Thursday, january 09 2013 by GLOBAL MEDIA MIRROR LIMITED

Steady power supply in June unrealistic –Operators CHIDI UGWU

perators in the power sector have described as unre-

Nebo

Vol. 4 3 N0. 762 657

alistic, the June deadline given to the private power companies to ensure steady electricity supply in the country. Reacting to the march-

ing orders given to the new owners of the privatised generation and distribution companies by the Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu CONTINUED ON PAGE 5>>

Confab: Nwabueze goofed on PAC report –Okurounmu P.4

Okurounmu

Thursday, January July 4, 2013 9, 2014

N150 N150

15 die, houses, cars burnt in Lagos tanker explosion 11 killed in Kogi auto crash, 18 in Imo

FRANCIS SUBERU, MURITALA AYINLA, CHRIS NJOKU AND WALE IBRAHIM

ragedy struck in Lagos on Tuesday night when a fuelladen tanker somersaulted and exploded in Apapa, killing 15 persons and destroying properties worth billions of naira. One the buildings razed in the inferno that followed the explosion was a branch of a new generation bank and about 11 vehicles were also destroyed. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2>>

Jonathan can’t manage nation’s affair P.7 One of the buildings razed by the fire at Berger bus stop in Apapa, Lagos on Tuesday. TOP RIGHT: Burnt-out cars. BELOW RIGHT: Mr. Muri Lawal whose passenger bus was burnt in the fire. More pictures on page 2. PHOTOS: YINKA ADEPARUSI

Lagos Assembly places N1.25m reward on Ejigbo culprits

–Kwankwaso

2015: Stop this dangerous campaign, APC tells PDP You’re deceiving Nigerians, ruling party insists

P.7

Fashola

Police not training snipers, says Abubakar

P.5 P.6

News

Thursday, January 9, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

15 die, houses, cars burnt in Lagos tanker explosion CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

The number of victims involved in the tragedy was yet to be ascertained as at the time of filling this report. Although there were conflicting reports on the number of casualties, many of the victims were said to be occupants of vehicles caught trapped in a late night gridlock that had nearly paralysed the area before the fire outbreak. National Mirror gathered that the incident occurred about 10.50 p.m. and the fire was put out around 1.04 a.m. A witness said the petrol tanker appeared to have suffered a brake failure before it somersaulted, exploded and burst into flames. It took the intervention of the combined team of federal and state fire services to put out the fire. Speaking with National Mirror yesterday, the Director of the Lagos State Fire Service, Mr. Rasak Fadipe, said no life was lost in the three buildings affected by the inferno. He said: “The driver of the tanker and his assistant were recovered from the vehicle and three other persons. “A new generation bank, three buildings and about 11 vehicles, including three motorcycles were razed. “Three fire trucks from Sari-Iganmu, Isolo and Ojo were deployed to the scene. Each of them carried 10, 000 litres of water and they replenished three times.” The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye, said that nine people died in the inferno. “It involved a petrol tanker, which later spread to four houses and four commercial buses, all burnt. The disaster occurred at Cement bus stop on Mile Two-Apapa Expressway. “The petrol tanker was laden with 33,000 litres of PMS. It somersaulted and caught fire, claimed lives with vehicles and buildings. At the end of the recovery exercise, 72 shops comprising of 60 standard and 12 makeshift shops were razed,” he said. Farinloye added that the

corpses of the deceased have been deposited at the hospital while the injured were also receiving treatment. The General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Dr. Femi OkeOsanyintolu, confirmed that 15 people died. National Mirror gathered that Lagos recorded over 1,535 cases of fire incidents in 2013 with properties worth N155bn saved. But in less than one week into the New Year, the state fire service had responded to over 25 cases of fire disasters. In Kogi State, 11 persons were killed in an accident yesterday while three others sustained serious injuries. The accident occurred at Offejiji Village on Ankpa-Anyigba road about 6a.m. when an articulated vehicle, heading for Anyigba tried to overtake another vehicle and had a head on collision with a commercial bus coming from the opposite direction. National Mirror learnt that 11 persons died on the spot while three others sustained serious injuries. The Kogi State Sector Commander of Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, Mr. Olakunle Motajo, who confirmed the accident, blamed it on dangerous overtaking and called on motorists to change their attitude while on the road to reduce accidents to the barest minimum. Motajo explained that the accident involved a white Toyota Hiace bus with registration number LG 46 BG and a blue lorry with registration number BLG 76 XA. He said that 14 people were involved in the accident and 11 died while three others were seriously injured. Motajo added that among the dead were two adult males, one male child, six female adults and two female children. The FRSC sector commander said that the injured victims had been taken to Grimmard Hospital at Anyigba, while the bodies were deposited at the same hospital’s morgue. Meanwhile, 18 passengers were feared dead in a ghastly motor accident

involving Imo Transport Company, ITC, bus and a stationary vehicle on Sunday. The accident, which occurred at about 6p.m., left a middle aged woman amputated while others in the stationary vehicle sustained multiple injuries. According to an eyewitness, the accident occurred at Umuoke Autonomous Community in Obowo Local Government Area. It involved an ITC Hiace bus and L200 Mitsubishi vehicle HY 592 ENU parked at Umuoke Riverside. It was learnt, however, that the ITC bus, which took off from Owerri was heading for Umuahia, Abia State, before it ran into the parked vehicle. The eyewitness told National Mirror that none of the passengers and the driver in the 18-seater ITC bus survived the crash, while passengers in the stationary vehicle sustained serious injuries. The bodies of the dead had been deposited at the Mercy Hospital, Umulogho Mortuary, Obowo LGA, while the injured were receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital. However, the FRSC Imo State Sector Commander, Salami Yusuff Kolawole, who confirmed the accident, said that only two people died “according to the report submitted by my men.” He added that the ITC driver rammed into the stationary bus and killed two passengers in the vehicle. According to him, 14 people were involved in the accident while two persons died.

Youths attempting to salvage property after the fire.

Men of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, clearing the remains of victims at the scene.

Emergency workers removing the wreckage of a commercial bus.

Officials removing one of the affected vehicles.

PHOTOS: YINKA ADEPARUSI

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Thursday, January 9, 2014

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Photo News

Thursday, January 9, 2014

L-R: National Vice President, Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Mr. Usman Dutse; National President, Mr. Asomugha Chibuzor and National General Secretary, Mr. Umar Usman, addressing a news conference in Kaduna, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

L-R: Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar; DIG ‘F’ Department, Mr. Atiku Kafur and DIG ‘C’ Department, Mr. Emmanuel Udeoji, during the meeting with DIGs, AIGs and Commissioners of Police in Abuja, yesterday.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

L-R: President, Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Aminu Maigari; President, Confederation of African Football, Alhaji Issa Hayatou and Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, during Hayatou visit Fashola in Lagos, yesterday.

Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ola Ibrahim, presenting a publication to the leader of the UN Survey Team to Nigeria, Ms. Anna Davis, during her visit to the Defence Headquarters in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

National News

Confab: Nwabueze, others goofed on PAC report –Okunrounmu FEMI OYEWESO AND DENNIS AGBO

he Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee (PAC) on the proposed National Conference, Senator Femi Okunrounmu yesterday called on the Professor Ben Nwabueze-led Concerned Igbo Leaders of Thought to desist from pursuing personal interests under the pretext of fighting for a better Nigeria. The PAC chairman also maintained that the Igbo leaders goofed on their position over the report submitted to President Goodluck Jonathan on the proposed National Conference. Okunrounmu said the call became necessary in view of the media report credited to the group that it has rejected the PAC’s report on the national dialogue. Addressing a press conference yesterday in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, Okunrounmu wondered why Nwabueze and his group would begin to argue and reject issues that were never part of the reports, which his committee submitted to President Jonathan. It would be recalled that the Okunrounmu-led PAC

had on December 18th, 2013, submitted a report to President Jonathan on the national dialogue after holding consultative meetings across the six geo-political zones of the country. National Mirror also recalled that the Igbo leaders who met in Enugu on Monday under the chairmanship of Professor Nwabueze had expressed their rejection of the said report. The Igbo leaders argued that the PAC recommendations fell short of the aspirations of Nigerians. The Nwabueze group faulted the committee’s alleged recommendation for an amendment of the existing constitution. The Igbo leaders had insisted that Nigeria needed a brand new constitution and that representation at the conference should be based on ethnic nationalities. But Okuronumu at the press conference faulted the Igbo leaders’ position emphasising that the group was merely acting on hearsay as his committee never made such recommendations as alleged. “The Nwabueze-led group has clearly gone beyond the bounds of decency and decorum by fabricating a report purely from their own imagination

• Ndigbo write Jonathan, expresses worries and leveling such scathing criticisms against it with a view to discrediting the real report, which it has obviously not yet seen. “These allegations show clearly that members of the group have neither seen nor read the report that they are criticising and are merely acting on hearsay because the Presidential Advisory Committee, under my chairmanship, made no such recommendations as alleged. “The above criticisms were surely meant to be a setback for the conference by injecting a crisis of confidence between the committee, the people and the government. “Without doubt, the critics have added more fuel into the fire of the opposition to the conference, who may be reveling in a feeling of vindication. “That is why the chicanery of the critics must be exposed at once because by the time their unethical and unprofessional conduct is fully grasped by the public, they would merely have succeeded in destroying their own credibility, lowering their own esteem in the eyes of the public

and eroding from whatever respect they may have hitherto enjoyed,” Okunrounmu said. Okunrounmu, who stressed that he would resist the temptation of disclosing details of the report submitted to the president “in an attempt to refute the unsavoury allegations” also explained that it was President Jonathan who appointed them “and it was to him that we submitted the report”. He added that two other members of his committee: Anya O. Anya and Obi Ozor who were drafted from the Igbo ethnic origin were equally eminent Nigerians that are familiar with the country’s problems. While asserting that Nwabueze was suffering from ego problem, Okunrounmu stressed that the Igbo people demonstrated high level of enthusiasm when his committee held its consultative meetings in Enugu. He however, expressed dismay that such criticism could be coming from the personality of Professor Nwabueze whom he said ought to have know better. The PAC Chairman

enjoined Nigerians to disregard the Nwabueze-led group’s position and cooperate with the federal government in moving the country forward. Meanwhile, Igbo leaders have concluded plans to write President Jonathan on their worries in the framework for the National Conference. Ndigbo are worried that the conference may after all not yield the desired result if the conference is not majorly composed of ethnic nationalities other than labour unions, associated pressure groups and fraternities. The Igbo is also worried that a new and peoples constitution may elude Nigeria if President Jonathan accepts entirely the recommendations of the PAC. Again the people are agitated that going by the report of the Okunrounmu panel, the result of conference may have already been predetermined or is already been doctored by some forces. Ndigbo are however consoled that other ethnic nationalities and groups are in the same page with them in their demand for a rene-

gotiated Nigeria. Nwabueze, as head of Igbo Leaders of Thought reiterated yesterday his call for Jonathan to be a hero by dropping presidential interest to enable him mobilize Nigerians for proper national conference. Nwabueze said that his views on Jonathan shelving his 2015 presidential ambition has not changed stressing that the national conference will make more success if the president pays more attention to bringing about new Nigeria through the conference than pursing his troubled presidential ambition. Nwabueze acknowledged that Ndigbo will write President Jonathan to express their expectations of the conference, adding that in no distant time their position will be with Mr. President. Nwabueze hinted that the Igbo expectation from the conference may not be far the position already adopted by the Patriots and other ethnic groups like the Afenifere, the middle belt, South-South Peoples Assembly and Nigeria ethnic nationalities forum among other groups.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

News

Thursday, January 9, 2014

2015: Stop this dangerous campaign, APC tells PDP OBIORA IFOH ABUJA

he All Progressives Congress, yesterday warned the ruling Peoples Democratic Party to stop the dangerous religious campaign in a bit to retain power. The ruling party had alleged that APC plans to

impose an Islamic agenda on Nigeria. While the APC said that it was disgusted at the PDP’s decision to use religion as a trump card in the run up to 2015, the PDP said that it stood by its earlier statement, warning that such revelation was too grievous to be brushed aside.

APC warned that even in PDP’s desperation to cling to power at all costs, it must desist from fanning the embers of religion The opposition party, in a statement in Abuja by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, yesterday described the PDP as “irre-

sponsible”. It said: “This irresponsible accusation by the PDP that the APC is dividing Nigerians along religious lines is a new low even for a party that stands for nothing but incompetence, looting and election rigging. “It is an indication that the desperadoes in

L-R: Dutch Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. John Groffen; Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega and Secretary, Mrs. Chinwe Ogakwu, during Groffen’s visit to INEC headquarters in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA

Steady power supply in June unrealistic –Operators CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Nebo, some of the operators noted that the deadline was political statement and was nothing to be taken seriously in view of the huge deficit in power transmission infrastructure in the country. An official of a distribution company, who did not want to be named, said: “It is political. If someone says there should be steady power by June this year, you know it is not possible, every minister who had tried it before had not got it right, so it is political and too hot to touch, I do not want to get involved.” Our correspondent gathered that effective power supply had been hampered by the persistent reports of breakdown in the power transmission lines and frequent ruptures of gas supply pipelines that feed some of the thermal stations. However, despite the operational concerns and the huge funds already approved for the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, the Federal Government in its 2014 budget pro-

posal before the National Assembly earmarked about N25 billion for the firm. Although some management officials of the firm argued that there was no internal wrangling leading to operational lapses in the company, our correspondent gathered that the firm had not lived up to expectation since it was taken over by Manitoba Hydro International, a Canadian firm contracted by the Federal Government to manage TCN for three years. In the 2014 budget proposal, the TCN had the highest allocation from the Federal Ministry of Power’s vote. The total allocation of N24.9billion for the power transmission firm was solely for capital projects. Industry stakeholders and the minister of power had oftentimes justified the huge allocation for TCN, but sources at the Federal Ministry of Power told our correspondent that the firm had not been awarding contracts to boost power transmission in the sector. They wondered why the country was still experi-

encing power system collapses despite the amount of funds so far allocated to the company. It was learnt that the government had threatened to sack some top officials of the firm and some expatriates from MHI. “The truth is that TCN needs these funds, but what is surprising is that despite these huge monies, the firm is still not delivering,” a senior official from the power ministry told our correspondent. “You are talking about the amount in the 2014 budget proposal, what about the different sums approved and allocated to the company last year by the Federal Government? “ By now we expect them to start wheeling out power better than they used to, considering the huge funds being appropriated for the company.” Meanwhile, the Lagos Regional Office of TCN has employed 522 engineers as part of efforts to stabilise electricity supply. The Principal Manager of TCN, Lagos Region, Mr.

Iwuamadi Charles, said that the employment of the young engineers was part of TCN’s contribution to reduce unemployment and boost electricity supply. Charles, who addressed the engineers, said they were engaged to be part of the nation’s transformation programme. He said: “You are in the right place. What makes the power industry in Nigeria is the transmission. The power industry has come to change and you are the change agents.” Charles urged the engineers to be dedicated, stressing that the nation expected them to move the industry forward. “Someone among you will become the head of transmission one day, hence you need to put your heart on it and the sky will be your limit,” he said. The Deputy Director General, National Power Training Institute of Nigeria, NAPTIN, Mr. Francis Elughi, urged the engineers to show commitment during the two-week training at the institute.

the PDP will throw everything, including the kitchen sink, into their campaign to stop the wave of change blowing across Nigeria.” APC said the reason it had refrained from joining issues with the PDP, despite its sponsored a campaign to portray the APC as an ‘Islamic party’, was because it knew the dangers that religious politics portend for any nation. “No party wishing to lead Nigeria aright can do so on the basis of religion or ethnicity. Therefore, we are compelled to warn the PDP not to play what it believes to be its trump card, the religious card, against the APC, because whatever politicians do, they must refrain from ethnic or religious politics and put their country above selfish considerations. “Only an irresponsible party will play the religious card for any reason,” APC said. The party said even when the PDP’s leader, President Goodluck Jonathan, decided to wear religion on his sleeve, kneeling down before respectable religious leaders and pushing the pictures into the media in an apparent ploy to score political gains, the APC refrained from making any comments on it. It said when President Jonathan also decided to lead a bloated delegation of his cabinet to an extended pilgrimage in Israel and ferret to the media back home the pictures of the delegation members at the Wailing Wall and other religious landmarks, the APC did not make an issue of the glaring exhibitionism. “The basis of our circumspection is that in the first instance, we believe that all Nigerians are constitutionally guaranteed their right to any faith of their own choosing, and that playing their religious card should be avoided at all cost in the larger national interest,” the party said. It added that “it is neither logical nor rational” to accuse a party whose 35 interim officials are almost equally split between the adherents of the two major religions

(18 Muslims and 17 Christians) and cut across all ethnic lines; a party whose elected officials - governors, senators, House of Representatives members etc - profess various faiths and a party that has never expressed any preference for one religion over another as an “Islamic” party. “We are therefore warning the PDP to stop this dangerous campaign forthwith, unless of course it has decided that its interest supersedes that of the nation. If the PDP fails to stop this campaign, we will be compelled to conclude that the party (PDP) is trying to plug in to the global stereotype against adherents of a certain religion just to spread fear and garner support in certain circles”, it said. APC appealed to Nigerians to ignore the dangerous game that the PDP is playing, describing it as a scaremongering tactic that the comatose ruling party hopes will revive it. “Nigerians have a history of religious tolerance that has served the country so well. We urge our compatriots to continue along this path, irrespective of the antics of a party that has finally drowned due to its own internal failings and contradictions,” it added. It called for a clean electioneering campaign that focuses on issues that are relevant to the well-being of the long-suffering people of Nigeria and issues that are edifying for the country. According to APC, “Nigerians want to know how the present situation of hopelessness can be turned around; how corruption can be stamped out; how 24-hour electricity supply will be achieved just like in most countries of the world; how the unemployed youths will be gainfully employed and how the nation’s dilapidated infrastructure will be rebuilt. “On our part, we are focused on issues that will lift the living standard of Nigerians and make our country great again, and these we have enunciated in our manifesto, which is accessible on our website. And once the green light is given for electioneering CONTINUED ON PAGE 7>>

National News

OMEIZA AJAYI ABUJA

pparently still unhappy with its performance in November’s controversial governorship election in Anambra State, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has restated its commitment to the conduct of a free and fair general elections next year. It said its shortcomings in the Anambra election should not be seen as an indication of what to expect in next year’s polls. The commission had come under stringent criti-

Thursday, January 9, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

2015: INEC promises to prevent recurrence of Anambra experience cisms for the role that some of its officials played in the governorship election, with many political parties calling for the cancellation of the result of the poll. INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, promised yesterday in Abuja that the commission would ensure crisis-free poll next year when he received the Ambassador of The Royal Kingdom of Netherlands, Mr. John Groffen. He said: “What hap-

pened in Anambra State was a sad occurrence and is in no way an indication of what to expect in 2015.” Jega also said the commission is fully prepared for the conduct of the governorship election in Osun and Ekiti states later in the year. While he acknowledged that 2015 would be a very busy year for INEC, Jega said the commission would surpass the success of previous elections.

He said: “Netherlands and Nigeria have a long standing history of good relations and here in INEC, we have recognised that and the need for such to improve for the mutual benefit of both countries. “We know that our friends are anxious about our forthcoming elections and also keen on how prepared we are. The prospects for the elections are good because we have learnt our lessons since

2011 and we feel confident that the electoral process will be better. We have learnt the hard way and we have done our best to keep on improving.” Earlier, Mr. Groffen

noted that a stable and inclusive Nigeria is very conducive for business, hence the reason why his country continues to follow events in Nigeria with keen interest.

Nigeria’s external reserves hit $43.3bn

he Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday said that the nation’s external reserves appreciated to $43.314 billion, an increase of $6 million as at January 7, 2014. CBN disclosed this through its website. According to the bank, the amount represents $42.07 billion in “liquid,” while $1.043 billion is in “blocked.” It said that the reserve appreciated by 2.41 per cent, compared with $43.308 billion recorded in January 6. The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the amount was the second growth increase in

the foreign reserve since May 7, 2013 when it stood at N48.65 billion. NAN recalls that the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had in July 2012 stressed the need for Nigeria to shore up its external reserves. Okonjo-Iweala then said that there was the need for the nation to build up the reserves to $50 billion dollars (N77.50 trillion) before the end of 2012. She said that the reserves needed to be strong enough to help the country in the event of any global economic recession.

We are not training snipers –IGP OMEIZA AJAYI

T Executive Secretary, National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and other Related Matters, Mrs. Beatrice Jedy-Agba and Director, Research and Programme Department, Mr. Rumayan Kulfor, at a media interactive session in Abuja, yesterday.

ISE-OLUWA IGE ABUJA

he National Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association has demanded N500 million compensation from the security operatives that stormed an uncompleted building at Apo area of Abuja on September 20, 2013 and killed eight persons as well as injured 11 others. The demand was made known during the ongoing public hearing by the National Human Rights Commission.

Apo eight: Tricycle operators demand N500m compensation

Legal consultant to the association told journalists that it would be unfair for the families of the victims not to be adequately compensated He said: “It is obvious with the way the situation suggests now, the occasion brought certain innocent people into crossfire, some got injured and lost their lives in the process. “So, we believe that if eventually it is established that they are not members of this sect, the families of these persons deserve

to be compensated.” But representative of the State Security Service, SSS, Cliff Osagie, said that no compensation could be considered until the suspects had been proven guilty or not. Osagie ,who is also a lawyer, said only the court has the jurisdiction to award compensation to deserving victims as stipulated by law. Chairman of the hearing committee, Prof Chidi Odingalu, advised the association to follow the

due process by employing a lawyer to state its case before an appropriate law court. As part of the ongoing investigations into the killings, Col. A. M. Ahmadu, Operation Officer Guards Brigade of the Defence Headquarters also submitted documents, including the pictorial album depicting various anti-terrorism activities of the security outfit, including arrests and materials confiscated.

he Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mohammed Abubakar, has refuted claim that the Presidency is using the Force to train snipers ahead of the 2015 polls, saying the police as an institution would not allow itself to be dragged into politics. Abubakar spoke yesterday in Abuja at a maiden strategic review conference with senior police officers from the rank of Commissioners of Police. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo had written a letter to President Goodluck Jonathan and accused him of sundry issues and even training snipers. The country has been left guessing about which security agency could be involved in such training. However, when asked whether the police were involved in such training, Abubakar said Obasanjo’s letter did not mention or indicted the police. He said: “We are not training snipers. The let-

ter did not even mention the police. You have always come here (Force Headquarters). Have you seen any sniper being trained?” Speaking on the essence of the conference, Abubakar said that the security and political situations in each of the 36 states would be reviewed. This, he said, had become necessary to enable the force adopt strategies to tackle security challenges and check political crises. The IGP said: “We are going to pay attention to political situation in Nigeria and look at the zones and each state of the country. “We will review the political situations in each state, adjudge and see what the Commissioner of Police has been able to do and whether he has been able to take care of such situation. “Where he has challenges, we will look at that challenges and find out the impediments that have stopped him from doing what he is supposed to do to avoid political crisis.”

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Lagos Assembly places N1.25m reward on Ejigbo culprits TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE

he Lagos State House of Assembly yesterday placed a bounty of N1.25million on the head of the five men alleged to have abused two women in the Ejigbo Local Council Development Area, LCDA, of the state. The two women referred to as the Ejigbo 2, were alleged to have been sodomised in a market in Ejigbo over allegation of stealing pepper in December. Speaking yesterday at a public hearing organised by the state House of Assembly to unravel the mystery behind the assault, Chairman of the House Ad-Hoc Committee on the assault on the two women, Hon. Ajibayo Adeyeye, said N1.2million would be made available to anybody that can provide information that would lead to the arrest of the accused. It will be recalled that Women Arise for Initiative, alongside other civil society organisations in Lagos on December 30, 2013, embarked on a peaceful protest to the Assembly complex and submitted a petition for the state lawmakers to look into the case of the two women, who were stripped and

abused. Adeyeye while speaking at the public hearing, said having seen the level of barbarism and dehumanisation meted out unto the women, the committee members had resolved to place N1 million bounty on the accused persons while from his personal purse, he will add N250,000 to make it N1, 250, 000 for anybody that can provided any information on how to get those behind the evil act. He also assured the people that the committee, after listening to different groups and individuals who made submission at the hearing will ensure that justice is served on the culprits. In her address, President of Women Arise, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, said that the barbaric act meted out on the two women in Ejigbo should serve as deterrent to others so as to reduce rising cases of impunity in the country. Also speaking, the Chairman of Ejigbo LCDA, Mr. Kehinde Bamigbetan, during his presentation said that he has partnered with police authorities in the LCDA and community leaders to unravel the mystery surrounding the elusiveness of the perpetrators of the dastard act so as to bring them to book.

Amaechi signs 2014 appropriation bill into law

ivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, yesterday signed the 2014 appropriation bill into law. Amaechi had presented a proposal to spend N485.5 billion to the Rivers State House of Assembly on Tuesday, January 7, which was approved the same day. The governor, while signing the bill into law, said that completion of ongoing projects in the state would be the main focus of the budget. He said that his administration embarked on various projects in health, education, roads, transport, power, water, agriculture sectors and other critical infrastructure. Amaechi commended the state lawmakers for their prompt passage of the bill which, he said, would enhance sustained

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Thursday, January 9, 2014

provision of people-oriented projects in the state. He also commended the legislators for their firm decision to defend and uphold the country’s democracy as they demonstrated in the passage of the bill. The governor said that their action showed their determination to carry out their legislative functions effectively in spite of some hitches. “Let me thank the House for its action and for upholding the right of all Rivers people to good governance,” he said. Earlier, Hon. Chidi Lloyd, the Leader of the House commended the state government for its achievements. “Your Excellency, we urge you to continue to deliver the dividends of good governance as you have done,” Lloyd said.

Jonathan lacks capacity to manage nation’s affair –Kwankwaso OTHMAN SALIHU KANO

ano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, yesterday said that the country is drifting towards the precipice because President Goodluck Jonathan lacks the competence and guts to manage the affairs of the country. Kwankwaso said this during a meeting with the leadership of Northern Elders Forum, NEF, at the Government House, Kano, on Tuesday night. He explained that despite advice and observations from respected leaders and others from within and outside the country on how to put Nigeria on the right track, the Presidency has been insensitive. Kwankwaso said; “When we met with the President, as Northern Governors, he told us that the former United States Secretary of State, Lady Hilary Clinton, told him that as President he has to look at the issue of the north very critically. She noted that there was an imbalance in terms of patronage, appointments and sharing of resources. “He assured that he was looking at those comments and that was why he was delaying appointments into boards and so on. Since that meeting, we have not seen anything or changes. So, it is my conclusion that the President lacks the capacity and courage to do the right thing”, the Kano State governor said. He lamented that the federal budget is heavily tilted in favour of one sec-

tion of the country, pointing out that a situation where one section of the country is suffering from illiteracy, underdevelopment and misery while the other section has more than enough, is not good for national unity. The governor also pointed out that a situation whereby a section of the country is given priority over other areas is not in the best interest of all, stating that it is high time for the Federal Government to be sensitive to what is being felt by the international community. “We have had enough crises in this country and it is not right to plant seeds of discord for the future. Look at the NorthEast that was allocated N2 billion in the current budget. N2 billion is what Mr. President allocated to non-APC states for supporting him, while N111 billion was allocated to the South-East and South-

South. This is not close to fairness”, he alleged. He further stressed that his position on current national issues is not premised on religion, ethnicity or sectionalism, but stems from the desire to see that every Nigerian, irrespective of where he or she comes from, is treated without discrimination. Kwankwaso equally asserted that it is time for members of the National Assembly to come out and oppose injustice that is perpetrated by the government, observing that what is happening in the country in terms of poverty, insecurity and joblessness in the north today should not be happening in civilised societies. He therefore appealed to the Federal Government to listen to the voice of reason so as to move the country in the right direction, adding that

he and members of the Northern Elders Forum are like minds that are not sleeping comfortably because things are not moving well in the country. He, however, pledged to continue to work with all people of good conscience to bring about good governance in the country. Earlier, in their separate remarks, the Chairman of the forum, Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule, who is the Danmasanin Kano and his Deputy, Wanteregh Paul Unongo, explained that they are not satisfied with the current political developments in the nation, especially as they affect the north. They said the visit to Kwankwaso was to identify with his achievements and sterling leadership qualities as well as to look at several issues that will bring about responsible governance, unity and even national development.

L-R: Chairman, Information Security and Publicity, Hon. Segun Olulade; President, Women Arise and Campaign for Democracy, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin; Chairman, Finance, Hon. Funmi Tejuosho; Chairman Committee on Ejigbo 2 and Majority Leader, Hon. Ajibayo Adeyeye and Vice Chairman, Local Government Activities, Hon. Wahab Jimoh, during the public hearing of Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Ejigbo 2, yesterday.

2015: Stop this dangerous campaign, APC tells PDP CONTINUED FROM 5 campaign, we will be ready to unveil our strategies for achieving the stated objectives. “For now, we ask anyone who needs to be convinced of our capability to visit any of the states under our control and see how we are utilising the scarce resources at our disposal for quality-of-life initiatives that are serving the people well”. However, PDP in a state-

ment by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh also yesterday maintained that it stands by its accusation that APC is trying to use religion to divide the country. It said: “It is shocking that the APC would attempt to hoodwink Nigerians even in the face of incontrovertible facts exposing its religious inclinations and plots to divide the nation along religious lines. “The revelations by an

Islamic cleric, Ambassador Yusuf Garba and the Religious Equity Promotion Council, REPC, that APC seeks to impose an agenda like the Egypt Muslim Brotherhood remains a fact that cannot be brushed aside.” The statement added that contrary to claims by the APC that it was playing a religious card to overheat the polity, it only try to “buttress an alert to Nigerians on the evil machination of

the APC with every sense of duty to ensure that Nigeria remains united as one and not fall to the evil plot of the APC.” The ruling party reiterated that it remains committed to the interest of all Nigerians irrespective of religious, tribal, ethnic or regional affiliations, adding that it will continue to expose and resist anything that seeks to cause divisions among the people and balkanise the country.

South West

Thursday, January 9, 2014

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Ekiti jungle justice: Slain girl’s family resigns to fate ABIODUN NEJO ADO EKITI

he family of 18-year-old Opeyemi Olowu, an SSS pupil, shot dead at Ise Ekiti last Sunday by her father’s tenant, 31-yearold Ifeanyi Ogudu, said yesterday that it had left everything to God. The slain lady’s father, 57-year-old Chief Samuel Olowu, soliloquized at their 12 Oraye Quarters residence at Ise Ekiti, saying: “Who

do I sue to court since my daughter has been killed and the person that shot her has equally been killed? I have resigned to fate. I have collected her corpse and buried it.” The bereaved father, a farmer, said he rushed back home from the venue of a meeting that fateful Sunday on being told that his daughter was killed by a tenant to meet a group of sympathizers. The man, who said he never knew whether the ten-

ant had arms or not, however, spoke of the possibility of a gun in Ifeanyi’s possession since he (Ifeanyi) was a night guard at a sawmill in the community before he acquired a motorbike which he was using on commercial basis until the fateful day. It would be recalled that

youth of the community descended on Ifeanyi and burnt him to death in vengeance for the girl he had shot to death. The police in the state had said they would ensure the culprits of the jungle justice meted to the man would be arrested and pros-

ecuted, saying their action had impeded the capacity of the police to find out what actually prompted him to kill the girl. The late girl’s mother, 55-year-old Mrs Racheal Olowu, who relieved the incident, said she was taking her bath when she suddenly

heard a gunshot in the compound. “Before I went to the bathroom, both my daughter and Ifeanyi were outside interacting and playing. Suddenly I heard a gunshot, on rushing out, I saw my daughter writhing in pain and in blood, crying.

Court nullifies National Youth Council’s election KAYODE KETEFE

Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has nullified the election that produced new officers of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN). The court, presided over by Justice Okon Abang, also set aside the congresses which produced the officers, and directed the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar to arrest anyone who parades himself as council’s leader or president. The court based its findings on the fact that the Incorporated Trustees of the NYCN organised the congresses and held elections in Markudi, Benue State, and in Minna, Niger State on May 24 and 26 and on August 21 and 24 last year at a time when a court case against the election was pending. The plaintiff, Mr Anyebe Odeh, had instituted the suit against Mr Henry Nwabueze and the Incorporated Trustees of the NYCN.

ABIODUN NEJO ADO EKITI

he National Legal Adviser of the Labour Party (LP), Barrister Biodun Fasakin, yesterday resigned his position in the party over allegations that the party’s constitution was being flouted in Ekiti and Ogun states. Fasakin also said he could no longer cope with impositions in the party including alleged wrongful composition of the LP State Working Committee in Ekiti State. The erstwhile LP national legal adviser who said

He had prayed for interlocutory injunction restraining the NYCN from conducting the election pending the determination of his substantive suit. Odeh also prayed for a declaration that the election held in Makurdi during the pendency of the suit be declared null and void and of no effect whatsoever. Justice Okon Abang said “To give effect to the principal reliefs already granted, and taking into consideration that abnormal action requires drastic step to curb the abnormality, the IGP or any public officer acting for him in any part of the federation is hereby ordered to remove any person or persons occupying any elective office of National Youth Council of Nigeria. “If any of the persons occupying these offices illegally resists being removed, it shall be lawful for the IGP to arrest and prosecute such person or persons for conduct likely to cause breach of the peace.”

L-R: Permanent Secretary, Oyo State Ministry of Education, Dr. Bashir Bello; Commissioner for Education, Prof. Solomon Olaniyonu; Governor Abiola Ajimobi; state President, All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), Mrs. Olufunmilayo Ojoawo and the Principal of Lagelu Grammar School, Ibadan, Mr. Dayo Ojo, during a courtesy call on the governor by ANCOPSS members in Ibadan on Tuesday.

