reckon it’ll tip the scales at about 3600 pounds (in 1994, we weighed an NSX at 3030 pounds).

Interior The car’s exterior details have been refined and refined some more, resulting in a car that looks finished, sophisticated, yet

even more extreme. Up front, the concept’s chunky, five-block headlamps have been replaced by skinny rows of six LEDs underscored by an even thinner strip of LED DRLs, while redesigned ducts and filaments within the fascia have rendered Acura’s much-maligned “power plenum” grille treatment to a mere chrome strip. (Hooray!) The body panels are made of aluminum and sheet-molding composites, and they include a flying-buttress-style C-pillar that drops about halfway down the body side to accommodate the gaping engine-air intake.

Out back is a thin band of taillamps spanning the width of the car, while the bumper contains a trio of massive air extractors and diffuser vanes bracketing centermounted exhaust pipes. And in a nod to the original NSX, the debut car was rendered in NSX red with a contrasting black roof. A carbonfiber roof will be optional.

The ultra-thin-spoke wheels measure 19 by 8.5 inches in front, 20 by 11 inches in back, and are wrapped by 245/35 and 295/30 Continental ContiSportContact tires. Tucked behind them are sixpiston front and four-piston rear calipers clamping carbon-ceramic rotors.

The low dashboard features exposed aluminum structural components covered by padded, blackand-red-stitched leather panels. A TFT instrument cluster is nestled behind a highly sculpted steering

wheel with flattened upper and lower sections. Acura is very proud of one particular feature of the new NSX, which also happens to be one of our favorite aspects of the original car: the thin windshield pillars, which are meant to facilitate a panoramic view of the road ahead, contributing an impression of lightness.

The original NSX made news also with its easy ingress/egress, as well as its ergonomic. Now, as then, the NSX’s climate controls are refreshingly simple, and the screen perched above them appears suspiciously like the app-based infotainment system found in the Civic and the Fit, which, unfortunately, we aren’t overly fond of. We’ll hope that Acura has found a way to finesse the system’s fussier logic paths—we would hate it to be a blight on an otherwise stellar-looking cabin.

Engine The NSX is powered by Acura’s first turbocharged engine since the original RDX crossover and is only the company’s second foray into forced induction in its U.S.-market vehicles. Acura (and parent company Honda) has long preferred noodling with its VTEC valvetrains rather than turbo- or supercharging its four- and six-cylinder engines in order to boost their output. But these days—especially with supercars—natural aspiration is simply not enough. Therefore, not only is the NSX’s 75-degree, dry-sump V-6 twin-turbocharged, twin turbocharged, but the e engine is supplemented by three e electric motors, one sandwich sandwiched between the e engine and the nines p e e d dualclutch c automatic transmission, a n d one at on each front wheel. Acura did not reve reveal the

indshield Washer Fluid: Windshield washer fluid is usually blue in color. It is specially formulated so it does not freeze. Never use cooling system antifreeze as it is not made for window cleaning and can damage the vehicle’s finish. Do not confuse this reservoir with the overflow antifreeze reservoir – they often look similar. The cap on a windshield washer reservoir usually has a wiper symbol engraved on it. To add windshield washer fluid, locate the cap and fill until the fluid is about half an inch from the top. When adding windshield washer fluid, take a moment to inspect the windshield wipers. The wipers should be soft and without cracks. If the wipers are streaking or skipping across the windshield they need replacing. You can replace just the rubber insert or the complete blade. Follow instructions that come with the replacement parts for specific assembly procedures.

Differential Fluid: Rear and front differentials, which connect the drive shafts to the wheels, also require fluid. This fluid check is required on rearwheel drive or four-wheel drive vehicles, and is similar to checking manual transmission fluid.

Remove the check plug, check the level, and fill as necessary. The oil should be at the bottom of the plug hole. Gear oil (SAE 80W90) is the most common differential fluid. Some differentials use limited slip additives. Always check your owner’s manual for the specific fluid.

Power Steering Fluid: Most vehicles today have power steering. The power steering pump is located off an engine drive belt. The cap and the dipstick are commonly one unit. To check the fluid, shut off the engine, locate the power steering reservoir, remove the dipstick, wipe it off, reinstall, remove again, and note the reading. The stick usually has a full hot and a full cold line. Using a clean funnel, add fluid as necessary. Power steering fluid can be clear, gold, or red. Check your owner’s manual for specifications.

Battery Electrolyte: The electrolyte in a battery is a mixture of sulfuric acid and distilled water. Over time, some of the water may evaporate. To check the level, put on safety goggles and gloves, remove your rings and watches, disconnect the negative battery cable, and remove the cell caps. On some vehicles the batteries are sealed and cannot be opened. Refer to your owner’s manual to see if your battery is considered maintenance free. Usually there is a split ring indicator in each cell to indicate the correct levels. If the fluid is low, add only distilled water. Do not overfill. Replace the caps and reattach the negative battery cable. Warning: Wash your hands thoroughly to remove any battery acid. BC displacement of the V-6, nor output figures for the engine or the electric motors, but Acura spokesperson Jessica Fini confirmed that total system output will be “north of 550 hp.”

With hybrid power going to the back wheels and pure electric power up front, the NSX features a socalled “Sport Hybrid Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive” system, much like that in the RLX hybrid, only reversed. As such, the car uses front-axle torque vectoring and a launch mode for ultimate stoplight getaways. Also, like the new TLX, the NSX gets Acura’s Integrated Dynamics System, which aligns powertrain and chassis responses, as well as engine sound, along preset levels: The settings include Quiet (which relies solely on battery power at speeds up to 50 mph), Sport, Sport+, and Track, the last unlocking “the full spectrum of its performance capabilities.” BC

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business Courage

Monday, January 26, 2015

A19 35

Eight students bag N1.3m from Lagos Govt

E

ight students were presented over N1.3million on Thursday by the Lagos State Government. The students, who were the outstanding senior secondary school students at the 2015 Lagos State Schools’ Debate Challenge, were said to have showed remarkable topic delivery during the debate.

Two students of the CMS Girls Senior Grammar School, Bariga - Adetutu Adesuyi and Marvellous Seidu - emerged as the overall winners of the debate in Lagos.

Fifteen-year-old Adesuyi and Seidu, 13, spoke against the topic: Legislating in Nigeria should be part-time in all tiers of government.

They scored 71.3 per cent to beat the duo of Elizabeth Ajigboteso and Remilekun Ojurongbe of Mafoluku Senior Grammar School, Oshodi, scoring 70.3 per cent, to emerge as runners-up.

Meanwhile, Adesuyi has attributed the excellent performance of the overall winners of the competition to hard work. ``My success today is through hard work. At times, I will not sleep; all I do is study day and night. I wish my mother was alive to rejoice with me. ``I thank my English Teacher, Rita Akaba, for her support;

and my friends, it has not been easy, but I thank God for the success,” Adesuyi said.

In her argument, Adesuyi said legislating in Nigeria could make or mar the development of the society.

According to her, making the legislature part-time will mean no dedication on the part of the assemblymen, as they will be pre-occupied with their main jobs, thereby neglecting their legislating duties. ``It will also make the legislature play a second fiddle, thereby promoting personal interests above the national interest.’’

According to Sections 4, 5 and 6 of the 1999 Constitution, there are three arms of government - the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. ``The legislature is saddled with the responsibility of making the laws, while the executive implements the laws made by the legislature, and the judiciary interprets the law. ``Judging by this, it has shown that the legislature is the most important arm of government because without it, there will be nothing for the executive to implement and the judiciary, to interpret. ``Since the executive and the judiciary are not part-time, I do

not see any justifiable reason why the legislature should be part-time,’’ the overall winners said.

In the individual speaker category, Sherifat Fagbenro of the Badagry Senior Grammar School, Badagry, won the first position, with the topic: `Nigeria should withdraw from the African Union’.

Fagbenro received N75, 000 for her outstanding performance.

The competition was organised by the Lagos State Ministry of Education for all public and private senior secondary schools in the six education districts.

Olayinka Oladunjoye, the Commissioner for Education, said the debate was aimed at developing and improving the public speaking skills of the students through provocative topics.

The commissioner lauded the tenacity, level of maturity, zeal, composure and dedication of the contestants.

She said the competition formed an integral part of the state’s annual school calendar, to add value to co-curricular activities in schools. ``We have already begun to reap the benefits of the competi-

Agriculturist tasks FG on incentives for farmers

A

n agriculturist, Halima Muhammed on Thursday, urged the Federal Government to provide developmental incentives in rural areas to improve food production and curb rural-urban migration.

Mohammed, the Coordinator, ``No-Agriculture-No-Deal,’’ a Non-Governmental Organisation, made this call in Abuja.

According to her, government needs to provide infrastructure like good roads, silos, electricity, loan facilities and produce market.

She said that government needed to de-congest the urban centres, especially the Federal Capital Territory, and create job opportunities through agriculture and entrepreneurship to curb youth restiveness.

`` Agriculture is a universal thing that can create jobs to about 75 per cent of Nigerian teeming youths, especially with the introduction of the value chains by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture,’’ she said.

Mohammed said that since the discovery of oil, the agriculture sector had suffered neglect from not just the Federal and state Governments but also from Nigerians at all levels. ``Nigeria has one of the most fertile lands in Africa for agriculture; with our rapidly population growing rapidly, one seems to ask what the Federal Government would use to feed the growing population. ``How can the rural-urban migration problem be resolved soon when programmes such

as agriculture exhibitions and shows are carryout in the Federal Capital Territory, yet we are crying for job creation, ‘’ she said.

Mohammed urged the Federal Government to hold such programmes at the grassroots as well as ensure good road network for easy transportation of farm produce from the farm to the market.

She said it was time for government to harness new ideas from agricultural stakeholders to be able to fast-track the improvement of the sector.

The agriculturist also urged the Federal Government to provide produce markets for farmers and tackle the issue of post harvest wastages to encourage the farmers to do more. BC

New petrol pump price: Abuja records success story -DPR

T

he Department of Petroleum Resources,DPR, said that compliance to the N87/litre pump price for petrol announced by Federal Government recorded a success story in Abuja even though some fuel stations were shut there.

The spokesman of DPR in Abuja, Mohammed Saidu, said on Thursday that the agency was poised to ensure full compliance with the new fuel price regime.

According to him, the Min-

ister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, had mandated the agency and other relevant agencies to monitor compliance of service stations to the reduction in the pump price. The Federal Government had, on Sunday, announced a reduction in the price of petrol from N97 to N87 per litre.

He said the surveillance team deployed to enforce the new price regime made sure that all filling stations visited complied.

He said there was no case of filling station being sealed in

the Federal Capital Territory because the enforcement team always ensured they adjusted their meters to the regulated price.

Saidu did not, however, rule out the possibility of some stations in the remote part of the city which might still not have complied with the new directive.

While calling on the stations to comply immediately with the directive, Saidu said DPR would sanction any operator caught playing pranks on motorists. BC

Oladunjoye

tion, as our students are making waves in national competitions. ``Just recently, Lagos State emerged the overall winners at the 2014 National Junior Engineers, Technicians and Scientists, JETS, competition. ``We came first in inter-state quiz competition, the National Theme Project, Free- Choice Project and Physics Competition. ``We also came third in Physics Competition, Second in Biology Competition, Third and Fourth position in Mathematics Competition and Fifth in Agricultural Science Competition,’’

Oladunjoye said.

She said Kelechi Nwagwu of the Lagos State Senior Model College, Kankon, Badagry, was adjudged the best female student at the competition. ``We can only link this to the massive transformation that is taking place in our public schools through the provision of a conducive environment for quality teaching and learning processes,” she said.

The commissioner urged the male students to put in their best as most of the winners were females.

The Principal, CMS Girls Grammar School, Bariga, Olufunke Oyegbile, said that she was overwhelmed.

She said the competition had improved the performance of students academically and in public speaking. ``Our school came second last year and now, we able to emerge as the champion. ``I will continue to encourage the students so they can participate actively. It has not been easy, it is a lot of work, especially for the English Language teachers. ``We attend any debate competition that we are invited to and it has helped our students in winning,” she added BC

Nigeria to commence production of anti-retroviral drugs - UNAIDS

D

r Bilali Camara, UNAIDS Country Director, said on Thursday that four companies will commence production of anti-retroviral drugs in Nigeria.

Camara, who is also the UNAIDS Focal Point for ECOWAS, disclosed this in an interview with the in Abuja.

He said the local production of anti-retroviral drugs would enable people access treatment at a cheaper rate.

He added that it will also help those on life treatment, stressing that people live on treatment for 15 to 30 years. ``We have commenced negotiations with four pharmaceutical companies; the companies have been certified by the World Health Organisation,WHO, for the general manufacturing practices,” he said.

The official said WHO would assist to conduct the prequalification processes, ``and as soon as that is concluded they will commence the production of the anti-retroviral drugs in Nigeria’’.

Camara said many West and Central African states would benefit from the production, because nobody is producing the drugs in this region.

He added that beside Nigeria, seven million other people may need the drugs for treatment from West and Central Africa, which shows that there is

good return of investment to the companies.

In related development, Camara said UNAIDS would enter into partnership with telecommunication companies to ensure that basic information about HIV/AIDS was advertised.

He said this would assist to further increase access to treatment to 101 million people in Nigeria are targeted. ``We want to give more people access to basic information on HIV/AIDS. ``We want our target to know how to prevent mother to child transmission of HIV where and how to get HIV/AIDS related services. ``So that in the next few years we have more people accessing the services which many result into many infants born HIV positive mothers and born infants without the disease,” he said.

According to him, ``if we do it correctly it will effect on the overall HIV transmission in the country’’.

Camara said: ``Things are going in the right direction, more people are on treatment, more people are accessing preventive measures and new infections are coming down. ``It is not as speedy as we want it but clearly things are on the right track.” BC

A20 36

Business Courage

Monday, January 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Stock Market report Stock market sustain gains as ASI rose by +2.68% in the week, Guinness Nigeria Plc led gainers

By Dennis Okonne. (dennis.okonne@yahoo.com)

T

rading activities on the Nigerian bourse was on for 5 days. The market exhibited bargain trading which outweighs sell pressure during the week. The market opened on a positive note as the bulls’ dominated market. The uptrend was not sustained in the second, third and fourth sessions as the stock market maintain losing streak in three days.

However, on the fifth session, the bulls’ returned such that the overall market index turned positive with a gain of +2.68% in the week. The All Share Index appreciated from 29,034.89 basis points at the beginning of the week to close at 29,812.05 basis points recording a gain of 777.16 basis points, translating to an increase of +2.68% in the process.

Similarly, the market capitalization of equities equally rose to N9.929 Trillion from N9.671 Trillion last week. The appreciation of the Index was as a result of gains recorded in stocks of Guinness Nigeria Plc, Flour Mills, Presco Plc, Unilever and Okomu Oil Plc. Number of Deals stood at 4,082 and the volume of transactions was 741.576 million units, valued at N12.617 billion.

Top of the gainers’ on Friday are Guinness Plc which appreciated by N2.97 kobo to close at N129.99. This was followed by Flour Mills Plc which went up by N1.81 k to close at N38.80 kobo; Presco Plc rose by N1.41 kobo to close at N29.63 kobo; Unilever Plc grew by N1.20 kobo to close at N34.00 kobo while Okomu Oil Plc crept up by N1.16 kobo to close at N24.46 kobo.

The laggards are led at the close of trading on Friday by Forte Oil Plc which slumped by N2.99 k to close at N224.00. This was followed by Nigerian Breweries Plc which dipped by N1.00

Stock market in session

k to close at N144.00; Wapco Plc also went down by N1.00 kobo to close at N81.00 kobo; Dangote Flour Plc shed N0.33 kobo to close at N3.19 kobo while Oando Plc depreciated by N0.30 kobo to close at N16.20 kobo.

High volume transactions on Friday were in Stocks of Oando Plc which traded 401.924 Million shares. Access Bank Plc followed with 76.852 million shares changing hands. On Diamond Bank Plc, 32.352 million shares were traded; UBA Plc traded 26.688 million shares while FBN Holdings Plc traded 24.443 million shares on Friday. There are 26 gainers, 20 losers and 60 unchanged equities.

(Corporate Results): 1. Conoil Plc: In its third quarter result, its revenue dropped by -14.43% from N121.803 billion in the preceding year to N104.223 billion. Similarly, its profit after tax slumped from N2.088 billion previously to N1.427 billion, translating to a decrease of -31.66%.

2. Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc: In its third quarter result, its revenue grew by +3% from N58.735 billion in the preceding year to N60.717 billion.

Similarly, its profit after tax

also leapt from N2.549 billion previously to N5.995 billion, translating to an increase of +135%.

3. Oando Plc: in its third quarter result, its revenue dropped by -12.46% to N338.105 billion compared to N386.251 billion same period in 2013. However, its profit before tax increased by +4.26% to N10.177 billion compared to N9.761 billion previously and Profit after tax leapt by +75.67% to N10.700 billion compared to N6.091 billion recorded in 2013.

4. Sterling Bank Plc: recorded an impressive third quarter financial profile where it’s Gross Earnings grew by +12.1% from N65.120 billion in the preceding year to N73.005 billion. Similarly, its profit after tax leapt by +39.2% from N5.074 billion previously to N7.063 billion.

Its Net Assets rose by +21.3% from N644.339 billion to N781.677 billion.

