Binder1 july 2, 2014

Sanctity of Truth Facebook.com/newtelegraph

Wednesday, July 2, 2014 Vol. 1 No. 134

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Nigeria’s most authoritative newspaper in politics and business

Security alert in Lagos after suspicious explosions lFashola, security chiefs engage oil firms’ CEOs in talks

Juliana Francis and Adeola Yusuf

F

ollowing the suspicious twin explosions which rocked

Apapa, Lagos State last Wednesday, killing five persons, the state police command has beefed up security in the city and around all police forma-

tions.

The state Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), along with security chiefs also held a closed-door meeting

yesterday with depot and tank farm owners on the need to beef up security around their facilities.

Besides, it was gathered that intelligence

reports have shown that some people were planning to cause a breach of the peace in place such as Abule Egba, Iyana Ipaja, Ojodu Berger,

Mowe-Ibafo, Apapa Wharf axis.

On June 25 twin explosions rocked Apapa night, occurring within 10 minutes interval.

However, there has CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

2015 elections: Hike in electricity tariff to wait

lInvestors lament as revenue losses continue Adeola Yusuf

T

he Federal Government may have concluded plans to put the new electricity tariff on hold until after the 2015 elections, New

Telegraph has learnt.

Investigations showed that the new tariff, to be implemented by the Nigerian Electricity Regulating Commission (NERC), will herald a new pricing regime that will jack up

electricity bills.

The Federal Government and the new owners of the successor companies unbundled from the privatisation of Power Holding of Company of Nigeria (PHCN) had ear-

lier agreed on a baseline study, which “must be conducted” months after the takeover to ascertain the need or otherwise for electricity tariff review.

The three parameters in the baseline study

are level of power loss; amount of the power supply given to discos, and number of customers.

Therefore, based on the agreement between the new power investors and the Federal Government, a review of the current electricity tariff is due.

But according to a source, the Federal Government is reluctant to implement it and has

mounted pressure on the NERC to delay the tariff hike because it feared that doing so now could backfire on the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 elections.

Investigation revealed that third party assessors have submitted reports on the baseline studies of the 11 distribution comCONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Osun gov poll: Jonathan holds talks with Oyinlola lPDP chiefs meet on takeover of South-West Onyekachi Eze and Anule Emmanuel ABUJA

P L-R: President, Energy Globe Foundation, Prof. Edward Ayensu; former Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Ian Bowles and former President of Poland, Lech Walesa, at the Energy Environment and Investment Forum in Port Harcourt …yesterday

17 killed in Maiduguri market blast }4

Umaru Dikko dies at 78 }5

resident Goodluck Jonathan yesterday met behind closed doors with former National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola over the forthcoming governorship election in Osun State.

Although details of the meeting, also attended by the PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, among others, were not make public, New Telegraph learnt that the president solicited the

support of Oyinlola for the party’s governorship candidate in the August 9 election, Senator Iyiola Omisore.

The meeting, which lasted about an hour, was said to have also discussed the disputed position of the PDP national secretary currently being occupied CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Lagos

Thunder Storms

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Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Investors lament as revenue losses continue CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

panies, which showed that the new owners were misled on all the three parameters before they invested in the facilities.

The report showed that all the parameters are less than the ‘actual,’ which the government told the investors about the facilities they bought.

The NERC, further checks revealed, has already received the reports of the third party assessors but has kept silence on the implementation.

Spokesperson for NERC, Dr Usman AbbaArabi, did not pick calls put across to his phone for comments, but a source confirmed the receipt of the reports by the commission.

“Yes, we have the reports, which recommended that a new tariff order must be put in place to save the new owners from the ongoing massive revenue loss.

“There is a graveyard silence on the report’s implementation as you have said but what is responsible for this may not be detached from the 2015 elections.

“The fear at the moment is that if this tariff is implemented now, it would have negative impact on the level of ac-

ceptance of the present government and this may impact on the electioneering of 2015,” he said.

One of the discos, findings showed, pays N5 billion for power supply purchase every month but makes only N3.15 billion revenue monthly.

The Federal Government, which is aware of the ongoing revenue loss by the new power assets’ owners, has been avoiding talks on tariff hike, another source said.

Instead, the government is planning a cash bailout for the new owners of the Power Distribution Companies (DISCOs) and Generation Companies (GENCOs), New Telegraph gathered.

The implication of not reviewing the tariff is that power supply, which President Goodluck Jonathan has promised to improve, will continue to remain epileptic because distribution companies will be discouraged from making fresh investments into the business since they cannot recoup their money in view of the prevailing business operating environment.

The new owners, who took over power installations on November 1, 2013, have, contrary to their expectations, been facing difficulties in meeting their revenue target.

In a bid to ease the difficulties they are encountering, Minister of Power,

Professor Chinedu Nebo, had said plans were on to establish a funding scheme, controlled by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

He, however, explained that the shortfall in energy supply was the reason why generation and distribution companies were having challenges after they purchased the PHCN assets.

Chairman of the House Committee on Power, Patrick Ikhariale, had also asked the Federal Government to work out a funding support plan for private sector operators in the energy industry, to bridge the cash deficit gap and consolidate the privatisation process in

the sector.

Ikhariale, who met with key players in the power sector to find solutions to the challenges in power generation, transmission and distribution, said withdrawing funding completely after privatisation, had made it difficult for the sector to fully stabilise.

Following the handover of all PHCN facilities to investors in November 2013, the Federal Government had assured citizens that the privitisation process would result in improved power supply and stability, but this has not been so as electricity supply in the country had worsened in the new dispensation.

32o C 23oC Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima (right), with a victim of the Monday Market bomb attack, at the Umaru Shehu Hospital in Maiduguri…yesterday 30oC 22oC Storms

KANO

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CALABAR

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37oC 26oC Storms

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Fashola, security chiefs meet with oil chiefs CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

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AEROCONTRACTORS LAGOS-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 06:50; 13:30; 16:30; 19:45 (SAT/SUN) 12:30; 16:45 ABUJA-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 07:30; 13:00; 19:00 (SAT) 12:30 (SUN) 15:30

OVERLAND AIRWAYS LAGOS-ILORIN (MON-FRI) 07:15 LAGOS-IBADAN (MON-FRI) 7:00 IBADAN-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 08:00 IBADAN-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 16:30 ILORIN –ABUJA (MON-FRI) 08:30 ILORIN –LAGOS (MON-FRI) 17:00 ABUJA-ASABA (MON-FRI) 10:00 ASABA-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 14:15 ASABA-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 11:30 LAGOS-ASABA (MON-FRI) 13:00 ABUJA-ILORIN 16:00 ABUJA-IBADAN 15:00

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FIRST NATION AIRWAYS LAGOS-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 06.50; 09:30; 11:45; 16:00 (SAT) 06:50; 11:45 (SUN) 11:45; 16:00 ABUJA-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 09:00; 11:30; 13:40;18:30 (SAT) 09:00; 13:40 (SUN) 13:40; 18:30 LAGOS-PORT-HARCOURT (MON-FRI) 14:45 (SAT) 16:15 (SUN) 14:45 PORT-HARCOURT-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 16:50 (SAT) 18:20 (SUN) 16:50

MEDVIEW AIRLINES LAGOS-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 07:00; 08:50; 12:00; 15:30 (SAT) 10:00; 15:00 (SUN) 17:30; 18:30 ABUJA-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 09:00; 14:00, 15:00; 18:30

TODAY’S WEATHER FORECAST ABUJA

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been confusion over what caused the explosions which some people likened to a terrorist attack.

But Lagos State police spokesperson, Ngozi Braide, said the first explosion was caused by a fuel tanker, which exploded at the premises of an oil depot, she could not explain the cause of the second, saying that investigation was still ongoing.

Sources told New Telegraph yesterday that both the police and the Department of State Security have placed their personnel on red alert in the state to guard against infiltration by Boko Haram members.

One of the sources said: “Since the explosions at Apapa, no DPO

(Divisional Police Officer) had gone home to sleep. There are serious security measures on ground.”

It was also gathered that order has been issued that female security personnel and agents should join in routine patrol, in order to frisk suspicious female in hijab, if there was a need to do so.

The source said the involvement of female security personnel in routine patrol was to check any likely incidence of Boko Haram using a woman to launch any attack as being rumoured.

Another source revealed that two weeks before the Apapa explosions, the Anti-Terrorism and Heinous Crime Department, located at the Force Headquarters,

Abuja, got an intelligence report of a likely attack on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The source said: “At least 25 plain-clothes operatives were deployed in the axis on surveillance.

But as soon as the Apapa explosions occurred, some of the men were ordered to the scene.”

However, responding yesterday to New Telegraph inquiry on the outcome of investigation into the Apapa blasts, Braide said: “We’re still investigating.”

It was also learnt that as part of efforts to improve security in the state, Fashola led members of the state security Council to a meeting with managing directors of oil depots and operators of fuel tank farms in Apapa.

New Telegraph gathered that the secret meeting, which was attended by the Lagos State Director of State Security Service (DSS) and the Commissioner of Police, was coordinated by the state Commissioner for Mineral and Energy Resources, Mr. Taofeek Tijani.

A source at the meeting, which was held at the Office of the Governor, said the discussion was based on the need to beef up security around tank farms and fuel depots in Lagos.

He added that the meeting was centred on the explosions at Apapa and the need to avert a recurrence.

“The meeting, which was attended by all members of the Lagos SecuCONTINUED ON PAGE 4

ARIK AIR LAGOS-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 07:00; 08:00; 09:00; 11:00 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00 (SAT) 07:00; 09:00; 11:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00 (SUN) 11:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00 ABUJA-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 07:00; 09:00; 11:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00; 20:00 (SAT) 07:00; 09:00; 11:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00 (SUN) 09:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00 LAGOS-PORT-HARCOURT (MON-FRI) 07:00; 09:30; 11:00; 13:30; 15:00; 17:30 (SAT) 07:00; 11:00; 15:00 (SUN) 09:30; 11:00; 13:30; 15:00; 17:30 PORT-HARCOURT-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 07:30; 09:00; 11:30; 13:00; 15:30; 17:00 (SAT) 07:30; 11:30; 09:00; 13:00; 17:00 (SUN) 11:30; 13:00; 15:30; 17:00 ABUJA-PORT-HARCOURT (MON-FRI) 06:45; 10:10; 13:30; 16:50 (SAT/SUN) 06:45; 10:10; 13:30 PORT-HARCOURT-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 08:30; 11:50; 15:10; 18:30 (SAT/SUN) 08:30; 11:50; 15:10

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Wednesday, July 2, 2014

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Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

17 killed, 69 injured as explosion rocks Maiduguri market Ahmed Miringa and Yekeen Nurudeen

S

ome 17 persons were killed yesterday and about 69 others injured in an explosion that occurred at the Monday Market in Maiduguri.

A witness told New Telegraph that the explosive was hidden in a Peugeot 505 car loaded with charcoal when it exploded at about 8am.

The source however put

the death toll at over 50.

A security source said: “After we heard the loud bang, we immediately moved into the area and found 10 people dead and the 27 persons who were in pains from injuries we took to both University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) and the State Specialists Hospital.”

According to witnesses, many of those killed were traders and members of the local vigilan-

te group, Civilian JTF. “A van loaded with charcoal and IED (improvised explosive device) exploded at Monday Market in Maiduguri this (yesterday) morning.

The location has been cordoned off,” the Defence Headquarters said on its Twitter account.

But Chairman, Sector Three of the Civilian JTF, Iliya Saidu, told reporters that a vehicle which the suicide bomber was driving broke the

side mirror of a tricycle triggering an argument between the driver and the tricycle’s rider.

He added that the argument attracted the attention of several Civilian JTF members and the driver, fearing he might be discovered, detonated the locallymade bomb.

“Nine of my members were killed by the blast. We were able to identify them through the vests we gave them

L-R: National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu; Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar and former Osun State Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, after Oyinlola’s meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja…yesterday.

PHOTO: TIMOTHY IKUOMENISAN

PDP chiefs meet on takeover of South-West CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

by Prof. Wale Oladipo.

Oyinlola, a former governor of Osun State, whom the party had refused to reinstate as its national secretary despite the judgment of the Court of Appeal that nullified his removal from office, arrived at the State House in company with Mu’azu.

His meeting with the president came barely a week after a delegation of the All Progressives Congress (APC), comprising its National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; former Lagos State Governor, Senator Bola Tinubu and Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, visited Oyinlola at his country home in Okuku, Osun State, to woo him to back the ruling party in the state in the election.

The loss of Ekiti State where the Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi of APC lost to PDP’s Ayodele Fayose, has raised the ante in the quest for victory by the two parties in the Osun State governorship election.

It was learnt yesterday

that the meeting between Oyinlola and Jonathan was at the behest of the party leadership which feared that Aregbesola’s chances of the winning the election would be brightened should his predecessor team up with him.

The electoral victory of PDP in Ekiti State has given the party, which has been displaced in the politics of the South-West by the APC hope of regaining the losses it suffered in the zone beginning from 2010 when election petition tribunals sacked its candidates in Ekiti and Osun states and its dismal outing in the 2011 elections.

As part of efforts by PDP to regain political control in the South-West, party chiefs from the zone also met on Monday night in Abuja to reconcile aggrieved members from the zone.

The meeting also endorsed Oladipo who was brought in to replace Oyinlola, to continue in office as PDP national secretary.

At the end of the meeting, Oyinlola told State House correspondents

that Mu’azu brought him to meet with the president on how to improve the party’s fortunes.

He also said he remained the party’s national secretary in the eye of the law, describing whoever is currently holding the office as a pretender.

“I was taken to the (presidential) villa by the chairman of the party, and we had some discussions as to how to move the fortunes of the PDP forward.

“All I am telling you is that Oyinlola in the face of the law remains the authentic secretary of the PDP. Anybody in that office for now is a pretender!”

However, in a bid to strengthen the PDP ahead of forthcoming elections, leaders and stakeholders of the party met in Abuja to resolve the tussle over the national secretary of the party zoned to the zone.

The South-West PDP stakeholders’ meeting, which was convened by a former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George, endorsed Oladipo to con-

tinue in office as PDP national secretary.

His endorsement followed the withdrawal of interest in the post by Chief Ebenezer Babatope and Prof. Tunde Adeniran who contested the post against the incumbent.

The duo said their withdrawal was motivated by the initiative by the PDP South-West leadership caucus, which they said would promote the interest of the zone in national politics, if encouraged.

Babatope said he would withdraw a case he had instituted at an Abuja High Court challenging the election of Oladipo while Adeniran advised members of the party from the zone to always embrace due process in taking decision.

With his endorsement, Oladipo’s emergence as PDP national secretary is expected to be ratified at the forthcoming national convention of the party.

At the meeting, Omisore was quoted to have told the caucus to intensify efforts towards reconciling Oyinlola.

and we have already deposited their corpses at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) and the State Specialist Hospital,” he stated.

The Borno State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, who was at the scene of the blast condemned the act, describing it as un-Islamic, barbaric and inhuman.

Briefing Shettima at the scene of the blast, the Manager Maiduguri Monday Market, Alhaji Bukar Jere, said 15 Civilian JTF were among those killed while 69 others were injured.

He said 49 shops, four vehicles and four tricycles were also burnt in the blast.

The governor thanked the Civilian JTF for their gallantry and assured them that N1 million will be paid to each family of its deceased members to alleviate their suffering.

He also directed the state Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Lawal Tanko, to liaise with the leadership of the Civilian JTF to immediately identify the families of the deceased members who will collect the cash.

Shettima also visited the hospitals to sympathise with the victims of the blast and directed the hospital managements to give special care to the victims, adding that government will settle all their medical bills and feedings.

Meanwhile, the Northern Delegates’

Forum has called for an end to the spate of bomb blasts in the country.

It expressed concern about the killings, which it said had grave implications for socioeconomic and political development of Nigeria.

The forum, in a statement yesterday by its spokesman, Mr. Anthony Sani, also called for “constructive engagements” to address the grievances of the insurgents behind the attacks.

Also yesterday, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCT), reiterated that it has not been overwhelmed by emergencies arising from bomb blasts in the nation’s capital.

The Director General, FCT Emergency Management Agency, Alhaji Ababs G. Idriss, while fielding questions from journalists in Abuja, said his agency was wellequipped to cope with the situation.

Idriss, represented by the Director of Administration and Finance, Mrs. Alice Odey-Achu, said the agency had been trying to keep to the five-minute response time to emergency notwithstanding some challenges.

According to him, the agency’s response time to last Wednesday’s Emab Plaza bomb blast was seven minutes within which two fire fighting vehicles were on ground immediately after the explosion occurred.

Fashola, security chiefs meet with oil chiefs CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

rity Council lasted for two hours.

“The governor led all members of the Lagos security council to meet the managing directors of all tank farms and fuel depots in Lagos at his office based on the security report that insurgents may be targeting the oil facilities.

“Tank farms in Apapa house about 85 per cent of imported refined petroleum products in the country.

“These products have high rate of combustion and an explosion around them may cause a major mayhem.

“The governor told all the chief executive officers of oil companies in attendance to beef up security around their oil

facilities.

“He repeatedly made reference to the gas explosion incident around Folawiyo depot, where four people were killed.”

“The governor, from concerns he raised, does not want to take any chance on the security of these tank farms and fuel depot.

“He was concise in his order to all MDs to beef up security,” the source said.

Some of the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of the companies at the meeting included the Managing Director of Total Nigeria Plc, Mr. Alexis Vovk and his counterparts at Mobil Nigeria; Folawiyo Nigeria, Mr. Tunde Folawiyo and Capital Oil Nigeria Limited.

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Umaru Dikko dies at 78 lJonathan, Mark, Atiku, ACF eulogise ex-minister Lateef Ibrahim, Chukwu David, Anule Emmanuel and Ibraheem Musa Kaduna

S

econd Republic Minister of Transport and a chieftain of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Umaru Dikko, is dead.

Dikko, aged 78, died in the early hours of yesterday in London, where he was taken to after suffering a stroke.

An online newspaper, Premium Times, quoted the deceased’s son, Dr. Bello, as confirming the death of his father.

His death attracted tributes from President Goodluck Jonathan, Senate President David Mark; former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar; Kaduna State Governor, Alhaji Ramalan Yero; the Northern State Governors’ Forum (NSGF) and the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF).

Dikko, who was a very powerful and influential minister in the administration of former President Shehu Shagari, was born in Wamba, in the old Kaduna State, in 1936.

He started playing a role in the nation’s governance in 1967, when he was appointed as a commissioner in the then North Central State, which now comprises Kaduna and Katsina states.

He was also named secretary of a committee set up by the late General Hassan Katsina to unite the Northerners after the 1966 coup.

In 1979, Dikko was made Shagari’s campaign manager to prosecute the presidential campaign of the now defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN).

During the Second Republic, Dikko was not only appointed the Minister of Transport, he similarly headed the presidential task force on rice.

He fled Nigeria for London after a military coup ousted Shagari on December 31, 1983.

The military government of Major-General Muhammadu Buhari, which overthrew the Shagari’s government, made an attempt to kidnap him from London with a view to bringing him to Nigeria for prosecution on allegations that he embezzled over $1 billion.

The attempted kidnapping however failed.

Dikko was kidnapped on July 5, 1984, outside his apartment building

by agents believed to be working for the then Federal Military Government, drugged and crated for transportation to Nigeria as a ‘diplomatic cargo’ on a state-owned carrier, Nigeria Airways, but the kidnap was foiled by a British custom agent at London’s Stansted Airport.

The botched attempt led to a nasty diplomatic row between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, which culminated in the expulsion from Britain of two members of the Nigerian High Commission in London, including the High Commissioner. The Nigerian government also reciprocated.

Dikko was later pardoned by another military government under General Ibrahim Babangida.

Reacting to the death of Dikko yesterday, Jonathan expressed sadness at his passage and extended sincere commiserations to the family, friends and political associates of the former minister.

The president in a statement by his spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, said in spite of advanced age, the deceased continued to actively contribute to the nurturing and strengthening of democracy in Nigeria until his death.

According to him, Dikko’s significant contributions, especially his lifelong advocacy for stronger political parties, greater discipline within political parties and the supremacy of political parties have assured him of a place in the annals of Nigeria’s political development.

Mark also described Dikko as a political strategist who contributed to the political evolution of Nigeria.

He said the nation had lost an elder statesman whose experience would have been handy at this moment of the nation’s political history.

He added that Dikko was a great political leader in his own right and would be remembered for his meritorious services to the nation.

Mark, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Paul Mumeh, recalled the exploits of Dikko during the Second Republic and even of late when he was made chairman of the PDP reconciliation committee.

On his part, Atiku described Dikko as a courageous advocate of rule of law, constitutionality and

The late Dikko

democracy.

Atiku, in a condolence message by his media office in Abuja, said despite the public hostility to Dikko, the man had other virtues that Nigerians did

not seem to appreciate.

According to him, Dikko was a fierce opponent of unconstitutional seizure of power by soldiers.

He recalled that Dikko was the loudest critic of military rule, adding that the former minister was singled out for special punishment because he was a vocal critic of the new military rulers in 1983.

He explained that although Dikko had his own shortcomings like every other person, he was a passionate democrat that vigorously opposed the takeover of government by unconstitutional means.

Also mourning Dikko, the NSGF described his

death as a further depletion in the ranks of Northern state leaders.

NSGF Chairman and Governor of Niger State, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Israel Ebije, said the growing number of prominent Nigerians dying only suggested that the younger generation must step into the shoes of departed leaders.

He said the nation would sorely miss Dikko, especially because of his wealth of experience which Nigeria would need in its difficult times.

Yero also expressed sadness over the death of Dikko, who is from Kaduna State.

In a statement by his Di-

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rector General, Media and Publicity, Mallam Ahmed Maiyaki, Yero described Dikko’s demise as a great loss not only to the state but to the entire country.

He said Dikko’s death “will create a huge gap in our march towards evolving a stable democratic nation, especially at this critical time when his experience and guidance is needed by present and future generations of Nigerian leaders.”

Also, the ACF described Dikko as a principled and colorful politician of repute, a nationalist and an elder statesman.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Muhammad Ibrahim, the forum said by his death, the North and Nigeria had lost an illustrious citizen who stood for the indivisibility and corporate existence of the country.

L-R: Akwa Ibom State Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio; former Nigerian Ambassador to the United States, Chief Arthur Mbanefo and author of the book, Dr. Udo Udo-Aka, during the launch of Udo-Aka’s biography in Lagos…yesterday.

PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE

N35m capitalisation: BDC operators take protest to National Assembly lJonathan signs 2014 pension bill into law Chukwu David and Anule Emmanuel Abuja

O

perators of bureaux de change, yesterday met with the Committees on Finance of both chambers of the National Assembly to protest as well as seek the intervention of the lawmakers on the recent bid by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to jack up their minimum capital requirement to N35 million.

Acting President of the Association of Bureau De Change of Nigeria, Mr. Aminu Gwadabe, who led his members to the National Assembly, told journalists that his group had met with the Governor of Central

Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, on the issue before coming to the parliament to table their grievances.

He explained that at the meeting, Emefiele pledged to look into the issue.

Briefing the Senate Committee on Finance, led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi, Gwadabe said the policy would worsen the current unemployment problem in the country if implemented.

He also said the policy would further lead to the devaluation of the naira because many operators would close down.

Gwadabe further told the senators that the imposition of policy on the operators would lead to circulation of fake for-

eign currencies, adding that the active involvement of the organised BDC operators in foreign exchange trading over the years had greatly improved the image of the country abroad as Nigerian travellers were no longer arrested for being in possession of fake currencies.

Makarfi, while responding to the delegation’s presentation, appealed to the BDC operators to go about their agitation in the most orderly manner and pledged that the Senate would continue to create constructive engagement with all stakeholders to ensure peace, harmony and progress in the sector.

Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan has

signed the 2014 Pension Reform bill into the law.

The president gave assent to the bill, which prescribes an upward review of penalties and sanctions to pension defaulters yesterday in Abuja.

Highlight of the new pension law indicate that the sanctions provided under the Pension Reform Act 2004 were no longer sufficient deterrents against infractions of the law.

The Pension Reform Act 2014 reviewed upwards, the minimum rate of Pension Contribution from 15 per cent to 18 per cent of monthly emolument, where 8 per cent will be contributed by an employee and 10 per cent by the employer.

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Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

PDP, APC at war over destruction of billboards Stories by Adeolu Adeyemo

Osogbo

O

sun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday traded words over what they described as the destruction of banners and billboards of their candidates in the August 9 governorship election.

The two parties have threatened to throw decorum into the wind, if

the act they described as uncalled for, is not checkmated.

The PDP, which spoke through its Director of Publicity, Prince Diran Odeyemi, accused the APC of being the brain behind the destruction of banners and billboards of Omisore across the state while the APC spokesperson, Mr. Kunle Oyatomi, said the PDP should be held responsible for the mutilation of APC governorship candidate’s banners.

Odeyemi, in a state-

ment in Osogbo yesterday, called on concerned authorities to act on the matter, saying that the perpetrators of the act should be brought to book before it goes out of hand.

The PDP director of publicity also condemned the act as anti-democratic, appealing to security agents to call the APC administration to order over the development.

However, Oyatomi said: “We would like to bring to the notice of security and law enforce-

ment agents the palpable threat to peace which PDP and Omisore’s thugs are increasingly becoming as the August 9 election approaches.

“Information from Ilesa says a senseless act of vandalism by these thugs, who were said to have been on rampage, ripping posters and destroying billboards of the incumbent Governor Rauf Aregbesola, with such daring impunity and utter disregard for the law that citizens are wondering what kind

of security cover these thugs have to operate as they do in the state.

“We want to believe that these vandals are acting purely out of criminal disposition; which is why we are bringing this incident to the notice of security agents so that something could be done before it is too late.

“Pulling down billboards and ripping off posters of political opponents are not part of democracy or law and order.

“On the contrary, they

1,000 Accord Party members defect to SDP least 1,000 members AintofOsun Accord Party (AP) State yesterday defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Ejigbo Local Government area of the state.

The AP members led, by their Chairman, Alhaji Saka Salam, stated this at a brief ceremony in Ejigbo, saying that they decided to dump AP due to what they called the lackadaisical attitude of its leaders both at the state and national levels.

Salam said SDP became their choice after a thorough search of a political party that can govern the state very well.

“Many political parties came around. We have the leaders of the PDP and the Labour Party here. They met with us, but we decided to go with SDP, which has a welfarist agenda.

We also realised that SDP presented the most credible candidate for the August 9 election,” he said.

The AP chairman promised to mobilise people in his local government and neighbouring councils for the SDP and its governorship candidate, Mr. Olusegun Akinwusi.

SDP vows to checkmate Aregbesola’s desperation sun State chapter of OParty the Social Democratic (SDP) yesterday

One of the affected billboards...yesterday

Omisore promises to return schools to owners AGENDA

Osun PDP governorship candidate vows to reverse Aregbesola's education policy

O

sun State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore, yesterday met with the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), assuring them that schools that were taken over by government in

the past will be returned to their owners.

Speaking at an interactive session with CAN members at their secretariat in Owode, Ede, Omisore said it was wrong and unacceptable for pupils to be wearing the same uniform, adding that such policy has bastardised the education sector, making it difficult to identify unruly behaviour among pupils.”

He further promised to restore the dignity of education if voted into office on August 9.

Omisore said educa-

tion is accorded top priority in his eight-point agenda, maintaining that the government of Governor Rauf Aregbesola has caused so much confusion in the sector that he will on assumption of office cause a paradigm shift to correct the anomaly.

On Opon Imo, Omisore said the contradictions inherent in the tablet has caused serious setback to the educational system of the state.

He said: “It is a tablet full of errors. It is unthinkable to study mathematics or other

I will sack Aregbesola at the poll, says LP candidate

abour Party governorLState, ship candidate in Osun Alhaji Fatai Akinbade, yesterday said that he would sack the incumbent governor; Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, from office on August 9.

The governorship candidate, who insisted that the governor would not be allowed to spend an injury time in the office after being defeated at the poll, in a statement made available to newsmen in Osogbo by his Media Aide, Mr. Kayode Oladeji, said Aregbesola would be booted out without mercy

endanger law and order and give the impression of a reign of lawlessness in spite of security agencies. This is a potential tragedy that law enforcement agencies should not tolerate.

“PDP and its thugs must be called to order; but if they persist in their crime, then they must be brought to justice.

“We, therefore, appeal to security agencies to act fast before law and order breaks down in Osun, God forbid.”

with the votes of the electorate.

He also berated the administration for the bastardisation of the education sector in the state.

Akinbade fingered the government’s re-classification policy and lack of tangible plans for stateowned tertiary institutions as the basis for the dwindling fortunes of the state in the sector.

“The state has never had it so bad, the strike action of the teaching and non-teaching staff of the four tertiary institutions was caused by the Aregbe-

sola administration.

“The sector has been badly affected, so much muddled up; many schools built through communal efforts have been demolished, thereby leaving the pupils and their parents in such areas, in serious problems.

“The policy lacks focus and human face. All our tertiary institutions have been under lock and key since February this year due to the ineptitude and greed of the administration.

“Teachers and students have been at home since

then with Aregbesola turning deaf ears to their demands, yet he is spending billions of naira on frivolities.

“The situation really calls for concern. The lecturers are asking for their hard earned money, which they contributed as allowed by the new Contributory Pension Scheme.

This money runs into billions of naira. The money has been mismanaged and that is why the administration's agents have been blowing all sorts of grammar instead of giving the lecturers their money."

science subjects without drawings, but no single diagram in Opon Imo, this is unacceptable.”

The governorship candidate, however, promised a peaceful coexistence between Christians and Muslims without any discrimination.

Speaking earlier, CAN Chairman in Osun State, Rev. Elijah Ogundiya, said the interactive section became necessary to allow candidates of various political parties vying for the August 9 election unfold their manifestos before the people.

vowed to resist the ‘desperate move’ of Governor Rauf Aregbesola, to win the August 9 governorship election in the state.

The party added that it is set to win the forthcoming polls, saying “Ekiti election results shocked many people, but Osun election outcome will rattle the world.”

Candidate of the party in the election, Segun Akinwusi, in a statement made available to newsmen raised the alarm that Aregbesola, apart from obtaining a fresh bank loan of over N21.3 billion to fight the election, has also approached another bank for loan.

He, however, said that they would try all they could to see that the money is not diverted into the APC campaign for the election.

Akinwusi also challenged Aregbesola to deny his allegation of a fresh loan while noting that the present All Progressives Congress (APC) administration has put Osun in a tight corner on debts that may remain till the next 25 years.

PDP will win, says party chieftain Babatope Okeowo Akure

of the August 9 Ainhead governorship election Osun State, a chieftain

of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State, Thompson Ayegunle, has predicted victory for the party in the election.

Ayegunle, who was a caretaker chairman of Ose Local Government in Ondo State, said the victory of Ayo Fayose in Ekiti is an indication that people of the South-West

are tired of the antics of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and are ready to change them.

According to him, the people of the zone, who had being taken for granted, have woken from their slumber and are ready to vote out the APC from the zone.

He said: “The victory of Ayo Fayose of PDP is a true reflection of the electorate in Ekiti as the election was free, fair and meets international standard for credible election."

NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

MENACE

Unauthorised use of siren will soon come to an end within Lagos Muritala Ayinla

T

he Lagos State Government yesterday finally outlawed indiscriminate and unlawful use of siren by politicians and other Very Important Personalities (VIPs) in the state.

The state government which decried the rate of noise pollution and lawlessness perpetrated by the continued unregulated use of sirens

Lagos bans use of siren by VIPs l Says offender will earn 3-year jail term, forfeit vehicle by road users and other prominent individuals in the state, said it would not hesitate to prosecute any road user who flouts the order.

The State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye, who announced the ban said only few vehicles on emergency operation, are allowed to use siren while on Lagos roads.

According to him, the use of siren and other noisy devices in vehicles is prohibited under the Lagos State Road Traffic

Insurgency: NDF sues for peace, calls for dialogue Wale Elegbede elegates from the DConference North at the National under the

aegis of Northern Delegates Forum (NDF), have condemned the spate of bomb blasts and killings of innocent Nigerians by the dreaded terrorists sect, Boko Haram.

It saidnoted that the increasing wave of activities of the sect is already having far-reaching implications on the socio-economic and political development of those affected.

In a statement signed by its spokesman, Anthony N.Z. Sani, the group averred that only constructive engagements can address the

concerns of the insurgents, adding that those involved in the massacre of innocent Nigerians are desecrating the name of God. “Northern Delegates Forum is very disturbed because the destruction of lives and property have far reaching implications for socioeconomic and political development of those affected and of Nigeria.

NDF wishes to condemn the killing of Nigerians including children and women by bomb blasts and gunmen and appeals to perpetrators of such acts to put an end to the dastardly act in favor of civilized approach of addressing any perceived concern.

Oshiomhole flays Ize-Iyamu

Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

state governor, AdEdaydoamscriticised Oshiomhole, yesterthe former

aide and ex-Secretary to the state government during the administration of Chief Lucky Igbinedion, Mr. Osagie Ize Iyamu over the rivalry between two of them.

Oshiomhole challenged Ize Iyamu to render account of his stewardship as SSG if there was positive impact on the lives of the people.

The governor stated this when he received over 2,000 market women from across the 18 local

government areas of the state who paid him a solidarity visit at the Government House, Benin City.

He taunted the Pastor for his failure to use his office to impact positively on the people of the state.

Oshiomhole declared: “I defeated the People’s Democratic Party in all the wards and local governments in the last election conducted and that was due to the massive support from you market women”.

He said: “After the defeat, a man who claims to be a Pastor, Osagie IzeIyamu, insisted on being imposed on Edo people as the governor."

New name for Oyo College of Agric Sola Adeyemo of efforts to place AtionSits'part agricultural instituon a higher pedestal and afford it access to Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) .

The Oyo state government has perfected plans to modify the name of its College situated in Igboora.

The institution pres-

7

ently known as 'Oyo State College of Agriculture, Igboora (OYSCAI)' will soon be known and addressed as 'Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora (OYSCATI)'.

The change of nomenclature, according to the Oyo State House of Assembly, before whom the bill is soon to undergo third reading, will give the college a bi-technology status.

Law, adding that the state would no longer condone illegality.

He gave the lists of those exempted from siren usage on Lagos roads to include ambulances, other emergency vehicles such as fire service trucks and law enforcement vehicles on urgent call.

Ipaye added that apart from those listed, nobody is allowed to use siren or other noisy device in a vehicle within the territorial boundary of the State, saying anyone caught using siren in-

73,000

discriminately would be treated as criminal.

His words: "Use of siren and other noisy devices have caused unnecessary harassment to innocent road users and resulted in many instances of traffic congestion, avoidable motor accidents, damage to property and personal injury.

"We call on road users in Lagos to note that under section 24(c) of the Lagos State Road Traffic Law 2011, it is a criminal offence to use or deploy siren or other noisy de-

The number of adults and children estimated to be living with HIV in Canada in 2007.

Source: Blatantworld.com

vice in a vehicle within the State.

"By virtue of section 36(1) of the same Law, convicted offenders may be fined N30, 000 and/ or imprisoned for up to three (3) years".

Attorney General added that in addition to the above penalty, offenders would be held fully responsible for damages or injury caused by their contravention, and the offending vehicle is also liable to be forfeited to the State by virtue of section 36(2) of the Law. "Law Enforcement Officers have been directed to ensure full compli-

5.6%

The percentage of individuals using the internet in Congo in 2011.

Source: Itu.int

ance with the Lagos State Road Traffic Law for the purpose of ensuring the peace, safety, and security of all residents and visitors on our roads,"Ipaye added.

The commissioner said anybody that contravenes any sections of the law should be prepared to face the full wrath of the law.

Governor, Babatunde Fashola stated that he has never used siren while commuting within the state for the past seven years and called on politicians and other prominent personalities to emulate his style.

20%

The projected percentage of water withdrawals by 2035.

Source: Unesco.org

L-R: Managing Director, Neo Media and Marketing, Ehi Braimah; Media and Public Affairs Manager, Nigerian Breweries (NB), Edem Vindah and Marketing Manager, Gulder, Legend and Lifem, Emmanuel Agu, during a Press Conference on this year Gulder Ultimate Search, in Lagos... yesterday.

PHOTO: TONY EGUAYE.

Hamzat urges Amosun, Osoba to reconcile Kunle Olayeni Abeokuta

T

he Olu of AfowowaSogade in Ewekoro local government area of Ogun State, Oba Mufutau Olatunji Hamzat, yesterday urged Governor Ibikunle Amosun to settle his political differences with a former governor of the state, Chief Olusegun Osoba.

The traditional ruler said urgent reconciliation between the two leaders was imperative to prevent the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from losing the state in the 2015 general elections.

He spoke at an interactive session with Amosun shortly after the governor inaugurated the Paramount Ruler of Remoland, Oba Michael Sonariwo, as the new chairman of the state Council of Obas.

In attendance at the

event were the state deputy governor, Prince Segun Adesegun, House of Assembly Speaker, Suraj Adekunbi, Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, and Olu of Ilaro and Paramount ruler of Yewaland, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle.

Oba Hamzat advised the governor to deepen democratic dividends in the state by concentrating his administration’s projects more in the rural areas.

The monarch said he was worried about the outcome of the Ekiti State governorship election where Governor Kayode Fayemi lost to the candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Ayo Fayose.

He expressed satisfaction with Amosun’s achievements in the last three years but observed that sterling performance

was not enough to guarantee re-election.

He urged the governor to relate with the grassroots and embrace the spirit of “give-and-take” to put an end to the state APC crisis.

Hamzat said: “When the results of the Ekiti election were announced, I was shocked and had to visit Governor Fayemi in Ekiti. We spoke one-onone and he said he was surprised about the election too. But what I learnt was that people said the governor was too disconnected from the grassroots.

“This brings me to the issue of Ogun State. You have performed excellently, no doubt. However, there is one big but: it is the crisis in the party.

People are calling and asking us: ‘what are you doing about Ogun State?

Don’t let PDP take over.’

That crisis is festering and is going on and on. I read

some of the comments about Osoba. What is your party doing to resolve the crisis before it is too late?

“Your performance alone cannot do the work; all of you must be united.

If you have to sleep at it is very dangerous. The two of you must give and take; there is no question of one of you taking everything. I don’t think there is need for anybody to come round and begin to beg you. The two of you are matured leaders and you must sit down and resolve your crisis.”

In his remarks, Amosun assured that everything possible would be done to end the lingering crisis in the state APC. The governor, however, noted that in as much as he was committed to improving the welfare of the people, he would not reduce governance to “Amala politics” or distribution of rice and garri for political patronage.

8

NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Bomb scare causes confusion in Osun Adeolu Adeyemo

OSOGBO

and apprehension Ainnxiety were yesterday recorded Ile-Ife, the cradle of the

Yoruba in Osun State following a bomb scare that rocked the ancient town at the early hours of the day.

The development, which reportedly generated tension among residents and inhabitants of the town, threw them into a state of confusion as they

ran for safety in their different locations.

New Telegraph investigations however revealed that, an explosive device was recorded in the town around 4.30 a.m of the day around Agbedegbede area of the town.

Informed sources stated that "the bomb exploded in the area with a loud bang and also affected a house in the area, damaging the roof in the process."

Court refuses FG’s request on extradition Tunde Oyesina

ABUJA

Federal High Court, Aterday sitting in Abuja, yesrefused an application by the Federal Government to extradite one Kingsley Edegbe to Netherlands for trial over alleged human trafficking offences.

The government, had through the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), approached the court, asking that Edegbe be extra-

dited to the Netherlands to face trial.

But in refusing government's request, the trial judge, Justice A.R Mohammed, held that the application was incompetent, and therefore the court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain it.

He further held that the court has not been shown any extradition treaty between Nigeria and the Netherlands upon which the application sought could have been granted.

2015: Battle for Enugu shifts to Diaspora into what may Ainglimpse likely happen come 2015 Enugu State played out

last weekend following the failed bid by the Government of Enugu State to install its candidate to lead the highly influential Enugu USA, an umbrella body of Enugu indigenes living in the United States of America, USA. After the election, del-

egates elected Dr. Ifesinachi Ugwuonye, a lawyer and an indigene of Obeleagu Ndiuno in Ezeagu LGA through a landslide victory, thereby becoming the first woman president of the body.

It was gathered that regardless of a strong delegation of the government of Enugu state to the convention.

Vendors raise the alarm in Abuja ewspaper vendors at the NAbuja, Power House Junction in have raised an alarm

over an order from the Asokoro Division of the Police to quit from the area. Iin a statementsignedbytheChairman of the Unit, Samuel Jimoh, the vendors said the only informationtheycouldgetfrom the police was that the order was based on intelligence.

Thevendorsarealarmedover the order, since according to them, there was an ongoing vendor accreditation that is

being carried out by the vendors themselves.

Thestatementsaidinpart, “The police under Asokoro division has ordered that the newspaper vendors at Power House Junction should vacate the junction with effect from Thursday. But when I contacted the crime division to exactly find out what the reasons were, the man in chargeonlyrespondedbysaying that it was based on intelligence gathering and could not say more. "

N82.8m: Court orders police to arrest Cross Country MD Foluso Ogunmodede

OR his refusal to honour a court summons over an alleged fraud of N82.8m, the managing director of a giant transport company, Cross Country Limited, Mr. Bube Okorodu may be on his way to prison.

Reason: A Lagos High Court yesterday, ordered the police to forcefully bring him before it within five days.

Specifically, the court presided over by Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo has

F

issued a warrant for his arrest gainst him for his alleged refusing to appear before the court to take his plea over the alleged N82.8 million fraud charge.

Justice Lawal-Akapo, who gave the order, however directed the police to arrest and produce Okorodudu before the court on July 8 for his arraignment.

The transporter and his two companies - Cross Country Limited and Car Link Limited were charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

L-R: Director, SEPLAT, Mr. Michael Richard Alexandrer; Chairman, Dr. ABC Orjiako and Chief Executive Officer, Austin Avuru, during the company’s Annual General Meeting in Lagos...recently

Doctors’ strike paralyses hospitals nationwide Appolonia Adeyemi, Sola Adeyemo, Mohammed Munirat Nasir, Cajetan Mmuta and Dominic Adewole across the naPcareatients tion, who sought health in public hospitals

yesterday met with brick wall as doctors made good their promise to withdraw their services.

From Lagos to Oyo State, Benin to Asaba, Gasau to Owerri, the story was the same as patients groaned in pains and returned home without the needed care.

New Telegraph investigations revealed that doctors at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idiaraba observed total strike.

As at 10a.m, when the New Telegraph visited the tertiary hospital, even the Accident and Emer-

gency Department was under lock and key. New patients were not admitted. A hospital staff, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said doctors were on strike and would not treat patients.

However, patients in the ward only were seen receiving care.

At the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, outpatients were similarly not attended to. They returned home in pain.

Those on admission were also not left out of the ordeal as they were hurriedly discharged from hospitals.

At the University College Hospital, Ibadan, stranded patients were seen lamenting because they were not attended to owing to the strike.

Oyo State Chapter of the Nigerian Medical

Association (NMA) complied with the directive from the national secretariat that all its personnel must commence an indefinite strike yesterday following the Federal Government's failure to honour the earlier two-week warning that elapsed on Monday.

Similarly, patients, including those brought on emergency grounds yesterday were rejected at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Asaba.

The strike however took a dangerous dimension in Asaba yesterday following the way and manner relatives of patients across public hospitals in the oil rich state had hectic time evacuating their loved ones to private clinics.

Doctors at the FMC, Asaba, strictly complied with the directives of

their national body by turning down patients brought on emergency even as those already on admissions were swiftly placed on transfer.

In similar vein, medical doctors in Zamfara State yesterday commenced an indefinite strike in compliance with the NMA directives.

Addressing newsmen in Gusau, the chairman NMA Zamfara State, Dr Aminu Mohammed Sakajiki, said even though the strike action will have negative effects on the medical services in the state and country, it remains the only available option left for Nigeria Doctors to press home their demands which are meant to put the nation’s health sector among the best in the world.

Confab admits Umeh, Shinkafi Confab wants SIECs scrapped Onwuka Nzeshi

ABUJA

ational Chairman of NGrand the All Progressives Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh and the party's National Secretary, Alhaji Sani Shinkafi were yesterday formally admitted as delegates to the ongoing National Conference. The duo were admitted to the conference barely three weeks to its expiration due to the leadership tussle in the party.

Conference Chairman and former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justuce Idris Kutigi, introduced them at plenary yesterday amidst applause from other delegates.

Their admission followed a letter from the Secretary to the Federal Government of the Federation(SGF) Senator Anyim Pius Anyim authorizing the conference secretariat to receive them as the validly nominated representatives of the party at the conference.

In the letter dated June 23 2014 with a reference No. SGF.32/S.44/C.1/297, the SGF directed Kutigi to accredit the APGA leaders as the party’s representatives at the conference and update the conference’s records appropriately.

It read in parts: “Following the recent Appeal Court judgement on the leadership of APGA, I wish to forward the names of Chief Victor Umeh and Alhaji Sani Shinkafi as delegates to the National Conference to represent APGA under the political category.

he National Conference Thave on Tuesday resolved to the States Indepen-

dent Electoral Commission (SIEC) scrapped and recommended that its functions be transferred to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). It was observed that the commission at that level has outlived its usefulness and has become a tool for governors to manipulate elections into local government councils.

Also on Tuesday, a pro-

posal for the review of the Electoral Act to further strengthen INEC`s capacity to effectively monitor party conventions was accepted by the Conference.

Delegates also set the minimum academic qualification for candidates seeking elective positions.

For instance, for the Presidential, Governorship and National Assembly candidates, first degree or its equivalent was set as the mandatory qualification.

Pension scam: Bailiff to face trial over forgery Tunde Oyesina

ABUJA

bailiff of the Federal AAbuja, High Court sitting in Idris Mahmud, will

on July 25 face trial before an Abuja Magistrate Court over forgery of bail documents.

Mahmud will face trial

alongside one Danladi Ademu, said to be an ally of a former Director of Pensions Office at the office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Sani Teidi Shuaibu, who is standing trial before a Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged embezzlement of over N20 bil-

lion pension funds while at the helm of affairs at the Pension Office.

Idris Mahmud, according to First Information Report was alleged to have conspired with Danladi Ademu, to commit forgery, an act said to be contrary to section 364 of the penal code law.

news

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

9

Abaribe eyes Government House enate Spokesman, SAbaribe, Senator Enyinnaya has formally

declared to contest the governorship of Abia State in 2015.

Abaribe, who is a former Deputy Governor of the state, told party officials at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat in Umuahia at the weekend, that he is heeding the overwhelming entreaties from across the political spectrum of Abia to come and consolidate on the already laid developmental foundation.

Also, the chairman of the PDP in the state, Senator Emma Nwaka assured that a level playing field at the primary election remains the irreducible minimum, because the party is not

about encouraging people without experience to come and learn on the job as a governor.

Abaribe, amid thunderous applause, informed the officers that he was at the party state secretariat to unequivocally declare that he will contest for the governorship of Abia State come 2015.

"I am here to formally tell you that I, Enyinnaya Harcourt Abaribe, will contest for the office of governor of Abia State in 2015. I have consulted widely. I have been to Abia North, Central and South.

I have consulted the party elders and stakeholders. I have met the people and the consensus opinion is that I should contest for this exalted office of Governor of Abia State", he said.

Governor Adams Oshiomhole (left), addressing marketwomen across the state, led by Madam Blackky Omoregie, during their visit to Government House to pay the governor a solidarity visit…yesterday

15%

Prayers can fight Boko Haram, says Isong Clement James

Calabar

in the country Ctohristians have been called upon see the current security

challenge as an opportunity to draw closer to God and to seize it to pray for the country.

This was the charge given by the Cross River State Chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Emmah Isong, while addressing Journalists on the state of the nation yesterday.

Isong, who is the Presiding Bishop of Christian Chapel Church International, said since Boko Haram members were not targeting particular religious adherents, Christians can only pray that God will deal with the situation sooner than later.

“Christians generally

The percentage of hydropower electricity generation of global production in 2007.

Source: Unesco.org are worried about the cur-

rent state of insecurity in the country and the only way out of this is to increase our level of prayer because the insurgents are not targeting a particular religious group. Adherents of all religions have been affected. So, it is not about Christians and Moslems, but everybody, especially Christians uniting to pray for the return of peace in the country,” he said.

He said Christians should see this period as an opportunity to fall back on the power of God “as government can only do its best which is limited compared to the power of God.” Isong, however, called on Northern leaders to take practical steps in dealing with the Boko Haram menace because, as he puts it, “the insurgents do not live in heaven.”

KWASU plans big for host community Biodun Oyeleye

Ilorin

he Kwara State UniversiTa 50-year ty (KWASU) is to develop regional plan for

Malete, its host community.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor AbdulRasheed Na’Allah, who disclosed this while receiving the Chairman, Moro Local Government Area of the state, Alhaji AbdulGaniyu Ajibola, who paid a courtesy visit to his office, said the University is in the process of starting the regional plan, which will stretch from Malete community to Shao junction.

According to Na’Allah, when completed, the regional plan is to set a standard for future development in the area. He added that the plan will also put into consideration, differ-

ent locations for Shopping Centres, Motor Parks and waste disposal area, among others.

The Vice-Chancellor also spoke on the need for the local government council to introduce regulations for structural development in Malete and ensure compliance, saying this will not only serve as a means of revenue generation for the council, but also regulate the building of houses and shops for rent.

He said the regulations which should be developed into an edict will state categorically, areas where sale of alcohol and location of hotels are prohibited, suggesting that the council could work with the University’s Legal Unit and the Centre for Entrepreneurship for the realisation of that goal.

145,721

The number of refugees and people in refugee-like situation in Sri Lanka at the beginning of 2010.

Source: Blatantworld.com

143.5m

The number of fixed-telephone subscriptions of United States of America in 2011.

Source: Itu.int

S/East monarchs recommend Ukiwe for Igbo leadership HONOUR Former No.2 citizen, Ukiwe, hailed as Gaddafi by admirers in the navy, gets another plume Tony Okafor

AWKA

S

outh East traditional rulers have recommended former Chief of General Staff, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe (rtd) as the new Igbo leader.

To this effect, they have handed him the Igbo traditional symbol

of authority (Ofo) Others who had held the staff of authority in Igboland according to New Telegraph search were for mer President of Nigeria, Late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe; former Premier of the Eastern Region, Dr. Michael Okpara and Late Senate President, Dr. Chuba Okadigbo.

