Monday, may 18, 2015 binder1 by Newtelegraphonline

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Monday, May 18, 2015

Vol. 2 No. 453

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12 pages of international new york times NEW TELEGR

Nigeria loses $102m oil revenue in eight days Adeola Yusuf

igeria has lost over N25.6 billion ($102 million) in crude oil revenue following the disruption of Bonny light crude export eight

days ago. The 200, 000 barrels per day capacity Trans Nigeria Pipeline that carries Nigeria's Bonny Light crude oil to an export terminal has been shut down since May 12. Spokeswoman for Shell,

operator of the pipeline, who confirmed this, declined comment on how long the installation would remain shut. The pipeline carries one of Nigeria's main export grades, Bonny Light BFO-BON. About six cargoes of the crude, or be-

tween 180,000 and 200,000 barrels per day, are exported each month. Neither the reason for the shutdown nor its expected duration was immediately clear. Checks by New Telegraph,

}23

APH MONDAY , MAY 18, 2015

Money Line

Analysts blame weak Q1 GDP oil slump for

Stock Watc

Mansard Insuran ce: Investors on strategic build acquisition

Insurance

Pension assets fruitful investm: Exploring details for ent

Business

Interview

Why Nigeria n airlines are not profitable, by Iyayi

42-43

What's neW s

Nigeria impo $2.04bn fish rts Norway in from three years Nigeria has imported not than 1,688,3 less pelagic fish 08 metric tons of from last three years. Norway in the

p.22

MPC to retai n interest rates –Analysts As the Central (CBN) Moneta Bank of Nigeria’s Committee ry Policy (MPC) meetin commences g today in Abuja, financial analyst s have predict that membe ed rs will leave the of the committee Rate (MPR) Monetary Policy and rates unchan other interest ged.

}21 12 pages of incisive Business L-R: Managin g Director/Chief Director, Sterling Executive Officer, Bank Plc, Mr. Lanre Adesany Lagos State Waste Management a, during a Authority (LAWMA courtesy visit by the Manage ), Mr. Ola Oresany ment of the a; Mrs. Abimbol bank to LAWMA a Jijoho-Ogun , at the weekend and Executiv . e

p.36

The Business

Desk

ayodele aminu

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

N150

Deputy Editor

(Business)

Bayo akomola

IT spend in others hits Nigeria, $4trn annu ally INNOVATION

EMC have disclosed. The expert ing the unveilis stated this dur- then. For now, the total partnership ng of a strategic in Nigeria and other IT spend basis that we have countries data storag between the global around the world partnered is estimated with a company e giant and at $4 trillion nology Distrib such as TD Techannua ensure that to utions Limite “In all of these lly. we jointly (TD), the deliver to d being developments businesses solutio biggest Inform witnessed and Comm ation globally, ICT them to predic ns that help ogy (ICT) unication Technol- would be central. sonalise servicet, deliver perdistrib Our world Saharan Africa utors in sub- rapidly becoming is s, digital and faster, operate in do business the future Kunle Azeez According (SSA). real-tim would demonstrate transparencye and ager, EMC to General Man- and cloud-driven. be software Traver It West Africa is on this s, who deliver .” Nicholas , Mr keynote ed the Travers, nformation presen there “by 2020, and Techn EMC’s global tation, traced ogy (IT) ol- people will be seven billion spending traject competence using ory and in geria and other countrNi- by that year, the Internet and, storage, cloudin the areas of around Being the numbe 30 billion ies computing, devices security, conten $4 trillion the world has hit would have been r of data people to use yearly, expert connec Also, internet by and Big Data. t management s from will it is forecast that ted. 2020 be 44 zetaby there According tes of traffic to him, which is by EMC, already a renowned INFLATION RATE April 2015..... CONTIN UED Rates Da .......................... ON PAGE shboard LENDING 22 .8.7% March 2015..... InterBank Rate..... RATE ........................8 ............. February 2015..... EXCHAN .5% ..12.57% GE Prime Lending RATE ....................8.4% Rate...........17.93 (BDC EXCHANGE Maximum Lending % USD . . . . . . as at May 15) RATE .. Rate...26.83% (Interbank Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N222 as at May 15) .. USD . . . . . . Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .N338 .. l Foreig ........... Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N200 n Reserv . . N247.50 es – $29.786 .. Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N301 bn as at 14/05/2015 ........... . . . . N214 Source: CBN

Jonathan begs for forgiveness fe Asst. Editor (Maritime ) sunday Ojeme

Asst. Editor (Insuranc

tony Chukwu

Asst. Editor (Moneynyem Market)

Dele alao

Industry & Agric

Editor

Dayo ayeyemi Property Editor

adeola Yusuf Energy Editor

Wole shadare Aviation Editor

Chris Ugwu

Capital Market

Editor

abdulwahab

Isa

Finance Editor

Kunle azeez

Senior Correspon

dent

Chuks Onuanyi Energy

nnamdi amadi Reporter

Johnson adebayo

Asst Productio

n Editor

Partnership between EMC and TD will deepen its future and to deliver innovative solutions to businesses in Nigeria

7bn

lWife reveals miraculous healing after husband's defeat }2

‘

I know that some of my policies would have offended some people. We plead that those people should forgive us

‘

Quick Read L-R: Mother of the wife of Edo State Governor, Mrs. Fortes; Governor Adams Oshiomhole and his wife, Lara, at a thanksgiving mass to mark their wedding in Auchi…yesterday

APC plans takeover of S'South lTo use Amaechi, Sylva as arrowheads

Editorial

All eyes on }19 Sambisa forest Akpabio to inaugurate 165 }9 'farewell' projects

News

MONDAY, May 18, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Jonathan begs for forgiveness Anule Emmanuel

resident Goodluck Jonathan yesterday pleaded with Nigerians to forgive him of any wrong doing during his five-year reign. The president, at a special thanksgiving organised by the Aso Chapel to bid him and his immediate family farewell after losing the March 28 presidential election to the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Major General Muhammadu Buhari, said no man was born perfect. It was also at the occasion his wife, Patience, spoke on her battle with illness and how she was miraculously healed after her husband's defeat. Only a few weeks ago, Jonathan had expressed the concern that after leaving office, most of his aides would be persecuted for perceived things that they did wrong while in office. However, the APC allayed the president's fear, saying the incoming administration has no persecution agenda and those with clear conscience have nothing to fear. Jonathan told the congregation at the farewell service that he was asking for forgiveness because he knew that within the period he had served the country, he might have done things in particular ways that some people were not happy about. He added that no matter the people's misgivings about the policies and programmes of his administration, there was no deliberate attempt to hurt people. The president said: "No system is perfect. Every human system must have an element of imperfection. For the period of eight years that we have been here, because my transition from vice-president to president was gradual and complicated; it was intertwined, so you cannot actually draw the line, I must have hurt some people. "When the president (the late President Umaru Yar'Adua) was challenged with major health issues, I was running the country for sometime even before the doctrine of necessity made me acting president. Then, I took over at first and conducted the 2011 election, which I won and I had to run my full four years as an elected president. So, for the eight years that one has been there, definitely one is not perfect. "We have certainly done

things that probably we wouldn't have done that way, but we didn't do things deliberately. "So, for those who we have offended, it was not deliberate; it was circumstances of the office. We also plead that those people should forgive us as we think we have done our best. "You can do your best and your friends may misunderstand you. Today, we are talking about leaving. It is only God that knows why things go the way they do." The First Lady, in her speech, commended Nigerians for the support they gave to her and her husband in the last eight years.

She said they never dreamt that they would rise to the enviable height of the presidency. "I never thought in my life that I would be a First Lady. I never dreamt of being wife of a deputy governor because my husband was not a politician. But God made it possible and God lifted us up from deputy governor and here we are," she stated. Mrs. Jonathan also revealed how in January, she was miraculously healed of an ailment that would have cost her a major operation, but vanished after the president lost in the March 28 presidential election. She thanked God that unlike past leaders who

lost spouses in office before leaving the seat of power, she and the president would be departing Aso Rock in good health. The First Lady said: "Just two years ago, I went through operations upon operations. Within one month, I passed through 12 operations. It is wonderful. To some people, they said she is dead, but God resurrected me. "During this campaign period, the devil struck again. In pains, I was rushed to the hospital in Germany and the doctors told me, mama, you have to go for a major operation now. "The campaign was still going on and I wondered how we were going to ex-

plain to Nigerians. You know even when you go for check-up, they will be writing in papers all sorts of things. "I said my family and I would have to handle this. My husband will continue with his campaign until the last day. That was how I went in for the first major operation in January ending. "And by God's grace, I went for the operation and came out and it was from that operation that I went to the campaign ground. And they told me, mama, there is another bigger operation that you have to go in for. This one would not be in this hospital. "This hospital is too small for that type of op-

eration. You have to go to a bigger hospital and I said ah ah. I will go; I have faith in God and my God will see me through. He has brought me out for a purpose. I called my pastor to continue praying for me. "I said again, they want me to be a sacrifice, but I will never be. Then, do you know I went to the bigger hospital? I booked for the operation and I was asked to go for the campaign. They gave me a new date. "I had paid for everything remaining just to enter the theatre and something occurred to the doctors at the hospital. They said, let's check her again. By then, my husband had lost the election. I had startCONTINUED ON PAGE 8

L-R: Former Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha; his wife, Martha; President Goodluck Jonathan; his wife, Patience; Aso Rock Chaplain, Ven. Obioma Onwuzurumba and former Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi, after a farewell service for the president in Abujaâ&#x20AC;Śyesterday.

APC plans takeover of South-South Donald Ojogo Abuja

he All Progressives Congress (APC) has perfected plans to displace the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the dominant party in the South-South, ahead of future elections. New Telegraph gathered that the party has raised a committee to evolve strategy to facilitate integration of the zone into the party's power base. Membership of the committee has been kept under close wraps even as a source close to the APC leadership said the plan for bringing the SouthSouth, which along with the South-East voted overwhelmingly for the PDP in the last general elections, would commence soon after the swearing in of Ma-

jor General Muhammadu Buhari on May 29. According to him, some preliminary arrangements have been concluded to strengthen the party in the geopolitical zone. He said the party leadership was considering Rivers State Governor, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi and former Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, as rallying points for repositioning the APC in the zone by ensuring they play prominent roles in the incoming administration. Besides, the APC will vigorously pursue the pending cases at the governorship election tribunals in Akwa Ibom and Rivers states by ensuring the tribunals nullify the results of the governorship elections in the two states won by PDP candidates. The party is hopeful

that should the elections in the two states be nullified, it stands a better chance of winning in fresh governorship polls in the states. The source, who was reacting to reports that some allies of President Goodluck Jonathan from the Niger Delta were lobbying to be retained in their positions beyond Jonathan's tenure on May 29, said rather than concede to their pressures, the APC was more determined to strengthen its support base in the South-South. ''All those stories about some people lobbying to be retained cannot work in our party. We thank God that Alhaji Lai Mohammed has clearly declared that all those spending money to induce leaders of the APC are wasting time. ''But beyond that, rather than retaining them, we are also not planning

other means to increase or rather deepen our presence in the South-South. We are already doing that because we want APC to be felt in all nooks and crannies of Nigeria. Right now, a small, but strategic committee is working on how to effectively integrate the South-South to the centre because we cannot afford to be left behind in the General Buhari government. ''So it is a thing we have been planning within us rather than retaining those who made the president to fail. The options are many and we shall not leave any of those options out in planting the APC in the hearts of the people of the South-South. ''If for instance, the NDDC is totally overhauled and redirected to focus on people-oriented activities rather than sponsoring governorship candi-

dates, what will be the need to retain Jonathan's men there? To do what there? And if we push for the cancellation of fraudulent governorship elections and we succeed, are you saying we will not reclaim Rivers and Akwa Ibom in free and fair contests?" The source said the party leadership was looking in the direction of both Amaechi and Sylva in Rivers and Bayelsa respectively, for them to play key roles in the government at the federal level. In the case of Bayelsa State, it was gathered that while Sylva is being pushed to be made a minister, former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission(NDDC), Mr. Timi Alaibe, might be pressurised to run for the 2016 governorship on the platform of the APC.

