Thursday, february 26, 2015new by GLOBAL MEDIA MIRROR LIMITED

Consumers, stakeholders oppose revised electricity tariffs CHIDI UGWU ABUJA

anufacturers and other commercial and industrial electricity consumers

Nebo

Vol. 5 3 N0. 1057 657

have described the revised electricity tariffs regime as the highest globally. The revised tariff, according to them, remains indefensible in view of the fiscal, infrastructure and other ex-

tenuating challenges hampering economic activities in the country. For instance, Steel Manufacturers yesterday faulted the tariff order and CONTINUED ON PAGE 5>>

30 DAYS TO GO

Oyo tertiary institutionsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; students rally for Jonathan P.16

Thursday, February July 4, 2013 26, 2015

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Use of military for polls:

Reps in rowdy session Lawmakers give Okonjo-Iweala 7-day ultimatum over missing $20bn

OLE OLADIMEJI P.7 W ABUJA

he House of Representatives was in rowdy session yester-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2>>

FG approves 9 new private universities FEC okays $400m foreign loan for Lagos, Osun, Ogun, P.6,7 Rivers

L-R: Former Head of Interim Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan; former Military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida; celebrant, former President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari; President Goodluck Jonathan; former Head of States, Gen. Yakubu Gowon and Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, cutting the 90th birthday cake of Alhaji Shagari in Sokoto, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

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2015 budget: Senate kicks against service-wide votes ...slashes SURE-P allocation

3 feared killed in Oshodi renewed violence

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2015 budget: Senate kicks against service-wide votes GEORGE OJI ABUJA

he Senate has called on the Federal Government to abrogate the Service Wide Votes, SWV, and reclassify all the funds there to the relevant ministries, department and agencies of government for transparency. The SWV, according to the lawmakers provides an avenue for the Federal Government to continue to perpetrate fraud of monumental proportion. The SWV is floating fund for use at the discretion of the government. The sum of N360.94bn was budgeted for the SWV in the 2015 budget appropriation. Opposition to the vote was expressed by the senators during the consideration and approval of the 2015-2017 Medium Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF, and Fiscal Strategy Paper, FSP, yesterday. All the senators who contributed to the debate on the report opposed the continuous existence of the SWV. The senators include Ahmed Lawan (Yobe North),

Bello Tukur (Adamawa South), Ita Inang (Akwa Ibom South East), Kabir Gaya (Kano South) among others. Chairman of the Senate Joint Committee of Finance and National Planning, Economic Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, who presents the report yesterday, stated that there was no reason to include the sum of N63bn for the Presidential Amnesty Programme under the SWV when there is the Ministry of the Niger Delta. He also faulted the inclusion of N22bn for internal operations of the armed forces, which ought to be appropriated under the defence ministry. This was as the lawmakers frowned at the amount provided as arrears of pension and gratuity under SWV. This, according to them should be reclassified from the SWV to the relevant heads, stating that, “henceforth, this general provision should be discontinued.” The lawmakers also approved the reduction of the total expenditure for SURE-P from N102.50bn to N21.03bn due to the fall in oil price, even as some senators called

for the total cancelation of allocations to the sector. This was in addition to the approval of the recommendation for the downward review of subsidy payment for fuel from N200bn to N100bn and kerosene from N91.08bn to N45.52bn, owing to the lower price for crude oil in the international market. The lawmakers further approved the exchange rate of N190 to $1 and $52 as the benchmark for crude oil price.

The recommendation by the committee for the reduction of the recurrent expenditure from N2, 616.01trn to N2, 584.08trn was approved by the senate, even as the lawmakers also approved the recommendation for the increment of the capital expenditure from N633.53bn to N700.78bn. The senators in addition approved the recommendation that government should engage in drastic reduction of the cost of governance

and improvement of revenue collection with a view to attaining a healthy recurrent/capital expenditure ration. The lawmakers approved the proposal that government should strengthen and consolidate its fiscal strategy to narrow the gap between projected and actual revenue for the period 20152017, curtailing oil theft and diversifying the economy to increase tax bases. In his closing remarks

after the adoption of the report, Senate President, David Mark urged the scaling down of individual and corporate life styles in view of the dwindling economy. “We all have to tighten our belt across government. Let there be a cut across the border; the judiciary, legislature and executive arms of government,” Mark said. He also called for the plugging of all leakages in the nation’s revenue generation and collection.

L-R: Ministers, Mrs. Akon Eyakenyi (Land and Urban Development), Prof. Viola Onwuliri (State for Education), Hajia Asabe Ahmed (State for Agriculture), Mrs. Lawrencia Laraba-Malam (Environment), Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke (Petroleum), Hajia Zainab Maina (Women Affairs), Comrade Abba Moro (Interior) and Mr. Musa Sada (Mines and Steel Development), during the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

Use of military for polls: Reps in rowdy session CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

day over whether President Goodluck Jonathan has the power to deploy the military during elections in the country. Trouble started when the Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee set up by the House, Albert Sam-Tsokwa, who is also the chairman House committee on rules and business was presenting his report to the lawmakers. The Minority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila had brought a motion before the House last week titled “unconstitutional deployment of military personnel for election purposes.” Gbajabiamila had urged the House to set up an Ad-hoc Committee to investigate the role played by the military and any other person who featured in an audio tape on Ekiti election and report to the Hose within four days. He said noted that deploying soldiers in an election may intimidate the electorate. His motion was however challenged by Hon Karimi

Sunday, (PDP, Kogi) citing order 9 rule (7) (5) which says the House cannot comment on any matter that’s pending in court. Hon. Sokonte Davies, (APC, Rivers) and Gbajabiamila again countered Karimi Sunday by citing same order 9 rule 58 saying that Hon. Sunday breached the rules preventing a member raising a point of order from debating or reading from a text speech as he was doing. The Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal thereafter directed three committees to look into the matter and advise the House accordingly. Sam-Tsokwa, after being called upon by the Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha, who presided over the plenary advice the House to drop the issue, stating that the Armed Forces Act gives the President the powers to deploy the military for the protection of live and property. “The President’s power to determine the operational use of the Armed Forces in Nigeria for the purpose of maintaining and securing

public safety and public order is a constitutional mandate donated by the constitution and the Armed Forces Act,” he said. Gbajabiamila, at this point disagree with SamTsokwa, saying that the report went beyond its terms of reference by failing to address the concern of the point of order raised by Hon. Karimi Sunday, which bothers on subjudice. When tension died down, Ihedioha went ahead to sustain the point of order raised by Hon. Karimi Sunday, thereby necessitating another point of order by Hon. Gbajabiamila. In his point of order, Gbajabiamila noted that the report read by Sam-Tsokwa never stated whether the matter was in court as alleged by Hon. Sunday in his point of order, and as such, the order cannot be sustained. Ihedioha however told Gbajabiamila that he had already ruled on the matter and cannot revisit it; as such a move would be unconventional.

He said that the matter had been ruled upon and the House must move forward. The Speaker’s statement further infuriated members of the opposition who rose up in protest insisting that “the matter must not be swept under the carpet as usual.” Minority Whip, Samson Osagie, who almost engaged the Majority Whip, Hon. Ishaka Bawa in a fisticuff appealed to Hon. Gbajabiamila to back down. While the argument ensued, the Deputy Majority Leader, Hon. Leo Ogor rose to the defense of the Speaker, noting that “The authority of the Speaker must be respected irrespective of who sits on the chair. He added: “Mr. Speaker, my dear colleagues, when matters are discussed in this House, it is important that members respect the sanctity of the office of the Speaker who is the presiding officer.” With the insistence of the presiding officer to drop the motion, the APC lawmakers, led by Gbajabiamila staged a momentary walk-out to brief

the media on the development. The protesting lawmakers claimed that they had to stage a walk out to protest the way and manner Ihedioha presided over the plenary. Gbajabiamila told journalists that the House had once again witnessed a lopsided and highly partisan conduct of the presiding officer, who would allow Sam Tsokwa to debate his (Gbajabiamila) motion in the name of presentation of report. He said: “Today, we see another subversion of parliamentary procedures given the kind of Deputy Speaker that we have in this country by allowing another person to debate my motion for me. “Yesterday (Tuesday), we also saw how he allowed a member to present a motion that was actually sponsored by another member who was not on the floor. He would have allowed it pass if not for our steadfastness on that matter. “This is the first time in the history of this democracy that we will have a highly parochial and partisan Deputy Speaker as a presiding of-

ficer, who sees himself more as a Deputy Speaker of a political party when we have a Speaker who sees himself as Speaker of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. “For him to try to sustain a point of order which was not justified due to lack of evidence just because he wants the motion to die is highly preposterous. “Respect begets respect. I cannot respect a presiding officer who does not respect himself in matters of national importance. And I’m assuring all of you that - that motion will not die.” House Leader, Hon. Mulikat Akande-Adeola, while giving insight to what transpired on the floor said that the action of APC lawmakers was uncalled for. She said that what the APC members did by staging a walk out was unparliamentary, adding that they cannot win every time. “In the parliament, decisions may not always go your way. But as legislators, we must learn to respect the rules at all times,” she said.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Thursday, February 26, 2015

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Thursday, February 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

L-R: Managing Director, MultiChoice Nigeria, John Ugbe; Regional Director, West Africa, AfricaMagic, Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu and Corporate Media and Brand PR Manager, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Edem Vindah, during the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards Nominee Brunch in Lagos, yesterday.

L-R: Deputy Commandant, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Mrs. Beatrice Irabor; Chairman of Classic Wardrobe Affairs Limited, Mr. Emeka Agbakobo; Zonal Head, FCT 3, First City Monument Bank Limited, Mr. Akinwumi Kolapo, and General Manager, BANEX Plaza, Abuja, Mr. Jideofor Chunwuba, at the launch of FCMB Personal Business Account product in Abuja, yesterday.

L-R: Chief Operating Officer, Sona Group, Mr. Ashok Manghnani; Managing Director/CEO, Keystone Bank, Mr. Philip Ikeazor; Chairman, Sona Group, Mr. A. K. Mirchandani and Executive Director Operations and Technology, Keystone Bank, Mrs. Yvonne Isichei, during a business meeting at Keystone Bank Head Office, recently.

L-R: General Manager, Corporate Affairs, MTN, Funmi Onajide; General Manager, Consumer Marketing, Richard Iweanoge; Chief Marketing Officer, Bayo Adekanmbi and General Manager, Mobile Money, Usoro Usoro, during the re-launch of MTN TruTalk tariff plan in Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO: YINKA ADEPARUSI

Opposition against Obanikoro forces Senate to adjourn ministerial screening George Oji ABUJA

he Senate yesterday bowed to pressure and postponed the proposed ministerial screening scheduled for yesterday because of the mounting opposition against the candidacy of former Minister of State, Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro. All the seven ministerial nominees scheduled to undergo screening and confirmation yesterday had arrived and were seated at the Senate before 10am awaiting commencement of the exercise when suddenly they were informed that the screening had been rescheduled for Wednesday next week. Information about the postponement had filtered out, following the end of the usual brief meeting of the principal

officers with the Senate President, David Mark, before commencement of the day’s sittings. The nominees looked confused at the new twist because there was no previous or prior indication that the exercise was going to be put off. Following the development, the nominees took time to exchange pleasantries with some of the senators, who had gathered at the entrance to the gallery and later disappeared with their well-wishers, who had accompanied them for the exercise. Ironically, Obanikoro was all over the place, hugging, charting and felicitating the senators, particularly lawmakers from the South West, as they conversed in their native Yoruba language. One of the senators, who later confided in National Mirror under

condition of anonymity, disclosed that the Senate President had to cancel the screening to allow tempers to cool down. He disclosed that members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, had petitioned the Senate President, opposing the candidacy of Obanikoro. The lawmaker, who refused to name some of those who signed the petition only disclosed that the leadership of the APC visited Mark in his Apo Mansion residence to personally hand over the petition on Monday night. He said: “You know that the Senate President is a very mature and tactical person. You know that man is a great psychologist and good mood reader. He probably read the hand writing on the wall today and knew what would have happened if we went ahead with the screening and decided to

call it off before the situation gets out of hand. “Am sure he postponed the exercise to enable him intervene in his usual manner to see how he can bring all the parties to the table and reconcile them personally. What he did was quite commendable.” National Mirror further gathered that the recently released video tape, which went viral and allegedly implicated the former Nigerian Ambassador to Ghana of using the army to rig the Ekiti State governorship election did not help matters at all because the APC senators believe that Obanikoro would be returned to the defence ministry and with the elections just around the corner, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, would also use him to perpetrate rigging at the polls. The seven ministerial

nominees are replacement for the former ministers, who left the Federal Executive Council last October to take a dive at politics. The nominees, who would have been screened yesterday apart from obanikoro were Senator Patricia Akwashiki from Nasarawa State, who is to replace Labaran Maku, Prof. Nicholas Akise Ada from Benue State, who is replacing Dr. Samuel Ortom, Col. Augustine Okwudiri Akobindu (rtd) from Abia State, who is replacing Emeka Wogu and Mr. Fidelis Nwankwo from Ebonyi State, who is replacing Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu. Others are Mrs. Hauwa’u Lawan (Jigawa), Mr Kenneth Kobani (Rivers) and Senator Joel Danlami Ikenya (Taraba). The re-nomination of

Obanikoro as a minister was part of the agreement reached between Vice President Namdi Sambo and the Lagos State PDP chieftains aimed at getting Obanikoro to back down on his legal battle to oppose Jimi Agbaje as the gubernatorial candidate of the party for the April 11 elections. Opposition against Obanikoro commenced immediately he was named a ministerial nominee, with a number of groups coming out to call for his removal. APC senators from Lagos State also did not hide their own opposition to his nomination. One group even petitioned the President alleging that Obanikoro has dual citizenship and therefore not qualified to be a minister, representing Lagos State.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Thursday, February 26, 2015

Consumers, stakeholders oppose revised electricity tariffs CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

warned the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, to immediately suspend its implementation or be prepared for industrial crisis that will completely paralyse the sector. The steel manufacturers described the current Multi Year Tariff Order, MYTO, electricity tariff regime as outrightly absurd at an electricity consumer forum organised by NERC yesterday in Abuja. The National Coordinator of the group, Prince Felix Okojie, lamented that implementing the new tariff would imply that consumers in the productive and commercial sectors of the economy would be paying N28.28 per Kwh or more as minimum unit charge, while other African and industrialised countries’ rates ranged between N3 to N21 per Kwh as their minimum price. While pointing out that the increase of between 44 per cent and 45 per cent recently approved by NERC is too astronomical and inappropriate for manufacturers, particularly for the steel sector to cope with, Okojie explained that if implemented, the newly introduced tariff will paralyse most companies on the D3, lead to sacking of workers and increase in price of commodities, especially iron, and may ultimately lead to closure of many factories. According to him, findings have shown that while Nigeria is demanding N28.28 per Kwh as minimum unit charge, other African and industrialised countries demand as low as between N3 to N21 per Kwh as their minimum price. Okojie explained: “Presently, the steel industries are working on a very low profit margin of less than N1 per kilogram, and this cannot sustain a N7 to N8 differential prices amongst competing companies. The survival of companies based on this is therefore doubtful. We may as well start contemplating a shutdown, should the commission insists.” The group therefore implored NERC to continue to operate on the old MYTO order which will elapse in 2017. The Director General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Bright Okogu, also lamented the sudden increase in electricity bills, saying the office in 2013, was paying N700, 000 or less than N1 million monthly, only for

the bill of September 2014 to read N3.3 million. In a complaint letter to NERC, a copy of which was obtained by National Mirror, Okogu stated that just as the office was adjusting to the increase; in January 2015 another outrageous bill of N7.6 million was served it. “This was attributed to increase in electricity tariff from N22 to N35. This explanation is not tenable as the increase is 59 per cent, which should not result in 100 per cent increase as indicated in the bill,” the letter stated. In his remarks at the forum, the Executive Chairman of Integrated Farms Limited, Mr. Sunday Ezeobiora, decried the current tariff increase for C2 category, saying the 94.62 per cent increase, which was approved for Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC, by the NERC, is beyond its absorption capacity. Ezeobiora stated that the new tariff will halt the company’s operations and throw many workers out of job as it cannot pay the January 2015 electricity bill based on the new tariff and still remain in business. The Integrated Farms boss condemned the discriminatory tariff code. He said: “It is incomprehensible in the business world today to justify the tariff gaps created by your commission between the South West and South East where 60 per cent of industries in Nigeria are located. “It is impossible for consumers within the South East to sell their finished products at the same market where your commission created about 71 per cent tariff gap against the South East given a golden business opportunity to the South West and other zones against the South East, level playing should be applied for equity and justice.” Earlier, the Chairman of NERC, Sam Amadi, had admitted that the Commission was aware that Nigerian businesses pay high cost of power, assuring that government is working hard to improve capacity which will bring down the cost. He urged consumers to use the forum to form a strong voice which would help in shaping all the policies of government especially relating to electricity. The new electricity tariff commenced on 1st January,

2015 nationwide with commercial and industrial users paying varying cost for per kilowatt-hour (kwh) usage as the new tariff varies from one distribution company (disco) to another. The revised MYTO 2 showed that many consumers’ categories had their bills increased by about 76 per cent, or N10 kwh on average basis. For instance, documents sourced from the NERC showed that Jos Electricity Distribution Company, JEDC, which comprise Plateau, Bauchi, Gombe and Benue states, has the highest tariff cost for Residential 2 (R2) consumers as it rose from N24 kwh last year to N34 kwh in 2015. Abuja Distribution Com-

pany, Disco’s records for instance revealed that while R2 customers paid N13.25 kwh in 2014, they will have to pay N23.32 kwh in 2015. This is an increment of 76 per cent translating to a N10.07 difference in previous payments. Whereas consumers of Ibadan, Kaduna, Benin, Jos and Kano Discos had at least N10 increase for R2 consumers, Enugu Disco has the highest tariff increment in 2015 as it rose by N17, up from the N15 last year to N32 this year, while Port Harcourt Disco has N13 increment on its tariff, thereby peaking at N26 from the N13 charged last year. A further analysis of the increment indicated that the lowest increment was recorded by Ikeja Disco with N4 increase compared to Eko and Yola Dis-

cos’ bills which rose by N6 under the new tariff regime. Expatiating on the new tariff order, Amadi said: “We approved an amendment to the MYTO tariff basically which means a new tariff order that continues with the existing framework but now shows a different figure for the remaining the five year tariff structure.” He noted that apart from residential consumers, “they (Discos) are going to administer the reviewed tariff to other classes of consumers such as commercial and industrial consumers, but R2 consumers have special dispensation for the six months.” On why six months grace was given for tariff increment for R2 consumers, the largest percentage of elec-

tricity consumers, Amadi explained that “essentially for the first day after the review, tariff should rise, that is what the figures will show you as it has increased the cost of distributing power, because the cost of fuel is passed on to the consumers and every other thing. “What NERC has done is to insist that they (Discos) will not increase the tariff for R2 customers for six months. “During that period, if power increase, consumers may still not feel those increase being put back because the unit cost might be less then. “After six months, NERC will do a new minor review to determine the quantity of power.”

L-R: Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. Pius Anyim; Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau; National President, University of Port Harcourt Alumi Association, Engr. Ngerebara Sampson and the Pro-Chancellor, Engr. Gesi Asamaowei, during the alumni’s presidential Dinner in honour of President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA

Navy arrests 7 suspected stowaways

he Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS, BEECROFT yesterday in Lagos said it had arrested seven suspects for stowing away in a foreign vessel bound for Spain. The Flag Officer Commanding, FOC, Western Naval Command, WNC, Apapa, Rear Admiral Jonathan Ango, told newsmen in Lagos that the NNS Ikot-Abasi arrested the suspects. The suspects are Kwekwu Asamua, John Okhian, Joe Mcgee, Ibrahim Sola, lkechukwu Obi, Maxwell Madu and Papa Omomobi. The stowaways were said to have sneaked on

board an international maritime vessel; MT ELECTRA BARI ship, which had come to discharge petroleum products at Apapa tank farms, but were arrested off the Fairway buoy, Lagos. He said: “Preliminary investigations revealed that the arrested persons boarded the vessel while it was discharging its products and their intention was to follow the vessel to Holland. “On completion of its operations, MT ELECTRA BARI with IMO number 941682 left for Lome, Togo. “It was while in Togo, it discovered some strange people on board and es-

tablished communication with NNS Ship Ikot -Abasi. “They now effected the arrest of seven stowaways. “The suspects have been handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service for further investigation and prosecution.” He also stressed that the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Usman Jibrin, had zero tolerance for all maritime crimes within Nigeria’s space. He called on the criminally minded elements to seek legitimate employment instead of engaging themselves in untoward activities. One of the stowaways, Asamua said this would

be his second attempt after the first attempt to enter Europe illegally. Another stowaway, Madu, blamed frustration for attempting to travel abroad. Also speaking, Omomobi said they tracked the ship’s destination from a device installed in their phones and then picked on the one they deemed useful. An NIS representative, Oloruntoba Gabriel of the Marine Command, received the stowaways from Navy. He said investigations would continue with a view to ascertaining the claims of their nationalities before they could be prosecuted.

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Thursday, February 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

CPC, EFCC sign pact on fraudulent mortgage, forex trading OLUFEMI ADEOSUN ABUJA

onsumer Protection Council, CPC, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday entered into a pact to prosecute any firm or individual that violates

consumers’ rights. Specifically, the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, would enable both agencies of government to focus on consumer abuses emanating from fraudulent savings and loan schemes, deceive and misleading mortgage schemes, fraud scam arising

from online forex trading companies. Others include fraud, net education admission/scholarship opportunities, deceptive business practices and pyramid sales/marketing schemes. Director General of CPC, Mrs Modupe Atoki, signed

the MoU for the council, while Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde signed on behalf of the EFCC. In her opening remarks, Atoki stated that the collaboration became necessary in view of the avalanche of sharp trade practices by some unscrupulous producers and service providers.

President Goodluck Jonathan (5th left), Vice President Namadi Sambo and members of the Commonwealth Youth Council Campaign Against Election Violence at the State House in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: STATE HOUSE

According to her, the pact would enable both agencies confront frontally some of these dubious market infractions with a view to giving Nigerian consumers the right to get value for money spent. Atoki said: “Over the years, the council has received a large number of complaints from consumers bordering on fraudulent savings and loan schemes, deceptive and misleading mortgage schemes, fraud scams emanating from online forex trading companies, fraudulent education admission/scholarship opportunities, deceptive business practices and pyramid sales/marketing schemes, aimed at defrauding unsusceptible and vulnerable consumers with consumer losses running into several million of naira. “It is the CPC law that clearly stipulates redress and compensation for consumers/victims of obnoxious practices or unscrupulous exploitations. The

synergy created by this CPC and EFCC MoU is such that while the EFCC focuses on the criminal prosecution of offenders, both agencies will work together to ensure that consumers or victims receive appropriate redresses restitution and compensation in a competent court of law.” Also, in his brief remark, EFCC boss, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, admitted that the collaboration between the two agencies would help to nip in the bud the activities of some dubious business concerns that are geared towards cheating consumers. He said the agreement would enable the two parties to share information and also work together in the areas of investigation and prosecution of those who breach consumers’ right. While urging the council to intensify more efforts in public education and enlightenment, Lamorde called on the Nigerian consumers to imbibe the culture of reporting abuses of any sort to the appropriate authority.

collection, providing financing to rehabilitate and build infrastructure needed to increase access to water supply services in the state capital and improve the governance of water sector in the state. He stated that the facility would be secured from the FDA on blend terms with an interest rate of six months libor plus margin, a repayment period of 20 years, including seven years moratorium, commitment fee of 0.25 per cent per annum and an appraisal fee of 0.25 per cent. The credit would be onlend to Ogun State on the same terms and conditions offered by the FDA to the Federal Government. Council also approved the anticipatory approval of an Islamic Development Bank Loan of $65 million for financing the water supply and sanitation project in Osun State. The overall approval of the project is to amongst other things, provide safe water, reduce waterborne diseases, improve agricultural output and tackle sanitation and environmental challenges. Yuguda said repayment of the loan would cover a period 15 years with gestation period

of four years. The council gave the nod to the anticipatory approval of an Islamic Development Bank loan of $65 Million for financing the water supply and sanitation project in Osun State. The council also ratified president’s anticipatory approval to obtain $70 million credit facility from the International Development Association,IDA, for the proposed Africa Higher Education Center of Excellence project FEC also ratified the president’s anticipatory approval to obtain additional financing of $140million credit from the International Development Association in support of the community and social development project being implemented in the 36 states of the federation and the FCT. Council also gave the nod for the President’s anticipatory approval to obtain $70 million credit facility, associated grants of $15million and $0.48 million in support of the climate change adaptation and agribusiness support programme from International Fund for Agricultural Development.

FEC approves $400m loan for Lagos, Osun, Rivers, Ogun ROTIMI FADEYI ABUJA

ederal Executive Council, FEC, yesterday ratified presidential anticipatory approval of over $400 million foreign credit facilities for water and developmental projects in Lagos, Osun, Rivers and Ogun states. Briefing State House Correspondents at the end of the meeting, Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, said the projects would have significant impacts in the lives of the people. He explained that FEC also approved N27.2 billion sought by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources for consultancy services and construction works of its head office complex and ancillary facilities of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. Chidoka further said the council awarded contracts to various consultants for engineering, mechanical, electrical and project management of the project at the cost of N582 million. Speaking on the over $400 million loans, Minister of

State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda, dismissed the insinuation that the loans were approved for states under the control of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as a Greek gift According to him, governance must be separated from politics for the development and progress of the country. “Like we have been saying over and over again and like Mr. President is saying over and over again, he is the president of all Nigerians. “There is a distinction between governance and politics and Mr. President does not bring issues where they are not supposed to be situated. “If we are improving the lives of the people of Port Harcourt or Lagos, these are Nigerians. The president will not trivialise his office by neglecting one part of Nigeria because they don’t belong to PDP,” he added. Speaking further on the loans, Yuguda said Lagos State would benefit a total of $100 million credit from the French Development Agency in support of Lagos Integrated Urban Development Project Eko-UP.

According to him, the facility would improve living conditions of the most vulnerable urban population of metropolitan Lagos, improve management and treatment of solid waste, strengthen the capacity of the state and implement urban development projects. He stated that payment period for the loan would be over a period of 20 years, including seven years moratorium while commitment fee of 0.25 per cent per annum and an appraisal fee of 0.25 per cent would apply. Yuguda said the three major component of the project would include slum upgrading in the two Local Council Development Authorities, LCDAS, of Ifelodun and Bariga by the Lagos State Urban Renewal Authority (LASURA); construction of solid waste management facilities in Lagos State by Lagos State Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, and providing capacity building and technical assistance for LASURA, LAWMA, Project Management Unit and the two LCDAs. The minister stated that the $200 million credit facility approved by FEC for Rivers

State would be for the proposed Port Harcourt water supply and sanitation project. Yuguda further said an additional credit of $5million from African Development Fund, ADF, would also be obtained to support Urban Water Sector Reform Project According to him, the project would provide sustainable access to safe drinking water and sanitation to the residents of Port Harcourt; strengthen Federal Government’s capacity to reform the urban water and sanitation sector and improve service delivery across the country. The credit facility would be secured from ADB with a repayment period of 15 years, five years moratorium while the interest would be 1.56 per cent Yuguda stated that Ogun State would benefit $33.174million credit from the French Development Agency, FDA, in support of the Ogun State water supply project. The objectives of the project are to increase the coverage, continuity and quality of service in the state capital, increase the financial viability of existing water utility through increase in revenue

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

FG approves 9 new private universities ROTIMI FADEYI ABUJA

ederal Executive Council, FEC, yesterday approved the establishment of nine new private universities in the country. The universities include Augustine University, Ilara, Lagos State; Chrisland University, Owode, Ogun State; Christopher University, Mowe, Ogun State and Hallmark University, Ijebu Itele, also in Ogun State. Also approved are Kings University, Ode Omu, Osun State; Michael and Cecilia Ibru University, Orode, Delta State; Mountain Top University, Ogun State, Ritman

News

Thursday, February 26, 2015

University, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, and Summit University, Offa, Kwara State. While briefing State House Correspondents on the development, Education Minister, Ibrahim Shekarau, said the government has no control over fees charged by private universities. Shekarau explained that like private hospitals or nursery schools, owners of private universities are free to charge fees that would give returns on their investments. He, however, said the concern of government was to ensure that the schools are of the required standards in terms of facilities and staffing, among others.

Alleged missing $20bn: Reps give Okonjo-Iweala ultimatum TORDUE SALEM ABUJA

ublic Accounts Committee, PAC, of the House of Representatives yesterday issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Ministry of Finance to lay before it the said “forensic audit” report on an alleged missing $20 billion. Former Central Bank Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, had alleged last year, before he was sacked, that the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, withheld over $20

billion due to the federation account in line with section 162 of the 1999 Constitution as amended. A motion was raised and passed more than a week ago requesting the Finance Minister to lay the report, but the House Committee headed by Solomon Adeola Olamilekan (APC-Lagos) said the request was yet to be heeded, hence the ultimatum issued by the committee. The committee while issuing the ultimatum stressed that the lawmakers were empowered by section 85 of the Constitution to hold all agencies of government ac-

countable. “The Public Accounts Committee cognizant of the provisions of the constitution and empowered by the Resolution of the House of Representatives on a motion moved by the Minority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, hereby request that the full report on the Forensic Audit by PWC, which must include the initial Draft Report, the Executive Summary, Management/Internal Control Letters, should be forwarded to the National Assembly not later than one week from today.” The committee regretted the opacity with which the

Presidency was handling the allegations by the erstwhile Central Bank Governor, Sanusi. “It took quite a while and public outcry for snippets of the report to surface, albeit in the press. Mr. President was reported to have directed the Auditor General to study, analyse and release the report to the press. A highly condensed version of the report was eventually released as directed, by the Auditor General to the press with the highlight that the NNPC must remit a minimum of $1.48 billion into the Federation Account.”

Baga IDPs will vote at home —Minimah INUSA NDAHI MAIDUGURI

hief of Army staff, Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah, yesterday visited Baga town in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State, assuring all the Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, that the ongoing onslaught by the military in dislodging insurgents from all captured communities was increasingly achievable, so they could return to their various homes and vote during the coming general elections. Minimah stated this in an interview with newsmen in Maiduguri, the state capital, few minutes after he arrived from his trip to Baga. He said, “I was much impressed with the officers and men in their gallant effort of recapturing most of the communities under control of Boko Haram in the North East. I want to assure that very soon we will liberate all the captured communities to allow people go back to their houses and participate in the forthcoming general elections. “I am just returning from Baga and with what I saw, I am very impressed

with the military. We have recovered a lot of arms and ammunitions from the terrorists. Currently, Baga is under the full control of security troops and fleeing residents are free to go back to the town and continue their normal lives. “We want to inform members of the public that there is no hiding place for terrorists in Nigeria; troops’ morale is high and we are committed to flushing them out of the land. “Very soon all closed roads as a result of the insurgency will be reopened for motorists and passengers to continue their socio-economic activities in the state,” the CAS stated. While addressing troops in Baga, Minimah pleaded with them to have a minute silence in respect of the departed souls in the insurgency fight. He told them that the entire Nigerians were proud of them, and with this fighting spirit, Marte, Dikwa, Gwoza and other communities would be liberated, even as he prayed that such calamity would never happen again. He assured that all soldiers who fought insurgents in Baga would be promoted.

L-R: Head of Civil Service of the Federation; Mr. Danladi Kifasi; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. Pius Anyim and Vice President Namadi Sambo, during the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

Buhari flays Kano, Yobe bombings, canvasses vigilance …lauds military’s success against insurgency

residential candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday condemned the latest bombings in Yobe and Kano states. In a statement issued in Abuja by the Director of Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation, Garba Shehu, the candidate expressed regrets over the attacks. He noted that the attack came on the eve of the first anniversary of the Buni Yadi attack,

where dozens of innocent students of the Federal Government College in the community were murdered in their sleep. He regretted the frequency with which terrorists were destroying lives of innocent Nigerians. “Although we commend the efforts and sacrifices of our counter-terrorism forces, there is the need for greater vigilance and new strategies,’’ Buhari said. The statement called on the Federal Government to take proactive steps to stem the frequency with

which the terrorists or suicide bombers penetrated security cordon and checkpoints. It called on Nigerians to show interest in the activities or movements of suspicious people around them. “The carefree attitude of some Nigerians to security threats around them might be part of the reasons terrorists move freely and mingle with law-abiding citizens,” it said. Meanwhile, Buhari has commended the Armed Forces for advancing in the fight against insur-

gency. This is contained in a statement issued by Garba Shehu, the Director, Media and Publicity, APC Presidential Campaign Organisation in Abuja. He said the military should be commended in the fight against the Boko Haram terrorists that had for several years made life a living hell for many Nigerians. He said the insurgents had “created the greatest security nightmare ever known by the country since the end of the civil war.”

South West

Transactions leading to Fani-Kayode’s trial unusual —Witness Wale Igbintade

ola Olapoju, a defence witness in the on-going trial of former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, charged with money laundering yesterday told a Federal High Court, in Lagos that the transactions that led to Fani-Kayode’s trial were “unusual and exceptional’’. Olapoju, who is the first defence witness, stated this while being cross-examined by counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Festus Keyamo. The witness, who is coadministrator of the estate of Fani-Kayode’s late father, had in his evidence in chief, told Justice OfiliAjumogobia he had known Fani-Kayode for over 20 years and that he had been managing the properties of the estate for about 14 years. He told the court that there were five beneficiaries, but that the beneficiaries are now four. According to him, in 2006, while the accused was in public service, he requested for funds from the said estate of his father to pay artisans who effected repairs on their property. The witness stated that he had always been in regular contact with Fani-Kayode until he was appointed as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. At that point, Olapoju

said Fani-Kayode had given h im standing instruction that if he (Olapoju) was unable to get him (Fani-Kayode) at any point in time, he should always take instruction from his Chief of Staff, Aderemi Adedamola Ajidahun on what to do in relation to the estate. While speaking on the transactions, Olapoju recalled that Fani-Kayode had asked him to “urgently” get funds from tenants to pay artisans who had effected repairs on the property of the estate. The payments were made on September 21 and 29 and few days later in 2006. Olapoju, however, admitted that he did not see the said Agbaje deposit the cash into the account, and that he would not know whether there was any communication between Agbaje and the accused after he had dropped him (Agbaje) off at the bank. The second defence witness (Ajidahun) also testified before the court and stated how he was appointed as Fani-Kayode’s Chief of Staff, being an expert in media, hospitality and branding consultancy. But in his cross-examination, Keyamo told the witness that he was just out to lie to the court so that his accused-friend would be freed. The matter was thereafter adjourned to March 26, 2015 for the testimony of the third defence witness.

Ex-PHCN staff protest non-payment of allowance Kemi Olaitan IBADAN

bout 2,000 former staff of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, yesterday took to the streets in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, to protest non-payment of their housing allowance amounting to about N400m, by the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, IEDC. The money, according to them, was their bulk housing allowance deducted from their salaries in 2013 before their final disengagement. The aggrieved ex-staff carrying placards bearing different inscriptions such as ‘President Jonathan, please help us locate where our money is hanging’, ‘Hey!

There is God o o o’, ‘why delay payment of our housing allowances since 2013’? among others, stormed the secretariat of Oyo State correspondents at Mokola, Ibadan. Addressing journalists, their spokespersons, Oyedele Edna Owesiri, Julius Adeleke Taiwo, Adesina Olayinka described as unusual, the delay in payment of the allowance. This, they said, was because some of their colleagues had been paid while their own was being unduly delayed. The aggrieved workers said the money had been paid to batches one to 10, but for reasons best known to those concerned, they have refused to pay batches 11 and 12.

Thursday, February 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

President’s position on Ekiti ‘rigging’ tape untenable —APC Obiora Ifoh ABUJA

ll Progressives Congress, APC, has described as untenable and an afterthought the statement credited to President Goodluck Jonathan as reason why the Ekiti rigging audio tape has not been investigated. The party said Jonathan’s position on the issue shows he may have something to hide. In a statement issued in London on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said

Fayemi

the president was wrong to have said the rigging audio tape had not been investigated because the army captain who leaked it had not come forward to authenticate it. It wondered whether

the president would have toed the same line if the tape had revealed that the APC colluded with the military to rig the Ekiti election in favour of the APC candidate. APC said the security agencies need no prodding or even a presidential directive to launch an investigation into a weighty issue that amounts to subversion of democracy. It wondered on what basis the president declared the audio tape a fabrication when he has confessed that he had not even listened to it, and

when almost all those who were at the rigging meeting, including Musiliu Obanikoro, Ayodele Fayose, Jelili Adesiyan and Iyiola Omisore, have owned up to attending the meeting. The party advised the president to immediately summon his aides to play the audio tape of the meeting and the video tape of the subsequent interview with Captain Koli for him, so that he will be able to make an informed judgement on it, instead of making incoherent and confounding statements on the issue.

Buses burnt at the scene of a renewed clash between members of National Union of Road Transport Workers at Oshodi, in Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO: YINKA ADEPARUSI

School census: Principals, head teachers urged to cooperate with enumerators Francis Suberu

s Lagos State government begins the 2015 Annual School Census, ASC, Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye, has urged principals and head teachers of public and private schools in the state to cooperate with enumerators in order to generate credible and timely data for the education sector in the state. Oladunjoye, who gave the charge in Lagos yes-

terday at the formal flag-off of the 2014/2015 Annual School Census sensitisation programme for stakeholders in the education sector, noted that ASC was an exercise aimed at generating credible, dependable and usable data for multi-sectoral planning. According to her, the sensitisation programme was informed by the need to avoid inconsistencies in data generation, adding that there had been some notable inconsistencies in the past ASCs,

hence the need to find a new approach to make the exercise more acceptable. She said as drivers of the ASC, principals and head teachers should cooperate with officials to produce credible data that would serve the need of the sector. She reaffirmed the state government’s resolve to embrace credible data as a tool for effective planning and sound decision making process, adding that all hands must be on deck in order to ensure

that a credible, reliable and usable data for the education sector is delivered thereby making success of the exercise.