WALE IGBINTADE

fter 11 years of handling the trial of Lagos lawyer and socialite, Chief Fred Ajudua, charged for fraudrelated offences, the trial judge, Justice Joseph Olubunmi Oyewole has formally withdrawn from further presiding over the matter. Ajudua and one Charles Orie are being prosecuted since 2003 by the EFCC for allegedly defrauding two Dutch businessmen, Remy

Alleged $1.69m fraud: Judge hands off Ajudua’s case Cina and Pierre Vijgen, of US$1.69m (about N270m). Already, Justice Oyewole had forwarded the case file back to the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Ayotunde Phillips to be reassigned to another judge and to start de novo (afresh) There are indications that Justice Oyewole’s withdrawal may not be unconnected with a fresh suit filed by the Econom-

Labour Party’s national legal adviser resigns the acceptance of House of Representatives member, Hon Opeyemi Bamidele, into the party in the state and the installation of Hon Akin Omole as the LP interim state chairman and other executives, contravened the party’s constitution. He said at a press conference in Ado Ekiti yesterday that the party could have conducted a State Congress to elect the exec-

utive rather than imposing preferred candidates. In his resignation letter to the LP National Chairman, Barr Dan Iwuanyanwu, dated 6th January, Fasakin said “LP is a party that could easily capture power if system is allowed to work in accordance with the constitution of the party without recurrent arbitrary manipulations. The latest happenings in the party are aberrations

and palpable disregard for due process. “It is against this backdrop that I hereby formally notify you of my resignation as the National Legal Adviser of the Labour Party forthwith,” Fasakin said. According to him, allowing Bamidele’s men to hijack the party in Ekiti at the expense of the validly elected members, would spell doom for the party.

ic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against Ajudua for allegedly defrauding a former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi (rtd) of about $8.395m. The anti-graft agency had alleged that Ajudua and others fraudulently claimed that $1m out of the total money collected from Bamaiyi was for financial assistance for the treatment of Justice Olubunmi Oyewole’s father who was at that time handling Bamayi’s case. In the fresh suit dated October 14, 2013, EFCC alleged that Ajudua, along with others still at large, had committed the crime between November 2004 and June 2005. Ajudua, along with other suspects, were said to have defrauded Bamaiyi at the Kirikiri Maximum Prisons, where he and the other fraud suspects were on remand for various crimes. Other suspects, who were said to be at large, are Alumile Adedeji (a.k.a Ade Bendel) and one Mr. Kenneth and Princess Hamabon William.

EFCC claimed that the suspects had fraudulently collected the money from Bamaiyi in parts, falsely claiming that the payments represented the professional fees charged by Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) to handle Bamaiyi’s case in court and to facilitate his (Bamayi) release from prison. However, Ajudua who is yet to perfect his bail conditions is still under intensive care at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital for kidney-related medical complications. It would be recalled that a vacation judge, Justice Ganiyu Safari had admitted Ajudua to bail in the sum of N50 million with two sureties on the grounds of his failing health. Ajudua was first arraigned in 2003, and was granted bail two years later to seek medical attention in India over a kidneyrelated ailment. He, however, failed to attend trial for several years, forcing the trial judge, Justice Oyewole to revoke his bail and declare him wanted.

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FEMI OYEWESO ABEOKUTA

he Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency, TRACE, yesterday handed over all the items recovered from the scene of an auto crash which occurred along the Abeokuta - Sagamu expressway last Tuesday to the victim. The items, which included two bank cheques of N6.9 million, a bank draft of N6. 89 million, over N118, 000 cash and a Samsung Android phone, were returned to the victim. The victim, who was identified as Alhaji Shittu

South-West

Thursday, January 9, 2014

TRACE returns N13m recovered from crash scene to victim Samsudeen, was said to have been travelling in his black Toyota jeep marked (LAGOS) FST 278 AR to Lagos from Abeokuta, the state capital last Tuesday, when the crash occurred near Kobape-Onipepeye village along the expressway. Samsudeen, who was brought to the TRACE office from the state hospital in Ijaye where he was receiving treatment, was presented with the items by the TRACE Command-

er, Dr. Ayo Sangofadeji. While handing over the items to the victim, Sangofadeji said a good Samaritan had actually taken the victim out of the car before a team of TRACE officials led by Commander Adekoya Adeola got to the scene and took him to the

hospital for treatment. Sangofadeji, however, dismissed the insinuation that the Onipepeye axis of the expressway has evil spirit that curses accidents. He urged motorists to always guide against human errors that have over

the years identified as principal cause of auto crashes. Recalling how the crash occurred, Samsudeen, who said that he was on a lower speedometer of 60KPH, explained that he was trying to avoid a crash with a learner’s vehicle

ahead of him which had only a man and another female occupants before the crash occurred. He, however, hailed the sincerity and the discipline displayed by the TRACE management and officials in discharging their duties.

Ajimobi warns school heads against charging fees

overnor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has warned heads of public primary and secondary schools to desist from charging fees under any guise. He gave the warning while hosting executive members of the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools, ANCOPSS, who paid him a courtesy visit in his office. Ajimobi, who reiterated the free education policy of his administration in both primary and secondary schools, asked the school heads to avoid charging their students illegal fees but should rather work for the success of the pupils in public examinations. The governor said: “I have found out that some teachers were charging students underground fees; teachers should desist from charging any extra money or fee.”

He urged the teachers to put in their best to produce pupils who would be the best in learning and character. Ajimobi said with about 30 per cent allocated to education in the 2014 budget, more funds would be available to transform the education sector. ANCOPSS boss, Mrs. Funmilayo Ojoawo, hailed the governor’s education policy, saying the initiative had helped in raising the standard of education in the state. Mrs. Ojoawo said: “We appreciate the fact that provision of free and quality education has become a huge investment; the government has not relented in providing free and qualitative education to all citizens and residents of Oyo State; tuition is totally free; government has employed highly qualified teachers to teach in our schools. This is highly commendable.’’

Oyo SURE-P beneficiaries owed three months salaries KEMI OLAITAN IBADAN

ll may not be well with the Subsidy Re - i nve s t m e n t Programme, SURE-P, in Oyo State as its beneficiaries are allegedly owed three months salaries by the Federal Government. National Mirror learnt yesterday in Ibadan, the state capital, that the beneficiaries were yet to receive their last year October, November and December salaries.

One of the beneficiaries, who pleaded anonymity, said that the SURE-P office under the National Directorate of Employment was not in charge of the salary. He said the about 3,500 beneficiaries engaged in various activities received their salaries directly from the Federal Ministry of Finance, Abuja. He claimed that the beneficiaries were denied their monthly stipends of N10, 000 for the celebrations of Christmas and New Year.

L-R: Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi; wife of the former Acting Governor of the state, Chief Friday Aderemi, Rachael; children, Oluwasegun and Oluwaseun, during a condolence visit to the Aiyetoro home of the late former governor, yesterday.

Lagos reiterates commitment to mitigate effect of climate change MURITALA AYINLA

he Lagos State Government yesterday said that it had established over 80 recreation parks and gardens across the state, even as it reiterated its commitment to pollution control. The state government embarked on the initiative as part of the measures to mitigate the adverse effect of climate change. Governor Babatunde Fashola stated this when he commissioned the Oshodi-Heritage Garden, the Dolphin Park and the Alao Aka-Bashorun recreational Park and Garden, saying with the establishment of the recreational parks, the state had taken a giant steps at redefining environment.

Fashola, who claimed that he had handed over all the recreation parks to the end users since the inception of his “Operation Green Lagos” policy, said his administration has surpassed Beijing in the fight against pollution. Speaking on the development, the Commissioner for the Environment, Tunji Bello, noted that the “Operation Green Lagos” campaign is responsible for the gradual restoration of the ecological glory of the state as witnessed in Oshodi, Gbagada Phase II and Osborne Road where the three new parks and gardens are located. The commissioner said that the commissioning of the three parks was a demonstration of the Fasholaled administration’s commitment to restore the lost

glory of Lagos and create a safe and healthy environment for all. He said: “Credit must be given to the architect of a new Lagos, His Excellency, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, who has continued to champion and support the various environmental regeneration programmes of the state with which we are killing several birds with one stone. “Firstly, we are contributing to the global fight against climate change. Secondly, we are creating jobs for landscape experts, not to mention the multiplier effect in the supply chain. Thirdly, we are creating veritable outdoor media opportunity for corporate organisations to market their products. Fourthly, we are restoring

the aesthetics of the environment as well as rehabilitating some of our youths who were used in the development of the parks.” Commenting on the contribution of the private sector, Bello stated that the organised private sector had heeded the call by the government to assist in restoring the ecological glory of the state. He noted that over 40 corporate bodies had so far partnered with the state government to beautify the environment. According to the commissioner, some of the private sector actors include Zenith Bank, UBA, Jubali Brothers, First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Nigerian Breweries, Berger Paints, Hitech and Messrs Clear Edge Media who developed Oshodi Heritage-Garden.

South East

Thursday, January 9, 2014

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FG will fix bad roads in South-East, others -Minister T he Federal Government will evolve and implement an emergency plan to fix federal roads in the south east and other parts of the country. Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolememen, disclosed this while answering questions at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) forum in Abuja on Wednesday. Onolememen, who acknowledged that some of the arterial roads in the south east were in bad condition, said that the government had

done so much on roads in the region, and had not abandoned roads in the region. “In fact, the road you are talking about from Umuahia to Ikot Ekpene, when I visited Abia State in December, I drove through the road and I noticed that there is about three kilometers stretch of that road that is actually in dire need of rehabilitation. “I have not just heard about it, I have seen it; between the ministry of works and the agency which is under my supervision, we are

formulating an emergency plan to rehabilitate that particular road; it has not been forgotten.” Onolememen dismissed insinuations that the Federal Government had not done much in fixing most of its roads in bad condition in the south east region.

He said that though the budgetary constraints had limited the ministry’s intervention in some areas, government had in the past few years tried to recover bad portions of the arterial roads. “It is not true that all the federal government roads in the south east are

in bad shape. “It is in the same south east where you have the Obiozora-Iziagu road that is one of our best roads which is comparable to any road in the world. “We have pockets of them here and there, the EnuguAbakaliki road is part of the

roads in the south east, these are very good alignments. “Yes we have some challenges, for us to be able to drive these roads to the level Nigerians want; we need to be investing about N500 billion in road development in the ministry of works every year in the next four years,”

PIB will inject new blood into the oil sector –Nwaogu GEORGE OPARA ABIA

he much delayed Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) would inject new blood into the oil sector when eventually passed into law by the National Assembly, so says the senate committee chairman on Gas, Senator Nkechi Nwaogu. Senator Nwaogu who brought this to the fore while addressing newsmen in Aba, Abia State said a part from bringing in more local industries and creating more job opportunities, the bill would broaden the revenue base of the country when passed into law. Nwaogu, senator representing Abia Central at the upper legislative chamber informed that despite the long period the Bill has stayed at the National Assembly, its passage into law was not foreclosed. She stressed that the lead-

A LIUNA G ODWIN EBONYI

o fewer than four police officers has been killed at their various duty post in Ebonyi, the state capital in their attempt to ensure that there is adequate protection of lives and properties of the people of the state before they meet their waterloo. The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Chris Anyanwu in a statement issued to newsmen in Abakaliki said the officers were killed by un-

ership of the National Assembly was taken its time to ensure that the Bill was not defeated at the plenary, stressing that the PIB had already withered the political storm it gathered initially and would soon be passed into law. Senator Nwaogu gave the 7th senate pass mark for its achievements particularly its introduction of the ‘necessity doctrine’ that made President Goodluck Jonathan assume power in acting capacity when the incumbent was incapacitated which she said saved the country from political quagmire. On the letter former president Olusegun Obasanjo wrote to President Goodluck Jonathan, senator Nwaogu said it was wrong the former to have made the letter public, adding that it was like one pulling down the house he helped to build.

Abia State Governor, Theodore Orji (middle) and others, during the inspection of ongoing work at the new Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs office complex in Umuahia, yesterday.

CHARLES OKEKE AWKA

he leadership crisis tearing the Anambra State chapter of the All Progressives Congress ( APC) apart yesterday, deepened as Senator Annie Okonkwo, has dismissed as void and untenable his alleged suspension from the party by the State Interim Executive Committee led by Chief Amechi Obidike. Annie Okonkwo, who holds the post of Deputy National Chairman of APC,

APC crisis deepens in Anambra

...as Annie Okonkwo dismisses suspension South East, said that his purported suspension from the APC by the Interim State Executive Committee loyal to Senator Chris Ngige, on account of his alleged support for the local government election due to hold in the twenty one local government areas of Anambra State on Saturday this week is illegal. It will be recalled that the Chief Amechi Obidike led Interim State Executive

Four policemen Killed in Ebonyi ...174 armed robbers, 46 kidnappers arrested known gun men recently just as he added that One hundred and seventyfour suspected armed robbers and forty-six kidnap suspects were arrested by Ebonyi state Police Command last year. Anyanwu noted that the command also recovered twenty-eight stolen vehicles from gunmen within the period and assured the people of the state of the readi-

ness of the command to give them adequate security. He revealed that fiftyfour cases of murder and manslaughter were reported to the command while four hundred and fifty-nine cases of assault were reported to the police within the period in view. ASP Anyanwu attributed the reduction in violent crimes in the area

to strategies adopted by the Police and the cooperation of people of the state. He assured members of the public that the command would not relent in its efforts at combating crime in the area and commended Ebonyi state government for its support and the provision of twenty new Hilux patrol vans to boost its operations.

Committee of APC, which was inaugurated in Awka on Tuesday, had after their maiden meeting, reportedly issued a communiqué, wherein they announced the suspension of the duo of Annie Okonkwo and his key loyalist, Barrister Chuks Chinwuba from the APC because of their purported involvement in activities that were deemed detrimental to the interest of the party. Already, it was gathered that the Interim State Executive Committee have since moved to validate their action by setting up a threeman panel to investigate the allegation of anti party activities made against Annie Okonkwo and Barrister Chinwuba, who has been laying claim to the State Chairmanship position. Speaking to National Mirror on the issue of his suspension from the APC, Annie Okonkwo stated that those that suspended him have no right to do so, more so, according to Senator Okonkwo, “they are not the recognized State Executive Committee of APC. He disowned the Interim State Executive Committee,

saying, “Is APC an ACN? How can they suspend me, they don’t have the right to do so. APC has an executive headed by Barrister C. J Chinwuba, there is nothing like Interim Executive Committee”. Annie 0konkwo’s repudiation of his suspension comes at a time the camp of Senator Ngige said they have filed a suit in court to challenge the conduct of the local council elections slated for the 11th of January, 2014. Ngige made the disclosure of their recourse to court to challenge the council polls, during the inauguration of the interim executive committee of the party in Awka on Tuesday. Ngige had maintained that the party was not going to take part in the local government election because of the contentious issues they have raised over the voters’ register due to be used for the exercise. He stated that members of the Interim State Executive committee were expected to oversee the affairs of the party in the state for about three months.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

South South

Thursday, January 9, 2014

ASUU calls for monitoring of N200bn released to varsities EMMA GBEMUDU YENAGOA

he Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, chapter of the Niger Delta University, NDU, Amassoma, Bayelsa State, yesterday called for proper monitoring and utilisation of the N200 billion released recently to the universities by the Federal Government. Branch Chairman of ASUU in the university, Dr. Beke Sese, spoke yesterday in Yenagoa in an interview with journalists; he said the Nigeria Police, the Economic and Finan-

cial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and other anti-graft agencies could assist in supervising how these funds are being spent by the universities’ management. Sese recalled that the non-release of these funds resulted in the six-month nationwide strike embarked upon by ASUU to seek a revamp of the university system in the country. The chairman noted that the release of the N200 billion and its lodgment with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, was in the right direction to commence the revitalisation process of public universities across

the country. He said: “By the time N1.3 trillion was further released in the next six years, it would go a long way to address the high level of infrastructural rot in the universities.” Sese expressed satisfaction over the four conditions ASUU requested for the suspension of the prolonged strike that was met by the Federal Government. The chairman said he was hopeful that the promises and agreements reached with the government, which gave rise to the suspension of the strike action, would be fulfilled to

the letter. “Strikes will be unlikely in the future if the government keeps its part of the deal,” he said. The university lecturer lauded President Jonathan’s uncommon humility, which he demonstrated during a meeting with ASUU officials, stressing that Jonathan’s personal intervention resulted in a speedy resolution of the crisis. He said: “Even when some government functionaries attempted to put spanners in the works during the negotiations, President Jonathan stood his ground

Joint Task Force members at a farewell parade for the outgoing Operation Pulo Shield Commander, Maj.-Gen. Bata Debiro, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

SEBASTINE EBHUOMHAN BENIN

do State government has put on hold all plans to conduct a mandatory competency test for teachers in its employment just as it has agreed to review the dismissal of school teachers carried out last month. The state government in repeated public announcements had insisted that pub-

Edo to review cases of 836 dismissed teachers •Puts competency test on hold lic primary school teachers in the state should prepare to attend the mandatory test initially scheduled to hold in three tertiary institutions in the state on Saturday. However, at a meeting of stakeholders in the education sector held with the organised labour, the state government agreed with

the state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, to shelve the test. A press release signed by state Chairman and Secretary of the NUT, Comrade Mike Uhunmwangho and Mr. Akin Adeojo respectively, said the state government has also agreed to review the cases of the 836

teachers that were sacked last month after a verification exercise conducted earlier in the year. The statement added that a committee, comprising representatives of government and organised labour, would be set up to work out details and determine those suitable for recall to service.

Two die, eight injured in Edo auto crash SEBASTINE EBHUOMHAN BENIN

t least two persons were yesterday confirmed dead in a multiple auto crash that occurred at Iwu Junction, just after Ekiadolor, in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State. The crash occurred along the ever-busy Benin-Ore-Sagamu

Expressway at about 9.00am, leaving about four other travellers seriously injured. The incident involved a Toyota Sports Utility van and one ash-coloured Volkswagen Golf car with registration number: LAGOS SMK 404 BZ, both of which were coming from Lagos and were in collision with a Toyota Vannet bus with registration

number: Edo USL 324 SD. According to a traffic officer at the scene of the crash, who did not want his name mentioned, the SUV allegedly had a head-on collision with the commercial bus while it was trying to overtake the other car. He, however, did not clarify whether the bus was driving against traffic or not. Confirming the acci-

dent, Unit Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Mr. Adewale Ameen, said however that two people died in the accident, ‘one of which was a state official as he was in uniform.’ Ameen further explained that three vehicles, four seriously injured persons and 11 other persons were involved in the accident.

and effectively played his role to bring about the suspension of the strike. “ASUU wants to use this opportunity to express our profound gratitude to Mr. President. We appreciate

him so much. He spent 13 hours meeting with our union. This is unprecedented. For a President to demonstrate such understanding and profound humility, we salute him.”

Group reacts to campaign of calumny against Akpabio

socio-political organisation, the Good Governance Initiative Nigeria, GGIN, yesterday warned Nigerians to be wary of the campaign of calumny against Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio, by some people in the polity. The group alleged that some disgruntled members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who are working in concert with some opposition politicians, are out to smear the image of Governor Akpabio with the purpose of weakening the structure of President Goodluck Jonathan ahead of the 2015 elections. The GGIN gave the warning in Abuja in a statement signed by its President, Alhaji Kabiru Usman. According to the group, the latest round of lies that Akpabio was

behind the problems of the PDP and that he was spearheading the call for the removal of the party’s Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, because of his purported ambition to be vicepresident, was not only inane, but was also ungodly. It said past attempts to bring Governor Akpabio down for his loyalty and commitment to the party and the Presidency had failed; a development that may have led the sponsors of political chicanery to create new tissues of lies. The statement reads in part: “It is incredible that anyone could point accusation fingers at Akpabio for the problems of the PDP, just as it is demonic that people could be so unrelenting in sponsoring lies just to score a cheap political point.

CLO divided over solidarity visit to Amaechi EMMA GBEMUDU YENAGOA

embers of the Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO, have disagreed over the proposed solidarity visit by its national leadership to the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, over the lingering political crisis plaguing the state. National Mirror learnt that the national leadership of the organisation led by Uche Durekehe, had proposed a solidarity visit to the governor today to lend support to him, but the South-South leadership of body had kicked against. Rising after an emergency meeting in Yenagoa yesterday, Zonal Chairman, Karl Ucheg-

bu, Rivers State Chairman, Sotonye George, Nengi James (Bayelsa), Clifford Thomas (Akwa Ibom) and Bonny Akaeze (Delta), in a communiqué dissociated themselves from the controversial visit. The group said any opinion or position put forward by CLO should not be considered the opinion of the entire group on the crisis rocking the state. The South-South chapter chairmen said persons involved in the visitation venture as CLO officials had no locus standi to represent the organisation in any capacity since no such mandate had been given to them by any decision making organ of the body.

North

inister of Works Mr. Mike Onolememen yesterday in Abuja said that many projects, including the Abuja-Lokoja Road would be completed and commissioned this year. Onolememen stated this while fielding question at the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Forum, pointing out that although budgetary provision was low, the ministry would attend to critical projects. He said: “Well, it is true that the budget of the Ministry of Works, just like any other ministry, dropped as a result of the challenges the government has faced in its revenue generation. “But suffice it to say that this year, we have been able to judiciously use what we have received from the Ministry of finance in driving our road development programme across the country. “The good news is that many of these road projects would be completed and commissioned this year based on our plan. “I want to assure that the Abuja-Lokoja Road will be commissioned this year. “The second is the BeninOre dual carriage way; that particular section of the way certainly will be completed and commissioned this year leaving us with the outstanding section from Ajebandele to Sagamu which we have introduced into the budget for 2014. “Hopefully when the budget is approved, we shall be

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Abuja-Lokoja highway, others for completion this year –Minister • 4th Lagos Mainland Bridge underway awarding the asphalt overlay of that section. “Once when that is done, we would not have a completely brand new express way from Benin to Shagamu covering a distance of over 270 kilometres.” The minister debunked claims that all federal roads in the South-East were in bad shape, citing Enugu-Abakaliki Road and the Afikpo-Abakaliki Road as clear examples of good roads in the region. Onolememen, however, acknowledged that there were challenges in the South-East roads necessitated by poor budgetary provisions. He said that the ministry would not relent in rehabilitation, reconstruction and in some cases expansion of roads which he described as critical. The minister said: “The ones we describe as critical are the major arterial roads in this country where we are embarking on rehabilitation, reconstruction and in some cases expansion. “Typical among them is the Kano-Maidugiri road where we are dualising its over 518 kilometres; the Abuja- Lokoja road which is about 210 kilometres and of course the Benin-

Kwara deputy governor’s aide dies WOLE ADEDEJI ILORIN

he Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to the Deputy Governor of Kwara State, Inspector Gaya Mark, died yesterday in Ilorin. Mark, 40, was reportedly died of cardiac arrest. He was said to have joined issues with a commercial motorcyclist popularly known as okada rider who was reported to have ran into the convoy of his principal (the Deputy Governor), Elder Peter Kisira, along the United Bank of Africa, UBA, Illofa Road, GRA, Ilorin. A family source, who did not want his name in print, said the deceased had been suffering from

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heart related ailments before the incident, now but the encounter he had with the motorcyclist aggravated his condition and thereby slummed. The source said: “Contrary to speculation, there was no exchange of blows between the deceased and the motorcyclist.” The late Mark is survived by a wife and three children. His body was deposited yesterday at the mortuary of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, UITH. The Police Public Relations Officer, Ajayi Okasanmi, confirmed the incident, adding that the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Agboola Glover-Oshodi, had also visited the scene of the incident.

Ore-Sagamu Road. “The Onitsha-Enugu Road, of course, the Lagos-Ibadan Express way, the Oweto Bridge and, of course, the second Niger Bridge and quite a number of other arterial roads. They are all in the pipeline of projects we intend to aggressively pursue to completion in the life of this administration.” Onolememen added

that plans were underway for the construction of a new bridge to link Lekki and Ikorodu axis in Lagos State as a way of decongesting the roads. He said: “That is part of our plan; that is what we call the Lagos-Attah Ring Road and part of it is to have a new bridge from the Lekki Free Trade Zone across the lagoon that will connect that part of Lekki

to Ikorodu. “We in the Federal Ministry of Works, we want to refer to it as the 4th Mainland Bridge, but some people call it the 5th Mainland Bridge.” The minister said that the government had designed the expansion and rehabilitation of the road from Ikorodu where the bridge would stop in Sagamu in order to link it up with the Lagos- IbadanIlorin road up to the Niger Republic borders.

Onolememen, however, did not give a time frame for completion as he said the designs had yet to be completed. “Certainly, it is one of the two priority projects the ministry is working on,” he said. He noted that these were part of the priority projects of the Federal Government which would get utmost attention just as the 2nd Niger Bridge comes to fruition.

Bauchi State Governor, Isa Yuguda (left) decorating the the GOC 3rd Armoured Division, Jos, Maj.-Gen. Joseph Nwaoga, during the 2014 Armed Forces Remembrance Day Emblem Appeal Week in Bauchi, yesterday.

Chinese firm to invest N160bn in oil refinery in Niger PRISCILLA DENNIS MINNA

he Niger State Government’s plan to attract investors may be nearing reality following the decision by a Chinese company to invest over N160 billion in the construction of an oil refinery at Bida Basin in Baro town, Katcha Local Government Area of the state. It will be recalled that

the state government constituted a Hydrocarbon Committee in 2012 to look into the commercial viability of oil and gas deposits in the Basin and the possibility of going into its exploration. Hence, the committee early in 2013 returned a positive report of the possibility of realising the dream of joining the league of oil producing states of the country. Speaking at a press

conference on last year’s activities of the Ministry of Mining and Mineral Resources, the Commissioner, Alhaji Abubakar Baba Jibreel, said that five foreign investors had shown interest among which is the Chinese company. He explained that though the state is desirous of exploring the commodity, it had not entered into any Memorandum of Understanding with the Chinese firm.

Jibreel said: “We held back because we did not want the investor to be the sole owner of the refinery. Allowing that to happen will not be in the interest of the people of the state and the government.” The commissioner also said President Goodluck Jonathan had approved the letter written to him by Governor Babangida Aliyu on the presence of oil and gas deposit in the state.

Nigerian legion looses 38 members to insurgency in Borno INUSA NDAHI MAIDUGURI

hairman of the Borno State chapter of the Nigerian Legion, Staff Sergeant Mustapha Ali (rtd), has urged Governor Kashim Shettima to come to the of the group by assisting members with land to

•Group seeks land for accommodation build their houses. He said that the Boko Haram insurgency had claimed the lives of 38 members of the legion in the state. Ali spoke yesterday when members of the legion came to pay a courtesy visit to the governor at

the Government House in Maiduguri in commemoration of the 2014 Armed Forces Remembrance Day. He said: “As a people who served the country and have retired, some of us have no house where we hope to live peaceful for the rest of our lives.

We also don’t have official vehicle which we can use for the day to day running of our office. “We come to you as the as the grand patron of the legion in Borno State to help us with land for our members to build their houses as well as vehicles to help us run our office well.”

Thursday, January 9, 2014

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Politics

PDP crisis: Will Tukur’s exit bring back peace? The crisis bedeviling the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, appears to have no end. Most often, the position of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur as the National Chairman has remained controversial with virtually all the aggrieved members calling for his head. OBIORA IFOH and OLAJIDE OMOJOLOMOJU ask if his sack will indeed engender peace in the party.

Jonathan

few days ago, at the peak of the renewed plot to get him sacked, the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, said his resignation or sack will not be a solution to the crisis in the party. Tukur, in an interview, pointed out that all the talk about his resignation and change of leadership was nothing but a mere distraction to get across to the leader of the party, President Goodluck Jonathan. He said: “We will not give them the opportunity to do so. These people making these allegations are merely trying to get to their main target, who is President Jonathan. They know that my loyalty to the President is absolute and therefore they want to get at me first and make the President vulnerable.”

Tukur

Tukur further said that if the governors and others succeed, his removal will put President Jonathan in a vulnerable position, thereby making it easy for him to be harmed or attacked by perceived enemies, just as he stressed that some of the governors nursing presidential ambition would have their ways. Tukur also while speaking through his political adviser, Senator Umar Gada, asked when it has become a crime for him to be loyal to the President who is the leader of the party, saying: “As far as the National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur is concerned, the PDP governors are loyal to the President and the national, except for a few with hidden agenda who are nursing the plot to remove Bamanga Tukur because of their personal presidential ambition.

“These governors that are clamouring for the removal of the national chairman are known with hidden presidential ambition. The plot is to remove Tukur and make Jonathan vulnerable, because the national chairman is blocking their political ambition.” Speaking further, Senator Gada who noted that the PDP national chairman had kept quiet for some time with the feeling that the governors will see reason and stop what he termed their negative campaign against Tukur, asked: “What is the offence of the national chairman that the governors will be asking for his removal?” According to Senator Gada, the plot of the PDP governors calling for the removal of Tukur did not meet any CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

Politics

Thursday, January 9, 2014

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PDP crisis: Will Tukur’s exit THESE GOVERNORS THAT ARE CLAMOURING FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE NATIONAL CHAIRMAN ARE KNOWN WITH HIDDEN PRESIDENTIAL AMBITION.

THE PLOT IS TO REMOVE TUKUR AND MAKE JONATHAN VULNERABLE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 sense against the backdrop that none of them had made legitimate requests that were not granted, adding: “Which of these governors have asked or made a legitimate request that the national chairman did not grant his request? What wrong has the national chairman done that a few of these governors would be asking for his head? “The only crime that Alhaji Bamanga Tukur has committed is because he is loyal to President Jonathan. Do the few PDP governors clamouring for Tukur’s removal as national chairman want a national chairman that would be disobedient to the President? “By setting the gimmick for the removal of Tukur as national chairman, they are going to make the President vulnerable and open for attacks. But we are happy that the President is wiser and completely aware of the plots of these few governors, who see Tukur as blocking their discreet presidential ambition.” Tukur’s position notwithstanding, attempts are on top gear to shop for his replacement by the governors elected on the platform of the PDP. In one of the meetings held in Abuja a fortnight ago where they reportedly resolved to demand for Tukur’s sack for peace to be achieved in the party, 14 governors were believed to have endorsed his sack. They unanimously agreed on the need to convince President Jonathan to ease Tukur out of the driving seat if it will bring peace to the party. Governors at the meeting included Theodore Orji (Abia), Martin Elechi (Ebonyi), Idris Wada (Kogi), Saidu Dakingari (Kebbi), Isa Yuguda (Bauchi), Sullivan Chime (Enugu), Ibrahim Shema (Katsina), Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Jona Jang (Plateau), Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Garba Umar (Taraba), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Murktar Yero (Kaduna) and Ahmed Musa Ibeto, the deputy governor of Niger State. Rising from the meeting held at the Akwa Ibom State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja, the PDP governors after the well over three hours meeting, came to a conclusion that the PDP national chairman must go as the only solution to the political logjam in the party against the back-

Tambuwal

drop that since he assumed office in 2012, the party has not known peace because of what they termed, his administrative style, which does not go in tandem with members of the PDP. The governors according to sources at the meeting agreed that the North-East which produced Tukur should immediately search for his replacement ahead of the March 2014 mid-term special convention, where Tukur will finally leave as PDP national chairman. Accusing him as being a stumbling block in the wheel of progress of the party, the PDP governors it was furthered gathered, recommended that Tukur be posted as an ambassador to may be, one of the Asian countries. Reports have it that the governors have already begun the search to produce a consensus candidate from the North-East. Incidentally, the removal of Tukur has been one of the major demands of the seven aggrieved governors that formed the New PDP. It will be recalled that when the seven governors stormed out of the party’s convention on August 31, 2013 to form the nPDP, they insisted that Tukur should be removed as part of the conditions for their returning to the party’s fold. Analysts argue that the recent move by the PDP is not unconnected with its growing apprehension ahead of the 2015 elections. The party has at various times boasted that it will rule the country for 60 uninterrupted years. This quest is obviously threatened by the crisis rocking the party.

Amaechi

Jonathan severally saved Tukur’s job It is no longer news that President Jonathan installed Tukur as the party’s national chairman inspite of the resistance by the governors who had preferred former National Secretary, Dr. Shehu Babaye and ever since then, the relationship between the governors and Tukur has only gotten worse. It however climaxed after the reelection of Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi as the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, an election Tu-

kur and the Presidency opposed, which eventually led to the factionalisation of the Forum leading to the emergence of Governors Jonah Jang of Plateau State as factional chairman of the NGF. There was also the creation of PDP Governors Forum headed by Governor Akpabio, which Amaechi and his supporters refused to work with. While these crises lasted, President Jonathan continued to be the foremost supporter of Tukur, a synergy that irked the

Exit of ‘rebel’ governors marks Chief Taiwo Kuye, a PDP chieftain in this interview with TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE says that the PDP will completely outsmart the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 2015 general elections. Excerpts:

Kuye

How do you see the recent defection of 37 members of the House of Representatives elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All progressives Congress, APC? The much publicised and acclaimed members that have defected do not even put the APC in the majority anywhere in the House. By and large, what happened in the House of Representatives was

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Thursday, January 9, 2014

bring back peace?

Aliyu

aggrieved governors even the more. Jonathan and Tukur have been close political associates and have politically rubbed each other’s back. For instance, when the party’s National Working Committee, NWC, was sacked by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, due to the affirmation process by which they came into office, Tukur survived that purge with some support from the President. When the Senator Anyim Pius Anyim,

Akpabio

Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF,) led Presidential Committee on the PDP crises recommended that Tukur be removed from office, the President again reportedly came to his rescue. Even at the height of the crisis when Tukur locked out Deputy Senate President and Prof. Jerry Gana, when they paid him a visit to brief him on the outcome of the peace and reconciliation within the party, the President unbelievably sided with him. In return, the PDP chairma recipro-

end of crisis in PDP –Kuye more or less a political jamboree. Looking at the calculation in the House of Representatives; the APC has 172 members while PDP has 171. So, with the support of about 17 members of the Labour Party, APGA and Accord Party, who are still friends to the PDP in the House, the PDP can still get through and achieve whatever it wants. I know at the end of the day, the 37 PDP lawmakers and the five rebel governors who are their ring leaders will bite their lips. What gave you that assurance that they will bite their lips? I am sure they will, because majority of them did not only play into the gallery, they also played into astute political foolishness. Because I know them and for politics being what it is, the same people serving presently in the House will want to go back and majority of them; at least

90 per cent of them that went to APC will never get return tickets. Look at what is happening in Sokoto State; Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa is not letting Governor Aliyu Wamakko go. Look at what is happening in Kano; the likes of Ibrahim Shekarau and co are not letting Governor Rabiu Kwankwanso to go. In Adamawa, Governor Murtala Nyako is a lone ranger and he has no ground politically because Buba Marwa and co will not let him go. In Rivers, Governor Rotimi Amaechi is completely finished. So, the defection does not imply any difference in the ranks of the PDP. If you call for elections tomorrow, the PDP will beat anybody silly. Looking at the calculation in the House of Representatives presently, APC has 172 members while PDP has 171 and CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

cated the gesture by throwing his weight behind the NWC’s decision to grant the President the right to first refusal of the presidential ticket of the PDP for 2015. By this decision, all the President need do is say is: ‘I will contest’ and he is the party’s presidential candidate. However, their close political alliance may have become an albatross to the permanent political interest of the PDP.