Also, the late Dim Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu, Sen. Jim Nwobodo, Sen. Chimaroke Nnamani, former Senate President Adolphus Wagbara and recently, Chief Raph Uwazurike, the leader of the Movement for Sovereign State of Biafra (MAS-

SOB) had held the Igbo symbol of authority.

The Ofor Ndigbo would be conferred on Ukiwe, a former Military Administrator of Lagos and Niger States on July 19th, at the palace of the traditional ruler of Nri Kingdom, Eze Obidiegwu Onyesoh, in Anaocha local government area of Anambra State.

Speaking with newsmen yesterday in his palace Onyesoh said the recognition was based on the recommendation of Igbo traditional rulers in the South East..

He said Ukiwe’s outstanding qualities in Igbo land during and

after serving Nigeria were awesome, adding that Ukiwe's charismatic quality lifted Ndigbo in the comity of nations.

He said;“And as a way of recognizing him in Igbo land and thanking the warrior for making Ndigbo proud everywhere in the world, we decided to hand him the (Ofo Ndigbo), Igbo traditional staff of Authority” Onyesoh further said;“Chief Ebitu Ukiwe is in the mould of people like late Zik of Africa, late Michael Iheonukara Okpara , among others and there is no other way for Ndigbo to show that appreciation than through this.”

Seplat: We've grown beyond expectations

S

eplat Petroleum Development Company has stated that it has achieved beyond its expectation the first phase of early, rapid growth, brand placement and capacity development.

With a consistent growth in production, reserves and profit and recent dual listing in London and Lagos, the company said it is now fully set for the next phase of building a sustainable long term business with substantial contributions to Nigeria’s Energy Security.

Chairman of SEPLAT, Dr. ABC Orjiakor, announced that despite a harsh operating environment underlined by “the uncertainties about the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill, persistent oil theft, huge exposure to subsidies and reduced demand for Nigerian crude oil blends, in the United States, among other things,” SEPLAT has continued to grow exponentially.

According to Orjiako, “SEPLAT has continued to deliver growth holistically since inception in line with our strategy.

“Operated crude oil production has grown significantly over a 3-year period (2011-2013), from 11.5 million barrels in 2011 to 18.8 million barrels in 2013, with an exit gross production rate at 31 December 2013 of 61.7 thousand barrels per day.

Operated average daily production for 2013 was 51.4 thousand barrels per day, with total annual operated production of 18.8 million barrels.

SEPLAT recorded total revenues of US$880.2 million for the year ended 31 December 2013, repre-

senting growth of 41% over the 2012 figure,”he said.

Orjiako further declared that “The future of our company is very bright. We shall strive to maintain our leadership position in the indigenous E & P industry in Nigeria and our focus in following our growth strategy to seek to ensure delivery of our commitment not only to capital growth but also to remain profitable and dividend paying. We shall seek to deliver tangible rewards to all stakeholders.”

10

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www.newtelegraphonline.com/metro

ABIODUN BELLO FEATURES Editor

WEDNESday, JULY 2, 2014

Three men in court for duping businesswoman of N6m Bisola Tiamiyu hree men yesterday appeared before an Ikeja Tnesswoman Magistrates’ Court, Lagos for duping a busiof N6 million.

According to the charge sheet no: MIK/A/76/2014, the three men, Ibrahim Suliemon (30), Habeeb Quadri (42) and Rauf Adebayo (44), were accused of obtaining money under false pretext.

When the charge was read to them, the accused pleaded not guilty.

The charge reads: “That you Ibrahim Suliemon ‘m,’ Habeeb Quadri ‘m’ and Rauf Adebayo ‘m’ on 14th day of May, 2014 about 1045hrs, at Ogba area of Lagos, in the Ikeja Magisterial District did obtain under false pretext N6,697,000 from one Temilola Akintayo ‘f ’ to import fabrics for her, knowing same to be false and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 312(1a)(3) of the Criminal Laws No 11 of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011.”

The magistrate handling the case, Mrs E. Fabamwo, admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N500,000.

She also adjourned the case till October 22 for further hearing.

Boy sets himself ablaze Muritala Ayinla residents of Agodo Egebe in ikotun Tashe area of Lagos yesterday watched in awe a 21-year-old boy, Utochukwu Ukandu, set

himself ablaze.

It was gathered that the incident, which occurred at 20B Ademola Street, Agodo Egbe near Ikotun, threw the entire community into confusion.

Ukandu was said to have swallowed kerosene, soaked a mattress with kerosene before setting himself ablaze.

For a few minutes, neighbours and sympathisers in the area battled to put out the fire but they couldn’t control the situation until the officials of the Lagos State Fire Service intervened and rescued the boy, who sustained serious injury.

According to his elder brother, Ebuka Ukandu, the boy had earlier vowed to commit suicide before the incident.

Confirming the incident, the Director of the Lagos State Fire Service, Mr Razak Fadipe, said the boy deliberately set himself ablaze for a reason he could not explained.

He said: “Last night the State Fire Service received distressed call. We responded to the incident with 10,000 litres of water. On arrival, we discovered the incident was about a boy who wanted to take his own life. He drank some quantity of kerosene, wet himself with kerosene and wrapped up himself with the mattress which was also soaked with kerosene.

“It was the elder brother of the boy that raised the alarm before we moved into action to rescue the boy. It was the residents who quickly alerted fire service. The boy sustained serious injury resulting from the burnt. He has been moved to the Lagos State University Hospital (LASUTH) from a hospital in the area where he was rushed to initially.”

Fadipe warned parents to pay special attention to their wards’ utterances, saying if the boy’s parents had paid attention to him and investigated his grievances, the incident wouldn’t have happened.

He also cautioned residents to be wary of fire, adding that the agency had attended to 600 cases of fire incidents in the last six months.

abiodun. bello@newtelegraphonline.com; otuntise@yahoo.co.uk

0802 393 8212

100 escape death as police barracks’ LUCKY ESCAPE About 100 people, comprising policemen and the families, almost lost when a two-story building housing their flats collapsed Muritala Ayinla

A

t least 100 people from 27 families residing at Pedero Police Barracks, Palm Groove, Lagos, escaped death when a building collapsed.

Household goods and other valuable items worth millions of naira were destroyed.

Although no life was lost, it was gathered that the development had caused panic among other residents of dilapidated blocks in Lagos police barracks in the state.

It was learnt that the incident, which occurred about 10:30pm on Monday, affected part of the structure comprising six toilets and bathroom.

According to the General Manager of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr Femi OkeOsayintolu, the two-storey building was in the state of distress.

The GM said there were indications

The collapsed building

that most of the buildings in the barracks were weak and could no longer stand the test of time.

He said: “No life was lost. The cause of the incident was due to the dilapidated state of the structure. At the police barracks, LASEMA also observed that wooden frames were

used as supporting pillars to some of the structures. This is dangerous; we want to urge residents to stay away to avert tragedy.

“We eventually sealed off the collapsed premises to avert tragedy. The storey building consists of 27 flats.

Other residents are advised to stay

I got N3,000 from N16m robbery, says Juliana Francis robbery suspect has told detectives A(SARS), at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad Ikeja, Lagos that he got only

N3,000 from N16 million his gang realised from a robbery operation at Makoko area of the state.

However, the suspect, Olamide Kolawole, a cobbler, seemed unperturbed by the sharing formula.

He said that the money was brought to him by his best friend, Rasaki, a commercial motorcyclist Kolawole also claimed that Rasaki dragged him into the robbery operation he never wanted to partake in.

“The money was shared according to ‘lion’s share’ formula. It means that only the old members would get big shares.

That operation was the first time I joined them. In fact, I didn’t even know they were going for a robbery operation on that day,” the 24-year-old Kolawole said.

Arrested along with Kolawole was Oladun Moyemi, 20, a barber.

Just like his partner in crime, Moyemi denied knowing that he was partaking in a robbery operation. He said he was tricked into joining in the operation.

Surprisingly, the two of them gave two different versions of what transpired on the night of the robbery.

While Kolawole said it was an 11-man gang that embarked on the operation and his share was given to him the following day, Moyemi said they were just seven men that went for the operation and the loot was shared that same day before they all went home.

Recalling how he got into police net, Kolawole said: “I was arrested through information given to the police. I was

Kolawole

Moyemi

walking on the street, about to go and buy medicine, when the police arrested me.

“Rasaki is my best friend. It was through Rasaki that I got to know other members of the gang. We were 11 that went for that robbery. We went to rob at Makoko area. We went on a Sunday. We were returning from a club at Sabo called MP (Meeting Point). On the way home, they said they had a work they wanted to go and do. I didn’t know they were going to rob. They didn’t tell me anything.”

Kolawole said that as they moved, he noticed that the time was about 11pm.

The gang members hired different taxies after agreeing to meet at a particular venue at Makoko.

He said: “My work was just to stay outside and watch with other two persons. We were watching for people. There was no light on that day. They said a guy brought the job for them. They said the person had N16 million with him.

“When we reached the targeted building, they asked two of their members to stay with me outside, while others en-

tered into the building. The following day, which was on Monday, Rasaki came and gave me N3,000 and a Techno phone.

They said the largest share would go to those who had been with the gang for long.”

Since his arrest, police have been searching frantically for Rasaki, but he appeared to have vanished.

“I have taken the police to Rasaki’s place at Ebute-Metta, but we did not see him. I believe he knew that I had been arrested and disappeared. But maybe if we go to his mother’s place, we may find him there. I did not know that Rasaki was a robber. I know him as a shoemaker,” Kolawole added.

On his part, Moyemi said he and others were not robbers, initially.

He said: “We are always involved in street fights with other youths from other streets. There was a street jam on that day. We were seven that went for that robbery operation.

“We were not up to 11. Rasaki came with four of his friends. Then there were

METRO

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Man accused of sexually abusing 12-year-old maid

Officers who valued their lives, were already considering packing out of their homes owing to the distressed nature of the structures

Juliana Francis

A

building collapses

Some residents moving their properties from the debris.

away from the building until integrity test is carried out to ascertain strength of the building.”

Meanwhile, it was gathered that most residents of such dilapidated structures in the police barracks across the state are jittery following the collapse of the partial collapse of Pedro Barracks.

suspect two of us; myself and Kolawole. The street jam was held at Olulu Street. As we were going home, we did not know that Rasaki and his other friends had another plan.

“When we reached the targeted house, Rasaki asked us to stay outside. Rasaki is our friend, but we call him Sobo. Rasaki and others later came out with bags and some other items. They did not go in through the front of the building; they went in through the back.

“Rasaki gave me a phone, an Asha 202, and N6,000. It was on the same day that they shared the money.

“I did not know they were going for robbery. It was when they were coming out with bags from the building that it dawned on me that they went to rob.

“The following morning, Rasaki and his four friends left for Ajah, where they live. Some days later, I heard that Olamide had been arrested. But I didn’t know what he was arrested for.”

Asked if there used to be killings during the streets fight, Moyemi replied in the affirmative.

He said: “We used to kill each other during the street fights. Our gang had once killed a boy, while three people had been killed in our gang by our opponents.

“I don’t know what they normally fight for in such street fights. Many of us don’t know the cause of the fights and we were just dragged into it. When the older boys in the community send us on errands, the opponents know and would begin to target us. Thus we would have no choice than to join. We use machetes to fight while the older ones use guns. But many of them had been arrested now.”

Moyemi said he was ready to cooperate with the police in fishing out Rasaki and other fleeing members of the gang.

11

A police officer in Alausa Barracks, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, bemoaned the dilapidated state of their barracks.

He said officers, who valued their lives, were already considering packing out of their homes owing to the distressed nature of the structures.

Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) has called on the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Umar Manko, to order investigation into the alleged sexual abuse of a 12-year-old girl at the Mazamaza area.

The girl, simply identified as Love, was said to have been sexually abused by one Anyanwu who allegedly forcefully had carnal knowledge of her inside his bedroom, causing her severe bruises.

The Network on Police Reform in Nigeria (NOPRIN), which is the forefront of efforts to get justice for Love, urged Manko to investigate and prosecute Anyanwu.

It was gathered that the girl was a housemaid to Anyanwu’s aged mother.

Love was introduced to Anyanwu’s sister, Maurine, a banker, who took the girl to her mother as a maid.

Love had been living with the old woman together with Anyanwu’s family in a three bed-room flat since January 2014.

The child, accompanied by her aunt, Mrs Ijeoma Joseph, who resides at Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja, informed NOPRIN that Anyanwu’s wife had gone to work and while she was busy washing plates in the house, the man invited her to his bedroom, supposedly to help him read out a message on his phone.

Love reportedly told NOPRIN: “I went to answer him in the room and suddenly, Uncle grabbed me and removed my pant and raped me.”

According to the girl, her screams attracted Mama’s attention, who asked where she was and why she was crying,

but Anyanwu did not allow the girl to answer.

He told his mother not to worry, insisting there was no problem.

“Love said when Anyanwu wanted to rape her the second time, she struggled and managed to escape and ran out of the house. She ran to a nearby church where she met one woman. She remained in the church and joined them in the all-night vigil that Friday till the next day.

“The following morning, Saturday, she wanted to go home but was afraid.

While she was sitting down somewhere by the roadside, one ‘Uncle Ugo’, the landlord of the house where she was sexually abused, saw her and took her back home,” NOPRIN’s National Coordinator, Okechukwu Nwanguma, said.

Love said that Anyanwu’s sister, whose name she did not know, came to the house and beat her up ‘for running away from the house’.

The said sister later called Mrs Joseph, Love’s aunt, and informed her that Love ran away from the house and that she wanted her to come and take her since she was the one that brought her to Maurine.

Joseph and Maurine agreed and Love was returned to her.

Maurine claimed that Love was ‘wasting food’.

It was later when Love’s aunt began to question her on her reason for running away from the house that she disclosed that Anyanwu sexually abused her.

Upon examining Love, her aunt confirmed that her private part had been seriously bruised and was dripping with foul smelling liquid substance.

‘PSC needs to promote more deserving officers’

Mba being decorated with his new rank

Juliana Francis The Police Service Commission (PSC) has been advised to immediately promote more deserving police officers.

A seasoned security analyst, Mr Folorunsho Atta, gave the advice while speaking with our correspondent on the backdrop of last week’s elevation of the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Mr Frank Mba. Mba was promoted from the rank of Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) to Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP).

Atta, who the FPRO deserved the elevation, urged the PSC to boost the morale of other officers, who in recent

years had helped the force to wage war on criminals and criminality.

He said: “Honestly, the Lagos State Police Command in past three years has witnessed a sharp drop in cases of armed robbery and banditry. There are few officers, who while others are sleeping, are on the streets of Lagos, chasing armed hoodlums. Officers like Superintendent of Police (SP) Abba Kyari and the Commander of the State Security Outfit, Mr Akeem Olusegun Odumosu, deserve promotion in order to do more for the state and the nation.”

Atta said the aforementioned officers had not only

proven to be exceptional, but outstanding leaders.

He said that if given the necessary support by the three tiers of government in the country, those calling for state police would surely hold their breaths.

“Don’t forget the Assistant Commissioner of Police whose team arrested Kabiru Sokoto.

“The officer, Baba Garba Umar’s exploits while in Mopol 19, Port Harcourt, River State do not only remain in the minds of residents of Rivers State, but act as a lesson to his successor, Mr Braide, a CSP. “People residing at Aba, in Abia State, would attest to the performance of Dan Kwano

who is the Squadron Commander for Mopol 55 in the last 18 months.

“These officers, Braide, Dan Kwano, Mba, Odumosu and Umar, are few ones in the force who carry out their constitutional duties without fear or favour. They perform their job with great passion and enthusiasm, unlike those who would want to bribe stakeholders in security matters with cow or ram gifts in order not to expose their corrupt tendencies and inadequacies.”

Mba, who hails from Ezimo in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State, enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force on May 18, 1992 as a Cadet Inspector. He had his training at the prestigious Police Academy, Kano between May 1992 and December 1993, passing out as the ‘Best Graduating Cadet Inspector in Academics’ for his Course and thus winning a special IGP Award.

Thereafter, he was deployed to Lagos State Police Command in January 1994 where his career in policing commenced in earnest.

He was promoted to the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in 1999, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) 2003, Superintendent of Police (SP) 2006, and Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) 2012 and Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) 2014.

12 NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

2015: Gemade, Suswam in war of words Cephas Iorhemen

Makurdi

B

enue State governor, Gabriel Suswam and former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Barnabas Gemade, yesterday engaged in war of words over who occupies the Benue North-East senatorial seat as the race to the 2015 election hots up.

While Gemade promised not to leave anything to chance, but give the governor a good fight, Suswam said the incumbent senator would not get up to five per cent of the votes.

The senator said he

did not tell anyone that he would do just one term in the Senate, insisting that he would contest for the seat again come 2015.

But in what appears like a crossfire, Governor Suswam declared that the incumbent senator will not get up to five percent votes during the election, stressing that he would fly overseas during the election to avoid accusations of interference in the results, which he believed will still give him victory.

Suswam said his antecedents in the transformation of Benue alone speak volumes, and were clear testimonies that if

elected into the Senate, he would do a lot more for the people.

Gemade, who spoke to jour nalists in Makurdi, equally cited several constituency projects he embarked upon that have direct bearing on the lives of his constituents, adding that he won’t concede the position.

Alluding to the security challenges confronting the country, Gemade said the matter can be addressed when border laws are fully enacted and implemented.

“Criminality can only be stopped by implementing our border

laws,” he said.

The former PDP national chairman, who saluted the work done by security operatives since the war against terrorism commenced, implored them not to relent.

He, however, regretted that the criminals behind the fragile security in the country went haywire, because their activities were not taken very seriously by people when it started.

“The only problem is that nobody paid attention to this matter until the criminals perfected their plans,” Gemade added.

Olumba predicts end of terrorism Clement James

Calabar

he spiritual head of TCross the Brotherhood of the and Star, Leader

Olumba Olumba Obu, has predicted that the activities of the Boko Haram sect would end soon.

He said with the killing of innocent souls in the country, the end of the insurgents is at hand.

Obu, who oversees millions of adherents around the world, said this yesterday at his headquarters in Calabar, against the backdrop of last week’s bombing of Emab Plaza in Abuja, in which about 20 people, including the Managing Editor (North) of New Telegraph, Mr. Suleiman Bisalla, were killed.

“All the terrorists in Nigeria that are disturbing and killing the children of God as if Nigeria

is their property that they can toy with, henceforth they will have their lives destroyed,” he said.

Obu said whether sponsors of Boko Haram are governors, presidents or ex-presidents, senators or whoever, they are going to be exposed soon, noting that all the terrorists and their sponsors are going to be hunted and disgraced.

“This nonsense must stop. They are behaving as if there is no God. The God of justice is in Nigeria,” he stressed.

He predicted that very soon, the insurgents will turn against their sponsors as God has decided ‘to hunt’ their sponsors.

He said: “From now, all hunters in Nigeria shall soon become hunted.

Sponsors of assassination shall be assassinated by the very assassins.”

Obasanjo Foundation, NTI to lift Dutse school Dahiru Suleiman

DUTSE

basanjo Foundation Ostakeholders is set to partner with in education

L-R: Chairman, Board of Directors, Pan Nigeria Limited, Alhaji Munir Jafa'aru; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga; former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd.); Kaduna State Governor, Mukhtar Yero and Managing Director, Pan Nigeria Limited, Mr Ibrahim Boyi, at the launch of Peugeot 301 production in Kaduna…yesterday

8%

The percentage of domestic use of water in low and middle-income countries.

Source: Unesco.org

95.6%

The percentage of English players (22 of 23) in Brazil 2014 World Cup who currently ply their trade in the domestic league.

Source: Goal.com

763,000

The total number of internet users in Kyrgyzstan in 2007.

Source: Blatantworld.com

PAN reopens factory, unveils Peugeot 301 Ibraheem Musa

Kaduna

T

he National Automotive Development Plan of the Federal Government has made it possible for Peugeot Automobile Nigeria(PAN) Limited to re-open. That is after six years of inactivity, according to the Managing Director, Alhaji Ibrahim Boyi, yesterday.

Ibrahim, who made this known while launching PAN’s production lines and the unveiling of Peugeot 301 model, said that the re-opening of the factory will create employment and re-en-

gage former workers, as well as ‘’resuscitate the business of the largely moribund local component manufacturers’’ He promised that Peugeot 508 and 408 models will be rolled out in six to 12 months time. ‘’In 2015, we shall launch the Peugeot 301 CKD, programme which will offer greater opportunities for local content development, skills acquisition and technology transfer,’’ he added.

The Managing Director also promised PAN’s commitment to providing affordable vehicles for Nigerians. ‘’We have all come to

realise that our biggest market opportunities lie in converting the second hand automobile market, currently at over 80 per cent, to new vehicles market.’’

He then called on the Federal Government to fast track the arrangements on provision of affordable vehicle acquisition finance scheme as an element of the market development component of the Automotive Industrial Development Plan.

Ibrahim also called on the Federal Government to fully implement the policy by directing all its Ministries, Departments and Agencies to patron-

ise locally assembled cars.

In his remarks, the Chairman of PAN, Alhaji Munir Jaáfar, pleaded with the government to monitor the implementation of the National Automotive Development Plan in order to avoid policy flip-flops.

The chairman also implored government to follow the directive to all Ministries and Government Agencies to patronise locally produced vehicles with the necessary political will.

Alhaji Munir praised the Nigerian Armed Forces for patronising made in Nigeria vehicles.

towards improving one of its pilot schools, the Kudai Girls Boarding Primary school, Dutse, the Foundation’s Director of Strategic Partnerships, Susan Mensah, has said.

Speaking during a visit to the school, Mensah said her mission was to assess the school and its teachers to enable the foundation study all the requirements for integration.

According to her, the challenges are enormous, especially in areas of capacity building, ICT training as well as improving the school’s security outfit.

On teachers’ training, Mensah said arrangements are in the pipeline between the foundation and the NTI Kaduna, where teachers from Ku-

dai Girls Primary School will benefit and have their standard raised.

She said the training will be in phases, starting with computer training, teachers’ capacity building, among others, to enable them update their certification and acquires valuable training skills.

Also speaking on the issue, NTI Director of Training and Human Development, Prof. Abubakar Garba Suleiman, said NTI is ever willing to assist the foundation in various areas to raise their productivity.

Earlier, Jigawa State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Haruna Wakili, said Kudai Girls Primary School was approved by the state government to be handed over to Obasanjo Foundation for the duration of 10 years as a pilot scheme aimed at integrating the school and make it a centre of learning and excellence.

Eight Glo subscribers win in Nigeria Centenary Lottery ight subscribers on the GloEcash bacom network have won prizes and generators in

the ongoing phase two of the Nigeria Centenary Lottery.

Godwin Kalu from Abia State, Calabar-based Christiana Udodom, Sunday Ayabari from Ugbokodo in Delta State, Christopher Anakwe from Maiduguri, Garba Mohammed from Minna, Niger State and Edem Bassey, from Adamawa, have each won N25,000 cash prize, while the duo of Mayowa Lasisi, from Ikorodu and Eme Joseph, from Oworo, Lagos, each won a generator.

A statement from the Commercial Manager of Cellcast Nigeria Limited, Mojisola Adenusi, said all the winners had been contacted

and invited for the presentation ceremony.

In a related development, the Director General, National Lottery Regulatory Commission, Dr. Adolphus Ekpe, has encouraged Nigerians to participate actively in the Nigeria Centenary Lottery, which he described as a credible ‘win-win platform’ for giving back to citizens and re-distributing wealth.

Head of Marketing of Secure Electronic Technology, Leticia Otomewo, also encouraged Nigerians to take part in the lottery as many times as possible to brighten their chances, saying the second phase of the lottery was designed to give more opportunities to Nigerians to win bigger prizes.

UNENDING BATTLE FOR THE SOUL OF APGA / PAGE 16 | EMEFIELE’S PENDING BAPTISM OF FIRE WITH REPS / PAGE 40

POLITICS

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AYODELE OJO

DEPUTY EDITOR, POLITICS

I WAS NOT INDUCED TO DECAMP –EDO DEPUTY SPEAKER

ayodele.ojo@newtelegraphonline.com

ayodeleojo@yahoo.com

p-17

WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014

Impeachment: Who will save Nyako?

Before the recent altercation and impeachment threats, the journey was smooth and easy going for Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State and the state lawmakers, who a few months ago passed a vote of confidence on the governor.

However, things have now changed. IBRAHIM ABDUL examines the reasons for the sudden twist

I

t is not farfetched that the genesis of the impeachment process against Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State could be traceable to many factors, but two are most important.

Nyako’s failure to honour his own side of his ‘deals’ with the state House of Assembly after it approved many requests from the executive, most notably, the controversial N10 billion bond, and denying the legislators the opportunity to control their constituencies after the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa State.

While Nyako’s opponents have always labelled him as ‘’ someone who relishes the politics of acquiring all for himself to the detriment of an all-inclusive politics,’’ but the influence of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Presidency influence cannot be ruled out in the bid to oust him from office.

Before the current impeachment crisis, the retired naval officer had the support of more than 70 per cent of the state House of Assembly. For instance, when Nyako defected to the APC, and his adversaries took over the PDP in the state, only six members from Lamurde, Ganye, Guyuk, Numan, Nassarawo/ Binyeri and Gombi constituencies openly attended PDP meetings. The rest of the members sat on the fence.

Now, hurt by Nyako’s ‘betrayal,’ the House members are willingly and freely offering a priceless service to the PDP and Presidency. ‘’The PDP and the Presidency will certainly enjoy what is happening, and no one can blame them, because Nyako is the architect of his predicament,’’ observed Awwal Musa a Yola based analyst.

From all indications, the House members are determined to push the impeachment through despite Nyako smartly evading the notice, forcing the legislators to place it in some print and electronic media. Though Nyako survives for now as the Chief Judge of the state has ruled against the state Assembly on the impeachment move, the big question now is who will save governor?

It could be recalled that this is the second term Nyako is facing impeach-

Nyako

ment. In June 2008, the late President Umar Musa Yar’Adua had to summon other top shots of the PDP to reconcile Governor Murtala Nyako and the leaders of his state House of Assembly who were then threatening to impeach him.

For the current saga, the Adamawa masses could have been Nyako’s saviour, because he had once enjoyed an unprecedented support from them. But Musa argued that “the governor has lost the people’s sympathy because of his failure to correct his political blunders, which include open cronyism, running of a non-representative government and poor resource distribution, and majorly, the disservice the state is witnessing in all sectors.’’

The Yola-based analyst further

averred that another group that can save Nyako is the traditional class, but its success or otherwise would depend on how fast the governor acts in reaching to top class monarchs in the state.

His words: ‘’The first impeachment attempt was doused by the late Lamido Aliyu Mustafa. There are rumors that the governor has made reasonable inroad in using the traditional class to persuade the members to drop the impeachment proceedings. If Nyako succeeds in getting the tradition class to plead with the members on his behalf, it would work. Out of the 25 members of the House of Assembly, five have not signed the impeachment notice.

“So, if Nyako is able to persuade, for instance, the Ganye chiefdom to talk

CROSSFIRE

The Federal Government will continue to take necessary action to apprehend the perpetrators of the dastardly attacks and restore the fullest possible security to all parts of the country -Reuben Abati

Whatever strategy being used by this government is not yielding enough results.

Otherwise, these terrorists would not have gone from carrying out their attacks on the outskirts...to exploding a bomb right in the heart of the city -Lai Mohammed

to the five house members of chamber tribe extraction from Toungo, Ganye, Jada/Mbulo, Nassarawo/Binyeri and Leko/Koma constituencies, the impeachment process will suffer a setback at the second stage- the two-third majority will not be met. The two-third majority in the Adamawa state House of Assembly is sixteen members. Nonetheless, if eventually Nyako finds his way out; will he be able to respond to the 20 allegations of financial misconduct against him? This is anybody’s guess.’’

Another dimension to the Nyako’s ordeal is that concerning his deputy, Bala Ngilari. Many say he is an unlucky man, as the impeachment may work against his governorship ambition in 2015. His opponents are oppose to handing the governorship position to him on a platter of gold, as language and faith play important roles in Adamawa’s complex politics. Ngilari is also said to be at loggerheads with Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, the Speaker of the House.

By now, leaders and members of the APC, in Adamawa State must be worried and having sleepless nights over the political development in the state, as the only remaining three members of the APC in the Adamawa state House of Assembly, Hon. Wafarninyi Theman of Hong Constituency, Hon. Simon Isa of Song Constituency and Hon. Abubakar Jarengol of Mubi North Constituency recently defected to the PDP, thereby making the entire 25 members of the State Assembly, PDP. It could be recalled that while announcing their defection at the plenary under matters of personal explanation, the lawmakers, who were elected to the Assembly on the platform the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), said their action was informed after consultation with their constituents.

And as expected, the Speaker of the Assembly, Fintiri, said the development was a welcome one, stressing that the action of the lawmakers was backed

by Section 109, subsection G of the 1999 Constitution. “It is allowed for certain members to cross-carpet to any political party of their choice,” he said.

But the Adamawa APC saw nothing out of place with the development and declared through its Publicity Secretary, Reverend Phineas Padio that the development will not affect the chances of APC winning elections in the state.

“Let me make it clear that the movement of those lawmakers will not affect and can never affect the APC in the state being a grassroots party,” Padio said.

In fairness to the Adamawa APC, the defection of the last batch of their members in the Assembly is actually “normal” as it has almost become fashionable for members of the party in the state to defect to PDP. Against this backdrop, political pundits are of the view that the exodus of elected lawmakers from APC to the PDP has put a lie to the position of Governor Nyako, who defected last year to the CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

14 POLITICS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Impeachment: Who will save Nyako?

CO N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 3

APC, that the PDP “is just a lifeless body, waiting to be buried”.

Shortly before he joined the other four governors to announce their membership of APC, Nyako said: “People leave even their religions for another and PDP is not a religion, which means leaving it would not be regrettable. There is no regret for us to be accused of deserting a dead body because to me, I would not want to be buried with the dead body.

So, the PDP is a dead party and if they feel expelling us from the party is what they desire, so be it.”

He added: “The leadership of the party in Abuja has already given it a terrifying fatal upper-cut, like in boxing, and to leave a dead body of the already dead PDP is better than be buried with it.”

But from every indication, it is now glaring that the Adamawa State governor might be speaking for himself and his kitchen cabinet when he pronounced PDP a dead party as his people abandoned him when he defected to the APC. In Sokoto, Kwara, Kano and Sokoto states most of federal and state lawmakers joined their governors when they defected to the APC. But in Adamawa State, the reverse was the case as even the lawmakers that were originally in APC jumped ship when Nyako joined the party.

The dwindling fortune of APC is becoming a source of strength for the PDP as its members are daily emboldened to say the party has no electoral value in Adamawa State despite the fact that the governor is a member of the party.

A former member of House of Representative for Yola South/North and Girei Federal Constituency in Adamawa State, who is a former chieftain of the APC, Hon. Saad Tahiru said that APC has no electoral value in the state and predicted doom for the party in the state.

He attributed the dwindling fortunes of the APC in the state to the manner the governor is running affairs of the party, which has led to the defection of former Military Adminmistrator of Lagos and Borno States, Brigadier Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd) and Marcus Gundiri with their supporters to the PDP. According to him, ’’ since Nyako was imposed on the party, stakeholders decided to edge out the major key players in the party which resulted to the defection of prominent members of the party to the Peoples Democratic Party.”

He added: “From the body language of Adamawa State chapter of the APC it appears they are now surprised that Governor Nyako could do little or nothing to shore up the fortunes of the party in the state.

Even before Nyako dumped PDP for the APC his political influence was called to question when the KOWA Party candidate he subterraneous sponsored for the state House of Assembly byelection in Mayo-Belwa, lost to the PDP candidate.

Also speaking on the issue, Alhaji Yayaji Gombi, a PDP chieftain in the state, said: ‘’Prior to the bye-election Nyako had organised a parallel congress for the PDP candidate but the national secretariat of PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), recognised the candidate that emerged at the congress organised by the Joel Madaki faction which had the backing of Bamanga Tukur. ‘’At the end of the by-election, the PDP candidate, Umar Abdulkarim, who came from the faction loyal to Tukur trounced the KOWA Party’s candidate, Umar Kugama, with 12,040 votes against 7,840 votes. Since Nyako’s candidate lost the by-election, his political fortunes have continued to nose dive.”

“The Mayo-Belwa election had shown that our people are getting matured more and more in election matters. I

Ngilari

now believe that the era where moneybags had the free will to buy votes is over. My people in Adamawa State had spoken and spoken aloud that their votes are a powerful instrument which really count.

Following this trend, many analysts in the state are of the view that Nyako is unconcerned about the future of APC and not giving a hoot on how to strengthen the party in his state as he has little or nothing at stake since he will be completing his second term next year.

Even the belief that he is positioning his son Comdr. Abdul’Aziz Nyako (rtd) as his successor in 2015 is being called to question as the governor is doing little or nothing to ensure that APC wins the state next year.

But others are of the view that hope is not lost for the APC, as Nyako is fighting from a vantage position. To members of this political school, the governor is firmly in charge of both the state’s internally-generated revenue and the

In the notice titled “Notice of allegation of gross misconduct against the governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Hammanyero Nyako, GCON,” the lawmakers stated: “In exercise of the powers vested on the Adamawa State House of Assembly by section 188 (1) – (9) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and all other powers enabling the Adamawa State House of Assembly in that behalf, we the undersigned members of the Adamawa State House of Assembly append our names and signatures to this notice.”

The offences are: • Fraudulent diversion of N2.3billion Adamawa State Worker’s Salary for September and October 2011.

Tukur

The dwindling fortune of APC is becoming a source of strength for the PDP... despite the fact that the governor is a member of the party lean federal allocations to the state.

They also argue that Nyako has not yet lost grip of the officially recognised state chapter of the APC, and that members of his political family still maintain firm control of many lucrative government agencies in the state.

While it is becoming increasingly clear that the retired naval officer needs

all his skills to steer his ship ashore in the treacherous waters of Adamawa politics to avoid being sank by opposition forces led by the PDP, some political observers in the state belief that Nyako’s major trouble was his split with most of his elite supporters who feel he has betrayed them.

They include former PDP linkman in the state, Prof. Jibril Aminu; former PDP National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur and businessman Aliyu Walga.

Before attaining the peak of his naval career as deputy Chief of Defence Staff, Murtala Nyako must have mastered the craftsmanship of naval warfare.

He needs to transfer those skills to the political landscape to save his political career. This is because, dramatic political changes in the state within the last couple of days are ominous for Governor Nyako, but it would be naive to write him off too quickly, as only time will tell whether the retired Naval Admiral will survive the storm.

Alleged gross misconducts • Illegal deductions and diversion of the sum of N142million emoluments of Adamawa State Workers in May 2014.

• Diversion of N120 million public funds to sponsor fictitious visit of General Muhammed Buhari to Adamawa State to commiserate with victims of insurgency in Madagali and Michika Local Government Areas.

• Extra-budgetary expenditure of N1,740,785,246 on fictitious Special Assistants and another N166,230,536.88 on Personal Assistants in 2013.

• Fraudulent award of contract of over N8billion through SNECOU Group of Companies Ltd, a company linked to one of the governor’s wives, to siphon public funds without delivering any services to the people of Adamawa State.

• Corrupt siphoning of the sum of N300 million public funds through a company, a Hydrosource Resources Ltd in the name of construction of Mubi by-pass without mobilizing to site or any construction one carried out long after collecting N300 million from Adamawa State Funds.

• Gross violation of the Oath of Office by outrageous patronage and dominance of family and friends in the discharge of government business such as found in the MDGs Office, the SPPU and Ministry of Health.

• Gross violation of Section 120 of

the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), and gross misappropriation and diversion of Internally Generated Revenue for personal use to the detriment of the people of Adamawa State.

• Squandering the sum of N4,805,216,538.32 and N7,114,995,590.85 in 2012 and 2013 respectively, through the Office of the Secretary to the State Government against budgetary approvals, and not in the interest of the people of Adamawa State.

• Expenditures of Exorbitant sum of N2.5 billion as “Other Miscellaneous Expenses” through the Internal Affairs and Special Services Department.

• Extra-budgetary procurement of fertilizer and diversion of proceeds from the sales of fertilizer from 2007 to date.

• The MDG’s Office in Adamawa State is managed by Governor Nyako’s close relations and has squandered N220 million and N786,457,644.94 million unbudgeted state funds in 2013 for the implementation of MDG’s programmes in the state.

• Diversion of over N400 million out of the N50 million Federal Government Intervention Fund for Flood Victims in Adamawa State 2011.

• Diversion of government funds through the illegal importation of hospital equipment to the tune of

POLITICS 15

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

ABBA ADAKOLE, a public affairs commentator, in this piece, writes that the notice of impeachment against Governor Murtala Nyako did not come as a surprise, considering the manner in which he has conducted himself in office

Before Adamawa gov is impeached For a man who ascended the governorship with high hopes, Nyako has squandered all the goodwill along with his state’s lean resources

L

et me start by concluding that it is a question of time before Adamawa State governor, Murtala Nyako, is impeached by the state House of Assembly. It is an impeachment that has long been speculated and on June 18, the legislators moved decisively against him, it came as no surprise to many who have watched the shenanigans that pass for governance in that state.

The breakdown of governance in Adamawa has been no less amazing than the controversies surrounding the governor himself. In a state ravaged by poverty and the debilitating activities of insurgents, Nyako – rather than seek solutions to the problems – gallivants across the country along with other All Progressives Congress (APC) colleagues in the name of progressivism and revel in unnecessary distractive political activities. He has become notorious for making incendiary pronouncements that have on many instances put the nation on edge.

The governor and his deputy, Bala Ngilari, were served notices of impeachment by the House which alleges that they indulged in gross misconduct, corrupt enrichment, official malfeasance and nepotism.

Nineteen out of the 25 members of the Assembly signed the notice following a motion moved by the deputy speaker, Mr. Kwamoti Laori, who represents Numan Constituency.

The notice did not come as a surprise many considering the manner in which Nyako has conducted himself in office. Stories are told of

Nyako

humongous amounts being siphoned from public coffers to finance the many political battlefronts the old

of the governor N156 million while the state still owes the contractor; and illegal acquisition of Containarised Mobile Workshop for Vocational Training Centres.

• Corruption and extra-budgetary award of contracts for the construction of Army Barracks – Mayobelwa Road, Pella – Maiha Road, Gombi – Ga’anda – Fotta Road, Rumde – Yolde Pate Road, Construction of Mubi By-Pass, contrary to section 120 (2), (3), and (4) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).

• Squandering of N1billion Adamawa State Scholarship Trust Fund.

• Shoddy conception and operation of Adamawa German Hospital and extra-budgetary service of the Adamawa German Hospital, managed by a close relation to Governor Nyako.

• Reckless expenditure of public funds contrary to Section 121 subsection 4 (a) and (b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).

• Abuse of office and violation of Adamawa State Law by appointing his wife, Dr. Halima H. Nyako, as the Chairman Adawama State Action Committee on Aids (SACA), contrary to the SACA Law. His government is popularly nicknamed “government of Family and Friends.”

• Overbearing strangulation of the Local Government Areas and extor-

tion of Local Government Funds in the name of joint projects and security challenges in Mubi and other parts of Adamawa State. This leaves many Local Government Areas with nothing to pay workers entitlements. The Governor is also known to consistently contravened Section 168 (60) and (8) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Fintiri

man is opening as well as a lifestyle that is increasingly lavish.

Few of the allegations contained in the 20 charges of financial misconduct may suffice here. The governor was alleged to have fraudulently awarded an N8 billion contract through SNECOU Group of Companies Limited, a company linked to one of the governor’s wives. The project was never executed but the money has since been paid and siphoned out. On another occasion, a company, Hydro Source Resources Limited, was alleged to have been mobilized to the tune of N300 million for the construction of the Mubi byepass road which was never executed.

Nyako, whose wife Halima is the chairman of the state’s Action Committee on AIDS, is alleged to have violated his oath of office by fixing a large number of his family members and friends in government appointments. The state MDGs’ office, for instance, which allegedly squandered about a billion Naira in 2013 alone, is mainly peopled by the governor’s cronies and close relations. When you add the alleged diversion of huge amounts of the State’s internally generated revenue, local government funds and the N500 million Federal Government Intervention fund for the 2011 flood victims, for personal use, the picture of the financial rape of the state becomes even clearer.

Yet, analysts say the allegations are just a tip of a big iceberg.

The level of misappropriation and diversion of billions of naira are significant, no doubt, and many believe Ngilari is just guilty by association and will finally be extricated from the allegation. That leaves Nyako

squarely in the box. Beyond those, however, what has raised concerns within Adamawa state and across Nigeria are the reports consistently linking Nyako to the rising security challenges in the North-East, and which he has never really bothered to explain. Rather with each passing day, the spate of incendiary statements from him has been rising to deafening decibels. One has not forgotten his claim that he had distributed kola-nuts to his Fulani kinsmen to reject the PDP and move to the APC. Though certain Northern leaders have in the past vowed to make Nigeria ungovernable for President Jonathan, the dimension of Nyako’s opposition to the federal administration goes beyond the ordinary. It remains an unproven allegation but Nyako’s links with the ongoing jihad by so-called Fulani herdsmen raise concerns within security circles especially after hundreds of imported Fulani ‘herdsmen’ were linked to him. They were imported, according to reports, ostensibly to work in his vast multi-purpose Sebore Farms.

A border state, Adamawa, has been used as a launch pad for both the Boko Haram insurgency and the Fulani mercenaries to attack and destabilise Nigerian towns. Media reports say no fewer than 500 Fulani mercenaries mostly from the neighbouring countries of Cameroun, Chad, Niger and Libya were imported into the state and are camped at the border village of Typsen in Toungo Local Government Area of the State.

Early this year, Governor Nyako had caused uproar in the country by accusing the Federal Government of “full-fledged genocide” against Northern Nigeria. In a memo to mobilise Northern governors, he suggested that Boko Haram is a tool in the hands of President Goodluck Jonathan, a Southerner to destabilise the North, using the declaration of state of emergency and the deployment of the armed forces.

His efforts to incite the Northerners against their Southern kith and kin may have failed, but it further exposed Nyako as a tribalist, a religious bigot and a selfish ruler who is primordially sentimental.

His actions have not only drawn widespread condemnation from all over the country, cutting across religious and political affiliations, it has brought him odium from even among his Northern colleagues. It comes as little surprise that he also lost a lot of ground at home leading to the ongoing impeachment. For a man who ascended the governorship with high hopes, Nyako has squandered all the goodwill along with his state’s lean resources. A good riddance to bad rubbish, he will ultimately end his political career in ignominy, and we hope it will be an opportunity to return the state to sanity.

16 POLITICS TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE writes on the power tussle in the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) between Victor Umeh and Maxi Okwu

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Unending battle for the soul of APGA

I

f there is anything that the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) is known for since its inception on June 25, 2002, it has been leadership crisis and litigations. The party has practically turned courtrooms into its secretariat considering the numerous legal tussles over the control of the party’s structures.

In the last 12 years, the battle for who steers the ship of APGA has resulted in unending litigations among its leaders with three of its members; Chekwas Okorie, Victor Umeh and Maxi Okwu, laying claim to the its national chairmanship at one point of the other.

Okorie and Umeh tussle For many years Okorie and Umeh flexed muscles over the leadership of the party before the tussle was laid to rest by a Supreme Court judgement in favour of Umeh. Not satisfied with the way he was treated, especially his expulsion from the party that he founded, Okorie and some of his loyalists left APGA and formed United Progressive Party (UPP).

With Okorie’s out of the way, some pundits believed that peace would return to APGA, but since the exit of its founder, the party has never experienced peace, as political gladiators have been battling for control of APGA. Prior to the 2010 governorship election, Umeh was having a smooth ride as APGA national chairman with cordial relationship with the then governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, but the situation changed in 2012 as both engaged each other in a supremacy battle.

High Court sacks Umeh While Umeh and Obi were battling for the soul of APGA, Justice Innocent Umezulike of an Enugu State High Court in a judgement delivered on February 8, 2013, sacked the entire Umeh-led National Working Committee (NWC) of APGA on the ground that their tenure expired in 2010. Rather than accept the judgement, Umeh took the matter to a Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu.

A few hours after the court sacked Umeh, the Obi-led faction held a party’s national caucus meeting in Abuja and appointed Okwu as APGA’s acting national chairman pending the conduct a national convention. Okwu eventually emerged as APGA national chairman through a national convention, which was supervised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on April 8, 2013.

Appeal Court affirms Umeh as chairman While Okwu’s faction was still rejoicing, a Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu in a unanimous judgement on April 9, 2013 affirmed Umeh as the national chairman of APGA. The court quashed the earlier judgement of the Enugu State High Court that sacked the entire Umehled NWC. Following the trend of litigation in APGA, Okwu on August 19, 2013 filed a suit at a Federal High Court, Abuja asking for an order directing Umeh and all other officers of the party to vacate their offices forthwith not having been elected in accordance with Article 18(4) of the APGA constitution, which prescribes mandatorily that election into the offices shall be by secret ballot, and order directing INEC to deal with Okwu’s leadership of APGA. Abuja Federal High court ruling Based on the suit file by Okwu, a Federal High Court, Abuja on January 15 this year sacked Umeh from office and directed INEC to forthwith, recognise Okwu as the chairman of the party. The

Umeh

court presided by Justice Abdulkadir Abdul-Kafarati, in its ruling, upheld Okwu as APGA’s authentic national chairman and all the other national officers elected at the party’s national convention held at the Women Development Centre Awka, Anambra State on April 8, 2013.

While Okwu commended the ruling and saw it as another opportunity for the party to re-discover its soul and move forward, Umeh described the judgement as an act of judicial rascality. He therefore approached an Appeal Court sitting in Abuja, contending that the Enugu Division of the Appeal Court had ab-initio okayed the indefinite suspension of all the Okwu-led executive from the party.

Empowered by the Federal High Court ruling, Okwu’s faction tried all it could do to take over the party’s structure from Umeh but the move was resisted. The decision of Okwu’s faction to nominate APGA’s representatives at the ongoing National Conference was also rejected by Umeh’s faction. This is the basic reason why the party is not having any representatives at the confab.

Abuja Appeal Court reinstates Umeh On June 18, an Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal set aside the decision of a Federal High Court which removed Chief Victor Umeh and Alhaji Sani Abdulahi Shinkafi as APGA National Chairman and National Secretary respectively.

The Court of Appeal in a judgment read by Justice T. Y. Hassan, granted the 12 grounds of appeal by Umeh’s counsel, adding that the purported national convention of the party in February 10, 2011 complied substantially with the APGA constitution. He also ruled that the first respondent, Chief Maxi Okwu had no locus standi to institute the suit since he had been expelled from the party.

Reacting to the ruling, Umeh expressed his satisfaction with the judgment. He said: “The judgment was very emphatic that the February 10, 2011 convention of the party was conducted in consonance with the APGA constitution, so this has reinforced our belief in the judiciary.”

He added: “It is regrettable that APGA has been subjected to a lot of senseless leadership crisis over the years. But one thing that has remained constant over the years is the triumph of my leadership of the party despite the different shades that these attacks take.”

Also commenting on the appellate court ruling, a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Victor Afam Ogene, said the judgement has brought

Okwu

an end to the several litigations which were not only diversionary but also a disservice to Ndigbo.

He also noted that the doggedness of the duo in fighting for the survival and protection of APGA’s integrity portrayed them as dedicated and committed leaders who should be emulated by all true members of the party.

Ogene maintained that the party called for the commitment and dedication of every member of the party to consolidate on its recent gains. He also urged well-meaning members of the party to team up with Umeh in his quest to reposition and move APGA forward so as to ensure a resounding victory for the party in the 2015 elections.

Okwu heads to Supreme Court While some people taught that the appellate court ruling will lay the APGA leadership crisis to rest, Okwu declared his plan to challenge the ruling at the Supreme Court.

In a statement made available to New Telegraph, he said the appellate court decision which recognised Umeh as the party’s national chairman was perverse and turned the law upside down; stressing that it was in the interest of the nation’s jurisprudence to strike it down.

He also accused INEC of double standard and expressed confidence that the Supreme Court will upturn the Appeal Court judgement.

Okwu also wondered which APGA constitution the Appeal Court judges referred to in their judgement, pointing out that the position that he was not a member flies in the face of the fact.

Similarly, a faction of the party in Anambra State led by Shedrack Anakwue in a statement made available to journalists also vowed not to recognise Umeh as APGA national chairman, saying that they believe that the Supreme Court would do better justice to their cause.

“We believe that the Supreme Court would do justice to the matter appropriately. We believe in the Rule of Law and we believe that the Supreme Court will see the lies beneath the actions of some

If the leadership tussle in the party is not resolved by the Supreme Court in time, it may cause more harm to the party

of the so-called APGA major stakeholders. We want to assure you that the issue of APGA leadership would be pursued to a logical judicial conclusion,” the group stated.

What next?

Without any iota of doubt, the Appeal Court judgment confirming Umeh and members of his executive as leaders of APGA and Okwu’s plan to challenge the ruling at Supreme Court is going to have a devastating effect on the party, especially ahead of the 2015 elections.

If the leadership tussle in the party is not resolved by the Supreme Court in time, it may cause more harm to the party as many aspirants who are contemplating on using APGA as a platform to actualise their political dream may have a rethink. If care is not taking, APGA may experience a repeat of the last Anambra governorship election episode, where the party conducted two simultaneous primaries and produced two governorship candidates; Chief Willie Obiano and Dr. Chike Obidigbo. The matter was finally resolved by INEC in favour of Obiano, who later emerged as the state governor.

Another political school of thought believe that with the reported Umeh’s senatorial ambition, he may be working towards convening a new national convention of the party for new executives to emerge. If this happens before the Supreme Court rules on the suit instituted

by Okwu, the outcome may deepen the crisis within the party and possibly divide it into two broad factions.

Again with the publicised move by Okwu and Okorie to form APGA/UPP alliance ahead of 2015 elections as a formidable platform, if the Supreme Court ruling goes in favour of Okwu, the alliance may see the light of the day. But if the ruling goes in favour of Umeh, then the APGA/UPP alliance will not fly and Okwu’s next action may either make or mar APGA’s chance in the 2015 elections.

If Okwu, who has said on many occasions that his vision is to position APGA as the third leg in Nigeria politics, loses out in the Supreme Court, he may decide to remain in the party and join hands with Umeh’s faction to build the party.

But on the contrary, Okwu’s faction, considering the ongoing romance with UPP may jump ship or join either the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or the All Progressives Congress (APC). He may also deem it fit to fly another political party.