News

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, May 18, 2015

Boko Haram: Army to conclude summary trial of 3,000 soldiers May 27

lDirects unit commanders to submit report today Our Correspondent

he Nigerian Army has ordered the trial of three battalions of soldiers, comprising about 3,000 personnel, that were involved in its ongoing counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations in Adamawa State. The affected soldiers, who were drafted from different Divisions, including the 2 Division in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, are to face trial for allowing Mubi, one of the strategic towns in Adamawa State, to fall to Boko Haram. Though Mubi has since been recaptured by Special Forces, the Army Headquarters (AHQ) wants the soldiers tried for offences bordering on desertion and unprofessional conduct. The Signal to that effect, which was exclusively obtained by New Telegraph, was captioned: RESUMPTION OF TRIAL OF DESERTERS AND

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SLDRS FOR UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT IN OP ZAMAN LAFIYA. The fresh Signal (reminder), which emanated from the Directorate of Army Administration (DOAA), was dated May 6. A further directive from the 2 Division Headquarters, was signed by the Deputy Chief of Staff (DCOS) and Releasing Officer, Colonel J. C. Ogbonna. The Releasing Officer's directive to Unit Commanders is that all trials are to be concluded and report sent to the Headquarters of the Division today. A highly-placed military source, who spoke in confidence with New Telegraph, said the subsisting signal came after the withdrawal of the first one, which had purportedly directed summary dismissal of the accused soldiers. He said: "That Signal was sent to affected Divisions, which I will not mention, after the initial signal, which directed summary dismissal of soldiers from about four battalions, was withdrawn. "Now, the soldiers will be tried by their Unit Commanders, and the reports of the trials, I'm sure, will be sent to the respective Divisions. "It is true that reports from the trials are being

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Corporal down to Private, and the highest punishment he can mete out, is dismissal from service. "Again, there is nothing new about this trial, as officers and soldiers must, at all material times, be ready to answer for their actions and inactions, as the case may be," he said.

Another source, who also pleaded anonymity, said: "If some of the Commanding Officers (COs) of the battalions as at the time Mubi was overran, are already facing trial before a Court Martial in Lagos, what is wrong if the soldiers face their own trials?

"These things are routine, and are done with utmost fairness to all affected, and in line with our rules as well as best practices." Many officers and soldiers are undergoing trials on offences relating to the fight against Boko Haram in the North East.

Vice-President, ECOWAS Commission, Mr. Toga McIntosh (left), with Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, at the opening of the 74th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers in Accra, Ghana…at the weekend.

$102m lost in eight days to oil export disruption CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

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expected at Army Headquarters in Abuja on May 27. "The correct position is that they should be tried summarily, but that does not mean automatic dismissal. "By our rules, unit commanders can only try soldiers from the rank of

however, revealed that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Shell and other firms that transport crude through the pipeline recorded a cumulative loss of N21.5 billion. Due to the shutdown of the Trans Niger, which began at the midnight of Monday, about 1, 600, 000 barrels could not be sold. This translated to $102, 000, 000 based on an average of $64 per barrel price for crude at the international market throughout the period. Traders have confirmed the disruption. Some of them said Bonny Light loadings had been delayed by up to seven days over the past week. Bonny Light crude is a high grade of Nigerian crude oil with high API gravity (low specific gravity), produced in the Niger Delta basin and named

after the prolific region around the city of Bonny. The very low sulphur content of Bonny Light crude makes it a highly desired grade for its low corrosiveness to refinery infrastructure and the lower environmental impact of its by-products in refinery effluent. Bonny Light crude oil is produced in Nigeria from Chevron and Shell concessions. Chevron’s exports are throughput and loaded from the Shell-operated Bonny Terminal, which can accommodate Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) loading. The typical cargo size is 950 thousand barrels; however, alternate cargo sizes can be arranged with advance planning. Typically, cargoes are sold with pricing based off Dated Brent quotes. C h ev ro n - o p e r at e d fields are contributing production of approxi-

mately 40,000 barrels per day. Chevron has a 40 per cent interest in the concession that produces crude oil routed to and commingled with Bonny Light crude oil. Other grades of Nigerian crude oil are Qua Iboe crude oil, Brass River crude oil, and Forcados crude oil. The Cabinda crude oil is a common grade of crude oil produced in Angola. The Bonny Light is in high demand specifically by American and European refineries. It is, therefore, a major source of income generation from Nigeria where pipelines have recently suffered breakdowns with multiplier effects on the economy. Group Executive Director, Gas and Power, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. David Ige, who confirmed the surge in pipeline impairment in Nigeria, said

this was partly responsible for the dip in power generation. "We are having quite a lot of issues that are interlinked with the power sector; for the past two months, one leg of the Escravos-Lagos pipeline between Escaravos and Ojidi and Warri has been down after the vandalism. It has taken us this long to repair the pipeline because, first of all, the elections meant that the JTF could not provide security for our people to go in there and access," he said. Consequently, he said it was only after the elections that the people could go in to repair the damage. He said with the loss of the pipeline, the NNPC was losing about 150 million cubic feet of gas per day, which has been the case for the last eight weeks or so. He said: "In addition to that, the Trans Forcados pipeline like you know is

attacked about four weeks or three weeks ago, there was an attempt to repair it, but when we try to bring back that online, we noticed further leakage, which I believe has just been fixed or is being fixed right now. With the Transforcados pipeline out, we are losing gas supply from Obein, from Sapele and from NPDC, which is a significant one. “So, right now, we are losing gas from Escravos and we are losing gas from the Obein axis; that is a significant amount of our supply capacity that is down on the western side. On the Lagos-Escravos pipeline, Ige said; "Lagos pipeline is almost completed. We expect that within the next three months that project would be done. We have completed and commissioned Lagos all the way up to Uben. We have completed Emuren all the way to Itokin in Lagos."

MONDAY, May 18, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

GOVERNMENT OF AKWA IBOM STATE

2015 PROJECTS COMMISSIONING

PROGRAMME OF ACTIVITIES / SCHEDULE FOR THE COMMISSIONING OF 165 LIFE-TOUCHING PROJECTS IN COMMEMORATION OF 2015 DEMOCRACY DAY CELEBRATION / SEND FORTH CEREMONY FOR HIS EXCELLENCY, CHIEF GODSWILL AKPABIO, CON, EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR OF AKWA IBOM STATE AND INAUGURATION OF THE GOVERNOR-ELECT OF AKWA IBOM STATE, MR. UDOM G. EMMANUEL (16TH - 31ST MAY) S/N

DAY/DATE

DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT

No. of Projects

VENUE

TIME

Saturday, May 16th

Commissioning of Projects at College of Education, Afaha Nsit * Godswill Akpabio Administrative Block * 200 Bed Space Female Hostel * 3 Male hostels * Library Complex * Classroom Block

College of Education, Afaha Nsit

11.00 am

Monday, May 18th

Commissioning of Projects at Akwa Ibom State University (Main Campus) Ikot Akpaden, Mkpat Enin LGA * Main Library Block and Extension, Furnishing, Fitting and Supply of books and journals * Construction of six Nos. Marine Biology Laboratories, Benching and supply of Lab Equipment * Ware House for Geology Department * Two Engineering Skill Workshops * Equipping of Computer Science Department * Furnishing and Equipping of Maths/Statistics Block * Provision of AKSU Internet Web Portal and Networking of ICT Hardware * Engineering and Science Quadrangle (Landscaping) * Engineering Laboratories around Male Hostel * Remodeling of department of Physics * Const. and Equipping of Chemistry Lab * Remodeling and Equipping of Biology Lab * Remodeling and Furnishing of Students Affairs Offices * Remodeling and Furnishing of the Office of Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences * Furnishing of Faculty of Engineering Offices * Remodeling of Female Hostel * Remodeling of Male Hostel for Eng. Faculty

AKS University, Mkpat Enin

11.00 am

Commissioning of Her Excellency, Mrs. Ekaette Unoma Akpabio Health Centre, Eket LGA

Nduo Eduo, Okon-Eket

12.00 pm

Commissioning of new Esit Eket Local Government Secretariat Complex

Uquo

1.00 pm

Commissioning of new Udung Uko Local Government Secretariat Complex

Eyofin

2.00 pm

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, May 18, 2015

S/N

DAY/DATE

Monday, May 18th Contd

Tuesday, May 19th

Wednesday, May 20th

DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT

Commissioning of Urban Roads in Oron LGA * Lawrence Etim Road * Asanwana Street * Awolowo Street * Akilu Street * New Police Station Road * Etim Inyang Street * Iyamba Street * Mount Zion Road

No. of Projects

VENUE

TIME

Oron

3.00 pm

Commissioning of 4.6 km Drainage Line/Outfall, (New Stadium to Obot Idim Ibesikpo) phase I

Obot Idim, Ibesikpo

11.00 am

Commissioning of Aka-Etinan Road (Phase II) - NTA to Ikot Ekan, Etinan LGA

Uyo (by Goodluck Jonathan Boulevard)

12.00pm

Commissioning of Uyo-Ikot Ekpene Road Dualization - Phase 1

Itam

1.00 pm

Commissioning of Gas Station and Auto Mobile Repair Workshop, Government House, Uyo

Government House Grounds

2.00 pm

EXCO Chambers

11.00 am

Ikot Ebido Oku, Uyo

11.00 am

Afaha Offot, Uyo

12.00 pm

Valedictory EXCO Commissioning of Urban Roads in Uyo

}

* Edet Akpan Street Winners Chapel axis, * Jimmy Bassey Street Ikot Ebido Oku, Uyo * Utio Street * Ebong Umoh Itong Close * Sen. John Akpanudoedehe Crescent

Commissioning of Ekom Iman - Abak Road Dualization

Ekom Iman Junction

12.30 pm

Commissioning of the Suspended Bridge, Abak

Ediene, Abak

1.00 pm

Commissioning of new Independence Hall, Abak

Abak

1.30pm

AKS University, Obio Akpa Campus

2.00 pm

Commissioning of new Etim Ekpo Local Government Secretariat Complex

Utu Etim Ekpo

3.00 pm

Commissioning of Uruan Street Dualization, Uyo

Uruan Street, Uyo

11.00 am

Ewet Housing Estate, Uyo

11.30 am

Commissioning of Projects at Akwa Ibom State University (Obio Akpa Campus)

Thursday May 21st

Friday, May 22nd

* Social & Mgt. Science Block I * Social & Mgt. Science Block II * Poultry Project * Medical Centre * Library Project * Students’ Canteen * Students’ Centre * Administrative Block * Bursary Block * Council Block * Hostels * Central Stores * Lecture Halls * Staff Offices, Etc * ICT Block / Workshop * Piggery Center * Cattle Shed * Entrepreneurship Centre For Agriculture * Old Council Building * Electrification Project * Beautification and Landscaping * Furnishing of Lecture Halls * Earthen Pond

Commissioning of Internal Roads, Ewet Housing Estate, Uyo

* Sir Udo Udoma Street * Cardinal Ekandem Spur I * Michael Udo Eka Street * Cardinal Ekandem Spur II

MONDAY, May 18, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

S/N

DAY/DATE

DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT

No. of Projects

VENUE

TIME

Commissioning of Internal Roads, Ewet Housing Estate, Uyo (Contd)

* * * * * * * *

Friday, May 22nd Contd

Senator Victor Akan Street Ibiono Ibom Street Margaret Ekpo Street Ime Umana Street Victor Eka Street Dr. Ward Street Dr. Ward Spur Cardinal Ekandem Street

* * * * * * *

School road A Ewet Street Eniong Street Ibanga Akpabio Spur I Ibanga Akpabio Spur I B. G. Bassey Street Chief Etim Inyang Drive

Commissioning of Internal Roads, Shelter Afrique Estate, Uyo * Kennedy Ekanem * Crescent 1 Road A * Nsini Udoeyop * Crescent 1 Road B * Tony Asikpo * Crescent 1 Road C * Cosmas Udoette * Crescent 1 Road D * Sam Akpabot * Crescent 1 Road E * Thompson Akpabio * Crescent 1 Road F * Enyekung Close * J T Akpabio * Aniedi Akpabio Road * Sunday Mbang * Allison Attah * Chris Ekpenyong * FEJ Etim * Udoma Udo Udoma * Samson Akpan * Okon Inwang * APICO Road * Angel Commissioning of Ultra-Modern Shopping Complex and internal roads at the Tropicana Entertainment Centre, Uyo FEATURES: * State-of-the-art Shopping Mall * Well Appointed Shops, Food Court, Restaurants and Outlets * Fully Enclosed and Air-conditioned Facility * Customer Escalators & Lifts * Safe and Secured Environment * Waterfall

Saturday, May 23rd

Sunday, May 24th

Ewet Housing Estate, Uyo

Shelter Afrique Estate Uyo

11.30 am

12.00 pm

Tropicana Entertainment Centre, Uyo

1.00 pm

Commissioning of Ultra-Modern 540,000 per month Day Old Chicks Capacity Hatchery Complex, Idu Uruan

Idu-Uruan

3.00 pm

Commissioning of Dominic Utuk Avenue dualisation (Phase I)

Uyo

11.00 am

Commissioning of Dominic Utuk Ravine Main Outfall, Flood Channel/Reclamation (Phase I)

Uyo

11.30 am

Commissioning of a modern bridge linking Ekpenyong Atai I & II, Essien Udim LGA

Ekpenyong Atai

1.00 pm

Commissioning of new Administrative Block, Federal Polytechnic, Ukana

Essien Udim

2.00 pm

Commissioning of Internal Roads in other LGAs

LGAs

3.00 pm

Ibom Hall Grounds, Uyo

2.00 pm

Information Drive, Uyo

10.00 am

Itam

12 noon

Inter Denominational Valedictory / Thanksgiving Service in honour of His Excellency, Chief Godswill Akpabio, CON, Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State Commissioning of the ultra-modern Printing Press Complex and a brand new Goss Community Press at Akwa Ibom Newspapers Corporation, Uyo

Commissioning of ultra-modern Ibom Specialist Hospital 9.