5. Dangote Cement Plc: in its third quarter result, its turnover grew by 7.3% from N288.984 billion in the preceding year to N310.214 billion. However, its profit after tax dipped significantly by -10.0% from N156.128 billion previously to N140.476 bil-

lion.

6. Total Nigeria Plc: In its third quarter result, its turnover grew from N174.331 billion in the preceding year to N177.807 billion, translating to an increase +1.99%.

However, its profit before tax dipped from N5.147 billion to N4.204 billion, translating to a decrease of -18.32%. Similarly, its profit after tax nosedived from N3.260 billion previously to N2.648 billion, a decrease of -18.77%. Consequently, an interim dividend N2.00 per share was appropriated and closure of register is 5th December, 2014.

ter tax leapt from N26.801 billion to N29.826 billion, translating to an increase of 11.3%. an interim dividend of N1.25 kobo per share was appropriated. Closure of register is 13th November, 2014 while payment date is 20th November, 2014.

9. UBA Plc: In its third quarter result, its gross earnings grew by +12.07%% from N188.021 billion in the preceding year to N210.715 billion. However, its profit after tax slumped significantly from N37.371 billion previously to N33.628 billion, translating to a decrease of -10.02%.

7. ETI Plc: In its third quarter result, its revenue rose by +16% from N231.890 billion in the preceding year to N268.951 billion. Similarly, its profit after tax also leapt from N39.968 billion previously to N52.491 billion, translating to an increase of +31%.

10. Forte Oil Plc: in its third quarter result, its turnover rose by +33.1% from N92.125 billion in the preceding year to N122.580 billion.

Similarly, its profit after tax also leapt from N2.737 billion previously to N4.015 billion, translating to an increase of 46.70%.

8. Nigerian Breweries Plc: in its third quarter result, its turnover grew by 2.3% from N190.303 billion in the preceding year to N194.739 billion. Profit before tax also rose by 10.5% from N38.530 billion previously to N42.583 billion. In the same vein, its profit af-

11. Access Bank Plc: In its third quarter result, its gross earnings grew by 17.3% from N155.026 billion in the preceding year to N181.798 billion. Similarly, its profit after tax also leapt from N27.597 billion previously to N35.346 billion, translating to an increase of +28.1%. BC

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business Courage

Monday, January 26, 2015

A21 37

Investor community should not panic – Phillips Oduoza

P

hillips Oduoza, the Group Managing Director/CEO, United Bank for Africa, UBA, Plc has urged investors in Nigeria not to panic over falling crude oil prices and exchange rate volatility as the country has enough reserves to support the local currency.

Oduoza said this while speaking to CNBC Africa on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, WEF, yesterday, in Davos, Switzerland.

“Investors do not have to panic. At $34bn, Nigeria has enough external reserves to support the Naira. I do not see any significant devaluation of the currency happening” said Oduoza.

He also explained that Nigeria faced similar challenges in 2008/2009 and the country learnt a lot from that experience, which will come in handy in managing the current currency challenges.

“In my opinion, the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, is handling the challenges very well because they have come out with tools and instruments to stabilize the exchange rate and we are beginning to see some form of stability in the market” Oduoza explained that the foreign investor community do not need to panic since the country has no form of cur-

Oduoza

rency or capital restriction.

He also dismissed any fears that there will be a rise in non-performing loans due to exposure of the banking industry to companies in the oil and gas sector.

“The international oil companies are very versatile and have hedged their positions for a very long time. Most of them also have foreign currency receivables. So, what you are likely to see is an elongation of the tenure or restructuring of these loans rather defaults. So, you are unlikely to see any significant increase in non-performing assets” explained Oduoza.

Also speaking on UBA’s expansion plans across Africa, Oduoza explained that Angola and South Africa are in the expansion plans of the

bank in the near future as the two countries are the only two key strategic markets on the continent yet to enjoy the UBA unique customer experience.

“Right now, we are involved in the consolidation of operations in the 19 African countries where we have our footprints. Our expansion to South Africa and Angola, will come much later.” Oduoza said.

He said that UBA will be adequately prepared to compete in the highly competitive South African banking industry by the time its ready to enter the market.

“There is a significant level of trade flow between Nigeria and South Africa which has been on the increase. We are uniquely positioned to play in that segment of the market” Oduoza said.

Oduoza is one of the global banking CEOs invited to be part of the WEF in Davos, Switzerland to discuss issues affecting global economic development. The Forum is committed to improving the state of the world through public-private cooperation in the spirit of global citizenship.

It engages with business, political, academic and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. BC

Lagos-Ibadan Expressway reaches 16% completion – Official

N

kereuwem Ukpong, the Deputy Director, Federal Highway (South West), Federal Ministry of Works, said the reconstruction work on Section 2 of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway had reached 16 per cent completion.

Ukpong, who is the engineer representative in charge of Section 2 of the expressway, said in Lagos that other aspects of the reconstruction

Lagos-Ibadan Road Rehabilitation

work so far completed included drains and culverts. ``We have achieved up to 16 per cent completion and then we have finished works on the asphalt level up to the binder course. ``We have completed up to 16 kilometres of binder course; binder course is the course you put before you have the wearing course. ``As for the works there,

you have clearing of the median, you have the building up of the sub-base, base course, and then we have drains. ``We have a longitudinal drain that runs throughout the entire length of the project from Sagamu to Ibadan. ``Where we have there, we have constructed the drain of about 16 kilometres as well on it. ``And then we also have cross culverts which we have built, about 22 of them that takes water from one side of the road to another and then we have catch-pits in between. ``The challenge is in controlling the traffic, the road is one of the main arterial roads that takes goods from the ports and passes through Ibadan to the North.`` Section 2 of the LagosIbadan Expressway extends from the Sagamu Interchange to Ibadan. BC

Market Indicators for Week Ended 23-01-15 All-Share Index 29,812.05 Basis Points Market Capitalization N 12,436,971,298,260.61 Stock Updates GAINERS COMPANY

OPENING PRICE

CLOSING PRICE

CHANGE

Guinness Plc

127.02

129.99

+2.97

Flour Mills Plc

36.99

38.80

+1.81

Presco Plc

28.22

29.63

+1.41

Unilever Plc

32.80

34.00

+1.20

Okomu Oil Plc

23.30

24.46

+1.16

LOSERS COMPANY

OPENING PRICE

Forte Oil Plc

226.99

224.00

-2.99

Nigerian Breweries Plc

145.00

144.00

-1.00

82.00

81.00

-1.00

3.52

3.19

-0.33

16.50

16.20

-0.30

Wapco Cement Plc Dangote Flour Mills Plc Oando Plc

CLOSING PRICE

CHANGE

Inter-Bank Rates TENOR

RATE%(PREV) 15-Jan-2015

RATE%(CURR) 16-Jan-2015

CALL

10.5000 - 10.5000%

10.5000 - 10.5000%

OBB

10.5000 - 12.0000%

10.2500 - 10.5000%

Primary Market Auction TENOR

AMOUNT (N’mn)

RATE (%) 9.95

DATE

91-Day

21538.34

31-DEC-14

182-Day

33783.25

10.1

8-JAN-15

364-Day

59081.14

10.35

8-JAN-15

Open Market Operation TENOR

AMOUNT (N’mn)

167Day

40000

11

RATE (%)

31-DEC-14

DATE

169Day

50000

11

9-JAN-15

170Day

70000

11

9-JAN-15

Wholesale Dutch Auction System AMOUNT OFFERED

MARKET DEMAND

AMOUNT SOLD

DATE

$500m

US$ 804,102,803.13m

US$ 499,939,154.55m

31-DEC-14

$350m

US$ 349,977,055.35m

US$ 349,977,055.35m

28-DEC-14

A22 38

Business Courage

Monday, January 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sterling Bank sponsored Social Media Award held

T

he Sterling Bank’s sponsored Social Media Awards Africa held in Lagos on Saturday January 24, 2015 amid pump and glitz. The Chairman of the Award Advisory Board and founder, Social Media Week Toby Daniels arrived Lagos for the ceremony. Others include Fred Swaniker, Founder, African Leadership Academy and Eric Chinje, Chief Executive Officer, African Media Initiative, AMI. Other eminent members of the Jury & Advisory Board who graced the pomp occasion were: Ken Banks, Founder, kiwanja.net; Hetal Shah, Director of Operations, Mara Group of Companies; Francis Ebuehi, Vice President VAS, Airtel Nigeria; Dr.Kasirim Nwuke; Louis Onyango Otieno, Director, Legal & Corporate Affairs, Microsoft Africa and the 45 prospective winners.

Atilola

The event which is a premier continental initiative seeks to recognize and reward creativity, excellence and impact the usage of social media across Africa. The event will bring together social media influencers, experts, enthusi-

asts and policy makers to explore and forge new developmental paths for social media in Africa.

SMAA was unveiled at a closed event last September to a cross section of media professionals and social media influencers in Lagos, Nigeria. Nomination into the four categories opened on October 1, 2014 at www.smaafrica.com until midnight October 27, 2014.

The voting phase, which was part of the process led to the emergence of 45 Finalists.

A total of 923 nominations were received during the nomination period as follows: Personality Based (468), Platform Specific (266), Institutional (115) and Indigenous (74).

Each winner went home with a cash prize of US$1,000 USD and the SMAA Plaque.

Other benefits include: So-

cial Media training, access to memberships and attendance of Social Media events, publications on Social Media and complimentary advertising on Social Media Africa portal.

The Bank’s Group Head, Strategy & Communications, Shina Atilola said that the Award was sponsored by the Bank because of its focus and commitment to advancing human and social development across Africa. He said: “We are interested in the growing relevance of social media around the world and Africa in particular”, adding that “Sterling Bank cannot overlook the importance of social media in today’s society and the increasing role it plays in the lives of people on a daily basis; hence the need to identify with the Award”.

Apart from providing a platform for the Bank to further consolidate its position

as a leading light in the Social Media space, Mr. Atilola said that the bank has taken this project as one of its Corporate Social Responsibility,CSR, initiatives.

His words: “At Sterling Bank, we are always delighted to associate ourselves with initiatives that will impact the lives of our people not only in Nigeria but globally. This has seen us going into partnerships with institutions especially in the areas of health, environment and education to make meaningful impact in the lives of our people.

He assured that the Bank will continue to identify with Generation Y, and will sustain its position as an organisation that understands the needs of its customers and leverages relevant platforms to proffer innovative solutions, which in turn enriches the lives of its customers. BC

FMDA threatens to halt trading if naira slides further

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igerian association of lenders, discount houses and investment banks, dealers, the Financial Market Dealers Association, FMDA, agreed on Wednesday to halt trading if there is more than 2 percent intraday slide in the naira, which is being hit by the oil price slump and is at risk of speculative attacks. Already, on Friday January 23, 2015, the parallel market dealers at Okota area of Lagos say they were selling the dollar at N206.

Dealers said they feared what could happen to the naira if they did not act to curb its continuous slide, the currency could head to 200 to the dollar, creating extreme volatility and adding to deteriorating liquidity conditions. It ended at a record closing low of 189.20 on Wednesday for a second straight day despite the Central Bank of Nigeria,CBN, intervention.

Like other emerging market currencies, the naira is also under pressure as the dollar strengthens on expectations the United States will soon raise interest rates.

CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele said on Tuesday that the naira was “appropriately

priced” and the bank would “not tolerate speculative attacks”.

Dealers have been suffering as the CBN has reduced their open positions in a bid to stabilise the currency after it was devalued by 8 percent against the dollar in November to protect the apex bank’s foreign reserves.

Banks used to have a 1 percent net open position to deal on the currency before the devaluation, but the CBN cancelled it to zero in December. Last week, it allowed banks a 0.1 percent net position but warned them against carry trades or speculative activity.

Banks can earn trading revenues when the naira is weak through carry trades, by borrowing the naira to buy dollars which they resell at a higher level to make a profit.

That makes it difficult for genuine forex users to buy dollars when liquidity is tight.

Interbank traders began business about an hour late on Thursday after meeting to discuss how to stabilise the currency and offer more efficient two-way quotes, said some dealers. The decision to suspend trade in the event of a more than 2 percent drop was aimed at self-regulation

Emefiele

and had not been requested by the CBN, they said.

Since December they had had an agreement to stop trade if the naira fell more than 3 percent but the currency had not fallen that level.

Although, it has, fallen more than 2 pct in a session.

“We agreed on a 2 percent trigger ... for the market to stop automatically,” one of the dealers who attended the meeting said.

They also agreed to maintain bid and ask spreads at 0.1 naira for quotes, the dealer said.

CBN which has often blamed speculators for naira weaknesses, set a new trading range of 160-176 against the dollar after the devaluation but have been struggling to keep the currency in that range.

Another treasurer said dealers on Wednesday also discussed Nigeria’s dependence on foreign currency as the country imports almost 80 percent of what it consumes, the cause of heavy demand for dollars.

Last week JP Morgan said it was re-assessing Nigeria’s

inclusion in its emerging market bond index, putting a question mark over one of the few non-oil sources of government funding.

“We know that liquidity is tight ... there’s a lot of engagement with the CBN. We discussed events that have happened in the past one week,” the dealer said, adding that the association was due to meet with the CBN officials shortly.

No CBN official attended the meeting called by the Financial Market Dealers Association,FMDA, an association of lenders, discount houses and investment banks, dealers said.

Nigerian currency dealers said they agreed in a meeting on Wednesday to halt trading if the naira falls more than 2 percent in a session against the U.S. dollar.

Interbank traders began business about an hour late after discussing how to stabilise the naira and offer more efficient two-way quotes, dealers said.

The naira firmed 4.3 percent against the greenback to 184, recovering from a record intraday low after the CBN sold dollars to some commercial lenders to support the currency. BC

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business Courage

Monday, January 26, 2015

A23 39

STOCKWATCH Stock Exchange weekly equities summary as at Friday, Jan 23, 2015 SECURITY AGRICULTURE/AGRO-ALLIED Crop Production FTN COCOA PROCESSORS PLC OKOMU OIL PALM PLC. PRESCO PLC Fishing/Hunting/Trapping ELLAH LAKES PLC. Livestock/Animal Specialties LIVESTOCK FEEDS PLC. CONGLOMERATES Diversified Industries A.G. LEVENTIS NIGERIA PLC. CHELLARAMS PLC. JOHN HOLT PLC. SCOA NIG PLC TRANSNATIONAL CORP. OF NIG.PLC U A C N PLC. CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Building Construction ARBICO PLC. CAPPA & D’ALBERTO PLC. Building Structure/Completion/Other COSTAIN (W A) PLC. G CAPPA PLC Non--Building/Heavy Construction JULIUS BERGER NIG. PLC. ROADS NIG PLC. Real Estate Development PINNACLE POINT GROUP PLC UACN PROPERTY DEV Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) SKYE SHELTER FUND PLC UNION HOMES REAL ESTATE INV UPDC REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST CONSUMER GOODS Automobiles/Auto Parts DN TYRE & RUBBER PLC Beverages--Brewers/Distillers CHAMPION BREW. PLC. GOLDEN GUINEA BREW. PLC. GUINNESS NIG PLC INTERNATIONAL BREWERIES PLC. JOS INT. BREWERIES PLC. NIGERIAN BREW. PLC. PREMIER BREWERIES PLC Beverages--Non-Alcoholic 7-UP BOTTLING COMP. PLC. Food Products BIG TREAT PLC DANGOTE FLOUR MILLS PLC DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC FLOUR MILLS NIG. PLC. HONEYWELL FLOUR MILL PLC MULTI-TREX INTEGRATED FOODS PLC N NIG. FLOUR MILLS PLC. NATIONAL SALT CO. NIG. PLC P S MANDRIDES & CO PLC. U T C NIG. PLC. UNION DICON SALT PLC. Food Products--Diversified CADBURY NIGERIA PLC. NESTLE NIGERIA PLC. Household Durables BETA GLASS CO PLC. NIGERIAN ENAMELWARE PLC. VITAFOAM NIG PLC. VONO PRODUCTS PLC. Personal/Household Products P Z CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC. UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC. Textiles/Apparel UNITED NIG. TEXTILES PLC. FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking ACCESS BANK PLC. DIAMOND BANK PLC ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INC. FIDELITY BANK PLC FIRST CITY MONUMENT BANK PLC. GUARANTY TRUST BANK PLC. SKYE BANK PLC STERLING BANK PLC. U B A PLC UNION BANK NIG.PLC. UNITY BANK PLC WEMA BANK PLC. ZENITH BANK PLC Insurance Carriers, Brokers & Services AFRICAN ALLIANCE INS. COY. PLC AIICO INSURANCE PLC. CONFIDENCE INSURANCE PLC CONSOLIDATED HALLMARK INS. PLC CONTINENTAL REINSURANCE PLC CORNERSTONE INS. COY. PLC. CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED INS. PLC EQUITY ASSURANCE PLC. GOLDLINK INSURANCE PLC GREAT NIGERIAN INSURANCE PLC GUINEA INSURANCE PLC. INTERCONTINENTAL WAPIC INS. PLC INTERNATIONAL ENERGY INS. PLC INVESTMENT AND ALLIED ARN. LASACO ASSURANCE PLC. LAW UNION AND ROCK INS. PLC. LINKAGE ASSURANCE PLC MANSARD INSURANCE PLC MUTUAL BENEFITS ASSURANCE PLC. N.E.M INSURANCE CO (NIG) PLC. NIGER INSURANCE CO. PLC. OASIS INSURANCE PLC PRESTIGE ASSURANCE CO. PLC. REGENCY ALLIANCE INS. COY PLC SOVEREIGN TRUST INSURANCE PLC STANDARD TRUSTASSURANCE PLC STANDARD ALLIANCE INS. PLC. UNIC INSURANCE PLC. UNITY KAPITAL ASSURANCE PLC UNIVERSAL INS. COMPANY PLC WAPIC INSURANCE PLC Micro Finance Banks FORTIS MICROFINANCE BANK PLC NPF MICROFINANCE BANK PLC Mortgage Carriers, Brokers &Services ABBEY MORTGAGE BANK PLC ASO SAVINGS AND LOANS PLC INFINITY TRUST MORTGAGE BANK PLC RESORT SAVINGS & LOANS PLC UNION HOMES SAVINGS&LOANS PLC Other Financial Institutions AFRICA PRUDENTIAL REGISTRARS CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED INS. PLC CRUSADER ( NIG) PLC. DEAP CAPITAL MGT & TRUST PLC FBN HOLDINGS PLC FCMB GROUP PLC ROYAL EXCHANGE PLC. STANBIC IBTC HOLDINGS PLC UBA CAPITAL PLC HEALTHCARE Healthcare Providers EKOCORP PLC. UNION DIAGNOSTIC &CLINICAL PLC Medical Supplies