Will the Supreme Court lay to rest APGA’s leadership crisis or would it escalate it? This is a serious question begging for answer.

POLITICS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

You are one of four Edo State House of Assembly members suspended on June 9 on grounds of misconduct. How do you react to your suspension?

Well, like you have heard me say, the suspension is quite laughable because the rule which they stated to occasion or back up the suspension, Rule 38 (3, 4 and 6), is quite explicit to the effect that for you to be suspended, you must be at the sitting and it is one person at a time. You cannot suspend a group. Also, in line with the law of natural justice, they did not even give us fair hearing, if they felt they must do it outside the realm, as stated in the rule book. So, if you are going to suspend us when we are not even there, why did you not set up a body to first of all hear from us? A situation whereby some people sat down and decided to take a decision against members with whom they are working together for the interest of Edo State, and no single person could come out to say, “Can we just please give one of these persons the chance to be heard? Or, let us really confirm,” is laughable.

The suspension must be based on what you did while on the floor of the House and not what was purported to have been done because again they say, “misconduct” that the deputy speaker is always in nocturnal meetings with other people. What is funny about it is that the people that meet me, as the deputy speaker, do so in my official residence, not elsewhere, as my old PDP members.

I cannot ever remember even the new ones coming to spend ungodly hours with me.

When the suspension came, the speaker and others decided to deal with the former APC lawmakers that defected, going about to allege that the three defectors, Patrick Osayimwen, Oredo East; Friday Ogieriakhi, Orhionmwon South and Jude Idehen, Ikpoba-okha, got money to defect to the PDP and that they (Speaker and others) were induced.

The ones who made allegations were the ones who got money. When money was shared to the remaining APC legislators, they did not consider the rest.

They offered me money because I had not crossed but I refused. Mine was even tripled but I still refused because the issues I have with them are clearly stated and till tomorrow, I will not back down on those issues; it is not about me.

So God, the judge of all knows if I collected money, whether from PDP or the Federal Government or from any other human being to do what I am doing. It is a pity because if you do not toe the line of some people who feel they are powerful, they believe that you are against them and then you become a target. That is the issue. That day was the day we were supposed to resume the first quarter of our fourth year, which is the final year we have at plenary and I believe that it was supposed to be a useful day to all of us. On such a day you have what we call an executive session, which of course the speaker would announce ahead.

But no executive session was held.

They had been meeting over the weekend because they had lost in the court the previous Friday, restraining them from declaring any sit vacant. The Speaker said that all members must conform to the Rules of the House, which they never did. Nobody induced me. Inasmuch as I know that I cannot speak for any of my colleague, if you verify from them you will find that they were not induced.

Was it a retaliatory action on your part when along with eight PDP lawmakers you decided to suspend the Speaker Uyi Igbe, the Majority Leader, Philip Shaibu, and other senior members of the House?

If they felt they formed a quorum, that was why they suspended us without calling us, we equally have the right.

The House of Assembly is not meant for only Mr. Speaker and any other person.

It is meant for all of us. So, as soon as we realized that, we equally formed a

17

I was not induced to decamp –Edo Deputy Speaker Hon. Festus Ebea is the Deputy speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly and member representing Esan South East constituency. He is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He was recently suspended along with three other Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers in the house over alleged misconduct, an action that sparked off a serious row among both parties at the Chief Anthony Enahoro legislative chamber. In this interview he speaks on the crisis and other sundry issues in the state. CAJETAN MMUTA reports. Excerpts: the last three years raising false alarm over assassination threats because of money or power. I cannot do that. God knows that if I plan to assassinate my colleagues he would never let me see the light of day. Like I tell people, the speaker is a nice person. The closest of all honourable members to me is the majority leader. He is the only person whom I visit in his residence. I do not even patronise the speaker’s house as much as I patronise the majority leader’s house.

We belong to the same Catholic faith, we attend the same parish, we sit together and we receive the Holy Communion together. If they do not know the meaning of that, I do. I still love him in spite of all this.

He was outstanding in the little truce we were able to broker last Wednesday because he played a prominent role. I believe that the spirit of God touched all of us and used him seriously to make sure that we were able to get on with the business of the House, despite the fact that we spent 12 tortuous hours trying to talk to each other. So, anybody who says that the speaker is marked for assassination is lying. I know that my other colleagues will not do that and I pray that God will not let it come to reality.

Ebea

quorum. To form a quorum in the Edo House of Assembly, there has to be eight members. But we were nine and I am the Deputy Speaker. So, I if got in there in the absence of the Speaker and I felt he could not come around, we had the right sit, especially when we had urgent issues. So, that was why we equally suspended them.

On what ground did you suspended them?

We suspended them on the ground that they acted illegally, having suspended us. The law is for all of us. So, we equally must take it up and make sure that they were suspended.

You also said they disrespected the House by bringing in miscreants into the Edo Assembly. Can you justify this?

Yes. You must have seen on television, the thugs they imported into the compound. It is unbecoming as a House of Assembly. As lawmakers, we cannot be seen to be breaking the laws. It is wrong to bring in people who have no legitimate business being there. The thugs brandished weapons, cars were smashed and some honorable members, who were not members of the ruling APC, were injured. The issue is because people are crossing over to PDP. I believe that it is on record that there was a time a PDP senator crossed over to Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, and heaven did not fall.

Recently, when my brother from my own Esan Senatorial Zone crossed from the ruling PDP to the APC, we received him in the House and went to his residence to have a drink across party lines. But in this case, because people have crossed from APC to PDP, they were suspended.

Also, because they could read body lan-

Because they could read body language that I had the intention to cross...

Why must you persecute me for intention? guage that I had the intention to cross, the speaker and his followers decided to add me to it. Why must you persecute me for intention?

An APC lawmaker said you connived with the Nigeria Police to break into the hallowed chambers?

I have no business with the police.

Every honorable member has a policeman attached to him or her. I did not see the police in any untoward behaviour. They should not get the police involved. When they were doing their illegal deeds; when they had boys entering the compound, what policemen were there? Did they stop them? When they had people brandishing dangerous weapons, destroying my car and that of my colleagues, the policemen were there. Did they stop them? The Nigeria Police is not there to restrain us from engaging in whatever activity. But what is important is that, we went in there and the police did not play any role in whatever we did there that day.

On June 10, the Igbe-led assembly alleged that their lives were in danger and passed a resolution calling on President Goodluck Jonathan and the Inspector-General of Police for security intervention on their behalf? What is your take on this?

They are all bundles of lies in the sense that I believe in sanctity of human life. That is why it pains me to see colleagues whom we have been together in

You also stand accused of using a stolen mace lost since 201O, when the PDP leadership of the house was removed by the then ACN. What is the true story of the mace?

What is a mace? Is it a human being?

Is it not the creation of somebody? So, let us not talk about the mace because it is not an issue. What is more important is what precipitated the crisis.

When we went on vacation, was there a crisis? What suddenly entered their heads that they felt that they wanted to use their power because might is right?

They should not talk about the mace because it was not delivered like a child by a woman, with chromosomes and genotype. It is a human creation, a sculptural work. If they want to talk, let them talk about the fact that they brought in thugs into the Assembly to do their evil deeds which lasted just 10 minutes. It is unbelievable.

What was the outcome of the twelve-hour meeting between the two factions in the chambers on June 11?

God was in control because some of the members from the speaker’s side were poised for war. Some of them were there with bullet-proof vests hidden under their normal clothes. But when they got in there, they found out that God was there with the overall bullet proof for all of us. We started asking ourselves why we were fighting one another because it was not worth it. We sat and negotiated.

Those who were suspended were angry and terms were negotiated. But in the spirit of negotiation and putting Edo first, and the fact that no matter what, the comrade governor still remained the governor, we will not be happy to see the CONTINUED ON PAGE 42

MORE STORIES ON PAGES 40-44

18

ARTS

WEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

LITERATURE

NEW TELEGRAPH

www.newtelegraphonline.com/arts

TONY OKUYEME

“It is in literature that the concrete outlook of humanity receives its expression.” ― Alfred North Whitehead

tony.okuyeme@newtelegraphonline.com okuyemeogom@yahoo.com

Music of the Muezzin: Sense, sound for the season Title: Music of the Muezzin Author: R. Adebayo Lawal Publisher: Kraftgriots Year of Publication: 2014 Pages: 60 Reviewer: Mahfouz A. Adedimeji

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usic of the Muezzin is a collection of 38 poems divided into six unequal parts: Pro-Song: Symphony of the Lonesome Lark, Invocation: the Cock’s Mystical Music, Smiles of Sorrow, Exhortation: Cryptic Clauses of Counsel, The Snail’s Courage and Epi-Songs: True Time is but Timelessness. As common to most works of poetry, the themes are as diverse as the poems artistically woven in the compelling collection, but one thesis that reverberates across the work is the need for values and morality in our society. This the author does by distilling messages that tantalize or religious, moral, cultural and ethical sensibilities.

The “eponymous” poem (i.e. the poem that gives the collection its title) is the first we encounter, where the poet explains the impact of the muezzin’s call to prayer on him. The rationale for putting the poem first is most likely informed by the fact that when a baby is born in Islam, the first thing he hears is the adhan or call to prayer. We then have the poet’s interpretation of the magnificence of His Creator, Whose majesty he celebrates in “The paradox of your presence” (p.12), “Allah, the All-in-All” (p.14) and “Lightening” (p.15) before he focuses on His Messenger. The poet relishes his faith while observing the curtsy of thanking Allah first, and blessing Muhammad (SAW) after, before setting out on any major endeavour.

However, the first two parts are not about Islam and faith alone. There is a striking poem, “Lines for a don”, dedicated to his teacher, Prof. David William, with which the poet decries the decline in the academics, which is of interest to every lecturer or don. In his usual interlock of sense with sound, a major stylistic feature of the collection, our poet takes a swipe at academic shoddiness and intellectual laziness, a cankerworm that seems to have seeped, or sneaked like a thief in the night, into our ivory towers. The sense is compelling in describing various types of dons in lovely lines and repetitive sonority before upholding the standard as symbolised by the teacher: “There are dunces / And there are dons. / Dons by distinction, / Dons by connection / Dons by compassion / Dons by constipation. / The mafia don, / Done by cruel connection, / Is the Don Juan / Thriving on a code of terror.” … (p.20) There are interesting poems in Part Three, which begins with “The multinational tycoon’s theory”, a witty and humourless poem that ascribes the black

This collection is “larger than its frame” in terms of the profundity of the timeless messages that make good sense for our troubled season in a world that is going amok man’s tragedy to the accident of creation, when the contracted “Lucifer absconded mid-way/ With God’s mobilisation fee” (p.24). The poet’s critical eyes are also drawn to the politician, the policeman and the military in “The politrickster” (p.25), “The policeman is a friend in deed” (p.27) and “Khakiman” (p.29) respectively. He lampoons the archetypal politician in our era of politics without principle describing him in powerful imagery using the bat metaphor: “Bird by day/ Rat by night/ The bat vies with the vulture/ And races with the rodent.” (p.25). One cannot resist the titillating feeling of the humorous irony engendering the policeman being a friend in need even though he is cast by the poet as a fiend indeed, as well as the Khakiman’s obsession with vanity!

In “Damsel of the ivory tower” (p.31) and “City damsel” (p.32), Lawal has urgent and pungent messages for the students who waste their present and future on illicit sexual adventures. In the former, the attitude of the poet to the typical campus girl is evident in his graphic description, couched in seamless similes that conjure in you the imagery of filth the match of

which you can possibly find only in Ayi Kwei Armah’s The Beautyful Ones Are Not yet Born: “Messy mouth like a menstrual rag / Plastered hair like a drowned cat / Bloody nails like the vulture’s talons / Reedy limbs like dry twigs” (p.30) The third part under consideration contains the longest poem in the collection, “Smiles of sorrow” (p.34), which drives home the need for character and morality in our society. Inter-textually, reading this poem reminds one of Kofi Awoonor’s “Song of sorrow” and the tragedy of our modern world, with Nigeria being a microcosm. While Kofi Awoonor, who we lost last year to the Westgate Shopping Complex bombing in Kenya by human cretins that are part of our collective sorrow in this season, wrote of “Dzogbese Lisa has treated me thus/ It has led me among the sharps of the forest/ Returning is not possible/ And going forward is a great difficulty,” our own Adebayo Lawal writes of how “False men have filled our forest/ Straight men are like hair-strands” (p.34). He also laments, using homophony and a polyphonic combination of figures of sound like assonance, consonance, alliteration, internal rhyme and pun to effect, how: “Petrol now petrifies us / Rice has risen against us / Beans have been on a French leave / Kerosine is a sin for our rusty stoves…” (p.35) In Parts Four and Five, the author offers antidotes to our troubled and troubling times while canvassing the virtues of love (i.e. “True love”(p.38); “We are all one” (p.39)) reason (“Who are you? (p.40); “Rat race or human race? (p.41)), religious tolerance and righteousness (i.e.

“The cannibals” (p.42), “The bubble shall burst” (p.48), “Blessed are they” (p.52)) and other poems of similar thematic concerns. There are also well-crafted poems in this section like “Ilorin” (p.45) which offers a food-for-thought that everyone would like to relish and “In the long run” (p.47) which gives poetic expression to the maxim, “Justice delayed is justice denied.”

Of a special thematic import is “The wild west” (p.46) in which the poet highlights the prevalent cultural invasion of the African landscape by Western “syphilisation”, a remarkable coinage that reminds one of Niyi Osundare’s “executhieves” and Tayo Olafioye’s “sinators”, and its debilitating effect on the social values. He makes tacit reference to the odious fashion sense that ladies consider trendy and the vacuous lyrics of the wave-making latter-day Skelewuing and Azontoing musicians. Besides, Lawal, in a way similar to how Brian Browne addresses our tragedy in a recent opinion article in The Nation newspaper, “The geopolitics of Boko Haram” (May 23, 2014), the poet describes how “The West soils the souls of the rest,/ Insidiously”. Adebayo Lawal drives further home the sense given previously in “The emperor’s cloaks” (p.43) on the tragedies and greed of “colonial syphilisation”, “Leech of Nations” and “foreign AIDS” with a super-abundance of highly impressive puns and other literary and stylo-rhetorical devices.

At the level of style, Music of the Muezzin is a vast ocean with several pearls or a big garden with a cornucopia of diverse flowers. How many teeth do we count in Adipele’s multi-layered dentition? His love for the literary figures of sound is apparent as there is no poetry without invoking sound. All of alliteration, assonance, rhyme and rhythm find eloquent expression in the collection just as we have personification, oxymoron, paradox, climax, litotes and other devices of literary and stylistic effect, making it a rich mine for linguistic and literary analysts as evident even in all of the sampled lines.

Generally, this collection is “larger than its frame” in terms of the profundity of the timeless messages that make good sense for our troubled season in a world that is going amok. It is a call to action to eschew what it is morally bad, religiously sinful and ethically repugnant in our day-to-day interactions. Our sensibilities are tickled as we are sensitized to the need for choosing good options always and the collection has implications for best practices in religion, politics, economics, social relations, culture, education, philosophy, law and linguistics.

The collection is therefore everyone’s treasure and a good reader would find it unputdownable or like Oliver Twist, find himself crying for more.

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Our MISSION To publish a newspaper of superior value, upholding the fundamental ethics of journalism: balanced reporting, fairness, accuracy and objectivity.

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19

EDITORIAL

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Sanctity of Truth w w w.new telegraphonli ne.com

Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon and the truth – Buddha

WEDNESday, JULY 2, 2014

The danger of baby-making factories

he National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and other Related Matters (NAPTIP) has attributed the proliferation of baby-making factories to a lapse in the child adoption process. According to the agency, child adoption process has been hijacked by criminals, leading to the prevalence of this new form of criminal activity in the society.

Having found a convenient loophole, criminals are setting up illegal adoption homes.

Ours is a pretentious society.

People needing to adopt children but afraid of being ridiculed and treated with disdain by the society, secretly patronize such illegal homes. Similarly, a society that throws away children from socalled accidental pregnancies has provided an avenue for criminals who pretentiously provide shelter and cover for those who want to discard such babies only to turn around and use those babies as merchandise for their evil trade.

However, these illegal syndicates have gone a step further by picking up vulnerable female teenagers and turning them into baby-making factories. It is disheartening that while this new criminality is burgeoning, the law setting up the anti-trafficking agency, which has been amended to deal with the issue of sale of babies, is still awaiting adoption by the National Assembly.

According to NAPTIP, “Part of what is being incorporated is that some aspect of it as it affects the sale of babies, which is exploitation of the offspring of another, will be captured in the amendment. Thus, those who are exploited because they are teenagers and or are pregnant out of wedlock or their parents have thrown them out of their homes because of teenage pregnancy or what is commonly known here as ‘unwanted pregnancy’, will be protected. For, their being ostracized by family and or society is not enough excuse to take away these teenagers’ babies and sell them as if they articles of trade. Children have a right not to be sold; it is against the law. So, sale of babies is not permitted or, for that matter, the sale of any human being. That is the position.”

While NAPTIP is working closely with relevant agencies such as the police and the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs to track down perpetrators of this hideous crime, parents and society in general must protect children from the advances of people who might cruelly exploit them for personal gain. Human beings, especially babies, cannot be sold and bought in the name of child adoption. There are established child adoption procedures, which must be duly followed.

No doubt, a lot of people value adoption and genuinely want to adopt less privileged children and

provide them with the basic things of life, which they ordinarily lack, but the processes and procedures for child adoption in Nigeria are rather too tedious, cumbersome.

The procedure includes inspecting the office of the prospective adopter, checking relevant bank account details and going to the person’s office or business concern for verification. Also, the social welfare people are to visit every three months or any other interval that is mutually agreed upon. Besides, until recently, single parents are not allowed to adopt a child, even when they have the financial wherewithal to sustain the child.

The simple truth is that so many people want to adopt for several reasons. Some adopt for the religious reason of being a good Samaritan; some on health related grounds or social responsibility factor while others adopt in order to have a particular gender they do not as yet have.

However, there is no way the social welfare officers will regularly visit the adopted child in his new home without raising suspicion among neighbours about the parenthood of the child, thereby leading to stigmatisation and public derision of the adopting couple or family. And, yet, it is for this same reason, that is, to avoid being stigmatized and derided that people resort to adoption in the first place.

To make matters worse, the welfare officers who come from time

to time to ascertain the well-being of the adopted child keep changing, and this can pose a serious security challenge for the adopter’s home.

Similarly, those involved are not just dealing with welfare officers alone, but they are also dealing with the police, orphanages as well as the state governments concerned. It is this plethora of processes and bureaucracies that scares people away from the legitimate mode of child adoption and makes them turn to the various child manufacturing factories around the country and beyond.

One very worrying dimension in the whole saga is that, it is not just about selling and buying of babies.

Some people want to genuinely adopt children and bring them up properly, but there are others who want such children for diabolical purposes. It is on record that such evil-minded people have gained access to these babies and sold them to herbalists for rituals.

These baby-manufacturing setups are all over the country and even in some neighbouring West African countries. Therefore, NAPTIP must take a closer and more holistic look at all the issues involved with a view to addressing them critically in order to save the country from this embarrassing phenomenon of babymanufacturing outfits. It is not only capable of blighting the country’s integrity, but is also totally inhuman and, therefore, not acceptable for any reason.

GABRIEL AKINADEWO Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief FELIX OGUEJIOFOR ABUGU Deputy Managing Director/DEIC SULEIMAN BISALLA Managing Editor, North YEMI AJAYI Editor, Daily LAURENCE ANI Editor, Saturday EMEKA MADUNAGU Editor, Sunday LEO CENDROWICZ Bureau Chief, Brussels MARSHALL COMINS Bureau Chief, Washington DC SAM AMSTERDAM Editorial Coordinator, Europe EMMAN SHEHU (PhD) Chairman, Editorial Board GEOFFREY EKENNA News Editor PADE OLAPOJU Production Editor TIMOTHY AKINLEYE Head, Graphics ROBINSON EZEH Head, Admin.

20

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

OPINION Governor Kayode Fayemi, a fine democrat Prince M. Arayuwa Wilkie

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he Ekiti State gubernatorial election has been fought, won and lost by the three major contestants of the APC, PDP and the Labour Party (LP).

Some 732,166 registered voters were estimated to participate in the election to choose a candidate of their choice who would be governor to pilot the affairs of Ekiti State for another four years. The state has 177 electoral wards with 2,195 polling units across 16 local government areas.

Let me state, for the purpose of clarity, that the authentic result as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) clearly revealed that Peter Ayodele Fayose of the PDP won with 203,090 votes; His Excellency, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi (APC), the incumbent governor, placed second with 120,433 votes while Michael Opeyemi Bamidele of the Labour Party had 18,135 votes. Other numerous political parties and their candidates were mainly political jobbers when compared with the aforementioned three gladiatorial contestants.

Fayose holds the singular record of defeating his governorship opponents. He floored Niyi Adebayo of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in 2003 and again Fayemi the last election.

It is quite obvious that the said election result came as a complete negation of the forecasts of corporate organizations and the Nigerian press, most especially,

the print media. I should stress that the purpose of this piece is to anchor it on Dr. John Kayode Fayemi, who is gentle to the core in view of the roles he had played during and after the governorship election of his state.

Preparatory to the just-concluded governorship election, Fayemi rolled-out his programme of action which included education and human capital development, gender empowerment, affordable health-care system and infrastructural development. On the whole, the governor had an eight-point agenda, which further included participatory governance and accountability, better productivity, creation of intellectual bank for policy formulation and implementation. Throughout the campaign period, he covered all the nooks and crannies of the state preaching the political gospel of his electoral manifesto and if voted for, he would continue to give a face-lift to the state in terms of concrete development.

But, as far as Ekiti people were concerned, most of his programmes were too utopian and academic to comprehend. Rather, the result has shown that they preferred Fayose with lesser qualification to lead them as governor. It is in my view that the latter is seen as a seasoned grassroots politician unlike Fayemi who belongs to the academia. I find it difficult to comprehend how Ekiti State which constitutes the intellectual hallmark of the South West and by extension, Nigeria, would prefer the governor-elect to a fine scholar who ought to have continued in office as governor.

In spite of all the excellent academic credentials of Fayemi who was also a chieftain of NADECO, it is un-

believable that he could be treated as if he did not perform at all. Well, Ekiti people have made their preferred choice and they have spoken. The beauty of the Ekiti governorship election result is the countenance of the governor himself. He was cool, calculated, undisturbed and resolute in his acceptance of the INEC result, which has made him lose his governorship job and thrown into the unemployment market.

Fayemi acknowledged the fact that the voting was free, fair and peaceful all over the state as against some political pundits and predictors that Ekiti would become a warfront on June 21, 2014, the day of the election. Fayose and Bamidele equally whispered almost same comments.

In the unique political spirit of a good sportsmanship, Fayemi congratulated Fayose, who beat him handsdown in all the 16 local government areas of the state.

He stressed that he even called the governor-elect and discussed with him on how they can put in place a transition committee that would herald the assumption of duty of Fayose as governor of Ekiti, a state which breeds professors. Bamidele who came third in the election, equally followed-up and congratulated the governor-elect.

I am of the opinion that the position taken by the governor may not go down well with his party’s leadership and the noise makers of the APC. I wonder if the party’s maximum leader, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu ,will accept to let Ekiti go without court actions to ensure that the status quo is maintained.

• Prince Mike Arayuwa Wilkie (uwa1950@yahoo.com), 08023097251

Osun education: In search of political vision Raheem Adekunle

I

f anyone doubts the primacy of political vision as a foundation for a solid educational system, such an individual is invited to ponder the timeless achievements of Chief Obafemi Awolowo as Premier of the Western Region in the decade preceding Independence. As scholars recognise worldwide, the place of the Yoruba as Black Africa’s most educated and urbanised ethnic nationality was cemented by the solid foundation laid for education in the region through Chief Awolowo’s meticulously thought out free education policy, a policy now most unfortunately mouthed by contemporary charlatans lacking in the requisite ideological training and mental magnitude but freely and unabashedly appropriating the Awolowo heritage. Of such individuals, the governor of Osun State (or, as he prefers in clear breach of the Nigerian Constitution, State of Osun), Rauf Aregbesola, should take the crown for political misdirection.

To all intents and purposes, Mr Aregebesola strives to be different. But then, he is far from being positively different.

From courting controversy through disrespect for Vice President Namadi Sambo, fellow governors (like Olusegun Mimiko whom he declared a non-Omoluabi, promising to rout him from Government House); running an O-government (OMEALS, OYES, O-HOUSE, O-FARMS and O-Tourism) and stoking the fires of religious controversy, Aregbesola repre-

sents a prime example of government surgically removed from the people, imposing strange policies and affecting odd mannerisms. Proceeding from the grand illusion that he is the Hugo Chavez of Osun (see “The Chavez in Aregbesola’’ by one Ayo Badmus), Aregbesola undertook a strange schools reclassification policy using age as a sole variable and allowing for no variation in academic capability.

He was too high up in the clouds to even consult with the supposed beneficiaries of his policy.

The policy, according to his apologists, involves changing the known nomenclatures of Primary school, JSS 1-3, and SSS 1-3 to Elementary, Middle and High schools without affecting 6-3-3-4 Nigerian educational system. The elementary school is primary 1-4; middle school will absorb primary 5-6 and JSS 1-3; while high school will have SSS 1-3.

The elementary school absorbs the pupils in the age category of 6-10; Middle school 10-14 years and high school15-17.

Thus, in the automatism that is characteristic of the Osun governance, age is invariably bound with educational attainment, and so the state cannot produce, say, an Olaoluwa Oluwadara, the 24-year-old Ph.D holder from the Lagos State University, since he must be in high school at 17. That the Osun pupils, ensconced within a strange system, are still expected to mesh with their counterparts from other states is a logic available only to Aregbesola and his cronies, given that public examinations, to which students

in the state must subscribe, are not designed with the Osun confusion in mind.

Again, Aregbesola’s melodramatic capacities are reinforced by the introduction of the same uniform, sewn at exorbitant cost, for all school pupils in the state, such that distinguishing between school A and B is a near impossible task. Then, Mr Aregbesola proceeded to merge missionary schools with Islamic schools, seeking to obliterate their heritage, and causing chaos and confusion in the state, with potentially devastating results. Lacking foresight and unable to admit his errors following the nationwide opprobrium that greeted his action, Aregbesola described his critics as ‘jobless’, saying the new policy ‘is unstoppable.’

Pray, what kind of policy merges Christian schools with Muslim schools given the religious cleavages inherent in Nigeria’s national life? Why demolish neighbourhood schools and force pupils to trek miles on end to access education?

If the mercantile inclinations of Mr Aregbesola and his disciples were hitherto in dispute, the story of the Fakunle High School banishes all misgivings. Since Mr Omoluabi’s progressivism is subtended by the logic of land grab and plunder, one of the most famous schools in the South-West, is now to make way for a business outfit, Shoprite. Although the governor denied the plot, he proceeded to distribute students of the school to other

schools and placed its teachers on transfer, a clear case of duplicity and utter lack of integrity. By this singular action, Mr Omoluabi is striving hard to destroy the legacy of the founder of the school, allegedly to make way for the economic designs of his Lagos overlords. Actually, this action is typical of the APC: Shoprite was reportedly built on the Ibviotor Primary School by Dumaze Junction in Benin, Edo State. In Ilorin, Kwara State, it was built on the land of the Staff Development College.

A supermarket-instead-of-schools policy is a recipe for national disaster, yet Mr Aregbesola’s handlers hail him as a Hugo Chavez. Chavez made education free up to Ph.D level and sought to free Venezuela from the clutches of foreign economic desperadoes. On the other hand, Mr Aregbesola trades Osun schools away to foreigners and sells off Osun land to Lagos.

Treading the same path of infamy charted by his mentor, Chief Bisi Akande, who was constantly at war with the civil servants, Mr Omoluabi treats Osun as a colony, and will claim in August, after he has received more severe beating than Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State received on June 21, that he lost the election because soldiers harassed his supporters. That is the price one pays for political myopia. Education is too important to be left in the hands of charlatans.

• Adekunle writes from Osogbo, Osun State

CAMPUS

‘How Boko Haram redeployed me to }p-29 Lagos’

EDUCATION

Bayelsa }p-22 disburses $1m, N200m for scholarships

21

NEW TELEGRAPH

newtelegraphonline.com/education

KAYODE OLANREWAJU, Editor, EDUCATION

kayode.olanrewaju@ newtelegraphonline.com kayolanre@gmail.com

WEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

BREAKTHROUGH

Despite all obstacles, University of Jos (UNIJOS) is breaking new grounds in research and development efforts, with its study on Artemisia annua plant for the treatment of malaria Musa Pam Jos

I

f the current research efforts by the University of Jos (UNIJOS), Plateau State is anything to go by, the scourge of malaria and its attendant health hazard in Africa, would soon be eliminated.

The mandate to fix the University and consolidate its aspiration of being an innovative institution with great research potential, have continued to yield results.

Founded in 1975, with the vision of being an innovative institution with great interaction between 'town and gown', today carries a high responsibility of fashioning cuttingedge research.

With commitment to provide education that is globally competitive and relevant to the needs of today's employer and the developing challenges of the country, UNIJOS since inception has made enormous progress as one of the best researched higher institution of learning in the country.

Its research breakthrough in the treatment of malaria, the first of its kind, in the production of Artemisia annua, a plant used in the prevention and treatment of malaria, stands the institution out in the comity of universities.

To enhance research development, the university Governing Council in November 2010, established the Office of Research and Development (ORD) from the former Centre for Development Studies (CDS) where the university hired Research Fellows who conduct researches and present findings accordingly in journals and forums for discussions and implementation.

The Centre for Research and Development, it was said opened up researches for the entire university community rather than have Research Fellows developing the framework of institutional researches.

“With the advent of the ORD, all institutional researches are domiciled in the office, while research clusters from faculties, departments and individual academic researchers resort to the statutory powers of the

Mafuayi, VC

UNIJOS gate

UNIJOS: Leading a new research order on malaria office.

The key staff of the office, were said to have been trained in various aspects of research administration and management through the Society of Research Administrators International, (SRA), South African Research and Innovations Management Association (SARIMA), and the West African Research and Innovations Management Association (WARIMA).

However, the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) and the Carnegie Corporation of New York have granted the university capacity development programme of members of staff of the office in areas of research administration and management.

The main focus is to assist the academics and researchers to write fundable research proposals, managing grants, and contributing to the development of the university and society.

Basking in the euphoria of the achievement of the university in the research on malaria, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Hayward Mafuayi, told New Telegraph that the plant, also known as ‘Sweet wormwood’, is an active ingredient in the anti-malarial combination therapy that is widely used to treat malaria.

According to him, the study conducted by the university has successfully tested and confirmed the growing of Artemisia annua for research and production, which until recently, was only known to have been grown in China, India, East Africa and the Island of Madagascar.

Mafuayi explained that the university’s Centre for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering have harvested “283 kg of dry Artemisia annua leaves and 48 kg of Artemisia annua seeds which had already been tested at the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), Abuja, and confirmed that the Artemisinin content of the leaves contains 4.8 per cent of Artemisinin weight.

“The percentage is much higher than most strains of

One of our students, in collaboration with some researchers identified a new fungus strain Candidaafricana for the first time isolated from Nigeria

the plant grown in other parts of the world which have been used for Artemisin Combination Therapy,” he said.

The Vice-Chancellor lauded the Federal Ministry of Education and the World Bank for funding STEP-B initiative, which has funded the commercial cultivation of the plant, which he said had gulped $198,000, even as he urged pharmaceutical companies and other interested clients to partner with the university in the continued cultivation and research on plant.

Apart from the research on Artemisia annua for the treatment and cure of malaria, the Vice-Chancellor, spoke of plans by the university to begin new programmes in agriculture, veterinary and engineering sciences, stressing: "We are going on about the establishment of the programme in a more meticulous way with a view to ensuring that we meet all the regulatory requirements. “We are also taking steps to ensure that everything is in place because we do not want to make the mistakes that others made.

"We have also consulted the regulatory bodies and we are to go along with them, as interviews have been conducted for recruitment of staff, and once we are in the position to invite the National Universi-

ties Commission (NUC) for the final resource verification, then we would do that, and are optimistic that the programmes will scale the NUC’s stringent requirements.

"The university has recorded modest achievements in research with our researchers’ successful study on Artemisia annua, the plant with the active biomolecules required in the combination drug therapy formulation for malaria treatment.”

According to the ViceChancellor, the plant has been successfully cultivated at the institution’s Centre for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering at Mabudi, Langtang South, of the state.

Mafuayi said the university had demonstrated that the plant could be cultivated in commercial quantities saying the unnecessity has data on the soil and other requirements for its growing.

While noting that active ingredient from the plant is being extracted in collaboration with scientists at the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) Abuja and the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, the Vice-Chancellor pointed out that when sufficient data is generated, the university will make public its findings.

Meanwhile, the university has continued to savour its other breakthrough in the areas of anti-snake venom research and medical microbiology.

“One of our students, in collaboration with some researchers identified a new fungus strain Candidaafricana for the first time isolated from Nigeria, and in sequence, detected the mutation in the gene responsible for fluconazole resistance in Candiasis,” he noted.

Describing the breakthrough as quite a big achievement, and pledged that the research would be further been carried out and expanded to cover related medical and health issues, Mafuayi explained that researchers in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical CONTI NUED ON PAGE 27

22 EDUCATION

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Bayelsa disburses $1m, N200m for scholarships Joe Ezuma

Port Harcourt

T

he Bayelsa State Government has released $1 million and N200 million to the State Scholarship Board for disbursement as state government scholarship to students who are the state origin studying in the United Kingdom.

Governor Seriake Dickson, who disclosed this in Yenagoa, the state capital, said the funds were in fulfillment of his administration’s pledge to the students during his interactive session with them in London.

Dickson, who reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fulfill its scholarship obligations to Bayelsans in different parts of the world, noted with satisfaction, the exemplary conduct of the UK-based students, whom he described as the pride of the state.

He explained that, despite the dwindling finances of the

Gov. Dickson

government, it will continue to make regular disbursement to the students, while urging them to take their studies seriously in order to justify government’s huge financial investment on them.

According to him, his administration will continue to make massive investments in

the education sector, because of the manpower requirement of the state and the pivotal role education plays in the overall development of human being.

The governor restated government’s preparedness to fulfill an earlier promise to pay the bursaries to Bayelsa students in higher institutions of learning in the country, stating that the disbursement will commence by the end of this month.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the State Scholarships Board, Evangelist Foster Ogola praised the Governor Dickson-led administration for fulfilling its promise to the students, noting that it will go a long way in boosting the morale of the students.

He assured the governor and the people of the state that the government’s N200 million and $1 million investment in the students’ education will be judiciously disbursed to the students, who are at various universities in the United Kingdom.

College honours Babalola, Ojerinde, others Biyi Adegoroye Nigerians including Eofminent the legal icon and founder Afe Babalola University,

Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola (SAN); Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof.

Dibu Ojerinde; and Senator Oluremi Tinubu were honoured by the management of Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo at the golden jubilee and 33rd convocation ceremony of the college.

Babalola, was decorated with the Distinguished Fellowship Award of the college at the ceremony attended by top government officials, traditional rulers, members of the academia, as well as captains of industry.

Speaking at the ceremony, Babalola, who insisted that tertiary institutions in the country could not flourish with overdependence on government funding alone, appealed to wellmeaning Nigerians to invest in quality, functional and reformatory education as he has done in ABUAD, his four-year old university.

While citing the Harvard University, United States, which has a budget of $32 billion for the current academic year, mainly from grants and contributions from its alumni, he stressed that it is not the function of government to provide all the needs of the people, particularly quality education.

He commended the other two honourees, Senator Tinubu, a

member of the Senate Committee on Education and Prof.

Ojerinde, the JAMB Registrar, who are both alumni of the college, for giving back to the alma mater, through the building and donation of multi-million naira edifices to the 50-year-old college of education in the country.

According to the Head, Public Relations of ABUAD, Tunde Olofintila, the legal luminary praised the college’s Chairman, Governing Council, Ambassador Musa John Jen, for his selflessness towards the development of the institutions, describing him as the type of Governing Councils Chairman needed by the country to remould the future and fortune of tertiary education system.

His words: “I commend the Chairman of the Governing Council, Ambassador Musa John Jen, who has done a marvelous job here. I am really impressed."

Aare Babalola

DStv Eutelsat competition begins 2014 edition of the DStv EuTaryhetelsat Star Awards for secondschools students in Nigeria

Former Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and Chancellor, Covenant University, Dr. David Oyedepo shortly after Osinbajo delivered the university's 9th Convocation lecture

Poly resumes academic activities, as ASUP suspends strike F ollowing the withdrawal of the members of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti chapter from the ongoing almost 10-month old nationwide strike embarked upon by the national body of the union, the authorities of the polytechnic have directed all its full-time students to resume immediately for normal academic activities.

In a circular to the polytechnic community, the Registrar, Mrs. ‘Sade Adediran said lectures and other academic activities should commence immediately.

According to the polytechnic chapter of ASUP, the decision to withdraw from the on-

going strike was taken in the interest of the students and the entire polytechnic community.

ASUP Chairman, Comrade Tunji Owoeye, who hinted that the decision to withdraw from the strike was taken at the chapter’s congress, expressed the determination of the members of the union to give the students their best in terms of quality education delivery.

He, however, lamented the low turn-out of students in the lecture halls on the day of their resumption, despite the fact that they had been at home for long.

Meanwhile, the students have expressed delight over the decision, describing it as a welcome development to reverse the setback they have suffered

as a result of the strike.

They expressed their determination to cooperate with their lecturers and the management towards achieving their academic ambition.

The President of the polytechnic’s Students’ Union, Owolade Oluwasijibomi and the Director of Sports, Olofintuyi Emmanuel, on behalf of the entire student body, expressed gratitude to their lecturers for withdrawing from the strike, even as they appealed to the lecturers to do their best to ensure that they are fully engaged academically.

They pledged the readiness of the union to cooperate with the management and ASUP in all spheres of the polytechnic development.

and other African countries where MultiChoice Africa operates has commenced.

It is for students between the ages of 14 and 19 years.

Instituted by MultiChoice, the DStv Eutelsat Star Awards, which is in form of easy writing and poster design, is part of the partnership between MultiChoice Africa and Eutelsat since 1999.

The competition, which is for secondary students, is to encourage them to either write an essay or design a poster about the benefits of satellite technology on the continent.

According to a statement by MultiChoice Nigeria, since its inception 15 years ago, the competition has drawn over a 3,000 entries across the continent and has invigorated a passion for science among the younger generation.

The statement, which said that the entries is prepared in English, French and Portuguese, stated that the competition closes on October 27, while only entries submitted on the prescribed entry form will be eligible to participate in the competition.

“The DStv Eutelsat Star Awards comprises national and international adjudication, while the first assessment of the

entries is at country level with a panel of local judges selecting country winners and runnersup, who will then go through a round of preliminary judging which will culminate in the selection of the final winners of the competition,” the statement added.

The topic for this year’s edition of the competition in the essay writing or poster design categories is: “Imagine you are a satellite, orbiting high above your own country or even above your own home or school.”

To provide quality answer to the topic, contestants are to answer the following questions in the essay or design: What would you see? What would you like to tell the people below about what you see from up there? What would you like people to know?

What would you like them to think about? If you could send them a message or an image, what would you like to say or show?

This pan-Africa collaboration, according to MultiChoice has over the years created meaningful engagement with students, the academic community and the scientific world.

Towards this end, it said that entry forms are obtainable at any MultiChoice Resource Centre, the nearest MultiChoice office or copies of the forms could be downloaded from www.dstvstarawards.com.

EDUCATION

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

LASU set to refund N69m to students

Fashola

the recent reduction Fsityollowing of the Lagos State Univer(LASU) school fees by the

Lagos State Government, the management of institution has concluded plans to refund N69 million to the students who had already paid for the 2013/ 2014 academic session.

According to the university’s Information Officer, Mr. Kayode Sulton, the refund, which is in compliance with the directive by the university’s Governing Council, will be effected by the Bursary Department, which he said was already compiling the lists of the beneficiaries.

While stressing that the department would put in place appropriate mode of refund, the management, led by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Oladapo Obafunwa, according to the statement made available to New Telegraph said: “After an extensive deliberation on the refund, the university authority concluded that refunds will be made to students by cheques and the comprehensive list of the beneficiaries, the amount to be refunded to each student will be uploaded on the university website, while roster for the distribution of the cheques to beneficiaries will be made available in due course.”

The statement further said: “The Vice-Chancellor lauded the state government’s efforts in repositioning the university for excellence and pointed out that the students, as well as the university community will reciprocate this noble gesture by contributing their quota towards uplifting the institution.

Ajasin varsity mobilises 528 for NYSC 528 graduating students Ssity,ome of Adekunle Ajasin UniverAkungba-Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria, have been mobilised for the 2014 Batch ‘B’ National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

The Dean of Students’ Affairs, Dr. Olujide Ajidahun, disclosed this last week.

According to him, necessary actions had been taken by the university on the pre-mobilisation list of the would-be-corps members, which had earlier been pasted on the board for corrections by the affected graduating students.

23

Joe Ezuma

Port Harcourt

T

he Federal Government has spoken of plans to establish a girls' secondary school in Ogu community in Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area of Rivers State, in order to boost girl-child education in the area.

The Supervising Minister of Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, who disclosed this, said the Federal Government’s decision was a response to the state government’s attitude towards fulfilling its promise of building a mega secondary school in the area, before it demolished the only existing school that was built in 1973 in the area.

Wike explained that the model school is part of the federal government’s project geared towards improving girlchild education in the state, while he accused the administration of Governor Rotimi Amaechi of demolishing the existing school.

The Minister, who was in Ogu on a visit to the paramount ruler of the area, Eze Nicholas Ibiebele Nimenibo IX, Amanyanabo of Ogu, regretted that it was wrong for the state government to have demolished the Ogu Government Secondary School which

L-R: Media Consultant, African Refugee Foundation, Mr. Wole Adediran; Foundation's Director, Mr. Jimi Olusola; Consultant, Mr. Tony Uranta and Honorary Presidet of the foundation, Chief Mrs. Opral Benson during a media briefing to disclose AREF's readiness to partner NYSC on Peace Advocacy

Wike to establish girls’ school in Ogu community has produced people like Senator George Sekibo, Mr. Evans Bipi among others since 2008, without building the mega school it earlier promised.

The minister said: “Amaechi promised to build a mega school in Ogu. He demolished the existing school in 2008.

When he heard that I was com-

ing here today he rushed to lay a foundation stone of seven blocks of building. We will do everything possible to make sure that Ogu community is given a befitting school that it deserves.

“If the state government could demolish your school in 2008, six years after they are

Mimiko counsels students on vices l As 3,634 fresh students take matric oath

A cross-section of the matriculating students.

Kayode Olanrewaju

S

ome 3,634 fresh students admitted into the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), Ondo State, for the 2013/2014 academic session, have been counseled by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Femi Mimiko to shun vices capable of truncating their education and future.

Represented by his Deputy, Prof. Rotimi Ajayi, the ViceChancellor, who warned the students that the university had zero tolerance to acts capable of disrupting the stability of the institution, said: “Let me make it abundantly clear that Adekunle Ajasin University has zero tolerance for social vices.”

He urged that the students, having taken the university’s matriculation oath, to abide

by the oath of allegiance by eschewing all forms of social vices including cultism, examination misconduct, truancy, drug addiction, indiscipline, rape, murder, prostitution, indecent dressing, kidnapping and all other forms of violence, saying such could bring their education to abrupt end.

The Vice-Chancellor noted: “This university is governed by laws and the instrumentality of the law shall be applied at any moment of infraction. I sincerely advise you to guard your admission jealously, by resisting anything that could rob you of this golden privilege to study in this great university.”

While congratulating the matriculating students on their admission into the university, the Vice-Chancellor, however, declared that of the 18,019 can-

didates that applied for admission into the university, only 3,634 successful candidates were admitted purely on merit.

According Mimiko, the university’s merit-driven admission policy was a deliberate effort by his administration to make the Ivory Tower globally competitive in the 21st Century.

He added: “It is an initiative geared toward producing confident, self-reliant and wellrounded graduates who could compete favourably with their contemporaries anywhere in the world and who would be the pride to the country.”

He urged the new students to surrender themselves for discipline and training the university is prepared to instill in them in the next four or five years in order to mould their lives.

Meanwhile, Mimiko, who

now rushing down here to lay a foundation stone of the school promised since then, how will they complete the school in the next nine months that they have left to spend in office?”

Wike was accompanied to Ogu by Senator Sekibo, Prince Uche Secondus, Dr. Abiye Sekibo and Bipi among others. reiterated that the institution had been noted for its stable academic calendar in the last five years, said “Adekunle Ajasin University remains a beacon of hope as we vigorously strive to give the highest standard and quality education to the students and to graduate them at a record time.”

“As a result of the philosophy of the government-led by our amiable and education loving Governor Olusegun Mimiko, the Visitor to the university, that no child drops out of school on account of inability to pay school fees, the university charges the least fees in the country and has a student work study scheme to support indigent students and to teach dignity of labour,” he said.

He, however, advised the students to have the right attitude of hard work towards their studies in order to achieve academic excellence and abide by all rules and regulations of the university as handed over to them during the orientation programme.

While urging students of the university to at all times observe personal security measures, as well as stay clear of trouble and cooperate with the security personnel, the ViceChancellor pledged the readiness of the institution to put in place relevant machineries that would guarantee security of lives and property on campus.

His words: “However, I want to use this medium to appeal to you to observe personal security. Do not go to unsafe locations within and outside the campus and avoid nocturnal movements. Do not embark on frivolous travels and avoid the company of people with suspicious and questionable character. Whenever you are under threat by anybody or group of people, do not hesitate to contact the university Security Unit or the Students’ Affairs Division, which will be ready to act promptly.”

24 EDUCATION

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

NYSC has lost focus, says Benson, ex-UNILAG dean Mojeed Alabi

T

he former Dean of Students’ Affairs, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, and Yeye Oge of Lagos, Chief Opral Benson, has revealed that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), it helped to develop has failed to fulfill the mandate of its establishment.

Benson, who said she was a member of the committee that worked on the mandate of the scheme while at UNILAG in the ‘70s, said the primary motive was to enhance inter-cultural relations and to preach peace among the Nigerian people at the grassroots through the youth, whom she said, were still full of life.

However, Benson said the moment the scheme’s mobilisation strategies became manipulated, and the posting of corps members to their

places of primary assignment were no longer following their fields of training and areas of interest, the motive became defeated.

The former university administrator and socialite, who addressed a press briefing as part of activities marking this year’s annual Refugee Day, said the scheme should be revitalised to serve as the channel of preaching peace among Nigerians.

The President of the African Refugee Foundation, however, added that pet projects of the corps members should focus extensively on the significance of the nation’s unity.

She said AREF would partner NYSC to introduce some programmes that would focus on educational, cultural and peace advocacy to complement the efforts of the government at all levels in entrenching peaceful atmosphere in the

country.

She said: “It is unfortunate that AREF created some initiatives such as the Peace Education for West African Communities (PEWAC) and Corps of Mediators, Peace Makers and Promoters of a Culture of Peace Training (COMPACT), which were successfully initiated, but which the government rejected or refused to endorse when we contacted them.

“Now, we believe the NYSC should be able to serve the purpose of implementing this idea by adopting the initiative for corps members’ pet projects. Because they are youth and relate very well with the grassroots, they should be able to convey these messages to the people in a more practical manner. This is the purpose of the scheme and it should be restructured to fulfill the mandate.”

FG injects N6bn in Rivers' education sector

Amaechi

Joe Ezuma

Port Harcourt

T

he Federal Government says it has in the past few years injected over N6 billion into Rivers State education sector towards improving the standard of education in the state.

This is even as government has decided to construct a new federal polytechnic in Bonny Local Government Area of the state to enhance access of the people to sound education.

Supervising Minister of Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, who revealed this in Bolo community in Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area during his visit to some schools in the rural areas, said that the fund had been released over time for various educational development projects in the state.

While echoing the importance of high standard educa-

tion in the development of any country, Wike said the on-going federal government’s interventionist programme was aimed at ensuring that every Nigerian irrespective of social class was given unhindered access to good education.

Wike disclosed that it was on this basis that the federal government injected some funds into improving the standard of tertiary institutions, not only in Rivers State, but also across all states of the federation.

The Minister reiterated the federal government’s resolve to intervene in the education sector in order to improve the living standard of the people, even as he listed some of the federal government’s intervention projects in Rivers to include the N1.5 billion grant to the Ignatius Ajuru University.

He said: “Through the ministry the federal government released N500 million, and another N1billion, while in Kpopropeteghe school the government released another N500 million.

“The Law Faculty of the University of Port Harcourt was given N1billion; School of Sciences N1billion, while Environmental Studies Department received N2 billion. The General Manager School at Ogu, Aluu and the vocational centre at Ikuru Town in Andoni Local Government Area have received nothing less than N1billion, and all these will amount to N7 billion.”

Lecturers awarded Ph.D

t was a dream come true for no Iacademic fewer than three members of staff of the Adekun-

L-R: CEO, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Michael Ikpoki; Director, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Mrs. Olayinka Bello presenting a laptop to the winner of MTN’s schools debate competition, Master Daniel Nweneka of Government Senior College, Ikoyi, while the MTN's Customer Relations Executive, Ms. Ugonwa Nwoye and Human Resources Executive, Mrs. Aminat Oyagbola look on. at the closing ceremony of the 2014 edition of MTN 21 Days of Y’ello Care themed, “Education in a Digital World”, which held at MTN office in Falomo.

le Ajasin University, AkungbaAkoko (AAUA), Ondo State, as they obtained Doctorate degrees (Ph.Ds).

The trio is Dr. Olufisayo Oyewole of the Department of Art Education; Dr. Alabi Bello of

Ondo sets up scholarship trust fund for PG students

Babatope Okeowo Akure

B

etter days awaits prospective postgraduate students of Ondo State origin, as the state government has unfolded plans to establish Scholarship Trust Fund (STF) to take care of the scholarship needs of the postgraduate students in tertiary institutions in the country.

The Chairman of the State Scholarship Board, Mr. Dayo Awude, who disclosed this, said the scheme had become necessary since the state’s present bursary and scholarship schemes did not take care of the postgraduate students.

This development came on the heels of the National Association of Ondo State Students, (NAOSS) push for the upward review of the bursary and scholarship grants to students of the state origin.