Monday, May 25th

FEATURES: * 308 beds facility * VIP and VVIP Wards * 1.5 Tesla MRI * 640 Slides CT Scan * Six Fully Integrated Modular Theatres * Digital Mammography * Endoscopy Surgery * Highly sophisticated Intensive Care Units (ICU) * Medical Gas Plants

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, May 18, 2015

S/N

DAY/DATE

DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT

No. of Projects

VENUE

TIME

Commissioning of ultra-modern Ibom Specialist Hospital Features (Contd)

Monday, May 25th

* Helipad * 43,560 sqm or 7.8 Ha Landmass * Paperless and Pneumatic Delivery Devices * Fully Automated Laboratories and Dialyses Units * International Certified Operators Commissioning of some internal roads, Ikot Ekpene

Ikot Ekpene

11.00 am

Commissioning of Mini-Stadium, Ikot Ekpene

Ikot Ekpene

11.30 am

Commissioning of the Special Medical Diagnostic Complex, Ikot Ekpene

Ikot Ekpene

12.00 pm

Ikot Ekpene

12.00 pm

Presentation of Guinness World Record Award (25,272 Choristers)

Akwa Ibom Int'l Stadium, Uyo

3.00 pm

Children's Day Celebration

Uyo Township Stadium

10.00 am

Night of Elocution in honour of His Excellency, Chief Godswill Akpabio, CON, Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State

Banquet Hall Grounds, Uyo

7.00 pm

Interactive Session with Stakeholders Valedictory Address by His Excellency, Chief Godswill Akpabio, CON, Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State

Banquet Hall, Uyo

1.00 pm

Inauguration of the Governor-Elect, Mr. Udom G. Emmanuel

Akwa Ibom Int'l Stadium, Uyo

10.00 am

State Banquet

Le Meridien Ibom Hotels and Golf Resort, Uyo

7.30 pm

Interdenominational/Thanksgiving Service by His Excellency, Mr. Udom G. Emmanuel, the new Governor of Akwa Ibom State

Ibom Hall Grounds

2.00 pm

Unveiling of the Best Designed Sheraton Hotel, Ikot Ekpene

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

Tuesday, May 26th

Wednesday, May 27th

Thursday, May 28th

Friday, May 29th

Sunday, May 31st

FEATURES: * 14-Storey Oval Shaped Complex * 146 Rooms * 14 Suites * 600-Seater Banquet Hall * 6 Meeting Rooms * 1 Holding Room * Swimming Pool * Tennis Court * Business Center * 100-Seater in-house Restaurant * Reception Bar * Terrace Bar

takeholders, the political class, the organised private sector, religious leaders, royal fathers, organised labour, socio-political organisations, women & youth groups, friends, well wishers, members of the press and indeed the entire citizens of the State are requested to be part of these historic moments.

Signed Aniekan Umanah, fnim

Honourable Commissioner for Information & Communications

News

MONDAY, May 18, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Speakership: North-East Reps endorse Gbajabiamila, Monguno Philip Nyam Abuja

hirty-six out of the 48 members of the House of Representatives from the North-East have endorsed the candidature of the Minority Leader, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila (APC, Lagos) for the Speaker. They also resolved to back the chairman, House Committee on Agriculture, Hon. Mohammed Monguno (APC, Borno) as Deputy Speaker to Gbajabiamila. The lawmakers predicated their decision on the possibility of the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) zoning the position to the South-West. In the event that the APC leadership zones the speakership to the NorthEast, the 36 lawmakers resolved to back Monguno for the office. However, the 12 other members of the caucus are behind the chairman, House Services Commit-

tee, Hon. Yakubu Dogara (APC, Borno), who is also vying for the position of speaker. The lawmakers’ decision followed a meeting at the weekend in which members from five NorthEastern states were present. North-East is made up of six states of Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba, Bauchi and Gombe. Briefing reporters after the meeting, Hon. Goni Bukar Lawan (Yobe), who spoke on behalf of the North-East Caucus said their decision was based on the political reality in the country. He said that in advanced democracies, when the minority party takes over government, the Minority Leader becomes the Majority Leader of the party. "We cannot look for any leader, because even before we took over the government he was our leader, and today we're in the position. That's why we decided to back our leader,

Femi Gbajabiamila, to be our Speaker, and for Mungonu to be our Deputy Speaker by the grace of God," he said. Speaking on why he suspended his ambition to become Speaker in the 8th House, Goni said as a grassroots politician, he had to listen to his governor who is the party leader in his state. "We have a project before Yobe State. Senator Ahmed Lawan is pursuing the position of Senate Presidency of this country. In that respect, we cannot have one state produces two candidates; one looking for the post of Speaker of the House of Representatives and another Senate President. "For us, that's not in order. That's why after the consultations and discussions, we arrived at supporting Gbajabiamila when the party zones the Speakership to the SouthWest," Goni said. He added that because of the ambition of both

We'll not change our identity –PDP Onyekachi Eze ABUJA

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had said that it is not contemplating a change of identity despite losing control of the Federal Government and some of its states in the last general elections. In a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, PDP said it is still the truly national political party with strength and spread enough to regain pre-eminence. "We have a name, tradition and values. Sixteen fruitful years as the guardian of Nigerian democracy cannot be nullified by the reason of temporary setback. We shall rise beyond

all and regain our rhythm. Our colour remains green, white and red and power still belongs to the people. And to assert that we are proud of the successes of our successive leaders in taking Nigeria to its present height is an understatement, which the passage of the next four years under the All Progressives Congress (APC) will certainly prove,” the party said. PDP, however, said it would not close its doors to other political parties wishing to merge with it as the best vehicle for the fulfilment of political aspirations of all Nigerians regardless of tribe and religion. It said its going into opposition would not mitigate its ability as the flagship of democracy, adding

that it is prepared to proving credible alternative as a constructive opposition, far removed from the wrathful destruction that the APC lived thus far. "We have no doubt lifted the banner of democracy very high and only wish that the APC will move beyond excuses when it takes over in weeks' time to reconcile mouthful promises with the reality of fulfilment. We have not only laid a solid foundation, we have built to a height that no denial can wish away. "We therefore call on all our members to ensure that they are not in any way distracted but remain focused as the unity, cohesion and regenerative capacity of the PDP is very much intact, election loss notwithstanding,” the statement added.

Jonathan's wife reveals miraculous healing after husband's defeat CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

ed packing out of the Villa. "Behold! I went to four hospitals again and the thing vanished. My doctors were surprised they didn't think that could happen. I told my people doctors say we can go." She urged her supporters and those of her husband to take Jonathan's defeat in good faith and as an act of God. "We should be grateful to God for what he has done. To our followers, today it might not be too

good, but I want them to be grateful to God because you have followed us for a long time. You know this position is not a life thing. "There is no permanent thing, so I want you to take it in good faith that it is the will of God and you should be praising God. God is really wonderful. That is for the political side,” she stated. Meanwhile the VicePresident-elect, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, was absent at the occasion after being invited by Jonathan to of-

ficially take over the Aso Rock chapel, which is the worship place for Christians working in the seat of power. Chaplain of the Aso Chapel, Venerable Obioma Onwuzurumba, told reporters that although Osinbajo was invited to the event, he could not attend. At the thanksgiving service, Jonathan, his wife and the president's mother received gifts from the congregation for their contributions in building the church.

Lawan and Mongonu, "Whatever position I am looking for, I should step it down. We are now one and all of us are working for the progress of the NorthEast." Members-elect from the North-Eastern Caucus who signed the Gbajabiamila/Monguno endorsement document include: Adamawa – Sadiq Ibrahim,

Yusuf Buba, Abdulraman Shaibu, Philip Gutuwa; Bauchi – Muhammed Sani Abdu, Lawal Yahayah, Tata Omar, Isa Hassan Mohammed, Ibrahim Baba, Mohammed Gololo, Salisu Ningi, Musa Aliyu, Ahmed Yarima, Adamu Gupai; Borno – Mohammed Nur Sheriff, Mahmud Lawan, Mohammed Sanda, Dr Asabe Bashir, Mallam Bukar

Gana, Abdulkadir Rahis, Ayuba Mohammed Bello, Mohammed Tahir Monguno, and Jibrin Satumari. Others are Gombe – Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki, Binta Bello, Ustaz Yinus, Umar Barambu, Ali Isa JC; Yobe – Goni Bukar Lawan, Khadija B.A. Ibrahim, Ismaila Gadaka, Yau Galadima, Sidi Yakubu, Sabo Garba

Constitution: Reps ask S'Court to rescind ruling Philip Nyam Abuja

he House of Representatives has advised the Supreme Court to reverse its ruling stopping the National Assembly from vetoing presidential assent to the alteration of the 1999 Constitution before President Goodluck Jonathan. It, however, said it holds the Supreme Court in high esteem and would not act to the contrary to its ruling pending the final decision on the matter. Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Hon. Albert Sam-Tsokwa, who disclosed this in Abuja said the ruling poses a dangerous precedence for the independence of the legisla-

ture in Nigeria. He said the National Assembly has directed its lawyers to go back to the Supreme Court and discharge the order because "the order was hastily made. The court can't stop a legislative process.” "The constitution has empowered the president to assent to bills passed by the legislature but where he withheld assent the National Assembly has the power to override it. This is a duty imposed on it by the constitution and the Supreme Court can't stop it," he stated. He said if the order is not reversed, it will set a dangerous precedence where courts of inferior jurisdiction will start issuing orders restraining the legislature from performing its responsibilities.

"It is a dangerous precedence; very soon courts will try to stop the legislature from doing its legislative work as entrenched in section 4 of the constitution," he said. The lawmaker explained that the ruling seems mischievous, saying "it looks a bit mischievous because the matter has been adjourned to June 18, two weeks after the lifespan of this Assembly and equity doesn't act in vain. "What happens if at the end of the day if the Supreme Court rules in favour of the National Assembly?” he queried. Sam-Tsokwa said although the National Assembly respects the decision of the Supreme Court, it has instructed its lawyers to challenge the ruling.

WANTED URGENTLY Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited, publishers of New Telegraph, Saturday Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph, requires the services of: Copy Editors: Must be graduates of English Language with a minimum of Bachelor's Degree (Second Class Upper). Applicants must have calm personality; be good writers with eyes for details and must be able to infuse life into 'dead' copies. He/she must have at least eight years post-qualification experience either in the media or the publishing industry. Legal Officer: with LLB (minimum of Second Class Lower). Should possess at least 4 years post-call experience. Must be able to provide assistance in preparing, drafting and vetting all agreements as well as rendering accurate legal opinion. Eligible applicants should submit their applications within two weeks to: Head, Administration Department, 1A, Ajimobi Street, off ACME Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos or newjobstoday2015@gmail.com

NEW TELEGRAPH monday, may 18, 2015

News

national

Amaechi: Most states are broke

Emmanuel Masha

overnor Chibuike Amaechi has said that states across the country are struggling to pay their workers and pensioners due to declining allocation from the Federal Government. He said that most states are broke.