NOTE NT=Not Traded on 23-01-15

PRICE (=N=)

0.50 33.00 32.05

QUANTITY

93,830 37,150 813,078

52 WK HIGH

0.64 107.81 41.14

52 WK LOW

0.50 20.92 8.24

SHARES OUTSTANDING

2,200,000,000 476,955,000 1,000,000,000

EPS

0.10 2.29 7.55

MOV. (%)

N/A -2.94 -14.53

Previous

0.50 34.00 37.50

NT

70

4.26

4.26

60,000,000

0.00

N/A

NT

2.95

511,645

7.18

0.68

1,199,549,736

0.07

-1.34

2.99

1.45 3.95 NT NT 5.00 54.02

110,583 200 1,000 3,600 20,073,190 138,745

2.08 6.43 5.89

0.71 4.15 1.07

2,191,895,983 963,900,300 389,151,408

0.11 0.16 1.09

-5.84 N/A N/A

5.89 71.10

0.50 28.00

821,666,666 1,600,720,323

0.09 4.38

N/A N/A

1.54 NT 1.08 4.67 5.79 58.00

NT NT

375 3

26.00 95.49

5.05 95.49

148,500,000 196,876,000

0.33 4.50

N/A N/A

NT NT

0.93 14.46

364,928 10000

2.66 14.46

0.72 14.46

920,573,765 125,000,000

0.00 0.00

N/A N/A

0.90 NT

67.20 NT

86,183 25,000

83.75 10.60

19.86 6.61

1,200,000,000 20,000,000

6.74 1.69

0.00 N/A

67.20 NT

NT 14.00

NT 129,844

7.28 20.90

7.28 8.82

1,375,000,000

0.00 2.20

N/A -11.67

NT 15.85

NT NT NT

5,000 100 5,150

100.00 50.00 10.50

100.00 50.00 0.00

20,000,000 250,019,781

5.82 0.19

N/A N/A

100.00 NT NT

NT

6,125

0.50

0.50

4,772,528,415

0.00

N/A

0.50

14.94 0.88 182.00 31.82 NT 170.00 3.98

3,333 50,000 3,770,765 2,026,434 33,224 1,618,898 11,087

19.48 0.68 297.41 30.00 9.09 179.40 0.97

3.13 0.68 209.10 5.34 0.81 91.10 0.93

900,000,000 272,160,000 1,474,925,519 2,112,914,681 562,000,000 7,562,562,340 126,000,000

0.00 0.00 8.66 0.63 0.00 5.03 0.00

N/A N/A -7.00 N/A N/A -3.77 N/A

12.35 NT 195.70 30.90 NT 176.66 4.40

162.86

79,018

75.90

38.12

640,590,362

4.46

N/A

147.73

NT 6.55 7.70 61.40 3.99 NT 21.99 9.00 NT NT 13.41

NT 44,555 673,421 132,002 139,758 100,000 25,000 569,100 2.08124,000 10,000 100,000

0.50 10.68 12.85 109.24 4.11 1.21 29.70 14.00 5.94 0.93 13.31

0.50 3.85 3.26 50.00 1.83 0.50 17.51 3.65 5.35 0.50 4.22

2,000,000,000 5,000,000,000 12,000,000,000 1,879,210,666 7,930,197,658 3,722,493,620 178,200,000 40,000,000 1,233,375,004 360,000,000

0.00 0.00 0.81 3.38 0.34 0.00 0.00 1.05 0.08 1.13 0.00

N/A 0.00 -5.75 -0.97 -0.25 N/A N/A -3.95 N/A #VALUE! N/A

NT 6.55 8.17 62.00 4.00 NT 21.99 9.37 NT NT NT

49.89 999.00

842,400 39,682

64.53 1250.00

8.33 400.00

3,129,188,160 792,656,250

1.57 28.34

-7.08 -4.86

53.69 1,050.00

NT NT 4.30 NT

25,333 100 370,895 14,900

15.58 36.19 5.54 2.88

10.03 32.27 2.91 0.57

63,360,000 819,000,000 300,000,001

3.90 13.92 0.71 0.00

N/A N/A 0.70 N/A

NT NT 4.27 1.42

26.99 40.00

1,536,523 215,904

56.00 76.00

21.02 27.60

3,176,381,636 3,783,296,250

1.34 1.42

-16.05 -16.65

32.15 47.99

NT

NT

0.97

0.57

843,284,027

0.00

N/A

NT

8.60 6.30 18.26 1.95 NT 27.30 2.75 2.23 5.66 9.06 0.50 0.94 22.59

12,492,060 2,209,267 3,662,513 1,046,865 NT 29,017,815 1,122,478 19,185,130 13,232,270 223,168 5,158,100 2,424,482 15,687,721

12.39 7.85 17.51 3.47 8.30 29.99 7.05 3.05 9.60 15.30 1.16 1.88 27.40

4.70 1.92 9.90 1.13 3.04 13.02 2.65 0.80 1.64 2.34 0.50 0.50 11.96

17,888,251,479 14,475,243,105 9,873,614,567 28,974,797,023 16,271,192,202 29,146,482,209 13,219,334,676 12,563,091,545 32,334,693,693 13,509,726,273 33,675,576,085 12,821,249,880 31,396,493,790

1.61 1.71 3.67 0.68 0.60 3.08 0.97 0.63 1.70 0.44 0.18 0.00 3.30

-4.66 0.80 -2.35 -4.88 #VALUE! -9.03 -4.18 -3.04 -14.89 -3.51 0.00 -1.05 -7.04

9.02 6.25 18.70 2.05 NT 30.01 2.87 2.30 6.65 9.39 0.50 0.95 24.30

NT 0.81 NT 0.50 0.92 NT NT 0.50 NT NT 0.50 NT 0.52 NT 0.50 NT NT 2.98 0.54 0.76 NT NT 0.50 NT 0.50 NT 0.50 0.50 NT 0.50 0.65

250 521,138 NT 1,000,000 1,055,541 456,127 9,054,578 145,200 NT 1,000 40,000 NT 50,530 NT 160 4,771,900 50,685 1,207,028 1,177,700 2,004,443 20,055 1,654,611 885,641 12,000,000 1,000 600 5,000 3,774 100 1,182,550 4,303,775

0.50 1.42 0.64 0.52 1.45 0.72 2.44 0.50 0.69 0.60 0.50 2.50 2.50 0.50 0.50 0.61 0.50 2.87 0.63 1.01 1.11 0.50 1.24 0.53 0.59

0.50 0.50 0.61 0.50 0.58 0.50 1.08 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 1.06 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50

20,585,000,000 7,809,391,256 211,626,000 6,000,000,000 10,372,624,157 8,820,010,363 5,100,846,808 8,847,298,420 4,549,947,000 3,827,485,380 720,000,000 5,061,804,000 6,420,427,449 28,000,000,000 7,323,313,227 3,437,330,500 4,083,713,569 10,000,000,000 7,998,705,336 5,332,830,881 5,649,693,923 5,003,506,791 2,508,315,436 6,668,750,000 5,203,757,266

0.00 0.19 0.00 0.05 0.15 0.02 0.24 0.01 0.00 0.03 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.02 0.00 0.00 0.02 0.25 0.00 0.37 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.04 0.09

N/A 0.00 N/A N/A 0.00 0.00 0.00 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 0.00 N/A N/A N/A 0.00 2.76 N/A -3.80 N/A N/A 0.00 N/A 0.00

0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 1.55

0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50

8,493,173,450 2,581,733,505 13,000,000,000 16,000,000,000

0.00 0.00 0.02 0.00 0.07

N/A N/A N/A N/A

NT 0.80 NT NT 1.00 0.50 NT NT NT 0.50 0.50 NT 0.59 NT 0.50 0.50 NT 2.90 0.54 0.79 NT NT 0.50 NT NT NT 0.50 NT NT NT 0.74

NT 0.97

10,000,000 767,000

6.60 1.22

0.00 0.72

1.18 0.19

NT NT

1.30 NT NT 0.50 0.5

300 300 5,000 200,000 40,522

1.65 0.50

1.37 0.50

4,200,000,000 8,679,148,676

0.03 0.02

N/A N/A

0.50 0.99

0.50 0.50

13,175,732,404 7,812,500,000

0.30 0.00

N/A N/A

3.2 4.00 NT NT 12.32 4.09 0.51 31.00 2.00

1,361,199 50,919 500 3,000 11,878,966 4323419 700,000 9,360,409 2,122,515

2.1

0.5

0.61 2.02 21.50 5.70 1.33 20.72 1.70

0.50 2.02 8.57 2.90 0.50 10.64 0.00

3,778,005,975 1,333,333,333 32,632,084,358

0.00 0.15 2.45 1.23 0.13 1.53 0.29

NT 0.50

170 600,000

N/A=Not Avialable

5.05 0.50

4.32 0.50

0.63

3,608,657,661 18,750,000,000

498,600,908 3,553,138,528

0.13 0.00

N/A N/A -8.61 N/A -11.43

N/A N/A

NT NT NT 0.50 1000 3.3 4.09 NT NT 13.48 4.51 0.59 35.00 2.18

NT NT

SECURITY

PRICE (=N=)

MORISON INDUSTRIES PLC. NT Pharmaceuticals EVANS MEDICAL PLC. 1.95 FIDSON HEALTHCARE PLC 3.33 GLAXO SMITHKLINE CONSUMER PLC 54.00 MAY & BAKER NIGERIA PLC. 1.71 NEIMETH INT PHARM PLC 1.11 NIGERIA-GERMAN CHEMICALS PLC. NT PHARMA-DEKO PLC. NT ICT Computer Based Systems COURTEVILLE BUSINESS SLN PLC 0.57 Computers and Peripherals OMATEK VENTURES PLC NT Electronic Communications Services MTECH COMMUNICATIONS PLC NT IT Services COMPUTER WAREHOUSE GROUP PLC 4.8 NCR (NIGERIA) PLC. 12.83 TRIPPLE GEE AND COMPANY PLC. NT Processing Systems CHAMS PLC 0.50 E-TRANZACT INTERNATIONAL PLC NT Telecommunications Services MTI PLC NT INDUSTRIAL GOODS Building Materials AFRICAN PAINTS (NIGERIA) PLC. NT ASHAKA CEM PLC 32.25 BERGER PAINTS PLC 8.08 CAP PLC 41.00 CEMENT CO. OF NORTH.NIG. PLC 14.49 DANGOTE CEMENT PLC 215.00 DN MEYER PLC. 1.05 FIRST ALUMINIUM NIGERIA PLC NT IPWA PLC 0.50 LAFARGE WAPCO PLC. 115.93 PAINTS & COATINGS MANFACT.PLC NT PORTLAND PAINTS & PRDT NIG. PLC 5.01 Electronic and Electrical Products AUSTIN LAZ & COMPANY PLC NT CUTIX PLC. 1.75 NIGERIAN WIRE AND CABLE PLC. NT Packaging/Containers ABPLAST PRODUCTS PLC. NT AVON CROWNCAPS & CONTAINERS 1.59 BETA GLASS CO PLC. 20.00 GREIF NIGERIA PLC NT NIG. BAGS MANFACT. COY PLC NT POLY PRODUCTS (NIG) PLC. NT W A GLASS IND. PLC. NT Tools and Machinery NIGERIAN ROPES PLC NT STOKVIS NIG PLC. NT NATURAL RESOURCES Chemicals B.O.C. GASES PLC. NT Metals ALUMACO PLC NT ALUMINIUM EXTRUSION IND. PLC. NT MINING SERVICES MULTIVERSE PLC 0.50 Paper/Forest Products HALLMARK PAPER PRODUCTS PLC. NT THOMAS WYATT NIG. PLC. NT OIL AND GAS Energy Equipment and Services JAPAUL OIL & MARITIME SER. PLC 0.50 Integrated Oil and Gas Services OANDO PLC 23.56 Petroleum &Petroleum Products Distributors BECO PETROLEUM PRODUCT PLC NT CONOIL PLC 49.23 ETERNA PLC. 3.80 FORTE OIL PLC. 219.00 MOBIL OIL NIG PLC. 169.25 MRS OIL NIGERIA PLC. 56.00 TOTAL NIGERIA PLC. 173.00 Exploration and Production SEPLAT PETROLEUM DEVT. CO, LTD. 574.00 SERVICES Advertising AFROMEDIA PLC NT Apparel Retailers LENNARDS (NIG) PLC. NT Automobile/Auto Part Retailers R T BRISCOE PLC. 0.84 Courier/Freight/Delivery RED STAR EXPRESS PLC 4.15 TRANS-NATIONWIDE EXPRESS PLC. NT Employment Solutions C & I LEASING PLC. NT Hospitality TANTALIZERS PLC NT Hotels/Lodging CAPITAL HOTEL NT IKEJA HOTEL PLC 3.12 Media/Entertainment DAAR COMMUNICATIONS PLC 0.50 Printing/Publishing ACADEMY PRESS NT LEARN AFRICA PLC 1.45 STUDIO PRESS (NIG) PLC. NT UNIVERSITY PRESS PLC. 4.14 Road Transportation ABC TRANSPORT PLCPLC 0.69 Specialty INTERLINKED TECHNOLOGIES PLC NT SECURE ELECTRONIC TECH.PLC NT Transport-Related Services AIRLINE SERVICES AND LOGISTICS PLC 1.83 NIG. AVIATION HANDLING COY PLC 5.01 SUPPORT AND LOGISTICS CAVERTON OFFSHORE GROUP PLC 4.21 ASeM CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Property Management SMART PRODUCTS NIGERIA PLC NT CONSUMER GOODS Food Products MCNICHOLS PLC NT OIL AND GAS CAPITAL OIL PLC NT NAVITUS ENERGY PLC NT Petroleum &Petroleum Products Distributors ANINO INTERNATIONAL PLC NT Personal/Household Products ROKANA INDUSTRIES PLC. NT HEALTHCARE Pharmaceuticals AFRIK PHARMACEUTICALS PLC. NT INDUSTRIAL GOODS Electronic and Electrical Products NT ADSWITCH PLC. NT NATURAL RESOURCES Metals W.A. ALUM. PRODUCTS PLC. NT Food/Drug Retailers and Wholesalers NT JULI PLC. NT ETF’s Sector ETF NEWGOLD EXCHANGE TRADED FUND 1,964.00 VETIVA GRIFFIN 30 ETF 17.63

QUANTITY

52 WK HIGH

52 WK LOW

SHARES OUTSTANDING

EPS

MOV. (%)

Previous

92

10.54

7.39

152,178,750

0.00

N/A

1.82

74,500 95,417 1,226,438 252,273 397,345 46 1,000

4.80 2.50 69.00 3.38 1.76 8.59 3.50

0.50 0.61 18.97 1.23 0.58 7.36 1.83

486,473,856 1,500,000,000 956,701,192 980,000,000 1,925,717,268 153,786,012 100,000,000

0.58 0.24 3.07 0.09 0.00 0.00 0.00

-4.88 0.00 -13.75 -0.58 4.72 N/A N/A

2.05 3.33 62.61 1.72 1.06 NT 2.49

4,403,634

0.96

0.50

2,960,000,000

0.11

0.00

0.52

24,000

0.50

0.50

2,941,789,472

0.00

N/A

NT

NT

0.91

0.91

4,966,666,668

0.00

N/A

NT

10 694 200

18.70 2.94

13.12 2.07

108,000,000 492,825,600

0.00 0.03

N/A N/A

NT NT NT

1,000,000 5,000

0.50 4.97

0.50 3.13

4,620,600,000 4,200,000,000

0.04 0.04

N/A N/A

0.50 NT

400

0.50

0.50

4,893,594,400

0.00

N/A

NT

2,000 1,671,056 16,226 458,360 73,217 672,671 2,000 38,000 11,000 1,444,136 650 5,000

2.86 29.98 12.20 67.50 12.99 210.01 3.54 0.75 1.34 110.00 2.41 7.22

2.86 8.01 6.82 13.78 4.00 102.00 0.50 0.50 0.50 39.80 0.50 2.27

260,000,000 2,239,453,125 217,367,585 560,000,000 1,241,548,285 15,494,019,668 242,908,200 2,109,928,275 513,696,000 3,001,600,004 792,914,256 400,000,000

0.07 0.80 0.91 1.66 1.12 5.77 0.06 0.00 0.00 6.83 0.36 0.43

N/A 0.78 -6.05 5.13 -8.00 -2.63 N/A N/A N/A -8.72 N/A N/A

NT 32.00 8.60 39.00 15.75 220.80 NT NT 0.50 127.00 1.60 NT

70 250,200 100

2.00 2.39 0.73

2.00 1.20 0.50

510,396,608 2,220,000,000

0.05 0.19 0.00

N/A -2.78 N/A

NT 1.80 NT

NT 15,341 135,155 100 NT NT NT

3.98 5.94 13.18 13.28 3.60 1.86 0.63

3.98 1.71 9.04 12.68 1.60 1.05 0.63

N/A N/A

42,640,000 6,215,000,000 240,000,000 199,066,550

0.00 0.00 3.23 0.90 0.24 0.22 0.00

N/A #VALUE! N/A N/A

NT 1.59 20.00 NT NT NT NT

1,200 NT

8.69 0.14

8.26 0.14

265,409,280 2,918,000

0.00 0.00

N/A N/A

NT NT

25,000,000 683,974,528

28,255

9.35

5.68

393,120,000

0.76

#VALUE!