NAOSS President and Senate President, Messrs Awodele Afolayan and Israel Fagbemigun said the N10,000 and

N50,000 given by the government was grossly inadequate considering the economic realities in the country.

According to them, the N10,000 given as bursary is not enough to buy educational and research materials.

Afolayan, who explained that many universities in the country had increased their school fees, while the cost of living had also gone beyond the reach of common men, pleaded with the government to lessen the burden of their parents by increasing the bursary and scholarship grants to the students.

However, the Chairman of the Board said the government had increased the scholarship and bursary grants to students, stressing that the government is still opened to discussion in order to alleviate the suffering of students of the state origin in tertiary institutions.

This, Awude noted necessitated the setting up of the Scholarship Trust Fund, which would pool funds from

private, public and international institutions and disburse same as needed by the students.

According to him, the state government would collaborate with private sector for the postgraduate scholarship scheme so that all indigenes of the state would be able to benefit from the scheme.

Meanwhile, he hinted that the state would organise education fair early next year, where tertiary institutions within and outside the country would display their potentials to the indigenes of the state.

Through the fair, Awude said the students would be able to know the scholarship opportunities available to them and how to tap into them instead of relying solely on government for their scholarship needs.

The Chairman said: “The state government has completed payment of last year scholarship grants in which 197 institutions were beneficiaries. In that year, the sum of N396 million was spent by the

Gov. Mimiko

government on the schemes.

This year's applications have also been completed and the board has begun the verification exercise in order to ascertain the genuineness of the forms obtained.”

He added that the students who qualified for either the scholarship or bursary award would be paid before the end of the year.

the Department of Computer Science and Dr. Bayo Fasuwon from the Department of Political Science and Public Administration.

This was revealed by Deans of their respective faculties during the 119th Regular Meeting of the university Senate.

Dr. Oyewole, who bagged her Ph.D in Language Education at the university, joined the Adekunle Ajasin University in 2001, as a Graduate Assistant in the Department of Arts Education (Faulty of Education).

A graduate of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Kwara State, where she obtained her B.A. (Ed.) Language Arts/Education, with specialisation in French in 1996, she also obtained her M.A from the same university in 2000.

Dr. Oyewole, who is currently a Lecturer I, has published several articles in many reputable journals and has attended various conferences.

She is a member of some professional bodies, including Modern Languages Association of Nigeria; National Association for the Advancement of Knowledge and National Association of University French Teachers.

Meanwhile, Bello, who obtained his Ph.D in Computer Science (Soft Computing) from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, joined AAUA in 2009, as Lecturer II in the Department of Computer Science.

EDUCATION

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Commissioner institutes maths quiz to enhance learning

Uduaghan

Dominic Adewole Asaba

D

etermined to assuage the students' fear in Mathematics, especially among secondary school students in Delta State, a Commissioner on the board of the Delta State Oil and Gas Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), Mr. Michael Diden, has initiated a competition for the pupils.

Tagged: “Ejele Mathematics Quiz Competition,” the competition, according to him, was designed for pupils in senior secondary school (SSI-III) across the state.

At the maiden edition of the quiz, which took place at

Sapele, the headquarters of Sapele Local Government Area of the state, Diden declared that the competition was instituted in honour and remembrance of the former Federal Minister of Finance, late Festus OkotieEboh.

Some of the participating schools included Okpe Grammar School, Excellence School of Science and Technology, both in Sapele, and International High School.

The winners of the competition went home with various prizes including laptops, I-pads, school bags, and note books as well as cash prizes for the teachers.

At the final stage of the competition, in which three pupils represented each of the schools, two pupils of Okpe Grammar School emerged the overall winners, while the pupils of Excellence School came second, and pupils of International High School emerged as second runner up.

Apart from the winners, other participants at the finale stage went home with consolation prizes.

Diden, who described the competition as “a legacy of restoration”, said part of the objectives of the competition was to groom students in Mathematics, which he described as, “the first subject on earth that is very important to the study of science-related disciplines.”

He added that the competition, which was in honour of the late Okotie-Eboh, is aimed at setting Sapele and Delta in the world map of Mathematics, even as he maintained that “since the death of the former Minister, little or nothing has been heard about the town (Sapele).”

He said: “Charity begins at home. In the past we had a minister, the late Festus OkotieEboh, who came from Sapele.

And from that time till now, we have not had any other from this community. I decided to institute this competition for people who believe in education to compete favourably with their counterparts within and outside the state. The aim is to put Sapele in the world map again as it was in the good old days.”

The Commissioner, representing Itsekiri in the Commission, called for the establishment of well-equipped technical and vocational skills acquisition centres in all local government areas of the state.

According to the DESOPADEC chief, such centres should be adequately funded by the Federal Government with a view to providing free training for the youths in the state in diverse fields of technical and vocational education.

Diden urged the leaders to show more commitment towards the empowerment of the youth beyond the rhetoric of electioneering campaign and lip-service that have become the order of the day in the country, especially among the politically class.

“The youth want legitimate means of income and if given the opportunity will contribute to the course of national development,” he said, stressing that the competition would be sustained as a yearly event from the local to the national levels for the promotion of mathematics in schools.

Elizade, South African varsities to collaborate on exchange programme

L-R: Hillhouse, Lulu and the Dean, Faculty of Basic and Applied Sciences, Prof. Olatunji Oyelana during the visit of the Ambassador to the university.

Kayode Olanrewaju

T

he management of the Elizade University, IlaraMokin, Ondo State has concluded plans that will facilitate student exchange programme between the university and top universities in South Africa.

The plan is part of moves by the private university to enhance the standard of tuition and the quality of graduates to be produced by the institution.

The South African Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Lulu Mnguni Lulu disclosed this during his visit to Ilara-Mokin, main campus of the university.

The Diplomat, who expressed delight over the level of develop-

ment at the private university, said what he saw on ground has further rekindled his hope that Africa is on the rise.

Lulu, while inspecting some of the projects carried out by the students, hinted that their parents should expect all-round men and women who have been equipped with technical skills and not only textbook skills when the students graduate from the university.

The Diplomat, who was led on the facility tour of the campus by a South African Professor and Head of Department of Physical and Chemical Sciences, Gregory Hillhouse, said the presence of Prof. Hillhouse, his country man and other highly rated academics from other de-

veloped countries of the world as members of staff of the university is an indication that the institution is determined to bring education of international standard to the country.

While lauding the practical orientation instituted by the university, Lulu declared that education must be relevant to the needs of the people, even as he priased the students for their creativity and zeal for innovation.

According to the South African Head of Mission in Nigeria, the qualifications of the faculty members and the quality of the facilities at the university are what Nigeria needs as a country to groom future leaders that would bring its development

and growth to the fore.

He praised the founder of the university, Chief Michael Ade-Ojo for investing his hardearned resources towards improving the quality of education in the country, while calling on well-meaning Nigerians to take a cue from the proprietor by identifying areas where they could be relevant to the quest of the country for development.

In his remarks, the ViceChancellor of the university, Prof. Valentine Aletor, stressed the determination of the institution to be a model in the country, saying the university was working to ensure that its graduates learn how to use their heads and hands before graduation.

25

UNIOSUN, UI VCs mourn Arisekola-Alao

T

he management, Staff and students of Osun State University (UNIOSUN) have commiserated with the family of late Alhaji Azeez Arisekola Alao, the government and people of Oyo State over the death of Alhaji Azeez Arisekola Alao, the Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland.

Expressing the university’s condolence, the Vice-Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Adekunle Bashiru Okesina, on behalf of the Senate, management, staff and students of the university, said: “I commiserate with the family of late Alhaji Azeez Arisekola Alao, the Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland over the death of Alhaji Azeez Arisekola Alao.

“His death is not only a rude shock to the university community but a great loss to Nigeria’s industrial and education sectors."

Describing his death as a great loss, he added that the late business guru invested greatly in education, particularly in terms of endowments in several Nigerian universities, donations to several private tertiary institutions, scholarships for indigent students in various tertiary institutions and establishment of the cheapest private international school in Ibadan.

While praying that may Almighty Allah grant him Aljannah Fidaous, the Vice-Chancellor recalled that prior to his death, the Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland had pledged to invest donated an entrepreneurship centre complex to the university.

In a related development, the Vice-Chancellor of University of Ibadan (UI), Prof. Isaac Folorunso Adewole has described the death of Alhaji Arisekola as sad and loss of colossus and a gem.

The Vice-Chancellor, who led other key officers of the university on a condolence visit to the family of the deceased, said he worked for a smooth and ideal society.

Adewole said the late Arisekola, a UI benefactor has touched many people in different facets of life, religion, politics, business, education, socials and so on In a statement by the university's Director of Public Communication, Mr. Olatunji Oladejo, said: "This death brings to mind the positive impact he made in the lives of all who crossed his path.”

It added: “He was gracious and amiable. The aura left no one in doubt that he was a leader in every way. A repertoire of Yoruba history and development, he left his indelible footprints on the sand of time. We will keep his dreams and ideals."

Late Arisekola-Alao

26 EDUCATION

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Don traces slow development to insecurity Mojeed Alabi Professor of Chemistry at ATechnology, the Federal University of Akure (FUTA),

Participants at the competition

UNICAL VC harps on adequate implementation Appolos Christian

U

niversity of Calabar (UNICAL) Vice-Chancellor, Prof. James Epoke has urged the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) to ensure adequate implementation of the system. He recalled the previous integrated payroll and personal system earlier introduced had failed due to inadequate implementation.

The Vice-Chancellor made the call in his welcome address at a three-day workshop organised by GIFMIS at the university's AFRIHUB budget training room.

Epoke, who wondered that

the various policies introduced by the Federal Government to curb unethical financial practices in the system had failed, added that with proper implementation, Nigerians stands to benefit from the new system.

Highlighting the relevance of the system, the Vice-Chancellor said the system aimed at putting financial records right in the departments, ministries and agencies, will also strengthen governance, accountability and reduce complications which have been the bane of financial prudence in the country.

Epoke, who declared that the introduction of the system was a welcome development,

given the peculiar situation of UNICAL, however insisted that its implementation in the institution will address the discrepancies that normally arise in the payroll unit as a result of poor documentation and improper records keeping.

According to the resource person at the workshop, Mr. Badejo Tolutope, GIFMIS is an IT base solution for financial management and accounting system introduced by the Federal Government to improve public expenditure management processes, enhance greater accountability in its ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).

Badejo enumerated the objectives of the system to in-

clude the ability of the Federal Government to undertake central control and monitoring of expenditure and receipts in the MDAs, increasing the ability to access information on financial and operational performance, increase internal controls, prevent and detect potential and actual fraud in the system.

Others objectives of the system are to improve medium-term planning through a medium-term expenditure framework (MFEF), improve the ability to understand the cost of activities and tasks, and also increase the ability to demonstrate accountability and transparency to the public and cooperating partners.

17 YABATECH students get Firmenich’s scholarship Victoria Ewoh

l As group rewards 18 pupils for academic excellence

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o fewer than 17 students of the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Yaba, Lagos, have been awarded scholarship by Firmenich West Africa Limited.

Firmenich, a global leader in flavour and fragrance technology has been in partnership with the college on a long-term and sustainable commercial production of high quality flavour applications for the food and beverage industry in West Africa.

Under the partnership, the agreement is to run for an initial five-year period, in which the technology company has built an ultra-modern flavour applications laboratory at the Food Technology Department of the college.

The laboratory, it was gathered had been equipped with necessary facilities and equipment for the preparation of food and beverage samples, as well as confectionery, bakery, juices and nectars, carbonated soft drinks, dairy and alcoholic beverages.

Uzoamaka Eze, Firmenich’s Country Director, who lauded the outstanding performance of the students (beneficiaries of the scholarship) at the award presentation ceremony in Lagos, said the scholarship was to reward their outstanding academic performance.

He expressed the company’s satisfaction over its relationship with the nation’s foremost

L-R: Former OAU Students' Union President, Idowu Olanrewaju; Incumbent President, Ibikunle Isaac and President, Women Arise, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin during the union's press briefing in Lagos...on Sunday. photo: mojeed alabi

college of technology, adding that the beneficiaries were selected from 13 departments of the institution, and that the award was also to motivate other students to aim high and work hard in the academic pursuit.

Giving the breakdown of the scholarship, Eze hinted that three of the scholarship awards were based on the students’ Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) for 2012/2013 academic session, while the other 14 beneficiaries won the scholarship based on the build-up on a 2011 agreement between the company and the college.

According to him, the award which is for the Higher National Diploma (HND I) students, is to encourage the beneficiaries to study and enjoy the scholarship while in the college.

Each of the beneficiaries received N500,000, while the best award winner among them will also visit South Africa, the Africa headquarters of the Genevabased company.

In a related development, Youth of All Nations Empowerment Association (YOANEA), has awarded cash prizes to 18 students, who distinguished themselves in its examination.

The winners emerged from

the 340 pupils drawn from public senior secondary schools across Lagos State.

Babatunde Abdulmalik, a pupil of the State Senior Grammar School, Surulere, who emerged the overall best student in the state, with a score of 89.5 per cent, laughed home with N1.5 million cash prize.

Joseph Yeko of Epe Senior Grammar School, Epe, came second, scoring 88.5 per cent, and won N1 million for his efforts, while Mariam Ajadee, a pupil of Araromi Seconday School came third with 86 per cent, and went home with N500,000 cash prize.

Olubode Olumuyiwa Ajayi, has identified insecurity and Nigerians’ obsession for foreign goods as major obstacles to industrialisation and economic development of the country.

This was part of his views at the university’s 66th inaugural lecture.

Ajayi, whose lecture was on: “Effective Utilization of Raw Materials: A Catalyst for Industrialisation in Nigeria,” noted that the problem of insecurity is a major hindrance to industrialisation.

The rising wave of armed insurgency, kidnapping, armed robbery and other antisocial behaviour discourage industrialisation and foreign investment,” the lecturer, who held his audience spell bound for almost two hours said, adding that to fast track rapid development and industrialisation, these challenges should be effectively tackled.

Lamenting the over-dependence of Nigeria’s economy on oil, the don advocated exploitation and exploration of other raw materials and minerals, which he said are abundantly available in the country.

According to him, raw materials that are critical in the industrialization process are readily available in the country.

Ajayi, who recalled how he carried out systematic studies and research on a number of mineral resources in the country, said the evaluation of the materials showed that they are of appreciable quantity and quality for the use of industries.

He, however, regretted that the exploration of these raw materials had remained skeletal due to the country heavy reliance on crude oil for foreign exchange earnings.

He said: “Exploitation of minerals such as bitumen holds great potential for the nation and this is highly concentrated in Ondo and Ogun States, and it portends business opportunities for national development.”

Speaking further, the don warned against smuggling and high taste for imported materials which he insisted are poisonous to the nation’s industrial drive.

“If smuggling is eradicated, taste for locally made materials will improve and potential investors will have opportunities,” he said.

On government’s plan to make Nigerian economy one of the best 20 economies in the world in 2020, the lecturer said vigorous pursuit of infrastructural development is the way out, adding that good network of roads and rails, energy supply, potable water, quality education, functional health institution, and comprehensive economic planning and execution must be put in place to foster development.

CAMPUS | EDUCATION 27

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

‘How Boko Haram redeployed me to Lagos’ INSECURITY

Several prospective corps members especially from the southern part of the country are afraid of being posted to the north for the compulsory one-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme following the rising wave of insecurity.

Victoria Ewoh

A

corps member has narrated how, the fear of Boko Haram, as people say, “is the beginning of wisdom,” made her seek redeployment to Lagos from the north, going by the spate of

insecurity especially in some parts of the federation, in which many lives and property worth several billions of naira have been lost.

Face with this fear, Yinka Bamidele, a graduate of Microbiology from Bowen University, Osun State, recounted how she had to redeploy from the north to Lagos State for her compulsory one year National Youth Service Commission (NYSC) scheme.

Following the insurgency and insecurity in the Northern part of the country, many would-be corps members and their parents have vowed not to accept any posting to the North East part of the country.

“Most corps members will rather not serve at all than go

Bamidele

to the north,” Bamidele, who was initially posted to the north for her youth service corps, said.

According to him, she had to seek redeployment to Lagos because of the insurgency in the northern part of the country.

It will be recalled how some corps members posted to the north from the Southern part of the country were killed by the Boko Haram members during their service year in 2009.

“Seeking redeployment was my only option, other options

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were life threatening and the North is not safe,” she said.

Bamidele, who lives Ikotun, a suburb of Lagos and undertakes her primary assignment at Ikotun Local Government Council, as a Laboratory Assistant in the Science Laboratory, is happy for being paid extra N5,000 by the council monthly.

The corps member said she was excited doing what she is doing at her place of her primary assignment, where she runs blood tests, documents information on patients’ state of health.

Still on her redeployment to Lagos, she said: "I often wondered why corps members should be posted to a place where there is insecurity. I cannot go to the north to server because I don't want to die now.

There are too many killings and the government is now providing answers to people’s safety in the face of rising wave of insecurity. No parent, if they have their way would allow their children or wards to serve in the north because the place is unsafe."

“Most of my friends and classmates also redeployed to other states because I am so sure that nobody wants to die after spending so much time in the university.”

Bamidele, who is currently learning how to make small chops snacks in order to train interested members of the community, said: “I am learning this because I want to train others how to make a living out of making small chops snacks.

“Though, I am paying to learn how to do this, when I am through with learning, I am going to train the people in the community free. I want to equip them with skills that will enable them to be selfemployed instead of living an idled life. This will be my service to the community,” she said.

Bamidele is not alone in this predicament.

Several other prospective corps members, especially from the southern part of the country, dread being posted to the northern part of the country for the one-year National Youth Service Corps for the fear of being killed or maimed by the Boko Haram Islamic sect.

In the last few years, many parents have continued to express disenchantment whenever their children are posted to the north, because of the high

level of insecurity in that part of the country.

Going by the rising cases of insecurity in the country and following the killing of some corps members in Jos in 2009, and in Bauchi in 2011, the call for the scrapping of the 41-year-old NYSC programme was heightened by some stakeholders who argued that the scheme had over lived its relevance.

During the post-election violence that erupted in Bauchi in 2011, no fewer than 11 corps members from the South were killed during the upheaval, while several others serving in the state were either raped or assaulted.

The killing of the corps members in 2009 and 2011 had not only been condemned, it had also been described as barbaric, even as the relevance of the scheme was challenged by stakeholders.

Some stakeholders said: “It is barbaric and primitive acts like the killing of corps members that make us, and indeed, most Nigerians, question the relevance of the NYSC in its present form. When we recall some of the hideous and intolerable treatment meted to corps members in their supposed host states and communities, we are being forced to question why the scheme should still be retained in its current format.

“When we try to quantify what it takes a Nigerian youth to pass through the stormy educational sector, we see no excuse to have them sent to places where they are martyred through frivolous guises and reasons. We know the pains and anxieties parents pass through to see their children and wards through schools.

We also know the enormous resources involved in training a child through school and we cannot reconcile this with the cheap and reckless manner lives of these promising youths are wasted just because they are forced to partake in a scheme that has, from all intents, outlived its usefulness.

Mr. Bada Adelanwa, who expressed worry over the 2009 and 2011 killing of corps members in some parts of the northern states, said if the government failed to provide adequate security in the country, he would not allow his children or wards to participate in the one-year programme.

“We must bear in mind that the brutal killing of some corps members in the violence that erupted in Jos in 2009 over the conduct of council elections in Plateau State. We must also bear in mind that there have been several cases of heartless mauling of serving youth corps members in some states, especially in the North and these have stretched the patience of those that are merely tolerating this scheme that makes very scant effort to protect Nigerian youths from all manners of man-made hazard during their period of service,” he said.

According to Bada, a legal practitioner, based in Lagos, the scheme should be scrapped in view of the level of insecurity of the country and predetermined attacks on the corps members who should have been protected.

28

EDUCATION | CAMPUS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Institute of Bankers lauds UNICAL management Appolos Christian

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Members of ENACTUS Club of the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic in a group photograph with participants of the empowerment seminar.

Club empowers community at seminar Dayo Ojerinde

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embers of the Entrepreneurship Action in Us (ENACTUS) Club of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ondo State, have organised free empowerment seminar for the people of Emure-Ile community, one of the host communities of the polytechnic.

The seminar was held at the Community Grammar School, Emure-Ile, which is a few minute-drive away from the polytechnic.

No fewer than 40 members of the community were

trained on how to produce detergents and other allied products, as well as strategies to market their produce and how to produce them in large scales.

The community members were trained on how to make liquid dish wash which was tagged ‘Rejuvenate and sparkle your kitchen utensils’, Disinfectant tagged ‘Kills germs’, Toilet wash ‘Restore your toilet hygiene’ and Active bleach ‘Get rid-off stain from white cloth’.

On the rationale behind the seminar, Joseph Adebowale, the ENACTUS team leader,

said: “We have a passion that if adequately harnessed could inspire others to act. We discovered innovations that will make people live a healthier life by enhancing their source of income towards a livelihood if properly harnessed.

We discovered a problem at Emure-Ile community and we offered to provide solution on how to solve it. We targeted the people of this community that live below one dollar per day and we decided that the best way to empower their men and women is to train them on what will help the community and boost their livelihood."

he Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) has expressed satisfaction over the level of development at the University of Calabar (UNICAL), as the institute restated its resolve to work owards the transformation of the institution.

The institute, which lauded the Vice-Chancellor, Prof.

James Epoke, during a courtesy visit to the Vice- Chancellor in his office, said in view of the developmental achievement, it would partner with the management in order to move the university to the next level.

The Chairman and President of the institute, Mr. Segun Aina, who led the institute’s team on the visit hinted that CIBN is looking beyond the presence towards a better and brighter future for prospective bankers, adding that while the university concentrates on providing training in the theoretical aspect of banking, the institute was poised to come up with some form of training that would impact the students with practical banking skills.

He noted that the CIBN is working towards ensuring that a professional training programme is incorporated into the university’s curricu-

UNIMAID students die in auto crash Isola Taiwo UNIMAID

he relative peace enjoyed Tguri, by the University of MaiduBorno State community

Mourners during late Olowo's burial

Tears as UNILORIN community buries campus journalist Muritala Hammed Unilorin

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he entire community of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) was on last Friday thrown into mourning over the tragic death of the Kwara State chapter of the President of the Union of Campus Journalists, Zakariyau Olowo.

Olowo, who was elected the president of the union few weeks ago, was said to have suffered kidney-related disease, and was billed to be flown abroad when he suddenly gave up the ghost at an Abuja hospital.

According to one of Olowo’s friends and National Coordinator of Brain Builders International, a student-focused non-

governmental organisation, Abideen Olasupo, the deceased, a 300 Level student of the Faculty of Law, was not only diligent but also peaceful and intelligent.

Olasupo, who claimed he was the chairman of the electoral committee that conducted the election that saw Olowo’s emergence as ACJ’s President, revealed that he had pledged to make judicious use of the mandate given to him, as well as attract national and international partnerships for the association.

Olowo’s friend, who had gone on the social media to announce the death, wrote: “Now, I wish everything would just end. To my readers and fans on social network, this is not what you should be reading today, but I

am sorry, I just have to pay this glowing tribute to a friend and a rare gem. Today is apparently the worst day of my life. If you find tears reading this, it is because this was written with the flow of my tears. My soul is in tatters. I have never felt so much pain like this. His life was an inspiration to many of his colleagues and friends.

“Until his death, Zakariyau Abiodun was a 300 Level Common and Islamic Law student and the newly elected president of the vibrant Union of Campus Journalists (UCJ), UNILORIN chapter. He was a member of Human Right Chambers of UNILORIN, an active member of Law Students’ Society, a devoted Muslim and currently the overall best student in his class.”

lum, stressing that this will offer additional qualification apart from the M.Sc Degrees.

According to him, this programme will put the students of the institution on edge over their contemporaries who after graduation might be required to do additional professional course(s) or programme.

Meanwhile, the President extended an invitation the university to attend a training workshop to be organised

by CIBN, which is expected to be hosted by the National Universities Commission (NUC) at the Abuja NUC headquarters.

He added that the workshop would be a forum for seasoned bankers to rub minds together with a view to moving the banking sector to the next level.

Responding, the Vice-Chancellor thanked the CIBN President and his team for the visit and for its kind gesture for the university’s participation at the proposed workshop.

Epoke assured his visitors of the university’s readiness to partner with the institute and any other organisations in order to churn out excellent graduates, even as he noted that every detail in the CIBN’s proposal for the required changes would be carefully studied.

was again shattered last week as the university community was thrown into mourning following the news of the death of eight students of the Department of Nursing Science who were on their way to Abuja for a national conference.

“Of the over 60 students that left Maiduguri for the National Conference of Christian Nursing Students in Abuja, eight died while five others sustained various degrees of injuries in the road accident which occured in Bauchi state”, the report said.

The students, joined by their counterparts from the Borno State School of Nursing were said to have left the state with excitement that fateful Wednesday morning in a convoy of three buses to attend this year’s edition of the Annual National Conference of Fellowship of Christian Nursing Students in Abuja.

Late Edward

The road accident was alleged to have occurred in Bauchi, claiming the lives of eight students including the President of the university’s chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Nursing Students, Edward Peter Mshelia, who led his colleagues on the trip.

It was gathered that the driver of one of the buses in which the students were traveling in lost control and in an attempt to avert a headon collision with an oncoming vehicle somersaulted several times before crashing into the bush with the eight students died immediately.

The news of their death was said to have shocked the entire university community and thrown it into moments of sober reflection as friends and classmates recounted their last moments with the diseased colleagues.

Mary James, a 300 Level Pharmacy student, recalled how one of deceased, Benita Wilson had told her she was travelling, saying: “I saw Benita that morning when she was leaving the hostel for the park.

She stopped over at my room to bid me goodbye and promised to be back by weekend.

The next thing I heard was that she was among those that died. I just wish it had not been her.”

Another student, Ruth Edet, a graduating Nursing student of the university said: “It saddens my heart that we have to lose our president. He was such a focused and courageous leader. He had been a blessing to the department.

His death is a big loss. The entire department and the association will feel the loss.”

INTERVIEW | EDUCATION 29

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

What is your assessment of the level of postgraduate development in the country?

Well, the level of postgraduate development in Nigeria university system is still far from what we could say is adequate in terms of quality and quantity. Let me stress here that the base of research for community development is the postgraduate school, but all we see in the country today in our university system in terms of research and general mandate of postgraduate school is research for academic degree.

But, to a large extent, this is unlike what obtains in Europe, America and other developed nations, where research is centred on their development.

However, this is one major area where Joseph Ayo Babalola University is making a difference. As the first entrepreneurial university in Nigeria we are doing a good marriage between the town and the gown. We do not only engage our postgraduate trainees in research but research works that are tailored towards solution to problems in the society. We have realised from onset that research component that is not geared towards solution to the problem of the country or foster the town and gown needs should not be considered as community research that could take the country to its promised land.

The National Universities Commission (NUC) few years ago issued a deadline for universities to ensure that the lecturers in the system acquire PhD. What has been the level of compliance?

Let me start by saying that despite the NUC’s deadline, the level of compliance is still very low. There are many factors responsible for this. First and foremost, the National Universities Commission seems not to be very serious about this pronouncement, they do more of talking than action. Secondly, there are some misfits in the university system; there are still those whose primary desire is to make money and who did not have genuine interest in academics. They are in academics and still engage in other businesses to make money. The precious time they ought to invest in research as one of the three core mandates of the university - teaching, research and community service - are used to pursue money.

These set of lecturers are one leg in academics and the other leg outside. And indeed, this is not healthy for the system, if the university is to contribute significantly to national development. In a similar vein, it is unfortunate to add here that u n ive r s i t y system encourages a l o t o f

Prof. Alo

Why postgraduate development still at low ebb, by JABU Dean Olubunmi Akinsanya Alo, is a Professor of Medical Sociology at the Department of Demography and Social Statistics at Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU), Ikeji-Arakeji, Osun State. Alo, the Dean, School of Postgraduate of the private university founded by the Christ Apostolic Church (C.A.C), in this interview with Education Editor, KAYODE OLANREWAJU, speaks about the development of postgraduate programme in the nation’s university system, its challenges and how the programme could be improved. insolence, especially among the members of academics. The rule is that when you come into the system as an assistant lecturer, within a stipulated time you must complete your Ph.D programme. Otherwise the system determines your appointment. How many universities have invoked this law? Some of the lecturers who taught me as an undergraduate still do not have Ph.D degree as I talk to you and they are not doing anything about it. Do not forget that not until recently some disciplines do not require a Ph.D to become a professor.

Not until all the stakeholders in the system rise up to their responsibilities, it is going to be business as usual.

Would you agree that the university system (public and private) has not been able to meet its postgraduate needs?

Of course, I quite agree with you. One of the challenges confronting the university system today is that universities, either vate public or prih av e not

been able to meet their postgraduate needs in the country.

This is part of the reasons for shortage of Ph.D holders in the country’s university system, and the low ebb of research development which is facing the nation. Some disciplines are particularly disadvantaged where qualified and willing applicants cannot be admitted because of shortage of manpower to train them. This is sometimes the case with Business Administration, Banking and Finance and Law among other disciplines in that category. The best hands in those areas often prefer private sector because of better remuneration.

What then are the challenges inhibiting the production of postgraduates, especially PhD? There are numerous challenges which required urgent attention if that sector is to be developed. These include inadequacy of manpower to train postgraduate students, shortage of trainable postgraduate students, lack of fund for research work, non-sensitivity on the part of government, complacency on the part of university administrators, and lack of infrastructure in the university system for their training. Like I said earlier, these challenges are so numerous. How can university system train postgraduates when there is shortage of professors to train or supervise postgraduate students, or when there is shortage of trainable postgraduate students.

These are the challenges facing the universities in production of doctoral students. Let us take a cursory

look at the availability of infrastructure in the system.

How many universities have regular power supply needed for the training of postgraduate students, or the enabling or conducive environment with laboratory equipment and facilities to train the students.

If we talk about lack or poor infrastructure, what of funds, do we have adequate funds to develop the system? These are challenges that should be addressed frontally in order for the system to move forward.

It was moved at a time that the Nigeria’ premier university, the University of Ibadan (UI) should be designated for postgraduate programme, what is your reaction?

Such suggestion was good and could be said to be welladvised. Let me stress here, the Postgraduate School of University of Ibadan is a very good one, but the school does not have the capacity to cater for all the postgraduate needs of the country. If all the undergraduate programmes are cancelled and converted to postgraduate programmes it will still not have the capacity. We should not also forget the fact that some private sectors also require postgraduate training. So, it will be difficult for the university, considering the postgraduate need of the country to meet such responsibility.

We must look at the number of universities in the country visà-vis their postgraduate needs.

What is your take on the quality of postgraduate programme in private universities?

Public and private universities are regulated by the same body; the National Universities Commission; and the Commission under its mandate will verify the resources available before the take-off of any postgraduate programme.

One of the challenges confronting the university system today is that universities, either public or private have not been able to meet their postgraduate needs in the country

The same body will come back for accreditation before the graduation of the students. In terms of quality, the quality is and should be better in the private universities, where there is no Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Union of Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) or any other workers’ or students’ union to disrupt the academic calendar in the institutions.

The trainees (postgraduate students) have the benefit of uninterrupted academic programme and research activities. Again, in private universities you earn your pay unlike the public universities where many things are taken for granted; where anything goes and where some supervisors are demi-gods to their supervisee. They can choose to ignore them for as long as they desire. On the part of the students the school fees is cheap enough for them to play with time. Let me quickly add that there are two categories of private universities in Nigeria; the faith-based and the other one set up as a business outfit where profit and loss account must be balanced on the profit side. You will remember the quality of education provided by the missionary schools in the good old days in Nigeria, that is the reference point for most faith-based universities in the country today, where quality of tuition, research and service delivery are more seriously and without compromise.

It has been discovered that some of the First Class graduates from some private universities are not doing well in their postgraduate programmes, especially in public universities. How will you react to this?

I have said it earlier that there are two categories of private universities in Nigeria (faith-based and those established by individuals or business organisations). I want to say without sounding immodest that this observation cannot be correct of the faith-based private universities in the country, considering the enabling environment with which we are operating. For instance, here at JABU, our First Class products are first class anywhere in the world. The management of the university does everything to retain them in the system, and sponsor them for postgraduate degree immediately they are out of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme; except when they have good reason to decline such offer. In fact, that tells you the extent of confidence we have in our First Class graduates. One of them recently came back from South Africa where he topped his Master’s class in Mass Communication.

Another one also came back not too long ago with in record time from United Kingdom, where she also topped her Master’s class in Economics. I can say with all confidence that Joseph Ayo Babalola University First Class graduates will proof their worth in any postgraduate school within and outside the country.

Though, I may not be able to say the same thing for the other category, because I don’t know what operates there.

30

EDUCATION

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Hard work is our watchword at Covenant Varsity, Oputa best graduand Mojeed Alabi

C

ontrary to insinuations that some private universities in the country are churning out too many First Class degrees, especially to lure parents for increased patronage, and that the graduates are not well-grounded, the best graduating student at the ninth convocation ceremony of the Covenant University (CU), Ota, an industrial community of Ogun State, Alma Jamachi Oputa, has debunked such claim, insisting that she worked hard for her First Class.

Oputa, who pointed out that her excellent result was not achieved on a platter of gold, but through the dint of hard work, said she was ready to compete with her counterparts from public universities any time.

According to the 20-year-old graduate of Computer Science, securing Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) 4.98 points, which earned her the award of the best graduating student ahead of other 1,333 graduating students, was a deserving victory having toiled fervently for the past few years.

Oputa had insisted that the discipline, stability and orderliness in the university encourage seriousness among the students, saying the university was so programmed that every second spent on the campus must be accounted for by the students.

In the breakdown of the results, the university produced 82 First Class graduates; 594 Second Class (Upper Division); 531 Second Class (Lower Division), and 127 Third Class with no student in Pass degree.

Explaining how she managed to cope, Oputa, who at-

tended Faith Academy, owned by the Living Faith Worldwide (aka Winners’ Chapel), also the proprietor of the university, for her secondary school education, dedicated the feat to God and her parents, who she said encouraged her to achieve excellence right from childhood.

She commended the management of the university, and more importantly, its Chancellor and Founder of the Living Faith Church Worldwide, Dr. David Oyedepo, for what she described as his uncommon leadership charisma and ability to groom future leaders.

She urged the Nigerian leaders to emulate the Bishop and build a culture of selflessness, integrity and spirituality that are required as ingredients for the survival of any country.

She said: “I find it incom-

prehensible when people say First Class degrees are freely given here. If I were to attend a public university and had the opportunity to be as dedicated as I was here, I might have performed better because at this university, you are either in the classroom or in the chapel.

There was hardly any moment for leisure, and the leadership training we were exposed to by the university is adequate to earn another degree.”

His father, Dr. Reginald Oputa, a medical doctor, who said he had wished his daughter studied Medicine to take after him, revealed that as his third child, she had exhibited excellence traits right from her childhood.

He said it is the responsibility of parents to identify their children’s areas of strength and weaknesses and guide them aright.

Oputa

Charting a path of cutting-edge research CO N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 2 1

Sciences have developed Grema Gum for the formulation of tablets and also demonstrated the value of mushroom in the management of sleeping sickness disease (Trypanosomiasis).

In the area of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), the Vice-Chancellor said the university is leading the pack in the country in Instructor Training Centre (ITC) and CISCO Academic Support for West and Central African English speaking countries.

"University of Jos is Peason Vue Testing Centre which allows us to administer certificate licensure examination for all professionals," he said.

However, stakeholders are advocating the establishment of well-funded research foundations, increased efforts on research and proper incentives for research-active academics in universities to reposition African universities, stimulate economic development and enhance productivity in the continent.

This was the main thrust of the West African Research and Innovation Management

Association (WARIMA) international conference and workshops held at the university.

With the theme: “Networking: A key to Advancing Research Management and Innovation,” Dr. John Kirkland of the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), United Kingdom, urged West Africa countries to focus on networking so as to play a leading role in driving the national and regional research agenda.

Kirkland, however, advocated four forms of networking which he said include "networking among universities to ensure that good practice is shared among member universities, networking with wider staff within the university to ensure that the role of research management is understood.

On the low ebb of research output in Africa, the President of WARIMA, Prof. Abel Olayinka, who insisted that research was essential to economic development, said any university that does not engage in quality research is "not different from a glorified secondary school".

Olayinka lamented the low

level of research output in West African universities in terms of the number of PhDs produced, article published, patents and consultancies, calling for an urgent change.

His words: "Many junior academics and researchers are saddled too early in their careers with administrative duties.

Grants and proposal writing skills are very poor thus making it difficult for researchers to compete for major international grants.

"Direct funding for research from the government has been grossly inadequate, poor research culture in departments, lack of clearly articulated research priorities, ageing staff, brain-drain, obsolete and inadequate facilities, among other factors, contribute to low quality of research in the sub region".

However, expert and researchers wondered that there is an obvious disconnect between research findings and their application by relevant bodies, calling on the universities to lay more emphasis on relevant research which will be applicable in industries.

EDUPEACE

with Mahfouz A. Adedimeji (08066372516, sms only)

Hang on to your hope

T

he world is in a bad state with the horrifying news that always dominates our airwaves. Every day, we are regaled with details of nerve-wrenching atrocities bordering on human inhumanity. The global situation is chaotic, messy and bloody.

In Nigeria, the evil genie has escaped from the bottle and we live in fear, the fear of ourselves. Our days are dangerous and our nights are nightmarish. Death is cheap and disaster always looms. We live to die, from dangerous roads to ritualists and all kinds of gunmen baying for blood.

Atukwei Okai’s poem, “Sunset Sonata”, continues to be relevant and decades after it was composed, it still reflects our situation with grim pungency: "For a hundred hells Hunt for the human heart While a billion Blows bang upon its door, And unpitying paws Pounce forth from every part Till cruel cries Cake up at its very core."

However, we need to hang on to our hope, as E. B. White once counseled, because education is meaningless without hope, the feeling that tomorrow will be better. Hope is the conviction that every cloud has a silver lining and that every adversity has an inherent component of equivalent or equal benefit.

In his “Keep Hope Alive”, an address he delivered at the Leadership Summit of the students of his university on March 20, 2013, the ViceChancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Abdul Ganiyu Ambali, said Nigeria would be better and I share his optimism: “Despite the challenges in high cost of living, poor public services, corruption in the larger society, depletion of the ranks of the role models, youth unemployment and socio-political dislocations and their aftermath in crime and criminal behaviour, the message I have for our students is simple: keep hope alive… Nigeria will be better and the future is bright, believe it,” he said.

One indication that Nigeria will truly be better emerged after the keenly-contested Ekiti governorship election held last weekend (June 21, 2014). In a manner that appeared atypical of a Nigerian politician, the incumbent Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, a man of great learning, conceded defeat and congratulated his rival and Governor-elect, Mr. Ayodele Fayose.

“I have just spoken with my brother, Mr. Peter Ayodele

We can only hope that these same traits will enable him to claw his way out Fayose, congratulating him on his victory. In a few hours from now, I would be meeting the Governor-elect to discuss the future of our dear state and how we would work together to institute a smooth transition programme. It has been a hard-fought election…

Despite our diverse party affiliations and regardless of which way we voted on Saturday, we must all remember that we are all sons and daughters of Ekiti State. Ekiti is ours to build together,” the Governor said after the declaration of the result.

Nigerians should be educated; Dr. Fayemi has shown real education. Nigerians should be hopeful; Dr. Fayemi has demonstrated that our hope for a better country will soon become a reality.

The words of E. B. White to comfort a man who had lost hope in humanity: should serve our purpose: “As long as there is one upright man, as long as there is one compassionate woman, the contagion may spread and the scene is not desolate. Hope is the thing that is left to us in a bad time. I shall get up Sunday morning and wind the clock, as a contribution to order and steadfastness.

“Sailors have an expression about the weather: they say, the weather is a great bluffer.

I guess the same is true of our human society – things can look dark, then a break shows in the clouds, and all is changed, sometimes rather suddenly. It is quite obvious that the human race has made a queer mess of life on this planet. But as a people we probably habour seeds of goodness that have lain for a long time waiting to sprout when the conditions are right.

Man’s curiosity, his relentlessness, his inventiveness, his ingenuity have led him into deep trouble. We can only hope that these same traits will enable him to claw his way out.

“Hang on to your hat. Hang on to your hope. And wind up the clock, for tomorrow is another day.” Nigeria's tomorrow will certainly be better than today. l Dr Adedimeji is a Senior Lecturer and Director, Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, Unilorin.

FEEDBACK

Re: Let LASU students laugh last

Sir, Good to read your candid opinion and advice to our amiable Governor Fashola on the LASU issue. You hit the nail on the head. I pray he heed the wise counsel but my opinion is that most of our politicians are detached from the reality on ground while there… Have a lovely day and may your writing ink never run dry. – Barrister Maduka, Lagos

BUSINESS Wednesday, July 2, 2014

What's news Banks lack maritime knowledge says expert Rector of the College of Maritime Transport Management and Technology (COMAT), Dr Alex Okwuashi, has said that Nigerian banks lacked maritime domain awareness and shipping markets.

}p-32

Group faults ATSSAN’s threat to shut airspace Threat by members of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) to disrupt air transport operations based on the inability of the Federal Government to appoint a substantive Director-General for the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has been likened to hostage taking.

}p-32

FG earned N2.3trn from VAT in five years The Federal Government has earned about N2.3 trillion from Value Added Tax (VAT) between 2007 and 2011, the new Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) audit report has revealed.

}p-33

Furore over plan to delist 21 firms It is an acknowledged fact world over, that listing is a process by which public companies become members of a relevant stock exchange for the purpose of offering their shares to the investing public.

}p-36

BUSINESS CREW AYODELE AMINU, Deputy Editor (Business) Simeon Ogoegbulem, Dep. Business Editor BAYO AKOMOLAFE, Asst. Editor (Maritime) SUNDAY OJEME, Asst. Editor (Insurance) SIAKA MOMOH, Asst. Editor (Industry/Agric) Godson ikoro , Asst. Editor (Money Market) JONAH IBOMA, ICT Editor DAYO ADEYEMI, Property Editor ADEOLA YUSUF, Energy Editor

INSECURITY The security at oil and gas jetties is below the standard recommended

by International Ships and Ports Facility Security (ISPS) Code

Bayo Akomolafe

N

o fewer than 105 oil jetties and facilities have been marked “unsafe” in Nigeria.

It was learnt that the level of their non-compliance with the International Ships and Ports Facility Security (ISPS) Code was high.

But the United States Coast Guard has given pass mark to 22 port terminals and facilities for fully complying with the ISPS code.

According to the US Coast Guards, 25 of the “unsafe” jetties are in Delta State. They include Daewoo Jetty, Chevron/ Taxaco Jetty, DBN Jetty, Elf Jetty, Shell PDC Jetty, Globes Star Jetty, NWDM Jetty, Tidex Jetty, IWD Jetty, Shoreline jetty and Hercules Offshore Hall Jetty. Also included are Hyundai Jetty, Seatruck Jetty, Futeb Jetty, Olowo Jetty, Ocan Jetty, Dufan Jetty, Four Star Marine Jetty, B J Services Jetty, NBTC Jetty, DSC Jetty, Acro jetty, and NAOC Jetty.

Also classified as “unsafe” are some jetties in Calabar.

They are MC Iver Jetty, Calcemo Jetty, Addax Jetty, NNPC Jetty and QIT Jetty in Eket.

MORE REVENUE Unending crisis in volatile Iraqi region boosts Nigeria's revenue Sunday Ojeme

with agency report

T

he Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) crude production climbed for a second month in June as gains in Saudi Arabia and Nigeria made up for the loss of Iraqi barrels, a Bloomberg survey showed.

Production by the 12-member OPEC rose by 278,000 barrels a day to 30.223 million, according to the survey of oil

31 NEW TELEGRAPH

www.newtelegraphonline.com/business

‘Privatising BOA negates Agricultural Transformation Agenda' }p-35

ayodele aminu, Deputy Editor, business

ayodele.aminu@newtelegraphonline.com ayodeleaminu@yahoo.com

105 Nigeria oil jetties unsafe, says US In Lagos, among the 58 “unsafe” jetties identified by the US Coast guard are Niger Dock jetty, Intercontinental Fishing Jetty, Allison Fisheries Jetty, Ocean Fisheries, Dantata Jetty, Standard Flour Jetty, all in Tin Can; Lister Flour Jetty, Osad-

jere Fishing Jetty, Eurafic oil Jetty, Seagold Fishing Jetty, Ibru Jetty, Port & Marine Service Jetty and Nido Gas Jetty.

Atlas Cove Jetty, Nispan Jetty (Folawiyo Energy) and Petroleum Wharf Apapa (PWA) jetty.

Others are New Oil Jetty

(NOJ), Fishery Wharf(Waziri Jetty), Bulk Oil Plant (BOP) jetty, Julius Berger jetty, Single Bouy Mooring (SBM) jetty, Emsee jetty, Contrans jetty, Adsejere Jetty and Ijora Coal Wharf CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

L-R: Managing Director/ CEO, Tantalizers Plc, Mrs. Abosede Ayeni; Vice Chairman, Mr. Mofoluso Ayeni and Chairman, Dr. Jaiye Oyedotun, during the company’s Annual General Meeting in Lagos.

OPEC output rises as Nigeria, S’Arabia fill in for Iraq loss companies, producers and analysts. Last month’s total was revised 43,000 barrels a day lower to 29.945 million because of changes to the Kuwaiti, Libyan and Ecuadorian estimates.

Nigeria’s production rose 200,000 barrels a day to 2.15 million in June, the second-biggest gain in the survey. It was the highest output since September. Output figures for Africa’s biggest producer are volatile because of unrest and theft in the Niger River Delta, the main oil-producing region.

Violence flared in Iraq, OPEC’s second-biggest producer, this month, as a militant group seized Mosul, the country’s biggest northern city, and advanced south toward Baghdad. Fears that the upsurge may ignite a civil war sent prices higher.

“There was panic when the first headlines came from Iraq,” said Bob Yawger, director of the futures division at Mizuho Securities USA Inc. in New York.

“There may have been an overreaction elsewhere. Things

have stabilised and it doesn’t appear that all of those additional barrels will be needed.”

Brent crude for August settlement slipped $1.02, or 0.9 per cent, to $112.28 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange at 1:10 p.m. in New York. Brent, the benchmark grade for over half the world’s oil, reached $115.71 on June 19, the highest since Sept.

9. West Texas Intermediate oil fell 91 cents, or 0.9 per cent, to CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

WOLE SHADARE, Aviation Editor DELE ALAO, Brands/Marketing Editor CHRIS UGWU, Capital Market Editor Abdulwahab Isa, Finance Editor Chuks Onuanyin, Energy Nnamdi Amadi, Reporter JOHNSON ADEBAYO, Asst. Production Editor

Rates Dashboard INFLATION RATE April 2014...............................7.9% March 2014............................7.8% Feburary 2014 ........................7.7%

LENDING RATE

EXCHANGE RATE

(Parellel As at June 26)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N167.50 InterBank Rate . . . . . . . . . 10.50% Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N284 Prime Lending Rate. . . . . 16.93% Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N227.50 Maximum Lending Rate..25.83% • External reserves US$ 37.27 billion as at 26/6/14

EXCHANGE RATE

(Official As at June 26)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N155.73 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N265.21 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N211.95 Source: CBN

32 business | NEWS RELUCTANCE Thousands of investment opportunities in the maritime industry yet to be explored and financed by banks Bayo Akomolafe

R

ector of the College of Maritime Transport Management and Technology (COMAT), Dr Alex Okwuashi, has said that Nigerian banks lacked maritime domain awareness and shipping markets.

He explained that there are about 7,500 investment opportunities in the country’s maritime sector which has not been tapped and financed by banks.

Okwuashi stressed that fund was the major constrain militating against small businesses in the sector, adding that banks were averse to maritime businesses because of the risk involved.

He noted that the business of import and export was not the only opportunity in the sector.

The rector explained: “They think maritime is confined to import and export, but there are 7,500 business opportunities within the maritime that can be

Sanctity of Truth

Banks lack maritime knowledge says expert funded by banks at small scale levels where they can get quick returns on their investments.”

The rector wondered why banks should set up hurdles for the local ship owners to access the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) put in their custody by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

He rhetorically asked what the fund is doing with the banks when it is impossible for stakeholders to access it, alleging that the money was running into billions of naira, adding that the stakeholders who are supposed to benefit from the fund were not happy with how they were being dribbled by banks.

Under the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) guideline, NIMASA will contribute 55 per cent of the total application of a particular applicant company; the banks will contribute 35 per cent while the applicant company will contribute 15 per cent.

L-R: Executive Director, Finance and Investment, Lagos State Pension Commission (LASPEC), Dr. Adekunle Wright; Chairman, Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Establishments, Training and Pensions, Mrs. Omowunmi Olatunji-Edet and Director General, LASPEC, Mr. Rotimi Hussain, during the Presentation of Retirement Bond Certificates to Lagos State retired civil servants in Lagos.

PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE

Group faults ATSSAN’s threat to shut airspace BLACKMAIL There are very many important issues that needed to be addressed, especially agencies mergers Wole Shadare

T

hreat by members of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) to disrupt air transport operations based on the inability of the Federal Government to appoint a substantive Director-General for the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has been likened to hostage taking.

President of Aviation Network International (ANI), Mr. Thompson Obafemi, said that the action would not serve the best interest of the industry or its stakeholders, further describing it as unprincipled.

Speaking during the inauguration of the body at the weekend, Obafemi said that such calls by ATSSSAN as a result of the non-confirmation of the DG-designate for NCAA by the Senate, was not in the interest of the aviation industry in particular and the nation in general, and called on the body to contribute meaningfully to the development of the industry.

According to Obafemi, the union’s role in a civil society is not to usurp the responsibil-

ity of elected leaders by unfairly twisting government’s arms to dictate implementation of policies or functions.

He added that every president in the civilized world has the prerogative of when to nominate and submit the name of the executive officer-nominee to the legislatures for confirmation.

Obafemi also said that once in the legislature’s domain, they too reserve the right to delay, deny or approve confirmation of relevant executive officers, and warned that unions have no business in such process.

“There’s no vacuum caused by having an acting DG in place in NCAA. In fact, the acting DG, Benedict Adeyileka, is a consummate and accomplished professional, with vast multi-jurisdictional international experience of the industry, well respected by his peers and operators, and has brought stability in regulating the sector.