Speaking at the Obi Wali Inter national Conference Centre, in Port Harcourt during a Thanksgiving Service for the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, the governor noted it was not easy to pay workers and equally deliver infrastructure

projects. He noted that the state only owed April salary and four months pensions, but promised to clear the payments before he leaves office on May 29, 2015. He said: “When I said sometime last year that Nigeria’s finances was in dire strait, some people referred to me as an

alarmist. Since I made that statement in December last year, the statutory allocation to the state has continued to decline. Now almost all the states are finding it difficult to pay salaries.” “Some people have chosen to make an issue of the difficulty we are currently experiencing in paying the salaries of

L-R: Wife of the President-elect, Hajia Aisha Buhari; former Malawi president, Mrs Joyce Banda and Director, United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Helen Clark, at a conference on women affairs in Buenos Aries, Argentina…recently

Buhari drops ‘General’ title May 29 Mojeed Alabi

s the May 29 handover date inches closer, the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari said he is dropping the ‘General’ title used as prefix in his name from the day he takes over office as Nigeria’s President. In a terse statement signed by the Director of Media and Publicity for the President-elect, Garba Shehu, the in-coming President stated that he should be addressed as Muhammadu Buhari, President, Commanderin-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria. Buhari’s shedding of ‘General’ toga is in the footsteps of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who upon being sworn-in in 1999 as civilian president, dropped the General title and chose to be addressed as Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. Both Obasanjo and Buhari were former military heads of state and retired army Generals. Buhari, who joined the Nigerian Army in 1961, joined the democratic fray upon the advent of the Fourth Republic in 1999.

Akpabio to inaugurate 165 'farewell' projects

he Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Chief Godswill Akpabio, is set to inaugurate about 165 projects before his exit from office on May 29. Among the projects billed to be inaugurated by the governor are a world class Specialist Hospital and a Five-Star Hotel. The State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr. Aniekan Umanah told a media briefing in Uyo yesterday that the achievements of Akpabio in the last eight years were amazing and remarkable. According to Umannah, “The 308-bed inter-

national Specialist Hospital, billed for inauguration on Monday, May 25, is an ultra-modern medical facility with six fully integrated modular theatres that will redirect medical tourism to Akwa Ibom and Nigeria.” He said that the hospital is equipped with 640 Slides CT Scan, digital Mammography, Endoscopy Surgery, highly sophisticated intensive care units and Medical Gas Plants. “The facility, sitting on a 7.8 Ha landmass also has a paperless and fully automated laboratories, with internationally certified operators, equally has an

helipad to facilitate easy emergency movements to and from the hospital”, he said. Umanah said the 14-storey oval-shaped hotel is the finest designed Sheraton Hotel in this part of the world. According to him, the edifice has 146 rooms, 14 suites, 600-seater Banquet Hall and a 100-seater in-house restaurant, among other sophisticated amenities. According to him, the governor had earlier flagged-off the commissioning activities with the inauguration of seven projects at the State College of Education, Afaha Nsit over the weekend.

APC, Shettima mourn Senator Zanna Johnchuks Onuanyim Abuja

he All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Governor of Borno State, Alhaji Ibrahim Shettima have condoled with the family of Senator Ahmed Zanna from Borno State, who died on Saturday. The APC, in a statement issued in Lagos by its Na-

tional Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, described the death of the Senator who represented Borno Central as a huge loss, not just to his family and the people of Borno, but also to the Senate and to Nigeria as a whole. The party prayed God to strengthen the family so it can bear the irreparable loss and comfort them as they seek to come to terms with the reality

of his demise. The APC described the late Senator as a committed parliamentarian, who cared about the welfare of his constituents and took his legislative duties very seriously. Mohammed said, ''While we are indeed in a state of shock and sadness over his untimely demise, we are comforted by the bold footprints left behind by Senator Zanna."

civil servants' as well as the arrears of our retirees. It is not our making. No government will deliberately refuse to pay the salaries of its workers." We will pay as soon as we receive our share of our statutory monthly allocation form the Federal Government”. “It is not easy to joggle the payment of salaries and the implementation of capital projects that are actually geared towards developing the state, creating jobs and improving the economy of the state because more monies go into the society when you award contracts and pay the contractors on time so that they can also pay their workers on time”. He said that in-coming governments will realize the country’s real situation when they take over, as they too will be confronted with the issue of declining revenue, stressing that “our administration has managed the finances of the state with optimum responsibility”. He urged the President-elect, General Mohammadu Buhari (rtd), to probe the activities of the Rivers State police command in the last gubernatorial elections in Rivers State, accusing the command of being partial during the elections. Amaechi said it was extremely difficult to make the police to stop the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from tamper-

ing with electoral materials, alleging that some policemen acted like cardcarrying members of the PDP. He urged Peterside to believe in God and fast and pray ceaselessly, noting that he fasted for 10 months, which many find difficult to believe. He said: ‘The difference is that when I fasted, I was in self-exile in Ghana, where I ran to when they wanted to kill me. My wife and children were not with me. So, there were no distractions. In Nigeria, you will be confronted with so many distractions. I wish you well. “I will fast with you but my fasting will be essentially to thank God for all what he has done for me. I have been a Speaker for eight years and a governor for eight years. Now, I am a retiree”. For his part, Peterside assured APC members and supporters that the party will be victorious at the tribunal currently sitting at Abuja, because truth is constant. He added: “As human beings, we may feel some form of disappointment when things do not happen as fast as we want them to. What we may not know is that God is preparing us. God has never failed and will not fail. God will surely fulfil his plans for our life. At the appropriate time, He will give to us what belongs to us”.

Obasanjo’s document to Buhari, a blackmail tool, says Owie A former member of National Assembly, Senator Rowland Owie, has said that the document submitted by a group commissioned by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to President-elect, Mohammadu Buhari, would soon be a subject of blackmail. Owie, a one-time Chief Whip of the Senate, in a statement he issued yesterday,asked: ”How can Obasanjo be preparing a blueprint for Buhari? A Bini parable says: “how can an impotent man get medicine for his brother who suffers weak erec-tion”? He expressed disgust that the in-coming administration of Buhari is in romance with Obasanjo and said the document will turn to blackmail because “Obasanjo will tell the world that the solutions he prescribed for fixing Nigeria were

ignored.” He said: “I just read that Obasanjo’s thinktank has submitted a blue print to Buhari. Blue what?“ I am shocked that great Nigerians of the likes of Prof. Mabogunje, Dr. Kalu and Dr. Kolade are involved. That OBJ is linked to the blue-print, it will be a document of blackmail to Buhari very soon.” Owie also said: “ How can Obasanjo, who wasted eight years in government pursuing perceived enemies, and tried to ruin the legislative and judiciary arms of government in Nigeria; wasted $16 billion on power and not a single kilowatt of energy was produced, destroyed Aladja Steel, Itakpe Steel, Ajaokuta Steel, NITEL, just to mention a few FGN parastatals, as a result of his incompetence now begin to advice Buhari?

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Metro

Residents flee over police, vandals’ clash PROBE Police IG orders investigation into the attack and killing of policemen on illegal duty at an oil pipeline vandalism in Lagos

Juliana Francis and Camillus Nnaji

he residents of Obadore at Igando area of Lagos State have deserted the community following the attack on a team of policemen by vandals. In the Thursday attack, four policemen were shot dead while two others were wounded. But when our correspondent visited Obadore at the weekend, it was discovered that most of the residents had fled their homes as shooting continued. Some of the remaining residents said they were living in fear. The community was as silent a graveyard. Many residents locked up their houses

The deserted Pako community at the weekend

and fled. Shops were also shut as nobody, vehicle or motorcycle plied the Obadore-Pako Road where the mayhem took place.

On Thursday, 11 policemen, attached to the Anti-Vandalism Task Force, embarked on an illegal operation. The operation was led by a Deputy Su-

Tricycle riders demand killer ASP’s arrest Gbemisola Oyedepo and Kemi Oloruntola

he Vice-Chairman of the Tricycle Riders’ Association, Karimu Laka area of Egbeda, Lagos State, Mr Rasak Ejombelorun, has called on the police to take immediate steps to arrest an officer who shot and killed a tricycle rider. The police officer, identified simply as Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mohammed, reportedly murdered the tricycle rider, Aranse Akeem, at Egbeda Akowonjo. This was even as the landlord of the house where the ASP

ABIODUN BELLO FEATURES Editor

abiodun.bello@newtelegraphonline.com

lives said the officer had not been seen since the incident. Ejombelorun said that information gathered from the landlord showed that the killer cop had absconded. It was, however, gathered that the police have discovered the identity of the ASP, thanks to the two commercial motorcyclists apprehended by tricycle riders at Karimu Laka and handed over to the police. Ejombelorun said: “Our chairman has gone to the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba, to know how far the case had gone. Our member, Basa Paul, who witnessed the shooting and killing of Akeem, went to Panti with our chairman. “We are even tired of the way policemen used to storm our branch every day before the murder of Akeem. They used to come and collect money from us every day. They will say its money for security, but we don’t know what security.

“As for the murder of Akeem, whoever kills shall be killed. The ASP that shot and killed Akeem should be fished out and sentenced to death. Although Akeem is a Muslim, he had not been buried. The case is now in the hands of the government.” Akeem, 31, a father of one, was shot at close range by the angry policeman. Ejombelorun added: “We are doing our best to make sure we get to the root of the matter as the ASP who shot Akeem is still on the run. The police have traced him to his home, but the landlord said they have not seen him. We have even been to his place of work, but he was nowhere to be found.” According to Ejombelorun, the tricycle riders are not worried that police authorities may shield the killer cop, especially since Akeem’s in-law, who is also a police officer, had intervened in the ongoing investigation.

perintendent of Police. They went to Obadore area, where pipeline vandalism is high. The idea was apparently to make money from the vandals. Knowing they were on illegal operation, they booked at Igando Police Station, claiming to be detachment of policemen from the Inspector General of Police Monitoring Unit. They said they came all the way from the Abuja on the directive of the IG, Solomon Arase, to carry out the operation. However, when they got to the site of the vandalism, they arrested a female vandal and demanded N10 million. She implored them to accept N1 million, but they refused. After much haggling, they settled for N5 million. The lady made a call. They were unaware that she had called her cronies. Before the policemen knew what was happening, vandals, armed with pump action rifles, appeared from nowhere and started shooting them. Four policemen died instantly while two were badly wounded. Other policemen bolted, including their leader, the DSP. The vandals took away the bodies of the policemen and six AK47 rifles belonging to the dead and wounded policemen. Shooting continued in the community through Friday and Saturday after Arase ordered the arrest and detention of the DSP. Meanwhile, Arase had also

directed that operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Ikeja, Lagos investigate the matter. The SARS men have, however, arrested the female vandal who made the call that led to the bloodbath. One of the residents, who gave his name simply as Gozie, said: “Gunshots have continued through Friday and today (Saturday). Police have regrouped and are shooting sporadically. The vandals also have been coming out from their hideouts, to shoot into the air. “Some of the vandals also boldly came out from their hideouts, shooting into the air, to pack their jerry cans of fuel which they had hidden. Many people are no longer sleeping in their houses. They have fled. “What we heard was that the vandals had scooped fuel at Jegemu community and came to Pako to pack them into their LT bus and Diana truck. Suddenly police came. Maybe they got information. When the vandals sighted the police, they ran away. They, however, came back with reinforcement. They were fully armed and opened fire on the police. “You know police do not know the place very well, but the vandals know all the tracks in the swampy bush. In the process, some policemen were killed and their bodies were taken away by the vandals.” Another resident, Ismaili, said: “We are still afraid because of what happened on Thursday. These oil thieves have been operating every day, but we have not seen this kind of clash before. We are praying for peace, but it seemed that only divine intervention can heal this land and help us.”

Three held for robbery Uchenna Inya

Abakaliki

According to him, while in the car, the woman was dispossessed of N50,000 cash which her husband asked her to go and deposit in a bank. He said: “Not yet done with her, the crooks forced her under threat to her mother’s residence at Onueke and robbed her of N600,000 cash which the poor woman trades with in her meat business.” One of the suspects, Okechukwu, who described members of his gang as OBT people (fraudsters), explained that their victim was robbed for her greediness. He said: “It is out of her greediness and that was why she was robbed. I was deported two months ago from Greece because of the crisis there.”

METRO 11

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

One dies in IG team, NNPC officials’ clash

One of the impounded vehicles

Taiwo Jimoh

ne person was killed while another was injured yesterday after policemen attached to the Inspector-General of Police Task Force on Anti-Pipeline Vandalism, allegedly attacked members of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Surveillance Security Team at Sagamu, Ogun State. It was gathered that members of the surveillance team were taking seven vehicles seized from some vandals to the NNPC Mosinmi Depot, when the IG team intercepted them. There was an altercation.