Olayinka

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

South West

Thursday, February 26, 2015

APC flays president’s cash-for-votes trip to Lagos

Disengaged staff of PHCN in peaceful demonstration over non-payment of their allowance by the National Electricity Liabilities Management Company in Ibadan, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

3 feared killed in Oshodi renewed violence Dare Akogun

here was pandemonium yesterday at Oshodi, a suburb of Lagos, as hoodlums went on rampage, setting vehicles and houses ablaze, with passersby scampering for safety. Unconfirmed reports at press time indicated that three persons were killed while scores of people fled the area to avoid being caught in the crossfire. The fighting that started at Olosha area between members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, youths last Thursday, spread to

Mushin and Oshodi. Since the crisis started, properties worth millions of naira have been destroyed, as several commuter buses were set ablaze at Oshodi. The crisis disrupted activities in the area and commuter bus operators avoided plying the area. When our reporter attempted to visit the scene of the mayhem yesterday, people were running in various directions to avoid being attacked by the rampaging thugs. When contacted, Lagos State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Kenneth Nwosu, promised to get back to our correspondent but failed to do so at the time of going to press.

Meanwhile, it was gathered that the police have arrested over 20 members of PDP in connection with last Thursday’s clash between the NURTW and the youths at Oshodi. Reacting to the arrest, campaign team of PDP governorship candidate in the state, Jimi Agbaje, accused the police of arresting PDP members at the behest of the All Progressives Congress, APC, to frustrate Agaje’s campaign. According to a statement signed by its Director of Media and Publicity, Remi Adefulu, the campaign team said APC’s “tactics would not deter Agbaje’s resolve to win the coming election

in a free and fair contest.” Adefulu accused the police at Mosafejo Police Station of going from house-to-house to effect illegal arrest of PDP members, an allegation the police public relations officer dismissed as unfounded.

AKURE

risis is brewing in the coastal area of Ondo State between Ilaje and Ijaw people over the award of pipeline surveillance contract by the Federal Government. A group, Ilaje Emancipation and Development Assembly, IEDA, has vowed to resist any attempt to award the surveillance contract only to Arogbo and Apoi-Ijaw people. In a letter to President Goodluck Jonathan, the group claimed that about 1,892,174, 000 barrels of oil had been lifted from

Ilaje land by the oil companies operating in the area. It argued that Ondo was categorised as one of the nine oil-producing states in the country because of the oil production in Ilaje and not because of the presence of Ijaw people. The group, which added that there was no other tribe inhabiting the coast of Ondo apart from the people of Ilaje of Yoruba extraction, urged the president to order that a lion share of the contract be awarded to Ilaje communities. The letter signed by the group’s president, Prince Jeffrey Ogunyemi,

and its secretary, Om’oba Ezekiel Oyetakin, read in part: “Mr. President Sir, it will interest you to note that of the 18 local government areas in Ondo State, Ilaje, being the only oil-producing local government area, is most impoverished as a direct result of oil degradation, environmental pollution, sea erosion and incursion as well as circumstances where our houses along the coastline have been washed away. “We are not unaware, Mr. President, that there are lots of agitation and pressure on government by our Ijaw neighbour in Ondo to obtain the pipeline security con-

kind of desperation and financial irresponsibility in a country that lacks basic infrastructure and common indices of human development. It is now crystal clear to Nigerians why PDP and President Jonathan shifted the February 14 presidential elections to March 28, 2015. “This is the money the president would have used to create jobs for millions of young jobless Nigerians. This is the millions that would have been used to rebuild our decayed and moribund universities. This money would have been used to rebuild our Teaching Hospitals to become centres of excellence. This money would have been used to effectively deal with the nation’s security challenges. Government does not share money to individuals, but uses such money to provide basic amenities for all and sundry. “Funny individuals, scammers, 419ers and people with questionable characters besieged the Presidential Lounge, Marina, Lagos, to collect their own largesse. Those who do not deserve even half a kobo, lined up to deceive the president.

Jonathan’s endorsement polarises Hausa leaders in S’West ausa leaders in South West geopolitical zone have been polarised in the aftermath of the endorsement of President Goodluck Jonathan by the community for the March 28 presidential elections. It would be recalled that the Sarkin Hausawa of Ebute Meta, Sani Kabiru, had reportedly announced the endorsement of Jonathan as the choice candidate of the entire Hausa community in the South West during the president’s recent campaign visit to Lagos. But in a swift reaction in Ibadan yesterday, the Sarkin Hausawa of Ibadanland, who doubles as chairman of Hausa community in Oyo State, Ahmad Zunge-

ru, said there was no forum whatsoever where Hausa leaders in the South West zone met to take any such political decision. He said: “As the Sarkin Hausawa of Ibadanland and chairman of Sakin Hausawa of Oyo State, I hereby state categorically that the purported endorsement of President Jonathan for second term re-election by some Hausa leaders in Lagos is without our knowledge. It was not a reality. We are not aware of it and are not party to it. We are not politicians. “We want to emphasise that we are unaware of the purported endorsement as reportedly canvassed by the Sarkin Hausawa of Ebute Meta as we, Sarkin Hausawas in the South West, at no time sat together to take such a decision on behalf of our people.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Mr Manyaya Usman and Mr Yaya Usman, now wish to be known and addressed as Mr Moyaya Usman. All former documents remain valid. General public to take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as, Miss Onyeakpa Chiamaka Esther, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Anekwe Chiamaka Esther. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public to take note.

Kemi Olaitan IBADAN

Fashola

Crisis brews in Ondo over pipeline surveillance contract Ojo Oyewamide

ll Progressives Congress in Lagos State has strongly condemned President Goodluck Jonathan’s “open display of impunity and financial recklessness” during his five days visit to the state last week. In a statement signed by the state’s publicity secretary, Joe Igbokwe, the party described the president’s visit as an unprecedented shameful bazaar. While President Jonathan was busy doling out cash to all and sundry in Lagos, it said, Vice President Namadi Sambo was busy replicating the same thing in Kaduna, without shame, without honour, without remorse. It stated: “US dollars and local currencies were doled out by the president in millions to market leaders, town unions, traditional rulers, actors, artisans, transporters, government workers, private sectors, local chiefs, drivers and what have you, without any modicum of respect to the exalted office he occupies. No wonder our foreign reserves have just been depleted by $1.6 billion. “Never in the history of this country has a sitting president displayed this

tract passing through our coastline to the detriment of the people of Ilaje. “We hereby state categorically that we shall not allow a situation where a non-indigene, persons or group of persons are given a pipeline surveillance contract in respect of the coastline of the state. “However, where Mr. President is minded to extend benefit of this contract to our Arogbo and Apoi-Ijaw brothers, we, as peace-loving people, shall not be totally against it, provided the lion share of the project comes to Ilaje host communities of the NNPC pipelines.”

South East

Thursday, February 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Police arrest 6 cult members in Anambra Nwanyiabia Anaeze ONITSHA

APGA senatorial candidate for Anambra Central District, Chief Victor Umeh (3rd left) and other officials of the party, reciting the national anthem at a campaign rally in Abba, Njikoka LGA of Anambra State, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

Anambra records 110 leprosy cases Charles Okeke AWKA

nambra State Commissioner for Health, Dr Joe Akabuike, yesterday said the state currently has 110 identifiable cases of leprosy across its 21 local government areas. Akabuike disclosed this in a press conference at Awka to mark the World Leprosy Day in Anambra State. He said last year the state registered 95 people, who were infected by leprosy and had been confined, and were receiving treatment in two rehabilitation centres

in the state. He added that fresh cases of the disease were also identified among 15 citizens of the state, making a total of 110 people who were currently suffering the disease and were being catered for in rehabilitation centres. Akabuike stated that leprosy was one of the oldest diseases known to man and is named after a Norwegian doctor, Gerhard Henrik Hansen, who debunked the prevailing notion then that the disease was hereditary. On how the disease could be contracted, Akabuike said: “It is caused by bacteria and mainly affects the skin, peripheral nerves and

mucus membrane of the upper respiratory tract. And transmission is through droplets of coughing and sneezing and it has an incubation period of two years before it fully manifests.” He said they were currently trying to create awareness so people would know leprosy has not totally disappeared and also help prevent the disease from spreading. The commissioner added that as part of activities to mark the celebration, the ministry and its officials would visit the two rehabilitation centres in Nnewi and Okija to celebrate with the inmates and to also let them

know that it is no longer a terminal disease if they routinely take their drugs. He assured that the disease was fully preventable and curable, adding that people who find any trace of the disease should visit the TBL centres, which are in all the local government areas of the state for free cure and advise. On why the disease has not been wiped out of the country, Akabuike attributed it to the attitude of carriers who refuse to report themselves for fear of stigmatisation and quarantine, as some people prefer to die with it than being identified.

PDP, ex-minister berate Elechi over Jonathan’s support Aliuna Godwin ABAKALIKI

hairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ebonyi State chapter, Chief Joseph Onwe, and Deputy Coordinator, Goodluck/Sambo 2015 Presidential Campaign, Ambassador Frank Ogbuewu, yesterday berated Governor Martin Elechi over claim of supporting President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid. In separate statements issued to newsmen in Abakaliki, they cautioned the governor to stop deceiving people of the state and the Presidency by claiming to be supporting Jonathan’s reelection while busy romancing with All Progressives Congress, APC’s national leadership and sponsoring

the state’s Labour Party, LP, where his first son Nnanna Elechi is a Senate candidate for Ebonyi Central. The duo was reacting to a press statement by chief press secretary to Elechi, Dr. Onyekachi Eni, who claimed the governor was supporting President Jonathan. They maintained that the governor had never supported Jonathan’s presidential bid, as he even shunned all PDP campaigns across the 13 local government areas of the state. Ambassador Ogbuewu signed one of the statements, while the other was signed by Acting state chairman of PDP, Chief Joseph Onwe, Acting state secretary, Simon Anyigor and state publicity secretary, Apostle Benjamin Obaji.

Ogbuewu in his statement dismissed as false insinuation the said publication, which he said could not be substantiated, recalling that Elechi never addressed a public rally in support of the president’s re-election campaign or in support of any other candidate for the 2015 general elections in Ebonyi since the campaigns commenced. He said Elechi could not be drumming fake support, being a PDP governor, as he never participated in any PDP rally, including the flagoff by PDP in Ikwo, Elechi’s home town. “How can Governor Elechi claim to be supporting President Jonathan and PDP when his first son, Nnanna, is a Senatorial candidate for Ebonyi Central in Labour Party. Even his com-

missioners, local government caretaker chairmen, coordinators of Development Centres and other government appointees were drafted into Labour Party,” the statement said. “I therefore, challenge Governor Elechi to show any sign of sincerity of such claim by addressing a live public rally of the PDP to prove such support for President Jonathan and PDP,” the statement added. On their part, Ebonyi PDP, while accusing the governor of double standard, noted that Elechi was the only PDP governor that has never produced any form of jingle in either radio or TV in support of Mr. President, adding that the picture of the president was nowhere around the Government House.

ver six cult members were yesterday arrested by the police in Ogidi near Onitsha, Anambra State, for causing mayhem and disturbing the peace of Ogidi community. Unveiling the clampdown on the notorious young men to newsmen on Wednesday, Divisional Police Officer in-charge of Ogidi Police Station, Hassan Musa, said they were arrested on a tip-off at different locations. Musa stated that the six suspects, who have confessed their level of involvement in cultism, would be charged to court after investigation. He, however, restated

the resolve of the police to rid the area and entire Onitsha of undesirable elements. The DPO expressed optimism that with the cooperation of vigilante groups, commercial motorcycle and tricycle operators as well as other stakeholders, the current crime-free level of Anambra would be sustained. He warned criminals to vacate the area; adding that those who refuse to do so would have no other option than to meet their waterloo. “With the co-operation of the people, Nigerians here would sleep with their two eyes closed,’’ he said, adding: “We also carry out steady raid of black spots in order to nab budding criminals.’’

AG Moeller tendered ‘forged’ police document —Witness Wale Igbintade

prosecution witness, Mr. Godsday Chukwusa, yesterday told a Federal High Court in Lagos how Managing Director of AG Moeller, Adeloye Olukemi, allegedly tendered a forged report, which he claimed to be from the police. Olukemi was charged with allegedly defrauding Chairman/Chief Executive Officer/CEO of Cross Country Limited, Bube Okorodudu, of about N80 million between March 2007 and January 2010. The money was said to be in excess of a capital sum of N140 million, which AG Moeller advanced to Cross Country through a contract of finance lease facility. During yesterday’s trial, Chukwusa told the court that the report, dated January 25, 2012, and signed by a Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone 2 Police Command, was not genuine. The command had purportedly concluded in the report that it was Okorodudu that should be prosecuted over the transaction. The prosecution counsel, Ralph Nkem, sought to tender another letter dated February 13, 2015, in which the police headquarters disclaimed the report by Zone 2.

According to him, the case was transferred from Zone 2 to IGP’s Monitoring Unit. “I wondered how Zone 2 could issue such a report after almost one year that the case was transferred. We alleged fraud and falsification of the letter in our petition to the IGP. The police later sent us a reply disclaiming the report from Zone 2,” the witness said. However, Olukemi’s lawyer, Mr Kunle Ogunba (SAN), objected to tendering the letter, saying it was not relevant and did not support the charge. But Nkem said the date the letter was written did not matter. He urged the court to admit it in evidence for being relevant. Chukwusa had earlier testified that sometime in March 2007, Cross Country wrote the defunct Oceanic Bank Plc, Fidelity Bank Plc, EBN Finance Limited (a subsidiary of the defunct Intercontinental Bank Plc) and AG Moeller for finance lease facilities to enable it buy some vehicles. He said AG Moeller gave Cross Country N140 million to finance the acquisition of 40 transport buses for commercial use with a tenor of 24 months at 60 per cent interest rate per annum. According to him, the total sum payable to AG Moeller Ltd. at the end of the tenor stood at N228 million.

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South South

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Gas flaring penalty: HOSTCOM demands payment of N1.2trn Theophilus Onojeghen WARRI

il and gas stakeholders under the aegis of Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas, HOSTCOM, has expressed dissatisfaction over the continued delay in payment of N1,242.83 trillion collected by the Federal Government from oil companies flaring gas. They are appealing to President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure urgent release of the funds to the

communities. The body also resolved that its members would support President Jonathan in his re-election bid, saying that Jonathan’s administration needed another four years to actualise and consolidate on the achievements of his government. In a statement in Warri signed by its chairman, Dr Alfred Bubor, Secretary, Chief Sanipe Ibinabobo, and Delta State chapter chairman, Dr Kelly Egedegbe, they stated that the money should be released for the development of oil-

bearing communities. The statement argued that the money has been piling up in the vault of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, adding that release of the money would assuage the plight and pains of the Niger Delta people whose land produce the revenue and wealth that sustain the country. “We have approached the Federal Government to see reason why the gas flair penalties collected as fine from the oil companies should be released to HOSTCOM. In 2013 alone, oil companies flared gas

worth N273 billion; they flared 409.311 billion standard cubic feet (SCF) of gas between January and December 2013. The gas flair was emitted in our environment and we are suffering the brunt of the devastation,” it stated. They also appealed to the Federal Government and the National Assembly to expedite action and sign into law the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, and implement same before the expiration of this present government in May 29, 2015. “Nigerians are still

Comptroller, Nigeria Immigration Service, Rivers Command, Mr. Mike Longe (right), parading suspected illegal immigrants in Port Harcourt, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

waiting for the passage of the PIB. The National Assembly members headed by Senator David Mark should quickly ensure that the bill is passed, Nigerians have fully thrown their weight behind the PIB because of the much needed transparency and

accountability it would bring to the petroleum industry. Those who are opposing it, causing the delay are those who never saw anything good in transparency and accountability which is the bane of this country,” they added.

NDDC to partner oil firms on manpower development Dennis Naku

PORT HARCOURT

iger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, said it will collaborate with the Nigerian Agip Oil Company, NAOC, in order to tackle peculiar challenges in the Niger Delta region. NDDC Managing Director, Sir Bassey Dan-Abia, stated this when Management of NAOC, led by its General Manager, District, Mr. Paolo Carnevale, paid a courtesy visit to the commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt. Dan-Abia described NAOC as strategic stakeholder and partner for the development of the oil and gas rich Niger Delta, especially in the area of training and manpower development. He said: “We are aware

of the challenges faced by the oil companies; we are ready to collaborate with NAOC to overcome the current challenges. NDDC is ever ready to collaborate with any stakeholder for the sustainable development of this region,” he said, adding that the commission was open to the company in various areas of development in the region, especially as oil was strategic to the development of the country. Earlier, the NAOC General Manager, District, Mr. Carnevale, commended the NDDC for the infrastructural development in the region, saying that his visit was the first since he resumed duty in 2014. Carnevale explained that the company’s visit was in furtherance of NAOC’s quest for fruitful collaboration with the interventionist agency.

Call NSCDC, petrol tanker

Okocha sues Amaechi, NJC over Rivers CJ’s appointment owners to order —IPMAN Dennis Naku

PORT HARCOURT

High Court Judge in Rivers State, Honourable Justice Daisy Okocha, has approached a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt to stop the National Judicial Council, NJC, Governor Chibuike Amaechi, and three others from appointing any other person as substantive Chief Judge of the state. Justice Okocha, while urging the High Court to declare that the governor of Rivers State lacked powers under the 1999 Constitution to appoint a Chief Judge for the state without recommendation of the NJC, also sought the court’s declaration that the NJC, which is the first defendant, can only grant recommendations of a Rivers State Judicial Service Commission that is properly constituted in accor-

dance with provisions of the constitution. In the suit FHC/PHC/ CS/03/2015 with the NJC, Rivers State Judicial Service Commission, governor of Rivers as first, second and third defendants and two others, Okocha averred that a properly constituted Rivers State Judicial Service Commission must have the chief judge of the state or an acting chief judge of the state as chairman. She pleaded with the court to declare that the Attorney General of the state, who is the 5th defendant, and Chief Registrar, High Court of Rivers State, the 6th defendant, have no constitutional powers to assume the duties and office of chairman of Rivers State Judicial Service Commission. Okocha further asked the court to declare that in the absence of a chief judge, the governor was

duty bound to declare that she being the most senior judge of the High Court of Rivers State should perform the functions of a Chief Judge in acting capacity. According to the suit, “A declaration that the plaintiff being the most senior judge in the hierarchy of the judges of the High Court of Rivers State is the person eligible and entitled to be appointed to perform, for the time being, the functions and exercise the powers of the office of Chief Judge of Rivers State.” Okocha also sought an order of the court in suit number: FHC/PH/ CS/03/2015 to restrain governor of the state who is the 3rd defendant from appointing another person other than herself as the Acting Chief Judge of Rivers State. She also enjoined the court to restrain the 1st to 6th defendants or by

their servants, agents or privies from selecting nominating, recommending or howsoever, putting forward any person for appointment as Chief Judge of Rivers State based on the advice of the 2nd defendant as presently constituted or based on the advice of the Rivers State Judicial Service Commission, except that under the headship of the Acting Chief Judge as chairman who must be the most senior judge of the High Court of Rivers State as constitutionally stipulated, pending the determination of this suit The High Court Judge also appealed to the court to restrain the 2nd to 6th defendants from stopping her to discharge her functions as the most senior judge of the High Court of the state. The matter has been slated for hearing on the 9th of March.

Adamu Attaboh PORT HARCOURT

ndependent Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Rivers State chapter has urged the Federal Government and the Directorate of Petroleum Resources, DPR, to call the officials of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, and private tank owners to order to prevent scarcity of fuel in the state. Speaking through its state chairman, Prince Sunny Nkpe, during a press conference at their secretariat in Alesa, Eleme, the group said:”We want to call the attention of the government and the DPR to the activities of private tank owners who have arbitrarily jerked up the price of products sold to us and to the harassment being meted to us by unauthorised agencies especially officials of the NSCDC,” he lamented ‘’Only the DPR is empow-

ered to monitor our activities and charge any defaulting marketer to court rather than harass us this way”. He called for immediate action from the government as elections are fast approaching, saying independent marketers account for over 80 percent of the quantity of products used nationwide while pointing out that the Imo and Abia State chapters of the group had gone on strike. “The DPR should tell us if they are now in synergy with the NSCDC in performing their duties,” he maintained. In his own reaction, the chairman of the Elders Council of the group, Chief Richard Orianwo, said the regulated price for private tank owners is 77.66 naira and not the 92 naira per litre as it is currently being sold and called for government intervention so they can continue to sell at the approved 87 naira pump price per litre.

North

Thursday, February 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

N2.5bn housing: EFCC on trail of Kriston-Lally MD …Quizzes NLC boss OLUFEMI ADEOSUN ABUJA

hairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde, yesterday said the commission was on the trail of Managing Director of Kriston-Lally, Mustapha Madawaki, over the botched N2.5 billion mass housing scheme. It would be recalled

that the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, had in 2013 entered a pact with Kriston-Lally, a private development company, to provide affordable mass housing for Nigerian workers in the FCT. The NLC-Kriston-Lally EPC housing project was launched in May 2013 to build 300,000 homes for Nigerian workers with the first phase of the project expected to deliver 100,000

units in Abuja by December 2014. Over 3,000 subscribers were said to have keyed into the housing project, with the initial 10 percent deposit amounting to over N2.5 billion. However, two years into the deal, the subscribers have neither gotten their houses nor their contributions refunded, a situation which has pitched the subscribers, who are predominantly members of the NLC, against the leadership

of the umbrella labour union in the country. For instance, no fewer than 200 workers who subscribed to the housing scheme protested in Abuja recently. But speaking at the sidelines of a signing of Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, between the EFCC and the Consumer Protection Council, CPC, at the commission’s headquarters office in Abuja, Larmode said the anti-graft body had begun investigation into the

mass housing deal. He stated that the operatives of the commission were on the trail of Madawaki over the botched housing programme. According to him, apparently to evade arrest, Madawaki absconded from not only his known office, but his place of abode. The EFCC boss also explained that some key NLC leaders had been interviewed over the matter. Lamorde stated that the matter was first brought to the notice of the commission by six of its staff who were affected by the deal. He said: “The commission first got initial complaints from six of our staff who also subscribed to the housing project. We have also interviewed the NLC leadership in connection with the deal. “The managing director of Kriston-Lally is still yet to be found. We can authoritatively say that he is

still in the country, but he has not been seen either in his office or where he lives. We will find him. We are on his trail.” Meanwhile, National Mirror reliably gathered that some of the subscribers have taken the matter to court in a bid to seek redress. While some of them said they committed their entire lives’ savings to the housing project, others explained that they borrowed money from commercial banks to pay the 10 per cent initial deposit. However, NLC president, Abdulwahed Omar, had previously explained that several meetings had been held with subscribers to resolve the issue. In a recent interview, Omar had told National Mirror that the money was safe, blaming the logjam on the refusal of Kriston Lally to sign the check for onward release of the lodged funds to subscribers.

MDCN to aid medical graduates mobilise for NYSC JOEL AJAYI ABUJA

Chairmen, caretaker committees of 11 local government councils taking their oath of office in Gombe, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

Court stops impeachment move against Ibeto PRISCILLA DENNIS MINNA

Minna High Court, presided over by Justice Aliyu Mayaki, has granted orders restraining the Niger State House of Assembly from setting up any panel to commence impeachment process against Deputy Governor Ahmed Ibeto, pending the hearing and determination of a motion on notice. Last week, the rumour mill was agog with insinuation that the state government and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, were planning to impeach the deputy governor for dumping the ruling party for the All Progressives Congress, APC. It also granted another interim injunction restraining the state Attorney-General as the first respondent, the police commissioner, Director

of State Security Services, Speaker of the House of Assembly, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Clerk of the state’s Assembly and PDP, not to impeach or initiate impeachment proceedings against the deputy governor. The court restrained the respondent from tampering, violating, withdrawing the right and privileges of the deputy governor’s office pending the hearing and determination of motion brought before it. It also granted another order restraining the House of Assembly, the Clerk and entire House from conducting any proceeding in the chambers of the state Assembly, aimed at impeaching the plaintiff from his position as the duly elected incumbent deputy governor of the state. It reads in part, “An

order of interim injunction restraining the 4th, 7th and 8th defendants/ respondents, whether by themselves or by their servants, agents, privies, assignees, successors or otherwise however described, from accepting any nomination of any purported candidate from the governor of Niger State, for the position of deputy governor of Niger State, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.” It further ordered that Ibeto should not be obstructed from discharging his function as the deputy governor and alternatively ordered that all parties in the suit brought before the court should maintain status quo ante bellum. Similarly, Justice Mayaki also granted order to restrain the state House of Assembly Speaker, Adamu Usman, from

preventing Muhammed Abdullahi Nazir, member representing Rijau constituency, from functioning as member. The speaker had last week declared the seat of Nazir and that of the member of Wushishi constituency, Bashir Lokogoma, vacant for defecting to APC from PDP. In his restraining order upon hearing the motion exparte filed by Nazir, the court ordered that all actions declaring the seat of the plaintiff vacant should not be embarked upon pending the determination of the motion on notice and originating summon filed before the court. In an interim order nullifying the proceeding of House of Assembly conducted on 17/2/2015, it also ordered that the proceeding declaring the seat of Nazir at the House of Assembly vacant was unlawful.

ational Youth Service Corps, NYSC, is partnering with Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, MDCN, to ensure proper mobilisation of medical graduates for the compulsory one year service. The collaboration of the two bodies emerged from a courtesy visit by Registrar of the council, Dr. Abdulmumini Ibrahim, who led a team of the council to office of the NYSC Director-General, Brig-Gen. Johnson Olawumi, in Abuja. Last year, the scheme rolled out new policy requesting medical graduates to fully register with the MDCN as precondition for their mobilisation. The policy, we gathered, was highly commended and welcome, but the council said there were pockets of challenges that could hinder registration of the young medical graduates. During the meeting, Abdulmumini Ibrahim noted that delay in the release of certificate of medical graduates by schools should be looked into.

He said it was not proper that young medical graduates after one year internship programme still have their certificates withheld by the schools, adding that it was not like that in other parts of the world. Abdulmumini expressed readiness to assist the NYSC in the area of verification, to ensure that competent medical graduates were mobilised for the service year, in addition to their desire to participate in NYSC Community Development Services, CDS. Responding, NYSC DG, Brig-Gen. Johnson Olawumi, maintained that the partnership became necessary to ensure that medical graduates were not prevented from participating in the service year due to inability to register with the council. Olawumi also decried a situation where prospective corps members presented fake medical reports to secure desired place of posting. According to the DG, over 60 percent of the medical reports were found out to be fake, expressing fear that if those who will take the affairs of the future were now involved in forgery, “much needs to be done.”

Thursday, February 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Politics

Election: Military involvement and controversies The planned deployment of military personnel to provide security at the 2015 polls has been attracting divergent reactions from the major stakeholders in the electoral process. While the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, interprets the proposal as a ploy by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to use the military to rig the coming polls, PDP on the other hand insists that the purpose is to ensure credible and violence-free polls. In this report GEORGE OJI, OMEZIA AJAYI AND UBONG UKPONG examine all the sides of the arguments.

30 DAYS TO GO

DURING THE RECENT GUBERNATORIAL ELECTIONS

EDO, ANAMBRA, EKITI, OSUN AND ONDO STATES,

THERE WERE PASSIVE Jonathan

ne major concern, which has dominated political discourse in the country since the postponement of the 2015 general election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on February 8, is the issue of the planned deployment of military personnel to man the coming elections. The opposition All Progressive Congress, APC and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, have particularly been hauling darts at each other over this issue. Those who are opposed to the idea argue that such an act amounts to an aberration. For such people, it is only the police that are constitutionally empowered to provide security at the polls. Even at that, such police personnel ought not to carry arms in discharging such a responsibility. Citing certain provisions of the Electoral Act, proponents of this course further argue that in the event that police-bearing arms are involved in the conduct of the polls, such police officers are by the Act restricted to some distances from the polling booths. However, those who argue in favour of deploying the military on election days raise the issue of insecurity as a predisposing reason for doing so. To support their position, such proponents point to the general insecurity in the country, which expose the lives of electoral officials and party agents to grave danger during elections. Besides, there is also the issue of rigging of the polls through ballot snatching and irregular movement of election materials by politicians, which is usually curtailed by military presence at strategic locations on election days. During the recent gubernatorial elections in Edo, Anambra, Ekiti, Osun and Ondo States, there were passive deployments of the military. In general, there was

Buhari

public appreciation of that decision by the Federal Government because the deployment helped greatly in ensuring the successes achieved during those elections. Both the ruling PDP and the opposition APC came out in support of that government decision. In Edo and Osun, where the APC won the elections, the party was quick to commend the military for saving the days for them. In Ekiti State where the PDP carried the day and Ondo State where the Labour Party, LP, won the polls, as well as Anambra State where the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, was the winner, those electoral successes were credited in great parts to the presence of the military, which frustrated any forms of planned rigging in those states.

Ekiti election tape What is however causing the heightened concerns over the proposed deployment of the military in the March and April polls appears to be the recent revelation and the release of a tape, purporting to contain details of the plot by the military and some bigwigs of the PDP on how the Ekiti State gubernatorial election was allegedly rigged with the collaboration of the military. The tape, which was release by one Captain Sagir Koli and went viral on the internet, allegedly contained oral details of Police Affairs Minister Jelili Adesiyan, then Minister of State for Defence Musiliu Obanikoro and the Ekiti Governor Ayodele Fayose allegedly dishing out directives to an army general on the need for him to cooperate with the politicians on the EKiti State gubernatorial election day. APC promptly reacted to the expose, calling for a thorough probe of the alleged rigging contained in the tape.

DEPLOYMENTS OF THE

MILITARY. IN GENERAL, THERE WAS PUBLIC APPRECIATION OF THAT DECISION BY THE

FEDERAL

GOVERNMENT BECAUSE

THE DEPLOYMENT HELPED GREATLY

In a statement issued in Lagos by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the issues exposed by the tape were too grievous to be swept under the carpet or dismissed on the basis of nothing but gross partisanship. It said the investigation is particularly necessary because of the alleged role the military played in the whole rigging scenario, and against the background of the court rulings against the deployment of troops for elections. ”If the government officials and politicians whose voices were heard on the tape are not interested in clearing their name, what of the military institution that was dragged into the show of shame? Has the integrity of the military not been compromised by the alleged role of a General and hundreds of his troops in the rigging saga?” APC queried. Despite the public denials by the individual PDP Chieftains mentioned in the tape, APC insisted that the inconsistency of the federal government’s response to the CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

Politics

Thursday, February 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Election: Military involvement CONTINUED ON PAGE 13 whole saga has exposed its underbelly and made it more urgent for a forensic investigation of the tape to be carried out.

APC’s position on military deployment The APC has been consistent and unequivocal in opposing the plans by the Federal Government to deploy the military on election days across the country. The party maintains that far from the reason of ensuring violence free polls as is being mounted by the PDP, the ruling party has other sinister purposes for the military. APC’s position appears to have been reinforced by the recent startling disclosures contained in the Ekiti State rigging tape, which went viral in the social media. Apparently not wanting to take chances, APC last week fired a strongly-worded letter dated February 16, 2015 to the INEC Chairman, Professor Atahiru Jega, formally stating its opposition to the matter. APC also backed the letter up with accompanying legal authorities from both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal. The letter, which was written by the Director, Legal Services of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, ChukwumaMachukwu Ume (SAN), was addressed to Jega, copies of which were also made available to President Goodluck Jonathan, the National Security Adviser, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, Chief of Air Staff and the National Chairmen of the APC and the PDP. APC in the letter called the attention of the Federal Government to a judgment delivered on January 29, 2015 by Justice R.M. Aikawa of the Federal High Court Sokoto and another by the Court of Appeal, Abuja, on February 16, 2015 which overruled the use of military in elections. The letter read in parts, “I am sure all well-meaning Nigerians share your deep seated concern on the militarisation of our elections. It is therefore imperative your good office and commission ensure, henceforth, and until there is an enabling Act of the National Assembly, the court orders are obeyed and armed forces personnel are never again deployed in any form of security supervision of our elections.” Justice Aikawa of the Federal High Court in his judgment on the suit marked: FHC/S/CS/29/2014 among others, restrained the President and Commanderin-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and INEC “from engaging the service of the Nigerian armed forces in the security supervision of elections in any manner whatsoever in any part of Nigeria, without the Act of the National Assembly.” Justice Abdul Aboki, in his lead judgment in the Ekiti State governorship election appeal on February 16, held that “even the President of Nigeria has no powers to call on the Nigerian armed forces and to unleash them on peaceful citizens, who are exercising their franchise to elect their leaders. “Whoever unleashed soldiers on Ekiti State, disturbed the peace of the election on June 21, 2014; acted in flagrant breach of the constitution and flouted the provi-

Jega

Metuh

Lai Mohammed

FOR THE

PROPONENTS OF NON30 DAYS TO GO

INVOLVEMENT OF THE

MILITARY, THEIR FEAR

PRESIDENT JONATHAN, THE INEC AND THE

IS THAT

Obanikoro

sions of the Electoral Act, which required an enabling environment by civil authorities in the conduct of elections.”

PDP’s stance On its part, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has continued to maintain that the planned deployment of military personnel on election days across the country is simply to ensure that there is no form of electoral violence, such that were witnessed in the country in 2011, particularly in the north, which claimed the lives of many innocent Nigerians and the destruction of properties. According to the party, the reason that the APC and its leaders do not want soldiers deployed is to be able to intimidate voters and unleash violence on the polity once they lose the elections. PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Olisa Metuh in a statement in Abuja last week made the position of PDP clear on the issue. He also called on INEC to collaborate the necessity of the security in view of its past experiences in conducting elections in the country. Metuh said, “We want adequate security measures to be put in place for the polls. The deployment of security is for the INEC to decide. The PDP is not a security agency or the electoral umpire. Whatever INEC and the security agencies decide on we are going to abide by it.” The PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, PDPPCO, on its part described

the use of the military for the general elections as non-negotiable. PDPPCO Director of Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Fani-Kayode, stated that “The attempt by the APC to discredit the use of soldiers by promoting some misleading audio footage of the so-called rigging during the Ekiti governorship election, in which one Captain Sagir Koli was the dramatis personae, is childish and absurd.” According to Fani-Kayode, “The Federal Government deployed soldiers in the Anambra, Edo, Ondo, Ekiti and Osun gubernatorial elections and all those elections were devoid of violence. Remarkably, the APC won in Edo and Osun; APGA won in Anambra; LP won in Ondo while PDP won only in Ekiti State.” He said, “The basis on which the APC is agitating for the exclusion of soldiers from the election, by sponsoring court cases, is patently dubious and untenable. The reason that the APC and its leaders do not want soldiers deployed is to be able to intimidate voters and unleash violence on the polity once they lose the elections. They know that it would be far more difficult for them to do that when soldiers are on the streets.”

Imperatives of military involvement The need for military involvement in the forthcoming general elections, especially the presidential polls cannot be taken for granted, in view of elections’ volatility and threats to national security and integration. It is true that some groups and individuals are already expressing opposition to the involvement of the military in the coming polls. This is apparently in such peoples’ suspicion that President Goodluck Jonathan hopes to use the military to aid his re-election bid. Unfortunately, those who are opposed to this plan appear to be oblivious of the fact that the atmo-

MILITARY WILL COOPERATE TO MAKE THEM LOSE THE ELECTION sphere is already charged and violence is in the air. For the proponents of non-involvement of the military, their fear is that President Jonathan, the INEC and the military will cooperate to make them lose the election, which they are very sure that the opposition APC has already won and General Muhammadu Buhari only waiting for May 29, to be sworn in. This is the reason Buhari could say confidently that he will not lose, when asked what will happen if he loses the election? National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Lai Mohammed also affirmed Rivers State Governor Chibuike Amaechi’s threat of parallel government, in spite of President Jonathan’s proclamation that he will quit if he loses and that a new government must be inaugurated by May 29. With all of these threats and tensions and huge cases of pre-election violence, the opposition APC appears not to see the need for military’s involvement in the coming elections. It calls for serious worry, APC’s reasons that are making them so confident to win the elections without the military. It is instructive that while the interest of APC is how the party will wrestle political power from the ruling PDP at all costs, including forming parallel government, shading blood, should their party and candidate lose the election, the apolitical military is interested in keeping the country

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Politics

Thursday, February 26, 2015

and controversies

in one piece for whoever wins the election. Political pundits are of the view that there is no known law that excludes the military from being involved in civil rule, rather, the Nigerian constitution empowers the military to carryout responsibilities in aid of civil authorities, in addition to its primary duty of protecting the country from external aggression. Currently, the military is on a special mission across the country in aid of internal security in view of the Boko Haram insurgency. The military high command has made it clear that the command does not plan to call off its current military assignments in the insurgency areas of the Northern parts of the country because of the elections. Be that as it may, it is pertinent to note that the military has never been called to supervise any of the elections in the country but rather to provide and ensure the security of the lives and properties of the Nigerian citizens wherever elections are being held across the country. What the military does is simply to mount road checks in designated locations, (not near the polling booths) to ensure that the situation of insecurity never gets out of hands. Incidentally, none of the court orders being bandied about has ordered the military to be withdrawn from the streets and not to perform their security functions or aid civil authorities during the elections. The Nigerian Army and Air Force have made it clear that they are ready for the elections. Both the land and air troops are ready to provide a conducive environment for the electorates to vote on the election days. The military has also assured of safe movement of sensitive electoral materials as well as electoral officers. The military has never said that it will supervise elections as it is never its duty, rather the Nigerian Army through its then Director of Army Public Relations, DAPR, Brig-Gen. Olajide Laleye, said they will provide support for the polls. “Equally, the Nigerian Army seizes this opportunity to reassure Nigerians of its preparedness to support relevant agencies in the successful conduct of the 2015 general election”, Laleye said on December 31, 2014 at a press briefing. Considering the volatile areas in the north and the creeks in the south during the elections, the INEC has chosen to involve the Nigerian Air Force, to use its military aircrafts in moving sensitive materials for safety and to difficult locations. The Air Force has said it is ready and has prepared the aircrafts and its pilots for the assignment. The military pilots can only airlift the materials and INEC staff to locations but are not to, as they have never been involved in supervision at the locations. In view of the calls by the APC for the withdrawal of the military from elections, the question is, can the country risk the planned violence, allow unsafe movements and poor or non-access to sensitive materials or even go to hire Arik Air, Belview, Dana Air or any other commercial aircraft for that matter, to do elections duty, when the Nigerian Military aircrafts are there and ready for the service? It is very clear that the military has al-

30 DAYS TO GO

Posers on Military deployments

National Security Adviser, Dasuki

Chief of Defence Staff, Badeh

IN VIEW OF THE CALLS BY THE

APC FOR THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE MILITARY

FROM ELECTIONS, THE QUESTION IS,

CAN THE COUNTRY RISK THE PLANNED VIOLENCE C Capt. Koli

ways been there for support as it is on record that it has never signed the security columns on the result sheets or any other election documents. The only security outfits that have been involved in authenticating the election results have always been the police and Civil Defence.