Any hope for the return of the five governors Tukur is optimistic that the five governors including Amaechi, Murtala Nyako, Aliyu Wammako, Abdulfatah Ahmed and Rabiu Kwankwaso of Rivers, Adamawa, Sokoto, Kwara and Kano states, respectively, who late last year defected to APC, would soon return to the party. Though, the national chairman noted that it was the right of the governors to defect, he was of the view that very soon, they will realise their mistake and return to base. He said: “Many have done this before; it is not new, are they not back? They know that there is no any other way; PDP is the party. They have gone, we have seen that before, and they came back.” Tukur accused the governors of abandoning the party that helped them achieve their political goals because, according to him, “they have eaten enough” and therefore, want to taste the other side. Is this the way to compensate a good tiding? PDP has given many of them positions such as ministers, and Permanent Secretaries. PDP still remain the same source of all the goodies. If they believe they want to go, let

them go, they will be hardly missed. They will understand they took a wrong turn, and when people take a wrong turn, they will end up in the wrong place.” But the governors appear to be resolute in staying put in the APC. Governor Amaechi described moves by the PDP to get him and his four other colleagues to return to PDP as “medicine after death.” The governor explained that the former PDP governors gave the ruling party and its leaders enough time to resolve the internal crisis but that nothing came out of the process. He said: “The move to get them back to the PDP is medicine after death. The arrow has already been shot and that means it (arrow) has left the bow. There is nothing anybody can do to stop the arrow or redirect its course. The PDP realised that there was crisis in the party, but refused to resolve it. We have moved and we are not going back.” While the PDP national chairman and a few other leaders of the party are optimistic that the defecting governors will return, the body language and the utterances of the five governors say the opposite. The party is yet to show any interest in resolving all the burning issues that led to the defection in the first place. One of such was the indefinite suspension order slammed on Amaechi and the hounding of his supporters in Rivers State by agents of the Federal Government. Another was the NGF brouhaha which has also remained unsolved. Reiterating the resolve of the five governors not to return to the ruling party, the Sokoto State governor, Wammako, while chatting with State House correspondents after a meeting with President Jonathan and key members of the PDP late last year, insisted that both himself and Kwankwaso, who was also in the meeting with President will never return to the PDP. The Sokoto State governor said that he was in that meeting with Kwankwaso simply to honour the President who invited them and not because they wanted to retrace their steps back to the PDP. Wammako said that they both told Jonathan that he should perish the idea of wooing them and the other defector-governors back to the PDP. His words: “Well, the meeting went on very well because some of us came here as governors. Our position has been known. On behalf of the five of us, I have already briefed Mr. President on the position of the G-5 that we are no longer in the PDP mainstream and that we are already in another party. “But as a president of this country, if he calls us, we will come and listen to him and respect him as a leader of our country. Otherwise what we had was mostly a PDP affair. We had to tell the President and chairman of the BOT our position.” On his part, Amaechi said that there was no going back to the PDP for him, despite reports of attempts to make him and his colleagues change their minds about their defection. The Rivers State governor said that it was high time Tukur came to terms with the reality that the five governors had left the PDP for good, while reacting to claims by Tukur that the governors have not defected. CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

Politics

Thursday, January 9, 2014

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Tension in Bayelsa as APC unveils secretariat EMMA GBEMUDU YENAGOA

here was palpable tension yesterday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State as a faction of the All Progressives Congress, APC, unveiled its state secretariat and hoisted the party’s flag amidst controversy. Loyalists of the former governor of the state, Timipre Sylva, are said to have hijacked the structure of the party which is not going down well with the defunct structures of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN and the All Nigerian Peoples Party, ANPP, in the state. The magnificent secretariat of the APC is the property of Sylva’s erstwhile security adviser and interim state chairman of the party, Richard Kpodor. It was learnt that the state government had concluded plans to demolish the property located along Etegwe . National Mirror was reliably informed that the flag of the opposition party was hoisted at the early hours of yesterday, while the sign post was mounted about 12 noon. There were fears that security agents may stall the inauguration of the secretariat but the directive was relaxed in the spirit of democracy. Residents of the state capital trooped out in their numbers to catch a glimpse of the much awaited secretariat, even as

they were afraid of the invasion of security agents in the area. Top government functionaries kept sealed lips on the unveiling of the party secretariat, but an aide to Governor Seriake Dickson, who pleaded anonymity, said the development was welcome. The governor’s aide said that the ruling party would not unleash violence on the opposition party since they are practicing true democracy. He said:”We are not like them. It is not

our style to use bombing or unnecessary attacks against the opposition.” In an interview, the state chairman of the APC, Kpodor, insisted that he had been nominated as the interim chairman of the party. According to him, the hoisting of the party’s flag and unveiling of its secretariat was an indication of the seriousness of the party to reclaim the state during the next election, adding: “We have started with the unveiling of our pro-

The crisis rocking the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Bayelsa state deepened yesterday as a faction of the party led by Chief Richard Kpodoh hoisted the party flag at a building designated as its secretariat.

Exit of ‘rebel’ governors marks end of crisis in PDP –Kuye CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 there are reports that many would still defect… What gave you that impression that many PDP lawmakers will still defect to the APC? As it is now, the PDP has reshaped itself; the national caucus; the Presidency; the National Working Committee, NWC, have reshaped the party, so much that nobody can even threaten going anywhere. And if anybody does or desires to go, then he is going to swim in bitter water. The national chairman is trying to put everybody together, get the party into one fold and do whatever they want from the governors to the least of the PDP members to ensure the party’s victory in the 2015 elections. But some of the party leaders seem not to be happy with Bamangar Tukur and they are still calling for his removal. Their bitterness is because Tukur always stands by the truth. Go back and look at the antecedents of the five rebel governors; you will see that they are already on their way to jail. Looking at the track records of the rebel governors in their different states, the security agencies are having their dossiers and majority of them have said it openly that their fear is that they may be probed after the elections. Should that be a condition for the President or a condition for the party? If the party allows that, they will continue to misbehave. With the way PDP is going, don’t you foresee the party going into next election

THE DEFECTION DOES NOT IMPLY ANY DIFFERENCE IN THE

RANKS OF THE PDP.

IF YOU CALL FOR

ELECTIONS TOMORROW, THE PDP WILL BEAT ANYBODY SILLY divided? Since the rebels have gone, there is no more division any longer in the party. But apart from the PDP members that defected to the APC, some present PDP members are still disgruntled with the Tukur leadership. Who are they? Nobody is disgruntled any longer. The disgruntled ones were the ones that have gone; Kwankwanso, Wamakko, Ahmed and others. In fact you will see that the most surprised casualties in the 2015 elections are going to be the Kwara State governor, Abdulfatai Ahmed and Senator Bukola Saraki will be buried, politically. What gave you that impression? I am quite sure and I have that confidence. I am confident of that with what is on ground now in Kwara, politically. The problem with Tinubu, Buhari and co is that what they are eyeing is Nigeria’s properties and Nigeria’s oil but they go

in pretence, telling the world that they want to save Nigeria. Tinubu on record today is the highest political rogue we have in this country but at the appropriate time, we will unveil that. Buhari has no track record as a retired military General. Ask him what he did with the Petroleum Trust Fund, PTF, money. The records are still there about what he did with PTF for five years. Don’t you think the exit of the five governors will affect PDP’s chances in 2015? They should stay where they are and let us go into elections in 2015. Their bargaining was that they have power in their states. Let us test-run that power in 2015 for the likes of Tinubu and Buhari to see who brings what. They will be defeated flat in their various states. I can assure you that. PDP is a party to beat in 2015. I am confident that President Goodluck Jonathan will over-run anybody. But some people are against Jonathan running in 2015… Why should he not run in 2015? The 1999 Constitution permits people to run for the Office of a President for two terms. The man has run only once for the Office of the President, so what stops him from seeking a second term? It is only those who are afraid of President Jonathan’s track record that will not want him to run for a second term. Let every coalition come together and bring up a candidate to face Jonathan, he will beat anybody silly.

posed secretariat and it will be officially opened soon.” While an official of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state who wouldn’t want his name in print said the unveiling of the APC secretariat was normal, adding that the onus to determine opposition party’s success and failure depended largely on the people of the state.

PDP crisis: Will Tukur’s exit bring back peace? CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 Amaechi said: “He (Tukur) is still living in illusion. He had better come to terms with the stark realities. Amaechi is in the APC and we have all crossed.” Foreclosing any hope of their return to the umbrella, Kano State governor, Kwankwaso, said that rather than return to the PDP, more governors elected on the platform of the ruling party would still leave the party in the New Year, adding that his defection to the APC was not a fluke. He said that his defection and that of the other four governors to the APC was just a “tip of the iceberg,” adding that he “is now a member of the APC in soul and in mind.”

PDP, between the devil and the deep blue sea Apart from the five governors, the PDP has continued to lose its members to the opposition APC almost on daily basis. Towards the end of the year, 37 members of the House of Representatives, elected on the platform of the PDP also defected to the opposition party, thus giving it the majority in the House with 172 members while the PDP which has been in the majority since the advent of the current democratic dispensation was left with 171 members. It is expected that more members of the House and some senators would defect in the New Year and what this mean is that whether or not Tukur was removed from office as PDP national chairman, the damage already inflicted on the ruling party would be hard to amend. However, political analysts seem to think that either way, it was the devil’s alternative for the ruling party. This, they said, was that despite the exit of the aggrieved governors, except two – Babangida Aliyu and Sule Lamido of Niger and Jigawa states, respectively, and other members, who had always insisted on Tukur’s removal, the call for his removal has continued to resonate, this time from the remaining governors elected on the platform of the ruling party. It simply means that if he was removed, those who had left would not return to the party and if he was not, many more, especially, those clamouring for his removal now, may also leave the party if their demand was not met, thus putting the party in between the devil and the deep blue sea. Will the PDP ever remain the same again? Will the party return to winning ways, especially in the 2015 general elections? Will the falcon ever hear the falconer in the ruling party? Questions and more questions, begging for answers. But only time will tell!

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Views

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Rotational presidency as a stabilising factor EXISTENTIAL HUMANISM

FRY

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

he palpable tension in the land is traced to the struggle over who occupies the highest office in the land come 2015. A section of the country has come to see the presidency as its birthright, only willing to make a concession from time to time. Otherwise there is no reason why the North should be clamoring for the 2015 presidential slot. Assuming President Goodluck Jonathan accepts to step down after a single term, is the North the most qualified in logic and equity to produce the next president of the country? The answer is no. But they believe it is either them or we should be prepared for another war. The Nigerian civil war heavily tilted the political equation in favor of the North; since then they have continued to believe and behave like the anointed king or king makers of the nation. What jolted them to their marrow were the June 12, 1993 presidential election and the 1990 Gideon Orkar failed coup, where the leader stated unequivocally that the nation was tired of

here is a knock on the door. You gingerly get up to know who the visitor is with the question: “Who is that?” Some amiable voices with courteous allure answer behind the door, “Police officers!” You open the door and two smartly-dressed young men clad in immaculately clean uniform of the Nigeria Police Force, beam warm smiles politely inquire after your identity. “Yes that is my name. How can I help you?” One of them brings out a big purse. “We recovered this on Tuesday after a raid on a hideout following a tip-off by some benign Nigerians. We found your ID card and other particulars hurriedly abandoned by the hoodlums and traced you down”. You instantly recognise the bag as the one snatched from you by some armed hoodlums three days earlier. “Please check and ascertain the contents”. You hurriedly unzip the pouch and begin to check, nodding approvingly as your mental recall of items correlates with your actual findings. Everything, including the currency, is intact. “Goodness gracious! I am so happy!” You exclaim. “Em, em, May I offer you something in appreciation?” You dip your hand into the bag and take out wads of naira notes, offering same to the dutiful officers with a little bow of gratitude. “No sir, we are only doing our duty and we are well-paid for it! You may come later to the station in the evening to write your statement”. They are gone! Things were not like this before. On your way to work, you observe the beautiful streets well-interconnected with

their misrule. The spontaneous reactions and destruction that trailed the annulment of the 1993 presidential election was the sole factor why they willingly surrendered the presidency to the south in 1999. And contrary to their expectation, the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo administration pursued a national rather than a northern agenda throughout his tenure .When it was time for him to bow out he decided on the person he believed could consolidate his programmes. The Igbo nation has been left out in the cold in the nation’s presidential power calculus, which could explain why Igbo politicians have been less vocal on the 2015 presidential race. With three oil producing states and an enterprising population, the Igbo remain a nation that has suffered the greatest deprivation in this country. In terms of distribution of amenities and location of economic generating projects, the area is the most neglected; which explains why there is so much human exodus from that region to other parts of the country. It was worst during the military regime. It was so bad in the late General Sanni Abacha era that the indefatigable lawyer Gani Fawehinmi had to go to court to protest the non-inclusion of an Igbo officer into the highest law making body of the then military junta. In the political history of the nation the Igbo nation has produced only a ceremonial president, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and a military head of state, Major-General

ALL RATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS SUPPORT ROTATIONAL PRESIDENCY.

THIS IS A NATION THAT

HAS INSTITUTIONALIZED FEDERAL CHARACTER AND QUOTA SYSTEM…WE

CAN GO FURTHER TO ADD ROTATIONAL PRESIDENCY IN THE CONSTITUTION Johnson Thomas Aguyi-Ironsi , who ruled for less than six months. All the geopolitical zones but the South East have tasted the civilian executive presidency of the country. Thus the silence of the zone for 2015 remains curious. Some have argued that the reason is to give peace a chance. It could be so rationalized, but there is the need to insist on justice if we truly desire peace and development as a nation. The ongoing crisis underlies the basis for the proposed national dialogue. It is non-negotiable if we must keep this country together. It is laughable for people to say that Nigeria’s unity is non-negotiable, whatever such means. We have been taken for granted for a long time. It is important we discuss and trash out critical issues that have continued to be a clog on our wheel of progress. And who becomes the presi-

dent is one of such issues. It is so because there is so much power at the centre that has made the struggle for it to be so phenomenal. The anxiety is really not for the primary interest of the people, otherwise the North that has been on it for decades would have become an enviable region. All rational considerations support rotational presidency. This is a nation that has institutionalized federal character and quota system that is boldly given expression in Chapter Two of the 1999 Constitution. We can go further to add rotational presidency in the constitution. There is no zone in the country now that lacks presidential materials. Meanwhile the ethnic warriors and those beating the drums of war should be wary of the consequences of their actions. War is an abnormality and no section may be lucky again to fight such a one-sided war. For our differences, dialogue is the most rational option. Ugly developments in sub Saharan Africa make war an option to be avoided. Our politics is not service-oriented; rather it is about jamboree, self-aggrandizement and ego tripping. This explains the negative perception to the defection of politicians from one political party to the other. Decampee politicians and their hosts are birds of a feather, searching for where they can perch and attract more patronages. The nation remains the losers with this type of attitude to politics.

Longing for a moral revolution DEFINITELY ANOTHER NIGERIA IS POSSIBLE, BUT LET EACH ONE ENDEAVOUR TO CHANGE THE SELF AS A PRECURSOR TO THE NATIONAL MORAL REVOLUTION arteries of roads. The traffic moves freely and orderly as commuters respect the traffic rules and the rights of other road users in mutual show of civilised behaviour. You recollect the conditions of the roads only a few years ago and mumble some words of gratitude to God. Things were not like this before. But that was when politicians were siphoning funds meant for social provisioning into their private pockets with a resultant infrastructural deficit. Now, nobody takes the money that belongs to the people to foreign lands to build skyscrapers for self-aggrandisement. On getting to your work place, you are summoned by an officer from Administration Department. He asks you to fill some form. “We realised you did some overtime work last week beyond the statutory eight hours per day. In our commitment to work ethics and dignity of labour, the organisation has monetised the overtime. Complete the form and go to the Account Section for your money.” Back at your desk, your younger brother who lives with you calls on the phone.

“Egbon, I have got the job, I am resuming next Monday” “Haa! But we don’t know anybody in that establishment!” Then you remember that offers of employment are no more determined by mundane considerations of nepotism, ethnicity and cultic affiliations, but on sheer merit. Again things were not like this before. But now, conditions of work are just and humane and there are adequate facilities for leisure, social, religious and cultural life. In this new Nigeria, the government provides adequate medical and health facilities for all citizens, nay all persons; there is equal pay for equal work without discrimination on account of sex, or any other grounds whatsoever. The children, young persons and the aged are protected against any exploitation whatsoever and against moral and material neglect. And of course, there is religious tolerance with people of diverse faiths living in harmonious co-existence. As you return from work without stress, you see the ubiquitous traffic wardens and civilised police officers performing their duties with apparent efficiency. Their manner is courteous and even their English is good. No more “Mr. Man wetin you carry?” but “Gentleman, can I check your boot?” And of course, there is no more “Oga, wetin you chop remain?” Because you grew up in a different Nigeria, it is taking you time to get conditioned to this new national character and moral rebirth. The country has changed within a relatively short time.

CRITICAL STROKES

KAYODE

KETEFE

kketefe@nationalmirroronline.net 08032147720 (SMS only)

The seemingly paradisiacal scenarios of another Nigeria painted above, is admittedly, never going to be realised overnight, but it is not impossible. If things will turn positive, it is not going to happen by mere wishful thinking and prayers. A morally renascent Nigeria will have to be conceived by a Nigerian vision and nurtured by a Nigerian mission. We the people are the one to bring the desired changes about, with our cast-iron determination, willpower and commitment. The act of discipline, selflessness, kindness, charity and magnanimity of just a single person is potentially contagious and can inspire and re-orientate a thousand persons. Definitely another Nigeria is possible, but let each one endeavour to change the self as a precursor to the national moral revolution. 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, January 9, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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

KAFILAT OGBARA

MANAGING DIRECTOR/CEO

BANKOLE MAKINDE

DEPUTY MD/CEO

SEYI FASUGBA

DAILY EDITOR

GBEMI OLUJOBI

SATURDAY EDITOR

KAYODE FASUA

ACTING EDITOR, SUNDAY

DOZIE OKEBALAMA

COORDINATOR, EDITORIAL BOARD

CALLISTUS OKE

EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR

ISE-OLUWA IGE

ABUJA BUREAU CHIEF

FIDELIS LEMCHI OWOAMANAM

REGIONAL DIRECTOR, S/SOUTH

KAYODE BALOGUN JNR

SM, STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT

KING ODODORU

ACTING HEAD, GRAPHICS

orbes, a New York-based reputable business magazine in a report early last December, named the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, as its ‘Africa Person of the Year’. Adesina was nominated for his bold reforms in Nigeria’s agricultural sector. He was ahead of other nominees like Aliko Dangote of the Dangote Group; Chairman of the Zenith Bank Group, Jim Ovia; Strive Masiyiwa, the founder of Econet Wireless in Zimbabwe and South Africa’s mining magnate, Patrice Motsepe. Listed as one of the minister’s ‘bold reforms in agriculture’ is the Federal Government’s structural ban on the importation of fish and other aquatic consumables. Adesina gave hints on the ban last August in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, at the launch of the Special Growth Enhancement Support (GES) scheme for Fisheries and Aquaculture value chain. Represented at the occasion by the Federal Director of Fisheries, Foluke Areola, the Minister said Nigeria had no business importing fish given its huge natural and renewable resources. “The value chains are to create an enabling environment for increased and sustainable production of over one million tonnes of fish within the next four years, generate

On fish import ban employment and pursue gradual reduction of fish imports”, he had said. And barring any last minute rethink by the FG, the structured fish import ban ought to have taken effect since January 1, this year. To ensure strict compliance with the ban, the FG in a letter dated October 29, 2013 to fish importers, directed that all Bills of Lading carried dates not later than October 2013, and that such fish consignments arrived Nigerian waters not later than December 31, 2013. Not surprisingly, too, reports indicated that the price of fish skyrocketed last month, with a carton of Titus selling for N13, 500 instead of N10, 500; while the cost of another popular variety, ‘Kote’, shut up to N10, 200 from N7,500. Nigeria, incidentally, is one country known for its obsession with imports. She imports even refined petroleum products, when pedestrians in the field of economics know that as a major crude oil producing nation, She can earn more foreign exchange if she has the capacity to refine crude oil enough to satisfy local demand and for export. Likewise, the country, reports say, depends largely on imported fish to feed its over 160 million people. “With a vast coastline of about 850 kilometers, an Economic Ex-

IT WOULD PROMOTE THE SMUGGLING OF FISH AND SUBSEQUENTLY LEAD TO INCREASE IN THE PRICES OF DIFFERENT SPECIES OF THE FOOD ITEM clusive Zone of well over 300,000 square kilometres and not less than 3,000 kilometres of navigable inland waterways, Nigeria is no doubt richly endowed with huge maritime resources that would make her a major maritime nation and also one of the biggest exporters of fish products in the world’’, one account said. Sadly, the country, according to official records, miserably produces only 680,000 metric tonnes of fish from all local sources, inclusive of 200,000 metric tonnes from aquaculture, all representing less than 10 percent of its total industrial fish production potential. On the contrary, Nigeria spends over N97 billion annually to import about 700,000 metric tonnes of fish from Europe, Latin America and other parts of Africa to meet local consumption. It will be uncharitable therefore, not to realise the inherent benefits in

fish import ban. But the problem lies in the non-seriousness in the implementation of laudable government programmes in the country. On several occasions, for example, rice and wheat importation had been banned without correspondingly making enough effort to produce and package quality local alternatives. In the end, smuggled foreign rice and wheat flood the market at unaffordable prices. The same is likely to repeat itself with the ban the FG placed on vehicle import recently. Therefore, there is the need for caution, because the policy would deny most Nigerians a cheap source of protein. The looming scarcity of fish would cause disequilibrium between supply and demand. Indeed, it would promote the smuggling of fish and subsequently lead to increase in the prices of different species of the food item. Sections of fish farmers in the country are of the strong opinion that the FG should shelve fish importation ban, especially when its policy of ‘one-man, one-fish pond’ has not been a success. Some others support the ban, too. But the FG would garner more credibility and respect from the populace when it achieves local self-sufficiency in any product in popular demand, before placing an import ban on same.

ON THIS DAY January 9, 2005 Mahmoud Abbas won the election to replace Yasser Arafat as President of the Palestinian National Authority. He replaced Interim President Rawhi Fattouh. Abbas (born March 26, 1935), an Arab of the Sunni-Muslim faith, has been the Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) since November 11, 2004; and was sworn in as President of the Palestinian National Authority on January 15, 2005 on the Fatah ticket.

January 9, 2011 A passenger flight, Iran Air Flight 277, crashed near Orumiyeh in the northeast of the country, killing 77 of the 105 people aboard. The crash occurred near the Urmia Airport, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran. The aircraft involved a Boeing 727-286Adv, operating Iran Air’s scheduled domestic service from the Mehrabad International Airport, Tehran, to Urmia. It crashed after a go-around was initiated during final approach following poor weather conditions.

January 9, 2013 A ‘SeaStreak’ ferry travelling to lower Manhattan, New York City, crashed into the dock, injuring 85 people. SeaStreak is a private ferry company operating in the Port of New York, New Jersey and New England. It provides high-speed commuter service between the Raritan Bayshore in Monmouth County, New Jersey and in Manhattan in New York City as well as special event and sightseeing excursions in the harbour; and seasonal service to the New England coast.

Thursday, January 9, 2014

IN CONJUNCTION WITH

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Education Today

AFE BABALOLA UNIVERSITY, ADO-EKITI (ABUAD)

A prestigious university in Africa with a visionary founder and leader - Dr. Lalla Ben Barka, Assist. D.G UNESCO, Paris

TUNBOSUN OGUNDARE AND JAMES ABRAHAM

embers of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) and that of the colleges of education (COEASU) in the country are still on strike as their counterparts in the universities resumed work on Monday following the suspension of their five and half- month-old strike last December. While ASUP’s strike entered its fourth month last Sunday, that of COEASU will be 22 days old today. And the two unions, which had initially embarked on warning strikes, have vowed to continue with the current strike until their demands are met by the Federal Government. The government on its part is also not ready to shift ground on the issue. As usual, activities at the affected campuses have been paralysed since the commencement of the strike leaving students and their parents at receiving ends. Justifying why ASUP has to continue with the strike, the South-West Coordinator of the union, Mr. Babatunde Dosumu said there was still no indication on the part of government to show it is serious and ready to address the issues in contention. He noted that even at the last meeting held on Monday in Abuja between the union leaders and the Federal Government representatives including the Supervising Minister of Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike and his labour’s counterpart, Chief Emeka Wogu, there was still no concrete resolution between both parties. “The government is fond of making promises without fulfilling them and that is still the case as regards the issues at stake with ASUP,” he alleged. According to him, ASUP has about 12 point-demand and the government so far met only those that are less important leaving out the major ones that would best address the problems confronting the polytechnic education in the country. “So, as the situation is presently, ASUP has no option than to reduce the demands for now to four major ones. These include that the government should inject N20.8 billion for a start into the polytechnic education, to bridge the gap between the university graduates and those from the polytechnics, to constitute a need assessment committee for polytechnic education as well as to address the poor state of the state-owned polytechnics. “We as a union will want the government to address these issues before we can go back to work. These issues are very dear to us and we believe they are treasures also to many Nigerians who love quality education. We cannot grow as a country if polytechnic education that will produce the technical manpower is neglected,” he said.

Main entrance of the Federal Polytechnic Nekede,Owerri PHOTO: FACEBOOK

ASUP, COEASU fight on! Polytechnics, colleges of education remain shut Lectureres vow to continue 4-month-old strike Dosumu, who lectures at The Polytechnic Ibadan, Oyo State said the union did not trust the government any longer in the area of fulfilling of promises. According to him, the government promised ASUP at a meeting last October that it would inject N20.8 billion into the polytechnic education and up till today(Tuesday), nothing is done in that regard. “So, government must have to place something on the table before this strike can be call-off otherwise the struggle continues,” he said. Corroborating him, the union’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Clement Chirman told National Mirror that the issues in contention were serious ones and therefore ASUP cannot allow government to play politics with it. A responsible government according to him should be able to give a deserved attention to education being the bedrock of the nation’s development. “But dishearteningly, reverse is the case in Nigeria and this will continue to affect the country negatively,” he lamented. “Or why is it so difficult for government to implement agreements it freely entered into with ASUP before the suspension of earlier strike on July 17, 2013.” Expressing disappointment at what he called government’s cold attitude towards polytechnic education in the

country, Chirman, who lectures at the Plateau State Polytechnic, Barki Ladi, declared that government’s attitude had revealed that government has preference for university education over that of the polytechnic. To buttress his claims, he said the government had refused to legislate in making the degrees and higher national diplomas at par despite the fact that many polytechnic graduates according to him perform far better at work places than their university counterparts. “Why is it also difficult for government to inject only N20.8 billion into polytechnic education as against trillions of naira being demanded by the Academic Staff Union of Universities? What is also difficult in releasing the White Paper of the Visitation Panel to the federal polytechnics a year after the exercise?” he asked rhetorically. National Mirror however, gathered that some polytechnics did not join the strike at their discretions due to their unresolved internal problems. Citing the case of the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Lagos as example, the south –west coordinator explained that the institution at a time pulled out from the union but it returned about four months ago when the ongoing strike was declared by the national body. On COEASU, its branch chairman at the

THE GOVERNMENT

PROMISED ASUP AT A

MEETING LAST OCTOBER THAT IT WOULD INJECT

N20.8 BILLION INTO THE POLYTECHNIC EDUCATION AND UP

TILL TODAY(TUESDAY), NOTHING IS DONE IN THAT REGARD.

Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka, Lagos, Comrade Olayanju Taiwo Abolaji told National Mirror yesterday that the union would also not call off the strike until the Federal Government start implementing their agreements. “The union wants the government to pump in more money into the system so as to be able to fix the decaying infrastructures across our colleges and to also stop the implementation of the Integrated Payroll Personnel Information System (IPPIS), which centralises payment of salaries of workers, among other demands,” he said. He explained that centralisation of payment of salaries would not work in the country because of the unpalatable experiences workers in government institutions operating similar system are facing. “So, the strike is total and we won’t call it off until the government is ready to implement our demands,” he concluded.

Education Today

Thursday, January 9, 2014

At 11, Zuriel champions course for girl-child education • Meets 13 world leaders Aspires to become US president

↓

Zuriel (arrowed) with pupils in Lagos

TUNBOSUN OGUNDARE

hen most of her age mates are still considering themselves to be too young to do anything on their own, Zuriel Oduwole is already impacting the society. At her age, 11, she is championing the course of girl-child education in Africa, saying she is not comfortable seeing children, particularly girls who are of school age not being in school. According to her, African countries can drive their economies only when their reasonable percentage of population is with the right knowledge, which can be acquired only through sound education. The young girl believes that no child should be denied the right to education on any ground. “My dream is to see that developing countries, especially in Africa and Asia, are competing favourably with the developed countries of the world. Africa in particular cannot afford to remain at the back seat in the committee of nations,” she told National Mirror in Lagos when she was hosted for the second time by the Pan-Atlantic University recently. To bring her vision into a reality, Zuriel, an American-born Nigerian from Ogun State has started meeting with influential people around the world, including heads of government, whom she shares her vision with and interviews on the issues. Notable among those she had already met are Presidents Joyce Banda of Malawi; Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania; Rajkeswur Purryag of Mauritius; Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya; Salva Kirr Mayardit of South Sudan; Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia. Others include Jorge Fonsec of Cape Verde; Portia Simpson Miller of Jamaica and Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria.

She has also interviewed the two former presidents of Ghana- Jerry Rawlings and John Kuffour; the African business mogul Aliko Dangote; the African-American tennis star champions, Venus and Serena Williams as well as the Commissioner of Health at the African Union, Sadiq Kaloko and a host of others. She told National Mirror that she was meeting these leaders on the platform of her “dream up, speak up and stand up project” to convey two important messages: to sensitize and re-motivate them towards providing the best opportunities for the education of the girl-child and also to serve as inspiration for her age group. Zuriel believes that the destiny of Africa as a continent lies in its hand. “African leaders should know that for the continent to get out of the current economic problem they should look inward and not rely on the western world,” she enthused. So, apart from the one-on-one interviews with the world leaders, Zuriel is also engaging in documentary films that centre on developmental projects. So far, she had produced two. One is about the Ghana Revolution, which she produced in 2012 and the other is tagged “Educating and healing Africa out of poverty,” which talks about how Africa could achieve the objectives of the formation of the Organisation of African Unity (now African Union) to drive development in the continent. She produced this film last year. Zuriel’s project has since been receiving boost from various quarters. Now, she is enjoying supports of many organisations, and philanthropic individuals such as the Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos, which played host to her twice last year. The Dean of the School of Media and Communication of the institution, Prof. Emevwo Biakolo told National Mirror

AFRICAN LEADERS SHOULD KNOW THAT FOR THE CONTINENT TO GET OUT OF THE CURRENT ECONOMIC PROBLEM THEY SHOULD LOOK INWARD AND NOT RELY ON THE WESTERN WORLD that the university was passionate about Zuriel’s project and would give her necessary support to actualise the dream. Similarly, the Ethiopia Airlines, which flew Zuriel alongside her parents and three siblings to Nigeria last December, has promised to continue to offer her free flight whenever she is travelling on the airline routes across the globe. Support also come from such organisations as Protea Hotel, Herz, Michael and Olajumoke Foundation, Galatians Media, among others. Surprisingly, Zuriel is not a regular student. She told National Mirror that she attends home school in the United States where her family is based to enable her devote adequate attention to her project. “I may want to travel anytime and I would not want anything to hinder me from doing so,” she said. But as soon as she is through with her basic education, she wants to further her studies through to the university level. “I will have to be well-educated to help myself in achieving my dream. I want to be a very successful person in all spheres of life. And part of my dreams is to become the US president. It is a dream I so much believe in and it will come to pass by the grace of God,” she declared.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Ondo trains Maths, English teachers ahead of WASSCE HAKEEM GBADAMOSI AKURE.

n order to improve the performance of students in Mathematics and English Language in Ondo State, the state government has embarked on retraining of teachers of these subjects across the 304 public secondary schools in the state. The training according to Commissioner of Education, Mr. Jude Adejuyigbe is to prepare and help the teachers in lifting the performance of students in the state in the two subjects before the end of June 2014. Adejuyigbe who disclosed that about 1,216 teachers would be trained said the state government had decided to pay the fees for candidates who registered for the 2014 May/June West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) from the 304 public secondary schools in the state. He said, “All these interventions point to one fact: the need to attain excellence in our education service delivery by way of measurable improvements in the performance of our public school products in public examinations and academic and allied competitions. “It is on this note that this workshop has been packaged to assist subject teachers in repositioning the teaching of Mathematics and English Language in our schools.”

BSN boosts Nigeria, Netherlands relations - Envoy TUNBOSUN OGUNDARE

he Netherlands Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. John Groffen has commended the Nigerian outreach of Business School of Netherlands for strengthening the relations between the two countries. He gave the commendation during his recent visit to the Abuja centre of the institution as part of his ongoing efforts in strengthening further the relationship between the two countries. Groffen, who was accompanied to the institution by his Senior Policy Advisor on Economic and Political Affairs, Ms Fidelia Onoghaife urged the management of the school not to renege in producing students that will help grow the economy. He promised to keep facilitating more interactions and interface between the Dutch related-community in the country and the Netherlands. Expressing appreciation on the visit, the Chief Executive Officer of the institution, Lere Baale noted that the presence of the institution in the country had greatly helped many Nigerians to experience the quality of education like that of Dutch. He said he was particularly happy that more Nigerians are being identified with the school.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Solomon Lar varsity struggles to meet accreditation deadline JAMES ABRAHAM JOS

uthorities of the Solomon Lar University, Bokko, has said that everything is being done to enable the institution meet up with the National Universities Commission (NUC) requirements for accreditation of its courses. The university is yet to graduate its first set of students since it was established in 2005. National Mirror gathered that the first set of students of the institution is expected to graduate at the end of this year. It was further learnt that their graduation will only be possible if the institution was able to scale through accreditation of its courses by the NUC team who are billed to visit the institution in March. “Since NUC accreditation is based on the facilities available on campus, we are doing everything possible to ensure that those facilities are ready before they come because we cannot afford to disappoint our students who will be graduating at the end of the year,” the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Doknan Decent Danjuma Sheni told journalists shortly after inspecting ongoing projects at the institution’s permanent site at Bokkos Local Government area of the state. Some of the ongoing projects inspected by the vice-chancellor which are at various stages of completion include lecture theatre for the School of Management Science, Entrepreneurship Centre, classroom blocks and offices, Multipurpose Library building, school gate among others. The VC, who expressed satisfaction with the progress of work at the site, disclosed that some of the projects were being funded by Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Education and the state government. According to him, the state Governor, Jonah Jang approved the sum of N2 billion for the construction perimeter fencing round the school and erection of other structures adding that N600 was also released to the institution by TETFund in the first set and another N400m for projects in the school. The VC while commending the efforts of the development partners at ensuring that the institution takes its pride of place also charged the contractors handling various projects to ensure completion of work on schedule. He warned them that no excuse would be tolerated for failure.