But before the NNPC team knew what was happening, the IG team allegedly opened fire on members of the security surveillance, killing one Jimoh Mufutau, the driver of the team and inflicting gunshot injuries on Temitope Odunsi, an occupant of Mufutau’s bus. The Commandant of the Security Surveillance Team, Mr Seyi Oduyoye, who said he witnessed the incident, explained that the policemen blocked them with their van, forcing his men to halt. He said: “Our vehicles were stopped by the policemen. Mufutau and Odunsi stepped down from their

vehicle and presented their identity cards to the policemen. One of the policemen snatched Mufutau’s ID card. He tried to collect it back, but the policeman resisted. There was an argument. “We also came down, trying to pacify the policemen when one of them brought out his gun and shot our driver at close range. He killed the driver and injured another official.” When contacted on the phone, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Muyiwa Adejobi, said he would call back. However, he did not call back at press time. But a leader of the Security Surveillance Team, Mr Rasaq Adebisi, said: “On Saturday, we got information that the vandals were planning to carry out another operation at Arepo. Then we decided to lay ambush instead of attacking. We succeeded in arresting two of the vandals. We recovered about seven vehicles loaded with 50 litres of gallons of petroleum product.” Adebisi disclosed that his members were guarded by law as a Security Surveillance Team, adding they were taking the product to NNPC Depot at Mosinmi when the policemen intercepted them at

Scores escape death as tanker explodes Clement James Calabar

Gunmen kill two in Benue Cephas Iorhemen Makurdi

everal people escaped death by a whisker at the weekend when a tanker belonging to Hudson Petroleum Limited, carrying about 33,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise called petrol, exploded in Calabar, Cross River State. The truck exploded in front of the firm’s office, making it the fifth time such explosion had occurred at the same spot with devastating impact. Previous explosions were reported to have claimed several lives, while nearby kiosks and property worth millions of naira were destroyed. A witness, who preferred anonymity, said the truck, which left the Hudson farm tank, was negotiating the dangerous bend in front of the firm’s office when eight of its tyres suddenly disengaged. According to him, the truck somersaulted several times.

Sagamu Round About. He added: “I was shocked when the policemen shot and killed our driver. I thought we were fighting for the same cause. “Immediately after they shot, killed and injured our members, they escaped. The injured victim is receiving treatment at a private hospital in Sagamu.” According to the team, preliminary investigation carried out showed that one Mama Tonbra, who sells oil at Arepo, alerted the police. The woman’s product was among those impounded by the Security Surveillance Team. One of the men said: “When we impounded the product, the woman tried to bribe us. She wanted us to release the product seized from her, but we refused.” When our correspondent visited the scene of the incident, there was tension in the community as some youths went on the rampage, protesting the killing of Mufutau and shooting of Odunsi. The Chief Security Officer of the NNPC, Mr Eteleme Nobet, who went to the NNPC Depot and saw Mufutau’s body, commended the Security Surveillance Team. He promised that the burial of the deceased would be footed by NNPC.

File picture of fuel tanker explosion

He said: “At least, we know of three trucks that have somersaulted and exploded at this same spot.” The branch Chairman, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Mr Effiong Solomon, attributed such accidents to faulty vehicles, saying that Hudson Petroleum Limited must ensure that their trucks were in order before loading petroleum products.

According to him, some oil firms do not heed the warnings and complaints by their drivers, hence the frequent accidents. Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Cross River State Fire Service, Mr Effiong Okon, said his men arrived the scene in good time to control the fire. Officials of Hudson Petroleum Limited who were at the scene of the explosion refused to talk to journalists.

uspected members of a secret cult yesterday murdered a young man in broad daylight in Makurdi, the Benue State capital. The incident occurred on Edward Ujege Street, High Level, Makurdi, as worshippers were returning from church about noon. According to a witness, six boys in their twenties accosted the victim with machetes and shot him in the face. After the shooting, the gunmen took to their heels, leaving the victim in a pool of blood. Passers-by on hand rushed to help the victim while some others alerted the police who came after a while and took the boy to a nearby hospital. Last Wednesday, cult members shot two young men in their early twenties around High Level area of the town. Also yesterday, gunmen killed a young man and injured two others in Gboko Local Government Area of the state.

City Briefs Police arrest two suspects Kunle Olayeni Abeokuta

olicemen in Ogun State have arrested two suspected armed robbers who specialised in snatching motorcycles and cars in Ilaro, Yewa South Local Government Area. The suspects were apprehended at 10:10pm on Saturday after the allegedly robbed one Agoro Wasiu of his Bajaj Boxer motorcycle with registration number Ogun LAR 918 QB at Ona Egbon community, Ilaro. The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Muyiwa Adejobi, in a statement made available to journalists yesterday, gave the names of the suspects as Ramoni Ambali and Wasiri Ibiyemi. Adejobi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said the bandits were arrested by men of the anti-robbery squad attached to Ilaro Division. He said: “The anti-robbery men, who were responding to a distress call from an anonymous caller from the area, met the victim in his pool of blood as a result of injuries inflicted on him by the robbers.

Three held for robbery Uchenna Inya Abakaliki

olice in Ebonyi State at the weekend paraded three robbery suspects - Okechukwu Okolie, 27, who lives at 9th Mile, Enugu, Nnabude Onwudiwe, 28, an indigene of Oji-River, Enugu and Suday Agu, 38, who hails from Nsukka, Enugu State. Parading the suspects, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Chris Anyanwu, said the hoodlums had on May 8 accosted one Maureen Ekechi Nnebuife, 29, at 7, Convent Road, Abakaliki and forced her into their red-coloured Golf car with registration number Ondo AM 763 NND. According to him, while in the car, the woman was dispossessed of N50,000 cash which her husband asked her to go and deposit in a bank. He said: “Not yet done with her, the crooks forced her under threat to her mother’s residence at Onueke and robbed her of N600,000 cash which the poor woman trades with in her meat business.”

‘IG must overhaul Police Intelligence Unit’ Juliana Francis

security analyst, Mr Folorunsho Atta, has called on the Inspector General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, to overhaul the Police Intelligence Unit for better performance. According to Atta, if the unit was overhauled, intelligence gathering and report will check incessant killings of people in clashes between herdsmen and farmers. The analyst said that events of the past few years had revealed that the neglect of the unit by successive IGs led to the wanton destruction of lives and property, especially in the North. Atta said since Arase had proved his worth as expert in intelligence gathering, he should now overhaul and equip that department. He said that he had found out from police sources that such clashes would have been averted if only advice from the intelligence unit was taken seriously by IGs. Atta said that since Arase knew the problems confronting the unit, now was the right time to give a facelift to it, with the hope of making and ensuring the personnel become effective.

12 News

monday, may 18, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

national

Picketing: NIPOST union dares NLC Yekeen Nurudeen Abuja

head of the planned picketing of the headquarters of Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST) by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) over allegations of diversion of checkoff dues of level 07 staff, the Senior Staff Association of Communications, Transport and Corporation (SSACTAC) has said it would not welcome any action that would drag NIPOST into disrepute. NLC had fixed Wednesday May 20 to picket NIPOST headquarters following complaints from another union, Nigeria Union of Postal, Telecommunications Employees (NUPTE) that the management of NIPOST had been diverting check-off dues of level 07 staff to SSACTAC. But while reacting to the planned picket, President of SSACTAC NIPOST chapter, Imafidon Gabriel said the union would not allow action that would scandalize NIPOST. Speaking with New Telegraph at the weekend, the SSACTAC president said it was wrong to allege the management of NIPOST of diverting the check-off dues, noting that level 07 staffers by law are senior staff and, as such,

belong to his association. He, however, said he and members of his association would seek dialogue with NLC to avoid the impending face off. His words: “The first thing is to address the root cause because they have given a reason for it. The reason, according to them, is that the management is diverting certain peoples' check off dues to us. That is wrong. The management did not just sit down and say divert. It is very wrong. We do not intend to sit down, fold our hands and

Abuja

he Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has announced the capture of 10 additional Boko Haram camps in Sambisa forest, by troops. A statement signed by the Director of Defence Information (DDI), Major General Chris Olukolade, said troops also killed many insurgents in the course of the continuing military operations. The statement reads: "An unconfirmed number of terrorists died on Saturday as 10 additional camps used by terrorists were overran in the continuing offensive operations against the terrorists in Sambisa forest. "The Dure camp, which is one of the most prominent camps in the forest, witnessed the fiercest battle as the Special Forces descended heavily on it before it finally fell. "Four of the camps were located in a place called Iza within the forest while three others were noted to

tent court of jurisdiction, the Nigerian Industrial Court. They can go there and file a case to seek clarification. That is what we think. So picketing our organization, we say no. We will not agree to it." He explained further that the Labour Act of the Federal Republic of Nigeria empowers his association to collect check-off dues on behalf of level 07 staff of the organisation. "By the Labour Act of Federal Republic of Nigeria that is the right of Senior Staff Association be-

cause level 07 are senior staff. Our union has the right by law to unionize level 07 and above. There's jurisdictional scope of every trade union. It is spelt out in the 3rd schedule of the Act. That is the same thing the National Association of Senior Civil Servants did. They went to court to go and fight this matter of who is to unionize or who's not to unionize." he said Gabriel also said SSACTAC had engaged NUPTE in dialogue before the issuance of picket threat.

L-R: Executive Director, Small and Medium Enterprises, Bank of Industry (BoI), Mr. Waheed Olagunju; Managing Director/CEO, Mr. Rasheed Olaoluwa and Executive Director, Large Enterprises, Mr. Mohammed Alkali, after an interactive session on the activities of the organisation in Lagos…at the weekend. PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

Troops capture 10 more Boko Haram camps, kill many — DHQ Emmanuel Onani

allow this organization to be brought to disrepute, scandalized by the picketing or to be brought down. We intend to meet them with our members as well because we don't want it. We say no to it; to their action. It is illegal because they have not exhausted all legal means. We expected them as a responsible organisation to seek clarification on this very issue from the court of law. If the Act they cannot interpret it themselves or they cannot interpret subsequent judgment from a compe-

be recently established by the terrorists before the assault began. One soldier died from one of the landmine encountered in the operation while two others were also wounded. "The terrorists lost a number of vehicles mounted with Anti-Aircraft Guns as well as armoured vehicles. Some of the terrorists, who escaped from the camps also died as they ran into troops ambush in some escape routes from the forest. "Meanwhile, some of the fleeing terrorists have also engaged in suicide missions at Bitta where they encountered the Nigerian troops and Kiskeru across the border in Niger Republic. "The Operation to clear the terrorists in Sambisa and other forests is continuing as troops in all fronts have been alerted to be on the lookout for fleeing terrorists. The Nigerian Air force is maintaining an active air surveillance to track the movement of terrorists for appropriate action as the operation continues."

Chukwu David Abuja

he Senator representing Osun Central Senatorial District, Sola Adeyeye has said that Gen. Muhammadu Buhari needed the support and cooperation of Nigerians to be able to successfully lead a crusade against corruption in Nigeria. The All Progressives Congress, APC chieftain, who made the statement during

Buhari needs Nigerians' support to fight graft — Senator an interview with New Telegraph in Abuja, disagreed that corruption is an enigma as widely believed by many people in Nigeria. He pointed out that the menace of corruption had thrived in the country under successive government because political leaders, who expressed their commitment to fight the ill only paid lip service to it, saying

Four sacked over downgrade of Asaba Airport Dominic Adewole ASABA

he downgrading of the budding Asaba International Airport by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has led to the sack of four workers as fear grips other workers of the aerodrome. The development yesterday threw the entire workforce at the airport into fear of the unknown. The airport was demoted eight days ago

over the refusal of the Delta state government to carry out the directive of the authority on rehabilitation of the existing runway, taxiways and the construction of perimeter fence, as well as training of technical personnel. The authority barred all Boeing 737s and jets of similar category from operating on the airport pending when the airport resolved the issues raised, but permitted only Dash 8 – Q 400 planes or their equivalent.

that such people always looked elsewhere, while those perpetrating corruption in the country were allowed to go unpunished. The former university don expressed confidence that, going by the track record of the ex-military head of state while in power, Buhari would be able to lead effective and result-oriented war against corruption.

