Thursday, January 10, 2013 by GLOBAL MEDIA MIRROR LIMITED

N195bn pension scam: Senate to summon IG over Maina GEORGE OJI ABUJA

he Senate said yesterday that it would soon summon the Inspector-Gener-

Abubakar

Vol. 3 N0. 532

al of Police, Abubakar Mohammed, to explain his failure to arrest the Chairman, Pension Reform Task Force Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, as directed by the upper chamber.

The Chairman of the Senate Joint Committee on Establishment and Public Service, State and Local Government Administration, Senator Aloysius Etuk, CONTINUED ON PAGE 5>>

DAYS TO GO Angola: Sleeping antelopes set to fly

Thursday, January 10, 2013

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Fire guts Alaafin Oyoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s palace, artefacts burnt KEMI OLAITAN IBADAN

ragedy yesterday hit the ancient town of Oyo as the palace of the Alaafin, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, was razed by early morning fire caused by a surge in power supply. National Mirror learnt that aside some apartments

Damage irreparable, colossal, says Ajimobi

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2>>

Performance:

Jonathan gives ministers marching orders

Court rules on NPAN, APCON suit today P.2,7

Part of the burnt palace. Inset: The Alaafin, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, conducting Governor Abiola Ajimobi round the palace in Oyo, yesterday.

Four injured as explosion rocks fuel depot Fayemi sacks commissioners, special advisers

L-R: Keynote speaker, Hon. Osai Osai; guest speaker, Mr. Jimi Agbaje; President, January9Collective, Mr. Percy Ademokan and Olowu of Owu, Oba Adegboyega Dosunmu, during the inaugural lecture of J9C in Lagos, PHOTO: OLUFEMI AJASA yesterday.

Effective leadership, key to national transformation â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Agbaje

P.5,9 P.13

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Thursday, January 10, 2013

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Jonathan gives ministers marching orders ROTIMI FADEYI ABUJA

resident Goodluck Jonathan yesterday told his ministers to sit up and improve on their performance towards the realisation of the Transformation Agenda of his administration. The President, at the first Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting for this year, also outlined the priorities of his government for 2013, which are geared towards development in all sectors of the economy. President Jonathan had last year signed Per-

formance Contract Agreement, PCA, with the ministers where they were expected to set agenda and programmes for their ministries which would form the basis for assessment of their performance and contribution to the transformation agenda of the administration. Recently, there were reports of possible cabinet shake-up based on how each of the ministers performed. Also yesterday, the council approved the President’s ratification of three additional federal universities for the three states left with-

out such institutions. The universities are expected to commence academic session in 2014. Briefing State House correspondents after the FEC meeting, Information Minister, Labaran Maku, said that the ministers had been ordered to work harder and faster since the administration would soon be half way into its tenure. The minister also noted that the President acknowledged the progress that had been made so far, particularly on infrastructure development. He added that President Jonathan also warned the

ministers not to take anything for granted but must remain on top of the situation in their respective Ministries, Department and Agencies, MDAs. The minister said: “Mr. President gave ministers his priority for the year. He gave us the marching orders to work harder, faster. By May, the administration will be half way through, hence the need to move faster to give Nigerians results.” Maku noted the achievements of government in different sectors of the economy, including transport, with the reactivation

of the Lagos-Kano rail line, which he said was now conveying most of the petroleum products that go to the North from Lagos, thereby reducing pressure on the nation’s roads. He said that it was the first time in a long time that this had happened stressing that economic activities in the country would be greatly enhanced when the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri corridor was fully reactivated. The Education Minister, Prof. Ruqqayat Rufai, said that the establishment of three new universities marked the fulfilment of the promise by the Jonathan administration that every state of the federation should host a federal university before the end of his tenure. She said: “We have made a case and the President approved it. Every year, we have made a case for access to education. We have seen applicants scramble

for placement in the universities, over 1.3 million of them every year, but we don’t have space for more than 200,000 candidates.” Rufai also disclosed that all the nine federal universities approved by the present administration in November 2010 had taken off except the one sited in Otuoke, Bayelsa State, which she said was affected by the flooding that ravaged parts of the country last year. Also addressing journalists, the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Chief Edem Duke, said that FEC ratified a new tourism agenda for the country as government was determined to give priority national attention to the sector. The Minister of State for Finance, Alhaji Yerima Ngama, regretted that Nigeria’s economic growth rate had been slowed down by poor infrastructure which he said the present government was addressing.

Gay clergy: Nigerian bishops to sever ties with Church of England OLAJIDE OMOJOLOMOJU

B The barge that caused explosion at the MRS Oil and Gas Company tank farm at Tin-Can Island in Lagos, yesterday.

Fire guts Alaafin Oyo’s palace, artefacts burnt CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

with artefacts gutted by the inferno, three apartments belonging to three of the monarch’s wives (Ayabas) were among the 21 rooms affected in the sprawling palace. Also affected were the Ile Ori (inner head sacred room), Ile Ifa (Ifa shrine) with artefacts in them. It was gathered that no life was lost and nobody sustained injuries. The wives, including the mother of triplets, Folasade; Rukaya, and Abibat were greatly affected as they lost virtually all their valuables in the fire. Each of the apartments of the Ayabas contained about five rooms. Speaking with journalists, the Media Assistant to the monarch, Alhaji Azeez Fehintola, said: “The extent of damage by the fire

goes beyond my imagination. Immediately I got here and saw the extent of the damage done to the palace by this early morning conflagration, I could not but break down into tears. “The fire, which broke out from electrical surge, started around 6a.m. and was contained after about three hours. “The fire-fighters came at some minutes past seven and battled it till it was finally put out. Every part of the affected apartments was completely razed. It was a really sad day for the Ayabas because they lost valuable property. They keep their monies in the palace. Plasma television sets, jewelleries, clothes, bags and many other valuables yet to be ascertained were also lost to the inferno.” Meanwhile, Governor Abiola Ajimobi has lament-

ed the fire incident, saying that it destroyed artefacts, ornaments and traditional relics of the people of Yorubaland. The governor, during a visit to the monarch in Oyo, said: “It is in our own definition a disaster, more so, having gone round the whole palace on inspection of the damage. The fire touched virtually everywhere and it was very devastating. It consumed virtually everything, including traditional attires, ornaments.” While charging fire fighters to be more dedicated and effective in their operations, Ajimobi said the effect could have been minimised if urgent attention had been brought to the raging fire. “The lesson here is that: one, our fire support services should be more efficient. Second, the reactions of the Kabiyesi and the entire fam-

ily were very commendable and immediate. That they were able to put out the fire is commendable,” the governor added. Ajimobi said that from the assessment he had carried out on the burnt palace, the damage to the palace was irreparable and colossal. He, however, promised to assist the monarch in the reconstruction of the palace, stating that as a foremost traditional ruler and a great friend of the administration, government could not but support the Kabiyesi because in doing so, government was supporting Yorubaland. “As a government, we are going to support the Kabiyesi and the Kabiyesi, as you know, has been at the forefront of support for the present administration,” the governor said.

ishops of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) have threatened to sever relations with the Church of England over its decision to consider for the episcopacy “homosexual clergy in civil partnerships.” Berating their Church of England counterparts over the decision by the House of Bishops of the Church of England, the Bishops of the Church of Nigeria, BCN, described it as “one step removed from the moral precipice that we have already witnessed in The Episcopal Church (USA) and the Anglican Church of Canada.” Saying that they received the news with dismay, the Bishops at their annual retreat at the Ibru Centre, Agbarha Otor, Delta State, in a statement by the Archbishop, Metropolitan and Primate, the Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh, said that they were grieved by the timing of the decision, coming days before the retirement of Archbishop Rowan Williams and just before Dr. Justin Welby becomes the new Archbishop

of Canterbury. The BCN said that failure of the Church of England to exercise its legal and moral right to opt out of the civil partnerships legislation in 2005 and its ignoring the timely warning contained in Resolution 1.10 of the 1998 Lambert Conference, was a first step towards the “recognition and institutionalisation of behaviour. It added that the stance was contrary to the plain teaching of the scripture, which has shattered “whatever hopes we had for healing and reconciliation within our beloved Communion. “As a House of Bishops, while we acknowledge that we all fall short of God’s call to holiness; we dare not compromise the clear teaching of our Lord on faithfulness within the Holy Matrimony and chastity outside of it. “Sadly we must also declare that if the Church of England continues in this contrary direction, we must further separate ourselves from it and we are prepared to take the same actions as those prompted by the decisions of The Episcopal Church (USA) and the Anglican Church of Canada ten years ago.”

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Thursday, January 10, 2013

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Thursday January 10, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu (left) and Amb. Bert Ronhaar of Netherland, during a visit to the governor in Minna, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi (right) and the International Head-Coordinator of ministers prayer Network, International, Rev Mosy Madugba, during the Global Mega PrayerQuake in Port Harcourt, Tuesday.

L-R: Chairman, Christian and Muslim Alternative to Conflict Organisation, Alhaji Mohammed Gashash; Director of the organisation, Alhaji Murtala Abubakar and Vice Chairman, Prof. Daniel Babayi at the inauguration of the executive members of the organisation in Kaduna, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

L-R: Chairman, House of Representatives’ Committee on Diaspora, Rep. Abike Dabiri-Erewa; her colleague, Rep. Habeeb Mustapha and President, Gopio International, Mr. Ashkook Ramsaram, at the 11th Indians in Diaspora Convention in Kochi, Kerala, India, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

National News

EFCC declares ex-lawmaker wanted over N281m scam OLUFEMI ADEOSUN ABUJA

he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has declared a former member of the House of Representatives, Chief

Gbineje Napoleon wanted, over his alleged involvement in a N281m fraud. Napoleon was alleged to have gone underground to evade arrest. A statement from the spokesman of the antigraft agency, Mr. Wilson

Uwujaren, said the former lawmaker, who represented Uvwie, Sapele and Okpe Federal Constituency of Delta State in the National Assembly between 2003 and 2007, “is wanted for offences bordering on breach of trust and illegal

diversion of funds to the tune of N281m. It said the refusal of the ex-lawmaker to respond to invitations by the commission necessitated his being declared wanted. According to EFCC, “suspect’s last known

address was: Plot 1 Ogumbo Road, Olonkonla Close, near Aja, Lagos (Residential) and No. 23A Otumba Adeleke Adeshina Street, Lekki Phase 11, Victoria Island, Lagos (Business). “The Commission im-

plores anyone having useful information about the whereabouts of the suspect to notify its offices in Abuja, Port Harcourt, Lagos, Kano and Enugu or report at the nearest police station,” the statement said.

FG tenders evidence against Suleja bomb attack suspects

Senate Committee clears air on INEC fire disaster

EMMANUEL ONANI

OMEIZA AJAYI

ABUJA

he State Security Service, SSS, yesterday tendered in evidence a black Honda Civic car marked, Borno, AG94MNG, as evidence before the court, in the ongoing trial of six suspected Boko Haram members, accused of masterminding bomb attacks on Suleja, Niger State and parts of Abuja, the federal capital territory. Dramatically, the trial judge, Justice Bilkisu Aliyu, counsel to both parties as well as the suspects, moved to the car park of the court, where the vehicle was inspected. The vehicle, admitted in evidence, was the

one in which some of the suspects were said to be travelling in, when they were arrested at Gummel Junction, Kachia, Kaduna State, on July 27, 2011. Consequent upon the admittance of the exhibit by the court, prosecuting counsel, Thompson Olatigbe applied to close his case, having exhausted his list of witnesses. Those standing trial over the deadly bomb explosions that tore through Suleja and Abuja are, Shuaibu Abubakar, Salisu Ahmed, Umar BabaganaUmar, Mohammed Ali, Musa Adam and Umar Ibrahim. Meanwhile, the suspects have indicated their intention to enter a “no case submission” to the

allegation leveled against them by the Federal Government. Defence counsel, Mr. Nureni Sulyman, informed the court of this development. “My Lord, we are applying for no case submission,” he told the court In response however, Justice Aliyu directed that the application to that effect be brought formally; she gave the defence two weeks to file and serve the prosecution with the no case submission. This is even as the prosecution was given two weeks from the date of service to reply to the application. The case was adjourned to February 6 and 7.

ABUJA

he Senate yesterday said there was no sabotage in Monday’s fire outbreak at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Abuja. Chairman, Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, Senator Andy Uba told journalists after inspecting the burnt Voters Registry section of the INEC office that no investigation would be launched into the cause of the inferno. Senator Uba said that available information revealed that the outbreak could be as a result of an electrical fault. “I am ruling out sabo-

tage. I am convinced that there is nothing in that office that you can say they want to destroy, what is in that office and who are they sabotaging? “I will say we are lucky that no life was lost while the things damaged are not very important to the commission,” he said. Uba stated that the Senate was not thinking of carrying out any investigation on the incident for now since the Commission had already commenced full scale inquiry into the matter. “We are not suspecting any foul play or sabotage for now until the ongoing investigation into the cause of the fire incident is established. We are also not going to carry out any

investigation on our own since the Commission had already started its own investigation; we will allow the investigation to continue so that we can get to the root of the matter to prevent future occurrence,” he said. He lamented that the incident was blown out of proportion, adding that with his assessment of the damage, the incident could rightly be described as minor. Senator Uba assured that the Committee would always assist the commission whenever it was approached for any assistance. The fire incident, according to INEC, occurred around 10am on Monday when all the staff had resumed work.

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Thursday, January 10, 2013

Four injured as explosion rocks fuel depot FRANCIS EZEM

here was heavy explosion at a petroleum products storage depot belonging to MRS Oil Services Limited at Tin Can Island Port in Lagos yesterday. Four persons sustained injuries in the explosion. No death was recorded. An eyewitness said that the massive explosion, which followed by a fire outbreak at facility for the storage of Automotive Gas Oil, also called diesel, shook buildings in Apapa, Lagos Island. The tremor caused by the explosion was also felt in Victoria Island and Ikoyi and other parts of Lagos, raising fears of possible earthquake. It was gathered that the tank, a major receiving facility located on a barge, was used for discharging products from vessels for onward distribution to the surface tanks located at the tank farm. As thick smoke billowed from the fire, residents and other people around the area scampered for safety as the exact location of the explosion was not known immediately. The explosion disrupted activities at the Apapa and Tin Can Island ports

for many hours. The Public Relations Officer of the Tin Can Island Customs Command, Mr. Chris Osunkwo, said the explosion blew out windows at the Customs offices and nearby buildings, forcing officers to stop work temporarily. The Assistant General Manager, Public Affairs, of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Mr. Musa Iliya, who confirmed the incident, noted that the cause of the explosion was not known immediately. He explained that it took the intervention of the NPA fire service department to put out the fire, using tugboats since the facility was located on the water, and to prevent the fire spreading to other facilities located in the area. Iliya added that the NPA Managing Director, Mallam Habib Abdullahi, who visited the jetty had ordered an investigation into the immediate and remote causes of the incident to forestall a re-occurrence. He noted that the investigation was necessary because of the concentration of similar facilities in the area, arguing that a major fire outbreak in such a place would be disastrous. It was, however, gath-

FAAN inaugurates task force on abandoned aircraft

he Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), has inaugurated a taskforce that will determine measures for the disposal of abandoned aircraft at airports nationwide. A statement issued by FAAN on Wednesday named the authority’s Director of Airports Operations, Capt. Henry Umeogu, as the Chairman of the taskforce. The statement was signed by FAAN's General Manager (Corporate Communications), Mr Yakubu Dati. It said that the taskforce had become necessary because the aircraft were constituting a safety hazard and an embarrassment to Nigeria. “Some of these aircraft have been abandoned for

about 10 years,” the statement said. It urged owners of the abandoned aircraft to evacuate them without further delay. It noted that FAAN had made series of appeals to the aircraft owners to remove them. “Some of the owners of these abandoned aircraft took FAAN to court over this issue and got court injunctions that made it difficult for the authority to carry out this exercise before now. “Some of these cases have now been concluded, hence, the commencement of the disposal exercise. “Failure to abide by this appeal will necessitate a drastic action by the authority to clear the airports of these encumbrances,” it warned.

ered that the marine, fire service and safety and environment departments of the NPA had been saddled with the responsibility of unravelling the cause of the incident. South-West Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Mr. Iyiola Akande, who also confirmed the incident, said the four persons sustained minor injuries and had been treated.

It will be recalled that about 21 containers, laden with different types of imported items were last year destroyed at the Tin Can Island Container Terminal, located within TIPC due to an explosion caused by fire outbreak. The fire was ignited when a tanker was dispensing AGO into gantry crane at the Tin Can Island Container Terminal, TICT, Nigeria’s second

biggest container terminal after APM Apapa Terminals. Three out of the affected 21 containers, which were forced open by the heat of the inferno, were laden with unprocessed powder milk, one loaded with personal effects and the other container laden with two vehicles. No casualty was recorded in the incident as the fire was put out shortly af-

ter following the quick intervention of men of the Lagos State Fire Service, who swiftly responded to distress calls from the management of the terminal operator. Experts, however, warned that the spate of such fire outbreaks was getting too frequent and should be curtailed before it snowballed into a major disaster, given the congested nature of the place.

L-R: Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal; Senate President David Mark; Vice-President Namadi Sambo; Peoples Democratic Party National Secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and President Goodluck Jonathan, at the meeting of the party’s national caucus in Abuja yesterday.

Senate to summon IG over Maina CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

disclosed this while fielding questions from newsmen at the National Assembly. Senate President David Mark had on December 13, 2012 signed a warrant of arrest against Maina following his refusal to appear before the Senate probe panel investigating pension management and administration in the country during his tenure as the acting director of the Customs, Immigration and Police Pensions Office, CIPPO. Maina had been summoned by the Senate over N195bn alleged pension scam. The warrant of arrest was served on the IG to execute. The Senate had on two occasions last year asked the embattled task force chairman to appear before it at a public hearing to explain the alleged fraud. On the first day, Maina

arrived late, while on the second occasion he did not show up. On December 17 when Maina was expected to be brought before the probe committee, he was nowhere to be found and there were no explanations from the police for his non- appearance. The probe committee subsequently adjourned further sitting indefinitely. The proposed summons of the IG is for him to explain the police’s inability to execute the warrant of arrest against Maina. Commenting on the development yesterday, Etuk said: “The Senate President, who is the number three citizen in this country, signed a warrant of arrest and the Inspector-General of Police ignored the order! This is very unfortunate, but the Senate is left with no other option than to invite the IG to come and

explain why he could not arrest Maina. “We want to know if Maina is above the law of the land. The IG must tell us his own fear and whether it is beyond his power to arrest Maina. We are seeking to know from the IG.” Etuk said the report of his committee on the task force had called for its suspension. He said: “In our committee’s report that was submitted to the Senate in June last year, which was adopted by the entire Senate, we said the continued existence of Maina’s task force is illegal and should be discontinued immediately because nowhere does any task force exist beyond six months. “This was affirmed by the former Head of Service who appointed Maina, Chief Steve Orosanye; former Head of Service, Prof. Oladapo Afolabi also said

this, likewise the incumbent Head of Service, Bello Sali, as well as the Minister of Finance. “We also said that Maina is a bad example in the public service and should be relieved of his appointment and prosecuted. “He claimed that he has been spending N500m monthly to pay police pension, and on our own, we discovered that he was spending between N600m and N1bn monthly to pay. “Therefore, we say the difference between N500m and N1bn, and that is the margin of fraud, and that he must return the money to government’s treasury. “We calculated the money and it was over N9bn. We’ve also stated in our report that we found Maina to have ridiculed the system by awarding contracts through splitting to the tune of N1.8bn without any authorised approval.”

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Thursday, January 10, 2013

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Fraud: EFCC arrests Imo Finance Commissioner, Accountant-General OLUFEMI ADEOSUN ABUJA

he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday arrested Imo State Commissioner for Finance, Deacon Okafor Chike, and the Accountant-General, Eche Ezenna George.

Although details of the officials’ offence could not be obtained at press time, it was gathered that their arrest was sequel to a petition against them and Governor Rochas Okorocha over alleged illegal bank transaction. A source at the commission said the two suspects were arrested by

the operatives of the antigraft body and whisked to Abuja where they were being interrogated. It was gathered that Okorocha would also have been arrested but for his constitutional immunity which he currently enjoys. Last year, the sacked chairmen of the 27 local governments in the state

had told the EFCC that Okorocha misappropriated funds from a N13.5 billion bond raised by his predecessor, Ikedi Ohakim. The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, also alleged that since June 2011, the Joint Accounts Committee in the state had not functioned and all statu-

tory allocations due to the local governments totalling over N80 billion had been misappropriated by Okorocha. Following ALGON’s petition, among others, operatives of the EFCC visited Imo State last October and commenced probe into the operations of the state joint account

with the local government as well as the financial records of the state under Ohakim. The EFCC spokesman, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed the arrest. He said: “The officials have been arrested and it is possible that they are being detained here in Abuja.”

NDLEA seeks special courts to try drug pushers OBIORA IFOH ABUJA

The ongoing construction of Emergency Relief Camp /Resettlement Camp in Igando–Alimosho Local Government Area, during an inspection tour by the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) and members of the State Executive Council as part of a Statewide Project Inspection Tour in Lagos, yesterday.

I didn’t know containers had arms, Iranian tells court K AYODE KETEFE

n Iranian, Azim Aghajani, standing trial for unlawful importation of firearms and explosives from Iran, yesterday told a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos that he did not know the containers were carrying illegal arms. Aghajani, who is being tried alongside his alleged Nigerian collaborator, Ali Jega, said this while being led in evidence by his lawyer, Chris Uche (SAN), before Justice Okechukwu Okeke.

Aghajani and Jega are being prosecuted by the Federal Government on a five-count charge essentially comprising the alleged offences of unlawful importation of arms and explosives into Nigeria. At the proceedings yesterday, the Iranian, who claimed he had never being to Lagos before his present ordeal, said he was working for a company called Behimen Trading Company in Iran. He added that the company engaged him to facilitate the transhipment of the containers from the Nigerian port to Gambia.

The Iranian added that although he discovered during the transhipment that the name of the consignee and destination of the consignment was vacant on the bill of lading, he did not suspect that the containers had contraband arms and ammunition, having been informed that the consignment consisted of building materials. Aghajani said he was disturbed by this discovery on the bill of lading and he wrote to his company, which owned the consignment, but got no reply to his inquiry. He said: “From the content of the bill of lading, I

concluded that there was no unlawful item in the container. “I was not opportune to see the contents of the consignment until I was apprehended at the Naval Ordinance at Apapa, where the contents of the containers were revealed to contain arms and explosives. “I sincerely never knew of the contents of that consignment, neither did I make any representations that the consignment belonged to me.” Okeke eventually adjourned the matter till January 10, for continuation of the testimony.

Water Resources Ministry wasteful –Stakeholders MARCUS FATUNMOLE ABUJA

s the 2013 Appropriation Bill passed by the National Assembly awaits Presidential assent, the Ministry of Water Resources has been accused of including “unnecessary spending” in its budget. The accusation was made by some of people at a one-day multi-stakeholders’ Policy Dialogue

on Budget Analysis of the ministry in Abuja, yesterday. Participants, drawn from different parts of the country, comprised members of various civil society groups working on water and sanitation. In his presentation, one of the participants, Uever Kelvin, said: “The ministry allocates money to things that are not needed and devotes less funds to things that are important.”

He accused the ministry of allocating huge funds to its overhead costs and other ‘irrelevant’ projects. Kelvin also accused the Federal Government of funding projects that had taken too long a time to be completed. However, the Director of Water and Quality Control, Mr. Samuel Ome, said the ministry was aware that people often believed the fund made available to it was huge.

Ome, who spoke through Mr. Awe Emmanuel, said the assumption was far from the reality. The director also refuted the allegation that some of the projects included in the ministry’s budget had been ongoing for years. He said: “Some of the projects in the states are being funded by the Federal Government. There have been calls at various times that Federal Government should hand-off from them.

he National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has called for the creation of special courts dedicated for the trial of drug related offences. The NDLEA Deputy Commander (Narcotics), Obiefule Chidi, made the call in Abuja while presenting the agency’s scorecard for 2012. He said the special courts would help in both quick dispensation and reduction of pending cases in the court. Chidi also said the rise in the drug trafficking particularly in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, could be a result of various government policies which had led to loss of job and general economic difficulties prevalent in the country. The deputy commander told journalists that the FCT command arrested 254 suspects and seized 5,094.33kg of various types of illicit drugs in the last one year. According to him, out of the 254 suspects arrested, 238 are males while 16 are

females. A breakdown of the illicit drugs seized shows that cannabis sativa was 5,078.33kg, psychotropic substances (15kg), cocaine (1.22kg) and heroin (10.3gm). The NDLEA also seized seven vehicles used in transporting illicit drugs into FCT as well as monies ranging from N580,330.00, $1,100 and £100. Chidi also said that in the area of prosecution, the command secured 88 convictions as against 77 in 2011, while three others were warned and released by the courts. The commander said 58 cases were pending at the Federal High Courts. He said: “In the area of remand reduction, the command treated and discharged a total of 70 drug dependent persons consisting of 66 males and four females. “However, 16 other dependent persons are still undergoing treatment.” Chidi added that the command carried out various public enlightenment programmes to sensitive the public to the consequences of illicit drug trafficking and abuse.

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Thursday, January 10, 2013

Group gets the nod to sue Bayelsa lawmakers, police K AYODE KETEFE

Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday granted a group, Heda Resource Centre, permission to sue the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Special Fraud Unit and majority of the members of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly over allegation of fraud by the legislators. The permission which was granted by Justice Bennedicta Molokwu, was sequel to an application for mandamus brought by the group which was seeking for an order to compel the Commissioner of Police, (SFU) Lagos, to prosecute 19 legislators of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, for L-R: National Commissioner, Independent National Electoral Commission, Mr. Lawrence Iwuruku; Vice-Chairman, Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Alkali Jajere; National Commissioner, Alhaji Abdulkadir Oniyangi and Chairman, Senate Committee, diverting the state fund for Senator Andy Uba, during the inspection of INEC building gutted by fire in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA personal uses. The group had accused the 19 lawmakers of having embezzled N78 million which they received for the purpose of attending a forhe Federal High Oyetibo, SAN, had urged of NPAN in this matter to es and impose penalties as eign conference in South Court, Lagos, will the court to dismiss. With that of an organisation that done in the Nigerian Code Africa, which they allegedly hires an accountant which of Advertising Practice and today rule on the Oyetibo is Mr. Labi Lawal. failed to attend. Oyetibo had argued that turns around to challenge Sales Promotion.” appropriateness of the suit By this ruling on the moThe association therefiled by the Newspaper NPAN had sufficient in- the regulatory role of the tion ex-parte filed by Heda terest to institute the suit Chartered Institute of Ac- fore sought three declaraProprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN), challeng- since APCON’s regulation, countants over such em- tions: “That provisions of Articles 21 and 137(a) of which he described as un- ployee. ing the constitutionality of NPAN in instituting the the Code is ultra vires as some provisions of the Ni- constitutional, adversely gerian Code of Advertising affects owners of media case, wanted the court to it affects members of the unior sister to the late determine: “Whether hav- plaintiff ’s association; that Practice and Sales Promo- houses. co-founder of NewsHe noted that contrary ing regard to the provi- Article 21 that requires tion as they affect newspawatch magazine, to the argument of APCON sion of Section 1(d) of the all advertisements except per houses. Dele Giwa, Mrs. Francisca The ruling had twice that the suit was to fight for Advertising Practitioners public notices, goodwill Musa, yesterday said her been shifted to allow for the employees of newspa- (Registration, etc) Act CAP messages, obituaries, and mother died unfulfilled. per houses who are being A7, LFN 204, Articles 21 and vacancies to be vetted by other official schedules of She said her mother, the Presiding Judge, Jus- harassed by the council and 137 (a) of the Nigerian Code the Advertising Standard Mrs. Elekia Giwa, who died the police, he said that the of Advertising Practice and Panel before publication is tice Musa Kurya. in a Lagos hospital on MonThe court was initially suit was filed to challenge Sales Promotion are not inconsistent with the proday, remained sad until her scheduled to deliver its rul- the control of newspaper ultra vires the Advertising visions of Section 39 of the death, not knowing Dele constitution.” Practitioners’ Council of ing on December 13, 2012, houses by APCON. Giwa’s killers. It therefore sought three “Articles 21 and 137 (a) Nigeria (APCON) in so far but this had to be adjourned Musa said this in an as the provisions of the ar- declarations among which to December 19, 2012 as the of the Nigerian Code of interview with the News judge was away in Abuja Advertising Practice and ticles affect media houses are: “That the manner Agency of Nigeria (NAN) for the judges’ conference. Sales Promotion expressly who do not engage in the APCON created criminal yesterday in Ugbekpe, offenses and impose penalHowever, it was again ad- mentioned media houses practice of advertising. Ekperi, Etsako Central Lo“Whether the provisions ties as done in Articles 137 journed till today for a simi- and media houses are the cal Government Area of (a) (b) and (c) of the Code targets of the provision,” of Articles 21 and 137(a) of lar reason. Edo State. In instituting the suit, Oyetibo submitted even as the Nigerian Code of Ad- and the Article 137, is unShe, however, said that NPAN had dragged the he reemphasised that “this vertising Practice and Sales constitutional, null and apart from the issue surAdvertising Practitio- is a case being fought on Promotion are not inconsis- void; a perpetual injuncrounding the death of the tion restraining APCON ners’ Council of Nigeria behalf of members of the tent with the provisions of co-founder of Newswatch (APCON), along with the association who in any case Section 39 of the Constitu- (the first defendant) from magazine; their mother Inspector-General of Police had sufficient interest to do tion of the Federal Repub- continuing to treat Articles lived a good life. lic of Nigeria 1999 which 21 and 137 as valid articles before the court, arguing so.” “My mother was a good of the code. He urged the court to guarantees the freedom of that the code infringed on woman, humble and re“And a perpetual injunchold that the association expression, including the the rights of members of spectful to everybody she the association to freedom has locus standi in institut- freedom to hold opinion tion restraining the defencomes across and very of expression, including ing the case and dismiss the and to receive and impact dants, whether by themprayerful. ideas and information selves, servants or agents freedom to hold opinion objection of APCON. “She loved her children and or representatives Counsel to APCON, without interference. and to receive and impact to a fault which was why “Whether having regard from implementing or othAnthony Idigbe, ideas and information with- Chief she was not happy not SAN, had urged the court to the provision of Section erwise applying provisions out interference. knowing who was responToday’s ruling is sequel to dismiss the suit on the 4 of the Constitution of the of Articles 21 and 137 (a), (b) sible for the death of her to the preliminary objec- ground that the association Federal of Nigeria 1999, it is and (c) of the code against son. “Having committed tion to the suit as raised by lacked the competence to competent for the Advertis- any of the members of the Dele’s death into the hands ing Practitioners’ Council plaintiff ’s association or APCON and which the lead institute the suit. of God, my mother would He had likened the case of Nigeria to create offens- their servants.” counsel to NPAN, Mr. Tayo have been happier knowing

Court rules on NPAN, APCON case today

through its lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), the coast is now clear for the group to formally commence the mandamus proceedings, which would now be argued by the parties to decide whether or not the court would mandate the police to prosecute the lawmakers. In a supporting affidavit to its motion, Heda group stated that its application was based on the alleged refusal of the commissioner of police, SFU to proceed with the prosecution of the legislators, after investigating the allegation and even made public a report indicting them. The police investigation had originally been initiated in response to a petition by a non-governmental organisation, Transparency and Good Governance Coalition (TGGC). The TGGC had alleged that members the Bayelsa House got N78 million from the governor to attend the 43th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), Africa Regional Conference in South Africa from June 29 to July 8 2012.

My mother died unfulfilled, says Dele Giwa’s sister

that whoever was responsible was brought to book,” Mrs. Musa said. Musa said her late mother’s quest for a better education for her children led her into several businesses, including farming. “When our father died in 1977, Mama took to business and later engaged in farming to ensure we had a better education. “Though we are sad that she is dead, we are however, consoled with the fact that she lived a life worth of emulation. “She never lacked anything as she was well taken care of by her children, even the Newswatch magazine management took care of her. “They did their best as they didn’t allow the death of her son to affect her. We will remain proud of her and our bother (late Dele Giwa) for having such a good effect on our family.” It will be recalled that the late Dele Giwa died of a letter bomb at his residence in Lagos on October 19, 1986. His mother, Elekia Giwa, who had lived in Lagos with her last child, died on Monday at the age of 87.

South West

Thursday January 10, 2013

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Two arrested over murder of 50-year-old woman HAKEEM GBADAMOSI AKURE

ndo State police command yesterday said two people have been arrested over the killing of a 50-year-old woman, who was allegedly beaten to

death in Idanre town. The two suspects, Messrs Ifedayo Alatise and John Okoro, were alleged to have committed the offence last Saturday. They were said to have beaten the woman to a state of coma before she eventually gave up the

ghost. Confirming the incident and the arrest of the two suspects, Police spokesman in the state, Aremu Adeniran, said the suspects had been transferred to the state Criminal Investigation Department for neces-

sary action. Aremu said one Jollin Akinbowa, reported at a police station in Idanre around 9.30am on Sunday that his mother, Dupe Akinbowa, was beaten to a state of coma by some people around 11.30pm on Saturday night.

Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi (2nd left); his Deputy, Mrs. Funmi Olayinka (1st left); Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji (Dr.) Ganiyu Owolabi (3rd left); with a cross section of some members of the Ekiti State Executive Council, before its dissolution in Ado-Ekiti, yesterday.

Obasanjo calls for even distribution of projects FEMI OYEWESO ABEOKUTA

ormer President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday in Abeokuta, said there can only be appreciable progress in the country only when developmental projects are evenly distributed across all the constituencies of the geo-political zones in the country. The former president, who spoke when leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Ogun West Senatorial District paid him a courtesy visit at his hilltop residence in Abeokuta, also said that

Obasanjo

only even and balanced development could move the country forward. Obasanjo was speaking against the backdrop of recent media reports that PDP party loyalists from Ogun West dissociated themselves from the factions in the party that has prolonged the crisis rocking the party in the state. Obasanjo, who warned the leadership of the party to be wary of moneybag politicians, who are about deceiving people with a view to depriving them of a better future. He urged leaders at all levels to ensure that the resources in their areas are evenly administered for the common good of all. He said development could not be meaningful if it was lopsided. “For Nigeria to record any progress, our development must be evenly spread. And development in Ogun State must be evenly and equally spread and the same holds for the whole country. “Like our leader said, you cannot have one part of the country in darkness and the other in light and

then expect everybody to be happy. A hungry dog cannot play with a satisfied dog. All our dogs must be satisfied.” Commenting on the crisis within the state chapter of the party, the former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the PDP noted with delight that the reconciliatory moves recently embarked upon by leaders of party in the state was beginning to yield good result. He urged PDP leaders in the state to welcome and embrace many aggrieved members that had left the party and that were returning, stressing that many would still return. Obasanjo, who likened the retuning party members to the Biblical prodigal son, also stated that “those who took their time to see the light, whenever they see the light they will and they are coming. And I said that whenever they come back you should embrace them completely because, the prodigal son was embrace by his father”. The former president

further advised the party leaders to always bear in mind that many of those returning are still influential in their respective wards and communities, hence the need to fully reintegrate them. “Let us admit that some of them are still highly influential within their constituency. You must take note of that, particularly at the ward, local government and at the community levels. There are roles for these people to play. We must take action on that.” He, however, emphasised that he was ready to associate with everyone who wished to return to the party, stressing that honesty must be the basis of such reunion. ‘But, if you deceive me once based on the trust I have in you, shame on you, if I allow you to deceive me second time shame on me, if I allow you to deceive the third time, I am a compound fool. I don’t want to be a compound fool, so, I am mindful of that, and I like the Russia saying, that “trust and verify.”

Akinbowa’s words: “The incident happened at Sabo area, AladeIdanre, when some boys beat up my 50-year-old mother during which she became unconscious and was rushed to the State Hospital, Alade Idanre, for medical attention.” He, however, said his mother later died while on admission at the hospital. Aremu said “some officers had visited the scene of the crime and that the deceased sustained head injury and bruises on her hands and chest.” According to the police spokesman, who said photographs of the scene of the crime have been taken, also said the corpse of the woman had been deposited at the hospital’s mortuary for autopsy. In another development, Aremu said that arms and ammunition were recovered from a Toyota Sienna car that was involved in an accident on Sunday on the Lagos-Ore Expressway. He said the incident occurred around 5.30pm at Omotosho area when

the Toyota Sienna car, with registration number FKJ 365 AS, coming from Benin and heading towards Lagos had an accident. Aremu said one of the occupants of the vehicle simply identified as Prince Obasi, died on the spot and that in the process of being rescued along with other victims, the men of the Fast Strike Squad attached to Ore axis discovered the arms. His words: “The following items were recovered from the vehicle; 10 knockout explosives, two AK 47 riffles marked 08849 and 213740 and eight magazines out of which five were loaded with 30 rounds each of 7.62mm ammunition.” He listed other items recovered from the car to include one police vest, one long iron axe, one army camouflage and a cap. He said three suspects had been arrested in connection with the incident and that the people along with the exhibits had been transferred to the anti-robbery section of the state police for further investigation.

Autonomy: No LG can stand on its own –Commissioner FEMI OYEWESO ABEOKUTA

gun State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Muyiwa Oladipo, has said that majority of local government councils across the federation cannot survive the financial requirements of their areas without the intervention of the state governments. Oladipo, who spoke with journalists at his Oke-Mosan office yesterday against the backdrop of the call for local governments’ autonomy in the country, also said that granting such autonomy to local government would make them more ineffective. The commissioner said that most local governments hugely rely on the benevolence of their state governments’ resources before they can perform their statutory duties as well as paying the salaries of their staff notwithstanding their Internally

Generated Revenue (IGR). Citing Ogun State as an example, Oladipo said the state government has over the years been subsidising almost all the 20 local government councils in the state to the tune of between N40 million and N60 million monthly to enable them meet their financial obligations. He also revealed that the Ibikunle Amosun administration in the state has on monthly basis been expending not less than N1.9 billion from federal allocation it receives from Abuja. Wondering how any of the local governments would meet the needs of the people of their council areas, Oladipo further said that “as it is today, the life, time and death of a local government lies with the state government”. He however, emphasised that for any local government to succeed, such a council would have to partner with the state government.