NT

10 100

7.75 12.39

7.75 10.55

75,600,000 100,000,000

0.00 0.24

N/A N/A

NT NT

950,000

0.50

0.50

4,058,989,226

0.01

N/A

0.50

NT 100

3.22 1.38

3.22 0.67

50,000,000 220,000,000

0.04 0.00

N/A N/A

NT NT

2,599,332

1.02

0.50

6,262,701,716

0.00

0.00

0.50

1,781,446

24.80

9.32

2,262,711,568

1.24

-10.66

26.37

10000 112,677 84,115 111,017 15,748 100 33,978

76.00 4.87 115.64 146.00 59.00 190.01

16.96 1.32 7.73 106.00 16.20 118.75

693,952,117 1,249,162,828 1,080,280,628 300,496,051 253,988,672 339,521,837

2.69 0.61 1.43 9.93 1.04 12.91

4.72 1.60 -2.67 -2.21 N/A -3.89

NT 47.01 3.74 225.00 173.08 56.00 180.00

1,537

28,677,671

200

0.72

0.50

640.00

4,035,497,307

0.00

N/A

NT

100

3.48

3.48

0

N/A

NT

317,660

2.45

1.00

980,294,400

0.00

#VALUE!

NT

97,500 14,654

5.10 3.45

2.19 0.73

589,496,310 198,819,763

0.52 0.00

-5.68 N/A

4.40 1.35

10,515

1.64

0.85

865,808,912

0.00

N/A

0.50

30,500

0.75

0.50

3,211,627,907

0.00

N/A

NT

69200 3,191,600

1.72

0.64

2,078,796,396

0.00

56.00

NT 2.00

650,000

0.51

0.50

8,000,000,000

0.43

N/A

NT

1 115,855 75 53,899

3.09 2.78 5.77

1.39 2.52 3.00

771,450,000 425,641,111

0.00 0.00 0.61

N/A N/A 0.98

1.32 1.32 NT 4.10

83,723

1.29

0.50

1,507,000,000

0.21

N/A

0.68

54,281 1,000

5.15 1.88

4.90 0.80

236,699,511 5,631,539,736

0.00 0.00

N/A N/A

4.66 0.5

820,000 265,724

5.90 8.81

1.27 5.08

634,000,000 1,230,468,750

0.50 0.43

N/A 0.60

2.01 4.98

47101

5

60

1.43

1.04

45,000,000

0.12

N/A

NT

103,000

2.26

1.02

201,885,335

0.00

N/A

NT

30 1000

NT NT

30000

NT

NT

0.60

0.60

30,000,000

0.00

N/A

NT

NT

0.50

0.50

24,898,850

0.00

N/A

NT

NT NT

1.88

1.63

125,005,250

0.00

N/A

NT NT

NT NT 1,000

0.50

0.50

6,650,000

0.00

N/A

3.05

2.76

194,700,000

0.00

N/A

2,706

2,003

62 595072

2.94 49467

NT NT NT

1,908.00 18.73

A24 40

Business Courage

Monday, January 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Monday, January 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

41

Law & Justice nationalmirrorlaw@yahoo.com

To defer ruling is not only unwise but may in the long run put the judge in an embarrassing situation.

JUSTICE MODIBBO ALFA BELGORE, FORMER CHIEF JUSTICE OF NIGERIA

Lawyers should promote out-of-court settlement of cases –Enitan 42

Lagos Chief Judge, Justice Funmilayo Atilade

National President, JUSUN, Marwan Adamu

JUSUN strike: We can’t quantify our losses –Oyetibo, others As the strike embarked upon by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, JUSUN, enters its third week, WALE IGBINTADE writes that top lawyers, judiciary workers and litigants are groaning under the pain of losses recorded so far due to the industrial action.

N450m libel suit: Why nine S’Court justices sued Concord Press 45

Jackie Chan’s son on trial for drugs 47

T

hree weeks ago, precisely last January 2, the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, JUSUN, embarked on an indefinite strike in the country. According to JUSUN’s National President, Marwan Adamu, the strike was, among other reasons, aimed at pressing home its demand to enable various state governments in the country to comply with two court judgments, which granted financial autonomy to the judiciary at both federal and state levels. The association had argued that the 1999 Constitution provides that all monies for the judiciary should be given to them through the heads of the courts, either at the National Judicial Council, NJC, level or at state level.

According to JUSUN helmsman, ‘’we have made several appeals to the government but they failed to listen, then we decided to go to court for interpretation of Sections 121 (3), 81(3), and 163 (9) of the constitution. All these sections contain provisions about financial autonomy and indepen-

dence of the judiciary. Eventually judgment was given in our favour on January 13, 2014; unfortunately, since then they have failed to comply with the judgment. All the 36 state governors were served with the court order but they refused to implement the decision,” In the judgment referred to by the JUSUN boss delivered by Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High court in Abuja, the court directed that funds meant for the Judiciary should be disbursed directly to the heads of courts and not to the executive arm of government. The judge then restrained heads of the fed-

eral and state executive arms of government from holding on to funds appropriated for the judiciary. ‘‘It is the apparent disobedience to these judgments that led to the present strike by JUSUN.’’ he added.

However, each time there is a strike of this nature, stakeholders in the justice administration, namely; lawyers, litigants as well as the general public are the worst hit. Already, commercial cases worth billions of naira are trapped in various courts while aggrieved litigants are kept waiting in hopelessness. Also, the socio-economic activities, which

COMMERCIAL CASES THAT OUGHT TO BE RESOLVED SPEEDILY ARE DELAYED. NO FOREIGN INVESTOR WOULD WANT TO INVEST HIS MONEY IN A COUNTRY WHERE IT WILL TAKE YEARS TO RESOLVE A COMMERCIAL DISPUTE IN COURT

cannot thrive without the justice system, are also adversely affected.

An informed source at the Cash Offices, Lagos High Court, revealed that the state judiciary has lost millions of naira since commencement of the strike.

According to the source, over 100 cases are filed in various divisions across the state (Ikeja, Lagos, Ikorodu and Badagry) on daily basis, adding that the entire civil litigation case flow from filing to final disposition runs into millions of naira.

Hundreds of fast track cases worth multi-million Naira are also affected by the strike. These are cases that involve claims of not less than N100 million.

A court registrar (name withheld), said ‘‘the overall objective of the Fast Track Procedure, which is to reduce the time spent on litigation to a period not exceeding nine months from commencement of the action till final judgement has been defeated as a result of the JUSUN strike’’.

The law reports, law journals, and book sellers who also engage in the sale of gowns, wigs, collaretes, shirts, trousers, and waist coats are also hit and they complained of low patronage CONTINUED ON PAGE 44

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Monday, January 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Lawyers should promote out-of-court Olukayode Enitan, an urbane lawyer with 25 years’ postcall experience specialises in Real Estate and Commercial Law. In this interview with MATTHEW IRINOYE, he speaks on the delay in justice dispensation, the attack on judges in Ekiti State judiciary and the timeline for determination of election petitions in the country, among others. Excerpts:

How will you react to comments that the 180 days’ duration for the determination of election petitions is short for the disposal of election matters?

For anyone to pass comment on the issue there is need for one to go back and consider what informed this decision to run that way, before Electoral Act was amended to make election petition to start and ends within 180 days. One would recollect that in Ekiti State, an election was held, petition was filed and the person who was in office stayed in the office for about three and half years before the petition was finally determined.

The person who had spent three and half years in the office was deemed not to have been elected and even being the proper person to have been declared the winner of the election after three and half years which remained just only six months to complete a tenure. The same thing happened in Anambra State and other states. It was from that perspective they decided that if the context is going to be there, what are the issues? What do they want to do? And that was what brought about the structure of time to 180 days.

The election petition tribunal does not sit like normal court; for instance, the tribunal sits every day from morning till evening including Saturdays. Looking at that it has tasking job however, it is not impossible to start tribunal petition and conclude it within the given time. Several others had started and concluded within the 180 days, some had been thrown off on technical grounds; petitioners will give evidence and respondents will also give evidence, judgement being delivered, and appeal being taken. So, it is not impossible, it is not something that cannot be started and concluded within 180 days so, for some to say the time is too short or long, it depends on the angle such person is looking at it. Whatever the heart of a man is set to do it is behind the magic pelvis to find the way to accomplish it.

Some months ago, the Ekiti State High Court was invaded by some political touts where a judge was attacked and other court materials were vandalized.

The NJC had promised to investigate the matter and till date nothing has been said

Enitan

THERE IS NO DOUBT THE INDUSTRIAL ACTION HAS DEPRIVED MANY NIGERIANS OF THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL GUARANTEED RIGHT OF ACCESS TO COURT on the saga, what is your comment on the issue?

Well, I can categorically say that the Inspector-General of Police also promised to investigate the matter but the NJC would not say anything regarding the issue until conclusion is reached, all I can say is that when the NJC concludes its investigation and come up with their findings, recommendations would be given . By and large, one cannot categorically say the level of the investigation until the NJC or the Police shows the outcome of the investigation to pinpoint the persons involved in the unconstitutional acts. So as far as NJC is concerned, there was an allegation that a judge was rough handled or maltreated, there is an ongoing investigation to show the perpetrators.

What is your comment on the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, JUSUN strike which has been on for two weeks now, some lawyers said it is illegal?

Well, JUSUN members have constitutional guaranteed right to come together to form themselves into a union, it was a judgement of a competent court that the financial autonomy should be observed, several meetings were held between members of the judiciary, the union and the Minister concerned signed a memorandum of understanding.

Whether the strike embarked upon by the JUSUN is illegal or not it is left for the court to decide. I would rather look at the effect of the strike on the litigants, there is no doubt the strike action has deprived several other Nigerians their constitu-

tional guaranteed right to have access to court and on this perspective I would appeal to the union and the members of the executive to be cooperative on whatever agreement they have reached.

Despite the fast track procedures introduced to speed-up hearing of cases in our courts, cases are still being delayed.

What do you think is responsible for this?

As you can see, there is an on-going strike now by the judicial workers; all the courts are short down across the country even when they were working, the causes of delay are numerous. However, the people who should be blamed for the delay are lawyers; lawyers are the causes of the delay in the courts. Let me begin by saying that after a lawyer knows that he does not have cause of action yet he goes to court to file one on a matter, a lawyer who has interrogated his client and he knows that there is no defence in the matter yet he filed one, aside what I have mentioned the judges still write court proceedings with hands.

Until lawyers are being fined for causing unnecessary delay in courts we may

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Law & Justice

Monday, January 26, 2015

43

settlement of cases –Enitan not be able to overcome the problems of delay in court proceedings and congestion. I think from henceforth court should begin to impose exorbitant fines on each lawyer who has wasted the time of the court, by doing so one would discover that frivolous actions and defence would not be filed by the lawyers instead, lawyers would begin to look at the matter properly and advise their clients on settlement of the matters that are not necessarily meant for litigation.

The recent mass failure at the Nigerian Law School has led to calls for a complete overhauling of the Legal Education in the country. What is your view on this?

Well, I would describe the incident as evidence of corruption that has eaten deep into the fabric of legal system in the country. The Director-General of the Law School had said that the school authorities did not adopt a new method neither were they strict with the marking schemes but that the students had not shown adequate interest in their studies.

For example, in those days, sometimes in the 1970s, Nigerians were not used to watching foreign clubs like Arsenal football club, Chelsea football club, to name a few but we were forecasting the game of those football clubs following their history.

One would discover that among millions who usually forecast, it is very difficult to see about a hundred thousands who win the game. The trend is now also common among the law students this time around, they forecast the past questions, they use past questions to prepare for the examinations which is different from using lesson notes materials, usage of text books to prepare for the examinations. The difference is that when a student studies the questions papers to prepare for an examination and those questions are repeated such student is lucky and fortunate but, if those questions are not repeated definitely there would be problem because no two questions are alike and that is what I simply called forecasting. No two cases are alike, if a student had studied his text

Enitan

THE CAUSES OF DELAY IN JUSTICE DISPENSATION

ARE NUMEROUS.

HOWEVER, THE

PEOPLE WHO SHOULD TAKE GREATER BLAME OF THE DELAY IN COURTS ARE LAWYERS books and lecture note materials when he gets into an examination hall it would be easy to identify a problem and be able to solve it without stress. I can categorically say that this is the problem many of the law school students are facing. They have failed to finish the syllabus through adequate use of their text books that is why they were drown in high water. My advice to the present and future students is that it is only after when one must have fully studied that he goes after past questions, it is abnormal to use past questions to prepare for an examination. However, the failure also reflected what the students were being taught in the universities; there is no doubt that there are problems in the universities that should be fixed.

There was an insinuation that some law faculties’ libraries often close on time thereby depriving the students’ access to adequate reading materials?

The truth of the matter is that the workers at the library would go to their respective homes at the close of work, I don’t see that as challenge, do these students even make use of the library when it is opened? We are in the computer age many of the text books are on software, at a finger tip you can have access to as

Enitan many information you wanted but the reverse is the case, they are busy using the internet for their personal pleasures.

What is your reaction to the parade of suspects by the Nigerian Police?

It is not constitutional; the provision of the 1999 Constitution is that a suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The people arrested are suspects except someone who says he did it intentionally, even at that, it is regarded as confession and such person must be taken to a court of law to pronounce him guilty and sentence him before the police can make it a public show. But as at the time he was arrested even if the Police wanted to report what they have done, there is no need to show the face of the suspect.

How will you react to the mode of appointment of the Chief Justice of Nigeria?

I am of the view that it should remain the way it has been structured, because there is no issue of lobbing which could have happened if it not left the way it is. I think it should remain the way it is now, because there is no judge at the Supreme Court level that could be referred to as dormant, even when they retire at 70 most of them are still useful in one area or the other. Before a lawyer becomes a judge of the High Court, he must have spent 10 years at the bar and before a lawyer becomes a judge of the Court of Appeal, he must have spent 15years at the bar. In fact I have not heard of any lawyer who became an Appeal Court judge on the straight role. So, a judge at the Appeal Court cannot be referred to as inactive

or dormant and for the Supreme Court judges to be senior enough from first to third rank position such gentle men and women deserved honour.

How would you assess the criminal justice system in the country?

It is not perfect however, it is improving gradually, there are lapses and imperfections but we cannot rubbish it because we need improvement.

What is your advice to the young lawyers in the country?

Young lawyers should learn the work, there is no need for them to chase money; though there is money in the profession but one can only make the money based on self- development made on the job; otherwise he would pay for the mistakes made on the job. There is need for adequate training for young lawyers; I think it should be mandatory that a young lawyer should spend the first five years in a law firm to understudy ways and manner things are being done. If he does that by the time he opens his chambers he is well- equipped. I used to tell them when they come for the National Youth Service Corps that they should forget the money but should rather learn the job because if they know the work it is very easy to command the money but if they don’t know the work even the money collected would be paid back because a lawyer can be sued for negligence in advising the client. If the advice of a lawyer is wrong or found to have been below expectation such lawyer can be sued and be found liable for negligence.

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Monday, January 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Court officials, traders recount losses CONTINUED FROM PAGE 41

due to the strike.

Speaking on how the impact of the strike, a café operator situated near the Ikeja High Court, Mrs. Kemi Kolawole, lamented that the strike had negative effects on their businesses.

She said,“I usually make between N5,000 and N7,000 daily from photocopying alone in a day but since the strike action commenced, I hardly go home with N1,000 in a day. I am feeling the strike action greatly in terms of sales”.

Another trader in lawyers’ accessories, Mrs. Funmilayo Otekaiye said ‘’since the beginning of the strike I have been experiencing low patronage. As you can see everywhere is quiet and dry, we hardly see customers these days unlike when the court is not on strike.”

Speaking to National Mirror on the negative impact of the strike on justice administration, Mr. Tayo Oyetibo, SAN said what the judiciary had lost as a result of the strike could not be quantified.

His words ‘’how do you quantify it? It is a colossal loss and you cannot put a price tag on it. Commercial cases that ought to be resolved speedily are delayed. No foreign investor would want to invest his money in a country where it will take years to resolve a commercial dispute in court’’.

He urged the state governments and the judiciary workers to sit at a round table and resolve the issue.