“The Nigeria Civil Aviation Act 2006, stipulates that a Director General be appointed, and does not distinguish whether in acting or substantive capacity. The significant purpose of confirming the DG is for qualification screening and ensuring tenure in the position.

“So long as the acting DG is qualified and experienced to perform the functions, the fact of his non-confirmation adds nothing significant to the job of ensuring safety of air transport or confer any

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

added legality or legitimacy to the authority’s processes,” he said.

Obafemi explained that the assertion that several legal and vital documents and activities were being performed that might become issues of contention and litigations in future, was a disingenuous and untrue statement, stressing that if the union was the protector of the Act, how come it was silent when Capt.

Fola Akinkuotu’s tenure was cut short for no just cause.

He said that there were very many important issues that needed to be addressed, especially as the government has not made its decision regarding the Agencies’ merger issues.

While commending the management team of NCAA led by Adeyileka for steering the agency so far, he called on the Federal Government to ensure that the on-going airport projects across the country were completed on schedule.

Nigeria, S’Arabia fill in for Iraq loss C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 3 1

$104.83 on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Iraqi production tumbled 400,000 barrels a day to 2.9 million this month, according to the survey. It was the biggest drop in June and left the country pumping the least oil since September.

The fighting hasn’t spread to southern Iraq, home to about three-quarters of the nation’s oil output.

The production cuts occurred in the north where the pipeline from Kirkuk to Ceyhan on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast has been shut since March because of sabotage. The missing output would have supplied Iraqi needs. The Baiji refinery, Iraq’s biggest with a 310,000 barrel-a-day capacity, has been closed since militants first attacked it on June 15.

“It looks like Iraq will continue to pump between 2.5 and 3 million barrels a day as long as the situation doesn’t get a lot uglier,” Yawger said. “The missing oil was mostly meant for domestic use anyway.”

Saudi Arabia, the group’s

biggest producer, boosted output by 230,000 barrels a day to 9.9 million. That was the highest level since September, when the desert kingdom pumped 10 million barrels a day, the most in monthly data going back to 1989.

Fuel consumption in the Arabian peninsula peaks in the summer months, when high temperatures lead to increased use of air conditioners.

“They usually produce more in the summer to directly burn for electricity that’s needed for air conditioning,” said Mike Wittner, the head of oil market research at Societe Generale SA in New York. “I also expect them to keep increasing production to meet global demand.”

Saudi Arabia is pumping additional oil for storage to keep the market comfortable about supply. The country holds 2.6 million barrels a day of spare crude production capacity, according to Bloomberg data.

“We are going to see new records from the Saudis in the months ahead,” Wittner said.

“They will have to pump at least 10.2 million barrels a day or more in the third quarter.

105 Nigeria oil jetties unsafe, says US C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 3 1

Jetty, Bakare Adewale Jetty and Tilla Fisheries Jetty.

Jetties in Ajah, where Julius Berger also had another jetty, were not also spared. Dolphin Fisheries Jetty and Dee Jones Jetty were also marked “unsafe.”

Along the Novo creek, there is also Obat Jetty and Commodore Pool jetty while Paradise Jetty

is along the Five Cowrie Creek.

In Port Harcourt are Willbros Jetty in Choba, Tidex Jetty in Ogbogoro, Ajip Jetty in lwofe, Nissco Jetty, Grinkar Jetty, Adamac Jetty, Kent Resources Jetty, Haastrup/Eagle Bulk Cement Jetty, Nepturn Jetty and Saipem Jetty all in Rumuolumeni.

At Onne are Adamac Jetty, Wad Jetty, Starx Jetty, Wact Jetty, Dangote Jetty, and Atlas

Cement Jetty. Bonny hosts Mof Jetty, Tskj Jetty, Shell Slot jetty and Brt jetty.

According to a recent diplomatic note signed on behalf of the Department of Homeland Security by the Deputy Commandant for Operations of the United States Coast Guard, Vice Admiral Peter V. Neffenger, the petroleum loading and off-loading facilities fell below acceptable standard.

33

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

FG earned N2.3trn from VAT in five years • N26.9bn from solid minerals in 2011 James Nwabueze Abuja

T

he Federal Government has earned about N2.3 trillion from Value Added Tax (VAT) between 2007 and 2011, the new Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) audit report has revealed.

The report tagged: “Fiscal Allocation and Statutory Disbursement (FASD) audit report” which was made public recently along with the 2011 Solid Minerals Industry Report in Abuja, also revealed that gov-

ernment earned N26.9bn from solid minerals in 2011 alone.

NEITI’s Executive Secretary, Mrs Zaina Ahmed, said that 87 companies participated in the audit based on the materiality level of N1 million.

She said that the report also showed that Nigeria exported a total of 7.12 metric tons of solid minerals valued at N11.9 billion during the period under review.

The executive secretary said that the key findings of the report showed that the N33.1 million represented the difference between what the companies paid in taxes, lev-

ies, royalty and what government actually received.

She said that a review of the Central Bank of Nigeria and Nigeria Customs Service records on exported mineral showed that there were discrepancies in the value of exported minerals and the associated companies.

She said: “From the report, total revenue received by the Federal Government increased significantly in 2011 as compared to previous years.

“This was attributed to the awareness created from the last audit cycle by NEITI and increasing attention paid by

government to solid minerals industry,” she said.

Mrs Ahmed said that the report also observed that there was poor synergy between the various government agencies.

These, according to her, were the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, CBN, NCS, Nigeria Export Promotion Council and Mining Cadastral Office.

She said that despite the fact that Gold and Barite were mined across the nation, there were no records of any royalty or similar payments.

According to her, the report recommends urgent need to check the incessant smuggling of solid minerals products out of the country.

She decried the deliberate creation of border markets at

strategic border points across the country for the smuggling of solid minerals.

Mrs Ahmed said that the report also called for the establishment of International Standards Organisation certification in each of the six geo-political zones of the country for the purpose of analysing minerals extracted or discovered.

She said that the report was to establish and make public the revenue flows through investment among the major players in the solid mineral sector.

The NEITI boss said that the audit was to track solid minerals sector funds collected by the various government agencies to the federation account and how they were distributed and applied.

SMEDAN, UNDP unite for women entrepreneurs Nnamdi Amadi Abuja

Small and Medium EnterTof heprises Development Agency Nigeria (SMEDAN) and the

L-R: Guest Speaker and Director General, Bureau of Public Enterprises, Mr. Benjamin Dikki; Chairman of the occasion, Mallam Yunus Ustaz Usman, SAN and President, Just Friends Club of Nigeria, Mr. Jerome Green-Amakwe, at the maiden Just Friends Club of Nigeria annual lecture held on June 27, 2014 in Abuja

Poor facilities: Federal Staff Housing Loans Board under fire Abdulwahab Isa and Kenneth Tyohemba

A

deluge of complaints have continued to trail the quality of houses being delivered by the developers handling federal staff mass housing scheme under the supervision of the Federal Staff Housing Loans Board.

A protest letter by the chairman of one of the estates addressed to the Executive Secretary, Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board, Dr Hannatu Fika, a copy of which was obtained by New Telegraph, cited lack of adequate water, poorly finished access roads, and use of inferior house fittings as making living unpleasant at Ebele Okeke Estate Housing in Lugbe, Abuja.

The estate which has over 100 flats was constructed by C2Q Holdings Nigeria Limited in 2012.

Dated May 17, 2013, signed by the Chairman, Resident Association of Ebele Okeke Housing

Estate Lugbe, Mr. Alfred Ajuwa, the letter drew attention to the infrastructural challenges in the estate despite payment of varying infrastructures fees by the over 100 tenants.

For instance, a three bedroom apartment costs N4.5 million and an additional N1 million infrastructure making it a total of N5.6 million to be paid by government on behalf of a civil servant while developer paid N3.1 million bringing the total for a three-bedroom flat at the estate to N8.7 million.

Also, a two-bedroom flat goes for N4.5 million in addition to N750,000 infrastructure fees while developer paid N1.2 million, bringing the total cost to N6,450 million.

A tenant occupying a threebedroom apartment in the estate told New Telegraph that the residents have written several letters to Dr. Hannatu, drawing her attention to the shoddy execution of job by the developer without response.

“The loan’s board must live

up to its responsibility by ensuring that there is quality delivery of work on their projects. They should stop compromising on their work. Federal Government is out to ensure it gives succour to civil servants by ensuring that they have good place to stay. We are demanding that the contractor should come and complete his work. We are not talking of access road too.

Our case cannot be compared to Ama Pepple Housing Estate along airport road. The contractor did a good work why is ours different? The perimeter fencing has not reached its height.

We have talked to no avail and he has abandoned work,” said one of the estate occupants.

Speaking with New Telegraph, Head, Press and Public Relations unit of Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board, Mr Akinwale Adegbola, absolved his agency of any blame in the execution of the project, insisting that the choice of developer lies on off-takers and not the loans board.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are poised to address the challenges militating against the optimal performance of women-owned enterprises in Nigeria.

To this end, over 80 women drawn from cooperative societies across the six geo-political zones have undergone a oneday entrepreneurship sensitisation programme in Minna, Niger State.

Declaring the programme open, the Director General of SMEDAN, Alhaji Bature Umar Masari, said that the training was part of Federal Government’s collaborative efforts to empower micro, small and medium enterprises in creating job and wealth towards alleviating poverty.

Masari who was represented by the agency’s Head of Enterprises Department Mrs. Justine David said that the participants are beneficiaries of the UNDP’s livelihoods and youth empowerment project for 2014.

The Director General said that the programme which is a partnership between UNDP, SMEDAN and the Federal Ministry of Youth Development was designed to cover general entrepreneurship endeavours with special emphasis on women owned co-operative societies, adding that it was the first leg of a four-component project that includes entrepreneurship training, vocational retraining and Business Development Service (BDS) delivery.

Masari also added that the training would focus on challenges facing women entrepreneurs such as gender discrimination, sourcing for information, machinery and raw materials and establishment of business linkages with large enterprises.

EMAB Bomb blast: Complex yet to open for business Kenneth Tyohemba Abuja

week after the bomb blast Oin neatthethe popular EMAB Plaza Wuse II District of Abuja, the shopping complex remains under lock and key.

No fewer than 24 people including Mallam Sulieman Bisalla, Managing Editor (North) of New Telegraph were killed in the blast.

Business activities at the ever-busy Aminu Kano Crescent have been halted as Emab Plaza, which was directly hit by the blast has been indefinitely sealed by security operatives.

Also, a section of Aminu Kano Crescent where Emab is situated is also blocked by

security operatives as many business owners and customers have avoided the city’s business hub.

Other business centres close to Emab have also been affected.

Among them are Banex Plaza, Zenith and MainStreet banks, Sharif Plaza, Berger Paint Plaza and Park N Shop Supermarket.

Others are Tantalizers, Every Day Supermarket, Drumstix, Samsung House and Pechez Hotel.

Meanwhile, business owners in and around the area have been counting their losses. A communication gadgets seller at Kenvalli shop in Banex Plaza said that it is no longer business as usual at Emab and other neighbouring plazas since the Emab bomb blast.

34

FCT | BUSINESS WATCH

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

FMBN, Police partner for 1,000 housing units Abdulwahab Isa Abuja

A

s a sequel to the revelation that Nigeria has over 17 million housing deficit, key players in the housing sector have long put on their thinking caps with a view to strategising and bridging the gap.

Notably, one of the strategies being adopted to increase housing access by Nigerians is the Public Private Partnership (PPP). Already, key drivers of housing policy such as the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) has latched onto the PPP strategy as a means of providing affordable mass housing for Nigerians, especially civil servants engaged by the three tiers of government.

It is on record that a sizable number of Nigerian civil servants have benefited from FMBN PPP housing initiative.

And to replicate the efficacy of PPP model in housing delivery, authorities at FMBN have expanded it to the officers of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF). It is expected that officers and men of other paramilitary agencies are to soon follow.

Through the FMBN PPP initiative, government, last month, commissioned and delivered 1,000 housing estate named after one of the former inspector-generals of police, Sunday Adewusi.

The estate is located in Dakwa area of Abuja. The estate built to enhance the living standard of officers and men of the Police Force consists of three, two and one bedroom housing units.

President Goodluck jonathan who was represented at the occasion by his vice, Namadi Sambo, said that with the commissioning of Dakwa Housing Estate, the Police Force had so far commissioned 2000 housing units.

“This occasion is significant because it shows the commitment of the police authorities towards the overall welfare and the provision of affordable houses on owner-occupier basis.

“It is instructive and commendable to note that these 1000 units of three, two and one bedroom houses at Dakwa, Abuja, were developed through public private partnership between a reputable developer and the police cooperative limited which financed the project. The good thing about 1000 Dakwa housing estate revolves around effective payment mechanism.

The officers and men of the NPF are to acquire the houses through the National Housing Fund loans. Already, the police authorities have accessed the NHF being managed by FMBN. Commenting on PPP efficacy as one of the reliable mechanisms of delivering affordable housing, Sambo said that government will leverage on its quest to deliver housing needs of most Nigerians.

He said: “Let me reinstate that both the public private partnership development model and attention to practical model through financing initiatives are key pillars in the transformation agenda of this administration. Today, these houses have been delivered at the lowest cost, which is made possible through equity contribution of relevant stakeholders.

“I am proud to say that the present leadership of the Police Force has been focused on the balance development of all aspects of policing. It is encouraging that the Nigeria Police Force has built 2,000 housing units in the last two years.

Only recently, President Goodluck Jonathan commissioned the first modern police housing estate named after him in Lagos.

The president commended the ini-

Jonathan

Managing Director, FMBN, Kimba Ya’u Kumo

tiative of the Nigeria Police in collaboration with the Federal Mortgage Bank (FMBN) to provide affordable housing for its officers and also reiterated the commitment of his administration to provide affordable housing for Nigerians. The estate, named “Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Police Housing Estate,” comprises 200 units of 3-bedroom flats.

It was built under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) scheme financed by Aso Housing and Loans and developed

by Remax developers.

Speaking at the occasion which attracted dignitaries and stakeholders in housing sector, Managing Director of FMBN, Kimba Ya’u Kumo, commended the president on his commitment to ensuring that the current housing deficit which now stands at 17 million is reduced drastically in the nearest possible time.

He said the that National Housing Fund (NHF) collection has improved by over 500 per cent while greater transparency has been brought to bear on its disbursement.

“The NHF e-Card being launched today is a huge step forward in delivering the advantages of speed, accuracy, transparency, accountability and superior customer experiences to NHF contributors. Mr President would be pleased to know that we have begun

to harvest the benefits of the NHF e-Collection Platform, especially in the volume of NHF collections. For instance, the rate of NHF collections rose significantly from about N700 million to over N2.2 billion per month. We estimate a further 100 per cent increase in monthly collections to achieve about N4 billion per month before the end of Year 2014,” he said.

“The bank in June 2013 launched the NHF e-Collection Platform to ensure proper record-keeping, transparency and accountability for NHF collections.

The platform prevents violation of the NHF Act and unlawful practices by

Key drivers of housing policy such as the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) has latched onto the PPP strategy as a means of providing affordable mass housing for Nigerians especially civil servants

employers who fail to effect statutory deductions, remit deductions to the FMBN or provide remittance schedules by which contributors’ monies are easily misappropriated.

Speaking on the estate, he disclosed that it covered a land mass of 11.9 hectares comprising a total of 270 housing units of 144 units of 2-bedroom flats, 50 units of 3-bedroom semi-detached bungalows and 76 units of 3-bedroom detached bungalows.

The FMBN boss said that the bank was advancing concessionary mortgages to NHF contributors at 6 per cent interest rate in line with government’s directive for a single-digit interest rate regime under the present administration’s programme of easy access and cheap housing finance to low-income earners.

He said that FMBN has approved mortgage loans to 171 NHF contributors to the tune of N1.4 billion, out of which about 20 beneficiaries are occupying their houses just as mortgage loans for the remaining 99 units are being processed and would be concluded shortly.

In a remark by the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, he said that the housing units, which would be made available for different cadres of police officers was completed over a period of eight months.

Abubakar who did not divulge the exact cost of building the estate declared that each flat would be given out to interested police officers for N8 million, while each buyer would be expected to repay through a mortgage scheme made available by FMBN. Similar estates, he said, are currently being built in other parts of the country including Abuja, Kaduna and Kano.

However, the police boss admitted that lack of housing is one of the major challenges faced by police officers and their families all over the country.

Indeed, Nigeria could bridge the 17 million housing gap by exploring the PPP alternative in the housing sector.

Aside the fact that it removes financial burden from government, the huge NHF domiciled with FMBN is a cashcow readily available as equity contribution by the civil servants or private contributors.

FCT | BUSINESS WATCH 35

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

‘Privatising BOA negates Agricultural Transformation Agenda' Mallam Abubakar Aliyu is a former Director in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and a chieftain of the Congress for Progress Change (CPC).

He is currently a Director in Gora Projects Limited, a private company. In this interaction with select journalists, Aliyu faults government’s plans to privatise Bank of Agriculture. The late SULEIMAN BISALLA and SIMEON OGOEGBULEM were there. Excerpts: What is your take on the recent announcement by govwill want a guarantee and they are more comforternment to privatise Bank of Agriculture (BOA) and Bank able with government institutions than with priof Industry (BOI)? vate which may not secure government cover and The Bank of Agriculture (BOA) and the Bank of guarantee.

So, there are two issues now - comfort for access Industry (BOI) are special purpose institutions for lending to small scale farmers generally, and for of offshore funds, and then the fact that the interest Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (SMEs). They rate from the offshore is even lower. So why are they were deliberately established to provide soft funds for privatizing it? Their argument still doesn’t hold. the farmer in the sense that it will come at one digit interest rate to them. It is also meant to encourage There is this notion that government wants to replicate farmers to improve their productivity; it also meant the successes of power sector privatisation in these for the agricultural sector to really support the grow- two DFIs? ing industries and support the realisation of food• Ixxx Well, the only guarantee that will be useful in a security and actually support the economy. bank is the guarantee coming from government.

Now, privatising these two special institutions is You cannot equate the privatisation of the power like negating the objectives of establishing them in sector with privatising the agricultural bank. Of the first place. We know that agriculture, for example, course the agricultural sector is privatised, but the is the one that provides over 40 per cent of the GDP, institution that is supporting the structure in terms and over 70 per cent of industries in Nigeria today of soft funding for it to grow is what we are talking are agro-based. about and which they are trying to privatise. That Nobody in his right sense of mind will put his argument does not hold at all and the argument also money to buy the capital in these two banks and give that if you privatise the lending institutions, you will out loans at less than the opportunity cost of the have enhanced lending facility and easier lending is capital. It is not possible because if you are investing only fool-hardy. your money, you have to reap at least at the prevailing interest rate. So, it is definitely a negation of the You picked holes in the Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES), how can government restructure it to deliver? objectives of setting up these institutions.

I feel very bad that government is mulling the idea It is a very difficult thing. Ordinarily, it is just like of privatising these banks. As a farmer and as some- the petroleum sector and if you continue to subsidise one who wants to support the small-scale industries, the petroleum sector, you will never get it right beI feel it is a contradiction of the so-called transforma- cause you will never get the prices uniformly all over tion agenda. I am advocating that people should not the country even if you are subsidising. The subsidy go into buying them because really, nobody can put that is being provided does not translate or reach his hard earned money in an institution which can- the beneficiary and this is one of the fundamental not provide good returns on his investment. No gov- problems. There are so many areas where governernment worth its salt will allow farmers, especially ment can support the sector in terms of marketing small-scale and SMEs, to take loans at economic rate. and in pricing of the produce. Government must therefore find more creative ways of supporting Is the move by government not running counter to its the sector so as to benefit the farmers. For instance, transformation agenda especially in agriculture? government should come up with a price guarantee The way I see the transformation agenda that system for the farmers’ produce. Government should they have been talking about is that they want to see also provide quality assurance, which would ensure farming as a business and no more as a development that agricultural inputs are handed over to farmers’ process. Yes, agreed, but the numerous farmers that organisations, cooperative associations and down to produce food, fiber and raw materials for this coun- the grassroots. try, over 70 per cent of them are small-scale farmers.

There is no way you can pride your policy as trans- Are you then advocating the revival of the price control formation and give farmers two bags of fertiliser in or commodity boards? the Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES). If you want Yes! There is no way agriculture can the sector to support the growing population on food security, industrial development and on import substitution for it to generate surplus earning of foreign exchange, you must review the whole agriculture transformation agenda.

For example, two bags of fertilizer will only proThe argument duce one quarter of a hectare and you can hardly also that if produce what to eat with your family as a farmer, I can even say that the agenda is only perpetuating you privatise poverty because with such incentive, there is no way the lending a farmer can produce and generate surplus to feed others. institutions, But there is this argument that the privatisation is meant to enhance access to more international funds and at cheaper rates for lending to farmers?

If they really want to have access to offshore funds as part of the reason for privatising BOA and BOI, then it is still wrong because offshore funds are secured at less than six per cent interest. That means it is easier to give it through the present governmentowned establishment than under a privatised entity, which will give credit at prevailing interest rate. So their argument really does not hold. Donors outside will prefer to deal with government because they

you will have enhanced lending facility and easier lending is only foolhardy

Aliyu

grow without a clear marketing arrangement like the commodity board or effective commodities exchange. If there is a guaranteed market, the farmer will go all out to produce for that market. And the guarantee market will have a guaranteed price which is remunerative enough with enough profit margins for the farmer to continue to produce and improve his productivity and competitiveness. Also, marketing board or commodity board should strive to support the farmer in terms of research and development so that he can improve his productivity per unit.

Beyond privatising the two DFIs, what options do you think government should explore in revitalising these banks?

I think the National Assembly should take up the challenge and intervene in this issue of privatising the BOA and BOI. It is not something which can be done by a stroke of the pen; it has to be discussed and the representative of the people will have to come in and look at it critically. These two institutions, rather than privatising them, they should be strengthened to secure cheap funds with government guarantee.

Their organisation structures should be such that they can reach larger number of farmers and SMEs that are emerging. Moreover, the process and conditionality of accessing loans will have to be eased by these two institutions.

For example, in agriculture, small farmers should use small land holdings as collaterals. It is good to start a process of deliberate promotion of large scale industrial farmi n g so that they can benefit from economies of scale.

36

BUSINESS | THE INVESTOR

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Furore over plan to delist 21 firms Chris Ugwu

I

t is an acknowledged fact world over, that listing is a process by which public companies become members of a relevant stock exchange for the purpose of offering their shares to the investing public.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is the apex regulatory institution of the stock exchange that provides the platform for issue of shares and other securities to the public. Thus, it offers stock trading, monitors as well as controls the capital market. It also ensures compliance with post-listing requirements.

Just like in other climes, before a company is listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), there are certain requirements they must meet. After listing, there are also standard requirements they must meet. These include among others, regular dissemination of information about the financial performances and any changes that can affect their operations.

However, over the years, many quoted companies have been violating this important obligation, thereby keeping investors in the dark about their financial health among others.

Many ignorant investors have burnt their fingers by investing in some of the dormant companies, which do not furnish the market with their financials.

It was therefore not surprising that the NSE recently wielded the big stick by giving notice to some companies on intention to delist them from its official list for violating post-listing requirements.

Affected firms In a bid to reinforce its regulatory functions, the NSE had announced plans to delist about 21 other quoted companies from its daily official list for breaching post-listing requirements.

According to the Exchange, some of the companies were being delisted for failing to file their quarterly and annual financial reports and account with the NSE, while other failed to regularise their listing status after being given time to do so.

The companies being delisted for nonrendition of their financial accounts include UTC Plc, FNT Cocoa Processing Plc, G. Cappa Plc, Big Treat Plc, Mtech Plc, Daar Communications Plc, Starcomms Plc, Nigeria Wire and Cable Plc and West Africa Glas Industry Plc. Others are IPWA Plc, Rokana Industry Plc, Afroil Plc, Adswitch Plc, Pinnacle Point Group Plc, Goldlink Insurance Plc and Investment and Allied Insurance Plc. Those being delisted for not regularising their listing status include Jos International Breweries Plc, Golden Guinea Plc, Capital Oil Plc, Nigeria Sewing Machine Plc and Stockvis Plc. In a statement announcing the delisting, the Exchange said that the decision was taken on June 2, 2014 by the Quotation Committee of the National Council, pursuant to the provision of the Greenbook, (Listing Rules), specifically Clause 15 of the general undertaking.

It further stated that the action became necessary in order to protect the investing public from trading in securities of entities with no current information on their financial status, adding that it would take effect three months from the date of the notice.

Shareholders’ reaction However, reacting to this development, some shareholders in the capital market have decried inability of the Exchange to engage in consultation with shareholders before the decision to delist.

Ms Oteh

The shareholders, who lamented that investors, especially domestic retail investors, always suffered significant losses whenever companies were delisted, said there was the need for the Exchange to provide more information about how it arrived at its decision.

National Coordinator, Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria, Sir. Sunny Nwosu said: “Yes, there are some companies that look dilapidated and there are others the Exchange should have done a lot of consultation especially with the shareholders before delisting them, because we have suffered a lot in the system.

“You just see people delisting and we have trustees and others that insured these companies when they came to the market.

The trustees are not saying anything to the shareholders, the intervention fund is not saying anything to the shareholders and we have not heard anything from the NSE about what the shareholders will lose.”

Chairman, Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria, Mr. Boniface Okezie wondered why the Exchange that was trying to attract listing would delist more than 20 companies at once and fail to engage investors about the plan.

Okezie, said: “Unfortunately, the Nigerian Stock Exchange is not communicating with shareholders. If they go ahead and delist as they are planning to do, what is the fate of shareholders that they are meant to protect?”

He noted that instead of protecting the shareholders as the Exchange claimed, the move could be to the detriment of shareholders in the long run, especially if the companies were going concerns but were just having difficulties in submitting their financials.

Okezie, who described the move as hostile, said there were many questions left unanswered.

He said, “The NSE needs to go all out to find out the exact state of the companies. To find out if they can overcome their problems in a short while rather than taking the hostile decision to delist them.”

Onyema

Regulators’ stand But the Director General of the NSE, Oscar Onyema, said the move by regulators was to further protect investors' interest through its zero tolerance posture on market infractions.

He said that the position of shareholders who criticise the plan that it was meant to emasculate their investment was erroneous as the exercise is a testimony of the Exchange's commitment to zero tolerance for non-compliance to post-listing rules and requirements.

He said: “We have listing standards and we are simply enforcing the standards. What we have done is to indicate some companies that are going to be delisted and not that we have delisted them.

We put them on notice that we are very serious about it.

“I want to note that a number of shareholders said that we are not protecting their interest; in reality we are protecting them. I am making it very clear that you cannot be a listed company and stay for two or three years without providing your financial statement to the regulators. On what basis are they protesting?”

He added that the NSE like any other Exchange has every right to list and delist companies.

The SEC had reinstated its commitment to do anything to compel operators in the market to obey the rules guiding it. This, according to the Director General of the SEC, Ms Arunma Oteh, informed the decision to tighten the noose on market infractions and other miscellaneous capital market crimes.

“We must implement the SEC zero tolerance policy in a decisive and farreaching manner. I am therefore deter-

Many ignorant investors have burnt their fingers by investing in some of the dormant companies, which do not furnish the market with their financials

mined to eliminate sharp practices, deter malpractice and change behaviours by ensuring that both the institutional and personal costs of any wrongdoing are extremely high.

“We will ensure high standards in regulatory oversight and enforcement and will name and shame where necessary. We are continuing to strengthen inspection and investigation and any operator found erring will be suspended, issued a warning, or fined depending on the gravity and nature of the violation. We hope that the various enforcement actions against erring operators, including their suspension from participating in capital market activities, will deter other operators from breaching rules,” the Director General, had said.

Oteh noted that the commission would also continue to strengthen all the processes related to investigation, enforcement, prosecution and publicity of outcomes in line with international standards.

“We will also revitalise our enforcement programmes to ensure a focus on the cases that are of prime importance to the investors, that we pursue our programme speedily without compromising on fairness and that we impress on violators of the rules of the capital markets that there are high costs associated with flouting the regulations,” she said.

Conclusion Capital Markets are major driver of economies of the nations through their activities. It is the expectation of the regulators and other stakeholders that the hidden potential of the sector will be unleashed for maximum impact that will induce economic growth.

A major recipe for this is the entrenchment of a sound code of Good Corporate governance for any quoted companies and others willing to be admitted to the Exchange.

In as much as it is commendable for the regulators to maintain zero tolerance posture on dealing member firms and quoted companies on violations of rules and regulations, it is also advisable that shareholders be carried along in some issues that affects them.

BUSINESS | BRANDS & MARKETING 37

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Forces delay appointment of new APCON Chair BRICKWALL Efforts to appoint a new chairman of the APCON seem frustrating Stories by Dele Alao

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his is certainly not the best of time for the country’s apex advertising regulatory body, the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON).

The body is under the supervision of the Ministry of the Information, with Labaran Maku, as Minister.

APCON set up by the Act of Parliament as Act No. 55 of 1988 (now consolidated with amendments and cited as Advertising Practitioners Registration, etc Act, Chapter A7, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2007) as revised by Act No. 93 of 1992, is to control and regulate advertising practice in Nigeria.

In the 26 years history of the regulatory body, this is the first time it will be without a council-all 22 and a chairman

• Bunmi Oke may take over as new chairperson for several months.

Lolu Akinwunmi’s tenure as chairman of the body ended September 2013. Since then, the body has been without a substantive council and a chairman.

A practitioner who craved anonymity and who is disgusted about the whole situation simply said in pidgin “It is like politics don enter inside o.” Meaning that the appointment of new APCON chairman is now being politicised.

Another practitioner who also spoke on condition of anonymity said that some forces who are powerful than the Minister of Information are behind the imbroglio.

“I understand the minister has made visits to the president on the matter. I think some forces who are powerful than the minister are acting underground and delaying the announcement of a substantive APCON chairman,” the practitioner said.

Checks revealed that the Registrar of the body, Alhaji Garba Bello Kankarofi, now

practically live in Abuja, all in a bid to ensure that the body gets a new council and the chairman according to the law setting up the body.

Further checks also showed that activities especially at the council’s head office, Iganmu, Lagos, has remained comatose.

For instance, committees such as the Advertising Standard Panel (ASP), the APCON Disciplinary Committee, among others have not been able to sit to deliberate on major decisions affecting the council. Furthermore, staffer’s allowances are no longer being paid while those who are due for promotions are still waiting for the announcement due to the absence of the council and the chairman.

A recent media report said that one Prince Ngozi Emioma, which many advertising practitioners could not iden-

tify as member, has been appointed by President Goodluck Jonathan, through the Ministry of Information, as the new APCON chairman.

Maku has, however, denied that allegation.

A media statement signed by press secretary to the minister, Joseph Mutah, said that the minister was aware of the reports in various newspapers.

“The report claims that the persons who visited the Honourable Minister of Information were holding their first official meeting as the leadership of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), at the Radio House, Abuja. Yet in the same report, it was stated that the Council had not been inaugurated. On what basis could they have held their first official meeting with the minister?

Therefore the minister wishes to clarify that his meeting with

the visitors where they raised a number of issues was private and not in their official capacity as the leadership of APCON. The council has yet to be inaugurated,” the statement reads.

“The general public is hereby advised to disregard the report in its entirety as no any iota of truth is contained in the publication,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, sources within the industry said that there is the likelihood of the current president of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), Mrs. Bunmi Oke, becoming the next chairperson of the regulatory body.

Oke, is a member of the ongoing National Conference in Abuja and her tenure expires this month.

Should this happen, Oke will join the like of Akinwunmi, who became the chairman of APCON as a former president of the AAAN.

Maku

Mrs Oke

Akinwunmi

Chivita Active gets new, sleek packaging RELAUNCH Chivita Active wears new look to gain more consumer loyalty

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hivita Active, from the stable of Chi Limited, now wears a new look following a strategic makeover to reposition and convey tangible and intangible attributes of the brand to the consumer.

According to the Managing Director of Chi Limited, Mr Deepanjan Roy, the new pack is a fresh and entirely new design that is aimed at effectively communicating the core value of Chivita Active as an “active healthy lifestyle” brand to consumers.

He added that the new pack parades a bold new logo that is refreshingly modern while exuding the core essence of active health.

“With rounded contemporary edges and the forward pointing red triangle, the logo emphasizes on advancement,

KUDOS GOtv subscribers give a pass mark to the pay TV platform ubscribers have described Serator, the mass-market pay-TV opGOtv as an entertaining

brand that keeps families together. This was the unanimous verdict at the GOcustomer Forum held at the Bridge Waters Luxury Suites and Conference Centre, Enugu, Enugu State.

A GOtv subscriber, Mr Silas Chuwkwu, from Isiagu in Enugu State said: “I used to go out a

achievement and success,” he said.

Roy added: “The design is cutting edge. The rich fruit and juice visuals combine perfectly with the simplistic design and colour pallet to reveal a truly sophisticated pack. It is a pack that exudes confidence and fitness and will resonate with those who lead an active lifestyle and are primed to achieve more.”

The pack also features a nutritional information panel on the six citrus fruits mixed together to form the juice while “Fortified with Vitamin C” is strategically positioned on the pack to further identify with the health conscious consumer. Further examination of the pack reveals active images on the side panels that urge consumers to embrace the active lifestyle and an inviting motif of fruits and juice splash.

Chivita Active fruit juice contains six citric fruit juices and added vitamin C. The citric fruit juices are Orange, Grapefruit, Lime, Tangerine, Lemon and Mandarine.

Experts decry low level of PR practice in Africa YELLOW CARD PR practitioners in Africa, unhappy with the practice in the continent ublic Relations practitioners in Africa, under the aegis of PAfrica Public Relations Associa-

tion (APRA), have described the level of public relations practice in the continent as still very low.

Consequently, they stressed the need for collaboration among practitioners in the continent to make the practice more globally competitive.

Subscribers laud Gotv at forum lot before I subscribed to GOtv. With the sports channels, I now spend more time at home. GOtv keeps my children and I very entertained.”

Also giving testimonials, another subscriber, Mr Nwaobodo said that GOtv aids child development. According to Nwaobodo, his daughter learnt how to say her first words from watching GOtv. Mr Adindun Nnebedum described GOtv as a great companion that has enlightened him through its documentary channels.

Speaking to the over 200 sub-

scribers at the forum, public relations manager, GOtv Nigeria, Ms Efe Obiomah, explained that the initiative was one of several customer engagement platforms launched by the firm to interact with its subscribers.

“Through the GOcustomer Forum, we are able to treat our subscribers whilst providing a platform for them to air their views, make suggestions and learn more about GOtv services,” she said.

Encouraging the subscribers to take advantage of the self-service options available to them,

Speaking at a review session of the just-concluded APRA Mauritius 2014, in Lagos, a participant at the conference, Mr John Ehigueze, said that it had become imperative for PR practitioners in the continent to reposition the practice to enable it change the culture of multinationals using points-men, instead of real professionals, in different African cultures.

The Chief Executive Officer of the MediaCraft, believes that time has come for practitioners to begin to act on how to harness the much-touted potential that abound in the continent and pre-

she explained that the online portal – www.eazy.gotvafrica. com - is a cost-effective and efficient one-stop shop for selfservice, designed for the convenience of GOtv subscribers.

The forum was also used to inform subscribers of the forthcoming digital migration, its enormous benefits and how it will change broadcasting for the better in Nigeria.

The subscribers appreciated GOtv for deeming it necessary to host its subscribers and provide them with an opportunity to meet face-to-face with GOtv.

pare themselves for competition at the global stage.

Also, Secretary General of the association, Mr Yomi Badejo Okusanya, said that the continent had continued to have its brand equity eroded because opinions about it were being formed from materials provided by the Western media.

The CMC Connect boss added that the association would be coming up with the Campaign Africa, an initiative that is designed to change the negative perception about Africa, in partnership with the African Union Commission He said: “The whole idea is to allow Africans to tell their own stories, instead of the outside world telling it for us. We believe there is a lot to do in laundering the continent’s image. We have to take it upon ourselves to begin to tell the outside world that Africa is no longer that dark continent.”

He added that besides the association’s primary aim of providing a veritable platform for the nurturing of professional excellence on the continent, the current leadership of APRA had also identified some key intervention areas where it plans to focus its activities in the next few years.

38 BUSINESS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Nigeria loses N470bn to import, export waivers Importers of rice, palm oil, energy equipment, textile machinery, steel and vegetable are feeding fat from the government waivers.

Statistics revealed that they are the most beneficiaries. BAYO AKOMOLAFE reports

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tatistics from Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANT) have revealed that Nigeria has lost about 470 billion to import and export waivers to firms and individuals in the last three years.

Export grants to individuals and firms cost government over N300 billion.

The Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) has declared that Nigeria lost some N170 billion to import duty in the last three years.

It was learnt that major beneficiaries of the Export Expansion Grant were foreigners.

Waiver and grants Waiver which is an incentive granted by government to importer or exporter, manufacturers, government agencies among others, is said to be killing the economy.

Recently, the CITN lamented the huge amount lost as a result of granting waivers and exemptions to companies, stating that such losses in revenue was affecting the implementation of the budget.

President of the institute, Mr Mark Anthony Dike, who quoted the Ministry of Finance while delivering a keynote address at a seminar on the 2014 Federal Government budget, explained that the country lost N170.73 billion to exemption and import waivers within the last three years.

The seminar was held to offer constructive advice on

how to effectively implement the budget as well as to forestall a repeat of errors made in previous budgets.

A breakdown of the figure showed that waivers and exemptions of N55.96 billion was given in 2011, N55.34 billion for 2012 while the 2013 fiscal year had N59.42 billion.

Dike complained that the waivers given by government had been granted on items with little or no benefit to the economy.

He said that there was no way government could justify the waivers and concessions given to businesses in view of the current economic realities.

Dike argued that if government had not granted waivers arbitrarily in the past, the huge level of domestic and foreign debts, which was caused as a result of deficit financing would have been reduced.

He said: “Even more worrisome is the huge revenue losses resulting from the implementation of waivers, concessions and exemptions.

Implications to economy “These waivers which are granted on items with little or no benefits to the economy cannot be justified on reasonable grounds.

“It is even worrisome that

such waivers further reduce the funds available to implement the budget resulting in deficit financing.”

Also, The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has lost over N988 billion to import and export waivers in the last 14 years when the civilian took over power from the military.

ments, companies, government agencies, private sector operators and religious organisations.

It was revealed that importers of steel, rice and palm oil were feeding fat on the abuse.

The importers of steel, for instance, were allowed to pay 20 per cent levy instead of the normal 50 per cent.

Revenue loss It was also revealed that the Federal Government lost N276.9 billion between January, 1999 and 2008.

Statistics show that Nigeria recorded a duty loss of not less than N80.5 billion on waiver, out of a cost, Insurance and Freight Value (CIF) on Imports of N332.5 billion.

However, the House of Representatives Committee on Customs and Excise put the losses at N380 billion.

In 2003, N12.4 billion was lost; 2004, (N55.8 billion); 2005 (N71.244 billion); 2006 (N54.921 billion); 2007, ( N42.598 billion); January and March, 2008 (N9.512 billion).

It was alleged that the import duty waivers of N165 billion were granted by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to 1,843 beneficiaries in 2007 alone .

The concessions were granted indiscriminately to state govern-

Statutory provision The statutory basis for the exemptions is provided in Parts A and B of the Third Schedule of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (Management) (Duties, Rates and Other Taxes) Act, 1994 (Act 476).

The waivers and concessions were lost through the 2.5 per cent duty on textile machinery and their spare parts, Negotiable Duty Credit Certificate (NDCC), 2.5 per cent duty and VAT free on industrial machinery and port, concession on clearance of goods imported without Clean Report of Inspection of the 50 per cent assessed goods instead of 50 per cent of the assessed Freight On Board value (FOB) and the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme Comprehensive Import Scheme (CIS), and Export Expansion Grant.

It was however discovered that beneficiaries of Federal

Government Export Expansion Grant use the proceeds to bring into the country finished products.

It was revealed that the import waivers on rice and palm oil were still some individuals from January to 2012 to May 2012, after the Minister of Finance had announced the suspension in 2011.

Reckless approval From Customs records, it was discovered that in the first quarter of 2011, the Federal Government approved N45 billion as Export Expansion Grant (EEG) to be paid out to beneficiary companies.

President of National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS), Mr Ken Ukaoha, said in a report: “In Kano, records revealed that a single company was granted waiver of over N35 billion in the past five years.

It was also learnt that politicians and businessmen colluded to undermine the nation’s economy through the issuance of the fraudulent waivers.

Also, Mr Olu Ogunojemite, Seme Border Advisor, West African Trade Hub, lamented that the power sector has not been paying duties on their imports worth trillions of naira.

L-R: Mr Charles Wame, MD Charkin Maritime & Offshore Training Centre, Mr Anthony Ogadi, Coordinator Eastern Zone of NIMASA, Mr Peter Mgbemena representing the DG/CEO of NIMASA and Mrs C.N. Nwokocha, Deputy Director Maritime Labour Department NIMASA, at the celebration of the Day of the Seafarer, organised by NIMASA in Calabar recently

NIMASA to review seafarers’ condition of service IMPROVEMENT Seafarers in the country to enjoy capacity building and welfare programmes Bayo Akomolafe

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igerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) is to review seafarers’ condition of service.

Its Director General, Mr Patrick Akpobolokemi, disclosed this in Calabar, Cross River State capital, during celebrations marking this year’s Day of the Seafarers, which was marked all over the world as

mandated by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

He said that the agency had resolved to improve the working conditions of seafarers in the country by embarking on various capacity building and welfare programmes.

“It is important to note that the agency has demonstrated its resolve to improve the working and living conditions of seafarers by embarking on various capacity building and welfare programmes, which include the successful implementation of the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP), an initiative meant to ensure highly trained and competent seafarers to enable them update

their mandatory certification The Director General who was represented by Chief Peter C. Mgbemena, a staff in his office, announced that the agency would reconvene the meeting of the National Joint Industrial Council (NJIC) to this effect.

He noted: “The agency has put the necessary modalities in place for the reconvening of the meeting of the National Joint Industrial Council (NJIC) for the review of the Condition of Service of Seafarers, in line with the provisions of MLC, 2006,” he stated.

Akpobolokemi said that in line with the objectives of this year’s campaign, NIMASA and other maritime stakeholders

were required to increase the awareness among the general public of the indispensable services the seafarers rendered to international seaborne trade, world economy and the society at large.

He added that the agency appreciates the services rendered by seamen, even under extraordinary conditions and circumstances.

Akpobolokemi said: “We need to re-assure the seafarers that we do care about you and shall continue to protect and look after you and your needs.

At the regulatory level, we are redoubling efforts towards creating a better, safer and more secure maritime environment

in which you can operate.”

President of the Seafarers Branch of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Comrade Francis Bunu, commended the agency for its proactive steps towards the MLC 2006.

He noted that in terms of implementation of the Convention, Nigeria was far ahead of a country like the United States of America (USA), from where he attended the one-day event.

Bunu therefore called for more funding for the agency to enable it procure equipment like patrol boats with which to monitor the progress and implementation of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) initiative.

BUSINESS | MARITIME

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

39

FG spends N46bn on lower Niger, jetties IMPROVEMENT River transport, oil and gas, dredging firms as well as river craft operators to attend exhibition and conference Stories by Bayo Akomolafe

T

he dredging of the lower River Niger has cost the Federal Government N36 billion, while N13 billion was also expended in constructing jetties and other ports.

In order to eradicate water hyacinths, which impede safe navigation on the waters, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) said that government had invested N700 million to acquire five water hyacinths removal machines.

Managing Director of the

• Invests N700m on water hyacinths machines NIWA, Hajiya Maryan Ciroma, disclosed this in Lagos at a press briefing to usher in the authority’s 2014 exhibition and conference.

She said that NIWA was planning to hold a three days international conference tagged NIWA ICE 2014 in order to further open up the Nigerian waterways to local and foreign investors.

According to her, the programme would attract river transport companies, oil and gas prospecting companies, dredging companies as well as river craft operators, among others.

Hajia Ciroma stressed that the conference and exhibition which has as theme: “Modernising Inland Water Infrastructure and Vessels for Safe and Sustainable Inland Water Transporta-

tion in Nigeria” was expected to come up between August 12 and 14.

The NIWA boss explained that the River Niger dredging project covered a total of 500 hundred kilometres from Gwari to Baro area of the Niger.

She added that the lower River Niger had been dredged to 2.5 metres and that this will allow vessels and badges to navigate the water confidently at low tide Hajia Ciroma who was speaking in preparation to host the world in the conference and exhibition said that all the investments made by government will be shown to the world and to also show the numerous prospects the waterways holds for all Nigerian importers and not only Lagos importers.

Container stacked at AP Moller Terminal, Lagos Port Complex, Apapa

“This conference will also showcase the kind of boats that we want investors to bring in, this will decongest our roads in Lagos and make people happier.

“We know that it is very critical for us to encourage people to bring in modern, comfortable vessels in order to move people around, I have seen it in Europe and I think in Nigeria we can do it.”

She said: “Nigeria cannot afford to be lagging behind in mod-

ernisation; we need to bring our developments to international standard, so it is important for us to have this exhibition in order to know what is obtained internationally so that we too can bring such development to our country.”

She noted that the conference would unveil government programmes, plan and policies, networking and organizational relationships for the different categories in the inland waterways sector.

Customs float clinics for officials, community Nigeria Customs Service Tathe(NCS) has established a clinic the Customs Training College, Ikeja, Lagos, for its work force and the community.

Coordinator of its Zone “A’’ Mr Victor Gbemudu, an Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs said that apart from generating revenue for government, NCS was committed to social responsibility in its communities.

The clinic comprises nurse station, medical stores, private wards, procedure room, toilets, theatre, pharmacy and laboratory as well as male and female wards.

Other facilities include haemocentrifuge used for blood test, haemo analyser, microscope, ceito machine used in measuring weight, height, blood pressure and total part index.

He said that the establishment of the clinic was part of the Six-Point Agenda of the Comptroller General of Cus-

toms, Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi.

Gbemudu added: “The clinic is available to both customs officers as well as the neighbouring community because we all know that health is wealth.

“We are appealing to the media to inform the community of the clinic so that they can benefit from the customs social responsibilities.

Gbemudu said that the level of patronage would determine the expansion of the facility, adding that the clinic was well equipped.

He said further that the service was trying to see if it could bring health care facility to the door steps of its neighbourhood by bridging the gap on behalf of government in reducing health challenges in the community.

“This is not the first project done under customs’ social responsibility; we have Customs Hospital at Karu in Abuja, we have a mini-clinic at Apapa in Lagos,” he noted.

Ports take delivery of 6.32m containerised cargo N igerian seaports have taken delivery of 6.32 million metric tons of containerized goods from 1,327 ocean going vessels in the quarter of this year.

Also, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) shipment accounted for 27.4 per cent of the cargo throughput at 5.39 million metric tons compared to 3.75 million metric tons handled in the corresponding period of last year. The increase in LNG cargo was 43.8 per cent.

Refined petroleum products handled at the ports stood at 4.61 million metric tons representing 23.5 per cent of the total cargo throughput.

Cargo throughput at the nation’s seaports stood at 19.66 million metric tons in the period, showing an increase of 14 per cent over the 17.25 million metric tons recorded in the first quarter of 2013.

A breakdown of the throughput figure shows that general cargo, containerised goods inclusive, contributed 32.2 per cent to the throughput figure, witnessing a slight increase of

1.4 per cent over the 6.23 million metric tons recorded in the corresponding period of 2013.

It was learnt that 2.3 million metric tons of dry bulk cargo containerised goods inclusive, contributed 6.32 million metric tons were handled at the ports in the first three months of the year as against 1.97 million metric tons handled in the same period of last year.

Container traffic, including empty containers, amounted to 426,976 TEUs, showing a growth of 15.1 per cent over the 2013 figure of 371,085 TEUs. A total of 78,754 units of vehicles were handled in the period under review showing an increase of 32.1 per cent over the same period of 2013 figure of 59,608 units.

A total of 1,327 ocean going vessels with a total Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) of 33.94 million called at the ports during the period under review.

This compares favourably with 1,172 vessels with GRT of 28,830,386 handled in the first quarter of 2013.

In a data released by the Nige-

rian Ports Authority (NPA)’s Assistant General Manager, Public Affairs, Iliya Musa: “Generally in the first quarter of 2014, the level of operational activities at the port locations witnessed positive variance over the first quarter of 2013. This could be largely traceable to the implementation of e-payment in January 2014, which has reduced turnaround time of vessels from 5.3 days to 4.6 days within the period under review.

“Also, significant increase in

LNG shipment resulting from the European economic recovery efforts after the debt crises contributed remarkably to the increase in cargo traffic.”

Managing Director of the authority, Mallam Habib Abdullahi, while receiving the Belgium Ambassador to Nigeria, Diru Verheyen, said that successful implementation of the port reform programme embarked upon by the Federal Government in 2006 gave birth to the improved operational activities

and has also opened many investment opportunities for investors.

Abdullahi said that NPA would continue to focus on research-based policies and measures that will ensure uninterrupted port operations, fast tracking automation of port operations, continuous dredging and removal of critical wrecks along the channels “which will guarantee the conducive business environment essential to achieving its vision to be the leading port in Africa.”

Stakeholders lament plight of Nigerian seafarers

takeholders in the Nigerian Sclared maritime industry have dethat the nation’s seafarers

were poorly paid, poorly treated and unnecessarily sacrificed and most of them are jobless.

They said that the country has no record of its seafarers, making planning difficult.

The stakeholders include the representatives of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Nigerian Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff

Association (NMNOWTSSA) and the Nigerian Association of Master Mariners (NAMM) have lamented the hardships currently faced by seafarers in the country.

The stakeholders spoke at a forum organised by the Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria (MARAN) in commemoration of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Day of the Seafarer celebration. The theme of he event was “Seafarers brought me…”

The National President of NMNOWTSSA, Engr. Matthew Alalde, decried the fact that many seafarers get injured or even died from maritime related accidents and was largely unrecorded or soon forgotten.

He said that efforts must be made to ensure an improvement on the employment conditions for Nigerian seafarers.

He said that seafarers need special protection to help improve their working conditions and ensure their basic human rights.

40 POLITICS The House of Representatives last week summoned the new Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele over the decision of the apex bank to jerk the operating capital base of Bureaus De Changes (BDCs) from N10 million to N35 million.

PHILIP NYAM projects the impending encounter between the lawmakers and the financial boss.