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South West

Thursday January 10, 2013

Fayemi sacks commissioners, aides ABIODUN NEJO ADO EKITI

overnor Kayode Fayemi has dissolved the Ekiti State Executive Council to ‘revitalise the administration and position it for greater performance.’ The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Olayinka Oyebode, said in a statement that Fayemi expressed gratitude to the sacked commissioners and

special advisers for their support since the inception of his administration. “This is a moment of change and transformation in all that we are doing. This is not a statement about an individual not pulling their weight enough,” the statement quoted the governor as saying. The dissolution, which came after all items on the agenda had been discussed at yesterday’s Executive Council meeting,

caught the cabinet members unawares. A government source said yesterday that the cabinet members abandoned the sumptuous meals served them at the meeting and walked out of the chamber with forlorn looks following the dissolution. The source, who preferred anonymity said: “Immediately the governor completed all the issues on the agenda and it was time to eat, he cleared his throat

and announced the dissolution of the cabinet. The commissioners could not eat their food and some of them had to leave hurriedly.” According to the source, five of the sacked commissioners might not be reappointed because of the governor’s desire to inject new blood into the cabinet in view of the forthcoming 2014 governorship election. Fayemi, who directed the executive members to hand

over government property in their possession to the permanent secretaries in their respective ministries, said, “the dissolution and the re-constitution that would follow are aimed at revitalising the administration and positioning it for greater performance.” The commissioners were appointed shortly after Fayemi’s inauguration in October 2010 but with a minor cabinet re-shuffle in January last year.

Traffic law: Driver bags three months imprisonment MURITALA AYINLA

he Special Offence Court sitting in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos yesterday sentenced a truck driver to three months imprisonment for diving against traffic on the Third Mainland Bridge. The Yobe State-born driver, Sagir Abubakar, 33, was arrested by the Lagos State Task Force on Environment and Special Offences Enforcement Unit along with a lance corporal who encouraged him to violate the traffic law. According to the task force, the truck, with registration number Yobe XB 323 FKA had since been confiscated by the state government in line with traffic law. The traffic law stipulates one year imprisonment for anyone who drives against traffic while subsequent offender would bag three years in addition to seizure of the owner’s vehicle. But Magistrate Yetunde Pinhero of the Special Offences Court at Alausa slammed three months imprisonment on the driver, after he pleaded guilty. Abubakar was first arraigned in court two days after his arrest, but his lawyer asked for adjournment, which was granted. Appearing in court on Tuesday for the resumption of the case, Abubakar made a U-turn and pleaded guilty after he had earlier pleaded not guilty to get bail from the court. Having pleaded guilty, the magistrate sentenced him to three months imprisonment with an option of N100,000 fine and seven days driving training at the Lagos State Driver’s Institute, LASDRI, for recertification.

L-R: Representative of the GOC 2 Div., Brig.-Gen. Olusegun Adeleke; Oyo State Deputy Governor, Chief Moses Adeyemo; Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Atinuke Osunkoya and Oyo State Chairman of the Nigerian Legion, Alhaji Kayode Adigun, at the launch of 2013 Armed Forces Remembrance Appeal Week in Ibadan, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

Ekiti signage agency misses 85% projected revenue ABIODUN NEJO ADO EKITI

kiti State Signage and Advertisement Agency said it lost between 80 and 85 per cent of its targeted revenue because of uncooperative attitude of billboard owners. The Director-General of the agency, Mr. Muyiwa Ogunmilade, disclosed this while speaking with journalists in Ado-Ekiti yesterday.

Ogunmilade said defaulters frustrated the agency from meeting its projected revenue of N300. He said the agency would not shy away from moving in line with its statutory duties of generating revenue for the state and regulating advertisement policies. The DG added that the removal of posters and demolition of billboards embarked on by his agency to restore

sanity to the streets and prevent indiscriminate and illegal placement of posters and billboards should not be regarded as witch-hunting. Ogunmilade, who said staff of the agency were being threatened with charms and molested by defaulters while performing their official duties, expressed worry over poor compliance to advertisement procedures and regulations in the state.

The DG, however, warned that the agency would henceforth prosecute those evading payment of rates charged on their already placed outdoor advertisements. He said: “It is disheartening that billboards and posters of people who stood for election still litter Ekiti State. We cannot allow politicians, business owners and individuals to turn Ekiti State into dumping ground.”

Airports recorded 13.4m passengers in 2012 –FAAN

he Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, recorded 13.4 million passengers in 2012, according to a publication made available to journalists in Lagos yesterday. The figure represented 2.4 million increase over the 11 million passengers recorded in 2011. A breakdown of the figure shows that arrival and departure were 6.9 million and 6.5 million passengers respectively. The publication, ac-

cording to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, said FAAN was maintaining “an international standard of security” in all its airports to increase the number of passengers and to make the airports safe and comfortable for passengers. The publication was jointly signed by the Executive Officer of FAAN, Mrs. Abiola Alaka and the Operation Officer, Mr. Lawal Abdulahi. It noted that the airports recorded high pa-

tronage in April, May, June, July and December 2012, adding that the management had put in place measures to ensure high record of passengers in 2013. The publication said: “Yuletide period was the peak period that the management recorded high patronage as travellers came into the country for holidays.” It added that FAAN had been working closely with security agencies, including the Police, Customs,

Immigration, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, and the Armed Forces, to ensure adequate security of all passengers.

Attack on Tribune reporter unfortunate –Oyo

yo State Government has condemned the attack on a journalist with the Nigerian Tribune, Mr. Laolu Harolds, by soldiers attached to the state government demolition task force team in Ibadan. The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Pastor Taiwo Otegbeye, who led top government officials yesterday to visit Harolds at the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan yesterday, described the assault on him as unfortunate. Otegbeye said no responsible government would have asked security men to brutalise any innocent citizen. He said: “This is not a government of brigandage. We did not send anyone to brutalise anybody. We believe in the maintenance of law and order in the urban renewal effort of government.” The commissioner also reiterated government’s commitment to the maintenance of law and order, without obstructing the rights of the citizens. He said the Governor Abiola Ajimobi-led government was tolerant and would never abridge the rights of the people for any reason. Otegbeye also promised that the government would pick up Harolds’ medical bills as a demonstration of its commitment to good governance in which the citizenry played an active role. Also on the commissioner’s team are the Special Adviser on Media to the governor, Dr. Festus Adedayo, his counterpart on Information and Orientation, Mr. Gbolagade Busari, the Special Assistant on Information and Orientation, Mr. Ademola Solalu and the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Mr. Tunde Busari. Meanwhile, the state government has entered into partnership with Wemabod Estates Limited on the construction of an ultra-modern auto-market in Ibadan, the state capital. The Commissioner for Trade, Investment and Cooperatives, Mr. Bayo Olagbenro, made the disclosure in Ibadan yesterday while speaking with newsmen shortly after an inspection tour of some of the neighbourhood markets under construction.

South East

Thursday, January 10, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Produce Chime now, group tells Enugu govt DENNIS AGBO ENUGU

pro-democracy group, Save Enugu Group, SEG, has said that a delegation of prominent Engu State citizens should be sent to wherever Governor Sullivan Chime is to ascertain the true position of his health. The call, coming almost four months after the governor left the state, is contained in a letter the group sent to the Acting Governor, Sunday Onyebuchi through the Secretary to the State Government, SSG. The group, founded by people of Enugu State origin, said it was worried about the ‘disappearance’ of the governor and wanted fact of the matter to be made public. It said the situation had created an unsavoury state of affairs, with a mill of idle gossipers speculating on his whereabouts and state of health. The letter entitled: “Prolonged and unexplained absence of His Excellency, Sullivan Iheanacho Chime, Governor Enugu State,” was signed by pro-democracy activists, Chief Maxi Okwu, Igbonekwu Orgaziora, Willy Ezugwu, Mr. Ray

Nnaji, Comrade Ibuchukwu Ezike and Comrade Victor Eneh. It reads in part: “We of the above-named association, being a pro-democracy association founded by Nigerian citizens of Enugu State extraction, wish to forward this letter to you out of deep concern for our state. “Today makes it 110 days since our great governor was last seen in public. It is in the public domain that our Governor, His Excellency, Sullivan Iheanacho Chime, was last cited in public on 19th September 2012. “Since then, sightings and near sightings of him have been reported, which all turned out to be a hoax. This unsavoury state of affairs has created a thriving mill of idle gossipers who speculate on his whereabouts and state of health. “These rumours have ranged from the insensitive to the ludicrous. Matters got to a head on the 15th day of December 2012, the day of the fatal air disaster in Bayelsa State that claimed the lives of Governor Yakowa of Kaduna State and General Azazi, when the national media was rent with the news also of the death of our governor.

“On at least two occasions, the Commissioner of Information, Enugu State, in the person of Mr. Chuks Ngwoke, has come out with an official statement on the status of the governor. “Essentially, it was stated that His Excellency was quietly enjoying his holiday and accumulated leave, or that he would be in office shortly. These conflicting accounts merely served to exacerbate rather than ameliorate the situation. “We are also told that at the time of his disappearance from public view, His Excellency as required by Section 190 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), duly handed over to the deputy governor.

“We must bring to your notice that the public is awash with accounts of the inability of the acting governor to discharge his mandate under the constitution as a cabal of unelected officers have rendered his authority otiose. “We therefore most humbly submit that this is a most untidy state of affairs. “At this juncture, we make bold to ask: Can the governor hand over and create an acting administration in perpetuity? What is the duration of annual leave for the governor? How many days make up this ‘accumulated annual leave’? Could the constitution and government holiday regulations have given His Excellency a carte blanch to take a break for over 100

days? We do not think so. The question which we would be most obliged if it is answered is; where is His Excellency, our governor? “We are in no doubt that comparatively speaking he has done well or that government is going on ‘peacefully’ or ‘smoothly’ as his supporters would claim; but the fact of unreasonable absence from office, is suggestive of permanent inability to discharge the functions of his office. “In the alternative, we would argue that his disappearance for this extended period amounts to grave misconduct. “We therefore most respectfully urge the government to: Make a categorical explanation on the whereabouts and status of

our Governor, His Excellency, Sullivan Iheanacho Chime. “Constitute a delegation which should include eminent Enugu State sons and daughters like, His Grace Bishop Callistus Onaga, Catholic Bishop of Enugu, Rev. Hyde Onuauluchi, Prof. Bath Nnaji, Igwe Paul Egbogu, Mrs. Grace Obayi, Chief Nduka Eya, Secretary General Ohaneze Ndigbo, Dr. Louis Anya Chukwuma, etc, to pay a visit to the governor wherever he is, and report back to the good people of Enugu State. “We finally urge that this matter be given the priority attention it deserves, and the palpable anxiety pervading the state arrested within a maximum period of a fortnight.”

Be selfless, Council of Elders urges new Ohanaeze executives CHARLES OKEKE AWKA

nambra State Council of Elders has charged the newly elected members of the State Executive Committee of Ohanaeze Ndigbo to shun avarice and exhibit selflessness in the course of their service. The Chairman of the Council of Elders, Dr. Dozie Ikedife, who gave the charge, warned that any member of the executive found wanting risked being removed from his position. The former president general of Ohaneze, while addressing the new members of state Executive Committee of Ohanaeze headed by Chief Chris Eluemuno, said that their appointments called for selfless and nonrewarding service. He said that anybody

who had come to Ohanaeze to make money should quit, as the organisation was not a commercial enterprise. Meanwhile, the state chapter of Ohaneze has submitted the list of 34-man delegate that would take part in the national delegates’ election due for Enugu on January 12. The election will elect new national executive committee to replace the one led by Chief Ralph Uwachue. The list, which contained nominees drawn from the three senatorial zones of the state and the Diaspora Ohanaeze of Lagos and Abuja, was submitted to the Chairman, Ohaneze National Electoral Committee, through the Secretary, Prince Richard Ozobu, by Wing Commander J. A. Anyika, coordinator, Ohanaeze Electoral Committee, Anambra State.

Anambra State Governor Peter ObI (middle) rewarding a student (second right) with N2.2 million for emerging the Best Candidate in NECO SSCE examination.

Anambra: 91 killed, 183 injured in auto crashes in 2012 –FRSC

nambra State recorded 91 deaths from 313 road crashes in 2012, according to the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC. The state Sector Commander of FRSC, Mr. Hyginus Omeje, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Awka yesterday that 183 motorists and travellers were injured in 66 accidents last year. Omeje said that in December alone, 12 people

died from 32 crashes while 84 persons were injured. The sector commander said the number of crashes increased in 2012 compared to 2011 when 64 deaths and 467 injuries were recorded in 141 accidents. He said: “In 2011, we had only three component commands in Nteje, Nnewi and Onitsha but in 2012 we created additional two commands in

Ihiala and Igbo-Ukwu. “That simply means that you have more coverage of reported cases. If we open more commands with the sector command on its own, we will gather more data.” Omeje, who blamed the accidents on violation of traffic rules and regulations by motorists and other road users, called on them to ensure better road usage this year. He said: “The use of tele-

phone while driving is very high in Anambra State and we are going to clamp down on such offenders this year. “Another issue that still bothers us here is the high overloading rate. We still have buses that load four passengers per seat to Enugu State and other SouthEast states instead of three. “We still have people overloading their vehicles until the vehicles lose their balance on the ground.”

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South South

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Uduaghan promises to give Asaba facelift

Edo council poll to hold April 20 SEBASTINE EBHUOMHAN BENIN

elta State Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, has said that his administration was determined to make Asaba a befitting state capital worthy of attracting investors and tourists. Uduaghan made the promise in Asaba on Tuesday, when he visited the Asagba of Asaba, Obi Chike Edozien, to felicitate with him on his return from treatment abroad and to wish him well in the New Year. The idea behind giving Asaba a facelift, he noted, informed the mega projects such as the new Government House, Asaba International Airport, Asaba General hospital, the beautification and reconstruction of roads in the capital city. According to him, when completed, the new roads in addition to the ones currently under construction, would help in not just making every part of city accessible, but would go a long way to boost the economy of the state. He said it was his administration’s desire to transform Delta State into an economic hub, stressing that improved access roads across the state would facilitate the economic development of the state and enhance the living standard of the people. His words: “Having good roads across the state is part of my administration’s goals, that is why a massive reconstruction and completion of roads is on-going and it is my belief that with a good road network, the movement of goods and services will be easier and safer.” The governor informed the Asagba that due to last year’s unexpected flood that destroyed the property of Deltans, his administration has embarked on measures to protect the environment and make it safer for the people. He stated that the magnitude of the flood was unprecedented and unexpected, and commended the efforts of government officials and well meaning individuals for stepping out to tackle the challenges with diligence and passion for the people.

Asagba of Asaba, Obi (Prof.) Chike Edozien (left), Delta State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, when the governor visited the Asagba in his palace yesterday.

Bayelsa Speaker alleges plot to impeach him EMMA GBEMUDU YENAGOA

he Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Hon. Konbowei Benson, yesterday alleged that some lawmakers in the state have started collecting signatures among members in a bid to impeach him from office. Benson pointed accusing fingers to some aggrieved politicians, who he said are inciting his colleagues to remove him from office. The speaker said this in Yenagoa yesterday at an interactive session with journalists. He alleged that the five sacked council chairmen in the state and other politicians are inciting some of the house members to impeach him. He recalled that the sacked

local government bosses were investigated by the assembly for alleged misappropriation of councils’ funds were found guilty and were recommended to be sacked last year. Reports said trouble started for the speaker in June last year when he was alleged to have defrauded the assembly of N78 million being funds meant for traveling to South Africa with his colleagues to attend the 43rd international parliamentary session. A group later questioned the rationale behind the trip, alleging that the speaker and his colleagues never attended the parliamentary session as they claimed. The group petitioned the Inspector-General of Police to investigate and prosecute the speaker and others allegedly involved in the scam.

Kidnapped foreign sailors regain freedom

hree Italian sailors and one Ukrainian kidnapped on December 23, 2012 off Nigeria’s coast have been freed. Italy’s Foreign Minister, Giulio Terzi, said in a statement yesterday that the three Italians would be returning home to Italy soon. Gunmen had attacked their supply ship, the Asso21 operated by Naples-based shipping company, Augusta Offshore SpA, and taken the men hostage on December 23 as they sailed off the coast of Bayelsa State. Reports said it was the lat-

est attack in the region that was increasingly becoming dangerous for shippers and oil companies. Terzi said their freedom was the fruit of successful diplomatic efforts by Italian and Nigerian officials. Speaking to RAI state radio, Terzi said the attack was unusual in that the gunmen didn’t seize the ship, but rather just took the men hostage. They were all crew members of the ship. He said 30 Italians, who had been kidnapped in similar incidents in recent months had been freed.

Benson went on: “Usually, there is no smoke without fire. I am aware that some house members are being incited, I am also aware that presently; signatures are being collected to remove me. The speakership seat is no doubt an enviable position.” The speaker, however, admitted that the members could not attend the session following their late arrival to South Africa, noting that there was no intention by the members to embezzle the funds meant for the trip. Benson insisted that he was innocent of the allegation dangling on his neck, stressing that Governor Seriake Dickson had

approved the N78 million for the trip due to the importance attached to the parliamentary session by the state. Benson said the ex-chairmen had written him sometime last year, asking him to account for the money. “The ex-chairmen, who are bitter with me over their removal, had told me in their letter that they were empowered by the FoI Act to demand explanation from him over the N78 million approved for the trip. “These former chairmen are the brain behind the plot to remove me. Presently, some house members are being incited. I am also aware that signatures are being collected to make an impeachment move against me.”

do State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC) has announced a date for the much awaited local government election this year. According to a document signed by EDSIEC Chairman, Mr. Solomon Ogoh yesterday, the local council election would be conducted simultaneously in the 18 local government councils of the state on Saturday, April 20, 2013. The document stated; “In accordance with the Edo State Government Electoral Law 2013, notice is hereby given as follows: That election into the offices of the chairmen and councillors in the 18 local government councils of the state shall be held on Saturday, April 20, 2013. “That the details of the procedure for the conduct of the election shall be published in the time-table to be issued by the commission soon.” As expected, the news was received with much enthusiasm by the residents while maintaining that the release of the election date at about 102 days ahead does not only fulfill the 90-day provision in the Electoral Act, but would also ensure enough time for electioneering activities and reduce the anxiety that has been associated with the long wait.

ACN demands probe of Rivers 2012 budget implementation SAM OLUWALANA PORT HARCOURT

he Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Rivers State chapter, has called on the state House of Assembly to investigate and make public reasons behind the poor implementation of the 2012 budget. The call came against the backdrop of the commencement of debate on the 2013 appropriation bill by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) dominated legislature. The party, in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary in the state, Jerry Needam, that the 2012 budget was selectively and poorly implemented. According to the ACN, even when ministries, agencies and parastatals of government were denied bud-

geted allocations the state government took overdraft to the tune of N100 billion, borrowed about N180 billion and is currently owing contractors N500 billion. “No ministry or agency of government in 2012 was able to access up to 35 per cent of the 2012 budget allocation”, the ACN alleged. The party reminded Governor Rotimi Amaechi, that a breach of state budget is an impeachable offence, noting that whether at the federal level or states, etiquette demands that unspent funds should be returned to the treasury and regretted that in Rivers State, no ministry was able to return unspent funds because the governor withheld and managed the budgets for the ministries. The spokesman advised against the policy of running the state as though it is

a personal estate. According to the ACN, failure to investigate the poor implementation of the 2012 budget, the regime of self-seeking and misappropriation of public funds by the privileged few, will go on unabated in the state to the detriment of the already impoverished Rivers people. It will be recalled that Governor Amaechi on December 20, 2011, while presenting the 2012 budget did promise to use the money to ensure the timely completion of all ongoing projects. ACN regrets that today in the state, contractors have pulled out of sites for the inability of the government to pay them, confirming a gross failure of the Amaechi administration.

North

Thursday, January 10, 2013

STF arrests nine with weapons in Jang’s village JAMES ABRAHAM JOS

he Special Task Force, STF, in Plateau State yesterday paraded nine suspects for illegal possession of weapons. The suspects were arrested in Du village, Governor Jonah Jang’s community in Jos South Local Government. The residents said that two people were killed dur-

ing an attack on the village by the gunmen. However, the STF denied knowledge of any loss of lives. The STF spokesman, Captain Salisu Mustapha, who paraded the suspects before journalists at the task force’s headquarters in Jos, said his men received a distress about 10.20pm on Tuesday, through one of the recently launched emergency telephone numbers, about sporadic gunshots in Du,

Shenba and Bisichi villages in Jos South council. He said after combing the area, the STF men arrested the nine suspects in four different cars. According to him, the vehicles include Vento car with registration number, Plateau AH 454 BLD, Vectra with registration number, Katsina AA 87MLF, Mercedes Benz (Lagos EC 210 LND) and Honda (Plateau AG 718). Other items recovered

from the suspects include one AK 47 riffle, one FN rifle, one Sub Machine Gun (SMG), one locally made revolver, one locally made long revolver bayonet, knives and two rounds of .9mm ammunition. Mustapha said that investigations by the STF revealed that the suspects acquired the weapons from various sources within the state. He added that the weapons and the suspects were in the custody of the STF.

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Three-year-old girl beheaded, mutilated in Ilorin

he body of a threeyear-old girl of IleGoroso, Ita-Ogunbo, area of Ilorin was found on Tuesday, with her head severed and body mutilated by suspected ‘ritualists’. The girl, identified as Aliyah, was declared missing on Monday, but her parents discovered her severed head at a dump site. Other mutilated parts of the body were recovered from an unused soak-away in the neighbourhood. When the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, visited the victim’s house, her father was said to have relocated to another place owing to shock. However, Alhaji Usman Alabi, 70, the grandfather of the deceased, said the assailants ripped open the girl’s stomach, removed the intestines, and chopped off her private part, hands and legs. He said: “The girl was no-

ticed missing around 12 pm. on Monday after going out with her mates to play in the neighbourhood. “We raised a search party to find her and reported the matter at the Police ‘C’ Division. On Tuesday, around 5 am., her beheaded corpse was seen in an unused soak-away; while the stomach was ripped off without any intestines and the private part, hands and legs chopped off.” The septuagenarian said the family did not suspect anybody, but was looking up to God to expose the perpetrators. The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Femi Olubode, confirmed the incident, but said no arrest had been made. He said: “We are still investigating the matter. But as at now, we have not made any arrest in connection with the incident.”

We won’t reinstate LG chair –Kwara

•Says Supreme Court verdict has no effect WOLE ADEDEJI ILORIN

K L-R: Vice-Chancellor, Bauchi State University, Prof. Ezzeldin Mukhtar; Bauchi State Governor Isa Yuguda and the institution’s Pro-Chancellor, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, during the governor’s visit to the university at Gadau on Tuesday. PHOTO: NAN

Those behind insecurity digging their own graves –Islamic cleric A ZA MSUE KADUNA

he leader of Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, said yesterday that those in power were responsible for insecurity in the country. Although he did not mention names of those behind the crises bedevilling the country, the Zaria-based cleric warned that they were digging their own graves if they failed to stop the crises. Zakzaky spoke at the inauguration of Christian/Muslim Alternative to Conflict Forum in Kaduna. He averred that the crisis in the country might not end now because the

sponsors were benefitting from it. The sheikh added that such beneficiaries would not like dialogue to hold. He said that many ethnics and religions were not the country’s problems but blessings. The cleric said they were not a man-made arrangement but a natural phenomenon which could not be altered by any human being. Zakzaky called on Nigerians, particularly the masses, not to allow themselves to be used by those interested in causing violence in the country, adding that ethno-religious differences should rather be seen as a unifying factor. He said: “There are people behind these entire unnecessary crises happening in this coun-

try. Those people are benefiting from the crises politically and otherwise. They are the ones exploiting some innocent people to cause crises in the country. “Our prayer is that those people who are

inciting these political crises or violence will realise that they will one day be consumed by these crises. “It is better they stop or their secrets will be exposed in future and it will be their end.

wara State Government said it was not possible to reinstate a council chairman removed from office seven years ago as ordered by the Supreme Court. The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Alhaji Kamaldeen Ajibade, who spoke on the Supreme Court judgement in Ilorin yesterday, said the court only upheld the position of the Appeal Court quashing the removal of the Chairman, Mr. Abiodun Bamidele. Ajibade said the court regarded the issue of tenure as an academic exercise because it had since expired.

Reopen cement plant, Benue citizens beg FG HENRY IYORKASE MAKURDI

he immediate past National Secretary of the Conference for All Nigerian Political Parties, CNPP, Mr. Joseph Boko, has called on the Federal Government to ensure the immediate reopening of Dangote Cement plant in Gboko, Benue State. Boko made the call in an interview with our correspondent at Tse-Kucha in Gboko yesterday where the

only cement plant in the state was shut down due to the alleged glut in cement market by the management of Dangote Cement. The former CNPP secretary said the plant was the only thriving business in Tiv land and Benue State in general. He said the closure of the factory two months ago had brought untold hardship to many families and led to increase in the cost of building materials. Book also said the closure had led to a sharp rise

in crime in the area. Speaking in a similar vein, the Chairman, Gboko Local Government, Hon. Michael Nahanzenda, expressed concern over the plight of the masses. Nahanzenda called for immediate reopening of the plant so that the company’s workers and others would be able to earn their normal livelihood. He said: “Since the company was shut down, we have lost so much revenue amounting to over N30 million.

He said: “The Supreme Court justices were of the opinion that the appeal will eventually be an academic exercise since the tenure that in question is no longer existing. “The tenure had expired and there is nothing to be reinstated. So because of this, the entitlements of the erstwhile chairman deposited in an interest-yielding account since 2007, the court advised that it should be given to him. “It is not that the government is bringing any fresh money to be paid to him. There is already money in an interest-yielding account.” Ilorin, the Kwara State capital was awash with the news of the reinstatement on Tuesday as ordered by the Supreme Court. Bamidele, who was in the same party with former Governor Bukola Saraki during the latter’s first term, ran into trouble waters when he opposed Saraki’s interference with the council funds. He was reported to have boldly opposed Saraki’s move to introduce the Local Government Joint Account system, which is now in practice. Baminde was eased out of office through the instrumentality of the state House of Assembly.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Governors not frustrating constitution review – Amaechi

FELIX NWANERI

one-time gubernatorial candidate of the Democratic Peoples Party (DPA) in Lagos State, Jimi Agbaje, yesterday said Nigeria will only achieve national transformation through effective leadership. He stated this while speaking at the 1st anniversary and inaugural lecture of the January 9th Collective (J9C), an amalgalm of non-partisan collection of professionals, committed to the Nigerian Project. In a lecture titled: “Elite, Leadership and National Transformation,” Agbaje stressed the need for “Nigerians to transform from a people only interested in sharing the national cake to those interested in baking a larger national cake.” He called for the development of sense of accountability among public employees and political office holders as well as more investment on education if the country is to achieve the Vision 20-2020 goals. His words: “Nigeria needs effective leadership as transformational leadership involves inspiring the led through positive examples,” admonishing the elites not to shy away from politics. “Progressive national transformation cannot occur unless the elites get involved in politics because Nigeria is crying for leaders, who model integrity, excellence and responsibil-

ABUJA

hairman, Senate committee on Lands, Housing and Urban Development and former governor of Yobe State, Abba Bukar Ibrahim, has raised the alarm that some fraudsters were after “distinguished personalities across Africa”. Addressing reporters yesterday in Abuja, the lawmaker narrated how

Politics

Effective leadership, key to national transformation, says Agbaje ity; who will perform and leave legendary impact instead of excuses,” he said. Decrying the country’s falling standard of education; Agabje noted that a larger percentage of the country’s population is not contributing to the national wealth because the education system is in shambles. “The system in our educational sector and all others sectors of our national life is not meant to bring out the best, but mediocres. To bring about any envisaged transformation, education and moral values must be emphasised on,” Agbaje said. Making reference to countries like Indonesia that were at a time, at the same level of political and economic development with Nigeria, Agbaje said: “Nigeria has not been able to get it right like the Asian Tigers because of her inability to harness the energies of the elites and average citizens for a common goal.” Also speaking, the chairman of the event and member representing Ndokwa East/Ndokwa West/Ukwuani Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Ossai Nicholas Ossai, stressed the need for Nigerians to continue to fight for the positive transformation of

the country. He said the nation is yet to explore its potential because most of its leaders lack what it takes to steer the ship of state, as “national transformation is an uphill task, which must tackle corruption, ensure security of lives and property and create the enabling environment for

he received a correspondence from “one supposed professor of the University of Cape Town,” to inform him that he had received an award purportedly from “The Exemplary Grassroots Leadership Quality in Africa Award 2012.” The scammers, according to the senator, had indicated that the said award was sponsored by the Rockefeller and Mo Ibrahim Foundation. According to him, “My staff contacted the South

Tribunal: Angling for Mimiko’s fall

businesses to thrive.” According to Ossai, effective leadership remains the basic tool for national transformation. “Nigeria has not got to its destination because some of our leaders lack what it takes to achieve the set goals of the country.” Leadership should have listening ear to the people’s needs and

desires,” he said. On the need to hold public officials accountable, Osai said: “Nigerians should beam their searchlight on the oil sector where unprecedented corruption has robbed us off our commonwealth.” He recalled that the unison with which the people spoke against the removal

of the fuel subsidy in January 2012 and urged them to continue to raise their voices against anti-peoples’ policies of the government. A traditional ruler, Oba Adegboyega Dosunmu, the Olowu of Owu in his remarks charged the masses not to give up in working for a better Nigeria. Earlier, the chairman of J9C, Percy Ademokun, stressed the need for all Nigerians, irrespective of their political inclinations to work together for a better society.

L-R: Governors Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa); Idris Wada (Kogi); Abdulaaziz Yari (Zamfara) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Vice Chairman, North-East, Mohammed Wakil, during a visit to the Kogi State governor over the accident that killed his ADC and had him hospitalised.

Jonathan wades into PDP crisis, meets NWC ROTIMI FADEYI ABUJA

resident Goodluck Jonathan has waded into the brewing crisis in the National Working Committee (NWC) of the

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at a meeting held at the Presidential Villa yesterday with the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and members of the NWC in order to resolve their dif-

Senators have become targets of conmen, Ibrahim cries out GEORGE OJI AND EMMANUEL ONANI

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African High Commission for visas. They requested for no money and provided sufficient contacts that gave the impression that they were real and we thought we were dealing with a campaign sponsored by Mo Ibrahim and Rockefeller Foundations in South Africa. “Understandably, I became enthusiastic and informed my colleagues, friends and family and received great support. “At this point, before

people started to commit resources, I decided to carry out a more professional investigation... Our investigators unfolded an elaborate scam targeted at distinguished personalities across Africa.” He decried the situation, adding that “our society is now littered with angry, ruthless and dangerous people.” He said that he was “amazed by the professional sophistication of these 419 scammers.”

ferences. At the end of the meeting, Tukur told State House Correspondents that the NWC members have resolved their differences, saying that they are all members of the same family. Tukur said: “Like any other family, you may have some disagreements but based on principle, not any other thing. You resolve it. And we have resolved our differences. Some differences, it is good to bring them to light, examine them and find out why you have the disagreement and you go back and do what you believe is right.” On his allegation of betrayal of trust over the meeting of 10 NWC members who excluded him, Tukur said that the situation has been resolved.

He noted that the NWC would address the status of Adamawa executive and the congresses of the party at the appropriate time. There had been tension within the national leadership of the party which culminated in the convening of its NWC meeting by 10 members of the committee who excluded Tukur over his position on the sacking of the party’s executive council of his home state, Adamawa, and its recently conducted congresses. Ten members of the NWC at a meeting last Tuesday annulled the congresses conducted in Adamawa State by the caretaker committee that had been set up by the national leadership of the party and reinstated the executive council loyal to Governor Nyako.

Politics

The Ondo State Governorship Election Petition is expected to resume sitting on January 10 to commence pre-hearing and hearing of the petitions filed against the outcome of the last election in the state. OJO OYEWAMIDE reports.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Tribunal: Angling for Mimiko’s fall

egal fireworks will today, Thursday January 10, continue at the Ondo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, when the three-man panel is expected to resume sitting and commence its pre-hearing session. The tribunal had adjourned proceedings last December in observance of the Yuletide. The tribunal is headed by Justice Aondoaver Kaka with Justice H.S Mohammed and Justice Kadi Alkali as other members of the panel. The panel held its inaugural meeting on November 21, about a month after the conduct of the October polls. Candidates of five out of the 12 political parties that participated in the October 20 governorship polls filed different petitions at the tribunal, contesting the victory of Dr. Olusegun Mimiko of the Labour Party (LP). The political parties are the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). Others are the Peoples Democratic Congress (PDC) and the Accord Party (AP). The ACN candidate, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) filed a 403-page petition made up of 190 paragraphs at the tribunal, demanding the nullification of the election. His argument is that Mimiko was not duly re-elected by a majority of lawful votes, saying the election was invalid “by reason of corrupt practices and or non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act.” Akeredolu alleged that the voters’ register used for the election was forged to ensure victory for the candidate of the LP, that some named political office holders in the state “connived with security agents and INEC staff to rig the polls in favour of Mimiko, and that there were serious cases of ballot hijacking, ballot box stuffing, massive multiple thumb-printing of ballot papers by the LP agents on the Election Day. He further alleged that “the election was marred with irregularities, glaring violence, malpractices and allocation of votes for LP.” ACN’s petition was filed by 20 frontline lawyers and senior advocates comprising Chief Akin Olujimi, Lasun Sanusi, Wole Aina, Edward Odugbesan, Kola Olawoye, Charles Titiloye, Victor Olatogun, Micheal Lana among others. Pleading all video clips, reports of local and international observers, media reports, fingerprint experts, medical reports and the election materials used in the conduct of the election, Akeredolu listed 117 witnesses from all the local government areas of the state except Owo where he won. The PDP candidate, Olusola Oke, filed a 1265-page petition before the panel and listed 145 witnesses. In the petition, the PDP flag bearer asked the tribunal to declare the October election null and void, having been vitiated by massive rigging, substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act and corrupt practices. Oke also prayed the tribunal for an order nullifying the polls and directing INEC to

Mimiko

conduct a fresh one. Oke argued that Mimiko was not duly elected or returned by the majority of lawful votes cast at the polls. He also sought a declaration that he scored the majority of lawful votes cast and also secured 25 per cent in more than 2/3 of the 18 local government areas in the state. The CPC candidate, Prince Olusoji Ehinlanwo, alleged in his petition that the election was characterised by massive irregularities and substantial violation of the Electoral Act. Ehinlanwo prayed that the tribunal should declare the election null and void in view of the alleged flaws and order INEC to conduct another polls. The PDC and its candidate, Barrister Oluwafemi Adetunsi, also filed a petition against the outcome of the election, contesting the ownership of logo with LP. The party has a similar logo to that of LP. The PDC, which scored over 20, 000 votes in the election, claimed it has the right to the father-mother-and-child logo and that its supporters wrongly voted for the LP candidate. Adetunsi sought the tribunal’s declaration that the election was invalid because of non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2011. The PDC argued that the INEC prevented its supporters from voting for the party flag bearer. It, therefore, asked the tribunal to annul the election and order INEC to conduct a fresh one in all the polling units, wards and local government areas in the state. The candidate of the Accord Party, Olawale Ojo, claimed in his petition that the INEC omitted his party’s logo on the ballot papers used for the October polls contrary to the 2010 Electoral Act. Ojo argued that after sending three of its officials to monitor the party’s primaries held on August 1, 2012, INEC still excluded his name and that of the governorship candidate, Mr. Olufunmilayo Jenyo Ataonoko, from the list of contestants. The development prompted the party to institute a suit at the Federal High Court in Akure, seeking the publication of the name

Akeredolu

COMPLAINT IS SEEN AS THE STRONGEST AMONG THE CASES AGAINST THE RE-

MIMIKO. THE BELIEF IS THAT, IF WELL PRESENTED,

ELECTION OF

THE CASE COULD LEAD TO A REVERSAL OF FORTUNE FOR THE

AND ITS CANDIDATE of its candidate. The matter was still pending in court when the Commission conducted the October 20 election. The party’s logo was conspicuously omitted on the ballot papers, thereby excluding its candidate from the election. All the petitioners have Governor Mimiko, the Labour Party, INEC, the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Akin Orebiyi, and the Returning Officer, Prof. Biyi Daramola, as respondents. After the inauguration of the tribunal, the first challenge brought before it was the issue of service of the petitions on the respondents, with the parties claiming that Mimiko and LP had been evading service in order to frustrate the hearing of the petitions. After getting the nod of the tribunal for substituted service on Mimiko and the LP, the ACN and AP had their services pasted on the secretariat of the LP along Oyemekun road, Akure. The tribunal also granted the applications of the PDP and PDC for substituted service on the governor at its inaugural sitting. The panel ordered that Mimiko should receive the petitions through the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede or the Secretary to the State Government.

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Jegede, who was present at the sitting, received the petitions on behalf of the governor, but he denied the allegation that Mimiko had been evading service. The commissioner said that the petitioners had insisted on serving the governor in person which he said might not be possible because of Mimiko’s busy schedules. Before it adjourned last December, the tribunal granted the application of the ACN candidate and that of the LP candidate to inspect the electoral materials used by the INEC in the conduct of the election. The applications filed and argued by Kola Olawoye, Gbemiga Olatunji, Titiloye Charles and Victor Olatoyegun, counsel to ACN, and Olumide Ayeni for Mimiko, was granted as prayed. The chairman of the panel directed INEC to make all documents used for the election available for inspection by the petitioners and the respondents at its Alagbaka office, Akure, as from 10a.m. every day. It also ordered the police to provide security for lawyers during the document inspection period. Earlier, the tribunal had overruled the objection of Ayeni, counsel to Mimiko, to some of the documents itemized by the petitioners for inspection. Arguing, Ayeni said the power of the court to order inspection as contained in Section 151 of the Electoral Act is limited to some documents. But the tribunal ruled that the objection was premature at the stage of the court process. The tribunal also granted the application of the CPC and its candidate to inspect all the electoral materials used by the INEC to conduct the October election. Virtually all the parties are optimistic of getting “justice” at the tribunal. The Director-General of the Aketi Campaign Organication (ACO) and ACN National Director of Strategy, Chief Tayo Alasoadura, is hopeful that the victory of Mimiko would be upturned. Speaking with National Mirror, Alasoadura said: “Our hope is that this victory of the LP and Olusegun Mimiko would be upturned. Looking at the manipulation, the massive electoral malpractices, I guess these should be able to give us our mandate back. The Deputy Director of Publicity of the Olusola Oke Campaign Organisation, Mr. Rotimi Ogunleye, is of the opinion that it would be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for Mimiko to scale the huddles at the tribunal. Of all the petitions, however, that of the candidate of the Accord Party, Olawale Ojo, has generated much public interest, created apprehension among the LP members and raised hope in the opposition camp. Ojo’s complaint is seen as the strongest among the cases against the re-election of Mimiko. The belief is that, if well presented, the case could lead to a reversal of fortune for the LP and its candidate. But Mimiko has said that the petitioners are wasting their time. The governor stated this in his reply to the petitions against his victory in the October 20 governorship election. Mimiko prayed the tribunal to throw out the suits, describing them as “frivolous, vexatious, patent abuse of court process as lacking in merit and substance.” Will Mimiko scale the tribunal huddles? In a few months to this time, the Justice Aondoaver Kaka’-led Tribunal is expected to provide an answer to the question, now that it is set to commence hearing of the petitions before it.

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Politics

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, at the weekend spoke with journalists, denying the allegation that the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), which he chairs, is frustrating the ongoing constitution review. He also gives reasons why the governors are opposing autonomy for the local governments. AYODELE OJO brings excerpts from the interview.