Jang

Education Today

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Ekiti promises teachers improved welfare

ith an assurance of improved welfare packages including the implementation of long-awaited promotion and the payment of 20 per cent of basic salary to encourage deployment to hinterlands, Ekiti teachers have been urged to be more conscientious at work this year. The promise and charge came from the Deputy Governor, Prof. Modupe Adelabu when she visited some public primary schools without notice on Monday. Public schools in the state resumed from the Christmas and New Year holiday on Monday. The SUBEB chair, who sang and danced with teachers and pupils on their assembly grounds, congratulated them for the grace of God which kept them alive and healthy to resume school. She disclosed that a committee which also comprises representatives of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has been set up to look into matters affecting teachers’ promotion, adding that teachers posted to rural communities would now be taking 20 per cent of their basic salaries as posting allowance to discourage rejection which has denied pupils in the remote areas a lot of benefits.

SEYI ANJORIN ABUJA

olunteers of the Okatahi Foundation, a youth based non governmental body has taken a step further in its bid towards youth empowerment by sensitising students of Raberto School on the hazards of drug abuse. The initiative by the school management in collaboration with the foundation was necessitated by the need for the students to be adequately and efficiently informed about the destructive tenets of drug and substance abuse. According to the Vice Principal, Administration of the school, Charles Kuwa, there is a need for the school to take up some challenges which relates to the social well being of the students so as to prepare them to be great individuals in future. He said: “You must be aware that the children we are handling are in their teenage years and at this point in time, most kids want to experiment and drugs are one of the things they would want to test, so as a school we have noticed that the earlier we start talking to them about the negative effects of this kind of thing, the better.”

The deputy governor who described teachers as key stakeholders in the realisation of the education agenda of the Governor Kayode Fayemi administration, said the government would always accord top priority to teachers’ welfare. Affirming that the government has paid all salaries and allowances of all workers (including teachers) in the state, the deputy governor urged them to reciprocate the government’s gesture by working

harder with the fear of God to bring up the children, who she described as future leaders. She reminded the teachers that education remained the most exportable product that has earned Ekiti the Fountain of Knowledge. In their separate responses, Mrs. Bamidele of St. Thomas Aquinas Nursery and Primary School, Irona, and Mrs Ayodele of St. Peter’s Nursery and Primary School, Ago Aduloju, commended the governor for

the prompt payment of workers’ salaries and allowances which, they said boosted the workers last year. They also lauded government’s giant strides in the education sector, pointing out that teachers and pupils’ morale have been boosted. They both expressed the readiness of their colleagues to work harder to reciprocate the government’s gesture and support government’s effort to completely restore the glory of education.

Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Prof Modupe Adelabu (right) addressing pupils of St. Thomas Aquinas when she paid a resumption day visit to public primary schools in Ekiti… on Monday

NGO sensitises students on drug abuse As part of the lecture organised by the foundation for the students, the participants elected the Okatahi Foundation Ambassadors for Raberto School, saddled with the responsibility of spreading the gospel against drug and substance abuse. Jeffery, an SS2 student said: “The programme has actually created awareness on some of the little things that we think will not harm us but actually does; it may not show in the short run, but later on in life.” Mohammed Ilyasu another student who spoke at the event promised that “now that we have been made ambassadors, we will make sure that we will try our best and make this known to other teenagers around us so that it will improve their live positively.” Coordinator of the foundation, Oyisi Okatahi stated that most people seem to dwell a lot on the issue of drug abuse without addressing the major consequences of such attitude to drugs which has constantly led many drug converts back into the fold.

Okatahi who noted that frustration which is one of the major reasons why some people get involved in drugs does not even solve the problem, rather it enhances and multiplies the after effect. “I know that people do all kinds of things out of frustration but people should always ask themselves what is the end result, has anyone now been successful by taking drugs or smoking in achieving an unem-

ployment problem, the answer is no so if you know that the expected end wouldn’t give you your result, it is better to look for an alternative,” he said. “If you take drugs, let them be prescribed by a medical practitioner because they will give you the drugs for the purpose they are meant for. But when you become dependent or reliant on a drug that is when it is actually a problem,” he added.

Students of St Gabriel Secondary School Mokola at their Assembly on resumption in Ibadan ... on Monday. PHOTO:NAN

Education Today

Thursday, January 9, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Don’t discriminate against handicapped persons - NERDC boss AISHA TITILAYO

L-R: Principal, Igbo Owu Senior Secondary School, Mushin, Lagos, Mr. Peju Adeshina, Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye, and Permanent Secretary, of the Ministry of Education, Mrs. Omolara Erogbogbo during the commissioner’s inspection of the schools recently.

Lagos will make schools’ environment more friendly -Commissioner TUNBOSUN OGUNDARE

agos State Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye has assured the people of the state that the current administration would not relent in its efforts to make government-owned schools learning and teaching friendly. She gave the assurance during her recent visit to some state-owned secondary schools where she assessed their conditions for possible intervention. The commissioner said the ongoing massive infrastructural development taking place in schools across the state was part of the measures to achieve the objective. She noted that there was much pres-

sure on schools’ infrastructures nowadays as a result of the increment in students’ enrolment in public schools in the state in the recent years. She said many parents are now withdrawing their wards from private to public schools as a result of the increasing confidence that has brought into the government-owned institutions. “That is why as the government is fixing some old structures that are in bad shape, it is also building new and more befitting ones across the local government and development council areas of the state and this will continue until all schools are reached,” she stressed. The commissioner noted that no fewer than 1,668 public primary, junior and senior secondary schools are cur-

rently in the state. Explaining that the state government was very passionate about the achievement of the universal primary education, Oladunjoye said that was why the state introduced the Yellow Card Policy which mandating every child of school age to get enrolled in school. Assuring that more qualified teachers would also be employed and those who are on the job to be retrained periodically, she admonished the parents to always monitor activities of their children so that they will not be wayward. Among schools she visited are Sanmori Comprehensive Senior High School, Ifako-Ijaye; Opebi Senior Grammar School, Ikeja and Igbo-Owu Community Senior Secondary School, Mushin.

Methodist Boys Ibadan alumni elect leaders

he 1991 set of the Methodist Boys High School Ibadan, Oyo State under the aegis of old boys association has elected officers to be in charge of activities of the group. They were elected during a reunion party and annual general meeting of the association at the school premises last December with 30 members in attendance. The leaders are the first set to be elected by the group and their tenure will last for one year. They include Ghaniyu Kareem (Chairman); Tella Aderemi (vice); Bode Ajayi (secretary); Odeleye Supo (treasurer); Adegunle Olugbamila (PRO 1) and Dopemu Wole (PRO 2). Speaking shortly after

declaring them the winners, the chairman, said the election was not about who takes what position, but the passion to work for the progress of the association, members and

their alma mater. He urged members to cooperate and support the leaders so as to ensure that the purpose of forming the association would not be in drain.

He told them that they would be needed from time to time to part with their money, time and energy to lift the association and the school.

The Methodist Boys High School, Ibadan, old students (85-91 set) at the reunion party.

he Executive Secretary, Nigeria Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), Prof. Godswill Obioma has urged people without physical disability to desist from discriminating against people with disabilities in the society but to always show them love. He gave the advice at the International Disability Day held recently in Lagos. The programme was organised by the National Handicap Carers Association of Nigeria (NAHCAN) to commemorate the Disability Day. Prof. Obioma, who was represented by the Director of Research and Head, South-West Zone of the council, Dr. Moses Salau observed that many children with disabilities in the country are still being discriminated against even in schools. He noted that children with disabilities account for one third of outof-school children in the country. He bemoaned the situation, which he said would continue to retard the country’s economic progress if not checked. He, however, emphasising the need to reverse the trend by operating an all inclusive education system in the country, saying such practice would do the country no harm but good. Prof. Obioma explained that inclusive education system requires that children are admitted into schools irrespective of their physical, intellectual, social, emotional, linguistic or other conditions. According to him, every child either physically challenged or not, from poor or rich home, from remote or urban centre, from one ethnic group or the other, from disadvantaged or advantaged area or any other condition should be given the opportunity to enrol in any school of choice in the country. NERDC’s boss explained that establishing a special school for the disabled is discriminating and therefore should be discouraged in its entirety. “It is necessary to know that everyone is disabled in one way or the other. It could be physical, mental, emotional or financial. So, irrespective of disability, children should be brought together to learn under the same roof so that they can mix and interact with one another,” he said. Speaking earlier, President of NAHCAN, Mr. Adewale Adeyanju urged political leaders in the country to emulate the lifestyle of Nelson Mandela, who died recently by making themselves accessible to the less priviledged. He said doing so would help give birth to a new Nigeria as an inclusive society. Adeyanju also advocated for the appointment of physically challenged persons into the position of authorities at all levels of government in the country, saying many of them have the knowledge and skills that could help transform the country to a greater height.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Education Today

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Now that the universities have resumed

ow that the ASUU strike is over, the lingering question is will there be a reciprocal improvement in the output of the universities? Apart from funding, other factors that contribute to the poor output of universities include corruption, maladministration, examination malpractice, lack of staff dedication, and non commitment to learning on the part of the students. But now that the federal government has shown in both words and deeds that she is ready to fund the ailing university system, the focus must now shift to the activities of the academic staff that have contributed immensely to the poor quality of our graduates. Information from the ivory towers indicates that many sharp practices are still perpetuated that impact on the quality of the graduates from these universities. Some lecturers do not teach at all. They send their old lecture notes through the course-reps for the students to copy. Some simply come to sell their text books and disappear only to reappear at the end of the semester with an open book examination to make sure that those who did not purchase the books are disadvantaged. The professors who are supposed to mentor the younger lecturers handover their courses to them and do not monitor what happen thereafter.

Education as I see it

by Tosanwumi Otokunefor

info@alphaedufoundation.org 08030904461 (email/SMS only)

I REMEMBER A YOUNG MAN WHO VISITED ME AT HOME ONE EARLY MORNING DURING THE RECENT

ASUU

STRIKE IN COMPANY OF HIS MOTHER TO SOLICIT FOR A PASS MARK IN AN EXAMINATION HE JUST WROTE Students not officially registered for a course are permitted to write examinations illegally. Many who never attended a single lecture in a course are allowed to write the examinations contrary to the regulations of the National Universities Commission. Though they never attended lectures at all, they still expect to pass. I remember a young man who visited me at home one early morning during the recent ASUU strike in company of his mother to solicit for a pass mark in an examination he just wrote. I called the mothers attention to the fact that he had zero percent attendance at the course and the score was below ten percent in a course

taught by four lecturers! I would have been surprised if he had passed. But the same student has passed virtually all other courses probably without attending lectures at all. How do such students manage to pass their examinations? Apart from massive cheating which is possible in certain examinations, some lecturers succumb to pressures from parents and guardians especially those who are highly placed in the society. Some of these unsolicited visits are accompanied with very attractive gifts! In many cases, the lecturers themselves solicit for bribes popularly referred to as “sorting” within the university

community. To make “sorting” an inevitable option, the lecturer sets questions which even the best students would have problem answering. With “sorting” everybody is a genius and can score an “A” in any course, it just depends on your economic power. But when all these practices fail to achieve the expected objective because of the “intransigence” of the lecturer, raw pressure may be brought to bear on him usually through senior academic staff including heads of departments, Deans of faculties and even Provosts of colleges who are sympathetic to the students. When this fails as it happens occasionally, departmental heads are lobbied to apply “special moderation” in order to achieve the desired objective without recourse to generally accepted principles of moderation. Unfortunately all the big players in this ignoble theatre are member of the famous academic staff union of universities (ASUU) that brought the nation to a standstill for six months to compel the federal government to fund university education in order to eradicate the rot in the system. The quality assurance and quality control (QAQC) units appointed by the university administrations and chaired by ASUU members appear to be in a state of perpetual slumber from which they awaken only

43 years after, ex-teacher tasks former students on COSGRAM development RICHARD NDOMA CALABAR

n Educational Adviser in Malawi, Prof. Ken Longden has challenged the old boys association of Community Secondary Grammar School (COSGRAM) Ugep, Cross River State to rise up and ensure that their alma mater benefits most from state government on-going infrastructural facility provision to post primary schools so that the school could be rated among the best in the country. He dropped the challenge while bidding farewell to COSGRAM Old Boys, saying he was delighted to see students he taught 43 years ago at the age of 22 excelled in their various professions and commended them for the

Prof. Longden

wondrous initiative of making him visit his former school once again. He said that although the institution had witnessed serious level of transformation right from the period when he left till date, more had to be done so as to keep the flag flying. The former teacher maintained that he was aware that the machinery of government is current-

ly being managed by COSGRAM old students who 43years ago were under his tutelage. Among his former students he mentioned were former Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof.Ivara Esu and the current VC of the institution, Prof. James Ekpoke, the current state Chief Judge, Justice okoi Ikpi Itam, former governor of Cross River State, Mr. Clement Ebri, Chief Ogban Ebock and Elder Bolaji Anani, among others. He advised them not to relent on impacting on the younger generation particularly on issues that pertains to the nation’s education development. According to him, if not for education what could have brought him from the United Kingdom to Nigeria and then Malawi and again back to Nigeria

courtesy of COSGRAM old boys and advised them to unite as one invisible entity so that they can have a better chance of attracting and initiating policies and programmes that would make the

intermittently but achieve nothing. But unfortunately, ASUU is a trade union and not the quality control unit of the university system and therefore not mandated or equipped to discipline her erring members. Meanwhile these miscreants in academic garbs are working insidiously without hindrance and wrecking havoc on the ivory towers from within! The saddest part of the story is that the Vice Chancellors do not appear to be bothered by these developments, and by their inaction, actually appear to condone it. The Vice Chancellor of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology needed the drastic action of the National Youth Service Corps Scheme to jolt him out of slumber to declare an academic emergency on a problem that has been there for so long. Even now, I believe that the academic emergency declared was only a public relation gimmick that would not yield any concrete result. What has become of the “academic emergency” twelve months since it was declared? Now that the system is incapable of sanitizing itself because of lethargy on the part of the administrators, then the national universities commission should apply appropriate sanctions to compel erring universities to comply with existing regulations in order to improve the quality of their graduates.

school breeds best graduates in the country. He urged the old boys to capture the history of the institution and include it into the achieves and annals of history, so that in future the younger generation of students would have to know that was how it was in those days. Longden also appealed to the old boys to try and preserved the few tra-

ditional structures that are left in Ugep (a village where the school is situated) so that the generation yet unborn would have to know that structure of such nature had existed saying that the way and manner in uncommon transformation is taking place it would be very easy for every old structure to be eroded away completely with the times.

Some newly recruited teachers checking their names at the Bauchi State Teachers Service Commission in Bauchi on Monday. PHOTO: NAN

Students want end to COAESU’s strike ADEMOLA OGUNLADE

300L, ADEYEMI COLL. OF EDU, ONDO

tudents of colleges of education in the country have expressed displeasures over the ongoing strike by the academic staff union of their various institutions, saying the development is slowing down them academically. It will be recalled that the lecturers on the platform of the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) declared strike on December, 18 and directed all members across the country to withdraw their services. Some of the students who spoke to National Mirror on the issue did not only appeal to the government but also urge the lecturers to come to term with the government and resolve the issue immediately for normalcy to return to their campuses. For instance, Kofoworola Olaniyi, an English Language student at the Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo, said the students were most affected by the strike. While describing the industrial action as very unfortunate, he appealed to both parties in the issue to reach a compromise without further delay. “We can’t afford to continue to stay at home when many of us in the final class have only about months to finish our studies and leave the school,” he lamented. Also, the Students’ Union leader of the college, Mr. Alade Oyindamola said that the strike had already done the students and the country’s education damage, which he said may be difficult to repair. “So, that is why we students are appealing to both parties to sheathe their swords and allow us to continue with our studies. We want them to take decisions that will best serve the collective interest of the students,” he stressed.

Wike

Thursday, January 9, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

‘Why I want to be LASU students’ president’ Nurudeen Yusuf, a 300-Level student of Islamic and Common Law at the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo is contesting for the office of the President of the students’ union government of the institution. He speaks with WALE BAKARE (400L Zoology University of Ilorin) about why he is best candidate for the post. Excerpts: Why are you contesting for the post of the president of the students’ union government of the Lagos State University, Ojo? You will agree with me that our union is at a crossroad presently. We pride ourselves as the most vibrant students’ union in sub-Sahara Africa, it is a beacon of hope, but in recent time, we have not lived up to this great expectation as a union. The dreams of our founding fathers on the union have been smothered. We have been misrepresented and vilified. The aspiration was borne out of my desire to restore the hope that students have on the students’ union government and that was why I chose restoration as my campaign theme. What are your plans for the students? Since students’ welfare is the essence of the union, if elected, my administration will ensure their welfare is guarantee. It will also defend the students against all forms of victimisations on campus. My administration will partner with the management, staff unions and the government to make our stay on campus memorable. We will promote educational development and rescue LASU from social boredom and make

tion between the management and the students. It is a union of the students to cater for their own welfare among other sacrosanct roles. So, the question of ineffectiveness lies in the hands of the union leaders at a particular time. How do you intend to relate with the university management? The constitution of the students’ union identified the management as partner. We will partner with the university management to ensure that the welfare of our students is adequately catered for. This we intend to achieve by avoiding emotional outbursts and irresponsible protests. Our causes will be well defined and strategies aimed at meeting them well articulated. We will consult, dialogue, re-dialogue and confront if need be.

Yusuf

our ivory tower intellectually competitive. Empowerment programmes will also be another major priority and so forth Some people believe that students’ unionism is no longer effective as before, what is

your take on this? I disagree with such assertion. The students’ union is a statutory organisation on campus. The organisation framework of the university also provides for students’ union as the veritable mean for effective communica-

What is your definition of leadership? A leader is a dealer in hope. Also, I believe in utilitarianism, the political philosophy of Jeremy Bentham and others. I strictly believe in the principles of bearer of trust and we will avoid the pitfalls of fame, hunger for praise and fear of loss. We will uphold the principle of truth. The central theme of my leadership is on how we can begin the pragmatic processes of our politics and campus life. This is not to say that I know exactly how to do it. But, we will put to the fore most of our pressing challenges as students.

Osogbo students elect new leaders KEMI BUSARI

400L, POL. SC., OAU, ILE-IFE

he students of tertiary institutions who are indigenes of Osogbo, Osun State have elected their new leaders. They elected the leaders on December 31 on the platform of the Osogbo National Students Union (ONSU), which is the umbrella students’ body of Osogboland to run the affairs of the group. The elected officers include Ajibola Olaide(President), Ajiroba Idowu(Vice-President, Ibrahim Muslihudeen(General Secretary), Winjobi Ridwan(Assistant General Secretary) and Olawale Abisola(Financial Secretary). Others are Bello Lekan(Public Relations Officer), Zakariyah Yusuff(Welfare Director), Adeosun Nurudeen(Librarian), Bolarinwa Saheed, Sport Director and Muritala Saheed(Social Director).

300- level Animal Production and Health student of Ladoke Akintola University (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso said his victory was a dream They have all been sworn-in on January 3 comes true. at the Palace of Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba OyeWhile soliciting for the cooperation and supwale Matanmi. port of members, he promised that his adminReacting, the President Ajibola Olaide, a istration would operate an open door policy.

Students of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State copying time table at the Senate Building of institution on Tuesday. PHOTO: DHIKRU AKIOLA

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Strike: LASU-SSANU shuns management circular to resume work TUNBOSUN OGUNDARE

he Lagos State University (LASU) branch of the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) yesterday vowed to resist any attempt by the management of the institution to break their on-going strike. Arising from a congress in response to the circular issued by the management ordering members to indicate in writing their intention to resume work by today, the union vowed to continue their strike which has entered third month until their demands are met. It will be recalled that SSANU members of the institution declared indefinite strike since September 30, 2013, over what it called “the refusal of the council and the management to promote members who are qualified and due for promotion.” At the emergency meeting to discuss the management’s circular, SSANU members condemned the plan to break its ranks as well as the intimidation and threat to union leaders over the on-going strike. Addressing newsmen shortly after the meeting, the chairman of the union, Mr. Oseni Saheed said, rather than look for how to resolve the crisis, the management was busy with plans to break the ranks of its members and coarse members to go back to work He explained that management was not being sincere about its claim of not being aware that SSANU members are on strike, describing such attitude as double standard. Now according to him, the union has resolved that members should ignore the circular, which he described as an act of intimidation and a bad omen and therefore should not go unchallenged for posterity.

Egypt varsity holds exams under police control

ith universities experiencing their worst unrest in years, Egypt’s military-backed authorities have ordered police deployment on campuses to maintain order during the mid-year examinations that run until late this month. Several universities, especially Al Azhar, have been rocked in recent months by violent protests blamed on students backing ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi – and police clampdowns on demonstrators. Al Azhar – Egypt’s major Islamic seminary, which is viewed as a stronghold of Islamist students – has been the scene of frequent violence since the academic year began last October. The institution and its dormitories have seen repeated clashes between pro-Morsi students and security forces. The students, protesting the army’s July overthrow of Morsi, have been accused of torching several buildings on campus and attacking lecturers believed to be supporting the military. Universities World News

Campus News

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Our expectations for 2014 - Undergraduates Expectedly, at the beginning of every year, Nigerians usually express high hopes and expectations especially from government at all levels. Like every other sector of the nation’s economy, education usually takes prominence, and this year, DHIKRU AKIOLA, 400L, Pol Sc. OAU, Ile-Ife writes on what the students of tertiary institutions nationwide would expect government to do for the sector as the bedrock for national development

Nasir

abatunde Badmus is the President of the Students’ Union Government, University of Ibadan. Like many of his contemporaries, he is optimistic that with the recent suspension of strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, university education will take a better shape this year. While he wants the lecturers to justify the essence of the strike and the injection of N200 billion into the system by the Federal Government by improving on the course contents and delivery method, Badmus also wants the Federal Government to pump in more money into the system and ensure it addresses other issues that could further develop the sector. “For me, I want governments either the federal or state to provide essential amenities that could make our campuses more conducive for learning. Now that I am back in school, I want to enjoy constant water supply and electricity. Also, let the laboratories be better equipped and the hostels are in better shape,” he said. Badmus, a 300-level Art student also wants various institutions to embark on research projects that would address the socio-economic issues confronting the country. When all these are done according to him there would be drastic reduction in issues that could lead to friction between the students and school authorities and the schools will also enjoy relative peace throughout the year. Tosin Ajuwon on his part just completed his Higher National Diploma course at the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo State. He advocates total overhauling of the sector and revamping of colleges of education in particular. According to him, all the levels of education from primary to the university level are sick and they will therefore need surgery to make them healthy. Ajuwon is preparing for the mandatory one year National Youth Service Corps scheme. Another student, Sulaiman Adeyemi of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomosho, Oyo State on his part, is pessimistic about the whole issue. Government according to him is not

Sunday

Dallak

really going to make any meaningful difference in terms of investment in the year especially being the year preceding the general elections. “It is likely that more attention will be given to political campaigns than any other issues for those in the corridors of power,” he said. Similarly, Maryam Bello, a final year student at the Department of Political Science, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife wants to see the sector parading qualified lecturers, who will be able to teach well and carry out researches that will trigger development in the country. “That is not all,” she said. “I also want a better environment to be created in the sector while the various schools to be engaged in more research and practical works that will help boost science education.” Bello believes that it is only quality education that can drive the nation’s economy. The expectation of Adebayo Ayodele, a Higher National Diploma II student at the Department of Public Administration at The Polytechnic, Ibadan and Gbadegesin Waheed of the Obafemi Awolowo University from the government is the same and this is to beef up security around campuses. They said campuses must be safe for learning and living. “It will be of national interest if the gov-

ernment can provide security measures around campuses and other educational institutions to prevent cultists’ attacks and that of insurgency group-Boko Haram- on innocent students,” Ayodele noted. On his part, Kayode Adamolekun, a 300 level student of Economics at the Adekunle Ajasin University of Technology, Akungba, Ondo State wants the government to monitor the spending of funds to be injected into the system in the year. “This is necessary to prevent wasteful spending and accountability,” he stressed. While advising stakeholders in the sector to conduct periodic assessment of the state of the sector for further development, he wants lecturers to stop victimising the students. I will also want the students to always be of good behaviour in and outside the campus,” he added. What is in the mind of Abimbola Amusan, a 500-level Law student of OAU is for government to renovate and well-equipped laboratories and libraries. “I also want various hostels to be refurbished to make students more comfortable,” he said They all believe that if these suggestions could be taken, Nigerians won’t need to be craving for studies abroad.

Some students copying time table at the Faculty of Social Science, University of Ibadan, on resumption after six months of ASUU strike... on Monday. PHOTO:NAN

Thursday, January 2, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Vote of confidence in, not on, someone

APPY New Year! “107 die in road crashes as World Bank rates FRSC as world best” (DAILY SUN, December 25, 2013) The voice of the nation: auto/vehicular crashes. It is only in an unusual articulated mishap that the road can possibly crash! SATURDAY INDEPENDENT of December 21 committed kindergarten blunders: “Osun vows to restore discipline in (to) schools” “COSON members pass vote of confidence on (in) Okoroji” Next is SUNDAY INDEPENDENT promo in the Saturday edition: “Nigeria at crossroads” A voice of your own: Nigeria at a/the crossroads “UNN crisis: Alumni faults (fault) Wike’s suspension of pro-chancellor” No news: Alumni association faults, but alumni fault “Foreign artistes (artistes’) fever grips Nigerian music scene” THE NATION ON SUNDAY of December 22 disseminated wrong lines: “…his disguised attempts to stay politically relevant in a state he called the shots for eight years has (have) not come easy….” “…the pay TV company ran into trouble (troubled) waters with one of the financial institutions in the country.” “Stick and carrot approach outdated” Business: stick-and-carrot approach “Guinness unveils new look (new-look) Harp with fanfare” “Plateau United star, five others earn Eagles call up” Sports extra: Eagles’ callup “But the level of pain, agony and anguish inflicted on Nigerians by ethnoreligious carnages…” (THISDAY, August

3) ‘Carnage’ is an uncountable noun. (This extract was contributed by Lucky Ihanza/08032764536) THE NATION ON SUNDAY of August 4 circulated numerous poisoned slips starting from its front page: “KSB: I will marry again if…” Truth in defence of freedom: I will remarry if… “Fashola, who congratulated the new commissioner for (on/upon) the elevation….” Still on the foregoing: “Congratulations for (on/upon) making it double for the Land of Honour….” (Half-page advertisement signed by The Management, Office of the Deputy Governor, Ekiti State, Nigeria) “The accident, which occurred around (about) 6.30am (6.30 a.m.), was the worst in the locality in a decade.” ‘Around’ is sheer Americanism! “Fifteen of the youth died while several of them have (had) fractures and are (were) being attended to at government (the government) hospital in the….” “Sources said the deceased might be given mass burial since they are (were) from the same village.” “May God continue to bless you, give you wisdom and good health beyond measures (measure).” (Full-page congratulatory advertisement signed by Sir J. I. A. Arumemi-Ikhide, Chairman Arik Air) Finally, THE NATION ON SUNDAY Editorial, August 4: “The era of harassments from NYDC, a federal agency, has finally been put paid to by that landmark judgment.” ‘Harassment’, unlike ‘embarrassment’, is uncountable. THISDAY front and inside pages of August 10 indulged in grammatical crudity

trebly: Window headline: “Nigerian crude oil exports to hit 1.94m bpd in September” The intro: “Nigeria’s crude Oil (sic—abuse of capital letter) export, excluding condensates (another comma) will hit 1.94 million barrels per day by September….” The Saturday Newspaper: ‘by September’ implies, possibly, August, September or October, while the headline says ‘in September’! So, which is the correct version: by or in…? “THISDAY gathered (just tell readers what the medium ‘gathered’!) that the victims—six of them—were abducted by the gunmen at about 7.00am (at 7.00 a.m.)….” THE NATION ON SUNDAY of August 18 disseminated four infractions: “Campaigners accuse Shell over (of) weapons” “Mark, Saraki condole (condole with) Lamido, Suswam” “Aregbesola, Tinubu, Oritsejafor pay last respect (respects) to Obadare” “…the opposition party faulted the project till it was commissioned (inaugurated/ launched/declared open…not ‘commissioned’) THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER, of August 17 also circulated four blunders: “FG hands tanker drivers 48hrs (48 hrs’) ultimatum to relocate from MMIA” By the way, what difference would it have made spelling out ‘hours’? “In its stead comes a mind-blowing display of opulence that has suddenly taken a firm root among the elite and nouveau riche….” Singular: nouveau riche; plural: nouveaux riches “Before now, weather forecasts from NIMET were never taken serious (seriously) because….” Lastly from THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER: “As part of the build up (build-up)

to the event….” The PUNCH of August 16 published a few mistakes: “AT least one person was feared killed on Thursday morning when a 12-man armed bandits (12-man gang of bandits) struck at….” ‘Banditry’ involves the deployment of a measure of violence with sharp objects/instruments/weaponry during robbery. So, ‘armed banditry’ is sheer verbosity! Of course, robbery and armed robbery Lastly from the Back Page of The PUNCH under review: “…whereas they are kept at arms’ length.” Friday musings: arm’s length “…said that the aforementioned are (were) the younger generation of leaders who failed the nation.” (DAILY SUN, August 14) DAILY SUN of August 7 goofed three times: “State of emergency has restored normalcy in (to) North” “NIMASA alerts ships (ship owners, you mean?) on (to) danger spots” The Guardian of August 6 committed copious offences beginning from its front page; “Besides, the state government on Sunday began the fumigation and clearing of drainages in six areas of the Maiduguri metropolis….” Conscience, nurtured by truth: ‘drainage’ is uncountable. Now, The Guardian Editorial: “They may not have triumphed in their efforts to (at) nation-building....” “Your wise counsels and dogged commitment to the progress and unity of this nation has (have) remained exemplary.” (Full-page congratulatory advertisement by Dikko Inde Abdullahi, CFR, Comptroller General, NCS) ‘Counsel’ is a non-count noun.

NANS task force monitors N200bn varsity fund, lecturers yet to receive fund

ANS task force monitors N200bn varsity fund, Lecturers yet to receive fund Few days after resumption of work, following the 5months strike action, university lecturers are still waiting hopefully for their share of the 200million disbursement. A lecturer Mr. Patrick Okoye at Nnamdi Azikiwe University has confirmed to National Mirror that they have not received a dime of the allowance yet. Another colleague from Lagos state university who pledged anonymous also backed up the story. Regarding their five months salary, Mr. Patrick said that the school has just paid one month but they are hopeful that the rest will be paid soon.

Meanwhile the newly established task-force by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has begun the monitoring of the fund disbursement by the Nigerian university. NANS has recently set up an 18-man committee to monitor the disbursement of the 200 billion naira given to Nigerian universities by the Federal Government to ensure the money is judiciously spent. Addressing newsmen in Abuja, NANS President, Comrade Yinka Gbadabo, said the decision was taken to ensure that there is transparency in the disbursement of the funds while avoiding the recurrence of the impasse between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the academic

union. Gbadabo, who commended both the academic staff union and the Federal

Government on the amicable resolution of the feud said the task force is “to monitor the state of prog-

ress being made and to equally evaluate the extent of implementation of the felt needs of the education-

al sector as identified by the Need Assessment Team, ASUU, Nigerian students and all other stakeholders.

Chairman, Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU), Lagos State University (LASU), Mr. Oseni Saheed (3rd left) and other officers of the union at the congress organised by the association to review their ongoing strike yesterday

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Sport NIPOGA 2014: BidaPoly eyes record hosting 28

I have had a glorious career at club and national levels. I can only say Alhamdulillah –EGYPT LEGEND, MOHAMED ABOUTRIKA

Eagles land in SA for CHAN

Glo-CAF Awards:

Mikel arrives in

Chelsea jet

igeria midfielder, Mikel Obi, will be specially flown in and out of Lagos today by the jet of his EPL club, Chelsea, for the GloCAF Awards holding later this evening at the Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. Mikel has been shortlisted for the prestigious African Footballer of the Year award 2013 alongside Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Cote d’Ivoire) and Didier Drogba (Galatasaray and Cote d’Ivoire). “I am coming for the CAF awards, I will be flown in and out of Nigeria by the Chelsea jet. I will arrive on the awards day and return immediately after,” Mikel told MTNFootball.com. “It is an honour to be selected and nominated for the award. I am looking forward to winning it for my country.” His brothers, Patrick Tochukwu

Obi, and Ebele Obi, who is a goalkeeper with Nigeria Premier League side, Heartland, will accompany him to the event. Nwankwo Kanu was the last Nigeria star to be named Africa Footballer of the Year by CAF when he won in 1999. The Chelsea midfielder is vying for the prestigious award with the Ivorian pair of Toure, of English Premier League rivals, Manchester City, and Drogba, from Turkish club, Galatasaray. The 26-year-old Mikel helped Nigeria win a third Africa Cup of Nations in February last year and also qualify for a fifth World Cup finals in November. He also won a first-ever UEFA Europa League title for his club side. Rashidi Yekini, Emmanuel Amuneke and Victor Ikpeba have

previously won the CAF player of the year award, but former Arsenal ace, Kanu was the last Nigeria star to clinch it in 1999. Mikel said he planned a whistlestop visit to Lagos, for this evening’s awards. Chelsea, currently third in the English Premier League behind Arsenal and Manchester City, are away to Hull City on Saturday. Meanwhile, awards to be given out at the Convention Centre of Eko Hotel and Towers, are in 11 categories. These include the African Footballer of the Year, the African Player of The Year (Based in Africa), National Team of The Year, Club of The Year, and Coach of The Year. Others are the Most Promising Talent, Referee of The Year, Legend of The Year, Fair Play Award, Platinum Award and Africa Finest XI. Kwambe K Kw wamb be be

he Super Eagles arrived in South Africa yesterday to begin quest for honours in their maiden appearance at the African Nations Championship (CHAN) kicking off on Saturday. The team led by Assistant Coach, Daniel Amokachi, who is holding the fort for Stephen Keshi, that stayed back in Nigeria for today’s Glo-CAF Awards before joining the team, left the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Tuesday night at about 10:30pm. After five and half hours flight with a South Africa Airways plane, the team arrived inJohannesburg at 4:30 Nigerian time and was received by a team of Nigerian Embassy officials led by Ambassador Sunday Yusuf, who expressed delight at the safe arrival and ensured that the team had a smooth passage through immigration procedure. The envoy also charged the team to ensure that they win the trophy at the first try. “Nigerians are now used to winning, especially here in South Africa and I’m sure you will not let the nation down”, he said. Amokachi assured that the team would do its best at the tourney, even as Keshi is being expected in time before the Eagles opening game against Mali. After a little wait at the OR Thambo International Airport, the team connected another SAA flight to Cape Town where it will play its preliminary matches, and the delegation was received by about 30 cheering and drumming Nigerians under the aegis of ‘Nigerian Union in Western Cape’.