Position of Judiciary On Monday, Justice Abdul Aboki of the Court of Appeal Abuja Division, had ruled against the deployment of military in elections. The judge said, “It must be stated, by way of emphasis, that the Armed Forces have no role in the conduct of election (and) must not be involved except perhaps, in the area of providing logistics services to the agencies of government in the preparation for the election.” Before then, a Federal High Court sitting in Sokoto had on Thursday, January 29, 2015 declared that the deployment of military for election duties in the country is unconstitutional. Justice Mohammed Rilwan, who gave the ruling while delivering judgment in a suit challenging the deployment of the military for election duties, said that apart from defending the nation’s territorial integrity, there was no constitutional provision for the deployment of the military for elections. He averred that for the Federal Government to do so, it must go back to the National Assembly which would enact such an Act.

In the appellate court’s ruling, the Justice Abdul Aboki-led five-man Appeal Court sitting in Abuja upheld the position of the Federal High Court, Sokoto, on the matter. Justice Aboki gave the ruling in the Ekiti governorship election appeal case which was resolved in favour of the Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose. Justice Aboki raised some fundamental questions in coming to the conclusion reached which ousted the role of the military in elections. According to the Eminent Justices of the Appeal Court, Abuja, “The question is that who ordered deployment of military or soldiers in the Ekiti governorship election? Was there any act of insurrection to warrant the call on the military to restore order? And was such deployment in accordance with Sections 217 (2)(c) and 218(4) of the constitution?” Their lordships submitted that, “There is nothing before us in the records in answering the posers positively.” “With this, whoever unleashed soldiers on Ekiti State disturbed the peace of the election on June 21, 2014, acted in flagrant breach of the constitution, and flouted the provisions of the Electoral Act which required an enabling environment by civil authorities in the conduct of elections.” The appellate court held that even the President of Nigeria has no powers to call on the Nigerian Armed Forces to unleash them on peaceful citizenry who are exercising their franchise to elect their leaders.

Just very recently, there was a report from the National Human Rights Commission which detailed how 58 persons were killed in election violence across the country in less than 60 days. The 58 deaths had resulted from 49 election-related violence across 22 states in the country. If 58 people have been killed before the elections, what then happens during the actual elections? Can the police with less than 400, 000 officers and men guarantee a safe election? Can they do it with the about 12, 000 officers and men of the Department of State Services DSS in conjunction with the notso-well equipped Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC? Will men of the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigeria Immigration Service be withdrawn from their duty posts and deployed for election duties? Observers believe that in order not to have a repeat of the pogrom that followed the conduct of the 2011 general elections in most parts of the North, it is necessary for President Goodluck Jonathan to sit up and do what is right. Relying on the provisions of Section 217 (2) (c) of the constitution, the president should write to the National Assembly on the need to approve the military deployment in aid of INEC which is a civil authority. While the debate continues to rage, Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission NHRC, Prof. Chidi Anselm Odinkalu has joined in the fray. The erudite scholar believes that the military has a great role to play in Nigeria’s elections since the country is at war. According to him, Nigeria is currently in a state of war, a situation which justifies military deployment in accordance with the Geneva Conventions Act. According to Odinkalu, Article 3 of the Convention is in respect of the protection of civilians in conflict situations. He said in 2013, the International Red Cross which supervises the Geneva Convention said Nigeria was in a state of war. In 2014 alone, more than 4,000 people were killed by Boko Haram. Not even in Iraq or Afghanistan had such a massive slaughter been experienced within a year, either in the hands of Al-Qaeda or the Taliban. For this reason, Odinkalu said he will not vote in an election where the military are kept in the barracks.” If a country which is at war is conducting an election, you do not keep your best equipped people in the barracks,” he posited. Besides, the other consideration will be whether soldiers should be withdrawn from their various roadside military check-points on election days? Since soldiers, like all armed men, do not actually stay inside a polling unit, their deployment should not raise much issues. What partisans should be advocating is the design of a strict code of conduct for all military and other security men that would be deployed for the elections.

Politics

Thursday, February 26, 2015

APC will resist further polls shift –Famoodun BOLADALE BAMIGBOL OSOGBO

ll Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday warned that any further postponement of general elections would be resisted, even as it berated federal government for giving preferential treatment regarding allocation of resources to states being controlled by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Speaking in Osogbo at a programme hosted by Correspondents’ chapel of Osun State council of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, chairman of the party, Prince Gboyega Famoodun, said the ruling PDP, is afraid of defeat at the poll.

Regarding the slow pace of work on some state funded projects, Osun APC chairman alleged that the Federal Government frustrated the efforts of Osun State government to secure loan from Bank of Infrastructure to finance Osogbo/Ila-Odo road project, whereas it has been releasing funds to the PDPled government in Ekiti. Famoodun, who blamed the rather slow pace in the fight against terrorists on the tardiness of Federal Government, declared that instead of dissipating energy on capturing Shekau alive, government should spare no effort in rescuing over 200 girls abducted in Chibok, Borno State last year.

“Jonathan woke up late regarding the fight against insurgents in North East. He cannot tackle insurgency for the past six years, now you want Shekau already pronounced dead by the military alive, of what use is that to Nigerians. All we are saying is bring back our girls alive, they think Nigerians are fools by bringing fake Shekau,” APC chairman said. He said those campaigning against emergence of Buhari because of his age are either ignorant of his antecedents when he led the country as head of state, or are unaware of how experience of respected leader like Nelson Mandela, who led South Africa when he was 75 years.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Police address stakeholders in Oyo

30 DAYS TO GO

“The claim by the governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose’s that Buhari is not healthy is a ruse. Fayose is just looking for recognition”, Famoodun said. He explained that drop in funds accruing to the state from federation account was the cause of delay in payment of salaries of workers but allayed fears that irregular payment of salaries may affect the chances of the party in next month’s poll. He then appealed to workers in the state to be patient with government, assuring that, government would ensure prompt payment of salaries of workers as soon as its earnings improves.

yo State Police Area Commander, Olawale Olokode has addressed all the security stakeholders under his command, engaging them on what is required of them before, during and after the coming general elections. Olokode in a meeting that was well attended by all policemen under his command and leaders of all the political parties in the zone, who at the meeting signed a peace accord, emphasised on the need to have a free, fair and non-violent election in the zone and Oyo State in general. Warning that election should not be a-do-or-die affairs, the Area Commander frowned at the rate with which some party supporters destroy billboards, posters and other campaign materials belonging to the opposition party, saying that it was not the best way of campaigning for an election. He said security agents

are not members of political parties, “politicians should stop dragging us into matters of politics and vexing their anger on us because as they know, our duty is to secure the lives and properties of the citizens.” Okolode said police were aware that some people make use of fake police and other security uniforms, fake Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, polling booths, but promised that arrangement has been put in place on how to discover them. He read the electoral acts to all the political leaders and members of political parties at the meeting putting a ban on campaigning in churches, mosques, police stations and destroying of billboards, posters and other campaign materials. He called on the party leaders to advise their members on how to be friendly with security agencies in other to have free and fair election.

Why Lagosians should reject APC, by PDP chieftain WALE IGBINTADE

eader of Free Lagos for Good Movement and People Democratic Party, PDP, governorship aspirant, Mr. Akitoye Branco-Rhodes, has called on the people of Lagos State to reject the All Progressives Congress, APC, during the March 28 and April 11general elections. In a statement in Lagos yesterday, Branco Rhodes, son of the late Chief Yinka Rhodes of Board Member fame, said there is need to free Lagos from one person who is holding the state by

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh (right), Mr .Segun Olatunji, in Abuja yesterday

the jugular. He listed 10 reasons why the APC should be rejected, describing the APC government as anti-people and needed to be flushed out of Government House immediately because of its tyrannical activities. Rhodes said: “How do you describe a government that imposes multiple taxation on the people? How do you describe a government that takes sadistic pleasure in harassing petty traders and use Kick Against Indiscipline, KAI, to extort money from hapless citizens? The former governorship CONTINUED ON PAGE 43

Oyo tertiary institutions’ students rally for Jonathan KEMI OLAITAN IBADAN

tudents from all the tertiary institutions in Oyo State under the aegis of Students Integrity Group, SIG, yesterday in Ibadan, the state capital, trooped out in large number to rally support for the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan. The students clad in Tshirts with Jonathan’s image emblazoned on them, marched through major areas like Sango, Mokola and Total Garden, singing and

distributing to traders, motorists and passers-by, pamphlets containing some of the projects executed by Jonathan. Addressing the students, the immediate past chairman of WEMABOD, a subsidiary of Odu’a Investment Company Ltd, owned by the governments of Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Ekiti states, Dr. Adebayo Adewusi, said Nigerians needed to re-elect President Jonathan because he had performed excellently for the country, especially in the area of education,

stating that the support of Accord Party for the reelection of Jonathan is not negotiable. He said his new party, the Accord had adopted the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate ahead of the election since it had no presidential candidate of its own, adding, “I have no problem identifying with the aspiration of Accord in seeing to the re-election of President Jonathan in view of what he had done in the last four years in office”. He told the students that

the return of Jonathan for another four years “means continuity of the good works embarked upon in the last four years”, reminding them of the various achievements recorded by President Jonathan , especially as they affect the youths and maintained that the situation could only be better under him if re- elected. The former APC chieftain said the change being mouthed by the opposition could only drag the country back because the report of the National Conference

which was midwived by the government of President Jonathan would be jettisoned should the opposition take over saying that would be at the detriment of the country. Adewusi then enjoined the students not to allow themselves to be used by those with inordinate ambition to rule this country at all cost, but to be steadfast and committed to good electoral process which would give everybody a level- playing field. He said, “People are shouting change. But

what kind of change are we looking for in this country? What we need is sustainable change and the only way we can get that is to re-elect Jonathan. He has done quite a lot in four years in areas like infrastructural development, agriculture, rail transportation, even in industrial policy. We now have national automobile policy which has generated several thousands of jobs and will continue to generate more. These are just some of the things he has done.”

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Views

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Still on the controversial election postponement EXISTENTIAL HUMANISM

FRY

NDUBUISI Professor Ndubuisi is of the Dept of Philosophy, UNILAG fryndubuisi@nationalmirroronline.net (08023016709 SMS only)

The recent postponement of the general elections by six weeks caught all the political stakeholders in the country napping. Torrential and acidic reactions have trailed the development from within and outside the country. While some have reacted emotionally, others were circumspect. The international media see the postponement as ominous signs for the country. Not a few see the security issue that was given as reasons by INEC as a fluke. Some wonder how the Federal Government can accomplish in six weeks what it could not do in six years. It is to be noted that the insurgents became more brutal and forceful as we approached the days set for the elections, which meant they were determined to disrupt the exercise. On resumption, the Senate invited the INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, to furnish it with the reasons for the postponement. Expectedly, Professor Jega, in very frank demeanour, admitted they were not 100 percent ready for the conduct of the exercise. Among the things on the unaccomplished

check list was the perfection of the controversial card readers. It was actually after the postponement of the election that INEC started demonstrating the suitability of the card reading machines, a novelty in the nation’s electoral history. This was apart from the sloppy distribution of the permanent voters’ cards (PVCs) by the electoral umpire. If the elections had gone ahead as planned, it is obvious that over 30 percent of eligible voters would have been disenfranchised nationwide. Many would have been shell shocked to hear from Jega that about one million PVCs were yet to be printed. Thus the postponement of the election was a blessing in disguise, as it gives the commission ample opportunity to get a number of critical issues settled before the elections. With some revelations already made even by INEC boss, it is curious and quite disappointing that Jega only emphasized security challenge as the reason for the postponement. The Commission’s shoddy handling of the critical issues germane for the success of the conduct of the elections was not seen an issue. It is just saying the obvious that INEC has not shown enough competence in preparing for the 2015 elections. Time and funds cannot be given as reasons. The Commission has more than three years to prepare for the elections, yet almost everything was bungled. It was actually after the postponement that the ad hoc staff that are very critical for a successful election started their train-

IT AMOUNTS TO BAD FAITH FOR INEC TO BLAME THE POSTPONEMENT ON SECURITY CHALLENGE ing. It is equally confounding that a substantial number of eligible voters are yet to get the PVCs needed to participate in the exercise. The governor of Ogun State, for instance, lamented the difficulty his people face just to get the PVCs. He queried the wisdom in giving out the cards piecemeal and unpardonable mix up discovered across the country. There have been all kinds of genuine allegations against INEC in the distribution of the cards. There is even the ugly dimension that non indigenes are being denied their PVCs in Lagos State and some other states. To show how serious this allegation is, a newspaper advertisement signed by different ethnic groups in Lagos was placed with facts to back up their claims. Unfortunately, INEC has not responded satisfactorily to this, and more importantly it has not demonstrated its readiness to remedy the situation. The Commission has ample time to ensure that all eligible voters get their PVCs. It amounts to tech-

nical rigging to edge out eligible voters from exercising their franchise through no fault of theirs. We must be able to distinguish refusal to vote and a deliberate disenfranchisement of eligible voters. This has immense ethical and legal implications. It is to be recalled that President Goodluck Jonathan had earlier urged INEC, prior to the postponement, to ensure that every eligible voter gets his/her PVC. It is now clear this advice was not heeded to. It amounts to bad faith for INEC to blame the postponement on security challenge. The leader of Boko Haram , Abubakar Shekau, has vowed to disrupt the elections. It is gratifying to not that the recent successes recorded by our military aided by the Multinational Joint Task Force has put a lie to this grandstanding. The nation has less than six week to determine if the elections would hold or not. It is on record that the Federal Government recently took delivery of some new military hardware, and has this impacted positively on the fighting spirit of our soldiers. The dreaded Sambisa Forest has been tamed and many communities liberated. It was thrilling to see how relieved and excited families, whose lands were liberated, were in reuniting with their loved ones. The postponement, therefore, was worth all the trouble; it really saved the nation from unwarranted embarrassment.

Why Nigeria must promote science education

y focus this week, is the imperative of science education as tool for driving the nation’s inclusive growth and progress. The President that emerges in the imminent March 28 poll should please imbibe the postulation here as a cogent issue in his policy direction. Today, Nigeria is brimming with countless educational institutions with heavy private involvement. But there is paradoxically growing illiteracy amidst a growing number of these institutions. The reason could be located in both the quality and nature of education being imparted. Every great nation on earth today has been able to achieve the feat through scientific knowledge and technological capabilities. This fact admits of no exception in so far as our definition of greatness goes beyond mere material prosperity. This is because there are some affluent nations who, though don’t belong to the exclusive class of the scientifically competent, are nonetheless ostentatiously wealthy because they keep exhausting and selling their abundant, albeit exhaustible natural resources. But except this latter group of “artificially” great nations diversified, as it were, by employing their returns to lay the foundation of multifaceted development, the boom will eventually disappear, leaving the people to rue what could have been if the resources had been wisely invested. Nigeria is already ruing the adverse effect of mono-cultural reliance on oil against the backdrop of the current crash of oil in the international market. Acquisition of scientific knowledge and its concomitant application in diverse technologies will never fail to bring lasting returns. Unlike some other forms of “truths”,

ACQUISITION OF SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE AND ITS CONCOMITANT APPLICATION IN DIVERSE TECHNOLOGIES WILL NEVER FAIL TO BRING LASTING RETURNS which claim to be immutable; scientific truths are not immutable, they keep changing to accommodate new discoveries. What is permanent in science is the principle of constant search for the truth. In Nigeria, we do not treasure science and technology! We feel comfortable being a consumer nation, in so far as we have petrodollars to buy imported necessities and exotic vanities. The irreplaceable natural resources which we could have discreetly employed to lay the foundation for sustainable development and inclusive growth are being squandered through multiple avenues like corruption and bad management. The entrepreneurial bankruptcy of most of our political leaders ensures that we keep exporting raw materials instead of refined products; that we still engage in flaring gas - a wasteful measure leading to both economic loss and environmental damage, that we fail to see the correlation between regular power supply and economic growth. Our state of scientific backwardness also has culture-based dimensions. We have cultivated attitudes and belief system that

are antithetical to evolution of scientific knowledge. It seems that we are bereft of that daredevil mentality of insatiable pursuits of knowledge that makes other races routinely engage in investigative enterprises – the hunger to understand the secrets of the universe. Right from childhood, our children are being nurtured to imbibe certain ideas capable of prejudicing their minds against later-life empirical pursuits. By way of illustration, let us examine two short songs by children in Yorubaland and England. The two songs deal with the same theme-rainfall. The Yoruba version goes, “Ojo nro s’ere ninu ile! Ma wo’ nu ojo ki aso re ma ba tutu, ki otutu ma ba mu o” This literally means “Rain is falling, keep indoor while playing. Don’t enter into the rain, so as not to get drenched and thereafter succumb to cold”. The English “version” goes; “Rain, Rain, go away, come again another day, little children want to play!” Now, look at the Yoruba version: It urges a vile submission to the forces of nature! It warns of consequences of staying in the rain and enjoins the child to passively retire indoor; it offers nothing to the child on the possibility that rain itself could be controlled by human’s exploits. In contrast, the English version issued a command to the rain to go away! Now, little and insignificant as this may seem, it may have far-reaching consequences on the psychology of the child and his attitude to nature in future. One child may grow up believing all he could do is to offer prayers to higher powers for protection against an inclement weather; the other may grow up

CRITICAL STROKES

KAYODE

KETEFE

kketefe@nationalmirroronline.net 08032147720 (SMS only)

believing in controlling the weather through meteorological knowledge. There are some set of laws that governs the universe and these can be fathomed through empiricism. The pathway to liberation is the systematic accumulation of knowledge of these laws. To this end, we should re-invent our educational system to give a pride of place to science-based curricula and also encourage massive participation of Nigerians in the sciences right from birth. Our universities and other research institutions must get appropriate funds every year to enable them beam searchlight of researches into some of those areas where humanity is still groping in the darkness. Ketefe may be followed on twitter @Ketesco 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.

Editorial

Thursday February 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

Gas shortage and power supply

he Director General, National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN), Reuben Okeke, disclosed recently that gas supply from the Nigerian Gas Company (NGC), a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), was not sufficient to meet the nation’s electricity supply needs. Gas supply shortage, he emphasised, was stalling the activation of 224 distribution substations built by the Federal Government to boost electricity supply. “Though the stations are ready to help move the country from its current 4, 500MW supply level to 20, 000MW in the next few years… it has been impossible to achieve this feat due to gas shortage. Shortage of gas has stalled the various projects initiated by the government to wheel electricity into the national grid… Aside the fact that the country is targeting 5,000MW from the NIPP, 6,000MW is expected from the privatised successor companies unbundled from the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN)”, Okeke was quoted as saying. Indeed, reports have it that thousands of megawatts of electricity cannot be fed to the national grid because of gas supply shortage and other setbacks. Data credited to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) point

to unutilized power generation capacity in the Omotosho NIPP GT4 and 13; Ihovbor GT4; Olorunsogo Gas GT1-4, 7 and 8; Omotosho Gas GT1, 5-8; AES barge 202, 204 and 207-211; Geregu NIPP GT21-23; and Geregu Gas GT11 and 12. The same goes for Egbin ST1-5; Sapele NIPP GT3 and 4; Sapele ST2; Olorunsogo NIPP GT2 and 3; Delta GT4, 8, 10-12, 16, 17 and 20. Since the beginning of this year (and even much earlier), the NNPC has been purportedly battling with the problem of acute gas supply challenges facing the newly-privatised power stations of the defunct PHCN. Even the Minister of Power, Professor Chinedu Nebo, once lamented that “the recent dip in power supply has been due mainly to inadequate gas supply to thermal power plants”. The NNPC, all these wasted years, has been in charge of the nation’s oil and gas sectors. It has been widely criticized as inept and a monumentally corrupt behemoth when it comes to managing Nigeria’s oil and gas wealth. Its operational industry is equally unrivalled. It also latches on the slightest opportunity, such as oil and gas installations’ vandalism, to explain away a lot of its shortcomings. The PHCN, which gave birth to the privatised power sector outfits, is in no better stead. The trend had lingered for decades, and may never end with

WITH THIS ROT UNADDRESSED, THE FG SHOULD REALISE THAT ITS POWER SECTOR REFORM IS YET TO YIELD THE DESIRED DIVIDENDS the huge reliance of the power sector on NNPC’s gas. Some experts have suggested that even with the privatization of the power sector, renewable energy sources like solar, wind, coal and biomass, can be explored to help stabilize power supply. Unfortunately, however, no concrete blueprint in that direction seems forthcoming. The authorities said a Transitional Electricity Market (TEM) that will ensure accountability and boost further investment in the electricity market would come to effect come November this year. The idea is supposed to move the electricity market in an orderly manner from an integrated whole utility to a fully competitive market structure with more power sector players. “We are very much eager for TEM to commence. From a generating company (Genco) point of view, this will mean an increase in potential revenue from the current 60 per cent capacity charge

ON THIS DAY

February 26, 2013

February 26, 2009

A round of the talks between Iran and the representatives from the US, France, Russia, China, Germany and the United Kingdom, chaired by European Union High Representative Baroness Ashton, was held in the Kazakh City of Almaty, Kazakhstan over Iran’s nuclear programme. The International Atomic Energy Agency (AIEA) had on 21 February, released a report showing continued expansion in Iranian uranium enrichment capabilities.

Former Serbian President Milan Milutinovic was acquitted of ordering a deadly campaign of terror against Kosovo Albanians in 1999. Five senior Serbian officials, however, including the deputy prime minister and army chief, were convicted by the UN tribunal at the Hague. They were sentenced to prison terms of between 15 and 22 years. Milutinovic’s acquittal was another blow to prosecutors, who previously tried to convict former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic of similar crimes.

and 100 per cent energy charge to 100 per cent capacity charge and 100 per cent energy charge”, Ade Fadeyibi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Transcorp Ughelli Power Limited, one of the power firms privatised in 2003, was quoted as saying lately. Reports said the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) approved and caused to be signed into law the rules for the interim period between the completion of power sector privatisation and the start of the TEM. But reports about the first quarter of this year also said the FG suspended indefinitely the planned implementation of the TEM. And whereas the nation still wallows in abject epileptic electricity supply occasioned by gas supply and other tell-tell stories of officialdom, in addition to the poor regulation of the power sector, power consumers still groan, not just under the yoke of irregular power supply, but they are also being grinded by ‘crazy (estimated) bills’, absence of prepaid or even the known old meters, cutting of service wires or extortion in exchange and other sundry exploitation being perpetrated by the new power distribution companies (DISCOS) especially. With this rot unaddressed, the FG should realise that its power sector reform is yet to yield the desired dividends.

February 26, 1993 The second tallest building in the world, the World Trade Centre, New York City, is bombed at 12:18 pm. By a terrorist bomb, leaving a crater 60 feet wide and causing the collapse of several steel-reinforced concrete floors in the vicinity of the blast. Although the terrorist bomb failed to critically damage the main structure of the skyscrapers, six people were killed and more than 1,000 were injured. The mastermind of the attack is one Ramzi Ahmed Yousef.

IN CONJUNCTION WITH

AFE BABALOLA UNIVERSITY, ADO-EKITI (ABUAD)

“The setting of this University is ‘Superlative’ and ‘Impressive’, with nothing of its kind that I have seen so far in the country or anywhere else” (Gen. Dr. Yakubu Gowon, GCFR,)

Saidat Alausa

adam Victoria Fagbohun has deep passion for the law profession right from her secondary school days. Unfortunately, her dream did not materialise until seven years ago when she explored the open and distance learning education provided by the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). “I read about NOUN and its operations in a newspaper and I took the advantage of its flexible programme to register for law since I met the admission requirement for the course,” Madam Faghohun recalled. Before then, the mother of four who resigned voluntarily according to her at the age of 33 from Ibadan office of the Post and Telecommunications (P&T) where she had worked for many years till 1979 had the Ordinary National Diploma (OND) in Business Administration. She obtained the certificate 10 years earlier from The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Oyo State. That is not all her academic credentials as she told National Mirror that she also had certificates in some short-time courses she did while abroad. Now, Madam Fagbohun from Ekiti State has completed her law degree programme at NOUN. She studied at Akure Centre of the university and graduated with second class lower division. She was among the over 7,000 who graduated recently from the university. At the institution’s convocation ceremony in Lagos where National Mirror spotted her, she dressed in grey colour gown just like her mates and intermittently beaming with smiles. She told National Mirror how she was able to cope with the programme despite her age and for the fact that she had been out of school for many years. According to her, everything in life is based on interest, commitment, self discipline, determination and above all, God’s benevo-

lence. “My desire all along as I had mentioned is to be a lawyer and I knew I would have to go to university to study law before such a dream could come into reality,” she said. So, despite she has been a fulltime housewife for the past three and half decades she had resigned her paid job, she has been off and on with academic activities. “Naturally, I love reading and I knew that since God helped me to attend classes on regular basis and do all my assignments during my OND programme and be able to come out with an upper credit, I believe that the same God would see me through at NOUN,” she explained, adding, “I could recall that some of my lecturers and classmates back then in the polytechnic often wondered how I was able to make it and I always told them it was God and it is still Him that is helping me.” Nevertheless, Madam Fagbohun equally identified the flexibility of NOUN programmes as students of the institution would not need to attend lectures unlike what is obtainable in conventional universities as another factor that helped her. “As students you would have to do most of the studies on your own and you could do that in a corner of your room once you have all the course materials with you. Although, it is easier for students to fail in this kind of learning system, not the serious type like my humble self,” she said boastfully as she also spoke about her husband’s involvement. “My husband was equally supportive throughout the programme. He always encouraged me to read and at times we discussed topics and assignments together for better understanding. At some other times especially during exams when I got tired, he would be there by my side keeping vigil with me. I thank God I have a husband who understands. And today, I believe he would be proud of me and confidently tell people that his wife is a lawyer.”

Now, I’m fulfilled

—69 years old law graduate

Fagbohun

I thank God I have a husband who understands. And today, I believe he would be proud of me and confidently tell people that his wife is a lawyer.

Madam Fagbohun when finishing from the Law School which is her next assignment would be the first lawyer to be produced by her family. For the real job of which she studied law, the sexagenarian

woman said “My plan is to be defending widows and the less privileged in court. Many of them are being denied of their rights just because of their peculiar plights. I wish to be doing that free of charge for them and through that,

Amazing! Teacher to spend million dollar prize on indigent students, schools 20

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Education Today Thursday, February 26, 2015

I will be affecting somebody’s life positively,” she said. Just like Madam Fagbohun, another fresh female law graduate in her 60s is Madam Joan Okoh, who studied at the Benin Study Centre of the university. She also told National Mirror that she studied law so that she would be defending all categories of the less privileged women in the society. The society, she pointed out, doesn’t give deserved recognition to woman’s dignity and it is high CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

Policy implementation, key to development —Shekarau 23

Education Today

Lagos school inspectors tasked on effectiveness Tunbosun Ogundare

he Lagos State Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye has tasked school inspectors in the state to do their businesses in line with global practices. She gave the charge while declaring open a 3-day capacity workshop on quality assurance evaluation and report writing organised for them last week. She said they would need to be familiar with global trend so as to be able to discharge their duties more effectively. Represented by the Director of Quality Assurance in her ministry, Mr. Mathew Olayanju, the commissioner pointed out that the current quality assurance approach which was adopted in 2009 would need to be enhanced for better service delivery. Noting that the quality assurance office in the state would take off fully next month, she added that government had carried out many programmes to enhance learning. Oladunjoye however noted that nothing less than 300 inspectors were trained by the ministry in conjunction with the Education Sector Support Initiative Nigeria (ESSPIN) all to sharpen their knowledge and skill for the new task. She maintained that the state had become a pacesetter on education quality assurance for other states in the country. Olayinka

Kogi promises teachers 75% minimum wage Wale Ibrahim LOKOJA

he Kogi State Government has assured its teachers in primary schools across the state of paying 75 per cent of the national N18, 000 minimum wage with effect from this year’s January. The Chairman of the state Universal Basic Education Board, Mallam Nuhu Ahmed who gave the assurance during a chat with journalists in Lokoja recently also promised the teachers of prompt payment of their salaries. But what remains according to him is to ensure that only the genuine teachers are the ones collecting the money. He explained that while it had become mandatory for headmasters to forward the names of their teachers to the board, the teachers themselves would have to come physically to write their details including account details and sign accordingly. He noted that the process had started with January salary expect those without proper documentation that are yet to be paid. Ahmed however explained that the pending December salary and that of November for some teachers would soon be settled. Reacting, the state Chairman of Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, Mr. Suleiman Abdullahi, welcome the development, saying it would go a long way in improving members’ welfare.

Thursday, February 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Amazing! Teacher to spend million dollar prize on indigent students, schools Mwakera Mwajefa

volunteer teacher from Kilifi County in Kenya has become the only African to be nominated for a Sh90 million global teachers’ award. Ms Jackline Jumbe, who has devoted her time working as a volunteer and helping bright but needy students in Kilifi access education, is now among the 10 finalists in the contest. Speaking at a reception hosted by her colleagues and other interest groups at Bofa Primary School, where she teaches, Ms Jumbe said that her quest to improve education standards in Kilifi was what led her to take part in the contest sponsored by the Varkey Foundation, a not-forprofit organisation that is also involved in supporting education, including building classrooms. Ms Jumbe told the gathering that she was inspired by the plight of learners, some of whom are from disadvantaged families, who try to get an education, and vowed to do something for them. “I have seen how people go through hard times in getting education when I was working with an NGO before going back to my teaching career,” she said. Apart from teaching, Ms Jumbe has been sponsoring students to further their education and improve infrastructure in schools in remote areas of the county, where many schools are in a poor state not always conducive for learning. According to her, this is one of the reasons learners from the region perform poorly in national examinations.

zJumbe

I have seen how people go through hard times in getting education when I was working with an NGO before going back to my teaching career. “Most schools in this county are in a dilapidated condition. I will dedicate this award, if I win it, to improving the schools’ infrastructure. That is where the hope of many children in this county lies,” she said. Among those in the running for the award are teachers from the US, India, the UK and Afghanistan. These are; Richard Spencer from the UK, Azizullah Royesh from Kabul in Afghanistan, Kiran Bir Sethi

Saidat Alausa

he Vice- Chancellor, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Ogun State, Prof. Olusola Oyewole has said there was no enough gender policy promoting gender equality and equity in higher institutions of learning in the country. He made the observation at a recent twoday workshop on gender mainstreaming organised by the institution. Represented by the Dean, College of Agricultural Management and Rural Development, Prof. Bolanle Akeredolu-Ale, the vicechancellor said it was imperative that every institution carry out specific gender-based activities that would achieve sustainable development. Advocating for the adoption of Gender Policy in FUNAAB, the Keynote Speaker, Prof. Sola Olowu of the Department of Psychology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ileife, in his presentation titled: “Stakeholders’ Roles in Gender Mainstreaming in Higher Education,” said, gender policy involved

from Ahmedabad in India, Guy Etienne from Port-au-Prince in Haiti, Nancie Atwell from Maine, USA, Naomi Volain from Massachusetts, USA, Neang Phalla from Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Madenjit Singh from East Timor and Stephen Ritz from New York, USA. Ms Jumbe started her career as an untrained teacher in 1989 at Mwafuga Youth Polytechnic in Taita-Taveta County and later joined Kisii Teachers Training

College. After graduating, she was posted to Canon Kituri Secondary School where she taught geography and religious studies. “I was later posted to Mpangarini Primary School under the Global Education Partnership, where I taught computer and social studies,” she told the gathering. She later left teaching in 2004 to work for an international NGO that coordinated children and education programmes. In 2009, she left the organisation for further studies after securing a scholarship to learn in the UK. She went back to teaching after obtaining a Master’s degree in project management and planning and opted to work as a volunteer. The Global Teacher Prize, supported by the Varkey Foundation and Dubai Gems International Education Group, received entries from 127 countries and will be awarded for the first time next month. The idea behind the competition and the million-dollar prize is to raise public recognition for the importance of the teaching profession and to encourage high-quality recruits. According to the Varkey Foundation website, whoever wins the million dollars will not be able to walk away from the classroom because the money will be paid in instalments over a decade and one of the conditions for winning is that the ultimate winner has to continue working as a teacher for at least five years. Culled: Nation Media group

VC makes case for gender equality in universities adopting a standard of operation that seeks to build a just society devoid of discrimination by harnessing the full potentials of all social groups regardless of sex or circumstance. Sharing OAU experience, the university scholar disclosed that activities geared towards the promotion of a gender friendly include the training of gender peer-educators among students, establishing a ‘gender help clinic’ on campus to deal with gender-based CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

time we correct that. But unlike Madam Fagbohun who is older by nine years, Madam Okoh is well read. She had first, second and doctoral degrees in Educational Administration and had worked for many years with the Post Primary Education Board in Asaba, Delta State, where she retired as a Permanent

violence, promoting the use of gender sensitive language as a form of communication module in the university, among others. In her remark, the Coordinator, Gender Mainstreaming Office, University of Ibadan, Prof. Stella Odebode, said gender issue required being treated as a cross-cutting issue in both teaching and research processes and by allowing future monitoring for change and evaluation.

‘I’m now fulfilled’ Secretary two years ago. Interestingly, Madam Okoh from Delta State is surrounded at home by many legal practitioners. According to her, her husband died in 2011 as a High Court judge and all her five children are also lawyers. “So, everybody in my family helped me in one way or the other dur-

ing my programme and I cannot thank them well enough. “The programme has really exposed me and I will advice those who are qualified but could not go to conventional universities for one reason or the other to go to NOUN and in no time, they will also graduate,” she said.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Education Today

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Examination moderation: A tool for quality assurance

n a very broad sense, quality assurance of education programmes include all facilities and processes that are intended to ensure that the quality of products of different institutions meet the minimum standards set by the regulatory bodies. Quality assurance therefore includes the provision of appropriate infrastructure, qualified manpower, equipment and regulating all processes associated with teaching and learning. Examination moderation represents the final in a series of quality control processes aimed at ensuring that the products of the tertiary education conform to a minimum acceptable standard dictated by the education regulatory bodies. According to a 2013/2014 document from office of the Registrar of Sheffield Hallam University, moderation of course assessment tools and examination question papers are meant to ensure that their form and content are appropriate and valid in terms of standards, assessment of learning outcomes, syllabus coverage, level of challenge and fairness to students. On the other hand, moderation of course work and examination scripts ensure among other things, equity of standards, consistency, and fairness of the marking process. Moderation of examination grades is further necessary to prevent inflation or deflation of grades and prevent the award of degrees and certificates that do not reflect the true outcome of the learning process. Moderation is a multistage stage process which is initiated by the internal moderator. The internal moderator must possess the relevant academic qualification and experience and command the respect of his peers in the field in order to carry out an acceptable intervention. In the absence of such a person, the module leader otherwise called course coordinator who is usually the most experienced person on the team may begin the pre-examination moderation process. This includes checking the accuracy, clarity, degree of difficulty, relevance, coverage, spelling and grammar and if necessary, makes adjustments to the question as appropriate. The moderator who reviewed the question paper is also responsible for internal moderation of the examination scores. Apart from confirming that all sections are graded

notwithstanding the numerous checks and balances, the tertiary institutions still produce substandard graduates! and accurately summed up, he must ensure the consistency of the grading process. This may be achieved by one of two processes namely, moderation by sampling or moderation by double marking. Which approach is utilized depends on the class size and the type of course to be moderated. All scripts are recommended for moderation if the class size is 10 or less. A sample of at least ten scripts is recommended if the class size is between 10 and 100. Whereas if the class size is greater than 100 candidates, a ten percent sample size is recommended. In the case of dissertations where the assessment usually carries all the mark, it is recommended that all student work be individually moderated by double marking. When sampling is selected as the appropriate moderation method, it must encompass scripts from all grade classification bands. Many universities in North America and Asia adopt a statistical moderation system which involves the adjustment of grades in comparison to other students in the class, assuming a normal population distribution. However, if the class size is small or does not fit the normal distribution curve for example a class of students above average performance, this

Tunbosun Ogundare

T L-R: Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Prof. Patrick Eya; Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ado Tenebe; Dean, School of Health Sciences, Prof. Mba Okoronkwo and Dr. Agnes Anetor during the inauguration of the School of Health Sciences at the university’s headquarters in Lagos, on Tuesday.

Policy implementation, key to development —Shekarau Saidat Alausa

he Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau has said that planning, policy implementation and management remained critical ingredients towards development in the education sector. He made the observation at a forum organised by his on “Consolidating the Transformation in the Education Sector, A strategic

plan between July 2014 and May 2015. Shekarau noted that the existence of strong institutions in the sector was meant to support success in attaining Nigeria’s development objectives. The minister explained that tremendous progress has been made in the drive to have access to reliable data and development of a National Systems framework for basic education. He added that in the com-

ing months, the ministry would be consolidating as well as developing the sector by maintaining industrial harmony, ensuring the safety of school environments, supporting the resumption of academic activities in schools in the North-eastern part of the country and implementing an effective communication strategy. Shekarau added that other areas in which the ministry hoped to increase efforts were conducting a

he 1993 political science graduates from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife have supported the re-election bid of the Speaker of Osun State, Rt. Hon. Najeem Salaam into the state House of Assembly in the forthcoming general elections. Salaam represents Ejigbo Constituency under the All Progressives Congress. The group, known as N-mates with members from across the globe said Salaam’s good leadership style, which he had demonstrated in the last four years as a speaker has shown that he is a trusted and reliable lawmaker who deserves another term. The group’s Coordinator and Head of Planning and Programmes Awolowo Centre for Philosophy Ideology and Good Governance, Osogbo, Mr. Tope Mustapha in a statement noted that Osun State concurrent Annual School Census to determine actual enrolment figures in Nigeria as well as finalising the development of a National

approach becomes problematic. The external examiner is another important component of examination moderation process. His role is to validate the internal grading and moderation process and ensure that it complies with the standards set by the national regulatory authorities. He or she may recommend an adjustment of the grades if the review process indicates that the grades awarded are inappropriate. But alas, notwithstanding the numerous checks and balances, the tertiary institutions still produce substandard graduates! This would suggest a systemic failure of these internal and external quality control measures. Many institutions do not have an effective process for standardizing their examinations and the grading process leaving the lecturers as the de facto determinant of the quality of graduates produced. In some institutions, internal moderation has been reduced to a process of unilateral upgrading of examination scores without consideration for equity, fairness and standards. Even the external component of the moderation process has been overtaken by mediocrity. Or how else can one explain the case of an external examiner who awards a “B” grade to a student who could not answer a single question in defence of his or her thesis. The practice whereby the external examiners moderate grades obtained in the final year courses has since been relegated to the dustbins. The consequence of neglecting this vital and final opportunity to regulate the quality of the products of tertiary institutions cannot be overemphasized. It denies the establishment the one last opportunity to redeem itself from the string of administrative and personal misdemeanours in perpetrated in tertiary institutions including the admission of unqualified candidates, uncontrolled examination malpractice, incompetence and high-handedness among instructors, tutors and lecturers, dislocated and abridged semesters thus facilitating the emergence of unqualified graduates. The National Universities Commission and the other regulatory bodies should reemphasize the need for a robust and effective quality control programme in the tertiary institutions.