Governors not frustrating constitution review – Amaechi

A serving senator has alleged that governors are frustrating the constitutional amendment. What is your take on this? You want me to reply to all what people say on all subjects? No! The Governors’ Forum is too big to begin to reply everybody. If this person says this, we reply and another person says something else, we reply. We won’t dignify these people with responses. But have you been frustrating the ongoing constitution review? How will I know that? Just tell me one role the governors are playing in the process. Are they in the legislative arm of government? That question does not require an answer because what the senator is saying is that there is no state assemblies and National Assembly and that the governors have constituted themselves into state assemblies and the National Assembly too. But the governors have influence on their senators and House of Representatives’ members? We have absolutely no influence on the legislators. You can ask Senator Magnus Abe, who was here with me this morning. Did you watch the 2012 budget presentation of Rivers State to the House of Assembly? My Speaker blasted me openly, but when we finished, we sat in the Government House and ate food together. Many people were shocked seeing us eating together. I said there was no quarrel that he was only playing his role as a Speaker. He blasted me, saying that ‘you are doing well, you have so many projects that you are doing but you are not completing them; you have to complete them and consolidate them and stop this expansion of projects. We will not approve any further expansion but we will consolidate.’ I said thank you sir, I came home and rested. Would he have said that if I control the House? How about the opposition of state governors to the granting of autonomy for local governments? The governors are a pressure group and what is wrong if we succeed in putting pressure on both national and state assemblies. Look, governors are among the most patriotic elements in this country. There is no country in the world that there are three federating units, there are only two all over the world. Why should we say that there must be third federating unit in Nigeria? In other words you are opposed to the autonomy of local governments? Of course yes. Let state governors or let the states create as many local governments as they want to create, don’t put it there as a constitutional issue. You are accusing some governors of mismanaging resources, how? I have given example in Rivers State where not only do they collect their money directly; they collect my N2 billion monthly, ask them. I pay the salaries of all their teachers and that is N2 billion per month. If you take away that one, my wage bill will come down to N6 billion per month. I can’t beat that. It appears you and your colleagues have lost the battle for the creation of state police. No, I don’t want to discuss that issue. Until the constitution is amended, how can you know what is lost and what is won? Recently, Prof. Jibril Aminu described the Governors’ Forum as an oppressive body. No response to Jibril Aminu, I say leave Governors’ Forum alone. You can’t respond to everything.

Amaechi

You are building 24 model boarding secondary schools in each of the 24 local governments areas which will admit 1,050 students, how will you attract the required manpower to sustain this policy? This January we are employing 13,000 teachers. Again if you say we are in control of the Assembly, how? We would have done this since October but the Assembly stopped it by resolution and we obeyed the resolution. Up till now, we have not resolved the issue. If you watch my town hall meeting at Asatoro, there was an altercation between my Speaker and I live on a platform. I was trying to incite Asatoro people against him because he is from Asatoro when I said ‘by now we would have finished employing teachers and some of your students would have been in school, but your son stopped us, please beg your son.’ He came up and took the microphone from me. And said the governor didn’t go through the proper process so we stopped him. So, I took over the microphone from him and said yes we did not, but your son didn’t remember from the beginning until when we were about issuing letters of employment, he said stop, so beg him now that he should hurry because we want to give the letters by January. So, people started shouting and he said okay we will allow you give the letters, I said we have won. If we were in control of the House, would he stop us? At a point the issue of kidnapping was so serious that nobody wanted to come to Rivers State. There is no kidnapping in Rivers State.

JUST TELL ME ONE ROLE THE GOVERNORS ARE PLAYING

IN THE PROCESS.

ARE THEY

IN THE LEGISLATIVE ARM OF GOVERNMENT?

THAT

QUESTION DOES NOT REQUIRE AN ANSWER

One of the things observed in your projects is that the schools and the hospitals will be free for all citizens, how do you ensure the sustainability of these projects even after you must have left in 2015? Power won’t be free; people have to pay for power. Within my period in office they will be sustainable. I will continue to manage our resources in such a way that people will benefit from the free education and health care services because if we stop paying, the children of the poor won’t have access to education and health. In planning for good education and health you must know that affordability goes together with accessibility. If it is not affordable, you will loose more lives; if you don’t educate people, you will run into more crises. So, if you want to educate people and have the society that is properly developed, then you must make education both affordable and accessible. If you build schools everywhere and nobody can afford them, then nobody will go to the school. As a temporary measure, government must be able to bear the responsibility of funding. The benefits of that can’t be quantified. Eighty per cent of all those criminals claiming to be Niger Delta fighters did not go to primary schools because they could not afford it. I met children who were arrested that period, they were weeping before us that their parents could not afford school fees, house rents both for themselves and their siblings and they saw their age mates coming back with jeeps and flashy cars. I now say to myself that government has a responsibility to take care of these children up to secondary school level. I just had a meeting in the morning on establishing an educational training centre by the Isrealis, and the Germans will also be coming this January to sign an agreement with us. So, we will train them at that level. At the university level you will pay because that is a choice but we have to give free education up to secondary school level. This will liberate their minds and mental capacity to be able to make decisions that will better their future. The system in Nigeria is that if something is totally free; people will say it does not have value. It doesn’t matter what they say. An American firm will manage those two centres but the third one, we are talking to an Indian group but I don’t know who will manage it yet but if it doesn’t work, and then we give it back to the Americans. Their job is to take care of all the patients while ours is to pay. So, it doesn’t matter whether they say it is this or that, when I go, it is left for the next governor to introduce fees; he or she is free. Can’t you back them up with a law so that nobody can change the policy over night when you leave in 2015? If you back it by law, where will the person coming after you get the money to pay? Let the governor make a choice on what to do? I tell people that by the time the next governor comes, he won’t be facing primary schools because I would have gone far. Yes, he will be facing the primary schools to the extent that the more children that are coming, the more the schools he builds. But that is not as high as starting from the beginning to build primary schools all over the state. What I met on ground is that the demand for primary schools was about 300,000 pupils and now we have exceeded over 150,000, so I have to provide for the extra 150,000. How much does it costs you to build one of those primary schools? It is N112 million per each primary school; to build, not to furnish. What about the secondary schools? The secondary schools are N4.5 billion without furnishing. Do you have fears for 2015? CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

Politics

IMAM IMAM

t. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Speaker of the House of Representatives, is 47 today. To his country men and women however, it is not attaining the milestone that is of much concern to them, rather, it is the direction which the amiable lawmaker from Kebbe/Tambuwal federal constituency is leading the House that has continued to elicit positive reactions from people across all walks of life. Since his election to the exalted position of the Number 4 citizen of Nigeria, Tambuwal has continued to thrill Nigerians with his innovative approach to leadership and lawmaking. Within the period of the coming of the present dispensation in 2011, Tambuwal has demonstrated some of the best known attributes of leadership regarding issues that affect the nation directly. A lawyer by profession, a politician by popular will, an accomplished leader by popular choice and a legislator by trust, Tambuwal has shown enough political dexterity to make him one of the most respected political figures in Nigeria today. His meteoric rise in the legal profession and politics has reaffirmed his position as a master tactician in disciplines built on the philosophy of self respect, fair play, hard work and the spirit of give and take. Nigerians need no soothsayer to admit that their dear country is in a period when challenges of nationhood, political selfdoubt and intense security tests have temporarily become the defining features of life. However, civilisation remains a work in progress in Nigeria as the 7th House of Representatives tries to provide that critical balance that sustains a meaningful presidential democracy and holds up hope for a new Nigeria. No one encapsulates that hope than Tambuwal. As argued by some scholars, the basic challenges of leaders reflect two fundamental of enduring aspects of leadership. First is the humanity of leaders in revealing their hopes and fears, traits and instincts. Second, is the unchanging agenda of leadership, in all times and places, as revealed in the setting of goals, plans, purposes and strategies, and working through with other people to actualise their vision in a world that is often uncertain, recalcitrant and sometimes perilous. To appreciate the legislative footing of the 7th House in its attempt to fill the void created by the challenges of leadership confronting Nigeria, one needs to revisit its inaugural agenda. I will recall here the kernel of the legislative blueprint which was unveiled on June 28, 2011 and remains a study in specific prescriptions. It traversed constitution amendment, re-

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Tambuwal: Mr. Speaker clocks 47 TAMBUWAL’S CANDOUR, NATIONALISTIC

OUTLOOK, ABILITY TO MAKE FAIR AND

INCLUSIVE DECISIONS, MATURITY AND HIS DESIRE TO INTERACT FREELY

... HAS TODAY

EARNED HIM THE CONFIDENCE OF HIS COLLEAGUES

Tambuwal

vival and diversification of the economy, employment generation, strengthening national security, curbing corruption, tackling general infrastructural decay, improving health system and the educational system. According to Tambuwal, in his inaugural speech titled ‘Time To Remake Nigeria,’ “over the next four years, the House of Representatives will pursue an aggressive legislative agenda to reposition itself as a key branch of government able and determined to deliver on the key elements of governance. We make bold to state and with great assurance that the legislature has come of age. It is a new day, a new House of Representatives and we are prepared to meet and surpass the expectations of the people to represent their best interest.” Perhaps I needn’t add that in a move that verged on statesmanship and humility uncustomary to previous sessions, Speaker Tambuwal graciously conceded that the House accepted responsibility for failures and unconscionable gaps in meet-

ing its brief. “We will be responsive, transparent and accountable in all we do. My period of service as the Speaker of this hallowed chamber will restore the House of Representatives as an institution where the will of the people is done,” he told Nigerians. Almost two years on, the Lower Chamber has kept faith with this agenda. Its people-oriented footing bears this out. The 7th House has been at the forefront of defining important national issues for public discourse. American business executive and author, Jack Welch, once argued that today’s hierarchical structure gives the leader in organisation, or appropriately, chief executive officer (CEO), control over strategy, organisation and information by creating an organisation with its ‘face towards the CEO and its ass towards the customer.’ The system described by Welch may be right in business and to some extent some governmental institutions, but what we have seen in the House of Representatives under Tambuwal is an institution with its face firmly fixed towards the people. Tambuwal has used his considerable experience towards the development making the legislature a people-oriented entity that elevates participatory lawmaking to an art. As he celebrates his birthday today, it is not just the intriguing narrative of how he was elected Speaker of the House that should resonate with political scientists. That experience should also serve as a reminder of the many profound achieve-

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ments we could record if we rise above the inhibiting considerations of tribe and religion. At 47, Tambuwal’s youth points to a future of hope and possibilities. Besides, his apparent willingness not to be encumbered by the political exigencies or double-speak that had stunted our progress is quite inspiring. For him, what matters is the nation’s interest. Call that an unyielding idealism and you won’t be entirely wrong. Born into the royal family of Waziri Tabuwal, young Aminu attended Tambuwal Primary School, and Government Teachers’ College, Dogon-Daji also in Sokoto State where he obtained the Teachers Grade 11 Certificate in 1984. He then proceeded to Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto, where he studied Law, graduating with an LLB (Hons) degree in 1991. He did his one year compulsory legal studies at the Nigerian Law School, Lagos, obtained LLB and was called to the Bar in 1992. Besides studying for law degree, the Speaker has attended several courses abroad, among which are the Lawmaking for the Communications Sectors –BMIT, Johannesburg, South Africa, 2004; Regulating a Competitive Industry-UK, Brussels, 2005; Tulane University – International Legislative Drafting, 2005; Stanford Graduate School of Business – Influence and Negotiation in 2008, among many others. He was first elected into the House of Representatives in 2003 on the platform of the opposition All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). Since then, he had served as Minority Leader and Deputy Chief Whip of the House. He was the Leader of the Nigerian Delegation to Africa, Caribbean, Pacific and European Union Joint Parliamentary Assembly and had served as the Regional Representative of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA). He was a member of the National Executive Committee, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), member, International Bar Association; alumnus, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard, USA; Stanford Graduate School of Business, USA and Tulane University, USA and a recipient of the Honorary Doctor of Law Degree from the Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto. No doubt, Tambuwal’s candour, nationalistic outlook, ability to make fair and inclusive decisions, maturity and his desire to interact freely and affectionately with all members in the House in a professional context, has today earned him the confidence of his colleagues and all Nigerians alike. To this great man of ideas, I say a happy birthday. Imam is the Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs to Speaker Tambuwal.

Govs not frustrating constitution review – Amaechi CONTINUED FROM 15 I have no fears at all. Who are you bringing onboard to take over from you? There is nothing like that in my agenda. Leave that to God, nobody knew that I would be a governor. Can you sum up your vision for Rivers State?

Education, health, power and transportation. You see, I don’t emphasise on roads. There is just one road we are building now, the Trans-Amadi road and it is going to take about three flyovers. It is going to cost N47 billion. It is 10 kilometres long. There is a new road that we are going to build now to the airport to decongest Aba road, it is going to cost N200 billion and 50 per cent of that would be spent on bridges with about four fly-

overs and inter-changes. We have a design that we call the Greater Port Harcourt master plan, which takes care of the old and the new city. It was designed in South Africa. And they said if you don’t build those roads they have designed for you in a short time, Port Harcourt will implode. All these roads are being done according to the master plan. We have the mono-rail which will also take out passengers, it is 25 kilometres long.

How about the funding of your projects? Funding is critical in the sense that we are pushing hard on internally generated revenue. When we came, it was N2.5 billion, now we are doing N6.5 billion and our target this year is N8 billion. We want to see whether we can pay our recurrent expenditure on IGR. If we do that, then the money we get from the FAAC would be channelled into the projects because funding is a big challenge.

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Views

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Confronting the unemployment crisis THE JONATHAN EXISTENTIAL HUMANISM

FRY

NDUBUISI fryndubuisi@nationalmirroronline.net (08023016709 SMS only)

t is clear to everybody that unemployment, especially youth unemployment, has reached a critical level in Nigeria. The issue is threatening the peace and corporate existence of the country. The situation gives cause for concern. Mrs. Josephine Washma, President Goodluck Jonathan Special Assistant (Job Creation), recently stated that the Federal Government would soon conduct a census of unemployed persons in the country during the first quarter of the year. She averred that getting the true situation through survey would form the basis for the implementation of the government’s job creation initiatives. Earlier, the President’s Senior Special Assistant (media), Dr Doyin Okupe, had during a media chat, revealed that about 780,000 jobs would be generated for youths in 2013. This is not the first time such promises were made by the government. It is obvious the Jonathan presidency is not doing anything concrete to address this un-

oruba Nollywood, the sub-genre of the acclaimed Nigerian film industry, Nollywood, is currently under assaults from illiteracy, incompetence and ignorance. If the main multi-million dollars Nollywood industry itself has attracted a lot of criticisms on accounts of its technical deficiencies, pedestrian storylines, unprofessional scripting and suboptimal filming methodology, amidst other imperfections, its Yoruba subset fares worse on many indices of performing arts critique. Apart from the productions of a professional like Tunde Kelani, the bulk of the output from the Yoruba stable is, as far as I am concerned, works of unspeakable banality. The problem starts right from the titles of the films themselves, if you forgive the often puerile and unimaginative choice of titles, you would definitely still have a learned axe to grind with the titles on account of orthographical blunders. In order not to attract the insinuation of malicious demarketing of any particular producer or artiste, I would not give any real example to drive home this point, but let anyone scan through some of the titles of these ubiquitous Yoruba films on the shelf and see how many of them have correct spelling in accordance with modern Yoruba orthography. But that is just a tip of the iceberg. Let us now focus on the so-called rendition of the plays in English, otherwise called subtitling, which appears on the screensupposedly in real time to the diction flow of the performers. You would be exceedingly shocked by the renditions! If these

ADMINISTRATION HAS CONTINUED TO PLAY POLITICS WITH THE ISSUE OF JOB GENERATION FOR THE TEEMING UNEMPLOYED YOUTHS employment scourge. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo recently put the issue in perspective when on arrival from a conference held in Senegal under the auspices of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in which the issue of youth and employment was exhaustively debated, he told the nation the unemployment problem was grave. In one of the papers presented at the Senegal conference, it was revealed that 65 percent of Africa’s population is under the age of 25 and that well over 60 percent of this number has no jobs. It was this statistical fact that influenced the deduction of the former president stated that we are really sitting on a keg of gunpowder in Nigeria. The tragedy of our situation is that FG does not have accurate figure of the unemployed youths in the country. All the figures that have been coming from the office of National Bureau of Sta-

tistics (NBS) are estimates. Interestingly, the World Bank, in a recent report, described as unreliable the quality of data from Nigeria and other countries. It specifically stated that all the economic data from Nigeria were obsolete and thus irrelevant for planning for development and growth. The efforts by NBS to compile the rate of unemployment in Nigeria are therefore, futile. This is despite the external assistance to this effect. The government should be concerned that the active part of our country’s population is idling away with no concrete policy action to reverse the trend. Funds meant for creation of jobs in the 2012 budget must have gone to the wrong persons and places as no jobs are seen to have been created. The National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), commenting recently on the implementation of the 2012 budget, stated that “2012 was characterized by incessant job losses and unemployment, insecurity and corruption “, adding that the official statistics that put unemployment rate at 24 percent were dubious. The Jonathan administration has continued to play politics with the issue of job generation for our teeming unemployed youths. At the height of the removal of petroleum subsidy crisis last year, he made a firm promise on job creation. But that has remained only a promise till today. It is a big tragedy that our youths, after all the efforts in higher institutions

to acquire degrees and certificates, come out to roam the streets. To ridicule them, some Nigerians have decided to dub them unemployable. It is the height of bad faith on the side of those that have chosen to ridicule and trivialize a very serious issue that could threaten the peace and security of the nation. While it is conceded that there is problem with the quality of locally produced graduates, it is also a fact that quite a good number of them can compete with their counterparts internationally. That is why some of them that had the opportunity to travel abroad for higher degrees have come out tops of their class. The records are there for anybody that is interested in the truth. It is a big paradox that FG has not come out with immediate and long time plans on how to completely stop the importation of fuel. We cannot be harping on employment generation and leave out an area that has the potentials to solve up to 80 percent of the problem. If government is sincere about job creation, ensuring peace and tranquility, and control of crimes and criminalities in the country, then it must take the issue of job creation seriously. One of the ways of doing this is to refine our crude oil locally. The multiplier effect of this on job creation is better imagined. Prof. Ndubuisi, an attorney at Law, is of the Dept of Philosophy, UNILAG

Lamenting decline of Yoruba Nollywood people can’t speak or write good English, can’t they at least give their works to people with the abilities to help out? You would encounter, among other pratfalls, direct word translation from Yoruba to English in attempts to convey Yoruba ideas, which of course, often abysmally fails in communicating the underlying message. What about the use of effects? Imagine a car merely screeching to a halt and the driver flung his head on the steering to convey the impression of a fatal accident! All these are aside from observable lack of depth in their production dramaturgy. But by far the most annoying aspect is the inexorable pre-occupation of these filmmakers with superstition. Hardly would you watch any Yoruba film in contemporary times without seeing reality being distorted through fantastic treatment. The often peddled excuse that such projections are a reflection of our culture and belief system does not hold water. The mere fact that our forefathers had a worldview commensurate with their times does not mean every film you churn out in the 21st century must reflect anachronistic magic and superstition. I know a friend who actively discourages his children from watching these Yoruba films, all in an attempt to shield them from being contaminated with “illiteracies”. The embarrassing state of affair of the Yoruba film industry is particularly painful when it is noted that the precursors to what we now know as Nollywood started in Yorubaland in the 60s and continued even to the 80s with the indelible performances of legends like the late Hubert Ogunde, Ola Balogun, Kola Ogunmola, Duro Ladipo, Olaiya

IF THESE PEOPLE CAN’T SPEAK OR WRITE GOOD

ENGLISH, CAN’T THEY

KAYODE

KETEFE

AT LEAST GIVE THEIR WORKS TO PEOPLE WITH THESE ABILITIES TO HELP OUT Adejumo (aka Baba Sala), the late Adeyemi Afolayan (Ade love) and Akin Ogungbe. These people were hard-core professionals, who were profoundly passionate about their works, in spite of severe limitation of their times. It is true that the works of these great ones too featured supernaturalism, but it was because this was inherently bound with the themes of their films. For example, films like Aiye, Jaiyesinmi, Oba Koso, Oba Moro etc, were thematically fantastic and could not have been done in any other way. This is unlike what we have today where almost every film, even the one that has ultramodern setting, would nonetheless brim with fantastic episodes, as if reality can never exist without the touch of magic! Our main Nollywood industry (English) is, to a lesser extent, also guilty of this proclivity for surrealism. The Yoruba are among the most educated and culturally advanced of any African ethnic groups therefore, why are most

kketefe@nationalmirroronline.net 08032147720 (SMS only)

contemporary films of Yoruba expression so miserably sub-standard? The answer is this: the segment of the Yoruba population that engages in film productions (unlike the main Nollywood) is at best semi-literates. Granted that there is a sprinkle of educated ones among the actors and actresses, the fact still remains that 90 percent of them are artisans and school dropouts, who took to acting, first as hobbies, before making it fulltime profession. Unfortunately, they retained their amateurish mentality. There is a real need for the real professionals to take over the Yoruba film making industry, lest the whole world might be misled, via exposure to “African Magic Yoruba” on DSTV, to think the current amateurish outputs are the best that can come from Oodua land. Send your views by mail or sms to PMB 10001, Ikoyi, or our Email: mail@ nationalmirroronline.netmirrorlagos@ 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 10, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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

STEVE AYORINDE

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SM, STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT

FRANK OBOH

HEAD, GRAPHICS

On incessant fire incidents

orrisome reports about rampant fire outbreaks nationwide, leading to deaths and massive destruction of valuable property in some cases have been the country’s unfortunate portion for some time now. From July 20, 2012 to date, three fire incidents were reported in Port Harcourt alone; the NTA Abakaliki office was gutted, and there was a minor fire outbreak at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos few days to the last Christmas. A major one wreaked extensive havoc at the Jankara Market, also in Lagos on December 27, triggered by bangers and fire crackers. The incident coincided with that of the Hilltop residence of former President Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. A few days later, fire razed the Ogun State Secretariat, with seven vehicles burnt. A section of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) also went up in flames early in the week. Many markets across the country were also victims of fire outbreaks. Fire disasters, including conspiratorial ones, are common occurrences the world over. There are laws and regulations to regulate con-

ditions that have potentials of igniting conflagrations. Nigeria obviously has such laws that can help keep the nation’s environment safe. Quite unfortunately, however, the laws are being obeyed in violation. Which will help explain why General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), in his condolence message to Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State on the Jankara fire incident, urged Nigerians to obey the laws banning the manufacture, importation and storage of combustible items in order to avoid the type of losses in life and property that struck Lagosians in Jankara. In truth not a few businessmen/women, as well as households, have been rendered impotent as a result of destructive fires. It was, however, not disputable that in spite of the ban on bangers and fire crackers, they were still being imported into the country. Consequently, it has become very necessary that Nigerians are sufficiently sensitized to the inherent dangers of not obeying laws that could help ward off avoidable fire disasters and the accompanying losses and pains. This seems imperative, given the fact that the country is currently witnessing the harmattan season, where

THE LONGSTANDING EXPERIENCE OF CONFRONTING FIRE OUTBREAKS WITH OBSOLETE EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS IS OBJECTIONABLE any little bit of carelessness could lead to a grave disaster. There is the need to be alert to avoid fires that can lead to the loss of lives, monumental damage to property and sources of livelihood. In addition, with fuel scarcity biting harder all over the country, it is also important Nigerians are advised to avoid storing petroleum products in their houses, as any careless handling of such highly inflammable products can lead to regrets. As in many other climes, the country cannot wish away fire incidents; but the fire services should be kitted and made to be more effective in the performance of their statutory duties. It is a sad commentary that whenever such incidents occur, they are always found wanting. Quite regrettably is that workers of

such an important and sensitive institution always panic and run from pillar to post in search of water and other materials needed to control fire. It is this type of ineptitude that has made members of the public look down on fire service personnel as ‘lay-abouts’, and react negatively to them any time they are found at the scene of fire incidents. Fire fighting is a very challenging job that requires proper training and regular re-orientation to be able to perform effectively and efficiently. Besides, it is important that the equipment and materials of the fire fighting sector are constantly updated. The longstanding experience of confronting fire outbreaks with obsolete equipment and materials is objectionable. The situation should be reversed. By the same token, appropriate government agencies should enforce the regulation requiring the installation of fire extinguishers in high-rise buildings. Private homes should also be encouraged to keep fire extinguishers handy for immediate selfhelp before the arrival of fire fighting agencies, while public fire hydrants needed to be installed in strategic places, especially in urban areas.

ON THIS DAY January 10, 2007 A general strike began in Guinea in an eventually successful attempt to get President Lansana Conte to resign. Guinea’s trade unions and opposition parties called on Conte to resign, accusing him of mismanaging the economy and abusing his authority. The strikers also accused Conte of personally securing the release of Mamadou Sylla and Fode Soumah, both accused of corruption, from prison.

January 10, 1999 Sanjeev Nanda killed six people, including three policemen in New Delhi, India with his car, an act for which he was later acquitted, resulting in a sharp drop in public confidence in the Indian legal system. Nanda (born 1978) is a businessman and the son of Suresh Nanda, an Indian arms dealer, head of the firm Crown Corporation and an ex-naval officer. He is also the grandson of an ex-Chief of Naval Staffturned businessman, S. M. Nanda from New Delhi.

January 10, 1946 The first General Assembly of the United Nations opened in London, with 51 nations represented. The UN General Assembly (UNGA/GA) is one of the six principal organs of the UN and the only one in which all member-nations have equal representation. Its powers are to oversee the budget of the UN, appoint the non-permanent members to the Security Council, receive reports from other parts of the UN and make recommendations, etc.

Thursday January 10, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Education Today I have no link with contract fraudster –Ruqayyatu 22

2013: Stakeholders make case for education development A recently released report by the United States National Intelligence Council (NIC), suggests that by 2030, Nigeria may join a few other countries such as China and India in the comity of global economic powers. However, experts have continued to ponder on how feasible this would be considering the poor state of the nation’s education sector. In this report, TUNBOSUN OGUNDARE and MOJEED ALABI observe that some concrete steps, as suggested by some stakeholders, need to be taken in order to address the challenges and move the sector forward.

Okebukola

ithout doubt, Nigeria is the most populous black nation worldwide. Apart from the enormous human resources, the country is also endowed with huge natural resources and rich cultural values on earth. All these resources were properly maximised by the colonialists before their exit from the country in 1960. However, the last 52 years of self-rule, have not been impressive, particularly when the high rate of illiteracy, poor education planning, high level of corruption in both high and low places, as well as the ongoing leadership problem are considered. To come up with the projection of the US-based organisation as a country, stakeholders in the education sector have made a case for huge investment in the sector. They have also advocated complete overhauling of the system through administrative reordering, staff training and retraining, improved research works, and provisions of enabling environment for quality academic works. Former Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Peter Okebukola first reviewed the sector’s 2012 performance, which according to him, witnessed significant increase in enrolment at all levels and maintained its position as the most expansive education system in Africa. He added that Almajiri

Osuntokun

Akeusola

OUR COUNTRY IS STILL BURDENED WITH MANY CHALLENGES, WHICH INCLUDE: INADEQUACY OF QUALITY TEACHERS, DILAPIDATED AND POORLYRESOURCED CLASSROOMS, ESPECIALLY AT THE BASIC AND SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL LEVELS; INADEQUACY OF ADMISSION SPACES IN UNIVERSITIES FOR SUITABLY-QUALIFIED CANDIDATES

schools were established to take some of the out-of-school children off the streets. Prof. Okebukola, who is also the ProChancellor, Crawford University, Igbesa, Ogun State, noted that while a minimum of 1,500 new private secondary schools were established nationwide last year, seven new universities (5 private, 2 stateowned) were added to the list of universities totalling 124. He said that was a significant improvement. On the performance of students in senior secondary school exams, he used the results of candidates in the previous two year a base for comparison. According to him, the performance of candidates in the 2012 West African Examinations Council (WAEC) Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) improved relatively when compared with 2011. A total of 39 per cent

of students obtained five credits and above, including Mathematics and English in 2012 while it was just 30.9 per cent the year before it. Also, the number of First Class degrees obtained from Nigerian universities increased by seven per cent over the previous figure, while interruptions to the school calendar through strikes were of less intensity last year compared with previous years. Therefore, the development shows that some sunshine is creeping into the gloomy education horizon. All these notwithstanding, Okebukola argued that beyond the quantitative gain and slight improvement in quality, the report card still shows several negative, redcoloured entries. According to him, the country is still burdened with many challenges, which include: the inadequacy of quality teachers, dilapidated and poorly-

resourced classrooms, especially at the basic and senior secondary school levels; inadequacy of admission spaces in universities for suitably-qualified candidates; pervasiveness of examination malpractice at all levels with mercenaries recruited to write public examinations, especially the SSCE. He identified other challenges to include: cultism, poor reading habit, the culture of spending endless hours on social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter and pornographic videos, homosexual and lesbianism practices, lack of commitment on the part of many teachers and students. While acknowledging the fact that all these challenges were accumulated over the years, he said it meant that they could not all disappear in 2013. Even at that, Prof. Okebukola said something good could still come up within the sector, in the New Year. But these, according to him, based on the type of efforts the governments from the federal to the local council, parents, private sector and indeed, other stakeholders put in, to reduce the red marks on the report card. His suggestions goes thus: “We need to invest at the federal, state and local government levels at re-building to world-class standard, at least 10 per cent of our primary and secondary schools and universities, which are now like glorified village schools as exemplified by a recent Federal Government assessment of universities. A total of N600 billion from a combination of funds from Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), SURE-P and state government contributions, should be able to address a tenth of such deficiencies. Okebukola, a Professor of Science Education, also recommended that all the teachers, who graduated less than 10 years ago, especially through sandwich and parttime programmes, should be re-trained to upgrade their knowledge of the subject matter and re-certified on the job. He said by so doing, they will improve on performance and this would have multiplier effect in the system. On the everyday use of social media, especially by students below higher education, Okebukola said in as much as the use of social media such as and Twitter has become an emerging global communication standard as the e-mail, especially among the youth, the country should play along. According to him, any person, who is advocating that the youth should stay off Facebook and Twitter, is like asking the CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

Education Today

Okpala

Thursday January 10, 2013

Oluoji

CONTINUED FROM 19 Anopheles mosquito to stay off the sucking of blood. “What most educational communities all over the world are doing is to put these media that the youth are so much attracted to, to their advantage,” he pointed out. How are they doing that? He explained: “In Australia, Asia, Europe and North America, for instance, teachers supplement their lessons with assignments given to their students on Facebook. Studies have also shown that through the tool, the students relate in an exciting manner to their lessons and perform well in public examinations.” He however, noted that his research group at the Lagos State University, Ojo, is currently investigating the potency of the social media in teaching difficult topics in several secondary school subjects. He therefore said rather than people clamouring for a ban, on the use of the social media, by the students, the goal in 2013 should be on how schools can leverage on such tools to improve learning, and on how students can spend productive time, rather than using their valuable time on matters that are injurious to their psychosocial health on the social media. He further suggested that Nigeria should scale up the ICPC-NUC initiative to prevent corruptible practices in the entire education system in the country. “We should also provide ICT tools for teachers and train them on effective use of these tools so as to further boost their service delivery in class,” he added. While he also canvassed for the restoration of Higher School Certificate (HSC) programme, he said it would also be necessary to include in the curriculum, religion and moral education, so as to stem the tide of social vices, including lesbianism, homosexuality, cultism and examination malpractice that pervade the academic institutions. “I believe strongly that the earlier we could go by these suggestions as a country, the better for our education,” he concluded. On her part, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) said the best suggestions as far as they were concerned, were those recommended by the Federal Government Needs Assessment Committee on Universities. “The implementation of the report,” said ASUU’s National President, Dr. Nasir Isa Fagge, “would automatically resolve the many contradictions facing the nation’s university system.” The union also said that its expectation was that the Federal Government would honour, in full, the agreement between them since 2009 this time around.

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Aremu

2013: Stakeholders make case for education development THOSE IN CHARGE OF THE SECTOR, ESPECIALLY AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL SHOULD EMBARK ON MASSIVE INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN SCHOOLS AND MAKE THEIR ENVIRONMENT FRIENDLIER TO TEACHING AND LEARNING He recalled some of the contentious issues in the agreement to include: the university autonomy and adequate funding. “We are peace-loving and would not want to truncate the relative peace our institutions are currently enjoying but government too should be able to fulfil it pledges, which are already due for fresh negotiations,” Fagge argued. On other areas of focus in the sector, the ASUU president asked the Federal Government to organise an all-inclusive education summit in conjunction with other stakeholders, including parents, teachers, students, non-governmental organisations, and foreign institutions, among others. “Through the summit and coupled with the Needs Assessment recommendation, there would be a significant improvement in the sector,” he said. For WAEC, NECO and JAMB, the exam bodies promised to conduct more credible exams this year. They said the adoption of biometric capturing of candidates’ identities was part of the methods designed to forestall cheating in their exams. The JAMB’s outgoing spokesman, Mr. Timothy Oyedeji, told National Mirror, that the board’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination in March would be computerbased for candidates in some cities, including Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, where better functioning ICT facilities are available. He added that while the exam would be a pilot scheme and optional, it was expected that the system would give more credibility to the board. However, the exam bodies are not without expectation also from governments and other relevant stakeholders. The WAEC’s Head of National Office, Nigeria, Mr. Charles Uguridu and NECO’s Registrar, Prof. Promise Okpala, also want various state governments to intensify their intervention efforts in the development of education of their respective states. While acknowledging that the slight improvement that were recorded in their respective exams in the last few years was a result of such intervention, Uguridu noted that the council’s responsibility was to conduct exam and ensure it was within the syl-

labus, credible and acceptable to the public. He also admonished students on their part, to be more serious with their studies for them to perform better this year and in other future exams. Similarly, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Ekiti State University, Prof. Akinjide Osuntokun, advised government, at all levels, to massively invest in education and block all loopholes through which money are siphoned. Osuntokun , who disclosed that his university’s target for the year was to build a new college of medicine and school of agricultural science, as well as, to hook up with other academic institutions overseas for exchange programmes, suggested that similar agenda should be set for other higher academic institutions nationwide to ensure globalisation of the country’s education sector.. For Prof. Olu Akeusola, the National Secretary, Committee of Provosts of Colleges of Education in Nigeria (COPEN), all that government should do this year, to move the sector, especially teachers’ education forward is simple and fundamental. He said: “Those in charge of the sector, especially at the national level should embark on massive infrastructural development in schools and make their environment friendlier to teaching and learning. He also said government should put right and competent people in charge of responsibilities and stop putting square pegs in round holes to achieve the desired results.” According to him, government has put politics into the appointment of who does what in the sector and that practice will not do us any good. Prof. Akeusola, who is also the Provost, Michael Otedola College of Primary Education (MOCPED), Epe, Lagos, also wants government to strictly professionalise teaching by weeding out the non-trained teachers from the system and pay good salaries to teachers. He said: “Teaching is an important profession and should therefore be treated as such. People that are not trained to be teachers shouldn’t be employed to teach. Those in that category are the ones, who

will never be committed to work. They will not also find fulfillment on the job because they came into teaching as a last resort after they couldn’t get jobs in their original professions. That is why we see lawyers, engineers, journalists and other professionals taking teaching appointments. There are many of them in schools and also in the ministries of education and agencies assigned with serious responsibilities across the country. That has to stop. Let teaching jobs be for only those who have genuine interest in teaching. Those, who learn the trade and the rudiments of teaching should be allowed to do the work, they will do it with passion and develop themselves on the job. On his part, the Zonal Coordinator, South West, National Parents Teachers Association of Nigeria, (NAPTAN), Deacon Olusoji Adams, urged Federal and various state governments to improve on their intervention efforts in bringing the sector to a level that will be favourably competitive with the international standard. He particularly identified the provision of adequate infrastructure, competent teachers, science laboratory equipment, functional libraries, instructional materials and creation of conducive environment as the key areas the government would need to look into, this year. “I am not saying governments are not trying in these regards. They should be given kudos and Lagos State in particular, has done so much so far, especially through its ‘Eko Project, but even at that, they just have to do more as education is the bedrock of development for any nation,” he pointed out, stressing that “the recurrence mass failure by senior secondary school students in public exams in recent years in the country wasn’t acceptable anymore as it has become an embarrassment not only to the education sector but the entire economy.” Olusoji, who promised that the parents/ teachers’ fora, on their own, would continue to assist schools, especially in the area of infrastructural development and the monitoring of academic activities of wards at homes, equally urged the various examination bodies such as WAEC, NECO and JAMB to improve on their methods designed to prevent exam malpractice by their respective candidates. “I will implore them to conduct credible exams that will be widely acceptable and better than those before now,” he said.

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We need more teachers in our schools –Lagos NUT

he Lagos chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), on Tuesday urged the state government to urgently employ new teachers to fill the gap created by the retiring ones, especially the public schools, which are mostly affected. The chairman, Mr Samson Kayode, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos. According to Kayode, inadequate of teachers in schools is worrisome and should be tackled promptly. “I want to seize this opportunity to once again plead with the state government to accelerate efforts in recruiting teachers in our schools before the commencement of the new academic session. “We are pleading with the government to give employment letters to teachers that were successful during the last recruitment exercise so that they can commence work immediately. “We believe that for them to have scaled through means that they are capable and are qualified to fill the wide gap that has been created by the retiring teachers. “A situation whereby we will be lacking teachers in our schools in the midst of plenty will not sound too good and might slow down government’s efforts in the repositioning of these schools,” he said. Meanwhile, the chairman said that preparations were in top gear for the commencement of the new academic session on Jan. 14. According to him, everything was being put in place, to ensure a smooth take-off of the new term and the teachers were ready and rearing to go. “Preparation is in top gear, there is a new zeal and vigour among the teachers and we are hoping that all our plans for the term will take off as proposed. “On the part of the parents, we want them to step up efforts in monitoring their children and wards, so that together, we will build a state and nation that we will all be proud of. “We must strive to support the efforts of the state government in ensuring that education in the state is taken to the next level.”