Sport

Thursday, January 9, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Babcock student relishes NPUGA feat AFOLABI GAMBARI

merging basketball prodigy, Anuoluwapo Bamijoko of Babcock University Ilishan Remo, Ogun State has attributed the silver medal she helped her school to win at the recent Nigeria Private University Games (NPUGA) as a remarkable stepping stone. The NPUGA was held at Joseph Ayo Babalola University Ikeji Arakeji, Osun State with Benson Idahosa University, Benin City carting home the gold medal in basketball. “Nobody gave us a chance to return with medals because we started training only in October while others schools began early,” Bamijko said, adding, “But we resolve to give an impressive performance which paid off.” The 18-year-old 300 level Computer Science student said the Babcock team had learnt useful lessons that serve purpose in the future. “NPUGA 2013 was the first competitive game for our team and we are happy we just went there to prove we are capable of causing upset,” she said. “We also didn’t play under pressure as our coach just told us to have fun.” Bamijoko, who rose to prominence during her days at Doregos Private Academy Ipaja, Lagos State where she won several MVP awards in school sports, said she desired playing in the WNBA in the near future. “I want to play in the WNBA and also do my Phd in the United States,” she submitted.

Athletics is one of the main events at Bida 2014 NIPOGA due in June

NIPOGA 2014:

BidaPoly eyes record hosting AFOLABI GAMBARI

ost of the 18th Nigeria Polytechnic Games (NIPOGA), the Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Niger State has assured stakeholders of the best showpiece in the history of the event. Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Mallam Usman Buhari, who gave the assurance yesterday, said BidaPoly would work to surpass the achievement of the 2013 host, the Federal Polytechnic, Ede Osun State.

blaming the situation on funds scarcity. “We need N1.3billion to host NIPOGA with a large chunk of the money to be expended on facilities,” he said, stressing: “We call on corporate bodies to support the school in realizing its objectives. “The June 2014 date for the games remains intact and we wish to state that our facility has the capacity to accommodate all the 3, 000 participants expected at the games. “We are not desperate to win but are rather determined to leave a lasting impression

among the stakeholders as excellent hosts while exhibiting Bida as hospitality city.” National Mirror learnt that the games logo and mascot would be launched in April, even as the LOC chief has called on members of the public to help design a logo that would reflect the Bida environment. About 54 polytechnics will compete in the 18th NIPOGA which would feature basketball, handball, volleyball, football, athletics, hockey, table tennis, tennis taekwondo, squash, chess, scrabble, judo, swimming and badminton.

Tennis: Babangida winners for AJC team YEMI OLUS

Bamijoko with her trophy and plaque at Doregos Inter-schools Basketball final in Lagos

“We are providing a wellequipped media center while our facilities will have floodlights to enable games played in late evenings for the first time in NIPOGA,” Buhari said. “At the moment, work is going on the two basketball courts and we are building a mainbowl which will include tartan track, indoor sport hall, tennis court and upgrading our existing facilities,” he added. The LOC boss, however, expressed regret on the slow pace of work at the facility,

Fortune Aniso and Godsgift Timibra of Rivers State emerged champions in the boys’ and girls’ U-14 categories at the third edition of the championship which took place at the Minna Sports Club in Niger State in memory of the former first lady of Nigeria, Mrs. Maryam Babangida.

Aniso justified her top ranking as she defeated Oluwabunmi Are of Kwara with a comprehensive 6-1, 6-2 score to win the top prize in the girls’ category, inspiring teammate Timibra to also record a straight 6-2, 6-4 win over Paul Kwange in the boys’ final despite the army of

supporters rooting for Kwange who represented the host state. About 22 players will represent Nigeria in the tournament which has seven other countries and over a hundred players participating. The AJC will be hosted by Kenya in March.

inners of the recent Maryam Babangida Memorial National Junior Tennis Championship are to join the Nigerian camp which opens today for the African Junior Championship (AJC) Zonal Qualifier slated to hold in Abuja from January 13 to 18. According to the Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) President, Engineer Sani Ndanusa, about six players that featured in the tournament will join the junior Reverend David Olatona (in white shirt) with the victorious Green House team at the team. recent Children Games Day of Dominion Faith International Church Ipaja, Lagos

NTF boss, Ndanusa

Walcott gets medic lifeline

Scottish surgeon, Professor Gordon Mackay, claims he can save Theo Walcott’s World Cup with a pioneering piece of equipment. Mackay, who used to work for Rangers, says he can get the England forward back playing in as little as four months, predicting that by using an internal brace, Walcott could run again in as little as 12 weeks

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sport

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Anichebe, others set to return

est Brom trio of Victor Anichebe, Youssouf Mulumbu and Billy Jones could all return from injury in Saturday’s clash with Southampton. Midfielder Mulumbu sat out Saturday’s defeat against Crystal Palace

due to an eye problem, while right-back Jones was ruled out after suffering concussion. Anichebe has been sidelined for the last five games due to a groin complaint, but all three are on course to be included in Keith Downing’s squad.

Schaaf nears Baggies job

Schaaf

est Brom is reportedly close to naming its new manager with Thomas Schaaf the new favourite to succeed Steve Clarke. Bookmakers slashed the odds on the German taking charge at The Hawthorns following reports that the former Werder Bremen boss held talks with Albion’s representatives in London on Tuesday.

Tit bits...

Lescott Manchester City Manager, Manuel Pellegrini, insists Joleon Lescott is going nowhere amid transfer talk concerning the player. The England international has made just 14 appearances this term after finding himself down the pecking order at the Etihad Stadium. But Pellegrini is looking to keep hold of the experienced defender as he goes for trophies on four fronts.

Hernandez Swansea City Manager, Michael Laudrup, is hoping to have midfielder Pablo Hernandez and forward Roland Lamah back in action from injury in the next two to three weeks. Spain international Hernandez pulled up with a hamstring strain in the 10th minute of the 3-2 defeat to Manchester City on New Year’s Day, and then missed the FA Cup win against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Anichebe

Moyes faces FA hammer

We can win title–Rosicky A

he England Football Association will investigate Manchester United Manager David Moyes’ latest outburst against referees following Tuesday night’s defeat to Sunderland in the Capital One Cup. The 2-1 first leg loss was United’s third defeat in a week-the first time this has happened since 1992-and Moyes claimed afterwards his team was ‘playing referees as well as the opposition.’ It follows on from Moyes saying it was ‘scandalous’ that United was not awarded a late penalty against Tottenham in a league defeat at Old Trafford on New Year’s Day. “We are looking into David Moyes’ comments to the media following the match at Sunderland,” an FA spokesman said yes-

Moyes

terday. After Fabio Borini’s penalty consigned United to another defeat, Moyes said: “After the first 15 minutes I thought we were very good. We defended a terrible freekick, but how the referee has given a free-kick for

that is way beyond me. “The referee is in a great position to look at it, down the line, 15 yards, and the linesman gives it from behind and he cannot see through Patrice Evra. That is what we’re finding at the moment.”

rsenal midfielder, Tomas Rosicky, insists the Gunners are better equipped to sustain a championship challenge than they have been for years. The Czech Republic international has contributed greatly to the Gunners’ march to the top of the Premier League and scored the second goal in Saturday’s FA Cup win over north London rivals Tottenham. Rosicky, 33, is happy that Arsenal has put an inconsistent December behind it and has praised the squad for its impressive form over the festive period, which has kept it a point clear of Manchester City at the top. “It was a bit bumpy when we lost against Manchester City and drew against Everton. But you will always have phases like that in a year so that’s nothing new,” he said. “This team has more experience than it did in the past. We have Per

Mertesacker, Mesut Ozil, who won things in Madrid and the other expe-

Rosicky

rienced boys like Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini.”

Sport

Thursday, January 9, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Abdullahi advocates team work YEMI OLUS

ormer Nigerian tennis player, Sadiq Abdullahi, has stated that the solitary efforts of individuals to move the sport forward will not yield desired results unless stakeholders unite to take the game to the next level. USA-based Abdullahi has for several years held talks with the Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF), but says the initiative is yet to bear the much needed fruit. “Since 2009 I have travelled home every summer to get the tennis federation or anyone interested in tennis development at the grassroots and in schools to help those coaches who are working very hard with young kids,” the former national star told National Mirror from his Florida, USA base yesterday. “If we keep on doing this project through

solo efforts, we would achieve little or nothing and will always be disappointed or frustrated and that will not serve any useful purpose. “Consequently, we have to team up and work together in close collaboration with a properly articulated strategic roadmap providing us with the guidelines.” Abdullahi, who represented Nigeria at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, however, contended that Engineer Sani Ndanusa-led NTF lacked the resources to effect positive change in Nigeria tennis. “It is not easy to contend with entrenched ignorance and mediocrity, especially when our sports administrators do not care about tennis development,” he further said. “We have to collectively do the most appropriate thing while there is still time as those who know little or nothing about the nature of tennis and its history in Nigeria will do little or nothing.”

Aussie Open: O Kids at a recent clinic organised by Sadiq Abdullahi (inset) in Abuja

Almagro

Britons win, lose qualifiers

ixed news yesterday trailed Britain’s men at the Australian Open qualifying event in Melbourne. British number two Dan Evans secured his place in the second round of qualifying, while James Ward suffered a disappointing loss. Evans, who reached the third round of the US Open back in August after impressive wins over Kei Nishikori and Bernard Tomic, was simply too strong for Liang-Chi Huang.

Injury knocks out Almagro S

pain’s world number 13, Nicolas Almagro, has pulled out of the Australian Open because of a shoulder injury. s Almagro had already pulled out of this th week’s event in Sydney because of the th problem. “I can tell you that I will not be able to t go to Australia, now I need to continue u recuperating and look to the future with optimism,” he said. w Almagro’s absence in Melbourne is almost certain to adversely affect his a world ranking, as he reached the quarw ter-finals last year before being beaten t in a five-set thriller by fellow-Spaniard David Ferrer. D

Nadal, Serena top seeds

Nadal

rganisers said yesterday that the world’s top two players, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams, head the seedings at the Australian Open which begins in Melbourne next Monday. Defending champion, Novak Djokovic, is seeded two followed by David Ferrer, Wimbledon champion Andy Murray, Juan Martin del Potro and 17-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer. On the women’s side, defending champion Victoria Azarenka is number two, ahead of Maria Sharapova, Li Na, Agnieszka Radwanska with former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova in sixth. Of the top 32 in the world rankings only world number 13 Nicolas Almagro and 29th-ranked Jurgen Melzer are missingboth with shoulder injuries-while Maria Kirilenko, ranked 18th in the women’s section, is out with a knee injury. Men’s Top 10 seedings: 1. Rafael Nadal 2. Novak Djokovic 3. David Ferrer 4. Andy Murray 5. Juan Martin del Potro 6. Roger Federer 7. Tomas Berdych 8. Stanislas Wawrinka 9. Richard Gasquet 10. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

Serena

Thursday, January 9, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business & Finance Government will no longer tolerate any excuse of non- The world is also looking away from perimeter fencing to performance from any of the sector players from both technology. With a robust technology, you can secure your the Ministry particularly and our new private sector airport and we are looking at the technology options. partners. – GENERAL MANAGER, CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS, FEDERAL AIRPORT AUTHORITY – Minister of Power, Professor Chinedu Nebo

OF NIGERIA, FAAN, MR. YAKUBU DATI

FG, PENGASSAN reach agreement on refineries maintenance UDEME AKPAN

WITH AGENCY REPORT

he Federal Government and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN have reached an agreement to carry out a Turn Around maintenance, TAM of the nation’s four refineries. The National Public Relations Officer of the association, Mr. Seyi Gambo, said, “The resolve of the Federal Government to carryout actual maintenance of the refineries is commendable and we are watching the process. Gambo told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, yesterday that there was no need to sell the refineries as scrap even if government decided that privatisation remained the best option. He said, “We are saying, as patriots, that there will be abject poverty in the land if the refineries are sold or privatised without using the right model. Gambo said, “If you use the wrong model and the buyers now decide that it is only kerosene they want to refine what you will do?” The PRO urged the government to address the security challenges in the sector, stressing that the country was losing billions of dollars due to crude

oil theft and vandalism. He said that PENGASSAN was unhappy that Nigeria, the 13th largest oil-producing nation, was importing fuel for domestic consumption. PENGASSAN and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG have already resolved not to embark on strike as the government has backpedaled on policy. The manager-level Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria,

or Pengassan, with 15,000 members had scheduled talks with petroleum and labour ministry officials for January 7, said its President Babatunde Ogun. The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, hasn’t set a date for discussions, though it will “engage” with government before deciding on strike action. “If the government does not back down” PENGASSAN may call strike action which will start by halting the loading of

crude cargoes and a gradual shutdown of oil and gas production,” a source had said previously. The refineries have a combined installed capacity of 445,000 bpd. A comprehensive network of pipelines and depots strategically located throughout Nigeria links these refineries. The corporation stated that the PHRC is made up of two refineries, located at Alesa Eleme near Port Harcourt with a jetty (for product import and export).

ABUJA

fter serving meritoriously at the highest level of the nation’s banking industry, Mr. Babatunde Lemo, Deputy Governor in charge of the Operations Directorate at the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, will retire from the apex Bank tomorrow at

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L-R: Ogun State House of Assembly Deputy Speaker, Hon. Tola Banjo; Speaker, Hon. Suraj Ishola Adekunbi; Governor Ibikunle Amosun; Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Mrs. Oluwande Muoyo and Commissioner for Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, at the signing 2014 Appropriation Bill into law in his Oke-Mosan Office recently.

Lemo bows out as CBN Deputy Gov tomorrow TOLA AKINMUTIMI

FLIGHT SCHEDULE

the end of two full terms of five years each. A statement from the bank indicates that Lemo’s retirement is with effect from January 11, 2014, he is, however, expected to formally disengage tomorrow, Friday 10, being the last working day before his retirement date. Before his appointment as a Deputy Governor in the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, in 2003,

Lemo was the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Wema Bank Nigeria, Plc between 2000 and 2003. Born in 1959, Lemo attended Lisabi Grammar School, Ogun State and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he emerged as the Best Overall graduating student in the Faculty of Social Sciences with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accountancy, First

FAAN has no business in cargo –SAHCOL boss 32

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

Class Division, in 1984. Lemo is also reported to have attended Advanced Management Programme, AMP, at the Wharton College, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, U.S.A in 2002 as well as executive training programmes in world class institutions including Harvard University, INSEAD, Fontainbleau, France, Brandies University, Boston.

Marketing Mobile money: communications Concerns raised industry needs to over inactive break new grounds licences –Olugbodi 35

Business & Finance

Thursday, January 9, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

FAAN has no business in cargo –SAHCOL boss OLUSEGUN KOIKI

he Managing Director, Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited, SAHCOL, Mr. Oluropo Owolabi has called on the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, to provide more space for the ground handlers operating in the sector, rather than showing interest in cargo business.

The SAHCOL boss said that for private investors to invest in the sector as being canvassed for by the Government, FAAN, should play its role as airport landlord and not as a competitor in the cargo business. He explained that this was necessary in a bid for the private operators to complement the good works already started by the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah since she assumed office

in 2011. He reiterated that the ground handlers in the sector needed more space in terminals, tarmacs, especially the cargo area, and as well as land in the area of their cargo business, saying that was the only way they could contribute to the rapid development in the sector. As at present, Owolabi noted that there are no fewer than four ground handlers in the indus-

try and condemned what he described as price war among the ground handlers, but emphasised that competition is good for the industry. He said, “We don’t need to be begging for space especially now that we want private investors to involve in our activities. FAAN has no business in cargo. It is the duty of private people to go into cargo. We now have a landlord who is also a competitor. I want to be quoted on this. FAAN should rather assist us in the area of landlord instead of taking it. “The basic thing about what is supposed to be done, you ask private people to come and take part in the airport project, SAHCOL is being owned by somebody and that person decided to employ almost 1,300 staff all over the country are being catered for and paid for as at when due, such a person needs some money back. “Then when you now have the landlord competing with such

people, how do we recognise that? These are the areas in which the government, which is FAAN is supposed to assist us. When we need land, they should give us rather than to take it, when we need assistance, they should offer us because we too pay percentage to them and we are being denied here and there and how will this percentage keep on going?” He emphasised that there is a price war ongoing among the ground handlers in the industry, which he said is good for the sector, but must be a healthy one. He stressed that SAHCOL is into both cargo and airline handling, but said the Nigeria Aviation Handling Company Plc, NAHCo, is only in cargo business. Owolabi however explained that the ground handlers are doing everything possible to come together so that they won’t be short-changing the country and still move the industry forward.

NATE urges FG on enabling environment for engineering industries

Gombe State Accountant, National Directorate of Employment, NDE, Malam Yahaya Shuaibu (right), presenting cash loan to a businesswoman, Malama Adama Ahmadu, during the NDE disbursement of loans to 100 entrepreneurs in Gombe yesterday.

Ikeja DISCO spends N11m to replace vandalised equipment UDEME AKPAN

he Management of Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company, IKEDC has invested over N11 million to replace vandalised equipment in the last six months. The Ikeja DISCO, which is owned by a joint venture between New Electricity Distribution Company, NEDC and Korea Electric Power Corporation, KEPCO the replacement, is targeted at boosting electricity supply in the area. The Assistant General Manager, Public Affairs, Mr. Pekun Adeyanju, stated in a statement that the company has replaced equipment vandalised in 42 transformer distribution sub-stations across its network. He stated, “The 42 transformer distribution substations were vandalised at various times in the last six months by unknown vandals thus throwing various communities into darkness,’’ the statement said. Adeyanju stated that the replacement of the vandalised substations which cost the company about N11 million would have been better utilised in procuring new materials for network expansion.

He stated that the management therefore appeals to the community leaders to assist the company in protecting electrical equipment in their domains. Adeyanju stated, “In fact, every citizen in IKEDC network has a duty to perform towards the safety of electrical equipment because it is extremely difficult to put a guard at every transformer substation.” Meanwhile, some experts in the power sector on Tuesday urged electricity consumers to exercise patience as effects of the reforms would soon begin to unfold.

They also sought the support of the new investors towards ensuring sustainable and effective electricity supply nationwide. The stakeholders made the appeal in interviews with newsmen in Lagos. They assured consumers that the roadmap for the reform and activities of new investors were indicative of success ahead in the near future. The former Special Assistant to the President on Electricity, Mr. Joseph Makoju said the just concluded reforms in the power sector would soon begin to show gains.

he Nigerian Association of Technologists in Engineering, NATE, has tasked the Federal Government on an enabling environment for the establishment of heavy engineering and allied industries in the country. The association made the remark in a 14-point communiqué, signed by its National President, Mr. Leo Okereke, and the Secretary, Dr. Akeem Adeniyi, yesterday in Lagos. The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the communiqué was from the association’s 30th Annual General Meeting and Conference of Technologists (AGM/CONFOTECH), held in November 2013. NATE said that the country was in dire need of electrical industries that would have the capacity to produce transformers, motors and alternators, amongst others.

According to the association, low technology and light industries such as the Food and Beverage Industries dominated Nigeria’s manufacturing industries. “There is also a dire need for products of iron and steel in large quantities in our industries for production of parts by the machine tool industries. “We, therefore, urge government to put in place an intervention strategy that will involve the private sector in the resuscitation of our iron and steel industries. “This is in order to produce the required quality material for production of spare components for our local industries, “it said. NATE said that the government needed to change its attitude and approach towards infrastructural development, stressing that most successful nation in terms of infrastructural development engaged in Public/Private Partnerships, PPP.

Customs FOU impounds fake pharmaceutical products OLAJIDE OMOJOLOMOJU

he Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’ Ikeja Lagos of the Nigerian Customs Service, NCS, recorded its first ground breaking seizure on of 2014 on January 5, with the interception of two Mercedes Benz trucks with Registration nos XA 217 ALA and DGE 915 XA, carrying suspected assorted fake pharmaceutical products. Making the disclosure at the Government Warehouse, where

the trucks were deposited, the Controller, Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A,’ Nuhu Mahmoud told the media that the seizure was made by the Headquarters Monitoring Team Idiroko/Ogun axis under the leadership of Assistant Comptroller of Customs, Yahaya Biri Usman at about 1010hrs along Sagamu/IjebuOde express way. Mahmoud disclosed that the seizure was as a result of heightened surveillance by his unit, particularly during the festive period when some un-

scrupulous business men tend to take undue advantage, noting that the earlier directive of the Comptroller General of the NCS, Dr. Abdullahi Dikko Inde, to the effect that all flanks be blocked during the Yuletide period, provided the needed impetus for this spectacular seizure. While praising the courage, resilience, dexterity and operational competence of the team in coordinating and effectively effecting the seizure seamlessly, Mahmoud said the seized phar-

maceuticals found in the trucks, valued at N12.5 million, include: 69 cartons Vega 100 tablets, 74 cartons of Septran suspension, 10 cartons each of Cicatrin powder and Nilstat Oral Drops, 77 cartons of Dettol Disinfectant and 67 cartons of Optalidon tabs. Others include 60 cartons of Ampiclox suspension, 23 cartons of Disprin tablets, 72 cartons of CaC 1000, 100 cartons of Augmentin syrup, 81 cartons of Encephabol liquid and 200 cartons of Strepsil tablets.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business & Finance

Thursday, January 9, 2014

FG’s fish import policy not our headache says trawler owners FRANCIS EZEM

he Nigerian Trawlers Owners Association, NITOA, umbrella body for all operators in Nigeria’s industrial fishing segment has said its is not bothered by the policy, which seeks to streamline fish importation, insisting that what they desire is improved operating environment. The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development had penultimate week announced that it was going to begin a gradual reduction of the volume of fish imported into the country with effect from January 2014 in line with the implementation of its backward integration policy for the fisheries industry. Under the new policy, the government targets a 25 per cent annual reduction in fish importation into the country, as part of

the backward integration policy, which requires that all fish importers must begin to engage in fish farming enterprises like their counterparts in other parts of the world with a view to increasing local production and reducing importation. National president of the association, Mr. Joseph Overo, who spoke in a telephone interview, hinted that rather than bother itself with what the government does with its fish importation policy, the association, would rather prefer that government provides conducive operating environment for the industrial fishing segment of the nation’ economy to thrive. “Why would we bother ourselves with government’s policy on fish importation when what we produce cannot meet the nation’s fish demand. We are only bothered by the worsening operating environment, which has led to the demise of many fishing firms

with the attendant loss of jobs”, the president said. It was gathered that about 10 years ago, there were over 44 industrial fishing firms, which represents the total membership strength of the association, which has reduced to about four as the rest have closed down due to harsh operating environment, primarily occasioned by the increasing incidences of piracy sea robbery. “Government should do everything possible to address the security challenges on the nation’s territorial waters so as to make it easy for us to go out there and do fishing but the way things are now, we cannot even go there and fish”, he lamented. He argued that it is only when the trawler operators are able to go to the waters that they will fish, insisting that the conditions out there, where scores of sea pirates and robbers are on the prowl does

not encourage any one to dare the day devils. On the provision of basic infrastructure such as dedicated fishing terminals, he disclosed that even in developed economies in Europe and Asia and America, government takes it upon itself to provide some basic infrastructure that would enable the industrial fishing operators to thrive. While reacting to recent claims by the Minister of Transport, Mallam Idris Umar that the government has as part of measures to ensure the protection of Marine Biodiversity concluded plans to concession the Kirikiri Terminal 1 as a dedicated Fishing Terminal to enhance economic activities and promote the health and well being of the Nigerian citizens. He noted that the claims by the minister was still on paper, as nothing concrete has been done more than four months after that pronouncement was made.

According to him, from the preport privatisation era, members of the association visited the then President Olusegun Obasanjo requesting that terminals one and two of the of the Kirikiri Port be designated as fishing terminal, which the president graciously approved. He however regretted that more than seven years after the completion of the exercise, that approval by the President has remained in papers, as nothing has been done to actualise the dream of having a designated fishing terminal. “I think the Bureau of Public Enterprise, which anchored the port privatisation programme, granted the approval in principle as was directed by President Olusegun Obasanjo, but at the end of the exercise, nothing of such was done and so we are still waiting over seven years”, he lamented.

ABUCCIMA calls for establishment of SMEs parks in Abuja

he Abuja Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, ABUCCIMA, has called for the establishment of small and medium enterprises, SMEs, parks in different parts of the FCT. Director-General of the chamber, Mr. Joe Wenegieme, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, yesterday in Abuja. Wenegieme said the parks were needed to accommodate small business operators ejected from their operational bases by the environment protection agencies. “You know that different FCT agencies keep demolishing shops owned by these SMEs to protect the Abuja Master Plan. “Government can provide an area where the SMEs can be lo-

cated, don’t forget that they created employment for themselves and others. “If you knock down their shops, where do you expect them to go? “Therefore, just as government has industrial parks for big industrialists, you can have settlements for small business operators who cannot afford to get into the big estates,” he said. The DG said that members of ABUCCIMA were among those already affected by the demolishing and eviction exercises. According to him, the chamber cannot afford shops at the Idu Industrial Estate and the private business plazas in Abuja. “To rent a shop at the estate costs a lot of money and the small business owner cannot afford that.”

Group, Chinese firm sign MoU to boost rice farming in Kebbi

he Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, RIFAN, Kebbi Chapter, yesterday said it had signed an agreement with a Chinese firm to train farmers in the state on new method of cultivating rice. An official of the association, Alhaji Sahabi Augi, disclosure this to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Birnin Kebbi. NAN reports that the firm, Chinese Green agriculture for West Africa, has already established its presence in Ngaski Local Government Area, one of the rice producing areas of the state. “This is in line with the transformation agenda of the Federal Government, which planned to ban importation of rice in 2015.

“With the vast land and human resources, we can be able to feed ourselves and export the commodity,” Augi said. He said the partnership would focus on breeding new variety of rice and innovation, which included seeds multiplication,processing and marketing. Augi said the agreement would also facilitate the establishment of modern breed multiplication system, modern seed processing and storage system, standardisation of seed quality and inspection system. The farmer said the training, which commenced in Ngaski Local Government Area, would be extended to other parts of the state in the next two years.

Traders, Business Men and Women, at the handing over of the Isopakodowo Market, Oshodi, built to resettle traders affected by the regeneration of Oshodi and others during the official handing over by the Lagos State Governor, yesterday.

Marketer blames NLNG for high cost of cooking gas

n independent liquefied natural gas marketer, Mr. Duru Francis yesterday blamed the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG, for high price of cooking gas in the market. Francis, who is also the Managing Director, Premium Gas Ltd., made the observation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Lagos. He said that the NLNG was supplying cooking gas meant for domestic consumption to marketers at international price. He said that NLNG held the ace in the ongoing move by government to popularise the use of cooking gas and its affordablility. “NLNG supplies 250, 000 metric tonnes cooking gas to the Nigerian market which represents over 90 per cent of market share.

“We also urged the Federal Government to assist in reducing tariff and duties on imported accessories for cooking gas like the cylinder and others. “Cooking gas can be affordable at N2,300 per 12.5kg cylinder if you consider the number of months you will use to consume it when compared with kerosene. “But the initial cost of setting up the cylinder and gas cooker is what scares the masses from embracing it. “Cooking gas is safer, cheaper and environmentally friendly,’’ Francis added. NLNG Head of Gas Supply, Mr. Emmanuel Nnabuife, also blamed the marketers for the high price of cooking gas in Nigeria. According to him, the marketers determine at what price they sell the product because NLNG

does not control the entire value chain. “Inefficiencies at the market place may be connected to the relative high price of LPG. “We don’t control the entire value-chain, but on our part we do our best to supply the domestic market with dedicated supplies,’’ he said. Nnabuife said that Nigeria was the seventh largest crude oil exporter in the world with proven gas reserves of 184 trillion Standard Cubic Feet, TSCF. He said that as a leading exporter of crude oil and natural gas, cooking gas should be affordable to the Nigerians. “If marketers decide to purchase from the international market, they will incur much cost because of the associated cost will lead to higher cost,” he said.

Business & Finance

Thursday, January 9, 2014

FG to float new mortgage company

he Federal Government yesterday announced plans to establish a new Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company, NMRC, to revive the housing sector. A report released by the Ministry of Finance on Federal Government Projects in 2014, said in Abuja that the company was scheduled to be inaugurated on January 16. It said that the new mortgage company would enhance the provision of more houses at affordable prices nationwide. It said that Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company would be established to reinvigorate the

housing and construction sector. “NMRC will help increase liquidity in the housing sector, provide secondary market for mortgages and thereby increase the number of people able to purchase or build homes at an affordable price in the country,” it said. The report said that 14 pilot states had been earmarked for the programme, adding governors of the states had agreed to provide and fast-track land titles, foreclosure arrangements and service plots. According to it, the company will help to create more than

200, 000 mortgages in the next five years at an affordable interest rates. “To provide for those at the lower end of the economic ladder, there will be an expansion of mass housing schemes through a restructured Federal Mortgage Bank and other institutions to provide rent-to-own and lease-toown options,” it said. The ministry said that the idea would help many Nigerian families to own a home. It explained that the idea would create additional jobs for architects and masons, electricians, plumbers, painters, interior decorators, among others.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Winner emerges in La Casera ‘Apple Story’ campaign KUNLE A ZEEZ

he La Casera Company Plc., has finally unveiled the winner of the popular ‘Share Your Apple Story, Be A Star’ campaign for its flagship Apple drink. The development, which followed months of intense public anticipation, reached its as 26-year-old Dagu Michael emerged the winner of the campaign, getting a free VIP tour of the La Casera factory for handson acquaintance with the production process of the trendy soft drink. He was hosted at a grand event held at the company’s corporate head office in Lagos recently. For the UniJos final-year student of Biochemistry, the experience was second-to-none since he never anticipated his entry would clinch the top spot among many. “I still find it hard to believe that my Apple Story will be

shown to the whole world as the new La Casera advert. I have received first-class VIP treatment from La Casera and an opportunity that would motivate me to aim for the stars in whatever I do, which I deeply appreciate. I must say, with no iota of doubt on my mind, that I truly love the drink like the slogan says,” he said. Speaking on the development, Chief Operating Officer, La Casera Plc, Mr. Dileeban Ponniah, noted that it was a pleasure deepening the existing bond with customers. He emphasised that La Casera had successfully run the Apple Story campaign for the second year so far, and it was only getting better. “At the La Casera Company, we hold our customers in high esteem and will stop at nothing to foster the relationship we have established with them. The idea behind the ‘Share Your Apple Story, Be A Star’ Campaign is simply to engage customers as well as reward their loyalty,” Dileeban explained.

Environmental Society calls for central waste disposal system in parks

T L-R: Corps Marshal & Chief Executive of FRSC, Osita Chidoka; World Bank Unit Manager, Road Sector Development Team, Mr.David Silcock, and , Ag. Director\Unit Manager, Road Sector Development Team, Mr. Ishaq Mohammed, during a mission visit by World bank consultant on the safe corridor project to Federal Road Safety commission in Abuja, yesterday.

New capital requirements for stock market operators will dampen market growth –Unegbu

ormer president, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, CIBN and Managing Director, Maxifund Investment and Securities Ltd., Mazi Okechukwu Unegbu, yesterday said that the new minimum capital requirement for capital market operators would dampen the growth of the market. Unegbu made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Lagos. He said that the new minimum capital requirements for market operators would affect market growth in the first quarter. He said that the announcement of the new capital base would affect market expectations and investors’ confidence in the nation’s bourse. “But unfortunately, the announcement has ruined the enthusiasm of market operators to do business,” Unegbu said. He described the new capital requirement as diversionary and an obstacle to market recovery. According to him, market operators are now challenged to concentrate more on ways

to meet the regulatory requirements than their businesses. Unegbu, said that the SEC failed to consider the peculiarity of the Nigerian environment before making the pronouncement. “Leaders and regulators do things with impunity in this country without considering the impact and reactions,” he said. He urged SEC to be careful with some of its policies to avoid investors and operators’ apathy that could affect the success recorded by the Asset Management Cooperation of Nigeria, AMCON. “AMCON has done a lot in helping the market to stabilise and we should not dampen the stability with unfriendly policies,” he said. He said that the timing of the policy was wrong as the market was just recovering from the financial meltdown of 2008. The market operator said that SEC should learn from the mistakes of the past consolidation in the banking industry, insurance sector and microfinance banks. Unegbu, who is also the legal

Adviser, Association of Stockbroking Houses of Nigeria, ASHON, said the brokers who acted as intermediaries under the new capital base required more capital than issuing houses that carried more risks. NAN reports that SEC, had on December 19, issued a new minimum capital requirements for capital market operators with December 31, 2014 as deadline for operators to recapitalise. A breakdown of the new capital requirement obtained by NAN showed that broker/dealer now requires a minimum capital of N300 million, an increase of 328.57 per cent over the current capital of N70 million. Broker is now required to increase its capital to a minimum of N200 million from N40 million, while a dealer’s minimum capital now stands at N100 million from N30 million. Issuing house operational capital requirement also rose to N200 million from N150 million, underwriters are now expected to have N200 million as working capital from N100 million.

he Nigerian Environmental Society, NES, on Wednesday in Abuja called for a central waste disposal system to promote hygiene in parks and gardens. Chairman of NES, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Mr. Akinrele Olusegun, that there was the need for recreation centres to establish disposal units to curtail indiscriminate waste disposal. Olusegun condemned the practice whereby fun seekers littered the environment during celebrations and other activities in parks and gardens. He attributed the practice of burning combustibles to ignorance, adding that managers of

parks, gardens and other recreation centres should be sensitised on the possibility of transforming waste to wealth. According to him, the emission of carbon through burning of wastes contributes to environmental hazards. In a separate interview, an Abuja resident, Dr. Daniel Hudson, called for the imposition of penalty on people who littered recreation centres and the streets. Hudson urged parents to check the activities of their children, to ensure they imbibed environment-friendly habits. “That way, the children would grow up with a good attitude toward protecting the environment,’’ Hudson said.

