Binder1 wednesday april 23,2014

Sanctity of Truth Facebook.com/newtelegraph

Wednesday, April 23, 2014 Vol. 1 No. 64

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Nigeria’s most authoritative newspaper in politics and business

FG’s N1.5bn oil bloc revenue target suffers setback Adeola Yusuf

T

he Federal Government’s target of N1.5 billion ($9.3 million) signature bonus on 31 new

marginal fields’ bid round has suffered a setback, New Telegraph gathered yesterday.

This stemmed from the government’s failure to

meet the March deadline set to complete the bid.

Director, Department of petroleum Resources (DPR), George Osahon, had earlier said that bid-

ders must confirm their willingness to pay a Signature Bonus of $300,000 on the 31 fields if successful after the completion of bid round.

But investigation by New Telegraph showed that 23 days after March deadline, the DPR is yet to make available the lists of C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 3

Govt favours local firms in $40bn oil export contracts }48

Buhari: Boko Haram has declared war on Nigeria

lSponsors pay Nigeriens $3,000 each to join sect Page }4 lStormy session today as Jonathan, service chiefs, govs meet Wale Elegbede

F

ormer Head of State, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), yesterday came down hard on members

of Boko Haram, describing them as ‘merchants of death’.

Buhari, presidential candidate of the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Pro-

Confab: North, South disagree on power devolution Onwuka Nzeshi Abuja

T

he North, South divide reared its head again yesterday at the National Conference as the Committee on Devolution of Powers held its inaugural session to decide the way the country should go.

Former Governor of Akwa Ibom State and Co-Chairman of the Committee on Devolution of Powers, Obong Victor Attah, opened the session by

gressive Change (CPC) in 2003, 2007 and 2011, said with the latest bombing of Nyanya Motor Park in Abuja by the fundamentalists, they have declared war on Nigerians.

In a statement in Kaduna entitled: ‘Nyanya bomb blast and the fight against terrorism in Nigeria’, Buhari also urged the fundamentalists to release the remaining school girls

abducted in Borno State unharmed.

He said: “Those who committed this act have declared war on all that is decent and good. They have declared war not against

the state or even the government. They have declared war on Nigeria and all Nigerians.”

Lamenting that death statistics in the country C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 2

Aregbesola, Oyinlola in closed-door meeting Page 5

submitting that the country was running an unbalanced political structure.

Attah said the structural imbalance could be remedied when the Federal Government sheds some of its powers and responsibilities to the states.

But in a counter-motion, former Inspector General of Police and chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Alhaji Ibrahim Coomassie said power deC O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 3

National confab

lCAN accuses Kutigi of pursuing Islamic agenda lCommittees start sitting, bar journalists from coverage }55

L-R: Former Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, his wife, Omolola, and Governor Rauf Aregbesola after a meeting in Okuku…yesterday

NEWS

I was defrauded by pastor, police bomber

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POLITICS

Kwara: Defection politics sets Assembly on warpath

}40

SPORTS

Eagles list: NFF, Keshi disagree again

}51

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NEWS

Anule Emmanuel Abuja

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here are indications that the meeting scheduled for today between President Goodluck Jonathan, governors of the 36 states of the federation and the military top brass at the presidential villa, Abuja may prove stormy considering the sensitivity of issues to be discussed.

Top on the agenda of the meeting as explained in an earlier statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Reuben Abati, is the recent security developments in the country, particularly the activities of the Boko Haram sect.

President Jonathan had summoned members of the National Security Council and the state governors to an emergency meeting Thursday last week to review the security situation in the country.

The meeting was however postponed because of the absence of All Progressives Congress (APC) governors. Governors elected

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Stormy session today as Jonathan, service chiefs, governors meet on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as well as the Labour Party (LP) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance Party (APGA) however met with the President where it was decided that all 36 state governors must participate in today’s meeting.

New Telegraph gathered that today’s meeting will not be without disagreements as many of the governors are coming with divergent positions.

The APC in a statement last week announced the postponement of its state congresses to enable all its

governors travel to Abuja for the security meeting today.

It was learnt that the military high command during the meeting may request the President to push for an extension of the State of Emergency in the three states of Adamawa, Yobe and Borno. The state of emergency in the three northern states officially ended on Monday, March 21.

The extension is not likely to go down well with governors of the opposition, particularly those from the affected states.

The thinking within

the military is that despite the emergency rule in the three states, its personnel are unable to operate effectively in curbing the excesses of Boko Haram due to the political influence of the state governors.

Investigations revealed that the APC governors have taken steps to stop the President from going ahead with such a decision should he accept the advice of the military top brass.

They are also strategising to lobby APC members in the National Assembly to block any request by the President in this regard.

The Federal Govern-

ment on its part, plans to persuade the APC governors to bury their political interest and come to terms with new strategies that would be brought forward at the meeting by the military to end the insurgency.

Also expected at the meeting are Vice President Namadi Sambo, the Minister of Defence, Lt.-Gen Aliyu Gusau; the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd); the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar; the Director-General of the State Security Services and the Director-General of National Intelligence Agency.

32o C 26oC Thunder Storms

ABUJA

PORT HARCOURT

Partially Cloudy

L-R: Chairman, Sub-planning Committee and Chairman, Troyka Holding, Mr. Biodun Shobanjo; His Majesty, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona; and Vice Chairman, Sub-planning Committee, Chief Fassy Yussuf at the press conference in commemoration of the beginning of Oba Adetona’s 80th birthday held in Ijebu Ode…yesterday

32o C 22oC

Buhari: Boko Haram has declared war on Nigeria

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KANO

41oC 26oC Sunny

ENUGU

33o C 24oC Thunder Storms

IBADAN

32o C 23oC Thunder Storms

CALABAR

31o C 23oC Thunder Storms

MAIDUGURI

ONITSHA

41oC 28oC Mostly Sunny

32o C 24oC Thunder Storms

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 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 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 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

TODAY’S WEATHER FORECAST LAGOS

FLIGHT SCHEDULE

have become too common from blood-thirsty fundamentalists, he maintained that recent killings by Boko Haram “served no purpose except for those who exalt in evil.”

Describing the abduction of school girls as unacceptable and condemnable, he said, in the statement: “Sinister terror and hatred have again reached from the shadows to steal the lives of innocent Nigerians. In Nyanya, 72 people were killed by a car bomb.

Hundreds more were injured in the devastation. ”Their killings served no purpose except for those who exalt in evil. The bomb blast quickly came and went like the deadly thief

it was; but we shall be left to endure the pain and loss from this terrible act for a long time to come. ”What the nation lost is irreplaceable. The number 72 seems like just another grim tally among the death statistics that have become all too common. But what occurred is much more than that. We must really stop and take notice of where evil is attempting to drive us to. The abduction of over one hundred school girls is unacceptable, condemnable and saddens me greatly. ”We cannot allow these merchants of death to make us numb to the tragedy they manufacture.

Those who were killed were not merely numbers on a page. They were hu-

man beings, made of flesh and blood, body and soul like all the rest of us. They were someone’s father or mother, brother or sister.

They had parents; they were someone’s children.

They were husbands or wives, neighbouring friends and colleagues.

They had dreams and hopes. They were loved and loved others in return. Now, life has been taken away and those who cared from them must bear a grief no person should be asked to carry. ”These people committed no wrong. Their only crime was to be ordinary working class people seeking to eke out a livelihood and tend for themselves and their families. For this, they were killed.

“They represent the backbone of the working people. Not many of them lived an easy life. Most worked hard and long for modest wages. They lifted themselves up every morning to earn their daily bread. They faced the many social and economic challenges and obstacles our society poses, yet they worked not to destroy but to make this a better place by bettering the lives of their family and loved ones. ”These people lived anonymously and died the same way. We do not yet know their names.

But, in a fundamental sense, we know who they were. They were part of us.

They shared the same aspiC O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 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

NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

3

FG’s N1.5bn oil block revenue target suffers setback CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

oil fields that are available for sale.

“Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, had announced on November 28, that the bid round would be completed by March, 2014,” an industry source told New Telegraph adding, “23 days after the promised deadline, when the $9.3 million translating into N1, 488, 000, 000 is expected to be recouped as signature bonus, nothing is done.

“This shows that as long as there is delay in the bid round, the target of $9.3 million on signature bonus will be elusive,” he added.

As at the time of filing this report, none of the foreign and local investors, who have interest in the bid round, is aware of what is going on, while some of them alleged that a list of the fields for bidding is being circulated among oil companies in which politicians in the opposition and the ruling party have larger stakes.

Among the 31 fields are Uzuaku field on Oil Mining Lease (OML) 11 in Ogoni land, the Egbolom field on OML 23 that was previously operated by Shell in Rivers State, three offshore fields on OML 100 (Usoro, Ikong, Ibiom) and two on

OML 67 (Amaniba and Ekpat).

Spokesperson for the DPR, Paul Osu, who confirmed his agency’s failure to make the list available as promised, explained that this delay was caused by some reasons, which he declined to mention.

“The list will be uploaded on our website when it is ready,” he said, explaining that it “was not made available by January as promised,” by the DPR Director “because it is yet to be ready for some reasons I do not know, but all I can tell you now is that anytime that it is ready, it would be made available on our website.”

Asked whether he was aware of the existence of a list, which is being circulated among influential companies, Osu told New Telegraph in a telephone interview that he did not know anything outside DPR website and that he would not comment on it.

“Anything outside the DPR website, I do not know anything about that,” he declared.

Executive Vice Chairman, Terra Energy Services Nigeria Limited, Akin Adetunji, however, said that the DPR should explain why the list has not been published.

Meanwhile, Marginal fields operators are yet to make significant impact on Nigeria’s crude oil production, as they accounted for 2.26 per cent of Nigeria’s total crude production in December 2013, dropping by 12.53 per cent from November’s crude production.

According to data obtained from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corpo-

ration’s (NNPC), Monthly Petroleum Information, for December 2013, the country’s marginal fields produced 1.479 million barrels of crude oil, compared with crude oil production of 1.690 million barrels in November.

Of the nine listed marginal fields’ operators, in the summary of fiscalised oil production by com-

pany, Oriental Energy recorded the highest crude production in the month under review. It produced 1.118 million barrels representing 75.6 per cent of total crude production in the marginal fields segment and 1.71 per cent of total crude production for the month.

Midwestern Oil followed with crude produc-

tion of 145,845 barrels, while Waltersmith Petroman; and Movido Exploration & Production Nigeria Limited, recorded 92,438 barrels and 40,797 barrels of crude oil respectively.

Platform Petroleum produced 37,751 barrels; Niger Delta Petroleum Resources 27,103 barrels while Pillar Oil trailed with 16,535 barrels.

L-R: Secretary, Health and Human Services, Federal Capital Territory, Demola Onakomoya; Nigeria music star, Dapo Oyebanjo popularly known as D’Banj; Medical Director, Asokoro District Hospital, Ahmadu Abubakar and a victim of the Nyanya bomb blast, Muritala Umaru during a visit by the artiste at the hospital in Abuja...yesterday PHOTO: ELIJAH OLALUYI.

29.43%

The percentage of individuals using the internet in Belgium in 2000.

Source: Itu.int

62.6m

The total population of France (representing 0.9% of the world’s population) in 2010.

Source: Blatantworld.com

728m

The number of people reached by preventive chemotherapy for at least one disease in 2011.

Source: Who.int

Confab: North, South disagree on power devolution CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

volution could leave some federating units without resources to serve their people.

Attah recalled that a former military Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (rtd) had at the beginning of his regime criticised Unification Decree of 1966 which abolished the federal system of government and imposed a unitary and centralised system under the command of the military.

According to Attah, rather than restore federalism, Gowon and his successors continued on the part of unitarism which, he said, has created a lot of problems for the country.

The ex-governor urged all the delegates in the Committee on Devolution of Powers to endeavour to read the Henry Willinks Commission report of 1957, the 1963 Republican Constitution and the

Political Bureau report produced during General Ibrahim Babangida’s regime to understand the issues in the lopsided power equation.

Coomassie acknowledged that though the central government had a lot of powers, shedding such powers could only be done through consensus. He expressed concern that the issue could trigger ethnic and religious sentiments.

“The issue of the power at the centre is the main concern of all delegates and that it is the general consensus that there are too much powers at the centre. But religion and ethnicity will not play any role in the affairs of Nigeria, as all issues would be resolved through consensus. If we have lived together in the past 100 years, we shall abide by consensus in whatever we do.

“If you have the government and you don’t have the resources, then you cannot serve the people,” he said.

However, in the midst of this disagreement, elder statesman, Dr. Tunji Brathwaite has renewed his campaign for Nigeria to adopt the confederal model of democracy. A confederation arrangement, Brathwaithe said, would resolve the twin issues of an all too powerful central government and resource allocation.

Meanwhile, the Committee on Political Restructuring and Forms of Government has also begun deliberations on how to whittle the powers of the Federal Government.

The committee at the commencement of its session yesterday agreed that true federalism remained the best form of government for Nigeria.

Most delegates who spoke on the issue were unanimous that power should devolve to the federating units. They were however not unanimous in their definition of what constitutes a federating unit.

Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the National Conference, Senator Femi Okunronmu, said that the hallmark of true federalism was power sharing between a central government and the federating units.

Former Governor of Rivers State, Dr. Peter Odili, cautioned that while there was need to restructure, there could be some structural problems if geopolitical zones were made the federating units.

He said many of the states that made up a geopolitical zone had several ethnic nationalities, while

some were homogenous in nature but that there would always be agitation for recognition.

On his part, a former military governor, AVM Mohammed Mukhtar, said if he had his ways, states would be scrapped from the constitution as state governors are the major problems confronting the country.

According to him, governors usurped political powers in the states having taken a cue from former President Olusegun Obasanjo who undermined political powers of the states during his administration.

Former Governor Sam Egwu canvassed states as federating units as against geo-political zones based on the peculiarity of the situation and historical antecedents of the Igbos.

“My position is based on the fact that, Igbos are

the most backward in terms of education and infrastructural development due to our previous experience before state creation,” he said.

As such, he said, there must be equitable distribution of states in the zones with one state added to the South East. “If not, then there should be seven states in each of the zones,” he added.

In a separate contribution, Pastor Tunde Bakare advocated that the six geopolitical zones be made the federating units. In the same vein, each zone should have its own constitution and take charge of its own affairs.

President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, said the current structure of the federation was not the problem but the operators of the system.

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NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

PDP attacks Nyako, says he’s immature

Gov, party disagree over venue for Jonathan’s visit Onyekachi Eze and Ibrahim Abdul

T

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, joined issues with the Adamawa State Governor, Murtala Nyako, describing his letter to 18 northern state

governors as shocking and unbecoming of an elected person.

The party, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, said it was sad that Nyako failed to learn from other leaders of the All Progressives Congress

(APC) who have started watching their utterances.

“Governor Nyako must desist from such and learn from other APC leaders who are now comporting themselves better as a response to PDP statements which succeeded in exposing the link between their

unguarded utterances and the escalation of violence and insurgency in our nation,” the party said.

Metuh noted that releases from the ruling party exposing the consequences of unguarded utterances by politicians have succeeded in sobering some

L-R: Members of the Committee on National Security, Col. Tony Nyam (rtd); Erelu Olusola Obada; Chairman of the committee, Alhaji Gambo Jimeta and Fati Dogoyaro Mungonu during a meeting of the committee at the National Conference, Abuja…yesterday.

PHOTO: TIMOTHY IKUOMENISAN.

APC leaders.

“We still decry attempts by the APC to seek cheap publicity by making classless, childish, immature and ineffective statements on terrorism matters.

Sometimes, they even speak as if they control their actions,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, the State Working Committee of PDP had lodged a complaint dated March10, 2014 with the Adamawa State Commissioner of Police alleging that Nyako is trying to deny the party access to Ribadu Square, proposed venue of the Jonathan’s rally scheduled for April 29.

Nyako has however denied the allegation, saying it was a ploy by PDP to stir up needless crisis.

The protest letter jointly signed by the state PDP chairman, Chief Joel Madaki and the state secretary of the party A.T. Shehu, read in part: “You may wish to be informed that on

several occasions, Adamawa State PDP attempted to forward its request for the use of Ribadu Square and the Governor of Adamawa State persistently deprived it of the use of the venue simply because of political differences.”

However, Nyako vehemently denied the allegation, saying it is a fabrication by the party to cause confusion in the state.

Nyako, who spoke through his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Mallam Ahmad Sajoh, said the PDP was blatantly lying to cause anarchy and further disaffection between the president and the governor.

“Let them prove substantially their claims that the governor has denied them access to the venue.

Everybody knows that there is a management committee of the square which handles its administration and there are procedures for gaining access to the square.”

Buhari: Boko Haram has declared war on Nigeria CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

rations we all do. We seek an improved fate for our children and hope to leave them a better life. We want to work and live in dignity and respect. We want a life of peace and harmony with our neighbours regardless of religion, ethnicity or background.

We seek prosperity not poverty. We seek brotherly understanding not strife.

We seek peace, not bombs. ”It was not just 72 people who were taken in this depraved assault. Each of us lost something that day.

Yet, despite the loss and suffering, we must not cower in fear, and let the purveyors of death believe they have scored a victory over us. ”Those who committed this act have declared war on all that is decent and good. They have declared war not against the state or even the government.

They have declared war on Nigeria and all Nigerians because this murder took men and women, old and young, Christian and Muslim alike. In trying to scare, frighten and divide us, the evildoers committed inju-

ry to their own cause. For they have shown us that we all suffer inhumanity in the same way. ”No matter our religion or place of birth, we all bleed and are wounded the same way by injustice.

Decency runs through the teachings of each religion and ethnic groups that comprise the people of Nigeria. ”We may have our differences, but the vast majority of Nigerians stand united against the appalling violence committed in Nyanya and other places. ”These acts have no place in Nigeria. Those who commit them have no place in our country. The perpetrators may look like human beings. They may have limbs and faces like the rest of us but they are not like us. In killing innocent people, they have become inhuman. They live outside the scope of humanity. Their mother is carnage and their father is cruelty. They have declared war against the people of Nigeria. They have shown that they do not want to liberate the people. They want to kill them. Yet, with all the energy of their evil

and ignorant hatred, they shall fail. The good people of Nigeria shall triumph. ”Such a wicked mission shall not succeed. We have gone too far in our journey to nationhood and endured too much to allow these terrible acts to divert us. ”Not only have these agents of death killed innocent people, they also abducted over 100 young girls from their school.

Why abduct school girls?

Whatever they plan, they should be ready to face the wrath of Nigerian people.

They should release these young girls unharmed.

Anything else would be an abominable crime.

“We all must take close heed at this moment and recognise the severity of what is upon us. A small minority seeks to bring the nation to its knees through terror. Thus, we must stand tall and united. We can ill afford to allow their crimes to go unpunished. ”I call on the government to improve and redefine its strategy in the light of this expanding menace.

Clearly, its intelligence gathering needs to be improved so that it can break terrorist plots before they

hatch. Moreover, it needs to enact greater social and economic reform in the blighted areas of the nation to win the hearts and minds of the people. Give the youth a viable alternative and they will not be duped by the lure of extremist dogma. A major initiative with immediate and long-term strategies for mass employment should be introduced right away. ”Nigeria must and will overcome this scourge but it cannot do so merely by wishful thinking. We need wise and decisive strategy.

”As for me and my party, we deplore and condemn these and all such attacks. Those who commit them must know that the nation stands four square against them. ”While we are engaged in tight political competition against the ruling party, we shall not play politics on this issue so vital to our national survival and wellbeing. ”We pledge ourselves to the unity and safety of this nation and shall do nothing to undermine national security. We seek no political advantage from

this calamity and wish the present administration success in fighting it. ”We stand ready to help in any meaningful and productive way to fight this battle against evil. We extend our hand and earnest offer of cooperation in this regard. ”Nigeria and Nigerians have suffered enough.

Those who now lead the nation and those who would lead her must overlook political differences to find whatever ways we can cooperate to make this a safer, more secure nation for all”.

We are being paid $3,000 to join Boko Haram –Nigeriens Waheed Bakare

with agency report

A

reporter with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has met some young Nigeriens who claimed that youths in Niger Republic are being offered $3,000 to join the Boko Haram sect.

In the video posted by the BBC yesterday, which

lasted for 3 minutes and 19 seconds, five youths who backed the camera were interviewed.

“Some of us are with them. Five of us joined them and two have been killed in operations. We are here to give them information. That is why we are here,” one of the youths said.

When asked if they

were ready to join the Boko Haram to kill Nigerians, another youth, said, “Yes we are ready.

Yes we are ready. We have no jobs.”

The youths, who agreed that they should be filmed on agreement that their faces should not be shown, held an assortment of weapons: axes, knives, daggers, and machetes.

NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

5

Aregbesola, Oyinlola in closed-door meeting RECONCILIATION Former sworn political foes reunite to strategise for elections in Osun State Adeolu Adeyemo Osogbo

O

sun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, may be wooing the former governor of the state, Olagunsoye Oyin-

lola, ahead of the governorship election in the state. Reliable sources disclosed that Aregbesola on Monday night visited the country home of Oyinlola to felicitate with him on the celebration of this year’s Easter.

Aregbesola who, according to the sources, arrived the premises of his predecessor around 9.30 p.m and went into a closed-door meeting with his host. The meeting reportedly lasted an hour.

However, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Senator representing Osun Central Senatorial District in the Senate, Prof. Sola Adeyeye, was also seen in Oyinlola's House around 2.00 p.m of the same day among those who came to celebrate with the former governor.

Two of the three Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirants who contested in the last primaries of

party, Isiaka Adeleke and Wole Oke were also in attendance.

Commenting on the visit, Olagunsoye, said, "It is a tradition in the state for the incumbent governor to visit his predecessor in office during festive periods.

"When I was in office, I normally visited and identified with former governor, Chief Bisi Akande in his house. So there is nothing strange in the visit of Governor Aregbesola to this

place.".

In his own comment, the Media aide to Aregbesola, Semiu Okanlawon said: "There is no big deal in it. They have met at

different fora and there is nothing strange in that.

"In the spirit of the season, there is nothing strange in Aregbesola visiting.”

Abuja blast: Ten bodies unclaimed at National Hospital Yekeen Nurudeen Abuja

T

en days after over 70 people were killed and about 124 others seriously injured in a bomb blast at Nyanya bus terminal, Abuja, only four of the 14 bodies taken to the morgue of the National Hospital have been claimed by their relatives.

New Telegraph gathered that 27 dead bodies were taken to Asokoro Hospital, 14 to Maitama Hospital, 15 to Wuse Hospital, one to Customs Hospital and14 to National Hospital when the blast occurred.

The hospital’s Director of Information Management, Dr. Tayo Haastrup,

told New Telegraph that the four bodies were claimed few days ago.

Haastrup also disclosed that survivors of the blast who were on admission at the hospital were stabilizing. One of the patients however, he said, was in a critical condition.

But in a chat with New Telegraph, the Director General of FCT Emergency Management Agency, Alhaji Abbas G. Idriss, said the agency was unable to identify many who died in the blast.

He said only a few of relatives of the dead were contacted through some mobile phones that were picked at the scene of the blast.

Why Abacha sacked me – Gambo Jimeta Onwuka Nzeshi Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State (left), congratulating his Commissioner for Education, Salo Adikumo for the successful execution of projects at the Bayelsa State Teachers’ Training Institute under construction, at Bolou-Orua community in Sagbama LGA of Bayelsa State…yesterday. With them are the dignitaries that witnessed the visit.

9.63m

The total area (in sq. km) of United States of America.

Source: Worldfactsandfigures.com

US$4.9trn

The nominal GDP of Japan (IMF) in 2009.

Source: Blatantworld.com

19%

The estimated percentage prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in girls and women (15-49 years) of Nigeria in 2003.

Source: Blatantworld.com

Boko haram: POWA reaches out Aliyu may go for Senate, vows not to endorse successor to widows of slain policemen Ahmed Mari Maiduguri

T

he Police Officers' Wives Association (POWA) yesterday distributed food items to 100 widows of policemen killed in Borno in the Boko Haram insurgency.

The POWA president, Alhaja Zara Abubakar who was represented by the wife of the Borno State Commissioner of Police, Rahinatu Tanko, said the items were part of the gesture of the police management and POWA to identify with the widows in difficult times.

According to her, the president of POWA and wife

of the IGP was particularly concerned about how the wives of the slain cops have been coping with the challenges of life.

She said "It is to assist the widows and immediate families of the policemen who died in the course of their duty. I am also assisting with the donation of packs of detergents which we're giving to the widows too on behalf of POWA in Borno," Deputy Commissioner of Police, Borno State Command, Rabiu Yusuf, who representedthestatePoliceCommissioner, Lawan Tanko, lauded the gesture, urging the widows not to lose hope.

Dan Atori MINNA

I

ndications have emerged that the Niger state Governor, Dr. Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu may have bowed to pressures from elders in the state to contest for a seat in the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly come 2015.

Aliyu said yesterday when he received Turbanned Community Chiefs in Minna who paid him a courtesy visit that, "I am being consulted by some PDP elders in the state to run for Senate. But I have not

yet given them my word.

I leave everything to God. But I pray that 2015 should be greater than 2007 and 2011."

His body language however suggested he may succumb to the pressure.

The turbanned chiefs had earlier asked him of his next line of action after finishing his tenure as the governor of the state in 2015.

In another development, the governor has refused to endorse any candidate as his successor for 2015, saying that only the best would emerge as the PDP gubernatorial candidate for 2015.

Abuja

F

ormer Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Muhammadu Gambo Jimeta yesterday revealed that the former head of state, Gen Sani Abacha sacked him because he advised the then maximum ruler to release General Olusegun Obasanjo, Gen Musa Yar Adua and other prominent Nigerians who were being detained for daring the then military junta.

The revelation came at the first meeting of the Committee on National Security at the ongoing National Conference.

The ex-police boss explained that though he gave the advice in the interest of nation, Abacha saw it as an affront on the regime and gave him the boot.

According to Jimeta, his sudden exit from service and the security situation of the country at that time, forced him to leave the country on self- exile for nine months.

Apparently trying to ex-

onerate himself from the negative label stamped on many former public office holders, Jimeta said that he was not among the elite class that supported dictatorship of the past military regimes.

"Never again shall we put anotheryokeonourneckand end up with another dictatorship. Never! Sani Abacha sacked me simply because I told Sani Abacha it was wrong that the country was being turned into Uganda.

Simply because of six high profile political prisoners, Obasanjo, Shehu Yar'Adua and so many of them.

"He (Abacha) asked me what do you mean, I told him to release them. But he startedfumingandsaidIwas abandoning them. But I told him I was the only one who had an opportunity to come and tell you the truth. Everybodyhereisafraidof youand telling you the truth.

"When I sensed that something was wrong, and they were also worried, I now had to take a flight and left this country and my children for nine months.

6

NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

photo news

Ekiti 2014

Fayemi slams Fayose over comment on education Stories by Adesina Wahab Ado-Ekiti

E Abia State governor, Theodore Orji; his wife, Lady Mercy and wife of the Deputy Governor, Lady Nene Ananaba, at the first Abia State Easter Canival/Cantata in Umuahia.

kiti State governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has berated former Governor Ayo Fayose over the latter’s comment on the standard of education in the state.

Speaking at a rally in Okeoro-Ekiti in Ijero Local Government Area of the state yesterday, the governor, who is also the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said Fayose, the PDP candidate in the June 21 poll,

got his facts twisted.

Fayemi challenged Fayose to a public debate on what both of them did concerning the sector during their tenures.

The incumbent governor said his government had improved the level of students’ performances in external examinations and improved the welfare of the teachers, contrary to Fayose’s claim.

Fayose, while speaking in Ikere-Ekiti on Monday, said the state was ranked eighth in WAEC before

he left in 2006, expressing regret that the standard had fallen to as low as 35th among the 36 states of the federation under Fayemi’s administration.

Fayemi said; “Go to the West African Examinations Council and check the trajectory. Go and see the records we have achieved in the last three years. Ekiti has produced good results consistently. I don’t deal with opinions, I deal with facts, because facts are sacred, opinions are free, anybody can say what they like."

Group accuses APC of preparing for war

A

L-R: Director, Programmes and Operations, Junior Achievement Nigeria (JAN), Mrs. Efe Adefulu; Director, Centre for Research in Leadership and Ethics, Lagos Business School, Dr. Franca Ovadje; Regional Programmes Coordinator, Junior Achievement Nigeria (JAN), Mr. Adegbola Abiodun; and Marketing Manager, Degree Programme, Lagos Business School, Mr. Segun Abodurin, during the Venture in Management Programme (ViMP) seminar, sponsored by ACA foundation, in Lagos…yesterday.

PHOTO:SULEIMAN HUSAINI

group, the Save Ekiti Coalition (SEC) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of preparing for war in the June 21, 2014 governorship election in Ekiti State.

The group also called for efforts that would prevent the state from being turned into a theatre of war.

SEC described Governor Kayode Fayemi’s media attack on VicePresident Namadi Sambo, as hypocritical and deceitful, describing it

as the height of deceit for anyone to say that Ekiti State under Fayemi and his APC is at peace.

In a release issued by its convener, Mr. Lere Olayinka and made available to our correspondent in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, SEC said it was self-serving that the same Fayemi, who saw nothing wrong when former Governor Adeniyi Adebayo threatened war during the flag-off of his second term campaign by saying; “If anyone toys with me, I will fight

such a person,” was now making noise over VicePresident Namadi Sambo’s reported statement.

However, Head, Media and Publicity of Ekiti State APC, Mr. Segun Dipe, who reacted in a telephone chat, said SEC should not be taken seriously.

“They are an unknown group and it is not worth any effort replying them. Let them tell the people of the state what they want to offer them in terms of programmes and policies."

Bamidele takes campaign to Ekiti West

L Disengaged workers of the defunct Rivers State Oil Palm Plantation Limited, protesting over the nonpayment of their outstanding pension and gratuities in Port Harcourt…yesterday

abour Party (LP) candidate in the June 21 governorship election in Ekiti State, Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele, yesterday continued his campaign in towns and villages in Ekiti West Local Government area of the state.

Addressing supporters in Erijinyan-Ekiti, Bamidele, who represents

Ekiti Central Constituency 1 in the National Assembly, promised a new lease of life for the people of the state, if given the mandate.

He said the LP was for the welfare of the people and called on voters to vote massively for the party during the poll.

On the provision of so-

cial amenities, Bamidele gave the assurance that they would be evenly distributed in all nooks and crannies of the state.

Bamidele said workers under an LP-led government would be highly motivated for them to contribute positively to the development of the state.

‘I’ll fix Ado-Ikere road in good time'

F L-R: Director, National Research Institute, U.K, Prof. Andrew Wesby; Project Director, CAVA II, Dr. Kola Adebayo; Senior Adviser to the Minister of Agriculture, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Adetunji; Vice Chancellor Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Prof. Olusola Oyewole and Program Officer, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr. Orin Hasson during the launching of CAVA II cassava, adding value for Africa Phase II by the university and other foreign partners, at Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos… yesterday.

PHOTO: GOGWIN IREKHE

ormer governor of the state Ayo Fayose, yesterday promised the people of Ikere-Ekiti the completion of the dualisation of the Ado-Ikere road, a project he initiated while in office in 2005.

Addressing a large crowd of supporters and

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members in the town, he said educational projects embarked upon by the then PDP-led government in the town would be completed as well.

“Look at the dualisation of Ado-Ikere road that my administration started then,

has it gone past the level we left it? Since I left office, the project has not gone further.

“A PDP-led government came and set up a university here, the current administration came into office and cancelled it and they have not given you anything in replacement.

NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

7

Plot to hijack Bayelsa congress tears APC apart DIVISION

Former Bayelsa governor fingered in moves to control opposition party Chris Ejim Yenagoa

T

here has been growing apprehension among supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State, following alleged plot by some politicians to hijack the conduct of the state congress of the party.

Sources said part of the plot was to install a substantive executive that would be loyal to former Governor Timipre Sylva.

The alleged plot, according to some APC sources, has pitched the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, against the former governor of Bayelsa state.

Amaechi, as a national supervisor of the three states of Rivers, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom, had moved against such plot in the interest of the party in the state, asking Sylva

to serve as a leader and refused the temptation of installing a substantive executive ahead of his 2016 governorship ambition in the state.

The refusal of the former governor to heed Amaechi’s directive was, however, attributed to the recent exit of some of his loyalists from the APC in the state.

The Special Adviser on Protocol Matters to the former governor, Prince Lucky Yeubogha, while announcing his decision to dump the APC, accused the party of a faulty ideology.

Yeubogha, who was among the kitchen cabinet of the Sylva administration, said he was leaving the APC with the over 1, 000 members of his camp.

While speaking with newsmen in Yenagoa, Yeubogha said the decision to abandon the APC was based on the discovery that the party was based on a faulty ideology.

In his letter of resignation from the APC addressed to the Interim Chairman, Chief Tiwei Orunimigha and Chief Timipre Sylva, Yeubogha

said the decision was taken after due consultation with members of his family and political associates of many years.

“The decision was based on the need to support a base that will continue to engender the progress of our dear state and the country. It is right to state that the devil you know is better than the angel you do not know.”

Youbogha denied the claim that his decision to leave the APC was based on the fallout of the just concluded ward and local

government congresses.

“Politics is about interests and calculations.

When you had an interest to move your state forward and you come to find out that it was not propelled by the expected change, you dump such interest.”

“I have come to find out that there would be no change. I am back to my party, the PDP. I didn’t leave the APC because of crisis over ward or local government congresses, but I left when I discovered that the party was based on political gamble.”

Court strikes out suit against Insurance Commissioner Joseph Onyekwere

J

ustice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Lagos, has struck out the criminal charge levelled against the Commissioner for Insurance (CFI), Fola Daniel, by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).

Daniel was charged over alleged misrepresentation of facts involving A&G Insurance Company.

The AGF, Mohammed

Adoke, filed the suit following complaints by A & G Insurance against Daniel.

Counsel to A & G Group, Chijioke Ndubuisi, had on July 5, 2012, applied to the AGF for fiat against Daniel in an application titled; “Unlawful prohibition order issued by NAICOM against our client’s companies - Alliance and General Life Assurance Plc; Alliance and General Insurance Limited and Fidelity Bond Insurance brokers.”

Crude oil: PTDF achieves breakthrough in local refining James Nwabueze ABUJA

A

fter four years of intensive research, The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) yesterday announced a major breakthrough in local crude oil refining, using locally sourced materials.

PTDF Head of Press and External Relations, Kalu Otisi, announced the achievement in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja.

He said the breakthrough followed a fouryear intensive research

on the production of Zeolite Catalyst using clay by a research team of PTDF Endowment from the chemical engineering department of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

According to the statement, the Vice-Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Prof.

Abdullahi Mustapha, who made the disclosure at the 2014 Annual Lecture of the PTDF Professorial Chair in Chemical Engineering, said the research team ‘achieved a major breakthrough in the local refining of heavy crude for production using locally sourced raw materials.’

L-R: Secretary to Kwara State Government, Alhaji Isiaka Gold; Governor, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed, and Women Leader, NASFAT Ilorin, Hajia Humuhani Abdulrahman, during NASFAT protest against insurgency to the government house, Ilorin…yesterday

856.4

The number of newspaper journalists per 1m of Hungary in 2004.

Source: Blatantworld.com

3.99m

The number of fixed-telephone subscriptions in Austria in 2000.

Source: Itu.int

84.5m

The population of Egypt (representing 1.2% of the world’s population) in 2010.

Source: Blatantworld.com

Insecurity: Nigeria’ll emerge prosperous, united – Ado Ibrahim Abdulwahab Isa Abuja

P

aramount ruler of Ebira land, Alhaji Ado Ibrahim, has predicted that Nigeria will emerge stronger, more united and prosperous in the aftermath of the current security challenge.

He also urged leaders at every level of government and the citizens never to be despaired with the current security challenge, which he described as a passing phase in the history of the country.

The Ebira monarch stated this during a chance encounter with New Telegrpah in Okene at the conferment of the Kwame Nkrumah Leadership Award by the West Africa Students Union (WASU) on Alhaji Mamman Abubakar Yususf, which was held in Okene.

He said the current security challenge assailing the country was a global phenomenon, urging Nigerians to give the government and security agencies, maximum cooperation to bring it to a logical end.

He said: “Nobody is happy about what is happening today. Who would be happy seeing bus-loads of human beings set on fire and killed?

“Who will be happy when you are not sure whether you will wake up tomorrow in your house; who will be happy that your children go to school and you are not too sure they would be coming back home.

“Nobody is happy, but I strongly believe that we would surpass and survive this period and come out stronger and more united.”

The monarch said every sane person was concerned and touched about the wanton waste of precious lives irrespective of the location the killings were taking place, urging youths in the country to resist being used by selfish people to achieve their destructive motives.

“We can’t say this is happening in faraway Maiduguri or elsewhere and we in these other parts are not touched. I’m morally touched as far as you are a human being and believe in God."

8

NEWS

I was defrauded by pastor – Alleged police bomber Muhammad Ahmad Lafia

J

onathan Gyanet, who was accused of planting a bomb in a church in Nasarawa State on Good Friday, said he was on vengeful mission.

The dismissed police officer said he decided to attack the Transformation Assembly Church because the pastor in charge, John Chai, had defrauded him.

Gyanet, who was paraded at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) on Jos Road, Lafia, claimed Chai had been extorting money from him on a monthly basis while praying for him to be reinstated into the police.

The suspect alleged that he usually pays N5,000 at the end of every month as fees for the prayers to ensure his return to the force.

But Chai, who was also at the parade, denied Gyanet’s claims.

The cleric said that there was no such transaction between him and the suspect.

He said: “Even the man’s wife can confirm to you that I have been paying even the children’s school fees. So, I wonder where he has been getting money to give me for prayers.”

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Idris Mohammed, has reiterat-

ed the commitment of his command to rid the state of criminals.

The commissioner said that the command would continue to intensify its relationship with the public, noting that he was “proud of this partnership and pray that the relationship should be sustained so that together we can collectively reduce the rate of crime in the state”.

Mohammed said that his men also arrested 16 armed robbery suspects, five suspected cult members and four suspected thieves.

The police, according to him, also recovered four locally made pistols, one locally made AK47

rifle, one dane gun and one water pressure gun from the suspects.

He said: “Specifically, let me discuss the incident which occurred on 15/04/2014 where one Jonathan Gyanet, a dismissed police officer, who went to Transformation Assembly Church and threw a teargas canister into the church premises when the evening service was on. The man is also a member of the church.

“Nasarawa State Command has demonstrated its willingness to reduce crime to its barest minimum and keep the activities of criminally-minded persons in check.”

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Crisis: Oko monarch goes into hiding Uwakwe Abugu Awka

T

he traditional ruler of Oko, OrumbaNorth Local Government Area of Anambra State, Igwe, Professor Laz Ekwueme and the President-General of the town union, Mr. Cyprain Nwammuo, may have gone into hiding.

This followed tension caused by the shooting of a masquerade dancer by soldiers during a clash between the two.

Prof Laz is the younger brother of former Vice President of Nigeria, Dr. Alex Ekwueme.

The soldiers were said to have been invited by the monarch and the leadership of the town union to enforce a ban on masquerade displays during the Afia Olu festival last Saturday.A violent clas however ensued during which the masquerade was shot.

The traditional ruler's Ezioko palace was on subsequently attacked by youths who burnt three vehicles in the compound, a jeep, a Toyota Hillux van and a

bus. Part of the palace was also vandalised.

When contacted on phone, both Ekwueme, and Nwammuo said they have been in hiding because of the continued tension in their community while the monarch added that he was still in shock over the attack on his palace.

It was gathered that the shot masquerade was receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital. However, the Commander, 302 Artillery Regiment, Onitsha, Col. Fagge has not confirmed the involvement of the army in the shooting.

Meanwhile, father of the shot masquerade, 35-year-old Chidozie Anyaene from Ezioko, Oko said yesterday he did not know the whereabouts of his son calling on the soldiers to release him immediately.

“I do not know the whereabouts of my son, since that day. I have been going up and down searching for him but have not seen him. Even today, I have conducted search to no avail. I can’t say if he is in Okeke or Okafor place."

Don’t put Nigeria on fire, Umar warns Nyako Ibraheem Musa Kaduna

L-R: Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Ado Muhammad; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Mr Linus Awute; Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu; his wife, Osinachi and Executive Secretary, National Health Insurance Scheme, Dr Femi Thomas, during the 52nd birthday of Prof. Chukwu in Abuja …yesterday.

LAGOS

DELTA

KOGI

IKEJA

ASABA

LOKOJA

GEMS,ministry to register businesses in Lagos

Delta releases N16bn for new pension scheme

The Growth & Employment in States (GEMS), has collaborated with the Federal Ministry of Industry Trade & Investment (FMITI) to register no fewer than 100 businesses within four days in Lagos.

The registration, which kicked off yesterday, will end on Friday.

There will be a public meeting with entrepreneurs and others today.

Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, yesterday explained how his administration expended over N16 billion as counterpart funding to the New Pension Scheme.

The governor said since his administration’s inception in 2007, the state spends nothing less than N800 million monthly for the payment of pension to retirees under the old and scheme.

Students abduction: Kogi ANCOPSS to summon PTA meeting Worried by the current wave of abductions of students by insurgents, the Kogi State branch of the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), has called a meeting between parents and teachers.

The state president of ANCOPSS, Dr Ibrahim Ade Muftau, disclosed this while giving his ac-

ceptance speech after the inauguration of a new executive council in Lokoja yesterday.

He said with the level of insecurity in the country, especially the abduction of students, there was the need to take proactive measures.

While urging students to quickly report any funny movements in and around their schools to their teachers, he urged government to secure the school.

T

here seem to be no respite for Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State as his former military colleague, Col. Abubakar Dangiwa Umar (rtd) joined the chorus of condemnation against his allegation that the Federal Government is sponsoring genocide against the North.

In statement he issued, yesterday, Umar, a former military governor of Kaduna State, described Nyako’s pronouncement as inciting, and tantamount to asking northerners to rise against the Federal Government.

According to him, the statement is shocking, worrisome and disap-

pointing, adding that Nyako should not put the country on fire.

Umar argued that as a retired former military officer, the governor should be aware of the weighty nature of his allegation that President Goodluck Jonathan and his administration are responsible for the genocide in the North as a result of the unabated Boko Haram insurgency.

"What is his aim? Does he want northerners to pick up arms against the Federal Government or what? These are comments that should not come from leaders who want the nation to progress and move forward.

Moreso, like a state governor and a retired military officer," Umar added.

9

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Abia 2015: Pressure mounts on Abaribe to declare interest ASPIRATION From deputy governor to Senator, Abaribe and his Ukwa Ngwa clansmen area the same page Wale Elegbede

P

ressure yesterday continued to mount on Senate’s spokesman, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, to declare his interest in the 2015 governorship election in Abia State.

To this end, traditional prime ministers and stakeholders in Abia South senatorial district have called on him to contest the governorship election, promising to give him all the support needed. The tradi-

tional prime ministers said they have already endorsed him for the plum job.

The demand from the traditional prime ministers came on the heels of similar requests from the Oha Ngwa clan residing in Kano State, who had earlier stormed Abaribe’s country home in Ohuru, near Aba, urging him to announce his aspiration to govern the state come 2015.

Abaribe, who was a deputy governor of the state for four years before moving to the Senate, has not formally declared his interest to contest the governorship election.

In their message of endorsement, the executives of the traditional prime ministers from all the six local government areas of Abia South, led by Chief Israel Nna Nwahunanya of

Ukwa East Local Government, said with the zoning of the governorship seat to Abia South, they have come to prevail on the senator to vie for the position.

According to them, their position was that “having been a deputy governor, a two time senator and being someone whose career has spanned academia, corporate and public service and politics, no one is better qualified than him to assume the position.”

Similarly, a delegation of Ohangwa people in Kano led by their President, Mr. Stone Ehiemere, told Abaribe that they were in his country home to deliver a message from the Ngwa people residing in Kano that he must declare his interest to contest for the Abia State governorship come 2015.

“We carefully looked

Why we chose Jonathan – Nwokedi Johnchuks Onuanyim Abuja

G

roup Managing Director of the Good Homes Development Company, Mr. Daniel Nwokedi, yesterday gave reasons why the company is using the photographs of President Goodluck Jonathan and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Mohammed, to advertise its commercial housing projects.

Nwokedi, who spoke at the office complex of

the company in Abuja, told New Telegraph that the company was using the President’s photograph to key-in into the Transformation Agenda of the administration in which housing was a major component.

According to him, the President was keen on providing houses for Nigerians and this the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory had also keyed-in to. “As a private sector developer, we are to ensure that the desires of the President and the Minister were

actualised in the Federal Capital Territory,” he said.

The group managing director said there was nothing fraudulent or political in using the photographs of the President and that of the Minister to advertise the company’s housing projects.

He said; “The President is the president of everybody and we voted him into power and we are trying to key-in into his Transformation Agenda and to show that the project was in support of his vision."

Don’t fiddle with people’s lives, Turaki tells president Steve Uzoechi OWERRI

I

rked by the recent abduction of over one hundred female secondary school students in Borno State and the murder of a fiveyear old boy in Yana, Shira Local Government area of Bauchi State by gunmen on Sunday, a group known as the Turaki East Alliance (TEA) has called

on President Goodluck Jonathan to make good his promise of decisively tackling insurgency in the country.

Speaking to newsmen in Owerri yesterday, the group condemned the abduction and killing of the five-year old, describing it as an act of callousness that should not go unravelled by the Federal Government.

The National Coordinator of the pressure group, ComradePeterAkubuo,who stated this also, wondered why drastic measures have not been taken to address the security challenges in the country.

He cautioned that if the problem was not unattended to by 2015, citizens of the country may find themselves living in perpetual fear and trepidation.

at the hordes of aspirants and arrived at conclusion that Senator Abaribe ranks unassailable ahead of others. We have no doubt that he has all it takes to govern Abia well,” Ehiemere said.

Responding, Abaribe expressed gratitude to both groups, saying that he had made up his mind to run for the governorship of the state and that their visit to urge him to run was divine.

He also described the coincidence of demands for him to run as divine, adding that he was inspired by the calls to intensify his consultations with all members of the PDP family in Abia as well as the larger society.

The senator said what was needed was not an Abia South or Ukwa Ngwa governor, but an Abia governor of Ukwa Ngwa extraction, who would see the whole state as his constituency.

Dambazau wants ‘Chibok girls’ freed Biodun Oyeleye Ilorin

F

ormer Chief of Army Staff, General Abdulrahman Danbazau (rtd), yesterday urged compatriots to pray for the school girls who were kidnapped in Chibok, Borno state even as he urged governments at all levels to work more to ensure their immediate release.

A group, the Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria (MMWG), has also asked Islamic clerics across the country to commence special prayers for the peaceful release of the girls.

Danbazau made the call through his foundation, the Foundation for the Victims of Child Abuse (VCAF).

The foundation was established to protect and promote the rights

and well-being of victims of child abuse with special interest in reaching the most vulnerable children, among others.

The MMWG in a statement by its National Coordinator, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi, said the situation has become worrisome with the latest figure given by the Borno State government which put the number of school girls abducted at 230.

The statement reads in part: “This situation has put the whole nation in serious agony, fear and sorrow as nobody knows what has happened to the girls. Apart from the m i s s i n g M a l ay s i a n plane over a month ago, this appears to be the worst crime perpetrated in Nigeria in particular and the world at large.

10 NEWS

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Emergency rule: Military mount pressure on Jonathan for extension Chukwu David and Emmanuel Onani

T

he Defence Headquarters, yesterday, intensified pressure on President Goodluck Jonathan, on the compelling need to extend the State of Emergency, imposed on three North East states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.

This development is coming on the heels of an expanded National Security Council meeting holding today at the Presi-

N3.04bn

dential Villa, between the president and governors of the 36 states.

Speaking with New Telegraph on the likely issues to top deliberations at today's security meeting, a senior military officer said the emergency rule in the troubled NorthEast states, will dominate discussions today.

The highly-placed military source, who craved anonymity, because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said the Chief of Defence Staff

The internally generated revenue of Bayelsa State in 2011.

Source: National Bureau of Statistics

(CDS), Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, and the service chiefs, have continued to press for the extension of the emergency rule, which was first declared in May, 2013.

He said: "The CDS, the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Naval Staff and the Chief of Air Staff, have continued to impress the need for continuous extension of emergency rule in those states.

"Let me tell you this, the efforts of the military,

0.25

The number of fixed-telephone per 100 inhabitants in Nigeria in 2012.

Source: Itu.int

through the total support of the President, would have ended this insurgency," he stated.

Asked why the military high command will be pressing for extension, even when the suspected terrorists have continued to unleash mayhem on local communities in the affected areas, the source noted that politicians in the zone were "sabotaging" the Federal Government's efforts at restoring peace to the troubled area.

1.3m

The total number of people living with HIV/ AIDS in Zimbabwe in 2008.

Source: Blatantworld.com

Wamakko tasks traditional rulers on security COURTESY VISIT Wamakko chiefs visit Gov. Wamakko in Sokoto Umar Danladi Ado Sokoto

G

overnor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State has warned the new district heads and traditional rulers in the state to be more securityconscious.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar Sa'ad, on April 7, turbaned 21 new district heads and bestowed the traditional title of Matawalle and Yarin Yabo on the Speaker of the House of Representative, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal and the state Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Alhaji Faruk Malami Yabo.

The governor gave the advice when he received the six new district heads from Wamakko Local Government Area who paid him a courtesy call at his residence.

Wamakko also told the traditional rulers to report suspicious activities in their domains to the appropriate authorities.

He also charged them to carry their people along, adding that they should also treat the people fairly irrespective of their differences.

Earlier, the chairman of the area, Alhaji Abdullahi Kalambaina, who led the district heads, said they where at the governor's residence to thank him for appointing them.

The chairman said the appointment of the new district heads would, no doubt, bring further development to the state and the nation at large.

Nursing students protest poor state of institution in Edo Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

H

Chief Executive Officer, Peace Mass Transit (PMT), Mr. Sam Onyishi (left) and the Catholic Bishop of Nsukka Diocese, Most Rev. Godfrey Onah, during the donation of a 18-seater bus by PMT to Nsukka Diocese in Enugu …yesterday

Strange storm scares Minna residents Dan Atori MINNA

M

inna residents were thrown into panic Monday night when windstorm hit the town, destroying several houses and sending electric poles crashing.

change of name

Emerson

I, formerly known as Idorenyin Peter Etuk now wishes to be known and address as Idorenyin Ukeme Emerson. General public, NYSC and UNICAL please take note!

The dusty wind, accompanied by thunder and later, rain, started at exactly 8 o'clock in the evening disrupting movements as drivers parked and commuters scampered for safety.

New Telegraph gathered that most of the houses affected were old buildings built with clay and plywood.

The Maikunkele, Dutsen Kura Gwari and Maitumbi axis of Minna city were the most affected as the storm blew off many roofs.

The accompanying lightning and thunder kept residents in their houses and unable to assist those whose roofs and houses were damaged.

When New Telegraph visited some of the affected areas, one of the victims, who refused to be interviewed, kept screaming, “My enemies have succeeded, they sent this storm to me.”

A man who pleaded anonymity said, "We heard voices calling for help, but the storm was too much for anybody to dare open

his door. I have never in my life seen or heard of this kind of storm in Nigeria. You can see that the electric poles are even falling, thank God nobody was outside, otherwise there could have been electrocution.

"I thank God too that the PHCN people switched off power because… a storm without notice could have been more disastrous with electric power on."

As at the time of filing this report, there was on loss of life.

undreds of aggrieved students of the Edo State School of Nursing took to the streets of Benin City, the state capital yesterday, to protest the poor condition of the institution.

Among the issues the students complained about were alleged foisting of a principal on the school, non-accreditation of the school in the last two years and dearth of qualified teachers.

The students, wielding placards with various inscriptions, had stormed the secretariat complex of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Benin City and the Government House.

The Vice President of the Students Union Government (SUG) of the school, Comrade Marris Osadolor, lamented that the state government had transferred the principal of the state’s School of Midwifery to head their school instead of a seasoned nurse.

He added: “The Ministry of Health has assured us that the School of Mid-

wifery and the School of Nursing are going to get their accreditations very soon. Now, if they are transferring the principal of the state school of midwifery to the state school of nursing, is the ministry closing down the school of midwifery? That is what we want to know.”

The SUG leader added, “They assured us that they are going to do something about our accreditation, we don’t have enough lecturers, no school bus as promised and we are demanding that these be restored. The few lecturers we have are just managing a lecturer to three to four courses.

We lecture each other too and we don’t want that anymore.”

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Aihanuwa Eregie, could not be reached for comments.

The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Peter Ugbodaga, was said to be on leave, but an official who did not want his name in print said on phone that the principal of the school had been in acting capacity since the substantive principal retired few days ago.

NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

ALLY Benue governor says being close to the President pays afterall Cephas Iorhemen MAKURDI

B

enue State governor, Gabriel Suswam, yesterday cleared the air on what the people of the state termed his undue fraternity with President Goodluck Jonathan.

“It is simply to get things done as part of efforts to bring democracy dividends to the people,” the governor explained.

Suswam said such fraternity has benefitted the state as he has been able to attract federal projects to the state.

Speaking in Makurdi, the state capital, the governor said the issue of his close relationship with Aso Rock should not be misinterpreted by the people as he was not lobbying for personal interests.

Governor Suswam said it was to enable him achieve results that could

Why I fraternise with Jonathan – Suswam fast-tract development in the state.

The governor, who was speaking on a live programme on Harvest FM Radio, “Interacting with Benue people,” said some of the projects he had solicited support from the Federal Government were those he initiated while in the House of Representatives, including the construction of a bridge across River Buruku, to ease movement of goods and people.

“Yes, I agree that I have access to the President and people know me as somebody who put a lot of pressure to get results; but then, Benue is not the only state and I am not the only governor that has access to the President.”

He appreciated President Jonathan for facilitating the construction of a N17 billion dam in Otupko in the Benue South senatorial district of the state.

Suswam, who also acknowledged the efforts of the Senate President, David Mark, in attracting the gains of democracy to the

Goni threatens to expose Boko Haram sponsors Ibrahim Abdul’Aziz YOLA

A

popular seer in Adamawa State, Alhaji Alhassan Mohammad Goni, has threatened to expose the sponsors of the Boko Haram sect, if in two weeks; the group refuses to suspend the current bloodletting and hostilities in the country.

He said having been disturbed by the bloodletting and destruction visited on the people by the sect, he deemed it fit to come forward and warn that if those behind the insurgency failed to change their ways, he would expose them.

Goni, who swore by the Holy Quran before speaking to newsmen vowed to expose the sponsors within two weeks if the onslaught continues.

The spiritual leader said among those sponsoring Boko Haram activities are top military officers, politicians, governors and

11

monarchs with the sole aim of causing confusion in the country.

“The emerging picture is a mafia-like linkage between the Nigerian security forces, political office holders, judiciary and the members of the Boko Haram sect.

“What is still not clear is their agenda. Obviously, they are not bombing the lives out of innocent Nigerians for the fun of it.

So, I give them two weeks to repent and recant their ways or get exposed,” Goni said.

He said he has an idea on the way out of the lingering Boko Haram crisis, but that he needed an audience with President Goodluck Jonathan first to brief him personally.

Goni, who became popular for using water to cure various ailments said; “My God-given spiritual powers had enabled me to identify who and who were involved in the Boko Haram menace and the best way to contain them.”

people, said he was not yet satisfied with federal presence in the state and will not relent in his efforts to achieve more.

He also promised to complete other ongoing projects initiated by his administration before the end of his term next year.

“The road from Vandeikya to Obudu in CrossRiver State is also on-going and it is a Federal Government project, the Makurdi-Gboko road is equally going on and contractors are on site, there are other projects that the state government has forwarded to

the Federal Government for necessary action and we hope something will be done soon.”

Alluding to the over seven-month-old strike embarked upon by primary school teachers in the state, the governor said the state government had no money

Bubbling Idumota Market, Lagos, after the Easter break.…yesterday.

8.5m

The total population in New York City, United States in 2010.

Source: Blatantworld.com

to implement the teachers’ demands for the implementation of the new national minimum wage, because of the teachers’ high wage bill, which, he said, stood at over N1.1 billion besides that of the local government, which, according to him, was N1.9 billion.

PHOTO: SULEIMAN

240,000

The total number of people living with HIV/ AIDS in Caribbean region in 2008.

Source: Blatantworld.com

N5.8bn

The internally generated revenue of Imo State in 2011.

Source: National Bureau of Statistics

Kaduna begins biometrics registration

K

aduna State government has commenced biometrics registration of all taxable persons in the state.

Executive Chairman of the state Board of Internal Revenue, Alhaji Muhammad Tanko, made this known yesterday to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna.

He said the registration was in line with govern-

ment’s efforts at enhancing revenue generation.

Tanko said the registration would include civil servants, political office holders, as well as businessmen and women.

“We captured the governor and his deputy during the inauguration of the Taxpayers’ Biometrics Card Registration System in the State,” he added.

The chairman also

said that the registration would help in building a purposeful and robust tax payers’ database for the state.

“It will also widen the tax net and improve effectiveness and efficiency in service delivery,” he said.

The chairman said the board would ensure proper enforcement on every eligible tax payer in accordance with the provi-

sions of the law. He added that the state lawmakers were working on a bill that would eliminate multiple taxation in the state.

He said the bill would also address many challenges in revenue generation administration, adding that when passed into law, the bill would address the issue of revenue leakage and improve the capacity of the tax officials.

Emir tasks leaders on national development Hassan Jirgi DAMATURU

D

eputy Chairman of the Yobe State Council of Chiefs and Emir of Bade, Alhaji Abubakar Umar Suleiman, has called on federal and state governments in the country to ensure that bringing development to the citizenry remained their primary

focus.

The deputy chairman said this while fielding questions from journalists at his palace in Gashu’a in Bade Local Government area of Yobe State.

He urged Nigerian leaders to assist youths in realising their dreams, adding that without the necessary support; such youths are prone to acts

capable of destabilising and heating the polity.

The emir also warned youths to desist from vices as cultism, terrorism, hooliganism and others that are capable of causing rancour in the society.

According to him, traditional rulers are closer to the people and they know their problems, adding that government should seek advice on

what to do from time to time from the traditional leaders.

“If traditional rulers should have a role to play in government, it should be advisory; we should not have a role in governance.”

He urged the people of Borno and Yobe States to use their Islamic knowledge to forgive one another and stop killing or destroying other people’s property.

metr

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ABIODUN BELLO FEATURES Editor

abiodun. bello@newtelegraphonline.com

0802 393 8212

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Some of the damaged vehicles

Auyo

Two persons killed, several others injured while houses, vehicles and other valuables were destroyed after Easter carnivals turned sour in Lagos Taiwo Jimoh and Elijah Samuel

H

oodlums bearing dangerous weapons, such as guns, axes, cutlasses, etc, are holding the residents of Mushin and Idi-Araba areas of Lagos by the jugular.

For two consecutive days, armed men, said to be members of different gangs, have unleashed terror on the areas.

The bandits invaded parts of Idi-Araba in the dead of the night yesterday and destroyed property running into millions of naira.

Some of the affected areas include Bakare, Oriyomi, Ogundairo, Olanrewaju and Morgan streets, spread across both sides of Itire Road, between Morgan and Kayode bus stops on Itire Road, Idi-Araba, Mushin.

They vandalised different brands of cars, commercial buses and tricycles popularly called Keke Marwa or Keke NAPEP. Many of residents expressed anger over the turn of the ruinous act. They wondered what could have warranted what they termed unprovoked attacks.

A commercial bus driver, Clifford Ebele, said though his vehicle was spared, destruction was unfortunate.

He said: “I don’t know what the grouse of those who did this evil is. We were surprised to wake up this morning and see the destruction by some wild boys who we learnt were on a revenge mission.

“We gathered that the fight had previously broken out between some of the boys from this side of Itire Road and those from the other side at a venue of their carnival. It was like the boys from this Bakare side had the upper hand during the fracas.

“Apparently the defeated side had gone to regroup and carried out this attack on innocent residents who did not know what had transpired between them.

“Although I’m lucky to have been spared in this destruction, it is a senseless and sad occurrence.”

Another resident, Sunday Ogbonna, whose bus was vandalised, said he had lost the source of his livelihood.

He said: “I have not worked in the last five days because I was looking for money to put the bus in order. So, you can imagine what shock and depression I’m going through right now.

“These boys invaded this area around 12am and operated till about 2am, chanting war songs and destroying vehicles of innocent residents as they paced around this neighbourhood.

“See what they have caused for me now; how am I going to replace this damage?”

However, the Seriki of Hausa Community in Idi-Araba, Alhaji Hassan Auyo, who went round the areas in company with some elders to assess the extent of damage, called for calm.

Addressing the distraught residents, Auyo promised that the perpetrators would be caught and brought to book.

He said: “When they called me around 2am to inform me about this sad development, I took my phone and called all the Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) of Zone D, Olosan and Itire police stations to inform them of this development.

But I told them to ensure they help us

Fou arre

Biodun Oyeleye Ilorin

F

our students o were among s lice in Kwara The Commiss bor, who paraded over involvemen tions in different All the seven s were arrested w tions across the s He said one o to their victim, ad confessed to be m Aisabor said rifles abandoned

Armed gangs unleash terror on Mushin, Idi-Araba BLOODY CARNIVALS

Sanctity

Wednesday, A

A vandalised SUV

to apprehend the culprits and not arrest innocent residents.

“When they came this morning, with the cooperation of residents, they made some arrests. Those arrested are in the custody of police now.

“But when I spoke with the people this morning, just as I have always done, I pleaded with the residents to exercise restraints against any form of retaliation. I told them that the elders and all the stakeholders will sit and have a meeting so that we can look into this issue comprehensively and take action to forestall reoccurrence.

“This is very imperative now as this was not the first or the second time this will be happening.”

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, said she was at an important meeting. She promised to call back. However, she did not at press time.

Earlier, two people were killed in Mushin area when an Easter Carnival turned bloody.

From the carnival ground, rival groups went on the rampage and attacked houses, robbed people, destroyed vehicles and damaged other valuables.

One of the survivors, who gave his name as Idris Fatai aka Jonah, said it was God who saved him from being killed.

He said: ‘I was outside our house for fresh air and hoping to see my mother before going to bed.

“Suddenly, I noticed that some people were throwing pebbles at me and my mother.

“When I tried to check where the stones were coming from, those hoodlums had already surrounded me. I was tied by some of the hoodlums who had laid ambush for me and some other members of Akala area of Mushin.

Fatai

Another damaged car

“After they tied me, one of the hoodlums was shouting that we have caught one of the boys who have been terrorising us. That was how they started beating me and stabbing me. I received the beating of my life.”

The man said he was rushed to the hospital.

Jonah, however, said that when the hoodlums learnt that he had been admitted, they set attacked the hospital, smashed

the window the building One of t nymity, told been living never witne He said Governmen settle the cr factions so t area.”

Police charge 17 ritu Kunle Olayeni Abeokuta

P

olice in Ogun State yesterday charged to court 17 people arrested in connection with an attack on a house suspected to be a ritual killers’ den in Ijaiye area of Abeokuta, the state capital.

The accused were arraigned at Magistrates’ Court 1, Isabo, Abeokuta for malicious damage, conspiracy and conduct likely to cause breach of the peace.

In the case with charge number MA/273C2014, the Magistrate, Anthony Araba, granted the accused bail. He later adjourned the matter to June 25.

The accused were among a mob who on Monday attempted to set ablaze a two-storey building owned by a retired deputy superintendent of police in Ijaiye, Abeokuta.

The house, located at No. 30 CDA Asipa Street, Ijaiye, was suspected to be a ritual

killers’ de edly being Though in the hou vandalise before the The sta (PPRO), M the arraig ment yes tacking in unconfirm stealing.

He said house at I 21st April killings, t raigned th tion with “The s youths wh deputy su

Kwara: Defection politics sets Assembly on warpath / PAGE 40 | ‘Executive undermining fight against corruption’ / PAGE 42

POLITICS

NEW TELEGRAPH

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ayodele Ojo

Deputy Editor, politics

Confab derailing from its mandate –Agbakoba

ayodele.ojo@newtelegraphonline.com

ayodeleojo@yahoo.com

p-14-15

WEDNESday April 23, 2014

NATIONAL CONFERENCE

Ripples over confab committees

Kutigi

A

fter the heated arguments over the mandate of the National Conference and how best to achieve it, delegates to the confab have finally dissolved into 20 committees of not less than 24-member each.

The committees are to deliberate on the issues listed under them as well as memoranda submitted to each of the groups by delegate and members of the public.

The committees include those on Devolution of Powers; Political Restructuring and Forms of Government; National Security; Environment, Meteorology and Climate Change; Politics and Governance; Judiciary, Human Rights, Legal Reform, Law and Order as well as Social Sector. Others include the committees on Transportation; Science, Technology and Development, Agriculture; Civil Society, Labour and Sports; Public Service; Political Parties and Electoral Matters; Foreign Policy and Diaspora Matters.

The rest are Land Tenure and National Boundary; Economy, Trade and Investment; Energy, Religion; Public Finance and Revenue Generation; Citizen-

.

Bakare

Braithwaite

The ongoing National Conference has entered its committee stage where delegates are expected to commence the real assignment of introspection to diagnose the ailments holding down Nigeria.

However, many delegates are going into this stage of the work with mixed feelings about the enormity of work to be done and fears that it might end up as a wild goose chase. ONWUKA NZESHI reports ship, Immigration and Related Matters.

Before the composition of the committees and the conference work-plan were adopted last week, there was a controversy on whether the conference needed the 20 committees it has created or it could have constituted about four committees to

handle the core issues before the delegates.

There were two major opinions on the matter and this gave rise to two schools of thought on the way the conference should go. Although the two groups agreed that Nigeria was in dire need of change, there was no consensus on how the change

should come.

Group one The first school of thought is comprised of delegates like elder statesman, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, fiery Pentecostal cleric, Pastor Tunde Bakare, legal luminary and human rights activist, Chief Olisa Agbakoba

Confab Committees Devolution of Powers

Civil Society, Labour and Sports

Political Restructuring and Forms of Government

Public Service

National Security

Political Parties and Electoral Matters

Environment Meteorology and Climate Change

Foreign Policy and Diaspora Matters

Politics and Governance

Land Tenure and National Boundary

Judiciary, Human Rights, Legal Reform, Law and Order

Economy, Trade and Investment

Social Sector

Religion

Transportation

Public Finance and Revenue Generation

Science, Technology and Development

Citizenship, Immigration and

Agriculture

Related Matters

Energy

(SAN) as well as Dr. Tunji Brathwaite. They believe that Nigeria has not worked properly in the last 53 years because the nation was built on a faulty foundation.

They contend that the national conference is an opportunity to redesign the political structure of Nigeria. They also advocates for fiscal federalism, regionalism, devolution of powers to the component units of the federation and a less burdened central government. They argue that many other issues listed for discussion had already been discussed and concluded in previous conferences and should not be allowed to becloud what they term, the real issues for determination. This group also believes that the conference has a limited time of three months and should maximise it by having fewer committees focusing on the fundamental issues of reCONTINUED ON PAGE 41

14 POLITICS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

NATIONAL CONFERENCE Pro-democracy crusader and former President of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Olisa Agbakoba is one of the leaders of the civil society organisations attending the ongoing National Conference. But Agbakoba is not happy about the direction the conference is going under the watch of Justice Idris Kutigi.

In this chat with ONWUKA NZESHI, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) bares his mind on the committees constituted to drive the work of the conference and concludes that the conference was off its track.

Excerpts: Why do you want fewer committees at the conference?

We all know the Nigerian story and we all know that when the President set up the Presidential Advisory Committee, chaired by Senator Femi Okurounmu the issues were very clear. In fact, at some point some people were asking: Is this committee necessary? Some said that it seemed to be duplicating the work of the National Assembly on the constitution review. Let us call a spade a spade: The reason we are here is to see how we can strengthen the foundational structure of Nigeria. If you look at the 20 committees, not all of them will help us to achieve that goal. For instance, the Committee on Devolution of Powers - the issue is that the central government is too powerful So, naturally it would be correct to have that discussed. I don’t mean to say that some committees are not important but in anything you do, you have terms of reference.

We are supposed to finish work by June; now I don’t see where the Committees on Environment, Social Sector, Science and Technology, Aviation, Agriculture, Civil Society, Labour, Economy, Trade and Investments, Sports, Public Service and Diaspora Matters fit into the time of this conference.

I was a member of the Vision 2020 and we covered all these issues. So, the real reason we are here or rather the real reason that I am here is not to repeat what we have done. I spoke directly with the President and also the Secretary to the Government of the Federation when we were trying to bring in the civil society, but what is playing out here is not what I understood to be the focus of this conference.

We are here to say: Do you want presidential or parliamentary? Should the parliamentarians serve full time or part time? Should we remodel the structure of Nigeria into zones or states? What about fiscal federalism? These are the

Agbakoba: Confab derailing core issues and that was why I was concerned when I saw 20 irrelevant committees.

Some people have said that the reason there are several committees is because of the diverse interests of the delegates. Some

people are not interested in the issues of power devolution and the restructuring you are talking about. Don’t you think so?

Unfortunately, we have to ask ourselves: why the President had to summon us? If you read his address, he gave six reasons why he summoned us. We

didn’t come here for an open ended discussion. Every adventure has a purpose and its essence. The purpose for which the President spoke so eloquently is defined in his speech. He made the mission clear in about six points. The committees should have revolved around those six points. Those six points did not cover agriculture, development, labour, financial institutions and so on. He told us what to do.

Do we say now that the conference is derailing?

It’s derailing. It’s derailing out of the mandate given by the President. It is so clear because if you look at the mandate given by the President, you will agree that the mandate could be found in his speech.

You also agree with me that before this conference was set up, the President set up a Presidential Advisory Committee to go round the country and collate the thoughts of Nigerians. When they went round, did they ask about the environment? Did they ask questions concerning agriculture? They did not. Why are we so insistent on submitting the report of this conference to a referendum?

When the President came here and said that he was working with the National Assembly on the need to make provision for a referendum; was it on agricultural issues? Come on! This is the most devastating blow I have ever received and that is why we don’t move forward.

Agbakoba

You canvassed for fewer committees during the plenary session. What is your reason for doing so?

Some of those committees listed are not meant for this conference. The purpose of this conference is for us to find out how Nigeria will stay together. The key issue is what structures do we want.

We are here to decide whether we want the presidential or parliamentary system of government, federal or confederal.

These are the issues that have been causing trouble. All these issues of the economy, police, education and transportation are the duties of the party in power. It has to be contained in the manifesto of the party that wants to rule.

But it appears that some of your colleagues think otherwise and are comfortable with the 20 committees. Why is there this split?

It is because some of us want to waste time discussing irrelevant things to prolong the conference instead of going straight to the issues that brought us here. In fact, it is because of the liberality of the President. This is supposed to be an ethnic nationalities conference.

It is the ethnic groups that were forcefully amalgamated in 1914 that have

In the face of this perceived derailment,

Adebanjo: Many don’t Elder statesman, Chief Ayo Adebanjo in this chat with ONWUKA NZESHI laments that some delegates do not seem to understand why the conference was convened. Excerpts: been complaining of the unification of the country without their consent. We have been complaining that we don’t want to be where we are. Let me ask you: What has energy or environment got to do with that?

Are you saying that the conference is derailing from its original purpose?

Exactly, and I am one of those who want to make sure that nothing is allowed to derail this conference.

Now that the conference chairman has over ruled you, what are you going to do?

We would continue to fight wherever we are because if he puts me in any of those useless committees, I won’t go. If you look at those committees including the one talking about the form of education, it is embodied in the government of the day. Once we have a workable politi-

cal structure and include that good and qualitative education must be there, it is left for the government to work out the details. You see, many of us don’t understand why we are here and it is because the President has been over-liberal by inviting those who are not concerned about what we are talking about. The invitation sent to the various groups here is just out of magnanimity. It is the ethnic nationalities that have been campaigning for a Sovereign National Conference that ought to be here to decide how we are going to live together. Some of the Yourubas in Kwara and other minorities in the North, like the people of Southern Kaduna have been complaining about their situations and these are some of the things that should bother us at this conference. We are here to discuss all these things that have been causing conflicts.

The issue of energy is important but any

POLITICS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

15

NATIONAL CONFERENCE

from its mandate what do you recommend? Should the President call the conference to order?

I think so. The President ought to redirect the conference because the conference is out of hands. In my opinion, it’s completely out of hands.

Where did we miss the road?

We missed it from the misdirection of the chairman. The chairman should have properly directed the conference that we have a mandate.

In court, if you plead that your claim is a N100 million and you go on to give evidence that it is N200 million, you will be ruled out of order. So, the chairman has misdirected the conference by not pointing out to the conference that there is actually a scheme and that our terms of reference is clearly defined in the President’s speech and that the committees he has set up are outside the terms of reference. When the issue was raised, the Chairman should have asked the conference delegates: what do you think? He did not do that; rather he overruled Chief Ayo Adebanjo. He overruled him abruptly.

He should have allowed delegates to debate the matter and allow delegates to decide whether or not we need 20 committees or less. He should have put the matter to vote.

Then you adjourn and you want me to stay here for 48 hours doing nothing? I won’t be here. I foresaw this and so I told myself, I’m not going to come here and be treated like a school boy and asked to refund money because I have taken

money. I am absolutely free like a bird. I can come and go. Unless I am removed, I can come and go as it pleases me because I owe nobody anything.

In the midst of these arguments, there have been comments by some delegates challenging the legitimacy of this conference.

Are you not worried by such statements?

No! No!! No!!! There is no challenge.

Why would they question the legitimacy of the conference?

They say you were not elected.

Why didn’t they question the Okurounmu Committee? Now to even take advantage of the large number of delegates, if we are to discuss the issue of environment, do we require a law to be enacted to make us discuss it? And your question implies that this is about a constitutional conference. If it is a constitutional conference, then I will be right to say that the chairman is out of order. Then I will also be right to say the President does not require any special law because the President performs two functions – under Sections 4 and 5 of the Constitution.

Under Section 5, he has executive powers to convene the conference to advise him and receive proposals for the purpose of constitutional amendment which he can send as an executive bill to the National Assembly. So, all we are doing here is to assist the President to produce proposals that he will submit to the National Assembly. It does not require a law and that is why I wrote a

Do you want presidential or parliamentary? Should the parliamentarians serve full time or part time? Should we remodel the structure of Nigeria into zones or states?

What about fiscal federalism? These are the core issues and that was why I was concerned when I saw 20 irrelevant committees small paper saying that at the end of all that we are doing, our report must be such that we are able to crystallise it in form of a draft bill.

A draft bill? Not a constitution?

Not a constitution. We have no powers. But we can do a draft bill. I was a member of the Justice Muhammed Uwais Panel. There was no law setting us up, but when we finished, we gave our reports and said that our recommendations are contained in the following draft bills. The President took it, converted it into a White Paper, amended it and submitted it to the National Assembly. I don’t understand why people cannot see what is so clear and simple. This discussion is not rocket science. It’s all about how can we strengthen Nigeria and we can strengthen Nigeria by talking on these issues that have been laid out and then giving the President a report and an

Agbakoba

executive bill.

What do you have to tell some of your colleagues here who are insisting that this conference should produce a new constitution?

We don’t have such powers. We don’t have that power and it is not necessary.

What is necessary is a constitution that is enacted by the National Assembly. If we were to be a Constituent Assembly or a Sovereign National Conference, that will be the time we would have produced a constitution.

Even a constitutional conference is not sovereign. The only constitution making body that can enact a constitution is the Sovereign National Conference.

In fact, that was our position in the civil society but when we were unable to achieve that, we then decided to accept an advisory national conference so that whatever we say, the President will take it and present to the National Assembly. But we made a demand: Don’t change what we say; subject it to the people and get their endorsement through a referendum.

understand why we’re at this conference government that is in power should solve that but there has to be a workable structure of government to do it.

There are speculations that this conference may be extended because the delegates have wasted too much

time already and the real work is yet to begin. What do you think about an extension?

I don’t want to discuss things that would not take us anywhere. I don’t want to discuss things that would make people feel that we just want to be here. We should try as much as possible to conclude our assignment within the allotted time. That is why we are talking about fewer committees to be able to face the key issues why we are here. If we are focused, there would be no need for an extension but when you are spending time on irrelevancies, that is what would lead to an extension. If we are able to discuss only those issues that we are meant to discuss, we would complete our assignment on time.

One thing that is clear to me is that you can’t run this country under a unitary system of government.

Let us resolve that. The moment you say it is federal or confederal, then we would ask: what are the issues under each of these systems?

In your own thinking, what kind of system should Nigeria adopt?

Well, it is nothing more than federalism with devolution of powers to the federating units. That is the key.

Adebanjo

Some of you want us to go back to the regional system we had before 1966. Is that part of your demand?

Of course! Why not? The states are too small to be the

federating units. If we say we want true federalism and we leave the states as they are, we are going to have unitary form of government through the back door. When you talk of a federation, the federating units must be strong enough to stand on their own. That is why the states that we have today cannot stand because they are always dependent on the Federal Government. Then we should talk about revenue allocation - that everybody should keep what they have and contribute to the centre.

We should not forget that even the American presidential federalism that we coped is not run like we run our own here. How do the Americans run theirs? The states in American don’t go to Washington DC to ask for handouts, they feed Washington by paying a percentage of their budget to maintain the centre. That is what we want.

It is the awkwardness in our system that is causing confusion and It is that awkwardness we must rectify.

With the way the conference is going, what would be your message to Mr. President?

Well, to be honest with you, President Goodluck Jonathan has tried by giving us the platform to discuss Nigeria. He did not set up the committees for us; it is we who have set up the committees ourselves.

But we should not lose sight of the main objectives of this national conference and it is our duty to take our country to where it should go.

16 POLITICS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

NATIONAL CONFERENCE

Omar: Political restructuring shouldn’t be only agenda The President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar is a delegate at the National Conference but he does not share the views of those who think that the only agenda is political restructuring. Omar, in this interview with ONWUKA NZESHI, speaks on the issue of committees and their responsibilities.

What is your view on the controversy over the number of committees set up at this conference?

It depends on the individual point of view. If you say 20 is unwieldy and somebody was suggesting four, which one of the two would give you more time to deliberate on the issues? If you look at the number of delegates, we are over 490 and if you divide it by 20, it’s just a little over 50 or less and that would give you ample opportunity to deliberate on issues with some level of sanity. But if you say you want four committees, each committee will become almost like the conference itself which is not very good. As far as I am concerned, the issue of the committees is not even the major issue. The issue would be the qualities of the deliberations be in each of the committees, and what resolutions would come out of these committees.

But look at the task of just assigning the committee membership, the secretariat has not been able to do it all this while, now we had to adjourn for a day because of it. This is a waste of man-hours. The secretariat ought to be up and doing to be able to finish all these things on time. Now when the committee membership is out, it might not be exactly according to the expectations of some delegates. There may be a lot of objections particularly on our side because we sat down to do a very thorough job in determining who shall be in which committee. If it turns out that they have not taken what we have recommended, then it is going to be a problem because we have to go and complain. They should assign people based on their knowledge and competence in relevant areas. If they distort that, definitely we are going back to complain and demand that our people should be assigned appropriately.

Some of those asking for fewer committees are arguing that this conference has terms of reference which revolves around the restructuring of the political and governance structure of Nigeria and should not take up issues such as labour, energy and so on. What is your view?

I quite agree with the provisions.

Some of the topics listed under the committees are not very necessary.

We are supposed to look at core issues.

For example, when you take economy, you don’t have to go down to talk about structure of salary, banking structure but you can talk about the resources available to the country, how they are distributed, industries and employment. These are the things we should be talking about. So, some of the provisions listed are not very necessary, but I see no reason why we should not take economy as a topic we should discuss and touch on industrialisation.

But the good thing is the last suggestion that we made that at the end of all the sub-topics in every committee, we should add any other related issues. I think that would give all the committees the latitude to accommodate other issues that have not been listed.

Some delegates are very specific about the terms of reference for this conference. They are not here for anything other

Omar

than to decide the future of Nigeria in terms of its political structure. Do you share this view?

Well, minus the word “political structure”. If you say we are here to decide the future of Nigeria then so many things are involved. The future

of Nigeria is not only about the political structure. There is also the economic structure and all other things like citizenship and security. These are all very major and weighty areas that can affect the future of any nation not just Nigeria.

Adegbuyi: Kutigi’s 20 committee structure, Bisi Adegbuyi is a lawyer and a delegate from Ogun State.

In this interview, he tells ONWUKA NZESHI that the 20 committees set up by the national conference is an attempt to divert the attention of delegates from the core mandate of the conference.

Excerpts.

What’s your reaction to the debate on the number of committees that this conference should have?

I think that a fundamental error has been committed. The people that drew up the committees operated from the erroneous premise as though we were a National Assembly. It is the National Assembly that has the responsibility to make laws for order and good governance as well as policy issues. What we are supposed to do here is to remain focused and stay within the terms of reference of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the National Conference.

Anything outside that, any committee

that you are proposing that cannot fit into that terms of reference is ultra vires and a waste of time.

The committees as they have been set up are unwieldy. In any case, we have limited time. So, how can we saddle ourselves with discussions about salary structure for workers, civil society and labour issues? These are not the issues that are meant for a National Conference. A National Conference should discuss fundamental issues.

What are these fundamental issues?

Issues that touch the root of our problems - the national questions.

What type of government are you looking for – presidential or parliamentary? What type of security framework are you looking for? The Number One responsibility of any government is the protection of lives and property.