OAU alumni drum support for Osun Speaker’s re-election House of Assembly did not only enjoy peace and leadership stability under Salaam but also saw to the passage of over 25 peopleoriented bills, including the one establishing community development council areas which will make governance closer to the people. He pointed out that if Salaam had not performed as a speaker, the group wouldn’t have thrown their weight behind him for another term. But under his leadership, Mustapha maintained, Salamm has transformed the House such that business there is no longer being carried out in analogue but online even as the assembly complex is now wearing a 21st Century outlook. Apart from these, according to Mustapha, Salaam has also contributed significantly to the educa-

tion development and wellbeing of not only his constituents but the entire people of Osun State. “He has also sponsored many indigent students in schools up to the university level and empowered many youths including women who are today contributing meaningfully to the state’s economy as well as putting smiles on faces of the elderly. We believe that Salaam will do better if given another chance,” Mustapha emphasised.

Systems Framework for basic education. He said this would include those on guidance and counseling, quality assur-

ance, monitoring of learning achievement and teachers’ development needs assessment and professional development.

Salaam

Education Today

Thursday, February 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Mama AWOSIKA @ 75

Poetry

Voice from within

Raining one day, As I was made up by my pride, Dunno how to explain, The voice from within As I was there sad, Was just alone, Angry and mad, I’ve been knocked off my throne No friends, No family, All I want is the end,

To this misery But as I put on the light, As I can now see, The future is bright, If God is with me So I got myself up and tidied up, Once again I shall try, Just a little word of advice, Given by the voice from within.

Chrisland V.G.C holds Inter-house sport

Athletes on motion

Opeyemi Oniwinde

he 7th annual inter-house sport of Chrisland High School V.G.C, Lagos, took place on the Tuesday, February the 10th, 2015. The event was held at the Victoria Garden City recreational park. Although the spotlight was on who won the inter-house sports competition, before that day some events had already been decided (such as swimming and field events). Everyone present, needless to say had fun. At the end of the day, the Oaks emerged as the overall winner. The house paraded the likes of Ngozin Manjo who single-handedly won 13 gold medals for her house and was crowned the athlete of the competition. The event had important dignitaries present such as the chairman of the occasion, Mr. Chris Mammah, special guest of honour, Engr. Olanrewaju Ajibade, the P.T.A Chairman, Chief. Rueben Onwubiko, Sports personality-EnefionUdo-

Obong, B.Sc., MSA, CPT, and the Managing Director of Chrisland Educational Organisation, Mrs I.O Adeyemi.

Chairman/Founder Chrisland Schools, High Chief Winifred Awosika (left) receiving a gift from the students and principal of Chrisland College, Idimu, Lagos.

‘I never knew Chrisland will be this big’ Alakija Adaeze and Afolabi Anjolaoluwa

ounder of Chrisland schools, High Chief Winifred Awosika, recently marked her 75th birthday feeling so elated at the enormous strides the school has achieved in the past 3 decades of its operation. Looking back, the foremost educationist told Mirror press club reporters that she never knew Chrisland would be this big. Expressing her excitement she said, “I am pleased by everything I see. When I started Chrisland years ago I never dreamt it would grow into a giant oak. I am pleased by

what it is today”. What started as a Kindergarten School, in 1977 has since spread out not just in multiple locations, but now covering all tiers of education from cradle to primary, secondary, and post secondary education, including the imminent establishment of a first class private university, which application for approval with the relevant authorities has reached an advanced stage. The event was well attended by dignitaries, family members and well-wishers who came to felicitate with her. Mama was presented with several gifts and cards. There were presentations done by students from various branches of the organi-

zation, music and dance as well as a lots of feasting and festivity. Thrilled by the turn out of people, and expressing her appreciation she said, “I am happy to have so many people to share this occasion with. I am happy and I do not feel different, I feel stronger, healthier and very happy today.” The climax of the occasion was when Mama, tickled by the musical presentation by Fadiji Grace and the Chrisland High School Ikeja Choir, stood up to show some dance steps. While paying her tribute to the celebrant, Managing Director, Chrisland Educational Organization Mrs. I. O. Adeyemi, recalled

some of Mama’s endearing qualities. According to her, mama is a loving, strict and wise woman. She was also a stickler for good behaviour and high academic standards. “I thank God for her life. I thank God He has blessed her with another year. I pray for good health for her at seventy five as well as many more years and happy returns”, she said. Also Mr. Bankole, one of mama’ son expressed happiness at the schools growth so far, attributing it to Mama’s efforts. The celebration ended with the cutting of the six grandly prepared cakes and fanfare which went on long after the party had ended.

Restoring fading global reading culture

Afolabi Anjolaoluwa Oreoluwa YEAR ELEVEN

book is the easiest place to find information and knowledge, the only problem is opening, reading and understanding the book. In a Punch newspaper publication of 29 January 2010 with the headline ‘Fashola bemoans decline in reading culture’ Mr. Mudiaga Affe reported that the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, has expressed concern over the continuing decline in the reading habits of pupils in the country. He said this through his then deputy, Mrs. Sarah Sosan at the finals of the maiden edition of the ‘BRF Quiz Competition’ in Lagos, where he noted with grave concern, the continuing decline in the various activities that should ordinarily attract the attention of pupils like reading, by which knowledge is gathered and applied in life. The increasing availability of electronic media to everyone globally has gradually reduced the ability of students picking up books to read. Instead they spend more time browsing the internet, playing with funky handsets and passing non-stop SMS. Students are rarely interested in reading for pleasure and enjoyment instead they read only to pass their examinations. Students would rather listen to music, go on social media or text for a

long period of time. Reading nowadays has become the sort of task that parents must sit with their children to monitor and make sure that they are actually reading. According to a study published by the Krasier Foundation, kids age eight to eighteen years spend an average eight hours of media time each day. This means that at such a young age, a child is already learning to check various sites for music, videos, and social media and so on instead of reading. In the United Kingdom, there have been proposals to close down already existing libraries due to the fact that not a lot of people go to libraries these days. The Prime Minister, David Cameron commented stating that the country cannot afford to sponsor libraries anymore because people no longer go there to read. Students might also not be encouraged to read because their friends make fun of them whenever they read. Some of their friends laugh at them or embarrass them whenever they read and this would cause the children to drop their books and never read. Parents don’t encourage their children when they don’t tell them to read at home, enforce and teach them the true meaning of reading or they do not attach pride in the ability for their children to read. Most people attach reading to only textbooks and notebooks and as such boring children and

we as well forget storybooks. Classics like ‘Oliver Twist, Cinderella, Romeo and Juliet’ and many others. These books have become hits as movies, but not every director follows the book, there are a lot of additions and so unless we read such books we would not know the original plot of the book. Most people don’t bother themselves with reading such books as their mind set is that ‘it’s already a movie, so why bother’. A lot of things are censored in movies and so it is more of a shortened project as the full package. Not everything in life happens on a screen. Mostly it is just a prelude of what would happen later. Electronic media and the mind don’t mix forever because there is only so much the mind can take. Yet the rate at which children pay rapt attention to the media is seriously alarming. The rate at which students pass their exams keeps dropping at a termly basis because their attention is focused on the media and not on their books. Now we have talked about the problem, what about the solutions? The best solution is that parents should instil some level of discipline and monitor their children’s movements in order for them to be able to read and to learn that it is possible to relax with a book. Children rely on their parents to point them in the right direction. If their parents show them the importance, fun and joy of reading, then libraries would be full to the brink every day.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

The Algebra and Calculus project by Shina Ogunshola

elcome to the Algebra and Calculus project. Our objective is to build the spirit of learning, show that mathematics is the language of nature, make mathematics and it’s myriad of uses, lucid, enjoyable and inevitable. The performance of students in mathematics over the years have being abysmally low. Indeed, the last WASSCE results showed that 70% of the student that took mathematics failed. To ameliorate this situation we are starting with questions and answers of the 2014 May/June WASSCE. PART I (40 Marks) Answer all the five questions in this part. 1. (a) without using tables or calculator, simplify: leaving the answer in standard form (Scin) entific notation) Solution:

(b)

(NOT DRAWN TO SCALE) In the diagram, EF is parallel to GH. If AEF = 3xo, ABC = 120o and CHG = 7xo, find the value of GHB. Solution:

60o + 3x + 180o – 7x = 180o (sum of angles in a ∆) 60o = 4x 4x = 60o = 7x – 3x 60 o 60 4 x= x=15o <GHB = 180o – 7 (15o)

Exam in process

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Phone no: 08055517240, Email address: ogunsholashina@gmail.com <GHB = 180 – 7x

<GHB = 180o - 105o <GHB = 75o 2. Simplify 3 √ 75 - √ 12 + √ 108 leaving the answer in surd form (radicals). Solution: 3 √ 75 - √ 12 + √ 108 3 √ 25 x 3 - √ 4 x 3 + √ 22 x 33 x 3 3x5√3-2√3+2x3√3 15 √ 3 - 2 √ 3 + 6 √ 3 21 √ 3 - 2 √ 3 19 √ 3

(b) If 124n = 232five, find n Solution: 210 210 1 2 4n = 2 3 25 1 x n2 + 2 x n1 + 4 x n0 = 2 x 52 + 3 x 51 + 2 x 50 n2 + 2n + 4 x 1 = 2 x 25 + 3 x 5 + 2 x 1 n2 + 2n + 4 = 50 + 15 + 2 n2 + 2n + 4 = 67 n2 + 2n + 4 – 67 = 0 n2 + 2n – 63 = 0 n2 + 9n – 7n - 63 = 0 n (n + 9) – 7 (n +9) = 0 (n – 7) (n + 9) = 0 n – 7 = 0 or n + 9 = 0 n = 7 or n = -9 base can’t be negative, hence n = -9 is discarded and n = 7 is accepted. 3. (a) Solve the Simultaneous equations 1 - 1 =1 1 + 1 =5 y x x y 1 1 1 - 1 =1 + = 5; Solution: x y y x Let 1 = a; 1 = b x

Using elimination method, add equations (I) & (II) to eliminate a a–a+b+b=5+1 2b = 6 3 b= 6 1 2 b=3 a + b = 5 _______ (I) a+3=5 a=5–3 a=2

1 x=2

1 =a x 1 = 3 y 1

1=2 x 1

1 ;y = 3

2x = 1

3y = 1

1 y= 3

x=1 2

(b) A man drives from Ibadan to Oyo, a distance of 48km in 45 minutes. If he drives at 72 km/h where the surface is good and 48km/h where it is bad, find the number of kilometres of good surface. 45 3 Solution: Time = 45 minutes = 60 h = 4 h

t1 + t2

= 45 minutes t1 + t2 = 45/60 = 3 h

Speed = distance time

distance = speed x time

Good road distance = S1 S1 = speed x time S1 = 72km/h x t1(h) S1 = 72 t1 Bad road distance = S2 S2 = speed x time = 48km/h x t2 (h) t1 + t2 =3/4h t2 = 3/4 – t1 S2 = 48 km/h x (3/4 – t1 ) h S2 = 48 (3/4 – t1 )km 48 = S1 + S2 48 = 72 t1 + 48 (3/4 – t1) 48 = 72 t1 + 48/1 X 3/4 -48t1 48 = 72 t1 + 36 – 48 t1 48 – 36 = 72t1 – 48t1 12 = 24 t1 24 t1 = 12 t1 = 12/24h t1 =1/2h t1 = 0.5h t2 = 3/4- t1 t2 = ¾ - ½ t2 = (3-2)/4 t2 = 1/4h ; t2 = 0.25 h Good road distance, S1 = 72 t1 S1 = 72 km/h x 1/2h = 36km

a+b=5…..(I) b-a=1……. (II) a + b = 5….. (I) - a + b = 1 …… (II)

Students in exam hall: Maths should not be a problem

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Edited by: Saidat Alausa saidat_alausa@yahoo.com 08027633686

Key into AUN vision, Ensign tells freshers Tunbosun O gundare

he Vice-Chancellor of the American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola Dr. Margee Ensign has charged the newly admitted students to key into the university’s transformation story. She gave the charge during the formal induction and pledge ceremony conducted for the students recently. Reflecting on the university success story in award winning and the production of globally competitive graduates, Ensign in a statement by the Executive Director of Communications & Public Relations of the university, Daniel Okereke told the students that the university’s vision was among others to build leaders who would help the country solve its myriads of socio-economic problems. She said they would have to take their studies very seriously so as leave the university as complete graduates, noting that sound education does not only transform lives and mind but also empower people. Also speaking, the ViceChancellor in charge of academic, Charles Reith told the students that they would have to do critical thinking, analyse ideas and articulate information with a view to making them globally competitive. The Vice President of Campus Life and Dean of Student Affairs, Byron Bullock on his part, encouraged the students to embrace the challenges and learn from life’s experiences, saying the road to success is always uneasy but worth taking. He promised that the university would provide things that would make their studentship in the university worthwhile.

Cross section of students and guests during the Covenant University 39th’s Public lecture, recently.

Unionism: UNILAG students oppose relocation of dean’s office to secretariat Demand full autonomy

Esther Adeyemo

300L, MASSCOMM. UNILAG, AKOKA

ollowing resuscitation of students’ unionism at the University of Lagos, Akoka, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Rahamon Bello met with the student leaders last Friday at a conference to discuss the conditions surrounding their operations. But the meeting almost turned to a face-off between the management and the students who

Eddy Uwoghiren 300L, MED & SURGERY,

UNIBEN.

consultant Pediatric Ophthalmology at University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin, Edo State, Prof. Oseluese Dawodu has called on governments at all levels and the Non- Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to increase advocacy and public enlightenment on child blindness with a view to reduce the scourge of the disease in the country. She made the call while delivering the university 152nd inaugural lecture, titled: “Childhood blind-

demanded total autonomy. The VC at the meeting however disclosed that the students’ election fixed for March 26th would be supervised by the Dean of Student Affairs Office whose office would also be relocated to the Students’ Union building. He explained that the consensus in that regard was reached as a result of space constraint in the university, and not because the school have plans of controlling the union and the students should

therefore not bothered about that. “We are only to supervise the elections and regulate the union and not to control it. If there are no ulterior motives, students should not be bothered about the location of the DSA’s office to the student union building,” he said. The VC used the medium to remind the students that the name of the union is University of Lagos Student Union (ULSU) and not Student Union Government (SUG) as students are already made to believe. He however warned them against violence but to co-operate with the school authorities for peaceful co-existence on campus.

Don tasks govt on child blindness

ness: A changing picture with changing challenges.” Prof. Dawodu said the rise in the number of blind children roaming the street could be attributed to poverty and superstitious belief that a child with eye problem would overcome it. She noted that most times, people with eye problem usually present themselves late in the hospital making it hard for many of them to get optimal care. Lamenting the growing rate of the disease and stig-

matisation associated with blindness in our society, she stated that herbal homes and some worship centres have done more harm than good to blind people in the process of claiming to heal blindness. “Rather than bringing the children to the hospital for care, the parents’ visit churches that promise to restore the child sight and after

much harm has been done, they approach the hospital.” In curbing the menace of child blindness, Prof. Dawodu called on government to create a centre of excellence for healthcare in ophthalmology in each geopolitical zones with a view to making treatment

closer to the people and legislate laws to bound unregistered bodies from operating eye clinics. “If we can effectively tackle poverty, then the disease will reduce. Also, there should be an introduction of Rubella virus vaccine in the National Immunisation policy for children and proper funding of the health sector as this will reduce the cost of treatment,” she advised.

EKSU alumni promise students bursary

T Ensign

he Alumni Association of Ekiti State University (EKSU) has indicated intention to award bursary to 20 indigent students of the university at N10, 00 per student. According to a state-

ment by the National President of the association, Dr. Ayeni, the National Executive council and the Board of Trustees of the association, the bursary will cut across students of all the faculties.

Guest lecturer, Prof. Oseluese Dawodu (middle) with some participants shortly after delivering the University of Benin 152nd inaugural lecture, last week.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Edited by: Saidat Alausa saidat_alausa@yahoo.com 08027633686

UNILORIN students commend management for 24 hours library service

UNILAG: Mass Comm HOD reads riot act to students

Zainab Yussuf

Miftaudeen Raji

400L, ISLAMIC STUDIES, UNILORIN

tudents of University of Ilorin, Kwara State have commended the university management for the 24 hour service run by the institution’s library during the semester examinations. Before commencement of each examination, only students who want to get an assignment done and need materials to consult make use of the library. Others are avid newspaper readers and those who want to connect with free internet services. The 24 hours library service in the university starts a week to the exam and ends after the examination. During this period the library operates round the clock unlike before when the library had to close at 9pm.

When this service starts students practically drifted to the library in multitude, leaving the classes and lecture halls half-filled or empty. A 300 level student of food science, Ruqayat Adegoke said “I so much like the library during the 24hours service; it solves my problem of finding a conducive environment to read because unlike the classrooms there is order and discipline in the library, I commend the management for this initiative.” In his own opinion Quadri Abdullah a 400level student of the department of the religion said the “24hour library services makes it easy for me to access materials and get information comfortably without worrying that I have to return the book or the library is closing.”

UI: Tedder Hall gets new leaders Hammed Hamzat UI

he Tedder Hall of residence at the University of Ibadan has elected new set of leaders for the 2014/2015 academic session. The elections into Central Executive Council and Hall Representatives Council of the hall were conducted with e-voting. Babafemi Falayi, 400-level Law, emerged as the Hall Chairman with total votes of 175 to defeat Temitope Ajibola who polled 153 votes. Kehinde Odanye, 400-level, Department of Statistics, scored 184 votes against Temitope Ogundepo who garnered 147 to emerged as the Hall Affairs Minister while Sunday Ukaeje, 300-level of the Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education polled a total of 177 votes to defeat Oluwatosin Simidele, who scored 143 votes. Others include TIOluwani Opajobi( ViceChairman), Joseph Adebanjo(General Secretary), Bemiwo AgboAdediran(Infor mation Minister), Damilola

Bada(Health Minister), Mubaraq Oyedele(Defence Minister. They were all returned unopposed while Jude Adeleke emerged as Finance Minister via byeelection. The Hall Warden, Dr. Kehinde Popoola congratulated the new officers during their swearing-in ceremony, assuring them management’s support. Giving his acceptance speech, the Chairman, Mr. Falayi thanked the students for electing members of his team, asking for their cooperation and that of the hall management.

MASSCOMM, UNILAG, AKOKA

ead of Department, Mass Communications, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, Dr. Abigail Ogwezzy has issued a stern warning to all students of the department, especially those in 100 level not to indulge in any act of misconducts in and outside the campus. She gave the warning during this year’s orientation programme organised by the Mass Communication Students Association (MSCA) of the university, saying they should not indulge in anything that could truncate their future. Ogwezzy, who described the admission of the new students as a privilege based on the high standard the university is known for also warned them not to fall prey to fraudsters on campus.

According to her, “some students may meet you and ask you to give them money so as to help you see lecturers in order to give you undue marks. Don’t mind them. They are fraudsters because you have also direct access to lecturers as they do. Our offices are open for you come to explain your problems.”

She noted that “One thing for sure is that you have all the freedom. But if you are not careful, you will lose focus and miss the path of success. But I will implore you to use your times and resources wisely so as to come out of UNILAG on record time and with good grades.” Also advising the stu-

dents, the Online Editor of The Nation, Mr. Lekan Otufodunrin, Head of Output, Television Continental Mr. Adedeji Ajayi and the best graduating student from the department, Mr. Godwin Iretomiwa reemphasised the need for them to be of good character, diligent and God fearing.

The new executives of Tender Hall, University of Ibadan with their warden (3rd left) shortly after their swearing-in ceremony, recently.

Ex-rector eulogised as he bows out of service ‘Yomi Ayeleso 300L, BUS. ADMIN. AAU, AKUNGBA-AKOKO

he New Millennium Lecture Theatre of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ondo State last week was filled to capacity as the management of the polytechnic organised a send forth party for the immediate past Rector of the institution, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun. Addressing the audience, the acting Rector of the polytechnic, Mr. Boniface Ologunagba described his predecessor as a man with

great courage whose tenure as rector brought enduring legacies to the institution. He said the celebrant in November 2010, inherited a polytechnic which had practically been brought to its kneels by a protracted crisis, saying the situation was so precarious that the thought of the institution ever coming out of the woods did not occur to many people. But at the end of his tenure, he said, the former rector handed over a polytechnic with an academic image that was already looming larger-than life.

The acting Rector, described Prof. Ajibefun as a symbol of excellence whose nature radiates integrity, discipline and fair play. He said in a Polytechnic that was established about 35years ago, Prof. Ajibefun was the first rector to enjoy the benefit of being celebrated through the send forth ceremony. Also speaking at the ceremony, the immediate past chairman of the Institution’s governing council Dr. Olaoye Adegoke eulogises the former rector, describing him as a courageous

man with a spirit of humility. The Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Akure(FUTA) Prof. Adebiyi Daramola, while speaking at the ceremony, said Prof. Ajibefun, who was a Lecturer in the institution, was an outstanding scholar. An elated, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun thanked the management of the Polytechnic for honouring him with the ceremony. He solicited the support of the community for the current management for them to have a successful tenure.

DVC counsels students on honesty Saidat Alausa

he Deputy ViceChancellor (Development), Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Prof. Olufemi Adeoluwa has told youths in the country to be honest and painstaking in whatever they do. He gave the advice when the pupils of Peace and Joy Group of Schools, IkereEkiti, Ekiti State paid him a visit in his office. He also noted that youths

should have the fear of God, stressing that nothing can be achieved without the grace of God. Enlightening the pupils on teaching profession, he said that teaching profession is rewarding when professionalism is applied. Commending the school for the quality of education they give their products, Prof. Adeoluwa noted that a particular first class student of Ekiti State University was a product of the school.

Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun (middle) with his wife Bosede, receiving gift from the immediate past council Chairman, Dr. Olaoye Adegoke at the event.

Thursday, February 26, 2015

HE NATION ON SUNDAY of February 22 welcomes us today: “Beckham watches son takes (take) on Liverpool youngsters” THISDAY Front Page Window Headline of January 8 takes over from THE NATION ON SUNDAY: “External reserves rises (sic) marginally to $34.513bn” NATIONAL MIRROR of January 25 goofed: “FG seeks N921.4bn to complete 925 roads projects” All the Facts, All the Sides: 925 road projects. The next two infractions are from NATIONAL MIRROR of January 19: “Even Dubai ran into trouble (troubled) waters in 2008-2009 when huge debt (a huge debt) forcibly….” “The enforcement of that sentence against a teenage mother who had just delivered is certainly regretable.” On the move: regrettable. And this: you deliver mothers of babies. “…the average journalist usually burns this professional flag, forgets his own humble past once he or she crosses over to the corridor of power.” Saturday People: corridors of power and this: their humble past once they…. “The government wants to dump all the dead stadia or sell them off to those who can breathe the breath of life on (into) them.” “However, it could be useful to indicate that our research shows that the fortunes of NEXIM moved comfortably between (from) 1990 to 1992 and…” “These terminations were made after NEXIM had undertaken screening exercise (must you add ‘exercise’?) both at home and abroad conducted series (a series) of travels, trainings …” “Trainings were held yesterday at the

Marcus Fatunmole ABUJA

he Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, Prof. Suleiman Bogoro has restated the organisation’s commitment to impartial disbursement of funds to beneficiary institutions including universities in the country. He stated this in Abuja recently when Governor Rabiu Kwankwanso of

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Mothers don’t deliver babies! sports academy.” Viewpoint: ‘training’ is uncountable. “Commissioner wants more vigilante groups” Rutam, hello: vigilance groups. “For quite sometime (some time) now, the poor and deteriorating condition of public infrastructure….” “…especially with respect to public infrastructure, utilities and security of lives and property.” Conscience, Nurtured by Truth: life and property or lives and properties “A few weeks ago, there was some news report (a news report) about the involvement of….” “…all the major roads in the Eastern part of the country have become pure death traps and for challenging his (President’s) non-challant attitude and doing anything positive in Igbo land.” Get it right: nonchalant. “Clinton, North Korea Minister hold talks” Foreign Affairs: North Korean Minster. “…there have been series of polemical attacks of (on) the commission and its activities by an obscure and often fictitious section of the public.” This way: a (take note) series of polemical attacks. “The president and commander-inchief of the armed forces also addressed the nation same evening.” Get it right: the same evening. “Jega apologises over aborted APC convention” To live in truth is to serve: apolo-

gise for something or to somebody. “The almost impassible (impassable) roads accentuate the usual hectic traffic of motorists, making business transactions in Lagos a herculean task.” “…robbers who held residents and commuters to ransome for hours….” Spellcheck: ransom. “I doff my hat for…” The right mix: I take off or doff my hat to (not for). “Out of a lawyers’ population estimated at about 20,000, only five females have been opportuned (opportune) to adorn the silk.” “This is another scintillating edition for the matured (mature) mind.” “Preponderant of the views aired by the people centre around issues like corruption, unemployment….” Running a true federation: Preponderance…centres…. “Benue assures on abandoned project” Just tell readers who the state assured. “A recent report on food related (a hyphen) ailments show (shows) that in many parts of the world….” “Unfortunately, however, I, and many other Nigerians have been infuriated by our servants….” In pursuit of linguistic orderliness: many other Nigerians and I. The concept of the cart and the horse applies to language usage, too. “The vigilante group visited instant judgment on the thief and sent him to the great beyond.” In the name of excellence: vigilance group.

“Sixteen people were killed and two others seriously injured in a ghastly (fatal) accident which occurred along (on) the Bauch-Auchi road on Saturday.” If there were causalities, it follows that it was a fatal, not a ghastly, accident. The mishap did not drag along the road, but occurred at a spot on the road. “Some of the despotic regimes thrown up in (on) the continent did worse things than was experienced under colonialism.” “A weekly magazine took a professional risk and charged the speaker for (with) forgery.” “...the same-day election being proposed by the senate as part of the antidote for….” This way: antidote to….

FEEDBACK

EVERY electorate or elector? What really heightened the anxiety of every “electorate” (elector/voter/balloter/constituent) was one item on the agenda—whether or not the election should be postponed. (The NEWS, 16 February, 2015). I know you are scandalized. Not to worry. (BAYO OGUNTUASE, 08056180046) A “fact” is something known to be true. If not, it is a falsity or untruth. ‘Undisputed’ in “undisputed fact” in Wordsworth of February 1is unnecessary. Also, The Nation, February1, P. 5, reported that a jet owned by a Nigerian clergy (cleric or clergyman; clergy is plural) was seized in South Africa. (KOLA DANISA, 07068074257)

TETFund reassures beneficiaries of fairness in funds disbursement Kano State paid him a courtesy visit in his office. While informing his visitor that President Goodluck Jonathan is keen on ensuring that what is due to each of the tertiary schools is released to them, Bugoro lauded the governor for his strides in making education available for all in his state. He described Kano State as the first state in the northern part of the coun-

try to have two state-owned universities, established by the governor. “We have antecedent in this country that when education is given premium, it will yield dividends. Let’s look back to the South-West, we recall that the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo was the man that first started free education in Nigeria and the benefit of that investment is visible to-

day. Although, our interest is in tertiary education, we shouldn’t forget the fact that solid foundation is in-thing for the education sector in general,” Bogoro stressed. Addressing journalists, Kwankwaso, who was at TETFund to solicit more help for tertiary institu-

in Kano State and we have been able to lay very solid foundation. In fact, today, education is free at all levels in the state. For that reason, the state has made it mandatory for parents and guardians to send their children to school,” he explained.

Rector tasks students on academic excellence Dennis Naku

PORT HARCOURT

Students of Botsun Private School, Lagos during their Cultural Day, last week.

tions in his state, and also to discuss with the TETFund boss on zonal office of the agency to be sited in Kano State, said his government had invested much in education. “We have worked from primary, secondary to tertiary level over the years

he Rector, Rivers State College of Arts and Science, Port Harcourt, Dr. Hillary Wordu, has called on the newly admitted students to work hard to achieve academic excellence in the course of their studies at the institution. He gave the charge during the 24th matriculation ceremony of the college to mark the 2014/2015 academic session in Port Harcourt. Congratulating the

new intakes over their successful admission, he said certificates would be awarded to only students who distinguished themselves in character and in learning. The rector cautioned the students against examination malpractice, cultism, kidnapping, gambling, rape and other vices, pointing out that students caught in the act would face stiff disciplinary actions including expulsion. Wordu said the college under his leadership had recorded major achieve-

ment in curriculum expansion, and development in physical infrastructure, stressing that the college was poised to achieve its statutory objectives which was centred on the development of middle manpower and raising of young entrepreneurs for the development of the economy. Thanking the management and staff for their cooperation and efforts so far, Wordu also advised parents to help in grooming their children at the home-front to make them better persons.

Business Thursday, February 26, 2015

FG to access $10m Adaptation Fund

InfraCos’ investments will bridge broadband gap –Experts 31

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Political campaigns innovation boosts Ad agencies’ bottom-line job prospects

FG assures N264bn fuel subsidy payment UDEME AKPAN

he Federal Government has assured that the N264 billion outstanding fuel subsidy would be paid to marketers in March, this year. The payment of the subsidy from 2014 to some part of 2015 is targeted at enabling the marketers to import adequate fuel into the nation. The Executive Secretary of Major Marketers Association of Nigeria, MOMAN, Mr. Obafemi Olawore said the expected payment would enable MOMAN members to import more fuel for domestic consumption. “Marketers are also owed N100 billion on foreign exchange and interest rates to date. Last year, marketers were paid the sum of N345 billion for 2013 and part of 2014, while some outstanding is been pending,’’ he said. Olawore said that Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, met with some stakeholders, including marketers on Monday and promised to ensure payment of all outstanding subsidy claims to date. He said that the minister had drawn a time table for payment of subsidy claims for marketers,

while appealing to all parties involved to keep their promises. “We pray the minister does not fail on her promised to pay us all, outstanding debt by March ending. We assure that with the promise of the minister on effective payment of our subsidy money, distribution of petroleum products across the country would commence immediately,’’ he said The Executive Secretary said that complete deregulation of the downstream sector remains the only way to address importa-

tion of products challenges and subsidy payment. He said that deregulation of downstream would fast track the construction of new refineries in the country. Meanwhile, Olawore has urged the National Assembly to pass the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB into law in order to address many challenges in the industry. Olawore who noted that stocks level of products in many tank farms were low said marketers would start importation as soon as the subsidy was paid.

“But we are going to start importing product and loading all product within our facility to filling station to wet the country with products,” he said. He said, the Minister of Finance, Minister of Petroleum Resources, CBN Governor were discussing on how to address issues of foreign exchange which also encourage us to commence importation.” Olawore said that government had assured payment differential on product margin to marketers from products importation.

he Acting Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Nigeria, Mr. Mounir Gwarzo has been elected as Chairman of the Africa/Middle East Regional Committee (AMERC) of the International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO). Gwarzo’s election took place at the on-going Annual Meeting/Conference of the regional body in Muscat, Oman. By this election, he is to serve

AIRLINES’ FLIGHT SCHEDULES Dana Air Abuja-Lagos 9am, 1pm, 5.28pm daily Lagos-Abuja 7am, 11am, 1.23pm,3.30pm daily Lagos-PH: 7.20AM, Ph-Abuja9.54am, Abuja-ph: 3.30pm and Ph-Lagos: 5.28pm daily Lagos-Uyo: 9.20am, Uyo-Abuja: 11.07am, Abuja-Uyo 1.05pm, Uyo-Lagos: 3pm daily Weekends Lagos-Abuja: 7.02am, 9am, 3.30pm Abuja-Lagos: 9am, 2.20pm and 5.28pm Lagos -Phc: 11.07am Phc-Lagos: 1.05pm Phc-Abuja: 12.51pm Abuja-Phc: 10.50am Lagos-Uyo: 9.18am Uyo-LOS -3.03pm Uyo-Abuja: 11.07am Abuja-Uyo: 1.05pm

Aero Contractors

L-R: Member Senate Committee on Housing, Senator Aishat Al-Hassan; Chairman Senate committee on Housing, Senator Bukar Abba; Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Mrs Akon Eyakenyi, and Vice Chairman of the committee, Senator Gbenga Ashafa shortly after budget defence of the ministry at National Assembly Abuja.

Gwarzo emerges AMERC Chairman TOLA AKINMUTIMI

...as SEC Nigeria seals pact with Angolan counterpart

on the Executive Committee of IOSCO, the highest decision making organ of the global securities regulatory organization for the next two years. IOSCO is recognized as the leading international policy forum for securities regulators. The organisation’s membership regulates more than 95 per cent of the world’s securities markets in over 100 jurisdictions and its membership is steadily growing. In his acceptance speech, the SEC boss thanked Committee

members for the vote of confidence on him and stated that his election was a further commitment of AMERC to build on the foundations laid in advancing IOSCO and AMERC. Moving forward, Gwarzo said there was still a lot of work to be done despite the progress made so far by the global organisation and therefore called on members to continue to render the mutual support and cooperation of past years for the benefit of investors, markets and indeed the world economy.

He also advocated improved participation in IOSCO work streams and other relevant activities to enhance visibility of AMERC members within the Organization. “The essence of our membership of this important organization is not limited to setting standards only. As critical as standard setting may be to the IOSCO objectives, we also have a responsibility to build the required capacity and be able to deploy these standards for optimum result.

Lag-Abj: 06.50, 13.30, 16.30, 19.45 (Mon-Fri/Sat/Sun), 12.30 (Sun) 16.45 (Sat) Abj-Los: 07.30, 13.00, 19.00 (Mon-Fri/Sat, 10.30, 14.30, 19.30 (Sun, 18.30 Sat) Lag-Benin: 07.45, 11.00, 15.30 (Mon-Fri/Sat/ Sun) 12.30 (Sun 15.30 (Sat) Ben-Lag: 09.15, 12.30, 17.00 (Mon-Fri/Sat/Sun) 17.00 (Sat) 14.00 (Sun)Lag-Owe: 7.45am, 2pm daily

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

Business News

Thursday, February 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

FG to access $10m Adaptation Fund ...BOI to manage fund OLUFEMI ADEOSUN ABUJA

igeria is at the verge of accessing the $10 million United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) adaptation fund. The Adaptation Fund (AF) was established in 2001 with the aim of financing adaptation projects and programmes in developing country parties to the Kyoto Protocol who are vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. In assessing the fund, the benefiting country, among other requirements, is expected to appoint a designated implementing authority. Speaking at the sidelines of the meeting between the Ministry of Environment and key development partners led by the World Bank and UNIDO, the Deputy Director in the Department of Climate Change, Mr. Ricky Tarfa disclosed the federal government

had fulfilled one of the basic requirements to benefit from the adaptation fund by appointed Bank of Industry (BOI) as a the National Implementing Entity (NIE). He noted that having fulfilled the NIE requirement, Nigeria’s application is now before the accreditation panel of the UNFCCC for processing. Explaining the procedures, Tarfa added, “In accessing the adaptation fund, there are procedures. One of the procedures is to put in place a national implementing entity and we have nominated Bank of Industry. “And getting an NIE is not an easy task because of the fiduciary standards and other requirements around it. They want an institution that has the capacity to manage international funds. We did a scoping exercise that was supported by DFID for us to arrive at BOI. For now the application is before the accreditation panel. On the expected amount Nige-

Group flays govts’ inadequate budgets for health sector …says budget delays hurts health system JOEL AJAYI ABUJA

Coalition Civil Society Group under the auspices of Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health PACFaH, has berated the Federal Government, and other tiers of government opposition parties over their failure to put priority to the health system thereby relegating health system to nothing in Nigeria. This even as the group lamented the unnecessary delays in the approval, release and utilization of budgetary allocation to child and family health in Nigeria. Speaking yesterday, in Abuja at briefing on the status of Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) in Nigeria organized by PACFaH, the Executive Director of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Auwal Ibrahim (Rafsanjani), said political parties’ failed to give priority to health sector in their development plans. The CISLAC boss, who was represented by Mrs. Chioma Blessing, noted those political parties and their aspirants have been traversing the length and breadth of Nigeria to canvas for votes for the 2015 General Elections without given a due consideration to the health sector in the country. He said: “PACFaH Coalition

considers it critical that priority health issues affecting women and children are equally at the fore front of the on-going discourse “We want to advantage of the electioneering campaigns and maneuvering of the electorate for support to draw attention of the political parties and their candidates to the poor Reproductive Maternal, New-born and Child Health MNCH. “This Press conference essentially is aimed at sensitizing political party members and indeed Nigerians on the terrible status of the health of women and children in Nigeria and the need to draw attention to the inadequate funding of key interventions to save the lives of women and children in Nigeria”, he added.

ria can access from the adaptation fund, he noted the amount that could be drawn by any benefitting nation had been pegged to $10million per project. Speaking during the meeting, the Environment Minister, Mrs. Laurentia Mallam had sought the financial and technical support from the development partners on key areas of the environment.

Some of the identified areas include, development of National Policy Framework on Pollution management, operationalisation of the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory System (NGIS) and establishment of Drought Early Warning System for eight frontline states. She said that government was desirous to create a sustain-

able environment, calling on all stakeholders to join hands with the government in its quest to bequeath a healthier environment to the nation. Mr. Amos Abu, who represented the World Bank Country Director, Ms. Marie Francoise Marie-Nelly, promised the Bank’s assistance to Nigeria in its priotised areas.

L-R: Financial Controller, Tata Africa Services Ltd, Mr. Saurabh Dey; General Manager, Admin and Accounts, Southdrift Investment Ltd, Mr. Akorede Arole; Head, Business Banking, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Mr. Lloyd Onaghinon; Head, Franchise Management, LAGBUS Asset Management Ltd, Mr. Ogunyankin Olubodu; Director of Operations, Southdrift Investment Ltd, Mr. Olatunji Baiyewu, and Head, Vehicle and Asset Finance, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Mr. Ifeanyi Ogbor, at the commissioning of LAGBUS-Tata buses financed by Stanbic IBTC Bank in Lagos, yesterday.