Cassava growers to revive moribund processing plant in Kebbi

he Association of Cassava Growers in Kebbi on Wednesday said it would revive the moribund cassava processing plant to boost production of the crop in the state. The Chairman of the association, Hussaini Abdullahi, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Birnin Kebbi that the release of the plant to the association was a challenge to cassava growers. “The plant has the capacity to produce pellets, chips, industrial and domestic starch and attract regional and international market.” He said the state government

had assisted 1,488 cassava farmers with loans to increase production of the crop. He commended the government for encouraging cassava growers, adding that the state had vast potential for commercial production of the commodity. “The association will exploit opportunities to establish additional processing plants to prevent stressing the only existing plant.” “He also said that the growers would support government and donor agencies to produce the commodity in commercial quantity.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Info Tech

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Mobile money: Concerns over inactive licences Three years after the Central Bank of Nigeria commenced the licensing of mobile money operators, MMOs, in the country, ions. The developmost licensees have yet to start operations. k’s financial inment is, however, impeding apex bank’s cerns among clusion target while also creating concerns stakeholders. KUNLE AZEEZ reports

o extend banking services to a wider segment of Nigerians, the Central Bank of Nigeria in 2011 identified mobile telephony as a veritable tool for advancing financial inclusion in the ongoing cashless economy initiative of the apex bank. Since mobile phones have become widely acceptable and used in the country, the bank decided to introduce financial services through that channel. Mobile money or mobile payment involves the use of mobile phone or Personal Digital assistant for initiation or confirmation of payment transactions. It supports person-to-person transfers with immediate availability of funds for the beneficiary. According to the apex banks, mobile payments are meant for low value transactions where speed of completion is key and have very exciting potentials within Nigeria, given the low infrastructure requirements and rapidly increasing mobile phone penetration. Since 2011, the CBN-licensed mobile money operators have grown significantly comprising six commercial banks, one micro finance bank and 15 other non-bank companies as mobile money licence holder. So far, the six commercial banks have, in a way, converted what should be mobile money with a network of agents working with them into mobile banking, leveraging their existing banking customers, where they offer them services which the customers can use their mobile phones to transact. Indeed, mobile banking, which the banks are doing, is fundamentally different from mobile payments, which is the main idea by the CBN. While mobile money depends on robust agent network to be visible across the nooks and crannies of the country to bring financial/banking services to the unbaked, who are mostly in the rural areas, mobile banking is the use of a wireless device connected to the internet or secure interbank network to conduct banking transactions. Mobile banking allows customers of banks to check balances, monitor transactions, obtain other account information, transfer funds, locate branches or Automated Teller Machines and sometimes pay bills and do airtime vending. However, apart from the banks, which have rolled out through their mobile banking solutions, three years have passed since a mobile money service was deployed by the CBN and its yet to catch on with the masses. According to a recent poll by the Nigerian research firm, NOI, only 6 out of 10 Nigerians know about the mobile money service (59 per cent), and of that number, only 13 per cent are using it. Even more discouraging is that 93 per cent of the mobile money adopters are using it in conjunction with an existing bank account, and that the remaining 7 per cent had a bank account, but operated it separately. This implies that

the target get audiencethe unbanked-is missing g out entirely. Reports have also shown that only 25 percent of the Nigerian population (1700 million people) has a bank accountt or access to basic financial al services, leaving 75 per cent, nt, or roughly 51 million people, ople, without access to either. r. However, ever, findings show that most ost of other nonbank licensees icensees have remained invisible in their operations. ons. Only Paga, E-Tranzact zact both prominent in Lagos and Fortis Mobile, which mostly operate in n Abuja have been doing some ome operations. Only Paga has released a public statement, claiming that, as at November last year, it had recorded almost 1 million customers using its service to pay merchants, send money, pay bills and buy airtime online; via their mobile phones, internet enabled devices, or through the companies over 3,500 strong agent network in 150 towns and cities across 25 states nationwide. In spite of the overt dormancy of most of licensees, the CBN believes the introduction of mobile money has been witnessing ‘tremendous growth’ and acceptance with month-on-month growth both in volume and value. According to the Head, Shared Services Office, CBN, Mr. Chidi Umeano, who stated this, “Currently, volume of mobile money transactions has surpassed 1.7 million while transaction value is around N12 billion monthly.” Chief Executive Officer, Medallion Communications Limited, Mr. Ken Nnamani, while decrying the unimpressive performance of some of the mobile money operators, however, called on the CBN to carry out an audit on the operators. “One area to look at now is for the CBN is to do performance audit of the licensees to ascertain their location of operation – whether urban or rural - and then provide them with some incentive mechanism,” he said. In a similar vein, Managing Partner, One Network, Mr. Sola Bikersteth said apart from rollout debacle due to poor funding, one of the challenges that licensed mobile money operators were was that of agent network. “Nigeria needs about 160,000 mobile money agents all over the country. But it is going to take some years before we

THE CBN-LICENSED MMOS AND THE NCC-REGULATED MNOS MUST, THEREFORE, CLOSE RANKS AND JOINTLY BUILD SUCH AN EXTENSIVE

PAN-

NIGERIAN MOBILE MONEY AGENT NETWORK would get to that stage where there will be mobile money agents attending to you everywhere,” he said, stressing that One Network was working to create a pool of neighborhood agent locations that provide public access to citizen and financial services. But a public relations consultant and chief executive officer, Alford Consultants Limited, Mr. Fredrick Apeji, believes Nigerian should have more than 160,000 MMAs. According to him, Kenya was successful with mobile money today mainly because of its large network of mobile money agents, MMAs, who take the service to millions of customers throughout the country, saying Nigeria must benchmark itself against Kenya. “There were 88,466 such MMAs in Kenya as at June 30, 2013. This is the assumption upon which we have recommended that the Nigerian mobile money industry must strive to recruit a minimum of 200,000 MMAs within the 5-year period of 2014-

2019,” he added. Though the mobile money industry is regulated by the CBN because mobile money itself is essentially a banking business (not a telecom business), Apeji said it has become imperative for the CBN to forge a warm synergy with the NCC to jointly ensure a big take-off of the emerging sector. According to him, the NCC, not the CBN, regulates the mobile network operators, MNOs, who own the networks upon which mobile money is deployed. Apeji, who is also the organiser of the forthcoming Mobile Money Women Conference 2014 said the CBN-licensed mobile money operators must also forge a warmer and better synergy with the major MNOs such as MTN Nigeria, Globacom, Airtel Nigeria and Etisalat Nigeria, saying whatever partnerships the mobile money operators currently have with the MNOs have obviously not achieved the impact envisaged for the country’s mobile money roll out since November 2011, over 24 months ago. Hence, he suggested that the existing merchants, dealers and agents already involved in selling mobile phone SIM, mobile phone airtime and mobile-based internet modems for the MNOs are, perhaps, a very substantial pool from which majority of the prospective mobile money agents can be recruited. “Outside their branches and cash centres, the bank-MMOs have no such network of independent merchants, dealers and agents. Also, both CBN and NCC must therefore jointly present a clear and firm position that encourages the MMOs and the MNOs to collaborate deeply and extensively to make mobile money a major alternative banking platform for millions of Nigerians,” he said. From stakeholders’ submissions, it appears that the problem with mobile money in Nigeria today is not that the industry is regulated by the CBN and not the NCC. This is because mobile money is simply another form of banking, and the CBN is the right regulator of such an industry. The problem, however, is that an extensive panNigerian mobile money agent network is yet to be built, more than 24 months after the service was introduced in Nigeria. The existing mobile money agents in Nigeria are said to be way too few to make any serious impact on the millions of Nigerians who have never operated a traditional bank account since they were born. “The CBN-licensed MMOs and the NCCregulated MNOs must, therefore, close ranks and jointly built such an extensive Pan-Nigerian mobile money agent network,” Apeji said. In his submission, Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, Electronic Payment providers Association of Nigeria, Mrs. Onajite Regha, advised the CBN not to revoke any mobile money licences, but rather ensure how it can assist them to begin full operations. She said: “We need to realise that not all the operators were licensed at the same time. So, it will still take time before some of them will roll out but we need mobile money operators in new locations where cashless scheme has been extended to, since Point of Sales, PoS, machines may not quickly reach those new locations, but almost everybody has a mobile phone.”

Info Tech

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Reps consider laws on technology convergence KUNLE A ZEEZ

he House of Representatives said it has recognised the convergence trend being driven by Information and Communication Technology and the need to enact appropriate laws to reflect the development. Chairman, House Committee on ICT, Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau, disclosed this during a recent ICT Convergence Forum orgainsed by KowHow Media in Lagos recently. He said the National Assembly recognises the need to make laws that will make the country benefit from technology convergence, adding the lawmakers would not hesitate to enact appropriate laws to support convergence trend, which he said, is the new trend in the global economy.

“Virtually all sectors have been impacted on in positive ways and there was already urgent need to create laws that will reflect the convergence trends as they impact on people and the society,” he said. According to Gusau, convergence has brought fresh impetus into defining services, which are no longer uniquely sectoral, saying that the National Assembly was already keen to encourage an all-stakeholders input provide the legislative for the convergence of the IT, telecoms, broadcast and other industries. “The policy, legislative and regulatory challenges that are thrown up at the instance of ICT convergence are mainly in licensing with its attendant reverberations. “Ab initio, specific services or a generic group of services were

deserving of separate licenses but with convergence, a service provider can now deliver multiple services (converged) to a customer with a single subscriber number on which one bill is raised; and the customer is also served from a single integrated network rather than two distinct networks. “The growth and sustainable development of any nation depends largely on the efficacy with which astute legislations in all the sectors of the economy are deployed, enforced and reviewed,” said Gusau. Also the Deputy Director, Strategic Planning and Research, National Information Technology Development Agency, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, said convergence had brought regulatory challenges, which can only be addressed with appropriate regulations and legislations.

L-R: Senior Solution Manager, Data Management, SAS, Ms Antionette Van Zyl; Regional Practical Lead, Fraud, SAS, Mr. Williams Lawrence; Senior Business Manager, Resourcery, Ms Angela Chike-Dike; Sales Director, Sub-Saharan Africa, SAS, Mr. Edward Sungura; Executive Director, Resourcery, Mr. Andrew Ejo and Solutions Manager, Business Applications, Resourcery, Mr. Tunde Balogun, during a breakfast session orgainsed by SAS and Resourcery in Lagos recently.

NCC type-approves 849 handset models

o fewer than 849 different handset models manufactured by some 76 mobile devices manufacturers have been type-approved by the Nigerian Communications Commission as at October 30, 2013. Major phone brands on the list of type approved mobile handsets’ released by the Commission, include Nokia, Samsung, Huwaei, Sony Ericsson, Blackberry, Apple, Ericsson, ZTE, Motorola, Infinix, LG, Tecno, Gionee, GTide, HTC and Haier Thermocool, among several others. However, of all the 76 brands of phone sin the country, Nokia has highest number of phone models introduced between 2001 and 2013. According to NCC data obtained, Nokia has launched now

fewer than 203 phone models in Nigeria, followed by Samsung with over 127; Huwaei followed with 83 models with Blueberry, ZTE, Tecno, Sonny Ericsson having significant number of models in the market. The NCC is empowered by the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 to establish and enforce standards for all telecommunications equipment in operation in Nigeria to ensure that they operate seamlessly and safely within the Nigerian telecommunications environment. All equipment manufacturers, vendors and operators, including customer devices such as mobile phones and wireless adapters, must ensure that their equipment conform to the applicable standards as mandated by

the Commission before bringing them into Nigeria. To ensure maximum interoperability and affordability for consumers, the Type Approval standards set by the Nigerian Communications Commission are based on international standards from the International Electrotechnical Commission, IEC, and its International Special Committee on Radio Interference, CISPR, among others. The telecoms regulatory agency had stated that the poor quality of services in the telecoms sector is caused by deployment of substandard equipment being used by the operators while saying the phones that do not meet standards, when connected to the network, also contribute to poor service.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tech Box

Blackberry, Foxconn ink 5-year deal

martphone manufacturers, Blackberry, has entered into a five-year strategic partnership with Foxconn, the world’s largest manufacturer of electronic products and components. Under the new relationship, Foxconn will jointly develop and manufacture certain new BlackBerry devices and manage the inventory associated with those devices. The initial focus of the partnership will be a smartphone for Indonesia and other fast-growing markets targeting early 2014. According o the Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BlackBerry, Mr. John Chen, the partnership demonstrates BlackBerry’s commit-

ment to the device market for the long-term and our determination to remain the innovation leader in secure end-to-end mobile solutions. “Partnering with Foxconn allows BlackBerry to focus on what we do best – iconic design, world-class security, software development and enterprise mobility management – while simultaneously addressing fast-growing markets leveraging Foxconn’s scale and efficiency that will allow us to compete more effectively,” he said. BlackBerry will own all of its intellectual property and perform product assurance on devices through the Foxconn partnership, as it does currently with all third-party manufacturers.

Fashola lauds Airtel on 3.75G technology

he Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has commended Airtel, over its deployment of 3.75 technologies to provide faster Internet speed to Nigerian businesses and individual to boost productively. The governor gave the commendation recently during his visit to the Airtel Fun Zone, a custom exhibition stand showcasing the telco’s latest 3.75G Internet offerings, which was the centre of attraction at the 2013 Lagos Countdown festival. Fashola, in company of his Deputy Governor, Mrs. Adejoke Adefulire and other members of the State Executive Council, performed the ceremonial flag-off of the Airtel fun zone, when he kicked an Airtel branded football, thereby, drawing loud applause from customers that thronged the Airtel Fun Zone to enquire about Internet offerings. The Lagos Countdown is a 23-

day event, which commenced on December 8, 2013 and will climax on the 31st December with games, musical and dance performances. The event is expected to provide a strong platform for family bonding, interaction, fun, celebration of music and culture as well great entertainment for Lagosians and tourists. Airtel’s Chief Operating Officer & Executive Director, Mr. Deepak Srivastava, said the technology as deployed to provide a cutting-edge technology platform for Nigerians by providing them with latest service at competitive rates. He also commended the governor and his team and took them on a brief tour around the company’s exhibition area. He commended the governor for his visionary leadership and laudable efforts at creating a friendly environment for businesses to thrive in the state.

Ericsson presents 10 consumer trends in 2014

s 2014 began, Ericsson ConsumerLab has identified the hottest consumer trends for the year and beyond. The trends include how mobile apps are changing societal patterns of living; the changing trend in pass-wording from the normal mixture of letters and numerals to biometrics; the desire of people to assign more responsibility to their devices to better help them understand themselves better. For instance, a total of 40 percent of smartphone users want their phone to log all of their physical activities and 56 per cent would like to monitor their blood pressure and pulse using a ring. As part of the 2014 consumer trends, Ericsson ConsumerLab has also found that Internet would be expected everywhere;

while smartphones will continue to reduce the digital divide. Ericsson also noted that there is s growing realisation that online benefits outweigh concerns. As the Internet becomes an integrated part of our daily lives, the risks associated with being connected are becoming more apparent. 56 percent of daily Internet users are concerned about privacy issues. However, only 4 per cent say that they would actually use the Internet less. Instead, consumers apply strategies to minimise risk such as being more cautious about the type of personal information they provide. Apart from these, the study also highlights other major trends that would be witnessed in the world of ICT in 2014, which respect to how consumers use technology.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Brands & Marketing

Marketing communication industry needs to break new grounds –Olugbodi Tunji Olugbodi is the Group CEO of Verdant Zeal, a young and vibrant agency. He is a Fellow of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria, APCON and also on the faculty of Financial Institutions Training Centre. One of the his subsidiary companies, Neo Mantra, organized the recent Native & Vogue International Fashion event in Port Harcourt, which attracted global attention and prominence. He speaks with AYODEJI AYOPO on key issues in the marketing Communications industry. Excerpts generally held belief of a straight path to make it. My own definition of making it is relevance. This is because it is about value, it is about value proposition and it is about being able to reinvent the wheel as often as necessary without necessarily boring people. The audience should not suffer from what is referred to as audience fatigue. To be successful, that means a practitioner has worked on major campaigns that have become landmarks in the industry. A successful professional is one who has track records of innovative campaigns that were executed.

What would be your assessment of the state of the marketing communications industry in Nigeria today? The marketing communication industry has evolved as a dynamic and vibrant one over the years. The key ingredients that make the industry stand out are innovation, creativity and exceptional service delivery. These notable features are displayed by the new generation agencies which are redefining the pace in the industry. The industry needs to embrace new thinking and break new grounds to remain dynamic and forward looking. The time has come for the industry to embrace innovation more than before and also remain vibrant to address the needs of the clientele. The industry is dynamic and there is need for all to leverage competencies for significant advantage. It is such that clients really want to know what we want to offer them in terms of value and expertise. This is the more reason there should be a multi disciplinary and multi dimensional approach to agency practice in terms of expertise and professional depth. What is the idea behind Verdant Zeal? Verdant Zeal Group is a young and promising agency established to embrace innovation and invention. Our mission to raise the bar in the industry which is why we adopted what we call the innoventive approach as a platform to distinguish our offerings to clients. We have leaned on the cutting edge platform to embark on a paradigm shift in the industry. In terms of professionalism and expertise, we see ourselves as a forward looking and versatile organisation. Our innoventive approach is conceived to apprise clients with emerging shifts and trend analysis to develop coherent strategies to remain relevant in the market place. The agency runs on three legs: on time, on budget and on strategy. For us, what’s made the difference really is that we seem to understand the need – state of the average client today. The average client today is not given to the niceties of long rigmarole or processes and procedures. So, in a manner of speaking, you have to be able to short-circuit or let me re-phrase, you have to be able to shorten the period of process and procedure that enables you to get an answer or a strategy or a response that can be enduring. Verdant Zeal has also deployed this approach within the group as it has metamorphosed into various corollary

Olugbodi

THE AVERAGE CLIENT TODAY IS NOT GIVEN TO THE NICETIES OF LONG RIGMAROLE OR PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES businesses. Now we have F2M (First to Market), the experiential marketing arm of the group, Gr8 Measures Media (Media Independent), Brainbox I Media (New Media), Red Gecko (Pr & Content development) and Neo Mantra (an intellectual property company with interest in brand and events management). Through these viable business enterprises, Verdant Zeal has remained a strongly focused group. What would you say are the attributes of a tested practitioner? A tested practitioner must be passionate about advertising, must be passionate about marketing communication, must be passionate about being able to bridge the interface between the consumers or the clients on the field and your own direct clients; people who need to make the product or service known in the market place. You need to have a helicopter ability that makes it possible for you to be able

to look at things from all perspectives. You must be able to play roles other than what you represent and what you stand for in terms of your profile. A good practitioner should also stand for something and express who he is at every particular point in time. A practitioner must be able to develop communication campaigns that resonate with identified target groups regardless of his age or status in the industry. In all ramifications, a sound practitioner should be an all rounder because you should be able to attend to what makes a good brief. For me, the business of marketing communications is for those who can break new grounds and explore new frontiers that will deliver unique solutions that grow the bottom line. What do you consider as the key success factor for any industry practitioner? Every practitioner needs to embrace different high grounds as against the

What have been you most outstanding achievements since you set up this company? Verdant Zeal has remained pro-active and also being strongly focused on delivering value. The agency is poised to reinvent the rules by showcasing exceptional creativity which is evident in the industry. The communications campaign for Interswitch remains a key landmark. The agency deployed its creative ingenuity to simplify the brand message of such a technical company. One of the companies within the Verdant Zeal arm, Neo Mantra organised the international fashion events “Native and Vogue” in Port Harcourt, Rivers State in September. The event which paraded international fashion icons and top couturiers projected not only Rivers State on the global map but also Nigeria. The event rivalled the Paris Fashion show in terms of glitz, glamour and grandeur. We also led the Rivers of Possibilities campaign which has been acknowledged as veritable platform that reshaped the image of Rivers State. The Opon Imo (educational initiative of Osun State government) is another event anchored by our group amongst other ground breaking campaigns. How do you see the future of the industry? It is my belief that the marketing communication industry can reach its full creative potential. However, this is only possible when practitioners embrace new thinking and new direction. I also believe in protectionism in the industry as it is visible in other countries though there should be need for a balance in order not to lose sight of embracing global opportunities. Parameters should also be set to have clients have respect for professionals in the industry.

Brands & Marketing

Thursday, January 9, 2014

L’Oréal pulls back from China market

’Oréal has decided it is just not worth it to sell its Garnier products in China. The French cosmetics and skincare group on Tuesday said it would halt sales of its Garnier beauty products in China in the face of growing competition from domestic and South Korean brands in the mass market segment of the mainland cosmetics market. The announcement comes just a week after US rival Revlon, a much smaller player in the China beauty products market, said it would withdraw from the country altogether and cut 1,100 jobs, according to a report by the Financial Times of London. L’Oréal, one of the leading foreign cosmetics companies in China, said it would focus on its two leading brands in China – L’Oréal Paris and Maybelline New York. Garnier accounted for just 1 per cent of L’Oréal China’s total sales of €1.5bn in 2012. “L’Oréal is one of the strongest market players in China’s beauty market. To strengthen our leading position, we have

decided to discontinue the sales of Garnier products in China and focus our efforts on our two leading brands. We believe this will enable us to accelerate our conquest of the Chinese beauty market,” the group said. China’s $25.9bn cosmetics market is the third largest in the world and is expected to grow 63 per cent for the five years to 2015, according to consumer research firm Euromonitor. L‘Oréal, which entered the Chinese mainland in 1997, commands a 17 per cent market share. But Shaun Rein, analyst at China Market Research in Shanghai, said consumers viewed Garnier as a “cheap L’Oréal”. “Garnier is not cheap enough and it’s not luxury enough. Chinese consumers are no longer willing to pay a premium for a western brand unless it is demonstrably better,” said Mr Rein. “This demonstrates that it is not that easy to grow in China.” L’Oréal is pulling its Garnier brand out of China. Good. Last week Revlon said that it would leave the country altogether,

incurring a $22m charge. Also good. And they are not the only consumer companies taking a more sceptical view of China . Vera Wang of Euromonitor added that “Garnier was targeted at the mass skincare market in China . . . and was not its flagship brand.” L’Oréal said in its third-quarter earnings statement that the market in China was “slowing but still dynamic” and analysts say strong growth is still predicted in premium sectors of the market. Some foreign beauty brands have also struggled to compete against discounts offered by online retailers on higher-end cosmetic brands such as Dior and Estée Lauder. Procter & Gamble said in May that it was losing market share in China in its skincare business, while Avon Products, which sells cosmetics directly to consumers, said in October that possible fines related to bribery probes in China and elsewhere might hurt its profits.

L-R: MD/CEO, Airtel, Mr. Segun Ogunsanya; COO, Mr. Deepak Srivastava and Director Communication, Mr. Emeka Opara at the launch of groundbreaking friendship campaign in Lagos yesterday. PHOTO: BAYOOR EWUOSO

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Fenerbache star, Emenike becomes brand ambassador

elecommunications giant, Globacom has unveiled Nigerian international soccer star, Emmanuel Emenike, as its new brand ambassador. The new ambassador is the latest to join a host of music, movie, comedy and sports icons in Nigeria and across the continent who are in the Glo ambassadorial fold. Speaking at the event to unveil the new ambassador on Friday in Lagos, Globacom’s National Sales Coordinator, Segun Adeyemo said that Glo signed on the new ambassador in line with its commitment to promoting indigenous sports through the appointment of enterprising Nigerians in these sectors as brand ambassadors. He explained that the signup of the soccer star is not only meant to promote the growth of sports, but to encourage teeming youths to aspire to realise their dreams by looking up to a new crop of ambassadors as mentors. It is also a way of rewarding and empowering exceptionally hardworking youngsters who are excelling in their fields of endeavour. “It is in line with this commitment to delivering value and rewarding excellence that we have signed up Nigerian international and outstanding member of our national team, the Super Eagles, Emmanuel Emenike to project the Globacom brand across the world. We in Globacom are very proud of what Emmanuel Emenike has achieved in his chosen field of endeavour. He is an embodiment of the Nigerian spirit of resilience, hard work, enterprise and firm grit to excel, irrespective of the enormity of the challenges encountered while climbing the ladder

Emenike

of life”, he said. Adeyemo further explained that under the arrangement, the new ambassador will represent Glo and project the image of the brand across the continent of Africa and beyond. He will be a constant reminder to all youths across the continent that there is no short cut to success. “He has become a pragmatic testimony to the famous postulation of Malcom X that the future belongs to those who prepare for it today. Emenike prepared very hard in the previous years and today belongs to him. Tomorrow will also belong to other Nigerian and African youths who prepare for it today”, he stated. Speaking at the occasion, Emenike said that he was very excited to be become part of the Glo ambassadorial team. He said that the recognition from Glo will spur him to work harder as a member of the Super Eagles and inspire him to superlative performance in the 2014 World Cup coming up in Brazil. Globacom in the last 10 years has been at the forefront of sports development in Nigeria and Africa, committing over N9 billion to the holistic development of the sector. The company has stood by the nation’s football because of its belief that this is the most patriotic thing to do as the proudly Nigerian telecoms brand.

Rising consumer expectations and brand offerings

t is a brand new year and it is highly expected of brands to meet the desired needs of the consumers. There are several opportunities for brands to uncover and meet the soaring needs of consumers. Consumers actually reward brands that meet their rising expectations. Consumers now want to dictate the pace for brands as the focus is now a MSP (i.e. Me Selling Proposition). MSP is coined to underscore the importance of brands giving utmost priority to the consumers. Brands should have a measure of consumer expectations and the salient fact is that brands are measured by how well they are able to meet consumers’ expectations. Brands that meet consumers’ expectation also outwit competitors in the market place.

One major area is that brands must act and what this translates to is that consumers should be actively engaged. Consumers build positive association with brands that engage than on a consistent basis. Consumer engagement cuts across every gamut of the life a brand. Consumers want swift response to their enquires while being accorded a priority at all times. Today’s consumers have also moved beyond the realm of docility. They want their voice to be heard whenever brands wants to embarks on any activity. Consumers want companies to factor their yearning and aspirations into the brand building activities. Consumers are quick to take decisions and it is very important for brands to exceed their expectations or else they will lose to their

Brand X-Ray with Ayodeji Ayopo Tel: 08023448199 E-mail: mayomipo@yahoo.com competitors. A critical success factor for brands is service delivery. If there is anything consumers demand immediate action on, It is service delivery. Consumers do not only want service but also a superior service delivery. This is the ultimate goal of enhancing consumer satisfaction. Consumers’ desires service that meets their expectation and this should be responsive and timely. The chal-

lenge most brands have is that service delivery is poor and does not meet the standard of an average consumer. It is indeed time for brands to wake up and address the myriad of challenges confronting the consumers. Brands should recognize and seize the opportunity to meet the rising expectations of the consumers in a timely manner. A reward loyalty scheme should also be instituted by

brands to build consumers loyalty and promote affinity with the brands. Brands should learn how to pitch their loyalty scheme for maximum impact. This is because loyalty scheme should not just be organised but it should achieve stipulated objectives. A loyalty scheme should be designed in a way that consumer derive tangible benefits from it. It should not just be an activity designed ordinarily to hoodwink consumers. The strategy deployed should take cognizance of the critical role of the consumers in the overall existence of a brand. Relationship is a vital area that should be accorded priority. Consumers need to be seen as partners to brands and not ordinary people.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Thursday, January 9, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Thursday, January 9, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Capital Market

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Index up 0.06% as bulls linger JOHNSON OKANLAWON

eagre gains recorded by two indices lifted the benchmark index of equities on the Nigerian Stock Exchange yesterday, despite mass sell offs on other sub sectors. The All Share Index appreciated 0.06 per cent to close at 41,830.89 points, compared to the increase of 0.72 per cent recorded the preceding day to close at 41,806.73 points. Market capitalisation added N7bn to close at N13.386trn, lower than the

increase of N96bn recorded the preceding day to close at N13.379trn. On the sectorial indices, the Industrial Goods Index and the Lotus Islamic Index gained 0.68 per cent and 1.09 per cent to close at 2,662.56 points and 2,915.23 points respectively. The laggard indices included the NSE 30-Index, which dropped 0.21 per cent to close at 1,911.03 points, while the Banking Index shed 1,41 per cent to close at 432.72 points. The Insurance Index fell 2.79 per cent to close at 153.88 points, while the Consumer Goods Index was down 0.09 per cent to close

at 1,091.66 points. The Oil and Gas Index declined 1.37 per cent to close at 309.31 points, while the Alternative Securities Market remained unchanged. IHS Plc led the gainers’ table with 0.12 per cent or 4.32 per cent to close at N2.90 per share, followed by Transnational Express Plc with five kobo or 4.27 per cent to close at N1.22 per share. Presco Plc rose N1.50 or four per cent to close at N1.50 per share, while Royal Express Plc appreciated two kobo or 3.64 per cent to close at N39.00 per share. Union Dicon Salt Plc added 35 kobo or 2.77 per cent to

close at N13.00 per share. On the flip side, Conoil Plc shed N5.37 or 9.70 per cent to close at N49.98 per share, while WAPIC Insurance Plc lost 12 kobo or 8.96 per cent to close at N1.22 per share. African Prudence Insurance Plc dropped 17 kobo or 4.94 per cent to close at N3.27 per share, while UACN Plc dipped N3.35 or 4.76 per cent to close at N67.00 per share. AIICO Insurance Plc fell fur kobo or 4.55 per cent to close at 84 kobo per share. A total of 361.3 million shares valued at N3.84bn were exchanged in 6,411 deals.

Source: NSE

Nigeria among top 50 creditworthy nations –Blackrock JOHNSON OKANLAWON WITH AGENCY RPORT

he world’s biggest asset manager, Blackrock that publishes a Sovereign Risk Index every quarter now ranks 50 countries in terms of governments’ overall creditworthliness. The index covers areas such as external finance needs, fiscal policies and banking stability, but also captures the essence of pure political risk under a heading ‘Willingness to Pay’. The introduction of Ukraine and Nigeria to the list this week saw the two countries come in at 45th and 39th respectively on overall ratings. Their scores for ‘Will-

ingness to Pay’, however, are far below the average of their emerging market peers. Only Venezuela has a worse rating than Nigeria, for example. What’s more, Blackrock highlighted the growing political element in its risk ratings, citing the recent unrest in Thailand and Ukraine in particular, and it said it had added an additional source in compiling its ‘willingness to pay’ gauge to strengthen monitoring. All of the ‘Fragile Five’ flashed red on this category when Blackrock last updated this index in October. Portfolio investors, therefore, may have their radars up in order to exit quickly, but does this work for companies with bricks

and mortar investment on the ground? Political risks to socalled foreign direct investments go well beyond tax hikes or payment risks and extend to outright expropriation of assets, threats to staff or plant and inventory damage from conflict or social unrest. Traditionally these risks to foreign direct investment have had to be judged by deep local knowledge, or assessed by government insurance bodies or bespoke political risk agencies. But a study published by the United States based National Bureau of Economic Research this week showed that early-warning political risk gauges can be constructed from bond market prices and provide

just as valuable a guide for business overseas. The paper, by four US economists from Columbia and Duke Universities and Universities of Washington and North Carolina, showed political risk gauges do provide a good warning of events defined both by claims recorded by the US government’s political risk insurance arm and major adverse news events. What’s more, the authors - Geert Bekaert, Campbell Harvey, Christian Lundblad and Stephen Siegel - reckon they can construct a real-time accurate gauge using a subset of sovereign bond spreads stripping out non-political factors like market liquidity, economic trends or the global market climate.

Nigeria, UK partnership has yielded results –Report JOHNSON OKANLAWON

he partnership between the Nigerian government and the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) in the management of Nigeria’s public debt has yielded positive results, a review of partnership has revealed. The report to be launched tomorrow in Abuja by Vice President Namadi Sambo, noted that technical assistance from DFID has enabled Nigeria to professionalise the management of its public debt. DFID in October 2000 assisted Nigeria to establish the Debt Management Of-

fice (DMO). Thirty years on, an independent review of the partnership between Nigeria and UK said it has been a success story and Nigeria is now sharing its expertise with other countries in Africa. According to review, the partnership made it possible for the DMO to establish Nigeria’s debt figure, and in 2005 to successfully negotiate its external debt down from $35bn to $5bn. The review also added that other successes have been the extension of debt management systems from the national to sub-national levels of government and a reasonably well-functioning domestic government bond market enabling Nigeria to raise money from

capital markets for its national development. Speaking on the forthcoming launch, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Andrew Pocock said, “Partnering with countries like Nigeria to pursue self-financed exits from poverty is a key part of the UK government’s development approach. “Helping Nigeria improve its debt management is an important achievement on the road to macroeconomic stability, economic growth and job creation.” Until the year 2000, Nigeria’s public debt management was largely ineffective, creating inadequate debt records, difficult means in the verification of debt claims and conflicting

figures from the various bodies handling the debt management function. Besides, there was inadequate manpower and poor incentive systems for personnel. These bred corruption which affected outputs and performance. Also, Nigeria was unable to service its debt and interest payment, leading to a debt crisis that pushed the country’s figure from less than $1bn in 1970 to about $28.3bn in 2000. However, in 1998-1999, Nigeria entered into an agreement with the UK for ad hoc technical assistance through the DFID with a focus to establish an effective public debt management system.