Look at how they are killing people here and there. Nigeria has become a huge killing field. This is where the issue of centralisation of the police comes in. Federalism should be discussed. What type of federalism do we want? Do we want a strong centre that bothers on the unitary form of government? Or do we weaken the

centre so we can create conditions for self-determination, so that people can develop at their own pace and Nigeria could be developed from the fringes?

Let’s talk about devolution of powers.

What kind of federating units do we want? Do we want zones? Do we want regions? Or we want to continue with this 36-state structure that were whimsically created without due consideration for geographic contiguity and linguistic affinity?

These are the things they do in other parts of the world and yet we want to discuss salary structure. Salary structure of who? Federal Government workers? We want to discuss about coal? These are matters that states can handle. We don’t need more than 10 committees at most, that would address the fundamental issues.

The way the conference is going, does it appear to you that it has left its core mandate?

When you are operating outside the terms of reference that you have been given, then it means you are working ultra vires because you are not staying within the confines of what you have been asked to discuss. But let

POLITICS 17

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

NATIONAL CONFERENCE

It’s our hope that we get our fundamentals right –Oti Professor of Soil Science, gender activist and delegate to the National Conference from Ebonyi State representing Ethnic Minorities, Mrs. Nnenna Oti tells LOUIS ACHI in the aftershock of Nyanya, Abuja bombing that terrorism is an inferior conversation to the ongoing confab. She also spoke on other key related matters Female delegates resolved to hold a protest march condemning the terror attack in Nyanya, Abuja that claimed over 70 lives.

Why that resolution?

Like every other responsible, committed Nigerian, I don’t think there is anybody who woke up in Abuja that Monday morning who was not shocked and in grief. It was a very sad day for all of us.

So, later in the day we thought it wise as mothers, daughters, wives and sisters to come together to join other Nigerians to say that enough is enough. That’s what this protest is all about.

One, we want the families to know we identify with them. It is no longer business as usual. Two, we want to lend our voice in a message to the powers that be that this is not the Nigeria of our dream.

We want a country where we all go to bed

with our eyes closed. We want a stable Nigeria where our children, our grandchildren will be free to go about their normal routine of everyday work safely. This is what the protest is all about. This is why we are all coming out in black.

Fundamentally, this conference is a conversation. The Nyanya bombing is a kind of conversation too, both addressing the future of Nigeria. Which is the superior conversation?

Naturally, it’s always better to jaw-jaw than to war-war. Of course, people coming together to discuss amicably is always a better solution. There is no perfect family; no perfect country. We are still in the process of nation building. It is a process, though sometimes we are in a hurry to compare ourselves with the United States and other countries. For crying out loud, these are civilisations of over 200 years old. We are making progress. Now there are two sides to this coin, like always.

There are the direct and indirect causes.

Anybody that says what is happening is a simple matter is mistaken. It is very, very complicated. It is very complex. Like all complex questions, there will not be simple answers. The answers will also be complicated. But the most important thing is to get our fundamentals right. Rising from this conference, it is our belief; it is our hope that we’ll get our fundamentals right.

You are an intellectual. Do you see too

We are still in the process of nation building. It is a process, though sometimes we are in a hurry to compare ourselves with the United States little intellectualism as bane of Nigeria’s leadership and statehood?

No, I don’t think so. We have very educated people throughout Nigeria. If you come to this confab, for instance, you have many professors everywhere, Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), lawyers. No, that is not our problem. Like I said, these problems are complicated. Nigeria has very educated people. The president has a PhD; the vice president is an architect.

I don’t think we have a dearth of intellectual leadership, if you will. I think we are moving in the right direction really.

Is 20 per cent representation of women in this confab a fair reflection of your gender, given the demographic facts?

This is a tricky one. I am a very serious gender activist. Women hold up half the sky. Women are roughly 50 per cent of the world’s population and even in Nigeria.

And so 20 per cent cannot be fair representation, depending on your definition of fair. As it were, if you go by mere de-

fundamental error

The people have already spoken about what they want us to discuss here.

It is not sports, not civil society and not salaries

Do you have any doubt that the threemonth timeframe for the conference may not be enough?

Nothing in life is certain. I am not too concerned with the timeframe. I am concerned with the quality of the outcome.

The principal officers of the confab secretariat should bother about that. We can finish later or earlier. I think at the committee level, we will hit the ground running. I think we will finish at the appropiate time.

Adegbuyi

the terms of reference of the Presidential Advisory Committee that went all over Nigeria collating the views of the people. The people have already spoken about what they want us to discuss here. It is not sports, not civil society and not salaries.

Where do we go from here?

Well, we would see when they announce the committees. We just need

mographic numbers - but it cannot be based on mere demographic numbers.

It is more complicated than that. It is an okay number. Thirty years ago it wouldn’t have happened. We wouldn’t have had up to five per cent. In the National Assembly, the percentage of women is less than seven per cent. So, it is higher than we are having in governance. We don’t have a voice. We have not had a female president. We have never had a female Senate President. So, from that point of view, it is good enough. But now, we have to make progress.

More importantly, we should have quality women representation, not just numbers for numbers sake. We have just started coming up. But we should get qualified women who have the necessary experience and exposure to make quality inputs. We are making progress. Next time the percentage will be vastly up.

As a gender activist what is your fundamental quest: gender equity or gender equality?

These are complicated terminologies. I will give a short answer. Men have always asked the question – what do women want? All we want is remove the barriers, remove the bias and remove the stereotyping. Give women equal playing ground, equal access to resources and equal access to empowerment.

me tell you, all over the world very few people drive the process. I think that when we break into committees, people who understand the dynamics would take care of the process and people who want to waste time (with due respects to them) talking about salaries, labour and civil society issues can go ahead and do that. These are not the problems of Nigeria. The problem of Nigeria is how do we forge unity in diversity.

Some people have blamed the Presidency for making the conference like an open ended conversation. Do you share this view?

No! No!! No!!! I think it is the secretariat. Mr. President was clear and is still clear in his speech. We should stay within the confines of that speech and

Oti

people who understand the dynamics to take care of those fundamental issues such as devolution of powers, forms of government, decentralisation of police, national security and then all the other people can go and continue to waste their time talking about civil society, gas flaring, banking and currency in a conference that is meant to discuss fundamental issues about the structure of a country.

The conference is a month old and you should be breaking up into committees shortly.

What’s your sense of the weeks ahead?

I think it is going to be good. We are all charged and raring to get to work. We will settle into the committees shortly. With the calibre of members in the delegation, I think we will do a good job.

More stories on Pages 40-44

19

EDITORIAL

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Our VISION To build a newspaper organisation anchored on the sanctity of truth.

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

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, APRIL 23, 2014

The Chibok abduction and rescue blunder

T

he abduction a week ago of 200 girls at the Senior Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, by Boko Haram insurgents disguised as Nigerian soldiers has unfolded in a dramatic fashion. Attacks of schools and abduction of female students has become part and parcel of the group’s modus operandi. Human Rights Watch has even had to make the following observation: “For a group that claims to be religious, Boko Haram’s tactics are the most profane acts we can imagine. The killing and mutilation of ordinary Nigerians, the abduction and rape of women and girls, and the use of children for fighting are horrifying human rights violations”.

As with previous abductions there was no security alert or interception of the insurgents, as the terrorists had a field day to do whatever they wanted and they were in no hurry at all. Indeed it was because one of their vehicles broke down that enabled some of the brave ones among the girls to make a run for it.

The military soon confidently claimed it had launched a successful operation in rescuing most of the abducted girls except eight.

Even before the public had finished a thumbs-up of approval, denials of such a deliverance from the State Government, the Principal and some parents of the girls

forced a retraction by the military.

This unfortunate situation calls for some home-truths. The gaffe by the military is as worrisome and ridiculous as it is also insightful.

How the respected institution has so suddenly allowed its image to be dragged into the mud and so brazenly left its credibility hanging in the balance remains shocking to all. It is an established fact that in times of serious conflict, truth is the first casualty. Two things have happened by this unsavoury development. First, it makes the public wonder to what extent the military and by extension, all the security services, have been optimally truthful in their previous operational claims. Winning hearts and minds of the populace, is critical in countering insurgency. The support of the public, especially those in the immediate theatre of conflict, must never be compromised for any reason.

Second, it also has a demoralizing effect on the soldiers directly involved in fighting the insurgents.

Trivialising the abduction of the girls -the future of the country with untruths about their release and later retracting the claim is the height of frustration in the fight against insurgency in the country.

With the unfolding scenario, only the military is in the best position to convince the world to believe them again.

As we have insisted in previous

editorials, re-strategising against the insurgents has become very necessary. Curbing these incessant incursions includes a close monitoring of the country’s borders round the clock to stop undesirable and unscrupulous elements from gaining easy entry, as well as to forestall the movement of small arms and other dangerous weapons.

The other angle is to enter into series of immediate bilateral and multilateral security agreements and understandings with Nigeria’s immediate neighbours, through the instrumentality of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The state of emergencies declared in the three North Eastern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa have been rendered a futile exercise largely because of porous borders.

Added to this, is the fact that huge funds have been pumped into counter terrorism but the positive impacts of the humongous funds are not felt at all, in terms of tangible results and putting the insurgents on a backpedal. They seem to have become more daring and ruthless. There must be a way of tracking the funds made available to the security agencies and ensuring that the funds are used for the actual security purpose they are meant for, hence accountability, probity and openness are the key issues here.

Not only have the economy, social life and politics of the Northern geo-political zone suffered immensely, the emphasis that is placed on the girl-child education has experienced serious hemorrhage because of Boko Haram’s seemingly unending attacks. Activities in some parts of the North are gradually grinding to a halt and this should be a very big worry for the whole country, because the region is a major food basket of the country. So, if the truth must be told the country is indeed in a state of war and the government must react appropriately.

Government must learn to place premium on the lives of its citizens.

The lives of the ordinary people in the street are as important as that of those in the corridors of power.

Therefore, abduction under any guise is not acceptable and should not be tolerated by government.

Government and the security agencies must wake up to the unfolding reality, put on their thinking caps and rescue the country from the gradual but apparent slide to anarchy. Yes, the country is not fighting a conventional war, but it is not an excuse for the latest unpardonable security fiasco. It is an ignominy that the girls are still missing and their wards have taken it upon themselves to organise rescue operations. This sends a very uncomfortable message that should not be overlooked.

GABRIEL AKINADEWO Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief IKE ABONYI Deputy Managing Director/DEIC FELIX OGUEJIOFOR ABUGU Managing Editor, South SULEIMAN BISALLA Managing Editor, North AYODELE OJO Acting 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, April 23, 2014

OPINION

Amaechi’s legal, political battles and enrichment of judiciary (3)

Continued from yesterday

Eze Chukwuemeka Eze

“A

second instance is the total absence of federal presence in Rivers State. The ‘National Good Governance Tour’ provided a good opportunity for the Federal Government to showcase its presence in Rivers State. The tour, if nothing else, was evident that there was not much to show for in a state that is the cash cow of the federation. The East-West road remains abandoned, work has been deliberately slow on the Port Harcourt International Airport, the third busiest airport in the country, while all airports started along with it have long been completed and commissioned. The Bonny-Bomu road that leads to the only functional liquefied natural gas project remains uncompleted.

In the midst of all these, our administration went ahead to fix federal roads to the tune of N103 billion.

Several representations and letters after, not one kobo has been repaid. The Federal Government is actively discouraging investments in Rivers State.

4. Amaechi Heads for the Supreme Court over Governorship Tenure At a point it was becoming very obvious that PDP under the watch of President Jonathan intended to accord Governor Amaechi the type of treatment they accorded Governor Timpire Sylva of Bayelsa when they refused him the ticket of the party at the eleventh hour in his quest for a second tenure.

Governor Amaechi in order to beat them at their own game decided to go to court to ask for the interpretation of when his tenure should end – whether on the 29th May, 2011 or 25th October, 2011 – four years after the Supreme Court declared him the Governor of Rivers State, instead of his cousin, Sir Celestine Omehia, who was mistakenly sworn-in as the Governor of Rivers State in his stead on 29th May, 2007.

The PDP Leadership had thought that the Court would

rule that his tenure ended on 25th, October 2011 to enable them to ensure that the gubernatorial election in Rivers State is repeated so that he will be denied the ticket of the party to fly her flag in the illusory repeated gubernatorial election if it was to hold. All these were one of the ploys and plots to oust him from office before the expiration of his tenure. Again, Governor Amaechi floored these undemocratic minded false democrats in PDP when a Federal High Court Judge in Abuja through Justice Ibrahim Auta, ruled that Amaechi must leave the position of governor on May 29, 2011 and not 25th October, 2011 as envisaged by the PDP bigwigs. This judgement is another feat by Governor Amaechi to shame his detractors and political opponents who will prefer him out of the Government House before the end of his tenure Reacting to this epochal judgement, the New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) said it received with joy the news of the Supreme Court’s dismissal of the suit instituted by Sir Celestine Omehia, seeking the ouster of Rivers State Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. According to the faction, “Omehia has been in court since the Supreme Court removed him shortly after he erroneously assumed office as Rivers State Governor in 2007, declaring Amaechi to be the rightful occupant of the Brick House Government House. Strangely, Omehia has refused to end the litigation process despite Amaechi having finished that tenure and winning a re-election thereafter.” Continuing, the splinter PDP in a release said: “We are, however, not surprised by his attitude, for apart from being desperate for power, Omehia has allowed himself to become a tool in the hands of the acting Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, who has devoted enormous resources towards the destabilization of the Amaechi administration just to please his paymasters in Abuja.”

5. The intrigues in the appointment of justice Agumagu as the Chief judge of Rivers State The indefatigable and indomitable Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi recently started another legal battle but this time with the National Judicial Council (NJC). Like other cases involving Governor Amaechi, this case is unprecedented in

the annals of judicial adjudication and Nigerians are watching with keen interest on how he survives this.

Based on the Federal High Court ruling approving Justice Peter Nwoke Chukwuma Agumagu as the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Amaechi supervised his formal swearing-in ceremony. However, after few days, the NJC came up with a verdict suspending the newly appointed Chief Judge, this again is unprecedented in the history of appointment of Chief Judges in any other State in Nigeria.

Before his appointment as the State’s new Chief Judge, Justice P. N. C. Agumagu was the first ever President of the Rivers State Customary Court of Appeal. He is an administrator, a former state High Court Judge and the seventh the new Chief Judge of Rivers State.

On 27th March, 2014 to the shock of both the Governor and close watchers of events in Rivers State, the NJC suspended Justice P. N. C. Agumagu, from office, and directed that he should, within four days, explain in writing why he should not be sacked as a judicial officer. The Council, which took the decision at the end of an emergency meeting in Abuja, said it suspended the Rivers CJ over his failure to abide by the Oath of Office he took to uphold the Constitution and Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

According to Acting Director of Information at the NJC, Mr. Soji Oye, in a press statement: “At its 10th Emergency Meeting, which was held on March 26, 2014, the National Judicial Council under the Chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Aloma Mariam Muktar (GCON), considered the purported appointment, confirmation and swearing-in of Hon. Justice P. N. C. Agumagu as the substantive Chief Judge of Rivers State on March 18, 2014.

“In the meantime, Council in exercise of its powers under Paragraph 21 (d) of Part 1 of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution has suspended Justice Agumagu from office as a judicial officer with immediate effect.”

To be continued • Eze Chukwuemeka Eze (ezemediaconcept08@rocketmail.com, 08038199163) is a Media Consultant based in Port Harcourt

Matter of deep concern for Abia State and the entire nation Noble Agbaeze

V

ery uncommon to find a state where people participate in politics with the kind of brotherly love and care like the Abia people, always bearing in mind that despite the fact that it is a competition of who gets what, when and how, as defined by Harold Leswell, we remain brothers and sisters of the same blood even at the peak of our political contests, you will agree with me that Abia State is in no ramification a heterogeneous state assuming tribalism which is one of the most challenging factors in African politics is to be considered, but then it is still an act of naivety and ignorance to become brutal because of tribe, so there is actually no reason to be nasty and devilish in Abia , the only harmless sentiment expressed whenever positions are being contested for, at the state level is the Ukwa/Ngwa and the old Bende dichotomy, of which nobody ever lost an iota of sleep over it because even at the climax of it you will still see our people eating and wining together , that is the kind of spirit that was inculcated into Abians by our past leaders, they were able to lead with charismatic authority not with power and

worst of it all not with physical power or naked force where physical intimidations, threats and sanctions are the means of gaining the obedience of citizens, there had never been any chronicle of opprobrium, brutality nor blood spilling masterminded by any past political leader, never had it also been heard that an Abia son or daughter has been hospitalized or killed by a fellow Abian whom position “political” power has become an opium in his life, our past leaders before this current dispensation had always considered where and when an action becomes injurious before executing same as they had always stayed on innocuous decisions not minding political oppositions from any geo-political bloc of the state, I nostalgically recall when I used to watch from the crowd one of such leaders of God’s own state addressing the marmot admirers that always followed him about most times in his usual unstained white native outfit, beaming smiles, waving and singing with his people, even in few occasions when those who for one reason or the other mounted some hard and not- very-friendly criticisms and oppositions he still went to their different communities of origin,

made their people happy through some giant developmental projects and still extended the hands of friendship to the opposition leaders in persons and empowered them economically, to maintain his life policy of distributive justice where the state resources were equitably distributed, politics was never a catalyst to cause disaffection between families and communities in Abia state, no body brutalized anybody, it was not a war front, rather a channel for peace and unity, that is the spirit of the true Abia son as if to totally adopt the definition offered by Austin Raney who asserted that politics is a means of conflict resolution in the society, it was that tenderly and meek during the leadership of His Excellency Dr.Orji Uzor Kalu.

Let me quickly reiterate a little on certain ideologies upon which our government rests, although already well known to everybody, nevertheless let us collectively skim through to be able in our common conscience speak or concur with the truth which shall finally set us free.

Democracy! Many scholars have interpreted democracy in different ways but that of Abraham Lincon “govern-

ment of the people by the people and for the people” remains the most widely accepted and up till date. This explains why modern democracy is a representative democracy which marked significantly from the classical Athenian democracy where supreme powers were vested on the “Ekkelesis” and since after the Black Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s Liberalism has become an important norm of democracy all over the world where all eligible citizens periodically elect their representative based on universal adult suffrage to make decisions on their behalf and rule them within the framework of rule of law, I like to emphasize on RULE OF LAW. Finally I will mention the third model of democracy “Marxist tradition” which seeks to explain how equality of all citizens from the political, economic and social life is to be guaranteed and I want to also add that the modern day democracy should lay emphasis on respect for human right. Democracy must be operated within the rule of law bearing in mind the supremacy of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

• Noble Agbaeze Esq. (comradeagbaeze@yahoo.com) (08034451244) – Abuja

Sokoto: Expanding the base for tertiary education }p-26

CAMPUS

Promotion of Mathematics is our core mandate, says DG }p-23

EDUCATION

Frills as OAU students’ union elects officers after 3 years }p-27 NEW TELEGRAPH

newtelegraphonline.com/education

KAYODE OLANREWAJU, Editor, EDUCATION

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

21

Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another.

- G. K. Chesterson

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2014

REVOLUTION

Kano State has embarked on a silent revolution that will nip in the bud the illiteracy rate and rising figure of out-of-school children in the state.

Kayode Olanrewaju

A

quiet revolution that will leapfrog education in Kano State, raise the literacy rate and reduce the rising number of out-of-school children in the state has been unfolded by the state government.

Thanks to Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso free education policy at all levels – primary, secondary and tertiary institutions, aimed at changing the face of education development in the state.

The governor had during the presentation of the 2014 budget to the State House of Assembly, raised the hope of Kano people, when he announced his government’s plans to introduce free education programme at all levels in the state.

While welcoming the development, the people expressed strong belief that the free education policy would go a long way to complement other initiatives already put in place by the government, which include sponsorship of indigenes of the state to pursue degree programmes locally and internationally, establishment of 23 skills acquisition and training centres and the North-West University to raise the standard of education delivery in the state.

Kwankwaso's decision to introduce the free education policy this new school year was said to have been borne out of the administration's collective resolve to drive a knowledge-based economy in the state.

To demonstrate his administration commitment towards attaining the lofty policy, the governor in budget allocated N20.85 billion to the education sector for capital expenditure, in which the Education Ministry is expected to receive N15.22

Gov. Kwankwaso and his cabinet members inspecting some of the school projects.

Kano's silent revolution to leapfrog education billion, while the Ministry of Higher Education will get N5.61 billion. under the education policy programmes, N6.5 billion was allocated for the construction work at the School for Islamic Studies in each of the 44 Local Government Areas of Kano State; N2 billion for continuation work on 44 technical schools; N241 million for procurement of 15 mobile computing solar powered container boxes and another N250 million for establishment of boarding primary schools in the state.

Other budgetary allocation to improve the sector, include N1.3 billion for construction and furnishing of 268 additional classrooms; N3 billion for physical development of the Northwest University, including construction of faculty buildings, Senate building and other infrastructure facilities, as well as N586 million for continuation of work at the First Lady College (formerly Magwan Water Restaurant) and N640 million

It is a remarkable feat the Kwankwaso's administration has been making considerable progress in education sector for furnishing and supply of science equipment to secondary schools all over the state.

Tagged: “Budget of Consolidation,' the budget was said to be a product of consultation with stakeholders in the state’s education sector on how to position the sector for the overall development of the state.

“It is anchored on the zeal to position Kano State at the forefront in the comity of states in education development,” a government sources said, stressing that it is expected that all capital projects in the education sector will receive due attention they

deserved as the budget's major policy thrust is on completion of all ongoing projects.

Kwankwaso, whose administration pledged not to have any abandoned project in the education sector, given the enormous resources committed to rescue the system from its rot and put it in the path of reckoning, however vowed to ensure proper execution of the projects, as well as implementation of the policy.

It is a remarkable feat the Kwankwaso's administration has been making considerable progress in education sector, particularly in the areas of provision of additional classroom blocks.

The government has provided 400 staff housing units across the state; constructed perimeter fencing in 150 primary schools; provided 188,933 pupils’ furniture in 656 schools, and 11,020 teachers’ furniture.

According to the government, the facilities as well as other instructional materials, and sporting facilities were pro-

Kwankwaso

vided in the schools to address the needs of children who are will be transiting from primary to junior secondary schools and from junior to senior secondary schools.

In a bid to address manpower challenges facing the state, the government instituted a sponsorship programme for students of the state origin to pursue various undergraduate and postgraduate programmes within and outside the country.

Under this programme, aimed at meeting the manpower needs of the state, the government has so far earmarked N.5 billion with which 1,664 students had been sponsored for undergraduate and postgraduate degrees abroad, and in private universities in the country.

CONTI NUED ON PAGE 22

22 EDUCATION

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

LASU VC faults ASUU over strike, says it’s ill-advised Kayode Olanrewaju

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he management of the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, Lagos, has condemned in its totality a fresh threat by the institution’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to declare a trade dispute with the management.

ASUU Ibadan Zone had, at a press briefing on ASUU-LASU crisis at the institution’s Law Faculty, last week, threatened that after the April 29 expiration of a fresh 14-day ultimatum issued to the university on April 15, it will embark on a full scale strike if the teachers’ demands were not resolved by the management.

It said the 14-day ultimatum was coming after the expiration of a 21-day ultimatum earlier issued on March 25, which expired on April 13, to call on the management to meet the demands without further delay, but which the management ignored.

Tagged: “The Trade Dispute in LASU should not be allowed to snowball into full Scale Action,” regretted that the core issues at the centre of the brewing crisis have been largely unresolved by the LASU administration and the state government.

The contending issues, according to the union, include reversal of the high school fees re-

gime; repeal of the ‘No Vacancy, No Promotion’ policy of the university; and implementation of the Universities Miscellaneous Provisions (Amendment) Act 2012 in LASU. Addressing journalists in his office, shortly after addressing the ASUU-LASU congress, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Oladapo Obafunwa, said any planned action to embark on strike and halt academic activities in the university is an ill-wind that will blow the institution and its stakeholders no good.

The Vice-Chancellor, who wondered why the lecturers chose the strike option, expressed disbelief that the union could embark on such dangerous journey in view of various negotiations with the leadership of the union at the state government, Chancellor, Council and management levels to amicably resolve the issues.

Obafunwa, who said the issues were reduced from the original 20 to three through the various negotiations with the union, insisted that embarking on strike will not help the university, rather it would amount to “shooting ourselves on the legs” and give the university a bad image.

Instead of embarking on a strike that will further dent the image of the institution and

L-R: Chairman, ASUU-LASU, Dr. Adekunle Idris; ASUU Zonal Coordinator, Ibadan Zone, Dr. Adesola Nasir and other leaders of the union at the press conference held in LASU. INSET: Obafunwa, VC.

demean its reputation, the ViceChancellor, however, appealed to the lecturers to sustain the spirit of dialoguing with university authorities with a view to resolving the issues amicably without throwing the university to further darkness through strike.

On the issues of 70 years retirement age for professor and the Universities Miscellaneous Provisions (Amendment) Act, the Vice-Chancellor noted that the issue of retirement age for Professorial cadre is a legislative matter.

“The management and Council have made presentations to

the government, as ASUU-LASU had done and we are awaiting the outcome of these efforts as we continue to make necessary contacts to resolve them.

According to Obafunwa, the issue of “No vacancies, no promotion” is not tenable since promotions are being carried out, while vacancies are also been declared by the Appointment and Promotion Committee of the university depending on where such vacancies are being located.

“Promotion exercise is ongoing, as the interviews for regularization of appointments have been completed, while the

Council approval is being awaited before communicating the outcome, he said, adding that the Academic Planning Unit has declared over 200 available academic vacancies in the university.

Therefore, it is untrue to claim that there are no vacancies in the university, which information about the available vacancies had been passed on to the departments and faculties.

The Vice-Chancellor said: “We set in motion strategies for changing the condition of service and during the review, ASUU leadership did not make any input towards changing it.

Kano's silent revolution to leapfrog education CO NT INU ED F R O M PAGE21

“Some of the postgraduate students have already secured employment with reputable organisations abroad, while another batch of 502 students will be leave the state very soon for their studies abroad.

As a result of several moves by the government to enhance the quality of education in the state through provision of facilities and re-training of the teachers, school enrolment was said have increased tremendously in the last few years.

For instance, the government’s free feeding programme for school pupils and provision of free two sets of uniform has gone a long way to engender rapid rise in school enrolment figures, which currently stands at 2,497,608 pupils in schools across the state.

Other initiatives of the Kwankwaso's administration in the education sector include the establishment of the pioneer Model Bilingual College at Niger Republic with 201 students at inception, as well as the establishment of E-learning Centre at the Governor's College; construction of Shehu Minjibir Boarding Primary School in Minjibir Local Government Area; establishment of additional E-centres, at least one in each Local Government

Kwankwaso in a classroom with some students.

Area of the state in partnership with a Canadian-based Non-Governmental Organisation.

Under Kwankwaso's rescue mission in the education sector, the government has so far built 2,000 classrooms; constructed 1,000 teachers’ offices; perimeter fencing of over 150 schools; construction of 400 Kwankwasiyya staff housing units; construction of five new mega secondary schools, among which are the Governor's Colleges in Dangwani, Dan Hajja, Jam-

baki and First Lady College.

Determined to tackle the challenge of shortage of classrooms and dearth of teachers, the government has converted the Cotton Ginnery at Chalawa to Kano Chinese College, even as plans are afoot to convert the Mariri Rehabilitation Centre to a girls' boarding secondary school, as well as the Psychiatric Hospital, Aisami to a secondary school.

Besides, the state's College of Education (Technical) located at Minijibir,

which is said to be under construction, is expected to feed the 44 technical colleges in the state with the needed manpower.

Faced with the urgent needs to make the schools and pupils Information Communication Technology (ICT) compliant and development computer education in the state, plans are at advanced stage by the government to build and equip 300 computer laboratories in 300 schools; as well as 300 modern libraries and 300 state-of-the-art laboratories for Physics, Chemistry and Biology in no fewer than100 schools.

While acknowledging the far-reaching importance of science and technology in the development of education, the administration has installed V-SAT facilities in all tertiary institutions and 25 secondary schools in the state.

To achieve this, the government was said to have earmarked N250 million for the implementation of various projects in science and technology education, such as provision of bandwidth and galaxy, update of databank, establishment of prototype laboratory.

As part of the government’s giant stride in the education sector, some 197 pioneer students of the state's Informatics Institute are expected to leave for overseas for top-up course in Informatics.

INTERVIEW | EDUCATION

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Promotion of Mathematics is our core mandate, says DG

23

Barely one year in office as the Director-General of the National Mathematical Centre (NMC), Prof. Adewale Solarin, in this interview with EMELDAH OGENE, takes stock of his administration, achievements and the challenges of the centre.

What are the challenges facing the centre?

Virtually every ministry, department and agencies (MDA) has one major challenge or the other which is confronting it. And that is funds. So, our major challenge is inadequate funding, that is how to get enough funds to implement our various interventions. The fact is everybody takes Mathematics as problem subject, but I want to tell you that we have the solution to mathematics problem. But, the challenge now is, more than 90 per cent of our catchment; people who are supposed to benefit from the activities of the centre, especially the secondary and primary school pupils are not within our reach in the sense that primary and secondary school education constitutionally are on the concurrent list. And indeed, they are the responsibility of the states, while the Centre is a federal agency.

Hence, whenever we approach them (states) they always feel that we should come with federal mighty to do things free for them. Yes, we can do things free within the limit of our capital base of allocation released to us. For instance, in our pilot scheme before we train primary school teachers this year under the MDGs and based on available resources, we can only train 20 teachers from each state, and what would that mean to any state. Let us take Oyo, Ogun and Lagos States with more than 15,000 mathematics teachers in their primary and secondary schools each, and if you train only 20 teachers each in the states, it means nothing to them. The centre is supposed to train only 20 mathematics teachers from each state at the pilot stage, for them to see and fund the training of the remaining teachers in their schools.

Could you highlight some of the strategies put in place to tackle the challenges?

Presently, we are intensifying efforts at opening state offices so that some of our employees in the states can relate well with the officials of the various state governments. I strongly believe that the more we talk and explain to them, and they can see the quality of the training we gave to those in our pilot phase, the success, and then the state governments will key into our training and fund it as well.

The need to position the centre to meet the

global trends in the teaching and learning of mathematics should be paramount. What are you doing in this direction?

Part of the mandate of the National Mathematical Centre (NMC) is to promote the teaching and learning of mathematics, not only in Nigeria, but also in African continent. We are very conscious of that, and NMC has made deliberate efforts to ensure that it is visible on the African continent. The centre hosted the PACOM, which is the Pan-African Conference of Mathematics, last year, in which more than 200 professors from African countries and outside the continent. We also hosted PAMO, that is, Pan African Mathematics Olympiad for Secondary School pupils, also in which over 18 countries participated and that was the second time NMC would host the competition. Besides, we hosted the competition in 2007 and in 2013, and we hope to host it again in no distant future.

It will interest you to know that as a result of the Centre’s activities, I was elected President of African Mathematics Union, last year. Of course, based on my election, I have proposed a project PAN African Mathematics Olympia for Girls, in which all African countries will participate. We are going to host the first edition next year. Again, while I was in the United States recently, I was invited for a programme tagged STEM initiatives; (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) where we are looking at the Diaspora issue as it relates to Africa. In that programme, I was able to present some of these programmes. Already, the UNESCO Africa and AU Commission have signified interest to partner with us.

In another development, Cameroun has already received a proposal from us to do a pilot scheme in our mental Arithmetic programme.

You are one year in office as the DirectorGeneral of the Centre, what will you say are your achievements so far?

Well, we thank God Almighty for giving us life and the opportunity to serve in this capacity. In this one year, we have being able to put Nigeria on the Guinness World Record. Indeed, this is the first time Nigeria will appear in the Guinness World Record in knowledge based activity, as the Centre was able to break World

Solarin

...But as long as they are trapped in this phobia of “I don’t love Mathematics” then they will be constrained; and they will feel limited to think of what to do.

Record in having a large mathematics class in the world and the other things is that, we have continued to strengthen our star development through the Academic Star Development of Nigerian universities.

We have started the programme of building new generation of mathematicians for the universities. And through this project, only last year, 20 of the new generation of mathematicians emerged whom the Centre has sponsored on various scholarships to study Mathematical Sciences abroad. This year, we are expecting another set of 10 to emerge. That means every year in the next four years, NMC will be producing between 10 and 15 of such mathematicians depending on the available scholarship schemes on ground, so that by the end of my tenure we would have something like 50 or more new generation of mathematicians. They are going to be trained in the best universities and we will continue to follow them up until they acquire their PhDs. They do not have to come back to the Centre; they would be free to go to any of the Nigerian universities to lecture.

What are your projections for Mathematics by the end of your tenure?

Well, I strongly believe that by the

end of my tenure, the Centre would have been able to kick out the ‘mathematics phobia’ from our students, because we have started this in the primary school programme. Part of strategies we have initiated since my assumption of office, is the Mental Arithmetic programme, which we are already implementing at the primary school level.

Also, we realise that if we are able to get the sponsorship for all our primary schools, we will not have much challenge in that area. We have about 54,000 public primary schools in the country, and you can see that in the country we have more than 54,000 well to-do people and if a few of them can pick a primary school and fund it, we will discover that within one or two years, we would have kicked out mathematics phobia in our students. By that time we would have gotten to a level where, if you ask any Nigerian what his or her best subject is, he or she will say Mathematics. For instance, when you ask Japanese what his best subject is, he or she will just say Mathematics. So, at the level of primary and secondary school, every child should see mathematics as his or her best subject because he or she will have been very comfortable with subject. Of course, it is when every child is comfortable with it that they can have the liberty to study engineering, medicine and social science courses. That is our aim and we are going to achieve it.

They must first have that freedom from the bondage of Mathematics for them to have the liberty to say I want to become this or that. But as long as they are trapped in this phobia of “I don’t love Mathematics” then they will be constrained; and they will feel limited to think of what to do. But once that liberty or freedom is there, and then they can do anything they choose or like to do.

24 EDUCATION

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

BRIEFS Ex-White House aide to deliver AUN 6th commencement lecture

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ome May 10, Ambassador John Simon, former White House Aide, is expected to be the guest speaker at the sixth Commencement of the American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola, Adamawa State.

He will be the sixth speaker at the university’s yearly graduation ceremony since the inaugural Class of 2009.

A graduate of Princeton University and Harvard University, Simon served as the United States Ambassador to the African Union and the Executive Vice-President of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC).

He is a founder and managing partner of Total Impact Advisors, a firm of investment consultants, and the author of “More than Money,” a report on impact investing as a development tool.

Formerly at USAID as Deputy Assistant Administrator, Ambassador Simon served in the White House as Special Assistant to the President and as Senior Director for Relief, Stabilization, and Development for the National Security Council, the first to hold this post.

During his tenure at National Security Council, Ambassador Simon oversaw the implementation of groundbreaking development initiatives, including the Millennium Challenge Account, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative, and the President's Malaria Initiative.

The American University of Nigeria was established in 2003, by the former VicePresident, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

Ensign, President

The Registrar, University of Ibadan, Mr. Olujinmi Olukoya presenting award of excellence by the university's students' union to Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji (right) after a lecture organised by the union recently.

NIBFT kicks against new tariff on books importation l Set to hold 13th book fair in Lagos Mojeed Alabi

A

ll is set for this year’s edition of the annual international book fair organised by the Nigeria International Book Fair Trust (NIBFT), scheduled to hold between May 5 and 10, at the Multipurpose Hall of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, Lagos.

The trust comprises major stakeholders in the nation’s book sector including the Nigerian Publishers Association, Nigerian Book Foundation, Booksellers Association of Nigeria, Association of Nigerian Printers and Association of Nigerian Authors, among others.

According to the organizers, this edition is being organised

with renewed passion to revive the country’s poor reading culture, while nations such as Turkey and Pakistan will be part of the exhibitors.

This year’s event, according to the Trust’s Executive Secretary, Mr. Abiodun Omotubi, which will apart from the traditional exhibition by book sellers from Europe, America and other continents of the world, will also feature discussions on salient issues affecting the reading culture in Africa, especially in Nigeria, where he said about 10.5 million children are currently out of school.

Omotubi, who disclosed this in Lagos during a press briefing organised as part of activities marking the event, said the ef-

fects of technology on the future of hard copies of books will form discussions during the six-day exhibition, which will feature international conference, workshops, seminars, trainings and other children programmes.

The Managing Director of Librarians’ Registration Council of Nigeria, Dr. Victoria Okojie is expected to deliver the keynote address on: “Emergence of EBook and the Survival of Physical Book in Nigeria,” while the Chairman of Nigerian Election Debate Group (NEDG), Aremo Taiwo Alimi, will chair the occasion.

Meanwhile, the group is accusing the Federal Government of insensitivity to the plight of booksellers, writers and book

industry in the country, particularly with the introduction of the new tariff imposed on importation of book materials.

According to them, the development contradicts the government’s position of being committed towards reducing the high rate of illiteracy in the country.

Omotubi, who wondered how the country is a signatory to the Commonwealth policy on free tariff on importation of book materials, is now acting against the position, adding that the development has already led to increase in the prices of books in the market.

He said the group held series of meetings with government representatives including the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and despite that the government went ahead to introduce the new tariff without due consideration for the consequences of its action.

Omotubi argued: “It is unfortunate that this country is not sincere in its dealings because how do you expect players in the book sector to survive with 50 per cent tariff placed on importation of books without increasing costs? How will students from poor background be able to buy books with this development?

“We understand what government is trying to do is to ensure promotion of manufacturing in Nigeria but the reality is that we have not reached that stage with the current level of infrastructural decay. Power, road, and even raw materials aren’t that available as expected. So government is running too fast and that cannot be good for the future of our children and the reading community as a whole.”

LAUTECH set to launch software engineering Sola Adeyemo, Ibadan

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o tackle the economic and unemployment problems facing the country, the management of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, has concluded plans to establish a software engineering course to complement the institution's efforts at setting the pace for engineering breakthrough in Nigeria and the industrial world.

This was disclosed by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adeniyi Gbadegesin, while addressing a press conference to herald the commencement of the 11th special convocation of the institution, billed to hold at the Senate Chamber.

According to the Vice-Chan-

cellor, "this university is unique in our programme. Very soon, in the next six months, we will establish a software engineering programme that will be producing software for most of the industries, as well as some of our sister universities in the country.

"We also have it in mind to use it to solve economic and unemployment problems in the country, and as well chart a new course for engineering future in our country".

On the combined convocation ceremony, Gbadegesin said the institution will today graduate no fewer than 12,181 first degree and 9,376 postgraduate degree students spanning over three academic calendars -2009/2010, 2010/2011 and 2011/2012.

Giving the breakdown of the

students’ results, the Vice-Chancellor noted that 92 students made First Class; 3,202 in the Second Class Upper Division; 6,300 Second Class Lower, while 1,961 and 145 students came out with Third Class and Pass respectively.

Activities marking the convocation, which began on April 18, with a Jumat service at the University mosque, and a Sunday service on April 20 at the University Chapel, on April 22 featured a photo exhibition at the ground floor of the Senate Building, while a lecture and investiture will hold today.

The high point of the ceremony is the conferment of the university’s honorary degree of D.Sc (Honoris Causa) in Management Sciences on Chancellor of

the institution and national leader of the All Progressive Party (APC), Senator Ahmed Tinubu.

In an unprecedented manner, the Vice-Chancellor noted that "certificates of all graduating students are ready for collection in the various faculties immediately after the convocation ceremony".

Tinubu

EDUCATION

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

25

FG commends UNILORIN on open data Biodun Oyeleye Ilorin

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he Federal Government has commended the management of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Kwara State for its commitment to move the government's Open Data Initiative forward in the right direction.

According to the university’s official publication, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Communication Technology, Dr. Tunji Olaopa, gave the commendation at the Open Data Research Stakeholders’ Workshop, organised by the University Open Data Research Group at the National Press Centre, Radio House, Abuja.

With funding by World Wide Web Foundation, the University

Ambali, VC

of Ilorin Open Data Research Group, led by Dr. Veronica Mejabi, focused its study on open budget data of government with a view to determining how the citizens engage in discussion of national budget data; the degree of awareness of open data by members of the public; the potential of open data to drive good governance; the intermediaries in the flow of budget information; as well as the challenges to effective use of such open budget data.

Part of the workshop’s aims is to present the outcome of the research to the public.

In his keynote address, Olaopa disclosed that the Open Data Initiative, being championed by his ministry, was in line with the government's desire to ensure that Nigerians participate actively in the new economy and make governance more efficient and effective.

The Permanent Secretary said: “The open data movement holds out the promise of improving transparency, accountability, citizen participation and economic opportunity. There is mounting evidence that open data can and is making a measurable difference in contributing jobs, consumer spending, and tax revenue to local economies.”