Education Today

Thursday January 10, 2013

UI students insist on cooking in hostels TUNBOSUN OGUNDARE AND LINUS KINGDOM

There is a better alternative for you –Authority

f preventive measure is not taken urgently, the students of University of Ibadan (UI), Oyo State, may embark on a protest, which may disrupt the academic calendar of the institution. The looming protest by students will be in reaction against the recent ban, by the university authority, on the use of electric cooking gadgets, including boiling rings and stoves, by students living on campus. National Mirror gathered that the cooking activities of resident students often leads to the high consumption of energy as a result of electric gadgets they use. It was also gathered that the authority was dissatisfied with the practice because of the ever increasing electricity bill the school settles on monthly basis, with the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). As a result of this, the institution’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Adewole, at a recent stakeholders’ forum, involving management team, student union leaders and other interest groups on campus, announced the ban on cooking in hostels. It was gathered that the meeting was held in preparation for the commencement of the 2012/2013 academic session due for next week. National Mirror further gathered that students were, however, not happy about the development, although a majority of them are still away on Christmas break. In their recent bulletin, the students stated that they could not afford to patronise the school’s food cafeteria even if the foods are sold at subsidized rate due to the fact that many of them are from financially disadvantaged homes. They said they would prefer to cook by themselves on campus. To show they really mean business, they have equally adopted another method to express their displeasures over the development, which they also condemn in its entirety. This time around, they are making use of the social media tool-Facebook- entitled: “UI Students Union Facebook Page,” to express their displeasures. A former students’ leader of the university, Tokunbo Salako, for instance, has, on the Facebook page, insisted that students of the institution would have to carry on with cooking on campus, giving the economic implication of doing otherwise. He explained that, there were six federal universities in the South-West region and while checking out the amount of money students in these schools pay for a bed space on campus, he discovered that UI accommodation

Adewole, VC

fee is among the highest. Salako continuing: “Federal University, Oye Ekiti, is newly established; for Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, a bed space cost N18,000 and students are allowed to cook in their hostels; at Federal University of Technology, Akure students pay N8,090 and still cooking, at University of Lagos, Akoka, a bed space cost N18,000 and students are cooking; it is N3,090 that students are paying for a bed space in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and they are cooking. Why then we in University of Ibadan that are paying N14, 000 won’t be allowed to cook? We must cook.” Reacting on Tuesday, the university’s Vice- Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Adewole through the institution’s spokesman, Mr. Tunji Oladejo told National Mirror that the university had a better plan for the students. He said from all indications, the school authorities were not considering the increment in accommodation fee, at least, as of now, as students are being speculated. To prove to students that he meant his words on the matter, the VC asked both new and returning students to disregard any information contrary to the payment of the existing N14, OOO accommodation fee per bed space charged annually. He said although, there

Edosa, student leader

was no subvention for students’ accommodation on campus in any of the federal universities in the country, including UI, the institution was, in its magnanimity, subsidising the accommodation fees for students annually. While admitting that the subsidy had become a big burden to the university, the VC explained that the stakeholders’ meeting also arrived at some other issues that would make living on campus more conducive for students. According to him, it has been resolved at the meeting that henceforth, the administration of halls of residence would be carried out by the Hall Management Committee which has been empowered to take over the total management of hostels, including the payment of electricity bills, cleaning and repair works carried out in various hostels. He added that where there were none, hostels would now be equipped with kitchenettes while cooking remains banned in the rooms. Continuing, the VC said: “As a way of boosting the provision of decent meals on campus, the university has resuscitated the cafeteria system, which will allow for competent caterers to provide, in hygienic environment, good meals and at affordable prices for students. In this regards, the students have been warned not to bring electric stoves, popularly known in the

university community as hotplates, to the Halls of Residence again. And to also check the high electricity bill, each Kitchenette would be provided with pre-paid meters so as to regulate energy consumption in hostels. He, however, noted that the university, would at least, use the new academic session, to experiment the workability of cafeteria and kitchenette systems before all the interest groups on the matters would then meet for a review. “Electricity consumption is a major challenge in Halls of Residence and has gulped the university’s limited fund,” he lamented. On security, the VC reiterated the university’s commitment to provide adequate security in the hostels and elsewhere on campus and part of the measures to achieve this, according to him, was the perimeter fence to be erected around each hall of residence. He added that students were being carried along in decision making processes, especially on issues that bother on their welfare. He therefore advised the students to reciprocate the gesture by complying with rules and regulations of the university as doing otherwise would be treated as misconduct and culprits would be appropriately dealt with through the Students’ Disciplinary Committee.

Education Today

Provost wants FG to pay adequate attention to teacher education JAMES ABRAHAM, JOS

he Provost of the Federal College of Education, Pankshin, Plateau State, Prof. David Wonang, has called on the Federal Government to pay more attention to teacher education in the country. He said the call had become necessary in view of the current situation in the education sector which he said leaves much to be desired. In an interview with National Mirror, Wonang said lack of motivation of teachers by government was negatively affecting not only the educational system but the country’s match towards development. He reminded the government that no nation could rise above the quality of its teachers and as such, the need for the government to pay more attention to teacher education. He said: ‘’The truth is that there is no driving force presently in terms of salaries of teachers compared to other professionals, whereas other professionals are produced by the teachers. So, if teachers are the driving force, one would expect that government should pay more attention to the teaching profession.’’ The provost also faulted government policy which mandates tertiary institutions to take 60 per cent of science students as against 40 per cent intake for those in arts and humanities, saying such policy should be reversed. “Our experience has shown that the reverse is the case. People prefer the arts than the sciences probably because they want to be managers at the end of the day. And the real scientist, who should be in the laboratories, has no motivation as well. There is no driving force. So, what is the basis for holding admission on that ratio? If you have a policy, which does not have a driving force, there is bound to be problem,” he said.

Thursday January 10, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

I have no link with contract fraudster –Ruqayyatu IJEOMA EZEIKE ABUJA

he Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i, has denied having any link with one Tope Akinmoladun in a case involving fraud on soliciting of contracts in the ministry. After making all enquiries at the FCT Police Command, the minister came

to the conclusion that it was necessary to clear her name from such character, who engaged in the trade of blackmailing persons of proven integrity and duping innocent Nigerians of their hard earned money in the name of assisting them. Ruqqayatu observed that it was unbecoming of one to think that government operations as sensitive as contract award, for

construction of blocks of classrooms in schools will be issued through a third party while the enabling law for such transactions as contained in the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) Act is very clear. She said it took her time to react to the matter because of the President’s name that was also used in the said scam and the need to ensure that all the dates

used were cleared. This subsequently led to the raising of a team of two directors of Legal Services and Procurement to visit the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Adenrele Shinaba, as the source of the story, where they met with the Deputy Commissioner in charge of Operations in the command. The minister said they had received a letter from the FCT Police Command detailing the dubious activities of the fraudster, which included but not limited to various letters seeking favours and contracts fronts for wouldbe victims and advise the public to always verify any advert placed by someone

not known with any government organisation, especially on issues as sensitive as those involving payments and expecting benefits. While calling on the police to dig deep into the claims of the contract fraudster suspect and bring him to book, Ruqayyatu acknowledged that the CP already assured her that the suspect will be charged to court after completing the necessary investigation. The minister also advised the Nigerian media to always balance their stories to curtail the possibility of being used by mischief makers to tarnish the image of innocent people.

Emir excited by ABUAD’s infrastructure ABIODUN NEJO ADO EKITI

L-R: Chairman, Planning Committee, Eko Boys’ High School Centenary celebrations, Navy. Capt. Adisa Raji (rtd); National President, Eko Boys High School Old Boys’ Association, Chief Idowu Sofola; alumni member and Group Managing Director, First Bank Plc, Mr. Bisi Onasanya and the Principal, Eko Boys High School, Lagos, Mrs. Mgbokwere Chiemeka Dora, at the school’s centenary anniversary press briefing in Lagos.

Ogun draws up roadmap on education

TUNBOSUN OGUNDARE

he Ogun State Government has drawn up a strategic plan to serve as a road map that will help the state achieve its goals in the education sector in the new year. The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mr. Segun Odubela, dropped this hint at the inauguration of the annual workshops under the auspices of the Universal Basic Education organised for teachers in public primary and junior secondary schools in the State. Odubela, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Alhaji Ambali Isola, in a statement, noted that total overhauling of the education sector through service delivery by teachers, particularly at the basic education level would be required in the state. He added that it was only by so doing that provision of infrastructural facilities, free text books notebooks, instructional materials, science and Mathematical tools to students in public primary and junior secondary schools in the state would be meaningful and

yield desired results. The commissioner, however, noted that the recent award of contract for rehabilitation of 1,234 classrooms, construction of new classrooms in 104 basic schools across the state was another testimony of the commitment of the current administration in the state to give learning at the basic level a new lease of life. On the feat achieved by the state representatives at the national debate in Abuja recently, the commissioner observed, was as a result of the improvement in the welfare and continuous capacity building of teachers and the increase in school libraries, which have risen from 165 in 2010 to 250 this year. “Success recorded by our students in both regional and national competition was as a result of radical revolution currently goingon in the State education sector,” Odubela explained. Speaking earlier, Chairman of the Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Alhaji Mufutau Ajibola, said the training was a demonstration of the state government’s commitment to improve the quality of service delivery by teachers, especially at the basic

education level. He noted that SUBEB had concluded arrangement to retrain 3,796 teachers, managers and supervisors of basic education in all public basic schools in the state. At the primary school level, a total of 2,564 beneficiaries are targeted while 1,124 teachers will be trained at junior secondary school level all these are in addition to 30 statisticians and 62 officers to be trained in data management and quality assurance. Also speaking, UBEC Zonal Coordinator, Dr. Joshua Olakulehin, assured that the commission would continue to partner SUBEB and all other relevant stakeholders to ensure that teachers and education managers at the basic level update their knowledge regularly through the commission’s professional development and programme for teachers. In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of Ogun SUBEB, Mr. Adebola Adeneye, charged the workshop resource persons to expose teachers to practical innovative strategies that would make their impact positively felt on student’s performance.

he Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Zulu Gambari, has expressed satisfaction and admiration for the programmes and structures in place at Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD). The monarch praised the founder of the institution, Chief Afe Babalola, for instituting complete academic programmes which cut across learning, culture and character moulding. Gambari, who spoke during a visit to the university in commemoration of its third Founder’s Anniversary, said the ultramodern Sports Complex and Agricultural Section of the university were enough grounds for youths to be exposed to skills acquisition and career building, if well harnessed. The Emir said: “I have gone round Afe Babalola University; I have seen a well-planned university, imposing modern structures, latest teaching equipment and array of experienced professors. So I share the same view with others, that this university is indeed a model. “With Afe Babalola University and other good privately owned universities in Nigeria, I think it is unnecessary for our leaders to be sending their children abroad for university education because some of the universities they are attending there

are private ones as well,” he said. Excited by what he saw, Gambari pledged to set up an Endowment Fund in ABUAD for the conferment of annual awards on students who distinguished themselves in their course of studies. The Emir, who said the step was in a bid to encourage Afe Babalola and other owners of private institutions across the country, said the yearly award would be for the best student in Land Law and Equity as well as the best graduating student. Gambari called on wellmeaning Nigerians to support the development of the education sector in the country with their resources, saying this was in view of the fact that governments alone could not fund and provide education adequately. He also tasked the rich Nigerians on the need to disabuse their minds that their children could only have access to qualitative education abroad, saying “a university like Afe Babalola can rival any foreign university across the world.”

Sidi

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Education Today

Thursday January 10, 2013

Okebukola advocates use of social media to teach TUNBOSUN OGUNDARE

ontrary to the belief by a school of thought, the former Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Peter Okebukola, has advocated the use of social media network such as Facebook and Twitter as means of communication in schools. He said the technologi-

cal devices were a blessing to educational development and not all that distractive tools as some people have been made to believe. Okebukola, a professor of science education and Chancellor, Crawford University, Igbesa, Ogun State, said: “We are living in a world where the use of social media such as Facebook and Twitter is emerging a global commu-

nication standard like the e-mail, especially among youths and any person advocating that the youth should stay off the tools is like asking the Anopheles mosquito to stay off sucking blood. While he noted that what most educational communities all over the world were doing is to put these media that the youths are so much attracted to, to academic advantage, he add-

L-R: Minister of State for Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Dr. MacJohn Nwabiala and Director Procurement, Mallam Shehu Aliyu during a meeting with contractors handling the construction of libraries in federal unity colleges, Almajiri schools and special girl-child schools in the country in Abuja.

ed in Australia, Asia, Europe and North America, teachers supplement their lessons with assignments given to their students on Facebook. In those countries, he said, studies had shown that students relate in an exciting manner to their Facebook lessons and through that, perform better in public examinations. “Also my research group in Lagos State University, Ojo”, he disclosed, “is investigating the potency of social media in teaching difficult topics in several secondary school subjects. So rather than clamour for a ban on our students using social media, our goal as a country, should be on how schools can leverage on such tools to improve learning and on how students can spend productive time, rather than all their wakeup time using such media on matters that are injurious to their psychosocial health.”

Business School Netherlands graduates 160 Nigerians TUNBOSUN OGUNDARE

total of 160 Nigerians have so far graduated with Executive Masters degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the Business School Netherlands (BSN) within 10 years the institution commenced training in Nigeria. About 400 students are currently in the school in the country. The Chief Executive of the institution in Nigeria, Mr. Lere Baale, disclosed this Tuesday in Lagos at a media conference to kickstart the 25th anniversary celebration of the institution, holding simultaneously worldwide. He said those graduates were now in top management positions of their various organisations, which include government establishments and corporate world within and outside the country. Baale, a trained teacher, claimed that BSN was known worldwide for its unique teaching and learning methods which have made its products highly competitive in

their respective fields of human endeavours among their peers elsewhere around the world. According to him, BSN offers practical and experienced-based knowledge to its students and this has enabled them impacting positively on themselves, work, organisations and their future. “There is more to gain as a professional if one undergoes executive masters programme in such high rated institution as BSN as the institution trains its students how to be able to

manage themselves and other human and material resources well and get results at the end of the day,” he said, adding that: “We make our students understand that they would have to learn from both their successes and failures.” Baale noted that with the introduction of digitisation of course contents, students would now receive their coursework pre-loaded on customised Ipads to “keep them on the same page with students in other outreaches worldwide.

While disclosing that course duration is two years within which every student is expected to have completed eight project works, he added that from this year, the school had made it mandatory for oversea students, including those from Nigeria, to undergo an intensive study tour in Netherlands as part of their course fulfillment. BSN, which started with one outreach centre in Ota, Ogun State, 10 year ago, is now having study centres in Lagos and Abuja.

L-R: Vice-Chancellor, Crawford University, Igbesa, Ogun State, Prof. Samson Ayanlaja; Registrar, Mr. Tunde Adekoya and Chairman, Academic Committee, Dr. Jonathan Amunu, at a media briefing ahead of the university’s fourth convocation recently.

Programme out to help students succeed in SSCE KEMI OLAITAN IBADAN

n educationist, Pastor Muyiwa Bamgbose, has raised an alarm on the need to stem the failure of students at the level of senior secondary school examinations, describing it as a danger that portends bleak future for the country. Bamgbose, who said this while addressing journalists in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, during the launching of “School-On-Air”, by the Educational Advancement Centre, revealed that over one million students in Nigeria recorded failure in secondary school certificate examinations annually. While lamenting the problem with the nation’s educational sector, he said it is not only about infrastructures but also required the need for quality teachers, insisting that the School-On-Air programme, was out to provide quality instructions to deprived students. According to him, the vision of the centre in introducing the programme is for a better country which is propelled by competent individuals, noting that these students will make positive impact if helped or negative impact if ignored. Bamgbose explained that the programme came about after various assess-

ments in states such as Oyo, Lagos, Ondo, Delta and Kaduna indicated the need for teacher quality intervention. He said: “We designed School On Mobile but saw the need for a system that will involve teacher figure and the School-OnAir is an attempt to intervene by providing quality instructions to deprived students.” The educationist, who insisted that the programme was designed to help secondary school leavers crossed the hurdle of secondary school certificate examinations and move to higher institutions, explained that what a student needs to do is to buy the dish through which he would be getting the teaching materials on his preferred subjects three hours daily. “We will be broadcasting via free to air satellite and mobile phones, we are using Calvary Network International on Amos Ku Satellite at 17 degrees east and we are looking for partnerships with governments and mobile operators to make the streaming affordable, “he stated. He then urged parents to avail their children the opportunity of the programme, maintaining that in as much as it was not designed to replace teachers, the recorded teaching by professional teachers will go a long way to assist the students and surmount the fear of WAEC and SSCE.

TESCOM workers urged to be above board JOHNSON OKANLAWON

he Chairman of Ekiti State Teaching Service Commission, Prince Bayo Adeniran, has advised workers in the commission to operate individual score-card in order to set their priorities and goals, as well as assist in targetsetting and performance appraisal. Speaking during a meeting with the management and staff of the commission to mark the beginning of the New Year and set agenda for the year, Prince Adeniran enjoined workers to have

the fear of God in their hearts and allow God to guide their steps. The TESCOM boss said it was also pertinent to forgive one another so that their prayers would not be hindered. While stressing the need for people to count their blessings and see the marvelous work of God in their individual life, Adeniran said more would be achieved through praises. He assured that the Fayemi- led administration would continue to see to the welfare of workers in the state and appealed to them to reciprocate government’s gesture.

Again, UK varsity applications low

niversity applications from UK students are down for the second year running, official figures show. Ucas admissions data from midDecember show applications from English students at their lowest since 2009. The trebling of maximum tuition fees saw a drop in applications for autumn 2012 but university leaders hoped demand would recover in 2013. A Ucas spokesman said it was too early to say whether overall applications would be down. The general deadline for applying to start university in autumn 2013 is 15 January, although people may apply later. These interim figures were collated by Ucas on 17 December, by which time some 265,730 people living in the UK had applied to start degree courses this autumn, down 6.3% on the same point in 2012. Among students living in England, applications were down 6.5% on 2012 at 229,932. The steepest drop in applications was from students living in Wales, down 11.7% to 11,218. Applications from Scottish students fell by 3.9% while there was a marginal increase in applications in Northern Ireland - up 0.5%. The Ucas spokesman stressed that the December sampling point was a few days before the end of term for many schools and suggested that many applications would have come in after that. He pointed out that in previous years up to 40% of applications have come in during the final month before the deadline. Pam Tatlow, chief executive of university group Million+ said: “The worrying trend of falling university applications continues, according to the most recent statistics published by UCAS. “We urge the government to step in with a national campaign to promote the value of university for potential students currently considering their options, whether they are about to leave school or considering a university course later in life.”

Thursday January 10, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

FROM OTHER LANDS

Psychologist seeks girls protection from undue pressure

ising numbers of girls are suffering mental health problems after coming under “sustained assault” from diet advertisements, alcohol marketing, fashion pressures and access to pornography, a leading psychologist has warned. A “greedy corporate world” increasingly sees girls – particularly those in the preteen group – as soft targets to be exploited, it is claimed. Steve Biddulph said girls were being forced to grow up too quickly and warned that parents had failed to protect them from external pressures. In a new book, Raising Girls, he says that a “marked plunge in girls’ mental health” was first seen around five years ago. Parents should take a

number of steps to safeguard their daughters, including restricting access to television, banning gadgets from the bedroom and organising more family time with grandparents and other relatives, he claims. The comments come amid continuing concerns over the extent to which childhood is being eroded by the pressures of modern life. A decade ago, Mr Biddulph, an Australian author and expert on child psychology, tackled the problems facing boys in a landmark book, claiming they were a “disaster area” while girls were doing fine. But he claims that a dramatic shift in recent years has turned the spotlight onto girls. In his latest book, seri-

alised in The Sunday Times, he says: “Problems such as eating disorders and selfharm, which once had been extremely rare, were now happening in every classroom and every street. “But more than this, the average girl was stressed and depressed in a way we hadn’t seen before.” The book, which is published on January 17, warns that girls are living in “enormous pain and confusion”, leading to an increase in drink and drug taking. “Never before has girlhood been under such a sustained assault, ranging through everything from diet ads, alcohol marketing and fashion pressures, to the inroads of hard pornography into teenage bedrooms,” he says. The author says that

Girls pressure.

companies have become aware of the “enormous profits to be made in exploiting their anxieties (or, in fact, creating those anxieties) about everything from skin to weight to friendships to clothes.” But he claims that adults have not devoted enough “time and care around our daughters, or taught them

Teachers’ morale low in UK –Survey

orale among teachers in England and Wales is “dangerously low” and “has declined dramatically in recent months” a survey suggests. More than half (55%) of teachers polled by YouGov for the National Union of Teachers (NUT) described their morale as low or very low. Some 77% said the government’s impact on education in England was “negative”. The government said teaching was an “attractive profession” with “vacancy rates at their lowest since 2005”. Researchers questioned a “weighted spread” of 804 teachers across England and Wales. Some 88% belonged to a trade union or professional body, and 11% taught in private schools,

the rest in state funded schools including academies and free schools. Some 74% were female. The survey was conducted online last month. The results suggested that teacher morale had collapsed by 13 percentage points since a similar survey in April. Then the proportion describing their morale as low or very low was 42%. The figure describing it as high or very high dropped from 27% in April to 15 per cent in December. Some 69% said their morale had declined since the general election in 2010. Almost three-quarters (71%) said they rarely or never felt trusted by the government. Some 77% said academy and free school programmes were taking education in England in the wrong direction, while only 5% felt the

government was having a “positive” effect on schools. More than three-quarters (76%) said cuts and austerity measures were having a negative impact on some or most children and their families, with 74% agreeing that children’s educational attainment was affected by family income. More than eight out of ten secondary teachers (81%) said they believed the government’s new English Baccalaureate qualification for 16-year-olds was being rushed through without enough consultation. Some expressed fears that the new qualification encompassed too narrow a range of subjects and that many schools would stop teaching music, art, PE, design technology and religious education. The Telegraph

well enough.” Young women are growing up much quicker than their parents, he says, adding: “To understand our daughters, we have to realise that their childhood is not like ours. To put it bluntly, our 18 is their 14. Our 14 is their 10.” BBC

Rape: India varsities review campus safety

L-R (front row): US JP Morgna, Senior Country Officer for South Africa, Coulter John; South Africa Deputy Minister of Basic Education, Enver Surty and the US Ambassador to South Africa, Mr. Donald Gips with the implementing partners at the launch of $7.5 million programme to improve education in South Africa, recently.

PHOTO: ALAMY

idespread public outrage at the brutal gang rape in New Delhi in December that resulted in the death of the 23-year-old medical student victim has forced the country’s higher education regulatory body, the University Grants Commission, or UGC, to review the safety of women in higher education institutions. In a 1 January letter to 568 university vice-chancellors and directors of higher learning institutions, the UGC said institutions should ensure women’s security on campus. The UGC recommended that all universities and institutions set up a task force to ensure women’s security and keep it informed of actions taken. The rape victim and a male friend had been out to see a film when they boarded a bus in the Munirka area of Delhi. Police said she was raped for nearly an hour, and both she and her companion were beaten with iron bars and thrown out of the moving bus into the street. She succumbed to her injuries on December 29 after she was flown to Singapore for treatment. Thousands of citizens, a majority of them students and young people, both women and men have taken to the streets in recent weeks demanding serious action to ensure the

safety of women in Indian cities and towns. The campus security review, according to the UGC letter signed by its chairperson, Ved Prakash. may be further strengthened both in and around the girls’ hostels on campuses. “These measures are necessary to ensure that girls and women have a safe and inspiring learning environment.” “Similarly, there is a need to ensure a safe working environment for women employees in the offices for their academic and professional responsibilities. You may consider putting in place a dedicated task force comprising senior colleagues, which can constantly monitor the existing arrangements and the additional ones put into operation.” Stressing the need for modules on awareness of gender issues to be included in the university curriculum, Prakash said discussions on such concerns among faculty and students, could help create “healthy mindsets”. The UGC’s recommendation puts the spotlight firmly on the issue of sexual harassment and assault faced daily by students across the country and the failure of higher education institutions to set up preventive and redressal mechanisms. University World News

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Thursday January 10, 2013

Better eating days ahead for OAU students! with Mojeed Alabi mojeedalabi2@yahoo.co.uk or mail@mirroronline.net

DHIKRU AKINOLA

300 LEVEL, POL. SCIENCE OAU

tudents of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) are in for swell bread eating moments ahead as the Great Ife Bread and Confectionery bakery has officially opened! It was commissioned by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Tale Omole recently. Eulogising the enviable virtues of Chief (Dr.) John

Agboola Odeyemi, chairman, OAU Investment Company Limited, (OAUICL) Prof. Omole described him as a strong, industrious and enterprising man who is always willing to try new ways of doing and achieving things which have helped in the great success recorded by OAUICL. He equally appreciated the great work of other members of the Board in revamping the company.

…as VC commissions Great Ife Bread and Confectionery

As contained in a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the University, Mr. Biodun Olarewaju, the VC opined that having a bakery was a step in the right direction. He however challenged the management of OAUICL to be at the forefront of integrating cassava flour in baking bread as it is being advocated by the Minister of Agriculture; Dr. Adesina Akinkunmi, who is also an alumnus. Speaking in his welcome

address, Odeyemi described bread as next to water, adding that “this is the reason the management of OAUICL commissioned the Great Ife Bread and Confectionery after the OAU water plant”. He said ‘’Great Ife Bread and Confectionery would extend its market across South West and Abuja, Nigeria and OAUICL as a conglomerate would continually contribute its own quota towards the satisfaction of

human needs, provide employment to teeming Nigerian youths in the labour market and to the IGR of OAU’’ he further disclosed. Managing Director of OAUICL, Mr. Adenrele Adeyemi, in his welcome address observed that the mission of OAUICL has always been provision of essential goods and services for healthy, comfortable living of staff, students, the University community in particular and Nigeria

in general. He saluted the magnanimity of the VC for the release of substantial amount of funds in facilitating the operation of the OAUICL Bakery. The acting director of corporate services, Dr. (Mrs.) Oyebisi, Chief Security Officer, Mr. Ogidi Adio, representatives of Guaranty Trust Bank, Ecobank and students of the University were also in attendance at the occasion.

Oyo students elect leaders

Ajimobi to sponsor inter-campus debate

300L POL SCIENCE, OAU

DHIKRU AKINOLA

300L POL. SCIENCE, OAU

he National Association of Oyo Students (NAOS) has elected its national leaders who will steer the affairs of the association in the next academic session. The election recently took place amid tight security at the Old Atiba Local Government Secretariat, Oyo, which now houses the association’s national secretariat. It however produced Daudu Temitope of the University of Ibadan as president while Adebayo Taiwo Hassan emerged speaker of the parliament. At the inaugural sitting presided over by Hassan, the 400 level student of Political Science, University of Ibadan, charged the newly sworn-in executive committee to sit up and rise to the challenges ahead. He warned that the period when elected officials avoided responsibilities is gone, adding that “the association must be repositioned to attain an enviable height”. In his response, the president thanked God for the newly inaugurated executives and parliament, promising that his administration is in for many tasks which shall be achieved collectively. He further reiterated his believe in his colleagues, noting that everyone will be carried along in the overall discharge of the programmes and activities of the association. Hassan also assured that the association building, located at the back of the new Atiba Local Government, Ofa Meta, will be completed sooner than imagined as nothing will delay the works.

Students of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, conducting tutorials in preparation for their forth coming examination. PHOTO: SIKIRU AKINOLA

Rotaract Club donates to schools in Ekiti DAYO OJERINDE

he Zone M Rotaract Club which comprises Rotaract Clubs in Ondo and Ekiti states respectively has donated a flat screen desktop computer to Orija High school. It also made donations of Rotaract customised exercise books to Ijaloke Grammar School, both in Emure-Ekiti, Ekiti State. This was done as part of activities to mark the annual “Family of Rotary Month”. While shedding light on the “Family of Rotaract Month”, the assistant district representative in charge of Ekiti and Ondo state, Michael Oyewole said; “Family of Rotary in Rotary International is usually done in the month of December and it is an avenue for members under this humanitarian umbrella to come together, to share love, celebrate one another, familiarise and share Rotary in selfless service to humanity. Hence, Zone

M which comprises of all the Rotaract Clubs located in Ekiti and Ondo States came together to fulfill this yearly obligation” he submitted. In the same vein, the event also allowed members of the Rotaract club that were hosted by the Emure Community based Rotaract Club, Ekiti state to pay a courtesy visit to the traditional ruler of Emure town in Ekiti state, HRM Oba Emmanuel A. Adebayo who hosted them to a breakfast. The traditional ruler, Oba Adebayo took time out to share words of knowledge and wisdom with members of the club who are mostly students. He said: “We must at all time given seek opportunity to ask questions from elders, so as not to miss our way in life.” He further challenged the youths to make themselves instruments of peace and change especially during this challenging period in the country. The event was roundedup with a symposium in which two lectures with

in-depth analysis were delivered. The first tagged “Peace and Love” was delivered by Olayinka Adefemi, while the second titled: “Sustainable peace for a sustainable Nation” with Nigeria as a case study was delivered by Oluwasinmirin Tunde.

s part of his administration’s drive to develop the education sector, Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi has agreed to sponsor a debate competition among higher institutions in the state. This was recently revealed by the President, Federation of Oyo State Students Union, (FOSSU), Ahmad Olansile Muili. According to Muili, the governor who is committed to student-youth development in the state has pledged his support to students in whatever capacity that would move the state forward. Speaking at the association’s senate meeting last week, he also disclosed that plans are underway for the payment of bursary and scholarships,

noting that the payment would be made immediately after conducting the much awaited biometric data capturing exercise. The data capturing exercise, he said, is part of the state’s measures to block loopholes through which money is siphoned, explaining that “the system would ensure proper statistics of the entire students of Oyo state origin”. He however disclosed that the debate competition would afford students the opportunity to interact with one another, while competing for academic trophies and enhance healthy rivalry. The senate president, Ezekiel Olatunde expressed happiness with the development, advising the president and other executive members to work towards the realization of their dreams.

A cross section of graduands at the convocation ceremony of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State, recently.

Thursday January 10, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Absurd recurrence of ‘police singularity’

HE NATION ON SUNDAY of January 6 welcomes us today with three headline blunders: “Police arrests (arrest) student for severing girlfriend’s head” “Iraq presidency claims progress in stroke recovery” Either Iraq’s or Iraqi presidency “2015: Presidential race in slow but steady build up (buildup)” “…the first time the legal practitioner is placing himself in the driver’s seat with regards to….” No legalese: either with regard to or as regards. “Long queues return at (to) fuel stations in Edo…. “I got many destitutes and mentally deranged persons off the streets of Minna” This way: many destitute and mentallyderanged persons…. “The much-anticipated Nigerian spring did not quite kick-off.” Phrasal verbs abhor hyphenation. “…friends and well-wishers to pay their last respect (respects) to the departed past president.” “Yes, there have been manipulations in the sector, there is no question about it. Yes, we are looking into it….” Let us substitute ‘them’ for ‘it’ to foreclose fuel subsidy fraud! “…dishing out nostalgic and melodious songs of yesteryears (yesteryear) to the delight of listeners.” “JAMB alerts on (to) fraudulent SMS” “Nigeria at the crossroad of insecurity…” Get it right: crossroads “…what happens when the law that should ordinarily serve as deterrence has been expunged?” Bigamy in Lagos: act as a deterrent. “Farmers, cattle

dealers in Yewa South poise for war” I am poised for lexical and structural war this year! “Oil spills in Nigeria have become such a regular occurrence that they no longer attract interest, except by those directly affected, who must deal with them one way or the other.” Shell’s oil spill: one way or another—not the other. “…that I invented at three a.m. in the morning.” ‘A.m. in the morning’ indicates stark illiteracy! “Butchers engage each other in fracas” The story: “It was a free for all fight (sic) again in Ilorin, Kwara State capital (a comma) yesterday when some members of the butchers (some butchers) engaged themselves (one another) in fracas (a fracas) over….” ‘Free for all’ does not require ‘fight’. “Why has the ordinary Nigerian not benefitted from these multinationals?” I remember Oloibiri: benefited. “The example of Blessing also goes to show that the era when women are (were) discriminated against in certain field (fields), especially the military, are (is) over….” “There is already an amendment in the party’s rule on waivers for decampees (defectors).” ‘Decampee’ is a Nigerian political creation unrecognized by lexicographers. “NTDC…restoring peace on (to) the Plateau” “…area boys engaged in a supremacy battle using guns and all manners (manner) of weapons….” “The attention of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has been drawn to an information making rounds that the….” ‘An information’?

‘ALRIGHT’ IS AN UNACCEPTABLE SPELLING IN CLASSICAL ENVIRONMENTS

No! Either a piece of information or, preferably, just information. And this: doing/going (British)/making (American) the rounds (note the article). “Blue-chips, banks lead, as investors loss N1.381tr in 2012” For headline currency purposes, as investors lose. General application; banks led, as investors lost N1.381tr in 2011. Grammar transcends profit and loss account. “It is an affront on (to) Nigerians….” “Arab League summons for (an) emergency meeting” Delete ‘for’ because of its irrelevance. “Army deploys more troops to (in) North to battle Boko Haram” “Bribery and corruption, advanced (advance) fee fraud (419), kidnapping and armed robbery are just a few of the issues for which our nation is being stigmatised.” “Winner of all expense paid trip to Manchester” This should not come from my own exclusive telecom firm and transnational pride! Get it right: all-expenses-paid trip to Manchester, home to my own Red Devils, the most successful and richest football club in Europe. “U.S. stocks decline after fivedays gain” Either five-day gain or five days’ gain “House on The Rock fetes less priviledged at Christmas” Spell-check: less-privileged “No nation can thrive suc-

cessful (successfully) in….” “Events that shaped 2012 in the S/West: Jonathan’s gaff about the zone” This way: “…it has a strong religion undertone” Politics: religious undertone “Seasons Greetings” Conscience, Nurtured by Truth: Season’s greetings “Our investment in amateur sports is beginning to reap fruits—Fashola” I can stake my employment that this couldn’t have come from my superactive and cerebral governor, Egbon Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) of Lagos State! Investments yield fruits which investors reap. “…Chief Olusegun Osoba, in response to a question, has (had) jokingly….” “In place of the temporary and barely perceptible relief offered by stray sand bags….” Be on the alert: ‘relief ’ connotes temporariness. So, to write ‘temporary relief ’ smacks of sub-literacy. “Armed robbers paid him a non-courtesy call at about 7.30 p.m.” Back to the basics: either at 7.30 p.m or about 7.30 p.m, depending on context. No mix-up, please. And what is ‘non-courtesy’ all about? Do bandits pay courtesy calls? “As it was remarked sometimes (sometime) ago....” “Waking up in the morning of Wednesday, January 25, 2012, had not been too problematic for Hafiz Ringim, at least not in any way that the day had given him any hint of what the day had in stock (store) for him.” “It is a make-belief story” Get it right: make-believe. “...it cuts in from the next street whether along the very busy Broad Street or at the out-

ASUU calls for national education summit MOJEED ALABI

he Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has urged the Federal Government to convene an all-inclusive summit to appraise Nigeria’s education system and proffer turnaround solutions to the ailing sector. The union made this call through its National

President, Prof. Nasir Isa Fagge, during an exclusive interview with National Mirror on the group’s expectation in the New Year. Fagge, who lamented the falling standard of education in the country, blamed all stakeholders and particularly government for what he described as the neglect of responsibility and the rising level of corruption among leaders and

followers. He said the summit should be organised by the Federal Government in conjunction with other stakeholders including parents, teachers, students, non-governmental organisations, and foreign institutions, among others. “We believe if the report by the committee set up by the Federal Government to look into the state

and needs of universities across the federation is implemented to the letter, there shall be less to discuss on the university system. But as regards the other levels, we expect a summit to be called before the end of the second quarter of this year to evolve joint suggestions on how to revive our ailing education system,” Fagge said. Meanwhile, ASUU has also enjoined the FG to

skirts of the city.” Travelogue: on the outskirts. “The sweet look of the cards do (does) not give any inkling of a country….” “Land allotees get ultimatum” Spell-check: allottees. “Beside the African Union dastardly act which shocked and outraged the world.…” There is a world of difference between ‘beside’ and ‘besides’ (which applies here). “In fact, a dangerous development such as cultism needs not to be (need not be) treated with a kid’s glove”. Get it right: kid gloves. “The impression I was given was that IBB had morbid fear of the wild, wild west, and would never cross the River Niger again, talk less (let alone) coming to Lagos. “…the heads of these institutions did not like the carnage that went on in the university campuses but they were handicapped.” The cultists’ challenge: on (not in) university campuses. “Anything to create a reasonably safe distance between us and the governor’s siren was alright.” This way: all right, if you subscribe to formal (standard) English. ‘Alright’ is an unacceptable spelling in classical environments. “…he has indeed made remarkable damages on earth with a little help from its inhabitant. ‘Damage’ is uncountable except in legal reparations. “What this therefore calls for is (are) clear-cut criteria for determining who goes and who is retained at the end of the pruning exercise.” What is the function of ‘exercise’ here? And this: criterion (singular); criteria (plural).

tow a path of honour by fulfilling the remaining parts of the agreement it entered with the union in 2009 as a prerequisite for smooth academic running in 2013. According to Faggae, the remaining contentious part of the agreement includes university autonomy and appropriate funding of the universities in the country.

“As a pressure group, we will expect the Federal Government to honour our agreement fully this year and before the end of the first quarter. We are peaceloving and would not want to truncate the relative peace our institutions currently enjoy but government too must be honourable enough to fulfill her pledges which are already due for fresh negotiations,” Prof Fagge said.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

2013: D’Tigers, Tigresses set sights on African titles 30

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sport

We have excellent players and a great coach that can make us win our 10th Champions League crown –Real Madrid’s legend, Alfredo di Stefano

Super 4: Lobi pips Rangers

obi Stars of Makurdi got off their campaign in this year’s Super Four Championship yesterday edging their opponents, Enugu Rangers 1-0. It was the Matchday 1 encounter of the competition which is being organised by the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) so as to keep Nigeria’s representatives in the CAF competitions in good shape. Both sides mesmerised themselves in the first 20th minute of an entertaining game and Rangers would have taken the lead when Madu Chibuzor struck the crossbar from 20 yards af-

FIFA bans 20 Korean players for life

Emmanuel Olowo of Heartland contesting the ball with Rangers’ Sunday Chinedu in a league match last season.

Keshi sends spies to Stallions, Mena game

EVEREST ONYEWUCHI

member of the technical crew of Nigeria’s Super Eagles will watch today’s Africa Cup of Nations warm-up match between Burkina Faso and Niger in Rustenburg, South Africa. The Stallions of Burkina Faso are in the same group of the South Africa 2013 AFCON with Eagles and Coach Stephen Keshi disclosed recently that their game today against the Mena was of utmost importance to the Nigerian camp. Keshi stressed that knowing the opponents’ strategy would help the Eagles to achieve their aim at the tournament. “We will try and send somebody to watch the Burkina Faso friendly with Niger because by then we will be in Faro, Portugal. It is crucial for us to see their game,” Keshi had said.. Eagles played their last warmup game against debutant Cape Verde last night, after which Keshi released the list of his 23-man squad to the AFCON. Meanwhile, Bafana Bafana coach, Gordon Igesund, is rallying South African fans to back his team towards winning the Nations Cup a second time.

•As Bafana banks on fans’ support

Igesund told newsmen ahead of the international friendly match against Norway that his team could do with all the support it could get from the “Rainbow Nation’s” populace. Many of the country’s football fans are of the belief that the Bafana Bafana will not advance beyond the group stage in which they will contend with Morocco, Angola and Cape Verde Islands. But Igesund stressed that his players were ready to win the fans over ahead of

the January 19 opening match against the Blue Sharks. “The most important thing is that we get the fans to believe in this team. If we all support the team with passion, commitment and good attitude that will boost us. But we also have to perform. We have to play well and then get them behind us. “We have to use their power to maximum effect. If we have any shortfall, the gap will be filled by the supporters,” Igesund said.