Activist alleges fraud in Efcc Tunde Oyesina Abuja

n anti-corruption crusader and Chief Executive Officer of Panic Alert Security System (PASS) Dr. George Uboh has alleged a high level fraud in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC. He however called on the president-elect, Major General Buhari to start his anti-corruption crusade with the anti graft agency. In a memorandum submitted to Buhari, a copy of which was obtained by New Telegraph in Abuja, Uboh alleged that the commission sits on hundred of billions recovered from perpetrators of corruption and refused and neglected to remit the funds to the federal government as required by law. He stated that he was compelled to write to the incumbent President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan drawing his attention to the alleged atrocities in the EFCC but said that Jonathan did nothing to address. The letter reads in part, "In view of your commitment to integrity, we are of the view that the first place to start your anti corruption campaign is the EFCC. "First, such a move will boost the public's confidence in your in desire to fight corruption. Second, many people who had been silenced by EFCC using gestapo-style powers will come forward to testify. "Attached herewith are: the documents we sent to the President, to wit: open letter to the president and 51-count criminal charges against the present and former leadership of the EFCC and all aforementioned documents germane to Bayelsa/EFCCc saga; we are ready, willing and able to tender boxes of documents to prove each and every count og the 51-count criminal charges."

Nigeria has potential to be agric exporter — NEPC Amadi Nnamdi Abuja

he non-oil export sector of Nigerian economy has been described as one that has the potential of putting the country ahead of others in agricultural commodities export trade. This disclosure was made by the Executive Director/CEO of Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Mr. Olusegun Awolowo in an opening remark at a 2-day In-

tegrated workshop on Techniques of Non-oil Export Project Formulation and Implementation for State Committees on Export Promotion (SCEP) which took place at Kaduna at the weekend. According to Awolowo, “Nigeria has the potential to be among the first top ten net exporters of agricultural commodities given its abundant human and natural resources – spread across the length and breadth of this country”.

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

PDP leadership

Mu’azu: Court to the rescue

Politics The lingering crisis of confidence within the Bayelsa State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ostensibly orchestrated by the cold war between the state governor, Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson and the outgoing First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, appears to have defied solutions. DONALD OJOGO examines the situation, tracing the root causes of the intractable friction and the posibility of President Goodluck Jonathan’s Bayelsa slipping into the hands of the All Progressives Congress (APC)

hese are not the best of times for outgoing president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, whose loss at the March 28 presidential election threw his entire support base off balance just as the challenge of a fresh reality steers him in the face. For Jonathan, whether or not he cares, the fact that he is the first sitting president to lose an election and stop his party, the Peoples Democratic Party’s reign after 16 years at the centre has a place in Nigeria’s political documentation. Beyond this, however, is an ambush waiting to succeed if urgent steps are not taken. It is the possibility of a gradual wane of political influence, leverage as well as relevance of President Jonathan

AYODELE OJO

DEPUTY Editor, POLITICS ayodele.ojo@newtelegraphonline.com

War without an end

Mrs. Jonathan and Governor Dickson during the swearing-in of the First Lady as Permanent Secretary in Bayelsa State.

in his home state, Bayelsa. This is largely due to the unchecked rivalry between the state governor, Henry Seriake Dickson, and the First Lady, Patience Jonathan. To say that the crisis between the two has adversely affected the PDP in the state is merely re-echoing the obvious. Even though the president won the state in the last presidential election, there were glaring instances of disharmony within the PDP in the state even as power blocs had worked separately while the campaigns lasted. Curiously, the outcome of the presidential election appears to have accentuated a hard-line posture of the warring groups within the party. The reason for this might not be far-fetched. While the governor’s camp sees the current state of the party at the centre as an opportunity to consolidate his hold on power and possibly win his reelection for another term in 2016, the camp of Mrs. Jonathan, led by presidential aide, Hon. Waripamowei Dudafa, is not oblivious of the fact that ‘this is the last chance or no more’. Dudafa is touted as the First Lady’s preferred candidate for Dickson’s replacement. The argument of the loyalists of the first family is that there is the need to put a loyal governor in place at the state Government House to consolidate on power

Dame Patience, in a show of displeasure over the suppressed cold war... resigned her appointment as a “super” permanent secretary

at least at the state level after the May 29 handover of power to the President-elect, Major General Muhammadu Buhari. According to the Executive Director, Niger Delta Centre for Political Research and Development, Dr. Kemeadi Brown Layefa, the outcome of the last election was God’s design to avert bloodbath in Bayelsa State. “There is no way Governor Dickson would have survived the antics of the overbearing Dame Patience Jonathan if the president had won his re-election bid. I can tell you that the powers that be in Abuja would have given the governor a worse treatment than they did to former Governor Timipre Sylva in 2012. “The most unfortunate thing is that while all these ignoble things are going on with the First Lady playing the role of the orchestra director, the president was silent as if he had no knowledge of what was brewing. The president was pretending and that is why some of us are not bothered that he lost because he had bad plans for the governor. “The implication would have been that the two forces, one backed by the power of the federal might and the other by other local but potent means would clashed and the end would have been a terrible bloodbath but thanks to the

loss; only God knows why it happened like that,” he said. But Layefa’s position has been countered by a pro-Dudafa politician in the state, Hon. Arerebo Jones, who maintained that Governor Dickson was an ingrate to the first family. “The governor suddenly turned himself to a demigod if he came from the blues to be governor of Bayelsa; people worked for him, contributed money for him when he had nothing to run for the governorship. “You people should ask if the Dudafa that he cries all about did not contribute immensely to his governorship ambition when it was agreed that he, Dickson, should be the man. You people should ask him if there were no instances where he showed ingratitude to the First Lady who made him. The man is simply an ingrate and a deceitful person who should not continue in office beyond his first term,” Jones asserted. Cautious, long walk to confrontation New Telegraph gathered that Governor Dickson was not the original person the First Lady had in mind for the governorship of the state. She was said to have kicked against his choice while other loyalists of the president CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

Politics

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

mounted pressure on him to back Dickson. However, it was learnt that upon Dickson’s emergence first as PDP candidate and subsequently as governor, Mrs. Jonathan reportedly handed down some conditions for the governor. As candidate of the party, the First Lady’s preference for Dickson’s running mate was said to be Dudafa but that did not fly. She was said to have insisted on the presidential aide after the election as Secretary to the State Government (SSG) but that also fell by the way as Jonathan’s close ally, King Amalatei Johnny Turner, produced the two slots for the governor. Dickson, who has left no one in doubt of his independent mindedness and desire to effect a change in the infrastructural sector of the state, has continually declared his readiness to fight for his political survival by asserting himself on all fronts.

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Dickson vs First Lady:

Appeasement But the governor had to play a fast one as if to make up for the disappointment he had attracted from the camp of the First Lady. Five months after his swearing-in as governor, Dickson appointed Mrs. Jonathan as a permanent secretary in the Bayelsa State Civil Service. The name of the president’s wife was first on the list of 19 persons confirmed to the position in a statement by the state government. The senior special assistant to the governor on media affairs, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, who confirmed the appointment of Mrs. Jonathan said, the governor, in doing so, only exercised his powers as enshrined in the laws of the state. Iworiso-Markson explained that the First Lady was a teacher in the state’s civil service and has been on leave of absence since 1999 when her husband became the deputy governor of the state. As if to pre-empt queries and unfair remarks that may trail the appointment, the governor’s spokesman argued that Mrs. Jonathan would have risen to the status of a permanent secretary, if she did not punctuate her career growth by taking a leave of absence to join her husband in his political service, first to Bayelsa State and then to the entire nation. But was she or her camp appeased? Dame Patience, in a show of displeasure over the suppressed cold war that had started between her and the governor, resigned her appointment as a “super” permanent secretary in Bayelsa State Civil Service. While sources from the Ministry of Education said the 57-yearold Mrs. Jonathan left the service voluntarily, one of the sources who pleaded anonymity said the First Lady opted for voluntary retirement. This was considered in many quarters as an open readiness for hostilities ahead of the state governorship election in 2016.

the president himself intervened briefly, would have shoved aside all the three senators and five members of the House of Representatives. By the arrangement, their return to the National Assembly was foreclosed. The pioneer state chairman of the PDP in the state, Engr. Charles Dorgu, had during a rally held to endorse Jonathan and Dickson for 2015 and 2016 in Sagbama disclosed that the leaders had decided to zone the National Assembly seats in the interest of peace and harmony in the senatorial district. Dorgu said by the new arrangement, Sagbama would now produce the senator for two terms of four years and Ekeremor would produce the House of Representatives member also for two terms. The new arrangement, allegedly masterminded by the governor, was seen as a means of easing out the three senators and five House of Representatives from the state as similar moves in same direction were made in Bayelsa East and Central districts. The affected federal lawmakers are Senators Emmanuel Paulker (Bayelsa Central), Heineken Lokpobiri (Bayelsa West) and Clever Ikisikpo (Bayelsa East) in the upper legislative chamber. Those in the House of Representatives are Foingha Jephthah (Nembe/ Brass), Henry Ofongo (Southern Ijaw), Warman Ogoriba (Yenegoa/ Kolokuma-Opokuma), Dr. Stella Dorgu (Sagbama/Ekeremor) and Nadu Karibo (Ogbia). But concerned elders and leaders of the PDP from Ekeremor and Sagbama areas of Bayelsa West Senatorial District kicked against the ‘purported’ zoning of the National Assembly seats in the area. The concerned elders and leaders described as baseless, the alleged zoning of National Assembly seats in the area, insisting that their senator, Heineken Lokpobiri must be allowed to contest. Lokpobiri, a supporter of the First Lady is in court challenging the primaries that produced Hon. Foster Ogola as PDP senatorial candidate for Bayelsa West. Expectedly, lawmakers loyal to President Jonathan in his home state, Bayelsa, suffered heavy defeat, putting an end to their hope to return to the House. The state governor, Dickson, who was a member of the House before becoming governor, had earlier declared that none of the present lawmakers would return in 2015 on the platform of the party. Only Hon. Japheth Foinyan, out of the five members of the House of Representatives, won a ticket to contest in 2015. Although Ofongo who had earlier lost out, was later made to get the party’s ticket to run for the House of Representatives seat for Southern Ijaw. Ofongo is a staunch supporter of President Jonathan. Ofongo had polled 24 votes to lose to his challenger, Nimbofa Ayawei, who got 49 votes.

Shutting out Jonathan’s men As if he went for the broke, Dickson’s next step was to embark on a zoning arrangement which in practical terms shut out supporters and loyalists of the first family. The arrangement, until

Dickson sacks Jonathan’s loyalists While the state chapter of the PDP was still grappling with the challenges posed by the outcome of the primaries across the state, the governor fired another salvo with the sack of the Commission-

Jonathan

er for Local Government Affairs, Marie Ebikake, and the Special Adviser on Federal Government Projects, Remi Kuku, over accusations that their loyalty was divided between the state government and the First Lady. Ebikake and Kuku were members of the Dickson administration and participated in the reception welcoming Mrs. Jonathan to Bayelsa’s Otuoke community for the wedding of the president’s foster daughter in Ogbia Local Government Area. In doing this, Ebikake and Kuku allegedly shunned a blanket order asking all political appointees to steer clear of the event on the directive of the governor and his wife. It was learnt that the venue of the ceremony quickly turned battleground by attendees loyal to Mrs. Jonathan and those loyal to Governor Dickson. PDP leaders and dignitaries in Otuoke community who were present at the wedding showed signs of worry over the development. It was gathered that the women under the aegis of the Women for Change Initiative controlled by the First Lady engaged in singing of praises of their mentor and reportedly threw banter against the administration of Governor Dickson. But the women of the state, mobilised in huge numbers, stormed Otuoke community with drums and large banners, singing in favour of Dickson and blocked out the women under the Women for Change Initiative. Some of the women attached to Change Initiative were nearly beaten up and engaged in fisticuffs. Dickson’s defence Initially, Dickson claimed the sack of the two female political appointees was part of efforts to ensure service delivery and fulfil-

Patience

The governor suddenly turned himself to a demigod... people worked for him, contributed money for him when he had nothing

ment of his restoration agenda. He said the minor cabinet reshuffle is in furtherance of his commitment to deliver more robustly on its administration’s restoration agenda. The governor, however, accused the former state deputy governor, Hon. Werinipreye Seibarugu and members of the pro-Jonathan group, the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) of planning to destabilise the state and destroy the work of the state chapter of the PDP for the re-election of the president. According to Dickson, Seibarugu, Kuku and their supporters, while operating under the aegis of the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) rallied senior members of the previous administration in the state to engage and promote the politics of subversion and needless divisions amongst the women and other groups, who were mobilised to attend and honour the president on the occasion of the traditional marriage of his niece. “Mrs. Kuku did not only create division among the women, but displayed total disrespect for senior officials of the Bayelsa State government by her actions and this can no longer be condoned in a disciplined set up like the Restoration Government,” the governor stated. In response to the accusation of plot to unseat him as governor of the state, the Director of Publicity of Bayelsa State chapter of TAN, Chief Nathan Egba, dismissed as false, claims by some politicians in the state that the wife of the president had concluded plans to use the organisation as a tool to unseat Dickson. Lawmakers pitch tent with First Lady Shortly after the Otuoke episode that led to the exit of Ebikake and Kuku, Bayelsa senators and

Politics

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

Things fall apart in Bayelsa All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), in a shock performance won one seat in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly’s rescheduled poll, as massive protest votes against the ruling PDP, led to the victory of its candidate, Ebiye Tarabina, in Kolokuma/Opokuma 2 constituency. Perhaps to serve a warning to the camp of the First Lady, the PDP last week inaugurated a seven-man disciplinary committee with a mandate to investigate and take appropriate action against members of the party, who perpetrated anti-party activities and other acts of misconduct that were inimical to the interest of the party during the last general elections.