UTME: Muslim students give kudos to JAMB

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he Joint Admissions Matriculation Board (JAMB) has received kudos for the successful conduct and release of this year's Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted last week.

The kudos was given by the Muslim Students' Society of Nigeria, Lagos State Area Unit in a statement signed by its President, Kaamil Kalejaiye after the conduct of the examinations nationwide.

The youth-based organisation, whose members are mostly students in higher institutions across the federation, described the exercise as hitch free.

The statement said: "I must sincerely commend the Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, Professor Dibu Ojerinde for the wonderful job he is doing and for following the global trend by conducting the second of its kind Computer Based Test - CBT for prospective higher institution candidates in Nigeria" About one million candidates

sat for the annual examination last week when the Paper Pencil Test (PPT) and the Dual Based Testing (DBT) examinations were conducted with more candidates waiting to write the CBT next month.

However, the society advised the examination body to put things in proper perspective before the conduct of the CBT examination.

"As students’ society, part of our focal area is training. We conduct pre-UTME training for our members which includes the PPT and CBT and I must confess it wasn't an easy task" Kalejaiye said.

Kalejaiye

Cross section of matriculating students of Osun State University during the 7th matriculation of the university.

Sierra Leone President tasks stakeholders on credible exams Kayode Olanrewaju

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call has gone to stakeholders in education sector in the West Africa Sub-region to stand firm and sustain the fight against examination malpractice in order to uphold credibility, integrity and excellence in all examinations.

The President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma made the call at the 62nd Annual Meeting of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), which took place in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

The President, who was represented by the Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Dr. Minkailu Bah, lauded the Council for the successful execution of its mandate in the past 62 years, despite various challenges that seek to undermine its operations and standards.

In a keynote address, President Koroma, who also declared the meeting open, urged delegates to carry out with candour and wisdom their deliberations which aimed at moulding the lives of the young ones in the sub-region.

He explained that his country’s decision to adopt the 6-3-4-4 system of education was to create the required contact hours for adequate syllabus coverage and improved performance in the terminal examinations.

While noting with satisfaction the extent to which WAEC had deployed technology in its operations, the President urged the Council to continue to guard against manipulations by internet fraudsters.

However, he expressed the need for delegates to come up with innovations that would

bring about a more robust and relevant educational assessment and certification system.

During the meeting, the leader of the Sierra Leone delegation to the meeting, Dr. Alhaji Mohamed Kamara, was elected as ViceChairman of the Council for one-year tenure, to succeed Mr. Baboucarr Bouy of The Gambia.

Council is said to be the highest decision-making organ of WAEC, while the hosting of the

annual meeting is rotated among the five-member WAEC countries - The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.

The week-long meeting was attended by delegates from all the member countries; with delegates include nominees of governments, representatives of ministries/departments of education, universities, secondary schools and other interest groups.

FUNAAB lecturers win science grant

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wo lecturers at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Ogun State, have been named as recipients of the International Foundation for Science (IFS) grant.

The grant, which is expected to cover 26 months is valued at USD43,660.

The duo is Dr. Kolawole Adebayo, a lecturer at the Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, and Mrs. Kofoworola Olatunde, from the Department of Environmental Management and Toxicology.

The grant is for investigating ways of combating food insecurity through optimal cultivation and utilisation of cocoyam in Sub-Saharan Africa, using a multidisciplinary approach.

Adebayo, who is the university’s Director of Grants Management, based on the grant is expected towill explore farmers’ decisions on the potential adoption of recommended practices in rural-based cocoyam value chains, while his counterpart, Mrs. Olatunde is to coordinate

the research, which will be carried out alongside Mr. JohnBosco Muhumuza of the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), Kampala, Uganda.

The research covers the variability in proximate and anti-nutritive composition of cocoyam, as well as the potential of different soil fertility amendments in reducing oxalic acid accumulation in cocoyam.

The research will also evaluate the agronomic performance of cocoyam accessions under upland conditions using a farmerled participatory approach.

Besides, it will measure farmers' decisions and potential adoption of recommended practices in the rural-based cocoyam value chains of Sub-Saharan Africa.

The research is a timely response to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP 2012) call for strategies to overcome food insecurity through agricultural productivity, nutrition, access to food, and empowerment of the rural population.

26 EDUCATION 'Suleiman Bisalla Sokoto

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okoto state, one of the oldest in the geo-political arrangement of Nigeria, is classified as educationally disadvantaged. Though it has been so classified for many decades, not much has been done by successive administrations to close the gap with states classified as educationally advantaged.

Even with the return of democratic rule in 1999, not much was done in the following years to raise the bar in educational opportunities of hitherto deprived citizens.

The Uthman Danfodio University, a third generation university, did provide some opportunity though, but it is a federal university that is guided by the principle of 'quota system and catchment areas', plus other restrictive policies. On top of these, the dearth of infrastructure and teaching-learning facilities, put a limit to which Sokoto state citizens could gain admission into the school.

Thus, in 2009, the government of Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko conceived the idea of a state university, and established an implementation committee led

by Prof. G V Ardo, the governor's Special Adviser on Higher Education. Federal Government's approval was obtained in 2009 and academic activities commenced in the 2013/2014 academic session.

This noble idea is a project in a million, says Wammko, as he speaks to some editors based

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Sokoto: Expanding the base for tertiary education

in the north in Sokoto recently.

A government publication describes structures in the university as 'marvelous'. "The ivory tower is envisaged to be a first rate institution with its school of developmental studies." The school of developmental studies is designed to remediate candidates, who could not make it straight from secondary school, and feed the university.

On a visit to the campus recently, the editors were greeted with structures and learning facilities which confirmed claims that quality is a watchword. From lecture theatres to laboratories, students’ hostels and a team of crack academics led by Professor Nuhu O. Yaqub,

former Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja, the visitors got the impression of a campus built for serious academic pursuits.

Sokoto University presently has three faculties: the faculty of Science, faculty of Education and faculty of social sciences.

State commissioner for information Danladi Bako told the visiting editors that a faculty of medicine is underway. The Murtala Mohammed Hospital, abandoned many decades ago is being completed and equipped to serve as teaching hospital for the faculty of medical sciences.

The university presently has over 800 students, says the Vice Chancellor, and like other state

universities, admission policy is not restricted strictly to indigenes. 'Our hospitality extends to other states in the country.

There are also no plans to overstretch facilities so that students will learn under conducive environment and get the best.'

There are bigger plans for the Sokoto metropolis, which when completed will meet the university's needs in terms of infrastructure. Wamakko is on the verge of completing the 30 megawatts power plant, from where the state will sell energy to the national grid for distribution in Sokoto. By the time the project is commissioned, it will close up the need of Sokoto and environs, in terms of power sup-

Inside view of the student's hostel.

ply. Then the university will be good for it," the government's spokesman said.

Similarly, in the semi-arid landscape, Wamakko, in conjunction with Chinese water engineers, have found a way out - underground water. A small water project built on 40 industrial boreholes, commissioned by former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, last year, has added 20 million gallons of potable water to existing supplies. The state university and other higher institutions are major beneficiaries. Then in terms of access, the institution is located along the airport road, which government has since dualise.

This effort by the Sokoto state government to expand the base of tertiary education received a complimentary support recently from the sultanate. Sultan Sa'ad Abubakar III disclosed plans to establish an All-Women University of Medical Sciences.

The statement is significant.

First, the Sultan is speaking at a launch of three books written

by Dr. Safiya Bello, a woman university don, on women scholars of the caliphate. Then the idea is coming against the background of insinuations that Islam, the dominant religion of the environment, abhors girl-child education.

But more symbolic is the place of the efforts of the state government and the sultanate against the background of the violent campaign by the Boko Haram sect against western education. It marks a renewed courage, as those who care say the state must rise above illiteracy and it's consequences.

TETFund boss restates agency’s commitment to infrastructure provision

Poor environment, bane of education - Don

Emeldah Ogene

Sola Adeyemo

Abuja

Ibadan

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F

he Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Professor Suleiman Bogoro, has restated the agency’s commitment to provide an enabling environment for infrastructural development in the nation`s higher institutions.

Bogoro, who made the pledge during an interview, said: “It is in line with TETfund`s mandate as an intervention agency set up by the Federal Government to provide basic infrastructure that will develop the institutions.”

According to him, lack of basic infrastructure in the schools has been identified as a major challenge that often leads to industrial actions in the institutions.

rom a don at the University of Ibadan (UI), Professor Bayo Okunade, has come an assertion that in conducive environment remains the bane of education in the country, stressing that the education system had been very unfair to Nigerian students.

Okunade, Director of Distance Learning Centre of the university, told reporters in Ile-Ife, Osun State that living in despicable environment that lacks the basic amenities such as water and electricity, have contributed in no small measure to the deplorable situation of education in the country.

He said this at the third joint matriculation ceremony of Foreign Links Campus, Moro, Ife North, where he was present.

“Education is a global commodity. There can’t be local standard,” he said.

Commenting on the mass failure of students in the last Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) examination, the director said Nigerian students were not exposed to In-

formation and Communication Technology (ICT) early enough, thereby making some of them to have failed the examination even before they started.

He attributed this to lack of correct implementation of policies, which he said had been a major problem in the nation.

According to him, if our politicians were more humane and public- oriented, with the aim to serve, Nigeria would have been a better nation for us all as, “every kobo misappropriated translates to denial of certain necessary basic amenity”.

L-R: Deputy Director, Prof. Soji Aremu; Okunade; Akinosun and the Deputy Registrar, Distance Learning Centre, University of Ibadan, Pastor Alex Oladeji at the ceremony.

CAMPUS | EDUCATION 27

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Pastor Kumuyi at FUTA, says varsity ‘ll continue to soar high

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Some of the candidates reciting OAU anthem during the manifesto presentation.

l Olusiji

Frills as OAU students’ union elects officers after 3 years

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mid fanfare and frills, students of the 52-year-old Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, named after the sage and Premier of the defunct Western Region, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, last week went to the polls to elect the leadership of the Students’ Union.

The election, which set the entire campus aglow, came after three years students’ unionism was at the limbo in the institution, following the suspension of the Students’ Union by the university authorities.

The union was said to have been suspended following a twoday protracted students protest in 2011, to express their dissatisfaction at the introduction of N20,000 acceptance fee for the newly admitted students.

The incumbent Vice-Chancellor, Professor ‘Tale Omole, reinstated the union.

The suspension order, which was lifted about four weeks ago, according to the students, had paved way for election into the three arms of the union, namely; the Hall Executive Council, Students’ Representatives Council and the Central Executive Council.

The election, which was held without a little hitch, produced a former Chairman of Angola Hall of Residence, Ibikunle Isaac, as President, while Oladejo Grace was elected the Vice-President of the union.

Others elected officers include Shittu Olatayo (Secretary General); Awode Louis (Assistant Secretary-General); Bamidele Oludare (Public Relations Officer); Adesina Adewale (Director of Socials and Culture); Oludayo Damilola (Director of Sports); and Awoyemi Omolayo, who was elected as the Financial Secre-

tary, as well as Ajewole Martins, who is to serve as Welfare Officer.

In the build up to the election, there were accusations and counter-accusations that some of the aspirants were alleged stooges of the university authorities, especially when rumour filtered in that four of the candidates would be screened out of the electoral process.

Eventually, Benjamin Olusiji, Oluwole Olubanji, Abiodun Abimbola and Joshua Obasa were barred from contesting.

Part of the allegation leveled against them was their alleged participation in a protest staged on the campus in the past by the students.

Trouble was said to have started on the manifestos night, when members of the Association of Campus Journalists (ACJ), mounted the rostrum at the Afrika Amphi Theatre of the university to conduct the manifesto presentation programme, as part of the campaign activities.

Apparently, felt disenfranchised and in a commando-like manner, an unidentified student grabbed the microphone from the ACJ President, Ojekunle Aderemi, who was introducing his colleagues to other students, who had stormed the venue of the programme.

Chairs and other objects were alleged to have been thrown freely at him before the university security operative and some members of the association could rescue him.

In a similar development, the Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Alabi Abeeb, was beaten up and dragged to cafeteria of the Awolowo Hall, by some aggrieved students, where he was instructed to call for the union’s congress.

He was later rushed to the

university’s health centre, where he was admitted and treated for some wounds.

While congratulating the elected officials of the union, the university management warned those it described as in the habit of fomenting trouble to steer clear of the union and the institution as they would be severely dealt with.

or trusting God and relying on Him for their sustenance, the General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (aka Deeper Life), Pastor William F. Kumuyi, has said that the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) will not only continue to be unique in its quality delivery, but also achieve great success in all its endeavours.

According to him, the university will not lack any good thing because the management, members of staff and students have continued to believing and trusting in God for their sustenance and divine visitation.

The cleric disclosed this at a special programme tagged: “Morning of Divine Visitation,” which took place at the institution’s new auditorium.

He admonished the congregation, which include principal officers, staff and students of the university to continue with their devotion to God, who has the power to grant success to those who seek and rely on him.

Pastor Kumuyi, who took his exhortation from the Book of

John, chapter 12 verses 20 and 21 charged the congregation to come nearer to Jesus Christ for them to be saved, confide in Him to be healed and continue with him to be Triumphant in life.

He recalled that there is no help elsewhere except in God, who has the ultimate power to grant the grace that leads to success, urging the students to always ensure that they make God their mainstay and that He will surely make them successful.

“I gave my life to Jesus Christ in 1964, and God has continued to make me the best in all that I do, if you do the same the Lord will grant you success and make you the best you can be in your studies and all other endeavour,” Pastor Kumuyi said.

He described his visit to the university as divinely arranged as he had always looked forward to the visit whenever he was passing through the Akure axis.

The cleric offered prayer that the university will continue to be first, unique and tower in all its activities, as well as gain high altitude in all its endeavours.

L-R: Shuaib, Mrs. Okeke, Dr. Jonathan, Dr. Onyeka and Dr. Omeh with the donated items.

Corps member donates medical equipment to hospital Hammed Hamzat UI

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s parts of his contributions towards fulfilling the primary objective of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme, a corps member serving in Enugu North Local Government Area in Enugu State, Dr. Shuaib Oluwaseun, has donated medical equipment to Enugu State Veterinary Hospital.

Oluwaseun, who is one of the 2013 Batch-B corps members and a graduate of Veterinary Medicine from the University

of Ibadan (UI), described the donation as the first of its kind from a corps member, saying it is aimed at increasing productivity, performance of workers and strengthens bio-security in the hospital.

The items presented to the hospital include a sign post, drug shelf, wall clock, weighing balance, 17 analogue and digital thermometers, stethoscopes, fans, among several other items.

The items were received on behalf of the hospital by Mrs. Ngozi Okeke, the Community

Development Service Group Coordinator of the state’s NYSC. The Veterinary Officer in charge of the hospital, Dr. Uwani Omeh expressed gratitude to the Oluwaseun, and urged other corps members to emulate his good gesture.

The state Commissioner for Agriculture, who was represented by Commercial Agriculture Development Programme Officer, Dr. Ossai Jonathan, commissioned the project on behalf of the commissioner.

28

EDUCATION | CAMPUS

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Youth urged not to rely solely on government Sikiru Akinola and Afeez Lasisi OAU

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Cross section of guests at the event.

Hammed Hamzat UI

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tudents of the University of Ibadan (UI) have challenged the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji to make a law mandating the Governor Babatunde Fashola-led Executive Council to review downward the school fees regime of the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo without any further delay.

The students, who queried the rationale behind what they termed as the unjustifiable fee increment, said the primary responsibility of a government is the provision of quality education to the people irrespective of their socio-economic status.

LASU fees: UI students challenge Lagos assembly speaker Describing education as part of the government’s social services to its citizenry, the students said there was no justification to increase the school fees from N25,000 to over N250,000 depending on students’ courses or programme.

Ikuforiji was the guest speaker at a public lecture organised by the university’s Students’ Union, where he spoke on the theme: “100 years of Nationhood: The Roles of Youth in Politics and National Development.”

He said education and entrepreneurial skills could take students out of the cesspit of cor-

ruption and oppression that the country is currently enmeshed, saying: “A country that fails to provide enabling environment for youths to harness their potential positively could only be described as sitting on a keg of gunpowder.”

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof.

Isaac Adewole, who was represented by the Registrar, Mr. Olujinmi Olukoya advised students to tap from resources that will be made available to them by the guest speaker.

Welcoming guests to the event, the Students’ Union President, Babatunde Badmus

stated that against all odds, the University of Ibadan has remained a pride of Africa with the students’ union remaining active and conscious.

At the occasion were members of Lagos State House of Assembly; Speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly, Mrs. Monsurat Sunmonu; Mr. Olusegun Olaleye; the university Bursar, Mr. Olaniyi Aponmode; the Librarian, Dr. Benedict Oladele; Deputy Registrar, Students’ Affairs Division, Dr. Stella Soola; the Director of Public Communication of the institution Mr. Olatunji Oladejo.

FUTA alumni win award in forest sciences

Daramola, VC

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he excellent academic programmes of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), came to the fore last week, as it received another international endorsement with two alumni of the university, Julius Adewopo and Tolulope Daramola winning a major international

award for excellence in forest sciences research.

The graduates of Forestry and Wood Technology from FUTA have been declared winners of the 2014 International Union of Forest Research Organisation, IUFRO Student Award for Excellence in Forest Sciences by the global body, which is responsible for the coordination of researches in forest sciences.

The IUFRO, which is based in Vienna, Austria promotes global cooperation in forest-related research and enhances the understanding of the ecological, economic and social aspects of forests and trees.

It said Adewopo got the award for his outstanding achievement in research for his Masters’ thesis on: “The Effect of Heat Treatment on the Mechanical Properties of Selected

Wood Species,” while Daramola got his award for his work on: “The Assessment of Nitrogen Fertilization on Growth, Yield and Carbon Storage in AboveGround Biomass of a Managed Douglas – for Forest in the Pacific Northwest and the Application in Sub-Saharan Africa.”

In a letter jointly signed by the Chair, IUFRO Honours and Awards Committee, Professor Shirong Liu, and President, Professor Niels Elers Koch, Adewopo of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Gainesville, USA, and Daramola of the University of Washington, were commended for the giant strides achieved in Forest Sciences Research.

The letter reads in part: “We hope this award will encourage you to conduct further research in your chosen field, make further contributions to forestry

and other related fields and inspire other young scientists to undertake forestry research.

We also hope that this award will encourage you to play active roles in leading some of IUFRO’s research activities.”

The award will be conferred on them in October during the 2014 World Congress of IUFRO in Salt Lake City, USA. Reacting to the development, FUTA Vice-Chancellor, Prof.

Adebiyi Daramola said the award has again underscored the outstanding programmes being run by university in its schools and departments.

He lauded the contributions of Professor Babatunde Ajayi, Head of Department of Forest and Wood Technology and other academic staff of the department, saying the solid foundation they laid for the duo was responsible for the award.

outh must have a value re-orientation that de-emphasises over-dependence on government for everything, if this generation will be the determining factor to lead the country to the much desired development.

These were part of the views of Dr. Grace Oluyemi-Akinola at the second Entrepreneurship and Leadership (Entre-Lead 2014) conference organised by the Students’ Professional Bureau of Management of the Department of Management and Accounting, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU).

The guest lecturer, who paper dwelt on: "Emergent Leaders: Managing Your Future Today;” noted that being a leader means recognising passion, authenticity, integrity and ethics as the cornerstone of effective leadership upon which one lays the foundation to bring about change.

She advised the students to remain focused on the choice of their fields of study, saying: “I want you to always keep in mind that leaders must be charismatic, caring, committed, crystal-clear, communicative, consistent, creative, competent and courageous.”

Earlier, Professor Erlinda Adetayo, also of the same department, whose lecture was on: "Entrepreneur: Starting Out, Overcoming Issues and Challenges,” said students should not think of being a liability to the society, but rather an asset.

She stressed the need for students to grab whatever opportunity at their doorstep and think of starting from the scratch.

While welcoming guests to the event, the Chief Executive Officer of the Bureau, Ben Anazia Daniel said they were committed to enhancing students’ scope beyond academics by adding value to the members’ quest for professionalism, leadership skill and excellence.

Omole, VC

CAMPUS | EDUCATION 29

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

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cientists, academics, farmers and other allied agricultural industries have been challenged on the need to be involved in the World Bank Africa Centre of Excellence in Agricultural Development and Sustainable Environment (CEADESE) project.

The Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Ogun State, Professor Olusola Oyewole, said this could be done by availing themselves with the opportunities of the World Bank intervention programme.

Oyewole, who gave the advice this during the maiden stakeholders’ meeting of the Africa Centre of Excellence, facilitated by the university’s chapter of CEADESE, described the meeting as a platform for stakeholders to brainstorm, plan and work together to achieve capacity building and excellence in research studies that would impact on the West African Sub-region.

According to the Vice-Chancellor, FUNAAB is one of the 19 designated African Centres of Excellence, for the attainment of excellence in teaching, learning and research in African universities.

He, however, noted that the project would partner with experts from universities in the developed countries towards attain its objectives.

While presenting the CEADESE Research Programme Action Plan, the Director of Academic Planning, Dr. Olukayode Akinyemi, disclosed that the plan designed to achieve the centre’s objectives was divided into two components - capacity building and research programmes.

Deputy bursar becomes ICAN fellow

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dekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo State Deputy Bursar, Accounting Services, Mrs. Olubunmi Ologun, has been named a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria (ICAN).

She was bestowed with the fellowship of the accounting regulatory body during the conferment of fellowship on some deserving accountants by the institute.

Responding, Mrs. Ologun thanked the university management for providing the enabling platform for her to attain the height, even as she pledged to put in her best in the services of the university.

Scientists, others urged to tap into World Bank intervention

Oba of Igbajo in Osun State, HRM Olufemi Fasade (middle) with some of the members of Igbajo Students' Association, OAU Branch during their visit to the palace.

He explained further, saying capacity building involves the introduction of new postgraduate curricula in Masters and Doctorate degrees in Agricultural Development and Sustainable Environment (MAgSE/PhD), in response to specific productivity challenges, short-term skill acquisition for industrial stakeholders, specialised workshops and internships.

Under the research programme component of the action plan, he said it is partnership with 18 regional and 13 international centres on over 100 postgraduate research projects in six West African countries to be conducted with upto-date research facilities.

Akinyemi added that the

centre would embark on thematic agricultural research projects of international interests, targeted at mitigating climate and environmental challenges in the West Africa sub-region.

Under the project, World Bank would sponsor 40 Masters and 20 Ph.D graduates from six West African partnering countries, including Nigeria, Togo, Benin, Liberia, Sierra-Leone and The Gambia, while 200 representatives from the industry, line ministries and institutions would benefit from the 10 short-term training courses, as well as another 200 representatives are to benefit from three specialised workshops.

The Director of the Centre,

Prof. Okanlawon Onagbesan described the project as a “collaborative programme” that would enable the stakeholders work together to achieve a common goal.

Participants at the meeting include Ambassador James S. Lebbie from the SierraLeonean High Commission in Nigeria, who represented the country’s Ambassador to Nigeria; Ambassador Henry Olufunmi Akande; as well as representatives from Babcock University; Ladoke Akintola University, Ogbomoso; West African Milk Company (Nig.) Plc; Guinness Nigeria Plc, Food and Industrial Research Institute, Oshodi, Lagos; Livestock Feeds; and the University of Port-Harcourt.

New York varsity partners Ericsson on research Mojeed Alabi

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New York University’s research outfit, NYU WIRELESS and Ericsson Incorporated have unfolded a partnership aimed at enhancing research through exploration of a new generation of wireless technologies, known as “5G.” The NYU WIRELESS, which was launched in 2012, according to the university, focuses on mass-deployable wireless devices across a wide range of applications and markets, and ranks the institution’s first centre to combine wireless, computing and medical applications

research.

The initiative, according to NYU WIRELESS Director and founder, Prof. Theodore Rappaport, will help the world greatly and especially the rising technology market in Africa and Nigeria in particular.

“We are pleased to have Ericsson join the NYU WIRELESS industrial affiliate programme and welcome its participation.

Our students like the entire world will benefit from working alongside this global innovator and leader in network infrastructure technology and wireless services,” Rappaport stated.

In his response, the Director

of Wireless Access Networks Research at Ericsson Research, Dr. Magnus Frodigh, said the company sees the new partnership as an important partner in the research towards the development of global 5G standards.

He added: “Academia and industry are currently ramping up the research efforts, and we expect that the collaboration with NYU WIRELESS students and faculty will not only contribute to cutting-edge research results, but also generate creativity, insights and requirements from the highly dynamic and innovative U.S. wireless marketplace.”

Ajasin varsity ranked best state Varsity

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anagement and students of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko (AAUA), Ondo State, are still savouring the ranking of the institution as the Best State University in Nigeria, by the US Transparency International Standards (USTIS).

The ranking, according to a statement by the institution’s Information Unit, was contained in the preliminary results from the USTIS 2013 Coordinated Nigeria Schools’ Survey, the world institutions’ ranking body and made available to the university.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Femi Mimiko has since dedicates the landmark achievement to the members of staff and students of the institution.

While basking in the euphoria of the achievements of the institution, the unit recalled how last month, the university was named the winner of the 2013 Annual Youth Debate for Nigerian Tertiary Institutions, organised by the Federal Ministry of Education.

Besides, it recalled that the National Universities Commission (NUC), the supervisory agency of universities in the country, voted the university as the Best State University in 2005, in recognition of its quality of academic staff following the carrying-capacity survey carried out by the NUC that year.

According to the statement, AAUA has since 2011 has 100 per cent accreditation of all its academic programmes by the Commission.

“Adekunle Ajasin University came into world reckoning following the strategic initiative of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Femi Mimiko, who anchors the plank of his administration on “building a 21st Century University, properly called,” the statement added.

Through the initiative, the university which relocated to Akungba-Akoko from AdoEkiti in 1999 has today become a haven of infrastructure and academic development.

Mimiko

30

EDUCATION

LECTURERS' FORUM

Tansian varsity begins linkage programme Odogwu Mmaduka Awka

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faith-based university, Tansian University, Oba-Umunya in Anambra State, has introduced an academic programme under which aspiring students can travel abroad to obtain foreign certificates within two years.

The programme, according to the institution’s Director of the Directorate of Exchange and Linkage Programmes of the institution, Mr. V.C. Ogueze, is primarily put in place to assist students acquire foreign education and certificates that will position them for the job market, as well as offered an alternative means to students who desired foreign signature on their certificates.

Ogueze, who expressed the universi-

Okojie, NUC Scribe

ty’s worried over the rate of unemployment of most Nigerian graduates who roam the streets parading half-baked certificates, and their unemployability, said the university has developed linkage programmes with some foreign universities to address the needs of our students.

Ogueze said: "Tansian University has been worried about the fact that many students graduate while there is no job for them and there are no opportunities.

So, we brainstormed on how to give hope to our students in view of the poor economic state of the country by assisting them to travel overseas for their university education."

“Many of them travel abroad without the necessary documents and illegally in search of foreign education and end up being deported or sent to jail over there.

Unfortunately, at the end of the day many of them are trapped, arrested and even imprisoned.

“So, the university decided that as a private university the best option would be to establish a link or linkage with a university out there through which our students could do two years here and exit to do another two years abroad and graduate with the degree(s) of that overseas university.” Toward this end, he said that Tansian University had successfully linked up with the University of Northern Philippines and Pangasinan State University in the Republic of Philippines.

UNIABUJA VC denies misuse of N2b intervention fund Emeldah Ogene Abuja

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he Vice-Chancellor, University of Abuja, Prof James Adelabu, has dispelled allegations that his administration misappropriated the N2 billion Federal Government intervention fund to the university.

Adelabu, who disclosed this while conducting journalists round the school`s permanent site, said the fund was used in the construction of structures and for purchase of equipment in most of the faculties in the university.

According to him, those projects you have seen so far, including the laboratory complex for Physics and Chemistry Departments, the three 500-capacity lecture theatres for faculties of Science, Arts and Management Sciences were all built with the N2 billion interventions allocated to the university.

He added that part of the allocation was spent in equipping most of the departments in the university, saying the funds used for the projects were from the intervention.

“There are four projects constructed with the N2 billion and with equipment for all the faculties, while we have five

projects ongoing through allocation,” the Vice-Chancellor said.

Adelabu, whose five-year tenure ends in June said: “There was never a time I embezzled nor misappropriated funds meant for the institution’s development. You know, whenever you are doing a good job, people will always fight you and say all sorts of things just to bring you down. It is not only in the University of Abuja, it happens everywhere.

“I am happy that you press men are here today to see things on first hand, if you checked the projects and the equipment we bought for all the faculties, you will be convinced that the funds were properly utilised”.

On how the N3 billion intervention fund from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) was utilised, the ViceChancellor, however recalled: “We have advertised for the projects we want to use the funds for and people are now doing pre-qualification to bid for contracts. Through this, we are planning to construct hostel blocks, lecture theatres and renovate some buildings. We are in the process of awarding the contracts.

And, on the N2.6 billion, we are waiting for the approval.”

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

EDUPEACE with Mahfouz A. Adedimeji (08066372516, sms only)

The real seven wonders

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t was said that a group of students were asked by their teacher to list what they considered the real “seven wonders of the world”.

This was after they were taught a day before that the seven wonders of the ancient world were the Pyramids of Egypt, the Hanging Garden of Babylon, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes and the Pharos of Alexandria.

The students were also told of the new seven wonders, which were declared through a democratic process involving tens of millions of voters on 7/7/2007.

The seven wonders are the Great Wall of China (China), Petra (Jordan), Christ the Redeemer (Brazil), Machu Picchu (Peru), Chichen Itza (Mexico), the Colosseum (Italy) and the Taj Mahal (India) with the Great Pyramid of Giza (Egypt) added as an honorary candidate.

Though not following any particular order, most students listed the new seven wonders. Others added the Grand Canyon, Panama Canal, St. Peter’s Basilica and other “wonders” they had picked from reading.

While collecting the class assignment, the teacher noticed that a particular student had not finished her work. So, she asked her if she was having problems with what to think. The girl replied in the affirmative, saying she couldn’t just make up her mind because the wonders are so many.

So, the teacher said, “Well, tell us what you have and maybe we can help”.

The girl hesitated and then read, “I think the seven wonders of the world are: 1. To see. 2. To hear 3. To speak. 4.

To taste. 5. To feel. 6. To think and 7. To love.”

The class was so quiet that a pin-drop would have sounded like a thunderstorm. Everyone understood that if we wake up every day and have the seven, we actually have the real wonders of the world. The teacher herself almost shed tears in excitement on account of the simple but profound answer.

On many occasions in life, we look for answers in the wrong direction and we do not interpret life questions correctly. The originality of the girl’s thinking was striking to the members of her class. The question before the students was to list what they considered the Seven Wonders of the World, not what they were taught.

In our society, people learn but fail to think. However, as Albert Einstein once posited, “the value of a college education is not the learning of many facts but the training of the mind to think.”

That is why there are many people with college/university education who continue to create problems rather than solve them.

Though “the real process of educa-

I think the seven wonders of the world are: 1. To see.

2. To hear. 3. To speak. 4.

To taste. 5. To feel. 6. To think and 7. To love tion should be the process of learning to think through the application of real problems,” as John Dewey counseled, we are utterly helpless in saving ourselves from the real problems confronting us.

There are many facts in our heads that we fail to apply to our national misfortunes. It is the outcome of the failure to see, to hear, to speak, to taste, to feel, to think and to love, wholly or partly.

Our problems will be minimal and our lives will be meaningful if we focus more attention on our seven wonders.

For instance, if we see the strengths in others, not just their weaknesses as we are wont to do, and we are not blind to our own faults and inadequacies, we will be safe from unnecessary antagonisms.

Also, if we also allow ourselves to feel the pains that we subject others to, deliberately and inadvertently, we will be more compassionate to others.

Most importantly, if we love others the way we love ourselves and we apply the Golden Rule, all of us would have peace.

This is because without love, we are all restless. Indeed, without love, we are hopeless. Leo Buscaglia once said, “Love is life and if you miss love, you miss life.” He also observed, “The life and love we create is the life and love we live.” So, if we live by love, love will surround us; and if we live by hatred, we will be submerged by hatred.

Today, everyone is in trouble because there is no love, there is no feeling, and there is poor thinking. Various evils that were otherwise unknown are multiplying in the society like evil forests and baby factories. We have all it takes to be a truly great country if we love genuinely, feel sincerely and think profoundly.

Though the leaders don’t feel or think of the agonies that life has become for the majority, we owe ourselves as a people the responsibility of being grateful, thoughtful and peaceful at all time.

Why? There are so many good and wonderful things we have that we often take for granted.

As the girl implied, it is not automatic that we must see and we know people who have lost their sight. There are deaf and dumb people around us but many of us can thankfully hear and speak.

The more we remember our real seven wonders, the more we are likely to be at peace with ourselves and others because everyone is blessed, ultimately. l Dr Adedimeji is a Senior Lecturer and Acting Director, Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, Unilorin.

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AYODELE AMINU, DEPUTY EDITOR, BUSINESS

ayodele.aminu@newtelegraphonline.com ayodeleaminu@yahoo.com

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2014

WHAT'S NEWS Sepco-Pacific earmark $25m for Olorunshogo power plant New owners of Oloronshogo power plant, Sepco-Pacific Partners Limited, said it has earmarked $25 million (about N4.125 billion) for the comprehensive rehabilitation of the plant.

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Nigeria hosts Africa’s biggest outdoor conference Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA)’s bid to host Africa’s biggest outdoor conference and exhibition in June this year has received a boost as the world’s biggest outdoor agency, JCDecaux, have signified interest to participate.

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NIMASA, others tackle seafarers’ desertion It was another watershed in the history of the apex maritime regulator, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMtASA) when its representatives joined their counterparts in Manila to address the challenges facing global seafarers.

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Customs records 80.5% revenue loss in Q1 There is a huge drop in the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) revenue in the first quarter of the year.

The service collected a mere N77.9 billion as against N400 billion expected in the first three months of the year. The amount represents 19.5 per cent of its projected revenue for the first quarter of the year.

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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) JONAH IBOMA, ICT Editor DAYO ADEYEMI, Property Editor ADEOLA YUSUF, Energy Editor

Electricity: NERC vows to end estimated billing system CUSTOMER SERVICE Govt aims to stop arbitrary electricity charges by Discos James Nwabueze ABUJA

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he Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has urged the electricity distribution companies (Discos) to resist the urge of increasing revenue at the detriment of consumers, vowing that the era of estimated billing system must stop.

NERC Chairman, Dr. Sam Amadi, who gave the charge during a meeting with the Chief Executive Officers of the generation and distribution companies (Gencos and Discos) recently in Abuja insisted that what is going on presently is not estimation of bill but arbitrary charges on the part of the Discos.

He, however, pointed out that the ultimate solution to the reckless charges in the name of estimated billing is fast-tracking the metering system so that no one could be charged based on estimation.

“NERC has provided for a methodology that requires you looking at the amount of power you put on the feeder and benchmark with those who are metered and see what should be the estimation. So, what is going on now in some places is not really estimation, it is arbitrary, because estimation is based on some formula. So, we have reiterated that we should go back to that methodology,” he said.

Amadi advised electricity consumers to take advantage

WOLE SHADARE, Aviation Editor

ABDULWAHAB ISA, Finance Editor CHUKS ONUANYIN, Energy NNAMDI AMADI, Reporter

of the complaints units established to entertain complaints customers in all business units of the electricity distribution companies.

“You can reasonably dispute that your bill is higher than normal. In such case, you can petition us. That is why we have the complaint units in their CCU. You can write back to us and say you dispute this bill. If they do not satisfy you, come to our

Simeon Ogoegbulem ABUJA

T

he Senate Committee on Commercialisation and Privatisation has said that government concessioned the Nigerian ports in order to ensure efficient service delivery and to bring about massive infrastructural development at the ports.

Chairman of the committee, Olugbenga Obadara, who stated this on Monday during

forum office. The best exit is to have a meter,” he said.

To this end, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (Abuja Disco), last week, disclosed plans to roll out over 400,000 meters in the next five years.

Chief Executive Officer/MD, Abuja Disco, Neil Croucher, who disclosed this, also said that the target was to achieve a monthly rollout of 8,000 meters

to bridge the existing metering gap.

“Yes, our intention on meter rollout is about 8,000 meters a month, which is about 96,000 meters in a year. Again, following today’s discussion, and in about four to five months that we’ve been here, we’ve recognised that metering is an absolute key area.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

Senate explains reasons for ports concessioning the committee’s oversight visit to Tin-Can Island Port, Lagos, noted that the aim was significantly achieved as services at the ports had not only improved but the ports were also contributing immensely to the revenue base of Nigeria.

Obadara said that the concession fees paid by the conces-

sionaires contribute to the nation’s annual budget as against the pre-concession period when the Federal Government allocated huge sums of money to maintain the ports.

“The Federal Government through the Bureau of PubCONTINUED ON PAGE 32

Rates Dashboard

DELE ALAO, Brands/Marketing Editor CHRIS UGWU, Capital Market Editor

(L-R), Director, International Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance (IIIBF), Bayero University Kano (BUK), Professor Shehu Usman Rano Aliyu, and MD/CEO LCM Consulting Nigeria Limited, Mohammad Lawal Shuaibu, at the signing of MOU between IIBF and BUK.

INFLATION RATE March 2014...........................7.08% February 2014........................7.70% January 2014 ........................8.00%

LENDING RATE InterBank Rate . . . . . . . . . 10.50% Prime Lending Rate. . . . . 16.93% Maximum Lending Rate..25.83%

EXCHANGE RATE

(Parellel As at April 11)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N170 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N282 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N235

EXCHANGE RATE

(Official As at April 11)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N155.74 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N260.56 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N216.15 Source: CBN

32 REHABILITATION Power plant to get face lift for better output

Abdulwahab Isa ABUJA

N

ew owners of Oloronshogo power plant, Sepco-Pacific Partners Limited, said it has earmarked $25 million (about N4.125 billion) for the comprehensive rehabilitation of the plant.

Chairman of Sepco-Pacific, Dr. Deji Adeleke, disclosed this recently when Senate Committee on Privatisation visited the plant as part of the committee’s oversight function, stating that the funds would be deployed towards the maintenance and replacement of burnt transformers.

A statement by Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) quoted Adele as saying that his company was well aware of the maintenance issues at the plant when it conducted a

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Sepco-Pacific earmarks $25m for Olorunshogo power plant due-diligence on the plant facilitated by the bureau.

Adeleke said that his company inherited equipment that had not undergone any major overhaul in the past seven years, contrary to the recommendation of the manufacturers.

He disclosed that the company had embarked on an aggressive programme of a major overhaul of the plant based on medium to long-term plans.

To effectively carry out the programme, he said that his company had engaged a Chinese firm, Huafeng Electric Power Technology Engineering Company, as operation and maintenance (O&M) operators for the plant.

According to him, $25 million had been earmarked for maintenance and replacement of transformers on the plant

revealing that two replacement transformers had been purchased in place of the two that were damaged by fire in September last year.

He expressed optimism that in the next three months, all eight turbines at the that plant would work effectively to meet its generation capacity of 336 mw for transmission to the national grid.

The Chairman Senate Committee on Privatisation, Olugbenga Obadara, identified lack of maintenance culture in public enterprises as the major reason for privatisation of such public enterprises.

He said that adequate power supply was critical to the growth and development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

Earlier, the committee had visited the Governor of Ogun

(L-R) Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer NEPC, Mr. Olusegun Awolowo with Executive Director of ITC, Ms Arancha Gonzalez, after the UNCEFACT forum and plenary session on trade facilitation at Palais Des Nation, Geneva, Switzerland, recently.

Senate explains reasons for ports concessioning C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 3 1

lic Enterprises (BPE) concessioned the ports to ensure development and efficiency which in turn would yield high revenue for government as it is applicable in other countries with ports,” he stated.

Earlier, the Port Facility Manager of Five Star Logistics Limited, concessionaire of Tincan Island Port, Roro Terminal, Mr. Fulwood Bizzaro, had told the lawmakers that despite several challenges, the concessionaire had ensured strict adherence to the covenants it signed

with the BPE and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

Bizzaro said that in line with the concessionaire’s development plan for the port terminal, it had developed 16-17 square metres of land for container and cargo stacking to handle the increased vehicle importation into the country.

Receiving the senators, General Manager of Josephdam Port Services Limited, Mr. Dimon Travers, said that the recent approval by the Federal Government for the company to extend its lease on Tin-Can Island Port Terminal ‘A’ by five

years had given them the opportunity to fully comply with the tenets of the concession agreement and to also develop the terminal.

He expressed optimism that at the expiration of the concession period, the terminal would have been “fully developed and operated as a world-class terminal.”

Travers said that cargo throughput was expected to increase significantly in the next few years, adding that in the first quarter of 2014, there was 29 per cent increase in cargo throughput as against the 12.6 per cent in 2013.

State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun.

While receiving the committee in his office in Abeokuta, Governor Amosun noted that for “Nigeria to develop, it must be private sector driven.”