NTTF postpones Adeboye tourney

he Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) has postponed the maiden edition of Pastor E.A. Adeboye National U-20 Table Tennis Championship earlier scheduled for January 14 to February 3. NTTF Secretary, Segun Oguntade, said the postponement was because of logistics reasons. He told NAN in Lagos yesterday that it would now hold between February 13 and February 28, adding that the competition would hold at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Camp on the Lagos/Ibadan Express way. “The aim is to identify and promote young ones in the sport. It

ter being wonderfully set up by Sanusi Sani. Okorie Daniel then broke the deadlock in the 25th minute for Lobi as a shocking gaffe from Rangers’ Umar Haliru left Rangers goalkeeper, Okafor Uche, helpless as Okorie scored from the left angle. Rangers’ best chance came in the 40th minute, but Lobi Stars’ goalkeeper, Lawrence John, was at full-stretch as he denied Taro Seun from scoring. Meanwhile, Heartland’s captain, Chinedu Efugh, is missing from the competition because he has to attend to pressing personal issues.

promises to be a memorable one because it will afford them the opportunity to exhibit their skills. It has been postponed to next month because the organisers want it to be interesting and there are some things that need to be put in place,” Oguntade explained.

Pastor Adeboye

orld soccer governing body, FIFA, yesterday confirmed the extension of sanctions on 41 players from Korea Republic related to a domestic matchfixing investigation dating back to the summer of 2011. All 41 players were sanctioned with a lifetime ban from all football activities by the K-League and the Korea Football Association’s disciplinary committees and yesterday, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee extended the sanctions to have worldwide effect. However, FIFA said that 21 of the players who turned themselves in during the voluntary reporting period, who expressed their grave regret about their involvement in match-fixing, were offered the possibility of returning to football after a probation period of between two and five years. This includes carrying out periods of community service ranging from 200 to 500 hours. The probation is voluntary, which means that the respective player has to inform the K-League that he wishes to return to football.

Sepp Blatter

“At this point, the player then has to commit himself to one of a variety of community services related to football. These services include the provision of coaching classes for local football clubs for youth and adult players; involvement in and support of football for those with disabilities; and the support of ongoing and future domestic anti-match-fixing activities,” FIFA ruled. In June 2012, the sanctions imposed by the KLeague and the KFA’s disciplinary committees on 10 other players involved in match-fixing were extended to have worldwide effect by FIFA, in accordance with articles 136 ff. of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.

Sport

Thursday, January 10, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Modric gets mate’s support R

eal Madrid midfielder, Xabi Alonso, has defended the form of teammate Luka Modric who was recently declared by the Spanish media as “one of the worst summer signings”. Alonso, who joined Madrid in 2009 after five years in the Barclays Premier League with Liverpool, believes Modric needs to be given time to settle in and is convinced the Croatia international will be a success at the nine-time European champions. “Luka plays in a position where we have several players and he’s adapting to a new club and a new league,” Alonso said yesterday. “It took me a while to adapt on my return to La Liga,” he added. “But Luka is a fantastic guy and a great player and I’ve no doubt that he’s going to be an important player.”

Luka Modric

Romelu Lukaku

Baggies green light for Lukaku

eports yesterday suggested that West Brom can keep Romelu Lukaku until the end of the season, after Chelsea opted not to take him back to Stamford Bridge. The teenage striker moved to The Hawthorns on a season-long loan deal in August, although the Londoners in-

Sarki joins Wisla Krakow IKENWA NNABUOGOR

ormer Golden Eaglets winger, Emmanuel Sarki, has signed a two and half year contract with top Polish club Wisla Krakow. Sarki, who joined the league champions on Monday after impressing the club on trial,had arrived the club in December to begin a trial after which he im-

Emmanuel Sarki

pressed the club’s officials. The former junior international becomes the club’s first major signing in the January windows and has since begun training after he was handed jersey number 14. “I will soon be unveiled to the fans but the officials are to fix a date for the ceremony,” Sarki told National Mirror yesterday. The former Ashdod of Israel star, who had been a free agent since he parted ways with Belgian side Waasland-Beveren last summer despite helping them gain promotion to the Belgian top flight, could be named in the squad that will travel to engage GKS Bełchatów on February 23 for his league debut when the Polish league resumes after the winter break. Super Eagles midfielder, Kalu Uche, shone at Krakow in the early 2000s, winning the league double and Sarki is expected to follow in his footsteps.

Tit Bits

Ronaldo

Real Madrid defender, Pepe, is confident that the beleaguered Cristiano Ronaldo will stay. Ronaldo is stalling on signing a new deal, which has alerted the interest of Manchester United, Manchester City and PSG. “Cristiano is happy at Real Madrid and focused on helping the team. I’m sure he’ll extend his contract,” Pepe told journalists yesterday. David Beckham

Beckham mulls ‘flooding offers’

eports said yesterday that former Los Angeles Galaxy winger David Beckham has at least eleven options to consider in his search for a new club as the former England captain is available after deciding to end his association with the MLS

‘Guardiola made for City’

arcelona legend, Hristo Stoichkov, is convinced Pep Guardiola will end up at Manchester City. With Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano now running things at City, Stoichkov believes they’re favourites for the ex-Barca coach, despite talk of Manchester United and Chelsea also being keen. “I see Guardiola going to Manchester City because the combination of Txiki and Pep made history at Barca,” the Bulgarian said yesterday.

serted a clause providing them with an option to recall their player in early January. However, the Blues have decided not to bring the 19-yearold back after the option expired on Monday. Lukaku has performed well this season for the Baggies and is the club’s leading scorer in the league with five goals.

Pep Guardiola

club. Beckham spent five years with Galaxy, helping to raise the profile of football in the United States, and feels a desire to take on one last challenge before hanging up his boots. Clubs from across the globe are reported to be keen on acquiring his services, with Beckham bringing more than just football ability to any club he turns out for as his brand appeals to sides from Europe, across the Middle East and into Asia and down through Australia. According to the reports, however, no decision as to his next move has been made as yet. But it is understood that Beckham will consider all of the offers before end of next week.

Henry

Arsenal hat-trick hero, Theo Walcott, has credited club legend Thierry Henry for his new lease of form in recent time. Walcott has benefitted from practising alongside Arsenal legend Henry, who is currently training with Arsenal and is expected to sign a short-term loan deal from the New York Red Bulls next month. “I’ve learned a lot from Thierry and just to have him around in training is great. Hopefully, his loan contract can be sorted out soon.”

Kagawa

Manchester United Manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, has expressed pleasure with Shinji Kagawa’s return to action. The Japan international was handed a first start in two months after recovering from injury. “You expect him to tire with it being his first game for a couple of months but he did a great job working, especially immediately after his return from the spell,” Ferguson said.

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Sport

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Angola: Sleeping antelopes set to fly

o firing note could be more than what the Palancas Negras of Angola sounded to the 15 other participating teams of the Africa Cup of Nations with a 2-0 victory over defending champions Zambia during a warm-up match played last Saturday. Striker Geraldo, who plays for Brazilian second-tier club Parana, opened the scoring after eight minutes at Dobsonville Stadium and defender Amaro from Primeiro Agosto added a second five minutes from time. This was the third consecutive win for the squad led by Uruguayan coach, Gustavo Ferrin, following home successes against Rwanda and Cameroun, lending credence to the fact that the Angolans, who are regarded as sleeping giants, are set for the serious business of presenting a formidable opposition when the Nations Cup kicks off on January 19 in South Africa. Angola made their debut at the AFCON finals in 1996. They were drawn in Group A with South Africa, Egypt and Cameroun. They lost their first two games to Egypt and South Africa, but managed a 3–3 draw against Cameroun. With a team comprising mostly overseas-based players, the sable giant antelopes performed in great style, but were betrayed by the lack of experience in such competitions. They finished bottom of the group and did not reach the second round. The team then qualified for their second successive Africa Cup of Nations in 1998, but again failed to go beyond the group stage. In its second participation, the team, under Portuguese coach Manuel Gomes “Neca”, once again stumbled in the opening stage of the competition, following (33) and (0-0) draws with South Africa and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), respectively and (2-5) defeat to Côte d’Ivoire. Subsequently, the Sable Antelopes were unable to qualify for three editions of the AFCON tournaments until 2006 where again, they didn’t go beyond the first round. They recorded their first Africa Cup of Nations win against Togo, winning 3–2, two goals coming from Flávio and the other coming from Maurito. They also drew 0–0 against Congo DR and lost 3–1 against Cameroon. Their best performance was recorded in 2008 when they got to the quarterfinals. Angola made good showing their then maturing football. They were drawn in Group D with Tunisia, South Africa and Senegal. The sable giant antelopes took the whole world by surprise with a pass into the quarter-finals, following victories over the almighty Senegal (3-1), and draw with South Africa (1-1). A goalless draw with Tunisia and a 1-2 defeat to Egypt followed. However, in the encounter with Egypt, Manucho Gonçalves scored that which turned out to be one of the best goals of the competition, earning him the second best scorers position with four goals, against the first’s five Angola welcomed the rest of Africa in 2010 as host of the Africa Cup of Nations. In their opening game, they drew 4–4 in an eight-goal thriller with Mali, after letting a 4–0 lead slip in the last 11 minutes (including three goals in stoppage time). The team recovered well to defeat Malawi 2–0 in the second match, and topped the

YEMI OLUS writes that the Palancas Negras can spring a surprise, despite being placed in perhaps the trickiest AFCON groups comprising hosts South Africa, Morocco and Cape Verde together for a while, thereby fostering team unity and familiarity amongst the players. The bulk of the team is made up of young players whose strength and agility would no doubt be an advantage for the Angolans. Weaknesses: The side would be lacking in terms of experience and would have to depend on the knowledge of few players like Manucho, Gilberto and Lama. The team has also not been. Over the years the team has not been known to put up an impressive during the AFCON finals proper and would be hardpressed to break that jinx. NATIONS CUP RECORD:

Palancas Negras posing before a recent game

Manucho

group by drawing 0–0 with Algeria only to be knocked out in the quarter final after a 1–0 defeat by eventual finalists Ghana. However they were unimpressive at the AFCON finals held in Gabon/Equatorial Guinea in 2012 as they were once again ousted from the competition during the group stages. As the Angolans get set to make their seventh appearance in the finals, offensive midfielder Geraldo recognised the good understanding within the squad that is preparing since December 26 2012. Geraldo told journalists last week that the national team recorded an evolution in teamwork with the integration of the other athletes that play abroad. “This is good for who has objectives to attain in the competition,” he said. FC Vaduz (Liechtenstein) striker, Guilherme Afonso is set for his AFCON debut as he has been named in Angola’s final 23-man squad. He won two caps for Switzerland at U-21 level will be playing beside 29-year-old Manucho who is also part of the show. The squad has no doubt been placed in a difficult group (A) alongside hosts South Africa, Cape Verde and Morocco. However the Angolan Home Minister, Angelo Veiga, expressed optimism that the Negras will at least reach the second phase of the AFCON finals.

The official said that the Angolan team has been preparing to face the opponents with determination and will count on the support of the whole the country. “Certainly such as on other occasions, our team will feel the warmth and the support of all the Angolans. Therefore, due to the preparation work so far, they will reach the second stage,” he said. Angola will take on the Zebras of Botswana in a friendly on January 13 in Johannesburg to round off their preparation for South Africa 2013. FACTFILE: Nickname: Palancas Negras (The Sable Antelopes) Association: Federação Angolana de Futebol (FAF) Highest FIFA ranking: 45 (July 2000) Lowest FIFA ranking: 124 (March 1994) FIFA Ranking: 79 Colours: Red, black and white Head Coach: Gustavo Ferrín Captain: Kali Strengths: A good number of the players selected for the AFCON finals play within the Angolan domestic league and have been camped

Sudan 1957 Egypt 1959 Ethiopia 1962 Ghana 1963 Tunisia 1965 Ethiopia 1968 Sudan 1970 Cameroon 1972 Egypt 1974 Ethiopia 1976 Ghana 1978 Nigeria 1980 Libya 1982 Ivory Coast 1984 Egypt 1986 Morocco 1988 Algeria 1990 Senegal 1992 Tunisia 1994 South Africa 1996 Burkina Faso 1998 Ghana/Nigeria 2000 Mali 2002 Tunisia 2004 Egypt 2006 Ghana 2008 Angola 2010 E-Guinea/Gabon 2012 South Africa 2013

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SA 2013 squad: Goalkeepers: Lamas, Landu and Neblu. Defenders: Amaro, Bastos, Dani Massunguna, Fabricio, Lunguinha, Marco Airosa, Mingo Bille, Pirolito and Zuela. Midfielders: Dede, Gilberto, Manucho Dinis, Manuel and Miguel. Strikers: Djalma, Geraldo, Guilherme Afonso, Manucho, Mateus and Yano. Key Player: Mateus Alberto Contreiras Gonçalves (Manucho) The Coach: Gustavo Ferrín Prediction: Being drawn in the same group as host South Africa would prove to be herculean for Angola. Overcoming North Africans and former African Champions, Morocco would also prove to be tasking for Gustavo Ferrin’s side. Nevertheless the team’s recent 2-0 victory against Zambia would be a morale boost for the side who have opportunity to make a mark.

Sport

Thursday, January 10, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

SLAMMING AND E-mail: folashayoezekiel@yahoo.com Phone: 08027536696

DUNKING

With SAYO OGUNDEJI

2013: D’Tigers, Tigresses set sights on African titles

D’Tigers celebrating after qualifying for the London 2012 Olympic Games. Inset: Coach Ayo Bakare

or Nigeria men’s senior basketball national team, otherwise known as the D’Tigers, the year 2012 would be regarded as a success. D’Tigers who had participated in a couple past editions of the World Championships, surprised everyone by qualifying for their first ever Olympic Games in London. Being one of the lowest ranked teams prior to the FIBA Olympics qualifiers in Venezuela, Nigeria, with no realistic chance of surviving the hurdle of qualification, came up against the likes of Russia, Greece and Lithuania who at the time occupied the third, fourth and fifth spots according to FIBA rankings. Surprisingly, the team, under the tutelage of renowned coach, Ayo Bakare, beat Lithuania and Greece before defeating the Dominican Republic in the final place playoffs to cement third spot which ensured their qualification. Their performance at the London Games may not have left much to be desired but the manner in which they picked one of the tickets available, drew the world’s attention to the potential that abound in the country. The team only managed to beat their African brothers, Tunisia, in the first game but lost the remaining games against the United States, France, Lithuania and Argentina as they exited the Olympics. To many, the assemblage of players was spot on as almost all the players showed the desire and readiness to die for their country on the pitch, a sharp contrast to what obtained in the past. While many faulted the decision of the technical crew for choosing entirely

foreign-based players, most of who were born and bred abroad, Coach Bakare however stressed that he selected the best for the country. According to the Ebun Comets of Lagos coach who admits that the local league also boasts of good and talented players, the foreign-based professionals, most of who play collegiate basketball abroad, possess some qualities that made it extremely difficult for him to select any of the home-based lads who travelled with the team prior to the qualifiers in Venezuela. “There is no doubt about the fact that we have abundant of talents plying their trade here in Nigeria but we did not have much time to blend them into our programme. “My philosophy is to select the best players for the country and most of these foreign based players fit the bill and I am happy they qualify Nigeria for her first ever Olympic games.” Despite the team’s impressive showings last year, one issue that is yet to be solved is the decision of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) to name the new national team coach since Bakare’s contract ended immediately after the London Games. While many are of the opinion that Bakare and bulk of the Olympic team be retained for the sake of continuity, the NBBF seems not to favour the choice of Bakare as different names have been rumoured to be on the federation’s shop list. “We have been looking at a number of Nigerian coaches since D’Tigers outing at the London Olympics this year and I must tell you that most of the coaches we’ve considered are outside the country handling

Tigresses’ Rashidat Odun Sadiq

different teams and they’re all Nigerians too. Among them is Ime Udoka, who was a former national team player and now a part of the coaching staff with NBA team, San Antonio Spurs,” the federation’s First VicePresident, Muktar Kaleh said in November last year. Interestingly, indications have emerged that Bakare might make a return to the national team going by his performance at the Olympics, according to a board member of the federation, Babs Ogunade. “I think the record speaks volume of what Bakare had done for the country. This stands him out to get the job back,” Ogunade said. The team must as a matter of progression, focus its energy on how to consolidate on last year’s performance by going all out to win this year’s African Basketball Nations Cup slated for Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. After defeating Mozambique 62-56 to emerge champions at the 10th All Africa Games held in Maputo, Mozambique in 2011

and a third place finish at the Afrobasket a year later, the D’Tigers will aim to displace the defending champions, Tunisia and Angola who were the runners up at the 26th edition. Other countries that have qualified for the competition are Burkina Faso, Morocco, Algeria, Senegal, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Cameroon and Congo. On the international scene, the main attraction in 2013 will be the qualifiers for FIBA World Championship that will hold in Spain later in the year and the team must set the ball rolling not only on how to qualify but to consolidate Nigeria’s rating on the world stage. For the women’s senior national team, the Tigresses, are ranked 26th, behind Mali (17th), Senegal (20th) and Angola (23rd) they must ensure they better their 2011 Afrobasket performance where they finished fourth. For the Tigresses, nothing short of winning the tournament this year will be regarded as an achievement, having been African champions in 2003 and 2005. The team’s captain and leading scorer in the tournament with 12.5 points per game, Rashidat Odun Sadiq, acknowledges there is a lot to do. “Other African countries have improved and capitalised on things we or other teams didn’t do right. My belief is everyone is working hard and getting better,” she told FIBA.com recently. On the domestic front, there have stability in terms of league sponsorship as Zenith Bank and Dstv who sponsor the female and male league respectively have pledged their continuous supports. In the continental club competitions, Nigeria’s representatives failed woefully and the NBBF, which also sees to the planning and organisation of both the Zenith Bank Womens League and the Nigerian DSTV Premier League must as a matter of urgency, map out strategies to improve the performance of the country’s flag bearers in these competitions this year. While First Bank and First Deepwater clubs who came second and third at the Africa Champions Cup for Women in 2011, failed to impress in 2012, same goes for Kano Pillars who finished in a distant 9th position while Royal Hoopers failed to honour the tourney due to financial unavailability.

Hoopers decry salary arrears

oyal Hoopers of Port Harcourt coach, Ogar Odaudu, yesterday expressed concern about developments at the club, saying the non-payment of remunerations for 2012 was heart breaking. Odaudu, whose team won the 2012 Nigeria Basketball Premier League for the second year running, told NAN in a telephone interview that the non-payment of the remunerations was a big threat to its future. “We are worried about the present development for players and club officials not to be able to receive their allowances. We have been told to be patient by the Rivers State Government, but how long will this be?” he said.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business & Finance “I have a list of 27 marketers for the remainder of the money, but some of them have already featured under this 23 and they may have to come back.”

“The micro finance bank sector had problem not because they have not done well, but due to the prevailing economic situation.”

Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE CIBN, MR. OKECHUKWU UNEGBU

Domestic airline operators disown FG over aircraft acquisition plan OLUSEGUN KOIKI

ontrary to the claim by the Ministry of Aviation that it contacted domestic airline operators on the planned acquisition of 30 aircraft to boost its operation, the operators have vehemently denied having such a meeting with the government. Speaking through its umbrella body, Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) yesterday at a press briefing at the Murtala Mohammed Airport Two (MMA2), Lagos,the indigenous operators said they were yet to be briefed by the decision of the government of any intervention from its quarters. The Assistant Secretary, AON, Alhaji Muhammed Tukur told journalists that even though, they requested for intervention under the regime of late President Umaru Yar’ Adua, which led to the N300bn intervention two years ago, this time around, neither the Ministry of Aviation nor the Presidency has officially informed them of their current plans, adding that they only heard of the latest intervention in the media. He noted that such plans, if it is true, must not be hatched without carrying the affected op-

erators and professionals along, stressing that even the agencies that is not saddled with such responsibility is the one that is currently handling it. Tukur noted that for such plans to sail through, there is need to let the operators know the type of aircraft that will be deployed and the modalities for accessing such should be made known to the operators such that they will have professional input. He said, “It is unfortunate that we are hearing the news from the Federal Airports Author-

ity of Nigeria (FAAN), which is not technically empowered to do so by Civil Aviation laws, even though, the idea is a good one, the ministry has succeeded in pushing it to FAAN , I want to use this opportunity to tell the minister to retrace, reorganise and repackage the whole thing because the airlines are the victims eventually. “We actually requested for bailout, but the Ministry is packaging another one but I am afraid, it is not being handled well.”

Speaking on the waiver of aircraft and spares, Tukur noted that up till now, they have not received official letter informing the operators that parts importation now attracts zero tariff. He noted that till date, operators still pay 10 per cent duty on spare parts imported to Customs. A director in FAAN had recently disclosed that the Ministry of Aviation was fine-tuning arrangements to facilitate the acquisition of 30 airplanes to boost the operations of domestic airlines.

igeria’s naira pared losses after touching the lowest in three months as importers and

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IRS

L-R: Ogun State Special Adviser on Culture and Tourism, Mrs. Busola Ogunyemi; Communications Manager, Nigeria Bottling Company, Mrs. Yanju Olomola; wife of Ogun State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Funmilayo Adesegun; wife of Governor, Mrs. Olufunso Amosun and Ogun State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Otunba Bimbo Ashiru, during the commissioning of Empowerment Kiosks in Abeokuta, yesterday.

Naira weakens against dollar on demand from importers UDO ONYEKA WITH AGENCY REPORT

Arik Air

businesses sought dollars. The currency retreated 0.1 percent to 156.33 a dollar as of 12:17 p.m. yesterday in Lagos, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. “Demand for dollars increased this morning at its opening price of about 156.10 per dollar as dealers speculated they can’t get it at a better exchange rate this week,” Tunde Ladipo, chief executive officer of Lagos-based Valuechain Investment Ltd., said by

phone today. “There is pressure on naira as companies commenced activities fully for the year, boosting dollar demand.” Fuel imports have been a source of pressure on the naira, according to the Central Bank of Nigeria, which sells dollars at auctions on Mondays and Wednesday to stabilize the local currency. “Speculation against the naira likely increased ahead of the Jan. 7 auction,” Kunle Ezun

Lagos-Abuja 7.30 8.30 7.45 8.45 09.30 10.30 10.30 11.30 12.30 13.30 14.30 15.30 16.30 17.30 Lagos-Kano 08.00 09.15 10.30 11.45 14.30 15.40 18.15 19.30 Los-Maid&Yola (Mon-Thur) 09.30 11.30 Fri- Sun 10.30 12.30 Kano-Lagos 07.30 08.45 14.00 15.15 17.30 18.45 Kano-Abj 10.45 11.30 Abj-Lagos 09.00 10.30 11.00 12.00 12.00 13.00

and Kenneth Asenime, analysts at Ecobank Transnational Inc. in Lagos, wrote in an e-mailed note to clients today. The central bank left the benchmark interest rate unchanged at 12 percent last year to control inflation and stabilize the naira. Nigeria’s inflation rate rose for a second month in November to 12.3 percent from 11.7 percent, the National Bureau of Statistics said Dec. 17.

MPC may ease interest rates as in flation declines

How to improve telecoms services -Experts

‘Africa’s share of ad spend to grow significantly’

Business & Finance

Thursday, January 10, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

MPC may ease interest rates as inflation declines UDO ONYEKA

inancial Derivatives Company (FDC), a financial advisory and research firm has said that given the expected decline in inflation for December and a single digit outlook for 2013, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) may consider adopting a more accommodative monetary stance in late January 2013. In its December survey made available to National Mirror on Tuesday, FDC said the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) could begin a slow and modest reduction in interest rates. “The CBN may begin reduction of MPR by 25bps to 11.75 per cent. However if the budget impasse between the President and National Assembly over the increased benchmark of $79 per barrel of crude oil is not resolved, the CBN may have no alternative but to retain its current MPR at 12 per cent”.

According to the survey initial estimates for price inflation in 2013 suggest that the average rate of inflation will be at 9.24 per cent at the end of 2013. “This is because of a number of factors including increased productivity and subdued monetary growth.” The survey said Lagos inflation index showed that prices of goods and services eased by 0.74 per cent to 11.87 per cent in December, “adding that the decline from 12.6 per cent in November is attributable to the food basket which dropped by 2.15 per cent for the second consecutive month after the hike due to flooding”. The non-food basket rose marginally again by 0.15 per cent to 10.36 per cent in December, probably due to increasing distribution and logistics costs. Some non- food also declined these include prices of toiletries, louver blades, air transport and kerosene, while others remained unchanged relative to the levels in November.

Kaduna Airport is 80% complete –FAAN OLUSEGUN KOIKI

he Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) yesterday said that the Kaduna Airport currently under remodeling has reached an 80 per cent completion state, just as it said the airport would be completed and ready for commissioning by April, 2013. Kaduna Airport was one of the 11 airports scheduled for remodelling under the transformation agenda of the Federal Government and championed by the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah. An online statement signed by the General Manager, Corporate Affairs, FAAN, Mr. Yakubu Dati noted that the contractor handling the project at the last inspection has advanced about 80 per cent, adding that with the pace of work, it would be ready for commissioning in three months. Dati explained that this was a part of strategies included in the aviation master plan, which included upgrade and development of dilapidated infrastructure, reformation of institutions, as well as the transformation of key airports into a network of domestic and international hubs. He noted that because of the level of ongoing work at the airport, flight operations

have been shifted to the hajj terminal, which was built under the administration of Oduah and commissioned by the Sultan of Sokoto in December, 2011. He assured that on completion of construction work, the airport would boast of world class lounges and conveniences among others, adding that the airport would form a major hub with the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, which would help to boost the economy of the state as well as increase the nation’s Gross Domestic Products (GDP). It will be recalled that Oduah last October commissioned the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) of the Murtala Mohammed Airport (MMA) thereby becoming the first to be commissioned by the government since the remodeling exercise began in late 2011. The government had disclosed that it rebuilt the terminal at the sum of N648, just as it said that work would commence on another 11 airports in the second phase of the project soon.

FAAN MD, George Uresi

Product Manager Mouka Limited; Cornel Ikediashi (Right) and winner, Mouka Super Subsidy Promo, Oyedele Atoke, at the prize presentation at Mouka Head office, Ikeja, yesterday

“The trend analysis and forecast suggest that the national headline inflation for December will decline to 11.94 per

cent (+_ 0.08 per cent). The 0.36 per cent decline from November’s 12.3 per cent is likely to be as a result of an increase

in the supply of commodities, both imported and domestically produced in December”, the survey said.

ISPON advocates capacity building for ICT industry KUNLE A ZEEZ

o fast-track the development of Nigeria’s Information and Communication Technology industry, the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria has said continuous capacity building investment needed to be maintained. Speaking in an interview with National Mirror recently, ISPON President, Dr. Chris Uwaje, said the importance of capacity building towards driving ICT frontiers in Nigeria. According to him, “Currently, Nigeria has a burgeoning

ICT industry whose continuous growth requires adequate capacity building.” He noted that Nigeria has a large number of youths who can make the country proud in the area technology innovation provided the right ICTbased skill through continuous training. As such, Uwaje stressed the need for government to focus attention on creating on drawing up an ICT-based programmes of Nigerian graduates which they will be exposed to during the annual mandatory National Youth Service Corps. “The time has come for Nigeria to take advantage of

ICT to drive the frontier of its economy. One of the ways is to refocus the annual NYSC programme to use that period to train our teeming youths from universities in IT skills relevant enough to give them an edge in the labour market,” he said. The software expert also emphasised the need to review ICT curriculum in tertiary institutions. “Currently, Nigeria’s ICT curriculum in tertiary institutions is out of date and an urgent review of the curriculum is advocated towards ensuring that the knowledge being impacted to the students meets the demand of the industry.”

FG to facilitate production of 1.3m tonnes of rice through dry season farming

he Federal Government is to facilitate the production of 1.3 million tonnes of rice through dry season farming this year, an official has said. The Director, Field Station, in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Daniel Kakwi disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jos on Wednesday. Kakwi said that the feat would be acheived through the Flood Recovery, Food Production and Expanded Dry Season Farming Programmes. He explained that the Flood Recovery Food Production Plan, with a target to produce 880,000

tonnes of rice, would be complemented with the Expanded Dry Season Food Production. “The two programmes will produce a total of 1.3 million tonnes of rice.” He said that the Federal government had procured more than 14,300 tonnes of rice seed currently being distributed to farmers across the country for dry season farming. “We have mobilised from within and outside Nigeria more than 14,300 tonnes of rice seed. That is enough to plant 300,000 hectares of rice farm lands. “If properly utilised, we shall produce 1.2 million tonnes of rice grain, plus an additional 420,000

tonnes to be produced in the northwestern part of the country.” He added that 500,000 tonnes of maize grains would also be produced under the dry season farming programme. Kakwi added that as part of the flood recovery food production initiative, the ministry has commenced the distribution of 5,000 pumps to farmers for dry season farming. He said that the 2012 floods that destroyed farm lands and washed away crops was a wake-up call to the government to take adequate measures to mitigate the impact of climate change.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business & Finance

Thursday, January 10, 2013

FG targets 10,000mw by December CHIDI UGWU ABUJA

he Federal Government has said that it planned to achieve 10,000mw power generation by final quarter of 2013. The Minister of State for Power Hajia Zainab Kuchi, said this in a Media Training Workshop held in Abuja by the ministry for power sector correspondents. “The ministry of power 2013 work plans and goals are to diversify energy mix such as Renewable energy, scaling up of rural access to electricity and to stimulate investment in the sector. “To source ways of funding power transmission, develop projects outside budgetary pro-

visions and foster bilateral relations. “Also the ministry focused on the development of new policy initiatives in order to address post privatisation challenges’’, she said. Kuchi who was represented by Mrs Grace Papka , Director Human Resources in the ministry said that last year, Mr President directed Presidential Action Committee (PACP) on power on some issues . She listed these directives from the president to include strengthening its operations, setting targets on generation, transmission and distribution. She explained that the status of the power sector as at December last year (average) generation capacity was 6442mw. Kuchi added that the power

peak was 4517.6mw on 23rd December 2012, adding that 450mw was added generation capacity in the final quarter of the year. Kuchi said that the ministry also signed performance contract between it and the Federal Government, agencies and commissions under it on the same year. She noted that the signing of this contract was to prepare the sector for the sector post privatisation in order to ensure effective management and optimum service delivery.According to her, the essence of the workshop was to keep the journalists covering the sector abreast of all the developments in the industry as well as help them build their capacity.

FG urged to implement budget without delay

xperts on Wednesday urged the executive and the legislative arms of Federal Government to resolve their differences in the 2013 budget and get it signed it into law without delay. They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that previous budgets had failed to yield the desired results because they were passed in the first quarter. Senior Lecturer, Department of Economics, University of Lagos, Dr Tunde Adeoye said that further delay in signing the budget would have adverse effects on the economy. Adeoye told NAN that failure by the Federal Government to sign the budget early could slow down the tempo of business activities this year. He advised the executive and

the legislature to resolve their differences on the budget and sign it into law immediately. “It is important that they sort things out now so that the implementation of the budget will start from January and not later,” he said. The don attributed the poor implementation of past budgets to late signing by the president. Also a lecturer in Department of Financial Studies, Redeemers University, Mowe in Ogun, Dr Oluyombo Onafowokan said that signing the budget late would retard the develop of infrastructure projected in the budget. Onafowokan advised the government to sign the budget as a matter of priority to enable government to achieve its lofty goals.

DAYO AYEYEMI

the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Lagos is titled, “Conservation and the Environment: Imperatives for National Security and Sustainable Development,” and it is aimed at promoting environmental management awareness in Nigeria. A broad and diverse audience constinting of policy makers, researchers and students, local and international press and otherr environmental stakeholders are expected to attend the annual lecture. The occasion, which is going to be chaired by the President of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, Izoma Philip Asiodu., is also used to give grant to two doctoral candidates whose research works are on environmental and sustainable development in Nigeria.

Ogwu to speak on environmental conservation

NIPOST head office at CMS, Lagos yet to open for business in the New Year, yesterday.

PHOTO: YINKA ADEPARUSI

Stakeholders criticise FG’s plan to provide rural farmers with cell phones MESHACK IDEHEN

he Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, has been urged to jettison his plan to spend public funds on the provision of telephone for farmers in the country. This development is coming despite the refutal by the minister through a statement made available to National mirror that neither the Federal Government nor the ministry of agric was planning to spend the sum of N60billion on the supply of mobile telephone and accessories to farmers in the country. President, Progressive Leadership Organisation International, Comrade Emmanuel Ezeueme, told our correspondent when asked, that the minister made an “error of judgement”, by consenting to the plans to supply free phones worth billions of naira to the country’s farmers. According to Ezeume who is also a rice and maize farmer

in Anambra State, government has no business supplying telephones, saying also that there is hardly any grown up person in the country that does not have access to mobile handsets. Urging the government to compel telecommunications service providers to enhance their services in the rural areas so as to enable farmers in those parts make and receive calls without much trouble, he opined that the proposed sum for the telephones be used for the supply of fertilisers for farmers, secure long term land titles for small and medium scale farmers and upgrade their access to power. He added that even if the sum proposed for the phone project was less than the N60billion being planned to be spent, that more farmers would benefit more from transportation, power and storage interventions, rather than the supply of telephone handsets. Explaining however to our correspondent on the phone,

the Special Assistant to the minister of agriculture, Dr. Kayode Oyeleye, who spoke on behalf of the minister, said the ministry is not planning to spend N60billion on phones for farmers. According to him, the permanent secretary in the ministry who made the announcement was “totally misquoted out of context and that there is no N60billion for phones anywhere”. He explained that the minister is a responsible minister who takes public accountability and probity very seriously, and that there is no way the minister will approve such expenditure, adding the focus of the government is on creating jobs in Nigeria and not exporting jobs elsewhere. Oyeleye explained that the policy was part of the ministry’s agricultural transformation agenda to connect farmers to information, expand their access to markets, improve their access to savings and loans and help them adapt to climate change dynamics that affect them and their livelihoods.

hen stakeholders gather at the 11th Chief S.L.Edu Memorial Lecture in Lagos next week, the Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations, Professor Joy Ogwu, will be on ground to tell them what they should know on environmental conservation and its importance for national security. Chief S.L.Edu Memorial Lecture is an annual event organised by the Nigerian Conservation Foundation with the support of Chevron Nigeria Limited in honour of Chief Shafi Lawal Edu who was the founder and first life president of the foundation. The lecture, which will hold at

Fire breaks out on Boeing Dreamliner OLUSEGUN KOIKI

ire has gutted a Japan Airlines Dreamliner 787 in the latest mechanical problem for Boeing’s new aircraft. A battery found in the underbelly of the plane overheated and caught fire while parked at Logan International airport, Boston on Tuesday, filling the cabin with heavy smoke. Passengers have just left the plane 15 minutes before the blaze broke out following a flight from Toyko. It is the latest problem for Dreamliner after production delays and other technical problems. “Smoke was initially discovered by maintenance staff in the rear end of the cabin, and confirmed by another maintenance staff who also detected smoke outside the aircraft. We are aware of the event and are working with our customer,” a spokeswoman

for Japan Airlines, Carol Anderson told media men. The 787 relies heavily on electrical power to drive onboard systems that in other jet models are run by air pressure generated by the engines. There were three other mechanical hiccups with Dreamliners in December. A United Airlines flight from Houston to Newark, New Jersey, made an emergency landing after it appeared that one of its power generators failed on December 4. Qatar Airways said it had grounded one of its three 787 jets because of the same problem United had experienced on December 13. United said that a second 787 in its fleet had developed electrical issues on December 17. There are currently 13 Dreamliners in service. Boeing CEO Jim McNerney said in a television interview that these problems were “normal squawks” that happen whenever new planes are put into service.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Info Tech

Thursday, January 10, 2013

How to improve telecoms services - Experts One major issue that pervaded the telecoms sector last year was the lingering decline in quality of telecoms services (QoS) occasioned by a potpourri of factors. However, experts and stakeholders have highlighted measures that should be taken in order for the industry to meet consumer expectations, reports KUNLE AZEEZ.

elephone users in Nigeria experienced an unprecedented decline in quality of service provided by telecoms networks throughout 2012 and the ugly development has continued to linger even till date. The unsatisfactory quality of service being provided by the networks compelled the Nigerian Communications Commission to begin strict enforcement of operators’ compliance to the Key Performance Indicators on Quality of Service set for the telecoms firms by the NCC earlier in 2011. Early in 2012, the NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman, Dr. Eugene Juwah, had said it would no longer be business as usual for telecoms operators who failed to comply with new QoS standards. As a result, the regulator, at different times, imposed Ogbe all forms of sanctions on all the Global System for Mobile Communication companies as poor QoS marred RITICAL ACTIONS ARE 2012 for telephone users in Nigeria. REQUIRED TO ADDRESS Apart from a fine of N1.17 billion slammed on some operators over their failure to meet the KPIs set by the OPERATIONAL ISSUES Commission, following a Quality of Service test carried out by the NCC for the months of March and April 2012, CONFRONTING THE OPERATORS the NCC also banned all promos and lotteries being run WHICH OFTEN HAVE FAR by the operators, a directive that is still subsisting. In spite of all the sanctions and other measures taken REACHING NEGATIVE EFFECT ON by the regulator to ensure that QoS improves, subscribers’ feedback and National Mirror checks revealed that QUALITY OF SERVICE DELIVERY the service quality is still at the lowest ebb as the situation has continued to worsen since Yuletide began and censed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria, Mr. Gbenga Adebayo, also confirmed that, “a number of other facfrom findings, it has yet to improve. “Currently, what we experience on most networks is tors are currently responsible for poor quality of servery disturbing. Cases of drop calls and failed calls to vice provided by most telecoms networks and critical network congestions and poor voice quality have con- actions are required to address operational issues continued to increase and I think there is need for the net- fronting the operators which often have far-reaching work operators to improve the situation because tele- negative effect on quality of service delivery.” He insisted that vandalism, multiple taxations, and coms services have become central to everything that wanton closures of telecoms infrastructures by some we do and consistent decline of its quality has is resultgovernment agencies federal and local authorities, the ing economic losses for individuals and businesses,” a 2012 flooding disaster in some parts of the country as banker, Mr. Femi Adewumi, lamented. well as the recent terrorist attacks on telecoms infraAnother trader at Idumota area of Lagos State, Mrs. structures are other factors affecting the current poor Bunmi Ore, said the network quality was particularly quality of service. poor during the Yuletide season, despite promises from He recalled that the flooding and terrorist attacks service providers that the situation would be improved. alone, affected over 250 telecom sites that lost connecCommenting, the President, National Association tion due to primary and secondary impact while “many of Telecoms Subscribers, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, who suffered significant damage beyond repairs.” condemned the poor quality of service being experiAdebayo also fingered delay, which characterises perenced by subscribers on various networks in 2012, said mit approvals often requested for network expansion by the situation had remained the same event till present. telecoms firms, as another factor which slows down imOn the way forward, Ogunbanjo stressed the need for proved network, saying that those approvals especially constant QoS testing by the regulators and the operators for Right of Way should always be given speedy treatwhile stressing he place of continuous investment toment by necessary government agencies. wards significantly improving quality of service in 2013. But strictly speaking with National Mirror on critiThe NATCOMS president heaved a sigh of relief that cal strategies that can be explored to tackle the main with the planned introduction of mobile number porissues that will help resolve the QoS challenges on a tability, a service that allows subscribers to move from continual basis, a QoS testing expert, Mr. Monday Ogbe, one network to another without changing their SIM, in highlighted tripartite measures that should be taken to the first quarter of 2013, telecoms operators would need ensure improved service delivery to the consumers. to improve their network quality to be able to withstand The first approach, according to Ogbe is the need for the expected increased competition that would spring urgent constitution of Telecoms Regulator Parliament up when the MNP was introduced. (TRP), similar in composition to Telecoms Consumer However, as part of the measure to improving QoS, Parliament (TCP). Ogunbanjo stressed the for collaborative efforts aimed According to Ogbe, the parliament could hold monthat helping operators solve a number of challenges affectly or quarterly and draw participants from the regulaing their operation, which have far-reaching effect on the tor, operators, vendors, state government representalevel of service quality they deliver to their subscribers. tives, law enforcement agencies, ministry of works and In a similar view, the President, Association of Li-

Adebayo

housing, regional and urban planning representatives, among others. He said the main objective of the parliament would be to review and set realistic target KPIs; as well as get feedback from operators why target KPIs are not met. The second approach is the deployment of near-realtime network monitoring and traoubleshooting for root cause analysis by regulator and operators. Explaining this, Ogbe said conventional drive testing requires a minimum of two to three weeks to pin down root cause of network failure as multiple field rounds had to be embarked on in order to ascertain the issues conclusively. According to him, with regulators and operators constantly at loggerheads over the integrity of drive test data or network statistics collected from network operation centre (NOC), which are subject to manipulation, a complementary tool using the near real time solution can be deployed by the regulator and operators to draw various KPIs such as drop calls, block calls, handover success ratios, speech quality and so on. Consequently, he said: “The regulator will draw data remotely from all operators Operational Support Systems. With this approach, without field involvement, Near Real Time KPI can be draw and benchmarked. Combined with the data from conventional field benchmarking exercise, there would be less room to argue on integrity of data obtained.” Also, he said with this approach, “Root cause analysis can be presented in real time for operators to take proactive actions in correcting the fault.” Highlighting the third measure towards improving quality of service for subscribers, Ogbe, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Backup Networks, stressed the need for constant validation and integrity check on network performance data reports obtained from vendors and service providers by the regulator. According to him, “Following our investigation to help address the QoS challenge, we were shocked to find out that a large number of test tools used for QoS testing within the country are either pirated or cracked version. “More shocking is that the reports are sometimes doctored to look good before presenting to the operators. The situation translates to an operator peeping at the performance of its network with non-prescription foggy glasses. “Moreover, operators having paid honest fess, receive fraudulent and cooked reports which are then passed on regulators ‘unaware’ regulator, effectively making it impossible for regulators and network operators to monitor and improve network services.”