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Emefiele’s pending baptism of fire with Reps

S

ummoning or inviting public office a holder to the parliament is not new, neither is it an aberration. It is not even supposed to be an extra ordinary thing or what one should lose sleep over. But ours is an evolving democracy and judging by what is going on between the House of Representatives and the minister of petroleum resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, the invitation of the CBN governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele may catch the attention of not a few political analysts and even financial experts.

Emefiele who is barely a month in office will soon have a date with the House of Representatives’ Committee on Banking and Currency- an encounter that could be better described as his baptism of fire with the parliament and specifically the lower house. His predecessors never had it smooth with the House too, because as the head of the apex financial institution, they were regularly required to appear before the representatives of the people to explain certain monetary policy decisions. When Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo was appointed in 2004, his banking consolidation policy which saw the minimum capital base of banks raised from N2 billion to N25 billion set him against the National Assembly. He was promptly summoned and he had a tough time with the lawmakers.

In 2009, the fearless Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (now Emir of Kano) succeeded Soludo and quickly doled out initial N420 billion and later N200 billion (totalling N620 billion) to bail out ailing banks. Sanusi instantly incurred the wrath of the Parliament for expending huge sums of money without appropriation. He was summoned severally and each time he appeared it always resulted into a hot debate. Outside this, Sanusi was almost always a candidate for interrogation by the National Assembly. Today, Emefiele is on the hot seat and has also been invited just like his two predecessors.

Emefiele’s invitation: The House had invited the new CBN helmsman because of the decision to sanitise the foreign exchange market through the directive to Bureau De Change (BDC) operators to raise their operating capital base to N35 million from N10 million. The House also urged the governor to immediately suspend the directive of the CBN on the issue pending the outcome of the House’s investigation. Emefiele will therefore appear before the House committee on banking and currency, chaired by Hon. Jones Chukwudi Onyereri “for a full brief on the policy somersault.”

The House resolution was consequent upon a motion moved by Hon. Ibrahim Shehu-Gusau (PDP, Zamfara) entitled, “Urgent need to halt the recent increase in capital base for bureau de change by 25 per cent”. Gusau had in this motion, noted that the CBN raised the minimum capital requirement for

Tambuwal

operation of BDCs in Nigeria from N10 million to N35 million, noting that “the mandatory cautionary deposit was equally reviewed from N3 million to N35 million, which shall be deposited in a non-interest-yielding account in the CBN along with the licensing fee.

According to Gusau, the CBN expected existing bureau de change and those currently operating with a final approval letter to comply with the new requirement on mandatory cautionary deposit by July 15, 2014, while urging all current applications to comply with these new requirements.

He said the bureau de changes had provided job opportunities for millions of Nigerians, adding that the new rule would send many forex operators out of business and create more unemployment. The lawmaker also observed that the increments were outrageous against the backdrop that the CBN would also reduce the amount of dollars issued to BDCs from $50,000 to $15,000 per week.

The lawmaker explained that the bar was dangerously raised in disregard of the impending backlash on the economy.

This motion was hotly debated as those for and against proffered various reasons to back up their positions. In supporting the motion, Hon. Aminu Suleiman (APC, Kano) argued that the policy was not in the interest of his constituents who make up majority of the BDC operators.

He prayed the House to prevail on the CBN to discard the policy because it was bound to create more problems for his people. Also giving vent to the motion, Hon. Karibo Nado (PDP, Bayelsa) said, the policy was not in the interest of the people. He noted that, the policy would also increase “the price of the dollar against the naira because we all know that this development will lead to a high demand for dollar”.

On his part, Hon. Aliyu Madaki (APC, Kano) submitted that the policy

Emefiele

When Godwin Emefiele appears before the House’ banking and currency committee, he will be expected to provide explanations to all the concerns raised by the lawmakers against the new policy would affect everybody and not only the operators and should be discontinued. While Hon. Uche Ekwunife (APGA, Anambra) argued that the policy would encourage unemployment, which is against the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan. Ekwunife also argued that the policy would kill the informal sector and increase insecurity in the country. She advised that if the CBN wants to introduce such a policy, it should be gradual and not by fiat.

Also speaking in favour of the motion, Hon. Sunday Adepoju (APC, Oyo) said it was a wrong policy in the wrong direction. While Hon. Asita Honourable (APC- Rivers) submitted that the policy was sectional in nature and super elitist.

The motion was however, kicked against by Hon. Linus Okorie (PDP, Ebonyi), who argued that it was the duty and function of the CBN to regulate bureaus de change by coming up with people-oriented policies. He said the motion should be thrown out on the grounds that the CBN policy should be supported by all and sundry insisting

that the policy would provide sanity in the forex business. Others who spoke against the motion were Hon. Sunday Karimi and Friday Itulah (PDP, Edo).

When the motion was put to vote

by Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, it was unanimously supported by the majority of members present at the plenary.

When he appears: When Godwin Emefiele appears before the House’ banking and currency committee, he will be expected to provide explanations to all the concerns raised by the lawmakers against the new policy. Emefiele would have to do his homework properly before facing this committee. Both Soludo and Sanusi were no push overs. They knew their onions and could withstand the incisive and aggressive probing of the lawmakers. Soludo had a baritone voice and using his background as an academic would always take the lawmakers on an academic journey reeling out figures and comparing events. Sanusi on his part combined his oratorical skills, confidence, charisma and uncommon courage to dazzle the legislators. He was a delight to watch or listen to anytime he was on the hot seat. One may hate these two characters (Soludo and Sanusi) but if you give them a few minutes, they will swell your support to themselves.

That is the stuff they were made of.

What about Emefiele, the new kid on the block? Can he survive the hot questions from the lawmakers? Does he command the required banking and economic acumen to match the lawmakers figure for figure? The new CBN boss is by all standards not a neophyte in the banking industry. With 26 years banking experience and having risen to the position of GMD at Zenith Bank, he will also have a lot to offer.

Interestingly, he was also an academic like Soludo and Sanusi before delving into banking. Although, in his inaugural press conference, he declared that he would be apolitical, Emefiele would soon discover that he must play a bit of politics in order to succeed in this job.

POLITICS 41

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Late Senator Dahiru Awaisu Kuta was a member of the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP. He was elected to represent Niger East Senatorial District in 2007; and was re-elected to the same office in 2011. Kuta served as the Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Character until his death on June 12, 2014. In this analysis, CHUKWU DAVID presents the last respect given to him by the Senate at its valedictory session on Wednesday, June 25, 2014.

Senate pays tribute to Kuta

T

he death of Senator Kuta broke in the early hours of Thursday, June 12, 2014 when he gave up the ghost at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) Lagos, as he was being prepared to be flown out of the country for medical treatment.

This happened exactly one week after the National Assembly embarked on a three-week recess to mark the end of the third session of the 7th Assembly.

On resumption on Tuesday, June 24, 2014, the Senate only sat for a few minutes for the adoption of votes and proceedings of its last sitting on June 5, 2014. After the adoption, the Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba moved a motion entitled, “demise of Senator Dahiru Awaisu Kuta”, to announce the death of Senator Kuta.

As he moved the motion for adjournment, Ndoma Egba, who represents Cross Rivers Central and a chieftain of the PDP, said “while we were on break, tragedy befell this chamber with the sudden death of our dear colleague, Senator Dahiru Awaisu Kuta, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Character, who died on the 12th of this month in Lagos on his way for medical treatment abroad. Distinguished Colleagues, may I in line with our tradition, move that this Senate do adjourn plenary till tomorrow in honour of our departed colleague”.

On Thursday, June 25, 2014, the Senate, in line with its earlier resolution, devoted the plenary session, paying their last respect to the fallen parliamentarian. Setting the stage for the valedictory session, the Senate Leader moved a motion, which he co-sponsored with the rest of the 108 Senators, entitled, “demise of Senator Dahiru Awaisu Kuta (1949-2014)”.

Leading the debate on the motion, Senator Ndoma-Egba said, “Senate notes with heavy heart and a deep sense of loss the demise of Senator Dahiru Awaisu Kuta, a serving Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on Thursday 12th June 2014 at the age of 65 years.

He narrated that Senator Dahiru Awaisu Kuta was born on 16th April, 1949 to the family of Awaisu Abdu at Kuta, Headquarters of Shiroro Local Government of Niger State.

Part of the motion read: “the Senate observes that the Late Senator Dahiru Awaisu Kuta was a devout Muslim throughout his life time and a good family man who loved all his children and cared for the needy irrespective of personal, ethnic or religious affiliations. He was a teacher, consummate public servant, an astute politician and philanthropist who positively touched many lives in his

The late Kuta

life time: “The Late Senator Dahiru Awaisu Kuta served his country in various capacities.

The Leader further drew the attention of the Senate to the effect that Senator Kuta was an amiable, articulate, resourceful politician and nationalist by his disposition to national issues, whose love and passion for the development of the nation was his driving force.

He lamented that the legislator’s death was a monumental loss not only to Niger State, his Constituents and family but also to the Senate and the country as a whole; his immense contributions to debates at plenary and his robust representation to his constituents. At the end of the motion, Ndoma-Egba prayed the Senate to observe a minute silence in honour of their late colleague. He also prayed the Senate to send a delegation to condole his family, the people and Government of Niger State.

However, Senator Umaru Dahiru, representing Sokoto South brought additional motion, asking the Senate to implore the Federal Government to honour Kuta by naming the national headquarters of the Hydro-power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPADEC), located in Minna, Niger State after him. Consequently, the Upper Chamber implored the Federal Government to immortalise the late legislator, by renaming the HYPADEC House, “Awaisu Kuta House”.

Senator Dahiru, while persuading others to approve the proposal, noted that Senator Kuta was the sponsor of the highly celebrated HYPADEC Bill, which was passed into law in the

Sixth Senate. He observed that the deceased legislator did not rest until he saw the Bill passed into law. It is however, imperative to note that the fundamental objective of that initiative was to give the North the equivalent of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

In their contributions to the motion, the members of the Upper Chamber, one after another, spoke on their personal experiences with Kuta, extolling the noble characters of the Niger-born lawmaker.

Contributing, Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, noted that Senator Kuta was a very humorous person, who made Senate sessions lively through his high sense of humour, which according to him, helped to remove boredom from the Chamber.

Also, in his own tribute, Deputy Leader of the Senate, Senator Abdul Ningi, asserted that the death of Kuta had further exposed the vanity and futility of life on earth, and the need

I have the most difficult task today to express the feelings of our colleagues on the death of Senator Kuta. It is to me as a bad dream. Even up till now, it appears to me that I am still dreaming

for the living to appreciate this truth and do their best to live well before death struck.

Senator Ganiyu Solomon (APCLagos), described Kuta as a special breed, a detribalised and committed Nigerian, whose Committee (Federal Character) always delivered assignments promptly. He also said that the late politician was a dedicated representative of his people, pointing out that he was always present in the Chamber, and usually stayed from the beginning of plenary to the end of every plenary session.

Senator Zainab Kure from Niger State, while making her tribute, called on the Federal Government to hour Senator Kuta by giving proper and prompt attention to the HydroPower Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPADEC), which she said, was so dear to the heart of the deceased lawmaker.

Moreover, Senators Atiku Bagudu, Odion Ugbesia, Smart Adeyemi, Enyinnaya Abaribe, Chris Anyanwu, Ehigie Uzamere, Solomon Ewuga, Philip Aduda and many others, all described Kuta as a patriotic, non-partisan and detribalised politician, who never allowed partisan politics or geoethnic and religious inclinations to influence his relationship with other people.

The President of the Senate, David Mark and some other Senators, including Abdul Ningi, Smart Adeyemi could not control their emotions as they shed tears while recounting their encounters with the late politician.

In an emotion-laden voice, Mark, who presided over the session, said, “I have the most difficult task today to express the feelings of our colleagues on the death of Senator Kuta. It is to me as a bad dream. Even up till now, it appears to me that I am still dreaming”.

He described Kuta as a humble, simple and committed Nigerian, who never wanted to blow his trumpet, irrespective of the fact that he came from a royal family and had recorded numerous achievements quietly.

The Senate boss, who was visibly depressed over the death of Senator Kuta, gave a detailed account of his encounter with the deceased PDP stalwart in his days as the military governor of Niger State.

His words: “I first met Kuta when I was posted to Niger State as a military governor and I narrated the story to my son and I think I narrated the story to few of you here. I met him with few other gentlemen; all very young, very agile; very energetic and very radical in their resolutions and thinking. Sometimes I thought they were overzealous, but all very patriotic and nationalistic. The other gentleman is in the chamber here today. When Kuta came to me a couple of times, I asked him who gave you the audacity to bring a letter to a military governor?

“I thought the letter was talking about a military government dissolving the state assembly; I didn’t know that he was a member of the state assembly. Being a very young military person then, I thought that was confrontation. So, I didn’t take kindly to it. The more he tried to stand his ground, I did what was the needful at the time. I said go and lock this joker up, and they took him first to the military guardroom and then they moved him to Minna prison.

But after he came out from Minna Prison, for inexplicable reasons, he showed up again and I thought this guy simply doesn’t understand what was happening. I didn’t let him finish his sentence, I said go and lock the joker up and they locked him up. But I didn’t order his release. Somehow, he found his way back. This happened about the third time, he then started CONTINUED ON PAGE 48

42 POLITICS Acceptance Speech Upon Conferment of the Award of Senior Advocate of Peace (SAP), by the Peace Corps Nigeria on His Imperial Majesty, Iku Baba Yeye, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, in New York City, United States.

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Peace, panacea for growth and development –Alaafin

I

t is with deep and sincere gratitude that I accept the conferment on me, the Award of the Senior Advocate of Peace (SAP) by the Peace Corps of Nigeria, today, Friday 23rd May 2014 at the Mid-Town East one, United Nations Plaza, New York City, United States of America.

Let me first of all on behalf of the Oyomesi, the traditional cabinet of the Alaafin of Oyo, the princes and the princesses of Oyo and the entire people of Oyo, both at home and in the Diaspora, thank you most sincerely for this great and unique honour.

It is a well acknowledged historical fact that Oyo Empire lasted for 600 years uninterrupted and perhaps the longest empire in recorded history.

At the height of its power and by the middle of the 18th century, Oyo was bounded to the north, by the Niger, to the west by modern Togo land, to the east by the sister kingdom of Benin and to the south by the Gulf of Guinea and Porto-Novo and Badagry were its main coastal outlets. Dahomey, it may be recalled became a tributary state of Oyo in 1730.

Alaafin of Oyo is the supreme king and head of Yoruba land. Each town in Yoruba land brings gifts and presents to the Alaafin during the Bere festival in Oyo. The Bere Festival is a major festival that the Alaafin celebrates annually. (source page 78, iwe kika ekarun ni ede Yoruba,(CMS Bookshop) page 15, of chapter 7 of the history of Ibadan, by the revered Ibadan monarch and priest, Oba Isaac Babalola Akinyele, the Olubadan of Ibadan, [1955-1964] and published in 1911. He said; “the Alaafin was the sovereign over all the Obas in Yoruba land” The major essence of this award is Peace. Peace originates as an occurrence of harmony characterized by the lack of violence. It also suggests sincere attempts at reconciliation, the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal relationship.

The Alaafin is an embodiment of peace, either in peace time or during internecine warfare in Yoruba land.

In diplomacy, art of government and royal court etiquette, the palace became the State House of the Yoruba nations, the citadel of authentic African culture, where Yoruba princes and princesses and heir apparent from other Yoruba states are groomed in the intrinsic values of Yoruba customary usage, hence the Yoruba saying of “ajise bi Oyolaa ri, Oyo ose bi baba enikan” that is,Oyo is a pace setter.

Oyo’s due sense, of due process, is also remarkably, noted, in the popular saying- “itose, lo l’oyo” As an ambassador of peace, hardly was any inter communal feud or strife settled amicably and satisfactorily without the Royal nod and support of the Alaafin. Few examples may suffice.

Shortly after the Ijaye war of 1862, the Egbas attacked the Ijebu Remo town of Iperu and Makun in March, 1864. The Ibadans went to the aid of the Remos against Ijebu-Ode and Egba troop.

The battle that ensued witnessed heavy losses on both sides, with Ibadan, having the greater. By the end of 1864, the Alaafin saw that he must intervene and, in the name of Sango, he ordered both sides to stop the war and both sides complied and in 1865, the war stopped.

Alaafin (left) being presented with the award

Whether in boundary and land disputes between Fiditi and Iroko; Ijebu and Ibadan, Igbaiye and Okuku, Egba and Ijaiye, Ibadan and Egba, Ife and the Ijesas, Ife and Ede, Ife and Modakeke, Ibadan and the Ijesas, the Alaafin was the father-figure in all the settlement.

In fact, in the case of Ife and Modakeke, the Alaafin had to use his Royal fiat to compel the rehabilitation and re-absorption of Ooni of Ife after he and his people had been exiled to OkeIgbo and Isoya after the town of Ife was sacked by the Modakeke.

In the case of Ife and Ede boundary, the Ooni laid claim to Aworo stream on the Ede side. It was ruled by the Alaafin that Ooni’s boundary is the Shasha River and this was confirmed by Sir Walter Egerton.

In the case of Ijesha and Ife boundary, the Alaafin sent the Alapinni of Oyo and Aare Ilugbohun in 1948 to adjudicate in the boundary dispute. The boundary fixed between Ilesa and Ife stands till today. It was also ruled that the town of ARAROMI built in 1902 should be under Ilesa. In the case of boundary dispute between Ibadan and Egba, over claim on Bakatari, the Alaafin ruled that Bakatari belonged to the Ibadans and the CO N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 7

state being made ungovernable for him.

Let me use this opportunity to call on the ruling party to tell their members to sheath their swords. Trying to throw might around will not help the cause of governance of this state because the people of Edo State will be at loss. I do not think that the comrade governor and the lawmakers would want that. We are trying to find a solution to the problem.

At the end of that meeting the speaker directed the majority leader and the minority leader to harmonize positions so that a consideration would be moved forward for lifting the suspension formerly.

What about the court injunction on their part and on yours?

The court injunction is a nullity. We also served them a court injunction on June 6 but they broke it the following Monday. So, what is their court injunction? I do not think that the court in-

authorities of the two towns signed an undertaking accepting the demarcation and the decision of Alaafin Ladigbolu.

Today, the boundary between Ibadan and Egba stands, as fixed by the Alaafin.

Externally, when the entire Yoruba race was threatened by the internecine fratricidal wars, the Alaafin led in the search of peace, which culminated into the Peace Treaty of 1893 with the British government, in which the Alaafin signed as the king and head of the Yorubas. When the French infiltrated into some parts of Oyo North Division, ransacking and assaulting the people for annexation, it was the Alaafin who quickly invited the British to intervene to halt the French menace. The British hastened to the Alaafin’s entreaties and the French were checkmated. Peace and normalcy returned to the entire area and French expansionists threat was finally laid to rest.

Indeed, in the middle of the nineteenth century, an American observer, the Reverend T.J. Bowen, remarked about the method of preventing absolutism as devised by the Yoruba, particularly in Oyo Area. According to him: “The highest excellence of the best government among white con-

sists in constitutional checks or limits to prevent abuses of power, strange as it may seem, the Central Africans (i.e.

Yoruba people) had studied out this balance of power and reduced it to practice, long before our fathers settled in America before the Barons of England had exhorted the greater charter from King John”. This is epitomized by the Oyomesi, as the legislature, and model in constitutional separation of power, even before the doctrine was popularised by Montesquieu.

In conclusion, peace, whether as Alaafia in Yoruba, Udo in Igbo, Lumana in Hausa, Shalom in Israeli, Asalam Alekum in Arabic, it is the only panacea for growth and development.

Bob Marley that great Jamaican rastafarian and reggae exponent, captured it well, in his popular song- ‘Everyone is crying for peace: no one is crying for justice’. In other words, peace and justice are Siamese Twins, that in our clamour for peace, we must also cry for justice, equal right, good governance, egalitarianism, and a life that is more abundant, in the words of Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

As stated in your motto: Peace must embellish national creativity and youth development.

‘I was not induced to decamp’ junction is meant for us. We know that we will live above court injunction because the interest of Edo people must be served. Court injunction from both parties will not help the aspirations of Edo people. I really feel sad that we have got to this stage of our polity and I beg God to shower His love once more on us and give us the grace to understand that first and foremost, we must do that which is expected by right thinking members of society. The governor started well. But what is going on? We have all joined him to move the state forward. But suddenly, politics, interest and personal ambitions are now tearing the state apart. I do not think we were voted in to do that. I call on my colleagues to come on Monday and surprise the state that we have been able to sink our differences. We must unite for the sake our people of Edo State.

Since you are open to a peaceful resolution, what are your demands?

Our demands are clear. The level of impunity must be brought down. There must be tolerance from both sides. Like I said, people have been moving from party A to B and heaven did not fall.

Why can party B not move to part A. when there is tolerance, we will move forward. The governor should please not play politics inside the hallowed chambers or with house members. Let them be united with you in moving Edo State forward. Don’t rule the House along party lines. There might be caucuses, but they should not exist in such a way that members will begin to flex muscles to show who is stronger, because it does not help the cause of why we are there.

Politics should be played at the party secretariat and not the State Assembly.

POLITICS 43

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Special Assistant on Media to Ogun State governor, Soyombo Opeyemi, in this interview with reporters in Abeokuta says the Amosun administration has launched Ogun into its golden years, among other issues. New Telegraph brings the excerpts What will you say is the greatest achievement of the Amosun administration in the last three years?

That’s quite interesting. If you ask the opposition, they will tell you it is road construction and bridges. Yes, they acknowledge that much that Amosun is the first governor since the creation of Ogun in 1976 to build overhead bridges all over our major cities, construct the first international standard six-lane roads across the state, and the first also to construct a 107km modern road cutting across four local councils, many villages and towns.

They, of course, add a mischief to this acknowledgment. They claim our roads cost more than it did in previous governments. That, we all know, is politics, but self-indicting as well.

How can you compare an orange with apple? They built a few roads, which collapsed within two years. Their best is the 1km semi-modern road in Abeokuta, while Amosun’s roads are of 21st century standard; wide and complete with modern features like clearlydefined pedestrian walkways, storm drains, greens, well-defined medians, speed breakers, etc.

If you ask some of our people in the rural areas, they will tell you that they are happy with the new roads, but they are much more grateful to the governor for the free education because they no longer pay school fees or buy textbooks, which are expensive these days anyway. They consider the free education policy as the greatest achievement.

Again, the extremely poor women who receive free antenatal care, get transport money and, after birth, receive ‘mama kit’ with more material gifts for mother and baby may argue it is health care, even though their children also enjoy free education. Or the farmers who are beneficiaries of the N1bn credit scheme and now use modern land-clearing equipment instead of cutlasses and hoes with the attendant toll on their health and productivity, will they not consider agriculture as the greatest achievement?

What will be the opinion of the parents of our youths who remained at home, idle for several years after completing their education, but have now got gainful employment through Amosun’s employment generation scheme.

And thousands of others employed by the 34 new industries that began operation under the current administration?

But I believe without security of lives and property, no development is possible. You all know the grim level of insecurity that this government inherited. But today, residents sleep with their two eyes closed and banks have never closed business again in the state. This comes at a huge cost to the purse of the current administration because such money should have gone into other areas.

So, for me, the greatest achievement is the fulfilment by Amosun of Section 14 subsection 2b of the 1999 Constitution, which states that “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.” When you invest in education, health, road, employment, etc. in such a massive scale as Amosun has done, it means you have a government that is passionate about the welfare of its people.

‘People’s welfare priority of Amosun govt’

Amosun

You said your government was the first to construct bridges, but the immediate past governor said at a recent rally in Abeokuta that he built bridges.

It may be necessary to ask for the locations of the bridges. You probably did not understand what he said or he was misquoted because I don’t think anyone will lie about physical structures like bridges. The fact remains that the immediate past government did not build a single bridge, not one.

I think the lesson we should all take away from this is that once you have the opportunity to serve your people, do it with all your might.

But much more than that, there is need for vision. A leader should also have consuming passion for the welfare of his people. These are the things that set Amosun apart from the previous government. You have the opportunity, you misuse it, you don’t have another chance!

The immediate past governor also said he constructed a six-lane road.

I must give him the benefit of doubt.

He probably never meant what you said. If you check the 1km Lalubu road, the best constructed by the last government, it is effectively a 4-lane road because the last two are service lanes.

You cannot compare it with our 2.4km Ibara-Totoro road, which is a standard six-lane highway, with two additional service lanes. Besides, unlike the IbaraTotoro road, the Lalubu road has no greens, well-defined pedestrian walkways, or modern bus-stop and speed breakers. The median of the Lalubu road is narrow, just as its drains. The street lights used for the road, which is actually not up to 1km, were obsolete as at the time it was constructed. The Amosun road has 200mm or 8 inches thick stone base whereas Lalubu road does not have. Lalubu is a single-layer asphalt road whereas Ibara-Totoro is a double-layer asphalt road.

Please go and check the two roads and see the difference we are talking

There is need for vision.

A leader should also have consuming passion for the welfare of his people.

These are the things that set Amosun apart from the previous government about. The era of ‘newspaper development’ or ‘development by billboards and propaganda’ is over in Ogun State.

But why should the last government take pride in constructing less than 1km semi-modern Lalubu road in eight years, which is not even not replicated anywhere outside Abeokuta, while the current government has constructed close to 100km roads of international standard across the state (Abeokuta, Sagamu, Ijebu Ode, Ilisha/Ago Iwoye, Ilara/Ijoun, Aiyetoro, Ota, Ibafo/Magboro) in just three years? And work is still ongoing in many kilometres of such modern roads.

Recently, your Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) exceeded your income from the Federation Account, how was your government able to achieve that?

That’s a very pertinent question.

You know the general belief in Nigeria is that everybody waits till the end of the month to share the oil money.

That is no more the situation in Ogun State. From a meagre sum of N730m per month inherited from the last government, the Amosun administration has raised the IGR to a record figure of N4bn monthly. As a matter of fact, we attained a milestone of N4.6bn in March this year. That exceeded our due from the Federation Account. It is a feat our government should celebrate because it means our fate is no longer tied to the monthly allocation from

the Federation Account. How did we achieve that? Simply; by blocking all loopholes inherent in the old system.

You all remember that the state lost close to N30bn in revenue due to racket at the Bureau of Lands alone during the last administration. The situation has dramatically changed today. Manual systems have been automated and the culture of e-payment is becoming entrenched. Our people are complying with the PAYE law and with the cooperation of Lagos State, the Residency Rule is gradually being observed. That is, you pay your income tax to where you live, not where you work. Above all, Amosun is an expert in prudent husbandry of resources. Our people are happy with this, and are giving their maximum cooperation.

Can you shed some light on your view that Amosun has launched Ogun into its golden years?

Never in the modern history of Ogun State have we witnessed such gargantuan investments in social services within such a short space of time. When you have such 21st century monumental structures reshaping the landscape of the state and such landmark strides are still on-going, then you have a state witnessing its golden moments. The Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador Chris Cooter, visited Ogun in April last year. What he said is very instructive: “The governor has been emphasizing that his administration is very particular about hard work.

Here we are on a Sunday, I look at the construction going on, definitely, I am impressed. Whether it is canal, the road network, health or education, clearly, I can see a demonstration of the ‘can do attitude’. I have not been to a state where people are working quite as hard as this one, and I have been in most of them now...” That is it. Through visionary leadership, hard work, prudent financial management, continence and consuming passion for the welfare of the citizens, Senator Ibikunle Amosun has launched Ogun State into its golden era.

business | MONEY LINE

44

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

FG draws N1.9trn from Excess Crude Account 2013 consolidated budget implementation report jointly signed by the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and the Director-General, BOF, Dr. Bright Okogu, said the amount was used to settle various obligations of the federal government owing to its inability to meet revenue targets.

The withdrawals for 2013 was marginally lower than the N2.07trillion withdrawn in the 2012 period by N800million or 3.86 per cent, the source said.

According to him, while N1.99trillion was the total outflows from the ECA, the government was able to ensure that within the 2013 pe-

AUGUMENTATION Withdrawal from the account was to meet government shortfall Godson Ikoro

T

he Federal Government withdrew a total sum of N1.99trillion from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) within the 2013 fiscal year, New Telegraph gathered yesterday.

According to sources at the Budget Office of the Federation, (BOF), the office had in its

riod, the sum of N855.41 was transferred into the account.

However, the total inflow for 2013 was lower than the N2.30trillion received in 2012 by N1.29trillion or 56.19 per cent.

ECA was set up to serve as a stabilisation and savings account. Inflows into the ECA in the fourth quarter of 2013 amounted to N156.03billion.

Our correspondent gathered that the inflow into this account in the fourth quarter was lower than the N181.34billion and N474.8billion recorded in the third quarter of 2013 and fourth quarter of 2012 by N25.31billion and N318.77billion respectively.

BNP Paribas fined $9bn for violating US sanctions rench bank BNP Paribas has Fcharges pleaded guilty to two criminal and agreed to pay al-

possible money laundering or sanctions violations.

In an unprecedented move, regulators banned BNP for a year from conducting certain US dollar transactions, a critical part of the bank’s global business, in addition to the fine, which was a record for violating American sanctions.

US authorities said the severe penalties reflected BNP’s violations going back to at least 2004 and through to 2012 and its drive to put profits first, even after US officials warned the

most $9 billion to resolve accusations that it had violated US sanctions against Sudan, Cuba and Iran, in a severe punishment aimed at sending a clear message to other financial institutions around the world.

The BNP Paribas guilty plea, according to Reuters, is the direct consequence of a broader US Justice Department shift in strategy that is expected to try to snare more major banks for

bank of its obligation to crack down on illegal activity.

The bank essentially functioned as the "central bank for the government of Sudan", concealed its tracks and failed to cooperate when first contacted by law enforcement, US authorities said.

They also found BNP Paribas had evaded sanctions against entities in Iran and Cuba, in part by stripping information from wire transfers so they could pass through the US system without raising red flags.

Economic Indicators As at M2* CPS* INF IBR MPR 91-day NTB DPR PLR Bonny Light Ext Res**

N14,737,618.7m N16,509,472.5m 8 0.0000 12 10.899 7.96 17.01 US$109.9 US$42,604,781,796.6

Description

TTM

4.00% 23-Apr-2015 13.05% 16-Aug-2016 15.10% 27-Apr-2017 16.00% 29-Jun-2019 16.39% 27-Jan-2022 10.00% 23-Jul-2030

1.21 2.53 3.22 5.39 7.98 16.47

Tenor (Days) Call 7 30 60 90 180 365

Rate (%) 11.9167 12.3333 12.6667 12.9167 13.2167 13.5000 13.7500

NIBOR

Bid Price 90.20 99.25 104.10 109.35 114.15 76.60

roup Managing Director Gficer, and Chief Executive OfPhillips Oduoza, the

Offer Yield 13.01 13.40 13.47 13.49 13.44 13.59

Price 90.35 99.40 104.40 109.65 114.45 76.90

Tenor (Months) 1 2 3 6 9 12

Rate (%) 12.1827 12.2737 12.3744 12.8521 12.8535 13.8443

Treasury Bills Maturity Date 08-May-14 07-Aug-14 22-Jan-15

Bid 12.10 12.10 12.05

FX

Bid Spot ($/N) 163.28 THE FIXINGS –NIBOR,NITTY and NIFEX of February 6,2014

NITTY

Yield 12.86 13.33 13.35 13.42 13.38 13.53

Money Market Offer 11.85 11.85 11.80 Offer 163.38

U

nion Bank of Nigeria Plc has been ranked “best” in website aesthetics by Web Jurist.

The bank’s website was also second in “customer experience” and third best website overall in the banking industry, a statement from the lender said yesterday.

The websites of all Nigerian banks were rated by Web Jurist v12 according to aesthetics, technical aspects, website content, e-Financial services, customer experience and performance.

Commenting on the ratings, Head, Corporate Affairs & Corporate Communication, Union Bank, Mrs. Ogochukwu Ekezie-Ekaidem, stated: “Union Bank’s impressive showing in this year’s ratings is another signal that the Bank’s transformation is on the right course.

One of our critical focus areas as a Bank is to significantly improve our customer experience at all touch points, and the first phase of improvements to our website have clearly yielded the desired results.

“As we have done with the website, Union Bank will continue to work to provide quality banking services and improved customer experience to all our customers across all our touch points.”

In 2013, Union Bank’s website according to the statement, was ranked 16th in aesthetics and 12th in both customer experience and overall assessment.

The Web-Jurist ratings conducted by e-Business experts at Phillips Consulting was es-

tablished in 2001 to critically and objectively evaluate the effectiveness of websites in Nigeria, focusing initially on the financial services industry and taking into account what the customer wants. Over the years, the ratings have become a barometer for assessing ebusiness activities and identifying best practices.

Ekezie-Ekaidem said Union Bank is currently executing its transformation strategy, which will improve key areas of its operations.

In a previous statement released by the bank, Mr. Emeka Emuwa, Group Managing Director said: “We are repositioning our business to reflect a more balanced retail, commercial and corporate banking model with a view to making significant contributions to financial inclusion in Nigeria.

We have begun our Branch Optimisation work and expect that by the end of 2014, more than 60 branches in prioritized locations will be either refit, relocated or upgraded to serve our customers adequately in those areas.

“As the bank looks to expand its customer base, we will continue to roll out our Bank of the Future branches, which will rely on technology and innovation to simplify the banking experience for our customers.

We plan to double our ATM footprint and enhance our mobile banking platforms, while significantly upgrading our use of technology to enhance our customer experience at all touch points”.

UBA CEO task journalists on online media

Dec, 2013 Dec, 2013 Dec, 2013 2/5/2014 1/20/2014 11/6/2013 Dec, 2013 Dec, 2013 1/20/2014 2/5/2014 Source:CBN

FGN Bonds

Union Bank’s website best in aesthetics –Web Jurist

Open-Buy-Back (OBB) Overnight (O/N)

Rate (%) 11.33 11.63

NIFEX Spot ($/N)

Bid 163.4000

Offer 163.5000 Source: FMDQ

United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has called on Nigerian journalists to strengthen selfregulation of online media.

Oduoza, according to a statement from UBA, made the call at the Abuja edition of “The Summit on Functional Social Networking for Journalists” sponsored by the bank and organised by the Everything Journalism Group.

Represented by the Charles Aigbe, Divisional Head, Marketing and Corporate Relations, Oduoza noted that there is a rising trend of online pirates “whose only agenda in the online media space is to blackmail and spread false information about credible brands.

“It is critical that these online pirates are brought into check through self-regulation so that the government is not forced to introduce statutory regulations that may impact negatively on press freedom” he said.

He said, UBA is sponsoring the media engagement programme with the hope that the discussions will provide a clear pathway for the Nigerian media industry in the fast evolving digital media space.

The summit, the second, after a highly successful first edition hosted at the UBA Plc Head Office in Lagos February 2014, brought together top level media practitioners including senior journalists, bloggers, students of journalism and mass communication as well as media executives and government officials to discuss the future of journalism in Nigeria in the age of the internet.

The summit, which aims at boosting the capacity of Nigerian journalists to maximize the use of social media for news gathering, building online communities, and investigations, discussed topics like online editing, crowd sourcing for investigative journalists, multimedia journalism, banking on the internet, and social media guidelines for broadcast managers.

Discussions were moderated by respected veteran journalist, Mr. Richard Ikiebe, Director, Centre for Leadership in Journalism, School of Media and Communication, Pan Atlantic University, Lagos had in attendance top journalists who presented papers and engaged in the active discussions at the summit including; Segun Adeniyi, Chairman Editorial Board,

Sanctity of Truth

Daily Summary as of 01/07/2014 Printed 01/07/2014 14:59:09.009

Daily SummaryJuly as of 01/07/2014 Wednesday, 2, 2014 Printed 01/07/2014 14:59:09.009

business | CAPITAL MARKET 45

The Nigerian Stock Market Exchange as at July 1, 2014 Daily Summary (Equities)

Daily Summary (Bonds)

Activity Summary on Board DEBT Federal

Bond Name 16.00% FGN JUN 2019 Federal Totals

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Symbol FG9B2019S3

DEBT Board Totals

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 118.10

1

Bond Activity Totals

1

Quantity Traded 730 730

Value Traded 863,405.77 863,405.77

730

863,405.77

730

HEALTHCARE Pharmaceuticals EVANS MEDICAL PLC. FIDSON HEALTHCARE PLC GLAXO SMITHKLINE CONSUMER NIG. PLC. MAY & BAKER NIGERIA PLC. NEIMETH INTERNATIONAL PHARMACEUTICALS PLC PHARMA-DEKO PLC. Pharmaceuticals Totals

863,405.77

Daily Summary (Equities)

Livestock/Animal Specialties LIVESTOCK FEEDS PLC. Daily Summary as of 01/07/2014 Livestock/Animal Specialties Totals

No. of Deals 34 18 52

Current Price 33.90 36.10

Quantity Traded 212,622 186,494 399,116

Value Traded 6,989,709.26 6,774,339.73 13,764,048.99

Symbol LIVESTOCK

No. of Deals 40 40

Current Price 3.07

Quantity Traded 1,071,806 1,071,806

Value Traded 3,341,876.98 3,341,876.98

1,470,922

17,105,925.97

Current Price 1.31

Quantity Traded 230,610

Value Traded 305,241.54

Current Price 3.95 1.15 5.20 65.10

Page Quantity Traded 5,002 4,696 29,786,395 2,099,292 32,125,995

1Value Traded of 14

AGRICULTURE Totals CONGLOMERATES Diversified Industries

CONGLOMERATES

Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © Diversified Industries

CHELLARAMS PLC. JOHN HOLT PLC. TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATION OF NIGERIA PLC U A C N PLC. Diversified Industries Totals

92 Daily Summary (Equities) Symbol No. of Deals

AGLEVENT

Symbol CHELLARAM JOHNHOLT TRANSCORP UACN

CONGLOMERATES Totals CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Building Construction ARBICO PLC. Building Construction Totals

ICT Computer Based Systems COURTEVILLE BUSINESS SOLUTIONS PLC Computer Based Systems Totals

Symbol OKOMUOIL PRESCO

Printed 01/07/2014 14:59:09.009

LEVENTIS PLC. ActivityA.G. Summary onNIGERIA Board EQTY

13

No. of Deals 1 2 410 88 514 514

Daily Summary as of 01/07/2014 IT Services Printed 01/07/2014 14:59:09.009

COMPUTER WAREHOUSE GROUP PLC IT Services Totals Processing Systems

E-TRANZACT INTERNATIONAL PLC Daily Summary as of 01/07/2014 Processing Systems Totals Printed 01/07/2014 14:59:09.009

18,807.52 5,165.60 152,734,356.30 136,370,993.06 289,434,564.02

32,125,995

289,434,564.02

INDUSTRIAL GOODS Building Materials BERGER PAINTS PLC CAP PLC CEMENT CO. OF NORTH.NIG. PLC DANGOTE CEMENT PLC DN MEYER PLC. PORTLAND PAINTS & PRODUCTS NIGERIA PLC LAFARGE WAPCO PLC. Building Materials Totals

No. of Deals 3 3

Current Price 5.30

Quantity Traded 700 700

Value Traded 3,533.00 3,533.00

Building Structure/Completion/Other COSTAIN (W A) PLC.

Symbol COSTAIN

No. of Deals 21 21

Current Price 1.40

Quantity Traded 1,702,748 1,702,748

Value Traded 2,329,023.26 2,329,023.26

Infrastructure/Heavy Construction JULIUS BERGER NIG. PLC. Infrastructure/Heavy Construction Totals

Symbol JBERGER

No. of Deals 8 8

Current Price 76.45

Quantity Traded 67,111 67,111

Value Traded 4,874,271.93 4,874,271.93

Current Price 17.56

Quantity Traded 597,607 597,607

Value Traded 10,622,789.64 10,622,789.64

Current Price 10.47

Page Quantity Traded 1,250 1,250

2 of 14 Value Traded

Real Estate Development UACN PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT CO. LIMITED

RealSummary Estate Development Activity on BoardTotals EQTY

CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE

Real Investment Trusts © (REITs) Published by TheEstate Nigerian Stock Exchange

UPDC REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) Totals

Daily Summary (Equities) Symbol No. of Deals UAC-PROP

Symbol UPDCREIT

CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Totals CONSUMER GOODS Beverages--Brewers/Distillers CHAMPION BREW. PLC. GUINNESS NIG PLC INTERNATIONAL BREWERIES PLC. NIGERIAN BREW. PLC. Beverages--Brewers/Distillers Totals Beverages--Non-Alcoholic 7-UP BOTTLING COMP. PLC.

Beverages--Non-Alcoholic Totals Daily Summary as of 01/07/2014 Printed 01/07/2014 14:59:09.009

Food Products DANGOTE FLOUR MILLS PLC DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC FLOUR MILLS NIG. PLC. HONEYWELL FLOUR MILL PLC NATIONAL SALT CO. NIG. PLC N NIG. FLOUR MILLS PLC. Activity Summary on Board EQTY U T C NIG. PLC.

CONSUMER GOODS

Published byFood The Nigerian ProductsStock Exchange ©

Food Products Totals

34 34

No. of Deals 2 2 68

17,842,067.83 Value Traded 1,049,445.00 140,772,942.43 8,794,016.55 338,317,070.40 488,933,474.38

Symbol 7UP

No. of Deals 23 23

Current Price 102.53

Quantity Traded 88,590 88,590

Value Traded 9,077,032.70 9,077,032.70

No. of Deals 38 53 52 (Equities) 52 34 3 1

Current Price 8.20 9.50 78.00 4.00 11.05 19.75 0.50

Quantity Traded 127,551 1,771,372 489,225 1,601,467 434,877 13,337 350

Value Traded 1,036,627.02 16,798,244.10 38,035,388.23 6,411,291.03 4,829,958.27 251,568.86 175.00

No. of Deals 233

Current Price

Page Quantity Traded 4,438,179

3Value of Traded14

Symbol

Quantity Traded 99,981 219,738 319,719

Value Traded 7,614,537.90 251,494,182.02 259,108,719.92

Household Durables VITAFOAM NIG PLC. VONO PRODUCTS PLC. Household Durables Totals

Symbol VITAFOAM VONO

No. of Deals 13 3 16

Current Price 4.28 1.44

Quantity Traded 169,192 1,337 170,529

Value Traded 725,840.18 1,831.69 727,671.87

Personal/Household Products P Z CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC. UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC. Personal/Household Products Totals

Symbol PZ UNILEVER

No. of Deals 47 72 119

Current Price 37.40 54.00

Quantity Traded 144,302 490,044 634,346

Value Traded 5,270,639.27 25,863,877.83 31,134,517.10

8,751,334

856,344,668.48

Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services AIICO INSURANCE PLC. CONTINENTAL REINSURANCE PLC CONSOLIDATED HALLMARK INSURANCE PLC INTERNATIONAL ENERGY INSURANCE COMPANY PLC MANSARD INSURANCE PLC MUTUAL BENEFITS ASSURANCE PLC. N.E.M INSURANCE CO (NIG) PLC. NIGER INSURANCE CO. PLC. OASIS INSURANCE PLC Daily Summary as of 01/07/2014 PRESTIGE ASSURANCE CO. PLC. Printed 01/07/2014 14:59:09.009 SOVEREIGN TRUST INSURANCE PLC STANDARD TRUST ASSURANCE PLC Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © UNIC INSURANCE PLC. WAPIC INSURANCE PLC Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services Totals Micro-Finance Banks NPF MICROFINANCE BANK PLC

Activity Summary on Board EQTY FINANCIAL SERVICES Micro-Finance Banks Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © Micro-Finance Banks Totals

730

No. of Deals 265 83 (Equities) 30 196 46

Current Price 28.76 3.33 2.33 8.05 10.00

Page Quantity Traded 8,247,623 5,455,463 1,445,649 11,745,445 765,198

4 of 14 Value Traded 238,322,831.49 18,092,506.33 3,350,002.75 92,468,133.98 7,624,772.86

No. of Deals 5 23 218 1,369

Current Price 0.50 0.95 25.50

Symbol AIICO CONTINSURE HMARKINS INTENEGINS MANSARD MBENEFIT NEM NIGERINS OASISINS PRESTIGE SOVRENINS STACO UNIC WAPIC

Daily Summary Symbol NPFMCRFBK

Current Price 0.81 1.09 0.50 0.50 2.57 0.52 0.88 0.50 0.50 0.52 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.79

Quantity Traded 2,314,303 280,000,400 1,200 277,501 396,400 1,642,114 291,195 100,000 388,000 4,666 10,000 200 Page 74,664 34,774,376 320,275,019

27,512,834.24 337,148,449.62

No. of Deals 13

Current Price 0.77

Quantity Traded 484,104

Value Traded 373,704.08

No. of Deals 13

Current Price

Quantity Traded Page 484,104

Mortgage Carriers, Brokers and Services INFINITY TRUST MORTGAGE BANK PLC RESORT SAVINGS & LOANS PLC Mortgage Carriers, Brokers and Services Totals

Symbol INFINITY RESORTSAL

No. of Deals 2 1 3

Current Price 1.61 0.50

Quantity Traded 40,000 1,000 41,000

Value Traded 64,200.00 500.00 64,700.00

Other Financial Institutions AFRICA PRUDENTIAL REGISTRARS PLC CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED PLC FBN HOLDINGS PLC FCMB GROUP PLC. ROYAL EXCHANGE PLC. STANBIC IBTC HOLDINGS PLC UBA CAPITAL PLC Other Financial Institutions Totals

Symbol AFRIPRUD CUSTODYINS FBNH FCMB ROYALEX STANBIC UBCAP

No. of Deals 60 18 520 67 8 44 72 789

Current Price 3.35 3.74 15.95 4.30 0.51 26.45 2.31

Quantity Traded 1,700,507 1,556,279 16,314,046 3,141,344 255,491 1,035,993 2,018,104 26,021,764

Value Traded 5,658,851.55 5,650,791.95 258,832,180.56 13,366,016.54 130,600.41 27,201,601.17 4,683,442.92 315,523,485.10

524,325,493

2,759,864,937.75

Quantity Traded 500 20 520

Value Traded 1,770.00 10.00 1,780.00

FINANCIAL SERVICES Totals HEALTHCARE Healthcare Providers EKOCORP PLC. UNION DIAGNOSTIC & CLINICAL SERVICES PLC Healthcare Providers Totals

Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

2,422 Symbol EKOCORP UNIONDAC

No. of Deals 1 1 2

Current Price 3.72 0.50

Page

6

of

Current Price 5.00

Quantity Traded 500 500

Value Traded 2,500.00 2,500.00

Symbol

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 2.21

Quantity Traded 500 500

Value Traded 1,105.00 1,105.00

408,310

243,240.04

Daily Summary (Equities) ETRANZACT

8

Daily Summary (Equities) Symbol No. of Deals AFRPAINTS ASHAKACEM

2 89

Current Price 2.72 29.00

Quantity Traded Page 400 2,027,951

Value Traded of 14 1,036.00 59,657,460.90

8

Symbol BERGER CAP CCNN DANGCEM DNMEYER PORTPAINT WAPCO

No. of Deals 6 7 30 47 3 6 53 243

Current Price 9.00 40.00 11.21 240.00 1.11 5.39 112.01

Quantity Traded 16,275 24,750 223,947 789,920 4,066 20,100 641,372 3,748,781

Value Traded 144,077.91 983,675.00 2,573,666.90 189,667,299.61 4,357.96 105,704.00 71,912,225.97 325,049,504.25

Symbol CUTIX

No. of Deals 6 6

Current Price 1.83

Quantity Traded 49,603 49,603

Value Traded 91,685.62 91,685.62

Symbol AVONCROWN

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 1.69

Quantity Traded 30,000 30,000

Value Traded 50,700.00 50,700.00

Symbol

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 7.46

Quantity Traded 100 100

Value Traded 709.00 709.00

3,828,484

325,192,598.87

NIGROPES Daily Summary (Equities)

251

No. of Deals 2 2

Current Price 7.75

Quantity Traded 1,557 1,557

Value Traded 11,475.09 11,475.09

Mining Services MULTIVERSE PLC Mining Services Totals

Symbol MULTIVERSE

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 9,000 9,000

Value Traded 4,500.00 4,500.00

29,091

121,618.89

Daily Summary as of Oil 01/07/2014 Integrated and Gas Services Printed 01/07/2014 14:59:09.009 OANDO PLC

6

9Value Traded of 14 105,643.80

10 105,643.80 of 14

Symbol JAPAULOIL

No. of Deals 85 85

Current Price 0.57

Quantity Traded 22,331,500 22,331,500

Value Traded 12,729,265.00 12,729,265.00

Symbol OANDO

No. of Deals 724 724

Current Price 28.50

Quantity Traded 16,809,164 16,809,164

Value Traded 482,233,068.59 482,233,068.59

Symbol

No. of Deals 29 31 131

Current Price 65.40 4.33 200.00

Quantity Traded 124,267 335,302 310,320

Value Traded 7,728,440.36 1,464,135.41 61,164,924.40

Daily Summary (Equities) CONOIL ETERNA FO

Page

11

of

14

Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors MOBIL OIL NIG PLC. MRS OIL NIGERIA PLC. TOTAL NIGERIA PLC. Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors Totals

Symbol MOBIL MRS TOTAL

No. of Deals 19 11 26 247

Current Price 137.00 63.18 179.60

Quantity Traded 27,566 68,385 44,185 910,025

Value Traded 3,779,616.50 4,324,714.30 7,805,511.10 86,267,342.07

Exploration and Production SEPLAT PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LTD Exploration and Production Totals

Symbol SEPLAT

No. of Deals 42 42

Current Price 700.00

Quantity Traded 157,854 157,854

Value Traded 110,427,563.83 110,427,563.83

40,208,543

691,657,239.49

1,098 Symbol RTBRISCOE

No. of Deals 8 8

Current Price 1.00

Quantity Traded 92,019 92,019

Value Traded 93,395.00 93,395.00

Symbol REDSTAREX TRANSEXPR

No. of Deals 30 2 32

Current Price 5.10 2.07

Quantity Traded 782,850 3,500 786,350

Value Traded 3,839,816.03 7,350.00 3,847,166.03

Symbol

No. of Deals 12 12

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 1,662,760 1,662,760

Value Traded 831,680.00 831,680.00

Symbol IKEJAHOTEL

No. of Deals 5 5

Current Price 0.82

Page Quantity Traded 34,496 34,496

Printing/Publishing ACADEMY PRESS PLC. LEARN AFRICA PLC UNIVERSITY PRESS PLC. Printing/Publishing Totals

Symbol ACADEMY LEARNAFRCA UPL

No. of Deals 7 6 2 15

Current Price 1.71 1.50 4.69

Quantity Traded 102,919 148,555 7,600 259,074

Value Traded 175,005.92 230,132.59 34,126.00 439,264.51

Road Transportation ASSOCIATED BUS COMPANY PLC Road Transportation Totals

Symbol ABCTRANS

No. of Deals 22 22

Current Price 0.88

Quantity Traded 804,524 804,524

Value Traded 710,417.60 710,417.60

Transport-Related Services AIRLINE SERVICES AND LOGISTICS PLC NIGERIAN AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY PLC Transport-Related Services Totals

Symbol AIRSERVICE NAHCO

No. of Deals 12 42 54

Current Price 2.45 4.90

Quantity Traded 218,650 577,338 795,988

Value Traded 514,767.50 2,840,779.32 3,355,546.82

Symbol CAVERTON

No. of Deals 50 50

Current Price 5.64

Quantity Traded 1,097,847 1,097,847

Value Traded 6,242,963.73 6,242,963.73

Courier/Freight/Delivery

REDasSTAR EXPRESS PLC Daily Summary of 01/07/2014 TRANS-NATIONWIDE EXPRESS PLC. Printed 01/07/2014 14:59:09.009 Courier/Freight/Delivery Totals

Employment Solutions C & I LEASING PLC. Employment Solutions Totals Activity Summary on Board EQTY SERVICES

IKEJA HOTEL PLC Hotels/Lodging Totals

Daily Summary as of 01/07/2014 Support and Logistics Printed 01/07/2014 14:59:09.009 CAVERTON OFFSHORE SUPPORT GRP PLC Support and Logistics Totals SERVICES Totals

Value Traded of 14 373,704.08

7

No. of Deals 1 1

Symbol ALUMACO

Published byHotels/Lodging The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

Value Traded 1,874,647.93 305,200,535.00 600.00 138,750.50 1,032,325.92 849,975.28 250,015.75 50,000.00 194,000.00 2,333.00 5,000.00 100.00 5 of 14 37,332.00

Symbol

Symbol CWG

Metals ALUMINIUM MANUFACTURING COMPANY PLC Metals Totals

SERVICES Automobile/Auto Part Retailers R T BRISCOE PLC. Automobile/Auto Part Retailers Totals

Value Traded 505,350.00 1,407,421.95 722,906,190.30 2,106,754,598.95

No. of Deals 21 3 2 9 13 20 19 1 2 1 1 1 2 153 (Equities) 248

Value Traded 239,635.04 239,635.04

OIL AND GAS Totals

Symbol GUARANTY SKYEBANK Daily Summary STERLNBANK UBA UBN

Quantity Traded 1,010,700 1,481,421 28,811,853 177,503,606

Quantity Traded 407,310 407,310

Quantity Traded Page 18,534 18,534 Page

PublishedOIL

by AND The Nigerian GAS Stock Exchange ©

Value Traded 847,370,277.58 46,602,878.28 93,044,001.48 35,060,231.95

Symbol UNITYBNK WEMABANK ZENITHBANK

Current Price 0.59

Current Price 5.76

Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors CONOIL PLC ETERNA PLC. FORTE OIL PLC. Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Quantity Traded 88,717,261 7,279,235 5,598,820 16,944,938

4,984,209.23

No. of Deals 3 3

Integrated Oil and Gas Services Totals

Current Price 9.80 6.40 16.49 2.04

1,776,062

Symbol BOCGAS

OIL AND GAS Energy Equipment and Services JAPAUL OIL & MARITIME SERVICES PLC Energy Equipment and Services Totals

Symbol No. of Deals ACCESS 184 DIAMONDBNK 81 Daily Summary (Equities) ETI 101 FIDELITYBK 137

Value Traded 337,200.00 3,544,303.35 448,191.90 170,897.70 477,336.28 4,500.00 4,982,429.23

No. of Deals 6 6

NATURAL RESOURCES Totals

67,363,252.51

Current Price 80.00 1,150.00

FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking UNITY BANK PLC WEMA BANK PLC. ZENITH INTERNATIONAL BANK PLC Banking Totals

NATURAL RESOURCES Chemicals Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © B.O.C. GASES PLC. Chemicals Totals Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

Quantity Traded 108,500 710,691 315,710 1,965,070 3,099,971

Symbol DANGFLOUR DANGSUGAR FLOURMILL Daily Summary HONYFLOUR NASCON NNFM UTC

Tools and Machinery NIGERIAN ROPES PLC Tools and Machinery Totals

Quantity Traded 140,500 1,163,052 6,950 99,100 362,940 3,000 1,775,542

Symbol COURTVILLE

Activity Summary onTotals Board EQTY INDUSTRIAL GOODS

Current Price 10.17 198.00 28.00 172.11

No. of Deals 25 64 89

GUARANTY TRUST BANK PLC. SKYE BANK PLC STERLING BANK PLC. UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC Activity Summary Board EQTY UNION BANK on NIG.PLC.