In his view, Chief Ganiyu Adetola- Kaseem, SAN said ‘’the cost is inimical to the economy and cannot be quantified. As a result of the strike, everybody is idle, the judges, lawyers and the litigants cannot pursue their cases. There are some people who are in detention unjustly and cannot pursue their rights for freedom.

Do not forget that the general election is

Bar

Jokes I suppose I earned enough An elderly and somewhat hard-of-hearing man was sitting in a stylish downtown attorney’s office as his lawyer handed him his will.

“Your estate is very complex,” said the lawyer, “but I’ve made sure that all of your wishes will be executed. Due to the complexity, my fee is $4500.”

Just then, the phone rang and the lawyer got involved with a long call. Thinking the lawyer had said “$500,” the old man wrote out his check and left.

When she got off the phone and realized the old man’s mistake, the lawyer ran after him down the stairs and into the parking lot just as he drove away. Feeling frustrated, the lawyer looked at the check and decided to accept the situation philosophically. “Oh well,” she said to herself, “$500 for half an hour’s work isn’t bad.”

Why God Created Lawyers Satan was complaining bitterly to God,

Adetola-Kaseem

Kuye

Oyetibo

THE JUDGMENT WILL ENHANCE THE OPERATIONAL INDEPENDENCE OF THE JUDICIARY. IT IS BAD ENOUGH THAT EVERY YEAR THE JUDICIARY GOES CAP IN

HAND TO THE EXECUTIVE, SEEKING FUNDS FOR ITS OPERATIONS fast approaching and there are lots of issues people want the court to pronounce on before the election. So it is a very serious matter’’.

On the way out, the SAN said ‘’the answer is very simple. Since the court has granted financial autonomy to the judiciary at both the State and federal levels and most of the states rely on revenue allocation which they share monthly, the

“You made the world so that it was not fair, and you made it so that most people would have to struggle every day, fight against their innate wishes and desires, and deal with all sorts of losses, grief, disasters, and catastrophes. Yet people worship and adore you. People fight, get arrested, and cheat each other, and I get blamed, even when it is not my fault.

Sure, I’m evil, but give me a break. Can’t you do something to make them stop blaming me?” And so God created lawyers.

A cold winter night Lorenzo Dow, an evangelist of the last century, was on a preaching tour when he came to a small town one cold winter’s night.

He entered the local general store to get some warmth, and saw the town’s lawyers gathered around the pot-bellied stove, discussing the town’s business.

Not one offered to allow Dow into the circle.

Dow told the men who he was, and that he had recently had a vision where he had been given a tour of Hell, much like the traveler in Dante’s Inferno.

When one of the lawyers asked him what he had seen, he replied, “Very much what I see here: All of the lawyers, gathered in the hottest place.”

Culled from Aha! Jokes; Lawyers Jokes.com

allocation to the judiciary can be removed at the beginning of the month by the Accountant-General and handed over to the heads of courts in their respective States’’.

Meanwhile, some notable lawyers have also insisted that the judgment of the court granting financial autonomy to the judiciary should be obeyed by the government as a way out of the impasse.

Former President, Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Chief. Priscilla Kuye said “there is nothing wrong with strike if it the conditions precedent for its invocations are followed. There are conditions laid down in the Trade Union Act (as amended) before the workers can legitimately go on strike. An aggrieved person can go to court to say any of such conditions has not been

complied with’’.

“Conditions of strike relate to instance when trade disputes arise which may be on collective agreements, conditions of work and other employee and employer relations. Right to strike would not arise if the complaints does not relate to trade dispute”.

“The judgment makes perfect sense to me and stops the punishment of the judiciary by the State and federal executives. It will also enhance the operational independence of the judiciary. It is bad enough that every year the judiciary goes cap in hand to the executive, seeking funding for its operations. The judgment must be obeyed” In his view, Mr. Olu Daramola, SAN said ‘‘it is wrong for the government to refuse to comply with a court order. If they are dissatisfied with the order they can appeal but is not proper to ignore a court judgement as if it does not exist. ‘’It is also not proper to embark on strike to enforce court judgement. Strike is not one of the recognized mechanisms for the enforcement of judgement in the Sheriff and Civil Processes Act and judgement enforcement rules’’.

LEGAL TIPS

A

Garnishee proceedings in Nigeria

garnishee proceeding is a judicial process whereby a judgement creditor, who is armed with the judgement of a court, may recover such debt owed by judgement debtor from a third party, who in turn has an obligation to the judgement debtor. *Thus, there are three parties in garnishee proceedings; the garnishor, who is the judgement creditor, the garnishee, who is the third party, and the judgement debtor. *For instance, if Mr. A gets a monetary judgement

in court against Mr. B and Mr. B has refused to pay, Mr. A can ask the court to help collect Mr. B’s money from Mr. C, who in turn owes Mr. B money. The third person indebted to the judgement debtor is called the garnishee, while the judgement creditor is also referred to as the garnishor. *The law governing garnishee proceedings can be found in Rules of Court, the Sheriff and Civil Process Act (SCPA) Cap 407, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and case laws. *Any debt owing to a judgement debtor from any

other person within the jurisdiction of the court can be recovered by the judgement – creditor towards the satisfaction of his judgement by attachment of debts via a garnishee order. *For a debt that is on attachment, it must be due or accruing to the judgement debtor. It must also be a sum certain, examples are, salaries, money in bank account and rent.

Written by Francis Famoroti, Head, Judiciary. We welcome feedback and reactions from readers via our email: nationalmirrorlaw@ yahoo.com

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Law & Justice

Monday, January 26, 2015

45

N450m libel suit: Why nine S’Court justices sued Concord Press FAMOUS CASES

The N450million libel suit instituted by nine justices of the Supreme Court against Concord Press of Nigeria (CPN) in 1993 was one of the celebrated cases of that period. But the matter was withdrawn from court when CPN apologised to the justices. FRANCIS FAMOROTI, Head, Judiciary, writes.

S

ometimes in January 1993, the then Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mohammed Bello, and eight other justices of the Supreme court filed a N450 million libel suit against the Concord Press of Nigeria (CPN) , seeking damages for an alleged defamatory publication in its weekly newsmagazine, the African Concord .

In the suit filed at the Ikeja High Court, each of the justices sought an award of N50million compensatory damages for the alleged libel.

In their statement of claim, Justice Bello and his brother justices contended that the offensive news story was published in a December 1992 edition of the newsmagazine titled: ‘‘Justice Mohammed Bello : Kick him out now! Lawyers demand’’.

Specifically, the Supreme Court justices claimed that the reference to them severally and individually in the African Concord publication that Gen. Ibrahim Babangida administration had bribed them with Mercedes Benz exotic cars’ gifts amounted to libel and had brought them to ridicule. They claimed that it also tended to lower them in the estimation of rightthinking members of the public.

Foremost lawyer, Chief F.R.A Williams (SAN) had instituted the action on behalf of Justice Bello and other apex court justices while the activist lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi was abroad for medical attention.

Immediately, the fiery lawyer learnt that the justices of the apex court had gone to court; he called his chambers on phone from London and asked his juniors to enter appearance for CPN in the matter. Prior to that period, Fawehinmi, who was not on terms with the CPN publisher, Chief M.K.O Abiola suddenly, became CPN’s lawyer and he defended the company during the hearing of the suit.

Williams equally led Otunba T.O.S Benson (SAN), Babashola Rhodes (SAN) and a number of other lawyers on behalf of the justices.

Each time the court sat, Abiola, often resplendent in flowing Agbada, with a cap to match, personally appeared in court with his aides alongside with some top management staff of the company.

Indeed, the case was laden with several twists and wits. When the hearing of the case commenced, of note was an application brought by Fawehinmi, which asked the presiding judge, Justice Omotunde Ilori to disqualify himself from handling the suit on the ground that Justice Ilori and Chief Williams are in-laws. Ilori’s daughter, Olusola (now a judge) is married to the senior advocate’s youngest son, Tokunbo.

Fawehinmi, who led a number of lawyers including Mr. Femi Falana, had argued that Justice Ilori should hands-off from the matter on ground of real likeli-

Justice Bello

Abiola

Justice Ilori

Onanuga

THE CASE ASSUMED A NEW DIMENSION WHEN ABIOLA BOWED TO PRESSURES FROM SOME QUARTERS TO COMPEL THE CPN AND THE THEN EDITOR OF AFRICAN CONCORD, BAYO ONANUGA, TO APOLOGISE TO THE JUSTICES hood of bias as he might give justice in the case in favour of his in-law.

But Justice Ilori in his ruling declined to disqualify himself from hearing the case. He declared courageously that as a judge, he had sworn on oath to do justice to all manner of people without fear or favour, ill-will or affection, adding that to succumb to Fawehinmi’s request would amount to an abdication of his sacred duty as a judicial officer. He held that the activist lawyer‘s submissions were without precedent.

The judge eventually heard the matter,

which was adjudged a celebrated case at the time.

After the disposal of the preliminary interlocutory applications pending before the court, CPN, which pleaded justification as a defence called its first witness, Samson Atayero, a vehicle licensing officer from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Others who testified during the hearing of the matter included, Justice Andrews Obaseki, retired justice of the Supreme Court and a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, (SGF) Alhaji Aliyu Mohammed, who was in of-

fice between January 1, 1990 and August 26, 1993.

Perhaps, the humorous aspect of the case was captured when the ex-SGF stepped into the witness box to give his evidence. Fawehinmi had asked him to state the period when he occupied the office of SGF to which he promptly replied.

The next question posed to him by the human right lawyer, however provided a comical relief for scores of people who thronged the court to hear the proceedings.

As Fawehinmi puts it ‘’please, tell the honourable court your academic qualification and highest educational background when you joined the civil service?’’

In annoyance, Alhaji Aliyu replied that ‘’I did not come to court to look for job or seek any employment’’. But Fawehinmi insisted that the witness must answer his question while Williams prayed the court to protect the witness.

Justice Ilori however, passionately urged Aliyu that as a witness on oath, he was bound to answer all questions put to him to the best of his knowledge and ability. The judge assured him of adequate protection by the court.

The ex-SGF then answered ‘’ My Lord, my educational qualification is Teacher’s Grade Two certificate’’.

Fawehinmi in his characteristic manner chorused ‘’ Teacher’s Grade Two certificate, and he rose through the ranks to become the SGF!’’. The comment drew laughter from most people in the court room but Williams interjected that there was nothing funny in this testimony because the witness was being truthful.

He said Fawehinmi was merely asking questions along that line to generate catchy headlines for news media.

Along the line, the case assumed a new dimension when Abiola bowed to pressures from some quarters to compel the CPN and the then editor of African Concord, Bayo Onanuga to apologise to the justices. Those who brokered the out-ofcourt settlement of the matter had advised Abiola to ensure the apology was published in a conspicuous space of the newsmagazine in a bid to placate the Supreme Court justices. Onanuga disagreed with his employer on the decision to make a Uturn in the case. This obviously prompted his sudden resignation from the company.

Fawehinmi too was unhappy with the development and he withdrew his representation for CPN and the African Concord.

The management of Concord Press eventually apologised to the Supreme Court justices over the offensive publication and this made them to withdraw the suit at the high court. As soon as the motion for the withdrawal of the suit was filed by Williams, the judge struck it out.

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National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Examining Mukhtar’s scorecard as CJN CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK

IT IS COMMON

IHEANYICHUKWU MARAIZU

KNOWLEDGE THAT

JUDGES STILL

I

t is no longer news that the crises arose following a vacancy that occurred in the office of the Chief Judge of Rivers state on 19th August 2013.

In line with section 271(1) (supra) the NJC recommended Hon. Justice Daisy Okocha to the Governor of Rivers State for appointment. The latter, for whatever reasons rejected this recommendation and instead made his own choice in the person of Hon. Justice P.N.C Agumagu.

The NJC under the able leadership of Justice Mukhtar bluntly refused to recognize the Governor’s choice and has since insisted that its own nominee (Okocha) must be appointed.

It was this hard line posture of the NJC that compelled me to examine the Dictionary meaning of the word recommend.

My humble position on this issue was vindicated by the Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary which explained that the word recommend simply means to advise or to suggest a course of action.

I believe that it was in line with the foregoing that a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt held that it was wrong for the NJC to seek to impose its recommendation on the Governor.

May I with utmost humility express my surprise that the NJC under the leadership

RECORD PROCEEDINGS

MANUALLY, A SITUATION THAT NOT ONLY MAKES THE JOB VERY TEDIOUS BUT ALSO LEADS TO UNDUE DELAY

Justice Aloma Mukhtar, former CJN

of Justice Mukhtar did not resolve the logjam on the basis of the judgment referred to above.

Since the NJC is insisting (in the case of Rivers) that its recommendation is sacrosanct, why did it not do likewise in the case of Hon. Justice Ayo Salami (rtd)?

It will be recalled that following the scandal that rocked the judiciary in the twilight of CJN Ignatius Katsina- Alu’s tenure the NJC suspended Hon. Justice Salami. When however the same NJC saw reason to recall Justice Salami, it made a recommendation to this effect to Mr. President. We all know that the latter refused to accept this recommendation and so Hon Justice Salami remained in suspension and retired from

Osinbajo named among Nigeria’s top 100 lawyers MATTHEW IRINOYE

T

he Presidential running mate for All Progressives Congress (APC) Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has been described by a City Lawyer Magazine as one of the best lawyers in the country following his outstanding works in active pursuit of legal education and justice sector reform in Nigeria.

It would be recalled that, Osinbajo, had a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Lagos in 1978 and was admitted to the Nigerian Bar in 1979. He again received a Master of Laws degree from the London School of Economics in 1980.

Osinbajo, became Attorney-General & Commissioner for Justice of Lagos State, where he made a landmark and gamechanging reforms.

Prior to his service to the Lagos State government, Osinbajo was Head of Public Law at the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos and Special Adviser to Nigeria’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice between 1988 and 1992.

He has over 31 years of litigation experience including significant trial and appellate work.

The professor of law has conducted crucial constitutional and precedent-setting cases before the Nigerian Supreme Court, some of these include fiscal disputes between the federating units and the federal government; disputes regarding the own-

ership and control of oil and gas resources; town and physical planning disputes between the federating units and the federal government; an international territorial jurisdictional dispute in the West African sub-regional court; shareholder disputes involving a multinational company, private investors and state-owned investment corporations, and energy disputes arising from multinational participation in power projects in Nigeria.

He is a member of the International Bar Association and the British Institute of International and Comparative Law. Osinbajo has served in Nigeria’s Body of Benchers and Council for Legal Education. He is currently an independent Director of CitiBank Nigeria and an Ethics Adviser to the board of the Africa Development Bank. He has also served in various capacities within the United Nations organisation including serving as a staff member and Member of the UN SecretaryGeneral’s Committee of Experts on Conduct and Discipline of UN peacekeeping personnel.

Osinbajo is Co-founder & Board Member of the Convention on Business Integrity and the Justice Research Institute Ltd. In 2007, he co-founded with his wife Oludolapo, “The Orderly Society Trust”, a non-governmental organization dedicated to promoting good governance among other objects. He is a lucid author and much sought after speaker both locally and internationally.

there.

It is on record that the NJC did not insist that the President must implement its recommendation to recall Justice Salami. If the NJC did not insist that the President must implement its recommendation, my humble view is that it amounts to double standards for the same NJC to seek to impose its recommendation on the Governor of Rivers State. The word recommendation means the same thing whether it is made to the President or to a Governor. It is therefore incumbent on the new CJN to immediately resolve the logjam in the Rivers state Judiciary by rescinding the decision of the NJC to make its recommendation to the Governor sacrosanct.

As sordid as the logjam in the Rivers Judiciary is, one fact that cannot be denied is that Hon. Justice Mukhtar is passionate about expeditious dispensation of Justice.

Under her able leadership therefore Judges

(both of High Courts and appellate Courts) across the country were closely monitored by the NJC to ensure that they performed optimally. The new CJN will therefore do well to sustain and even surpass the standard already set by Justice Mukhtar in this regard. This will have an overall salutary effect on the Judiciary and the society at large.

It is however my view that a situation where Judges are required to ensure quick dispensation of Justice without being given the tools that will aid them to do this is anomalous and must be rectified.

For example, it is common knowledge that Judges still record proceedings manually a situation that not only makes the job very tedious but also leads to undue delay. This unfortunate situation cannot be blamed on anybody as the Judiciary is known to be poorly funded.

Honourable Justice Mukhtar could not do much about the financial autonomy of the Judiciary because her tenure was short.

Her successor must therefore work hard to ensure that this dream is realized.

All said Hon. Justice Mukhtar can be said to have played her part to the best of her ability. She has gone down in history as the first woman in Nigeria to ever occupy the enviable position of CJN. One can only wish her well in retirement.

CONCLUDED Maraizu, Principal Counsel, Iheanyichukwu Maraizu & Co (Legal Practitioners) Onukwugha Chambers writes from Abuja.

EVENT

National Coordinator, Legal Defence and Assistance Project, LEDAP, Mr. Chino Obiagwu and Executive Programme Director, Mrs. Adaobi Egboka, at the group’s media conference on the opening of its national office in Lagos, recently.

Female lawyers and support staff of LEDAP during the media conference at the group’s national office in Lagos.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Law & Justice

Monday, January 26, 2015

47

Jackie Chan’s son on trial for drugs Celebrity Ramsay loses legal battle over London pub UNITED KINGDOM

C

elebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has lost a High Court battle over being held personally liable for the rent on a London pub he bought.

BBC report says the pub deal took place when his father-in-law Christopher Hutcheson was working with him to build his restaurant empire.