Info Tech

Thursday, January 10, 2013

JKK set for improved IT services delivery STORIES: KUNLE A ZEEZ

iding on its pioneering status as one of Nigeria’s leading Information Technology company, JKK has repositioned its management and other internal structures in line with its renewed vision of delivering improved solutions and bespoke IT services and products to Nigerian businesses. Under a new chairmanship of Mr. Tunde Ayeni, who is also the Chairman of Skye Bank Plc, the new JKK management led by Mr. Lekan Yusuf as the Group Managing Director, will strive to pursue the rebirth of the company, which since 1976, has continued to lead in the implementation of hardware, software, networking, storage, ebusiness and service solutions. Other key management members include Mr. Bosun Adisa, as Deputy Managing Director; Mr. Ajibola Bankole as Executive Director and Mrs. Ebere Chizobam as the Manager, Human Resources and Administration.

Speaking on the repositioning strategies for the company, Yusuf said JKK would support thousands of software entrepreneurs seeking ways of marketing their solutions. “To achieve this objective, we are adopting the Microsoft model, where we sign Memorandum of Understandings with young software developers, bring applications under JKK brand, repackage and then sell to business for the mutual benefits of JKK as a company and the original software designers. By doing this, we would be creating jobs, helping to develop young business as a way of giving back to the society,” he said. Another area of focus for JKK, he said, is in the development of bespoke applications, which will also help to develop indigenous software as well as ensuring that Nigeria’s critical information is not exposed to the foreigners through the use of foreign applications to keep information and drive processes both by the government and businesses. According to him, apart from

being a way to differentiate JKK from its competitors, the company is able to solve the unique business requirements of the Nigerian environment, stressing that as part of its pioneering effort in IT, JKK group was the first to entirely develop a fullfledged commercial banking application in Nigeria, a solution robust enough for both front office transaction and back office. “The third area we would be focusing on is to strengthen our partnership with major original equipment manufacturers, OEMs, such as Oracle, IBM, NetApp, HP and several others buy ensuring their JKK makes Nigeria become the hub for OEMs products and services in the West Africa. Currently, Nigeria is being put under South Africa and we are determined to change this trend. “In addition JKK has immensely contributed to the Educational sector as been the precursor of Computer-based training in Nigeria under our subsidiary company – Electronic Test Company (eTC),” he added.

Executive Vice Chairman, NCC, Dr. Eugene Juwah receiving the Fellowship Award from President, Nigerian Computer Society, Mr. Demola Aladekomo during the society’s annual National Information Technology Merit Award held in Lagos recently.

PIN trains 200 students in IT skills

aradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN), a social enterprise that connects under-served Nigerian youth with Information and Communication Technology opportunities, has trained 200 university students on how they can leverage ICT potential for employment opportunities and wealth creation. The youths with keen interest in ICT solutions were drawn from various universities in the South-western part of the country including Benson Idahosa University, Covenant University, Federal University of Technology Akure, University of Ibadan and University of Lagos. Other universities include Yaba college of Technology; the host institution, Obafemi Awolowo University, Lagos State Univer-

sity and Lagos State Polytechnic. The forum tagged: ‘TENT Gathering 2012’, trained the students on innovation and technology Entrepreneurship and how they can maximise the four or five years they spend on tertiary education to build ICT businesses or business ideas. Addressing the students during the forum, The Chief executive Officer, Signature Community New York, Mr. Nick Jekogian, encouraged the students to bring value to the table. “What you create in your dorm rooms can be replicated all over the world, there are opportunities in the United States but Africa, Nigeria in particular may have a better opportunity to create the next big thing,” he said.

Other speakers at the event included the Chief Executive Officer, Technovision Communications Lagos, Mr. Tomi Davies; Managing Partner, ThinkSmart Global Lagos, Mr. Bayo Oyewole the Chief Operating Officer, Nigerian Internet Registration Association, Mr. Ope Odusan; among others, who spoke on various topics as technology opportunity, technology capacity building, entrepreneurship opportunities, investment, and product/service exposure. Speaking after the conference, PIN’s Chief Operating Officer, Mrs. Tope Ogundipe said the forum achieved its objectives. According to her, “The turnout from both private and government owned universities was brilliant. In junction with our sponsors, partners, speakers and volunteers.”

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tech Box HP Ink Advantage 3525 e-All-in-One

Time-saving printing technology

he HP Deskjet Ink Advantage 3525 e-All-in-One allows accomplishing more, at home or away, with wireless connectivity and HP ePrint mobile printing. Connecting the HP Deskjet Ink Advantage 3525 e-All-in-One to wireless network is quick and easy with HP Auto Wireless Connect. There’s no need to enter wireless network settings or connect cables. With HP Deskjet Ink Advantage 3525 e-All-in-One Printer, user can print, copy or scan documents with ease. The versatile printer also offers mobile printing capability for users’ convenience. The e-All-in-One uses four individual ink cartridges, so users can replace each cartridge separately only when needed. Affordable, individual inks deliver impressive results for everyday printing—documents, photos, web pages, homework, creative projects, and more. Original HP inks produce laser-quality black text and vivid colour for highquality. This printer features HP photo creations that deliver photos of impressive quality. Other compatible media include envelopes, labels, cards, transparencies and borderless media. It has a flatbed scanning function that provides an optical scanning resolution of up to 1200 dpi. One of the key features of the printing technology is the easy mobile printing capability. On this, integrated Wi-Fi lets user

print wirelessly and share the e-All-in-One with other PCs on your network. HP ePrint allows user to print from his or her smartphone or tablet from virtually anywhere. Also, the printing device is reliable and time-saving which result in improved productivity. The printer helps user to make the most of his or her time. Automatic two-sided printing/copying eliminates the need to manually turn pages over and helps you reduce paper consumption. It also makes use of low-cost inks. This allows users to take advantage of low-cost Original HP ink cartridges, and print what matters for less, with ink cartridges, and easily replace cartridge. With the printer, users can print, scan, copy, and connect to web content. The HP Deskjet Ink Advantage 3525 e-All-in-One Printer is a pretty MFP unit. Its print speeds are great. The quality of prints in both color and black-and-white are good. The scanning quality is great and the photocopier is very good. HP Deskjet Ink Advantage 3525 e-All-in-One Printer is a highly efficient unit to have for both home and office.

Samsung profit beats estimate with Galaxy sales

amsung Electronics Co., the world’s largest maker of mobile phones and TVs, reported higher-than- expected fourth-quarter earnings as sales of galaxy smartphones withstood the debut of Apple’s iPhone 5. Operating profit rose 89 per cent to a record 8.8 trillion won ($8.3 billion) in the three months ended December, Samsung said in a statement of preliminary results on Tuesday. That compares with the 8.5 trillion won average of 25 analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg. The Suwon, South Korea-based company didn’t give net income or divisional figures. Sales jumped 18 per cent to 56 trillion won, helped by demand of Galaxy Note II and galaxy III phones. Earnings at the mobilephone unit probably doubled from a year earlier, according to a Bloomberg News survey of five analysts, while sales of iPone 5s

were hit by glitches with mapping software. “Samsung was the major beneficiary of slower-than-expected sales of Apple’s iPhone 5, analysts at Daewoo Securities Co., James Song, said on Tuesday. “The biggest challenge ahead is whether it can maintain its competitiveness in the smartphone market as high-end products are expected to be released by big players like Apple and Google.” Samsung sold about 62 million smartphones in the quarter, compared with Apple’s 45 million, according to a Daewoo estimate. The South Korean company is in a global patent legal fight with Cupertino, California-based Apple, which is also its biggest customer. The iPhone 5 went on sale in September. “Operating profit may be 200 billion won higher or lower than Tuesday’s estimate when audited results are announced later this month,” Samsung said.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Brands & Marketing

‘Africa’s share of ad spend to grow significantly’ The growth rate in the Nigeria advertising sub-sector in terms of budget size is already attracting attention of global advertiser groups. As a leading spender in Africa, the country has assumed a strategic position in the continent. During his recent visit to Nigeria, the Managing Director of World Federation of Advertisers (WFA), a group of world biggest brands, Mr. Stephan Loerke, spoke with selected journalists on global advertising trends and lesson for Nigeria media houses, advertising agencies, advertisers and the industry regulators, ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI was there. What is total global Ad spend as at now? In terms of advertising spend worldwide, according to the latest figures; we have a total of $700 billion in 2010. The figures have been increasing by between five and 10 per cent over the last 10 years. We have seen a bit weaker growth rate over the last four years. They have been between three and five per cent worldwide, but with huge differences for regions. Europe is stagnating. Some countries in Europe are decreasing strongly while others are slightly growing. The United States has a weak growth of two to three percent. Asia, Africa, Middle East and Latin America are still growing very strongly by between five and 10 per cent. Advertisers are relatively confident that in the next two to three years, growth around the world is going to continue at a sustained level but with big differences region by region and one of the most promising regions in terms of spend in Africa. Advertising spend actually reflects the strength of economic growth. So, brands invest in a country on the basis of assumption they make in terms of the growth potential of the market. It gives a good barometer of the level of confidence of the companies and brands in the growth prospects of the country. What is Africa’s share of the total ad spend? Africa’s share of the global ad spend is around five per cent and we expect it to grow significantly. The expectation is that the growth is going to be double digit. The growth is expected across Africa but in particular in those countries which have been putting things in place that will have a head-start. Two conditions that are very important to build confidence among brands and attract growth in ad spend by brands. One is the quality of measurement. The level of confidence that when you buy audiences in print or radio or television or outdoor, that you are actually reaching a number of people. The better the level of measurement in a given country, the better the level of confidence of brands and the more likely they are going to be spending money. The digital trend is moving towards Nigeria now, how can brands leverage on these trend? It is one of the most exciting aspects

Loerke

I THINK WHAT WE ARE SEEING IS A SIGNIFICANT TECHNOLOGY DISRUPTION IN THE PRESS. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF ADVERTISING, THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF MEDIUMS BEING LAUNCHED DECADE AFTER DECADE of marketing communication today which is actually the shift from traditional media to social. It is a gradual shift, a transition and that transition is not happening in one day to another. We still have a model which is relying on traditional or online advertising. However, online or digital advertising is increasing strongly and one of the most exciting things is seeing how in some regions such as Africa or Asia or Latin America, some countries are leapfrog-

ging in technology. We have seen some countries moving from having relatively little landlines to having huge percentage of people with mobile phone access and increasingly people having smartphones with internet access. So, what we are interested in is to see how these breakthroughs will make it possible, especially in Africa, for smaller brands or highly targeted brands to be establishing business models where they can actually rely on in building

awareness. How can brands overcome challenges of operating in Africa? As I said earlier, the brands must be confident that there is a favourable environment for growth. To make it possible for companies that spend money in the market to know what they receive for their money, I want to emphasise the importance of doing work which help to complete measurement system which meets international standards. The other thing which is very important and which this summit will address is responsible marketing. For an industry to be growing overtime, you need to be acceptable in the society. You need to meet certain expectations and that is the subject matter today, which is what you need to do, not only as an individual company but collective as an industry, run advertising which is seen to be honest, decent, legal and truthful. And here in Nigeria, you have a very interesting set up in APCON. I think it is probably a unique case in the world where you have a draft legislation put in place an organisation which is run by the industry. What has been achieved here is a delicate balancing act between making sure that industry setting rules which are enforceable and proportionate and actually being backed up by the law to make sure it is enforced. And I think these two conditions -one responsible behaviour, and two, accountability to know what you get for your money-are necessary for growth in the long-term. But don’t you think the digital trend could relegate newspaper leadership? I think what we are seeing is a significant technology disruption in the press. When you look at the history of advertising, there have been a number of mediums being launched decade after decade. It all started with outdoor and the print press and then radio and television. And each time people will say it is the end of outdoor, now it is the end of the print press or the end of radio and so on. But the reality today is that we still do traditional things that reflect media consumption habits in the population as well as variety of expectations viz-a-viz those different medium. So, I do not think the print media will be disappearing. What I expect is online to play a greater role going forward. And so, many press rooms are struggling to find balance between online and offline because of the challenge of revenue. The offline businesses is built on a model which is significantly funded by advertising revenue and what we are seeing in the online world is that media groups struggling to raise equivalent level of ad revenue for their online version. And getting that one is going to be difficult again because few groups which are making all sorts of efforts including getting micro-payment for content and so on are still in the process of trial and error but there is no doubt that this is a challenging period for the print press.

Brands & Marketing

Thursday, January 10, 2013

CSR: Noah’s Ark empowers students with photography, makeup workshop ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI

nspired by Corporate Social Responsibility spirit, Noah’s Ark Communications Limited has organised a three-day workshop on creative photography and makeup for the students of Wasimi Community Senior School, Maryland, a neighbourhood school to the agency’s office as part of effort to imbue entrepreneurship spirit in them. The CSR initiative was carried out in partnership with an online group of Nigerian Makeup Artists known as Nigerian MUA’s. Some of its members were present and others made donations of makeup products & supplies to the school; namely -Zaron Hair & Makeup Limited, Hegal & Esther as well as PortHarcourt based Gift’s Daughter. The initiative also enjoyed the support of the two major brands in the Agency’s portfolio - Indomie and Mr Biggs. Speaking at the workshop, the Managing Director, Noah’s Ark Advertising Limited, Mr Lanre Adisa explained that the company decided to expand the frontiers of its CSR initiative beyond the do-

nation of solar reading lamps which was done last year to empower the students and help them to shape their future by impacting on them skills in the areas of Photography and Makeup. “For us at Noah’s Ark as a socially responsible corporate citizen, we believe in contributing our quota to the society by giving back in our own little way, we started this last year with the donation of reading lamp to the students and this year we are trying to impact their world by helping them take up careers in Photography and Makeup. Adisa noted that the workshop will go a long way in future career development of the benefiting student as some of them may take interest in either of the two key areas and develop to become professionals of repute in the future and to become entrepreneurs thereby creating job for others. On the choice of only Wasimi Secondary School, Maryland, Lanre Adisa stated that the Agency believes in starting its CSR drive by directly touching lives and impacting on its immediate environment in which the school is located. He hinted

that the Agency has the plan to adopt the school and support it in different ways from time to time. Responding on behalf of the school, the Vice Principal, Wasimi Community Senior Secondary School, Mr. Abdul-Kabir Abubakar described the workshop as an opportunity of a lifetime which will go a long way in the lives of the students. He thanked the Agency for lending a hand to the Government and the school to prepare the student for the future and for choosing the school. Some of the students who participated in the three-day workshop established that they learnt new skills in photography and make up as well as entrepreneurship skills which they hope to put to use in the nearest future, They commended Noah’s Ark Communications for the gesture. During the first two days of the workshop, the student were taught different skills such as how to handle a camera, creative photography (practical demonstration& photo session) and Makeup (Basic makeup techniques and simple makeup hygiene while on the third day ,the students were hosted to a small party.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Intercontinental Distillers thrills consumers with sponsorship of Jazz party Intercontinental Distillers, the makers of Chelsea Dry Gin, Teezers and Veleta Fruit Wine amongst other products fetes consumers with sponsorship of the star-studded “Jazz Night with Yemi Sax” at the famous Ember Creek, Lagos during the yelutide season. Over the years, Teezers, Veleta and Chelsea have been dominating the marketplace; therefore, the company considered it expedient to celebrate with its consumers, in a very unique way, this special season. Speaking at the event, the Head of Marketing, Intercontinental Distillers, Innocent Oboh, declared that the company is committed to celebrating its numerous consumers in many amazing ways. “We are in business to ensure that Nigerian people get satisfaction on every product they are consuming, that is why we continue to roll out brands that continue to meet the aspirations of the market. Today, we are using the platforms of these distinguished products to say thank you to Nigerians.” He said. Meanwhile, the Brand Managers of the products explained that choosing a classical music, like sax is to explain the uniqueness of the brands. Speaking on their behalf, Chioma Alonge, the Brand Manager of Veleta Fruit Wine disclosed that, sax as an esteemed instrument goes hand-in-hand with our brands, which are made for the masters in their respective market segments. “Chelsea, Veleta and Teezers are all master brands, in their own rights; therefore, today we are celebrating with our people using a master’s musical genre like sax. And Yemi Sax also fits into the picture as a renowned master saxophonist.” She stressed. In the superlative event, Yemi Sax didn’t disappoint the audience with his thrilling and exciting performance. The event which had in attendance the crème la crème of the society also featured top and up and coming artistes like, Oyinkansola, Kola Soul, Alula Okposo, Kunle Ayo, GT the Guitar-man, Lamboginny and 11-year-old saxophonist, TJ Sax.

Chelsea Dry Gin ushers in New Year with Chelsea 2013 DJ Classic

L-R: Ambassador Femi George; Chief Executive, CMC Connect, Mr. Yomi Badejo-Okusanya and former Senator, Ike Nwachukwu, during a lecture “Managing Nigeria’s Image: Whose Responsibility?”,to celebrate of Badejo-Okusanya ‘s birthday in Lagos recently. PHOTO: OLUFEMI AJASA

Indomie donates to orphanages ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI

n the spirit of the yuletide season, Dufil Prima Foods Plc makers of Nigeria’s No.1 Noodles brand –Indomie Instant Noodles has reached out to the less privileged in the society through donation to Orphanages and homes for the elderly. The orphanages and homes visited in Lagos includes; Hearts of Gold Children’s Hospice, Surulere, Lagos Cheshire Home, Mushin, Holy Family Home for the Elderly, Mushin, Modupe Cole Memorial Childcare & Treatment Home School, Akoka, Pacelli School for the blind, Surulere, Heritage Homes in Anthony area of Gbagada. According to the Public Relations Manager, Dufil Prima Foods Plc, Mr. Tope Ashiwaju, the gesture is aimed at commemo-

rating the festive season with the less privilege by showing them love and care which is in line with the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility. “The Festive season is a time to show love and care to the less privileged in the society especially the orphans and the Elderly who need people to care for them .It is also a period to empathize with them. This is why Indomie as a caring and compassionate brand is always there for them” he said. Mrs. Laja Adedoyin, the proprietress, Hearts of Gold Children’s Hospices, Surulere, said “We are extremely grateful for the love and care Indomie has shown by donating products to the home”. She noted that some of the inmates just returned from India where they went for heart surgery while soliciting for fi-

nancial support to help others who still require medical attention abroad for them to live. The Welfare Officer, Lagos Cheshire Home, Deaconess Adeola Olanrewaju expressed appreciation for Indomie’s constant support and donations. She also stated some of the challenges facing the home and called on the company and other well meaning Nigerians and corporate organization to come to their aid. She noted that the biggest challenge facing Lagos Chesire home is the issue of accommodation as the present location is rather too small not conducive for the inmates. She however declared that the late Chief TOS Benson has donated a large expanse of land to home in Ikorodu but the home needs financial assistance to complete the project.

The Chelsea London Dry Gin brand has ushered the year for his consumers with “Chelsea 2013 DJ Classic.”. The Intercontinental Distillers Limited premium brands, organized the event which featured Nigeria’s best DJs, each of whom attempted to outplay themselves behind the wheels of steel at the exclusive Elegushi xxx in Lekki, Victoria Island, Lagos. Beach Speaking at the event, the Brand Manager, Chelsea London Dry Gin, Mr. Kingsley Anuebunwa, affirmed that “Chelsea has always been a supporter of the entertainment industry and we intend to do more this New Year, we want to take Nigeria’s entertainment sector to the next level”. The event featured 15 big names in the Disc Jockeying business, like DJ Humility, Cool DJ Jimmy Jatt, DJ Neptune, DJ Sose, DJ Vinnie, DJ Exclusive, DJ Cool Slam, DJ Frankie Fit, DJ Omega B, DJ Johnny, DJ Zimo, Lady DJ Miss Tell, to mention some of the names who beltled out upbeat tunes which, endlessly, kept the crowd excited. Elegushi Beach was, totally, overwhelmed by Chelsea’s influence, with a massive crowd that came, saw and got entertained by the musical displays of the men who earn their living by dishing out melodious tunes. Aside from the music and dancing, Chelsea also offered fun-seekers at the beach, the chance to win prizes for every purchase of the brand, through a lucky dip. The event continued till late with people asking for more, in the manner of an “Oliver Twist”.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Brands & Marketing

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Diamond Bank pledges sponsorship of youth-oriented CSR 2013 ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI

iamond Bank Plc, a leading commercial bank in the country, has reiterated its resolve to encourage productivity amongst Nigerian youths through sponsorship of capacity building, learning and extra-curricular activities. Speaking at a Diamond Bank sponsored youth development seminar, which was part of the 2012 Calabar Festival, Mrs. Ayona Trimnell, Head of Corporate Communications, said that the Bank’s decision to sponsor the programme was informed by the bank’s commitment to capacity development especially amongst the young Nigerians.

Said Mrs. Trimnell,”Diamond Bank will continue to support initiatives that promote productivity among styouths in Nigeria through educational and extracurricular activities.Our underlying objective is the need to engage youths positively to reduce delinquency and involvement in societal ills. This has seen us make huge investments in various youth-empowerment programmes.” The Diamond Bank sponsored Youth Development Programme was designed for youth between the ages of 16 and 25 years and with the aimofincreasing their capacity towards personal and career development.The event commenced on December 3 and closedwith a graduation ceremo-

ny on December 22, 2012 at Old Residency Muson, Calabar. About 100 youths participated in the programme and were awarded certificates of participation. Diamond Bank’s sponsorship of the programme comes to join a number of similar sponsorships aimed at helping Nigerian youths develop adequate capacity for leading successful lives. These include the donation of brand new Toyota Coaster buses to various universities nationwide, the sponsorship of the Vision of The Child Painting Competition of the Lagos Black Heritage Festival, the donation of the Eduportal educational platform to Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna amongst others.

L-R: Marketing Intelligence Manager, Intercontinental Distillers, Samson Opaleye; Founder, OnTV, Tajudeen Adepetu ; Brand Manager, Chelsea London Dry Gin, Kingsley Anuebunwa, Head of Marketing, Intercontinental Distillers, Innocent Oboh, Nedu of Wazobia FM and Brand Manager, Teezers, Akintayo Akinseloyin at the Intercontinental Distillers’ Jazz Nite with Yemi Sax, at Ember Creek, Lagos recently.

Dana Air and the lingering image challenge

ana Air is definitely having a serious image problem and not until some salient issues are addressed, the corporate image will continue to generate negative perception. The brand image is further worsened with the poor handling of the license restoration by the Federal Government. I had written previously on the image crisis of the airline and it seems the brand has a lot to contend with. The families of the crash victims are crying for justice over unpaid insurance claims. The issue is how on earth will the airline fly again when it has not fulfilled its promise to dead passengers? Dana Air has a slogan, “A renewed passion to serve” and I wonder where the renewed passion for customers is. The brand is not focused on

even responding proactively to the issue. This explains the connivance of the powers that be in restoring the license without considering the plight of the relations of the dead. In my previous column on the issue, I had wondered how Dana Air should start reeling out how many billions that were lost without a logical consideration of the several lives lost in the crash. Since the crash, Dana Air has not engaged in any form of strategic communication to allay the fears of Nigerians. The truth is that the ghost of bad image will continue to haunt the Air no matter the ignoble support it gets from the federal government. To worsen the image problems of the Air, the House of representative committee on aviation also decried the restoration of license

ad VA NT AG E icon

he enthusiastic and disarming marketing guru, Kolawole Olatunde Oyeyemi, has spent more than two decades in corporate Nigeria. The GM Consumer Marketing within the Marketing & Strategy Division of MTN who started as a broadcaster is an all rounder in marketing and communications having journeyed through PR, full advertising management and then into full marketing management. Oyeyemi, was known for excellence in places where he worked, like Kano State Broadcasting Corporation, The Quadrant Company, Sunrise Marketing and Communication and Cadbury Nigeria Plc (Kraft), before he came to MTN. His quest for value is still on. Between 1999 and 2002, her grew the Knorr brand to achieve its highest volume and value ever. The brand’s equity was also at an all time high. In 2002, Kola joined MTN to manage the business market arm of the business and was responsible for the marketing of MTN Business Time, MTN Flexi and MTN ProTime targeted at the business segment in the early days of telecom in Nigeria. Kola moved from this role to manage the MTN master brand in senior management capacity and was responsible for growing the equity of the MTN brand for enhanced market volume and

Brand X-Ray with Ayodeji Ayopo Tel: 08023448199 E-mail: mayomipo@yahoo.com for the Airline. The management of the airline is equally nonchalant to the groundswell of negative publicity around it. I met an experienced pilot who dissected the aviation industry to me and I open my mouth in utter disbelief ! He like many other professionals wondered what Dana is doing in the nation’s aviation industry. My encounter with the Pilot exposed me to the hazards Nigerians face in the aviation industry. A major challenge of Dana Air is the lack of coherent communication strategy plan. The airline seems not to value what corporate image is all about. The response of the airline to

33 39

the June 2012 crash leaves much to be desired. The airline is bereft of ideas on how to tackle its corporate communication challenges. The ideal thing is appeared more for any corporate organisation to have a well structured communication platform. Dana about the loss of lives but more concerned about the billions it lost during the crash.This sounds inhuman and improper way to communicate to the audience. The external image crisis for the brand is further enlarged with the standpoint of the House of Representatives on the restoration of its licence. This has been widely projected in the media and

Oyeyemi

value share. In this capacity, Kola was responsible for exciting and impactful marketing initiatives that have helped the brand to stand today as the biggest brand in Nigeria by Interbrand’s measurement. An alumnus of University of Ife, Columbia Business School, Lagos Business School, Vice President of ADVAN and the president of Ignite Africa for True Leadership Foundation. Kola teaches management, marketing, marketing communication and Leadership for different organisations like Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria(APCON), ADVAN, universities etc. this portends serious negative signals for the airline. The airline has several battles to contend with both internally and externally. The airline should take concrete steps to rescue from the grip of worsening image. Even when the airline flies again, its image can never soar. YBO: In his golden year The Managing Director of CMC Connect (Perception Managers), Mr. Yomi BadejoOkusanya clocked 50 and part of activities marking the event was a colloquium on Nigeria’s image.YBO as he is fondly called is a man of many parts having distinguished himself as the Chairman of Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Lagos State chapter and presently, the Secretary General of African Public Relations Association,(AFPRA). Happy birthday to a major force to reckon with in the Public Relations landscape in Nigeria and beyond.

Global Business

Thursday, January 10, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Bank risk tumbling as liquidity rule loosened

BofA to pay Fannie Mae $3.6bn in mortgage deal

ank of America Corporation, the second- biggest United States lender by assets, agreed to pay Fannie Mae $3.6 billion to resolve homeloan repurchase claims. The lender will also pay $6.75 billion to repurchase residential mortgages sold to Fannie Mae, Charlotte, North Carolinabased Bank of America said yesterday in a statement. The deal will substantially resolve outstanding claims for compensatory fees between the two companies, according to the statement. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and other buyers of mortgages have demanded compensation for loans created by Countrywide Financial Corporation, which Bank of America acquired in 2008, claiming the loans were based on flawed data about the properties and borrowers. Losses from Countrywide, the largest US mortgage lender as recently as 2007 before billions of dollars in soured loans prompted its sale to Bank of America, have continued to plague the lender, leading to more than $40 billion in costs. “These agreements are a significant step in resolving our remaining legacy mortgage issues, further streamlining and simplifying the company and reducing expenses over time,” Bank of America Chief Executive Officer Brian Moynihan said in the statement. The agreement covers $300 billion in outstanding principal on loans sold to

Fannie Mae between 2000 and 2008. The lender also agreed to sell servicing rights on $306 billion in home loans in separate deals. Nationstar Mortgage Holdings Incorporation said in a separate statement that it signed an agreement to acquire $215 billion in residential mortgage servicing rights from Bank of America for about $1.3 billion. Global central bank chiefs gave lenders four more years to meet international liquidity requirements and watered down the measures in a bid to stave off another credit crunch. Banks won the delay to fully meet the so-called liquidity coverage ratio, or LCR, following a deal struck by regulatory chiefs meeting yesterday in Basel, Switzerland. They’ll be able to pick from a longer list of approved assets including equities and securitized mortgage debt as they seek to build up buffers of liquidity for use in a financial crisis. “This was a compromise between competing views from around the world,” Bank of England Governor Mervyn King said at a briefing following yesterday’s meeting. King chairs the Group of Governors and Heads of Supervision, or GHOS, which decides on global bank rules. “For the first time in regulatory history we have a truly global minimum standard for bank liquidity.”

he cost of protecting bank bonds from default has fallen to the lowest level in as much as 20 months, pushed down at the same time regulators are loosening reserve rules and measures aimed at staving off another credit seizure. Credit-default swaps tied to six U.S. lenders from JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) to Wells Fargo & Co. have plummeted to an average 110.2 basis points through yesterday from as high as 360 basis points in November 2011, when concern mounted that Europe’s fiscal woes would spread to a contagion. The gap in relative yields between $2.2 trillion of bank bonds and debt of industrial companies is at the narrowest since December 2008, Bank of America Merrill Lynch index data show. Credit-default swaps tied to six U.S. lenders from JPMorgan Chase & Co. to Wells Fargo & Co. have plummeted to an average

110.2 basis points through yesterday from as high as 360 basis points in November 2011, when concern mounted that Europe’s fiscal woes would spread to a contagion.

Obama

Tokyo shares close 0.86% lower

okyo shares closed 0.86% lower Tuesday, owing to a strengthening yen and profit taking, and following losses on Wall Street and in Europe. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index shed 90.95 points to 10,508.06, while the broader Topix index of all first-section shares was off 1.04%, or 9.18 points, at 871.88. The Nikkei jumped 2.82% Friday, the first trading day of 2013, after ending last year at its highest level since the 2011

Hiroshi Komiyama

quake-tsunami disasters. “Players who had bought through Christmas have taken some more cash off the table pro-actively as the yen’s slide has slowed and U.S. earnings reporting season is about to start,” an equity trading director at a foreign brokerage told Dow Jones Newswires. SMBC Nikko Securities’ general manager of equities, Hiroichi Nishi, said: “The market remains overheated after running up so much over the past several weeks, making it vulnerable to more selling.” But the yen’s relative weakness may prevent the market from plunging, Nishi told Dow Jones Newswires. “Currency levels remain somewhat supportive… so this should hold any sharp sell-offs in check.” A weaker yen helps Japan’s many exporters by making their products cheaper abroad. The dollar slipped to 87.35 yen in Tokyo trade from 87.89 yen in New York late Monday, while the euro bought 114.60 yen, from 115.09 yen. The European single currency bought $1.3118 against $1.3115 ahead of a closely watched European Central Bank meeting later this week.

AIG, may sue America

Maurice Greenberg

ven as it runs ads thanking America for a $182 billion bailout, insurer AIG might join a lawsuit claiming that shareholders were unfairly hurt by the terms of the federal rescue that kept it out of bankruptcy four years ago. The suit was brought in 2011 by shareholders led by former AIG CEO Maurice “Hank” Greenberg. It claims that the high interest rates and 92% equity stake that AIG (AIG, Fortune 500) was forced to give to the federal government in return for the bailout was unfair to shareholders. According to a court statement by an AIG attorney in the case, the company’s board will hear a presentation Wednesday from the attorneys for the suing

shareholders. The board will also hear from attorneys for the Treasury Department and New York Federal Reserve, which together pumped the money into the insurance firm to keep it alive. A federal judge has already ruled against the suit, saying that the federal government was the “one and only rescuer that stood between it and imminent bankruptcy.” A bankruptcy would have left shareholders with close to nothing. But the shareholders are appealing that court loss and want AIG to join the case. Henry Hu, a former regulator who is now a law professor at the University of Texas, said that the board had little choice but to consider joining the suit.

“It’s part of their fiduciary duty to look carefully at the benefits and costs of proceeding with the case,” he said. But he said there are other factors that could keep AIG from joining the suit, even though Treasury sold its remaining stake in the firm last month. “To join the suit would be completely contrary to the ‘Thank you’ campaign they’re running,” he said. “And the board has to take into account not only the image with the general public, but also this vital relationship with federal regulators. I don’t mean the government will retaliate if they join, but you do have an interest in maintaining a good relationship with the regulators.”

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Capital Market

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Equities shed 0.5% on profit taking JOHNSON OKANLAWON

rading in equities closed on bearish note on the Nigerian Stock Exchange yesterday, as profit taking from the gains recorded on Tuesday halted the bullish trend. Specifically, the All Share Index lost 0.46 per cent to close at 28,956.83 points, as against the increase of 0.35 per cent recorded the preceding day to close at 29,089.52 points. Similarly, market capitalization dropped N43bn; in contrast the rise of

N33bn recorded the preceding day to close at 29,089.52 points. Lotus Islamic Index led the sectorial indices by 0.63 per cent to close at 1,773.27 points, followed by the Oil and Gas Index with 0.19 per cent to close at 160.55 points. The NSE 30-Index declined by 0.46 per cent to close at 1,379.00 points, while the Consumer Goods Index dropped by 1.25 per cent to close at 843.89 points. The Banking Index fell by 0.06 per cent to close at 376.50 points, while the Insurance Index dipped

by 0.77 per cent to close at 122.21 points. United Bank for Africa Plc led the gainers table with 51 kobo or 9.92 per cent to close at N5.65 per share, followed by Ashaka Cement Plc with N1.71 or 9.01 per cent to close at N20.69 per share. Forte Oil Plc gained 42 kobo or 4.94 per cent to close at N8.93 per share, while Eterna Oil Plc appreciated by 12 kobo or 4.80 per cent to close at N2.62 per share. RT Briscoe Plc rose by seven kobo or 4.79 per cent to close at N1.53 per share. On the flip side, DN

Meyers Plc depreciated by 14 kobo or 10 per cent to close at N1.26 per share, while Presco Plc declined by N1.90 or 8.48 per cent to close at N2.50 per share. Fidson Healthcare Plc lost eight kobo or 6.72 per cent to close at N1.11 per share, while Fidelity Bank Plc dipped by 16kobo or 5.52 per cent to close at N2.74 per share. NASCON Plc dropped by 44 kobo or 5.03 per cent to close at N8.30 per share. A total of 455.8 million shares valued at N4.06bn were exchanged in 6,679 deals.

Source: NSE NIBOR QUOTES 08 JANUARY 2013 & 09 JANUARY 2013 20.00 19.00 18.00 17.00 16.00 15.00 14.00 13.00 12.00 11.00 10.00 9.00 8.00 7.00 6.00 5.00

Ecobank may sell shares, bonds to meet Capital requirement JOHNSON OKANLAWON WITH AGENCY REPORT

cobank Transnational Incorporation may sell bonds and shares as countries around the continent raise minimum capital requirements, the bank’s Chief Executive Officer, Thierry Tanoh has said. The company, which is listed in Ghana, Ivory Coast and Nigeria, is also considering trading its shares on an exchange outside Africa. Tanoh who replaced the former CEO Arnold Ekpe who first took over running the Togo-based company in 1996 and ended his second stint last year, said yesterday in his first inter-

view since taking the position on January 1. “We’re starting to see in a lot of countries requirements by central banks to raise minimum capital requirements,” he said in Lusaka, Zambia’s capital. “If this continues quite aggressively we might have to look at raising additional resources.” In January last year Zambia boosted capital requirements for international banks to $100m from $2.5m, while Zimbabwe gave banks a deadline last September to boost reserves 10-fold to $100m. Kenya, Ghana and Gambia have also boosted requirements in the last two years. Ecobank may sell shares through a private placement and sell bonds if it

decides it needs additional funds, said Tanoh, who has worked for the International Finance Corporation as vice president in charge of Africa, Latin America and Western Europe. The company is still considering whether it needs more funds and how much it may require, he said. “It could be a combination of both equity and tier-two capital,” he said. Ecobank, which has operations in 33 African nations including the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zimbabwe, is co- coordinating the exercise at group level, and may raise money at the parent or subsidiary level, said Tanoh.