Packaging/Containers Totals

No. of Deals 4 67 21 158 250

Symbol CADBURY NESTLE

Banking ACCESS BANK PLC. DIAMOND BANK PLC ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORPORATED FIDELITY BANK Activity Summary onPLC Board EQTY Daily Summary as of 01/07/2014 Printed 01/07/2014 14:59:09.009 FINANCIAL SERVICES Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © Banking

Daily Summary as of 01/07/2014 Packaging/Containers Printed 01/07/2014 AVON14:59:09.009 CROWNCAPS & CONTAINERS

Symbol CHAMPION GUINNESS INTBREW NB

Food Products--Diversified CADBURY NIGERIA PLC. NESTLE NIGERIA PLC. Food Products--Diversified Totals

CONSUMER Totals Daily Summary as ofGOODS 01/07/2014 Printed 01/07/2014 14:59:09.009 FINANCIAL SERVICES

Electronic and Electrical Products CUTIX PLC. Electronic and Electrical Products Totals

12,450.00 12,450.00

2,369,416

INDUSTRIAL GOODS Building Materials Published by The Nigerian Stock (NIGERIA) Exchange ©PLC. AFRICAN PAINTS Activity Summary Board EQTY ASHAKA CEMon PLC

Current Price 2.40 3.00 64.00 1.75 1.32 1.50

67

Activity Summary on Board EQTY ICT Totals

Symbol ARBICO

Daily Summary as of 01/07/2014 Building Structure/Completion/Other Totals Printed 01/07/2014 14:59:09.009

No. of Deals 6 24 9 14 10 2 65

HEALTHCARE Totals

Activity Summary on Board EQTY AGRICULTURE Crop Production OKOMU OIL PALM PLC. PRESCO PLC Crop Production Totals

Symbol EVANSMED FIDSON GLAXOSMITH MAYBAKER NEIMETH PHARMDEKO

Daily Summary (Equities) CILEASING

Daily Summary (Equities)

EQTY Board Totals Activity Summary on Board ASeM

Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © CONSUMER GOODS Food Products MCNICHOLS PLC Food Products Totals

198

5,533,058

15,548,270.49

620,826,708

4,978,339,341.06

No. of Deals 1 1

CONSUMER GOODS Totals

27,836.80 27,836.80

5,454

Page Symbol MCNICHOLS

12Value of Traded 14

Current Price 1.34

13

of

Quantity Traded 18,200 18,200

Value Traded 23,296.00 23,296.00

18,200

23,296.00

1

ASeM Board Totals

1

18,200

23,296.00

Equity Activity Totals

5,455

620,844,908

4,978,362,637.06

14

Daily Summary (ETP) Exchange Traded Fund

Name NEWGOLD EXCHANGE TRADED FUND (ETF) VETIVA GRIFFIN 30 ETF Exchange Traded Fund Totals

Symbol NEWGOLD VETGRIF30

No. of Deals 1 3 4

Current Price 2,091.00 19.52

Quantity Traded 10 100,005 100,015

Value Traded 20,910.00 1,921,097.60 1,942,007.60

ETF Board Totals

4

100,015

1,942,007.60

ETP Activity Totals

4

100,015

1,942,007.60

14 Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

Page

14

of

14

46 business | FINANCIAL MARKET NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

1-Jul-14

The FMDQ Daily Quotations List (DQL) comprises market and model prices/rates of foreign exchange ($/N) products, fixed income securities and instruments in the OTC market. The use of this report is subject to the FMDQ OTC PLC Terms of Use and Disclaimer Statement.

Bonds

Price

FGN Bonds Issuer

Rating/Agency

NA

NA

Description 9.25 28-SEP-2014 4.00 23-APR-2015 13.05 16-AUG-2016 15.10 27-APR-2017 9.85 27-JUL-2017 9.35 31-AUG-2017 10.70 30-MAY-2018 16.00 29-JUN-2019 7.00 23-OCT-2019 16.39 27-JAN-2022 14.20 14-MAR-2024 15.00 28-NOV-2028 12.49 22-MAY-2029 8.50 20-NOV-2029 10.00 23-JUL-2030

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

Maturity Date

TTM (Yrs)

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

Bid Price

Offer Price

28-Sep-07 23-Apr-10 16-Aug-13 27-Apr-12 27-Jul-07 31-Aug-07 30-May-08 29-Jun-12 23-Oct-09 27-Jan-12 14-Mar-14 28-Nov-08 22-May-09 20-Nov-09 23-Jul-10

9.25 4.00 13.05 15.10 9.85 9.35 10.70 16.00 7.00 16.39 14.20 15.00 12.49 8.50 10.00

100.00 535.00 500.27 452.80 20.00 100.00 300.00 351.30 233.90 600.00 165.17 75.00 150.00 200.00 591.57

28-Sep-14 23-Apr-15 16-Aug-16 27-Apr-17 27-Jul-17 31-Aug-17 30-May-18 29-Jun-19 23-Oct-19 27-Jan-22 14-Mar-24 28-Nov-28 22-May-29 20-Nov-29 23-Jul-30

0.24 0.81 2.13 2.82 3.07 3.17 3.91 4.99 5.31 7.58 9.70 14.41 14.89 15.39 16.06

11.15 10.81 11.38 11.37 11.31 11.31 11.31 11.38 11.38 11.97 12.21 12.11 12.11 12.10 12.14

10.53 10.12 11.30 11.31 11.19 11.19 11.21 11.30 11.29 11.91 12.16 12.07 12.06 12.05 12.09

99.49 94.83 103.05 108.75 96.28 94.88 98.10 117.25 82.87 121.60 111.10 119.44 102.59 75.10 85.00

99.64 95.33 103.20 108.90 96.58 95.18 98.40 117.55 83.17 121.90 111.40 119.74 102.89 75.40 85.30

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE Rating/Agency

4,375.01 Issuer

Agency Bonds AMCON FMBN

NA

***LCRM

Description

0.00 AMCON 31-OCT-2014 (SR.5 TR.1) 0.00 FMB 24-MAY-2015 17.25 FMB II 03-APR-2017 0.00/16.00 LCRM 09-DEC-2016 0.00/16.50 LCRM II 20-APR-2017 0.00/16.50 LCRM III 06-JUL-2017

#

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Issue Value (N'bn)

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Indicative Price

28-Dec-11 24-May-10 03-Apr-12 09-Dec-11 20-Apr-12 06-Jul-12

0.00 0.00 17.25 0.00/16.00 0.00/16.50 0.00/16.50

978.35 24.56 6.00 112.22 116.70 66.49

31-Oct-14 24-May-15 03-Apr-17 09-Dec-16 20-Apr-17 06-Jul-17

0.33 0.90 1.38 2.44 2.80 3.01

1.00 2.63 2.27 2.00 1.00 1.00

11.78 13.39 13.17 13.26 12.29 12.31

96.24 89.03 105.36 98.92 97.46 95.01

05-Aug-14 15-Oct-14 31-Aug-15 30-Sep-15 30-Jun-16 30-Jun-16 19-Apr-17 30-Jun-17 31-Dec-17 30-Sep-18 04-Oct-18 09-Dec-18 12-Dec-18 14-Feb-19 02-Oct-19 22-Nov-19 12-Dec-19 30-Sep-20 27-Nov-20 31-Dec-20 31-Dec-20 06-Jan-21

0.10 0.29 1.17 0.77 1.29 1.29 2.80 1.84 3.50 2.47 4.26 2.67 2.67 3.05 3.12 5.39 3.18 3.80 6.41 6.50 3.98 3.84

1.56 3.29 4.44 3.23 4.46 3.48 5.59 1.00 1.79 1.80 1.00 1.00 4.78 1.00 1.00 1.00 2.74 1.00 1.00 1.94 1.44 1.95

12.03 14.01 15.22 14.06 15.31 14.33 16.88 12.14 13.10 13.07 12.31 12.28 16.06 12.31 12.31 12.40 14.05 12.31 12.64 13.60 12.75 13.26

100.12 99.88 97.14 99.80 98.55 101.33 85.08 102.54 102.47 102.12 105.43 104.89 95.87 105.37 108.15 108.05 101.74 107.05 103.68 105.92 105.12 117.01

07-Oct-14 18-Dec-14 31-Dec-14 17-Aug-15 09-Dec-15 06-Jan-16 29-Sep-16 25-Oct-16 30-Sep-17 30-Nov-17 09-Apr-18 09-Sep-18 09-Sep-18 22-Sep-18 18-Oct-18 17-Feb-19 01-Apr-19 14-Nov-20

0.27 0.47 0.50 0.65 0.96 0.81 2.25 2.32 3.25 2.06 2.02 2.19 2.19 4.23 2.30 2.38 3.50 6.37

1.00 5.21 8.71 4.88 1.00 2.63 1.00 1.34 1.00 1.88 3.48 5.20 5.06 1.35 2.29 6.11 2.16 2.76

11.70 16.16 19.71 15.79 11.72 13.44 12.25 12.59 12.31 13.11 14.71 16.44 16.30 12.66 13.54 17.37 13.47 14.39

99.87 98.82 98.77 96.25 100.47 100.57 101.39 103.19 101.76 109.49 102.53 103.13 101.94 104.24 104.50 99.54 106.88 103.47

11-Feb-18

3.62

1.00

12.31

93.97

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

Bid Price

Offer Price

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

1,304.32

Sub-National Bonds A/Agusto A-/GCR A+/Agusto A/Agusto Nil A+/Agusto A+/Agusto; A+/GCR A-/Agusto A/Agusto A+/Agusto; A+/GCR A-/Agusto; A-/GCR A/Agusto; A-/GCR† A-/Agusto A/Agusto; A-/GCR A/Agusto; A-/GCR Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR A/Agusto; A-/GCR A/Agusto Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR A-/Agusto; BBB+/DataPro A/Agusto A-/GCR

KWARA NIGER KADUNA *EBONYI *BENUE *IMO LAGOS *BAYELSA EDO *DELTA NIGER *EKITI *NIGER *ONDO *GOMBE LAGOS *OSUN *OSUN LAGOS KOGI *EKITI *NASARAWA

14.00 KWARA 5-AUG-2014 14.00 NIGER 15-OCT-2014 12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015 13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015 14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016 15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016 10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017 13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017 14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017 14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018 14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018 14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018 14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018 15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019 15.50 GOMBE 02-OCT-2019 14.50 LAGOS 22-NOV-2019 14.75 OSUN 12-DEC-2019 14.75 OSUN II 30-SEP-2020 13.50 LAGOS IV 27-NOV-2020 15.00 KOGI 31-DEC-2020 14.50 EKITI II 31-DEC-2020 15.00 NASARAWA 06-JAN-2021

05-Aug-09 15-Oct-09 31-Aug-10 30-Sep-10 30-Jun-11 30-Jun-09 19-Apr-10 30-Jun-10 30-Dec-10 30-Sep-11 04-Oct-11 09-Dec-11 12-Dec-13 14-Feb-12 02-Oct-12 22-Nov-12 12-Dec-12 30-Sep-13 27-Nov-13 31-Dec-13 31-Dec-13 06-Jan-14

14.00 14.00 12.50 13.00 14.00 15.50 10.00 13.75 14.00 14.00 14.00 14.50 14.00 15.50 15.50 14.50 14.75 14.75 13.50 15.00 14.50 15.00

17.00 6.00 8.50 16.50 13.00 18.50 57.00 50.00 25.00 50.00 9.00 20.00 12.00 27.00 20.00 80.00 30.00 11.40 87.00 5.00 5.00 5.00

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

572.90

Corporate Bonds A+/Agusto; AA/GCR Aa/Agusto Nil Bbb-/Agusto A-/Agusto BB+/GCR A+/Agusto; A-/GCR A-/Agusto A/GCR BBB-/GCR BBB+/DataPro†; BB+/GCR A-/DataPro†; BB-/GCR AAA/DataPro†; A+/GCR A/Agusto; A/GCR Bbb+/Agusto; BBB+/GCR BBB-/DataPro†; BB+/GCR BBB/GCR A+/Agusto; A-/GCR

LAFARGE WAPCO GTB µ NGC *UPDC *FLOURMILLS *CHELLARAMS NAHCO FSDH UBA *C & I LEASING *DANA# *TOWER# *TOWER# UBA *LA CASERA *CHELLARAMS# *DANA NAHCO

11.50 LAFARGE WAPCO 7-OCT 2014 13.50 GUARANTY TRUST 18-DEC-2014 17.00 NGC 31-DEC-2014 10.00 UPDC 17-AUG-2015 12.00 FLOURMILLS 9-DEC-2015 14.00 CHELLARAMS 06-JAN-2016 13.00 NAHCO 29-SEP-2016 14.25 FSDH 25-OCT-2016 13.00 UBA 30-SEP-2017 18.00 C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017 MPR+7.00 DANA 9-APR-2018 MPR+7.00 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 MPR+5.25 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 14.00 UBA II 22-SEP-2018 15.75 LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018 MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019 16.00 DANA II 1-APR-2019 15.25 NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020

07-Oct-11 18-Dec-09 01-Apr-10 17-Aug-10 09-Dec-10 06-Jan-11 29-Sep-11 25-Oct-13 30-Sep-10 30-Nov-12 09-Apr-11 09-Sep-11 09-Sep-11 22-Sep-11 18-Oct-13 17-Feb-12 01-Apr-14 14-Nov-13

11.50 13.50 17.00 10.00 12.00 14.00 13.00 14.25 13.00 18.00 16.00 18.00 16.00 14.00 15.75 17.00 16.00 15.25

11.80 13.17 2.00 15.00 37.50 1.50 15.00 5.53 20.00 0.94 8.01 3.63 1.00 35.00 3.00 0.54 4.50 2.05

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

180.17

Supranational Bond AAA/S&P

10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018

IFC

11-Feb-13

10.20

12.00

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE Rating/Agency

12.00 Issuer

Description

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Issue Value ($'mm)

Maturity Date

6.75 JAN 28, 2021

07-Oct-11

6.75

500.00

28-Jan-21

4.87

4.72

110.47

111.36

5.13 JUL 12, 2018

18-Dec-09

5.13

500.00

12-Jul-18

4.12

3.92

103.67

104.44

6.38 JUL 12, 2023

01-Apr-10

6.38

500.00

12-Jul-23

5.28

5.16

107.81

108.71

FGN Eurobonds

Prices & Yields

BB-/Fitch; B+/S&P BB-/Fitch; BB-/S&P

FGN

BB-/Fitch; BB-/S&P

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

1,500.00

Corporate Eurobonds AFREN PLC I

11.50 FEB 01, 2016

01-Feb-11

11.50

450.00

01-Feb-16

3.83

3.06

111.54

112.81

GTBANK PLC I

7.50 MAY 19, 2016

19-May-11

7.50

500.00

19-May-16

4.96

4.24

104.47

105.79

GTBANK PLC

6.00 NOV 08, 2018

08-Nov-13

6.00

400.00

08-Nov-18

6.14

5.88

99.46

100.45

7.25 JUL 25, 2017

25-Jul-12

7.25

350.00

25-Jul-17

7.03

6.41

100.59

102.30

6.88 MAY 09, 2018

09-May-13

6.88

300.00

02-May-18

8.67

8.26

94.24

95.52

AFREN PLC

10.25 APR 08, 2019

08-Apr-12

10.25

300.00

08-Apr-19

5.08

4.35

113.24

114.59

ZENITH BANK PLC FIRST BANK PLC

6.25 APR 22, 2019

22-Apr-14

6.25

500.00

22-Apr-19

6.41

6.22

99.33

100.13

B/S&P; B-/Fitch

8.25 AUG 07, 2020

07-Aug-13

8.25

300.00

07-Aug-20

7.11

6.69

103.99

105.50

B+/S&P; B+/Fitch

AFREN PLC

6.63 DEC 09, 2020

09-Dec-13

6.63

360.00

09-Dec-20

5.68

5.42

103.63

104.67

B-/S&P; B/Fitch B+/S&P; B+/Fitch B+/S&P B/S&P; B/Fitch B/Fitch B+/Fitch; BB-/S&P

ACCESS BANK PLC FIDELITY BANK PLC

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

3,460.00

**Treasury Bills DTM 9 16 23 30 37 44 51

FIXINGS Maturity 10-Jul-14 17-Jul-14 24-Jul-14 31-Jul-14 7-Aug-14 14-Aug-14 21-Aug-14

Bid Discount (%) 10.15 10.10 10.00 10.15 10.20 10.10 10.05

Offer Discount (%) 9.90 9.85 9.75 9.90 9.95 9.85 9.80

Bid Yield (%) 10.18 10.14 10.06 10.24 10.31 10.22 10.19

Money Market

NIBOR Tenor O/N 1M 3M 6M

Rate (%) 10.5000 12.4604 13.4364 14.2681

Foreign Exchange (Spot & Forwards)

Tenor

Rate (%)

OBB

10.25

Tenor

Bid ($/N)

Offer ($/N)

10.50

Spot 7D 14D 1M 2M

162.70 163.03 163.29 163.89 165.59

162.80 163.29 163.63 164.54 166.22

O/N Tenor Call

REPO

Rate (%) 10.25

A+/Agusto KADUNA A/Agusto *EBONYI Nil *BENUE A+/Agusto *IMO A+/Agusto; A+/GCR LAGOS A-/Agusto *BAYELSA A/Agusto EDO A+/Agusto; A+/GCR *DELTA A-/Agusto; A-/GCR NIGER A/Agusto; A-/GCR† *EKITI Wednesday, July 2, 2014 *NIGER A-/Agusto A/Agusto; A-/GCR *ONDO A/Agusto; A-/GCR *GOMBE Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR LAGOS A/Agusto; A-/GCR *OSUN A/Agusto *OSUN Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR LAGOS A-/Agusto; BBB+/DataPro KOGI A/Agusto *EKITI A-/GCR *NASARAWA Sanctity of Truth

RISING

Nigerian stocks sustain bullish rally

Stories

by Chris Ugwu TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

T

Corporate Bonds sentiments yeshe bullish

A+/Agusto; AA/GCR LAFARGE WAPCO terday continued to envelAa/Agusto GTB op trading activities on the µ Nil floor of the Nigerian NGC Stock Bbb-/Agusto (NSE). *UPDC Exchange A-/Agusto *FLOURMILLS The stock market sustained BB+/GCR *CHELLARAMS northwards movement on the A+/Agusto; NAHCOon the back of A-/GCR transactions A-/Agusto FSDH UP Botshare prices of Seven A/GCR tling Company PlcUBAand UAC BBB-/GCR *C & I LEASING Nigeria Plc. BBB+/DataPro†; BB+/GCR *DANA# The key benchmark indices # A-/DataPro†; BB-/GCR maintained positive*TOWER trajectory # AAA/DataPro†; A+/GCR *TOWER to close in the green, taking A/Agusto; A/GCR UBA supports majorly from highly Bbb+/Agusto; BBB+/GCR CASERA capitalised stocks, *LA which was BBB-/DataPro†; BB+/GCR *CHELLARAMS# particularly driven by Seven Up BBB/GCR *DANA as bargain hunters responded A+/Agusto; A-/GCR NAHCO

12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015 13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015 14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016 15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016 10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017 13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017 14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017 14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018 14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018 14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018 14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018 15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019 15.50 GOMBE 02-OCT-2019 14.50 LAGOS 22-NOV-2019 14.75 OSUN 12-DEC-2019 14.75 OSUN II 30-SEP-2020 13.50 LAGOS IV 27-NOV-2020 positively following significant 15.00 KOGI 31-DEC-2020 results released by the company 14.50 EKITI II 31-DEC-2020 the previous .

15.00 NASARAWA day 06-JAN-2021

31-Aug-10 12.50 30-Sep-10 13.00 30-Jun-11 14.00 30-Jun-09 15.50 19-Apr-10 10.00 30-Jun-10 13.75 30-Dec-10 14.00 30-Sep-11 14.00 04-Oct-11 14.00 09-Dec-11 14.50 12-Dec-13 14.00 14-Feb-12 15.50 02-Oct-12 15.50 22-Nov-12 14.50 12-Dec-12 14.75 30-Sep-13 14.75 27-Nov-13 13.50 talisation 31-Dec-13 of equities 15.00 gained N43 31-Dec-13 billion or 0.3 per cent from 14.50 N14.027 trillion to N14.070 tril06-Jan-14 15.00

8.50 31-Aug-15 1.17 16.50 30-Sep-15 0.77 13.00 30-Jun-16 1.29 18.50 30-Jun-16 1.29 57.00 19-Apr-17 2.80 50.00 30-Jun-17 1.84 25.00 31-Dec-17 3.50 50.00 30-Sep-18 2.47 9.00 04-Oct-18 4.26 20.00 09-Dec-18 2.67 12.00 12-Dec-18 2.67 27.00 14-Feb-19 3.05 20.00 02-Oct-19 3.12 80.00 22-Nov-19 5.39 30.00 12-Dec-19 3.18 11.40 30-Sep-20 3.80 87.00 27-Nov-20 6.41 services sub-sec5.00 Insurance 31-Dec-20 6.50 tor boosted31-Dec-20 by the activities 5.00 3.98 on the shares of Continental3.84 Insur5.00 06-Jan-21

4.44 15.22 97.14 3.23 14.06 99.80 4.46 15.31 98.55 3.48 14.33 101.33 5.59 16.88 85.08 1.00 12.14 102.54 1.79 13.10 102.47 1.80 13.07 102.12 1.00 12.31 105.43 1.00 12.28 104.89 4.78 16.06 95.87 1.00 12.31 105.37 1.00 12.31 108.15 1.00 12.40 108.05 2.74 14.05 101.74 1.00 12.31 107.05 1.00 12.64 103.68 in 1.94248 deals.

13.60 105.92 closing bell 1.44When the 12.75 105.12rang, investors exchanged a total of 1.95 13.26 117.01

business | FINANCIAL MARKET NEWS

Stock market gains N43bn The company’s pretax profit year to March 31, rose to N7.62 billion as against N3.2 billion 11.50 LAFARGE 2014 recorded inWAPCO the7-OCT comparable 13.50 GUARANTY TRUST 18-DEC-2014 period of 2013, representing a 17.00 NGCof 31-DEC-2014 growth 133 per cent.

10.00 UPDC 17-AUG-2015 Specifically, the market capi12.00 FLOURMILLS 9-DEC-2015 talisation of equities appreci14.00 CHELLARAMS 06-JAN-2016 ated

by N43 billion as market 13.00 NAHCO 29-SEP-2016 sentiments remained positive.

14.25 FSDH 25-OCT-2016 At the close of trading, 28 13.00 UBA 30-SEP-2017 stocks recorded price apprecia18.00 C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017 tion, while 25 others constituted MPR+7.00 DANA 9-APR-2018 the losers’ table.

MPR+7.00 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 The twin market indicaMPR+5.25 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 tors, the All-Share Index rose 14.00 UBA II 22-SEP-2018 by15.75 128.82 basis points or 0.3 per LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018 cent from 42,482.48 recorded MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019 the previous day to close at 16.00 DANA II 1-APR-2019 42,611.30, market capi15.25 NAHCO IIwhile 14-NOV-2020

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

47

lion. ance Plc followed with 34.7mil- 620.8 million shares, worth N4.9 572.90 Further analysis of the day’s lion units, worth N337.1 billion billion in 5,455 deals. trading showed that Seven Up 07-Oct-11 07-Oct-14 0.27 1.00 11.70 99.87 topped the gainers’11.50 table with 11.80 18-Dec-09 13.50 18-Dec-14 0.47 5.21 16.16 98.82 N9.53 to close at N102.53, while 13.17 01-Apr-10 17.00N3.10 to 2.00 31-Dec-14 0.50 8.71 19.71 98.77 UACN followed with 10.00 15.00 17-Aug-15 0.65 4.88 15.79 96.25 close17-Aug-10 at N65.10 per share.

09-Dec-10 12.00 Nigeria 37.50 09-Dec-15 0.96 1.00 11.72 100.47 On the flip side, MRS 06-Jan-11 14.00 a drop 1.50 06-Jan-16 0.81 2.63 13.44 100.57 Plc led the losers with 29-Sep-11 29-Sep-16 2.25 12.25 of N6.82 to close at13.00 N63.18 per 15.00 ando Energy Resources to1.00 re-rate the stock. 101.39 25-Oct-13 14.25 25-Oct-16 1.34 12.59 103.19 share, while Forte Oil Plc shed 5.53 (OER) has said it will2.32conOando shares have risen 30-Sep-10 13.00 20.00 30-Sep-17 3.25 1.00 12.31 clude its acquisition of Ni- 13.7 per cent this year,101.76 valuing N6.30 to close at N200.00.

30-Nov-12 18.00 0.94 30-Nov-17 2.06 1.88 13.11 109.49 On the activity chart, the gerian oil and gas business the oil firm at N269.4-billion 09-Apr-11 09-Apr-18 2.02 3.48 14.71 102.53 ConocoPhillips at the end of ($1.65billion). banking sub-sector16.00 dominated 8.01 09-Sep-11 18.00 09-Sep-18 2.19 5.20 16.44 in volume terms with 177.5 mil- 3.63 "We believe this is a103.13 material this month.

16.00 09-Sep-18 2.19 5.06 101.94 lion 09-Sep-11 shares worth N2.1 billion in 1.00 The company in a news re- catalyst for16.30 Oando that should 22-Sep-11 14.00 35.00 22-Sep-18 4.23 1.35 12.66 104.24 1,369 deals. The sub sector was lease on its official website, said lead to the ultimate re-rating," 18-Oct-13 15.75 3.00 18-Oct-18 2.30 2.29 13.54 104.50 enhanced by the activities in it had entered into an agree- analysts at Renaissance Capital 17-Feb-12 17.00 0.54 17-Feb-19 2.38 6.11 17.37 99.54 ment to extend the outside date wrote in a note. the shares of Zenith Bank and 4.50 01-Apr-14 16.00 01-Apr-19 3.50 2.16 13.47 106.88 for completion of ConocoPhilOando hopes the acquisition UBA14-Nov-13 Plc. 15.25 2.05 14-Nov-20 6.37 2.76 14.39 103.47 lips to July 31, 2014. will help it make the transition 180.17“The parties extended the from a marketer of refined outside closing date for com- petroleum products into an pletion of 11-Feb-18 the ConocoPhillips upstream business focused on 11-Feb-13 10.20 12.00 3.62 1.00 12.31 93.97 “It can be recalled that the acquisition to enable them oil and gas exploration and proExchange commenced the pi- 12.00 finalise activities required to duction. lot programme with nine stocks complete the transaction havConoco’s fields produced Issue Date (%) Issue Value ($'mm) Maturity Date Bid Yieldcon(%) Offer Yield (%) 43,000 Bid Price Offer -Dangote Cement,Coupon Guinness Plc, ing received the required about barrels ofPrice oil a Nestle Plc, Nigerian Breweries, sent of Minister of Petroleum day last year and have proven Prices & Yields SIM Capital Fund, Skye Shelter Resources Mrs. Diezani Alison- reserves of 213-million barrels Fund, Nigerian Energy Sector Madueke. of oil equivalent.

07-Oct-11 6.75 500.00 28-Jan-21 4.87 4.72 110.47 111.36 Fund (NESF) and Total Plc. The Oando CEO, Wale Tinubu, Oando said on June 18 it had Programme permanent 500.00 has upstream104.44 business received government approval 18-Dec-09 became 5.13 12-Jul-18 4.12 3.92 said the 103.67 in 2013 and the nine initial pilot to complete the deal that it had will account for about three 01-Apr-10 6.38Babalola. 500.00 12-Jul-23 5.28 5.16 108.71 stocks remained” said agreed last year but was delayed quarters of107.81 Oando’s assets af“In April 2014, Lafarge Ce- several times due to problems ter the acquisition, against 40 1,500.00 ment WAPCO Nigeria Plc of raising funds, oil industry per cent now.

Rival firm Seplat, which became the 10th stock on the and banking. programme with Seplat PetroThe Nigerian oil firm has raised $500million in a debut 01-Feb-11 11.50 450.00 01-Feb-16 3.83 3.06 111.54 112.81 leum Development Company paid $550million in cash to Con- stock market listing in Lagos 19-May-11 7.50 4.96 4.24 London 104.47 Plc also coming on board in the 500.00 ocoPhillips19-May-16 for the acquisition and in April,105.79 has cur08-Nov-13 08-Nov-18 6.14 to 5.88 net oil production 99.46 100.45 same month as the 6.00 11th stock, 400.00 and secured bank financing rent of about 25-Jul-12 7.25 security 350.00 25-Jul-17 6.41 100.59 based on it being a new 35,000 barrels a day —102.30 the same complete the payment. 7.03 09-May-13 6.88 8.67 to 8.26 as London-listed 94.24 95.52 listing that was priced above 300.00 Analysts02-May-18 expect the deal level Afren, ac08-Apr-12 08-Apr-19 5.08 4.35 113.24 114.59 contribute a significant proporcording to Renaissance Capital N100.00 at the time10.25 of listing 300.00 22-Apr-14 500.00 22-Apr-19 6.41plan 6.22 99.33 100.13 on The Exchange. 6.25 tion to Oando’s profit and estimates.

Oando to close $1.65 bn acquisition deal July 31

O

Forte Oil joins high priced stocks today Supranational Bond

F

AAA/S&P

IFC

orte Oil Plc, one of the Ni-

TOTAL OUTSTANDING geria’s leading VALUE indigenous

integrated energy providers listedRating/Agency on the floor of the Issuer Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), FGNtoday Eurobonds will join the high priced stocks.

BB-/Fitch; B+/S&P This follows the conclusion ofBB-/Fitch; the NSE’s review ofFGNthe BB-/S&P prices of stocks, as part of its BB-/Fitch; plans to improve liquidity and BB-/S&P deepen the market, with the anTOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE nouncement of a new security that will Eurobonds be joining the league Corporate of High Priced Stocks.

B-/S&P; B/Fitch AFREN PLC I It would be recalled that beGTBANK PLCthe I fore the new regime, to move B+/S&P; B+/Fitch GTBANK PLC or price of any stock upwards B+/S&P ACCESS BANK PLC downwards, the brokers needB/S&P; B/Fitch a volume FIDELITY BANK PLC ed to have of 50,000 B/Fitch and above. AFREN PLC shares B+/Fitch; BB-/S&Pin September However, 2012, ZENITH BANK PLC

10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018

The NSE introduced a pilot programme for its new market structure with the rollout of Description market making, where stockbrokers could move prices of some high-priced stocks with 10,000 shares.

High 6.75 JANThese 28, 2021 Priced Stocks are securities that have traded an 5.13 average JUL 12, 2018 of N100 or more per share in four out of 6.38 JUL 12,period.

2023 the last six months Justifying the inclusion of Forte Oil Plc in the high priced stocks, the bourse’s Head of Market Surveillance, Mr. Abim11.50 FEB 01, 2016 bola Babalola, in a release ob7.50 MAY 19, 2016 tained by New Telegraph from 6.00 NOVsaid 08, 2018 the NSE website, a review 7.25 JUL 25, of 2017the comof trading activities MAY 09, 2018 pany in the6.88last six months, 08, 2019 shows that 10.25 theAPR company met 6.25by APRthe 22, 2019 the criteria set Exchange.

B/S&P; B-/Fitch

FIRST BANK PLC

8.25 AUG 07, 2020

B+/S&P; B+/Fitch

AFREN PLC

6.63 DEC 09, 2020

07-Aug-13

8.25

300.00

07-Aug-20

7.11

6.69

103.99

09-Dec-13

6.63

360.00

09-Dec-20

5.68

5.42

103.63

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

3,460.00

105.50 104.67

1-Jul-14

The FMDQBills Daily Quotations List (DQL) comprises market and model prices/rates of foreign exchange ($/N) products, fixed income securities andMoney instruments The use of this report is subject **Treasury FIXINGS Market in the OTC market.

Foreign Exchange (Spot & Forwards) to the FMDQ OTC PLC Terms of Use and Disclaimer Statement.

DTM Maturity Bid Discount (%) Offer Discount (%) 9 10-Jul-14 10.15 9.90 16 17-Jul-14 10.10 9.85 FGN Bonds23 24-Jul-14 10.00 9.75 30 31-Jul-14 10.15 9.90 Issuer Description Rating/Agency Issue 37 7-Aug-14 10.20 9.95 Date 44 14-Aug-14 10.10 9.85 9.25 28-SEP-2014 28-Sep-07 51 21-Aug-14 10.05 9.80 4.00 23-APR-2015 23-Apr-10 58 28-Aug-14 10.05 9.80 13.05 16-AUG-2016 16-Aug-13 65 4-Sep-14 10.45 10.20 15.10 27-APR-2017 27-Apr-12 72 11-Sep-14 10.70 10.45 9.85 27-JUL-2017 27-Jul-07 79 18-Sep-14 10.70 10.45 9.35 31-AUG-2017 31-Aug-07 86 25-Sep-14 10.70 10.45 10.70 30-MAY-2018 30-May-08 93 2-Oct-14 10.75 10.50 NA NA 16.00 29-JUN-2019 29-Jun-12 100 9-Oct-14 10.50 10.25 7.00 23-OCT-2019 23-Oct-09 107 16-Oct-14 10.80 10.55 16.39 27-JAN-2022 27-Jan-12 114 23-Oct-14 10.80 10.55 14.20 14-MAR-2024 14-Mar-14 121 30-Oct-14 10.80 10.55 15.00 28-NOV-2028 28-Nov-08 128 6-Nov-14 10.75 10.50 12.49 22-MAY-2029 22-May-09 142 20-Nov-14 10.60 10.35 8.50 20-NOV-2029 20-Nov-09 156 4-Dec-14 10.55 10.30 10.00 23-JUL-2030 23-Jul-10 191 8-Jan-15 10.40 10.15 TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE22-Jan-15 205 10.45 10.20 219 5-Feb-15 10.45 10.20 233 19-Feb-15 10.35 10.10 247 5-Mar-15 10.40 Description 10.15 Rating/Agency Issuer 282 9-Apr-15 10.30 10.05 296 23-Apr-15 10.25 10.00 Agency Bonds 310 7-May-15 9.90 9.65 0.00 AMCON 31-OCT-2014 (SR.5 TR.1) AMCON *from the Amortising 0.00 FMB 24-MAY-2015 FMBN #bonds, the average life is Risk Premium is a combination of credit risk and liquidity risk premiums NA

**Exclusive of non-trading t.bills

***LCRM

17.25 FMB II 03-APR-2017 0.00/16.00 LCRM 09-DEC-2016 0.00/16.50 LCRM II 20-APR-2017 0.00/16.50 LCRM III 06-JUL-2017

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

KWARA NIGER Modified Duration KADUNA Buckets *EBONYI *BENUE <3 *IMO LAGOS 3<5 *BAYELSA >5 EDO Market *DELTA NIGER *EKITI *NIGER *ONDO *GOMBE LAGOS *OSUN *OSUN LAGOS

Bonds

NIBOR

Tenor O/N 1M Outstanding Value 3M (N'bn) 6M

100.00 535.00 500.27 NITTY 452.80 20.00 Tenor 100.00 1M 300.00 2M 351.30 3M 233.90 6M 600.00 9M 165.17 12M 75.00 150.00 200.00 591.57 NIFEX

Current4,375.01 Price ($/N) BID($/N) OFFER ($/N) Coupon (%)

28-Dec-11 24-May-10 03-Apr-12 09-Dec-11 20-Apr-12 06-Jul-12

0.00 0.00 17.25 0.00/16.00 0.00/16.50 0.00/16.50

Rate (%) 10.5000 12.4604 Maturity 13.4364 Date 14.2681 28-Sep-14 23-Apr-15 16-Aug-16 27-Apr-17 27-Jul-17 Rate (%) 31-Aug-17 10.4812 30-May-18 10.5219 29-Jun-19 11.0151 23-Oct-19 11.0256 27-Jan-22 11.2282 14-Mar-24 11.2337 28-Nov-28 22-May-29 20-Nov-29 23-Jul-30

Tenor

Rate (%)

OBB

10.25

Tenor

10.50

Spot 7D Offer Yield 14D (%) 1M 2M 10.53 3M 10.12 6M 11.30 1Y 11.31

O/N

REPO TTM (Yrs) Tenor 0.24 Call 1M 0.81 3M 2.13 6M 2.82

Bid Yield (%) Rate (%) 10.2511.15 12.1910.81 13.0711.38 13.8811.37

3.07 11.31 11.19 3.17 11.31 11.19 3.91 11.31 11.21 4.99 11.38 11.30 :Benchmarks 5.31 11.38 11.29 * :Amortising Bond 7.58 11.97 11.91 µ :Convertible Bond 9.70 12.21 12.16 AMCON: Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria 14.41 12.11 12.07 FGN: Federal Government of Nigeria 14.89 12.11 12.06 FMBN: Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria 15.39 Finance Corporation 12.10 12.05 IFC: International 12.14 Management 12.09 LCRM: Local16.06 Contractors Receivables

NOTE:

Bid ($/N) 162.70 163.03 Bid Price 163.29 163.89 165.5999.49 166.3894.83 103.05 170.02 108.75 177.85

Offer ($/N) Price 162.80 163.29 Offer Price 163.63 164.54 166.2299.64 168.0395.33 103.20 173.64 108.90 184.89

96.28 96.58 94.88 95.18 98.10 98.40 117.25 117.55 NA :Not Applicable 83.17 # :Floating82.87 Rate Bond 121.60 ***: Deferred coupon bonds121.90 111.10 111.40 119.44 119.74 †: Bond rating expired 102.59 102.89 75.10 75.40 85.00 85.30

NAHCO: Nigerian Aviation Handling Company NGC: Nigeria-German Company 162.8200 UBA: United Bank for Africa O/N: Overnight 162.9200 UPDC: UAC Property Development Company #Risk Avg. Life/TTM Valuation Yield Indicative WAPCO:West Africa Company Issue Value (N'bn) Maturity DatePortland Cement Premium (Yrs) (%) Price (%) 978.35 24.56 6.00 112.22 116.70 66.49

31-Oct-14 24-May-15 03-Apr-17 09-Dec-16 20-Apr-17 06-Jul-17

0.33 0.90 1.38 2.44 2.80 3.01

1.00 2.63 2.27 2.00 1.00 1.00

11.78 13.39 13.17 13.26 12.29 12.31

96.24 89.03 105.36 98.92 97.46 95.01

05-Aug-14 15-Oct-14 % Exposure_ 31-Aug-15 Mod_Duration 30-Sep-15 30-Jun-16 30-Jun-16 17.79 19-Apr-17 36.30 30-Jun-17 45.91 31-Dec-17 100.00 30-Sep-18 04-Oct-18 09-Dec-18 12-Dec-18 14-Feb-19 02-Oct-19 22-Nov-19 12-Dec-19 30-Sep-20 27-Nov-20

0.10 0.29 1.17 Implied Yield 0.77 1.29 1.29 11.37 2.80 11.78 1.84 12.16 3.50 11.88 2.47 4.26 2.67 2.67 3.05 3.12 5.39 3.18 3.80 6.41

1.56 3.29 Implied4.44 Portfolio Price 3.23 4.46 3.48 116.7471 5.59 132.7521 1.00 99.0918 1.79 117.4480 1.80 1.00 1.00 4.78 1.00 1.00 1.00 2.74 1.00 1.00

12.03 14.01 INDEX15.22 14.06 15.31 14.33 1,108.86 16.88 1,124.09 12.14 1,155.99 13.10 1,115.63 13.07 12.31 12.28 16.06 12.31 12.31 12.40 14.05 12.31 12.64

100.12 99.88 YTD Return 97.14 (%) 99.80 98.55 101.33 10.8859 85.08 12.4094 102.54 15.5986 102.47 11.5630 102.12 105.43 104.89 95.87 105.37 108.15 108.05 101.74 107.05 103.68

1,304.32

FMDQ FGN BOND INDEX

Sub-National Bonds A/Agusto A-/GCR A+/Agusto A/Agusto Nil A+/Agusto A+/Agusto; A+/GCR A-/Agusto A/Agusto A+/Agusto; A+/GCR A-/Agusto; A-/GCR A/Agusto; A-/GCR† A-/Agusto A/Agusto; A-/GCR A/Agusto; A-/GCR Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR A/Agusto; A-/GCR A/Agusto Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR

Bid Yield (%) 10.18 10.14 10.06 10.24 Coupon 10.31 (%) 10.22 9.25 10.19 4.00 10.21 13.05 10.65 15.10 10.93 9.85 10.95 9.35 10.98 10.70 11.05 16.00 10.81 7.00 11.15 16.39 11.18 14.20 11.20 15.00 11.17 12.49 11.06 8.50 11.05 10.00 11.00 11.10 11.15 11.08 11.19 Date Issue 11.19 11.18 10.81

14.00 KWARA 5-AUG-2014 14.00 NIGER 15-OCT-2014 Porfolio Market Total Outstanding 12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015 Value(Bn) Volume(Bn) 13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015 14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016 1,007.95 953.07 15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016 10.00 LAGOS1,141.50 19-APR-2017 951.30 13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017 686.34 756.74 14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017 2,835.78 2,661.11 14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018 14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018 14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018 14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018 15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019 15.50 GOMBE 02-OCT-2019 14.50 LAGOS 22-NOV-2019 14.75 OSUN 12-DEC-2019 14.75 OSUN II 30-SEP-2020 13.50 LAGOS IV 27-NOV-2020

05-Aug-09 15-Oct-09 Weighting by 31-Aug-10 Outstanding Vol 30-Sep-10 30-Jun-11 30-Jun-09 35.81 19-Apr-10 35.75 30-Jun-10 28.44 30-Dec-10 100.00 30-Sep-11 04-Oct-11 09-Dec-11 12-Dec-13 14-Feb-12 02-Oct-12 22-Nov-12 12-Dec-12 30-Sep-13 27-Nov-13

14.00 14.00 Weighting12.50

by Mkt Value 13.00 14.00 15.50 35.54 10.00 40.25 13.75 24.20 14.00 100.00 14.00 14.00 14.50 14.00 15.50 15.50 14.50 14.75 14.75 13.50

17.00 6.00 8.50 Bucket Weighting 16.50 13.00 18.50 0.36 57.00 0.36 50.00 0.28 25.00 1.00 50.00 9.00 20.00 12.00 27.00 20.00 80.00 30.00 11.40 87.00

48 POLITICS Chika Onuora

“A

new sociology of the Ekiti people is emerging…”, so said Kayode Fayemi, the state’s outgoing governor in his speech after losing the last governorship election in the state. He was wondering aloud how the enlightened, highly educated populace in Ekiti would reject his elitist posturing for Ayo Fayose whom the All Progressives Congress (APC) propaganda machinery had derisively labelled a tout. To him, it was a choice that needed further research.

Much as Fayemi has won hearts across Nigeria and beyond for the statesmanlike manner in which he conceded to Fayose and even offered a hand of fellowship to him, many disagree with his reading of his failure.

Since he is not a bitter man, perhaps it is important for him to learn the bitter truth about the issues that led – or contributed substantially -- to his abysmal outing in Ekiti.

He may have distanced himself from the common people and lost touch with their day-to-day preferences– in contradistinction with his rival who is a grassroots man --but the reasons for Fayemi’s loss were more profound. Yes, the personality of Fayose contributed immensely to the triumph of the Peoples Democratic Party but one must also put in perspective, the deficiencies in Fayemi’s APC. Ekiti people, like most other parts of the South West geopolitical zone, are discontented with his party and the manner in which its affairs are being conducted by one Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. A more appropriate question therefore would be: how has such an enlightened race like the Yoruba, left its political fate to the whims of one man?

Tinubu has run affairs in the APC like one would a fiefdom. In the South West political zone for instance, the former governor of Lagos state insists on playing the sole king-maker, ramming his choice candidates down everyone’s throats. Well known for his habit of talking people down --supposed allies and political opponents alike -- he has since extended it to other leaders of the race. But by far the most offensive act of his is the manner in which he has of recent denigrated Yoruba traditional rulers. It rankles to no end that those institutions that the society holds sacred, have not been spared from the man’s insults and uncouth language.

At one event to mark the 80th birthday of the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, he took on a whole generation of Yoruba Obas, calling them of all things, worthless. According to him, of all the Obas in Yorubaland, only three were worth the name.

It was few days after the Olubadan of Ibadanland marked his 100th birthday.

So when the Ooni of Ife responded on behalf of other Yoruba Obas, it was

CO N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 4 1

moving with a small baggage that any time he ran into the governor he will be locked up.

“We became friends from there onwards. Before I left Niger state, I found that he was simply a young energetic, patriotic Nigerian, who meant well for this country and who was a trade unionist and just doing what he was supposed to do. Me ordering him to be locked up was doing my simple military duty, but both of us had something in common; the love for this country. He showed it then and he showed it until his last day on earth.

“Kuta I know is a prince, I don’t know how many of you know that, but he has never addressed himself as a prince; he always says he is a comrade, most princes will print a card and put in bracket, high prince, double prince, that is such a gentle man that we had in Kuta. He was simple,

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Ekiti and shifting paradigm of South-West politics

Fayemi

obvious they were set for a showdown which portends defeat for his party in crucial elections, especially since other leading lights in the party failed to distance themselves from that statement.

If abusing the Obas was wrong politics, the Asiwaju’s inciting statements prior to the Ekiti poll was offensive. For a man who was only a boy when Operation Wetie turned his Yoruba homeland into the Wild Wild West, the threat to reenact the scenario in Ekiti was insensitive, to say the least. At his investiture as the Chancellor of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso and award of honourary Doctor of Science in Management Science on him, he had threatened fire and brimstone should the governorship elections in Osun and Ekiti states be rigged. From his queer political dictionary, rigging means when any other party different from the APC is returned as winner of the poll. By voting PDP, the people dared him; and by accepting defeat, Governor Fayemi taught him a lesson in civil conduct.