Dickson

members of the House of Representatives allegedly joined forces with the First Lady against Dickson. The federal legislators who had formed a strong alliance to counter the moves by the governor and his loyalists to deny them re-election in the 2015, through zoning allegedly orchestrated by Dickson, backed the moves by Mrs. Jonathan to replace Dickson with her loyalist in 2016. Some of the senators allegedly held separate meetings with President Jonathan and the First Lady in a bid to perfect strategies to outsmart Dickson, to get the PDP ticket for 2015 general elections. A visit to the state by the First Lady had provided an opportunity for the federal lawmakers to make a bold political statement to Dickson’s camp. At the Samson Siasia Stadium, where the President’s wife had gone to distribute empowerment items and cash to Bayelsans under the auspices of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), all the three senators representing the state were in attendance but Dickson was absent. Mrs. Jonathan had at the event told the large crowd that before they arrived in Yenagoa, the three senators had held a meeting with President Jonathan prior to the event. A source, who craved anonymity, said that the absence of Dickson at the occasion was a pointer to the cracks in the relationship between the governor and the First Lady. “All these are just passing strong messages to the governor that all is not well. Also, both the First Lady and President Jonathan failed to attend the Bayelsa Thanksgiving Day, even though they were in town then. The battle has just begun,” the source said. Hammer fell on PDP chair But another dimension to the crisis came when Col. Sam Ino-

Dudafa

koba (rtd), who was suspended by the state chapter of the PDP decided to team up with the camp of the president’s wife. Inokoba was suspended over allegations that he diverted N70 million donated to the PDP by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke. But the chairman denied wrongdoing in distributing the largesse. He rather blamed his travails on the second term ambition of Dickson. Inokoba was said to have claimed that his refusal to sack some loyal members of the party as directed by the governor was responsible for his travails. He specifically claimed the governor ordered him to suspend party members accused of belonging to the camp of the First Lady. Even though he is in the court challenging his removal, Inokoba has more to contend with. Last week, Justice Valentine Ashi of the FCT High Court in Abuja has ordered the embattled former chairman to stop parading himself as chairman, pending the determination of the motion of notice which is before the court. The verdict has since put the camp of the First Lady and her cohorts in total disarray. Seven members of the Bayelsa State Working Committee (SWC) of the PDP approached the court seeking among other reliefs, an order of interim injunction restraining Inokoba, his agents, privies, or appointees from either parading himself as Bayelsa State PDP chairman, pending the determination of the motion on notice. Major stakeholders in Bayelsa State chapter of PDP had insisted that the state chairman of the party, Inokoba, be sacked. In anger over his suspension, Inokoba worked against his own House of Assembly candidate, Hon. Tonye Isenah, of the PDP in the recently-concluded elections. In Inokoba’s local government area of Kolokuma/Opokuma, the

Only God knows why the man lost. We would have been his first victim even before May 29

Ijaw leaders back Dickson For the First Lady, she has a challenge to surmount in her continued onslaught against Dickson as prominent Ijaw sons have rallied round the governor. Specifically, ex-Minister of Petroleum Resources, Chief Dan Etete, has cautioned the wife of President Jonathan to stop interfering in the internal politics of Bayelsa State. He made this known recently when he celebrated his 70th birthday in Yenagoa. Etete accused the First Lady of being “jealous” of the “exceptional performance” of Governor Dickson, and promised to lead the fight to stop her from further frustrating Dickson, wondering who appointed the First Lady a ‘lord’ over Bayelsa State, to determine who would become the governor and who wouldn’t. Etete said: “I am using this opportunity to warn the First Lady not to make the mistake of trying to dislodge Dickson to impose persons of questionable character. “It is a known fact that Dickson has performed beyond the expectation of most Bayelsans, and that out of nothing but sheer jealousy, the First Lady and her cheerleaders want him out to pave the way for their selfish interests.” On the occasion, which had Dickson and prominent Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, among other leaders, Etete said his 15year absence from Bayelsa had not prevented his understanding of political events in the state. He condemned Mrs Jonathan for her failure to appreciate the governor’s efforts to assist her husband, Jonathan, to succeed as president. “We have Governor Dickson, working his heart out to galvanise support for President Jonathan’s second term in office. On the other hand, the First Lady is aligning with all the opposition elements in the state to create crisis for the young governor. “Her aim is to return to power the same thieves and criminals who failed the state in the past, and turn back the hands of the clock for this great state. We won’t allow such to happen,” he said. In his remarks at the event, Clark endorsed Dickson for a second term. “By God’s grace, I’ll celebrate my 90th birthday here in Bayelsa in 2017, during Dickson’s second term in office,” the octoge-

narian said. Former governor of the state, Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha, is also supportive of Dickson. What implication for Bayelsa PDP? The possible implications of this continued tirade among the leadership of the PDP in the state are numerous especially as the president has just lost his reelection. Pundits had predicted that a successful re-election bid of the president would have easily facilitated an attempt to oust Dickson from office even before party primaries. Although it could not be confirmed, supporters of the governor were said to have engaged in controlled, in-house celebration as soon as the loss of President Jonathan became imminent. “Only God knows why the man lost. We would have been his first victim even before May 29,” one of Dickson’s associates told New Telegraph. Already, signs of a waning PDP are beginning to manifest as Bayelsa legislators at the federal and state and assemblies on Wednesday, dumped the PDP for the All Progressives Congress (APC). The lawmakers who were led by Senator Ikisikpo, stormed the national headquarters of the APC to pledge their allegiance to the party. Ikisikpo, who spoke on behalf of the defectors, said the defection was long in coming but that certain circumstances delayed the move. Ikisikpo said: “It is, indeed, unfortunate that the PDP, which used to be known for fairness and ability to accommodate different shades of opinion, has been hijacked by a few people. In the party today, impunity is the order of the day.” Speaking during the occasion, Sylva said the defection was a precursor to greater things to come from the state, adding that it was a sign that the APC was now in a better position to produce the governor of the state later this year. Other defectors are Mr. Nadu Karibo (Ogbia Federal Constituency), and member, Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Mr Azibola Omekwe (Ogbia Constituency) along with their teeming supporters and loyalists from the state. Beyond the lawmakers’ defection, if the former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr. Timi Alaibe, succumb to the intense pressure to join the APC and run on its platform for the governorship of the state, that will be the last straw that will weaken the PDP in the state. To show the seriousness involved, some Bayelsa elders are said to have been pressuring the national leadership of the APC to consider Alaibe as the party’s governorship candidate. How this plays out remains a subject of the final decision the banker-turned politician would take. As it is, there is no letting up in the political battle between Governor Dickson and the president’s wife, Patience. It is likely that the governor will be at a better advantage after the exit of President Jonathan from office on May 29.

16 Politics

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Echoes from Reps consideration of PIB Barring the initial apprehension, the House of Representatives, last week, commenced consideration of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB). PHILIP NYAM reviews proceedings of the House

efore Tuesday last week, members of the House of Representatives and stakeholders in the oil and gas industry were not sure that the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) would be debated in the lower House as promised. Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha had announced a week earlier that the controversial bill would be tabled for consideration as clean copies of it were made available to lawmakers. But considering the fact that the bill has gone through a tortuous path in the National Assembly many people received the news with some reservations. However, the House lived up to its promise when it finally began consideration of the report of its ad-hoc committee on the PIB. For the two days the consideration was held, it was full of intrigues and cross examination. Series of observations were raised concerning legal technicalities of some clauses in the bill. The background On the opening day of the debate, the House leadership had earlier met before the commencement of the plenary to soften the ground for easy passage of the bill. When plenary, which was delayed opened at 12:45p.m., Speaker Aminu Tambuwal called for a closed session at 12:50p.m. The House returned to plenary by 1:33p.m. but could not resume proceedings until 1:45p.m. The debate However, when the consideration eventually commenced, out of the 368-page document made up of 312 sections, only seven clauses from section 1 were taken as members questioned the validity of some clauses relative to provisions of the constitution. First to raise objection to the report was deputy leader of the House, Hon. Leo Ogor, who picked holes in clause 2 which deals with ownership of resources, saying that ‘’an Act of the National Assembly must not be subjected to addition or subtraction from the view expressed by the constitution regarding protection of territorial waters of Nigeria and mineral resources therein.” He argued that the provision of the clause is purely a duplication of the constitution and should be deleted. This was upheld by deputy speaker in chair, Ihedioha, who called on the chairman of the Rules and Business Committee,

Ihedioha

Hon. Albert Sam-Tsokwa (PDP, Taraba) for a second opinion. Sam-Tsokwa in his view held that the clause cannot stand due to its inconsistency with a provision of the constitution which he said has already taken care of the subject matter. Tambuwal’s counter Tambuwal who took his originally allotted seat in the chamber to participate in the proceedings countered the views expressed by both Ogor and Sam-Tsokwa. He said: “I was expecting SamTsokwa to show the contradiction as to where and how the clause runs contrary to the constitution; but he did not do that which confirms that it does not in any way contradict the constitution.” In his contribution, chairman, House Committee on Justice, Hon. Ali Ahmad (APC, Kwara) opined that ownership with respect to mineral resources cannot be said to be a blanket under which petroleum resources found in certain communities with attendant negative effects should be classified since it is not only in deep sea that the resources are explored. The clause was suspended following Ihedioha’s advice that committee members meet with those who have issues with the clause and straighten out areas of disagreement in consultation with the said constitutional provision. Ministerial powers Another fault line was Clause 6 which deals with the powers of the Petroleum minister to chair boards of agencies under the ministry and make recommendations to the president on issues of appointments as well as perform inspectorate functions came under scrutiny. While some members argued that the powers of the minister are too enormous under the provision and must be cut down, others said the powers should remain, enabling the minister to exercise inspectorate oversight over the industry since the president as a

Ogor

Alison-Madueke

politician may not be conversant with the technicalities of the sector and should not be burdened with responsibilities he can delegate. It was at this point that Ihedioha opined that “allowing the president to assume the inspectorate role of the ministry is whittling down his status and reducing him to performing the role of appointees, which will not be justifiable.” The clause was eventually passed following a question for voice votes which adopted its provision upon an amendment. State of emergency Another contentious area was Clause 7 which also came under question given its alleged contradiction of section 305 of the constitution because it deals with matters of state of emergency in the oil sector with powers vested on the minister to suggest or advise the president on the need to declare same in the event of industrial crisis. Minority Leader, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and Hon. Ayo Omidiran (APC, Osun) also questioned the rationale behind a law that would take the powers of the National Security Adviser (NSA) to counsel the President on emergency issue of security implication and vest same on a cabinet minister, saying that emergency is devoid of all connotation except national security. Reducing Host Communities Fund After a heated debate on the second allotted day for consideration of the bill, the House slashed the proposed levy on oil companies for the operation of Petroleum Host Community Fund from 10 to 7.5 per cent. The Petroleum Host Community Fund is to cater for the mitigation of all negative environmental impacts on host communities arising from exploratory activities of oil companies. The provision as contained in clause 116 to 118 of the PIB was slashed following arguments that retaining the 10 per cent may have

negative effect on future investment in the sector. Ogor was the first to raise eyebrow on the independence or otherwise of the Petroleum Host Community Fund in terms of legislation and administration. According to him, “when you look at the proposal, there are too many technicalities that have been added here. So, I would suggest that every operator both in the up and downstream sector of the industry pay a given percentage for the operation of the fund.” Relying on Ogor’s submission, Hon. Sokonte Davies (APC, Rivers) proposed an amendment that whatever monies accruing to host communities shall be subject to the approval of the National Assembly. The amendment was seconded by Hon. Zakari Mohammed (APC, Kwara) and passed by voice vote. On future investment in the oil sector, the chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee on PIB, Hon. Ishaka Mohammed Bawa, suggested a reduction of the proposed percentage. He explained that host communities are certainly going to increase in the nearest future given the discovery of oil in many places in the North which will raise the stake on investors. “Whatever we do, we must take into cognisance the implications of the impact this is likely to have on future investment in the sector,” he stated. According to him, oil-producing communities would soon extend to all the states in the North-West and North-East except Sokoto and Kebbi. Following this information, the percentage was reduced from 10 to five per cent covering both upstream and downstream sectors of the industry. It may take the House another week to complete consideration of the bill. From all indications, the bill will be passed by the 7th House but whether it will meet the aspirations of majority of Nigerians particularly stakeholders is yet to be seen.