Source: FMDA

Market indicators All-Share Index 41,830.89 points Market capitalisation 13.40 trillion

Stock Updates GAINERS COMPANY

OPENING

CLOSING

CHANGE

IHS

2.78

2.90

0.12

% CHANGE 4.32

TRANSEXPR

1.17

1.22

0.05

4.27

PRESCO

37.50

39.00

1.50

4.00

ROYALEX

0.55

0.57

0.02

3.64

UNIONDICON

12.65

13.00

0.35

2.77

SKYEBANK

4.25

4.35

0.10

2.35

DANGCEM

235.00

240.00

5.00

2.13

NEIMETH

1.57

1.60

0.03

1.91

FLOURMILL

87.06

88.04

0.98

1.13

REDSTAREX

4.30

4.34

0.04

0.93

CHANGE

% CHANGE -9.70

LOSERS COMPANY

OPENING

CLOSING

CONOIL

55.35

49.98

-5.37

WAPIC

1.34

1.22

-0.12

-8.96

AFRIPRUD

3.44

3.27

-0.17

-4.94

UACN

70.35

67.00

-3.35

-4.76

AIICO

0.88

0.84

-0.04

-4.55

JAPAULOIL

0.68

0.65

-0.03

-4.41

COSTAIN

1.17

1.12

-0.05

-4.27

LIVESTOCK

4.39

4.21

-0.18

-4.10

MAYBAKER

2.47

2.37

-0.10

-4.05

ABCTRANS

0.99

0.95

-0.04

-4.04

Primary Market Auction TENOR

AMOUNT (N’mn)

RATE (%)

DATE

91-Day

20,159.21

11.50

10-Oct-13

182-Day

43,490.87

10.68

10-Oct-13

364-Day

68,184.89

13.39

10-Oct-13

Open Market Operations TENOR

AMOUNT (N’mn)

RATE (%)

DATE

153-Day

75,993.30

12.25

10-Oct-13

133-Day

94,081.66

12.25

10-Oct-13

Wholesale Dutch Auction System AMOUNT OFFERED

MARKET DEMAND

AMOUNT SOLD

DATE

$300m

N/A

$297m

9-Oct-13

$300m

N/A

$231m

7-Oct-13

Thursday, January 9, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Nigeria’s Got Talent is getting much better –Dan Foster Dan Foster is Nigerian-based American radio presenter and currently a judge on Nigeria’s Got Talent. He shares his experience with LEONARD OKACHIE, on the quality of talents by Nigerians in the season two of the reality show. Nigeria’s Got Talent is two years old. What is your evaluation as a judge? It is exciting, it is getting better. I can see improvement- more talents, more preparation. They are getting better. They are up for the task and it is making the job a little harder and easier. From your experience in the maiden edition, what are your expectations for season two? Expectations for season two? I will like to grab a bigger talent; no doubt there are great talents. We’ve got real talents, and I want to see as the search goes on, more people saying “we can do that, we can do that”. We want to see more talents. Last year was good, but I think we can do a little more than what we had. We should do a little bit more. Is there anything in the maiden edition you would not want a repeat of? I would want people to vote not emotionally because you like someone very young and may be not that talented but has potentials. I want people to vote for people with really true talents, the “now, now” talents, and not so much as one who will become talented as he or she grows up. I think that the potential of the talent is good, but it is not the same as a fully developed talent that we see right now. You may have someone with potential for a future talent, sometime people may vote for such, but you can’t take it away from someone who has got it now, now, who is fully developed on the stage. You may vote for someone with potentials for future talent, but I will like to see someone who has it now. The show is based on someone who has the talent now that we all can see and that we love. You can vote emotionally because you feel someone deserves it, that’s good, but for me, the true talents should step forward

THE POTENTIAL OF THE TALENT IS GOOD, BUT IT IS

NOT THE SAME AS A FULLY DEVELOPED TALENT THAT WE SEE RIGHT NOW and there is always a place for the future talent as they mature in their talents. How would you rate the contestants this year compared to the previous year? They are more prepared and more packaged. Nigerians are trying to package better because the more the awareness the better the packaging. Does the packaging make the job harder for the judges? No, it makes easier because sometimes we can say ‘you package well but you don’t have the talent.’ What is your impression on the quality of talents on display? I need more, we should have more. They are out there but where are they? Now we have the dog act - that is nice. The ballerina style is a little weird in Africa- an African ballerina. There are some talents coming up but we need more varieties. I like the musicians; the singers are always there because of the other singing competition shows. The

Dan Foster

dance groups are always there. Who would you like to say won it. There are people that swallow fire. You never know what kind talents Nigerians could win. Why do you have both old and young in the competition? You never know who get talent and who could win it. If a nine- year old or an eight-year old has talent, they could take it. If an eight year old grow up to win N10 million and shock the whole country you never know who could win it. That is why the series wants to get the whole nation to become number one. It is about variety of talents and anyone can win it. It does matter how old you are, whether 90 or above, as far as you got some kind of talents once you pass through the judges it is up to Nigerians to start voting for that particular person. You are three judges on the show. How do you decide on a contestant?

You have to convince two judges to go to the next level. If you haven’t done that you need to come back again. If I like it and the other judge doesn’t like it that why there is a lot of drama and pressure on one judge because one likes, one doesn’t like it. What is your message for Nigerians? It’s a couple of messages. One, for the talents we have now that believe they have got talents and would want to come and express them. My message is ‘come express yourself, express your talents; no matter what you think it is, you can always do something with your talents and gifts. Don’t hide it, come express your talents, don’t hide it, work on it, and package your gifts well.’ My other message for the audience, for the voting viewers, when you see a talent, be true with your vote. We want your feedback; we want to know what you think about all the great talents you have seen because they need your support.

Centre empowers 25 female auto mechanics in Edo

he National Productivity Centre (NPC) on Tuesday said that 25 female auto mechanics in Benin were empowered with various skills in 2013. Acting State Coordinator, NPC for Edo, Delta, Ondo and Ekiti states, Mr. Clifford Alisigwe, announced this in an interview with the News Agency of

Nigeria (NAN) in Benin. Alisigwe said that the overall aim of the training was to increase the productivity skills of the mechanics so that they would have a large customer base. He said that the mechanics were taught financial management, effective communication skills, health and safety in the

workshop. Alisigwe said that the centre also carried out a productivity awareness campaign in two schools in the state. “We educated secondary school students on the need to be productive and enterprising. “We want to catch them young and help develop the right attitude towards their

studies and productivity. “At the end of the seminar, productivity clubs were formed in the two schools visited,” he said. He said that the centre also organised a productivity and quality improvement programme for small and medium scale business men in Benin. He said that most owners of

small and medium scale businesses did not keep financial records, adding that it was a setback to the growth of businesses. The acting state coordinator added that lack of finance was a major challenge confronting the organisation in the state as it could not extend its activities to other states.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Young & Next Generation

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Seek to be world changers, Speaker charges youths OSEYIZA OOGBODO

he Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, has urged youths to become more partisan in politics in order to become effective agents of change, politically. Ikuforiji said this at the 2013 end of year dinner programme organised by World Changers International (WCI), a youth-based non-governmental organisation (NGO)at Rodizzo Restaurant and Café, GRA, Ikeja. The event which had the Lagos Speaker as the Special Guest of Honour was aimed at celebrating the achievements of the organisation for the year. The President of the group, Mr. Tim Ayoola Abiodun who lamented the noninvolvement of youths in key decisionmaking organs in the country noted that the programme was organised to provide a platform for youths to interact with political and business leaders. “WCI is an organisation with a passion for youth empowerment and development. We have a lot to learn from our leaders in order to be more active economically, socially and politically,” he stated. In his speech entitled 'Youths as a vehicle of change,' Ikuforiji reiterated his passion for youths and his belief in their ability to transform the country. “Some of my contemporaries often ask me, ‘Mr. Speaker, why are most of your principal aides youths?' I say to them, the best time to buy most good cars is when

they’re new. Elders will become history, the future is a mystery, and our youths are the present, which is another name for a gift, that’s why we call it present. “Leaders that left indelible mark on the sand of time charted their life-changing course in their youthful days. It got them no applause at the time because the courses were not designed to please the gallery, it was orchestrated to change a society and build a nation! Youthful vision propelled by patriotic mission creates a nation built on enduring notion. “Obama’s ‘Audacity of Hope’ was a youthful imagination. Gandhi’s propagation of peaceful protest was nurtured in his youthful days. Mandela’s anti-apartheid stance was a youthful zeal. The ruler of the United Arab Emirates had a vision in his youth and Dubai was created from nothing. They all have two things in common: they had the quest for positive change, and they also took full advantage of the opportunity to make a change” he said. He however noted that making changes comes with a price: persecution and assault. He cited the attacks and persecutions he has suffered in his bid to transform the State House of Assembly and Lagos State in general. “I’m sure you’re aware that initiating change in itself takes a process, a process that may be unpredictable. Unpredictable because every change will one way or another tilt the balance of the interests of consolidated establishment. Permit me to buttress this point with a real example. When I became Speaker, I knew the House of Assembly needed a seismic change to move forward. Some of these changes I’d

Pupils of Masterguide Schools at the commissioning of a 100 pupil- capacity library and 2013 End of the Year party recently held in Egbeda, Lagos.

nursed in my youthful days as a lecturer in the United States of America. The first baptism I got was a gang of assassins that riddled my car with bullets, but God that protects the just, saved my life. “Patriotic zeal, the quest for positive meaningful change will always force an action as long as the vision is birthed. For the sake of positive change, I was accused of going home with N6bn in a N7bn budget. The figure was later reduced, and reduced again, then reduced and further reduced until I lost count of the number of times it was reduced. Now, I’m being charged with counts that occur in every government institutions on a daily basis against the spirit of the law! That is Nigeria, and the price that comes with wanting to institute positive changes. The beauty is that, the court of public opinion will always be on your

side and posterity will vindicate you, if your quest for positive change is patriotism oriented,” he said. He urged youths to transform the information technology tools at their disposal into a tool for effecting positive changes in the society and get more involved in the political space. In response to a question asked by one of the youths in attendance, he disclosed that it will be shameful for youths to sit on the fence in the election of Nigeria’s political leadership come 2015, stating that currently in Nigeria, the youths have surrendered the bulk of our political space to the dishonourable, the incompetent and worse, to the criminally minded. He concluded that only the educated youths can change the status quo without the adoption of violence.

New NYSC DG seeks staff support, promises equity

L-R: New Director General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Brig General Johnson Bamidele Olawumi and outgoing Director General, Brig Gen Okorie-Affia during the handing-over ceremony in Abuja... PHOTO ROTIMI OSASONA

TOLA AKINMUTIMI ABUJA

he new Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme, Brig. General Johnson Bamidele Olawumi, formally assumed office on Monday in Abuja with a promise to be fair to all stakeholders in the discharge of his responsibilities just as he solicited the cooperation of employees in the task of consolidating on the achievements of his predecessors.

The new helmsman of the 40year old scheme said he would engage all stakeholders in his efforts to sustain the transformation of the organisation by being open, fair and just in all his dealings with staff and other stakeholders. Olawumi, who assumed office as the 16th Director General of the NYSC, said in order to ensure that all staff gave their best in the collective agenda of repositioning the scheme for greater contributions to national development, he would do his

best to ensure that whatever is due to any employee is given him/her as of right. He said: “I have come with the desire and determination to serve this scheme just like your predecessors have done to serve diligently and bring this, I want us to take note, I promise to be very open, I promise to be very fair and that my tenure will provide for equity. These are three things that have seen me to where I am today. “I am appealing to you to accept me, whatever you are due

to get, I will make sure that you will get it, whatever is your entitlement, I will fight for it, in doing that, I want you to see it that I am doing it because of the high regard I have for every member of staff in this organisation”, the NYSC boss added. Earlier in his valedictory remarks, the immediate past Director General, Brig. General Nnamdi Okorie-Affia (Rtd), thanked President Goodluck Jonathan, and the Supervising Minister and staff of the Ministry of Youth Development and the Governing Board of NYSC for the opportunity availed him to lead the scheme for nearly two and a half years of his stewardship which was characterised sundry initiatives he undertook to lift the scheme forward. While also acknowledging the support of the management and other stakeholders, including the media, he described the period of his leadership of the NYSC as remarkable in view of the various steps taken to reform the scheme and make it in-

creasingly relevant to ongoing efforts targeted at rebuilding the nation. Specifically, Okorie-Affia listed some of the modest achievements during his tenure as the successful implementation of the approved expanded administrative structure of the scheme which, he said, revolutionised the service year experience of corps members with their exposure to entrepreneurial development and other post service year life enhancing initiatives; and publication of the 40th Anniversary commemorative edition of the NYSC Year Book. Others are, enhancement of the security of corps members in all locations nationwide with the effective operation of the Distress Call Centres; preparation of a Composite Policy document which synthesises all the policies of the scheme into a single document; comprehensive review of the scheme and Conditions of Service of the scheme; and e-Registration of foreign trained graduates for participation in the scheme.

Media

Thursday, January 9, 2014

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Minister urges NAN to establish newspaper

he Minister of Works, Mr Mike Onolememen, has lauded the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) for its objectivity in reporting issues and event s in and around Nigeria. Onolememen made the commendation during a courtesy visit to the Acting Managing Director of NAN, Chief Jide Adebayo in Abuja. According to him, NAN is well positioned to promote national interest and patriotism by establishing a newspaper. He said: ``With all this infrastructure at all your disposal, why have you not thought of floating a national newspaper for authentic news particularly in the face of this policalisation of information dissemination in Nigeria because there is a lot of disinformation out there? “With such an agency that has such a wide spread nationally and internationally, I think for reasons of patriotism and nationalism, it will not be a bad idea if your commercial arm can think of going into the print media business. “Because for me, you will do a duty to your nation and through that commercial arm, you will be able to meet with your financial requirements. “I think it is a challenge that your management should take a critical look at as long as the process is not hijacked particularly in the face of serious onslaught on the nation.’’ He condemned the distortion of news and reportage especially in the social media, saying that NAN can correct the anomaly with its widest reach. He lauded NAN for justifying the reason for its establishment by the founding fathers. Earlier, the Acting Managing Director solicited the minister’s support towards proper funding of the agency as NAN’s operations are hampered by inadequate fund. Adebayo said that NAN had a wider coverage than other media outfits in the country as it had 22 district offices aside the existing ones at all the state capitals. The managing director explained that the wide coverage in terms of operations enables the agency to report the grassroots effectively and make its subscribers have fresh and authentic news at all times. ``We have helped the newspapers and radio stations to reduce the cost of news hunting.’’ He said that the agency had five functional foreign offices while efforts are being made to re-open other foreign offices as well open a new one in China.

Onolememen

Executive members of the NGE with Gov. Emmanuel Uduaghuan of Delta State and Delta Commissioners during the Editors' conference at

Editors laud withdrawal of bill against STORIES: LEONARD OKACHIE

ditors under the aegis of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, have lauded the withdrawal of the proposed legislation in the Senate against online publications considered injurious to members of the society. The Guild in a communiqué issued after its fourth quarter Standing Committee meeting held in Calabar recently, noted that such legislation could have been mishandled to stifle the press, and shackle free expression vital to the growth of the country’s democracy.

According to the communiqué sign by the President, Mr. Femi Adesina and General Secretary, Mr. Isaac Ighure, the Guild also urged Nigerian politicians to bridle their tongues and refrain from making incendiary remarks capable of over-heating an already volatile polity. It called on politicians to ensure that in their utterances, letters and actions, the interest of the nation should take pre-eminence. The Guild noted the positive development in road and rail transport in the country but urged the government to double its efforts toward improving the state of roads nationwide,

especially federal roads in South East and South South even as it urges government to explore the potentials of water transportation some part of the country. The communiqué read in part: “The Guild notes that whereas the state of insecurity in the country had been scary, there seems appreciable improvement in recent times. The Guild commends the security agencies for this positive development exemplified by the successful conduct of council election in Yobe State recently. It urges the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to take a cue from this and work toward the

Book on anti-graft war puts journalist in global spotlight

ournalist, scholar, and author Wale Adebanwi's book on the country's anti-graft war has been named among the 'Best Books of 2013 on Africa' by Foreign Affairs, the leading journal on US foreign policy and global affairs. Adebanwi was for many years a freelance-reporter, literary critic, writer, public affairs journalist and editor for many newspapers and magazines in Nigeria before he joined the Department of Political Science, University of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, as a teacher and researcher. Some of his works include, "The Nigerian Press and the Idea of Nigerian Nation", in Toyin Falola (ed.), Nigeria in the Twentieth Century, Durham, North Carolina: Carolina Academy Press, 2002, "The Nigeria Press and the National Question", in Abubakar Momoh and Said Adejumobi (eds.) The book, Authority Stealing: Anti-corruption War and Democratic Politics in Post-military Nigeria, was named by the journal alongside two other books - External Mission: The ANC in exile, 1960-1990 and Poor Numbers: How we are misled by African Development Statistics and What To Do About It - as the three best books of 2013 on Africa. ''Although Adebanwi’s book ranges

broadly across recent Nigerian history, its central purpose is to assess post-colonial Nigeria’s most serious campaign to eradicate large-scale corruption,'' wrote Nicolas van de Walle, Professor in the Department of Government at Cornell University in the US, who picked the books for the journal and also reviewed them. Adebanwi's book was published in Nigeria as A Paradise for Maggots: The Story of a Nigerian Anti-Corruption Czar, a 463-page chronicle of the story of Nuhu Ribadu, the pioneer Chairman of Nigeria's anti-graft Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Reacting to the selection of his book among the best of 2013 on Africa, the Nigerian scholar said in comments he e-mailed to PANA from his US base: "It is very flattering. However, I am happy because it is yet another recognition of the great work that ex-anticorruption czar, Nuhu Ribadu, did at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), despite all the enervating conditions that surrounded and still surround such a task in Nigeria.'' Adebanwi described his book as an attempt to tell the story of Nigeria by examining how corruption has turned the country into a paradise for mag-

Adebanwi

gots. He added: ''Even though the structural challenges that encourage, support and expand corruption in Nigeria eventually displaced Ribadu, his experience remains both of validation of the need to cure the cancer of corruption in Nigeria and the consequences of such a curative process for anti-corruption agents.'' He teaches in the African American and African Studies Programme of the University of California, Davis, US. He holds two doctorate degrees; one

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Media

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Media Abroad

Chinese tycoon wants to 'rebuild' New York Times

Asaba in 2013.

online publications successful conduct of elections in the three states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe currently emergency rule, in 2015. “The Guild expresses relief at the resolution of the Federal Government/Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) impasse and urges both parties to be faithful to the agreements reached to avoid a recurrence. “The Guild urges the Federal Government to enter immediate negotiation with the doctors and oil workers who have served notices of strike, noting that Nigerians are strike-weary.

“The Guild urges the Federal Government to implement its promise of increasing its vote for capital expenditure, noting with dismay that capital expenditure had dropped from 32 percent in the 2013 budget to 27percent in 2014 budget. “The Guild commends the Cross River State government for sustaining the annual carnival which it notes has boosted culture and tourism in the state. It urges other states to emulate Cross River State in exploring tourism as alternative revenue earner.”

Chinese tycoon said he is serious about buying the New York Times and wants to work on "rebuilding its credibility and influence" by reforming its awardwinning coverage of China. Chen Guangbiao, listed as one of China's 400 richest people and a man known as much for his publicity stunts as his charitable giving, penned an op-ed in the state-run Global Times newspaper headlined: "I intend to buy The New York Times, please don't take it as a joke". "The tradition and style of The New York Times make it very difficult to have objective coverage of China," Chen wrote. "If we could purchase it, its tone might turn around. Therefore I have been involved in discussing acquisition-related matters with like-minded investors." The New York Times has published several award-winning reports on China, including a 2012 investigation into the family wealth of then-premier Wen Jiabao that was awarded a Pulitzer Prize. The paper's website has been blocked ever since in China, the world's second-biggest economy, and several of its reporters have had difficulty obtaining visas. Chinese state media and officials often interpret overseas criticism of the ruling Communist Party as an attack on the country itself. Chen added that if he succeeds he "will conduct some necessary reforms, the ultimate goal of which is to make

the paper's reports more authentic and objective, thus rebuilding its credibility and influence". Last Monday, Chen said at an event in the southern Chinese boom town of Shenzhen that he planned to travel to the US "to go discuss the acquisition" of the paper, a remark that many dismissed as the wealthy entrepreneur's latest play for attention. Four days later, Chen was spotted by a Chinese Business News reporter at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport. A New York Times spokeswoman told a reporter for the newspaper last week that the company had "no information" about any negotiations with Chen. Chen built his fortune, estimated at five billion yuan ($825 million) by Chinese wealth publisher the Hurun Report, on the recycling company Huangpu Renewable Resources Utilisation Group. But he has been derided by critics as a publicity hound who will go to great lengths for attention. In the past, he has sold "canned fresh air" to residents of smog-ridden Beijing and also recently posed in front of a wall made out of thousands of "bricks" made of banknotes. In his op-ed, Chen wrote that he has "persuaded a Hong Kong entrepreneur to contribute $600 million to this cause" of buying the paper, whose parent company is listed on Wall Street and has a market capitalisation of more than $2 billion. "I have said as long as the

New York Times headquarters

Radio presenter arrested over fake death announcement

in Political Science from the University of Ibadan, and the other in Social Anthropology from the University of Cambridge in the UK, where he was a Bill and Melinda Gates Scholar. Among his other books are ''Trials and Triumph: The Story

of TheNews'' and ''Encountering the Nigerian State'', which he coedited. His latest book, Yoruba Elites and Ethnic Politics in Nigeria: Obafemi Awolowo and Corporate Agency'', will be published in March 2014

onore Umuhoza, a 22-year old radio presenter, was arrested on Tuesday in Kigali by the police for announcing his own death in a car crash. PANA reports that he was arrested after he made the announcement during the reli-

gious programme he presents on a private FM station in the capital city of Kigali. Umuhoza said he wanted to know how his admirers would react in case of bad news. The police have launched an inquiry into the costly joke.

price is reasonable, there is nothing that cannot be bought," he wrote. He added that he first had the idea of purchasing the newspaper when he placed an advertisement in it in December 2012 asserting Chinese sovereignty over a disputed island group called the Diaoyus by China and the Senkakus by Japan. "I find Americans know little about a civilised and open China that has been enjoying unprecedented development," Chen wrote.

After porn, government bars social media in Karnataka

overnment staff can no longer use their office computers to visit social media sites (such as Facebook and Twitter) or shop online in Karnataka. Three months after blocking porn sites, the government has acted against media and entertainment sites. Employees can, however, access news sites. The Central Bureau of Investigation had found staff using the state government’s Internet protocol (kar.nic.in) extensively to watch pornography, particularly at the state secretariat. In September, the sleuths had reportedly discovered the preoccupation when they were monitoring computers at the secretariat for terrorist activity. They then sent a report to Karnataka’s Criminal Investigation Department. In a damage-control exercise, IT and BT Minister S R Patil had promised to install a firewall and the government swung into action. Now, going a step further, the department of e-governance has blocked social network and e-shopping sites on computers at the Vidhana Soudha, Vikasa Soudha, M S Building and Visvesvaraya Towers. “Yes, we did it because we noticed several employees visiting those sites when they ought to have been working,” said Chief Secretary Kaushik Mukherjee. Several government bodies are encouraging the use of social media to interact with citizens. “But then, officials at the secretariat don’t need social media because the nature of their work is different and they don’t have to interact with citizens,” Mukherjee said.

Cocktail

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Zoo brings snow inside for panda cub

fficials at the National Zoo in Washington said they brought some snow inside for panda cub Bao Bao to play with, but her response to the cold was “lukewarm.” Senior Curator Brandie Smith said Bao Bao is still too young to play outside

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Oddities

in the snow, so zookeepers brought some inside for her to play with, WUSA-TV, Washington, reported Monday. Smith said Bao Bao’s feelings seemed to be “lukewarm to the cold snow.” She said the cub quickly lost interest in the frozen precipitation.

Hands-free driver gets 12-month ban

British man spotted driving more than 60 mph with his hands folded behind his head was spared jail but banned from driving for a year. Richard Newton, 36, told the court he was only “having a stretch” when a police camera recorded him driving more than 60 mph past Scaling Dam in Scarborough, England, with his hands behind his head and his knees controlling the steering wheel, the Mirror reported Monday. Newton said he knew

his method was “not the way you pass your driving test” but he said other motorists were not in danger during his “stretch.” Prosecutors said the camera recorded Newton driving hands-free for at least 30 seconds. Newtown was found guilty of dangerous driving, but he was spared a possible jail sentence. He was sentenced to 12 months of probation and 100 hours of community service. He was also banned from driving for one year.

A teen checking her Facebook page in Washington, DC., recently.

Photo: UPI

Teen throws boiling water on girl’s face for unfriending him on Facebook

n Indian boy allegedly threw boiling water on a teen girl’s face because she unfriended him on Facebook. After coming to the girl’s house in the Gannipur locality in Muzaffarpur last week under the guise that he was searching for his identity

card, left behind during a tutoring session, the teen allegedly shoved the girl’s mother out of the way and dumped hot water on the girl’s face. Following the incident, the 15-year-old girl was treated for burns across 20 percent of her face. After

being hospitalized for treatment, her condition was stabilized and she is expected to recover. The alleged assailant, Yudhisthir Yadav, is an undergraduate student at a government college in Muzaffarpur. “My father is a teacher

and he (the accused) used to come for tuitions to our home. I accepted his friend request a year ago because I found him decent then,” the girl said. “But of late he had become abusive and so I ‘unfriended’ him last week.” Police are still searching for Yadav.

Thursday, January 9, 2014

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Community Mirror Two persons arrested for arson in Benue

I know many people don’t want to go for medical checkups because they do not want to know their status. 50

NIGER STATE GOVERNOR; BABANGIDA ALIYU

Borno: Officials benefit from empowerment programme DANJUMA WILLIAMS GOMBE

here were expressions of surprise and amazement, as guests invited to the closing ceremony of the poverty eradication programme inaugurated by wife of Gombe State Governor; Hajiya Adama Dankwambo discovered

that most of the beneficiaries were retired top civil servants. Also, the Hajiya Adama Women Empowerment Programme, HAWEP, meant to benefit the less privileged in the society is also reportedly being marred by corruption under Alhaji Hassan Adamu, the Special Assistant on Special

Duties to the governor’s wife. For example, a former senior civil servant who benefitted from the programme, is known to have served as councilor in one of the local governments immediately after retirement from the civil service. It was also learnt that the less privileged beneficiaries received only N30,000 out of the N50,000 recommended

before being enrolled in the programme and were forced to forfeit the balance N20,000. It was also gathered that Hajiya Dankwanbo has not been able to properly monitor the programme which been hijacked by influential power brokers as means of patronage for their families and friends. However, at the closing ceremony, Governor Dankwambo lauded the efforts of his wife to

empower women in the state through her pet project. He said his government has embraced the training of women in various skills to enable them contribute meaningfully to the socioeconomic development of the state, adding that they will be given loans

to enable them engage in commercial activities to improve their living standards. Earlier in her address, Mrs. Dankwambo said that HAWEP was conducted in four batches in each of the 11 local government areas of the state.

Lawmaker constructs solar boreholes in Kaduna A ZA MSUE KADUNA

memeber of the National Assembly representing Kaura Federal constituency, Mr. Simon Yakubu Arabo has constructed 16 solar powered boreholes to alleviate the hardship of people in 12 communities of Kaduna State. Some of the communities lack basic infrastructure such as electricity, roads, pipe bone water among others. In a message to the event, the governor, Alhaji Mukhtar Ramalan Yero said the state is working tirelessly to address inadequate potable water sup-

ply in some parts. He emphasised the need for people to compliment government efforts by safeguarding infrastructures meant to alleviate their suffering. Commissioning the project, Mr. Simon Yakubu Arabo expressed appreciation to the Millennium Development Goals office for donating 500 sewing machines to the people to make them self reliant. The benefiting communities are; Bakin Kogi, Bakin Kogi,Kahuta,Maitand u,YadiKauru,Madachi,Fa gen Rawa,Kigam,Ungwan Makera,Sabongari ari,KurminRisga,Asakke and Kan Zabuwan.

Borno records 121 fire incidents in 2013 -Official INUSA NDAHI MAIDUGURI A tricycle operator taking a nap at Suru Alaba Motor Park in Lagos, yesterday.

PHOTO:NAN

Residents protest property demolition by Nigerdock TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE

esidents of Igbologun community on Snake Island in Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State have appealed to the government to come to their aid and stop the Nigerdock Plc from demolishing their houses and farmlands. Speaking during a protest, the residents ex-

pressed dismay at the destruction of properties and harassment by officials of Nigerdock. Carrying placards with different inscriptions, they accused the company of forcefully taking over their land. The Baale of Igbologun, Chief Amisu Alao Gegeiyawo, said the people are not happy with the demolition of their properties, even as he appealed to the Lagos State Government

to come to their aid. He said: “This land belongs to us and in spite of this; Nigerdock has continued to grab it. Worried by their action, we took them to court. The court ordered all parties to maintain the status quo pending outcome of the matter. But Nigerdock is not obeying the court order, as they have continued to demolish our houses and economic trees.

“We are original owners of the land and cannot afford to lose it to strangers. We are appealing to the state government to save us from Nigerdock.” Also speaking, councillor for Ward J, in Amuwo-Odofin Local Government, Hon. Wasiu Bello, said the protest was organised to express their anger against several injustices being meted on Igbologun community by Nigerdock.

he Borno State Fire Service said a total of 121 fire outbreaks occurred in Maiduguri, the state capital in 2013 with no loss of lives. Speaking in Maiduguri on effects of “Harmattan on Fire Outbreaks”, the Director of Fire Service, Alhaji Musa Hussaini warned residents against the use of charcoal in cooking and heating their homes during the cold season which has already started. He said: “In as much the Harmattan season has continued to bite harder

with cold winds and dust; it could trigger fire outbreaks in the state. We thank God; no life was lost in the 121 fire outbreaks last year in Maiduguri metropolis. The people using charcoal to cook and heat their homes should stop doing so, because the North Easterlies winds, associated with Harmattan dust could easily trigger fire outbreaks.” On capacity to contain fire outbreaks, Hussaini said: “The agency has procured 60 fire fighting vehicles to facilitate quick responses to blazes and other related incidents that destroy lives and property in the state.

Community Mirror

Thursday, January 9, 2014

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Nigeria needs prayers -Yuguda

Celebrant and Aladi Onijanikin of Ijanikin, Lagos State, Oba Momodu Afolabi Asafa (middle) his wives, Olori Khadijat-Kuburat Asafa (left), Olori Esther Asafa (right) and guests at his 40th coronation anniversary, recently.

HENRY IYORKASE MAKURDI

wo person suspected to be involved in the disturbance at Loko, Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State have been arrested by the Benue Police Command and will soon appear in court after investigations are concluded. The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Daniel Ezeala has confirmed that two

Two persons arrested for arson in Benue persons were arrested in connection with the disturbances. He however denounced insinuations that over 40 houses were set ablaze by the youths in the area as result of the brigandage, saying that only seven houses were burnt. He further stated that efforts are being intensified to bring to justice others alleged to have participated

in the arson, even as he said that following the intervention the command normalcy has since returned to the area. It could be recalled that the crisis was caused following moves by the people of Loko and PDP to recall Mrs. Hembadon Amena representing Katsina-Ala West constituency in Benue State House of Assembly

over alleged anti-party activities which analyst say is not unconnected on her insistence to know how SURE-P allocation funds to her local government is being spent. Several efforts to get comments from the lawmaker proved abortive as several calls put to her mobile phone went unanswered.

Dickson promises support for widows of fallen soldiers EMMA GBEMUDU YENAGOA

he Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has said it was imperative for government to support the widows of soldiers who fought and laid down their lives in the course of serving the nation. The governor who was represented by his deputy, John Jonah spoke in Yena-

goa at the Armed Forces Emblem Appeal launch, said it was customary to remember the departed soldiers. It was learnt that most of the retired soldiers in the state are living in abject poverty occasioned by poor welfare just as many have died due to hardship. Dickson donated N2million to cater for the welfare of the legionnaires and promised to address

some of their demands which include provision of overhead and payment of salary arrears. He said:”If those who served the country are not remembered, then others may not be willing to sacrifice their lives for the nation”. The governor noted that the yearly event signified that ex-service men had not been abandoned, saying the occasion pres-

ents opportunity to voice out burning issues that affect them and their families. Earlier, the state chairman of the Nigerian Legion, Lt. Col Igirigi Effiom, rtd, said the event was in honour of fallen heroes who lost their lives during the first and second world wars, Nigerian Civil War, peace support and internal security operations.

Colleagues, family appeal for missing professor’s return OSEYIZA OOGBODO

he family and colleagues of missing Professor of Nuclear and Medical Physics at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Professor James Bolarinwa Olomo, have appealed to well-meaning Nigerians to assist with information

that will lead to his safe return. Olomo was last seen on Saturday, October 19, 2013 during a trip to Eket, Akwa Ibom State as a radiation safety adviser for an undisclosed oil and gas company. Speaking on the issue at a press briefing on January 7, 2014, Professor Adegbola Akinola, Chair-

man, Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, OAU chapter, said, “His disappearance is a mystery and a shock that has dealt a deadly blow to his colleagues, students, friends and relations. We are appealing to the public or anyone with any information that can assist in finding him to please get in touch with us at OAU

or the nearest law enforcement agencies.” He, however, refused to lay the blame for the disappearance of Olomo on the security agencies. “It’s difficult to place the blame for him not being found yet on the security agencies. We are just appealing to please do all they can to locate him.”

overnor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State has called on Nigerians not to relent in offering prayers for peace in the country. The governor made the call at the closing ceremony of three-day National Prayers, organised by the government, in collaboration with Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi Foundation in Bauchi. He stated that peace was desirable for the country to progress, hence the decision to organise the prayer session. According to him, his administration believes in the power of prayers and therefore promised to sustain it. “My administration believes in the power of prayers. I am therefore calling on the people of the state and all Nigerians, not to relent in offering prayers for peace to

reign in the state and the nation at large,” he said. Yuguda explained that he was conscious of his responsibilities as a leader, adding that living up such responsibilities, required prayers. He thanked all the prominent Islamic scholars that graced the occasion. In his remarks, a prominent Islamic Scholar, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi, thanked the government for supporting the idea. He revealed that memorisers of the Holy Quran, who participated in the prayer session, recited the holy book, 1,011 times, during which they prayed for peace to reign in the country. In their separate remarks, other religious leaders prayed for peace to return to some countries of the world experiencing crises.

Wada harps on reformation of prison system WALE IBRAHIM LOKOJA

he Kogi State Governor, Captain Idris Wada has disclosed that failure to fully reform prisoners would constitute serious threats to society as they lose their human values for integration. Wada disclosed this while inaugurating a six member Advisory Council on ‘Prerogative of Mercy’ at Government House, Lokoja. The governor advocated that emphasis should be placed on reformation of prisoners to make them more useful to the society after their jail term, stressing that there is the need for government all levels to urgently address the problem of overcrowding, saying the situation is very worrisome. He said members of the council were carefully selected based on proven integrity to consider the case of the 23 condemned state indigenes who are serving term at the Kaduna and Jos prisons and other inmates across the state. Wada pointed out that the constitution of the advisory council is in accordance with section 22 subsection, A,B,C,D,which

empowers the state government to grant pardon on execution of any punishment against convicts as well as substitute punishment imposed on convicts. The state Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy has the AttorneyGeneral and Commissioner of Justice, Joe Abraham as chairman. Other members include, Justice Samuel Otta, Dr.Paul Amodu,Bishop John Ibenu,Alhaji Salihu Abere, representative of the Commissioner of Police, state command of the prison service and the Solicitor-General, R.B.Bello. Responding on behalf of the members, Justice Samuel Otta, a former President of the Customary Court of Appeal ,thanked the governor for the opportunity to serve and promised to do their best in giving useful advice.