FG’s job creation claims bogus –NLC MESHACK IDEHEN

he Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed its doubt over the job creation claims of the Federal Government, saying the high unemployment level still ravaging the country did not justify the government’s claims. General-Secretary of the Congress, Comrade Peter Oso Ezon, told National Mirror on Tuesday that the figures could not be verified, and hence it was better to treat it with the desired circumspect. He said no one was privy to the framework the Federal Govern-

ment is using to collate figures for the employment profile during the year under review. According to the NLC’s scribe, if the Federal Government was sincere about job creation, as with most of its policies, all its policies should have employment content, adding that its three million yearly job creation target was an illusion. It would be recalled that the Federal Government recently inaugurated a Presidential Jobs Board of Nigeria with a mandate to create three million jobs within the next 12 months. The board was drawn from public and private sectors. President Goodluck Jonathan urged the board to work out a road

map that will, on monthly and on a yearly basis, create jobs for the youth. The Government claims the board which was inaugurated last year has generated thousands of jobs for the nation’s youths. According to Vice President Namadi Sambo, who is Chairman of the Board, the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) of the government is an intervention programme designed to meet specified targets in the transformation agenda of Jonathan’s administration, saying SURE-P has in the last three years intervened in infrastructure programmes, adding that it has justified the huge investment in the sector.

Our debtors are blackmailing us over blackout –FAAN OLUSEGUN KOIKI

he Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, has refuted allegations of its indebtedness to any organisation including the Ikeja Distribution Company, IKDC, that supplies power to the Murtala Mohammed Airport, MMA, Lagos. Rather, the Authority clari-

fied that its concessionaires, airlines and many organisations in the sector owed it several billions of naira. FAAN’s General Manager, Corporate Communications, Mr. Yakubu Dati who stated this in Lagos was reacting to allegations that the agency was indebted to IKDC, a situation, which may lead to total blackout of the airport environment. Dati insisted that the allega-

tion was a deliberate attempt by some people and organisations in the industry to blackmail FAAN, stressing that such allegation would not distract it from its debt recovery drive. He emphasised that the allegation gained prominence because of its threat to publish the names of airlines, companies and concessionaires that are indebted to it if they failed to pay up at a stipulated period, adding

that even if electricity from the national grid is not available, the agency had six generating plants at the airport that could service the entire vicinity without any hitch. On its debt recovery drive, Dati informed that the debt recovery department of agency had already contacted the affected companies and were at the moment reconciling their accounts where necessary.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business News

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Dwindling imports: Freight forwarders, others count losses FRANCIS EZEM

trong indications emerged that most freight forwarding and customs brokerage companies operating in Nigeria are currently licking their wounds over the declining volume of goods imported into the country since the beginning of this year. National President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents NCMDLCA, Mr. Lucky Amiwero, who confirmed the development, observed that most importers have adopted a ‘wait and see attitude’, especially given the economic and political uncertainties, which he said are the greatest enemy of the business man. According to him, apart from the economic and political uncertainties, the importers are also reacting to the fact that the nation’s import duty regime and other port charges are fixed with a high level of impunity. He also noted that the worsening exchange rate in the country, occasioned by the decline in the value of the naira against other major international currencies such as the dollar and the gener-

al hostile port environment have contributed significantly to the dwindling import volumes. “It is not surprising to many of us that the volumes of imports are coming down because we saw it coming and we warned but they never listened to us. If care is not taken, even after the completion of the electioneering processes in the country and Nigeria gets a new government, she might not completely regain the import volumes, some of which have gone to neighbouring countries within the West and Central African sub-region”, he said. According to him, this rather ugly development is negatively affecting the freight forwarders, customs brokerage agents and other ancillary service providers, many of who have closed shop because of lack of business. It was also gathered that the plight of the freight forwarders and customs agents were further worsened by the postponement of the general elections, initially slated for February 14 and 28, 2015 to March 28 and April 11, 2015, due the worsening security situation in the North Eastern part of the country and the un-preparedness of the electoral management body, the Independent Electoral Commission INEC.

This therefore gave the impression that the current lull pervading the entire landscape of the Nigerian economy will pervade longer than expected, given that the new government will officially assume power May 29, nearly into the first half of the year.

Amiwero disclosed that many freight forwarding and customs clearing firms have re-located to Ghana, Cameroon, Togo and the Republic of Benin while those who do not have the wherewithal have all closed shop. “Many of these Nigerian freight forwarding firms are all

in tears and pain and by the time this crisis will be over, many of them that went down might not be able to come up again and that will further enhance the opportunity for Indians, Chinese and other Lebanese to fully take over the business”, he further lamented.

CSO lauds CBN’s closure of forex window TOLA AKINMUTIMI

he Coalition of Civil Society Organizations at the weekend commended the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), for the closure of the rDAS and wDAS its foreign exchange window last week, describing the monetary measure as desirable for the nation’s economy. The President of the Coalition, Comrade Etuk Bassey Williams,during a media chat at the weekend said that the decision, based on experts’ analysis, would effectively end round-tripping, speculative demand, rentseeking and spurious demands for foreign exchange. In addition, Williams projected

…says it will save Naira that the step would definitely mitigate the risk posed by JP Morgan’s recent threat to throw Nigeria out of its key emerging currency bond index, as a result of dwindling FX reserves, which called to question the country’s current credit ratings. He said since the intention is to save the nation’s currency, Nigerians should rally round the apex bank at this trying time instead of castigating every move of the bank. “As an organization, we have seek experts opinion on this and have been assured that the motive behind the closure were purely on national interest, we therefore give our supports and urged Nigerians not to play politics with

such important issues as it will affect every aspects of the nation’s life”, Williams said. He said analysts at FBN Capital had assured that it was a necessary move towards ensuring that the naira stabilises and reflects demand and supply dynamics, and should assist in improving market depth and efficiency. Bassey said the bank’s decision was positive news that should help create more transparency in the Nigerian market, saying experts have revealed that with the current oil prices levels with FX reserves would be difficult to replenish, CBN’s appetite for continued support of the interbank FX rate would be closely monitored.

Why we are organising Nigeria Air Cargo Summit –NAHCO OLUSEGUN KOIKI

he Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc, Nahco Aviance, has said that it decided to organise the first Nigerian Air Cargo Summit in the country’s aviation industry in order to explore ways to expand and grow the industry beyond what operators had ever imagined. The company stated that although, the some progress had been made in the development of the sector in recent years, but emphasised that what operators in the sector had been doing basically was to scratch the surface. The spokesman of the company, Mr. Tayo Ajakaiye, in a statement said that with the summit, stakeholders and professionals in the sub-sector would be more aware of the benefits prospects in the sector. He explained that the summit would be a gathering of who is who in the Nigerian aviation industry as key stakeholders are set to brainstorm on the way forward for the industry. Commenting on the event, the Chief Commercial Officer of the Company, Mr. Seyi Adewale, disclosed that the industry regula-

tor, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, had been requested to chair the occasion so as to make regulatory pronouncements, which the summit would use as a guide in in its discourse. Adewale added that the event would allow government to see areas of opportunities, ensure better engagements amongst stakeholders, highlight areas of concern within the air cargo business and discuss the way forward for better safety and air cargo security. He pointed out that air cargo was a major driver of the Nigeria’s economy, also a potential high earner of foreign income for the nation as oil export earnings have been downward, warning however that there are sacrifices to be made for the industry to get to the desired destination. “Safety is a primary issue within the industry and we have to keep reinforcing ourselves for potential challenges ahead and get the buy-in of Cargo Agents too. They will be well represented at the Summit. “There are sacrifices to be made in the days ahead from our estimation and we could all agree to the sacrifices that must be made to assure safety, security, efficiency, and so on”, Adewale added.

L-R: Experience Centre Manager, Ikoyi, Heritage Bank Limited, Kufretido Etim; Group Head, Cowry Banking, Heritage Bank Limited, Mr. Davidson Regha; Founder, The Cerebral Palsy Center (CPC), Nonye Nweke and Board Vice Chairperson, The Cerebral Palsy Center (CPC), Hajia Raliat Ibrahim, during the donation of a brand new Hyunda Bus to Cerebral Palsy Center (CPC) by Heritage Bank, yesterday.

NESREA gets new Director General OLUFEMI ADEOSUN ABUJA

resident Goodluck Jonathan has appointed Dr. Lawrence Chidi Anukam as the new Director General/ CEO of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, NESREA. According to a statement from the agency, the letter, signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, States that the appointment,

which takes effect from the 17th of February, 2015 is for a term of 4-years as stipulated in the NESREA Establishment Act 2007. Dr. Anukam assumed the post of the Acting Director- General of NESREA last December, after he took over from Dr. (Mrs) Ngeri Benebo whose tenure expired on the 18th of December, 2014. Until his new appointment, Dr. Anukam was the Director, Planning and Policy Analysis in NESREA. Anukam holds a Bachelor of Science Degree (B.Sc.) in Chemis-

try from the University of Lagos and a Master of Science Degree (M.sc.) in Environmental Pollution Control from University of Leeds, England. He has a Doctor of Philosophy Degree (PhD.) in Applied Geography (Natural Resources Management). Before joining NESREA, he was the Head of the Department of Programme Development and Implementation at the National Office of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), in the Presidency.

Business News

Thursday, February 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Globacom unveils package FG to bridge $2.4trn for Man O’ War members infrastructure funding gap N

SYLVA EMEKA-OKEREKE

ederal Government has moved to implement a strategic investment master plan aimed at bridging the nation’s huge infrastructural funding gap, estimated at about $2.4trillion within the next 30 years. Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, NIPC, Mrs. Saratu Umar disclosed this during a media roundtable, organised by the agency as part of its ongoing stakeholders’ sensitisation programme in Lagos state. She noted that infrastructure funding was a priority under the proposed Nigerian Investment Promotion Master Plan, being developed by the Commission to drive investments into critical sectors of the nation’s economy, adding that the agency had already commenced stakeholders’ collaboration, aimed at bridging the funding gap. “Foreign Direct Investment,

FDI, is widely acknowledged worldwide as the most useful and cheapest source of development finance because it creates employment, ensures transfer of technology, conserves foreign reserves, ensures availability of quality goods and services among others. For this reason, the competition of FDI has been very stiff, particularly in recent years due to globalisation brought about by technology. “One of the strategies adopted by most countries to attract FDI is the establishment of Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs), with over 170 IPAs worldwide, competing to attract limited FDI to their various countries. Nigeria needs over $2.8tn infrastructure funding over the next 30 years, whereas the estimated budgetary provision will be about $45bn. This leaves a huge shortfall of about $2.4tn.” She added that, “In terms of FDI, Nigeria receives an average of $7.5bn yearly. If this is constant over the next 30 years, we would have only brought in $223bn in FDI. If we compare this to the in-

frastructure investment requirement, we still have a huge gap. “Therefore, a massive FDI inflow is required to service the implementation of various strategic master plans across critical sectors of the nation’s economy. The implementation of the NIPC’s Investment Promotion Master Plan is being designed to address the sector-specific funding gaps.” As part of the new strategies towards transforming the agency to deliver on its mandate in line with global best practices, the NIPC is currently streamlining investment procedures in order to remove all bottlenecks in business legalisation procedures among other ongoing critical reforms. She said, “The Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission is repositioning to bridge Nigeria’s infrastructure funding gap, estimated at about $2.4 trillion over the next 30 years. If the Commission is to achieve its purpose, there is the need for effective collaboration with stakeholders for mutually beneficial purposes.

Trainees learning the skills of weaving stove thread at the third phase of the Economic Empowerment Programme of the Lagos State Government, Apapa Centre, Marine Beach, Apapa, Lagos.

NACA lauds Airtel investments on HIV/AIDS ISAIAH ERHIAWARIEN

he Director General of the National Agency for Control of Aids, NACA, Professor John Idoko, has commended Airtel Nigeria, for its commitment in providing practical, relevant and continuous assistance in the fight against the dreaded HIV/ AIDS. Speaking at the signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding between UNAIDS and Airtel to eliminate Motherto-Child transmission of HIV in Nigeria, Idoko described Airtel as a trusted, reliable and committed partner that has stood resolutely behind NACA since 2005 when

the Agency first launched a call centre to assist people living with HIV/AIDS. Idoko who was represented by the Director, Resource Mobilisation,NACA, Dr. Emmanuel Alhassan, said the support from Airtel dates back to 2005, when NACA rolled out what could be termed a pilot National Call Contact Centre saying that the experiment was extremely successful. “In 2012, Airtel also provided the network backbone for our ultra-modern call centre, which was commissioned by the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan. The facility, which is fitted with toll free lines and has capacity, to process calls from about 30 callers

simultaneously is currently offering Nigerians irrespective of their location access to accurate information and benefit from public enlightenment on HIV&AIDS and other diseases such as Tuberculosis and Malaria,” he said. Idoko also recalled how Airtel ‘painted the town red’ during the 2005 edition of theInternational Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa, ICASA, saying that the telco did not just add immense value to the international conference but made it colourful and classy. The NACA boss noted that it was not a surprise when Airtel indicated its interest to partner with UNAIDS to eliminate Mother-toChild transmission of HIV in Nigeria.

igeria’s National Telecommunications Carrier, Globacom, has unveiled a communication package for millions of Man O’ War members across the country to facilitate cost-effective communication among themselves and their family members. The package, which is expected to grow over in the months ahead as more members of the group join in from any part of the country where their formations are located, is a 5,000-line Closed User Group (CUG) that will also cover the staff of the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre, the parent body for Man O’ War and also a parastatal under the Ministry of Youth Development. This is in addition to its capacity for improved operational

efficiency of the organization by boosting communication among members and between members and the Headquarters of the ministry in the Federal Capital Territory. It also enables beneficiaries to send or receive alerts and reach out to critical stakeholders, particularly in the line of business without being encumbered by the non-availability of recharge cards, even in the hinterlands of the country. Speaking during the official unveiling of the package in Abuja, the Director General of the parastatal, Mr. Mike Adewole, said the CUG would allow free flow of information between the ranks and file of the Citizens and Leadership Training Centre without the fear of depleting their airtime.

IMF approves extra $37.7m to combat Ebola in Guinea

xecutive Board of the International Monetary Fund, IMF, has approved the release of $25.9 million under the existing programme to help Guinea to combat Ebola. While approving the release of $25.9 million under the West African Country’s existing IMFbacked programme, the Board also boosted the funding by extra $37.7 million. Already, Guinea had set up a special budget account to channel Ebola-related spending. IMF said the move was aimed at enhancing Guinea’s international reserves, as well as meeting the urgent balance of payments, resulting from the Ebola crisis. The extra IMF financing for Guinea comes on the heels of $100 million in debt relief funded by IMF grants, announced earlier

this month. The debt relief followed the $130 million in emergency assistance disbursed by IMF in September 2014, to African countries hit by the Ebola outbreak, such as Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. IMF statement said the Board completed a review of Guinea’s economic performance under a programme supported by a threeyear Extended Credit Facility loan of $199 million approved in February 2012. The apex bank also said, all the quantitative performance criteria had been met with authorities focusing on combating Ebola outbreak, structural reforms and implementation of some benchmarks had been delayed, stressing that the programme was extended to end-December 2015.

NISA partners Greek, others on Cabotage vessels

arring any last minute change in the scheme of things, Nigerian Indigenous Ship-Owners Association NISA, and its Turkish and Greek counterparts are set to conclude to talks on the acquisition of some vessels. This deal is in line with the desire of members of the association to increase their participation in the lifting of cargo, which would ultimately translate to job creation for the teeming Nigerian youths. President of the association, Captain, Niyi Labinjo, who gave the indication in Lagos, disclosed that the indigenous ship owners and their Turkish and Greek counterparts are concluding plans towards the acquisition

of vessels to empower the NISA members to engage in deep sea shipping business. According to him, in addition to creating jobs and participating in international trade, the move would also enable them to adequately fill the vacuum created by the absence of ships on the nation’s fleet. “They have the ships and we have the cargo. Rather than bring the vessels illegally into Nigeria and get into trouble, we are going to work out what will be mutually beneficial in line with the provisions of the Cabotage Act. We already have very strong assurances from the Turkish Ship Owners Association TUSA as well as that of the Greek”, Labinjo stated.

Thursday, February 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Info Tech

InfraCos’ investments will bridge broadband gap –Experts Broadband is a key driver of ICT inclusion in any economy but in Nigeria, broadband infrastructure availability has been a major challenge thereby necessitating the licensing of special companies to provide the needed infrastructure for broadband access. But how far can they go in bridging the gap. ISAIAH ERHIAWARIEN assesses the business environment, its challenges and promises.

here are indications that the country may have gotten it right concerning the strategy to accelerate its broadband aspiration following the successful licensing of MainOne Consortium and IHS Consortium, to provide fibre infrastructure for the telecoms industry. The telecoms regulator, Nigerian Communications Commission had in 2013 created the Infrastructure Company, InfraCo, to roll out a national fibre optic network for broadband under a Presidential Plan to boost high speed Internet services across Nigeria. After several industry stakeholders’ meetings where a document, the “Open, was dissected, the regulator’s plans for the proposed InfraCos was accepted. Although there were some reservations about the essence of such a company, which bordered on monopoly, however the urgency and the importance of the company to Nigerians and the development of the broadband made the quest of those in the support of the InfraCos to have their way. As contained in roadmap document, it was discovered that the proposed InfraCos is envisaged to aggregate fibre optic links of other existing operators and will also get a one-off subsidy from government. This document has finally set the stage for the take-off of the Next Generation Broadband Network in Nigeria whereby a neutral wholesale provider of fibre optic links to other service providers through the InfraCos. The policy document on the InfraCos revealed that it was designed to fast-track national Broadband Plan target of ensuring necessary spectrum auctions, such as the 2.3 gigahertz spectrum, which was recently licensed to Bitflux in February 2014. The InfraCos, whose first phase of licensing exercise, was made at a January 28, 2014 stakeholder forum in Lagos by the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr

Juwah

Ekuwem

Eugene Juwah will have MainOne Consortium and IHS Consortium, as two fibre infrastructure companies for Lagos and North Central zones respectively. While the licensing of other five InfraCos for North West, North East, South South, South West and South East zones would be completed before the end of the year, it is expected that the country will through the Infracos increased its broadband penetration from eight per cent by the end of 2014 to achieve 30 per cent penetration by 2018, according to a five-year National Broadband Plan, NBP, approved by President Goodluck Jonathan in 2013. The chairman and chief executive officer of Teledoms Group, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwen while assessing the expected impact of the activities of the Infracos on the national economy said that the country is in dire need of broadband infrastructure for the economy to grow noting that that is what the Infracos are actually licensed to do. He told the National Mirror that if broadband access must be available to all Nigerians wherever they are in the country, then “we need the broadband infrastructure to be able to do that” saying that “wherever every Nigerian is located in the country he/ she should be able to access the internet with whatever device or tablet at his/her disposal.”

According to him, with the presence of the Infracos, wifi availability that offers the right kind of speedy and reliability of internet access will be possible across the country stressing that there is correlation between broadband and economic productivity. Ekuwen explained that the speedy and easy at which someone acquire knowledge as well as the speedy and easy at which such knowledge is transferred to boost productivity in any human endeavour depends on broadband availability stating that broadband puts knowledge at the fingertip for national economic productivity. He revealed that with the licensing of the Infracos, broadband will be available

WHEREVER EVERY NIGERIAN IS LOCATED IN THE COUNTRY HE/ SHE SHOULD BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE INTERNET WITH WHATEVER DEVICE OR TABLET AT HIS/HER DISPOSAL

for all Nigerians wherever they are noting that if operators and internet services providers are able to put broadband services through to the final consumers, the Infracos has a strong potential to boost the economy of Nigeria. Describing broadband as ubiquitous, Ekuwem said that “if Nigeria want to boost productivity in the economy then it must do everything to make broadband available to all” saying that only broadband infrastructures that the Infracos will provide can do that. He noted that broadband has the capacity to generate global demand for a business because through it knowledge about business opportunity can be garnered from it. Ekuwem ruled out the possibility of monopoly coming into play when the Infracos start business saying that will not happened since all the licensed Infracos have their respective zones where they are expected to operate. He however noted that the only monopoly that may arise is if an Infracos in one zone is not performing to expectation saying that in such customers in the zones where a non-performing Infraco is based may begin to request for a performing Infraco. Marketing Communications Manager,Bitflu, David Ese, said that the policy document that resulted to the creation of the Infracos have the possibility of curtailing whatever form of monopoly that may want arise. According to him, the NCC has the power to ensure that the activities of the Infracos do not result to monopoly in the industry stating that there is often room to review the policy document of their operation. He said that the development is for the good of the industry considering the present state of poor broadband access in so many parts of the country, particularly the rural areas. Investigation by the National Mirror revealed that there are key challenges affecting the efficient provision of broadband internet access by the mobile operators. One of such challenges, a source said and which the operators are likely to willing to accept is the fact that using the same network for voice and data affects both the data speed and voice quality. The source, a communications consultant in the telecoms industry said that operators have not been able to provide reliable and fast internet services for their growing customer base due to the fact that they are using the same network for both voice and data thereby causing strain on the capacity of the network. The source added that most of the mobile operators in the last decade of the evolution in the industry have not been able to reach the rural and remote areas of the country.

Info Tech

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Tech Box The curved smartphone from LG

Huawei backs advanced sharing of C-band spectrum in Nigeria STORIES: ISAIAH ERHIAWARIEN

hinese telecommunications firm Huawei Technologies has voiced its support of advanced sharing of C-band (3400-3800MHz) spectrum in key regions of Sub Sahara Africa. The technology ICT solutions provider participated in the 2015 Sub-Sahara Spectrum Management Conference, held on 18 and 19 February in Johannesburg. The Conference attracted highlevel stakeholders and decision makers from Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond, to discuss topical issues relating to the management and co-ordination of spectrum policy within the region. In a media statement Huawei confirmed its support of efforts to secure the availability of adequate spectrum for wireless broadband services relying on 4G technology, as well as for future

his is one device that many will find interesting to hold and to cherish. It is a curved phone from LG and the first. This phone has everything its flagship counterparts have, except it’s curved. The G Flex 2 is certainly a step in the right direction with its 64-bit processor and 1080p POLED display. The second-generation G Flex 2 is a massive improvement over its predecessor. The G Flex 2 is sturdy despite its plastic build, though LG would have seriously knocked it out of the park if it had opted for a metal chassis instead. LG improved upon this technology so that it heals faster than its predecessor. I tried scratching it with my house key and while it definitely works, nothing will save you if you drop this phone from high up. Overall, the G Flex 2 is stylish. Like its chassis, the G Flex 2’s 5.5-inch P-OLED display is all plastic. The 1080p display

is a big improvement over the 720p display of the G Flex. It has a much higher pixel density of 403 pixels-per-inch (compared to 245 pixels-per-inch on the G Flex. The P-OLED’s colours didn’t appear as vibrant and true as normal OLED colors typically do. Oranges and reds appeared pastel-colored, and though white backgrounds appeared to be truly white at first glance, they’re actually a tad faded and blue-hued upon closer inspection. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 processor has endured some rather unfortunate press lately regarding its propensity for overheating, but it ran smoothly on the G Flex 2. There were several times when the device got really hot like when playing My Vegas Slots and even Vellamo showed that the system temperature had shot way up during benchmarks, but there were never really any problems.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

5G technologies. “Voice and mobile Internet connectivity have improved rapidly in most urban areas in Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa, SSA has been the fastest growing region over the past five years in terms of both unique subscribers and connections. Consumers, governments, and businesses across SSA are rapidly adopting mobile, not only as a basic communication tool, but also to access information and a growing range of new applications and services However, the “digital divide” is still at its most extreme in Africa. In absolute terms, mobile broadband connectivity is still at a very early stage of development in comparison to other regions of the world. ,” the statement read. The argument put forward at the Conference was that without the smart management of spectrum, mobile networks will struggle to meet growing data demands resulting in slower speeds

and higher prices, thus hindering Africa from experiencing the full socio-economic benefits of mobile. There are 8 months remaining until the 2015 World Radio Conference where key decisions will be made impacting the future of mobile broadband over the next year. The global debate has now focused on potential bands for mobile allocations and IMT identifications: UHF band,470-694 MHz, L-Band 1350-1518 MHz, 27002900 MHz band, and C-Band, 34003800 MHz and 3800-4200 MHz. With the tremendous increase in end user mobile data traffic, Huawei has predicted that the 3400-3800 MHz range will play an increasing role in the evolution of LTE-Advanced, thanks to the unique amount of contiguous spectrum available (<6GHz) that will allow delivery of a unique end user mobile broadband experience (i.e. up to 1Gbps peak).

L-R: Asst. Comptroller General of Immigration,Gender &Welfare, Juline Fariko, Deputy Comptroller General,Passport & Operations, Muhammad Babandede, Deputy Comptroller General, Investigation and Enforcement, Joseph Olaitan, Comptroller,Gender, Abimbola Abiodun-Ojo; Head of Public Sector, Globacom, Babatunde Amunikoro and Globacom’s National Sales Coordinator , Public Sector Department, Monsur Opakunle during the launch of 5,000 close user group line for officers and of the Nigerian Immigration Service in Abuja.

Etisalat, IHS sale gets global recognition

tisalat has emerged winner of the ‘African Telecoms Deal of the Year 2014’ at the IJ Global Europe & Africa Award (Euromoney/Project Finance Magazine Awards) in London last week. This deal, the first by a major GSM operator in Nigeria was announced recently as part of Etisalat’s broader strategy to drive improvements in the quality of its network and to accelerate the roll out of 2G and 3G coverage and new services to its customers. Responding after receiving the award at the presentation dinner, Head of Strategy and Business Development, Etisalat Nigeria, Seun Oshitade expressed appreciation to the organisers of the IJ Global Awards as well as the partners to the deal. He said, “This

award recognises our continuous strategy to increase the coverage and capacity of our network which is already rated number 1 for quality of service by the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC). Our partnership with IHS for the transaction which is being celebrated at this award ceremony is designed to promote network sharing, ensure higher quality, sustain reliable mobile services, lower overall costs and also promote a cleaner environment through reduced diesel usage and increased investments in alternative energy solutions.” Other key stakeholders who contributed to the success of the deal include financial advisers, Stanbic Bank and legal advisers,

Norton Rose. Representatives from these organisations were at the event to join Etisalat in receiving the award at the ceremony held at the Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London. IJ Global Editor, Sarah Tame, and Deputy Editor, Jon Whiteaker while presenting the awards commended all the winners for the market-leading transactions in their different sectors. The IJ Global Awards is organized by the Infrastructure Journal and Project Finance Magazine, a publication of Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC. Over 500 market professionals attended the ceremony, whichrecognises excellence, achievement and innovation in energy and infrastructure finance.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Info Tech

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Government Technology

NIMC plans massive e-ID card distribution STORIES: ISAIAH ERHIAWARIEN

he National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, has said that it will soon commence massive distribution of the national e-Identify card. General Manager, Corporate Communications, NIMC, Abdulhamid Umar disclosed that the massive distribution of the cards will be also be extended to Card Collection Centres, in the rural areas. Umar said more card collection centres have been opened across in all of its state offices of NIMC nationwide as part effort to improve the rate of card collection nationwide, He also revealed that plans are underway to open similar card collection centres in all the Local Government Areas in the country saying that the development is in line with the directive by the President Goodluck Ebele

Jonathan. He noted that the President has urged the Commission to ensure that at least 100 million Nigerians are enrolled for the National Identification Number and issued their e-ID Cards, at the celebratory launch of the National e-ID Card on 28th August 2014, in Abuja. Quoting the President, he said that Nigerians must benefit from the use of the card saying that “The card builds a window to a social security benefit system and therefore, it is a card every Nigerian should get.” Umar stated that although not all local government areas have enrolment centres, efforts are ongoing to ensure that enrolment and card collection centres are established in all the local government areas. “NIMC currently has over 400 enrolment centres nationwide and is working tirelessly to ensure that more of such centres are opened in all of the 774 local

government areas”, he said. It was further gathered that some Nigerians who have received their National e-ID Cards were completely impressed and

excited with the process of Card issuance and activation. An applicant, Emeka Ofo, who recently received his card at the Alausa office of NIMC in

Lagos, said he got a text message from the Commission in Lagos to pick up his card, saying that he has no difficulty to get it.

Director of UNICEF’s Innovation Centre, Sharad Sapara and Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer,Airtel Africa, Christian de Faria, during the signing of partnership agreement on the provision of access to health and education for Africans using Airtel network.

Financial Technology

EPPAN moves to address inefficiency in e-gov

lans have reached an advanced stage to develop and formulate strategies, which will enhance government administrative productivity, efficiency and transparency in the financial services sector. The plans, which will form part of discussion at the proposed eGovernment Summit, with the themed E-Government: Key to Sustainable development will also focus on improving efficiency in government service delivery, and moving away from a ‘silo approach’ to greater collaboration between the private and public sector for sustainable development and economic growth. Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, E-Payment Providers Association of Nigeria, E-PPAN, Onajite Regha said E-

PPAN as organisers of the event wants to use it to address issues such as access, efficiency, transparency, cooperation and sustainable development in the area of e-government. She said the international event, which is scheduled to take place in Abuja will explore how government can manage the process of innovation in the context of public finance and how technology can improve the process of governance itself. According to Regha, “The 2015 e-government summit will provide an exciting opportunity for public sector to learn from and network with private sector experts as we identify common challenges and share useful solutions. As part of our strategy, we will be collaborating with major govern-

ment agencies and state governments.” She disclosed that the summit formerly called the “E-Payment for government summit” was borne out of the desire to be a driver of a new generation of e-services in public sector, providing a platform where decision makers and top government officials meet with the best and brightest of the e-payment industry on a single platform. This has been successfully achieved in three consecutive conferences.” She stated that the e-government summit will proffer strategies and solutions for identified issues which will propel new steps towards the changing needs and challenges of the public sector in terms of achieving excellence in service delivery, infrastructure

and attaining both organisational and national transformation. She said further that industry experts, key government representatives, and professionals from

various MDAs at the three tiers of government are expected to discuss the latest issues and trends related to e-government.

L-R: Vice Chancellor Ekiti State University, Professor. Patrick Oladipo Aina , Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Commissioner,Mrs. Biodun Olujimi, Director Policy Competition and Economics Analysis, Josephine Amuwa during the book presentation at Ekiti State University by the NCC.

Diamond Bank unveils Mobile App feature

ingerprint recognition feature has been introduced on Diamond Mobile App. The service, an iOS Touch ID, is a fingerprint reader that allows users of the Mobile App an easy and seamless login to their accounts by simply recognising and identifying their individual fingerprints. Divisional Head, Corporate Communications of the Bank, AyonaTrimnell, stated that the

introduction of the unique feature will remove the burden of forgetting or having to remember the user ID and Password for accountholders to login for their respective business transactions. “We are pleased to announce the launch of the Touch ID feature on the Diamond Mobile App. This means that Diamond Mobile App users that have iOS devices can now login to their accounts with just their finger

prints as an alternative to entering a User ID and Password,”she said. She stated that with the “introduction of this innovative solution to the Nigerian banking space, Diamond Bank once again demonstrates its commitment to be at the fore front in offering technological solutions that make banking an exciting, convenient and secure experience for our customers.”

The introduction of the Touch ID Feature on Diamond Mobile App marks the entrance of the service to the Nigerian banking scene. It also consolidates Diamond Bank’s position as an innovative Bank that is progressively changing the face of banking in Nigeria with best-in-class customer-focused solutions. The Touch ID feature on Diamond Mobile App is available on iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone

6plus, iPad Air 2 and the iPad Mini 3. Other features on the Diamond Mobile App include funds transfer, bills payment, events ticket purchase, movie tickets purchase, online shopping wallet top-up as well as search, book and payment for both local and international flights. The service is currently available on Apple store and will soon be available on all other app stores.

Global News

Thursday, February 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

BHP Billiton profits slump by OECD: Boosting UK almost a third productivity is key to prosperity P

he Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) says further progress in UK living standards depends on higher productivity. It says the UK’s growth rate is now the highest in the G7 leading nations at 2.6 per cent, but output per worker needs to rise to maintain growth. But wide-ranging government policies have aided recovery, the OECD says. These include low interest rates, quantitative easing (QE) and support for the housing marFactory in UK ket. In its latest report, the body to watch out for, the OECD added. It said housing supply had not says employment has recovered to its pre-crisis trend and is now risen to meet demand and that a at record levels. However, weak sudden rise in house prices could labour productivity since 2007 create risks to financial stability. It said transport could be imhas been holding back real wages proved by introducing more toll and, it says, well-being. The sustainability of economic roads. And it said other infrastrucexpansion and further progress in living standards rest on boost- ture needed more participation ing productivity growth, which from the private sector in the is a key challenge for the coming form of Public Private Partneryears. ships (PPP). Although government schemes This type of funding has its to help people buy property had critics, who say it is expensive. been helpful, there were also risks It typically involves commer-

cial third parties who expect to make a profit on their investment, rather than the government simply borrowing directly on the market at the lower rates that a sovereign government typically enjoys. Another criticism is that governments use PPP to hide the extent of infrastructure spending, because it is not entered as normal government borrowing. The OECD says the government should be more open with the public about this type of funding.

Best stock pickers say easy money has made their job harder

obert D’Alelio has the kind of long-term record every mutual fund manager aspires to, beating 98 per cent of his peers over the past 15 years with the $12.6 billion Neuberger Berman Genesis Fund and crushing his benchmark, the Russell 2000 Index. D’Alelio’s performance over the past five years isn’t so enviable. He’s fallen behind his yardstick, and he’s got lots of company. Stock pickers including Donald Yacktman at the AMG Yacktman Fund and the team of O. Mason Hawkins and G. Staley Cates at the Longleaf Partners Fund trailed their barometers in the same period after dominating in the prior decade. Managers say they haven’t changed, the market has. The easy

Obama

money climate of near-zero interest rates engineered by the Federal Reserve has artificially inflated prices of lower-quality U.S. stocks, they say, punishing those who focus on businesses with the best fundamentals. At the same time, the relentless climb of prices across equity markets has left them with few chances to sniff out bargains or show what they can do in more-volatile times. “In straight-up markets you don’t need active managers,” D’Alelio said in a telephone interview. “If the next five years are the same, there won’t be any active managers left.” Twenty percent of mutual funds that pick U.S. stocks beat their main benchmarks in 2014, and 21 per cent topped the indexes in the five years ended Dec. 31, according to data from Chicago-based Morningstar Inc. Over 10 and 15 years, the winners rise to 34 per cent and 58 per cent, respectively. Investors have expressed their displeasure by moving money to low-cost funds that mimic indexes. In 2014, actively run U.S. stock funds suffered $98 billion in redemptions, while index funds took in $167 billion. Passive managers represent 38 per cent of the $8.7 trillion stock fund business, more than twice their share 10 years earlier, Morningstar data show. The shift may be ill-timed if the

herd mentality comes to an end. Lagging behind the market will motivate managers to change their investment process and common sense will prevail as the economic cycle ages and fundamentals are rewarded, Brian Belski, chief investment strategist at BMO Capital Markets, wrote in the firm’s 2015 outlook published in December. “From our lens, this means a prolonged period of active investing is upon us, thereby overtaking the macro or index biased ways that have engulfed investing the past 15 years,” Belski wrote. Royce Funds, the small-cap stock unit of Baltimore-based Legg Mason Inc., is undeterred after more than $17 billion in redemptions during the past four years. The $4.9 billion Royce Premier Fund beat 97 per cent of rivals over 15 years, a number that drops to 7 per cent over five years, Morningstar data show. “We have been using the same process to pick stocks for 40 years and we have confidence in it,” Frank Gannon, co-chief investment officer for Royce, said in a telephone interview. In his view, the Fed keeping interest rates near zero for the past six years has had the “unintended consequence” of boosting the stocks of companies with heavy debt and little or no earnings.

rofits at mining giant BHP Billiton have been hit by the falling price of iron ore, coal, copper and other commodities. Underlying profit for the halfyear to 31 December fell by 31 per cent to $5.35bn (£3.46bn), but that was better than industry analysts were expecting. To compensate for falling prices BHP has made deep cuts in its spending on exploration and other investment. It spent $6.4bn during the sixmonth period, down 23 per cent on the previous year. “We started to prepare for a sustained period of lower prices almost three years ago by increasing our focus on efficiency and lowering our investment,” chief executive Andrew Mackenzie said in a statement accompanying the latest results. “Since then, we have achieved

annualised productivity gains approaching $10bn and reduced capital spending by almost 40 per cent,” he said. BHP is planning to move its aluminium, manganese into a separate company, which will also hold nickel and silver mines and some coal mines in Australia and South Africa. Called South32, BHP hopes to spin-off the new company in the summer following a shareholder vote. The company has also been hit by falling oil prices. Last month BHP Billiton announced a 40 per cent reduction in its US shale oil operation. By the end of June it plans to have reduced the number of shale rigs from 26 to 16. The firm’s Sydney-listed shares were trading higher in early trade on Monday.