He said that adequate power supply would guarantee the growth of the Nigerian economy and expedite the effective

take-off of SMEs in the country.

Amosun urged investors in the power sector to be continually monitored and charged the Senate Committee not to relent on this, adding that the “privatisation committee had a key role to play in ensuring that the private investors run these businesses effectively.”

Abuja Technology Village in limbo ABANDONMENT Activities suggest govt has suspended technology park project Simeon Ogoegbulem ABUJA

T

ongues have been wagging that the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) may have ditched the territory’s Technology Village (ATV) project. Luxury housing estates springing up in the area mapped out for the ATV project are fueling the suspicion that government might have abandoned the project.

The ATV project was touted to be Nigeria’s equivalent of the famous Silicon Valley of the United States of America (USA). FCTA under Mallam Nasir El-Rufai had assured Nigerians and the international community that the project, on completion, would be the hub of information and communication technology (ICT) in Africa and even challenge India’s domination of ICT outsourcing jobs worldwide.

The FCTA administration of El-Rufai had embarked on massive demolition of houses in the villages of Chika, Alieta

and Pyakassa, all located along the Abuja Airport Road for the project. The demolition exercise had caused so much social and economic dislocation that most of the victims are still suffering from its after effects.

However, over eight years after the demolition of these villages, Nigerians are still waiting to see the take-off of the technology village. Most of the residents of what is left of the three villages said that there are no signs that the project would materialise.

According to them, the ATV project was only a smokescreen for the demolition of these villages. Mr John Nehemiah said that the only semblance of technology around the area is the African University of Science and Technology (AUST) which, according to him, has been operating from the structures vacated by the Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC).

When contacted, Director of Development Control in the FCTA, Yusuf Yahaya, insisted that ATV is already in place. Yahaya stated that the infrastructure is being provided and that the roads are being tarred, adding that “the technology village is covering where it is supposed to cover, including the places you have mentioned.”

Electricity: NERC vows to end estimated billing system C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 3 1

“We would be looking at ways that we could increase the rollout and as rapidly as possible. There would be logistics and challenges, of course; but we have to manage the project.

We have to make sure that those meters are rolled out on a solid platform,” Croucher said.

He added that the 8,000 monthly target could be increased, if it would be possible to do so within the five-year period.

Croucher, who observed that discos have not been accessible to customers, said that Abuja Disco intends to create an effective customer care centre that would capture every customer they have made contact with.

“So, we want to make it easier for customers to get in touch with us, tell us their concerns, and in our case, we want to establish a single call centre that would be able to serve the purposes,” he added.

33

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Giving final push for cassava bread

President Jonathan, presenting cassava bread to the public

Kenneth Tyohemba

T

he pomp, spectacle and the fanfare that greeted the introduction of cassava bread as edible item, an addition to the growing menu list, died as soon as the celebrations that marked its introduction ended at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

On that historic occasion, an enthusiastic President Jonathan said: “I think is proper for us in the council to formally present this bread to Nigerians; I have been eating this bread for the past one week and I will continue to eat only this bread until I leave State House; we must encourage what we have.”

With the above remarks during the launch of the cassava bread campaign in one of the meetings of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), the president publicly ate the bread produced with a combination of cassava and wheat flours.

The initiative was geared towards adding value to cassava and most importantly to reduce foreign exchange spending on the importation of wheat, which, according government, gulps over N750 billion annually.

Essentially, cassava bread initiative was launched two years ago under the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) as part of President Goodluck Jonathan’s larger Transformation Agenda.

However, two years down the line, its existence has remained more on the pages of newspapers and television screens than in the local neighbourhood shops for Nigerians to buy and savour.

Determined to make cassava bread available on the shelves, government recently concluded works on a draft bill

Mrs. Odusote

for an Act to provide for the mandatory 20 per cent inclusion of High Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF) or sorghum to wheat flour.

The move by government, spearheaded by the ministry of agriculture and rural development, may not be unconnected with the fact that part of the reasons being adduced for the non-availability of bread is as a result of the fact that flours with cassava content are not in the market for bakers to purchase.

Nigeria is estimated to be producing over 40 million metric tons of HQCF per annum while over 60 per cent of Nigerian farmers engage in cassava production. It is however an irony that with this relative comparative advantage, Nigeria is still one of the highest importers of wheat in the world.

Speaking at a cassava stakeholders’ meeting recently where the draft bill was unveiled, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs. Ibukun Odosote, said that the draft bill was a practical demonstration of government’s commitment to the campaign for cassava bread in the country.

Odosote said that the bill would soon be forwarded to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for onward transmission to the National Assembly.

She disclosed that the bill, when operational, would establish a coordinating committee to be known as the Cassava/Sorghum Development Committee that would be responsible for the formulation and implementation, regulation and revision of the Cassava Flour Inclusion Policy.

According to her, the minister of agriculture was vested with the power to cause a report on implementation of the provisions of the bill to be pre-

Adesina

Wheat importers and their apologists have denigrated and sabotaged every effort to reduce Nigeria’s spending of over N750 billion on wheat import sented to relevant committees of each House of the National Assembly before April 30 each year.

The permanent secretary also disclosed that the draft bill is not all about sanction but also contains incentives for individuals and corporate bodies who engage in the production of mixed wheat and cassava flour.

Before now, the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, had said that Nigerians should be proud of government’s efforts at introducing cassava bread as it would lead to creation of more jobs all around the cassava growing areas of the country.

Adesina, the lead campaigner for cassava bread, said that the use of cassava flour will save Nigeria N250 billion annually in foreign exchange from reduced import of wheat.

The minister regretted that “wheat importers and their apologists have denigrated and sabotaged every effort to reduce Nigeria’s spending of over N750 billion on wheat import; they are making money while their actions create poverty, joblessness and undermine Nigerian farmers,” he said.

The question now is how far can government go in pushing for the passage of the new cassava bread bill? This is because in 2012, government forwarded

a similar bill to the National Assembly for the mandatory inclusion of cassava flour.

Unfortunately, the bill was thrown out by the lawmakers, thus frustrating government’s earlier efforts to make the use of HQCF mandatory in the baking of bread and other confectionaries.

Analysts have argued that had the bill scaled through both chambers of the National Assembly, the use of HQCF in bread would have been internalised by now and the nation would have cut down drastically the huge amount spent on wheat importation.

The analysts further argued that government need to secure a buy-in from all the stakeholders ranging from the lawmakers, master bakers to cassava growers and wheat importers in order to ensure that the bill is passed and signed into law by the president.

For the President of the Master Bakers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Simeon Abalonu, “only corporate bakers are making the cassava bread for now, and the product from corporate bakers cannot sustain the demand of Nigerians, as the corporate bakers make only 0.5 per cent of the entire bakers in the country while the master bakers constitute 99.5 per cent,” and believed that unless master bakers key into the initiative, it cannot succeed.

The fears being expressed by all the stakeholders should be addressed, with the assurance that bringing in HQCF in bread does not constitute health hazards nor does it translate to economic shutdown for some people, especially those who import wheat.

It is only through such massive buyin that the campaign for HQCF inclusion in bread would succeed and its success would translate to more job opportunities and income for Nigerians.

34

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

We are ready to host world economic forum –Transcorp Hilton Nigeria will, next month, host the World Economic Forum, the first time the country would be hosting the high profile economic event. Already, the prestigious Transcorp Hilton, venue of the forum, is wearing a new look and its Director of Business Development, Vickram Jamwal, told SIMEON OGOEGBULEM and ABDULWAHAB ISA, in this interview, that Transcorp Hilton is ready to host the world What informed the massive renovations within the Hilton premises?

Well, for the Easter celebration. We are also doing renovation to attract families to come to our hotel, but from a bigger picture, we are looking especially on the long term perspective.

As you all know, the World Economy Forum (WEF) is happening in days to come, to be very specific from 7th to 9th of May. The whole world will be our guest from the top and movers and shakers of the world, so we are just doing some precautionary renovation so that we can give them world class experience. When they come they don’t have to queue up on the traffic, so we are dedicating a special area for easy flow of traffic.

What steps are you taking to ensure maximum security of delegates expected at the World economic forum?

The first and most important thing is that we have been hosting a lot of events at the same period and lots of international guests are staying with us. The recent was Nigeria’s centenary celebrations when we had lots of African head of states and world leaders staying with us. Most recently was the joint African Union –United Nations Economic Commission for Africa annual meetings. These are good signs of what we have been practicing. We are taking every necessary step to ensure adequate security of our guests. All our 600 team members are at work as strong force working round the clock and you know this is security issue that cannot be discussed in the open.

The safety, security and well-being of our guests and team members are of paramount importance to us and we will take necessary measures to ensure that our guests and team members are secured. We are very much ready to host the Word economic forum. We started long time ago preparing for the economic forum. In fact, last year May, we had a lot of visitors who came here to speak to the counterpart parties on issues ranging from security to operations. And we have been constantly updated on all the synergies.

You have painted a fantastic picture, does this trickle down to staff in terms of improved welfare?

As we speak today, by 3pm, if you

are still in the Hotel, we will issue a vision statement to our 600 team members on how we can together, as a team, showcase our vision as a leading hospitability business in the sector.

What is your staff strength and are there good welfare packages by management to motivate staff to give their best?

We have 1,600 staff capacity. Events like world economic forum is n o t something we are just hosting for the first time. We had hosted several big events of this nature.

We have strong team members with lots of training and dedication. Hosting of world economic forum in Hilton will not translate to increment in overhead cost. We also believe this hotel is as good as the quality of our team members. From recruitment, to wages and compensation, we make sure our team members have a sense of ownership in the hotel. Also, we tell our team members stories and celebrate their successes.

We also invest heavily in training our team members to ensure that they deliver world class experience to our guests always.

Hospitality businesses, especially the hotels, are under stiff competition in Abuja. What is Transcorp doing differently to stay ahead of the pack?

Already we are focusing on renovation of the Hotel as you’ve already seen when you drove in. Part of our master plan is the parking lot, but on a bigger picture, we are working on the biggest event center which will host almost 5,000 people. We would be renovating our restaurants with a new concept; we would be renovating all our rooms, there are lots of meetings going on. We have finalised the kind of rooms, the concept we are looking at and international architects are involved in this meetings going on. We are not afraid of competition but to be ahead of them and be a world class hotel.

Jamwal

Will renovation translate to higher hotel bill?

No. We will not say because rooms have been renovated our guest should start paying more, no. The renovation we are doing is balancing value for the money which is very important. Perception of value by our customer is very important to us. Generally, rates are high in Nigeria but the most important is how we balance it. The hotel is 27 years old now and we are doing everything to comfort our guests. We are developing a VIP car park to accommodate international guests coming for the world economic forum. Instead of creating congestion at the entrance, they could just park at VIP car park.

What progress has Hilton made in its

The safety, security and well-being of our guests and team members are of paramount importance to us and we will take necessary measures to ensure that our guests and team members are secured

expansion programme?

As you may be aware, we already have Hilton in Lagos and everything is being done for it to come up in the next 18 months - that is Hilton Hotel at Ikoyi. As we speak now, Transcorp is leveraging on its hospitality clientele to expand to other places.

Is Abuja not ripe for another Hilton?

Yes, we need more hotels. Another Hilton is welcome. It is for the investors to make it happen. Ours is simply to manage.

You have been in Nigeria for a while, what is your general assessment of the country?

Nigeria is a very vibrant country and its biggest asset is its human capital. The country will continue to attract investments irrespective of the challenges facing it. The world economic forum is one of the opportunities to showcase Nigeria’s potentials. Sincerely, three years and seven months of my stay, I will say Nigeria is on the right track to socio-economic development.

What is your favorite Nigerian Dish?

For me, jollof rice is it. It remains my most favorite. I eat it almost every day. I also like pepper soup. My children also love it.

BUSINESS | CAPITAL MARKET

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

controls and management of resources.

At the launch of the new board, Chief Executive Officer of the NSE, Mr. Oscar Onyema, said that the ASeM is a specialised board that will accommodate small and medium-sized companies with high growth potential, seeking to access the capital market.

He noted that the board seeks to address major challenges of emerging businesses in Nigeria, which included, difficulty in accessing long term capital due to high cost of funds as a result of perceived high risk , informal nature of operations and inadequate accounting standards, controls and management of resources.

Chris Ugwu

I

t is a well-known fact the world over that SME financing primarily depend on bank loans. However, after the recent financial meltdown, it was revealed that bank financing is not a reliable source of financing, especially during periods of systemic stress. Moreover, the regulatory measures taken after the crisis, such as strengthened rules on minimum capital requirements, create additional challenges on the financing of SMEs through bank loans. Consequently, the need for diversified funding sources for SMEs is growing. Currently the share of SME financing through capital markets is rather small in Nigeria and other climes, although capital markets offer an alternative long term financing source.

Governments and regulators have made efforts to promote the financing of SMEs through equity markets.

In different parts of the world, SME markets have been established, under the main exchange or as separate exchanges, where listing criteria and disclosure requirements are eased. Some of these models failed, whereas some successful models were introduced, in developed, as well as in emerging market countries.

Private equity and venture investments can also be important tools for the financing of young and small enterprises. These investors usually not only finance the company, but also bring in expertise and know-how. Venture investors may choose to finance such initiatives through capital markets by issuing collective investment vehicles.

The development of capital markets that SMEs can tap into is one of the policy challenges under the pillar of diversified financing modalities, which requires more sophisticated and innovative institutional arrangements in order to respond effectively to their real needs.

Challenges The country’s Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), like their counterparts in other emerging economies, are perceived as a high risk segment of the market for banks when it comes to lending. Unstable macroeconomic policies further make banks to be conservative about exposure to them because of their higher failure rate.

Although there are provisions for short-term loans, they are usually made available to larger enterprises perceived to be credit worthy.

According to reports, even the previous public-sponsored financing programmes failed to make the desired impact due largely to high default rates. A few domestic equity sources for SMEs exist due to their inability to meet listing requirements.

Despite the widely acknowledged role of small and medium scale enterprises in fostering economic growth and development, they have continued to face a variety of constraints. The challenges they face include inadequate infrastructural facilities, shortage of skilled manpower, high rate of enterprise mortality, low level of entrepreneurial skills, lack of a conducive operating environment,

35

Ndi Okereke Onyiuke

Enhancing SMEs through capital market SMEs are vital for economic growth and development in both industrialised and developing countries as they play key roles in creating new jobs restricted market access and cumbersome regulatory requirements.

However, a key problem for SMEs is the issue of access to finance. SMEs, especially in developing countries, suffer from lack of access to appropriate funds from both the money and capital markets. This is due in part to the perception of high risks resulting in high mortality rate of the business, poorly prepared project proposals, inadequate collateral, absence of verifiable history of past credits and lack of adequate historical records of the company’s transaction.

SMEs are vital for economic growth and development in both industrialised and developing countries as they play key roles in creating new jobs. They need adequate financing to meet needs at each stage of their life cycle, from creation through operation, development, restructuring, recovery and beyond.

Efforts of authorities The first move to save MSMEs was in 1972 when the Federal Government promulgated the indigenisation decree and the Nigeria Enterprise Promotion Act in 1977.While the enterprise promotion act helped the primary and secondary market of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), it did a little to drive the MSMEs, hence the creation of the Second Tier Securities Market (SSM) in 1980 by the NSE (the SSM was later renamed Emerging Markets). After years of nonachievement, the Exchange again attempted to create another board for private placements to be known as ASEM/ PRIPEX (this idea was dropped before Ndi Okereke-Onyuike left office). In a bid to salvage the situation, the NSE had, a few years ago, launched the Alternative Securities Market (ASeM) a specialised board, to accommodate small and medium-sized companies with high growth potential seeking to access the capital market.

The board, which was specifically designed for emerging businesses, was expected to serve as a veritable platform for them to access the capital market for long term funding. Also, the board seeks to address major challenges of emerging businesses in Nigeria, e.g.: Difficulty in accessing long term capital due to high cost of funds as a result of perceived high risk, informal nature of operations and inadequate accounting standards,

Regulators’ position Speaking on the need to finance SMEs through capital market, the DirectorGeneral, Securities and Exchange Commission, Ms. Arunma Oteh, expressed the commission’s determination to deepen the asset base of the equities market to create avenues for the small enterprises to access funds.

Oteh noted that the commission will expand the Collective Investment Schemes (CIS), such as ethical and Islamic funds and Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), among others, and also support the efforts the Nigerian Stock Exchange aspiration and plans to introduce five new products within five years.

She noted that the capital market could lower the cost of mobilising savings and thereby facilitate investment in the most productive technologies.

“It links those who have the resources to invest with those who could use this capital to turn new ideas into businesses, generating jobs, improving living standards and contributing to the economy,” Oteh said.

She adds that a well-functioning, liquid and broad capital market is crucial to the operation of any emerging economy; the use of the capital market is one of such alternatives.

Oteh further said that the capital markets foster entrepreneurship and innovation which in turn, creates job opportunities. She affirmed that SMEs have a major role to play in the economic development of a nation, adding that capital markets are a viable way of increasing financing options to SMEs and will ultimately serve to develop the SMEs. Her words: “The ability of companies in their early stages of development to raise funds in the capital markets is beneficial because it allows the companies to grow very quickly. This growth in turn speeds up the dissemination of new technologies throughout the economy.

Furthermore, by raising the returns available from pursuing new ideas, technologies, or ways of doing business, the capital markets facilitate entrepreneurial activities.”

Financing through capital market is germane to help SMEs set up and expand their operations, develop new products, and invest in new staff and production facilities which will ultimately lead to massive employment but market watchers are worried due to the liquidity squeeze in the market which had made it difficult for the market to thrive.

36 BUSINESS | BRANDS & MARKETING

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Why we made red Ekiti’s official colour –Akinyemi Have you wondered why Ekiti State adopted red as its official colour? Kayode Akinyemi, the state’s Director General, Bureau of Strategic Communications, gives an insight into why the red colour was adopted. He also bares his mind on other issues in the advertising industry with DELE ALAO The coming on board of this administration ushered in the creation of the Bureau of Strategic Communications. This, to some people, is needless, since there is already the Ministry of Information in place. What can you say to this?

I think the present government value communications and I think they want to see the result of good communications strategy. When I came on board in July 2012, I was told that the activities of government were not properly co-ordinated. Yes, Ministry of Information is there, projecting government activities, may be after exco meeting, the Commissioner of Information will meet the press, this is what we deliberated upon today. The Chief Press Secretary to the governor is there, to report activities of Mr. Governor. But the strategic direction of the communication of the state was not properly tailored then.

I think the bureau was created primarily to co-ordinate communication-relate activities in the state; to project the eight-point agenda of Mr. Governor, using various vehicles. However, like I keep telling people, because the same question keeps coming up. And I keep saying to them that we are strategic thinkers, we guide the process to say ‘okay, this is the strategy for us to employ to communicate.’ Most of the time, we are not out there, we are at the background doing strategic thinking. I think the missing link is about how well to project government activities; the eight-point agenda of this present administration, the gap that was created then is what Mr. Governor wants to bridge that gave birth to Bureau of Strategic Communications What has the relationship like between the bureau and the Ministry of Information? Has it been seamless or otherwise?

There is no conflict. Everybody asks this question from time to time. There hasn’t been conflict. We work together, we collaborate where necessary. And then, the mandate of the bureau is very clear. For instance, what we are doing is the standadisation of some internal communications tools. Before the bureau was established, you see different applications of Ekiti colour, different quality of papers for printing letter heads, call cards. But the bureau came on board to standardise some of these things to say we are going to use this type of paper for our letter heads, this number of grammage. So, those are some of the things that we put in place. So, every ministry, every department, every agency come to us to make requests for their needs in terms of all these internal brand collaterals. If any government official wants to print call cards or letter heads for their ministry, they approach us to place their request. And we are doing it to the established standards of the bureau. It is about branding of the state, it is about strategic communications.

So, you will see clearly that our mandate and our role is a bit different from what the ministry of information does.

Ministry of Information is the mouth-piece of government. But ours is a bit deeper than just talking out there. It is about putting a strategy in place.

For instance, if we want to celebrate the anniversary of government, we have to back it up with a strategy. How do we do it? How many days celebration? Is it one week?

What do we do in each day and how do we do it? And

where should we hold this event? When we agreed on all these strategies, we now push it out to all the relevant government agencies. It is known in this state that there is no ministry, government agency or department that does event without talking to us. We will do the conceptulisation, the planning and then give them execution guidelines.

So, those are things we do as a bureau.

presenta-

Akinyemi

What informed the choice of official colour red?

I think Mr. Governor is very passionate about branding and about communications.

I remember when I first came, there was this issue whether we should push a yellow colour or a red colour. Eventually, Mr. Governor felt that we should use colour red. And I personally believe in that colour because of the strong appeal. I once went for a programme in London while I was at the Skye Bank called Brand Finance. And the lady who was the vice president in charge of branding at HSBC made a presentation and she said one of the success factors of HSBC was when they changed the corporate colour to red. Because it looks more attractive and is appealing and there is no way you can miss it out among other colours when well applied and well used. And I think that has helped our brand positively.

And what has been the experience of having the opportunity to work on both the client and the agency sides?

It is good especially for me to have started with agency before I moved to the client side because I have already known all the secrets of agencies. I started as a media person in an agency and later became a client person before I was involved in production. So, I know everything about advertising production. So, when I got to client side, it wasn’t new. If any agency man comes to me and wants to begin to speak grammar, I already know where you are coming from and where you are heading to. I think it is a plus for me and it is like having a total knowledge.

How then do you see the relationship between agency and client?

The truth is this and I am going to be frank. Years back, it used to be the clients dictating to agencies. But, you got to find that agencies in Nigeria become more matured, became exposed to international best practices. And to begin to stamp their feet to tell clients to say this is the way it should be done. And that is why agency people begin to invest on human capital. So that when you are speaking to the clients, you even know better than the clients. Agencies that will be respected today are agencies that can provide solutions to clients’ needs.

What is your take on the vexed issue of pitch fee?

Paying of fee for pitch is something professionally that it should stand because advertising people are professionals. If you go to a doctor today, before the doctor sees you at all, you pay for card, you pay for consultation before the doctor begins to examine you, and say okay, this is what is happening to you, this is the drug that you have to take. Then, you have to pay for that drug separately. So, this same thing should apply to advertising practitioners. So, when I was at Skye Bank, the last pitch

tion that we had, I did mention it to my managing director the implication, we were bringing in at least five agencies, I have to call AAAN that what is the going rate for pitch and they told me. And I did a memo to my managing director to say whichever agency we are not taken, we have to pay them. That is the way it should be done professionally. We should respect advertising people as professionals like lawyers, doctors, engineers, They have expended a lot of energy, resources to build themselves as thorough bred professionals and they should be respected as such.

You once worked at Centrespread and when you became the Head of Corporate Affairs of Skye Bank, Centrspread became the Bank’s creative partner. Some said you used your former relationship with the agency to get the business for them. What is your reaction?

Centrspread started working with us when I was at the Prudent Bank. When I resumed at Prudent Bank in 2003, one of the first responsibility I was given was to sought an agency for the bank. And what I did was to extend invitation. And I remember clearly that we invited Centrespread, we invited PAL, we invited the agency we were using before, USP. I remember they were five and I remember PrimaGarnet wrote to us that they won’t be able to take part in the presentation pitch. So, it was a competitive thing, it was open. Yes, I chose to invite Centrspread because I know they can deliver and I looked at the other agencies too and I know they can deliver. The five invited agencies made presentation to senior managers of the bank and eventually Centrespred won the pitch for Prudent Bank.

And after merger and consolidation of Skye Bank, initially it was two banks that merged to form Skye Bank, that is Prudent Bank and Eko International Bank, the two banks already made the N25 billion then. It was after that we now brought in the other three; The Bond Bank, the Reliance Bank and the Cooperative Bank.

So, these two banks that first made up Skye Bank, our consultant then, Delloit, asked the two banks that formed Skye Bank to bring their agencies. We at Prudent Bank, working already with Centrspread, brought it forward. As a matter of fact, EIB brought two agencies, one of which was STB-McCaan. And they subjected them to pitch as well and it was Deloitte Akintola Willaims people that did the judge. And eventually, Centrespread won. So, it is not a matter of Mr. Kayode Akinyemi, having worked in Centrespread, influenced the outcome. That is the story of how CentreSpread became creative agency to Skye Bank.

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Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Nigerian cadets at Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron.

NIMASA, others tackle seafarers’ desertion Over 300 representatives in the global maritime industry have considered the two key proposals jointly submitted by the international representatives of ship owners and seafarers to amend the standards and guidelines of the Maritime Labour Committee (MLC), 2006, BAYO AKOMOLAFE reports

I

t was another watershed in the history of the apex maritime regulator, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMtASA) when its representatives joined their counterparts in Manila to address the challenges facing global seafarers.

At the meeting, the stakeholders agreed that any ship that failed to provide financial security for seafarers must be arrested and detained.

The decision was arrived at at the tripartite meeting held a few days ago on how to improve the welfare of the seamen worldwide.

In the new provisions, ships must carry certificates or other documents to establish financial security that could protect seafarers working on board.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO)’s Director General, Guy Ryder, explained that the adoption of the Maritime Labour Convention in 2006 was an historical milestone that heralded the new era in the sector.

Ryder said that the latest step was a very significant and inspiring example for other sectors.

He added: “These measures will ensure the welfare of the world’s seafarers and their families if the seafarers are abandoned, or if death or long-term disability occurs as the result of occupational injury, illness or hazard.”

He was confident that the steps would “help improve working and living conditions for seafarers, doing what is right for

the women and men in the sector who play a central role in keeping the real economy going with some 90 per cent of world trade carried on ships.”

The measures come in the form of amendments to the ILO’s Maritime Labor Convention, 2006, adopted without opposition and which will now be sent to the ILO’s International Labour Conference in May for approval.

They now explicitly require ship owners to have financial security to cover abandonment, as well as death or longterm disability of seafarers due to occupational injury and hazard.

According to the Director of the ILO Labour Standards Department, Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry: “By adopting these amendments to the convention, ship owners and governments are also strengthening its provisions aimed at ensuring a level-playing field for quality shipping around the world.”

Nigeria In Nigeria, the case of abandonment started after the demise of the Nigeria National Shipping Line (NNSL). The battle to get certificate of competence and to be certified became serious issues as government closed its eyes to the sector.

This development made a good number of Nigerian cadets, especially those of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, spend a long time in the labour market as they lacked seagoing experience onboard ships.

However, the NIMASA management had made several efforts in the last two years to address the issue in order to ensure that abandoned seamen were trained

Umar declined to ratify a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the academy and a group of shipping firms in Istanbul, Turkey

Akpobolokemi

and certified. Also, the agency, as part of efforts to tackle the dearth of seafarers, has sent no fewer than 2,000 cadets to various maritime institutions abroad to study nautical sciences, marine engineering and naval architecture up to degree level.

The cadets are sponsored wholly by the agency under a scheme of the Nigeria Seafarers’ Development Programme (NSDP), a programme initiated in pursuant to its statutory responsibility of human capacity development in the nation’s maritime industry.

The Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi, said that the agency was expecting not less than $6 billion as foreign exchange from the NSDP. He noted that by 2015, the country should be boasting of 5,000 qualified seafarers.

It was learnt that Nigeria at present has a shortfall of 9,000 seafarers, and experts are worried that if the manpower needs are not urgently addressed, it may affect the maritime sector.

Dearth of manpower The chairman, National Seafarers Welfare Board, Otunba Kunle Folarin, explained that the manpower shortage should be given adequate attention, say-

ing that the total demand for all categories of seafarers was more than 12,000, while the personnel available was 3,000.

Akpobolokemi also noted that Nigeria could earn more money if it trained its seafarers.

According to him: “A lot of foreign income can be earned from seafarers working on foreign flagged vessels. The Asian tigers are a good case in point.

Reports have it that out of the over $16 billion remittance into the Philippines by the Overseas Filipino Workers, over $7 billion is generated by Filipino seafarers.

“The agency has put the issue of developing shipping activities in the country on the front burner and we are committed to tacking the malaise that has bedeviled the sector. It must be noted that more than 90 per cent of both in bound and out bound cargo in Nigeria are executed through shipping, making the sector too important to the growth of the economy.”

Meanwhile, the Federal Government’s efforts to get sea time experience for cadets of the Maritime Academy has hit the rocks as the Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, declined to ratify a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the academy and a group of shipping firms in Istanbul, Turkey.

The MoU, which was signed between MAN, for the Federal Government of Nigeria, and Piri Reis University, Istanbul, for the Turkish Government, was hinged on an understanding that Nigeria cannot on its own successfully pursue a sea time programme.

Sea time training, which entails those who want to be trained as seafarers spending quality time on board ocean-going vessels, is one of the prerequisites for qualification as a cadet. It involves cadets getting on board ships so that they can get practical training on what they have learnt in the classrooms. This is because sea time is one of the parameters for the assessment of cadets for the issuance of certificate of competence (CoC).

Over the years, cadets of the academy have been roaming the streets for lack C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 3 8

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Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Customs records 80.5% revenue loss in Q1 PLUMMET NCS revenue generation has plummeted in seaports and borders in the first three months of the year.

Bayo Akomolafe

T

here is a huge drop in the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) revenue in the first quarter of the year.

The service collected a mere N77.9 billion as against N400 billion expected in the first three months of the year. The amount represents 19.5 per cent of its projected revenue for the first quarter of the year.

Also, the amount is less than half of the N191.3 bil-

lion collected by the NCS in the first quarter of 2013.

A statement of the revenue profile released by NCS in Abuja revealed that N27.4 billion was collected in January, N23.8 billion in February and N26.7 billion in March.

It noted that out of the revenue collected during the period, N41.7 billion was remitted to the Federation Account and N36.2 billion remitted to the non-federation account.

The revenue, it was learnt, was collected from duties, fees and levies.

It added that N7.2 billion was collected on port levy, N1.4 billion from levy on sugar, N7.2 billion from wheat grain levy and N1 million from flour levy.

It stressed that N41.7 billion of the revenue figure was realised from five per cent Value

IMB warns liners over new charter party fraud WARNING Voyage charterers have been warned of cargo frauds perpetrated by brokers and unscrupulous shipowners.

T

he International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has warned shipping lines of new charter party fraud incidents looming around the global shipping industry.

The bureau advised all counterparties to investigate deals before they enter into contracts.

This warning came after a voyage charterer received payment for freight but failed to pass this on to the ship owner, who subsequently refused to deliver the cargo to the port of destination.

It involves a voyage charter for a high value project cargo loaded on board a vessel in the Black Sea bound for a South East Asian port.

Freight in full was paid to the charterer, a company allegedly operating from the Netherlands, but the charterer failed in turn to pay the ship owner.

It was learnt that the charterer and their broker could no longer be contacted and the ship owner was refusing to proceed any further until the money for the freight was received.

According to the ship owner, the bill of lading was released

by the local port agents following an email purportedly from the ship owner. The cargo owner now has no realistic chance of taking delivery of the shipment.

The IMB was asked to investigate and found no trading record of the charterer. Their checks revealed that a long chain of brokers and intermediaries were involved in the transaction.

In the meantime, the charterer managed to convince the ship owner that the freight money was forthcoming and to begin the voyage. They did this by sending a document that apparently confirmed the freight had been remitted by the charterer.

However, no money arrived after a few days and the owner contacted the Cypriot bank that supposedly issued the documents to check its whereabouts.

The owner was told no such remittance had been made and the bank later confirmed the document was a fake.

The IMB said it was not unusual for a ship owner to accept such a document as proof the freight money was on its way, as the cost of delaying the voyage until payment is actually received is not practical in the real world of shipping.

This latest case highlights the risks of entering into transactions that involve many brokers and intermediaries who have not been individually checked before fixture negotiations begin.

Added Tax (VAT) while N131.8 million was from National Export Supervision Scheme (NESS).

Other special levies which provided revenue during the period, are Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme and

ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme, which accounted for N10.5 billion and N6.3 billion, respectively.

A further breakdown of the revenue figure showed that N2.6 billion was generated from 100 per cent rice levy,

N79.2 million from brown rice levy and N112.5 million from steel levy.

Also, textile levy accounted for N24.1 million, N4.8 million from wine, cement levy, N274.9 million and N135 million from cigarette levy.

L-R: Minister of Transport ,Sen. Idris Umar; Executive Director Finance and Administration NPA, Mr. Olumide Oduntan and Managing Director NPA, Malam Habib Abdullahi looking with keen interest the workings of the e-payment solution.

Minister, stakeholders to discuss pricing system at Nigerian ports

S

takeholders in the Nigerian maritime industry will hold a summit next month to discuss the pricing system at Nigerian ports.

It is part of efforts to ensure equity and fairness in trade facilitation.

The summit is being organised by Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) eight years after the country’s port were concessioned to private terminal operators.

Also, it is coming barely two months after the Nigerian Shippers Council was appointed by the Federal Government to act as commercial regulator of the port.

Leading the pack of stakeholders to speak at the summit is the Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, as well as the Senior Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan

on maritime, Mr. Leke Oyewole.

Head of Maritime parastatals expected to speak at the event also includes the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council, Barrister Hassan Bello, and the Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, Mallam Habeeb Abdullahi.

The summit titled: “Pre-requisites for a fair port pricing regime: Shippers perspective” is expected to hold on May 5 at the Rockview Hotel, Apapa.

According to the chairman of the organising committee, Mr. Kayode Atofolaki, the summit participants will include seaport and off dock terminal operators, freight forwarding associations, shipping companies, Nigeria Customs Service, importers and exporters.

Others include the Council for Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN),

Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Nigeria Association of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA).

Atofolaki disclosed that the summit was key, because it affords stakeholders the opportunity to brainstorm and bring to fore the various challenges in the port system so as to assist the Shippers Council in its new role.

“This is coming eight years after the nation’s seaports were concessioned to private operators, without institutionalised system to regulate the tariff regime in the port.

“With the new development, the time is ripe to appraise the competitiveness of Nigerian ports and what measures or structures should be established to ensure a fair and equitable port pricing system,” he said.

NIMASA, others tackle seafarers’ desertion C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 3 7

of jobs since the few openings available can only take those with quality sea time, as well as acceptable CoC. It was in an attempt to address the challenge that the academy entered into the MoU. The implementation of the

MoU, which would enable the cadets get onboard ocean-going vessels in Turkey could not be executed as Umar declined to append his signature to the copies of the MoU at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Headquarters, London, United Kingdom, last year.

It was alleged that the min-

ister was uncomfortable with some contents of the MoU, following his discovery of certain provisions and clauses that would endanger Nigeria’s interest in its implementation.

However, the Deputy Director, Public Relations, Mrs. Yetunde Sonaike, said she was not aware of the MoU.

40 POLITICS

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Kwara: Defection politics sets Hon. Iliasu Ibrahim representing Malete/ Ipaiye-Oloru Constituency in the Kwara State House of Assembly has been in the eye of the storm over allegations against the Assembly’s leadership and one of his colleagues. This has earned him series of suspensions since last year. BIODUN OYELEYE reports that the suspensions are laced with politics

W

hen the seventh legislative session of the Kwara state House of Assembly was inaugurated in June 2011, Hon. Iliasu Ibrahim representing Malete/Ipaiye-Oloru Constituency was the choice candidate for the post of Chief Whip.

He was actually a ranking member of the Assembly.

And under a consensus arrangement within the Saraki political dynasty, there was nobody to query his emergence, nor that of Razaq Atunwa, a former commissioner and former gubernatorial aspirant, as Speaker of the House. It was a family arrangement with no one expected to upset the political apple cart.

But that arrangement was to be put to test when in May 2012, the then Chief Whip came up with a 18-point petition against the Speaker, alleging that Atunwa had defrauded the House and was not fit to be in the saddle.

The five-page petition claimed that Atunwa’s conducts since assuming office in June 2011 were capable of bringing the entire legislative House into disrepute.

Part of the allegations include the claim that there had been no principal officers’ meeting almost one year after inauguration and that the Clerk/Secretary to the statutory Body of Principal Officers was not invited to cover the meetings (if any), as was always the case in the 5th and 6th legislature.

He also alleged that the Speaker had awarded a contract to the tune of N18 million to his own legal firm to handle the clearing of the Assembly Complex and the award of a N33 million contract for the development of a website for the Assembly while the House purportedly has a functioning website. Iliasu also made reference to several other instances where he claimed that the Speaker had not been straight forward about financial deals in the assembly.

Petition against Speaker Part of the petition reads: “As legislators, we are expected to be extraordinarily honest, transparent and prudent in the day-to-day running of the affairs of the Assembly. As lawmakers and custodians of the law and order, we should shun any acts that are detrimental to the welfare of members as well as the well-being of the generality of the people of our constituencies. Indeed, ours must be leadership by example.

“Unfortunately your attitude and general conduct in the management of the affairs of the Assembly have been one of disappointment and regret because you have been so power intoxicated and arrogant that you have no regret for the views and feelings of anybody on important matters of the House. By arrogating all power to yourself and conducting the affairs of the Assembly in absolute secrecy, you have given enough room for suspicion as many of us are of the view that large-scale fraud and financial mismanagement are the order of the day as far as the Assembly matters are concerned.

“Mr. Speaker, without furnishing us adequate information on the above subject matters as a matter of urgency, we cannot in good conscience dispel or deny the insinuation that the transactions are characterised with sharp practices which require proper investigation as he who comes to equity must come with clean

Ibrahim

Atunwa

hands. As a foremost lawmaker and a lawyer by profession, you cannot claim to be unaware of the deleterious effects of financial mismanagement and other abuses on the integrity and reputation of the Assembly.

“Other than for you to succeed as Speaker, there is nothing else to my insistence that things must be conducted in accordance with the civilised standards. Unfortunately, each time I offered well-meaning advice and suggestions on various House issues, your responses have always been one of rude and arrogant attacks, much like somebody who is scared of public scrutiny. The legislative arm of government, as I once pointed out to you, should set enviable standard in democratic practices in terms of openness and accountability because we are supposed to assist the other arms of government to properly carry out their functions and responsibilities.

“I have decided to follow this path of truth and justice because sooner than later these issues will become a matter of public interest and there will be no hiding place for somebody like well-known for fairness, justice and equity. It must be recognised that as members we are all equal and therefore entitled to be respected and our views and grievances taken into consideration as you lead responsibly.”

had ordered the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges to investigate the allegations and make a full report to the whole House, which will thereafter determine the authenticity or otherwise of the claims and promised that the committee’s report will not be swept under the carpet.

He said: “I received the petition and in line with the relevant House Rules, I have directed the committee to investigate the claims. In line with Rule 67(p) of the House, the committee is empowered to investigate any petition against a member.

The committee has called for my position on the matter and I have responded accordingly. In my response, I denied all the allegations; I deem it as fictitious and malicious. The committee is looking into the matter and I crave your indulgence to allow them finish the work because when they finish they are going to submit their report for the consideration of the whole house which will then look into it. It is not going to be that the committee will determine the outcome, I want the whole House to do and make appropriate recommendations.”

Speaker’s response Atunwa in his initial response defended his honour when he spoke with newsmen soon after news of the crack in the Assembly’s leadership broke. He said he

The only document tendered by Hon. Iliasu Ibrahim was a draft of a purported memo which is an unsigned document... the complainant had failed to substantiate other allegations with proof beyond doubt

Committee’s report And truly, the committee’s initial report was ready in a week. It was a 120-page document and took the chairman of the committee, Kamal Fagbemi, about seven hours to read out on the floor of the House. And not only did the report clear Atunwa of allegations of financial impropriety, the committee also noted that contrary to insinuations in the allegations by Ibrahim, the activities of the House had so far been undertaken with transparency by Atunwa and described the entire 18-point allegations as unfounded.

In the report, the committee claimed that, “the only document tendered by Hon. Iliasu Ibrahim was a draft of a purported memo which is an unsigned document,” adding that the complainant had failed to substantiate other allegations with proof beyond doubt. The committee decided to delay making its recommendations known till another week.

Reacting to the development, Atunwa said: “I am delighted that the thorough investigations by the Ethics and Privileges Committee has cleared me of all the spurious and fabricated allegations against me. On the

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Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Assembly on warpath The issue of my suspension is not an Assembly matter; it is personal. Do they even have the right to suspend me? I will definitely seek redress in the court of law. So, the issue of my suspension was purely a conspiracy against me just because I have refused to go with them to APC

Saraki

other hand, I am saddened by the fact that a fellow human being, let alone a member of the House leadership, has sought to maliciously damage my good reputation.”

When the committee would make its recommendations, it asked for Ibrahim to step down as Chief Whip and also proceed on a three-month suspension. The majority of members agreed to this.

Second battle against Deputy Majority Leader Ibrahim’s second trip to exile was not as grand as the initial one. It began on December 18, 2013 and was facilitated by allegations that he made false claims against another member of the Assembly, Alhaji Yusuf Tanke, the Deputy Majority Leader. He was said to have alleged that Tanke representing IIorin South Constituency planned to send thugs against him. As usual, the matter was reported to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Judiciary which soon submitted its findings.