US stocks advance on optimism about corporate results

nited States stocks advanced, snapping a two- day decline for the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, amid investors’ optimism about fourthquarter corporate earnings. Alcoa Incorporation, which reported better-thanestimated sales, rose 0.6 per cent after rallying as much as 2.5 per cent earlier. MasterCard Incorporation, the second-biggest US payments network, rose 1.6 per cent after being raised at Goldman Sachs Group Incorporation, while Apollo Group Incorporation, the biggest US for-profit college, slumped 11 per cent after net income dropped amid a decline in new enrollment. The S&P 500 rose 0.4

per cent to 1,462.18 points, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 70.99 points, or 0.5 per cent, to 13,399.84. Trading in S&P 500 companies was 10 per cent above the 30-day average at this time of day. “Alcoa’s report got us off to a good start,” said Peter Jankovskis, who helps oversee $3bn of assets as co-chief investment officer at Lisle, Illinois-based Oakbrook Investments LLC. He spoke to Bloomberg in a telephone interview. “Still, earnings growth is going to be a little bit harder to come by. If we see some good results from bellwether companies, which will definitely give a lift to the market.” Fourth-quarter profits at S&P 500 companies prob-

ably increased 2.9 per cent, according to analysts’ estimates compiled by Bloomberg. That would be the second-slowest quarterly growth since 2009, the data show. Seven out of 10 groups in the S&P 500 rose today as industrial and healthcare shares had the biggest gains. Measures of energy and utility companies retreated. The Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index, which measures the cost of using options as insurance against declines in the S&P 500, lost 0.2 per cent to 13.59 for its seventh straight day of declines. Alcoa, the first company in the Dow to report results, rose 0.6 percent to $9.15. Aluminum prices

Ecobank shares have gained 8.4 per cent on the Nigerian Stock Exchange yesterday, the secondworst performance on an index of the 10 biggest banks traded in the country. The stock rose 1.3 per cent to close at N11.65 per share. The bank, which was founded in 1985, might consider listing on an exchange outside the continent “where there is liquidity, and there’s a very strong understanding of your market,” said Tanoh “We have an ambition to be listed in places where our stock is properly priced, and which would provide us with the best alternative to raise capital,” he said, declining to be more specific.

are rising as demand in China and the US increases while record amounts are being shut away in warehouses as part of financing deals. Alcoa, which said yesterday that global aluminum demand growth will accelerate to seven per cent in 2013, is trying to avoid a downgrade to junk by Moody’s Investors Services. The ratings company said December 18 it was reviewing its rating. MGM Resorts International gained 0.9 percent to $13.07. MGM China Holdings Limited, a venture between a daughter of casino mogul Stanley Ho and MGM Resorts International, received formal government approval to build its second resort in Macau.

8-J an-13

9-J an-13

Source: FMDA

Market indicators All-Share Index 28,956.83 points Market capitalisation 9,254trillion

Stock Updates GAINERS COMPANY

OPENING

CLOSING

CHANGE

% CHANGE

UBA

5.14

5.65

0.51

9.92

ASHAKACEM

18.98

20.69

1.71

9.01

8.51

8.93

0.42

4.94

ETERNA

2.50

2.62

0.12

4.80

RTBRISCOE

1.46

1.53

0.07

4.79

OKOMUOIL

46.85

49.00

2.15

4.59

UAC-PROP

13.22

13.74

0.52

3.93

WAPCO

54.00

55.90

1.90

3.52

IKEJAHOTEL

0.99

1.02

0.03

3.03

WAPIC

0.66

0.68

0.02

3.03

CHANGE

% CHANGE

LOSERS COMPANY

OPENING

CLOSING

DNMEYER

1.40

1.26

0.14

-10.00

PRESCO

22.40

20.50

1.90

-8.48

FIDSON

1.19

1.11

0.08

-6.72

FIDELITYBK

2.90

2.74

0.16

-5.52

NASCON

8.74

8.30

0.44

-5.03

NEM

0.60

0.57

0.03

-5.00

UPL

4.60

4.37

0.23

-5.00

JAPAULOIL

0.64

0.61

0.03

-4.69

NPFMCRFBK

1.13

1.08

0.05

-4.42

AIICO

0.71

0.68

0.03

-4.23

Primary Market Auction TENOR

AMOUNT (N’mn)

RATE (%)

DATE

91-Days

30,159.21

13.00

10-Jan-13

182-Day

57,729.22

15.31

10-Jan-13

Open Market Operations TENOR

AMOUNT (N’mn)

RATE (%)

DATE

83-Days

65,750.00

14.05

10-Jan-13

317-Days

16,384.86

15.55

10-Jan-13

315-Days

41,864.32

15.55

10-Jan-13

Wholesale Dutch Auction System AMOUNT OFFERED

MARKET DEMAND

AMOUNT SOLD

DATE

$150m

N/A

$150m

7-Jan-13

$300m

N/A

$300m

19-Dec-12

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Capital Market

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Stock exchange daily equities summary Equities as at January 9, 2013 1st Tier Securities Sector

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National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Kogi inaugurates courts for Child Rights Laws

hief Judge of Kogi, Justice Nasiru Ajanah, has inuagurated eight Family Courts in the state to enhance implementation of the Child Rights Law. Addressing Magistrates and Assessors of the Courts in Lokoja, Ajanah said Juvenile Courts, which hitherto handled matters involving the child (Persons under the age of 18), ceased to exist “in form and function”. Inauguration of the courts, according to him, is a step towards promoting the needed social integration of the communities with specific reference to our sociocultural inheritance and its sustainability. The Chief Judge charged the magistrates and assessors to discharge their functions efficiently. “Our positive adjudicative, legislative and administrative child-friendly measures in our daily endeavours are required by the Act. "As agents of governmental institutions, you are expected to curtail, and if possible, eliminate the engagement of our children in criminal activities, exposure to drugs, exploitative labour, abduction and buying and selling. ``Hiring for the purpose of begging for alms, prostitution, guiding beggars etc, ``using children as slaves or for practices similar to slavery like debt bondage, compulsory labour, hawking of goods and pornographic purposes or trafficking of any sort.” Ajanah, who constituted the Family Courts on December 10, last year, said the inauguration was in pursuant to Section 152(2) and 153(2) of the Child Rights Law of Kogi State 2009. He called on governmental and NonGovernmental Agencies, ministries of Information and its Women Affairs counterpart and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to ensure appropriate sensitization of the public on the provisions of the Act. The Courts according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) are spread across the state with three in the Eastern and Western senatorial districts and two in the central.

Kids at a dancing contest.

Kids thrill in dancing contest STORIES: LEONARD OKACHIE

here is a trend among Nigerian children. It is the display of abundant dancing skills. In parties, churches and any social gathering these days, children entertain their admirers with their wonderful dancing skills when music is involved. It was the case recently at O’jez Restuarant, inside the National Stadium Surulere, Lagos,when children manifested tremendous talents in dancing contest which revealed future dancing sensations. The occasion, which witnessed a rain of gifts and music was the restaurant’s Yuletide concert and reward party for loyal clientele. Held at the open air bar, the show, which lasted for hours was anchored by Nollywood star, Charles Inojie. The kids, encouraged by their parents to vie for the mouth watering gifts of a mini size fridge and micro wave as well as cash prizes, thrilled the large crowd with deft dance steps that gave all the adults a pleasant surprise. It got to a point it was so difficult to pick the

last three best, but when eventually the three winners emerged, no one was in doubt about their status. Fast rising stand up comedians, Elenu, MC Shakara and Acapela took turns to evoke laughter from the enthusiastic crowd. The O’jez band was also on hand to dish out soul warming songs while Charles Inojie’s handling of the night’s proceedings has confirmed his current status as one of the most sought after comperes in the country at the moment. He kept reminding the crowd that the gifts of a 30’ inch Plasma, fridge, micro wave, generator and a bag of rice were up for grabs in a lucky dip raffle. When the time eventually came, it was sweet tension as loyal customers walked home with each of the gifts. Mr. Sunday who won the Plasma

ssaid he came to the show with the mind of winning something home. “I never o knew I would win the star prize. This k iis really great and O’jez is the only cellebrity restaurant that does this kind of thing. I enjoy good food and good o music, as well as mingle freely with the m celebrities we all see on TV here every other day. I am so happy.” Okey’s case is a study in patience and belief. When the raffle draw was taking too long to be held, he had to ask his aide to drive his wife and kids home so that he could wait it out “because I believed I was going to win. I actually had the mind for the TV”. But he got the medium size fridge. “When my wife got home, she called and said I should not come without the TV, but thank God I can still go home because I have a consolation in the fridge, which to me has almost the same value with the TV. O’Jez remains the best. That is all I have to say. This is where I bring my family and friends to for either lunch or dinner and drinks, for over nine years now.” The concert ended with DJ Austin on the wheels of steel as he dished out good music.

Obi-Uchendu is new host of Rubbin’ Minds

ust in time for the New Year, the producers of Rubbin’ Minds, the influential TV talk-show for young Nigerians, have announced major upgrades. “It’s been five spectacular years, and we’re excited to take this to a whole new level in 2013,” says Adebola Williams, who is the executive producer of the show. The first change to the show is the announcement of a new host: the lawyer on-air personality and event compere, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu. Obi-Uchendu, who holds two Masters degrees in Intellectual Property as well as Communications Law both from the American University, Washington DC, takes over the presenter’s show on the first show

of the year – Sunday, 6 January, 2013. “Obi-Uchendu has been an influential voice for young people across issues – from pop culture to politics – over the past few years,” Williams explained. “As an issues columnist on Thisday Newspapers, anchoring the country’s first youth-centred Presidential Debate, writing for the YNaija FrontPage and for Leadership, amongs others. He mirrors the ‘Rubbin’ Minds prime position as the conversation driver for young people nationally, and he will be an effective face and voice for that imperative.” Obi-Uchendu will be joining the show, along with a new set, and new segments on the show – broken into

Ebuka Obi-Uchendu

news analysis, discussion and culture interview. “I am very excited to be joining the

A-team at Rubbin' Minds,” Obi-Uchendu said. “This is the show to be on to know what young people are talking and thinking about at any time. If it’s real and if it’s topical and it concerns young people, we will be discussing it, and I look forward to that ongoing conversation.” Rubbin’ Minds is a production of Y! TV. More information is available on www.ynaija.com, and on Twitter @ YNaijaTV. The official website for the TV show will be unveiled at www.ynaija.com/tv on 11 January, 2013. The ad campaign for the re-loaded show has also been released to the public – and will be deployed on social media, print, TV and outdoor.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Young & Next Generation

Teenager gets 12 strokes for gross indecency

SCIENCE FOR KIDS

Why do elderly people lose their balance?

Zuba Grade 1 Area Court yesterday sentenced 14-year old Emmanuel Ekpenyong to 12 strokes of the cane for gross indecency. Ekpenyong was charged before the court for sexually debasing a toddler. The Police Prosecutor, Mr Haruna Danlami, told the court that Ekpenyong of Glo, MTN mast Tunga Maje-Abuja, had been having canal knowledge of the two and half-year old (name witheld), of the same address. He said that the act of the accused had caused her injuries which her parents had to pay N17,000 to treat. The Presiding Officer of the court, Mr Alhassan Kusherki, sentenced Ekpenyong to 12 strokes of the cane after the accused pleaded guilty to the one-count charge of gross indecency. Kusherki said the reason for the the light sentence was the absence of a remand home in the FCT and that he was too young for the prisons. He added that the number of strokes was minimal because he was a first time offender and had shown remorse for his act. He also ordered that N17,000 compensation be paid to the family of the victim for the cost of the treatment. Kusherki directed that a letter of apology from the parents of the accused be sent to the family of the abused toddler to serve as deterrent to others.

UNICEF launches new report on children Richard Morgan

NICEF has warmly welcomed the launch by Save the Children of a new Report, Ending Poverty in Our Generation - Save the Children's vision for a post-2015 framework. "The new Save the Children report is an important contribution to discussions on the critical question of how the world can best address the survival, development and protection of its children in the coming years and decades, as part of an overall framework for sustainable and effective development," said Richard Morgan, UNICEF's Senior Advisor on the Post-2015 Agenda.

"The report recognises both the momentum of the Millennium Development Goals and the need to extend their success, especially among the most disadvantaged children and groups. It then makes specific proposals on how these children and their communities can become a central focus of a new, ambitious agenda where hunger, preventable child deaths, violence against children and extreme poverty are wiped out. "Ending Poverty in Our Generation provides concrete ideas on setting new goals that will accelerate efforts for the progress and protection of

the world's most marginalised children. Valuably, it also addresses the question of how the most deep-seated challenges for children and families - such as inequalities, environmental fragility, weak accountability, natural disasters and conflict - can be better targeted in the present and coming generations. "UNICEF looks forward to continuing to work closely with Save the Children and other key partners for children's rights, as the debate intensifies on how best to safeguard, extend and sustain human progress in the post-2015 international framework."

Youths asked to shun violence FRANCIS SUBERU

ouths have been urged to shun hooliganism and embrace peace in the year, with a view to have developmental impact from those in authorities. Comrade Umar Ismail, President of Champions Youths Development Association of Nigeria (CHYDAN) gave the advice recently in Lagos. According to Umar, the youths should know that crisis serves no one any good, stressing that they were the main victims of all crisis and misrule in the country. He urged them to shun people with money from using them to cause crisis during the New Year, pointing out that those using them to cause trouble were keeping their children in foreign land waiting take over the nation. ``He who asks you to kill has children, why can’t he use his children for violence or to kill? He, who told you that western

education is not good, but went to school and became rich. ``Above all, his children are abroad attending same western education. Know it now that he is using you to create chance for his children to come and rule over you tomorrow. Christian and Muslim youths should see themselves as brothers and sisters ``Who said you are too small to rule Nigeria? It is all about your mind set. Truly, jihad is allowed in Islam, which means to fight for the course of Allah, but we cannot launch attack on the innocent citizens and called it jihad. ``Providing foods, jobs, clothes, shelters, protecting the rights of others and fight back those who launch attacks on your people; all these are called pure jihad. But today the revise is the case. We cannot build one Nigeria through revolution but through unity of purpose. ``Nigeria youths should not make themselves willing tools of violence in the hands of evildo-

ers, who only use others for their selfish interest,’’ Umar noted. The youth’s leader, however, urged the governments at all level to create conducive environment that can promote peace and development for the youths. "I urge the governments at all levels to create good environment with their policies and actions. Those in government should not do things that would

give room for evildoers to use the youths against the peace of the land. "When the environment is good, evildoers would be out of business. The governments should do everything possible to gain the confidence of the youths in the New Year. More attention should be drawn to security, job creation and power generation,’’ Umar added.

7,000 children for PH festival

t least 7,000 students are expected to participate in the 5th National School Sports Competition in Port Harcourt from January 24 to February 3, a member of the organising committee said. Mr. Olalekan Ige, Secretary, Media and Publicity Sub-committee of the Games, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt yesterday. He said participating athletes would be a combination of primary and secondary school

students. Ige said that the Local Organising Committee had concluded arrangements for accommodation, feeding and facilities for the games. He said: ``So, we are ready in terms of facilities, in terms of feeding, of course, that will not be a problem because, we already have the experience. We hosted athletes during the National Sports Festival, which held in Port Harcourt. We already have the experience of how to be able to handle the feeding.

lderly people and retirees, for example, are frequent victims of falling accidents. Many of these accidents are attributed to their loss of balance. Some of these senior citizens lose their balance while walking down the stairs or on the street while others also fall even when standing still. One reason for the elderly person’s tendency to lose balance is muscle weakness and atrophy. As people age and become old, the muscles will become smaller and eventually weaker. Muscles in the legs, for example, are designed to give stability when standing or walking. But when these muscles become weak, the tendency of losing one’s balance is also increased. This tendency to fall down is even more likely when the elderly person is moving or walking. With walking, for example, the balance may be lost as an old person lifts one foot off the ground while only one leg tries to stabilize his/her body position. The frequent loss in balance among elderly people may also be caused by degradation of the brain. Studies have shown that changes in some parts of the brain while a person ages will ultimately affect various things including the person’s balancing skills. Various parts of the brain are involved with specific functions from memory, movement, sensation, organ function, and balance. And when the balance center, for example, is affected, as in the case of old age, falling down will also be a more common occurrence. With the degrading changes in the brain, particularly in the white matter, there will also be slowing down of the reflexes and possible problems with sensation. Some elderly people will also develop vision problems which further aggravates their ability to maintain stability. There are also elderly people who will have orthostatic hypotension wherein they easily get dizzy when trying to stand from a sitting position, for example. All these will contribute to the increased chances of losing balance as one reaches his/ her old age. -Knowswhy.com

An elderly man

Media

Thursday, January 10, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

LATE MADAM ELEKIYA GIWA:

A woman committed to son’s heroic principles LEONARD OKACHIE

merican singer-songwriter and poet, best remembered as the lead singer of Los Angeles rock band, The Doors, James Douglas "Jim" Morrison did say: “People fear death even more than pain. It's strange that they fear death. Life hurts a lot more than death. At the point of death, the pain is over. Yeah, I guess it is a friend.” Perhaps, for Madam Elekiya Ayisat Giwa, mother of slain journalist, Dele Giwa, the pain even at the point of death is far from being over. Mama finally succumbed to the cruel hands of death on early Tuesday morning after long years of heartache that no one could heal. She died at age 87 at Aruna Ogun Hospital in Ikorodu, Lagos after a brief illness. She was said to have suffered a stroke on December 22 last year and was initially taken to the General Hospital in Ikorodu where she stayed for a week.But as her situation continued to deteriorate, she was later taken to a private hospital where she stayed for another one week before she finally gave up the ghost. Though it is not the prayer of any mother to witness the death of her child, unfortunately, Mrs. Giwa lived to see the gruesome killing of her son in 1986. Since then, life to her has simply meant tragedy. Her last born, Mrs. Abibat Ronke Giwa-Aboaba said: “Mama’s death was the build-up of the crisis she suffered when Dele Giwa was brutally murdered. She was always a healthy woman until Dele’s death. His death broke her up. It was then she became hypertensive.” The daughter stressed that the failure of the government to find Dele Giwa’s killers and be brought to book, 27 years after, did more harm to mama’s spirit. Dele Giwa was a celebrated journalist, founding editor of Newswatch magazine, who was killed by a letter bomb in his home on 19 October, 1986 – two days after he had been interviewed by State Security Service (SSS) officials. His death had generated ripples in various quarters as the parcel was marked “From the C- In – C.” raised speculations that the then military government may have something to do with his death. The then government, under Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, however, denied any involvement in the murder and instituted a panel to find the killers which was never achieved. Giwa's lawyer, Gani Fawehimni had instituted court cases against the government, but he was accused of prematurely accusing the government of Dele Giwa's murder, thereby truncating the investigation into the case.The late Fawehimni’s efforts to try the case as a private prosecutor after the Director of Public Prosecution, Mrs. Eniola Fadayomi had refused to prosecute based on the evidence available, were mostly unsuccessful. Mrs. Giwa-Aboaba believes that her brother’s death contributed to the death

Late Madam Elekiya

IS A VERY SAD

EVENT ESPECIALLY AS

DELE GIWA

WHO WAS OUR BIGGEST HOPE HAD TO DIE IN SUCH A CIRCUMSTANCE

Dele Giwa

of Fawehinmi, who championed for the cause. “Gani was one of the major persons that spearheaded the fight to fish out those that caused my brother’s death. He was even imprisoned for this sake and it later led to his death because he became ill as a result of the continuous imprisonment. Before he died, he gave his family instructions to hold a rally at Edo State in his honour.” But, several years after, the mother had said that she had left the circumstances surrounding the death of her son in God’s hand even she was quoted as

saying, “Dele was to me a cloth. You don’t expect an unclad woman to go dancing in the market place if she is sane.” “It was until few months ago when she started letting go, but by then the damage had be done. Months before she died, she made her peace with his death actually took and said she had forgiven those that wrongful killed him in his prime,” Mrs. Giwa-Aboaba reportedly said. Even though mama died on January 8, 2013, many believe that her death place on 19 October, 1986, the day her son died. Abike Awoyinfa, publisher of Entertainment Express said: “Dele Giwa was my editor and my mentor of such. So I know his mother very well. She strikes me as a very quiet and modest woman who did not deserve what she got. It is not the prayer of every parent to see

their children die. She really suffered; she felt the agony. But that is destiny for you. “She lived probably enough to see the glory of a son. She did not give birth to an ordinary son, but to a legend. Dele Giwa is still alive; he is alive in all of us he trained. He was the editor’s editor.She died the very day Dele Giwa died. She was just holding on. May her soul rest in peace and may we not have this tragedy again when journalists will be bombed.” Corroborrating, Awoyinfa’s longtime friend and deputy, Dimgba Igwe remarked that she died an angry woman, ““It is a very sad event, especially as Dele Giwa who was our biggest hope had to die in such a circumstance. And since then, nothing was done to rehabilitate the woman. She is going to be angry and her anger is going to be on Nigeria because Nigeria killed her son. As a matter of fact, that woman died the time Dele Giwa died. Igwe charged the Edo State Government to ensure that the woman given a befitting burial and also urged the Ministry of Information to do something about it, stressing “that is the only way to appease the average spirit of the woman.” “I feel sorry and sad. All we can do is to thank God and to wish her soul eternal rest.Unfortunately, the issue of who killed Dele Giwa was not resolved. Maybe be it is a reminder to us not to allow the matter be swept under the carpet.It is a challenge to us as communicators and to also remind the law enforcement agents that it is an unfinished business,” said the Publisher/CEO of Diamond Publications Limited, Lanre Idowu. President of a pro-democracy organisation, Campaign for Democracy (CD), Joe-Okei Odumakin said Mama Giwa lived the last 27 years in perpetual agony. She described her as woman who was unique in her resoluteness and totally committed to the heroic principles of her son. Odumakin said in her condolence message thus: “It is an indictment of the criminal justice administration in Nigeria that Madam Giwa passed on to higher glory without the killers of her son being brought to book. While wishing her eternal rest in the bosom of the Lord, we again reiterate our call over the years that the agent of death who delivered the parcel bomb to Giwa in 1986 and the patrons must be fished out and brought to book for justice.” Meanwhile February 9, has been picked by the family as the tentative date for Madam Giwa’s burial at their home town, Ugekpe Ekperri, in Auchi, Edo State. Nonetheless, whether the killers of her son are fished out and brought to book or not, mama is consoled by the words of Mitch Alboin, that “Death ends a life, not a relationship.”Her relationship with her son lives on as both may have transited to meet again.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Media

Thursday, January 10,, 2013

NUJ charged on peaceful co-existence

iROKO Partners heads to SA LEONARD OKACHIE

DANJUMA WILLIAMS GOMBE

ombe state Commissioner of Information and Orientation, Reverend Habu Dawaki has appealed to journalists in the state not to relent in promoting peaceful coexistence among the people of the state in spite of the daunting security challenges of the North-east Geo -political region. The Commissioner was speaking in a goodwill message during an end of year dinner get together organized by the Gombe State Chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ). The Commissioner who commended the roles played by the journalists in ensuring that the state remain one of the peaceful states in the region especially during the Dankwambo administration, pleaded on the media to do more by promoting unity of Nigerians in their reportage. The Commissioner then revealed that approval for the construction of a new NUJ Press Centre worth over N34 million and the renovation of the State Ministry of Information and its zonal office in Billiri had been granted by the State Governor, Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo. He also promised that all Journalists in the state would receive training in the year 2013 so as to build their capacity and improve in their official duties since that was not realized in year 2012. Also speaking at the occasion, the

Garba

Senior Special Assistant to Governor Dankwambo on Media and Publicity, Alhaji Mansur lawal who spoke through Alhaji Umar Alkali Jibrin, also a Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and publicity, advised journalists to use their pens wisely and report objectively. He said despite the security challenges bedeviling the North-East, Gombe still remain a safe haven for investors and called on journalists to promote the state for investors to come in. Earlier in his welcome address, the State NUJ Chairman Alhaji Alhassan Yahaya, commended journalists in the state for their disciplined conduct and support during the year 2012, also appealed for more support so as to enable him champion the improvement of their welfare and better working condition.

ROKO Partners, the online distributor of Nigerian movies and music, has announced that it will open a new office in Johannesburg, South Africa as part of its expansion in 2013. According to Bizcommunity, the office, located in Maboneng precinct, will house a team of up to five and will be a regional hub for iROKO Partners with specific focus on the development of new business partnerships, working closer with key South African media agencies and the sourcing of new content for its popular movie and music platforms, iROKOtv and iROKING. Genevieve Dumorne, who heads up the iROKO Partners Johannesburg office says: "We've come to South Africa to work closely with the continent's leading media agencies, advertisers and content providers. The entertainment and tech scene in South Africa is mature, dynamic and exciting - we'll be looking to see not only what we can learn from it, but also what we can contribute to it with iROKOtv and iROKING - two of the conti-

tiations since November 1, 2012 with an offer of 1.2 million dollars to JCM-African Sports Consulting, after a letter from it on October 19. "After it rejected that offer about two weeks later, we increased it to 1.5 million dollars but the company insisted on eight million euros,’’ he said. Jijiwa said BON was to repeat the offer on November 27, after it learnt from LC2 it owned the rights, only for the company to on December 5 direct it to CFOOT Ltd for negotiations. ``Because of problems of time at this point in time and the fact that the competition is already branded, thus limiting our possibilities of advertising, we had to make a new offer. "We thus, on Dec. 12, offered to CFOOT either one million U.S dollars for all the 32 matches or 300,000 dollars for selected matches, with CFOOT rejecting this on Dec. 21,’’ he said. The BON chairman, who is also the Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), said JCM-African Sports Consulting had since been interceding on its behalf with CFOOT on its price. ``So far, CFOOT has not responded, while we have only seen a letter from FTPA, a legal firm representing LC2, threatening BON on the rights issue,’’ he said. Jijiwa said BON felt it had done all

nent's leading online entertainment distribution platforms." In 2012, iROKO Partners' music platform, iROKING, announced its first partnership with a South African-based company with the launch of a mobile music site for GoMetro, the mobi site for commuter rail agency, Metrorail. The venture-capital backed tech and entertainment company, launched in Nigeria in 2010, has offices in Lagos, London and New York and is now looking to increase its presence in Africa, starting with Johannesburg. It is reported that in just two years, the company has built a global audience of over six million unique users from 178 different countries across its movie and music platforms.

Three skills journalists should learn in 2013

ournalists jotting down New Year’s resolutions should include a plan to improve their skills--or even learn a few new ones. Like a Swiss Army knife, journalists today need to be multifunctional. Not sure where to start? Here are a few suggestions. Whether you focus on one or choose to master them all, these skills will make you more marketable in 2013 and in years to come:

1. Coding

CEO, Iroko Partners, Njoku.

TV stations may not broadcast AFCON matches live –BON he Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON) yesterday in Abuja said its members may not broadcast live matches of the 2013 African Cup of Nations (AFCON). BON Chairman, Abubakar Jijiwa, told a news conference on the competition’s broadcast rights that this was because of a tussle over the right payment for it. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 2013 AFCON is holding in South Africa from January 19 to February 10. Nigeria’s Super Eagles, one of the 16 participating teams, have been drawn in Group C alongside defending champions, Zambia, Burkina Faso and Ethiopia. ``There is the need for BON to inform Nigerians on efforts made so far to secure the broadcast rights for the competition and to say that the situation is not encouraging at all. ``We believe this is the time for the government of Nigeria to intervene on behalf of the people of Nigeria, especially since the 2013 AFCON is only 10 days away,’’ Jijiwa said. He explained that the situation arose following the brick wall BON had met in terms of the acquisition of broadcast rights from the concerned bodies. The BON chairman said it had started nego-

that was necessary for it to secure the rights and felt embarrassed by FTPA’s letter since ``we at no time pronounced that we have the rights’’. He said the organisation was confident that its members would not breach the rules to go on and broadcast the matches, without paying for the rights. ``We are professional broadcasters, and we will not broadcast any match we have not agreed with the rights owners on payment. ``It is a matter of honour and obligation and our members are aware of this. Even the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) is aware of this development too,’’ he said. Jijiwa then urged the federal government to intervene in the matter, saying the Presidency, National Sports Commission (NSC), Ministry of Information and the National Assembly have all been informed. ``We need their kind and early intervention in this matter, to save Nigeria from imminent and avoidable embarrassment,’’ Jijiwa said. NAN reports that Nigeria is billed to play its first match at the competition on Jan. 21 against Burkina Faso at Nelspruit. The team’s other group first round games are against Zambia and Ethiopia and they will hold on Jan. 25 and Jan. 29, respectively.

Whether it’s just to spruce up a blog or to conceptualize remarkable projects like the latest New York Times interactive masterpiece, Web coding is a valuable skill for journalists. There are a number of free resources for teaching yourself programming languages. You can also learn HTML or CSS hands-on with Web page editor Mozilla Thimble.

2. Interpreting Infographics and data visualizations took reporting in the public interest to new heights in 2012, and reporting and presentation will only continue to intertwine. Journalists will shift from hunter/gatherer style to a mode of interpretation as data sets become more readily available. But all of these data are useless unless journalists have the know-how to analyze them. Make the Data Journalism Handbook your new best friend or browse through the Guardian’s best data visualizations of the year to get an idea of the impact data storytelling can have. Or start your own data or infographic project with Piktochart or Google Fusion Tables.

3. Branding Journalists need to brand and market themselves. One of the easiest ways to do that (other than social media) is with an online portfolio or personal website. Use WordPress, Cuttings.me, Pressfolios and other free sites to contain all of your vital career details. Maintain a blog, create an infographic resume from your LinkedIn profile with Visualize.me or Visually, archive your best clips and link to all your social media accounts-not just to sell yourself, but to highlight your unique set of skills and qualifications. Source: ijnet

Thursday, January 10, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Thursday, January 10, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

World News

Venezuela to postpone Chavez’s inauguration

PAUL ARHEWE

WITH AGENCY REPORTS

he UN peacekeeping department has asked the Security Council to back the use of surveillance drones for the first time in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The UN wants to use the drones to monitor the vast eastern DRC border, where Rwanda has been accused of helping rebels fighting the government. Rwanda denies the charge. The introduction of drones would be a major shift in UN peacekeeping operations, but Rwanda opposes their use in the DRC and other countries are also suspicious. Herve Ladsous, the UN peacekeeping chief, said he had asked the Security Council for the means to strengthen its DRC operation. “So more helicopters, perhaps some with night vision, river capacities and then this question of aerial surveillance equipment - drones,” he told the AFP news agency. “I explained to the Security Council how necessary we think this is.” Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general, is expected to reinforce the case for drones in a report he is preparing on strengthening the UN mission in DRC. The calls for action came after M23 rebels swept aside government forces and UN peacekeepers as they took the key provincial capital of Goma in November. DRC is already the UN’s biggest peacekeeping mission, with more than 17,000 troops. But the forces are spread thin in the huge

he Africa Union chairman and Benin’s President, Boni Yayi has called for NATO intervention after talks with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Ottawa. “NATO should play a part and the African force would lead the way as was done by NATO in Afghanistan,” he said in a report from the BBC. “This is an international situation.” NATO took command of the international peacekeeping force in Afghanistan in 2003. Several NATO members, including the US and France, say they will help to train an African force for the Mali operation, but have not offered to send ground troops or launch air strikes.

“If the terrorists come to talk terrorism, the whole world will know it. If they (rebels) come to discuss defending the cause of Central African Republic, we are going to listen to them.” – Central Africa Republic President, Francois Bozize

UN seeks to deploy drones over DR Congo

UN has 17,000-man peacekeeping force spread across the vast DR Congo

country and the UN is under orders to cut costs. Western countries have backed the UN plan. “The UN needs additional modern resources - in particular drones - to be better informed, more reactive,” France’s UN mission said in a Twitter statement. The Congo government is in favour of the move, but Rwanda, which is now one of the African members of the 15-nation Security Council, is opposed to it. UN experts say that Rwanda and Uganda have given military backing to the M23 rebels. “We as Rwanda bordering on the Congo, we are maybe not in a comfortable position to talk about

it because people may perceive it otherwise,” said Eugene Richard Gasana, Rwanda’s UN ambassador. “But member states have legitimate questions on legal issues, financial issues on implementation of this.” “It might have a precedence on other countries. We owe them a kind of explanation. “It is about human beings, it is not about Star Wars. We need this new technology, but at which cost.” UN officials say that drones could also be valuable in South Sudan and Sudan, huge countries where peacekeeping missions are spread thin.

PHOTO: EPA

But the UN has stressed that it would not use drones in any mission without the permission of the country involved. “Ultimately, to introduce these, we would need the support of member states to equip the mission,” UN peacekeeping spokesman Kieran Dwyer said recently. The M23 rebels declared a unilateral ceasefire on Tuesday ahead of a second round of peace talks with the government, boosting hopes for a negotiated end to their nine-month-old revolt. The announcement marked a relaxation of the rebels’ demand last week that the DRC government also agree to a truce before troubled negotiations resume.

NATO forces needed in Mali – AU Mr Harper said Canada - a NATO member - was not considering direct military involvement in Mali. “Obviously we are very concerned about the situation, and the development of essentially an entire terrorist region is of grave concern to everybody in the international community,” he said. The Islamists and Tuareg rebels seized power in northern Mali - an area the size of France - in the chaos following a coup in the capital, Bamako last year. Their ranks had been bolstered by fighters from Libya, who crossed into Mali after the

overthrow of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s government in 2011. A NATO bombing campaign helped Libya’s militias to oust Col. Gaddafi’s government. The alliance between the Islamists and Tuareg groups quickly collapsed, with the Islamists taking the region’s main urban centres. The Islamist groups have since destroyed ancient shrines in Timbuktu and imposed a strict interpretation of Islamic law, sparking international outrage. Burkina Faso’s government is trying to mediate an end to the conflict.

Yayi

WORLD BULLETIN South African police arrest 50 in farm protest Striking farm workers yesterday set up barricades and threw stones at motorists and police in a South African province whose vineyards are vital to the wine industry, prompting riot officers to close roads and arrest at least 50 demonstrators, South African media reported. Labour unrest was reported in several areas of Western Cape province, where similar protests last year also turned violent, resulting in at least two deaths. Footage on eNCA television showed debris in flames on a rockstrewn highway, and the smashed window of a police vehicle. Security forces in helmets patrolled the area. Police Lt. Col. Andre Traut said police had arrested about 50 people, according to the South African Press Association.

Seven killed in Kenya’s tribal clash Police in Kenya say seven people have been killed in tribal violence. The deaths yesterday occurred near the Tana River in eastern Kenya after more than 100 people launched an attack on a local village. Coast Province police Chief Aggrey Adoli said several houses were set on fire. The attackers are believed to be from the Pokomo community, while those killed are from the Orma community. Adoli said there is deep rooted hatred between the communities caused by political competition. He said police are investigating politicians, businessmen and powerbrokers from the region for allegedly instigating the violence. More than 100 people have been killed in a series of running clashes in the region.

‘Germany may boycott tourism convention in Zimbabwe’ Germany says it is considering whether to take part in the world’s largest United Nations tourism convention in Zimbabwe or stay away to protest seizures of tourism investments owned by Germans. German ambassador Hans Gnodtke said Wednesday Zimbabwe has violated bilateral treaties on foreign investments by allowing seizures of German-owned wildlife conservancies in south-eastern Zimbabwe by President Robert Mugabe’s loyalists since 2011. Gnodtke said if the European Union decided to boycott the convention; it would decrease Zimbabwe’s chances of holding a successful event. He told reporters Germany felt let down after Mugabe promised investors their interests would be safe.

World News

WORLD BULLETIN India claims Pakistan beheaded Kashmir soldier India says one of two soldiers killed in an alleged cross-border attack by Pakistan troops in the disputed territory of Kashmir was beheaded. Pakistan has rejected accusations that it killed any Indian soldiers or fired across the Line of Control (LoC) which divides Kashmir. India called the attack “barbaric” and summoned Pakistan’s top envoy in Delhi over the incident. Claimed by both countries, Kashmir has been a flashpoint for over 60 years. A statement from the Indian foreign ministry said the soldiers’ bodies had been subjected to “barbaric and inhuman mutilation” which was “in contravention of all norms of international conduct”. Indian TV channels are calling this a “Kargil-type stunt” - when Pakistani forces breached the Line of Control in 1999, sparking the third major conflict between the two neighbours over Kashmir.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

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Venezuela to postpone Chavez’s inauguration

enezuela will postpone the inauguration of President Hugo Chavez for a new term due to health problems, the government has confirmed. Nicolas Maduro, the vice president, broke the news in a letter to National Assembly on Wednesday, saying “The commander president wants us to inform that, based on his medical team’s recommendations, the post-operative recovery should extend past January 10.” “As a result, he will not be able to be present at the National Assembly on that date.” The letter said authorities would seek another date for the inauguration ceremony but did not say when it would take place, nor give any time frame for Chavez’s recovery or his return

from Havana. Rather than being sworn in by the legislature, he would take his oath at a later date before the Supreme Court, the letter said, as allowed by the constitution. The 58-year-old socialist leader, who has dominated the South American OPEC nation since 1999, has not been heard from or seen in public since his December 11 cancer surgery - his fourth - in Cuba. The constitution says the president should begin a new term on January 10 but does not specify what happens if the president does not take office by that date. The delay is another sign that Chavez’s battle with an undisclosed form of cancer in the pelvic region may keep him from ruling for a third term.

“The news here didn’t surprise anyone, because the president’s health hasn’t improved in the last week,” reported Al Jazeera from Caracas. “The latest health update that we had said that he is stationary, that he is still suffering from a lung infection that has generated some type of respiratory insufficiency.” Chavez’s resignation or death would upend politics in the oilrich country that has grown accustomed to his charismatic but controversial leadership. He has said that if he’s unable to continue on as president, Maduro should take his place and run in an election to replace him. Government leaders insist Chavez is completely fulfilling his duties as head of state, even though official medical bulletins

Berlusconi blasts feminist, communist judges Milan court officials defended the impartiality of their judges yesterday after ex-Premier Silvio Berlusconi blamed “feminist, communist” magistrates for what he said was a £200,000 ($260,000) a day divorce settlement. Berlusconi made the accusation in an interview Tuesday with the La7 private television network, his latest in a series of media appearances ahead of Italy’s Feb. 24-25 elections. Italian media initially reported that Berlusconi’s divorce from his second wife Veronica Lario would cost him £36 million a year. That figure amounts to £3 million a month, or about £100,000 a day. But Berlusconi said the figure, with arrears, was double that. While he didn’t fully explain how he got to a £200,000 a day figure, he said he was ordered to pay Lario £36 million a year, with another £72 million in arrears.