Wada

Thursday, January 9, 2014

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World News

Iran nuclear talks to resume today in Geneva

PAUL ARHEWE,

WITH AGENCY REPORTS

entral African Republic’s interim President Michel Djotodia is due to step down at a summit of regional leaders today amid frustration at his failure to quell religious violence in his nation, diplomatic and political sources said. “It’s finished for him now,” said a source close to Djotodia, who said he was due to step aside at the summit today in the Chadian capital N’Djamena. A senior French diplomatic source and political sources in Bangui said Central African leaders led by Chad’s Idriss Deby had run out of patience with Djotodia, who seized power in March at the head of the Seleka rebels. French and African troops deployed in the country have struggled to stop tit-for-tat violence between Muslim Seleka rebels, who seized power in March, and Christian militias. More than 1,000 people died in clashes in December. Seleka leader Djotodia, installed as interim president under a deal with regional African states, has been powerless to halt the bloodshed, which has displaced some 1 million people and stirred fears of a repeat of

–LIBYAN PRIME MINISTER, ALI ZEIDAN

Central Africa interim leader to step down today –Sources

WORLD BULLETIN

Zuma vows ANC will rule South Africa ‘forever’ South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma vowed yesterday that his ANC party will rule Africa’s wealthiest nation “forever” as the country gears up for elections expected within months, a local newspaper reported. “We will continue to run this government forever and ever. Whether they (detractors) like it or not,” Zuma was quoted as telling ANC supporters in Zulu, one of the local languages. He was speaking during an impromptu door-to-door campaign in a township in Mbombela, the capital of north-western Mpumalanga province where the party will on Friday launch its election manifesto and kick off the polls campaign. He urged his supporters to vote in numbers to ensure that the African National Congress (ANC) garners 90 percent of votes in the province, already a stronghold.

South Sudan’s residents flee government advance Central African Republic’s President Michel Djotodia sitting during a conference in Bangui, recently.

Rwanda’s 1994 genocide. “A political stabilization of the country is imperative,” French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said in an interview with Le Parisien newspaper earlier on Wednesday.

He declined to answer when asked if Djotodia could stay as president, saying: “It is envisaged that the countries of the region will meet today to take decisions.” The meeting will discuss the

Morsi absence halts Egypt’s trial he trial of Egypt’s ousted President Mohammed Morsi has been adjourned after officials said bad weather had stopped his helicopter from taking off. Other defendants arrived at the police compound by helicopter but Mr Morsi was said to still be in jail in Alexandria. One of the defendants shouted in court that the trial was unconstitutional.

Any country or company or gang trying to send tankers to take oil from the seized ports without coordinating with the NOC, we will deal with them, even if we are forced to destroy or sink them.

Morsi and 14 other Muslim Brotherhood figures are accused of inciting the killing of protesters outside a presidential palace in 2012. He was removed by the army last July after demonstrations against his rule. The heavily guarded hearing was over almost as soon as it began - but not before chaos erupted in court, just as it had during the first session in November. Jour-

Security outside the National Police Academy in Cairo was tight before the trial was due to start, yesterday. PHOTO: REUTERS

nalists clambered over seats, trying to get closer to the metal cage that housed the accused. One of the accused, Essam alErian, shouted that he and other defendants had been brought to court in the middle of the night, against their will. He said the hearing was illegal and unconstitutional. A lawyer shouted back that he should keep his opinions to himself. When an Egyptian journalist tried to ask about a hunger strike by Mr al-Erian and other Muslim Brotherhood members, another local journalist shouted: “Let them have a hunger strike, we don’t care!” State TV initially reported that Morsi had arrived in court, but this was not the case. The presiding judge blamed bad weather but many may have their doubts. Defence lawyers claimed he was kept away because of next week’s vote on a new constitution. It’s widely viewed as a referendum on the popularly-backed coup that removed Morsi last July.

PHOTO: REUTERS

various options for continuing the transition. The presidents of Congo Republic and Gabon, who are mediating in the crisis, would then convene a meeting to discuss the transition in Bangui on January 11, diplomatic sources said. His supporters have since held regular protests calling for his reinstatement. A helicopter carrying some of the defendants arrived at the National Police Academy complex in Cairo for the hearing early on Wednesday, correspondents said. State media had initially said Morsi was also there; however, state news agency Mena later said his arrival had been delayed by bad weather. The court session began at about 11:15 (09:15 GMT) but was immediately adjourned until 1 February, a decision that the presiding judge put down to weather conditions, the BBC’s Orla Guerin reports. Outside the court the sun was shining. Morsi is being held more than 130 miles (210km) away at Burj alArab prison west of Alexandria, where the weather was cloudy and windy. But the gusts were not strong enough to affect flights, reporters said. There was no mention of weather-related cancellations on the city airport’s website.

Thousands of people are fleeing the South Sudanese city of Bentiu amid fears of a government offensive to recapture the oil-rich area from rebels, a BBC reporter there said. Many people are taking refuge in a UN base in Bentiu, says Alastair Leithead. Meanwhile, ceasefire talks between the two sides appear to be deadlocked over the government’s imprisonment of 11 alleged coup plotters. At least 1,000 people have been killed in the conflict. Nearly 200,000 people have been forced from their homes in the fighting, which has seen ethnic violence between the Dinka and Nuer communities. The conflict broke out in midDecember when President Salva Kiir accused his ex-deputy, Riek Machar, of plotting a coup.

Somalia’s Puntland new president vows to fight insecurity Parliament narrowly elected former prime minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali as president of Puntland yesterday, backing his campaign against corruption and insecurity in the relatively peaceful Somali region. At the tip of the Horn of Africa and with a third of Somalia’s population of about 10 million, the semiautonomous Puntland spans the north of Somalia and has largely escaped the worst of the country’s upheaval of the last 20 years. Somalia’s central government and foreign powers advocating a loose federal political system in Somalia have held Puntland up as a possible model, having avoided the worst of a seven-year insurgency fought by militants seeking to impose a strict interpretation of sharia law.

World News

WORLD BULLETIN US to send more troops, tanks to South Korea The United States said it will send 800 more soldiers and about 40 Abrams main battle tanks and other armoured vehicles to South Korea next month as part of a military rebalance to East Asia after more than a decade of war in Afghanistan and Iraq. The battalion of troops and M1A2 tanks and about 40 Bradley fighting vehicles from the 1st U.S. Cavalry Division based at Fort Hood, Texas, will begin a nine-month deployment in South Korea on February 1. A Pentagon spokesman said the personnel would remain for nine months but on departing would leave their equipment behind to be used by follow-on rotations of U.S. forces. “This addition of forces to Korea is part of the rebalance to the Pacific. It’s been long planned and is part of our enduring commitment to security on the Korean peninsula,” Army Colonel Steve Warren said. “This gives the commanders in Korea an additional capacity: two companies of tanks, two companies of Bradleys,” he said. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met with South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se in Washington on Tuesday and stated the U.S. position on nuclear weapons in North Korea. “The United States and the Republic of Korea stand very firmly united, without an inch of daylight between us, not a sliver of daylight, on the subject of opposition to North Korea’s destabilizing nuclear and ballistic missile programs and proliferation activities,” Kerry said. The United States has some 28,000 troops based in South Korea, which has remained technically at war with Communist North Korea since the 1950-1953 Korean conflict ended in stalemate.

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Iran nuclear talks to resume today in Geneva I ran and world powers will meet in Geneva today to iron out remaining obstacles in implementing a historic nuclear deal struck in November, Iranian and EU officials said. The two-day meeting will bring together deputy negotiators from Iran and the so-called P5+1 group of world powers, European Union foreign policy spokesman Michael Mann told a news agency. It was still not clear when the two sides’ chief negotiators could meet, he added. Iranian officials had also announced the meeting earlier Tuesday, with Tehran’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham telling reporters that the talks would focus on “one or two remaining issues pending a political decision” before the deal

L-R: Iranian FM Mohammad Javad Zarif reacting next to EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton as US Secretary of State John Kerry embraces French FM Laurent Fabius, recently in Geneva.

can be implemented. Technical experts from Iran and the EU-chaired P5+1 -- comprising the United States, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany -- held two sessions in Geneva in mid and late December as they seek

to fine-tune a deal reached on November 24 after their foreign ministers rushed to the Swiss city for marathon talks. Under the deal, Iran is to curb parts of its nuclear drive for six months in exchange for modest relief

Four killed in US military helicopter crash

he bodies of four airmen killed when a US Air Force helicopter crashed in eastern England are unlikely to be recovered until Thursday, police said yesterday. The HH-60G Pave Hawk chopper, based at the USrun Lakenheath air base, crashed at a nearby nature reserve in Cley-next-theSea, Norfolk, while flying low on a training exercise

on Tuesday evening. Emergency personnel joined US and British air force officials working through the night at the scene of the crash, which cast debris over an area of marshland the size of a football field, Chief Superintendent Bob Scully of Norfolk Police said. “We are securing all the necessary evidence in order to find out what

US troops onboard an Air Force HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter leaving to conduct a rescue operation in Arizona in 2010. PHOTO: REUTERS

PUBLIC NOTICE

IMMORTAL GOD EVANGELICAL MINISTRY

This is to imform the General Public that the above named Ministry has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under Part ‘C’ of CAMA, CAP. C20 LFN 2004.

THE TRUSTEES ARE:

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1. Rev. Olabiyi Joseph 2. Deaconess Olabiyi Abigeal 3. Prophet Adeleke Olabiyi 4. Ajayi Victoria Omoribihun 5. Pastor Olabiyi Oluwaseun John THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:

- Chairman

- Secretary

1. To preach the gospel of Jesus christ 2. To establish church worldwide 3. To equip the people for the works of evangelism 4. To provide assistance for the needy in the society Any objection to this Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days from the day of this publication.

SIGNED: TRUSTEES

CHANGE OF NAME

FEHINTOLA: Formerly known and addressed as Fehintola Adijat Opere, now wish to be known and addressed as Kareem Kuburat Opere. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

UDEMBA: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Udemba Chisom Doris, now wish to be known and address as Miss Chukwuemeka Chisom Doris. All former documents remain valid. General public to take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

NWEKE: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Nweke Lawrencia Uche, now wish to be known and address as Mrs Okoye Lawrencia Uche. All former documents remain valid. General public to take note.

Pope set to name new cardinals

happened to the aircraft,” Scully told journalists. “There are a significant number of specialists from the Royal Air Force, from the United States Air Force and senior investigating officers and crime scene investigators from Norfolk Constabulary all working together.” The bodies of the airmen had not yet been removed from the wreckage because of the need to preserve the evidence, Scully added. “It will take some time to remove the deceased from the aircraft,” he said, adding that it was too early to say what had caused the crash. It took place at the reserve offering spectacular views of the coast and a popular spot for birdwatchers.

A t

OKOLI: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Okoli Barbara Chioma, now wish to be known and addressed as Dr. Mrs. Onyeji Barbara Chioma. All former documents remain valid. Federal Medical Center Owerri and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

ope Francis is set to make the most important decisions of his young papacy in the next few weeks by naming new cardinals - the “princes of the Church” who will help him set its future course and one day elect his successor from their number. A pope’s choice of cardinals is one of the clearest signals of the direction in which he wants the 1.2 billion-strong Roman Catholic Church to go, and what type of man he wants to succeed him. Francis immediately set about changing the Vatican’s image with his simple style after his election last March, so his choice of clerics to elevate on February 22 is more eagerly awaited than usual.

He is expected to reveal his choices before the end of January so that preparations for the ceremonial “consistory” can be made, but so far there have been few if any whispers of likely names. In the past, it was a fairly safe bet that archbishops of big dioceses or those heading Vatican departments traditionally headed by cardinals would get the three-peaked “biretta”, the red ceremonial hat that cardinals wear. But Francis, who renounced the spacious papal suite for a modest apartment in a Vatican guest house, and is driven around in a simple Ford Focus instead of a bulletproof Mercedes limousine, has shown little regard for precedent or tradition.

German charged over WW2 massacre in France

Space For Sale CHANGE OF NAME

from international sanctions and a promise by Western powers not to impose new measures against the Iranian economy, which has been battered by the embargo. In early December, experts also held four days of

talks in Vienna -- home of the International Atomic Energy Agency -- but the Iranians walked out after Washington expanded its sanctions blacklist against Tehran. Deputy foreign minister Abbas Araqchi is Iran’s nuclear pointman, and is scheduled to meet in Geneva with his EU counterpart Helga Schmid, the official IRNA news agency reported. World powers have spent a decade holding on-off talks with the Islamic republic over its controversial nuclear ambitions. The talks, which hit a wall amid tensions between the West and hardline Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, gathered pace after the election of relative moderate Hassan Rouhani, who succeeded him in August.

AKUAGBAZIE:Formerly known and addressed as Miss Akuagbazie Chiamaka Blessing, now wish to be known and address as Mrs Nwabulue Chiamaka Blessing. All former documents remain valid. General public to take note.

n 88-year-old German man has been charged with involvement in one of the most infamous World War Two massacres. The charges relate to Oradour-sur-Glane in central France, where 642 people were murdered by SS troops in 1944. Many were herded into a local church into which hand grenades were thrown before it was set on fire. Prosecutors in Dortmund said the man had

been charged over the murder of 25 people and with aiding and abetting the murder of several hundred. The ruins of the village have been preserved just as they were after the massacre, as a permanent memorial. French leader General Charles de Gaulle said it should be a reminder of the cruelty of the Nazi occupation. Some 60 soldiers were brought to trial in the 1950s. Twenty of them were convicted but all were later released.

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ather of Kano State Governor and the District Head of Madobi, Alhaji Musa Sale Kwankwaso, on Tuesday night escaped unhurt when gunmen attacked a mosque in Kwankwaso village, where he was attending the late evening prayers. The Kano State police command yesterday confirmed the incident in which three people were killed and about 12 others were injured. A statement issued in Kano by the command’s Public Relations Officer,

North

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Gunmen attack Kwankwaso’s father, kill three, injure 12 PPRO, Magaji Majiya, said the incident took place at about 7:30pm, when people were praying in the mosque. “Although the attack was repelled by policemen who were in the congregation, three persons were killed and 12 others sustained varying degree of injuries,” it said. The statement also said that those injured had been

taken to hospital where they were receiving medical attention. “The identity, motive and target of the assailants were not yet established, but investigation has since commenced.” The command, therefore, called on members of the public to assist the police with any information that could lead to the arrest of the attackers.

LG polls: PLASIEC to disqualify candidates who shunned screening Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission, PLASIEC, yesterday said it will disqualify any party chairmanship or councillorship candidate, who shunned its screening for the January 30 council polls. PLASIEC Commis-

sioner, Mr. Samuel Dalyop, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Pankshin area of the state yesterday. It will be recalled that the screening ended on January 8. The exercise was to verify the status and claims of the candidates to qualify for the polls. “Besides, any candidate screened must meet the criteria of the commission, else such candidate will be disqualified. “We are taking this exercise serious and will not tolerate any excuse from

any candidate that failed to attend the screening exercise. “The result of the screening exercise would be released next week to give room for complaints and appeals,” he said. Dalyop, who led a sixman committee that screened candidates in Pankshin centre, urged the contestants to go about their campaigns with maturity and in the spirit of sportsmanship. He reminded them of the need to take the outcome of the elections in good faith.

AIG pledges adequate security of lives, property WALE IBRAHIM LOKOJA

L-R: Plateau State Chief Judge, Justice Lazarus Dakyem; Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Davou Mang and Governor Jonah Jang, at the Sensitisation Workshop for International Public Sector Accounting Standards for Top Policy Makers, Accountants and Directors in Jos, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

IGBAWASE UKUMBA LAFIA

hairman of the Nasarawa State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Yunana Iliya, has accused the state government of mismanaging the N3.9 billion SURE-P funds that has accrued to the state so far. Chief Iliya said this in an interview with National Mirror in Lafia, the state capital. He added that; “If you look closely, you will discover that the mismanagement of the funds was done by governments of the opposition, yet they make noise left and right,” asking

Al-Makura accused of mismanaging N3.9bn SURE-P funds rhetorically that “have you seen any SURE-P project embarked upon by the Nasarawa State government? He said while the Federal Government’s SURE-P initiative is working steadily in the state, that of the state government, nobody knows where the money goes as according to him “it was not even appropriated in the budget of 2013.” The chairman alleged that N3.9 billion SURE-P money accrued to the state so far, but that nobody

knows where the money has gone. “The SURE-P funds are in the private pocket of AlMakura. He has deposited into his private account the entire money that accrued to the state from the SURE-P project and that is why he keeps lying to the unemployed youths that ‘I will employ you tomorrow, I will employ you next week, I will employ you next month,” the PDP chieftain maintained. He also berated the state

governor over the ongoing strike embarked upon by civil servants in the state saying; “It is under the government of Al-Makura that the state has a record where all the facets of the civil service in the state have embarked on strike. “We will be tempted to say the workers have gotten what they bargained for. This is because the entire good things former Governor Aliyu Akwe Doma promised and did for them, they did not appreciate.

LG polls: PLASIEC to disqualify candidates who shunned screening

lateau State Independent E l e c t o r a l Commission, PLASIEC, yesterday said it will disqualify any party chairmanship or councillorship candidate, who shunned its screening for the January 30 council

polls. P L A S I E C Commissioner, Mr. Samuel Dalyop, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Pankshin area of the state yesterday. It will be recalled that the screening ended on January 8.

The exercise was to verify the status and claims of the candidates to qualify for the polls. “Besides, any candidate screened must meet the criteria of the commission, else such candidate will be disqualified. “We are taking this

exercise serious and will not tolerate any excuse from any candidate that failed to attend the screening exercise. “The result of the screening exercise would be released next week to give room for complaints and appeals,” he said.

ssistant Inspector-General, AIG, of Police Zone 8, Christopher Dega, has reiterated the commitment of all the state commands under his supervision to continue to provide adequate security for the people in the zone. Dega, who stated this while speaking at a media briefing with journalists in Lokoja yesterday, also promised improved crime prevention and reduction strategies for 2014, adding that the zone would also fortify its anti-robbery squads and the relationship with other security agencies. He said the zone under his supervision would also collaborate with the states’ Ministry of Justice to prosecute criminals as a way of reducing crime in the zone.

The AIG said visibility policing, intensive and efficient vehicular and foot patrols coupled with community policing against previous strategies was responsible for the massive decrease in crime rate in the zone in 2013 compared to previous years. He gave a statistical sample of some selected crimes in the zone which comprises Ekiti, Kogi and Kwara States, to shows that the crime rate in the zone has been reduced by 23 per cent, 29 per cent and 17 per cent in Ekiti, Kogi and Kwara states respectively in 2013. The AIG also said that the strategies used in the zone was also responsible for the crime-free Christmas and New Year celebrations, as there was no robbery case on the highway, neither was any bank attacked; which was common during such festive seasons.

Bauchi spends N4.4bn on 12 new hospitals

auchi State Governor, Isa Yuguda, yesterday said the state government has spent more than N4.4 billion to establish 12 new hospitals in 2013. Yuguda announced this while receiving members of the Governing Board of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, who visited him in his office. He said the hospitals were built to enable the citizens have access to quality health care services, espe-

cially in the rural areas, adding that this will improve their living standard. The governor said the state government would this year complete the construction of two new 110-bed hospitals in Misau and Zaki as well as two 60bed cottage hospitals in Yuguda and Bununu, all at N1billion. “The construction of the new Bauchi Specialist Hospital awarded at the cost of N2.5 billion has also reached about 75 per cent completion.

Insight

Thursday, January 9, 2014

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How culture, religious beliefs hamper M

r. and Mrs. Paulinus Ugumba had a promising marriage, since they were joined together as husband and wife in 1999.The union had produced four children: two boys and two girls. But life took a twist for them in 2008, when two of their children fell sick almost at the same time. The ailing children, Sunday, born in 2002, and Juliet, in 2004, are the second and third born respectively. The couple took their son to a nearby clinic in Itire, a suburb of Lagos, where he was admitted after several days of indescribable pain the boy endured, with his parents having no clue about his condition. There, it was diagnosed that Sunday has sickle cell anaemia, but the parents refused to believe the doctor, rather believing that their son had malaria. They were, however, referred to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). The result of the test at the tertiary hospital also confirmed that Sunday has sickle cell. Consequently, he was admitted and was discharged one week later. Unfortunately, two weeks after, Juliet, who is the third of the siblings, fell ill and was rushed to LUTH as the couple had seen similar symptoms they saw in Sunday. Again, Juliet was diagnosed with sickle cell anaemia. Ugumba and his wife were advised by the doctors to know their genotype. Filled with fear and ignorance, Mrs. Ugumba, who claimed to be a born again Christian resisted, saying that nobody had ever undergone such test in her family. But after much persuasion she and her husband had the test and the result showed that both are AS (carriers). The couple are faced with stark realities of life as they contend with the dreaded and expensive ailment and are burdened with frequent visits to hospital because of their ailing children. Ugumba told National Mirror, “It is an agony to have such situation in the family. I can’t even explain it. We have spent all our savings managing the crises because we buy drugs always just to keep these children alive. I feel so sad whenever I see my children in such indescribable pains. “Doctors and health experts have been giving us a lot of counseling on its management, but I realised that if I and my wife had done the genotype test before we got married, this wouldn’t have happened because we would have known that we are both carriers and are incompatible in marriage. “In as much as I look up to God for His miracles I advise intending couples to know their genotype

About 40 million Nigerians are living with the AS gene that causes sickle cell anaemia, while about 3.5million are suffering from the disease and the figures are rising. LEONARD OKACHIE reports that age-long traditional beliefs and some religious organisations’ membership drive are hampering preventive efforts to stem the tide.

Members of Sickle Cell Foundation during an awareness campaign walk

SICKLE CELL

ANAEMIA IS AN INHERITED FORM OF ANAEMIA, A CONDITION IN WHICH THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH HEALTHY RED BLOOD CELLS TO CARRY OXYGEN THROUGHOUT THE HUMAN BODY. before saying ‘I do’ to each other.” Similarly, Johnson Egwuatu, a Lagos-based businessman proposed to her long time girlfriend, Jane, in 2010 and they began making plans for their wedding when the unexpected happened. As part of the requirements by their church, the pastor asked them about their genotype status. They got tested and the result showed that both of them were carriers of the sickle cell gene. It was a painful experi-

ence, when Johnson broke the news to his beloved girlfriend that both of them could notmarry following the advice from the pastor. Johnson heeded the advice but his mother who had admired the girl because of the cordial relationship between their two families thought otherwise, and insisted that the son must go on with the marriage plan. He narrated his experience thus: “Jane knew very much that I loved her but I couldn’t help the

Toremi Azeez is a sickle cell patient

situation. She cried when I told her that both of us can no longer marry. We are from the same village in Anambra West Local Government Area, Anambra State. My mother wanted me to continue with our arrangement, but I told her it was no longer possible. My refusal caused misunderstanding between us. “She was interested in the girl’s background and because of the long cordial relationship that existed between the two families, but I was interested in my future and the future

of my unborn children. I have seen families who are victims of sickle cell anaemia and I don’t wish anybody such terrible experience. I learnt that it is an incurable ailment, so why should I be blindfolded by love to put in such a terrible condition? “May be, because of mother’s lack of formal education, she doesn’t believe that genotype can be a major determining factor in marriage. She told me severally that she and my father, who is now late, didn’t do any test before

marriage and they were able to raise nine healthy children that are all grownups now.” Sickle cell anaemia is an inherited form of anaemia, a condition in which there are not enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the human body. It is a disease of the blood and it is commonly associated with the black race. It is derived when both parents have the sickle cell trait, AS. Under normal circumstances, the red blood cells are flexible and round,

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Insight

Thursday, January 9, 2014

sickle cell prevention and they move easily through the blood vessels to carry oxygen to all parts of the body. In people with sickle cell anaemia, the red blood cells become rigid and sticky and are shaped like sickle or crescent moons. These irregular-shaped blood cells die prematurely, resulting in a chronic shortage of red blood cells. People with sickle cell anaemia have two genes for the disorder- one from each parent. They usually show some signs and symptoms after four months of age. Some others have mild symptoms, while others have severe symptoms and need frequent hospitalisation. Some of the signs and symptoms of full-blown sickle cell include: hand-foot syndrome (swollen hands and feet in babies), anaemia, periodic episodes of pain called crisis, jaundice, frequent infections, stunted growth and vision problems. Oluwatoyin Adesola is another sickle cell sufferer and has experienced such crisis for the past 48 years of her existence. “I was born with the Sickle Cell Anaemia disorder, although it was not realised until I was about 18 months following my admission into Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) for anaemia and localised joint pains in my legs. This disease was the cause of subsequent complications, which incapacitated me in various stages of my life,” she said. Surprisingly, Oluwatoyin come from a family of medical practitioners - her father being a surgeon, while the mother is a nurse – but she became a source of worry and stress to them.

“In my case, both parents have the AS genotype which I took the SS genotype, while interestingly my older sister (the only sibling), Foluke, has the AA genotype.” There is a fading age-long superstitious belief in most African societies of mysterious children, otherwise called Ogbanje in Igbo land and Abiku in Yoruba land that die and come back mysteriously to their homes or families. In some places, the sicklers are believed to be Ogbanje or Abiku. National Mirror found out that unfortunately in Nigeria, some churches have compounded the woes of many in their desperation to win adherents. While some churches discourage couples with AS genotype from getting married because of the known sickle cell catastrophe, which will result from their wedding, others would conduct such weddings, thereby engaging the couples in potentially dangerous ventures. Most of the churches claim to be able to miraculously change the genotypes with faith in God. A recent report, however, revealed that about 3.4 million Nigerians are suffering from sickle cell anaemia, while about 40 million Nigerians carry the gene of reproducing sickle cell patients. Disclosing this at the launch of the Media Initiative Programme and Celebration of the World Sickle Cell Day tagged “Know Your Sickle Cell Status, Eat Right” last June, Head of the sickle cell unit of the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) Dr. Silvanus Okpe, noted that “the burden of sickle cell anaemia is enormous.” Lamenting the rate of superstitious belief by Nigerians, Okpe

THERE IS A FADING AGE-LONG SUPERSTITIOUS BELIEF IN MOST AFRICAN SOCIETIES OF MYSTERIOUS CHILDREN, OTHERWISE CALLED OGBANJE IN IGBO LAND AND ABIKU IN YORUBA LAND THAT DIE AND COME BACK MYSTERIOUSLY TO THEIR HOMES OR FAMILIES.

A sickle cell patient undergoing a transcranial screening at the National Sickle Cell centre in Lagos last year

said, “In this contemporary world a lot of Nigerians have not come to terms with what this sickness entails. They still attach some traditional beliefs to it; therefore we have to take the awareness to the masses especially young people. This is because even those who are aware of the effect of this illness don’t come for screening.” Okpe stressed that about 30 per cent of out-patients who visit

JUTH daily live with the sickness while a lot of children die of the illness daily. To reduce the devastating effect of sickle cell disease in Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Health (FMH) launched a campaign against the age-long superstition in early 2013. Rev. Fr. (Dr.) John Obasi, a medical personnel with the Federal Medical Centre (FMC)

Abakaliki, said at a community mobilisation control programme on sickle-cell disease that because of insufficient information on the cause-effect relationship of the condition, it has continued to deal fatal blow to many families and marriages, thereby leaving many families as death factories, couples miserable and marriages threatened.

We make people know their genotype before marriage –Adesola The Executive Director and Founder, Sickle Cell Advocacy and Management Initiative, and author of a book on sickle cell, ‘Still Standing’, Ms Toyin Adesola, shares her experience with sickle cell anaemia sufferers . What is the vision of your non-governmental organisation? Our vision is to be an effective change agent for people living with sickle cell and this we do by creating awareness about the disease, because despite Nigeria having the highest number of people living with sickle cell in the world, the ignorance is very much there, both in terms of knowing what sickle cell is and even parents who look after children with sickle cell have no information. The people with sickle cell themselves are ignorant. Doctors, medical practitioners, and so on, are ignorant. There is so much ignorance everywhere. So

we try and create awareness for better treatment of people living with sickle cell. We also provide the little support we can financially for those living with sickle cell by treating them and giving capacity development because a lot of them are stigmatised in getting jobs. How old is your NGO and what impact has it made so far? It’s five years old; it’s been very challenging because sickle cell, unfortunately, is not the major thing in Nigeria in terms of people pouring money into it. They focus more on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and others but we have a programme to create awareness

in schools through a down project and we ask them to do a down sum at sickle cell to free genotype. And so far we’ve made 500 people to know their genotype. We have been able to inform them of what genotype is all about and break stereotype. So we try and correct that perception. We have been able to help people financially, support them with drugs. Could you briefly share your experience as a victim of sickle cell? I have been living with sickle cell for about 48 years now. It’s been a very challenging period of my life. My earlier life was hospital, hospital, hospital-going to hospital for blood transfusion,

crises and all that stuff. In my middle age I was incapacitated, I couldn’t work. I was using crutches. I had leg ulcer that lasted anything from three months to 10 years depending on how well it was treated. It got to a point that I was on a depression, I was almost suicidal. It was just the grace of God and friends that surround me that encouraged me to look beyond what sickle cell is in my life; that I shouldn’t let sickle cell ruin my life. It’s been challenging, I had my educational process disrupted. I didn’t go to school for a long time. While people were leaving university I was just trying to get into JAMB, WAEC and all that stuff. When did you discover that you have sickle cell? It was when I was a baby. I think it was when I was four years old. I started realising that I was

different. And as I grew older my parents explained to me that this was what was happening. I tried to be accustomed to it but when the other complications like the leg issues and others started... because it is one thing having the crises, it is another thing having all the other major sickle cell complications that sometimes arrive with people living with sickle cell.

Toyin Adesola

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Vol. 04 No. 762 Thursday, January 9, 2014

In 2009 a jury found that Abbott Laboratory’s best-selling drug, Humira, violated a patent on Johnson & Johnson’s Remicade and awarded JnJ $1.67 billion (then approx. £1 billion), the largest patent infringement damages award ever.

They don’t know Christmas

hristmas 2013 has come and gone, but for 160 million Nigerians, who live in abject poverty, it made little difference. Those who are unfortunate to be trapped in this hunger bracket didn’t observe the holiday because, for them, they had to go out every single day to sweat it out in the labour field in order to have a day’s meal. On Boxing Day, in which Christmas celebrants send gift in boxes to friends and well wishers, the poor among us received no such goodies because they are too far below the social ladder to be connected to the comfortable few in a society where economic alienation has created a wide gulf between the venal rich and dirt poor. This is not a Nigerian peculiarity; even in America, not all ‘Yankees’ are part of the America Dream. However, unlike here, every American citizen, irrespec-

THE PRINCE OF NIGERIA PARADIGM Chris

Okotie

Okotie@revchrisokotie.com; twitter@revchrisokotie, 08078421451 (sms only)

tive of colour, creed or political persuasion aspires to the height his talent could take him, because of equality of opportunities. That is why a black man, Barack Obama is in the White House today. A group of white men had a dream; they left England in the 16th century and set sail for the New World. They landed in America; conquered the Indian natives, came to Africa and took millions of black slaves to work in plantations, and built America. Centuries later, a descendent of black slaves, Rev. Martin Luther King Jnr. had a dream in which colour won’t be a barrier to the attainment of the American Dream. That dream, which was outlined in an inspiring speech, changed America in a dramatic manner that the race riots of the 1960s couldn’t. For that singular, revolutionary act of courage, which was inspired by a patriotic vision of equality and social justice, King is today honoured with a national holiday in the USA. Dreams do make a difference. What separates leaders from followers is the ability of the former to dream and translate that dream or vision for the benefit of his followers. The Bible says, ‘My people perish for lack of vision’. Our people are perishing today because they have always been led by politicians who only dream for themselves, not for the people. Hitler screamed, ‘Great fortune for leaders that the masses are foolish’. Even scoundrels like this know that the mixed multitude would wallow in ignorance,

OUR UNDOING IS THAT WE HAVE NEVER HAD GOOD LEADERS unless a compassionate, God-fearing leader leads them. That is why God never deals with the masses, He often appoints just one man and gives him a vision to lead people out of bondage. Our undoing is that we have never had good leaders. Every nation that evolved into something great always had the good fortune of having great leaders. Japan, a feudal, peasant country, torn apart by warlords, came under Emperor Meiji’s visionary leadership, and he transformed the country. Until it was displaced to the third position recently by China, Japan was the No. 2 industrial power in the world. The Asians seem to have a way of producing great leaders. Look at the roll call: China was liberated by Chairman Mao’s communist revolution and then Deng Xiaoping reformed the middle kingdom when he laid the foundation of its dramatic transformation. All the Asian Tigers were led at crucial moments in their history by great leaders. The revolutionary exploits of Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew is well known. Ho Chi Minh saved Vietnam, as did V.I. Lenin in Russia. Can we forget Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Nehru in India, or South Africa’s Nelson Mandela; the lone star in the dark continent of predatory leaders?

This resource-endowed continent is still ravaged by wars and disease, which create dire conditions of homelessness and mass starvation, compelling even musicians from the prosperous western world to churn out special songs like Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas, to raise funds to save the continent’s impoverished population. But for how long must we continue to depend on foreign aid for survival? Nigeria symbolizes Africa’s predicament. With the erosion of our country’s economic base by a long line of kleptomaniac leadership, our rich country is now living on life support from the world’s aid donors. A British newspaper, Daily Mail, recently carried an article, which indicted Nigeria’s leaders over recycling of aids into foreign banks, while our poor masses, the object of the aids, continue to wallow in poverty. The writer even admonished British leaders to burn such monies, rather than give them to Nigeria’s thieving politicians. For how long shall the affluent nations continue to play Father Christmas to Nigeria? Certainly not after 100 years of nationhood. President Goodluck Jonathan curiously postponed the celebration of our centenary from January 1st to February 2014, after a year-long hype and preparation. No concrete reason was given when he made the announcement in an Abuja church. His budget for 2014 was presented to the National Assembly by his Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. (Mrs) Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala. No inspiring Presidential broadcast heralded the Centenary milestone. Our President is probably still trapped in the Christmas break mood to have skipped this important responsibility of his exalted office. There is more to it than meets the eye. In this New Year, I can only say good luck to Goodluck, and Happy New Year to all Nigerians. Rev. Okotie, a former Presidential candidate, wrote from Lagos.

Sport Extra

IFA yesterday distanced itself from a claim made by its General Secretary, Jerome Valcke, that the Qatar 2022 World Cup will be moved to winter. A decision on the tournament’s scheduling is not due before FIFA’s executive committee meets at the end of this year, and that re-

Qatar 2022: Valcke’s winter story, personal opinion opinion–FIFA –FIFA mains the organisation’s official position. But FIFA President, Sepp Blatter, said last year that it would be “not rational or reasonable” to hold the 2022 finals during a Middle East summer.

Valcke went a step further in a radio interview, suggesting the finals will be played between midNovember and mid-January. “The dates for the World Cup in Qatar will not be June-July. I think it will be held between No-

vember 15 and January 15 at the latest,” he said. Valcke’s claims came as a surprise just three months after Blatter said any decision on Qatar would be delayed until after this summer’s World Cup in Brazil.

Blatter

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