Mining site

European Commission accepts Greek economic measures after review

uro-region finance ministers approved Greece’s package of new economic measures and paved the way for an extension to the country’s bailout agreement. The agreement came on a conference call on Tuesday, according to an official involved in the talks who asked not to be named in line with policy. It was confirmed by Slovak Finance Minister Peter Kazimir on Twitter. Based on the provisional agreement between Greece and its official creditors on Feb. 20, the approval of the list was a condition for extending the availability of bailout funds for another four months. The current program, which has been keeping Europe’s most indebted state afloat since 2010, was scheduled to expire at the end of this month. The list of commitments includes maintaining current stateasset sales, consolidating pension funds to reduce costs and revamping tax collection and administration. The European commission, the European Central Bank and

Merkel

International Monetary Fund assessed the list before it went to the euro-region group of finance ministers for approval. Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis and Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said earlier that a careful review for the proposals had followed “constructive exchanges” with the Greek government over its reform efforts. Yields on Greek three-year bonds extended their declines, dropping 279 basis points to 12.28 per cent, the lowest since before the new government was sworn in on Jan. 27. Stocks also rallied, with the ASE index jumping as much as 8.6 per cent.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Brands & Marketing

Political campaigns innovation boosts Ad agencies’ bottom-line, job prospects As political campaign ads have become the latest exciting features of major cities across the country, the use of framed-out-ofhome, ooh boards is being extensively deployed in a new era of creative thinking in the communications industry. DAVID AUDU takes a look at this form of advertisement and its real and potential benefits to the industry.

olitical advertisement has become increasingly fascinating as politicians and advertising consultants unite to deploy creative copies and signages that would not only attract public attention, but also appeal to their emotions, aimed at garnering their votes. In politics, according to Wikipedia, “campaign advertisement is the use of an advertisement campaign through the media to influence political debates, and ultimately, voters”, and to that extent, “ads are designed by political consultants and campaign staff”. Obviously, there are various media advertisements, but the use of billboard has however taken a prominent place in advertising, courtesy of advancement in science and technology, which has aided the development of light emitting diadodes, LED, digital boards. Thus, digital billboards and other displays are now integral part of modern political campaigns, even though in some countries in Western Europe, political advertisements are heavily regulated. In Nigeria, it is still a liberty enjoyed by politicians and billboard agencies are relishing the patronage. Of all the advertising methods, outdoor advertising is one of the most powerful ways of reaching the target publics. It is a tried-andtrue method of getting message to the masses in targeted geographical areas. Whilst digital set to cap the use of ooh in 2015 election campaign, location still remains a primary factor of success to reach the target audience. With the advent of new technology, the outdoor advertising industry has developed ways to measure the results and exposure that clients can achieve, when they rent outdoor units in various outdoor advertising markets. Like the television industry, ooh advertising can target specific demographics, measure impressions, and with digital billboards, even target specific times of day to expose certain messages. Chief executive of Talon Outdoor, Eric Newham observed that out-of home continues to offer ways of getting noticed and reaching truly valuable audiences, saying industry growth will continue as media owners further invest in the future. He said by the end of 2015, ooh is expected to grow further in line with media projections. ‘’The interest of outdoor to politician is in the “broadcast nature of the medium, which continues to offer real media value. We expect smart brands to use ooh to reach audiences by overlaying innovation, context and location to reach them in the right way that will deliver real effective impact for success”, he stated. There are noticeable changes in the level of innovation brought to bear in the design,

Frame posters

With the advent of new technology, the outdoor advertising industry has developed ways to measure the results and exposure that clients can achieve, when they rent outdoor units in various outdoor advertising markets deployment and placement of ooh in political campaign by political parties in the country. The use of outdoors as seen in the ongoing campaigns has shown that advertisers are creating more personalized and tailored communications messages that are in sync with audiences. This is especially true in the use of the Lawn board and framed posters placed strategically in streets, public places and lawn corners. It is the proximity of ooh embodies that helps in bringing the candidate closer to the people and seemingly identifying with them and the community. The Goodluck Jonathan and Mohammadu Buhari in the presidential campaign and the Akinwumi Ambode and Jimi Agbaje boards in the governorship race in Lagos state are good example of framed ooh in the ongoing electioneering campaign. Even in terms of projecting the rivalry of the gladiators in the political race, the proximity of the frame boards have projected,

such that people can feel the personalities, look into their eyes and soul as if measuring the extent of their sincerity to determine the kind of choices they make. Though, there were initial skirmishes in the display of posters and banners by various political parties, but to a large extent, the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency, LASAA, has been able to streamline the nature of ooh and where they should be placed to avoid clustering and becoming environmental nuisance. For example, before the electioneering campaign, the agency gave out the guideline concerning lawn ooh and frames. It particularly specified that “a Frame may only be deployed on road verges, medians on inner streets and must not exceed a size of 1 x 1 meter (big size) and 0.5 x 0.5 meter (small size) and must have a distance of not less than 100 meters between each sign deployed. This is why those frames are designed to fit into certain sections of the road, and also accounts for its aesthetic beauty.

In terms of expenditure, industry players had projected that about N20 billion would be spent during this election year. There was therefore high hope that it will help many ad agencies to leverage their accounts this year. Reports however indicate that such hope soon fizzled out as soon as the contracts for the ads began to flow. Competent industry sources disclosed that “cronies of political parties’ and contractors succeeded in high-jacking the major accounts, leaving agencies to contend with the sublet accounts. The encouragement, the source added is that no matter how one looks at it, the benefits still come down to Nigerians at whatever levels, depending on who is implementing the final job In terms of labour, the boom in outdoor has opened windows for skilled and unskilled labour, especially people in some areas like billboard designing, structural engineers and ancillary businesses such as planning, account management, media management, field supervision among others. According to outdoor industry analysts, the structural engineering have more job space for people since it is tasked with the responsibilities of mapping out the sites, where billboards are sited, meaning large number of people will be employed to carry out the job on the sites.

Brands & Marketing

Thursday, February 26, 2015

PZ WILMAR splashes N100M on business partners across Nigeria David Audu

Z Wilmar, makers of Devon King’s Oil has rewarded successful distributors in its first promo tagged “National Devon King’s Cruise Promo” with over N100 million worth of prizes nationwide. National Activation Manager, PZ Wilmar, Amit Mishra, explained that the promo was in line with the company’s commitment to continuously compensate its partners towards creating a strong presence for Devon King’s nationwide. He pointed out that PZ Wilmar has a culture of rewarding high business performance at every level. The prize presentation ceremony which took place in Ibadan, Benin, Abuja, Port Harcourt and

recently climaxed in Lagos where the Managing Director, PZ Willmar, Santosh Pillai presented 4 brand new cars to 4 key distributors at PZ Cussons office in Lagos. While appreciating the contribution of its partners, he said the company will continue to work closely with its business partners in making its products leading brands in Nigeria. In Port Harcourt, eleven distributors were rewarded with cheques ranging from N2.4 million to N450, 000 thousand naira each. Mrs Charity Iwuagwu, Kinco Global Links, who took home a N2.4 million cheque was full of excitement as she explains that doing business with PZ Wilmar has been profitable. She said Devon King’s oil is the most preferred brand in its category and is the cooking oil

with the highest demand on the market therefore ensuring consistent profitability. Another winner who was rewarded with a N1.3 million cheque, Mr Odilamma Amaechi, CEO, Odilamma Enterprises Limited expressed delight and his willingness to continue to partner with the company. According to him Devon King’s Oil is the number one cooking oil in Nigeria because consumers have come to trust its consistent high quality for years. The brand is now made in Nigeria by PZ Wilmar, a joint venture between PZ Cussons and Wilmar International, a partnership which have brought about over N15 billion investment in vegetable oil refinery and palm oil plantation in Nigeria, providing over 5,000 direct and indirect job.

L-R: President African Paediatric Association and Societies, Dr. Dorothy Esangbedo; Paediatrician and Former Head of Department, Paediatrics, LASUTH, Prof. Oluyinka Ogundipe; Marketing Director, West Africa, GSK Consumer Health, Ms. Kerry Alexander and Medical Director, GSK West Africa, Dr. Bode Adesoji, at the launch of GSK’s Panadol Children and Scott’s Emulsion in Lagos.

Etisalat emerges African Telecoms Deal 2014 winner David Audu

ne of Nigeria’s telecommunications operator, Etisalat, has emerged winner of the African Telecoms Deal of the Year 2014’ at the IJGlobal Europe & Africa Award (Euromoney/Project Finance Magazine Awards) in London last week. This deal, the first by a major GSM operator in Nigeria was announced in August 2014 and is part of Etisalat’s broader strategy to drive improvements in the quality of its network and to accelerate the roll out of 2G and 3G coverage and new services to its customers. Responding after receiving the award at the presentation dinner, Head of Strategy and Business Development, Etisalat Nigeria Mr.Seun Oshitade expressed appreciation to the organizers of the IJ Global Awards as well as the partners to the deal. He said, “This award recognizes our continuous strategy to increase the coverage and capacity of our network which is already rated number 1 for qual-

ity of service by the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC). Our partnership with IHS for the transaction which is being celebrated at this award ceremony is designed to promote network sharing, ensure higher quality, sustain reliable mobile services, lower overall costs and also promote a cleaner environment through reduced diesel usage and increased investments in alternative energy solutions.” Other key stakeholders who contributed to the success of the deal include financial advisers, Stanbic Bank and legal advisers, Norton Rose. Representatives from these organisations were at the event to join Etisalat in receiving the award at the ceremony held at the Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London. IJGlobal Editor Sarah Tame, and Deputy Editor Jon Whiteaker while presenting the awards commended all the winners for the market-leading transactions in their different sectors. The IJGlobal Awards is orga-

nized by the Infrastructure Journal and Project Finance Magazine, a publication of Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC. Over 500 market professionals attended the ceremony, whichrecognises excellence, achievement and innovation in energy and infrastructure finance. The ‘African Telecoms deal of the year’ award complements other titles that Etisalat Nigeria has won in just six years of operations in Nigeria. Awards which include ‘African Telecoms Deal of the Year 2011, ‘Best Telecom Customer Service’, ‘Most Innovative Corporate Social Responsibility Company’, ‘Telecom Brand of the Year 2014’ amongst others. Etisalat Nigeria with a subscriber base of over 21 million customers is one of the 19 operations of the Etisalat Group that spans across Africa, Middle East and Asia serving over 140 million subscribers; and it is committed to delivering innovative and quality services to its growing subscribers.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Chinese cosmetics market hits $16bn

hina’s cosmetics and skincare market has hit $16 billion amid economic recession. A growth is expected at around 12-13 percent, according to research, disclosing that some Western brands have lost their bearing. Revlon and Garnier, a rare underperformer for China market leader L’Oreal has announced their pullout from China. Procter & Gamble and Avon lost market share in six years, according to the research. Fans say South Korean beauty brands innovate and are cheaper than Western competitors as they are nicely packaged. “Korean companies have been

very successful in targeting people, who like Korean soap operas or K-pop, the ‘middle-income office lady’ market, and also younger hipsters and so on,” he said. Several successful Korean brands have French-sounding names, like Mamonde and Laneige in an attempt at European market. Mamonde, Laneige, Sulwhasoo and Etude House are brands of South Korea’s major beauty player, AmorePacific, which is expanding rapidly in China and is building a production and research center in Shanghai. One star product is a Laneige multipurpose compact with light makeup and sunscreen contained in a cushion.

Cannes Lions launches ‘cheaper than redundancy’ campaign

cCann London has created a digital and press campaign for the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, urging agencies to send under-performing staff to the event. The campaign, called “INVEST in creativity – cheaper than redundancy”, comprises press ads that will run in newspapers and trade magazines, and online films. The campaign was launched this week and will run until the festival begins on 21 June. The online films each feature a different underperforming member of staff and a voiceover that humorously describes their shortcomings – such as a producer who says everything is impossible and an account handler who is the

scourge of creative teams. The work was written by Jess Mallett and Mike Oughton, and art directed by Carl Rapp. Dan Burn-Forti shot both the print work and the online films. Rob Doubal, the co-president and joint chief creative officer at McCann London, said: “Although our campaign is humorous, it makes a very sensible point. Why should being a Cannes Lions delegate be the preserve of the already excellent? “If we really want a more creative world, as we all profess, we should also be encouraging the not-so-excellent performers to be inspired by Cannes Lions”. McCann has worked with Cannes on its advertising since 2014.

OMD Worldwide becomes most creative media agency

or the ninth consecutive time, Omnicom Media Group Agency OMD Worldwide has been named the world’s most creative media agency by the Gunn Report for Media, maintaining the exclusive lock the agency has held at the top of the rankings since the report was launched in 2004. The Gunn Report for Media is the industry standard for evaluating media creativity, ranking agencies according to their performance in the top industry awards shows around the world. Most importantly, it recognizes the vital role media agencies play in today’s highly competitive and fragmented communications landscape. The rankings reflect a point system based on awards won in more than 50 annual award competitions worldwide. In addition to OMD leading the list with 521 points, the top three- ranked agencies included Starcom Mediavest Group (Publicis) with 467 points; and Omnicom

Media Group’s PHD with 357 points. OMD’s top ranking reflects recognition earned in 2014 by agencies in every region across its network, with stand-out performers including OMD Singapore, OMD UK, OMD Colombia and OMD MENA, which was the most awarded media agency at the 2014 Effies. Elsewhere in the 2014 Gunn Report, OMD client McDonald’s, was recognized for being among the most awarded advertisers of the year. “Awards are the best proof point for innovation and creativity, and no organization provides as comprehensive a measure of an agency’s ability to deliver on those two mandates - consistently, and on a global level, as the Gunn Report,” says OMD CEO Mainardo de Nardis, “Topping this report for nine consecutive rankings is the best testament we can earn for the quality of our work, our clients, and our people.”

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Brands & Marketing

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Emerson launches campaign to spotlight STEM David Audu

o spotlight its devotion to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education, and to commemorate its 125th anniversary, Emerson has launched a new advertising campaign with the tagline “I Love STEM.” “Future innovators who will be our employees, our customers and business leaders need STEM education today,” said Emerson Chief Marketing Officer, CMO, Kathy Button Bell. “Emerson’s STEM focus is influencing the company’s marketing and recruiting efforts, and this first-of-its-kind campaign for the company is designed to entertain and inspire both current engineers as well as a future generation of business people.” Emerson said its campaign

goal is to inspire and empower the next generation of engineers by connecting science to technological advances and modern conveniences. At the center of the campaign is a TV spot starring musician, blogger and vlogger Hank Green. The spot, which was developed by DDB Chicago, will air during CBS’s “The Big Bang Theory.” Button Bell said the company tapped Green because he is a “Geek-chic” celebrity and selfproclaimed “science nerd” that can help it reach a younger audience. “Young men and women can relate to Hank. He makes science fun and accessible in an easy-to-consume, colourful and often musical video format,” Button Bell said. The fact that Green, who was

KPMG launches app to streamline business

recently given the opportunity to interview President Obama, has nearly 8 million YouTube subscribers, 1 billion video views and 2,500 videos doesn’t hurt, either. “I am always proud and excited to be a part of a science movement, especially utilizing the digital space,” Green said. “Emerson understands that today’s youth consume media differently and they’ve really broadened their approach to reach audiences beyond traditional media.” “For the 125th anniversary, our approach to digital was to use partners that provided either high-impact, thought-leader amplification, or evergreen support,” Senior Vice President and group account director at Debbie Myszynski, DigitasLBi Chicago, told reporters.

he KPMG Global Africa Practice has launched their new Africa Business App - a first for the industry. The dynamic platform will provide businesses and investors with seamless access to the very latest Africa information about doing business across the continent. “With the KPMG Africa Business App, we are not just delivering the most up-to-date information on country profiles, fiscal information and keen insights into operating in some of these countries - we are providing businesses with a unique, highly interactive and bespoke user experience,” explains Chief Operating Officer of KPMG Africa. Bryan Leith, Through the application, users will have access to content that includes the latest African country

ontrol Risks the global business risk consultancy, has launched its annual RiskMap report for countries in the SubSaharan Africa at an event for East Africa’s business leaders in Nairobi. RiskMap is an established, authoritative guide and a key reference point for policy makers and business leaders seeking to plot global trends over the coming year. RiskMap highlights the most significant underlying trends in global risk and security, and provides a detailed view from the markets that will matter most in 2015. Introducing RiskMap 2015, Daniel Heal, Managing Director East Africa, Control Risks, commented:

R-L: Amit Mishra, National Activation Manager, PZ Wilmar handing over a N2.4 million cheque to a winner in the Devon King’s Cooking Oil Promo, Mrs Charity Iwuagwu, CEO, Kinco Global Links in Port Harcourt recently

Setting agenda for the APCON Chairman

organization at the expiration of the term of the former board. However, this has been resolved with the recent appointment of Mr. Udeme Ufot, Group Managing Director, SO&U, a tested and thoroughbred practitioner as the new APCON chairman. In the opinion of Mr. Ayo Owoborode, a highly respected veteran and Chairman, Board of Trustees of Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), for the advertising industry sustain its pedigree there is the need to build and strengthen the structures already in place. According to him, when the established structures are built upon, it enhances standard in the industry which would further attract respect for the industry across board. The need for the advertising industry to check unprofessional conducts is another issue. Though the situation is not totally bad, Mr. Owoborode believes some branch of professional practice needs to be

Brand X-Ray with Ayodeji Ayopo Tel: 08023448199 E-mail: mayomipo@yahoo.com

addressed. He emphasized the need for sanctions to be applied where necessary in order checkmate unprofessional practices. He is of the opinion that when sanctions are applied, practitioners will adhere to the ethics of the profession. It is also required of APCON to position itself to be financially independent. According to him, self generated income should sustain the body and whatever income (subvention) that comes from the government should be supplementary. This way, APCON becomes an independent body, However, he cautioned that the financial independence pro-

profiles with the most recent country information - everything from fiscal guides to business climate and more - and at no additional charge for utilising the App beyond their service providers data charges. Users will also have full access to KPMG’s insights into doing business in Africa - from latest surveys and reports across industries. What’s more, the firm has included a unique and first to market service via this App. Appropriately named and trademarked, the KPMG ClientTalk™ functionality gives users easy access to the firm’s subject experts across markets and sectors by providing quick-links as to who to contact at the firm should users have any questions or are looking for advice about INVESTING, expanding or entering the continent

Sub-Saharan Africa’s growth outpaced political reform

he new APCON Governing Board will soon be inaugurated and there is the need to highlight some issues that will help the industry achieve its goals of raising the bar of advertising practice. I have written several articles on the industry and the need to improve on some areas to enable the industry sustain its pedigree. I have always written objectively and in order to maintain this stand in this article, I had to speak to some stakeholders on how to chart a new agenda for the industry. The Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) has been without Board Chairman since the expiration of the former board led by Mr. ‘Lolu Akinwunmi, Group Managing Director, Prima Garnet and this has created a lull in the activities of this regulatory agency, and the industry in particular. Before now, stakeholders were up in arms against the government for appointing a nonpractitioner as the chairman of the

cedure should be handled carefully in a manner that it does not face antagonism from the government. Tunji Olugbodi’s view also corroborated that of Owoborode in terms of professionalism. He urged the new APCON chairman to emphasize professionalism. It is also very important for the industry to be protected in terms of government policies. The policies should aid the practice of the profession in the country. He also underscored the need to checkmate practitioners who have resorted to unprofessional conduct. Personally, I believe Mr. Udeme

“2015 is when we will start to see some of the political limits in Africa’s growth story. Governments have so far failed to tackle key structural issues and growth usually occurs despite government rather than because of it. Kenya, as one of the bestgoverned countries in the region, is running big deficits and debt loads will double by 2017. “Large inward investment in East African energy is exciting, but we should remain circumspect. It is too early to say how key issues will play out, from distribution of benefits to legislative and regulatory changes in the pipeline. The likelihood of resource-based conflict is low.

Ufot will do all he can to engender growth for the industry. I have always admired his professional comportment. I believe with his personality and strong professional expertise, he is in a good position to enhance the quality of advertising practice in Nigeria. His pedigree in building one of the most virile marketing communication groups, and being a past president of AAAN among other contributions to the industry gives him the edge to initiate a robust strategic direction that aligns with best global advertising regulations, taking cognizance of Nigerian environmental factors. Surely, Ufot deserves all the support from the sectoral groups that makes up the advertising industry in Nigeria. His success is the success of all stakeholders as it would elevate the practice of advertising the more as well as further position the body as a benchmark for West African countries who look up to Nigeria to set the pace in advertising practice.

Insight

Thursday, February 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Local herbs: Experts endorse paraga, There seems to be a surge in the consumption of locally made herbal preparations and drinks in Nigeria with some products claiming to cure a variety of ailments. MARCUS FATUNMOLE reports that though experts agree that the herbal mixtures have health benefits, there is the need for their proper regulation and standardisation.

hen Mr. and Mrs. Adebayo Ogbolu approached a traditional medicine practitioner, Tijani Yusuf, in Akure, Ondo State in August 2011 to help them treat rheumatism with his herbal mixture, they had thought they would be well after taking the medicine. But instead of getting cured, they died shortly after taking the Yusuf ’s preparation, and the news of their death went viral at the time. The couple are among numerous Nigerians that have died needlessly or rather ignorantly while taking concoctions or any other related preparation or product dispensed by alternative medicine practitioners. Others who beat death may live the rest of their lives with complications arising from the use of such products. However, local concoctions and herbal mixtures have their enormous benefits too. Their uses are only being abused, while some of the products fail to go through scientific verifications as demanded by regulatory authorities. A white couple once lived in the same Ondo State capital, barren for six years, as gathered by our correspondent. They were very generous. An alternative medicine practitioner in the area heard of their benevolence and offered to assist them to bear a child. After taking the medication given to them by the herbalist as prescribed, they visited their home country a year later, happy as parents. Besides, there have been stories of impotent men or others with erectile dysfunctions who cannot satisfy their wives sexually, people who are battling with some health challenges for years and those who want immediate boost to their energy to enable them carry out certain functions that take local drinks or herbal preparations and get remedies. These are some of the living testimonies of local preparations, considered by many as age-long tradition, which come in form of drinks, drugs and food. There are yet others who are perpetually addicted to these products and take them for pleasure. Alternative medicine practitioners use herbs to produce wide range of products consumed by the public. People are tempted to solve their medical problems by patronising unorthodox medical facilities to get herbal and other preparations to solve their health challenges. Over the years, the activities of govern-

Raw herbal products

LOCAL CONCOCTIONS AND HERBAL MIXTURES HAVE THEIR ENORMOUS BENEFITS TOO. THEIR

USES ARE ONLY BEING

ABUSED, WHILE SOME OF THE PRODUCTS FAIL TO GO THROUGH SCIENTIFIC VERIFICATIONS AS DEMANDED BY REGULATORY

Bottles of some bitters

ment regulatory agencies have proved that some of the persons who produce these products are quacks, and those caught by the agencies have been sanctioned adequately, according to provisions of the law. Though some of these people have the knowledge to make these preparations available, they often sidetrack laid down procedures that guarantee the safety of their products. Like the orthodox medical doctors who operate under the aegis of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), herbal medicines practitioners in the country operate under the National Association of Nigerian Traditional Medicine Practitioners (NANTMP). The body works with government to ensure safety of their products. It also helps government fish out fake practitioners from the society. In the process, NANTMP has often blamed the government for not paying adequate attention to herbal or alternative medicine practice in the country; the reason it claims quackery persists. Herbal drugs, local gins and the allied preparations come in different designs, sizes and shapes. They are usually packaged attractively to entice undiscerning public. The most common among them are seen on our streets, hawked alongside other

products such as fried meat, food and other goods intended to complement their use. These products have been given different local names such as paraga, bitters, pakurumo, among others and they are taken by various classes of the society. Besides, the producers seem to customise the brands, as seen among popular herbal products in the market. These brands could bear names like “Elephant 2000”, “Elephant 250”, “Elephant 300” and so on. They are all toasted to give different remedies and cures. Besides, price tags for these products depend on the environment where they are sold. For instance, any preparation sold around Maitama in Abuja will be costlier than those sold in Gwagwalada in the nation’s capital. And, the price of local drugs/ consumables in Gwagwalada will be relatively higher than any of such same products sold in a remote community, anywhere in the country. National Mirror found out that the mode of sales of these products differs. There are those who sell in their cars mounted with public address system; some hawk theirs on the streets, while others display the products in their shops or sell under tents. There are many reasons for the persistently high patronage the producers enjoy. Some see the practice as an age-long cus-

AUTHORITIES tom, others believe the products are cheap. There are yet others who think the epileptic services in orthodox public health facilities, alongside scary bills from private hospitals are enough reasons for them to use any of such products that address their health challenges. But, how safe are they? The Federal Government has two major agencies that work on drugs safety in the country, i.e. National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD). While the NAFDAC works on general safety of the products, NIPRD is concerned with precision in the composition of the products as claimed by the producers. It also ensures the products meet standards. National Mirror spoke with the Director-General of NIPRD, Prof. Karniyus Gamaliel, on the development, especially on bitters that have been proliferated across the country. He said: “By statute, the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development is R&D. What that means is that we explore the product regarding what is claimed to be contained in it and the ade-

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Insight

Thursday, February 26, 2015

bitters, warn against addiction quacy of the materials or the components. In this way, we are trying to establish or confirm their standards. “For instance, if a product is substandard, that means, the content doesn’t agree with what is on the label, we easily find out. Our evidence is first hand evidence because it is based on experimental strategies. And this is what we do. We do not approve, we do not control like NAFDAC does. In our case, we provide evidence that NAFDAC can use. This explains our role in this.” The NIPRD boss informed that it is wrong for the public to consume products that could further harm their health rather than improve it. According to him, taking unverified products such as some of the proliferating bitters could be dangerous. He said some of the bitters on sale today contain high alcoholic content, which he said could induce cancer in the consumer. “Bitters have been in existence for a very long time. And the main characteristic of bitters is that they contain botanical or plant materials. And often because they are bitter, the name bitter comes into play. “Usually, it contains water and alcohol. Now, the water component dissolves some of the components so that they are taken just like any other thing that is needed in solution. Alcohol is supposed to help the dissolution because water and alcohol are the same, but alcohol can help extract more, the component of the plant part which makes it bitter, especially the materials that are usually bitter. “The problem with bitters is that more often than not these days, you find that the amount of alcohol is very high. Some bitters have up to 35 per cent or even more. And the regulation is that these are not beverages or bitters anymore because anything above that 35 per cent, we call spirit. And, the spirits have their own control; they have health hazards also if you take 35 per cent alcohol on routine basis. It causes health problem also which we know is associated with other body ailments,” Prof. Gamaliel explained. “Essentially, this needs to be controlled. Our cooperation with the regulatory body is to look at not just the botanical content, but the amount of alcohol which reveals whether they could be used as bitters or we should call them spirits.” He informed that it is the role of the agency to determine what amount of a particular material is in any product, including the veracity of product’s constituents as being claimed by the producer. The agency, he maintained, provides label on the components of any product brought to it in their proportion as claimed by the producers. “If any component does not comply with what is on the bottle, it is now substandard whether it is more or less. We have personnel, experts to determine this. That is what we do, just like for other drugs,” he stressed. The NIPRD DG further urged members of the public to always ensure that products they buy are those approved by the government to guarantee their health and safety.

DG NAFDAC, Orhi

DG NIPRD, Prof. Gamamiel

Speaking specifically on drugs, NAFDAC says what is needed to be done more is to arouse the consciousness of citizens against the consumption of products that do not get government approval. While calling on the public to desist from taking products not approved by the agency, Director of Special Duties of the agency, Dr Abubakar Jimoh, called on herbal medicine practitioners to step up efforts to fight quacks among them. Jimoh also implored the public to always bring all consumable foods and products to the agency for approval. He said it is the responsibility of the agency to know how those products are made, including the environment where they are produced, whether they are hygienic enough or not. These and many other reasons, he said, make it imperative for consumable products such as food, drinks and drugs must pass the agency’s test before they could be consumed by the public. But products counterfeiting is one challenge NAFDAC is making great efforts to defeat, according to Jimoh. He said it is easier for the agency to deploy its technologies to detect foreign products that are counterfeited than local products that are faked. He, however, highlighted achievements of the agency in curtailing the trend and called for increased collaboration between the agency and the public. “We have some of these products being counterfeited,” Jimoh said of some popular products in the nation’s market, adding, “what the counterfeiters did (to a particular product) was exactly the same product; you would not believe it. But, as a result of the faking, the manufacturer of the product decided to go a step further to further add a layer of protection. Just as they are trying

to do that, the counterfeiters too were also at work. They did almost exactly the same, except you are very careful and discernible enough to know.” He also explained that the fakers go as far as putting numbers purportedly obtained from the agency on their products. “We must be very careful about the products that these counterfeiters produce out there. We have also mentioned the issue of NAFDAC registration number is of paramount. Again, they are also faking it; they can put all sorts of numbers out there. This is the reason the issue of identifying fake products and distinguishing the fake from original has become a bit problematic. “In the case of drugs, you may be able to deploy the necessary technology to detect the counterfeit. In the realm of the pharmaceuticals, it is easy. But, right now, we are craving the indulgence of Nigerians is that when you establish a case of suspicion, quickly let the nearest NAFDAC office know. “The level of counterfeiting has become very sophisticated. So, for herbal preparations, just like we have in the orthodox medicine, is the same thing with herbal products where you have charlatans that are holding sway. You have single product being advertised to provide cure for all manners of illnesses you can think of.” The NAFDAC director, however stated that government was doing everything possible to “sieve out the chaff from the grains” through collaboration with the herbal medicine practitioners. “In terms of faking, the herbal medicine remains problematic; let me confess. For the orthodox medicine, especially anti-malaria, we have deployed some technologies that have been helping to put a stop to the

LIKE THE ORTHODOX MEDICAL DOCTORS WHO OPERATE UNDER THE AEGIS OF THE NIGERIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (NMA), HERBAL MEDICINES PRACTITIONERS IN THE COUNTRY OPERATE UNDER THE

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIAN TRADITIONAL MEDICINE PRACTITIONERS (NANTMP)

phenomenon of counterfeiting. But, some of these herbal preparations, the issue of physical examination and other tests remain huge challenge. You can’t get it right when it comes to the issues of counterfeiting. There are counterfeits out there; you must understand.” He called on the herbal medicine practitioners to have self-regulatory mechanisms and strengthen their codes of practice, improve check on quacks among them. He said they have been able to make progress in that area. “We have asked them to bring any of their products that is of therapeutic value so that we can evaluate and place on listing. A lecturer of pharmacology and therapeutics in the Faculty of Basic Medical Science, College of Health Sciences, University of Ilorin, Kwara State, Mrs. Ologe Mary Olufunmilayo, threw light on the potentials of herbal medication and challenges it faces in the country at present. “What I know about herbal medication is that they have a lot of benefits. God has endowed us with so much with nature. But, it is good to have the idea the products contain and to standardise their intake. To standardise means to have an idea of the amount of nutrients or whatever amount of the medication to take. So, it is important for tests to be carried out on them. That is chemical analysis, trying to find out their composition; then, pharmacological tests, trying to find out the efficacy of the products.” Speaking on bitters, she said, “There are some claims the companies make that bitters do. Some people say they lower blood pressure, they can reduce anxiety. But, pharmacological tests will help you with the efficacy claim, as well as the physiological studies to help you know how they can be harmful. At what dose, at what quantity they can be harmful to animals, which can then be extrapolated to human. “So, it is important for these products to be well regulated. But, that does not mean they don’t have their own values because God has endowed us with so much in nature. A lot of studies are going on in Nigeria and all over the world now. There is a branch of pharmacology that is known as ethno-pharmacology, trying to study plants, trying to know some of these claims that are made. If you go to India and China, they use a lot of herbs. But, they’ve done so much work on them. “Even if you go to Ghana now, if you go to their public hospitals, you have two options: it is either you go the way of taking herbal drugs or you want to take orthodox medicine. They allow you to make your choice. And, they are doing a lot of research. These things, no doubt, have their benefits. All we need to do is to do some standardisation. “So, I will not lend my voice to running down these things. I will lend my voice to intensifying research on them. We’ve done a lot of research on animals quite alright, but of these products that are safe in animals, we can go ahead to do some clinical trials in human volunteers before we go on to use them on people that are actually sick,” she stressed.

Cocktail

Thursday, February 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Oddities

Firefighter falls into frozen pond during dog rescue

n Indiana man recording a firefighter’s attempt to rescue a dog from a frozen pond captured the moment the rescuer plunged into the water. Randy Brown of Evansville was recording the rescue attempt Saturday near the Oaklyn Library when a firefighter from the Evansville Fire Department crawled out on the ice and ended up falling through while try-

ing to reach the dog. The firefighter was able to reach the canine and lift it to safety. The video shows the dog stop on the ice and look back to make sure its rescuer was following. Brown said the dog was in the water for about 25 minutes and was checked out by a veterinarian following its ordeal. The firefighter did not appear to be injured.

Motorists run into street to catch flying cash

raffic on a Kuwait road came to a halt when motorists jumped out of their cars to collect money blowing through the streets. Cellphone video of the incident shows a stretch of road near the Burj Jassem shopping mall in Kuwait City fill with motorists and

pedestrians grabbing at cash that reportedly blew away from an ATM while employees were attempting to fill it during a sandstorm. A man quoted by The Telegraph said his wife shot

the video. “It was a very windy day. She was stuck in the traffic [and] saw all this money,” he said. “A lot of people were getting out of their cars to grab this money. It doesn’t

Chinese startup gives away Teslas as year-end bonus

Chinese startup is being quite generous with their year-end bonuses for employees by offering a Tesla to anyone who’s worked there for at least four months. The move will allegedly cost the company, translated as WiFi Master Key, over $4 million.

There are supposedly dozens of employees at the company who meet the minimum requirement. The company creates software that automatically connects cell phones to any Wi-Fi signals that are accessible in an area. The company that backs this startup,

game developer/publisher Shanda, states its employees appreciate the Tesla brand. The CEO of Shanda was quoted saying Tesla is a “new and innovative” company appreciated by many in the technology world. The Chinese new year started on Thursday. World’s tallest donkey named Romulus

happen every day. Everyone was amazed this was happening.” The video was uploaded to YouTube Feb. 9. The date of the incident was unclear Tuesday.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Capital Market

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Julius Berger, others lift equities by 0.2%

...as Nestle reports 6% dip in pre-tax profit JOHNSON OKANLAWON

quity trading on the Exchange sustained its positive momentum as gains recorded in the share prices of some highly capitalized stocks such as Seplat, Guaranty Trust Bank, Flour Mills, FBN Holdings and Julius Berger drove the broad market index into a new high. Consequently, the All Share Index gained 49.96points or 0.20 per cent to attain 30,195.56 points, bringing year-to-date returns to a negative of 12.87 per cent.

Market capitalisation appreciated N16.67bn to close at N10.08trn, compared to the increase of N313bn recorded the preceding day to close at N10.06trn. Julius Berger Plc led the gainers’ table with N4.02 or 10.06 per cent to close at N44.00 per share, followed by Eterna Oil Plc with 18 kobo or 7.17 per cent to close at N2.69 per share. UACN Plc rose N1.84 or 4.97 per cent to close at N38.84 per share, while Union Bank of Nigeria Plc was up 44 kobo or 4.93 per cent to close at N9.36 per share. AG Leventis Plc appreci-

ated five kobo or 4.59 per cent to close at N1.14 per share. On the losers’ profile, Academy Press Plc dropped five kobo or 4.50 per cent to close at N1.06 per share, while NASCON Plc fell 26 kobo or 4.02 per cent to close at N6.20 per share. Oando Plc was dwon 55 kobo or 3.96 per cent to close at N13.35 per share, while Mansard Insurance Plc depreciated nine kobo or 3.16 per cent to close at N2.76 per share. Forte Oil Plc dipped N6.90 or 3.09 per cent to close at N216.10 per share. A total of 369.8 million shares valued

at N4.49bn were exchanged in 4,507 deals. Meanwhile, Nestle Nigeria Plc yesterday declared profit before tax of N24.4bn for the financial year ended December 31, 2014, a dip of 6.1 per cent when compared to N26.04bn recorded in the same period of 2013. The company’s revenue rose to N143.3bn in the review period, from N133.1bn recorded in the corresponding period of 2013.. According to the result presented to the Nigerian Stock Exchange, it proposed a final dividend of N17.5 for each share, down from N19.02 dividend it paid a year ago.

Fitch affirms Stanbic IBTC’s ‘AAA(nga)’ ratings

JOHNSON OKANLAWON

itch Ratings has re-affirmed the AAA(nga)’ national ratings of Stanbic IBTC Bank and Stanbic IBTC Holdings, a testament to the financial institutions’ strong fundamentals and stability. The two institutions were also assigned ‘F1+(nga)’National Shortterm rating, to reflect the their ability to meet their financial commitments as they fall due. The national rating provides a relative measure of credit worthiness for rated institutions in Nigeria and the AAA national rating is assigned to an institution(s) with the lowest relative risk.

In the ratings, Fitch also maintained a stable outlook for both Stanbic IBTC Bank and Stanbic IBTC Holdings. The agency indicated that they expect increasingly challenging economic conditions and market volatility to persist in Nigeria. “However, they also recognise the continued strong underlying growth in Nigeria, particularly in the nonoil sector. “In arriving at the rating for Stanbic IBTC Bank and Stanbic IBTC Holdings, Fitch took account of the strong parental support from Standard Bank Group, which has a majority 53.2 per cent stake in Stanbic IBTC Holdings,” it added. Commenting on the rat-

ings, the Chief Executive Officer of Stanbic IBTC Holdings, Mrs. Sola DavidBorha, said the ratings reflect the financial institution’s strength, strong leadership and the continued support of its parent company, the Standard Bank Group. “Stanbic IBTC will continue to leverage on the rich heritage and know-how of the Standard Bank Group to build a strong and reliable financial institution that will support the developmental goals of the economy,” David-Borha said. On the industry outlook, Fitch forecasts the financial services sector’s nonperforming loans (NPLs) to rise above the Central Bank

World stock indexes fall after Fed comments

orld stock markets fell yesterday, but stayed within reach of an all-time high as investors welcomed Tuesday’s comments from US Federal Reserve Chair, Janet Yellen, suggesting that the US central bank was in no rush to raise interest rates. Markets, still on a high after the euro zone agreed to extend Greece’s debt deal, were also supported by slightly better than expected Chinese factory activity data. The Standard and Poor 500 index of US companies was slightly down and the Dow was barely up a day after they hit records on US housing market data and at

the start of a second day of testimony from Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen. The benchmark FTSEurofirst 300 index was down 0.33 per cent after six days of unbroken gains but was still up 12 per cent since the end of 2014. Following Wall Street’s gains on Tuesday and more rises in Asia overnight, MSCI’s 46-country world index was up 0.05 per cent at 433.05 points and veering close to the 434.24 all-time peak it scaled in September. “There is a pregnant pause in the market this morning,” said Peter Kenny, chief market strategist at Clearpool Group in New York. “Markets are waiting to

see if there is any further insight into the timeline in the normalization of rates, any shift in terminology that would indicate a more certain timeline or a significant shift in that timeline.” The Dow Jones industrial average rose 4.65 points, or 0.03 per cent, to 18,213.84 points, the S&P 500 lost 0.9 points, or 0.04 per cent, to 2,114.58 points and the Nasdaq Composite added 2.98 points, or 0.06 per cent, to 4,971.10 points. Weakening global growth has been keeping investors on edge about the Fed’s plans, with some worrying that a premature start to a rate-hike cycle there could drain momen-

of Nigeria’s (CBN) informal cap of five per cent but below 10 per cent by end-2015. “This reflects high credit concentrations as well as emerging risks, particularly in the oil and gas and power sectors. These factors, together with a shift to Basel II and CBN’s revised regulatory capital computation rules, are likely to add more pressure on capital than previously expected,” the Fitch report said. Speaking on the report, the Chief Executive Officer of Stanbic IBTC Bank, Mr. Yinka Sanni, assured that the bank will continue to strengthen its retail banking drive and support the growth of businesses.