Passenger ferry crashes into New York dock

Japan cancels ANA flights over brake failure An All Nippon Airlines flight is halted, the latest in a series of Dreamliner problems after a fuel leak and fire on other planes. A brake problem has forced an All Nippon Airways flight to be cancelled in Japan - the third glitch in as many days involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. It was scheduled to fly from the Yamaguchi prefecture in western Japan to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. But the domestic flight was grounded by Japan’s ANA because brake parts to the rear left undercarriage needed replacing, a spokesman at Yamaguchi Ube Airport said. An ANA spokeswoman said: “In the cockpit, an error message related to its brake system was displayed. “The exact nature and the cause of the error message is not clear yet.”

say he has a severe pulmonary infection and has had trouble breathing. The government has called for a massive rally of supporters outside the presidential palace on Thursday, and allies including Uruguayan President Jose Mujica and Bolivian leader Evo Morales have confirmed they will visit Venezuela this week despite Chavez’s absence. Opposition leaders insist the government is running roughshod over the constitution by ignoring the specified inauguration date. They say Congress head Diosdado Cabello, a key Chavez ally, should step in as a temporary president while Chavez recovers.

A supporter of Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez posing with a photograph of Chavez outside the National Assembly in Caracas, Venezuela, recently. PHOTO: AP

West should consider Assad’s proposals –Russia

yrian President Bashar Assad’s proposals for ending his country’s civil war should be taken into account by the international community, Russian officials insisted Wednesday, even though Assad’s ideas were rejected by the Syrian opposition and drew harsh Western criticism. Russia’s Foreign Ministry said senior Russian and U.S. diplomats will discuss possible ways to settle the Syrian crisis during talks later this week with the U.N. envoy for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi. The ministry said as part of international efforts to help negotiate an end to Syria’s civil war “some of the ideas” voiced by Assad should be considered. In a rare speech Sunday, Assad offered a plan that would keep him in power to oversee a national reconciliation conference, a national election and a new government. He dismissed any chance of talks with the armed opposition, however, and vowed to continue the battle “as long as

there is one terrorist left,” a term the government uses for the rebels. The opposition rejected Assad’s offer, which also was denounced by the West, including the U.S. and Britain. The talks on Syria involving Brahimi, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns are to take place Friday in Geneva.

Russia has blocked several U.N. resolutions aimed at pressuring Assad, but Moscow says it is not propping up his regime. Top Russian officials in recent weeks have signaled that they are resigned to Assad eventually losing power. The war in Syria has killed over 60,000 people and forced hundreds of millions to flee the country since it began in March 2011, according to the U.N.

Syrian rebel fighters take their positions on the frontline of the ongoing battle for the military airport in Taftanaz, Syria. PHOTO: AP

New York passenger ferry has hit a dock during the Manhattan rush hour, injuring as many as 50 people and tearing a hole in the vessel’s bow. More than a dozen passengers were seen lying on dockside stretchers under blankets as they awaited medical attention on a chilly January morning. One person had suffered a serious head injury, the Associated Press reported. The Seastreak Wall Street ferry hit the mooring as it docked about 08:45 (13:45 GMT) after a trip from New Jersey. The ferry, which was carrying about 340 passengers and five crew members, was able to dock and witnesses say people rushed to disembark. The BBC says Pier 11 in Lower Manhattan has not closed as a result of the collision, avoiding a major disruption to water traffic. The 140ft (43m) vessel remains afloat. “We don’t know what happened,” a still-bleeding passenger told the New York Daily News. “The boat hit something, and we went flying. People were bleeding all over the place.” A woman who witnessed the crash from the dock told CBS News the boat did not appear to have been coming in at high speed, but said “it was a very hard hit”. The bow of the Seastreak ferry A large hole was punched into the bow “It had pulled in - starting to pull in - and what it did was it hit the right side of the boat on the dock hard, like a bomb,” Dee Wertz told the television station. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has visited the scene of the crash, along with senior police, fire and emergency management officials.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

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Community Mirror Nafada LG urged to embrace western education

“Boko Haram undermines security and anything that undermines security, undermines development. ”

FORMER PRESIDENT OLUSEGUN OBASANJO

Carpenter commits suicide CHARLES OKEKE AWKA

carpenter, Kenechukwu Nzekwe, has allegedly committed suicide, as he plunged into the Ezu River in

Amansea, Awka North Local Government Area. The Ezu River lies on the Old Awka to Enugu road. It was gathered that the man, who lived at Umuayom village, Awka, before his death, left a suicide note at the bank of the river, detail-

ing reasons for his action. Sources said the late Nzekwe had, in the note revealed that he was fed up with life as a result constant nagging and insults from his wife. The deceased has since been buried by the river

Philanthropist empowers widows

side in accordance with the culture of the people. Meanwhile, spokesperson of the Anambra State Police Command, Ralphael Uzoigwe, could not be reached as all efforts to get his views proved abortive.

Lawmaker donates items to constituency JAMES DANJUMA KATSINA

s part of his empowerment scheme project, a lawmaker, Senator Hadi Sirika has donated items worth over N150 million to 3000 people in Katsina State. They include 12 cars, 130 motorcycles, 384 spaghetti making machines, 60 water pumps, 60 compressors, 60 grinding machines, 128 sewing machines, among others. Speaking in Daura, Senator Sirika said it was part of effort aimed at empowering the 12 council areas in his senatorial district and the state in general. The lawmaker also said the sum of N250,000 would be given to free 15 people for farming purposes free, after rigorous selection process. Sirika, said part of the programme would include the vaccination of 6000 animals against diseases,even as a website had been dedicated to receiving complaints and résumés of those seeking employment from the state, as efforts are being made to ensure they secure appointments at private or public institutions. He said that the empowerment scheme had enabled people from the state to get appointments with organizations including scholarships for those in higher institutions of learning. He however lamented the level of poverty in the state, adding that there was need for government to assist the poor and needy. He therefore called on other political office holders to emulate the gesture and empower the people they represent. At the occasion, former Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Bello Masari, called on those that did not benefit to be patient as similar empowerment programme would be held in due course.

A girl hawker taking a rest on Oshodi express road, Lagos.

PHOTO:ADEMOLA AKINLABI

KEMI OLAITAN IBADAN

philanthropist, Bashorun Adeniyi Adeoye, has challenged wealthy Nigerians to always spare a thought for the less-privileged, stating that it is by giving that the society can achieve the needed peace. Adeoye, who is founder and President of Irawo de Foundation, stated this at the palace of Salu of Edunabon, Oba Elijah Omoloye Oyelade, while donating food items to widows. Represented by co-coordinator of the foundation, Hon. Wale Adebayo, he said support for the widows is to alleviate their suffering and cushion the psychological effects of losing their dear ones. He said, “For the well-to-do to help the needy will a go a long way in assuring them that they have people who have them in mind and erase from their mind that the wealthy are out to always oppressed them.

Court settles dispute between Oru and Ago-Iwoye FRANCIS SUBERU

he 36-year-old legal tussle between Oru and AgoIwoye on the boundary between them in Ijebu North Local Council Area of Ogun State has finally been resolved. Giving judgment in a suit No. AB/192/93, Justice N.I Saula of the High Court Abeokuta withheld the declaration of Osibodu Boundary Settlement Commission in suit No. BSC/5/78 of November 22, 1983, which fixed the boundary between Oru and AgoIwoye at a small stream known as Eripa Stream. Dismissing the suit by AgoIwoye, the court held that action of the plaintiffs was an abuse of court process with the case having been decided at the Appeal Tribunal which is the final arbiter in such cases as stipulated by law. The Osibodu Boundary settlement commission had in 1976, declared Eripa Stream as the boundary between the two communities, but Ago-Iwoye later contested the judgment, and

lost to Oru in the High Court of Abeokuta, presided over by Justice Saula. In the commission’s report, titled Intra-State Boundary Dispute, item No 173-176, it was discussed thus: “Ago-Iwoye people were found by the commission to have unduly capitalised over the sale of parcels of Oru land to them by seizing the opportunity to arbitrarily shift their administrative boundary.” It observed that Oru and AgoIwoye belonged to different district council areas; “The commission therefore recommended that Eripa Stream be both the administrative and traditional boundary between them. It had accordingly advised the Ogun State Government to effect that for peace of the area.” Following, its critical findings, Justice Saula agreed with judgment of the Boundary Appeal Tribunal in suit No: AB/1A/85 which dismissed the appeal lodged by Ago-Iwoye community on the findings of Osibodu Boundary Settlement Commission which the law recognizes as the final arbiter in boundary settlement cases in

Ogun State. The Federal Government had in 1976 issued a white paper on the same subject matter, fixing the boundary between Oru and Ago-Iwoye at Eripa Stream, based on recommendations of the Justice Nasir Boundary Adjustment Commission. With the recent decision, all properties that fall within the area are adjudged to be under the Oru territorial and administrative boundary. In other words, all lands starting from Itamerin Comprehensive High School to the said Eripa Stream fall within the Oru territorial, administrative and traditional boundary. The chairman, Oru Progressive Union (OPU), Chief Sunday Olatunde Ketiku and the Secretary Alhaji Nasiru Adesegun Adesi, had expressed delight that the boundary dispute has not brought any restiveness or enmity between indigenes of both communities, rather they continue to live in peace and harmony. In a joint statement they

said: “the fact that Oru and Ago-Iwoye indigenes have virtually become one through inter-marriages in undisputable. This does not however, mean that the traditional boundary between the two communities should not be clearly established, in as much as the two communities have not, through referendum, agreed to bear a common name. Anything short of establishing the traditional boundary would amount to a deceitful relationship. Allaying the fears of Oru people, the union declared: “There is no reason for people of Ago-Iwoye to entertain fears on their buildings within Oru territorial boundary. Many Oru indigenes also have buildings on the said area and both are living peacefully, “Chief George Oduniyi Oduwole, the Asiwaju of Oru stated. The OPU thanked royal fathers of the two communities for ensuring peaceful co-existence among the people, while the age-long boundary dispute lasted.

Community Mirror

Thursday, January 10, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Commissioner donates items to constituents TONY ANICHEBE UYO

Oba of Ijora Kingdom, His Royal Maryesty, Oba Abdulfatai Oyeyinka Aremu Aromire (middle) dancing with members of his community during the official commissioning of Ojora-Oloye Central Mosque, held at Ijora, Lagos...at the weekend.

Nafada LG urged to embrace western education DANJUMA WILLIAMS GOMBE

oncerned by the high level of illiteracy, community leaders in Munda, Nafada Local Government Area of Gombe State, have called on the people to dispel the negative notion that western education would deprive them of their culture and religion, and rather embrace it for common good of the area. The community leaders condemn the long held view that western education amounted to defying Islamic religion and culture, even as they called for awareness campaign on the importance of western and Islamic education and need for self reliance in the area. Speaking, the Gombe State Commissioner for

Agriculture, Alhaji Dahiru Buba Biri, recalled that he is a product of western education and has tried to bring modern development to the area. In an interview with Community Mirror, he said that while western education came to the area with Christianity the people failed to distinguish the differences between the two, an ignorant belief that lingered for a very long time and became the harbinger to the backwardness of the people. He commended the initiator of the awareness campaign and stressed that renowned Islamic scholars have shown so much concern on ignorance which people attached to western education. He also called on the need for self reliance, as he urged them to acquire vocational skills.

Another indigene and Director of School of Remedial Studies of the Gombe State University , Dr. Abubakar Ibrahim Waziri, reeled out the harrowing admission statistics of Nafada indigenes in the institution which has lagged behind. He stated that of the 400 students admitted for remedial in 2007, only 15 were from Nafada. He said that in 2008, only 18 of 470.In 2009, it was 17 out of 700. For 2010 only 31 out of 787 were admitted. In 2011 it was 27 of 937 and only 47 out of 1,783 made it in 2012. He warned that if the lack of interest in western education continues, posterity would not judge them lightly,even as he blamed the people for harbouring the fear of western education.

Others who spoke were Sheikh Bello Doma, a renowned Islamic scholar, Mallam Abubakar Telle, a lecturer at the Federal University, Kashere, representative of the Emir of Nafada and the district head of Biri. Convener of the occasion, Mallam Abubakar Ahmed, who said he had been involved in such awareness campaign in the past 25 years, stated that he was moved to bring the programme to his native village since it was needed most. He promised to introduce the use of modern technology (MP3) in the new school, stressing that the people lacked nothing except western education which needs to be harnessed to understand Islamic education very well.

Ode Omi residents assured of social amenities FEMI OYEWESO

he Ogun State Government has assured the provision of social amenities to residents of Ode Omi in Waterside Local Government Area to enhance their living condition. The Commissioner for Rural Development, Hon. Falilu Sabitu who gave the assurance while inspecting facilities at the recently completed maternity centre, reminded the residents that rural and

infrastructural development remained one of the five cardinal programmes of the state government. Accompanied by his counterpart in the Special Duties Ministry, Chief Ebenezer Odeyemi, Hon. Sabitu revealed that amenities like ceiling fans, generator set, borehole and mosquito nets will be provided for the centre, as he urged the staff to imbibe a maintenance culture to enable the facilities last long. The commissioner promised that indigenes who are nurses and doctors

would be offered employment at the maternity, adding that names of qualified indigenes be forwarded to his office for necessary actions. Sabitu, disclosed that the government had earmarked projects including water, electrification and roads for the area, pledging that contractors will soon move to site in the next few weeks. “Let me assure you that the government remained committed to the development of all parts of the state and had set in mo-

tion necessary machinery to commence execution of some projects such as road, water and electrification in the community, andwork would commence in the next few weeks” Sabitu said. Welcoming the commissioners earlier, the Lenuwa of Ode-Omi, Oba Adenuga Okunniyi, thanked the government for the giant strides to improve the living condition of the people and urged that work on the proposed projects be embarked before the rainy season.

he Commissioner for Special Duties in Akwa Ibom State,Barrister Austin Mbeh has donated items worth several millions of naira to the people of Obot Akara Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, even as he praised the administration of Godswill Akpabio for transforming the state. Some of the items were nine new cars, 50 motorcycles, 10 sewing machines, 10 sets of barbing equipment, 10 generating sets, 252 wrappers and N5million as well as bags of rice,even as the beneficiaries included Mr. Isong Ntuen who went home with a Toyota Jeep and Mr. Etteobong Udo, who got a Nissan Jeep. Mr. Akaninyene Ibok, Ekerette Ekwot, Kufre Ukpong, Mr. Isidore Mbeh, Evang. Mendie, Mr. Uyo James Michael,all received a car each, while Mr. Kenneth Nyong, got a cash of N500,000.00. Also, more than 252 widows were given wrappers and cash gift, even as youths, women, elders and party supporters went away with motorcycles, sewing machines, barbing equipment , generating sets, as well as bags of rice were distributed to all the wards and less privileged in the community. Presenting the items, Austin Mbeh, said this was

in line with spirit of the season and to show appreciation to his people for standing by the government. Mr. Mbeh said he will remain grateful to Chief Akpabio for giving him the opportunity to serve saying he was happy to be part of the transformation wind blowing across the state. Speaking earlier, chairman on the occasion and former Deputy Governor of the state, Obong Chris Ekpenyong, poured encomiums on the commissioner for the gifts as he admonished the show of benevolence. “Mbeh has made us proud. He is not the only one in government, nor is he the first and only person from the area to be in government. He is showing us love and his act exemplifies Jesus Christ in the spirit of the season”, he said. Others who spoke included Mr. Isong Ntuen, the clan head of Nto Edino, His Royal Majesty, H.R.M, Akuku Asuquo Akpan Enang, Chairman of the Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, Barr. Cosmas Udoette, Chairman designate, State Secondary Education Board, Dr. Mrs. Mariah Ikorok, Barr. Shilling Paul and village head of Abiakpo Ikot Abasi Edito, Chief Monday Etian, poured encomium on the commissioner for his philanthropic gesture.

Monarch in dock for assault, attempted rape OJO OYEWAMIDE AKURE

traditional ruler in Ondo State, the Olusupare of Supare-Akoko, Oba Alhaji Kasali Adejoro, has been arraigned before a Magistrate’s Court sitting in Supare–Akoko, for alleged assault and attempted rape. Oba Adejoro, was alleged to have assaulted one Comfort Awogbamila by hitting her and attempting to rape her, on May 14, 2012 at Olori’s house, Owode Street, Ugbe Quarters in Supare-Akoko. According to the charge, the offence was contrary to and punishable under Sections 351

and 359 of the criminal code of Ondo State of Nigeria 2006. The plea of the accused person was not taken as he wanted the case to be tried in the High Court. Counsel to Oba Adejoro, Barrister Bayo Olorunmeke, urged the court to release the monarch on bail. In her ruling, Chief Magistrate Bunmi Olujuyigbe, ordered the transfer of the case to the High Court and granted the accused person bail with N100, 000 and a surety who must be a first class Oba. The surety must also be a landed property owner within the magisterial district. The case has been adjourned to January 14, 2013.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

North

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Obasanjo’s Kaduna visit: Opposition fueling crisis –Group A ZA MSUE KADUNA

socio-political group, Advocacy Forum, has described the recent report that former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s visit to Kaduna was politically motivated as fabricated and lacks any iota of truth. The group’s Chair-

man and Secretary, Musa Mubama and Mohammed Ustaz respectively told journalists in Kaduna yesterday that such reports were the handiwork of mischief makers who are out to use journalism to destroy the peace and unity that exist between Vice-President Namadi Sambo and President Goodluck Jonathan. One of the daily newspapers (not National Mirror)

reported that Sambo hosted Obasanjo and traditional rulers in Kaduna to seek their support against President Goodluck Jonathan, ahead of the 2015 general elections. The group said: “We don’t not want to speak, but anybody that was on hand when the elder statesman, former President Olusegun Obasanjo came to Kaduna, must

have witnessed that the former president was purely on a condolence visit, not only as a senior citizen who have made military and political history, but a top notcher of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), whose role is that of a father for all. In addition, the late governor, Sir Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa was a strong member of the party”

The group continued: “Meanwhile, we want to categorically say that such reports were all in an effort to tarnish the good relationship existing between President Jonathan and Vice-President Sambo and therefore should be completely disregarded.” “It beats our imagination to think that a respected personality in the

person of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo could leave his domain in Ogun State to Kaduna State, to play politics rather than to engage in humanitarian and honorable mission, which was to commiserate with the people of Kaduna State and the immediate family of the late governor, for which the vicepresident was the chief mourner.”

Tivs protest killings of kinsmen in Nasarawa IGBAWASE UKUMBA LAFIA

undreds of Tiv people in Nasarawa State yesterday thronged into the Lafia private residence of the state governor, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, protesting the continuous killing of Tiv people by other ethnic nationalities in Ekye Development Area of the state. The protesters carried with them some placards with inscriptions as; “AlMakura give us security,” “Mr. Governor stop this blood shedding,” “Ekye is our ancestral home too.” Registering their grievances before the governor, the leader of the Tiv community in Ekye, Goerge Zauka, said the killings, which was targeted at the Tiv extraction started in early 2011 as no fewer than hundreds of Tiv people were massacred, their farms and belongings, estimated to be in millions of naira, were

destroyed; compelling them to flee the area till date. Zauka said recently, a father, Micheal Jato, was shot dead after he returned back to his ancestral home. He said he was killed after the pronouncement by the governor that all persons that had fled the area should return as adequate security have been put in place by the government. His words: “The flash points, where the killings were taking place unabated include Rukubi, Akpata and Agima settlements. Consequently, returning Tiv people of Ekye could not come back, hence the crisis.” The leader, however, called on the governor to ensure their quick return to their ancestral home by deploying security operatives to lead them as according to him, “Anything short of that would permanently make the Tiv race in Ekye face extinction.”

Kano gets licence to operate 37 micro-finance banks AUGUSTINE MADUWEST KANO

entral Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, yesterday said that Kano State has made history as the first state in the country to benefit from the CBN’s gesture of being granted licence to establish 37 micro-finance banks at a stretch. He said the CBN relaxed the guidelines for the establishment of micro-finance banks for Kano State because of the state government’s pursuit of economic empowerment programmes for youths and the unem-

ployed in the state. At the commissioning of the 37 micro-finance banks in Kano yesterday, Sanusi said the bank will serve as an avenue for poverty alleviation, as well as to economically empower jobless youths in the state. According to Sanusi, due to experience, governments in the country were prevented from establishing micro-finance banks, ostensibly to avoid political interference of its operations. He advised the people of the state to take advantage of the benefits of microfinance banks to establish their small or medium scale businesses.

Nasarawa State Governor, Tanko Al-Makura, addressing people from Ekye Development Area of the state who are protesting over the spate of insecurity in their community, in Lafia, yesterday.

Residents flee homes over Boko Haram kingpin

esidents of Agase, a suburb of Gboko in Benue State, have fled their homes for fear of reprisal attacks from Boko Haram insurgents. Checks by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gboko revealed that most of the residents had fled their homes, following the trailing of a kingpin of the Islamic group to a house in the area. NAN reports that the Boko Haram leader, Ali

Jalingo, was traced by security operatives from Abuja to his hideout in Agase, but they were unable to arrest him. Some residents told NAN that they were awakened around midnight on Sunday by gunshots and sound of a bulldozer pulling down the building where Jalingo lived. They recalled that they panicked and hid themselves under bed covers for fear of being hit by stray

bullets, as sporadic shots from the security operatives reverberated in the area. An octogenarian, Mrs. Aese Adua, who lamented that her apartment was destroyed by stray bullets, nonetheless, thanked God for her safety. “I was woken up around midnight on Sunday by some unusual noise in the neighbourhood; I could not come out because of my age but my instincts told me

Yuguda commends management of state varsity EZEKIEL TITUS BAUCHI

auchi State Governor, Isa Yuguda, has commended the management of the state university in Gadau, for laying a solid academic and structural foundation for the take-off of the institution, declaring that with what he saw on the ground, the university is marching to academic and structural greatness. Speaking shortly after inspecting facilities at the university yester-

day, an impressed Yuguda thumped up the managerial efforts of the management of the institution led by the ViceChancellor, Prof. Ezzeldin Mustapha Abdurraham and the Chairman of the Governing Council, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, saying that their choice by the government as pioneering managers has been justified. The governor, who went round to see the facilities also commended the contractors for doing a good job, expressing confidence

that the structures provided will last for a very long time. He said the quality of students admitted will further boost the standard of the institution to be able to compete with others in the country. Governor Yuguda also commended the management for the self-development efforts put in place which he acknowledged has started yielding fruits as individuals and private organisations have begun to come to the aid of the institution through foundations and projects.

something was amiss. “I had to relocate my bed from its position to another corner of the room and I was surprised to see part of my room riddled with bullets,” she said. Adua conceded that she had never seen Jalingo “even for one day but I always heard movements in the house and I also know that the occupants are young people. “Since I cannot speak English or Hausa, I had no interaction with them at all,” she added. Another resident, Mr. Kumaga Kande, who refused to flee the area, said that the bulldozer, which demolished the house where the suspect lived, pulled down part of his kitchen and also destroyed his kola nut tree. However, some young men in the neighbourhood said that Jalingo, who reportedly lived in affluence, was quite unassuming. But, a retired Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abubakar Tsav, called for a thorough investigation into the circumstances that led to the escape of the suspect.

Insight

Thursday, January 10, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Youngsters threaten JAMB’s age Early child learning is producing students who graduate from universities while still in their teens. TUNBOSUN OGUNDARE, however, reports that controversy on the issue of flouting extant guidelines on the age of candidates for matriculation is neither here nor there as the institutions are under pressure to admit even “students in diapers.”

he law guiding university admissions in the country is clear. Every candidate must sit for a common entrance examinations conducted by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), which is now called the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME). In performing this function, JAMB stipulates in its brochure the rules and regulations guiding the admission process, among which is the minimum age qualification for prospective undergraduates. According to JAMB, a candidate for admission must have attained the age of 16 or will do so on the first day of October in the year of candidature. Another related condition is that “a candidate for admission must have completed or about to complete a full course of study training in a secondary school, among other approved institutions of equivalent status.” By calculation, going by the country’s 6-3-3-4 education system, a child is expected to be in Primary One at the minimum age of five and expected to spend six years in primary school, another six years in secondary school, the addition of which puts such a child at 17. It is only in exceptional cases where a student, who is fast Minister of Education, Prof Ruqayyatu El-Rufai with his studies, may leave primary school at 16; and spending additional four years in the university will put such a ANY PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES child at 20. This is an extant regulation which every univerIN THE COUNTRY CONSISTENT sity is expected to follow. National Mirror’s investigations have, however, revealed LY FLOUT THIS REGULATION BY that many students of private universities now graduate at ages lower than 20, the official minimum age expected of ADMITTING UNDERAGE STU any graduate from Nigeria’s educational system. This also DENTS means graduates in this category are admitted when they were still below 16. able to maintain his chastity. An example of this played out recently at the 7th Convoca“Though being a youth, the temptation to want to enjoy tion Ceremony of the Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, life was very strong, I kept to my vow to mum not to have a where the institution’s immediate past Vice-Chancellor, Prof. girlfriend until after graduation,” he recalled. And his proud Aize Obayan, while addressing the assembly, proudly said, “It and joyful mother, Nancy, also remembered those days she may interest you to know that among our graduands today, had to take drugs to him in school and declared: “It wasn’t 10 are less than 19 years. Even the overall best graduand of a smooth journey to get him to this level, but I thank God for the set, Mr. Matthew-Justin Egem-Odey, who graduated with everything.” First Class honours in Accounting, was just 19 years old.” Similarly, some of the last set of graduands of Babcock The young best graduating student, though, physically University, Ilisan-Remo, Ogun State, were below 19 years. looks his age, sounded more matured than what biology presAmong those that are still in the university is a 14-year-old ents of him. Right from his first day in the university, what Opeyemi Awoyomi. A 100- Level Law and Security Studies he had in mind was to be outstanding and leave an indelible student. She attended Westminster College, Ikotun, Lagos, mark in the annals of his alma mater. where she obtained, in one sitting, 1A, 3Bs and 3Cs in her With a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 4.89 out of a May/June West African School Certificate Examination possible 5.0, he displaced his other 1,338 graduating class(WASCE) results. mates, among who were those in their mid 20s, to emerge the Opeyemi scored 200 out of a possible 400 points in the best. UTME conducted by JAMB and also passed the post- UTME That was not all: Egem-Odey also came out as the best conducted by Babcock to meet the cut off point for the admisAccounting Student, best student in the School of Business sion. and best student in College Development Studies and he was She is now four months old in the university and to her, consequently rewarded for these feats. maturity, especially for studies, is not about age but about the Surprisingly, the prodigy is from humble background capability to face and overcome challenges as a student. and besides, he had health challenges to contend with during “Although, my parents encouraged me to come in while his undergraduate years. I believe I will cope and I am coping very well. Therefore, I “It wasn’t all that easy and I was regarded as just one of have no regret whatsoever. I must also say that most things the average students on campus because I felt sick now and adults don’t even know, we of the jet age know them today. again and on drugs but I didn’t allow that to affect my studThe world of technologies has changed so many things and ies. I remained focused and determined to excel and God has opened our eyes widely to things around us. So, I relate crowned my efforts,” he said. with my mates freely and before we know what is happening, Even as a teenager, Egem-Odey was also business minded. I am already a graduate and starts a new life,” she said. “I don’t believe in working for anyone. On campus, I started a Expectedly, Opeyemi should be a graduate at 18 years. company with two friends. I’m also a distributor of Forever These situations are not limited to the institutions and stuLiving products. I don’t believe in sitting and waiting for the dents named above. Many private universities in the coungovernment or my parents to give me money when I can do try consistently flout this regulation by admitting underage something on my own,” he said. students. Egem-Odey, all through his days at CU was never involved Also, Ruth Oshone Momodu, with admission no: in any romantic relationship. According to him, despite the 25923261GE is currently a 100-level Law student at the Afe fact that he had problems with ladies on campus, he was yet Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD). She is just 15 years

UNILAG main gate

Ruth ABUAD

old. Despite being underage for university education, she has authored two books so far. The last one entitled, “No Fault of Mine,” was presented to the public last December in Lagos. So, Ruth does not see herself immature to acquire higher knowledge and contribute to societal advancement even at her age. She is already taking responsibilities like adults, giving tips to help parents bring up their wards in a proper way so as to make the society a better place to live whereas she is a teen. Her book, which she started working on while in West Minster College in Lagos, identifies critical family issues that lead to prevalent vices among children and youths today and their adverse effects on the society while she also proffers solutions to them. Funny enough, the content of the book is mostly from the lawyer –in- the making’s personal experiences and observations. And all things being equal, she is expected to graduate at 20. Reacting to this development, both JAMB and the National Universities Commission (NUC) exonerated themselves, saying the law on 16 years minimum age is there for all concerned institutions to abide by. The spokesmen for the two bodies, JAMB’s Timothy Oyedeji and NUC’s Ibrahim Yakassai, told National Mirror in separate interviews that a candidate below 16 by October 1st of the year of candidature is not qualified for university admission, and that the universities are much aware of this position.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Insight

limit for university admission

Opeyemi, student at Babcock University

JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ojerinde

UI DOES NOT ADMIT CANDIDATE THAT IS BELOW 16 YEARS IRRESPECTIVE OF PERFORMANCE IN ENTRANCE EXAMS Psychologist, Prof Uguru-Okorie

Oyedeji explained further, “JAMB uses candidates’ data which they supply in their applications for exams to enforce the rule and to the best of my knowledge, students supply ages that fit into the rules.” “This situation may be an explanation why some students submit sworn affidavits instead of birth certificates,” he added, noting that “The practice was rampart among private universities so as to encourage patronage and make more money.” Nevertheless, investigations have shown that students who indulge in the practice jump classes in both primary and secondary schools. While some write common entrance exams to secondary school when they are in Primary Four, skipping Primary Five and Six, many others sit for the Senior Secondary School Exams and come out in flying colours when their peers are still in either SSS 1 or 2. And before long, they are already admitted to universities. But the public universities rarely flout this rule. For instance, the universities of Lagos, Ibadan and Benin, as well as the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, to mention a few, are strict with the rule. The UNILAG Registrar, Mr. Olurotimi Shodimu, told National Mirror that the law puts the maturity of students into consideration before they gain admission. “And this has really been helpful particularly in UNILAG as our students attain some levels of maturity before they

are admitted and they graduate more matured. It is only the extreme geniuses, who can graduate at 18 but not also in UNILAG,” Shodimu submitted. Corroborating Olurotimi, the University of Ibadan’s spokesman, Mr. Oladejo Olatunji, added that “UI does not admit candidate that is below 16 years irrespective of performance in entrance exams.” However, the duo attributed the reason of inability to meet up with admission quota for private universities to indulge in the practice, accusing them of encouraging patronage at the expense of quality. Shodimu added, “Admission into UNILAG is in high demand and we are also for quality while universities that admit students below 16 can go all way out to drag anybody into the system. Even if possible, they can enrol a 12-year-old as long as the candidate has money. But no first generation university can afford to do that.” But the National Secretary of Association of Vice-Chancellors of Universities, Prof. Michael Faborode, differs on this, saying academic qualifications and not age of applicants, as specified in JAMB brochure, should be a consideration as far as admission in universities is concerned. He recalled that when he was the Vice-Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, there were 14-year-old, who studied Medicine and graduated with good grades, noting that the issue of age has been there for a long time, but shouldn’t have been a barrier.

2012 Best Covenant University student, Mr. Matthew-Justin Egem-Odey

Also explaining why age shouldn’t be a barrier to university admission, the VC of Achievers University, Prof. J.A. Odebiyi, blames the admission of underage students on pressure on the universities, adding that the regulatory authorities should be realistic in their expectations of the universities. He said, “People need to accept the fact that these students have passed their UMTE and were sent to us by JAMB. They have enough SSSCE results and that the NUC has also given us the admission quota, i.e., the sciences take 60 per cent while liberal studies 40 per cent. The vacancies must be filled, hence, the admission of these qualified youngsters. We cannot reject them.” He admitted that this development has its effect on the students’ rate of absorption and number of hours they can spend at the lecture hall. “When an adult sit for one or two hours for lectures, he becomes less attentive because of the issue of attention span unlike the youngsters.” Sharing this view, the VC Babcock University, Prof. James Kayode-Makinde, said it would be inimical to career development to deny a brilliant student university admission based on age. Somebody at age 14 or 15, according to him, may behave more mature in all aspects than older persons and such underage should not be denied the opportunity to move up in his or her academic pursuits. The President, American University of Nigeria, Yola, Dr. Margee Ensign, also told National Mirror that once a child has basic educational qualifications for admission, he or she is mature enough to enter university to study a choice course. “Experiences have shown that students, who are very young and serious, do better in their studies than the adults, who may have many things to contend with at a time,” she added. But Professor of Psychology, Daniel Okorie-Uguru, holds contrary view, shedding more light why 16 years of age or more is ideal for university admission. He said age status was an important factor when considering somebody for responsibility. At age 16, he said, a person is expected to have mature to an extent in intellect and therefore, it is intelligent person that can cope in an ideal university environment, especially that of the public university where students are exposed to independent life. He explained further that the inter-human relations that deal with whether a child would be able to adjust easily or not to a new environment must also be put into consideration. Unlike Opeyemi and Egem-Odey, who said they felt freely and interacted very well with both age mates and older students, Prof. Okorie-Uguru, formerly with University of AdoEkiti (now Ekiti State University) said there was tendency for a person below 16 to feel unwanted in the midst of older people and for that reason, may be easily influenced negatively by what they see and hear. He, however, pointed out that, children, who are specially gifted and more intelligent than older persons should be given special consideration, but not to be admitted into the university when they are still below 16.

WORLD RECORD

Largest ship (cargo ship) Vol. 03 No. 532

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Again, our democracy is on trial

epeated interferences by the discredited military elite and their cohorts in the political class have not allowed our democracy to evolve peacefully. This is the position of the Prince of Nigeria, Rev. Chris Okotie, who has filed a suit in an Abuja high court challenging the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) deregistration of his party, FRESH Democratic Party. Discerning observers agree with the pastor-politician that INEC’s action, which affected 27 other parties, is tantamount to a deliberate disruption of the peaceful evolution of the nation’s political process and an unwarranted assault on the needed level playing field for all parties. It is in fact, a subtle move by the governing elite to limit the choice of alternative leadership that our disillusioned electorate is desperately seeking after 13 years of purposeless governance. Traditionally, the expensive past time

N150

The world’s largest ship of any kind is the oil tanker Jahre Viking (formerly the Happy Giant and Seawise Giant), at 564,763 tonnes (1,245 billion lb) deadweight and 260,815 grt. The tanker is 458.45 m (1,504 ft) long overall, has a beam of 68.8 m (226 ft) and a draught of 24.61 m (80 ft 9 in).

merican Dustin Johnson held his nerve to close out a four-shot victory at the PGA Tour’s season-opening Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Hawaii. Johnson, who started the final round of the weather-shortened 54-hole event three clear of

Guest Columnist

Taiwo

Gidado

of our rulers has always been how to perpetuate themselves in power by hook or by crook. In this game, every generation of the governing elite devised clever means of alienating viable opposition. In the First Republic, operation wetie in the Western Region was the height of political intolerance, which triggered the forces that led to the first coup that abruptly terminated our post-independence democratic experiment. The ensuing power rivalry rubbed on the immature middle ranking army officers that inherited political power. The result was the 30 month civil war. Coups and counter-coups also continued for almost two decades. In between, we had a false start to democracy in the Second Republic (1979-83) under the watch of powerhungry military elite that had grown accustomed to power. Again, disputed elections, political violence and general instability inevitably provided the excuse for them to retake power on December 31, 1983. In 1993, the short lived Third Republic midwifed by the General Ibrahim Babangida under a government sponsored two-party arrangement, conclusively put a lie to the notion that diarchy, a partnership between the political class and the military elite, was the panacea to our troubled polity. Instead, it handed us the June 12 annulment crisis that almost ripped the nation apart. Sadly, as Rev Okotie noted, the Fourth Republic politicians have not put to use all the useful, but costly lessons of the previous democratic experiments. The polity is even

WE`RE EITHER RANKED AS THE WORST OR AMONG THE WORST STATES IN THE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX in a far worse shape, as it is now riddled with different shapes of violence by our renal youths, who have resorted to strange and fearful methods unknown to our culture. Suicide bombing, kidnapping, open pillaging of public treasury with impurity by government functionaries, bizarre crimes like facebook murders, cyber crimes, advance fee fraud etc, have become a daily occurrence in our country. It is now a big burden for one to carry a Nigerian travel passport because countries around the world see us as marvellous scammers, who have to be subjected to very degrading search at their entry ports. This is the Nigeria of the new millennium! Gone are the days when it was a thing of joy to be a Nigerian. In the `70s, we played the leading role in liberating southern African nations like Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa (from apartheid rule). Rather than reap the benefits of our leadership role as liberation fighters, South Africa, for instance, treats us with contempt as political subordinates. Our citizens in the

rainbow nation are regularly humiliated, beaten up and tortured by their security agents, or regularly deported as unwanted visitors because of our peoples` predilection for crime and untoward behaviour. So, rather than confront the likes of Rev. Okotie, who is seeking a new shifting paradigm in our polity, the ruling elites should allow them promote their legitimate agenda in the modest political space available to them. That is the rationale thing to do. Any arm twisting tactic is bound to fail. It is gratifying, however, to note that even some radical elements from the old order are buying into this idea of a dramatic change of leadership from the old to the new generation of politicians, which Rev. Okotie has championed for more than a decade. In an interview with National Mirror, the leader of the People Redemption Party (PRP), Alhaji Balarabe Musa, said that “the only way forward for Nigeria is to change the leadership at all levels, for the future generation, if not we should expect more danger than before”. That danger is here already. What evidence do we need that Nigeria is a failing state? All the tell tale signs are there. All the indices of development consign us to group of countries on the stump. We`re either ranked as the worst or among the worst states in the human development index. What got our once promising economy to this hopeless state, if not the legacy of monumental misrule of the ruling cabal? The final point to note is that this legal battle is to keep the new vibrant opposition out of contention; it is part of the conspiracy of the elite to resist the change that has become inevitable, come 2015. You`d always expect contradiction in the policies of the cabal. INEC is registering new parties on one hand and deregistering some on the other. This can only happen in a government that has lost focus, and with its Transformation Agenda, off course, the PDP administration is merely employing diversionary tactics to cover its incompetence. Gidado wrote from Lagos

Sport Extra

Johnson shines in PGA Tour’s opener the field, saw off the challenges of Brandt Snedeker and Steve Stricker to emerge triumphant. Johnson (68) eventually finished on 16-under-par with defending champion Stricker, who hit every green in regulation during his final

round, having to settle for the runner-up spot on 12-under after a 69. Snedeker (69) claimed third spot on 10-under, while US Ryder Cup colleagues Keegan Bradley (70) and Bubba Watson (71) shared fourth just one shot further back.

Early on it appeared that Snedeker would be the biggest danger to Johnson following a thrilling birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie run from the third hole which took him to within a shot of the leader. Johnson has now achieved glory in each of his last six seasons on the PGA Tour.

Dustin Johnson

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