During this period, 20 of the 24-member House had defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to swell the number of APC seats in the Assembly to 22 from the initial two. Ibrahim was not among the defectors as he decided to stay in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with another member.

Atunwa announced Ibrahim’s suspension after the House had adopted the committee’s report and the House members unanimously agreed with the suspension order which is billed to last for three months without pay. The legislators also directed the suspended lawmaker to write a letter of apology to Tanke seven days to the expiration of his three-month suspension or be referred to the House Committee on Judiciary for further action.

In his reaction, Ibrahim condemned the suspension order by the House, stating that the House is incompetent to suspend him. He said that the allegation of intimidation of a colleague is false and described the House action as a response to his refusal to defect to the APC. He went ahead to declare that notwithstanding what his political enemies might do, he still has the support of 98 per cent of the electorate from his constituency, condemning an insinuation that he would be recalled from the House. “No intimidation from any quarter can make me change my decision to be PDP member because I have benefitted a lot from PDP and I will not bite the fingers that fed me,” he said.

Politics of suspension Ibrahim resumed in late March from his second suspension. There was tight security within the Assembly complex the day he came back to office as he came with some of his supporters. But there was nothing unusual in the complex.

Few weeks after however, the Assembly decided to wield the big stick on Ibrahim and send him to what amounts to a permanent exile from legislative activities till the end of the seventh session. This is because the embattled lawmaker is not likely to yield to the demand of his colleagues to tender the expected apology to Tanke and so long as he refused, the latest agreement of the House is that so long he would be on suspension without pay.

Atunwa, who read the House resolution, directed Ibrahim to commence another three-month suspension from Wednesday April 9, 2014 without pay and directed him to tender a written apology to Tanke before the expiration of the suspension as directed by the resolution of the House of December 18, 2013. The Speaker explained that by the resolution of the members, the failure of the suspended member to comply with an apology letter would mean his continued suspension.

The matter has become a political battle between the PDP and APC. If he writes the letter of apology, it will deal another blow to the PDP. If he refuses, as he has continued to do, he will remain a favourite of the PDP hawks who want to deal with the APC dominance in the state. Indeed, he is today a favourite in the PDP. No rally is complete without him saying something. He was among those selected to meet President Goodluck Jonathan during a recent meeting of PDP leaders from the state and the President had commented on his travails in the House.

Another controversy But it appears the suspended lawmaker likes to swim

in controversy. His name was also mentioned among those said to have been arrested last week by the police in the state for illegal possession of firearms. The men, suspected to be members of the PDP, were nabbed after the chairman of the party’s Caretaker Committee, Mr. Solomon Edojah called the attention of policemen to the presence of some people around his residence in Sango area. The arrest came less than 24 hours after seven members of the party were also nabbed over the crisis that trailed the party’s ward congress during which about three persons were feared to have lost their lives.

Edojah himself confirmed that the lawmaker was arrested but that “it is typical of hoodlums to mention names of prominent person when arrested.”

House as an interloper The embattled lawmaker is however not taking things lying low. Apart from promising to take legal actions to quash the suspension, he has said his ‘crime’ was the failure to bow to Saraki’s political leadership.

He also insisted that the issue of his second suspension, which led to the third episode, was purely a personal affair between himself and the lawmaker concerned.

To him, the House is merely an interloper.

His words: “On August 31, 2013 during our national convention, Senator Bukola Saraki, the governor and other delegates from Kwara along with other six states walked out of the convention ground. In the case of Kwara, by the time Bukola and his people walked away, I was the only person that remained in the Kwara pavilion. I didn’t move out of the venue. I remained until the election was concluded.

“It was when I got to my hotel room in the night that I discovered that Kwara and some other states have gone to form the New PDP. There was no consultation, no discussion of any kind, they just took that decision on their own. That was the beginning of my problem because they knew I was the only person that stayed behind. After the convention, I came out openly that I’m not a member of New PDP. “From there, they started planning to see how I could be silenced. On September 10, 2013, the Speaker invited all the lawmakers to his residence and when we got there, all the members started pledging their loyalty to the leadership of Senator Saraki in Kwara, saying wherever he goes that is where we will all go. So, I was the only person who came out clearly that I am not loyal to Bukola in any form; that I am a member of PDP. “So, the issue of my suspension is not an Assembly matter; it is personal. Do they even have the right to suspend me? I will definitely seek redress in the court of law. So, the issue of my suspension was purely a conspiracy against me just because I have refused to go with them to APC.”

Ripples over confab committees CO N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 3

structuring and re-configuration of the country.

Group two This school of thought has personalities such as a former Minister of Education, Prof. Jubril Aminu; former Secretary of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Alhaji Buba Galadima; President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar and a host of others.

In the eyes of this group, the problem of Nigeria is not its struc-

ture but the inability of the operators to run the system efficiently.

They are not fascinated by the agitations for a restructured federation. They would rather have the status quo maintained and work on having the governance system overhauled to produce the desired results. They do not seem to be interested in anything that could bring about an alteration in the political system. Deep in their minds, they are convinced that the national conference is just another talk shop and a political jamboree that should be enjoyed while it lasts.

In reading the lips of these two groups, one thing that stands out is that the conference is torn between those who see the multiplicity of committees as a diversion from the crux of the problem of Nigeria and those who are ready to work with the national conference committees as presently constituted because they do not want the conference to devote so much time to what the other group calls the fundamentals. It is again, a struggle between those who desire a radical change and the guardians of the status quo in Nigeria.

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Executive undermining fight against corruption –Reyenieju Hon. Daniel Reyenieju represents Warri Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives. He is Chairman, Committee on Inter-parliamentary Relations. He spoke with ETAGHENE EDIRIN on the security challenge facing the nation and how the executive has been undermining National Assembly’s efforts at curbing corruption in the country, among other issues.

In view of the prevailing security challenges in some parts of the country, do you think government is doing enough to tackle the situation?

There is no country in the world that can be said to be totally immune to security challenges. The United States of America, Russia and others; all within the ‘developed world bracket,’ despite their sophistications in terms of their respective military might, and their vast security apparatuses and networks, they have not been able to defeat terrorism. It’s contemporary international dimensions.

Coming back home, I know that you have in mind the endless terrorist attacks resulting to loss of human lives, kidnapping, devastation of communities, etc. which with each passing day are assuming frightening, sophisticating and pervasive patterns. I think all of us should by now realise that we are confronting international terrorism of no mean proportion. As at today, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, etc., even with the assistance of foreign troops in their lands have not been able to subdue international terrorists operating in these respective countries.

This should give us all course for concern and also a clear picture of the problem; particularly the degree of coordination, military sophistications, determination and financial backing at the disposal of these terrorists operating in Nigeria.

To the best of my knowledge, no foreign booth is yet on our soil to lend support to our officers and men. In my estimation, our officers and men are doing wonderfully well; but with rooms for improvement, particularly the need to boost the morale of our security personnel. The government is doing much, even though the daily sophistication and fluidity/mobility of these international terrorists seem to greatly undermine such efforts of government. I am optimistic that very soon; the government will successfully subdue terrorism in our land.

As for the contribution from the House, please recall the speech of Mr. Speaker on the issue, which captured the current mood of all members.

What are your thoughts on corruption in Nigeria, and what role is the National Assembly playing to curb it?

The issue here is not what is/are my thought(s) on corruption in Nigeria.

Corruption which can be described as perversion of good ethical standard and

moral behaviour has become so pervasive in Nigeria, such that neither the public, nor the private sectors are spared.

In the public sector, but for the National Assembly in the exercise of its oversight function as constitutionally provided for, the Nigerian state would have been grounded by now given the heartlessness with which some officials plunder public resources.

Take the petroleum subsidy crisis of 2012 for example; it was the investigation of the House of Representatives that exposed the magnitude and intensity of corruption within which the subsidy regime was enmeshed. As you know, whatever our findings, it has to be sent to the executive branch for implementation. From experience, the executive arm of government for whatever reason (s) has opted for selective implementations of findings in corruption matters.

The case of Ms Aruma Oteh of Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) is a classic example. Such attitude has significantly undermined our determination to frontally confront the scourge of corruption in Nigeria.

Despite these orchestrated inhibition from the executive branch, the National Assembly is forging ahead; and remains determined to do so.

The legislature has carried out several probes. Many Nigerians feel corruption is unabated because such probes are mostly done to garner favours? How do you react to this?

Garner favour from who? Such allegations which are largely from those being investigated or likely to be investigated, including their acolytes/rented crowds, by either the House of Representatives or Senate should be discarded because they are sheer blackmail by those on demonis-

Whatever our findings, it has to be sent to the executive branch for implementation. From experience, the executive arm of government for whatever reason (s) has opted for selective implementations of findings in corruption matters

Reyenieju

ing mission, sometimes by rented crowd.

For example, you will recall that when SEC was being investigated by the House, Oteh publicly accused my colleague (Herman Hembe) who was the chairman of the committee handling the investigation of impropriety. As you may be aware, the Appeal Court has cleared him of the allegations levelled against him by Oteh.

The House as a legislative organ has strong internal mechanism to regulate itself. Please note that no report from any committee of the House is an end in itself. All reports must be subjected to the consideration and approval of the whole House. Do you think it will be possible to bribe or bestow favour on majority members either in the Senate or the House depending where the investigations/probes are being carried out?

For example, the House has 360 members, and a simple majority of members present at such sitting will be required to take decision on the reports and recommendations from any committee of the House. How will it be possible to bestow any favour or bribe majority of those present in such sittings. It will not be practically possible.

Let me assert here that these probes are carried out by the House with the best of intentions. Despite the isolated criticisms, a lot has been achieved in the House determination to confront corruption.

What do you think of the ongoing Na-

tional Conference? And do you think it can achieve something meaningful?

I am not a prophet. But from the emerging variables, something will be achieved. How meaningful such achievements will be categorised, will depend on the individuals/assessors’ expectations.

Do you think some of the lawmakers who defected to the other party should vacate their seats given the recent court ruling on the issue?

I am a loyal member of the House of Representatives. The decision of the House at its executive session on this subject-matter remains sacrosanct to me. In addition, this issue is before the court of law.

And what are your plans for 2015?

For me, I have always been a willing political cum legislative tool in the hands of the electorate of the Warri Federal Constituency. In 2007, they beckoned on me to step out from my private business to venture into party politics, and directed me to stand for the seat of Warri Federal Constituency; and I obeyed. It was an easy victory for me.

In 2011, the same wonderful, articulate and politically enlightened constituents directed me to be prepared to stay back in the House; and they worked for it. The result of their honest efforts crystallised, and that is why I am still in the House. With specific reference to 2015, I know that at the appropriate time, they will as usual speak and direct me on what to do. On my part, I will as usual harken to their voice.

POLITICS 43

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

As the House of Representatives begins investigations into allegations of N10 billion expended on a chartered private jet by Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani AlisonMadueke on April 28, PHILIP NYAM analyses the intrigues that have greeted the decision

Chartered jets: Intrigues over NNPC, Alison-Madueke’s probe

O

n March 20, the House of Representatives mandated its committee on Public Accounts to investigate the alleged wastage of N10 billion on the charter and maintenance of a Challenger 850 aircraft for non-official use by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke. The Hon. Adeola Solomon Olamilekan-led Committee was given three weeks to carry out the assignment. However, more than a month after the resolution was made, the committee is yet to sit.

Last week, the committee after blaming the delay on the intrigues employed by the minister to frustrate the probe announced that it would kick start the process with or without the minister.

The genesis The resolution to probe the Minister was arrived at, following the adoption of a motion moved by Hon. Babatunde Adejare (APC, Lagos). Adejare had argued that reliable evidence available to him indicated that Alison-Madueke allegedly sunk the sum of N3.120 billion into the maintenance of a private jet dedicated to the service of herself and her family.

He alleged that the sum of 500,000 Euros (N130 million) was spent every month on the maintenance, noting that in recent times Nigerians experienced acute fuel shortage due to “dwindling national revenue which had reduced the quality of governance and deprived the people of dividends of democracy.”

Adejare said he was “concerned that an official of government could be bankrolling this waste in the face of ever dwindling public resources which amounts to a misplacement of priority, impudence and breach of public trust.”

According to him, the minister’s action contravenes the Fiscal Responsibility Act “and all other laws on fiscal discipline.”

The lawmaker cited section 82 (2) (b) of the 1999 Constitution “which empowers the National Assembly to expose corruption, inefficiency or waste in the execution or administration of laws within its legislative competence and the disbursement or administration of funds appropriated by it.”

Allegations against minister Two weeks after the resolution was made, the Committee on Public Accounts accused the minister and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) of diversionary tactics aimed at frustrating the probe. According to the committee, a one-week ultimatum was given to the min-

Alison-Madueke

ister, the corporation and other agencies involved in the deal to provide the committee the necessary information to enable it commence work, but none was received.

The committee noted that its inability to get the necessary documents was hampering its assignment. “By the mandate given us, we are supposed to be rounding off our assignment but as I am talking to you, we cannot say when it will start because both the minister and NNPC are not cooperating. They have not responded to our memo and no communication has been received from them,” he said.

The committee said the minister and the NNPC were served a memo since March 26 and wondered why it is taking them so long to reply, adding that the committee was equally disturbed with the recent sack of two top management staff of the NNPC. “We are aware of steps being taken to prevent the committee from carrying out its assignment. Why the removal of the director of the legal services of the NNPC at this point in time? If the corporation and the minister fail to come before the committee to explain their roles in the deal to all Nigerians, we as lawmakers will use all the constitutional powers we have to get to the root of the matter.”

Speaker’s blackmail After the allegations against the minister, the House raised alarm over an insidious plot to blackmail Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, other principal officers and the members of the House Committee on Public Accounts. Part of the plot, according to the House, is to sponsor sustained street protests in Abuja to the National Assembly on April 28 to call for the cancellation of the public hearing, media war against the Speaker, principal officers and the committee.

The House also noted that the media war will be in form of advertorial in both print and electronic media, printing of

Tambuwal

Why the image laundering all over the place? Why do you need to sponsor demonstration to stop the National Assembly from doing its statutory duties if you have nothing to hide? leaflets to catalogue series of fake trips allegedly made by the Speaker through private jets despite the fact that he had access to the use of presidential jets any time, as the number four citizen and a host of others.

The House claimed that one of the agencies under the NNPC had been directed to bank roll the expenses of the activities lined up to tarnish the image of the House because the minister is said to have lost faith in the ability of the NNPC to manage the issue effectively.

A principal officer had disclosed that the Speaker was being prevailed upon to drop the investigation and was also reminded that he makes use of private jet too. But the principal officer explained that: “The difference between the minister’s jet and the ones used by most other public servants is that the minister uses the aircraft for both personal and official use, but mostly for personal use. The manifest of the aircraft will reveal this if same has not been doctored.”

According to him, “while other public officials including the Speaker charter private jets for emergency situations or official engagements within short notice, the minister has steady charter arrangements for the aircraft and they are for her exclusive use.

This is not so for the Speaker and other top government officials who merely charter the private jets when the needs arise.”

Probe will go on In spite of the frustration and allegations, the committee finally resolved that it would go ahead with the probe with or without any response from the minister and other stakeholders. In taking the decision, the committee announced

Yakubu

that it felt blackmailed and it was even becoming a national embarrassment as all those involved were not forthcoming with useful information for the committee to commence its assignment.

According to the committee, “we have scheduled a public hearing on the matter for April 28, I believe the committee will do all that is within our power as contained in the legislative right and privileged Acts to ensure justice. Don’t forget we all as elected or appointed officials of government are not above the law, so we will go all out within the laid down law to carry out our assignment as directed by the House.”

The committee added that “why the image laundering all over the place? Why do you need to sponsor demonstration to stop the National Assembly from doing its statutory duties if you have nothing to hide? Everybody knows that the NNPC headquarters in Abuja is a security zone being manned mainly by military men, so how did the pro-Deziani protesters gain entrance into the place abusing National Assembly members for daring to probe her? It is a shameful act that a minister under this administration can be funding all these without being checked.”

The intrigues As alleged by the committee, two weeks after the resolution was made, a group of protesters under the umbrella of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) supporting the embattled minister stormed the National Assembly. They were however prevented from gaining entry into the main gate of the National Assembly by the security personnel attached to the complex. The protest came on the heels of the allegations from the committee that the minister was frustrating their efforts.

Last line How will this investigation be carried out if the minister and other stakeholders did not cooperate with the committee? What do we expect next Monday?

Will the minister respond to the House summons and what would be the reaction of the committee should AlisonMadueke fail to turn up?

44 POLITICS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Regulating alcohol production, consumption Philip Nyam

T

The bill would affect the licensing system, legal alcohol purchase age, supply of alcohol to under 18-year-old by parents or guardians, reduction of alcohol content, the promotion of alcohol, consumption of alcohol in public places

Bush-Alebiosu

offences are enforced.

Ages for sale and purchase of alcohol The age at which people may lawfully buy alcohol on licensed premises for consumption is the age of 20 years. The age at which people may lawfully buy alcohol on licensed premises for consumption on those premises is the age of 18 years. The age at which alcohol may lawfully be sold to and purchased by people on licensed premises for consumption somewhere else is the age of 20 years.

The bill, however, exempts military formations from its enforcement. For example, Section 15 (1) of the bill states that “Nothing in this Act applies to the sale, supply, or keeping for sale or supply, of alcohol in: (a) a canteen or mess, or any other place in a naval ship or defence area (within the provisions of this Act and any provi-

BILL OF

WEEK

THE

he Bill of the Week is “ A Bill for an Act to enact the Alcoholic Control Bill to among other things provide for the regulation of the licensing, production, importation, advertising, promotion, sponsorship, distribution and sale of alcoholic liquor content and for matters connected therewith.”

The bill is sponsored by Hon. Yacoob Bush-Alebiosu (APC, Lagos).

Summarised as the “Alcoholic Content Control Bill 2013”, this bill seeks to control the regulation and consumption of alcohol in the country.

According to the sponsor of the bill, Bush-Alebiosu, it has five policy objectives: To reduce excessive drinking by adults and young people; to reduce the harm caused by alcohol use, including crime, health disorder, public nuisance, and negative public health outcomes; to support the safe and responsible sale, supply and consumption of alcohol; to reduce the content of ethanol or alcoholic content of several liquor manufactured and imported in the country; to introduce the operation of the alcohol licensing system.

The key measures proposed in the bill would affect the licensing system, legal alcohol purchase age, supply of alcohol to under 18-year-old by parents or guardians, reduction of alcohol content, the promotion of alcohol, consumption of alcohol in public places, the controls on alcoholic products, and the way alcohol-related

sion relation to defence or shipping in Nigeria, where the consumption and possession of alcohol is authorised; (b) an amenity set up and conducted by the Armed Forces or in accordance with the Armed Forces Act; (c) a Police canteen established with the authority of the Commissioner of Police or by the necessary authority: or any other Government parastatals.”

Licensing The bill proposes four types of licences namely: on-licences, off-licences, club Kinds of licence and special licences. The bill when it is passed into law shall be administered by a licencing authority or committee.

The bill proposes: “A licensee or manager of any licensed premises who sells or supplies alcohol, or allows alcohol to be sold or supplied, on or from the licensed premises to any person who is under the buying purchase age commits an offence. (2) A person who is not a licensee or a manager of any

licensed premises who sells or supplies alcohol on or from the licensed premises to any person who is under the buying purchase age commits an offence. (3) A person who commits an offence against subsection (1) is liable on conviction (a) in the case of a licensee, to either or both of the following: (i) a fine of not more than NI,000,000; (ii) the suspension of the licensee’s licence for a period of not more than seven days.”

The bill also prescribes the alcoholic content ceiling. It says: “No alcoholic product shall contain more than 10% volume of alcohol, and alcohol for the purpose of this Act shall mean the definition (1) No Beer of Lager, Ale or other forms of soft alcohol should be produced or manufactured with a volume content of more than 300 ml. (2) Any licence holder or body corporate in violation of this section shall be liable to a fine of not less than NI0 million and such is a ground for the revocation of the licence granted for the production of alcohol.”

The sponsor Bush-Alebiosu was born on March 10, 1957 and represents Kosofe Federal Constituency of Lagos State on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). An architect by training, he is the chairman of House of Representatives’ Committee on Treaties and Agreements.

He is a member of the following committees: Communication, Gas Resources, Land Transport, Privatisation and Commercialisation; Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes. Before his election to the House of Representatives, he had served as a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly.

Aminu: Conference mandate, subject to interpretations Prof. Jubril Aminu, former Minister of Education and Petroleum Resources tells Onwuka Nzeshi that he is comfortable with the way the conference is going. Excerpts: What’s your view about the agitation to have fewer committees that would concentrate on the political restructuring of the country?

It is not a committee of experts; it is politics.

Politics don’t obey all those laws. Like, you can’t say this is now a medical issue, look for Jubril Aminu or this is education or university issue look for experts in the field. It’s politics and you have to bring in people who can make contributions which are intrinsically good but they have to be related to the situation we are facing at the time.

We adjourned today, it’s quite normal. The chairman is always excellent. We go home now and we look back, particularly the papers they gave us about the structure of the committees and see whether we have any suggestions. By the time we come back, he will announce the list of the committees. People like Bolaji Akinyemi are there so they will take interest in the capacity of people and put them in the committees where they could

serve well.

If the conference decides to deal with every issue, do you think that you have all the time?

In my opinion, the conference as it is composed should be able to define areas that are causing problems for this country, discuss them within the time available and make suggestions that would work. Remember we are not writing a constitution; we are trying to remedy a few problems.

One of the delegates, Chief Ayo Adebanjo said that you need only a few committees that would focus on the restructuring of the country. Do you....?

(Cuts in) Leave Ayo. Can you imagine what he was saying? Ayo was saying: We are not here to write a constitution but to decide whether Nigeria is going to scatter or remain together. Is that the sort of thing we are going to be talking about? Don’t mind him. When I see him, I will remind him (laughter).

There are fears that the conference is derailing from its mandate and that there were specific issues the President asked you to look into, which you seem to have abandoned. What do you think?

The president spoke in English and we also did a bit of English in school. So, that may be their own understanding and this is our own understanding.

Aminu

METRO 45

of Truth

April 23, 2014

ur Offa Poly students ested for robbery

e

of the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, seven persons arrested by the poa State for alleged armed robbery. sioner of Police, Ambrose Aisad the suspects, expressed concern nt of students of tertiary institut forms of crime in the state. suspects, the commissioner said, within one week at various locastate. of the students was a neighbour adding that the students allegedly members of a cult group. the police recovered two AK47 d by some hoodlums in a bush near

ws, damaged other items and set g on fire. the residents, who crave anod our correspondent that he had at Smith Street since 19 51, but essed such orgy of violence. d: “We urged the Lagos State nt to look into the matter and risis between the two warring that there will be peace in our

The suspects

the polytechnic, while being pursued by officers of the command.

The commissioner disclosed that those in police custody would soon be charged.

He said: “On April 18, 2014, about 0015hrs at Atari area of Offa, while on raid of criminals’ hideout by eagle-eyed officers of the command, the sus-

pects were arrested after successfully robbing one Adeolu Emmanuel of his property such as laptops, four assorted telephones, one deck with speakers and N30,000 cash while armed with dangerous weapons like cutlasses, axe and mask.

“On interrogation, the suspects confessed to be members of Eiye Cult and

also confessed to have been responsible for robberies around Offa and its environs in recent times.”

Aisabor also spoke efforts of his command to deal with attacks on persons suspected to be kidnappers by mob in the state capital.

The commissioner said the command would no longer hesitate to use force on such gathering, warning the residents to desist from such acts.

He said: “Madness is not synonymous with criminality.”

Aisabor said policemen would be justified to use firearms on those who try to lynch suspects.

“We are in a lawful society, not a lawless society,” he added.

The commissioner, however, urged the people to be security conscious always by not overlooking substances, parked vehicles and strange faces around them.

Security, according to him, is not for police alone to handle.

Two in court for impersonation Camillus Nnaji and Bisola Tiamiyu

T

wo persons, Maureen Enwezor (48) and Jude Ohanumma (38), yesterday appeared before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court, Lagos for impersonating and discharging police duties.

According to the charge sheet No: MIK/R/94/2014, Enwezor was accused of forgery and fraudulently gaining admission into the police force.

It reads: “That you Maureen Enwezor on December 23, 2013, at Plot No. 695 Shomide Street, Omole Phase II in Lagos did conspire to commit felony to wit forgery, obtaining admission into Police Force by fraud and impersonation and thereby committed an offense punishable under Section 409 of Criminal Laws of Lagos.”

The investigative police officer, I. Mohammed, said Enwezor unlawfully forged transfer signal letter with reference number AH572/LS/A DEPT/ VOL. TI/89 dated December

23, 2013 without the approval of the police authorities.

The forged signal, the IPO added, ensured Enwezor’s fraudulent admission into the Nigeria Police Force and his transfer to the Lagos State police Command.

Mohammed explained that Enwezor had on the same date, at Pen Cinema Police Station, Agege, impersonated the police by wearing police uniform with the rank of a corporal.

In another charge sheet, MIK, /R/95/2014, the second accused, Ohanumma, was charged with fraudulent admission into the police and impersonating members of the force.

Presiding over the case, the Magistrate, Mrs Sule Hamsat, admitted the two defendants to bail in the sum of N50,000 each, with two sureties who must present evidence of gainful employment and verifiable addresses and are taxable persons.

The cases were adjourned to May 22.

NDLEA arrests freight forwarder with cocaine Wole Shadare

T

he National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has thwarted plans by one Nyeaka Chidiebere Anslem to make quick fortune from drug business.

The anti-drug agency arrested the suspect with 2.460kg of cocaine hidden inside female shoes and voltage regulators at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

The seizure was made in a consignment of female shoes from Brazil on board an Ethiopian Airline flight and a shipment of voltage regulators meant for export to Gabon on a DHL cargo flight.

The NDLEA Commander at the Lagos Airport, Mr Hamza Umar, explained that the shipment of shoes was abandoned.

ual killers’ hunters to court

en where human parts were allegg sold. h nothing incriminating was found use, the accused were said to have ed it and attempted to set it on fire ey were arrested. ate Police Public Relations Officer Muyiwa Adejobi, who confirmed gnment of the accused in a statesterday, condemned the act of atnnocent individuals for wrong and med allegation of kidnap or child

d: “As a follow up to an attack on a Ijaiye area of Abeokuta on Monday l by some youths for alleged ritual the Ogun State command today arhe 17 suspects arrested in connecthe matter. suspects were among the angry ho attacked a house of one retired uperintendent of police at Ijaiye,

Abeokuta for alleged ritual purposes and went on the rampage to the extent of damaging some items in the house and launched attack on the police, community leaders and other security agents at the scene after a series of confirmation that the house was not a ‘ritualist’ den and several pleas from prominent people in the area for calm.

“The Commissioner of police Ogun State, Ikemefuna Okoye, has condemned the act of attacking innocent individuals for wrong and unconfirmed allegation of kidnap or child stealing in the state; and ordered that anyone caught engaging in jungle justice be arrested and charged to court so as to serve as deterrent to others who are fond of doing so, particularly beating up persons of unsound mind and the likes.

“The commissioner of police then assured the general public of police commitment to promote justice in all cases brought to the notice of the command with a view to strengthening people’s trust and confidence in the police.”

Anslem

The shoes containing the drug

He said: “We found an abandoned luggage containing ladies’ shoes that originated from Brazil. During examination, 1.860kg of cocaine was found inside the shoe soles. Our men at the Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL) section of the airport also detected 600 grammes of cocaine

hidden in a voltage regulator. A freight forwarder had been arrested in connection with the cocaine shipment to Gabon.”

But Anslem was quoted as saying that he was given the consignment by a client.

He said: “I am a freight forwarder with over five years working experience. A client

gave me a bag containing three voltage regulators and hair attachment to send to Gabon.

“The NDLEA at SAHCOL while searching the luggage dismantled the voltage regulators and found five parcels of substance that tested positive for cocaine in one of the regulators.”

Fulani/Tiv crisis: Suswam’s wife donates items to victims Cephas Iorhemen Makurdi

W

ife of Benue State governor, Mrs Yemisi Dooshima Suswam, has donated assorted relief materials to returning Tiv refugees who were displaced following the invasion of their communities by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

Presenting the relief materials at Ukpiam in Guma Local Government Area, the governor’s wife sympathised with the victims, saying government would ensure they return to their ancestral homes.

Mrs. Suswam making the donation

She said: “When you have all returned to your homesteads, government will set in motion proactive peace building and conflict transformation strategies in order to ensure that bloodletting does not arise at any given time again.”

The governor’s wife expressed op-

timism that the Gabriel Suswam administration has the political muscle to tackle the problem currently ravaging the state.

She added: “We shall continue to build partnership and collaborative network in the task of tackling this menace and facilitating sustainable development in the state.

“We cannot afford to turn back the hands of the clock and allow our hard won dividends of development to be stolen in this manner.”

46 BUSINESS | FINANCIAL MARKET NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

22-Apr-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 9.20 29-JUN-2014 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

29-Jun-07 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

9.20 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

45.00 100.00 535.00 327.47 452.80 20.00 100.00 300.00 351.30 233.90 600.00 50.00 75.00 150.00 200.00 591.57

29-Jun-14 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

0.19 0.44 1.00 2.32 3.01 3.26 3.36 4.10 5.19 5.50 7.77 9.89 14.60 15.08 15.58 16.25

11.62 12.40 13.35 13.28 13.26 13.16 13.16 13.21 13.35 13.27 13.38 13.40 13.44 13.45 13.46 13.53

10.82 12.03 13.17 13.21 13.14 13.03 13.04 13.10 13.27 13.18 13.32 13.34 13.39 13.40 13.39 13.47

99.50 98.68 91.49 99.50 104.45 91.41 89.89 92.22 109.65 76.05 114.20 104.30 109.86 93.86 68.00 77.00

99.65 98.83 91.64 99.65 104.75 91.71 90.19 92.52 109.95 76.35 114.50 104.60 110.16 94.16 68.30 77.30

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE Rating/Agency

4,132.04 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

0.53 1.09 1.57 2.63 3.00 3.21

1.00 2.63 2.27 2.00 1.49 1.00

13.66 15.97 15.55 15.18 14.63 14.15

93.33 84.60 102.36 92.43 89.63 88.15

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

0.29 0.48 1.36 0.96 1.26 1.27 2.99 1.82 3.69 2.66 4.45 2.67 2.67 3.25 3.31 5.59 3.28 3.99 6.60 6.69 4.00 4.03

4.88 5.99 4.44 3.23 4.46 3.48 5.59 7.60 1.79 1.80 1.00 1.00 1.21 1.00 2.46 1.94 2.74 2.74 1.00 1.94 1.44 1.95

16.86 18.56 17.75 16.52 17.78 16.80 18.73 20.86 14.97 14.97 14.23 14.17 14.38 14.15 15.62 15.21 15.90 15.94 14.30 15.24 14.64 15.15

99.07 97.97 93.86 97.20 96.01 98.89 80.67 89.73 97.26 98.07 99.25 100.86 109.93 100.91 99.78 97.35 97.27 96.70 96.63 98.95 106.92 106.58

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 14-Nov-20

0.46 0.66 0.69 0.84 0.92 1.00 2.44 2.51 3.44 2.06 2.21 2.38 2.38 4.42 2.49 2.57 6.56

1.00 5.21 8.71 4.88 1.00 2.63 1.00 1.34 4.52 1.88 3.48 5.20 5.06 3.06 2.29 6.11 2.76

13.50 18.06 21.61 17.99 14.23 15.97 14.20 14.53 17.69 15.11 16.70 18.40 18.26 16.28 15.48 19.29 16.06

99.11 97.23 97.08 94.11 98.23 98.57 97.58 99.43 88.27 106.10 98.87 99.52 101.92 92.96 100.54 95.92 96.77

11-Feb-18

3.81

1.00

14.19

88.53

Maturity Date

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

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 A+/Agusto; A-/GCR

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

LAFARGE WAPCO GTB µ NGC *UPDC *FLOURMILLS *CHELLARAMS NAHCO FSDH UBA *C & I LEASING *DANA# *TOWER# *TOWER# UBA *LA CASERA *CHELLARAMS# 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 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 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 15.25

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

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 2.05

175.67

Supranational Bond AAA/S&P

10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018

IFC

11-Feb-13

10.20

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE Rating/Agency

12.00

12.00 Issuer

Description

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Issue Value ($'mm)

FGN Eurobonds

Prices & Yields

BB-/Fitch; B+/S&P BB-/Fitch; BB-/S&P

FGN

BB-/Fitch; BB-/S&P

6.75 JAN 28, 2021

07-Oct-11

6.75

500.00

28-Jan-21

5.29

5.13

108.21

109.13

5.13 JUL 12, 2018

18-Dec-09

5.13

500.00

12-Jul-18

4.46

4.26

102.51

103.28

6.38 JUL 12, 2023

01-Apr-10

6.38

500.00

12-Jul-23

5.74

5.60

104.50

105.48

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

1,500.00

Corporate Eurobonds B-/S&P; B/Fitch B+/S&P; B+/Fitch B+/S&P B/S&P; B/Fitch B/Fitch

AFREN PLC I

11.50 FEB 01, 2016

01-Feb-11

11.50

450.00

01-Feb-16

3.98

3.45

112.69

113.66

GTBANK PLC I

7.50 MAY 19, 2016

19-May-11

7.50

500.00

19-May-16

5.29

4.52

104.26

105.81

GTBANK PLC

6.00 NOV 08, 2018

08-Nov-13

6.00

400.00

08-Nov-18

6.11

5.86

99.56

100.57

7.25 JUL 25, 2017

25-Jul-12

7.25

350.00

25-Jul-17

6.99

6.49

100.72

102.18

6.88 MAY 09, 2018

09-May-13

6.88

300.00

02-May-18

8.24

7.71

95.40

97.13

10.25 APR 08, 2019

08-Apr-12

10.25

300.00

08-Apr-19

5.24

4.64

113.81

115.04

ACCESS BANK PLC FIDELITY BANK PLC

Agency Bonds AMCON FMBN

NA

***LCRM

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

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

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

31-Oct-14 24-May-15 03-Apr-17 09-Dec-16 20-Apr-17 06-Jul-17

0.53 1.09 1.57 2.63 3.00 3.21

1.00 2.63 2.27 2.00 1.49 1.00

13.66 15.97 15.55 15.18 14.63 14.15

93.33 84.60 102.36 92.43 89.63 88.15

1,304.32

BUSINESS | FINANCIAL MARKET NEWS

Sub-National Bonds Sanctity of Truth

47

A-/GCR NIGER 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 A-/Agusto *NIGER A/Agusto; A-/GCR *ONDO A/Agusto; A-/GCR *GOMBE Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR LAGOS he A-/GCR Nigerian bourse A/Agusto; *OSUN saw a A/Agusto *OSUN as barbullish sustenance Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR LAGOS gain hunters continued to A-/Agusto; BBB+/DataPro KOGI take positions yesterday A/Agusto *EKITI on the stock exchange after the A-/GCR *NASARAWA

T

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 the largest economy in Africa.

10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017 13.75 BAYELSA The bull 30-JUN-2017 had maintained its 14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017 stronghold on the stock market 14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018 as14.00 major NIGER blue-chip II 4-OCT-2018 companies joined the gainers, causing the 14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018 14.00 NIGER IIIIndex 12-DEC-2018 All-Share to remain on 15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019 the green zone for the past days.

15.50 GOMBE 02-OCT-2019 The number of gainers at the 14.50 LAGOS 22-NOV-2019 close of trading session closed 14.75 OSUN 12-DEC-2019 30-SEP-2020 at14.75 25 OSUN justIIas the previous day, 13.50 LAGOS IV 27-NOV-2020 compared with 21 that shed 15.00 KOGI 31-DEC-2020 weight.

14.50 EKITI II 31-DEC-2020 RTNASARAWA Briscoe06-JAN-2021 rose by 7.50 per 15.00

05-Aug-09 14.00 15-Oct-09 14.00 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 share while UBA Capital Plc 30-Jun-10 13.75 followed with a loss of 7.69 30-Dec-10 14.00 per cent to close at14.00 N2.40 per 30-Sep-11 share.

Sterling Bank Plc lost 5 04-Oct-11 14.00 09-Dec-11 per cent to close at14.50 N2,28 per 12-Dec-13 14.00 share.

14-Feb-12 15.50 Other financial services 02-Oct-12 15.50 sub 22-Nov-12 sector, motivated 14.50 by the 12-Dec-12 14.75 shares of FBNH Plc led with 30-Sep-13 of 169.7 14.75 a turnover units of 27-Nov-13 13.50 shares valued at N1.9 billion 31-Dec-13 15.00 in 843 transactions.

31-Dec-13 14.50 06-Jan-14 The banking sub15.00 sector of

17.00 05-Aug-14 0.29 6.00 15-Oct-14 0.48 8.50 31-Aug-15 1.36 16.50 30-Sep-15 0.96 13.00 30-Jun-16 1.26 18.50 30-Jun-16 1.27 57.00 19-Apr-17 2.99 50.00 30-Jun-17 1.82 25.00 31-Dec-17 3.69 50.00 30-Sep-18 2.66 9.00 04-Oct-18 4.45 20.00 09-Dec-18 2.67 12.00 12-Dec-18 2.67 27.00 14-Feb-19 3.25 20.00 02-Oct-19 3.31 WAPCO 80.00 afarge Cement 22-Nov-19 5.59 30.00 Nigeria12-Dec-19 3.28 Plc has joined 11.40 the league 30-Sep-20 3.99 of high priced 87.00 27-Nov-20 6.60 stocks in the capital market, 5.00 31-Dec-20 6.69 the Stock Exchange 5.00 Nigerian 31-Dec-20 4.00 5.00 06-Jan-21 yesterday.

4.03 (NSE) announced

4.88 16.86 99.07 5.99 18.56 97.97 4.44 17.75 93.86 3.23 16.52 97.20 4.46 17.78 96.01 3.48 16.80 98.89 5.59last six 18.73 80.67 the months period.

7.60 20.86 89.73 Justifying the inclusion 1.79 14.97 97.26 of 1.80Lafarge14.97 Cement 98.07 WAPCO1.00Nigeria14.23 Plc in the high 99.25 1.00 14.17Head, Market 100.86 priced stocks, 1.21 14.38of The109.93 Surveillance NSE, 1.00 14.15 100.91 Mr. Abimbola, said a re2.46 15.62 99.78 view of trading activities 1.94 15.21 97.35 15.90 97.27last of 2.74 the company in the 96.70 the six2.74months 15.94 showed that 1.00 14.30 96.63 company met the criteria set 1.94 15.24 98.95 by1.44 the Exchange.

14.64 106.92 1.95 15.15 106.58 “The Exchange com-

TOTAL OUTSTANDING Easter holidays. VALUE The major Corporate Bondsmarket indicator, NSE All Share strengthA+/Agusto; AA/GCR Index, LAFARGE WAPCO ened by 96.73 basis point or 0.25 Aa/Agusto GTB µ Nil cent to close at NGC39,408.33 per Bbb-/Agusto *UPDC basis points against 39,311.60 A-/Agusto *FLOURMILLS recorded last Thursday .

BB+/GCR *CHELLARAMS Investors continued A+/Agusto; A-/GCR NAHCOupbeat A-/Agusto as the market sentiments beFSDH A/GCR UBA back of came positive on the BBB-/GCR *C & I LEASING the country’s rebased economy, BBB+/DataPro†; BB+/GCR *DANA# which has positioned Nigeria as A-/DataPro†; BB-/GCR *TOWER#

cent to close at N1.29, thus leading the gainers’ chart. PZ Cussons and Eterna Oil2014gained 11.50 LAFARGE WAPCO 7-OCT 13.50per GUARANTY 18-DEC-2014 4.99 centTRUST each to close at 17.00 NGC 31-DEC-2014 N35.12 and N3.79 per share re10.00 UPDC 17-AUG-2015 spectively, while Access Bank 12.00 FLOURMILLS 9-DEC-2015 followed with a gain of 4.96 14.00 CHELLARAMS 06-JAN-2016 13.00 NAHCO per cent to29-SEP-2016 close at N8.67.

14.25 OnFSDH the25-OCT-2016 flip side, Neimeth 13.00 UBA 30-SEP-2017 Nigeria Plc led on the price 18.00 C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017 losers’ dropping at 9.52 MPR+7.00table, DANA 9-APR-2018 per cent to close at N1.14 per MPR+7.00 TOWER 9-SEP-2018

This, according to the Exthe financial services sector 572.90 followed in the market trans- change stemmed from the conclusion 07-Oct-14 of it’s review action volume with11.50 136.9 mil- 11.80 07-Oct-11 0.46of 13.50 the prices 18-Dec-14 of stocks, 0.66 in a lion 18-Dec-09 units valued at N1.4 bil- 13.17 17.00 2.00 to improve 31-Dec-14 bid liquidity0.69 and lion 01-Apr-10 exchanged in 1,839.