Source: NSE

Inter-Bank Rate Naira

Rate (%) Inflation

8.2

MPR

Crude oil price

$58.96

US Dollar

N198.00 Market indicators All-Share Index 30,195.56 points Market capitalisation 10.11trn

Stock Updates GAINERS COMPANY

OPENING

CLOSING

CHANGE

% CHANGE

JBERGER

39.98

44.00

4.02

10.06

ETERNA

2.51

2.69

0.18

7.17

UACN

37.00

38.84

1.84

4.97

UBN

8.92

9.36

0.44

4.93

AGLEVENT

1.09

1.14

0.05

4.59

UBCAP

1.33

1.39

0.06

4.51

CONTINSURE

0.82

0.85

0.03

3.66

CHAMPION

5.07

5.20

0.13

2.56

FBNH

7.61

7.80

0.19

2.50

FIDELITYBK

1.22

1.25

0.03

2.46

LOSERS COMPANY

OPENING

CHANGE

% CHANGE

ACADEMY

1.11

1.06

-0.05

-4.50

NASCON

6.46

6.20

-0.26

-4.02

OANDO

13.90

13.35

-0.55

-3.96

MANSARD

2.85

2.76

-0.09

-3.16

223.00

216.10

-6.90

-3.09

STANBIC

25.75

25.07

-0.68

-2.64

CUSTODYINS

3.90

3.80

-0.10

-2.56

UBA

3.75

3.66

-0.09

-2.40

AIICO

0.74

0.73

-0.01

-1.35

WEMABANK

0.96

0.95

-0.01

-1.04

CLOSING

FGN Bonds

Offer

Bid

Description tum from the US economy while Europe and China continue to struggle.

Price

Yield

Price

Yield

13.05 16-AUG-2016

1.47

96.09

16.12

96.24

16.00

15.10 27-APR-2017

2.17

97.69

16.37

97.84

16.28

16.00 29-JUN-2019

4.34

99.75

16.06

100.05

15.96

16.39 27-JAN-2022

6.92

101.99

15.90

102.29

15.82

14.20 14-MAR-2024

9.05

91.91

15.91

92.21

15.84

10.00 23-JUL-2030

15.41 64.05

16.49

64.35

16.41

Closing Market Prices of February 25, 2015

Treasury Bills Maturity Date

Bid

Offer

Exchange

Rates (N)

21-May-15

13.84

14.31

WAUA

236.1

USD

167.5

3-Sep-15

13.64

14.68

EURO

188.9

18-Feb-16

13.90

16.09

CFA

0.28

YEN

1.408

Tenor

Rate (%)

SWISS FRANC

180.9

O/N

35.9583

POUNDS STERLING

254.8

15.4071

16.4797

SDR

235.7

17.3581

NIBOR

The Fixings of February 25, 2015

Capital Market

Thursday, February 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Stock exchange daily equities summary Equities as at February 25, 2015 1st Tier Securities

1st Tier Securities Sector

Company name

No Of Deals

Quotation(N)

Quantity Traded

Value of Shares(N)

Sector

Company name

No Of Deals

Quotation(N)

Quantity Traded

Value of Shares(N)

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Gubernatorial debate: APC candidate absent PRISCILLA DENNIS MINNA

he All Progressives Congress, APC, gubernatorial candidate in Niger State, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello (Abu Lolo) yesterday boycotted the state gubernatorial debate, organised by the Niger State Coalition of Business and Professional Associations, NICOBPA, in collaboration with the Nigerian Election Debate Group, NEDG and the International Republican Institute, IRI. The debate had in attendance seven political parties, the Action Alliance, AA, African Democratic Congress, ADC; All Progressive Grand Alliance,

APGA; Peoples Democratic Party, PDP; Progressive People’s Alliance, PPA; Social Democratic Party, SDP and the United Progressive Party, UPP. Though, it was gathered that the APC standard bearer, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello and the PDP candidate, Hon. Umar Mohammed Nasko, were in Saudi Arabia to perform lesser Hajj. While the PDP and other parties sent representatives to stand in for them, the APC did not, but it was reliably gathered that the deputy governorship candidate of the APC, Alhaji Mohammed Ketso refused to attend, thereby denying Nigerlites the chance of hearing the party’s manifestoes.

Oyo govt supports activities of state vigilante groups EBERE NDUKWU

peaker of Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon Monsurat Sunmonu, has said that the Oyo State chapter of Vigilant Group of Nigeria, VGN, led by Comrade S.A. Olajide is recognised by the law of Oyo State government, saying their activities and operations is guided by the rules and regulations of the state government. The Speaker said this while chairing the meeting of all the executive groups of VGN in the state recently, maintaining that the performance of VGN in collaboration with the Nigerian Police in combating criminal activities in the state especially in Oke Ogun area is commendable. Recalling her encounter with rubbers at one occasion in Oke Ogun area and how it took the timely inter-

Politics

Thursday, February 26, 2015

vention of the VGN boys to rescue her, pursued, caught and handed over one of the robbers to the police, the Speaker said it was necessary to recognise the importance of the group. She said as the Speaker, she made efforts in sponsoring the bill in support of the activities of VGN in the state, which was signed into law by the state government because of the relevance of the group in protecting lives and properties. Advising that the VGN should be non-partisan, she called on them to work within the provision of the law and promised her support anytime they call on her. Present at the occasion include representatives of His Royal Majesty, the Alafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Loyola Adeyemi 111, traditional rulers, Oyo Police Area Commander, ACP, Wale Olokode and leaders of security agencies in the state.

APC manifesto deceitful –PDP OBIORA IFOH ABUJA

he Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday took the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, to task over its manifesto, describing it as phantom, deceitful, bogus and unrealisable. PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh at a press conference yesterday noted that since its formation about two years ago, “APC has introduced and sustained political streak of lies, character assassination, false alarm and wild allegations, all in the desperation to deceive and misdirect the judgment of the electorate”. According to Metuh, the opposition has promised to pay a stipend of N5, 000 each to 25 million poor Nigerians monthly, which he calculated to amount to N125 billion each month and N1.5 trillion every year saying that, this is unrealistic. “The APC knows full well that this is not only unrealistic but also impracticable in a nation with an estimated budget of N4.69 trillion comprising recur-

rent and capital expenditures yet they continue to dish it out to unsuspecting citizens in a clear bid to mislead”, he said. PDP also questions APC’s promise to create 740, 000 direct jobs in each of the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT within one year and on the other hand promised to create one million jobs for Igbo youths also within the same period. “The APC has also promised to provide free education, daily free meals for millions of Nigerian school children, free tertiary education, free health care and free houses to Nigerians. The opposition knows too well that this is unrealistic yet they prefer to brandish falsehood. “The APC should explain to Nigerians how they would fulfill their promises with the prevailing 40 per cent drop in national income and dwindling oil price in the international market. These promises are therefore either bogus or part of their plot to subject the citizens to a harsh tax regime ostensibly to finance Bourdilon Drive and other personal in-

terests, the real reason they desperately seek power. “We therefore challenge the APC to come forward and admit before Nigerians that these promises are false and merely deceitful if not they should be bold enough to tell Nigerians that they are planning to skyrocket our personal income and company taxes if they ever get to power”, Metuh stated. He said under the PDP led administration, company tax is a maximum of 30 per cent of the profit whereas personal income tax hovers from one per cent for minimum wage earners to a maximum of 19 per cent for Nigerians earning up to N100 million. According to him, Nigerians cannot afford a tax regime of 45 per cent company tax and 32 per cent personal income tax. “Whilst we note the multiple tax regime in APC states like Lagos State, we believe that Nigerians are not ready to bear the brunt of APC’s harsh tax policy. “If on the other hand APC decides to deny the planned imposition of a harsh tax regime, then they must accept they are guilty

30 DAYS TO GO

of fake campaign promises and deceitful manifesto. “Indeed, the APC has constituted itself into a huge embarrassment to our dear nation. It has remained a camp of dishonest lot whose statements cannot be trusted having continually displayed its lack of integrity and proclivity for falsehood. A party of one week, one lie”, he added. He noted that Nigerians are still shocked at the discovery of the latest international fraud where the APC rehashed an old interview by its presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari as a fresh one, all in a bid to cover up a mismanaged international trip. This, he said, was coming on the heels of another shocking discovery that the APC’s claim that its presidential candidate visited Chibok turned out to be a hoax meant to deceive Nigerians, as he never did.

Why Lagosians should reject APC –PDP Chieftain CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16

aspirant pointed out that apart from few urban centres where cosmetic projects were undertaken by APC government, most parts of the state are in bad state of decay, bad road, dilapidated structure that serve as schools, hospitals, health centres dot most of the rural and urban areas of the state. He said houses that were constructed which APC government described as lowcost houses were sold for millions of Naira which were

not affordable to the masses, explaining that the landlords were also being exploited through exorbitant land charges and tenement rates, thus making house rents highest in the entire world. Rhodes said APC government was unleashing terror on the motorists and okada operators, using Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, VIO and local government staff to extort their victims and in some cases, confiscating their vehicles and motorcycles.

L-R: Member, Buhari Support Organisation, Mr. Dare Awoniyi, Director Operations, Dr. Nasir Ladan and Director Media Committee, Dr. Chidia Madukwe, during the press briefing on perilous outcome of a tampered INEC in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA

VGN declares readiness for general elections EBERE NDUKWU

he Oyo State leader of the Vigilant Groups of Nigeria, VGN, Comrade S.A. Olajide has said that his group is ready for the 2015 general election coming up in the next few weeks. He said the group has

put strategies in place in order to work diligently with the Nigerian Police and other security agencies in the country to achieve a peaceful and crises free election. He added that his men from all the 33 local government areas in the state have been ordered to abide by the motto of the

group, which is “Say no to crime” any time they are on duty, warning that anyone suspected of planning to ferment trouble will be arrested and handed over to the police for interrogations and if found guilty in the law court, must face the full wrath of law. Olajide, who made this declaration during VGN

executive meeting for monthly reviews to foster peace before, during and after general election, at VGN headquarters in Oyo State recently, warned those using fake uniforms of the group to desist from such as arrangement are being made to get anyone on fake uniform arrested and handed over to the police.

Young & Next Generation

Thursday, February 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Nickelodeon shows love to Nigerian children ...set for Kids’ Choice Awards

L eonard O k achie

iddies’ favourite television, Nickelodeon, DStv Channel 305, in partnership with UNICEF and Multichoice, spent quality time recently with kids at two charity homes in Lagos. With the help of the Lagos school children who donated the gifts to the less privileged, the Nickelodeon team visited the Child-to-Child Network, Ojuelegba and Child Lifeline, Gbagada to share love with the kids in the spirit of Valentine’s as they presented the gifts and food items to the homes. Students of the schools that participated in the Nickelodeon Gift-a-thon were visited and treated to a fun experience with Dora The Explorer and SpongeBob Squarepants, in appreciation of their generous involvement. The winning schools include Corona Gbagada, St Saviours Ebute Metta, Nikwhales School Ogba, Chrisland School VGC and Gloryville School Ebute Metta. Meanwhile, Nigerian On -Air Personalities, Gbemi Olateru-Olagbegi, Tosyn Bucknor, Mannie and Big Tyme

have been announced as this year’s nominees for Favourite On-Air Personality Nigeria at the 28th edition of Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards. First time nominees at the awards also include Iggy Azalea, Sam Smith, Angelina Jolie, 5 Seconds of Summer, Channing Tatum, Meryl Streep, Meghan Trainor, Chris Pratt, Fifth Harmony, Echosmith, Jessie J, Liam Hemsworth, Elle Fanning, Imagine Dragons, Kira Kosdearin and Laura Marano. “I am very honoured to be nominated this year. This is a great step for Nigeria and Africa as a whole to be recognised by an International platform like Nickelodeon’s KCA” Nigerian OAP Gbemi Olateru commented Kids also picked superstar nominees Beyoncé, Cameron Diaz, Jamie Foxx, Ariana Grande, One Republic, Hugh Jackman, Bruno Mars, Nicki Minaj, Ben Stiller, One Direction, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Garner, Maroon 5, Scarlett Johansson and more. Other African contemporary talents nominated this year include Bonang Matheba, Roger Goode, Darren

Children during dance competition.

Children praying at the event.

Simpson and Poppy Ntshongwana competing for Favourite Radio DJ (South Africa) The 2015 Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards will roll out around the world,

giving kids around the globe the opportunity to tune into their local Nickelodeon channel to enjoy the show. Voting for the 2015 KCAs will span six continents

across 19 localized voting sites in addition to Twitter hashtag voting #KCA giving kids practically everywhere the chance to decide who takes home a coveted blimp.

KCCN celebrates Korea’s New Year with pupils Joel A jayi ABUJA

oyous experience on Thursday the 19th of February 2015 will for a very long time be fresh in the memories of schools children in six area councils in the nation’s capital. It was the day Korean Culture Centre in Abuja gathered children to celebrate 2015 Korea’s Lunar New Year Day. Korean language students, Taekwondo students, K-pop team members school children thronged the venue and could not stop talking about the event that featured series of games such as crafts projects for preschool, kindergarten and elementary school children. Prizes were won at every category of the games. Speaking, the Director of Korean Cultural Centre Nigeria, Kwon Yong Ik, noted that the goal and objective of the event was to showcase Lunar New Year events that represent the diversity of Korean cultures. He said: “Through these practices, it is my wish to en-

rich the cultural sharing between Korea and Nigeria, understand its culture with each other, and make a great memory of our New Year’s Day of 2015. “This year, to enhance the mutual understanding between the Korea and Nigeria, the Centre will continue to work hard on our cultural exchange programmes and events which include expanding our open door policy to the Nigerians who are willing to use the Centre for cultural activities such as students, teachers and other cultural organizations, and the Centre’s participation and support in local events.” He explained that 19th of every year is important to any Korean, the most significant traditional Korean holidays, stressing: “Many Koreans return to their hometowns to reunite with their parents and other relatives for three days holidays. In the morning ‘Seollal’, they perform an ancestral ritual called ‘Charae’ and many dress up in colourful traditional Korean clothing called

‘Hanbok’ “The day is described as a traditional activity on New Year’s Day, and is filial piety oriented. Children wish their elders a happy New Year by performing one deep traditional bow and say “Please receive a lot of luck in the New Year”.

Parents typically reward this gesture by giving their children New Year’s money, or “pocket money” in luck bags made with beautiful silk design and offering words of wisdom. “On the New Year’s Day, families eat soup with sliced rice cakes, and it is a traditional

Koreans with children on stage at the ceremony.

Korean food that’s customarily eaten for the New Year. According to Korean age reckoning, the Korean New Year is similar to a birthday for Koreans, and eating Teokguk is part of the birthday celebration. Once you finish eating your Teokguk you are one year older.”

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Young & Next Generation

Thursday, February 26, 2015

‘Love Like a Movie’ returns Leonard Okachie

t was jaw-dropping awesome the first time and “airily” stunning the second time around. Now it’s back for a groundbreaking third installment- ‘! Love Like a Movie’, one of Nigeria’s most successful musical shows ever is set for a fresh take on the story of love on Saturday the 4th of April, 2015 at the Eko Hotel Convention Centre in Lagos. ‘Love Like a Movie’ took Nigeria by storm in 2013 when its red carpet was cohosted by international superstar Kim Kardashian. Featuring the talents of 2Face Idibia, Banky W, Tiwa Savage, Ice Prince, Waje, Timi Dakolo, Cupid, Praiz, Tolu, MoEazy, Kaffy and Darey, that show set a new bar for live music performance and event production in Nigeria, catching a lot of attention in national and international media for weeks and months afterwards. ‘Love Like a Movie 2’ featured the talents of former Destiny Child member Kelly Rowland, Tiwa Savage, Waje, Timi Dakolo, MoEazy and Darey and this installment of the show recorded even

greater success with sky high ratings and media attention long after the event, including being crowned as one of the events of 2014 by several entertainment websites. Executive producer and lead performer Darey, speaking of his excitement at being involved in the groundbreaking concert series recently said, “The aim is to surprise people with the quality and freshness of what will be on display. I think we will surprise even ourselves – that’s how good it will be!” ‘Love Like a Movie 3,’ fixed for Easter due to this year’s original February 14 election date, is set to explore new ground and take the show into the future with a brand new depiction of Love. Featuring various performers from Nigeria and around the world, it is a futuristic fusion of high-energy theatrical circus performances which evoke shades of the legendary Cirque de Soleil and superbly choreographed dance routines. It will also incorporate dynamic lasers and a symphony of light and sound displays, all of which come together to tell the unique and remarkable story of Love – Like a Movie!

Science for Kids

World’s most dangerous animals ... (1)

orld’s most dangerous animals may have large teeth and a vicious bite and some have a poisonous sting. Every year, bears kill 50 people, sharks kill around 100 people, and scorpions kill more than 2000 people – but the world’s deadliest creature is much smaller than any of these, and this little creature kills between two and three million people! The world’s most dangerous creature has to be…

cool, shady places. At night, they’re hungry and go in search of blood. Most people are bitten when they are asleep and don’t know they’ve been bitten until they get red, itchy bumps on their skin. If they don’t get treated quickly it can be fatal. That’s why when people go on holiday to tropical countries, they have to get vaccinated and take tablets, and at night they sleep under special mosquito nets.

Mosquitoes are found all over the world, except in the very coldest parts. In countries with a Mosquito temperate climate, like the UK and most of Europe, they hibernate in the cold winters and only become a nuisance in the summer. If you get a mosquito bite, it feels a little uncomfortable and itches for a while. In tropical parts of the world, like India and South East Asia, Africa, Central America, Mexico and most of South America including Brazil, they’re much more than just a nuisance – they can be deadly. The female mosquito feeds on the blood of animals and humans by piercing a hole in their skin and injecting saliva to make the blood run more easily. The saliva has parasites in it and these parasites cause all sorts of horrible diseases. The worst ones are malaria and yellow fever. Mosquitoes rest during the day in

There are more than 2,000 types of snakes in the world and a quarter of them are poisonous. Half of these can kill a human and Cobra 100,000 people are killed every year by snake bites, so snakes have definitely earned second place on our list of most dangerous animals. The deadliest snake is the King Cobra and it lives in the forests and countrysides of India and South East Asia, in places including Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Cambodia. It’s big and powerful, and it can move really quickly. It can grow up to four metres long and can weigh as much as a small child. The King Cobra uses its tongue to ‘sniff ’ out its prey, even when it’s a hundred metres away. When it reaches it prey, it raises its head and begins to sway, mesmerising its victim before striking and sinking in its sharp teeth.

Mosquito

Poisonous snakes

Kelly Rowland with dancers on stage at the last edition of ‘Love Like a Movie’

Encourage sports for children Dennis Agbo ENUGU

he Headmistress of Bishop Otubelu Nursery and Primary School (BONPS) Trans-Ekulu Enugu, Mrs. Gladys Nwosu has advised parents to encourage children’s early participation in sports activities to help them develop their full potentials. Nwosu gave the charge on Tuesday when BONPS held its maiden interhouse sports competition within the school premises. She noted that sports help create the spirit of team play among children especially at their early stage in life and urged parents and all relevant stakeholders in child’s development to encourage sports among children. Nwosu therefore pleaded with parents to buy sporting wears and equipment for their children, adding that future sports talents are discovered through activities such as the schools interhouse sports. Promising to make it a yearly competition, the headmistress also pledged to hold the next session of the competition in a better sports ground than in the one it was held on Tuesday. She said “The competition is for

The teeth are like hypodermic needles which inject poison into an animal so it is soon dead. If the dead animal is big, the king cobra can dislocate its jaw and swallow the whole animal in one go! Cobras don’t choose to attack people but it will defend itself if it thinks it’s under attack, for example if someone treads on them or gets too near, as can happen on farms, which means farm workers can be at risk of dying from a snake bite unless they can get to hospital in time. So why don’t the farmers kill the cobras? The answer is……because the cobras kill a lot of mice and rats. Without the cobras, the farms would be over-run with rats which would spread more disease.

Shark

If lions are kings of the jungle, then sharks are lords of the

children to develop interest in sports and for their physical fitness, moreso, it is part of the school curriculum. It is only in sports that Nigeria speak with one voice. I therefore urge parents to encourage their wards in sports.” The interhouse sports competition featured football, sorting of balls, dress race, feed yourself, sack race, relay race, 100 and 200 meters races, fashion parade, egg race and staff races. Trophies and gifts were awarded to winners in different categories of the competition divided into four houses of Yellow, Blue, Orange and Red.

Pupils of Bishop Otubelu Nusery and Primary School, Trans-Ekulu, Enugu, in maiden interhouse sports competition on Tuesday. PHOTO: DENNIS AGBO

ocean. They fear nothing and will attack anything. People have been afraid of sharks for centuries. There are stories of ships sinking in tropical oceans and the people in the water being eaten by sharks circling around them. A lot of shark attacks are reported around the coast of Australia. Tiger Sharks are found in tropical waters such as the Indian Ocean. The Great White Shark lives in colder seas, for example around the coast of the United States Their fear was made worse when a film called Jaws was shown in cinemas. It gave the Great White Shark a terrible reputation. Not all sharks are dangerous but some of them definitely are! Out of 360 types of shark, four of them are killers. If people are afraid of the Great White Shark, they should be more afraid of the Bull Shark and Tiger Shark. They’re even more nasty. Source: Kidstravelcam.co.uk

Thursday, February 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Africa grappling with challenge of digital migration

Leonard Okachie

hen the United Nation’s International Telecommunication Union (ITU) set June 17, 2015 deadline in 2006 for moving from analogue to digital transmission, there were doubts and optimisms around the globe. But barley three months to the switch over, many African countries are still grappling with this reality as they seem unprepared for the change. Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) offers improved spectrum efficiency compared to analogue TV. It also offers enhanced video and audio quality, interactivity, as well as increased programme choices. The minimum specifications aim to also ensure that DTT receivers provide good quality video and sound for viewers and give the lowest possible cost for freeto-air receivers. In Nigeria, despite assurances by the government that the country would meet deadline, many have expressed fear over its readiness because of contending issues surrounding the migration process. Worried by those issues, the Director General of the National Broadcasting Commission, Mr. Emeka Mba said in December that Nigeria cannot meet the January 2015 deadline which was set for African countries to transit to digital television. Mba, who disclosed this when he was hosted by the Electronic Media Content Owners Association of Nigeria, stated that some socio-economic realities had made impossible for the country to achieve such feat. “The January deadline is no more possible. We can’t meet it. We still do not have funding. Our country is going through a difficult time and we just have to face reality. In terms of economy, oil price is falling. Security is also a challenge. We remain optimistic that we will continue to work towards it; we will be pushing for June, at least,” Mba said. Since the January deadline was no longer possible, question being asked now is whether Nigeria will still meet the June 17 deadline. In other African countries, the story similar.In Kenya Staring at a blank TV screen has become a reality for most Kenyans, and many other African TV viewers could face the same fate come June 17. After the deadline, satellite dishes and antennas will receive their signals via a different technology. Theoretically, it will be possible to receive many more channels and enjoy improved image quality.

President Uhuru Kenyatta’s government ordered a consortium of four major television networks to be blocked from broadcasting in analog. This happened after they refused to change their signals to digital. The media houses argued that they were not ready yet, and now they are in court trying to push for one hundred more days to prepare for the digital transition. The Standard Group,one of Kenya’s leading media house, says it needs more time for the switchover All three countries are not ready for the switchover, says Mike Jensen, an IT specialist with the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) based in South Africa. “The Kenyan situation is probably the worst-case scenario on the continent; South Africa is pretty close,” Jensen said. “In Nigeria, only one state has made the switch,” Jensen said in media report. Nationwide coverage after the switchover to digital broadcasting is by no means ensured in African countries. As in Kenya, it is often about money. The change is costly for governments and citizens alike, the APC states on its website, which seeks to create an awareness of the issue. Television viewers will usually need a decoder, which costs about $50 (44 euros), to decode the digital signal. More-

A digital TV studio.

over, television companies will have to dig deep into their pockets to be able to broadcast their programs using the new technology. Vera Moses, a Tanzanian viewer, says she is happy with the digital reception. “The quality of the pictures is good,” she told DW in an interview. Tanzania is one of three countries that has already largely switched to wide-

band Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB). “In Dar es Salaam we already switched off analog transmission at the end of 2012,” John Nkoma, the director of Tanzania’s Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA), told DW. Most cities are now receiving programs via DVB-T, which is terrestrial digital broadcasting via antenna. The remote parts of Tanzania receive broadcasts via satellite.

New Telegraph newspaper clocks one Leonard Okachie

ew Telegraph newspaper clocked one year on Tuesday, with a reassurance by the management of its absolute commitment to stated ideals and objectives, which is essentially to uphold the ethics and best practices of journalism. The newspaper rolled off the press on February 24, 2014 as a daily, and was served to the Nigerian public through the newsstands and other channels. In a press statement on the first anniversary of the newspaper, the Managing Director and Editor -in-Chief, Mr. Eric Osagie re-affirmed the paper’s guiding ethos which is : “ To remain resolutely and irrevocably committed to democracy, free speech, human dignity, free enterprise and liberty of man.” He noted that in the last 12 months, the newspaper has sought to promote journalism of objectivity, excellence and dedication to the people of Nigeria, adding: “We have chosen to tow the path of unbiased reporting, with no leaning

to any political party, religion or partisan interests. These remain our driving force. These will continue to be our commitment to the Nigerian people. “The last one year has seen us operating in a very harsh economic environ-

Osagie

ment, to put it mildly, with fluctuations in prices of production inputs, including newsprint, ink and other consumables. But we have continued to forge ahead with courage, believing that no sacrifice is too much in our desire to give to the nation a world-class newspaper, in the best global tradition of the profession, anchored squarely on the sanctity of truth.” Osagie said that those achievements were made possible by the combined efforts of a highly committed corps of editors, reporters and other support staff, even as stressed that they have been blessed by a galaxy of stars who birthed the project at infancy. “Within the last 12 months also, we have concretized a partnership with one of the world’s leading newspapers, The New York Times, because we believe the world is a global village and that journalism anywhere in the world should not be different from the way we practice ours here. We believe also that our partnership with The New York Times has no doubt enriched our journalistic menu,” he said.

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Media

Thursday, February 26, 2015

IPC conducts survey on safety of journalists Aisha Titilayo

he International Press Centre, IPC, Lagos-Nigeria has commenced a survey on the safety of journalists in Nigeria as part of its project on safety of journalists and emerging issues in conflict in Nigeria. The survey is supported by the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO), Nigeria. According to a release made available to National Mirror, by the the Director, IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade, the survey started in November, 2014 and will end in April 2015. He noted that the immediate objective of the project is to conduct an assessment that provides baseline information on safety of journalists in Nigeria especially in the context of UNESCO Journalists’ Safety Indicator at the National Level so as to facilitate an intervention plan by UNESCO, its partners and other interested stakeholders.

He further said the exercise is meant to highlight the danger faced by journalists, the nature and character of the violations of their rights, the institutions and persons responsible for such violations and the actions taken or not taken to promote the safety of journalists. The findings will also be used to engage relevant stakeholders on the safety of journalists in Nigeria. Among the documented violations as sourced from nine national newspapers in November and December, 2014, are assault, abduction and destruction of working equipment. Most of the attacks affecting 17 journalists occurred in November at separate locations. Fourteen journalists, among them, three females, were kidnapped by militants in Delta State. One journalist was abducted by gunmen in Abia State. One journalist was assaulted in Osun State while another journalist and his crew members were assaulted in Kwara State. The police were allegedly responsible for most of the attacks that occurred in December. Four of them took place in Taraba State.

Yvonne Bassey receives 3 AMVCA nominations Leonard Okachie

roducer and presenter of Thru’ The Eyes Of An African, the captivating travel documentary programme that airs on DSTV, Yvonne Bassey, has again been nominated for an award. This time the prestigious, continentwide Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) nominated three of the television travel programme’s episodes for Best Documentary of the Year. The titles of the three episodes are: Gift of the Nile; Shashamane, Southern Ethiopia and The Massai Mara Adventure. The award ceremony which will take place on the evening of 7th March 2015 at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Lagos will see Nollywood stars, producers, directors, script writers, make-up artists, top celebrities in Africa’s entertainment and film industries as well as prominent personalities from different parts of the world, in attendance. The multiple awards-winning travel connoisseur, Yvonne Bassey, has over the years, brought Africa’s many compel-

Bassey with the Massais in East Africa

ling sites, historic cities, colourful festivals, amazing cultures, diverse wildlife and even near-extinct customs, into the homes of many. Her quest to promote some of the lesser known African destinations, alongside the culture of the people has taken her on a whirlwind journey of exhilarating and timeless destinations that has not ended, while affording her encounters with some of the most fascinating people and traditions that the continent has to offer. Yvonne’s documentary works and efforts to uplift Africa have earned her successive national laurels over the years, including awards from the Nigeria Media Merit Awards (NMMA), Africa Travellers Awards (ATA) and Diamond Award for Media Excellence (DAME), among others. Now in its fourth year, Thru’ The Eyes Of An African has helped Africans learn, enjoy and celebrate the interplay of a traditional past and an evolving present. Episode after episode, a lot of viewers have keenly watched her documentaries and many have even caught the travel bug by going further to visit the destinations she promotes on the programme, owing to its pull.

Members of Nigeria Union of Journalists protesting.

Ndani TV, YNaija to honour Nigeria’s most innovative persons Leonard Okachie

gain, Nigeria’s best 100 innovators in technology will be honored at this year’s #YTech100 which will hold as part of the official events for the Social Media Week Lagos 2015. This year’s event with the theme “What’s Africa’s Next Wave?” will focus on the future of Africa’s technology industry. Speaking about the last edition of #YTech100, Obi Asika, Chairman of Social Media Week Lagos, described it as one of the best events of Social Media Week 2014, “the event played a central role in bringing together and celebrating the giants and players that power social media and that is why the event had to be brought back this year”. Isime Esene, Associate Editor of YNaija, while talking about the need for the event, said “the outstanding contributions of these individuals to Nigeria’s technology industry has made it imperative for us to give them the recognition they deserve”. The #YTech100 is hosted by Y!/YNaija. com and presented by Ndani TV’s digits is

an annual cocktail and networking event honoring the brightest and best in Nigeria’s technology eco-system. In the past, honorees have ranged from industry leaders like Jason Njoku of iROKOtv and Sim Shagaya of Konga, to emerging visionaries like Opeyemi Awoyemi of Jobberman and Bosun Tijani of Co-Creation Hub, among others. The honorees at this year’s event will feature tech innovators from Education, E-Commerce, Enterprise, amongst other areas. They were chosen after careful considerations by the brilliant team at Y!/ YNaija.com. The by-invitation-only event, which will hold as part of the official Social Media Week Lagos 2015 events, will spotlight ideas as well as drive interaction on the factors that have helped leverage opportunities and potential in the local and international tech market. The event which holds tomorrow at Terra Kulture, will also have an aggregated audience in the hall as well as online, from across Africa sending in questions and opinions that will further drive the conversation.

Media Abroad

CNN acquires ‘Glen Campbell...I’ll be me’

NN has announced the exclusive acquisition of the domestic broadcast rights for the criticallyacclaimed feature documentary GLEN CAMPBELL…I’LL BE ME from PCH Films. Featuring the Grammy Award®winning and Academy Award®nominated song, “I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” sung by Glen Campbell himself, the heartbreakingly beautiful, funny, inspiring film directed by James Keach and produced by Trevor Albert and Keach follows the long goodbye that is Alzheimer’s disease as Campbell, and his family, struggle with the diagnosis and

progression of the illness through his poignant “Goodbye Tour” in 2011 to 2012. The network intends the CNN Films Presents broadcast of GLEN CAMPBELL…I’LL BE ME to premiere on CNN in June, and then encore in November of 2015. “We look forward to having the Campbells’ brave story – unfortunately familiar to too many American families – on CNN. This partnership will guarantee that millions of people will have the opportunity to see our movie and understand just how important it is to both raise awareness – and find an end – to Alzheimer’s disease,” said producer Trevor Albert.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Community Mirror I believe this nation can build a 21st century police force that would have the best and brightest officers who can pursue their careers to the top. Governor of Lagos State – Babatunde Fashola

Police kill suspected armed Cleric tasks politicians on general elections robber Ojo Oyewamide AKURE

suspected armed robber was yesterday killed by the Ondo State Police Command in an early-hour gun duel at Oba-Ile in Akure North Local Government Area of the state. The deceased was said to have been a member of a gang of armed robbers who had been terrorizing residents of the community before he ran out of

luck. The state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Wole Ogodo, told reporters that the command received a distress call from a woman around 3:30 am that armed robbers had entered into her apartment, prompting a team of policemen to run to the scene of the incident. Ogodo said the suspected hoodlums engaged the security operatives in a gun battle immediately they arrived at the woman’s apartment, leading to the death of one of them, while oth-

ers escaped with bullet wounds. The PPRO, who claimed that one locally-made pistol, cutlasses and other dangerous weapons were recovered from the scene, urged the people of the state to cooperate with the police in providing adequate information. He said the police were ready to give out the control room numbers to those who requested for them, vowing that the command would take the war against crime to the door step of the criminals if they didn’t desist from their evil ways.

Chairman, Boat Owners Association, Adamawa, Alhaji Abdu Gambo (right) checking cartons of dried fish which is being loaded in Yola for transportation to other parts of the country on Friday. PHOTO: NAN

‘We’ve graduated 10,000 youths from Katsina craft village’–Shema James Danjuma KATSINA

overnor of Kastina State Ibrahim Shema, has stated that about 10, 000 youths have so far graduated from the Katsina Youth Craft Village, since it was established some five years ago. Shema disclosed this yesterday when Managing Director of the Nigeria Film Corporation, NFC, Jos, Dr. Danjuma Datun paid him an official visit. Shema said the 10,000 youths

were trained in various vocational skills, including tie and dye, wielding, carpentry, GSM repairs, among other skills. He said there are plans in coming days to present a bill before the state House of Assembly for a law to be established backing the centre. He said several youths within and outside Nigeria have been enrolled to train at the centre and following their graduation, given assistance to establish own businesses. led on the NFC to partner

with the state and federal universities in the state to commence degree programmes on film editing and script writing. Shema also called on the corporation to work at developing both programmes as same were major employment source in nations like China, India and the United States. Datun, on his part, said the corporation has partnered with the state government since 2011 in cinema and photography training for youths at the craft village.

K emi O l aitan IBADAN

ith the general elections few weeks away, the founder and Spiritual Head of Shafaudeen in Islam Worldwide, Prof. Sabit Ariyo Olagoke, has charged politicians and other stakeholders in the election matters to be patriotic and put the interest of the country at heart. Olagoke who spoke with journalists in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, while announcing programme of activities for his 58th birthday anniversary, said the only solution to avoid violence during and after the coming elections is for the politicians and other stakeholders to display high level of patriotism and put national interest above their personal aggrandizement. While identifying selfish interest as one of the reasons for retrogression of development in the country, Olagoke, also decried the loss of moral values in the family as well as the larger society. He said, “Democracy is all about service, most of us while getting to power go for self development, self en-

richment instead of developing our areas and that is why we are still here.” The Islamic preacher said all stakeholders must be mindful of the USA prediction about Nigeria in 2015 and put the interest of the country and the people above selfish motive. “Like Americans will say, we the people and the government need continue to defend the rights of every citizens, if we are able to see democracy through that process, things will be better for us”, he said. Speaking on the current insecurity bedeviling the nation, he said “Before 2015, let them do something to this Boko Haram problem, it essential, because once that area is not really treated, American prediction may come like that, and before you know it, we may not be able to control it. “Everybody

must

stakeholder when it comes to issue of security, that area must be addressed fully now, it is essential, Nigerians are so resilience, we must continue, but at the same time we must be proactive in planning”, he added.

Police nabs 32 year old for rape in Taraba J ustin Tyopuusu JALINGO

araba State Commissioner of Police, Nyats Jatau said men of his command have arrested a 32 year old Amos Dauda of Technobat quarters Jalingo for raping a 14 year old girl ( name withheld). Nyats stated this in Jalingo yesterday while parading the suspect before newsmen at the Police State headquarters. The CP explained that the father of the girl sent his two daughters to buy patrol and sachet water in Mile Six market Jalingo and while in the

market, Amos lured one of them into his room on the pretext that he was going to give her N3000.00 for her mother. “On reaching his house, the suspect took her into his room and had sexual intercourse with her,” he explained. Answering questions from journalists the suspect, Amos Dauda admitted committing the crime, though he said he did not rape her, but that she voluntarily submitted to him. The police commissioner added that investigation into the case was still ongoing and that the suspect would be charged to court as soon as

investigation

case is completed.

into

the

Thursday, February 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Family petitions Senate Drug: Court jails Cape over land speculator Verde woman for 6 months A M Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has sentenced a woman, Rosangela Homes Gonclaves, Cape Verde citizen to six months imprisonment for importing two (2) kilograms of cocaine into Nigeria. Justice Saliu Saidu the court finds her culpable as charged having pleaded guilty to the offence. The convict was arrested with the said banned substance by the men of National Drug Laws and Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, on July 21, 2013, along with one Olua Uguru Christopher, who is said to be at large. The convict was first arraigned before the court on November 12, 2013, and pleaded not guilty to the charges leveled

against her by the anti-drug agency but she later pleaded guilty. Following her change of plea, she was re-arraigned on a two count charge of unlawful importation of the banned substance. The offences according to the NDLEA’s prosecutor, Mr. Fingere Odinneys, are contrary and punishable to section 11(a) and 14(b) of the National Drug Laws and Enforcement Agency Act Cap. N 30, of the laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. Count one of the charge reads; “that you Rosangela Homes Gonclaves, female, adult, and Olua Uguru Christopher, male, adult (now at large) on or about July 21, 2013, at ‘E’ Arrival Hall, Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, without law-

ful authority, imported two (2) kilogrammes of cocaine, and thereby committed an offence contrary and punishable under section 11(a) of the National Drug Laws and Enforcement Agency Act Cap. N 30, of the laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.” Upon the change of plea by the convict, and presentation of the facts of the case by the prosecution, the court finds him guilty as charged. However, the convict counsel, Mr. Okenyi Chris, in his allucutor, urged the court to be lenient in sentencing the convict. He told the court that the convict had been in the NDLEA detention since when she was arrested in 2013. Consequently, the judge, Justice Saidu sentenced her to six (6) months imprisonment.

Wale Igbintade

embers of Kuye Amuwo Chieftaincy family in Amuwo-Odofin Local Government in Lagos State have petitioned, Senate Committee on Public Petitions, Ethics and Privileges to investigate activities of land speculators allegedly terrorizing the family over 508 hectares of land situated at Festac Town extension, along Badagry Express Way, Lagos. The family in a petition dated November 17, 2014, and signed by its General Secretary, Alhaji Mustapha Akinlolu urged the Senate Committee to curb the activities of one Chief Mutairu Owoye, acting on behalf of a dissident group within the family and order him out of the disputed land. The family stated that the disputed land was released to the Kuje Amuwo-odofin family following an application by the family to the Federal Ministry of Land, Housing and Urban Development. The family said the application demanded for the release of unused land of their land after the 1976-1977 Africa Festival of Art and Culture hosted by Nigeria. The petitioner added that short-

ly after the release of the land, a dissident group in one of the seven branches that made up the Kuye family allegedly engaged the services of one Owoye to mount surveillance on the land, thereby disturbing legal activities at the site. According to the family, the action of the dissident group ‘’threw up lot of dissatisfaction and acrimonies among hitherto peaceful Kuje family. In fact all attempts by the elders of the family to make the dissident group see reasons and make their grievances known to the larger members of the Kuje family for amicable settlement was to no avail’’. Petitioner said members of the family were happy when they received a letter of invitation from a former Justice of Supreme Court (name withheld) to resolve the impasse adding that the meeting afforded them opportunity to tender all relevant documents and express their opinions on the matter. According to them, prior to the reconciliation meeting, the dissident group had employed the service of a property company to act on their behalf and manage and secure the land.