The chef said his signature had been forged on a document, which made him the personal guarantor for the pub’s rent.

He had accused Mr Hutcheson of using a ghost writer machine to do this.

‘Performing monkey’ The machines are frequently used by authors to sign books and photographs automatically.

Ramsay said the document made him liable for £640,000 annually for the York & Albany pub near Regent’s Park, north London.

However, Mr Justice Morgan dismissed as “entirely implausible” Ramsay’s claim he did not know the full extent of the use of the ghost machine.

The judge said: “Accordingly, I find that Ramsay knew, long before the entry into the agreement for

British Prime Minister, David Cameron

lease and the lease of the premises, that the machine was routinely used to place his signature on legal documents.

“I do not accept his evidence to the contrary.”

He refused to grant a declaration that the rental guarantee was not binding because Ramsay’s signature “was not lawfully authorised” when the 25 year lease was signed in 2007.

The York & Albany pub is located near Regent’s Park, north London “I find that when Mr Hutcheson committed Mr Ramsay to the guarantee in the lease of the premises, Mr Hutcheson was acting within the wide general authority conferred on him

by Mr Ramsay at all times until Mr Hutcheson’s dismissal in October 2010,” the judge added.

BEIJING

T

he son of kung fu star, Jackie Chan, has appeared in court for trial on drugs charges in Beijing. He was accused of providing a venue for others to use drugs.

A report by AFP says that Jaycee Chan, who like his father has worked as an actor and singer, was detained in August after police said they found 100 grams of marijuana in his Beijing home.

Authorities outlined the charges against the younger Chan last month.

“The trial has started on schedule,” the Dongcheng District People’s Court said in an online post.

Chan and Ko Chen-tung, a Taiwanese actor also known as Kai Ko, both tested positive for marijuana according to state media,

Chinese President Xi Jinping

and Kai made tearful televised confessions.

At least 10 locally known stars have been detained on drug-related charges last year, state-run media have said.

The arrests have been seen by observers as part of a wider campaign on morals by Beijing, which has also targeted prostitution

and the wider drugs trade.

Around 200 mainly domestic journalists at the Dongcheng court were allowed to set up their equipment outside the building as the defendant arrived, and reporters were invited to wait in a conference room in the court building, where staff gave updates while handing out bottled

water.

The court is also providing a live report from its account on China’s Twitterlike Sina Weibo.

The scene at the court was far removed from trials of dissidents, which domestic journalists generally do not attend except for a select few from state-run outlets.

Foreign journalists at sensitive trials are often aggressively targeted by plain clothes police if they go within even a few blocks of the courthouse.

Jaycee Chan has featured in several films but has not so far won the acclaim earned by his father, one of Asia’s best-known actors with a string of Hollywood hits to his name.

Shortly after his son’s detention, Jackie Chan father said in a Weibo post that he was “extremely angry and extremely shocked”.

Spanish court admits paternity suit against ex-king Carlos SPAIN

Ex-King Juan Carlos

S

pain’s Supreme Court has agreed to examine a paternity suit against former king Juan Carlos by a woman who claims to be his daughter.

It is the first lawsuit to be allowed against Carlos, 77, since he lost his total immunity when he abdicated last year, and the latest in a string of scandals to hit the Spanish monarchy.

According to BBC report, the court “agreed to examine one of the paternity suits brought against Don Juan Carlos de Borbon,” a case brought by Belgian housewife Ingrid Jeanne Sartiau, the official, who asked not to be named, told AFP. Carlos lost his total immunity from court proceedings after he left the throne in June, dogged

by scandals and weakened by health problems.

He handed the crown to his son Felipe VI. But, a spokesman for the royal palace comment on the matter.

The court dismissed a second suit brought by a man claiming to be Juan Carlos’s son, Alberto Sola Jimenez, a Spanish waiter in his late 50s, the official said.

Appeal court orders UBA to refund customer’s stolen N1.1m Commercial Law WALE IGBINTADE

T

he Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, has dismissed the appeal filed by United Bank for Africa, UBA, and ordered the bank to refund the sum of N1.1 million stolen from a customer, Ibeh Esther Ogochukwu, by her account officer.

The appellate court in a unanimous decision upheld the judgement of a Lagos High Court that the bank was vicariously liable for the act of its account officer, Mrs. Joan King, who stole customer’s money.

In her lead judgement, Justice Abimbola ObasekiAdejumo held that the act

of the account officer was deceitful and fraudulent which she committed ‘’right under the nose of the business manager, within the banking hall while using the infrastructure of the bank’’.

The claimant, Ogochukwu had in her statement of claim prayed the court to order UBA to refund N1.1 million dishonestly appropriated from her account by the account officer.

Justice Sunny Oladokun Ishola of a Lagos High Court had on January 13, 2010 delivered judgement in favour of the claimant and ordered the bank to refund the money.

Dissatisfied with the verdict, UBA appealed against the judgment and urged the court to set aside the judg-

ment on the ground that under the law, the bank could not be held liable for the crime of its agent.

But in the appellate court’s judgement, Justice Obaseki-Adejumo held ‘’when a bank holds out a staff to a customer it presupposes that the bank has infinite confidence in her performance, integrity and character to interact with its customers. Certainly the bank will be liable for the act of such an agent who steps out of line’’.

The court held that upon the evaluation of the evidence and pleadings by the trial judge, there was no miscarriage of justice adding that the act of crime was proved beyond reasonable doubt.

The facts of the case are

that the respondent, Ogochukwu operated a saving account with the bank.

However, on March 20, 2002 she entered the Alaba International Market UBA branch to check her balance and one Wale Ogundeinde, a staff the bank talked her into off-loading her account into fixed deposit accounts that would yield better returns.

Consequently, the bank assigned one Mrs Joan King as her account officer and to manage the fixed deposit account.

On one occasion her account officer borrowed the sum of N300, 000 from her within the banking hall and when she requested for the money, the account officer told her that she had used it to open a fixed deposit ac-

count for her in the bank.

On April 27, 2003, her account officer against visited her at home to rejoice with her when had her new born baby and informed her that she had N500, 000 lying idle in her savings account.

The account officer also advised that she used the money to open another fixed deposit account for her.

Since the respondent could not come to the bank because she just had a baby, , the account officer gave her a detached withdrawal slip to sign to enable her account officer withdrawal the money and open a fixed deposit account for her.

Unknown to her, the account officer withdrew the money and converted it to her own use.

On different occasion the account officer accosted her at the banking hall for another financial assistance of N300, 000 which the respondent gave her before she discovered that she had been fleeced by her account officer.

She complained to the bank and after investigation the bank ordered the account officer to pay back the money into her account but she (account officer) was only able to refund N230, 000. The bank later terminated King’s employment with the bank without resolving the issues.

She later filed a suit against UBA before a Lagos High Court and obtained judgement in the sum of N1.1 million against the bank.

48

Monday, January 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Community Mirror “You cannot continue with the PDP government. You have to join the progressives to ensure solutions to the problems of the country.”

APC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE – GENERAL MUHAMMADU BUHARI

Two girls found dead in Ondo HAKEEM GBADAMOSI AKURE.

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wo young girls suspected to have been killed by ritualists were yesterday morning found dead on the road in Iju, in Akure North Local government of Ondo state.

The two girls identified as Oyinkansola Owoeye and Folashade Bello were found dead after a search party was sent after them on Sunday when they failed to return home from where they have gone to fetch firewood.

According to source who

said the girls were matcheted to death by their assailants while they also drained their blood.

He explained that two girls aged 12 left for farm to look for firewood on Saturday evening and failed to return on that day.

He added that a search team set out very early on Sunday morning only to discover the lifeless bodies of the two girls beside the road.

He however said the two young girls were suspected to have been used for rituals saying though the bodies of the girls remained intact but the blood of the young girls

drained by their killers which showed that they were used for rituals.

The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO in the state, Wole Ogodo, who confirmed the development did not confirm whether the deceased were killed by ritualists, but said the two young girls were killed by unknown assailants in the town The police spokesman stated, “We received information that the two girls, Oyinkansola and Folasade went to the bush to fetch fire wood where they met their untimely death on Saturday.

“ Our detectives have visited the scene of the crime while photographs of the corpses were taken before been removed and deposited at the Mortuary of the State Specialists Hospital for autopsy.

He however said no arrest had been made by his men but said his men have commenced investigation into the killing.

“We hereby appeal to the people of the state to field the command with any useful information that could lead to the arrest of the criminals. Such information will be treated with utmost confidentiality”

L-R: Former Osun State Commissioner for Tourism, Mr. Sikiru Ayedun; Baale Okoko-Ipetumodu, Chief Julius Adeboye; member, House of Representatives, Hon. Rotimi Makinde; member National Assembly representing Ife/Ijesa Federal Constituency, Sen. Babajide Omoworare and Governor Rauf Aregbesola, during a visit to Ashipa and Ipetumodu towns as part of his effort to resolve conflicts between the two warring communities recently.

Monarch counsels politicians on politicking with decorum

T

he Majuwa of Moribodo Kingdom in Ilutitun, Ondo State Oba Isaac Idepefo, on Sunday advised Nigerian politicians to shun the politics of bitterness.

The monarch tolde newsmen in Ilutitun that the politicians should learn from their counterparts in the advanced countries, where electioneering was

devoid of rancour, hooliganism, thuggery, violence and abuse of power.

According to him, Nigerian politicians have taken politics as a dirty game in which violence, hooliganism, thuggery and character assassination is the order of the day.

He said, “Politics is about telling the masses what you can do

for them and ensuring that all the electioneering pledges are fulfilled thereafter, not by digging into the past or personal issues of your opponents.

“If they do not know how to do politics, I think they should learn from the politicians in the advanced countries, so that they can modify the way they play politics,” he added.

Oba Idepefo said that his community would never be part of dirty politics but would only vote credible candidates who are faithful and ready to fulfill their promises to the people.

He warned youths in the state against fomenting trouble in the forthcoming elections, saying that no politician would rescue them if the Police arrested them.

NDLEA nabs man with 130 grammes of cannabis in Lagos DARE AKOGUN

N

ational Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has arrested a 30-year-old man who attempted to smuggle 130 grammes of cannabis to Dubai at the Murital Muhammed Airport Lagos.

This is contained in a statement in Lagos by the spokesman of the agency, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju.

The statement said that the cannabis was discovered in a luggage of a headmistress.

It said that the drug which was hidden inside local alcoholic beverage known as ``Alomo bitters’’ was detected at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, in Lagos.

He said the suspect, (name withheld) allegedly concealed the drug in a luggage which was given to the headmistress to deliver in Dubai.

According to the statement, as soon as the drug is detected, the operatives conducted a follow-up raid operation that led to the arrest of the main suspect.

It said the suspect in his confessional statement admitted to have planted the drug in the luggage without the knowledge of the headmistress.

According to the suspect, “I personally concealed the cannabis inside one of the bottles of Alomo bitters.

“The original plan was to send the drug to my brother in Dubai through a friend but the consignment was given to the headmistress in error.

“When I was told that the goods were given to the headmistress, I was greatly disturbed.

“It was a great mistake that she was given the consignment that contained the drug,” the statement said.

The statement said the case was being investigated for subsequent prosecution.

Monday, January 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

49

World News

If Mr Putin and if Russia are hell-bent on engaging in military conflicts, their military is more powerful than Ukraine’s.

–UNITED STATES PRESIDENT, BARACK OBAMA

PAUL ARHEWE

WITH AGENCY REPORTS

E

dgar Lungu was sworn in as Zambia’s new president Sunday.

“I am humbled eternally and indebted to you all, my fellow citizens,” said Lungu at the inauguration ceremony. “The bottom line is that we want the country to go forward and to banish poverty in our midst.”

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, congratulated Lungu. Mugabe was attending as chairman of the 15-nation Southern Africa Development Community. Also at the ceremony was Kenneth Kaunda, Zambia’s first president.

Lungu, the candidate of the ruling Patriotic Front, was declared the winner of Zambia’s presidential election late Saturday night. The poll was called after President Michael Sata died in October.

Lungu received 48.3 percent of the vote, while Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Development came in second with 46.7 percent after votes were tallied from all 150 constituencies in the southern African nation, said acting Chief Justice Lombe Chibesakunda.

Lungu, who heads Zambia’s justice and defence ministries,

Lungu sworn in as new Zambian president

The Patriotic Front’s Edgar Lungu, right, is sworn in as president at an inauguration ceremony in Lusaka, yesterday.

will serve out the remainder of Sata’s term until elections next year. Sata died after a long illness.

Earlier Saturday, before the results were announced, Hichilema, the opposition leader, held a briefing in which he described the election as a sham.

“The election was stolen and does not reflect the will of the people,” he said.

Zambia’s electoral commission chairwoman Ireen Mambilima has dismissed the allegations, saying the process was transparent.

Zambians voted on Jan. 20,

and the polls were extended by an extra day, due to heavy rain in certain areas.

During the election campaign, Lungu, who belongs to the same party as the late president, said he wants to complete economic development projects initiated by Sata.

Japan condemns ISIS killing of its citizen

F

rom the prime minister to ordinary people, Japanese were shocked yesterday at a video purportedly showing one of two Japanese hostages of the extremist Islamic State group had been killed.

With attention focused on efforts to save the other hostage, some also criticized Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s drive for a more assertive Japan as responsible

for the hostage crisis.

A sombre Abe appeared on public broadcaster NHK early Sunday demanding the militants release 47-year-old journalist Kenji Goto unharmed. He said the video was likely authentic, although he added that the government was still reviewing it. He offered condolences to the family and friends of Haruna Yukawa, a 42-year-old adventurer taken hos-

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (R) speaks to the media at his official residence in Tokyo, yesterday.

tage in Syria last year.

Abe declined to comment on the message in the video, which demanded a prisoner exchange for Goto. He said only that the government was still working on the situation and reiterated that Japan condemns terrorism.

“I am left speechless,” he said.

“We strongly and totally criticize such acts.”

Yukawa’s father, Shoichi, told reporters he hoped “deep in his heart” that the news of his son’s killing was not true.

“If I am ever reunited with him, I just want to give him a big hug,” he said.

President Barack Obama condemned what he called “the brutal murder” of Yukawa and offered condolences to Abe. Obama’s statement didn’t say how the U.S. knew Yukawa was dead.

“The U.S. intelligence community has no reason to doubt the authenticity of the video,” said Brian Hale, spokesman for the

U.S. director of national intelligence.

On a visit to India, Obama said the United States will stand “shoulder to shoulder” with Japan and called for the immediate release of Goto.

French President Francois Hollande also said condemned the killing and praised Japan’s “determined engagement in the fight against international terrorism.”

The Associated Press could not verify the contents of the video message, which was removed from websites soon after it appeared and varied greatly from previous videos released by the Islamic State group, which now holds a third of both Syria and Iraq.

Criticism of Abe has touched on his push for an expanded role for Japan’s troops — one that has remained strictly confined to self-defence under the pacifist constitution written after the nation’s defeat in World War II.

WORLD BULLETIN Obama announces nuclear breakthrough during India trip In a glow of bonhomie, U.S. President Barack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a deal aimed at unlocking billions of dollars in nuclear trade, a step that both sides hope will help establish an enduring strategic partnership.

The two countries reached an understanding on two issues that, despite a groundbreaking 2006 agreement, had stopped U.S. companies from setting up reactors in India and became one of the major irritants in bilateral ties.

“We are committed to moving towards full implementation,” Obama told a joint news conference with Modi after he arrived in the Indian capital in a state visit. “This is an important step that shows how we can work together to elevate our relationship.”

Anti-immigrant riots shakes South Africa South African authorities have re-established order — for now — in Soweto and other Johannesburg townships, after a week of looting of foreign-owned shops and violence in which four people were killed.

The 19-year-old mother of an infant who died after being trampled by a mob during the looting said she was accidentally caught in the street chaos. Some witnesses, however, said the mother was herself pillaging when she was knocked down with her baby strapped to her chest.

The dispute about the baby boy, Nqobile Majozi, echoes conflicting stories about what motivated some of the worst unrest in Soweto and nearby areas since protests swept the same districts before white racist rule ended in 1994. The casualty toll was higher during mass rallies and bloody, apartheid-era crackdowns, but the new upheaval raises concerns about anti-immigrant sentiment, the frustration of the poor and the government’s handling of social tensions.

Germany halts arms exports to Saudi Arabia Germany has decided to stop arms exports to Saudi Arabia because of “instability in the region,” German daily Bild reported yesterday.

Weapons orders from Saudi Arabia have either been “rejected, pure and simple,” or deferred for further consideration, the newspaper said, adding that the information has not been officially confirmed.

The decision was taken on Wednesday by the national security council, a government body that includes Chancellor Angela Merkel, Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel and seven other ministers, it said.

50

Politics

Monday, January 26, 2015

Imo guber: Ohakim backs Ihedioha CHRIS NJOKU OWERRI

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ormer governor of Imo State, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, yesterday backed the Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, standard bearer, describing him as a leader who will not deviate from building on the party’s laid down solid foundation in the state.

Ohakim, who was speaking to selected newsmen and PDP leaders in the state at his country home,Okohia in Isiala Mbano Local Government Area, said that he deliberately had refrained from making public statements since the “disturbing event of PDP governorship primaries of December 8, 2014 in order not to jeopardize our chances at the polls or react to speculations and blackmail.”