17-Aug-10 10.00 15.00 17-Aug-15 0.84 The volume recorded in the deepen the market.

09-Dec-10 12.00 37.50 09-Dec-15 0.92 sector was driven by 06-Jan-11 14.00transac1.50Head, Market 06-Jan-16 Operations 1.00 of NSE, Mr. Ade Ewuosho tions29-Sep-11 in the shares of GTB and 15.00 13.00 29-Sep-16 2.44 14.25 5.53 2.51 to noted that25-Oct-16 in the past, UBA.25-Oct-13 30-Sep-10 30-Sep-17 3.44 move the price of any stock On the whole 13.00 investors 20.00 30-Nov-12 18.00 0.94 30-Nov-17 2.06 upwards or downwards, the staked 372.4 units of shares 09-Apr-11 16.00 8.01 09-Apr-18 2.21 brokers needed to have worth N4.9 billion in 4,984 deals.

09-Sep-11 18.00 3.63 09-Sep-18 2.38 a 09-Sep-11 16.00 1.00 09-Sep-18 shares2.38 volume of 50,000 and 22-Sep-11 14.00 35.00 22-Sep-18 4.42 above.

18-Oct-13 15.75 3.00 18-Oct-18 2.49 However, he said that in 17-Feb-12 17.00 0.54 17-Feb-19 2.57 September 2012, the NSE 14-Nov-13 15.25 2.05 14-Nov-20 6.56insider partnering with the gov- 175.67 troduced a pilot programme ernment in various areas of for its new market structure national economy, as govern- with the rollout of market 11-Feb-13 10.20 12.00 11-Feb-18 3.81 ment alone cannot develop the making, where stockbrokers 12.00 economy. could move prices of some He also requested that gov- high priced stocks with Issue Date Coupon (%) Issue Value ($'mm) Maturity Date Bid Yield (%) ernment continue to create a 10,000 shares. level playing field and initiate These high price stocks investment friendly policies are securities that have 07-Oct-11 6.75 500.00 28-Jan-21 5.29 that will encourage public-pri- traded an average of N100 or 18-Dec-09 5.13 country. 500.00 12-Jul-18 4.46of vate partnership in the more per share in four out

menced the pilot programme with nine stocks-Dangote Cement, Guinness Plc, 1.00 13.50 99.11Nes18.06 97.23 tle5.21 Plc, Nigerian Breweries, 8.71Capital 21.61 97.08 SIM Fund, Skye Shel4.88 17.99 94.11 ter Fund, Nigerian Energy 1.00 14.23 98.23 Sector Fund15.97 (NESF) and 2.63 98.57 Total1.00 Plc. The14.20 Programme 97.58 be1.34 permanent 14.53 99.43and came in 2013 4.52 17.69 the nine initial pilot 88.27 stocks 1.88 15.11 106.10 remained.

3.48 16.70 98.87 “Lafarge 18.40 Cement WAPCO 5.20 99.52 5.06 101.92 Nigeria will18.26 become the 10th 3.06 on the16.28 92.96 We stock programme.

2.29 15.48 100.54 have observed that the prices 6.11 19.29 95.92 of 2.76 these high stocks 16.06priced 96.77 have been rather stable with none falling below the N100 mark, which is currently the 1.00 14.19 88.53 benchmark” said Babalola.

Stockbrokers would be able to move the prices of Offer Yield (%) Bid Price Offer Price Lafarge Cement WAPCO Nigeria Plc, in addition to the Prices & Yields existing high priced stocks, 5.13 108.21 109.13 with 10,000 units with effect 4.26 April 22, 102.512014.

103.28 from

Wednesday, April 23, 2014 A/Agusto KWARA

NSE sustains bullish rally GREEN

Stock market continues positive sentiment

Stories by Chris Ugwu

AAA/DataPro†; A+/GCR A/Agusto; A/GCR Bbb+/Agusto; BBB+/GCR BBB-/DataPro†; BB+/GCR A+/Agusto; A-/GCR

*TOWER# UBA *LA CASERA *CHELLARAMS# NAHCO

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 15.25 NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020

Lafarge joins high priced stocks ELEVATION

Lafarge is now among the premium stocks in the capital market

L

NSE partners tourism ministry

T

he Nigerian Stock Exchange TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

(NSE) has partnered the Supranational Bond Federal Ministry of TourAAA/S&P IFC ism, Culture and National OriTOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE entation, to drive development in Nigeria’s culture and tourRating/Agency Issuer ism sector.

Speaking FGN Eurobonds during the inauguration of the Board and BB-/Fitch; B+/S&P Planning Committee of the BB-/Fitch; FGN Presidential Summit on TourBB-/S&P

ism at the Exchange, the Chief Executive Officer of The Exchange, Mr. Oscar Onyema, 10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018 said that he was optimistic that the summit would set the tone for a higher level of Description interest and investment in the sector than ever witnessed before now. 6.75 JAN 28, 2021 The NSE boss appealed to 5.13 sectors JUL 12, 2018 to conother private

BB-/Fitch; BB-/S&P

6.38 JUL 12, 2023

01-Apr-10

6.38

500.00

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

12-Jul-23

5.74

5.60

104.50

105.48

22-Apr-14

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE 1,500.00 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 Corporate Eurobonds to the FMDQ OTC PLC Terms of Use and Disclaimer Statement.

B-/S&P; B/Fitch

B+/S&P; B+/Fitch FGN Bonds B+/S&P Rating/Agency B/S&P; B/Fitch B/Fitch B+/Fitch; BB-/S&P

AFREN PLC I

11.50 FEB 01, 2016

01-Feb-11

GTBANK PLC I

7.50 MAY 19, 2016

19-May-11

GTBANK PLC

6.00 NOV 08, 2018

08-Nov-13

ACCESS Issuer BANK PLC FIDELITY BANK PLC AFREN PLC

B/S&P; B-/Fitch

ZENITH BANK PLC FIRST BANK PLC

B+/S&P; B+/Fitch

AFREN PLC

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE NA

**Treasury Bills

NA

DTM Maturity 16 8-May-14 23 15-May-14 30 22-May-14 37 29-May-14 44 5-Jun-14 58 TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE 19-Jun-14 65 26-Jun-14 72 3-Jul-14 79 10-Jul-14 Rating/Agency Issuer 86 17-Jul-14 93 24-Jul-14 Agency Bonds 100 31-Jul-14 AMCON 107 7-Aug-14 FMBN 114 14-Aug-14 NA 121 21-Aug-14 135 4-Sep-14 ***LCRM 170 9-Oct-14 226 4-Dec-14 TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE 261 8-Jan-15 275 22-Jan-15 Sub-National Bonds 289 5-Feb-15 A/Agusto KWARA19-Feb-15 303 A-/GCR NIGER 5-Mar-15 317 A+/Agusto 352 KADUNA9-Apr-15

Description

7.25 JUL 25, 2017 Issue Date

6.88 MAY 09, 2018

9.20 29-JUN-2014 29-Jun-07 10.25 APR 08, 2019 9.25 28-SEP-2014 28-Sep-07 6.25 APR 22, 2019 4.00 23-APR-2015 23-Apr-10 13.05 16-AUG-2016 8.25 AUG 07, 202016-Aug-13 15.10 27-APR-2017 27-Apr-12 6.63 DEC 09, 2020 9.85 27-JUL-2017 27-Jul-07 9.35 31-AUG-2017 31-Aug-07 10.70 30-MAY-2018 30-May-08 16.00 29-JUN-2019 29-Jun-12 7.00 23-OCT-2019 23-Oct-09 Discount (%) Offer27-Jan-12 Discount (%) 16.39Bid 27-JAN-2022 10.35 10.10 14.20 14-MAR-2024 14-Mar-14 11.05 10.80 15.00 28-NOV-2028 28-Nov-08 11.00 10.75 12.49 22-MAY-2029 22-May-09 11.45 11.20 8.50 20-NOV-2029 20-Nov-09 10.00 23-JUL-2030 23-Jul-10 11.30 11.05

11.55 11.30 11.45 11.20 11.45 11.20 10.90 10.65 Description 10.85 10.60 11.30 11.05 11.25 11.00 0.00 AMCON 31-OCT-2014 (SR.5 TR.1) 11.35 11.10 0.00 FMB 24-MAY-2015 11.25 17.25 FMB11.50 II 03-APR-2017 11.25 0.00/16.0011.50 LCRM 09-DEC-2016 11.35 0.00/16.5011.60 LCRM II 20-APR-2017 11.60 0.00/16.5011.85 LCRM III 06-JUL-2017 11.55 11.30 12.05 11.80 11.85 11.60 12.10 11.85 14.00 KWARA 12.005-AUG-2014 11.75 14.00 NIGER 15-OCT-2014 12.10 11.85 12.50 KADUNA 12.15 31-AUG-2015 11.90

A/Agusto *EBONYI 13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015 Nil *BENUE 14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016 A+/Agusto *IMO 15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016 *from the Amortising bonds, the average life is calculated and not the duration A+/Agusto; A+/GCR LAGOS 10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017 # Risk Premium is a combination of credit risk and liquidity risk premiums A-/Agusto *BAYELSA 13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017 **Exclusive of non-trading t.bills A/Agusto EDO 14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017 A+/Agusto; A+/GCR *DELTA 14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018 A-/Agusto; A-/GCR NIGER 14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018 A/Agusto; A-/GCR† *EKITI 14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018 A-/Agusto *NIGER 14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018 A/Agusto; A-/GCR *ONDO 15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019 A/Agusto; A-/GCR *GOMBE 15.50 GOMBE 02-OCT-2019 Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR LAGOS 14.50 LAGOS 22-NOV-2019 Modified Duration Market Total Outstanding A/Agusto; A-/GCR *OSUN 14.75Porfolio OSUN 12-DEC-2019 Buckets Value(Bn) Volume(Bn) A/Agusto *OSUN 14.75 OSUN II 30-SEP-2020 Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR LAGOS 13.50 LAGOS IV 27-NOV-2020

11.50

450.00

01-Feb-16

3.98

3.45

112.69

7.50

500.00

19-May-16

5.29

4.52

104.26

400.00

08-Nov-18

6.11

25-Jul-12 Coupon (%) 09-May-13

6.00 Outstanding 7.25 Value (N'bn) 6.88

350.00Date Maturity 300.00

25-Jul-17 TTM (Yrs) 02-May-18

08-Apr-12

10.25

9.20 9.25

22-Apr-14 4.00

13.05 07-Aug-13

15.10 9.85 9.35 10.70 16.00 7.00 Bid Yield 16.39 (%) 10.40 14.20 11.13 15.00 11.10 12.49 11.58 8.50 10.00 11.46

09-Dec-13

11.77 11.69 11.71 11.16 Issue Date 11.13 11.63 11.61 28-Dec-11 11.74 24-May-10 11.93 03-Apr-12 11.96 09-Dec-11 12.12 20-Apr-12 12.54 06-Jul-12 12.44 13.19 13.01 13.38 05-Aug-09 13.33 15-Oct-09 13.52 31-Aug-10 13.76

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 Weighting by 12-Dec-12 Outstanding 30-Sep-13Vol 27-Nov-13

Bonds

45.00 100.00 6.25 535.00 327.47 8.25 452.80 6.63 20.00 100.00 300.00 351.30 233.90 600.00 Tenor 50.00 CALL 75.00 7150.00 DAYS 30200.00 DAYS 60591.57 DAYS

FIXINGS NIBOR

90 DAYS 4,132.04 180 DAYS 365 DAYS

Coupon (%)

29-Jun-14 300.00 28-Sep-14 500.00 23-Apr-15 16-Aug-16 300.00 27-Apr-17 360.00 27-Jul-17 3,460.00 31-Aug-17 30-May-18 29-Jun-19 23-Oct-19 27-Jan-22 Rate (%) 14-Mar-24 10.9167 28-Nov-28 11.2500 22-May-29 11.5000 20-Nov-29 23-Jul-30 11.8333

12.1250 12.4167 12.7083

Issue Value (N'bn) NITTY

Tenor 0.00 1M 0.00 2M 17.25 3M 0.00/16.00 6M 0.00/16.50 9M 0.00/16.50 12M

Rate (%) 978.35 11.2022 24.56 11.7215 6.00 11.8431 112.22 12.4819 116.70 13.1904 66.49 13.7594

1,304.32

NIFEX 14.00 17.00 14.00 Current Price ($/N) 6.00 8.50 BID($/N) 12.50 162.0950 13.00 16.50 OFFER ($/N) 162.1950 14.00 13.00 15.50 18.50 10.00 57.00 13.75 50.00 14.00 25.00 14.00 50.00 14.00 9.00 14.50 20.00 14.00 12.00 15.50 27.00 15.50 20.00 14.50 80.00 Weighting

by Mkt 14.75 Bucket 30.00 Weighting Value 14.75 11.40 13.50 87.00

FMDQ FGN BOND INDEX

0.19 0.44

Bid 6.99 Yield (%) 8.24

11.62 12.40 6.32 13.35 2.32 13.28 07-Aug-20 7.13 3.01 13.26 09-Dec-20 6.27 3.26 13.16 3.36 13.16 4.10 13.21 5.19 Money Market 13.35 5.50 13.27 Tenor Rate (%) 7.77 13.38 9.89 13.40 OBB 10.25 14.60 13.44 15.08 13.45 O/N 10.50 15.58 13.46 16.25 REPO 13.53

08-Apr-19

5.24

22-Apr-19 1.00

Tenor Call 1M 3M Date Maturity 6M

Rate (%) 10.33 11.25 Avg.12.00 Life/TTM (Yrs) 12.42

5.86 Offer 6.49Yield (%) 7.71

105.81 100.57

100.72 Bid Price 95.40

102.18Price Offer 97.13

163.08 164.27 165.52 Valuation 169.16 Yield (%) 176.16

163.80 165.61 167.48 Indicative 173.37 Price 185.24

13.66 15.97

93.33 84.60

14.15

88.15

10.82 99.50 99.65 113.81 115.04 12.03 98.68 98.83 6.18 99.69 100.32 13.17 91.49 91.64 13.21 99.50 99.65 6.68 104.05 105.74 13.14 104.45 104.75 6.02 101.38 102.39 13.03 91.41 91.71 13.04 89.89 90.19 13.10 92.22 92.52 13.27 109.65 109.95 Foreign (Spot & Forwards) 13.18 Exchange76.05 76.35 13.32 114.20 114.50 13.34 104.60 Tenor Bid104.30 ($/N) Offer ($/N) 13.39 109.86 110.16 Spot 162.07 162.17 13.40 93.86 94.16 7D 162.14 162.52 13.39 68.00 68.30 13.47 77.00 77.30 14D 162.51 162.88

1M 2M #3M Risk 6M Premium 1Y (%)

0.53 1.00 24-May-15 1.09 2.63 :Benchmarks 03-Apr-17 1.57 2.27 * :Amortising Bond 09-Dec-16 2.63 2.00 µ :Convertible Bond 20-Apr-17 3.00 1.49 AMCON: Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria 06-Jul-17 3.21 1.00

FGN: Federal Government of Nigeria FMBN: Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria IFC: International Finance Corporation LCRM: Local Contractors Receivables Management 05-Aug-14 0.29 NAHCO: Nigerian Aviation Handling Company4.88 15-Oct-14 0.48 5.99 NGC: Nigeria-German Company 31-Aug-15 4.44 UBA: United Bank for Africa 1.36 0.96 Company 3.23 UPDC:30-Sep-15 UAC Property Development 30-Jun-16 4.46 WAPCO:West Africa Portland1.26 Cement Company 1.27 2.99 1.82 3.69 2.66 4.45 2.67 2.67 3.25 3.31 5.59 3.28 Implied Yield 3.99 6.60

Price

4.64

NOTE: 31-Oct-14

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 % Exposure_ 12-Dec-19 Mod_Duration 30-Sep-20 27-Nov-20

99.56

113.66

3.48 5.59 7.60 1.79 1.80 1.00 1.00 1.21 1.00 2.46 1.94 Implied 2.74 Portfolio Price 2.74 1.00

NA :Not Applicable 15.55 102.36 # :Floating Rate Bond 92.43 15.18 ***: Deferred coupon bonds 14.63 89.63 †: Bond rating expired

16.86 18.56 17.75 16.52 17.78 16.80 18.73 20.86 14.97 14.97 14.23 14.17 14.38 14.15 15.62 15.21 15.90 INDEX 15.94 14.30

99.07 97.97 93.86 97.20 96.01 98.89 80.67 89.73 97.26 98.07 99.25 100.86 109.93 100.91 99.78 97.35 YTD Return 97.27 (%) 96.70 96.63

48 BUSINESS | MONEY LINE

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

FG favours local firms in $40bn oil export contracts cated to just 28 companies, versus around 50 in 2012, the last time they were awarded.

In a break with tradition, no contracts were given directly to global trading houses Glencore Xstrata, Vitol, Trafigura, or Gunvor, with only Switzerland's Mercuria winning a contract, according to a list that four industry sources verified as accurate.

The trading companies that missed out on direct oil contracts declined to comment.

The list, released by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), is preliminary and subject to revision. NNPC officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

"It's incredible to have an OPEC member selling its oil this way. There's one international trading house and barely any refiners on the list," said a senior oil trading source who formerly bought Nigerian crude oil.

Instead, several Nigerian oil companies featured on the annual list for the first time, such as oil trading company Hyde Energy, oil and gas firm Springfield, and Barbedos Group, a conglomerate that also provides luxury aviation services.

EXPORTATION Twenty eight companies are to export 340 million barrels of oil from Nigeria Adeola Yusuf

WITH AGENCY REPORT

T

he federal government awarded most of its longterm oil contracts worth an estimated $40 billion (23 billion pounds) a year to local companies, a confidential list of crude export allocation has shown.

Reuters maintained that the allocation showed that global traders need to partner with them to access crude from Africa's top producer.

Global commodity traders, refiners and Nigerian dealers jockey at an annual tender for access to the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) member's prized crude oil, which is easy to refine and produces more high-value fuels.

The contracts cover around 340 million barrels of oil, worth close to $40 billion annually based on current Brent prices, and run for a year, though they can be renewed. They were allo-

Long-established Nigerian oil trading firms Taleveras and Aiteo were also named on the list, which was circulated to winners last week.

Nigeria's policy has been to increase the role played by local firms, both in operating oil blocks and trading, with the official aim of ending decades of control over the business by foreign majors.

However, several industry sources said the allocations favoured powerful businessmen close to President Goodluck Jonathan's administration ahead of what are likely to be closely fought presidential elections set for February next year.

Nigeria is one of a small group of major oil producers that allocates its crude directly to trading houses, offering middlemen an opportunity to make margins through reselling the crude.

Although many large trading houses were absent from the list, they may have other ways of accessing the oil.

As in Nigeria's upstream sector, where Glencore recently submitted a bid as part of a consortium of local companies for $3 billion in energy assets, partnerships with domestic

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

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 Bid Price 90.20 99.25 104.10 109.35 114.15 76.60

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

Open-Buy-Back (OBB) Overnight (O/N)

Rate (%) 11.33 11.63

NIFEX Spot ($/N)

Bid 163.4000

Offer 163.5000 Source: FMDQ

firms can help global traders get a share of the business.

Vitol may have indirectly won a share of the Nigerian exports to market via a Bermuda-based firm called Calson, in which it is a minority shareholder.

"It's not that the Swiss traders are being left out, it's that they're forcing them to share their pie with the indigenous companies," said an industry source in Nigeria.

Another way for traders to access oil is to buy the contract off a winning firm at a premium.

A number of other former winners were also absent from the 2014/2015 list, which will take effect from June. China's Unipec, the trading arm of top Asian refiner Sinopec Corp (600028.SS), as well as Azeri state oil company Socar, were former contract holders and did not feature on the new list.

West African governments such as Ghana, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast, which used to refine Nigerian oil in domestic refineries, formerly had contracts that were not renewed, according to the provisional list.

Sterling Bank’s Q1 profit rises 17% to N3.5b STEADY PROFIT Sterling Bank has defied the industry headwinds by recording well-rounded growths

S

terling Bank Plc has recorded impressive growths in both its topline and the bottom-line in the first quarter ended March 31, 2014.

This stellar performance indicates a positive contrarian trend that defied the industry headwinds. Most banks had reported either decline in top-line or bottom-line.

Interim report and accounts of Sterling Bank for the first quarter released yesterday at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), showed that gross earnings rose by 24.1 per cent while profit before tax grew by 17.2 per cent. Profit after tax also increased by 15.4 per cent.

The report indicated that gross earnings rose to N24.6 billion in first quarter 2014 as against N19.84 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2013. Profit before tax increased from N3.02 billion to N3.54 billion, while profit after tax leapt from N2.72 billion to N3.14 billion.

Net interest income rose by 58 per cent due to 31 per cent growth in interest income relative to a modest increase of eight per cent in interest expense. This resulted in a 35 per cent growth in operating income to N16.2 billion. The annualized return on average equity was 20 per cent in line with the bank’s medium term

Adeola

strategic objectives.

Commenting on the results, managing director, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Yemi Adeola, said the first quarter was a positive start for the bank and a reflection of improving efficiency and robust credit risk management.

According to him, in spite of a marginal decline in deposit to N540 billion, the bank recorded a 30 basis points reduction in cost of funds to 5.6 per cent; reflecting management’s focus on balance sheet efficiency.

He noted that loans and advances grew to N337 billion, while asset quality remained strong with a non-performing loan ratio of 1.8 per cent.

“Over the next few quarters, we will continue the upgrade of our physical infrastructure and rollout of conventional and alternative channels in order to deepen market penetration of our products and grow retail deposit market share. Loan growth will remain steady and disciplined with the overall target for the year set at 25 per cent,” Adeola said.

Sanctity of Truth

Daily SummaryApril as of 22/04/2014 Wednesday, 23, 2014

Daily Summary as of 22/04/2014 Printed 22/04/2014 16:22:40.040

Printed 22/04/2014 16:22:40.040

BUSINESS | CAPITAL MARKET 49

The Nigerian Stock Market Exchange as at April 22, 2014 Daily Summary (Bonds)

Daily Summary (Equities)

No Debt Trading Activity

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Daily Summary (Equities)

HEALTHCARE HEALTHCARE Totals

Activity Summary on Board EQTY AGRICULTURE Crop Production OKOMU OIL PALM PLC. PRESCO PLC Crop Production Totals Livestock/Animal Specialties LIVESTOCK FEEDS PLC. Livestock/Animal Specialties Totals

Symbol OKOMUOIL PRESCO

No. of Deals 80 17 97

Current Price 37.80 42.00

Quantity Traded 1,000,174 344,593 1,344,767

Value Traded 37,124,482.94 14,736,743.00 51,861,225.94

Symbol LIVESTOCK

No. of Deals 23 23

Current Price 3.09

Quantity Traded 663,832 663,832

Value Traded 2,051,667.10 2,051,667.10

2,008,599

53,912,893.04

Quantity Traded 103,000 18,769,054 569,027 19,441,081

Value Traded 156,830.00 70,330,915.10 33,701,921.55 104,189,666.65

19,441,081

104,189,666.65

AGRICULTURE Totals

120

CONGLOMERATES Diversified Industries A.G. LEVENTIS NIGERIA PLC. TRANSNATIONAL Daily Summary as of 22/04/2014 CORPORATION OF NIGERIA PLC UAC N PLC. Printed 22/04/2014 16:22:40.040 Diversified Industries Totals CONGLOMERATES Totals

Symbol AGLEVENT TRANSCORP UACN

No. of Deals 4 243 52 299

Daily Summary (Equities)

Current Price 1.51 3.71 59.50

299

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Page

Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Building Structure/Completion/Other COSTAIN (W A) PLC. Building Structure/Completion/Other Totals

1

of

Symbol COSTAIN

No. of Deals 14 14

Current Price 1.15

Quantity Traded 212,576 212,576

Value Traded 251,000.40 251,000.40

Infrastructure/Heavy Construction JULIUS BERGER NIG. PLC. Infrastructure/Heavy Construction Totals

Symbol JBERGER

No. of Deals 11 11

Current Price 69.90

Quantity Traded 96,139 96,139

Value Traded 6,400,072.48 6,400,072.48

Real Estate Development UACN PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT CO. LIMITED Real Estate Development Totals

Symbol UAC-PROP

No. of Deals 60 60

Current Price 25.00

Quantity Traded 1,014,028 1,014,028

Value Traded 25,443,011.23 25,443,011.23

1,322,743

32,094,084.11

CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Totals

85

CONSUMER GOODS Beverages--Brewers/Distillers CHAMPION BREW. PLC. GUINNESS NIG PLC INTERNATIONAL BREWERIES PLC. JOS INT. BREWERIES PLC. NIGERIAN BREW. PLC. Daily Summary as of 22/04/2014 Beverages--Brewers/Distillers Totals Printed 22/04/2014 16:22:40.040 Beverages--Non-Alcoholic 7-UP BOTTLING COMP. PLC. Beverages--Non-Alcoholic Totals

Symbol CHAMPION GUINNESS INTBREW JOSBREW NB

No. of Deals 1 54 14 1 140 210

Current Price 13.79 188.00 26.50 3.59 150.00

Quantity Traded 8 477,261 82,775 1,000 2,476,628 3,037,672

Value Traded 104.88 90,450,424.35 2,170,980.50 3,590.00 371,336,232.24 463,961,331.97

Symbol 7UP

No. of Deals 5 5

Current Price 90.00

Quantity Traded 4,020 4,020

Value Traded 343,710.00 343,710.00

Daily Summary (Equities)

Page

Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

Activity Summary on Board EQTY CONSUMER GOODS Food Products DANGOTE FLOUR MILLS PLC DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC FLOUR MILLS NIG. PLC. HONEYWELL FLOUR MILL PLC NATIONAL SALT CO. NIG. PLC U T C NIG. PLC. Food Products Totals

2

of

ICT Computer Based Systems COURTEVILLE BUSINESS SOLUTIONS PLC Computer Based Systems Totals

Current Price 8.08 9.61 67.35 3.98 11.40 0.53

Quantity Traded 418,194 1,281,015 320,494 1,101,243 1,017,427 24,200 4,162,573

Value Traded 3,431,115.59 12,326,505.07 21,579,456.62 4,323,045.72 11,651,169.52 12,826.00 53,324,118.52

Food Products--Diversified CADBURY NIGERIA PLC. NESTLE NIGERIA PLC. Food Products--Diversified Totals

Symbol CADBURY NESTLE

No. of Deals 39 71 110

Current Price 79.00 1,111.00

Quantity Traded 117,164 89,749 206,913

Value Traded 8,438,894.35 100,332,905.24 108,771,799.59

Household Durables VITAFOAM NIG PLC. Household Durables Totals

Symbol VITAFOAM

No. of Deals 8 8

Current Price 4.20

Quantity Traded 17,775 17,775

Value Traded 72,161.75 72,161.75

Personal/Household Products

Symbol PZ UNILEVER

No. of Deals 26 38 64

Current Price 35.12 44.75

Quantity Traded 132,411 201,029 333,440

Value Traded 4,650,274.32 9,269,618.00 13,919,892.32

7,762,393

640,393,014.15

CONSUMER GOODS Totals

633

Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking ACCESS BANK PLC. DIAMOND BANK PLC ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORPORATED FIDELITY BANK PLC GUARANTY TRUST BANK PLC. SKYE BANK PLC STERLING BANK PLC. UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC UNION BANK NIG.PLC. UNITY BANK PLC Daily Summary as ofBANK 22/04/2014 WEMA PLC. Printed 22/04/2014 16:22:40.040 ZENITH INTERNATIONAL BANK PLC Banking Totals

3

of

12

No. of Deals 1 40

Current Price 0.50 0.80

Quantity Traded 200 2,431,560

Value Traded 100.00 1,910,270.08

Symbol CONTINSURE INTENEGINS LINKASSURE MANSARD NEM NIGERINS OASISINS PRESTIGE UNITYKAP UNIVINSURE WAPIC

No. of Deals 4 6 1 9 28 2 6 7 1 1 40 146

Current Price 0.95 0.59 0.50 2.32 0.77 0.50 0.55 0.58 0.50 0.50 0.70

Quantity Traded 51,500 182,800 20,000 263,500 5,297,099 Page 35,000 527,500 45,879 370 200 3,398,050 12,253,658

Value Traded 48,965.00 107,852.00 10,000.00 610,820.00 4,062,986.23 4 of 12 17,500.00 290,125.00 27,427.40 185.00 100.00 2,334,485.61 9,420,816.32

Micro-Finance Banks NPF MICROFINANCE BANK PLC Micro-Finance Banks Totals

Symbol NPFMCRFBK

No. of Deals 8 8

Current Price 0.88

Quantity Traded 344,400 344,400

Value Traded 304,774.00 304,774.00

Mortgage Carriers, Brokers and Services

Symbol ASOSAVINGS INFINITY UNHOMES

No. of Deals 2 1 2 5

Current Price 0.50 1.61 0.50

Quantity Traded 450,200 20 102,874 553,094

Value Traded 225,100.00 30.60 51,437.00 276,567.60

Symbol AFRIPRUD

No. of Deals 65

Current Price 3.00

Quantity Traded 770,014

Value Traded 2,308,384.50

Activity Summary Board EQTY Published

by The Nigerian on Stock Exchange © FINANCIAL SERVICES Other Financial Institutions CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED PLC FBN HOLDINGS PLC FCMB GROUP PLC. ROYAL EXCHANGE PLC. STANBIC IBTC HOLDINGS PLC UBA CAPITAL PLC Other Financial Institutions Totals

Page

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

Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

of

Symbol CHAMS ETRANZACT

No. of Deals 3 1 4

Current Price 0.50 2.32

Quantity Traded 195,550 50 195,600

Value Traded 97,775.00 110.50 97,885.50

1,083,012

712,678.00 Value Traded 5,708,008.07 612,908.90 1,605,675.21 1,546,094.25 53,105,460.91

Building Materials ASHAKA CEM PLC BERGER PAINTS PLC CAP PLC CEMENT CO. OF NORTH.NIG. PLC DANGOTE CEMENT PLC

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Symbol CUSTODYINS FBNH FCMB ROYALEX STANBIC UBCAP

No. of Deals 24 500 65 1 43 145 843

Current Price 2.20 12.54 3.57 0.62 22.39 2.40

2,841

Quantity Traded 1,014,246 149,224,599 11,071,282 10,000 670,157 6,941,811 169,702,109

Value Traded 2,168,996.70 1,865,267,034.00 38,667,523.11 5,900.00 14,996,059.96 16,466,646.08 1,939,880,544.35

319,845,487

3,429,431,709.44

Symbol EKOCORP UNIONDAC

No. of Deals 1 1 2

Current Price 3.72 0.50

Quantity Traded 50 2,500 2,550

Value Traded 177.00 1,250.00 1,427.00

Symbol EVANSMED FIDSON GLAXOSMITH MAYBAKER NEIMETH PHARMDEKO

No. of Deals 13 11 68 8 14 1 115

Current Price 2.20 2.90 70.00 1.80 1.14 1.57

Quantity Traded 243,521 1,367,639 2,603,668 57,495 152,970 100 4,425,393

Value Traded 510,021.14 3,966,573.26 181,939,055.14 108,123.00 174,445.80 157.00 186,698,375.34

Page

6

of

14 Symbol ASHAKACEM BERGER Daily Summary CAP CCNN DANGCEM

No. of Deals 35 10 (Equities) 13 23 37

Current Price 17.00 8.90 40.00 9.00 227.89

Quantity Traded 339,311 68,789 40,141 173,597 232,849

7

of

Symbol DNMEYER IPWA PORTPAINT WAPCO

No. of Deals 1 3 1 106 229

Current Price 1.16 0.61 4.10 111.99

Quantity Traded 2,000 12,000 500 955,064 1,824,251

Value Traded 2,420.00 6,960.00 2,000.00 106,365,758.38 168,955,285.72

Electronic and Electrical Products CUTIX PLC. NIGERIAN WIRE AND CABLE PLC. Electronic and Electrical Products Totals

Symbol CUTIX NIWICABLE

No. of Deals 2 1 3

Current Price 1.90 0.50

Quantity Traded 12,693 370 13,063

Value Traded 23,892.69 185.00 24,077.69

Symbol AVONCROWN BETAGLAS

No. of Deals 1 3 4

Current Price 1.47 18.97

Quantity Traded 67,400 290 67,690

Value Traded 99,078.00 5,331.50 104,409.50

1,905,004

169,083,772.91

NATURAL RESOURCES Metals ALUMINIUM EXTRUSION IND. PLC. ALUMINIUM MANUFACTURING COMPANY PLC Metals Totals

CONOIL PLC ETERNA PLC. FORTE OIL PLC. MOBIL OIL NIG PLC. MRS OIL NIGERIA PLC. Activity Summary on PLC. Board EQTY TOTAL NIGERIA OIL AND GAS

Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors Totals

Exploration and Production SEPLAT PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LTD Exploration and Production Totals

236 Symbol

SERVICES Automobile/Auto Part Retailers R T BRISCOE PLC. Automobile/Auto Part Retailers Totals Courier/Freight/Delivery RED STAR EXPRESS PLC TRANS-NATIONWIDE EXPRESS PLC. Courier/Freight/Delivery Daily Summary as of 22/04/2014 Totals Printed 22/04/2014 16:22:40.040 Employment Solutions C & I LEASING PLC. Employment Solutions Totals Hotels/Lodging IKEJA HOTEL PLC

Hotels/Lodging Activity SummaryTotals on Board EQTY SERVICES Published byMedia/Entertainment The Nigerian Stock Exchange © DAAR COMMUNICATIONS PLC Media/Entertainment Totals

12

No. of Deals 4 1 5

Current Price 10.50 7.75

Quantity Traded 3,883 3,000 6,883

Value Traded 38,752.34 22,110.00 60,862.34

Symbol MULTIVERSE

No. of Deals 2 2

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded Page 70,000 70,000

Value Traded 8 35,000.00 of 12 35,000.00

Symbol THOMASWY

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 0.79

Quantity Traded 250 250

Value Traded 190.00 190.00

77,133

96,052.34

ALEX Daily Summary (Equities) ALUMACO

8 Symbol JAPAULOIL

No. of Deals 8 8

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 298,900 298,900

Value Traded 149,450.00 149,450.00

Symbol OANDO

No. of Deals 173 173

Current Price 15.92

Quantity Traded 1,902,134 1,902,134

Value Traded 30,345,267.51 30,345,267.51

Symbol No. of Deals CONOIL 27 ETERNA 45 FO 13 Daily Summary (Equities) MOBIL 32 MRS 2 TOTAL 13

Current Price 49.20 3.79 148.99 123.00 51.72 164.00

Quantity Traded 82,531 1,093,596 17,561 25,096 400 28,652

Value Traded 3,906,900.17 3,819,753.28 2,361,610.35 3,074,478.05 19,656.00 4,693,818.65 9Value Traded of 12

Symbol

No. of Deals 132

Current Price

Quantity Traded Page 1,247,836

Symbol SEPLAT

No. of Deals 135 135

Current Price 633.46

Quantity Traded 421,293 421,293

Value Traded 267,322,188.96 267,322,188.96

3,870,163

315,693,122.97

OIL AND GAS Totals

448

17,876,216.50

Symbol RTBRISCOE

No. of Deals 26 26

Current Price 1.29

Quantity Traded 1,000,357 1,000,357

Value Traded 1,249,115.36 1,249,115.36

Symbol REDSTAREX TRANSEXPR

No. of Deals 11 7 18

Current Price 4.06 2.13

Quantity Traded 450,000 141,640 591,640

Value Traded 1,849,192.25 303,697.20 2,152,889.45

Symbol CILEASING

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 161,500 161,500

Value Traded 80,750.00 80,750.00

Current Price 0.58

Quantity Traded 200,000 200,000

Value Traded 116,000.00 116,000.00

Daily Summary (Equities) Symbol No. of Deals IKEJAHOTEL

2 2

Symbol DAARCOMM

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 0.50

Page Quantity Traded 3,000 3,000

Printing/Publishing ACADEMY PRESS PLC. LEARN AFRICA PLC UNIVERSITY PRESS PLC. Printing/Publishing Totals

Symbol ACADEMY LEARNAFRCA UPL

No. of Deals 6 7 23 36

Current Price 1.80 1.70 4.15

Quantity Traded 46,000 64,351 998,005 1,108,356

Value Traded 78,660.00 106,814.15 3,991,750.35 4,177,224.50

Road Transportation ASSOCIATED BUS COMPANY PLC Road Transportation Totals

Symbol ABCTRANS

No. of Deals 23 23

Current Price 0.86

Quantity Traded 4,923,700 4,923,700

Value Traded 4,273,802.00 4,273,802.00

Symbol AIRSERVICE NAHCO

No. of Deals 20 55 75

Current Price 2.50 4.90

Quantity Traded 878,200 1,821,411 2,699,611

Value Traded 2,131,334.00 8,910,779.57 11,042,113.57

Transport-Related Services AIRLINE SERVICES AND LOGISTICS PLC NIGERIAN AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY PLC Daily Summary as of 22/04/2014 Transport-Related Services Totals Printed 22/04/2014 16:22:40.040

12

Page

Building Materials DN MEYER PLC. IPWA PLC PORTLAND PAINTS & PRODUCTS NIGERIA PLC LAFARGE WAPCO PLC. Building Materials Totals

SERVICES Totals

EQTY Board Totals

FINANCIAL SERVICES Totals HEALTHCARE Healthcare Providers EKOCORP PLC. UNION DIAGNOSTIC & CLINICAL SERVICES PLC Healthcare Providers Totals

5

Processing Systems CHAMS PLC E-TRANZACT INTERNATIONAL PLC Processing Systems Totals

Petroleum andStock Petroleum Products Distributors Published by The Nigerian Exchange ©

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Daily Summary (Equities)

Value Traded 52.10 6,110.40 6,162.50

Daily Summary as of 22/04/2014 Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors Printed 22/04/2014 16:22:40.040

Symbol

Other Financial Institutions AFRICA PRUDENTIAL REGISTRARS PLC

Quantity Traded 10 402 412

Integrated Oil and Gas Services OANDO PLC Integrated Oil and Gas Services Totals

Value Traded 107,108,590.31 18,205,326.19 6,137,926.19 27,231,920.70 679,144,715.03 117,146,106.58 15,845,273.04 166,021,220.20 4,123,886.26 9,672.50 1,686,222.51 336,888,147.66 1,479,549,007.17

ASO SAVINGS AND LOANS PLC Daily Summary as of 22/04/2014 INFINITY TRUST MORTGAGE BANK PLC Printed 22/04/2014 16:22:40.040 UNION HOMES SAVINGS AND LOANS PLC. Mortgage Carriers, Brokers and Services Totals

Current Price 5.48 15.99

OIL AND GAS Energy Equipment and Services JAPAUL OIL & MARITIME SERVICES PLC Energy Equipment and Services Totals

Quantity Traded 12,536,194 2,969,858 462,375 14,124,711 24,746,945 33,720,470 6,948,993 24,494,078 408,111 19,345 1,709,965 14,851,181 136,992,226

FINANCIAL SERVICES Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services CONTINENTAL REINSURANCE PLC INTERNATIONAL ENERGY INSURANCE COMPANY PLC LINKAGE ASSURANCE PLC MANSARD INSURANCE PLC N.E.M INSURANCE CO (NIG) PLC. Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © NIGER INSURANCE CO. PLC. OASIS INSURANCE PLC PRESTIGE ASSURANCE CO. PLC. UNITY KAPITAL ASSURANCE PLC UNIVERSAL INSURANCE COMPANY PLC WAPIC INSURANCE PLC Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services Totals

No. of Deals 1 1 2

NATURAL RESOURCES Totals

Current Price 8.67 6.10 13.30 2.00 28.00 3.59 2.28 6.75 10.35 0.50 0.99 22.99

AIICO

Symbol CWG NCR

Paper/Forest Products THOMAS WYATT NIG. PLC. Paper/Forest Products Totals

No. of Deals 199 60 48 124 431 110 46 276 54 2 57 432 1,839

Daily Summary (Equities) AFRINSURE

IT Services COMPUTER WAREHOUSE GROUP PLC NCR (NIGERIA) PLC. IT Services Totals

NATURAL RESOURCES Mining Services MULTIVERSE PLCExchange © Published by The Nigerian Stock Mining Services Totals

Symbol ACCESS DIAMONDBNK ETI FIDELITYBK GUARANTY SKYEBANK STERLNBANK UBA UBN UNITYBNK WEMABANK ZENITHBANK

Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services AFRICAN ALLIANCE INSURANCE COMPANY PLC AIICO INSURANCE PLC.