Delta elders endorses Urhobo cultural group excos

T Scene of an accident on Moshood Abiola Way, Ebute Metta, Lagos, yesterday.

Court jails man 35 years for rape

n Asaba High Court has sentenced one Chukwu Ebuka Sunday, to 35 years in jail for his involvement in the gang-raping a 17-year -old girl. The convict who was part of a six-man gang that specializes in raping girls, was sentenced without an option of fine, after being found guilty of raping their victim, a secondary school girl (name withheld), with 5 others now at large. He was sentenced to 3 years for count one, 30 years for count two and two years for count three which are to run concurrently. The offence was committed on 23 November, 2012, at Akwuebulu, within the Asaba judicial division. Recounting her experience

in the hands of the rapists, the victim said: “On the 23rd day of November, 2012 at about 1100hrs, my mother sent me on an errand to the market to buy food stuffs for her. On my way to the market along Arthur Richard Street, Akwuebulu, one boy called Ebuka saw me and seized me by my skirt and dragged me into their compound and locked the gate. “As soon as he locked the gate, he brought out a cutlass and threatened to cut me with it. He then used the cutlass to hit me on my stomach and also hit himself severally with the cutlass and started boasting that he was a strong man and a cultist. “Thereafter, he pushed me into his room and forcefully removed my underwear and raped me.

After raping me, he called his friends on phone and five other boys came and also raped me in turn. “They poured alcoholic gin drink on my face, broke raw eggs on my head and beat me up even as I was crying and pleading for them to leave me. They also asked me to pay them the sum of N15, 000 or else they will kill me and my parents,” she recounted in court while giving evidence. The accused in his defense, denied the three count charge of conspiracy to commit rape, rape and demanding with menace. The court in its verdict, held that prosecution proved its case beyond all reasonable doubt as it established essential ingredients of the offence against the accused.

he new executive of the apex Urhobo cultural group, Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, under the leadership of Chief Tuesday Onoge, has received yet another boost as Elders/leaders and stakeholders in Delta Central paid him a solidarity visit to show their support for his leadership. Speaking on behalf of the Delta Central Elders/Leaders and stakeholders, the Chairman, Chief Patrick Ide said they came to pay him the solidarity visit because of the strong believe and trust they have for Chief Onoge, adding that Chief Onoge is fighting a genuine cause for the Urhobo nation. Chief Ide noted that Chief Onoge is widely accepted by majority of Urhobo as the rightful man to lead the UPU because he is an upright man that stands for truth. He added that the ruling party, PDP, has disappointed the Urhobos severally and they have since decided not to work for them, noting that the Uwi-

amuge declaration does not support PDP because they did not give them what they wanted. He said, “We stand for the progress of Urhobo and we detest anything that will stand against the progress of the Urhobo. We stand on the Uwiamuge declaration and we are behind Chief Tuesday Onoge. Responding, Chief Onoge assured the people that he will not disappoint them for the confidence they have on him, adding that on Uwiamuge declaration he stands. He advised the Delta Central Leaders to work together as one and fight the Urhobo fight, stressing that though UPU was not in support of any political candidate, they are going to come out with a final resolution after the Presidential election. The UPU Acting President General also assured them that he is sure that they are going to win the battle at the end of the day, adding that the Urhobos cannot afford to be relegated to the background in the polity of the nation.

Thursday, February 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

World News

ISIS: Fears mount as abducted Syrian Christians rises to 200

(Fast tracking ties) it depends on what the United States does. It does not depend on Cuba – Deputy Director Of US Affairs, Gustavo Machin

Food aid resumes for refugees in Niger after B’Haram scare

ood aid is again flowing to thousands of refugees on the border between Niger and Nigeria, the World Food Programme (WFP) said yesterday, ending a suspension of deliveries by humanitarian groups because they feared attacks by Boko Haram. More than 100,000 people have fled violence in northern Nigeria in recent months for refugee camps or informal settlements in neighbouring Niger, following a wave of attacks by the Islamist militant group. Some 3,000 people are expected to receive food aid from the WFP on Wednesday, following the suspension of humanitarian work earlier this month along some stretches of the border between the two West African nations. “In the camps, there is a lack of access to basic services, a lack of food and clean water,” WFP official Adel Sarkozi told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. “We are very concerned about the status of the newly arrived women and children.” Many of the refugees are scattered in remote areas. Niger was facing a hunger crisis even before the latest influx of refugees, with an acute malnutrition rate of 23.5 percent of its 17 million population, above the emergency threshold of 15 percent, according to a November assessment. The WFP said it aims to provide food aid to 37,000 newly displaced people in Niger, a Sahel state, by the end of February. Across Cameroun, Niger and Chad - countries impacted by violence in neighbouring Nigeria the WFP plans to provide food aid to about 240,000 people this year.

Dhanani

Obama nominates first US ambassador to Somalia since 1991 PAUL ARHEWE

WITH AGENCY REPORTS

S President Barack Obama has nominated America’s first ambassador to Somalia since 1991, when ties soured as rival warlords took over the African nation.

Sierra Leonean who worked with children orphaned by Ebola has died of the disease himself. Augustine Baker had been admitted to an Ebola treatment centre after becoming ill last week. He had worked for an orphanage run by a UK charity on the outskirts of Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown. Thirty-three children and seven staff at the St George Foundation orphanage have been in quarantine since Mr Baker was diagnosed with the deadly virus. Ebola has killed more than 9,500 people in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. But in recent weeks, the crisis has eased and the governments of the three countries have pledged to achieve zero Ebola

Katherine Dhanani, a longtime diplomat with deep experience of African affairs, will have to be confirmed by the Senate for the role in Somalia, where extremists have targeted government officials in a bloody campaign. The State Department welcomed the move as “historic”

and said it “signals the deepening relationship” between the two countries after they launched a new era of diplomatic relations in 2013. If confirmed, Dhanani will lead the US mission to Somalia, which is currently based at the US embassy in Nairobi, said State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki. “As security conditions permit, we look forward to increasing our diplomatic presence in Somalia and eventually reopening the US embassy in Mogadishu.” The darkest chapter in USSomali ties came in 1993 when Americans were anguished by scenes of the bodies of US soldiers being dragged through the streets of Mogadishu by a mob after Somali militants shot down two Black Hawk helicopters. Eighteen Americans died and 80 were wounded. The Somali government that finally took power in August 2012 was the first to be given global recognition since the hardline regime fell in 1991, and billions of dollars in foreign aid have since poured in to help rebuild the Horn of Africa country. The US recognized the new government in January 2013. But security remains a major concern in the impoverished country. Obama’s announcement comes only days after Al-Qaeda-linked Shebab insurgents killed at least 25 people in an attack on a popular hotel in the capital Mogadishu where government ministers and officials were holding Friday prayers.

Ebola: Sierra Leone’s orphanage worker dies

Baker’s role in tackling the Ebola virus has been widely admired

infections within the next two months. Augustine Baker was an unsung hero. At the height of the Ebola cri-

sis he would go into high-risk communities to help children who had been orphaned by the disease. With his backpack on and his notebook and pen handy, Mr Baker would collect data and go and find the children to take them to the orphanage. His colleagues, who are locked in quarantine at the orphanage, were grieving as news of his death broke. Jestina Conteh was sobbing as she spoke to me on the phone. He said Mr Baker was “a dedicated colleague who never said ‘No’ in search of Ebola orphans”.

WORLD BULLETIN

South Africa probes alleged leak of intelligence files Warning of a threat to national security, a top South African official on Wednesday condemned an alleged leak of South African intelligence documents and said an investigation is underway. The comments by David Mahlobo, South Africa’s state security minister, followed the publication this week of the purported spy files by The Guardian and Al-Jazeera news organizations. The files, which were reportedly leaked, document past South African monitoring of suspected Iranian spies as well as communication between South African intelligence and the CIA and Israel’s Mossad spy agency. Mahlobo said it is illegal to disclose classified information. “Such conduct has the dangerous effect of undermining operational effectiveness of the work to secure this country, and borders on undermining diplomatic relations with our partners in the international community,” he said in a statement. “Any leakages of classified information undermine the national security of any state,” Mahlobo said. He also noted that it was common for countries to share intelligence on “cross-cutting issues” such as economic opportunities and security matters.

DR Congo launches strikes against Hutu rebels The Democratic Republic of the Congo has launched its first strikes as part of a long-awaited offensive against Rwandan Hutu rebels. Ministers had previously pledged to target the FDLR militants after they failed to meet a deadline to disarm last month. Some FDLR leaders have been linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Their presence in DR Congo has been a key factor behind two decades of conflict in the region. Rwanda, led by a Tutsi-dominated government, has twice invaded its neighbour demanding that the FDLR be disarmed. The UN mission in DR Congo recently withdrew its support for the offensive because it involved two government generals accused of human rights abuses. Tuesday’s attack took place in the South Kivu province, about 10km (six miles) from the border with Burundi, the military said. However, a source with the rebels told the BBC they had been informed of the attack in advance and had already withdrawn.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

WORLD BULLETIN

Lull stirs truce hope in Ukraine The Ukrainian army has said it suffered no casualties in 24 hours for the first time in weeks, raising hopes that a fragile ceasefire is starting to hold. Pro-Russian rebels say they have pulled back heavy weapons from the front line in the east to comply with the truce. But government forces dispute that and international observers want proof. Although the ceasefire came into effect on 15 February, the rebels captured the strategically important town of Debaltseve days later. The lull at the frontline came amid worsening economic chaos for Ukraine this week, with its currency plummeting 13%. The central bank tried on Wednesday to halt the sharp decline of the hryvnia, which has dropped by at least 40% this year, by banning banks from buying foreign currency on behalf of their clients for the rest of the week. There were also signs of a renewed dispute over gas supplies. After Ukrainian authorities reduced gas supplies to rebel-controlled areas in the east last week, the national energy company Naftogaz said less than half of its prepaid shipments had been piped from Russia.

Austria passes reforms to 1912 Islam law The Austrian parliament has passed controversial reforms to the country’s century-old law on Islam. The bill, which is partly aimed at tackling Islamist radicalism, gives Muslims more legal security but bans foreign funding for mosques and imams. Austria’s Integration Minister, Sebastian Kurz, defended the reforms but Muslim leaders say they fail they to treat them equally. The 1912 law made Islam an official religion in Austria. It has been widely held up as a model for Europe in dealing with Islam. The new measures, first proposed three years ago, include the protection of religious holidays and training for imams. But Muslim groups say the ban on foreign funding is unfair as international support is still permitted for the Christian and Jewish faiths. They say the legalisation reflects a widespread mistrust of Muslims and some are planning to contest it in the constitutional court. Mr Kurz told the BBC the reforms were a “milestone” for Austria and aimed to stop certain Muslim countries using financial means to exert “political influence”.

World News

Thursday, February 26, 2015

ISIS: Fears mount as abducted Syrian Christians rises to 200

here are fears that more members of an Assyrian Christian community in north-eastern Syria were abducted by Islamic State militants than at first thought. Sources in the community said as many as 200 people might have been seized on Monday in raids on a string of villages near Tal Tamr, in Hassakeh province. Most of the captives were women, children and the elderly. Some 1,000 local Assyrian families are believed to have fled their homes in the wake of the abductions. Kurdish and Christian militia are battling IS in the area. At least 90 Assyrians were seized by the militants on Monday as they captured 12 villages along the southern bank of the Khabur river before dawn, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based opposition group that monitors the conflict in the country. The Syriac National Council of Syria put the figure as high as 150, while Afram Yaboub of the Assyrian Federation of Sweden said sources on the ground had told him that at least 60 and up to

Kurdish and Christian fighters are battling IS militants in the area where the Assyrians were abducted

200 people were missing. However, a spokesman for the Syriac Military Council, a Christian militia fighting alongside the Kurdish Popular Protection Units (YPG), told the BBC that between 350 and 400 civilians had been taken, and that some had already been killed. Kino Gabriel said that the Syriac Military Council believed the captives had been taken to

Abdul Aziz mountain but it was not sure about their exact location. The BBC’s reporter in Beirut says the motive for the seizure of so many Assyrians is not yet clear. Our correspondent says it may be that the Assyrian prisoners are to be used as part of a swap with the Kurdish forces. Osama Edward of the Swedenbased Assyrian Human Rights

Network told a news agency that the captives had been taken to the IS stronghold of Shaddadi, as did Syria’s state news agency, Sana. “People were expecting an attack, but they thought that either the Syrian army, which is just 30km [20 miles] from there or the Kurds or the [US-led] coalition’s strikes would protect them,” Mr Edward said.

Syrian president Assad meets French lawmakers

yrian President Bashar alAssad met yesterday with French parliamentarians, the first such meeting since France closed its embassy in 2012 and announced that Syria’s leader had lost all legitimacy. The trip was not approved by the French parliament’s foreign affairs committee, and the Foreign Ministry said it did not support the mission. Many European diplomats are saying privately it is time for communication with Damascus after a four-year revolt failed to overthrow Assad. Syria’s state news agency said the meeting had focused on “challenges facing Arab and European regions, particularly

with regard to terrorism”. It paraphrased Assad as saying Syria “always encourages cooperation between states as the most effective way to stop the expansion of terrorism and eliminate it”. More than 200,000 people have died in a civil war that began when peaceful pro-democracy protests were met by Assad with force of arms. Islamist militants have grown to be the most powerful insurgent force. The four-man delegation, which returned to France on Thursday, was led by Gerard Bapt of the ruling Socialist Party and included members of the lower and upper houses of parliament. Lawmaker Jacques

Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad (centre left) meets with a French delegation headed by Senate member, Head of the Senate’s FrenchSyrian Friendship Committee Jean-Pierre Vial,(center right) in Damascus, yesterday

Myard, who has in the past accused Paris of blindly following U.S. policy, confirmed to Reuters that the meeting had taken place on Wednesday morning. “Coming here does not mean we back what’s happened,” he told BFM TV. “The objective is to understand Assad’s regime better, because we don’t believe we can fight Islamic State without Syria.”

He said certain countries that France considered allies in the region were not playing their part in the battle against Islamist militants. A French diplomatic source said the visit was considered a private one, and that the Foreign Ministry had not been consulted: “France’s position is clear. We do not talk to Assad or his clique.”

Vatican seeks to quell Mexican anger over pope’s drug remark

he Vatican sought yesterday to defuse a diplomatic tiff with Mexico after Pope Francis referred to the possible “Mexicanization” of his native Argentina from drug trafficking, the latest instance of Francis’ casual speaking style getting him into trouble. The Vatican said it had sent an official diplomatic note to Mexico’s ambassador insisting that Francis “absolutely did not

intend to offend the Mexican people” with the remark, or to detract from the government’s anti-drug efforts. Francis made the reference in an email over the weekend to an Argentine friend and lawmaker, Gustavo Vera, who is involved in combating the drug trade. He published the pope’s email on the website of his Alameda Foundation. In the email, Francis wrote: “Hopefully we are in time to avoid

Mexicanization.” The Mexican government formally complained about the remark during a meeting with the Holy See’s ambassador to Mexico and in a note of protest, saying the government was committed to battling drug cartels and that there was no benefit to “stigmatizing Mexico.” In a statement Wednesday, the Vatican said the pope’s words were contained in a personal,

informal email to Vera and that Francis had merely repeated a phrase that Vera had used. “The pope intended only to emphasize the seriousness of the phenomenon of the drug trafficking that afflicts Mexico and other countries in Latin America,” said the Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi. “It is precisely this importance that has made the fight against drug trafficking a priority for the government.”

North

Thursday, February 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Police parade female financier of political thugs, 22 others ABDULGAFAR OLADIMEJI KANO

L-R: The Gomo of Kuje, Alhaji Haruna Jibrin; PDP House of Representatives aspirant and former Chairman, Kuje Area Council, Mr. Danladi Zhin and Chairman, Kuje Area Council, Mr. Shaban Tete, during the foundation laying of Kuje Main Market in Kuje, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

‘One chance’ thieves prowl Kaduna, NSCDC warns A ZA MSUE KADUNA

aduna State Commandant of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Alhaji Zakari Ibrahim Ningi, yesterday warned members of the public to exercise caution in patronising operators of commercial buses in the metropolis. Ningi said some unscrupulous operators take advantage of despera-

tion and unsuspecting commuters, who boarded their vehicles, to rob them at vulnerable spots. According to the commandant, the warning has become necessary in order to alert members of the public on the rising wave of crime to which some people have fallen victim. In a statement issued by Kaduna State Command’s acting spokesman of NSCDC, Orndiir Terzungwe, on behalf of the commandant, he

said: “Consequent upon a new mode of operation adopted by operators of painted commercial buses in Kaduna metropolis, who carry unsuspecting passengers and rob them on board, the NSCDC has deemed it important to alert members of the public to exercise caution in patronising them.” Speaking on her ordeal, one of the victims (name withheld) said she boarded a painted commercial bus at Abuja Junction

along Nnamdi Azikiwe Expressway to Kaduna Central Market, but was shocked that on her way near POWA Shopping Complex, Kakuri, the occupants turned to be robbers. The victim lamented that she was dispossessed of her hard-earned capital, handset and was stabbed on the right hand when she attempted to struggle for liberation before she was forcefully pushed off the vehicle.

557 Niger pilgrims for Israel PRISCILLA DENNIS MINNA

iger State Pilgrims Commission, NSPC, has concluded plans to airlift 557 Christian pilgrims to Israel, beginning from March 7, 2015. The pilgrims are the spillover of the 2014 pilgrims to the holy land. Making the disclosure during a press briefing in Minna after a meeting with

desk officers of the 25 local governments at the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, office, chairman and leader of the state’s delegation, Barrister Abraham Yisa, said the spill-over pilgrims were not peculiar to Niger State alone. According to him, out of the 36 states of the federation, only 22 were able to airlift their pilgrims to Israel in 2014, while hinging the inability of the commission to transport its pilgrims to dwindling fi-

nancial position of the state, occasioned by the drop on what accrued to the state from the federation account. Yisa said: “Ordinarily, the airlift was supposed to be between November and December last year, but the dwindling economy of the nation, the elections and its postponement, all affected the plan. But the National Christian Commission, NCC, is flagging off the Easter pilgrimage package

on March 1 and afterward, Niger State will commence its own on March 7. We will do it in such a way that no intending pilgrim will be disenfranchised from participating in the election.” He said though, the duration of the pilgrimage has been reduced from 12 days to 8 due to the current financial situation, the visit would be a comprehensive package as every holy places will be visited to enriched the spiritual life of every pilgrims.

ano State Police Command yesterday parade 22 persons armed with dangerous weapons, and suspected to be political thugs. They were arrested alongside their alleged female financier in Tudun Wada Local Government Area of the state. Police Commissioner, Idris Ibrahim, said some political gangs engaged themselves in a deadly fight in Ladin Makole in Warawa Local Government Area of the state and the clash resulted in the death of one person with properties worth millions of naira destroyed. “As you are aware, on February 23rd, around 1700hrs, we recorded an incident at Ladin Makole village, where a fracas between two political parties resulted in the death of one party supporter. “When the police spread their dragnet in the area the incident happened, the police could not arrest anybody, and we established full patrol in the area. On Tuesday we got information of a build-up of political thugs around Tudun Wada area and in the process we arrested 23 suspects with dangerous weapons. In the course of the investigation, a lady was fingered by the political thugs as their mobiliser,” Ibrahim said. The police condemned hiring of youths as political thugs, noting that the command would apprehend and prosecute all those found to be involved in political gangsterism. “In a situation whereby some political actors gather innocent children, giving them hard drugs to wreak havoc, I think it is

not in the best interest of our political evolution. “I want to use this opportunity to call on political parties and every wellmeaning Nigerians to ensure they talk to their wards on the inherent danger associated with violence during electioneering campaigns and talk to their supporters to desist from being engaged in destructive tendencies in the process of advancing their political objectives. “The Inter Security Agency Consultative Committee, ISACC, yesterday met and took some far-reaching decisions, that henceforth we shall not tolerate any politician while on procession or campaign wielding dangerous weapons and in the process harassing and intimidating innocent people in the community, Ibrahim said. He added that the alleged financier of the thugs, Aisha Maijama’a, was apprehended for allegedly being responsible for the mobilisation of youths to engage in destructive political ventures in the state. Hajiya Maijama’a, in a chat with journalists at the Kano police headquarters, denied the allegations against her. She said the accusations were baseless and politically motivated, arguing that as a responsible and law-abiding citizen, she would not indulge in such activity. Maijama’a added: “This issue is politically motivated, let me tell you, it is a frame up and it can happen to anybody. I am a female political pillar, and mother in my area, these boys are our children, they were directed to go and paste posters by our party headquarters.

Wada condemns abduction of 87-year-old missionary WALE IBRAHIM LOKOJA

ondemnations have continued to trail the abduction of 87-yearold missionary, Reverend Mrs Phyllis Sortor, who was kidnapped at the premises of Hope Academy, near Lokoja-Ajaokuta road. Kogi State Governor,

Captain Idris Wada, condemned in strong terms the kidnapping of an American missionary by yet-to-be identified gunmen at Emiworo village in Ajaokuta Local Government Area of the state. This was contained in a statement issued and signed by Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to

the governor, Mr. Jacob Edi, which stated that the crime was barbaric and un-godly. Wada therefore, urged security agencies in the state to ensure that those behind the dastardly act were brought to book. Also speaking, chieftain of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Kogi State, Prince Rotimi Obadofin,

condemned the spate of kidnapping in the state, saying it was becoming a dangerous trend if not nipped in the bud. Obadofin, who condemned the act while chatting with journalists in Lokoja, stated that security agents should live up to expectations and provide security for lives and prop-

erty. He explained that cases of kidnapping, which was hitherto alien to Kogi State, was gradually becoming a daily occurrence, stressing that this needs to be tackled headlong to prevent a recurrence. He pointed out that the western senatorial district of the state was not left out

of the saga, as a groom who had just wedded was kidnapped at gunpoint recently, stressing that another Fulani man was adopted and paid a ransom of N4 million. He appealed to the state government and security agents to tackle this ugly incident, noting that it could be anybody else.

Thursday September 4, 2014

Thursday, February 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sport

The impending influx of youngsters to the Super Eagles is indicative of a new dawn that is upon us –Former Nigeria international, Pascal Patrick

No big deal about Liverpool miss –Onazi

South Africa’s goal scorer, Khanyisa Mayo, celebrating

Keshi loses out in Burkina Faso •Eagles job not his bir thright – Chukwu EVEREST ONYEWUCHI WITH AGENCY REPORT

erman trainer, Gernot Rohr, has been named coach of the Burkina Faso national football team, thus, dashing Stephen Keshi’s hope of managing the Les Etalons. Rohr replaces Belgian Paul Put, who parted ways with the Burkinabes after the recent 30th Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) held in Equatorial Guinea, where the Les Etalons, losing finalists at the 2013 edition crashed out at the group phase. A statement from the Federation Burkinabe de Football (FBF) released on Tuesday night said the federation had settled for the 61-year-old as the best option.

Prior to that, the FBF had named a three-man shortlist including Rohr, Keshi and Serbian Milovan Rajevac from 38 applications received for the vacant post. According to the FBF, the German-born coach will be unveiled to the press in the next few days after the finalisation of the terms of engagement between the two parties. Following from the announcement in Burkina Faso, former Super Eagles coach, Christian Chukwu, has said that the Nigeria team’s head coach is not a birthright or preserve for out-of-contract Keshi. The Amaju Pinnick led Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) executive board has not been firm on whether or not to offer

the former Mali and Togo gaffer a new contract. Chukwu said the NFF should be firm and prompt on the Eagles job and stop the hide and seek game with the former Nigerian captain. “NFF should stop using Keshi as excuse for their indecision on Super Eagles coaching job. It’s wrong for the NFF to be waiting on Burkina Faso to name a coach before deciding whether or not to hand Keshi a new contract. “Super Eagles job is not an exclusive or permanent work place for Stephen Keshi or any other coach. I don’t think Keshi is really too heavy a burden for the football house to deal with rather they’re just trying to make something out of nothing,” Chukwu told supersport.com.

Golden Eaglets’ captain, Kelechi Nwakali (down) being consoled after th e match

Niger 2015: Amajimbos stun Eaglets in semis

he South African Under-17 National Team, Amajimbos, yesterday beat Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets 1 – 0 to reach the final of the CAF U-17 Championship in Niger Republic. Khanyisa Mayo’s 26th minute strike was enough to seal victory for Amajimbos dumping out the world champions, Eaglets, who now wait for the loser of today’s second semi-final match between Mali and Guinea , to know their third place opponent. At the end of the match, South African coach, Molefe Ntseki, said, “We respect Nigeria. They are a good team. We were

lucky to beat them, but we had confidence in our abilities.” In its reaction, the NFF, however, commended the Eaglets for earning a place in the FIFA U-17 World Cup finals taking place in Chile later in the year. “The present NFF administration has continued to harp on the fact that it is not only concerned with winning trophies. We want to win trophies but more than that, we want to build a sustainable football culture,” NFF president, Amaju Pinnick, said in a statement, while also assuring Coach Emmanuel Amuneke and his assistants that their jobs are secured.

Sports

Thursday, February 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

MLS: Kaka to lead Orlando City

razilian midfielder, Kaka, has been named captain of MLS side Orlando City. The 32-year-old got the appointment ahead of the start of the new MLS season, with Orlando’s first fixture against New York City set for March 8. The 2007 World player of the Year, who has been on loan at

Brazilian club Sao Paolo ahead of the start of the American League, was signed by Orlando from Italian side AC Milan last year. “Kaka has demonstrated great leadership both on the field and in the locker room since the start,” Orlando Coach and former Everton striker, Adrian Heath, said

yesterday. “The other players have naturally looked to his guidance throughout pre-season, so he was the natural pick to captain the club.” Kaka, who was not selected for the Brazilian side in their home World Cup last year, scored 29 goals in 89 matches for the national team.

AFCON 2023

Kaka

date shift done deal –FIFA

Observers say waterlogged pitches like this could hamper a shift of AFCON finals to June

IFA Secretary General, Jerome Valcke, says the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations will be postponed from January to June to help move the 2022 World Cup. A FIFA taskforce has already recommended the World Cup is played in November and De-

cember to avoid Qatar’s hot summer. “The African confederation has automatically and nicely agreed it will not organise the Nations Cup in January 2023,” Valcke said yesterday, adding, “It will have to postpone the Africa Cup of Nations to June.”

The 2022 World Cup is set to finish in late December and the African Cup had been scheduled to start in mid-January 2023. Valcke said the aim of postponing the continental event was “to avoid there being a release (from their clubs) of African players for the World Cup

UCL: Why we ‘Champion The Match’ –Heineken AFOLABI GAMBARI

he quest to create innovative and more engaging ways to bring the world’s most prestigious club football tournament to Nigerians has necessitated a new campaign tagged “Champion The Match”. Heineken is sponsoring the UEFA Champions League for the ninth year since 2006 and has sponsored fans to all-expense

trips to final games venues for the sponsorship years. “We want to encourage fans to create a truly memorable match night for themselves and their fans,” Corporate Affairs Adviser, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mr. Kufre Ekanem, said in Lagos yesterday. “So, we are telling the fans, ‘don’t just watch the match, champion it’,” he added. Ekanem said the premium viewing experience that had seen many fans hosted at the Heineken

House in Lagos with attendant celebrities had also gained what he called a reputation for the world’s enjoyed football competition. “We now have a platform that will constantly surprise fans with unexpected guests at matches while enabling fans to win fabulous prizes,” further said, even as he disclosed that football journalists would be selected through a raffle to witness the 2014-15 Champions League final on June 6 in Berlin, Germany.

and again two weeks after for the Africa Cup of Nations.’’ But although Spokesman of Confederation of African Football, Junior Binyam, said the governing body was 100 per cent behind the task force proposals and would adjust its calendar accordingly, he declined knowl-

edge of the FIFA’s decision on it. But observers said protecting the World Cup from severe weather in Qatar may hamper the 2023 African Cup, however, saying monsoonal rainy season in the West African nation of tournament hosts Guinea normally starts in June.

Tax evasion: Cannavaro bags prison term

ormer Italy defender, Fabio Cannavaro, was yesterday handed a tenmonth prison sentence for breaching police orders while under investigation for tax fraud. The 41-year-old, who captained Italy to their 2006 World Cup triumph, has been under investigation for tax evasion after authorities in Naples seized almost €1m of goods linked to the player and his wife.

Cannavaro was told to keep out of his property during the investigations, yet he breached this ruling and was subsequently sentenced to ten months in prison, with his wife Daniela Arenoso and his brother Paolo– who still plays for Serie A side Sassuolo–handed custodial sentences. The trio however appealed their sentences, which have thus been suspended until a final decision has been reached.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sports

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Dina Meshref

Lagos Tour:

Meshref upbeat on Egypt’s dominance E

gypt’s player, Dina Meshref, believes Nigerian players are beatable in front of their fans at the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Tour, Lagos Open. The 20-year-old Meshref, who recently won the ITTF Africa Senior Championship in Cairo, admitted that Team Egypt would miss Nadeen ElDawlatly who succumbed to injury but would be equal to the task. “Nadeen’s absence will make a difference, as she is

well experienced against the Nigerian opponents. But the four other girls accompanying me are capable of beating Nigerians too,” Meshref said, adding that the title would not elude her at the second attempt. “I expect that Egypt will win most of the medals,” Meshref said. “For me I am very excited to play again in Lagos and make Nigerians happy by watching good table tennis. I really wish I could perform greatly and make my fans happy.”

ACL: Malakia arrives for Pillars ABDULGAFAR OLADIMEJI KANO

pponent of Pillars FC of Kano in the African Champions League, Malakia FC of South Sudan, arrived in Kano yesterday ahead of their second leg clash on Saturday. The Sudanese proceeded to their Prince Hotel accommodation shortly after their arrival and will train in the city today. Malakia Coach, Ramzi Sebit, however warned that his side was not in Nigeria for a tea party. “We have studied the tapes

and discovered our errors and will do all within our ability to upturn the table,” Sebit said. Pillars had beaten Malakia 2-0 in the first leg with Gambo Mohammed opening scoring before new acquisition Christian Obiozor netted the second late on.

Mohammed

Tribute: Lagos to honour Okoya -Thomas

he Lagos State Ministry of Youth, Sports and Social Development, Office of Sports, yesterday announced that it is organising an Evening of Tributes by the Sports Family to celebrate the giant strides of the late sports philanthropist, Sir Chief (Dr.) Molade Okoya-Thomas. A statement issued yesterday said the event will hold at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos between 4.00pm to 6.00pm on March 3. Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Social Development, Mr. Wahid Oshodi, said OkoyaThomas was a role model to many Lagosians for his generosity and support for grassroots sports de-

velopment in the state, adding that he would be missed especially by the sports family. “Okoya-Thomas’ contribution to sports in Lagos and Nigeria cannot be underestimated as he single-handedly sponsored the annual Asoju Oba Table Tennis Cup for more than four decades as the longest running table tennis competition in Africa,” Oshodi remarked. Before his demise on February 1, the late philanthropist was the chairman of the Lagos State Sports Endowment Fund, chairman of many sports fund raising committees and was instrumental to the formation of Team Nigeria in 2003.

No big deal about Liverpool miss –Onazi Lazio midfielder, Ogenyi Onazi, tells Africanfootball.com that the Super Eagles must fight their way back to reckoning after a recent downturn in Africa How are you looking forward to the Super Eagles friendly game against Bolivia next month? Playing for Nigeria always comes with a unique feeling for me. Nothing beats wearing the green jersey and singing the national anthem once it comes on. So, I’m definitely looking forward to the game. What is your next target with the national team after missing out of the AFCON 2015 finals? We let ourselves down last time out by not making it to the AFCON 2015 to defend our title and we have to win back their trust and support starting with good results in friendly games. We also want to get the 2017 AFCON ticket followed by a World Cup ticket. What are your targets with Lazio this season? I know we may not be the best team in the league but we have shown with some of our performances that we building something

solid. Hopefully we can build some consistency and qualify for Europe, as well as win the Italian cup for our lovely fans. What motivated you to reward a lucky fan a cash prize and university education scholarship? God has been great in my life and I don’t ever feel like I can do enough to thank him for his grace upon my life. I know where I started from, so I am always keen to make people happy. It’s all God. What really happened to your reported move to Liverpool? I read and heard about the reports like you did so it doesn’t bother me one bit. I am happy with Lazio. I love Rome and the fans and they love me in return. What do you do in your leisure time? I find nothing more enjoyable than resting and sleeping. But I have found photography interesting lately.

Onazi

WORLD RECORD

Most siblings to reach the age of 100

Vol. 05 No. 1057 Thursday, February 26, 2015

N150

The most siblings to reach the age of 100 is five and was achieved by the Clarke siblings: Joseph, Charles, Patrick and James Clarke and their sister Margaret Fanning

Forensic audit report on NNPC: Matters arising

he long-awaited report of the forensic audit of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) account, which the Federal Government hired Price Waterhouse Cooper (PwC) to conduct, has finally been released. As with almost everything in these political times, the forensic audit was elevated into a campaign issue when some politicians began to raise questions about why it was taking so long for the report to be released. The release of the report has defused all such impressions, imagined or real. The idea of a forensic audit of NNPC was the brainchild of the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who suggested during the Senate probe of the allegation of non-remittance of $49.8 billion oil revenue into the Federation Account levied by the former

resident of South Africa Football Association (SAFA), Mr. Danny Jordaan, yesterday sent speedy recovery wishes to two of the country’s former internationals John Moshoeu and Neil Tovey. Moshoeu has been admitted to Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital in Parktown,

Guest Columnist

Baridon B id G.

Leton

Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and now Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammad Sanusi 11, against NNPC. Dr Okonjo-Iweala had submitted before the Senate Committee on Finance that considering the level of interest and controversy that the allegation had generated, it was good to have a forensic audit carried out on NNPC’s books to get to the bottom of the issue once and for all. It is pertinent to note that the starting point of the issues that led to the audit was the allegation of unremitted $49.8bn revenue from crude oil sales between January 2012 and 31 July 2013. Though the former CBN Governor, who made the allegation had variously changed the figures of alleged unremitted revenue to $10.8 billion and later $20 billion, it must not be forgotten that he started the allegation with $49.8 billion. The summary of the forensic audit report, which the Auditor General of the Federation, Mr. Samuel Ukura, recently presented to the public, indicated that the allegation of unremitted proceeds was false. The report was emphatic that the total amount that accrued from crude oil lifting was $67bn out of which $50.81bn was remitted into the Federation Account. The balance, the report stated, was used for petrol and kerosene subsidies and NNPC operations expenses. This position as reflected in the forensic audit report is consistent with the position that NNPC has always canvassed regarding the alleged “missing oil revenue”. The other issue thrown up in the fo-

AS WITH ALMOST EVERYTHING IN THESE POLITICAL TIMES,

THE FORENSIC AUDIT WAS ELEVATED INTO A CAMPAIGN ISSUE…

rensic audit report is the $1.48bn that the audit firm recommends that NNPC pay into the Federation Account. The $1.48bn, according to the report, is “unremitted NPDC signature bonus due for divested assets and taxes/royalties”. It needs to be stated that signature bonus, taxes and royalties on the divested assets were not part of the crude oil lifting revenue, which the original allegation of “missing $49.8bn oil revenue” was about. Signature bonus is the book value of oil assets. It is usually determined by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) based on certain parameters. What happened in the case of the divested oil blocks by Shell and which were assigned to the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), the exploration and production subsidiary of NNPC was that DPR estimated the book value of the oil blocks to be $1.847bn. NNPC raised concerns with the parameters used for computing the book value of the assets. While the issues were being reconciled, NNPC went ahead to pay over $300m as a token to indicate its interest in acquiring the blocks pending when the issues it raised over the DPR’s adopted param-

eters were resolved. This much was explained by the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Dr. Joseph Dawha, at a recent press conference. The distinction between $1.48bn signature bonus and the alleged unremitted $49.8bn revenues from oil lifting between 1st January 2012 and July 2013 helps to highlight the error in the interpretation of the recommendation of the forensic audit report. The recommendation that NNPC/NPDC should remit the outstanding signature bonus to the Federation Account does not amount to indictment in any way as the amount is not part of the original amount alleged to be missing or unremitted. And the fact that NNPC had already commenced payment of the signature bonus as indicated in the PwC forensic audit report shows that it actually had the intention to pay the money as soon as the concerns it raised over the parameters deployed in its calculation were resolved. In any case, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, has directed NNPC to pay the outstanding $1.48bn forthwith. The other issue which the report has thrown up has to do with the extant laws and business model which NNPC is constrained to run. The report recommends that the NNPC Act which “provisions contradict the requirement that NNPC be run as a commercially viable entity” must be reviewed as a matter of urgency. The report highlighted that NNPC’s deduction of its operation costs and expenses from crude oil sales proceeds for which it is pilloried daily is a legal issue made possible by the provisions of the NNPC Act. The audit firm recognized and recommended that the way to go about correcting the anomaly is to review the legal framework and thereby the business model of the Corporation. Leton is a Port Harcourt-based human rights activist and public affairs commentator and wrote via barigleton@yahoo.com

Sport Extra

SAFA sends ‘get well quick’ message to ex-internationals while Tovey was admitted to Umhlanga Hospital yesterday following multiple heart-attacks. The 49-year old Moshoeu and 52year old Tovey were an integral part of the ‘Class of 96’ which won the Africa Cup of Nations hosted by the nation two years after embracing

multi-party rule in 1994. “John and Neil are some of the most outstanding legends this country will ever see,” Jordaan said. “They brought us the AFCON trophy and that legacy will live with us forever.They have also ploughed back into society their wealth of experience.”

Meanwhile, reports at press time yesterday revealed that Tovey is recovering well after undergoing surgery. “Build-up of cholesterol over time had narrowed the artery and caused the attacks,” the former Bafana Bafana captain narrated.

Jordaan

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