…slams Okorocha for running Imo aground “In taking this stand, I considered the fact that we are in a most delicate and terrifying period in our political history. I also wanted to allow our party’s National Working Committee, NWC ample time and opportunity to adjudicate on our petition. Although they have neither reviewed petitions nor made moves to reconcile aggrieved Imo State aspirants till date. I would however like to differ with those of us who hold the opinion that our petition may have been regarded as an inferior item on the menu of the NWC or treated with indifference.”

While thanking his numerous supporters for their supports, he urged them and all registered voters to join hands and vote for President Goodluck Jonathan, Emeka Ihedioha and all PDP candidates in the forthcoming general elections.

“I appeal with my fellow compatriots including all former aspirants, to please let us join hands in spite of all the imperfections and personal loses to dismantle the impunity in our state.

Brepeating the 2011 mistake will tantamount to waving a red flag in front of a drunken bull,” he said.

Explaining his achievements while in office, he said that his administration made solid achievements as a result of prudent and creative management despites lean resources and sacrifices of political appointees who ceded 25 per cent of their salaries to develop the state.

While acknowledging some mistakes either in choice of some appointees or reliance on them, he said his administration “cannot be faulted when it comes to having the vision, intellect, courage, passion, administrative acumen, patriotic zeal, com-

passion and commitment to offer developmental governance against brick and mortar administration.”

He said if compared, the current administration of Okorocha under Imo State today is in worse situation than ever before. “We have made zero progress in economic development and job creation.”

Reacting, the Minister of State for Education, Prof.

Viola Onwuliri, who represented President Jonathan at the occasion, thanked Chief Ohakim for taking such a bold step and exhibing the spirit of sportsmanship despite the pains of losing so much resource in the process.

He described the newspaper commentary that ceded Imo State to Muhammadu Buhari as a complete fallacy, insisting that PDP will not only win in the state but do so with a huge margin.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Gombe INEC assures of distributing 172, 288 PVC’s DANJUMA WILLIAMS GOMBE

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he Gombe State office of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, says it is sure of distributing 172, 288 Permanent Voters Cards in its possession before the second week of February 2015.

In a release signed and made available to newsmen in the state, the Head of Voters Education and Publicity, Zakari Musa stated that the commission in the state is also ready for the conduct of the February elections in Gombe State .

He said the new Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, posted to the state, Barrister Kassim G Gaidam after a successful familiarisation tour of all INEC offices in the 11 local government areas of the state, express satisfaction with the preparedness of all the LGA offices of INEC to conduct the forth coming elections.

According to him, the REC was particularly satisfied with the readiness of

19 DAYS TO GO

the commission to distribute the 172, 288 unclaimed PVC’s across all the areas/ wards and the INEC offices of the 11 local government areas of the state before the second week of February.

The REC expressed happiness with the assurance given to him by traditional rulers who pledged to support the commission in the areas of mobilizing their subjects for peaceful elections.

The new REC on assumption of office in the State recently, undertook a familiarization tour where he inspected facilities at the INEC offices as he was briefed by Electoral Officers, EO’s, members of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committees on Election Security, ICCES, as well as Local Inter-Agency Advisory Committees on Voter Education and Publicity, LICVEP’s.

I’ll replicate Lagos success story in Delta , says Emerhor THEOPHILUS ONOJEGHEN WARRI

D L-R: Lagos State deputy governor, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire; wife of presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Hajia Aisha Buhari and wife of running mate, Mrs. Oludolapo Osinbajo, during the inaugural meeting of APC Women Presidential Campaign Initiative in Abuja at the weekend.

PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA

‘We didn’t force LG chairmen to contribute to Nashuni campaign’ JAMES DANJUMA KATINA

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he Director General, Musa Nashuni Campaign Organisation, Bature Masari, has debunked rumours that local government chairmen in Katsina State were forced to contribute to funding the gubernatorial candidate’s campaign.

Rumour had been rife weeks ago that chairmen of the 34 council areas were forced by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDPled government to each contribute N3 million or N102 million collectively in campaign funds for the

party’s candidate.

But Masari, who is Director General, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, SMEDAN, dismissed the issue, saying there was no truth to the allegation.

He said the party has rich stakeholders that are able and have continued to fund the party’s campaigns for both governorship and other elective positions at the state and national level.

According to him, “I’ve never heard nor seen the state government forcing local governments to fund Nashuni’s campaign.

I cannot contemplate this and the that is out of the question.

“The PDP has rich stakeholders contributing voluntarily to the party’s campaign within the ambit of the law. We are very careful in how we fund Nashuni’s campaign and any other campaign for that matter.

“Our funding mobilisation is a continual process, on a daily basis. We intend to exercise the highest decorum in our finances to ensure it is in line with the Electoral Law.” He said the campaign organisation would ensure it carries out its

activities devoid of violence, and that respect for human life and property would be organisation’s priority.

Masari, who incidentally is younger brother to the All Progressives Congress, APC, gubernatorial candidate, Aminu Bello Masari, said Nashuni’s campaign would be issues and continuity based.

He said should the PDP candidate get to be elected into office, priority would be given to several sectors including security, education, agriculture, youth empowerment, water provision among other needed social services.

elta State All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate, Olorogun O’Tega Emerhor, has assured that his administration would develop the state through genuine partnership with public private boasting that the era of few amassing the wealth of the state through unexecuted contracts were over. I Emerhor, spoke at the weekend during his campaign rallies held in Warri and Orerokpe respectively, saying that if voted into power he would industrailised the state by establishing industries at the grassroots for even development.

While urging the people of Warri and Okpe to massively vote for the APC, he said Deltans need a man like of his caliber with robust business background to drive the ailing economy of the state.

According to him, he would bring the Lagos State example of APC led administration of public private partnership initiative to

turn around the dwindling economic fortune of the state, promising to transform the state within a short time in office.

“We have only 20 days for a new government under General Mohammadu Buhari to take over at the Federal level. At the state level here in Delta State, I want you to cast your vote for the APC. A vote for APC means progress, development, quality education and robust economy. As a business man, I will bring in public private partnership down to this state.”

“I will take business to the grassroots; take our children out of labour market. I will not be sharing money at the local government levels as they use to do. We will use the money to develop our area. We will move this place forward. I know what to do for Okpe people, this place needs industries, this place need empowerment and that is why we want to take over.

Go to Lagos and see what private public partnership has done in Lagos. That, we will do when we take over”, Emerhor stated.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

North

Monday, January 26, 2015

Shema calls for violence-free polls …says N181m spent annually on polio

JAMES DANJUMA KATSINA

A

head of the February elections, Katsina State Governor, Ibrahim Shema, at the weekend called on Nigerians to shun any act of violence in the forthcoming general elections in the country.

Shema, who was speaking during a one-day seminar on “Peace During and After Elections” at the banquet hall of old Government House, Katsina, called on youths to shun all forms of violence, including arson, before, during and after the polls.

Directing his statement at religious leaders, Shema called on Christian and Muslim clerics to preach peace and peaceful coexistence among Nigerians,

and to emphasise that development was impossible without these elements.

The governor said it was the realisation of the importance of religious harmony that made his administration to set up an inter-religious committee to oversee issues that bordered on different faiths in the state.

Deputy Governor, Abdullahi Garba, said politicians trying to play up religious sentiments should remember that they need the votes of both Christians and Muslims to win in a contest.

Citing various verses from the Koran, Garba called on politicians and their supporters to “eschew anything that could lead to religious disunity” and to play politics according to the rule of the game.

He said the inter-religious programme of the state was to promote religious tolerance, and that the outcome had led several states and the Federal Government to borrow a leaf from the state.

The event, which saw Islamic and Christian clerics speak against electionrelated violence, also had prayers for the peaceful February elections and for a more united, indivisible Nigeria.

Meanwhile, Shema has disclosed that N181 million is being spent annually on polio campaign in the state.

He also stated that the state had yet to record any case of outbreak of meningitis or measles for two years, and that no recorded cases of polio infection for the past 26 months.

The governor was speak-

ing in Rimi council area at the weekend during flag-off ceremony for the January 2015 polio immunisation programme.

He said absence of meningitis, measles and polio for these periods was due to sustained commitment of the state government and stakeholders in the health sector.

He added that the state government had in 2012 set up task force on polio with the Deputy Governor, Abdullahi Garba, heading it, and that since then the war on the disease had continued to relentlessly.

Shema also said that from 2007 when his administration came aboard to date, there had been sustained investment efforts in the health sector, and such investments had yielded positive results.

51

Kogi loses N30m monthly to ghost teachers WALE IBRAHIM LOKOJA

K

ogi State government has disclosed that it has been losing N30 million monthly to ghost and unqualified teachers who submitted fake certificates in the state.

The startling discovery was made through verification exercises conducted recently, which revealed that the state had on a monthly basis been paying N30 million to holders of fake teachers certificates obtained from just a single institution in the state.

Governor Idris Wada made this known yesterday at an interdenominational church service held at the Cathedral of Holy Trinity, Lokoja, to mark the 3rd anniversary of his administration.

The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Yomi Awoniyi, stated that following a number of verification exercises conducted by government, it was revealed that a number of people disguising as teachers are either not working in any school or are operating with fake certificates.

Wada also cleared doubts over payment of

WAEC school certificate examination fees for students in the state, stating that the policy had not been cancelled as being alleged.

The governor said that henceforth, government will only make refunds to parents who can show evidence of payment of the fee. He lamented the continued increase and subsequent demand of N515 million in 2015 as money needed to pay exam fees for students in the state, from the initial N300 million the administration inherited in 2012.

Wada described the increasing trend as suspicious and fraudulent practice by a cabal, saying that this was unacceptable to the government, which led to the new policy review.

He explained that the present administration had been misunderstood on several issues because there was no adequate exchange of information, adding that while government was aware of its responsibilities to the people, the resources available to the state have been on a sharp decline sadly, thus creating a huge gap between government’s plan and the capacity to implement them.

Gombe APC accuses Dankwambo of incurring N70bn debt DANJUMA WILLIAMS GOMBE

L-R: Programme Coordinator, Stefanos Foundation, Mr. Mark Lipdo; representative of Executive Secretary, Plateau Emergency Management Agency, Mr. Biser Longnan and representative of Sterling Bank, Mr. Augustine Okwuagwu, during presentation of relief materials donated by the bank to internal displaced persons in Jos, yesterday.

Al-Makura optimistic of victory at polls IGBAWASE UKUMBA LAFIA

G

overnor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State said he was optimistic that he would emerge victorious at the February 28 governorship election in the state because of the excellent deliverance on the mandate given him by people of the state.

Consequently, the governor countered insinuations making the rounds that his second term bid may not see the light of the day due to the defection of some members of the All Progressives

Congress, APC, who were supposed to campaign for him. He argued that those who defected to his party were more valuable than those who left.

Al-Makura stated this in a chat with journalists in Lafia, the state capital, shortly after donating 50 cars and 342 motorcycles to his campaign coordinators, who cut across the 13 local government areas of the state.

He, however, added that the governorship seat of the state would be zoned to the northern senatorial zone of the state in 2019 if he is re-elected for a second term

in office, assuring that the power shift to the northern zone of the country would ensure equity and justice to the people of that part of the state.

According to the governor, “my second tenure in office would focus on human capacity building popularly refer to as ‘stomach infrastructure’. Although more priority would be given to human capacity building, but the provision of basic amenities for the state would always remain the cardinal principle of my administration.

“I don’t want people to place much emphasis on

stomach infrastructure. I am thinking of creating avenues for commercial activities, agriculture and others to flourish so that people can take care of themselves,” he said.

Al-Makura

A

ll Progressives Congress, APC, Gombe State chapter, has accused Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of plunging the state into N70 billion debt in the last three and a half years of his administration.

The party’s gubernatorial flag bearer in the forthcoming February 28 elections, Alhaji Mohammed Inuwa Yahaya, made the allegation at the flagoff of the party’s electioneering campaign in Kaltungo Local Government Area of the state, yesterday.

According to Yahaya, Governor Dankwambo had been deceiving the citizens with incomplete projects like the School of Basic and Remedial Studies, SBRS, Kumo; College of Education, Billiri; State Polytechnic, Bajoga; School of Nursing and

Midwifery, Dukku, and School of Islamic and Legal Studies, Nafada.

He promised to complete the projects in good time if voted into power, including any other project his government may embark upon.

Yahaya, also an accountant like Dankwambo, promised civil servants a conducive working environment and a better deal for the state’s retirees, who he said, were currently owed four months arrears of pension and gratuity.

He said if voted into power the administration would immediately begin implementation of its infrastructural, social and economic development agenda. He also promised not to delay the appointment of his cabinet members as experienced by the current administration, which spent close to a year before forming a cabinet.

52

Monday, January 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

15 killed during protest on Egypt’s uprising anniversary

A

t least 15 people were killed in antigovernment protests in Egypt yesterday, the anniversary of the 2011 uprising that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak, security sources said.

In the bloodiest day of protests since Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was elected president in June, security forces and plain clothed police fired at protesters, witnesses said.

The anniversary is a test of whether Islamists and liberal activists have the resolve to challenge a government that has stamped out dissent since the thenarmy chief Sisi ousted elected Islamist president Mohamed Mursi in July 2013 after mass protests against his rule.

After nightfall, gunfire and sirens could be heard in central Cairo as armoured personnel carriers moved through the city center. Protesters set fire to a government building on a street near the Pyramids, state media said.

Dozens of protesters CHANGE OF NAME

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were killed during last year’s anniversary. Again this year, security forces fanned out across the capital and other cities.

The heaviest death toll was in the Cairo suburb of Matariya, a Muslim Brotherhood stronghold. Special forces fired pistols and rifles at protesters, a Reuters witness said. Eight people, including one policeman, were killed, according to the health ministry.

Riot police backed by soldiers in armored vehicles sealed off roads, including those leading to Cairo’s Tahrir Square, the symbolic heart of the 2011 revolt.

In downtown Cairo, riot police with rifles and plain clothed men with pistols chased protesters through the streets.

Six people were killed in separate protests in Alexandria, Egypt’s second biggest city, Giza governorate outside of Cairo and the Nile Delta province of Baheira, security sources said.

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side a Cairo sports club, the sources said.

Signs of discontent built up as the anniversary of the revolt against Mubarak approached, and a liberal woman activist, Shaimaa Sabbagh, was killed at a protest on Saturday.

About 1,000 people marched in her funeral procession on Sunday.

The Health Ministry said she had been shot in the face and back and Interior Ministry spokesman Hany Abdel Latif said an investigation into her death had begun, adding: “No one is above the law.”

“Shaima was killed in cold blood,” Medhat alZahid, vice president of the Socialist Popular Alliance party that Sabbagh belonged to, told a news conference.

Sisi’s crackdown has neutralized the Brotherhood but failed to end an Islamist insurgency in the Sinai Peninsula near the Israeli border.

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ties said. Islamist militants based in the Sinai have killed hundreds of police and soldiers since Mursi’s removal. They have pledged support for Islamic State, the ultra-hardline group that seized parts of

Iraq and Syria.

After four years of political and economic turmoil following Mubarak’s fall, many Egyptians have overlooked allegations of widespread human rights abuses and praised Sisi for

restoring a measure of stability.

Sisi, who served as military intelligence chief under Mubarak, has also taken bold steps to repair the economy, such as cutting costly fuel subsidies.

Syriza set to sweep election in Greece G reece’s leftwing Syriza looked set for a comfortable victory over the ruling conservatives, an exit poll showed, with a chance of winning a full majority to face down international creditors and roll back years of painful austerity measures.

Syriza could gain 35.539.5 percent of the vote, well ahead of the conservative New Democracy party of outgoing Prime Minister Antonis Samaras on 23-27 percent, ac-

cording a joint exit poll for Greek television stations issued immediately after voting ended.

If confirmed, the result would be enough to install 40-year-old Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras as prime minister at the head of the first euro zone government openly opposed to bailout conditions imposed by European Union and International Monetary Fund during the economic crisis.

The poll showed Syriza

CORRECTION OF NAME This is to notify the general public that my voters card name was registered as Silas Oladimeji instead of Adaba Oladimeji Samuel. That I now wish to be addressed as Adaba Oladimeji Samuel. All former documents remain valid. First bank plc and general public take note.

This is to notify the general public that the Original Letter of Allocation with Ref. No LU/2008/LEKKI II /BLK.PLT. dated on 5TH May, 2008 at Land Use and Allocation Committee,Lands Bureau Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos State belonging to Awala Tosan Lawrence is missing.The general public and Lands Bureau,Alausa, please take note.

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LOSS OF DOCUMENT

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The families of Anidile Stephen in Obinagu Affa in Udi L.G.A. in Enugu State wishes to change their names from Stephen to Mbah, henceforth. Mbah Onica Obageli, Mbah Emmanuel Ikenna, Mbah Ifeoma Clara, Mbah Ananyo Moses, Mbah Nkechi Evelyn, Mbah Uche Bernard. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

could have between 146158 seats in the 300-seat parliament, with the final result heavily dependent on whether former Prime Minister George Papandreou’s center Movement of Democratic Socialists enters parliament.

A clearer indication will come after 9.30 p.m. local time (1430 ET) when the interior ministry is due to issue first official projections, with a breakdown of seats based on a partial count of the vote.

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LOSS OF DOCUMENT

This is to inform the general public of the loss of original Right of Occupancy KG.4945 granted

by Kogi State Government in favour of Mallam Husseini Imman Shaibu of No. 57, Murtala Mohammed Way, Lokoja.