Value Traded 608,630.00 608,630.00

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Daily Summary (Equities) Page

Quantity Traded 887,000 887,000

Packaging/Containers AVON CROWNCAPS & CONTAINERS BETA GLASS CO PLC. Packaging/Containers Totals Daily Summary as of 22/04/2014 Printed INDUSTRIAL 22/04/2014 16:22:40.040 GOODS Totals

No. of Deals 45 63 43 50 33 2 236

Personal/Household Products Totals

Current Price 0.67

INDUSTRIAL GOODS Published

by The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

12

186,699,802.34

No. of Deals 8 8

ICT Totals

12

4,427,943

Symbol COURTVILLE

Daily Summary as of 22/04/2014 Printed 22/04/2014 16:22:40.040 INDUSTRIAL GOODS

Symbol DANGFLOUR DANGSUGAR FLOURMILL HONYFLOUR NASCON UTC

P Zas CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC. Daily Summary of 22/04/2014 UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC. Printed 22/04/2014 16:22:40.040

117

10Valueof Traded12 1,500.00 1,500.00

182

10,688,164

23,093,394.88

Daily Summary (Equities) 4,983

372,431,722

4,955,400,190.83

Activity Summary on Board ASeM SERVICES Food/Drug Retailers and Wholesalers Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © JULI PLC. Food/Drug Retailers and Wholesalers Totals

Symbol JULI

No. of Deals 1 1

SERVICES Totals

Current Price 1.84

Quantity Traded Page 107

1

107

Value Traded 11 of 12 187.25 187.25

107

187.25

ASeM Board Totals

1

107

187.25

Equity Activity Totals

4,984

372,431,829

4,955,400,378.08

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 2,027.00 17.78

Quantity Traded 25 6,010 6,035

Value Traded 50,675.00 106,857.80 157,532.80

ETF Board Totals

4

6,035

157,532.80

ETP Activity Totals

4

6,035

157,532.80

12

Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

Page

12

of

12

50 WORLD | NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

South Africa platinum talks resume in bid to end three-month strike

C

hief executives of the world’s top platinum producers were to again meet the leaders of the AMCU union yesterday for wage talks in a bid to find an agreement to end the longest and most costly strike on South Africa’s mines in living memory.

“They will be meeting this morning, but at an undisclosed location,” said a spokeswoman for the produc-

ers. Around 70,000 members of the hardline Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) downed tools 13 weeks ago at Anglo American Platinum, Impala Platinum and Lonmin.

Initially demanding an immediate doubling of the basic wage - the salary before various allowances are added such as housing - for entry-level workers to 12,500 rand ($1,200) a month, AMCU has since said

it would accept annual increases of around 30 percent that would reach this goal in three years’ time.

The producers’ latest offer, made last Thursday, was for wage hikes of up to 10 percent and other increases which would take the minimum pay package - the basic wage including the allowances - to 12,500 rand a month by July 2017.

“That is as much as we can reasonably afford at this time,” Implats spokesman Johan Theron told

Reuters.

The companies have been struggling to maintain margins in the face of steeply rising costs on one hand and stubbornly depressed prices on the other for the precious metal used to build emissions-capping catalytic converters in automobiles. political intervention to resolve the dispute even though it is a headache for President Jacob Zuma and the ruling ANC with a general election looming May 7

This state of affairs is seen hastening a painful restructuring in the sector which could see thousands of jobs cut and more platinum taken out of production, with much of the focus on Amplats’ operations around the mining town of Rustenburg northwest of Johannesburg.

Workers have lost around 6.3 billion rand in wages so far and their resolve could be weakening as they go their third consecutive month without a pay check.

UN evacuates 100 muslims from CAR capital

T

he United Nations has evacuated almost 100 Muslims from the capital of the crisis-torn Central African Republic (Bangui) to “save their lives”, according to officials.

Supported by staff from the UN’s refugee agency, 93 Muslims were transported east from Bangui to the town of Bambari, according to El Hadj Abacar ben Ousmane, senior official in the town some 300 kilometres (185 miles) from the capital.

The Muslim group travelled to Bambari from Sunday through to Monday in two trucks, accompanied by a convoy of vehicles from the French peacekeeping force

Sangaris, the UNHCR refugee agency and the International Organization for Migration.

The convoy was pelted with stones as it passed through the town of Sibut, a member of the African-led MISCA peacekeeping force told AFP. “This is a measure to save their lives, taken as a last resort after a long time considering their case,” said Tammi Sharpe, deputy head of the UNHCR in the Central Africa Republic.

She said the evacuated Muslims had been “constantly attacked” in their northern Bangui neighbourhood of PK 12, where conditions at the moment are “particularly tense”.

Man dies after being shot at federal courthouse

D

efendant Siale Angilau was listening to a witness describing gang initiation rituals yesteray when authorities said he grabbed a pen, rushed toward the witness and lunged at him. A U.S. marshal opened fire on Angilau — a 25-yearold “Tongan Crip” gang member known on the street as “C-Down” — shooting him several times in front of shocked jurors, lawyers and courtroom watchers. He died hours later.

The shooting turned a new and secure federal courthouse that opened its doors just one week ago into a site of terror and alarm. Nobody else was hurt, but those in the courtroom were stunned by the sudden turn of events. A mistrial was declared, with U.S. District Judge Tena Campbell saying in her order that jurors were visibly

shaken and upset. “It was kind of traumatizing,” said Sara Jacobson, who was in the courtroom to support her grandmother who was scheduled to testify in Angilau’s trial.

Her father, Perry Cardwell, was with her and said Angilau was shot at least six times as he attacked the witness, who collapsed to the ground. As he recounted the scene, Cardwell said he remembers hearing somebody yell to get down. The witness, who was not injured, appeared to be in his mid-20s and was testifying about gang initiation, Cardwell said. The person was not identified.

Angilau was shot in the chest and died at a hospital, the FBI said in a news release. Under standard procedures, Angilau was not restrained in the courtroom, he was shot after acting in an aggressive and threatening manner.

File photo of platinum workers on strike. Talks resumed yesterday in bid to end three months strike

British anti-EU party focuses on immigrant threat

B

ritain’s Euroskeptic U.K. Independence Party launched its European election campaigns yesterday with aseries of billboards carrying a stark message: They are coming to take your job.

One billboard depicts a construction worker begging for change under the headline “EU policy at work.” Another says 26 million people in Europe are looking for work, adding: “And whose jobs are they after?”

Party leader, Nigel Farage, said the posters were “a hard-hitting reflection of reality.” But others called them alarmist and xeno-

phobic. Labour lawmaker, Mike Gapes, accused UKIP of running “a campaign designed to sow fear and animosity and hatred towards immigrants.”

Free movement of labour is a central principle of the 28-nation EU bloc. About two million people from other EU countries live in Britain according to the 2011 census. That is only slightly more than the number of Britons living elsewhere in Europe — a fact UKIP tends not to mention.

UKIP’s aim is to pull Britain out of the EU, and its message is finding an increasingly receptive audience among Britons disillusioned with mainstream par-

ties. The party, which has no seats in Britain’s House of Commons, hopes to make a breakthrough in the May 22 elections for the European parliament, where it currently has nine of Britain’s 73 seats. Some polls suggest it could receive more votes than any other British party.

Prime Minister David Cameron once called UKIP a party of “fruitcakes and loonies,” but its growing popularity has his Conservatives worried. Cameron has promised to slash immigration and says he will hold a referendum on EU membership if the Conservatives win the May 2015 national election.

Somali lawmaker shot, killed in latest attack

G

unmen belonging to an Islamic extremist group shot and killed a Somali legislator yesterday as he stepped out of his home in the capital, the second fatal attack on a member of parliament in as many days, police said.

Al-Shabab claimed responsibility in a radio broadcast for the attack on Abdiaziz Isaq Mursal.

He was ambushed in the Madina

district of Mogadishu, said senior police officer Ali Hassan. Yesterday legislator Isaq Mohamed Rino was killed in a car bombing that also wounded a lawmaker with whom he was travelling. Al-Shabab, which has continued to stage attacks in Mogadishu despite being ousted from the seaside capital in 2011, also claimed responsibility for that killing The targeting of members

of parliament marks a turning point. The parliament is emerging as a pillar of democracy in the Horn of Africa nation. Al-Shabab militants have previously carried out attacks against United Nations staff, government officials, African Union peacekeepers and, last year, on an upscale mall in Nairobi, the capital of neighboring Kenya which has sent troops into Somalia to battle al-Shabab.

SPORT

NEW TELEGRAPH

newtelegraphonline.com/sports

ADEKUNLE SALAMI, DepUTY Editor, SPORTS

AUTHORITATIVE VOICE IN GLOBAL SPORT

WEDNESday,APRIL 23, 2014

kunle.salami@newtelegraphonline.com adekunles@yahoo.com

Did you know?

51

That Mexico became the first nation outside of Europe and South America to host the World Cup, in 1970

World Cup: pressure of playing for Nigeria huge –Oliseh }p. 53

Sunday Oliseh (left) battling Diego Maradona at the 1994 World Cup

Bright Dike (right)

Eagles list: NFF, Keshi fail to agree

lWhy meeting was deadlocked lWe need more consultations - Bassey Jude Opara and Ajibade Olusesan

T

Keshi

he meeting between the Technical Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation and Super Eagles Head Coach, Stephen Keshi, on Tuesday was deadlocked.

The meeting which was supposed to have deliberated on the provisional team list for the Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup lasted for over three hours but no conclusive on the provisional list of players for the forthcoming World Cup. Briefing the media after the meeting, chairman of the

media committee of the technical committee, Paul Bassey, said the committee and Keshi decided to shelve the release of the list.

“We have decided to shelve the release of the list to give in some time for more consultations. Most of all we are not in a hurry and there is no country that released its team list or whatever, so let him do some more consultations may be for another week or two. So the release has been shelved for now.”

Our correspondent learnt that the committee and the coach disagreed on a number

of issues, especially the exclusion of Villarreal striker, Ike Uche. Keshi did not include the striker in his list but the committee insisted that he be included. “The committee said NFF would handle any issue relating to the player’s indiscipline during the friendly match with Scotland in London next month,” the source revealed.

Our source also said that committee was skeptical about the contribution of goalkeeper Chigozie Agbim and Nnamdi Oduamadi while they also wanted Lukman Haruna and Joel Obi to be part of the team.

Captain Joseph Yobo maybe the biggest casualty as Keshi insisted the Norwich City defender was not needed in Brazil.

But earlier, Keshi had told journalists that he had submitted a list which is about 38 players from where he will select the final 30 man list that will be submitted to FIFA by May 10.

“Well I will leave Mr. Paul Bassey to address you on that but everything is in order. I have about 37 or 38 players from where I will take about 30 players to be submitted to FIFA on May 10, I can’t do more than that.”

52 SPORT

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Oboabona targets World Cup goals Emmanuel Tobi

N

igeria and Çaykur Rizespor defender, Godfrey Oboabona, has expressed optimism of scoring at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, after inspiring his Turkish club to victory at the weekend.

Oboabona scored Rizespor’s first goal in their 3-1 home win against Konyaspor on Sunday but the goal was later credited to his teammate, The Nigerian defender hit the target in the 35th minute to record his second goal since moving to Turkey.

Incidentally, Oboa-

Oboabona (right)

bona scored his first goal against the same team last December.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with New Telegraph, the defender said, “It was great to score against Konyaspor again even though the goal was later awarded to somebody else, but the goal has helped me to rediscover my scoring form as a defender.

“I hope to get some goals at the World Cup too as I intend to join the attack when necessary or when I have opportunity to play a free kick,” he revealed.

The former Sunshine Star of Akure captain added that playing in

Turkey has improved his game, while commending his teammates for helping him settle down easily.

“Playing regularly with my teammates has really helped me understand the Turkish League. We had a good start early in the season and later faced some torrid time, but thank God we are doing well again.

We need to keep the momentum in order to avoid relegation, as well as finish well on the League table,” he enthused.

Oboabona has played 16 times for Çaykur Rizespor in the Turkish League while making just an appearance in the Domestic Cup.

Boko Haram: Nigeria-Cameroon NBA slams Ujiri with N4m fine friendly under threat

Mercy Jacob

T

he recent security challenge in Abuja is turning out to be a source of worry for the Cameroonian Football Federation (FECAFOOT) ahead of the international friendly between the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon and Nigeria’s Super Falcons on April 29.

The encounter is part of both sides’ preparations for the African Women Championship billed for Namibia later in the year, and New Telegraph gathered from sources close to FECAFOOT that football eggheads in the Central African country are studying the security situation in Abuja following the April 14 bomb blast that claimed about a hun-

dred lives.

But Nigeria Football Federation Secretary General, Musa Amadu, insists there is no cause for alarm stating that effort will be made to ensure the safety of the Cameroonian team and their accompanying officials before, during and after the match.

“As usual we are always security conscious, and the Super Falcons friendly tie against the Indomitable Lioness of Cameroon will not be exception,” said Amadu in an interview with New Telegraph.

“We are not unaware of the security challenges we are witnessing in the country presently, coupled with the recent Nyanya bomb blast.

I’ll accept talented players -Manu Chimaobi Uchendu

F

ew weeks to the Africa Youth Championship qualifies, Chief Coach of the Flying Eagles, Manu Garba, has said that the door to the team was still open to talented players in the country.

Nigeria’s U-20 side will face either Kenya or Tanzania in the next stage of AYC qualifiers on May 9.

Even though the team comprises of most players who featured at last year’s U-17 World Youth Championship, Coach Manu said that his technical crew is still searching for any good players in the Nigeria League.

According to him; “My team is gaining confidence day-by-day. The foreign-

based players who just joined the team are still trying to integrate with those who have been in camp.

“Not minding the fact that we conducted a three

week screening earlier, the other coaches and I are still scouting for outstanding players from both the pro and amateur Nigerian leagues.”

Okpekpe: Aregbesola, other governors to challenge Oshiomhole Charles Ogundiya

A

head of the 2nd edition of the Okpekpe road race on May 3, three Nigerian governors have indicated their interest to compete against Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole, who was the only governor present at last year’s maiden edition.

A close aide of Governor Oshiomhole confided that Governors Rauf Aregbesola of Osun, Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers and

Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State have sent in their registration forms to participate in the race.

The aide also informed that the governors are not just coming to make up the number, but to win one of the star prizes up for grabs.

However, in order to meet up with the threats from his fellow governors, Governor Oshiomhole has intensified his training under the watchful eyes of former African Long Jump record holder, Yusuf Ali.

Ujiri

Ifeanyi Ibeh

T

oronto Raptors General Manager Masai Ujiri, has been fined $25,000 (about four million naira) by the National Basketball Association for using obscene

language in a public setting.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced the fine late on Monday (early hours of Tuesday in Nigeria).

Ujiri took to the stage at an outdoor gathering at Air Canada Centre, home ground of the Toronto Raptors, to pump up fans prior to the Raptors’ playoff game against the Brooklyn Nets at the weekend, and ended his speech by pairing the Fword with Brooklyn.

The Nigerian-born Ujiri, a former star of the Nigerian national basketball team, was quick to apologise, as officials of the Canadian-based side summoned the media for a halftime gathering in the hall outside the playoff media centre at Air Canada Centre.

Ujiri said he used a “wrong choice of words” in trying to fire up the large crowd.

He said: “I apologise. I used wrong choice of words out there. This thing is really not about me. It’s about the players and the playoffs.”

NFF ready to work with Task Force- Maigari Jude Opara Abuja

A

head of the forthcoming Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup, the Nigeria Football Federation says it is not against the proposed Presidential Task Force which is to assist the federation in Maigari prosecuting the champion- in a section of the media reship. cently that the presidency President of the NFF, was toying with the idea Alhaji Aminu Maigari, of floating task force like told journalists in Abuja the federal government unon Tuesday that the foot- der later President Umaru ball house will welcome Yar’Adua did prior to the any intervention from the 2010 World Cup in South presidency that would help Africa. the national team to excel at “Anything presidential is the tournament. important, we need that inThere have been reports tervention from the top and

the Task Force is part of the presidential support.”

Maigari who also expressed confidence on the ability of the Super Eagles to do well at the mundial even as he insisted that the NFF does not impose players on the national team coaches.

On the alleged semifinal mandate given to the national team by Minister of Sports and Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Dr. Tamuno Danagogo, the NFF president said there was no target given to the team because that may mount pressure on the team which he argued might be counter-productive.

Nigerian League Rendezvous

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

with charles Ogundiya

53

World Cup: pressure of playing for Nigeria Craze for artificial pitches huge –Oliseh charlesog2001@yahoo.com,

Vincent Eboigbe

A

for mer Super Eagles skipper, Sunday Oliseh, has said that playing for Nigeria at the World Cup is tantamount to carrying the aspirations of over 170 million people.

The retired midfielder who played for Nigeria in the 1994 and 1998 World Cup, will feature today in CNN’s ‘Human to Hero,’ a segment which explores the discipline, dedication and deter mination of footballers, as well as the sources of inspiration for the world’s best athletes.

As the World Cup gets underway in 50 days, the former Ajax and Juventus star revealed that his greatest memory of the championship was his long range screamer which Andoni Zubizareta, in goal for Spain against the Super Eagles in one of the opening matches of France 1998.

He said, “My favorite World

Cup memory is the goal I scored when we beat Spain in 1998 in France, our President had just died and this victory united our nation that was going through a dark period at the time.

“When playing for Nigeria and going to the World Cup, it’s like carrying along 170 million people. Nigerians are football lovers and I am happy I had the opportunity to play for my country.”

Oliseh who while growing up wanted to go to school and become an economist, recalled how tough it was back then, with football the only form of escape.

“When I was a kid, football was the only form of fun we could have because financially, we were not blessed enough to have other means of entertainment. I never thought I would be opportune to wear the national colours of such a huge nation as Nigeria,” he added.

Ronaldo in fitness race as Real, Bayern clash

R

eal Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo will undergo a final fitness test on Wednesday to determine if he can feature against Bayern Munich.

Real host Bayern in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final tie looking to continue their quest for the treble and a 10th title in Europe’s premier club competition.

FIFA Ballon d’Or holder Ronaldo has missed the club’s last four games, including a 2-1 win over Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final, because of a knee and thigh problems.

The Portugal forward returned to full training on Monday, but Real boss Carlo Ancelotti said,“Cristiano trained normally today, (and has)

trained well these last days,” the Italian said. “We will make a decision after another test tomorrow (Wednesday). He will play if he is totally fit.

“We are confident but the decision will be made tomorrow (Wednesday). If there is any risk he will not play.”

MTN Football Scholar Season 4 begins

T

here was great excitement among young football enthusiasts, who are aiming to combine football with academics, as MTN launched the Season 4 of its soccer and academic scholarship on Tuesday, at the Campos Square, Mimi Stadium on Lagos Island.

An overwhelming media attendance and strong stakeholders’ presence, including ex-national team players and members of Lagos State Sports Council, Season 1 winners and selected Season

Astro turf pitch in Lokoja

I

t is no longer news that virtually all the clubs in both the Nigeria Premier League and the Nigeria National League, with the exception of a handful of clubs, play on artificial pitches.

The clubs who still prosecute their home fixtures at stadiums with natural grass are Kano Pillars (Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano), Kaduna United (Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna), Enyimba (Enyimba International Stadium, Aba), UNICEM Rovers (U.J. Esuene

3 scholars, who are gearing up for their trip to the United States for college scholarship, gave the spectators a taste of what is to be expected in the future.

Declaring the Season 4 open, Mr. Kola Oyeyemi, General Manager, Consumer Marketing, MTN said: “MTN believes in creating a better future for young talented Nigerians who aspire to build a career in football by helping them combine the game with education, at the highest level, in colleges overseas.”

Stadium, Calabar) and Sunshine Stars (Kayode Oluyemi Stadium, Ado-Ekiti).

Accessing this development, some league coaches and players, who spoke with Nigerian League Rendezvous, said they would prefer playing their games on natural grass rather than artificial surfaces.

“It is difficult for the players to exhibit their skills on artificial pitches. Apart from the hardness of the pitches, the heat emanating from the turf is unbearable. During

matches, if you give the players water, they would pour most of it on their feet before drinking,” said El-Kanemi Warriors coach, Salisu Yusuf.

“Even if we are going to be playing on artificial pitches, let the home side water the surface before and during half time of every match. If you want to display a special skill on the pitch, you are on your own, because you might sustain a career ending injury,” said Warri Wolves defender, Thankgod Ike.

A coach’s pre-match ritual

A

Ronaldo (left)

08098042287

coach currently with one of the Nigeria National League sides based in Nigeria’s southwest, continues to stun fans of the club, as well as the general public, with his prematch ritual of spreading pap, palm oil and oranges on the floor before taking his team out for a match.

During the club’s name witheld recent game against a former Premier League side now campaigning in the National League, the coach, a former international, was seen performing the ritual in front of the home team’s dressing room, possibly in a bid to nullify the potency of the purported charms of the home team.

But irrespective of the ex-international’s antics, his team still lost the game making Nigeria League Rendezvous wonder if there was any need, in the first place, for believing in the local juju.

Speaking with our reporter, the media officer of the victorious home team, said; “I was dumbfounded when I saw him doing that especially somebody of his calibre, but I believe we should

have grown beyond such fetish things in our football so that the game can progress.”

But when contacted, the secretary of the losing club said no such thing happened.

“We don’t tolerate such in our team. You will also understand that this man is an ex-international and has his name to protect,” the secretary said.

But can a picture lie?

The ritual of pap and palm oil

Holy Ghost fire derby

E

ver being to the stadium whenever Mountain of Fire and Miracle FC and City of David FC, both of Lagos, play against each other in the Nigeria National League?

You will be forgiven for thinking you are either at the MFM Prayer City or the RCCG Redemption Camp ground because whenever these two sides meet, and there have been lots of games between these two sides in recent times, there is usually a mini religious revival on the pitch by the players and officials of both sides kneeling on their respective side of the pitch and praying for success prior to the commencement of the game.

One of the fans at the stadium at the most recent encounter between both sides at the Agege Stadium, who simply referred to himself as Edrees, said the practice was funny.

“I don’t understand the rationale behind what they are doing. Does it mean that any side that loses the game will say God doesn’t answer prayers? You can only achieve success if you have prepared very well for a game and not by shouting fire on the day of a game,” he said.

Truly, God is not biased, as He only gives victory to a well prepared side, and on this day it was MFM, who ran out with a 1-0 win.

54 SPORT

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

most damaging Moyes: Going…going…gone Moyes’ results as United manager

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anchester United on Tuesday sacked manager David Moyes after a disastrous ten-month spell running the world-famous club which has been left in turmoil.

The club followed the stunning announcement by naming veteran midfielder Ryan Giggs as interim manager.

Moyes, 50, succeeded Alex Ferguson at the helm of the Premier League side on July 1.

But the season quickly became a nightmare for Moyes who watched his team slump to a series of embarrassing defeats.

After feverish speculation, United confirmed the sacking in a brief statement.

“Manchester United announces that David Moyes has left the club.

“The club would like to place on record its thanks for the hard work, honesty and integrity he brought to the role,” it said.

A second statement added that the 40-yearold Giggs, “the club’s most decorated player, will assume responsibility for the first team until a permanent appointment can be made.”

Manchester United players had training amid an intense media spotlight.

Liverpool 1-0 Manchester United, Premier League, September 1, 2013 With Liverpool making their best start to a Premier League campaign in nearly two decades, United were coming to terms with the loss of Wayne Rooney to a head wound.

Manchester City 4-1 Manchester United, Premier League, September 22, 2013 The “noisy neighbours” humiliated Moyes in his first taste of a Manchester derby when United were outclassed by Manuel Pellegrini’s side from start to finish.

Moyes

The contenders

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ith David Moyes long gone the focus now turns to his replacement. The following men lead the chase for the Old Trafford hot seat…

Louis Van Gaal A vastly experienced manager currently in charge of the Dutch national team, Van Gaal is renowned for his autocratic management style. He has had spells at Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich making him the most qualified candidate for the Old Trafford vacancy.

Jurgen Klopp The current coach of Borussia Dortmund has established himself as one of the leading coaches in Europe. With his emphasis on

attacking play, he would be an attractive option for the Old Trafford hierarchy.

Diego Simeone The next big thing in management or a flash in the pan? At Atletico he is regarded as the real deal having led the Madrid side to the top of the table and the semi-finals of the Champions League. However some will question whether his defensive playing style is suited to Old Trafford.

Moyes last summer.

Carlo Ancelotti The Real Madrid head coach has a stellar pedigree having managed Chelsea, Paris Saint Germain and AC Milan previously. With his renowned tactical nous he could be the perfect fit for United.

Jose Mourinho Are Manchester United looking for a special one? Mourinho has experience at some of the biggest clubs in the world and was very disLouis van Gaal appointed to miss out on the job to

What they say

Pep Guardiola (Bayern Munich coach) ‘’It’s sad that Moyes was sacked but I am here, I am in Bayern and I want to stay here two more years.

To change the culture and go to Germany was not easy for me and I need more time to feel really this is my team. Bayern is absolutely my team.’’

huge transfer kitty available, United had to be 100% Moyes was the right man.”

Robbie Savage (Former Man United midfielder, 1993-1994) “I think Moyes will bounce back. Looking at Everton, Newcastle, Spurs, I think that type of club is what he is suited to. Manchester United was one step too far for him.

Dwight Yorke (Former Man United striker, 1998-2002) “There was a lot of expectation - it was a big change. What we never would have envisaged is the standard of performances and the style of play. It’s been a huge disappointment not to be involved in the race for the Premier League title, to get knocked out of the Champions League and to be out of the race for a place in next season’s Champions League.

The players are equally to blame.”

Michael Owen (Former Man United striker, 2009-2012) “Huge news at Old Trafford but with the summer looming and a

Gary Neville (Former Man United defender, 1991-2011) “There is no disguising the football and results have been

poor. As a fan, I’ve not enjoyed watching the team and I’m sure David Moyes hasn’t either and nor have the fans. Performances have got worse.

“The players have to take massive responsibility. They are the ones on the football pitch. Those players are not as bad as they have been showing. They look like they have lost confidence and belief.”

Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid coach) “I feel sorry for David Moyes, but that’s the life of a football coach, sometimes it doesn’t go well for you and you are sacked.

“I’m sure Moyes is going to get another team and another opportunity, but I always feel bad when a coach is sacked. I am a little surprised because Manchester United doesn’t normally do this.”

Manchester United 1-2 West Brom, Premier League, September 28, 2013 From humiliation on one level, to another on a completely different scale. Moyes’ shaky start continued as West Brom secured their first win at Old Trafford since 1978, leaving United to reflect on making their worst start to a league campaign in 24 years.

Manchester United 0-1 Everton, Premier League, December 4, 2013 Moving on was something United certainly failed to do as Everton returned to Merseyside with all three points after Bryan Oviedo struck four minutes from time.

Manchester United 0-1 Newcastle, Premier League, December 7, 2013 Just four days later, languishing ninth in the table and 12 points off the top of the Premier League, United tumbled at home to Newcastle.

Manchester United 1-2 Swansea, FA Cup third round, January 5, 2014 United hoped for better in 2014 but the crises kept coming as a Premier League defeat by Tottenham at Old Trafford on New Year’s Day was followed by the loss of another silverware target.

Sunderland 2-1 Manchester United, League Cup, January 7, 2014 The “big game” United now looked forward to was the opening leg in the semifinals of the League Cup, but it went from bad to worse. Defeat by Sunderland ensured United lost three matches in a row for the first time since 2001.

Olympiakos 2-0 Manchester United, Champions League last 16, first leg, February 25, 2014 United, by this stage 11 points off a qualification place for next season’s Champions League via the Premier League, saw their hopes of gaining entry by lifting the trophy seriously damaged in Greece, leaving nowhere for Moyes or his players to hide.

Manchester United 0-3 Liverpool, Premier League, March 16, 2014 Twenty-four hours prior to his side’s crunch match with their fierce rivals, Moyes indicated it would not be long before United were once again challenging for top honours.

Manchester United 0-3 Manchester City, Premier League, March 25, 2014 The reaction to Liverpool came and went, but United responded. They beat Olympiakos at Old Trafford to advance to the last eight of the Champions League.

Bayern Munich 3-1 Manchester United, Champions League quarter-final second leg, April 9, 2014 The defeat to City saw United fans club together and fly a banner stating “Wrong One: Moyes Out” over Old Trafford during their next home game.

Everton 2-0 Manchester United, Premier League, April 20, 2014 Moyes’ first visit to Goodison Park since leaving his role as Everton manager was preceded by a fierce war of words with his replacement, Roberto Martinez.

Giggs (left) and Moyes

NEWS 55

Sanctity of Truth

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

National conference

Confab enters crucial phase as committees start sitting Media coverage restricted Louis Achi Abuja

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crucial phase of the National Conference got underway yesterday

when its standing committees started siting at their dual venues - the National Judicial Institute (NJI) and NICON Luxury Hotel, Abuja.

But in a marked departure from the format of the confab’s plenary sessions where media coverage was unrestricted, several committees at the NICON

Luxury Hotel venue barred journalists from covering their sittings.

The Committee on Public Service chaired by Engr.

Ebere Okeke; Committee on Civil Society, Labour and Sports chaired by Mrs. Bola

Chairman, Committee on Politics and Government, Prof. Jerry Gana (left) and Vice Chairman, Chief Olu Falae, during the inaugural meeting of the committee at the national conference Abuja…yesterday.

PHOTO: TIMOTHY IKUOMENISAN.

Falae: Money politics, bane of good governance in Nigeria Onwuka Nzeshi ABUJA

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he Committee on Politics and Governance has blamed the near absence of good governance in Nigeria on the role money pays in politics of the country.

The blame came as the 20 standing committees of the national conference started their separate deliberations of the issues and memoran-

da submitted to them.

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Co-chairman of the Committee on Politics and Governance, Chief Olu Falae, said until the influence of money was reduced in the electoral and governance processes, the country might not witness the emergence of credible leaders and good governance.

Falae, who spoke shortly

after the closed-door session, said the committee would explore ways of grooming good leaders who could deliver good governance.

“What has emerged from our discussion so far is that good governance really depends on the quality of leadership. We have the laws; we have the constitution and we know the procedures. But is the leadership ready to take action?

“The way the political parties are organised is also a problem. They don’t have internal democracy.

Governors have emerged as virtual dictators because they control the resources of the state. It is money that speaks and until we reduce the role of money in our politics, we will not have good leadership. As it is today, any position can be bought and not earned or merited,” he said.

Ogunrinade and the Committee on Energy chaired by Senator Rashidi Ladoja led the media gag.

Citing security concerns, Issa Aremu, Deputy Chairman Civil Society, Labour and Sports had rebuked newsmen who gained access into the Conference Room 11 of the hotel, insisting they introduce themselves notwithstanding the accreditation tags they carried.

A more subtle tactics to thwart media coverage was deployed by Okeke, leader of the Committee on Public Service, when she declined coverage of her committee deliberations but allowed photo journalists take pictures of his members before ordering them to go out.

The Energy Committee chaired by Ladoja also objected to press coverage, except for some photo coverage. Chief Richard Akinjide who confirmed this position to New Telegraph during lunch break however confirmed the energy committee had quality members and they were progressing well.

A common feature of most of other committees’ maiden meeting was the introduction of their members to break the ice ahead of serious work.

Introduction of the thematic areas of their committees as specified by the work plan of the conference to be expanded by the individual committees was

another feature of the first sitting of several committees which worked at the hotel venue.

Still, some committees resolved to bring in resource persons to provide specialised insights and give them expert guidelines on their thematic areas.

According to the Committee on Immigration chaired by His Royal Highness, Dr. Muhammad Zaiyanu, the Controller General of Immigration, Mr. David Paradang, would be the guest of the committee to brief it on its duties.

In the same vein, the Committtee on Public Service resolved to invite the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Ayim Pius Anyim, along with other experts to address them.

The Chairman of Political Parties and Electoral Matters, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, noted that his committee would not welcome experts or resource persons’ input into the work of his committee, stating that several documents were available for his committee to work with.

Items available to the committees, according to Ayu, are the constitution of the country, the 1987 Bureau Report, the 1995 Constitutional Conference report, 2005 Political Reform Conference, the Uwais Report, the Electoral Act of 2010 and the Belgore Report.

CAN accuses Kutigi of pursuing Islamic agenda lThey’re just looking for trouble, says confab spokesman Onwuka Nzeshi ABUJA

T

he Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) yesterday accused the Chairman of the National Conference of pursuing an Islamic agenda in the composition of the committee on religion.

In a statement at the venue of the conference, the umbrella body of Christians in Nigeria expressed reservations on the composition of the members and leadership of the committee, alleging that it was designed to fa-

vour Muslims.

Director of National Issues, CAN Secretariat, Mr. Sunny Oibe, who signed the protest letter, argued that religion had been a sensitive issue in the country and should have been handled better by the National Conference.

Oibe stated that rather than ensure balance and fairness, Kutigi, a native of Niger State, picked Nurudeen Lemu, the son of Sheikh Lemu, also from Niger State to chair the committee and did not pick any delegate representing CAN.

“The supposed Christian in the committee, Dr. Jonathan Obaje, representing the Diaspora in the confab, has been given express permission by Kutigi to travel back overseas for holiday; he is not even in Nigeria at present and does not represent CAN. “The delegate is not around and Christians will be affected during voting. Bishop Felix Ajakaiye, who was named co-Chairman in the committee is representing Ekiti State and not CAN. “In that case, we have already lost and the ratio

will now be 12 members for Muslims and six for Christians. To us in CAN, Justice Kutigi is working out a script to undermine the interest of Christians in the confab.

“Ordinarily, the Christians who have been on the receiving end from the members of the Boko Haram Islamic sect in the North should be a cochairman in the Committee on Religion.

“But what Kutigi did was to pick a Muslim from the North as chairman and a Christian from the South West (Ajakaiye) who has

little or no knowledge of what is happening in the North as co-chairman.

The interest of Christians in this case, will not be adequately protected,” Oibe said.

In a swift reaction to the protest, the Assistant Secretary (Media and Communications) of the National Conference, Mr. Akpandem James dismissed the allegations as an attempt by some persons to foment trouble.

“Is Bishop Ajakaiye not a Christian? Somebody is a Christian and because he is not a CAN delegate he shouldn’t be co-chairman?

“Look, CAN is just an

association and it is not every Christian that is a member. Not all churches in Nigeria are members of CAN. Must somebody come from Borno or Yobe State before heading a committee on religion?

“We had few people representing CAN and is that a group that should dictate what to do? The committee is made up of Christians and Muslims, whether you are a member of CAN or Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in Nigeria (NSCIA). Are there no other members of NSCIA? People are just looking for trouble where there’s none,” Akpadem said.

World Record

On Marble A man who stands for nothing will fall for something.

– Malcolm X

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, APRIL 23, 2014

The loudest crowd roar at a sports stadium was achieved by fans of the Seattle Seahawks, at Centurylink Stadium in Seattle, Washington, USA, on 2 December 2013.

N150

Just politics, not governance as 2015 approaches

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arely a year to go to May 2015, the political temperature is rising, and drum beats of political activities are already on the level of crescendo, even against INEC rules on commencement of campaign activities. The ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is on a national tour, holding zonal rallies on the pretext that they are receiving defecting members of other political parties, or returnee members to the PDP fold. Many of these rallies have been clearly insensitive, against the backdrop of the national mood, the now weekly massacre of innocent defenceless citizens, either by Boko Haram, or Fulani Herdsmen. Only last week the nation was again thrown into deep mourning as another very explosive bomb took the lives of 75 Nigerians (official record) and about 150 others with wounds of various degrees in Nyanya, a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory. The dead include pregnant women, children, youths and others mainly in the low and middle income bracket.

Same day, in the wee hours of the morning, the dreaded group Boko Haram cruelly invaded a Federal Government Girls Secondary School carting away 100 teenage girls in furtherance of their obnoxious god forsaken agenda of banishing Western Education in Nigeria. Till date, some of these young girls have not been seen. I wonder the traumatic and harrowing experiences these young harmless innocent girls must have gone, or are going through.

Ditto their families and relations. It is an experience one would not, even for sardonic pleasures, wish his worst enemy.

Unfortunately, what we have seen from those whose primary responsibilities is to protect lives and property is a blame game or passing the buck, or indeed a wicked politicization of the colossal grief and unimaginable sadness of the people. Those (s)elected to govern should take responsibility, for good or bad. That is the hall mark of statesmanship.

A true political party and genuine national leaders should not be seen dancing and clapping in jamborees or rallies, when the streams of wails and tears are still flowing from a national tragedy, itself a direct corollary of governance deficit in all its ramifications.

What is happening in Nigeria currently is a sad reminder of a failing state. National leaders should empathise with the people, if they have any sense of compassion, mission or responsibility.

Governance, if ever there was one, has been put in abeyance in Nigeria. It is all

IvoryGlory Nkemdili Nnonyelu

aunnonyelu@yahoo.co.uk - 08122801926 (sms only)

raw politics. Mad rush to acquire or retain, and eat from, the resources of the state seems to be the mantra of the political elite. It is called by some perceptive thinkers as “politics of the belly” The Independent National Electoral Commission, under Prof Attahiru Jega conveniently looks bemused, while the ruling political party violates with impunity whatever that is left of the electoral law. The fact that these rallies have in attendance the president of the Federal Republic, the Senate President and other big shots of the ruling party signifies a seal of approval that is no less detestable.

It has been nauseating, to say the least.

In other societies, such otiose, improper and inappropriate conduct in the peak of monumental national grief and mourning would have elicited commensurate riposte or backlash from the citizens.

On its own side the All Progressive Congress (APC), the main opposition political party has hitherto been involved in nationwide consultations ostensibly to inform so called stakeholders on the vision and mission of the opposition party.

Perhaps, because of lack of power of incumbency, APC appears restrained or more dexterous in gauging the national mood, particularly in these sad, forlorn and unhappy times.

Majority of Nigerians appear crest fallen as the political elites seem to be obsessed more with political activities, than governance itself. What it shows is that in a four year tenure, only 2 or more years are used to govern, the rest is wasted on practically irrelevant things that have nothing to do with the people’s welfare.

As 2015 approaches there has also been a gale of defections, where the politicians’ heavy weights and paper weights criss cross from one political party to the other. Not surprisingly, today’s political parties are not delineated along the lines of Ideology, Programme of Action or Manifesto. Very much akin to what Bola Ige called then Abacha’s parties as the leprous fingers of one hand. The ease with which these unprincipled politicians move from one party to another illustrates vividly that these parties are the

same. Separating party A from party B in Nigeria is a distinction without a difference. The parties are indeed an amalgam of strange bed fellows that are only united with the brazen pursuit of political power mainly for self aggrandizement. Rarely is political power deployed for the benefit of the masses or the common good.

In the build up to 2015 the federal government, has lately released a rebasing of Nigeria’s economic standing. According to this bolt out of the blues release, Nigeria strangely is now Africa’s no 1 economy and sitting proudly as the 26th biggest economy in the entire globe. This disclosure, by the Statistician General of the federation came after more than 15 years of inaction, and governmental slumber. Why it was released on the eve of the 2015 election, and what it really intends to achieve is not yet clear. What is apparent however to Nigerians is the worsening and deteriorating living conditions, the continuing failure of several industrial and other entrepreneurial activities, exploding unemployment, pitch darkness, all over the nation, escalating poverty, pervasive and dreadful insecurity, increasing child and maternal mortality and chaotic and dilapidated infrastructure. Majority of Nigerians stagger their meals, not out of choice, but hardship, as they find it extremely excruciating to place food on their tables and other dependants. May this rebasing not turn out an albatross, as Nigerians may exhaust their patience, and ask forcefully to partake in this new found glory. Just one word will explain this voodoo economics – politics.

It has little to do with existential reality of the people’s material, social cum psychological conditions; it is a devious and disingenuous ploy to lead the people astray, leaving them with a utopian sense of fulfilment. It is an underhand way of telling the outside world that whatever monies (AID) for development that have been donated to Nigeria, have been wisely expended. Nigerians of course know the truth. Why our leaders do not want to accept the reality that the condition of life is deteriorating, not getting any better is understandable. It is a clever ploy to tell the international community that

the current crop of national leaders are working towards meeting Millennium Development Goals as 2015 approaches.

Any certification of good health by the International Body would translate into political capital as the election approaches. And that is all our leaders care about.

It is just politics, not governance.

But 2015 elections promises to be different for very many reasons. First, it will be the first election that the presidential race will be very seriously contested since 1999, in view of what I call a near balance of states among the two main parties PDP and APC. In 2011, Muhammadu Buhari, using an unknown political platform, the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) was able to garner more than 12 million votes, scaring the daylight out of the behemoth PDP. Second, with ongoing political alliances and intrigues, inter-group fusion, the 2015 contest promises to be more interesting. Third, Nigerians are becoming wiser. In the fullness of time, they will identify with genuine representatives who over the years have stood by them and with them. Men and women who have character, conscience and integrity, and whose pedigree speak eloquently for them. Those whose conduct in private and public lives have not been tainted, or tarred with the brush of corruption.

I do not know how many of the current occupants of political power can pass this litmus test. Do we have such in the political firmament? Nigerians need to unite to ensure that the purported prediction by American Intelligence that the nation will break up in 2015 does not come to pass.

OmoBaba

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