The APC’s loss in the South West will be PDP’s gain. The nation’s foremost political party has in recent times

Tinubu

It was a test of their strength ahead of 2015.

It was an election that would either reaffirm the dominance of the APC in the South West or herald the resurgence of the PDP in the zone resurged in the zone that was hitherto dominated by the APC. The party has been re-strategising to win back the zone: it has set up committees to reconcile aggrieved members, and others to mobilize support from the grassroots.

The Mobilisation and Organisation Committee headed by Prince Buruji Kashamu is easily the most potent, mobilising in all the wards, local governments and the six states in the Southwest to canvass support for the party.

The Ekiti election was significant

Tributes to Senator Kuta he was humble, he was frank and very candid; he was very patriotic. When in the 6th Senate, he came up with the HYPADEC Bill for those of you who were at the 6th Senate, I don’t think he allowed me a moment’s rest until that bill was passed and even after the bill was passed, he still followed it up. It is on that basis that it is my humble submission today that the Senate in one of our prayers to consider naming the HYPADEC Bill Awasu Dahiru Kuta Bill or Act. God has given and God has taken. He gives at the appointed time and he takes at the appointed time.

“There is time for everything under the sun; there is time to be born and the time to die. When death comes, irrespective of our faith, we must accept it with gratitude and

praise to the almighty creator. He has good reasons for doing whatever he does. There is nothing that we can say today that will bring Kuta back to life; there is nothing we say today, no amount of prayers that will bring Kuta back on his seat. His body is gone, his body will be buried but his qualities lives on and it is the legacies that he left behind that should encourage us. Sometimes we are tempted to ask God why he has done certain things. Let’s not in Kuta’s case be tempted because Kuta, in my opinion was prepared to meet his creator.

“He worked as if he had premonitions that he was going to die the next day. From the day I know him in Niger until his last day here, he worked as if he needed more than 24 hours in a day to be able to do his work. But that was

in the sense that it was a test of their strength ahead of 2015. It was an election that would either reaffirm the dominance of the APC in the South West or herald the resurgence of the PDP in the zone. Kashamu’s boasts to deliver Ekiti as a first step to delivering the entire zone to the PDP, is therefore not an empty one with over 200,000 canvassers already mobilised for the party across the zone. After Ekiti, the party’s machinery has since moved to Osun which holds its governorship poll in August. So what happened in Ekiti may not be a fluke after-all, but a paradigm shift in the voting pattern that will ultimately sweep across the South West.

In all, Fayemi has conducted himself well since his loss. It has no precedent in Nigeria that less than forty-eight hours after such a bitterly fought contest, (even before the ink on the voters’ thumbs have disappeared), the contestants would sit and discuss in the interest of the people. For this he deserves commendation. It seems so odd that such a fine gentleman is found within the APC. •Onuora contributed this piece from Abuja.

the man that worked hard as a Distinguished Senator on the floor of the Senate here. Kuta was courageous; he was honest and he was sincere. He was a very dedicated and patriotic Nigerian, who put Nigeria and interest of this country before self. Kuta was intelligent, very resourceful, he was transparent, he was just and he was honest. He was most respectful and very polite”, Mark eulogised.

Having allowed as many Senators as possible to make tribute to their departed colleague, Senator Mark put the prayers to vote, and all of them were unanimously passed. Accordingly, the Senators observed a minute silence in honour of Kuta, as well as resolved to send a delegation to condole his family, the people and Government of Niger State.

NEWS 49

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

WARD WAR

Doctors think other medical professionals should play second fiddle Adesina Wahab Ado-Ekiti

E

kiti State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has expressed displeasure over the clamour that nurses and pharmacists in public health institutions be appointed consultants and Chief Medical Directors

NMA faults appointment of nurses, pharmacists as consultants, CMDs in such institutions.

The NMA also called for the scrapping of the Joint Health Sector Union, an amalgamation of all unions in the health sector, and allow each affiliate body to operate through their parent bodies.

Addressing a press conference in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, NMA Chairman in Ekiti, Dr. Obitade

Niger accuses APC of telling lies about LG funds Dan Atori Minna

State government NAlliger yesterday accused the Progressive Con-

gress (APC) of spreading false information about the state/local government joint account in order to incite the people against the administration of Governor Babangida Aliyu.

Commissioner for Information, Communication and Strategy, Alhaji Danladi Ndayebo, made this known during a press briefing in Minna. He accused APC of blackmail while reacting to the allegation of diverting local government funds.

He described the allegation as ‘mere tales by moonlight’ meant to de-

liberately distract attention from the landmark achievement of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government.

The commissioner said contrary to the APC claim, the state government has never misapplied funds meant for its 25 local government councils, wondering why the APC has been feeding the public with lies.

According to him, while the opposition is free to criticise the activities of the government and proffer solutions on policies if deemed necessary, the government said it will not condone acts of blackmail.

“We challenge the APC to fault the ruling party’s record of achievements with facts or forever remain quiet.”

2015: I’ll take Imo to wonderland, says Amanze Joseph Onyekwere medical practitioner Apirant and governorship asin Imo State, Dr. Charles Amanze, yesterday promised to take Imo State to higher grounds if given the mandate as the governor.

He said he would make

change of name

Nwodo

I formerly Miss Oraezue Chinenye Deborah wish to henceforth be known and addressed as Mrs. Nwodo Chinenye Deborah. All former documents remain valid, Abia State University, Uturu, nysc and the general public to note.

the state number one in terms of industrialisation, infrastructural development, education, health and security, if he becomes the governor in 2015.

Amanze, a former Chairman of the Board of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, while formally declaring his intention to contest the governorship seat in his Uvuru Ward in Aboh Mbaise Local Government area of the state, also said that he was prepared to restore Imo to its enviable position as bequeathed by the late Governor Sam Mbakwe.

Obimakinde, said such new structures as being mooted by the Federal Government, would cause internal crisis in the sector and colossal suffering to patients.

Obimakinde, who said the state chapter of the body has joined the national strike as directed by the headquarters in Abuja, said pharmacists and nurses must

9.5%

be allowed to play supportive roles and take directives from doctors, rather than eroding the well-entrenched clinical structures in hospitals.

He said such erosion would cripple the health sector and lead to its collapse in the presence of poor health indices, like high child and maternal mortality rates that were rampant in the system.

The percentage of households with access at home in Arab States in 2005.

Source: Itu.int

The chairman said: “We are not saying there shouldn’t be career progression for nurses, pharmacists and other medical and para-medical officers, but they should be made to play supportive roles to doctors or else, this may cause chaos and confusion in the system.

“The Act that established hospitals only

US$1.68trn The nominal GDP of Russia (IMF) in 2009.

Source: Blatantworld.com

recognised three directorates thus: Administration, Clinical Service and Training as well as Finance. But, trying to erode the clinical directorate by believing that any staff of a hospital, whose colleagues in the core civil service has reached the directorate level can be appointed as consultants and CMD, will create confusion.”

Obimakinde said government must not be oblivious of the fact that hospitals that practice such in foreign countries were those that place premium on academics.

3%

The annual population growth rate of Burkina Faso in 2010-2015.

Source: Un.org

L-R: Group Head, Marketing and Communications, First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Limited, Mr. Ikechukwu Kalu; Vice-President, Old Students Association of Hope Waddell Training Institute, Calabar, Mr. Edet Akpaso and Regional Service Head (Lagos), Mr. Moshood Adelotan, at the quarterly luncheon of the old students association in Lagos.

Bello discredits Katsina APC congress

F

ormer Senate Majority Whip and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Katsina State, Senator Kanti Bello, has expressed disappointment over the way the state congress was conducted.

Bello, however, commended the outcome of the party’s national convention.

The APC chieftain, who represented Katsina North senatorial district between 2003 and 2011, said the group led by the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Masari, hijacked the process, leaving the other groups with nothing.

Speaking in an in-

terview in Abuja, Bello said election was never conducted for the various positions, except the chairmanship, wondering how a group in the party would come out to say they won all the seats.

According to him, there are three groups in Katsina APC, which include the Masari group, his group and the group led by the younger brother of the late President Umar Yar’Adua.

He said: “I am really happy that at last, we were able to conduct our national convention.

There may be one problem or the other. But at least it was a successful convention. A lot of people who emerged were by

consensus, negotiation and discussions.

“That is what politics is all about. The national convention was very successful and I am happy about its outcome. But, our state congress in Katsina was nothing to write home about, it was unfortunate.

“We held our congress just about two days before the national convention.

So, it was very, very tight.

When we were haing the elections, only the chairmanship election took place on the understanding that after the election of the chairman, whichever structure emerges, then the other remaining positions would be shared on pro-rata basis between

the various groups based on the outcome of their electoral votes, which, if you want the party to progress and you want to carry everybody along, is a natural thing to do.

“This was my understating. I talked to the congress committee chairman and he confirmed that it was what the understanding was all about. But, to our surprise after the chairman had emerged from the (Aminu) Masari group, which is a combination of Masari, members of the House of Representatives and the senators group with about 1000 votes, everything changed. Our group had 800 votes. And we know what we did."

Abacha loot: SERAP sues Jonathan, AGF over withdrawal of corruption charges Joseph Onyekwere Lagos-based human ASocio-Economic rights organisation, the Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has instituted a legal action against the President Goodluck Jonathan-led Federal Government over the withdrawal of the N446.3 billion cor-

ruption charges leveled against Mohammed Abacha, son of late former Nigeria Head of State, General Sani Abacha.

Apart from President Jonathan, SERAP also joined the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Justice Minister, Mohammed Adoke (SAN), as defendants in

the action.

SERAP in the suit numbered: FHC/L/ CS/1007/2014, instituted before a Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, posited that: “Section 15 (5) of the 1999 Constitution provides that, ‘the state shall abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power.’

“This means that the defendants are to prevent the exploitation of Nigeria’s human and natural resources for any reasons other than for the good of the community. It also means that in cases of corruption, the defendants will ensure diligent and effective prosecution of suspected perpetrators.

The philosophical foundation for the inclusion of the fundamental objectives in the constitution is that government’s powers are not exercised to disregard the very institution and citizens they ought to protect.”

SERAP stated further in its suit that by Section 13 of the 1999 Constitu-

tion, persons exercising legislative, executive and judicial powers in Nigeria are bound to observe and apply the provisions of Chapter 2 of the constitution, because those persons are so duty-bound, adding that the government has responsibility to do those acts or else be accountable for failure to act.

50

NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Kuffour, others proffer solutions for Nigeria Emmanuel Masha Port Harcourt

F

ormer Ghana President, John Addo Kuffour has identified sustainable energy as a necessity that Nigeria and other African countries must embrace to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and reduce poverty in Africa.

The former President lamented the prevalence of hunger, poverty and poor energy access in subSaharan Africa and urged African leaders to do more to tackle them.

He also said there was

need for the continent’s leaders to respect human rights and entrench the Rule of Law, just as he urged them to fight corruption head long, pointing out that it was the only way to win investors’ confidence.

Kuffour, who made the remarks in a keynote address at an energy summit in Port Harcourt, which was attended by the former Prime Ministers of France and Spain (Francois Charles Fillion and Jose Luis Zappatero), and former President of Poland (Lech Walesa), who all discussed the issues confronting Nigeria, other African

countries and how they should be solved.

The discussion was moderated by Mohammed Ibn Chambas, the former President of the Economic Commission of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, and presently a Special United Nations (UN) Envoy.

Speaking on the theme: “Sustainable Energy, the Key to Africa’s World Integration,” Kuffour said that Africa has not made progress in terms of energy access in the past one decade, even though ‘energy is critical to human development.

Court dismisses Oyinlola’s suit against MTN Tunde Oyesina ABUJA

A

Federal High Court sitting in Abuja yesterday dismissed a suit instituted by a former Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, praying it to compel the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mohammed Bello Adoke to prosecute MTN Nigeria Communications Limited for allegedly failing to furnish the National Judicial Council (NJC) a complete call log of the retired President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Isa

Salami.

Delivering judgement in the matter, the trial judge, Justice Ademola Adeniyi, held that the court is of the view that Section 174 (C) of the constitution as amended vests powers in the AGF to institute or discontinue criminal proceedings against any person or organisation without exception.

According to him; “This appeal is, therefore, dismissed accordingly as the court cannot compel the AGF to prosecute the respondents.”

New Telegraph recalls that the former governor

made the demand in a six-page petition filed through his counsel, Adebisi Raimi, noting the AGF’s refusal to take legal action against MTN Nigeria and its directors simply “represents not just a breach of the constitutional right of the petitioner but that of Nigerians as a whole.”

Oyinlola further explained that the refusal of the AGF “to take appropriate legal action against MTN Nigeria and its directors simply represents a breach of the constitutional right of Nigerians as a whole.”

Kashamu warns voters against APC’s Greek gifts Kunle Olayeni Abeokuta

T

L-R: Mr. Tunde Kelani; Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi; National Publicity Secretary, Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Chief Sam Eke; Director-General, Dr. Sadip Umar Abubakar and other members of the council, during their courtesy visit to the governor in Ibadan

NCAA seeks new order for crash victims Wole Shadare

T

he Acting DirectorGeneral of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Benedict Adeyileka, has said that there was a need to have a change in the ways airlines compensate accident victims. He stated yesterday that global attention was now shifting to victim’s access to compensation and the as-

sistance airlines provide to victims and their families. He further stressed that there was a need to afford appropriate protection, which would be commensurate with international standards, best practices and values.

This followed the NCAA’s call for re-examination of the country’s legal and policy framework in the country’s

aviation law in a bid to ensure that Nigeria’s regulatory charters are appropriately adapted to modern aviation and insurance environments.

Meanwhile, the Chief Judge, Federal High Court, Abuja, Hon. Justice Ibrahim Auta, has challenged the Federal Government to tap into the resources abound the Nigerian aviation industry.

House, not running secret cult, says Tambuwal Philip Nyam Abuja

S

peaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, yesterday declared that the lower house was not a secret cult, saying its activities are accessible to members of the public.

This is even as the House endorsed the harmonised report on a bill for an Act to repeal the

Prisons Act, 2004.

Tambuwal made the declaration while inaugurating a new executive for the House of Representatives Press Corps in Abuja.

He said both the leadership and members of the House were transparent in everything they do and ready to avail the public with relevant information.

The Speaker expressed concerns at the unfair criticism and condemnation

the legislature receives from Nigerians in spite of the series of challenges militating against the lawmakers.

He said: “We’re not running a secret cult in the House; we’re very transparent. Approach us for any information and we shall make it available.

The legislature is receiving a lot of bashing from the public, but we have our limitations.

he chairman, Organisation and Mobilisation Committee of the Pe o p l e s D e m o c r at i c Party (PDP) in the South West, Prince Buruji Kashamu, yesterday warned the electorate to beware of what he described as “Greek gifts” from the All Progressives Congress (APC). He gave the warning in a statement made available to reporters in Abeokuta, the

Ogun State capital. The PDP chieftain stated that his warning was against the backdrop of the alleged moves being made by the APC governments in the South West to woo workers, students and other members of the voting population in the zone. Kashamu described the gestures of the APC-led governments as “panicky Greek gifts that are meant to deceive the people and hoodwink them; hence our people have to beware and be

vigilant.” He said, “Following the comprehensive trouncing of the APC by the PDP in Ekiti State, I have heard of some panicky measures being taken by the APC to savage whatever is left of their depleted ego.

“From Osun to Oyo, Ogun to Lagos, and even Rivers, the story is the same. They are now running from pillar to post, trying to woo the critical sectors of the voting population that they had hitherto ignored.

LCDAs: Ekiti community protests location of headquarters Adesina Wahab Ado-Ekiti

T

he Erinmope-Ekiti community has faulted the location of the headquarters of the proposed Ero Local Government Development Area in Igogo-Ekiti by the Kayode Fayemi-led administration. According to the people of the town, Igogo-Ekiti is lesser in

hierarchy to ErinmopeEkiti, even in the present Moba Local Government Area, where the communities are currently l o c at e d . A d dressing journalists in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, a high-powered delegation sent by the ruler of the town, Oba James Aina, which was led by National President of Erinmope Development Union, Alhaji Lasisi Sa-

lami, described the government’s action as a big slap on the community’s face. Alhaji Salami, who read the community’s position on the matter, said the decision was a bitter pill for them to swallow, owing to the fact that the committee set up by government on the matter had found Erinmope suitable to host the headquarters.

Adamawa lawmakers order Nyako to pay workers Ibrahim Abdul Yola

T

he cat and mouse politics being played between Adamawa State Governor, Murtala Nyako and some members of the state House of Assembly took a new dimension yesterday as the lawmakers ordered Nyako

with immediate effect to pay workers their unpaid June salaries or face the wrath of the legislatures.

The House unanimously resolved that the state government should with immediate effect pay the salary as it also commended the anti-graft agency, EFCC for freezing

the state’s accounts.

During the plenary session, under matters of Public importance, the member representing Hong constituency, Mr Wafarniyi Theman criticised the government for subjecting civil servants of the state to, ‘’untold hardship.”

Matuidi’s tackle on Onazi worse than Suarez’ biting –Maradona

A

Maradona

rgentina football legend, Diego Maradona, has waded into the criticism on Blaise Matuidi’s wild lunge on Nigeria’s midfielder Ogenyi Onazi during France 2-0 win over Nigeria in a World Cup 2014 second round game on Monday.

Matuidi’s tackle led to the Lazio

man been stretchered off on the hour mark with scores at 0-0, causing a collapse in the Nigeria midfield from which France took advantage and scored twice in the last 10 minutes.

Maradona apparently riled by Referee Mark Geiger’s decision to give Matuidi a yellow card described

SPORT

the incident as more severe than Luis Suarez biting Italy’s Giorgio Chellini on the shoulder that led to the Uruguayan been given a ninematch international ban plus a fourmonth global ban from football.

“It is impossible that the referee did not see this criminal tackle, it is worse than what Suarez did.”

NEW TELEGRAPH

newtelegraphonline.com/sports

ADEKUNLE SALAMI, DepUTY Editor, SPORTS kunle.salami@newtelegraphonline.com adekunles@yahoo.com

AUTHORITATIVE VOICE IN GLOBAL SPORT

wednesday, july 2, 2014

Why Eagles Lost to France

lNo regrets –Keshi

lTeam shared money till 2.30 am

M

ore facts emerged on Monday night over the ouster of the Super Eagles from the ongoing World Cup in Brazil.

Nigeria lost 2-0 to France at the Estardo Nacional in Brasilia with a score that eventually did not reflect the flow of the game.

Investigations however, revealed that there were many issues at the Nigerian camp in the previous night.

The money brought from Nigeria for the team was shared all through the night and it was confirmed that most of the players did not sleep before 2.30 am.

Our correspondent learnt that the Federal Government released $3m to the team because of their recent agitations and refusal to train in Campinas on Thursday last week and also to motivate the team for the game against France.

“It was suggested that the money be shared after the match so that the players can rest and concentrate, but they insisted they wanted it shared immediately and it was done up till very late in the night. None

of them slept before 2 am on Monday even though our match was the early match ( 1pm local time),” our source said.

It was not a surprise as the players entered the match looking so fatigued and they had to put in extra effort to give a fight against France.

Another major reason was the substitution made by coach Stephen Keshi in the game as Gabriel Reuben was brought in for injured Ogenyi Onazi. Ramon Azeez was almost going in, but Mikel Obi went to the sideline to whisper to the coach and we saw Rueben asked to dress up and go in while Azeez took his seat on bench, again.

The general reserve team of Nigeria was also weak according to investigations of our correspondent.

When Godfrey Oboabona was injured the coach had to rely on ageless Joseph Yobo to take the position leading to questions as to why Azubuike Egwuekwe made the team in the first place.

On the bench there were no players to push the game when

Nigeria’s Victor Moses tackles France’s Paul Pogba during Monday’s match

the first team guys were not clicking.

But Keshi defended himself when told his final 23 man list was faulty.

He said, “I have no regrets on my actions. We did the best possible to get past this stage, but football is football. We are not the first team to crash out.

“Leon Balogun and Bright Dike were the players I would have loved to bring to Brazil but they were injured.”

51 49

Maradona is among a set of selected few people who think that the four-month ban on Liverpool forward, Luis Suarez is excessive.

However, Suarez has admitted his mistake and tendered an apology to Chellini and the football world pledging never to bite an opponent again.

52

SPORT

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

News Updates

Trapattoni in talks with Cote d’Ivoire F ormer Republic of Ireland and Italy manager, Giovanni Trapattoni, has revealed he is in talks to become the next Ivory Coast coach.

The 75-year-old has been out of a job since parting company with Ireland in September 2013 after five years in charge.

“The Ivory Coast? Everything should materialise in 15 days’ time,” Trapattoni said to Italian radio station Radio Due. “I could also have accepted taking charge of Morocco and I thought about it for 48 hours, but in the end I made my decision.”

Trapattoni has been at the helm of AC Milan, Juventus, Inter Milan, Cagliari and Fiorentina in Serie A during his 40year coaching career, and is one of only five coaches to have won the league title in at least four different countries - Italy, Germany, Portugal, and Austria.

Cameroon to investigate matchfixing claims

P

aul Pogba has fixed his sights on a FIFA World Cup semi-final clash with Brazil and said France “fear nobody” after their win over Nigeria.

Didier Deschamps’ side has been talked up as potential World-Cup winners after their impressive performances in Brazil.

Les Bleus struck twice in the last 11 minutes to see off African champions, Nigeria in Monday’s round of 16 encounter at Estadio Nacional.

Pogba scored the opening goal as France set up a mouth-watering quarterfinal against Germany on Friday, and the Juventus man revealed confidence is high in Deschamps’ squad as he dreams of a showdown with hosts Brazil in the semifinals.

The former Manchester

France not afraid of any team –Pogba

France’s Paul Pogba (19) is tripped up by Nigeria’s John Obi Mikel

United midfielder said: “We’re France and we fear nobody.

“I’d like to play Brazil in the semi-finals. I saw the 1998

Di Maria sends Argentina through to quarterfinals

A

ngel Di Maria scored with just three minutes of extra time to go, to give Argentina a 1-0 win over Switzerland and take the former world champions through to the quarterfinals.

Lionel Messi captained the side from the front, supported by Gonzalo Higuain and Ezequiel Lavezzi, as the Albicelestes came up against the Europeans in Sao Paulo for a place in the quarterfinals.

And as expected, it was the South American’s who got off to the brighter start – urged on by what was essentially a home crowd inside the stadium. Some bright early runs from Di Maria

caused Stephan Lichtsteiner some bother, but goalkeeper Diego Benaglio wasn’t tested.

After the break, and another goalless half, the match went into extra time.

The added 30 minutes provided nothing much in the way of clear-cut chances.

Rodrigo Palacio had a header punched away from danger, but the Swiss looked more than happy to see out the game in normal time and play for penalties.

That wasn’t to be however, as with just three minutes to go, Messi raced in on goal, laid the ball right to Di Maria, who struck it first time past the goalkeeper and into the far corner.

France vs Brazil final as a kid. It would be great to play a repeat of that game and win again.”

Algeria did a really good job – Schurrle

Schurrle

G

erman midfielder, Andre Schurrle, has praised Algeria following ameroon are to in- their tightly-contested 2014 vestigate claims that FIFA World Cup round of seven of their players 16 encounter. were involved in matchfixing at the World Cup. The country’s football federation Fecafoot said it had instructed its etheymar looks set to ics committee to probe be fit for Brazil’s allegations of what it World Cup quarter-final described as “fraud” in against Colombia on Fritheir three games in Bra- day. The striker suffered zil, particularly a 4-0 loss thigh and knee injuries to Croatia in Manaus in during Brazil’s dramatic their second Group A win on penalties against game.

Chile on Saturday.

“Recent allegations of But the 22-year-old Brazil fraud around Cameroon’s star is making good recovery, three 2014 World Cup according to team spokesgames, especially Camer- man Rodrigo Paiva. oon v Croatia, as well the “The worst is the knee - it’s existence of “seven bad what’s hurting the most,” apples [in our national Paiva told reporters at Brateam]” do not reflect the zil’s training ground in Teresvalues and principles opolis. “He will be evaluated promoted by our admin- again, but team doctor Jose istration,” Fecafoot said Luiz Runco said fans don’t in a statement.

C

The North Africans held the three-time world champions to a goalless draw in regulation time before Andre Schurrle broke the deadlock early in the first half of extra time.

Mesut Ozil then scored the insurance goal late in the second half and it proved to be a valuable strike as Abdelmoumene Djabou pulled one goal back for Algeria in added time.

While Germany were made to sweat for their 2-1 win, Schurrle believes

they have to focus on the positives and look forward to their next game.

“Algeria did a really good job,” Schurrle said.

“They made things really difficult for us and we had to fight to get through.

But it doesn’t matter how we’ve done it, the main thing is we’re in the quarter-finals.

“There was a bit of luck involved in my goal and now we’ve got to play better than this against France.”

Neymar winning fitness battle

N

Neymar

have to worry because he’s not a concern for the match.”

Neymar undertook a light swimming session with his team-mates on Monday, but he was seen hobbling as he got off the team coach.

The Barcelona forward,

who has scored four goals for Brazil at the World Cup, could be rest wed from training over the next couple of days to aid his recovery.

Brazil coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari, criticised English referee Howard Webb for not giving Neymar, who scored the winning penalty in Belo Horizonte, more protection against Chile.

“Neymar needs to be valued for what he did because it was a big effort,” Scolari said. “He played 75 minutes of the match after a strong hit on the thigh and we couldn’t understand how somebody hits with that strength and gets no card.”

Lionel Messi of Argentina (front) and Admir Mehmedi of Switzerland tussle for the ball

Greece players to forfeit bonuses G

reece’s World Cup players want their bonus money to be used to build a new training site for the national team in the cashstrapped country.

Yiannis Andrianos, the government’s general secretary for sports, said that players had written to Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras asking that the money be used to fund a new training site and that he had promised to do “everything possible” to respond to that request.

A seaside training facility near Athens is due to close next year due to a major redevelopment project. Public spending on sports has been drastically reduced since Greece was struck by a major financial crisis in 2009.

It was not clear how

much money the team members would give up, and officials making their return journey to Greece could not be reached for comment. But earlier in the week, Greek football federation officials said a bonus for reaching the last 16 at the World Cup would total €1 million, with additional money for participation and preparation also due to the players and federation.

Karagounis

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Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Nigeria, France Fall-out Onazi out for two months with fractured leg

Enyeama our World Cup hero -Odemwingie

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Onazi (left)

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azio midfielder, Ogenyi Onazi, faces several months out with a fractured leg suffered in Nigeria’s defeat to France at the World Cup on Monday.

The 21-year-old was stretchered off after a tackle from France’s Blaise Matuidi during Nigeria’s 2-0 defeat to Les Bleus in the last-16 tie in Brasilia.

Onazi was taken to a nearby hospital, and tests confirmed he has a fractured tibia and fibula in his left leg.

The Super Eagles star tweeted a photograph of his left leg in a cast and included a message that said: “Thanks to everyone for your prayers, will be fine by his grace.

“God Bless Nigeria.”

Matuidi, the Paris St Germain midfielder who was only shown a yellow card for the tackle, has apologised to Onazi.

“I’m sorry,” he said to L’Equipe.

“I’ve not gone in to hurt him; I’m disappointed because I’m not a dirty player.

“I went into the (Nigeria) dressing room afterwards to apologise.”

uper Eagles striker, Osaze Odemwingie, has praised the heroic feat of Vincent Enyeama whom he described as the star of Nigeria World Cup campaign.

The Stoke forward was key to the Super Eagles’ fortunes in Brasilia on Monday, playing a major role in their best attacks.

But a 79th minute goal from Paul Pogba, the brother of Crewe star Mathias, all but ended their campaign and a Joseph Yobo own goal made it 2-0 in injury time.

“This is football; things can change quickly and at any moment. Unfortunately there was a little mistake when

Vincent Enyeama pushed a cross to Pogba,”Osaze said.

“But Vincent played a great game.

But for him we might have been two or three down already. We knew he could save us and he did many times.”

The former West Brom star added that Nigeria can return home with their heads held high after their World Cup dream ended against France.

Odemwingie said: “We go out in the second round, but a lot of great teams were already at home watching the competition on TV. “I think we can be proud of how we’ve done and for a long time we thought we could win.”

S

Mikel complained to the referee after Giroud foul

to France in their last-16 clash at the World Cup. The Chelsea man was caught by the Arsenal striker in full view of the referee, who only gave Giroud a talk-

F

rance boss, Didier Deschamps, has revealed that the inability of Nigerian strikers to support the midfield after the sudden exit of Ogenyi Onazi helped his team to secure a 2-0 victory and a quarterfinal progress at the expense of Nigeria on Monday.

Speaking about the character of the game, the former Juventus and Olympique de Marseille coach felt his team dominated in the closing stages.

“Our opponent put in a good display, like we expected,” he said. “They were physically strong and we had to be ready.

“There’s always room for improvement, but we had a great finish to the game. Nigeria slowed a bit after an hour and that allowed us to create a lot of chances. We could have scored more.

Deschamps

“Nigeria went toe-to-toe for one hour. Maybe they tired a bit more than we did. Their attackers didn’t track back as much as we expected. This allowed us some space to play short passes and it paid off.

“I am very proud of my team, though, and to have made it to the quarter-finals. The players deserve to be here.

“We are not the best team at this World Cup, but we are doing well.”

Lagos SWAN: Eagles gave a good fight

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Nigeria’s Vincent Enyeama punched out ball against France

Mikel: Referee not fair on Giroud elbow

uper Eagles midfielder Obi Mikel, has blamed centree referee Mark Geiger for snubbing Olivier Giroud action who deliberately elbowed him in the 2-0 defeat

Eagles’ midfield collapse helped our victory –Deschamps

ing to, and Mikel claims the elbow was intended and should have warranted sterner action.

“Yes I got an elbow and the referee saw it and he only gave him a warning, not even a yellow card, nothing.

“It was bad. We know the game - if you see it, act on it.

The referee saw it. He did catch me, I don’t know if it was too hard, but the intention was definitely there.

He added: “I thought the referee didn’t help us. There were some heavy challenges and I think Ogenyi Onazi has broken his ankle.”

he Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN, Lagos chapter, has called on Nigerians and football fans to remain positive about the Super Eagles, declaring that they gave a fair representation and were gallant even in their defeat to France in the second round of the Brazil 2014 World Cup.

In a statement signed by its chairman, Fred Edoreh, and secretary, Emma Njoku, the association said, “The Super Eagles were gallant even in their defeat. We can pride in the fact that they fought a brave fight and gave a good account of themselves against highly rated soccer nations like Argentina and France.”

Super Eagles depart Brazil T

he Super Eagles departed Brazil on Tuesday, a day after their World Cup campaign came to an end following a 2-0 defeat at the hands of France in the round of 16.

Prior to the players’ departure though for their respective bases, they were hosted on Monday night, a few hours after the loss to the French, by the Nigerian Ambassador to Brazil, Adamu Emozozo.

At the event, the play-

ers separately apologised for their inability to beat the French even as they expressed gratitude to Nigerians for their support throughout their participation in Brazil.

However, prior to the encounter against the French, New Telegraph gathered that the players were awake up until the early hours of Monday, sharing their own part of the three million US dollars largesse the Federal Government had sent to

the side in the wake of their much-publicised complaints over bonuses which led to the cancellation of one of the team’s training sessions three days before the game against the French.

The Federal Government’s money wasn’t the only one shared by the players as they also distributed amongst themselves the money offered to the side by the Chairman of Globacom, Mike Adenuga.

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Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Federations Cup: Enyimba begin title defence

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nyimba will start the defence of their Federation Cup title when they face non-league side, Sokoto North at the Fifa Goal Project pitch in Abuja on Wednesday.

The two-time African champions are favourites to progress in this round of 64 clash with their unfancied opponents from Sokoto.

Enyimba captain and defender Chinedu Udoji told supersport.com that the Aba club

was ready for their first game of the Cup. He added that the People’s Elephant will not take Sokoto North for granted despite the non-league outfit being underdogs.

“In Cup competitions, there are no big or small teams. All that big or small team talk only exists on paper. Our opponents played their way up to this stage and it will be very disrespectful for us or anyone to call a team

small because they don’t play in the Premier League.

“Yes, we have won the Federation Cup and our opponents have not, but that does not mean it will be easy facing them. We are prepared for this [Cup] match and taking it seriously. It’s a knockout format and it’s always possible to slip but we have no intention of falling out so early in the competition,” Udoji said to supersport.com.

Guinness commends Eagles’ second round feat

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uinness, sponsor of Super Eagles of Nigeria has reassured the team of its unwavering support despite their loss to Les Bleus of France in their second round game on Monday. According to the number one supporters of the Eagles, the team may be out of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, but they are heroes.

Guinness further encouraged Nigerians to keep believing in the Super Eagles and congratulated the team and fans for their solidarity and patriotism while the Eagles played at the World Cup.

World Cup: ‘Primlaks will continue rewarding fans’

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fter an exciting second round of world-class soccer displayed by top teams at the Brazil 2014 World Cup, which earned them places in the quarter finals, the Primlaks Group has pledged to keep fans cheering the teams by giving away more Sympli convenience foods to celebrate victory on the field of play.

The Group Chairman of Primlaks, Mr. Hemnani Ram, said that the good performance of the Nigerian team at the World Cup before their ouster has increasingly helped to cement citizens’ pride in Nigeria and made-in Nigeria products.

“Nigeria and made-inNigeria products occupy globally acknowledged pride of place that has further been demonstrated by the national team’s qualification into the round of 16 at the World Cup,” he said, stressing, “after the exciting match against France which Nigeria lost gallantly, we will continue to reward fans with free pack of Sympli Yam Fries in a unique partnership of local delicacy and celebrations in Nigeria.”

Speaking on the Eagles performance, Mr. Austin Ufomba, Marketing and Innovation Director, Guinness Nigeria Plc said “we are very proud of our team despite not qualifying for the quarter finals. The Eagles have every reason to hold their heads high for representing Nigeria and Africa very well. We salute their resolve and determination that took them to the round of 16 at the tournament; a feat some bigger teams could not attain. The team made a bold statement of resilience and determination against worthy op-

ponents”.

In reassuring the team, Ufomba said, Guinness will always fly with the Eagles, because it believe strongly in the team’s ability to achieve greater things in the future.

Mr. Obinna Anyalebechi, Marketing Manager, Guinness added: “Guinness is proud to be associated with the Super Eagles because they are made of more. We praise the team for proving that they are worthy African Champions and commend them on their performance at the tournament.”

Brazil 2014 Round of 16 Fixtures Saturday June Saturday June Sunday June Sunday June Monday June Monday June Tuesday July Tuesday July

28 28 29 29 30 30 1 1

Brazil V Chile 3-2 (P) 5pm EstadioMineirao, Belo Horizonte Colombia V Uruguay 2-0 9pm Maracanã, Rio De Janeiro Netherlands vs Mexico 2-1 5pm Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza Costa Rica vs Greece 5-3 (P) 9pm Arena Pernambuco, Recife France vs Nigeria 2-0 5pm Estadio Nacional, Brasilia Germany vs Algeria 2-1 9pm Estadio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre Argentina vs Switzerland 1-0 5pm Arena Corinthians, Sao Paulo Belgium vs USA ?-? 9pm Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador

QUARTER-FINALS Friday July 4 Friday July 4 Saturday July 5 Saturday July 5

BRAZIL V COLOMBIA 5pm Maracanã, Rio De Janeiro France/Nigeria vs Ger/Alg. 9pm EstadioCastelao, Fortaleza Netherlands vs Costa Rica ? - ? 9pm Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador Arg/Switz vs Bel/USA ? - ? 5pm Estadio Nacional, Brasilia

SEMI-FINALS Tuesday July 8 Wednesday July 9

[W57] V [W58] [W59] V [W60]

9pm Estadio Nacional, Brasilia

FINAL Sunday July

8pm Maracanã, Rio De Janeiro

[W61] V [W62]

No offers yet for Ochoa

D

espite his solid performance for Mexico at the World Cup, goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa has not had any job offers for the upcoming season, his agent, Jorge Berlanga, told AS.com.

“There’s lots of interest from the clubs but on the table, there is no proposal, nothing,” Berlanga said of Ochoa, whose free agency began on Tuesday. “Normally, offers show up shortly afterward. The otherthingisthatbeforetheWorldCupwedidrejectafewproposals, anticipating the great job that Guillermo would do at the World Cup.”

Etuhu, Blackburn part ways

D

ickson Etuhu has left Blackburn by mutual consent after an injury-hit spell at the club.

Etuhu, 32, had two years remaining on the four-year contract he signed when joining Rovers from FulhaminAugust2012.Butthemidfielder’stwoseasonsatEwoodPark were plagued by injury, with the Nigerian making just 24 appearances.

A statement on Blackburn’s official website said: “The club thanks Dickson for his work and dedication during his time at Ewood Park and wishes him all the best for the future.”

‘Offers tabled for Sanchez’

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arcelona sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta has confirmed the club have received offers for Arsenal target Alexis Sanchez.

Arsene Wenger was lining up a £32 million bid for the Chile star following talks with a mystery forward in May. Manchester City have since joined the race for Sanchez’s signature - with Manchester United and Liverpool also linked - and Zubizarreta is keen to find the “best solution” ahead of an expected sale.

“Regarding Alexis, there have been offers.

Lampard linked with Aussie club ormer Chelsea star Frank Lampard could

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followDavidVilla’sfootstepsandjoinMelbourneCityonashort-termdealnextseason.

Lampard is a free agent after announcing last monththathewouldbeleavingChelseaattheend of his contract after 13 years at Stamford Bridge.

Both Lampard and Villa are set to move to the MLS next March to play for New York City, and the duo are expected to feature together at Manchester City’s A-League franchise in Melbourne prior to the Big Apple switch.

Xavi assured of Barca future

9pm EstadioMineirao, Belo Horizonte 9pm Arena Corinthians, Sao Paulo

THIRD PLACE PLAY-OFF Saturday July 12 [L61] V [L62]

13

Transfer Updates

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arcelona’s sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta is hoping Xavi will express a desire to stay at the Nou Camp but admits the midfielder’s future is not yet decided.

Speaking at the presentation of Barcelona’s latest signing Ivan Rakitic, Zubizarreta said Xavi was one of several midfield options. He said: “We have an excellent player coming from Celta called Rafinha, we have Ivan here with us, (Andres) Iniesta and Xavi.”

Liverpool confirm Lallana signing

L

iverpool have completed the signing of midfielder Adam Lallana from Southampton with the England international joining the Anfield side on a long-term deal, believed to be worth around £25m, after passing a medical at Melwood.

“I’m so excited for the next chapter of my career, coming to a special club like Liverpool,” he told the club’s official website. “I’m quite humbled and I just can’t wait to get started.

SPORT 55

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

COUNTDOWN TO COMMONWEALTH GAME

Wimbledon 2014

Team Nigeria’ll shine in Glasgow –Nesiama Charles Ogundiya

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head of the Commonwealth Games, billed to get underway later in the month in the Scottish city of Glasgow, the Technical Director of the Athletic Federation of Nigeria, Navy Commodore Omatseye Nesiama, believes Nigeria will have a good outing at the quadrennial Games.

Nesiama, speaking on the backdrop of the performance of some of the country’s athletes at the recently concluded national trials in Calabar, feels such high level displays portends a good outing for Nigeria at the Games.

“The winners were very unpredictable; it was not like before when you could almost tell who would win an event, especially in the sprints, and it is a good sign,” said Nesiama, in an interview with New Telegraph.

“We set a standard for qualification and at this moment, over twelve athletes have met this standard, which is good news. I’m sure we will have a good outing at the Commonwealth Games from what I can see,” stressed Nesiama, who added that the series of shock results recorded in Calabar only go to show the readiness of the country’s athletes to take on the world in Glasgow.

Some of the events competed for at the Calabar trials threw up new champions with the form book thrown into the trash bin.

Speaking on the women’s 400m event, Nesiama said the time returned by the top three finishers in the final, which were all under 52 seconds, shows that the bronze medal won by the country’s quartet of Patience Okon George, Folasade Abugan, Omolara Omotoso and Regina George at the IAAF World Relays in the Bahamas was no fluke, assuring that these quarter-milers would peak at the right time for the Games, which runs from July 23 to August 3.

Federer

Sublime Federer into quarterfinals, Lisicki survives

R

oger Federer’s immaculate Wimbledon continued as he moved smoothly into the quarter-finals for the 12th time in his career on Tuesday, by outclassing Spaniard Tommy Robredo.

The Swiss, bidding for a record eighth title at the grasscourt slam, needed only one hour 34 minutes of sublime tennis to win 6-1 6-4 6-4 and avenge a humiliating defeat at the hands of Robredo at last year’s U.S. Open.

In the women’s category last year’s runner-up Sabine Lisicki, a round behind after having to finish off third round opponent Ana

Nadal beaten by Aussie teenager

Nigeria’s 4X400m relay team

Bolt set to make Glasgow 2014

U

sain Bolt’s promise that he would not seek to take the place of another worthy Jamaican sprinter at the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow is now in the hands of Jamaican selectors, after the national trials witnessed some typically rapid times.

In the absence of Bolt and Yohan Blake, who were not fully fit, Rasheed Dwyer won the title in 20.04sec from Warren Weir (20.17)

and Jason Livermore (20.25).

All three times are comfortably inside the Glasgow 2014 qualifying mark, so Jamaica will have to overlook one of the trio if they are to select Bolt, the world-record holder, to run the 200m at the Commonwealth Games.

As it stands, Bolt has only officially made himself available for the 4x100m relay, reluctant to take the place of a fully-fit sprinter who has qualified on merit.

Furniturefromathletes’villagewillgotofamilies

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urniture used by Sir Bradley Wiggins - and it is hoped Usain Bolt - Mo Farah and Eilidh Child at the athletes’ village is to be distributed to vulnerable families in Glasgow at the end of Glasgow 2014.

Wardrobes, beds, sofas, lamps and other pieces from the Athletes’ Village in Dalmarnock will be handed over to Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) and passed on to people and charities helping to furnish homes.

There are around 36,000 items to be distributed after the games, some of which will have been

Ivanovic on Monday, survived a shoulder injury scare to beat Kazakhstan’s Yaroslava Shvedova 6-3 3-6 6-4.

The German 19th seed took a medical time-out in the middle of a game at 1-1 in the decider, having her shoulder massaged while lying on the turf, but recovered to reach the quarter-final for the fifth time in five visits.

Romania’s “Miss Consistency” Simona Halep raced to a 6-3 6-0 fourth-round win over Kazakhstan’s Zarina Diyas as she maintained her dazzling from in this year’s slams.

used by top athletes, including possibly, the world’s fastest man Bolt who said he hopes to compete.

Some of the furniture was used at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and was relocated for use in Glasgow alongside newly-manufactured items such as folding chairs and tables.

The plan to pass them on to GHA is part of the legacy programme from Glasgow 2014.

Around 700 houses in the Athletes’ Village will be sold or rented after the Games, and a care home will be on the site.

MJ is Ready to be a Glasgow golden boy

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posterboyforGlasgow2014, Michael Jamieson said he is ready to fit the bill at the Commonwealth Games at his home pool.

Jamieson was born in Glasgow and trained in his early days with City of Glasgow at the Tollcross International Swim Centre.

Now he’s looking forward to making his country proud in the very same pool at the Commonwealth Games. As he admits, it is going to be very special.

A silver medalist in the 200m breaststroke at the London 2012 Olympics – one of the few GB swimming highlights – the 25-year-old is ready to go for gold in his home pool.

Not that it will be easy.

Team mate Ross Murdoch is a huge rival and England’s Adnrew Willis and Adam Peaty are also world-class.

“I know Glasgow 2014 offersmeahugechancetomake mymarkandI’vegottotakeit.

A

ustralian teenager Nick Kyrgios caused a sensational upset as he beat world number one Rafael Nadal to reach the quarter-finals at Wimbledon.

The 19-year-old wildcard’s huge serve helped him to a 7-6 (7-5) 5-7 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 victory on his Centre Court debut, and he will play Milos Raonic next.

Kyrgios after his victory said; “I was in a bit of a zone out there and didn’t really notice the crowd. I was

struggling a little on return but I worked my way into it and I served really well throughout, so am very happy.

“You have to believe that you can win the match from the start and I definitely did. I am playing really well on grass.”

Ranked 144, Kyrgios is the first man outside the top 100 to beat a world number one since 1992.

Nadal, 27, has now failed to make thelasteightatWimbledonsince2011.

Maria Sharapova crashes out

Sharapova

I

t’s 10 years since Maria Sharapova won Wimbledon -- and she won’t be ending her drought any time soon.

The World No.5 was sent packing on Centre Court by Germany’s Angelique Kerber in a tense three-set affair.

Kerber, ranked seventh, pre-

vailed 7-6 4-6 6-4 and will now play Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard in the quarterfinals.

Sharapova saved six match points at 4-5 down and had opportunities to level the final set at 5-5.

But Kerber finally took her chance on the seventh match point to bring a thrilling finale to a pulsating encounter.

“It’s unbelievable,” Kerber told the BBC. “We were playing on a really high level -- every single set was so close.

“I’m just so happy I won. She’s a great player, she plays so great on grass. I said to myself believe in your game, hit the ball, be aggressive. In the end, it worked.”

World Record

On Marble

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

– Eleanor Roosevelt

Sanctity of Truth w w w. new tel eg rap ho nl i ne. co m

Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon and the truth – Buddha WEDNESday, JULY 2, 2014

T

Glynn Wolfe holds the record for the largest number of monogamous marriages (29). His shortest marriage lasted 19 days, and his longest lasted eleven years.

N150

Let’s share the musings

here are moments in life when time, this ticking wilderness that never stops for anything, drifts to some blankness and leaves in its trail a cold stillness that seems to freeze the life in everything. At such moments, any effort at activation of any sort is naturally evened by a determined passiveness that is typical of the moment. And in the ensuing order of inaction, a naughty chain of incapacitation emerges, linking one inability to the other, erecting in the aftermath bruised structure of wants, adequately roofed up by passive thoughts and thickly decorated in the resilient colour of inaction.

These are usually moments that set the brain against the person, the effort against the ability, the heart against the mind, the idea against the expression and even the thought against its proper flow.

Think of death, its process, its cause, its news. Everything about it creates a moment of disbelieve that strips off individuals of any effort at coordinated reaction.

This makes the question of death a pretty painful one that is, however, impressively made a bearable inevitability by some divine diplomacy. This gives meaning to life and makes everyone outlive sad moments as may be occasioned by the transition of dear ones. This too makes everyone carry on as if death is no one’s potion in life.

God is great! I’m only restating the obvious. He is greater than many will care to find out. Yet, great as He is, He registers His greatness in small, simple ways.

Those who have the power, perceive Him in all things. Those who don’t, at least acknowledge His greatness even if as they see it in the intriguing network of their physical being.

In His works and divine wisdom we see His greatness the most. In them especially, we perceive His undiluted love for mankind. Think of the 24 hours that make up a day for mankind, and think of how they are arranged to accommodate hours for work and rest. In day break is perfectly blended the very natural elements that favour and promote mankind’s struggles for survival. And in the darkness of night, punctuated by the beauty in the wonderful arrangement of the moon and stars, is blended a rest and sleep-inducing tranquility.

Think of sleep itself. Think of it beyond a mere course in the natural routine for mankind. Go far beyond this and appreciate its divine essence. Appreciate it as a period for a privileged voyage into the spiritual world where perhaps, some spiritual forces work on a tired you to a state of unpaid freshness.

Simply put, everything about the sweetness of life as it relates to our individual existence and the stark knowledge of a reality to an end makes any manner of death that occurs in ways other than the one God wants it, unacceptably callous. Simple. Suleiman Bissallah, may your soul rest in peace.

Scene of the recent bombing by Boko Haram in Abuja

Then think of death and the divine wisdom embodied in its stealthy nature.

In that especially lies a great wisdom that never fails to tickle my imagination. Indeed, beneath all divine wisdoms, lies a logic that stimulates the quest for knowledge and further lubricates the drive to it, even though this drive to knowledge, urging as it is, is itself limited by God’s very divine wisdom.

Certainly, mankind is not knitted on what constituted everything, but on how he can live with everything. This explains why the Philosopher as a mankind believes the world is meant to be lived not understood. So mankind probably lives happily because he accepts this fact.

In fact, to accept this, is live happily in a world where the reality of some certainties is as restrictive as it is inevitable. The stealthy nature of death for instance, gives a measure of substance and meaning to life.

I mean, if God makes the process of man’s conception, his beginning that is, a more practicable affair and decides to make the process of his end, death that is, a stealthy affair, then I imagine the process of death itself, put otherwise, to be a near defiantly painful affair.

How do you figure a life-saving scuffle

between mankind and some dutiful, obedient angel of death? Mark you, mankind may be armed with nothing but the sheer determination to live and natural urge for survival. The angel of death may be armed with all his paraphernalia for duty, all fortified by an angelic haste and willingness to obey God. I imagine again, if it is this way, the angel of death, now looking at mankind eye ball-eye ball and gripping firm his tools, will have to announce to man his mission, “I’m here to take away the dear life in you for once and for real”.

Now what I cannot imagine is the feeling of that stark knowledge of a reality to an end. This can’t simply be imagined.

Well, even if it can, imagination is but imagination, a mere mental conjecture that lacks the authenticity of reality or the substance of experience. Yet in this case, imagination remains both the ordained terminus for man’s quest for knowledge and the workshop where his curiosity and quest for knowledge shape up to a mental conjecture of subjective appeals and inclinations The truth is, in the nature of death is perhaps planted a divine process that speaks volume of God’s love for man and His plan for a peaceful transition for him.

This fact never fails to tease my imagination to a state of nasty response. At the worst of response, I imagine what life would have been for mankind if the process of death were to be otherwise.

Imagine how a condemned criminal feels just at that point he is tied to a stake and the gun-man cocks his rifle ready to shoot.

Or better still, how victims of bomb blasts feel at the thunderous explosion that announces to them the bitter reality of an eminent end.

Simply put, everything about the sweetness of life as it relates to our individual existence and the stark knowledge of a reality to an end makes any manner of death that occurs in ways other than the one God wants it, unacceptably callous.

Simple. Suleiman Bissallah, may your soul rest in peace.

OmoBaba

WE ‘RE NOT WORRIED ABOUT EKITI POLL, SAYS OGUN APC – News

­– Yes, but you can learn a lesson from it!

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