If found,kindly return to Ministry of Lands,Housing and Urban Development or the owner.

Anybody who transacts business with the Right of Occupancy does so at his or her own risk.

Monday, January 26, 2015

I love Steven Gerrard when he said he would never score a goal against Liverpool. I really do

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sport

Zambia suffers Mayuka y blow

–CHELSEA MANAGER, JOSE MOURINHO

53

55

Ex-Eaglets coach, Abdullahi, dies at 61 Andy Murray

…NFF ‘saddened’ by death WALE IBRAHIM LOKOJA

F

Aussie Open

2015:

Rafael Nadal

B

ritish star, Andy Murray, yesterday extended his streak of consecutive grand slam quarter-final appearances to 16 with a roller coaster victory over Grigor Dimitrov at the Australian Open.

Murray looked set to be dragged into a decider when Dimitrov led 5-2 in the fourth set, but won the next five games to complete a 6-4 6-7 6-3 7-5 success in just over three and a half hours.

The Scot weathered an early storm from Dimitrov, who raced

Murray, Nadal through to q-finals into a 3-0 lead before Murray won six of the next seven games to claim the opening set.

Trailing 3-2 in the tie-break, Murray then failed to put away an overhead at full stretch to allow Dimitrov a backhand winner down the line as the 23-yearold moved 6-3 in front.

Murray saved two points on his own serve but could do nothing about the third as a service winner gave Dimitrov the set in 70 minutes and levelled the match at one set all.

The object of his anger then

switched to umpire Jake Garner, who failed to spot the ball had bounced twice before Dimitrov retrieved it.

But Murray regained his composure to break Dimitrov in the eighth game and this time had no trouble serving out to take the set 6-3 and go two sets to one up.

Dimitrov had to work hard to hold onto his next two service games and it was beyond midnight when Murray saved a set point to force his opponent to serve for the set.

Murray still had to complete the job and in the end was grateful for the assistance of a massive net cord to seal a thrilling win.

Meanwhile, third seed Rafael Nadal, who eased to a 7-5 6-1 6-4 victory over 14th seed Kevin Anderson, will face Tomas Berdych in the quarter-finals after both men enjoyed comfortable victories in the fourth round yesterday.

Nadal had to save six break points in the opening set before while Berdych saw off home

ormer coach of Golden Eaglets, Musa Abdullahi, has died after a brief illness, aged 61.

Family sources in Lokoja told National Mirror that Abdullahi passed on at his home at about 2pm yesterday and was taken to his home town, Koton Karfe, where he was buried later in the day.

The late coach’s daughter, Salamatu, recalled her father had been admitted at the Poly Clinic in Lokoja on Thursday after he suffered from malaria but had been discharged on Saturday.

“The situation relapsed earlier today (yesterday) and he died before we could rush him to the hospital,” she said.

He is survived with one wife and four children.

Meanwhile, The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has expressed deep sorrow at news of the death of Abdullahi.

“This is terrible news,” NFF President Amaju Pinnick, reacted from Equatorial Guinea where he is on official duty for the Confederation of African Football at the 30th Africa Cup of Nations finals.

“We feel very sad to lose him but our prayer is for almighty God to grant him peaceful rest and also grant the family he has left behind the fortitude to bear the huge loss,” the NFF boss added. hope Bernard Tomic 6-2 7-6 6-2.

The Spaniard, however, admitted he thought of quitting during his second round match with American Tim Smyczek on Wednesday after suffering from dizziness and nausea as he fell two sets to one behind.

Nadal has an 18-3 record against the seventh seeded Czech, who won three of their first four meetings but has lost the last 17 in a row.

“It’s very special to be in the quarter-finals after a tough period of time for me,” Nadal said.

54

Sports

Monday, January 26, 2015

Sturridge set for come-back L

Ibile Games 2015 commences AFOLABI GAMBARI

A

bout 6, 000 athletes from 418 secondary schools will jostle for honours from today as the Lagos State Secondary Schools Sports Festival tagged Ibile Games 2015 get underway.

The two-week tournament will hold across seven centres in Lagos with the first week’s events starting today in Athletics and Deaf categories at the Unilag Sports Centre, Yaba.

Taekwondo, Judo and Gymnastics hold at the same venue while Weightlifting, Tennis, Basketball will hold at Rowe Park Sports Centre, Yaba as Cricket takes place at the Ovals of Tafawa Balewa Square, Onikan.

The Technical Sub Committee of the Main Organising Committee said one Education District will compete per day in athletics at the preliminary stages before the finals scheduled for the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Week Two when competitions in Scrabble, Handball, Wrestling, Badminton, Table-Tennis and Deaf Table Tennis, Fives, Swimming, Karate, Chess, Volleyball, Boxing and Squash will take place.

Ten-year-old Bukola Awotoye of Shining Lord’s Schools, Apapa, Lagos, who started playing chess three years ago, also declared her readiness to excel.

“For me Tournament like this would really help me to achieve my dream as chess world champion someday,” Awotoye said.

Thirteen-year-old student of Wesley Girls Junior High School, Sabo Yaba, Fausat Ajisegiri, who won 4 gold medals and 2 silver for Lagos State at the National Schools Sports Festival and Ibile Games, said she was ready for the games after training for weeks prior to the competition.

“I am working towards being a world champion and I belief that I will achieve my goal,” the youngster said.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sturridge

iverpool striker, Daniel Sturridge, could make his long-awaited Liverpool comeback in the secondleg of the Capital One Cup semi-final against Chelsea tomorrow.

The 25-year-old has been out of action for five months with a thigh problem, but he finally

returned to full training today.

Reds Manager, Brendan Rodgers, confirms that the England international could face the Blues but, if not, will be in action against West Ham United next weekend.

“He’s in his final rehabilitation with the medical and sports science guys today and

joins in with the group from now. It’s just about getting football and game fitness,” Rodgers said.

The semi-final is delicately poised after a 1-1 draw in a first leg where the Reds dominated for most of the match, but failed to find that killer touch in front of goal.

Reigning Glo League highest scorer Mfon Udoh is starring for Enyimba in the Super 6 Pellegrini

Poor form worries Pellegrini

M

Super 6 ‘ll generate excitement –Glo T

itle sponsor of the Glo Premier League and National Telecommunications Company, Globacom, has enjoined teams participating in the 2015 Super 6 tournament to re-ignite fans’ interest as the new season approaches.

The Super 6 which started in Abuja on Saturday and will be rounded off on January 31 will be played by reigning Glo Premier League champions Kano Pillars, runners-up Enyimba, Federation Cup runners-up, Dolphins of Port Harcourt and Warri Wolves, while the national Under-23 and Under-20 teams who are participating in the compe-

tition for the first time complete the list.

“We look forward to witnessing a great competition among the teams, especially with the inclusion of the junior national teams,” Globacom said in a statement in Lagos yesterday.

“We believe it will also enable the Glo Premier League clubs to test their new signings and blend them with the old players in their squads ahead of the new season.

“For Kano Pillars and Enyimba, it will provide ample opportunity for them to prepare for the CAF Champions League preliminaries which kicks off next month.”

The telecommunications company commended the organisers of the tournament, Nigeria Football Federation and the League Management Company for their foresight, saying the pre-season competition would boost the quality of football in the country.

“We believe the Super 6 couldn’t have come at a better time to put the fans in the football mood as the new League season kicks off in March,” the statement further said.

“We, therefore call on football fans to troop out en masse to the match venue, National Stadium, Abuja to cheer their darling clubs to victory.”

anchester City Manager, Manuel Pellegrini, admits he is concerned by his side’s recent form, but denied any suggestions of complacency after their FA Cup humbling

by Middlesbrough.

The defending Premier League champion crashed out of the competition at the fourth-round stage after Sky Bet Championship side Boro pulled off a shock 2-0 win at the Etihad.

It was City’s second home defeat in a row and raised further questions about the wisdom of returning from their warm-weather training camp in Abu Dhabi less than 24 hours before the game.

While Pellegrini denied travel was a factor in City’s disappointing display, he admitted his side’s form is a worry ahead of their crunch Premier League clash with Chelsea next Saturday evening.

“I am concerned, not because of the Chelsea game, but because in the last two games here at home we didn’t score goals and because in the last five games here at home we conceded two goals in four of them,” he said.

Following its shock FA Cup defeat on Saturday, City is now without a win in three matches and has not kept a clean sheet in seven.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sports

Monday, January 26, 2015

Zambia suffers Mayuka blow C

AFCON 2015

hipolopolo striker, Emmanuel Mayuka, will miss the remainder of his side’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign.

The 24-year-old, who suffered a double groin injury in the 2-1 defeat to Tunisia on Thursday, and has since returned to his English club Southampton to start rehabilitation.

It was Chipolopolo’s second major injury blow of the tournament, with Nathan Sinkala’s knee injury in the 1-1 draw with DR Congo ruling him out of the remaining games.

The 2012 champion currently props up Group B with one point, and will need a victory against Cape Verde today to have any chance of progressing.

Emmanuel Mayuka

Grant awaits ‘tough’ Bafana G

hana Coach, Avram Grant, has said he expects another tough match tomorrow against a South African team, who he described as fantastic.

A win over South Africa will guarantee the four-time African champion passage to the last-eight of the competition, while a draw and Algeria failing to beat Senegal on the same night could also gets Ghana past the group stage.

However, former Chelsea manager Grant said his new generation Black Stars aims to do the business against a South African team who has impressed him.

“Nothing has been decided yet in this group,” Grant said yesterday.

“Yes, we may have beaten the number one team in Africa, but we now face South Africa, who qualified for this tournament ahead of a big team like Nigeria.

“They played very well in their first game even though they eventually lost to Algeria. They are a fantastic team.

“We are a young team who have shown we do not give up and so we will come into any game to win it.”

Group A Team

P

GD Pt

1

Congo

3

2

7

2

E/Guinea

3

2

5

3

Gabon

3

-1

3

4

Burkina Faso

3

-3

1

Group B Team

P

GD Pt

1

Tunisia

2

1

4

2

Cape Verde

2

0

2

3

Congo DR

2

0

2

4

Zambia

2

-1

1

P

GD Pt

Group C Team 1

Senegal

2

1

4

2

Ghana

2

0

3

3

Algeria

2

1

3

4

South Africa

2

-2

1

Group D Team

P

GD Pt

1

Ivory Coast

2

0

2

Mali

2

0

2

3

Cameroon

2

0

2

4

Guinea

2

0

2

2

Gyan

Today’s Matches Zambia

vs

Cape Verde

Tunisia

vs

RD Congo

…Gyan level on scoring feat

Results Gabon

0

2

E’Guinea

Congo

2

1

B/Faso

A

Renard pleads for ‘time’ Renard

C

55

ote d’Ivoire Coach, Herve Renard, says he needs time to build his side after the Elephants played to a 1-1 draw with Mali in an Africa Cup of Nations Group D clash in Malabo on Saturday.

Mali claimed an early lead through a brilliant goal by Bakary Sako, but the Ivoriens forced a draw when Max Gradel equalised in the 86th minute.

“Four of the players on the pitch today are competing at their first AFCON,” Renard said yesterday.

“It is obviously harder for them. In football, we need to build. Things don’t happen in one shot.

“In Zambia, with whom I won, I stayed for five years, and

I am only with the Elephants for five months. We need time to put things in place.”

Renard singled out captain Yaya Toure for praise and refused to be drawn into criticism of the match officials.

“Yaya did his job well. He controlled the play, he was collective. For me, he had a very good game,” the French gaffer said.

Cote d’Ivoire’s final Group D match is against Cameroon on Wednesday.

Grant

samoah Gyan’s stoppage time winner against Algeria on Friday ensured he equaled Ghana’s scoring record at the Africa Cup of Nations.

The Al Ain striker is now tied on seven goals with Osei Kofi, a veteran of the Black Stars side that won the continental title in 1965.

The 29-year-old, who missed their opening 2-1 defeat to Senegal last Monday, shrugged off a bout malaria for that headline grabbing display in their Group C clash.

Gyan last year became Africa leading scorer in World Cup history with seven goals; surpassing Cameroon legend Roger Milla who is on six.

WORLD RECORD First narrative fictional filmcarry Fastest mile fireman’s

Vol. 05 No. 1034 Monday, January 26, 2015

N150

The Lumiere films were simply recorded scenes taken from everyday life, but that milestone occur red in the USA when The Great Train Robbery was made in November 1903.

Political violence: Prof Gambari’s practical recipe

A

friend, whose wife runs a chain of pharmaceutical stores in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, called to seek my opinion on the safest investment policy the wife should adopt now that the February D-Day vibes are felt everywhere.

Specifically, he wanted to know whether his wife should stop stocking her stores!

Though I was jolted by his request, yet I interpreted it as confirming the primacy of politics over economics in the affairs of nations. All facets of a nation are benchmarked on political instability, which is why the Nigerian business class is factoring in the upcoming elections in its risk calculation in his/her investment drive.

This begs the question whether elections should be seen as a curse by Nigerians. The answer could be pigeonholed into yes and no. No, if they successfully serve their function of instrument for

HeartBeat Callistus Oke

Callistusoke@nationalmirroronline.net 08054103275 (SMS ONLY) anthonykila@mail.com changing political leaderships; and yes, if the process is accompanied by blood, deaths and destruction. Interview 1000 Nigerians and each will have different experience to recount from their participation in the nation’s electoral process.

I had very early exposure to election violence. In 1965, my family house in Sobe, in the then Owo Division of Western Region (Sobe is now in Edo State), was torched by Action Group’s partisans, a fallout of operation wetie that greeted the rigging of that year’s parliamentary election of the region by the Nigerian National Democratic Party (Demo) formed by separatist Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola. In fairness to the arsonists, my family enjoyed their magnanimity of allowing us time to move out before setting the building ablaze!

If we take stock of our electoral trajectory as a people, what is very obvious is that on a scale of balance, we have suffered too many misfortunes from poor management of our electoral processes.

The only exception was the June 12, 1993 presidential election contested by Bashorun MKO Abiola of the Social Democratic Party and Alhaji Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention. That contest undisputedly won by Abiola, has been adjudged as the freest and fairest in the nation’s political history. One success factor in the process, which is still largely acknowledged by discerning Nigerians and external observers, was the impar-

INEC’S ASSURED STATE OF READINESS WILL BE RENDERED USELESS BY ONE INDISCRETION OF THE SECURITY AGENCIES tiality of the National Electoral Commission headed by Professor Humphrey Nwosu.

This anecdote is necessary because it helps to underscore the significance of the contribution of Professor Agboola Gambari, a former Nigeria Permanent Representative to the United Nations and later Under Secretary at the global body, to the ongoing national conversation on how to use the upcoming general elections to unite the country instead of being the catalyst of its disintegration. I need not tell you there is palpable fear of post election violence, and this has served as impetus for all manners of prognoses, the most extreme being a call for the postponement of the February 14 presidential election and institution of a transitional government.

That the suggestion is unpopular could be inferred from the continuing frenzied preparations by the political parties for the elections. You also recall that as part of the stakeholders’ abiding faith in the sanctity of the ballot box, the two main contenders in the presidential election, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan of the ruling PDP and General Muhammadu Buhari

of the APC, joined by the candidates of nine other political parties, signed a pact on January 14 in Abuja to signify their expressed commitment to good conducts before, during and after the general elections.

Consider it a political novelty, but the symbolism of the ‘Abuja Accord’ lies in its letter. The nagging question is how efficacious will the letter of the pact be without the spirit to enkindle it. Here lies the beauty of the recipe of Professor Gambari. In his widely circulated thesis, he said the success of the February polls is contingent on three critical elements, namely, the technical competence of INEC; professionalism and impartiality of the security agencies; and willingness of the contestants to abide by the rules of the game.

Ask me if INEC could be fair to all the political parties and I will say it has demonstrated its neutrality beyond all reasonable doubts. The governorship election last year in Anambra won by the All Progressive Grand Alliance, that in Ekiti which saw Ayo Fayose of the PDP displacing incumbent Governor Kayode Fayemi of the APC, and the one in Osun won by Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola of the APC, tilt the scale of neutrality balance in the favour of INEC. However, neutrality is one thing, competence and capacity to drive the designed process, another. INEC’s bungling of the distribution of the PVCs across the country has put a question mark on its capacity to deliver free and fair elections, in the scale to be witnessed next month, to Nigerians.

For the security agencies, I cannot stake a bet on their impartiality; yet this is a key trust factor needed to show their sense of fairness to all the stakeholders.

INEC’s assured state of readiness will be rendered useless by one indiscretion of the security agencies. If these two key stakeholders put their acts together, the capacity for mischief by any politicians or groups would be drastically reduced.

Sport Extra

w

Eto’o seals Sampdoria deal, ready for unveiling today

E

verton striker, Samuel Eto’o, yesterday completed a medical ahead of his transfer to Italian club Sampdoria.

Eto’o soon after posted a picture on Twitter of him

with the club doctor and wrote:”Successful medical.

I am ready for a new challenge!!!”

The former Cameroon international joined the Toffees on a free trans-

fer last summer, and has scored four goals in all competitions.

Sampdoria, which lies fourth in Serie A table, tweeted a picture of Eto’o wearing a club shirt on Sat-

urday.

The 33-year-old is expected to earn £1m per season on a two-and-a-half year deal, with the potential to become a club director once he has finished play-

ing.

Eto’o previously played in Italy with Inter Milan in 2009, where he scored 25 league goals in two seasons, in addition to winning the Champions League trophy.

Eto

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