Politics 17

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

Loyalists of the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, have approached the court to foil his planned ouster. TUNDE OYESINA reports

Mu’azu: Court to the rescue

ith calls for the sack of the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, and other members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) unabated, the battle to stop the imminent ouster has shifted to the court. The court has been asked to give an order that no member of the party’s NWC can be forced to resign his office until the expiration of their tenure in March 2016. Governors and prominent leaders of the PDP have called for the dissolution of the Mu’azu-led executives sequel to the humiliating defeat of the party in the March 28 and April 11 general elections. The party’s presidential candidate in the March 28 poll, President Goodluck Jonathan, had lost the election to General Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The party also lost some governorship and National Assembly seats to the APC, thus becoming an opposition party. By May 29, APC takes over the rein of government at the centre from the PDP. The opposition party will also be in control of 22 states while PDP had been reduced to governing 13 states. The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) is in control of Anambra State. Also, PDP has lost its majority status in the National Assembly, as APC will control both the Senate and House of Representatives having majority lawmakers in both chambers. Ironically, the battle to remove Mu’azu early last year started from the courts. Now, the battle to save him has been taken to the court. It will be recalled that two similar suits were instituted when Mu’azu first came on board last year wherein the court was asked to declare his emergence illegal and unconstitutional. The court had, however, then given judgement in favour of Mu’azu. A similar occurrence had however began again as two party chieftains, Tasiu Iliyasu Hussaini and Waziri Amadu, had approached an Abuja High Court praying it to stop the PDP from compelling members of the NWC to relinquish their offices. Listed as defendants in the suit marked CV/1831/15 are the PDP; Mu’azu; Deputy National Chairman, Secundus Uche; National Secretary, Prof. Adewale Oladipo; Deputy National Secretary, Onwe Solomon Onwe; National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh; National Women Leader, Kema Chikwe and National Financial Secretary, Bolaji Anani. Others are National Legal Adviser, Victor Kwon; National

Mu’azu

Organising Secretary, Abubakar Mustapha; National Youth Leader, Abdullahi Hussaini Maibasira; National Treasurer, Bala Buhari and National Auditor, Adewale Adeyanju. The plaintiffs in their Originating Summons dated May 14, and filed through their counsel, Iliya Dauda and Nafiu Yakubu, are asking the court to determine whether all the officers listed as defendants who are members of the PDP NWC and elected officials under the party’s constitution can be dissolved or forced to resign their positions without following required procedure laid down the party constitution. They also want the court to determine whether the tenure of office of the defendants as elected officials of the party and members of the NWC can be tampered with without regards to the clear and explicit provisions of Sections 47, 57, 58, and 59 of the part constitution, (2012) as amended. In the light of the questions, the plaintiffs however want the court to declare that defendants as members of NWC of the party and elected officials under its constitution cannot be dissolved or force to resign their position without following required procedure laid down by the party in its constitution. They also want the court to declare that the defendants’ tenure in office as elected officials of the PDP and members of the NWC of the party cannot be tampered with except in accordance with due process laid down by the party’s

The battle to remove Mu’azu early last year started from the courts. Now, the battle to save him has been taken to the court

constitution. In addition, the plaintiffs want an order of the court restraining the defendants as members of the NWC of the party from resigning their position in any manner other than that prescribed by the party’s constitution. They also want an order restraining PDP, either through its agents, privies, servants or whosoever acting on its behalf, from dissolving the executive council of the NWC, forcing them resign or in any way attempting to abruptly terminate their tenure before it is due. The plaintiffs also want an order of mandatory injunction directing the defendants to comply strictly with the PDP’s constitution specifically as it relates to the tenure of office of the members of the NWC. In the 16-paragraph affidavit deposed to by one of the plaintiffs, Tasiu Iliyasu Hussaini, the plaintiffs confirmed their membership of the party with the membership card registration number: 4124922, Gurin Gawa ward of Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State. Hussaini also averred that the second plaintiff, Waziri Amadu is also a member of the party with registration number, 2303390, Kumo West Ward of Akko Local Government Area of Gombe State. He also averred that Mu’azu was elected the national chairman of the party at the national convention held by the party on January 20, 2015. The plaintiffs further averred that by the constitution of the PDP,

Mu’azu’s tenure as the national chairman of the party is supposed to last for four years from the date of his election to occupy the office of the national chairman which tenure will end on January 20, 2019. As for other members of the NWC, the plaintiffs averred that they were elected to occupy their respective positions on March 12, 2013 and as such their four-year tenure will end in March 2017. The plaintiffs also noted that because of the defeat suffered by PDP in the last elections, there are pressures from certain ranking members of the party as well as other external group clamouring for the dissolution or resignation of the NWC members. The plaintiffs, however, averred that the calls for dissolution and resignation are against the spirit of the party constitution and the collective resolve of members of the party. The plaintiffs further noted that their interest as members of the party is to find ways to reposition the party to succeed and the dissolution of the NWC members will put all efforts to waste and jeopardise hope of members. They submitted that the grant of their application will strengthen the internal democracy of the party. The new suit is yet to be assigned and no date has been fix for hearing. With the foregoing, should the PDP move ahead to sack Mu’azu and other NWC members, such could not constitute an illegality since the suit is yet to be assigned. Moreso, defendants are yet to enter appearance and join issues in the suit. It is however deemed that no suit is before the court at the moment. It will be recalled that Mu’azu had earlier scaled through a legal hurdle to remain as the national chairman of the party when the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja dismissed the suit filed by the ex-PDP Chairman, Bamanga Tukur, and Aliyu Gurin, seeking the removal of the party’s national chairman. The trial judge, Justice Evoh Chukwu, had dismissed the suit after hearing the arguments filed by Aliyu Gurin, an aspirant to the House of Representatives in Adamawa State, seeking to unseat Mu’azu, and to stop the party’s national convention. At the hearing stage, counsel to the plaintiff, Rotimi Oguneso (SAN), argued that the resignation of the immediate past chairman of the party, Tukur did not comply with the provision of Section 47(5) of the constitution of the party which stipulated that a 30-day notice be given to the National Executive Committee (NEC) by Tukur. Oguneso in his argument said the appointment of Mu’azu as the new chairman did not follow the laid down provisions of the party’s constitution. Similarly, the plaintiff contended that what gave him locus to institute the suit was his membership of the party. He prayed CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Opinion Damnable rascality Dominik Umosen

hen former president, Gen Olusegun Obasanjo described legislators as driven by a desperation similar to that which defines fraudsters, many folks were startled. The profile might have seemed uncharitable, but coming, as it did, after scandalous attempts by some legislators to manipulate their over-sight responsibilities as parliamentarians, for personal profit, Baba’s punch, suddenly, did not seem hard enough. Part of what inspired the former president to disparage legislators was the infamous roles played by some members of the House of Representatives, especially its committee on power, to keep their scrutiny of power projects open-ended, the guarantee of personal interest. A test of the veracity, or otherwise, of the allegation came when the committee on the capital market, supposedly in exercise of its over-sight functions, curiously made demands which the former Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Arumna Oteh frowned on. But instead of presenting the committee chairman, Mr Herman Hembe, in the court of public opinion, the leadership of the House, under Aminu Tambuwal, the governor-elect of Sokoto State, conjured shenanigans to shield his colleagues, claiming parliamentary privilege. Rather than establish the veracity of grievous allegations against the committee chairman, the House resorted to flexing its enormous muscles by arm-twisting the SEC and starving it of allocations until Oteh was hounded out as D-G for her ‘temerity’ to call the bluff of some

legislative smart alecs. The action of the house leadership, regrettably, reinforced, instead of vitiate Obasanjo’s allegations. The action further justified the enduring impression among the citizens that neither the quality of the current crop of legislators nor their enthusiasm for the otherwise noble business of legislating in the interest of ordinary folks justifies genuine optimism. The burden of credibility imposed on the integrity of legislators in the country by the former president’s allegation risks consolidation by the curious threat by the senate to over ride President Goodluck Jonathan’s veto on the Fourth Alteration Bill to the 1999 constitution (as amended), despite a subsisting Supreme Court order. The apparent desperation by the Senate to over-ride the president’s veto might be its ondoing, especially the unfortunate impression of rascality that the upper chamber is likely to incur by disparaging the concept of separation of powers which is certainly what it is manouevering itself into. Even if the president’s action angered the National Assembly, compelling the two chambers to contemplate over-riding his veto in order to pass the bill into law, the fact that the judiciary, whose role it is to inteprete the law, waded into the matter, the legislators ought to have exercised restraint in order not to engineer crisis where there ought to be none. A quick flip over what might be confused with legislative activism, which this crop of legislators have deprived compatriots since 1999, shows that out-going President Goodluck Jonathan originally enumerated certain defects in the amendments, including the fact that the Bill failed to comply with the provisions of Section 4(3) of the 1999 constitution, as well as whittling down the powers of the

President of the Federal Republic. Part of the dangers in assenting to the Bill, as hurriedly hotch-potched by both chambers, is the colateral risk of arm-twisting incoming President Buhari and making his job unnecessarily difficult even before he starts. Determined not to be vetoed, the Federal Government, on April 23, 2015, dragged the National Assembly to the Supreme Court, challenging the amendments and asking the court to stop the NASS from carrying out further action on the constitution; a request which the apex court granted because of the urgency of the case. But rather than allow the judiciary play its constitutional role, the Senate insisted on vetoing the president, and by implication, spitting on the same constitution which legislators swore to uphold. Thank God they later backed down. The same legislators who refused to recognize the imperative of ratifying the report of the National Conference as demanded by Nigerians now pretends that the controversial bill is more important than the report of the conference which means more to the citizens than the prestige of over-pampered legislators. Perhaps more worrisome in all these is the fact that the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, Enugu West, is a lawyer who should not humour those who insist on selfdamnation which is what contempt of court (disregard for court order) amounts to. It is indecent haste borne out of self-interest that inspired this brouhaha. Had the Senate respected the Freedom Of Information (FOI) Act, instead of shielding the scandalous emoluments of members from scrutiny, for instance, earlier allegations might have qualified as exaggeration. But disregard for the judiciary, however, qualifies it for damnable rascality.

Soyinka: Between creativity and platitudes (1) Ethelbert Okere

he last time I had the ‘privilege’ to write about Professor Wole Soyinka was about two years ago at the heat of the quarrel between outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan and the equally exiting Governor of Rivers state, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi. Professor Soyinka had unashamedly taken sides with Rotimi to the extent that the rumour was rife that the Professor was a PR consultant to the governor. My worry was not with the PR thing for a Nobel Laureate since in Nigeria our elders go for jobs meant for their grand children; that is assuming that the PR job rumour was true. My concern was that Soyinka took sides instead of playing an arbiter to reconcile the two kinsmen. In my Monday column then in the Daily Newswatch, I tried to contrast Prof. Soyinka’s actions and utterances to what would happen if my mother, who, like Soyinka is 81 years old this year, would prefer to take sides if a misunderstanding arose between my siblings and I. I tried to picture that if the likes of Soyinka would borrow a leaf from my mother, who was a mere school teacher, then Nigeria could become a far better place. Mama got me quite earlier, in fact when she was 25 years old and while I was growing up, I never saw her take sides even as a young woman. I then reasoned that at 79 – which was the age she was two years ago like Professor Soyinka, – Mama is a symbol of peace in our family. That year, Dr. Goodluck

Jonathan was 56 years old, 23 years younger than the Professor. Amaechi himself turned 50 only last year; so that the average age between the two puts the Prof. 26 years above them. A fellow who rejoined the article pointed out to me that I was talking about the ideal; that the thing that brought Soyinka to the level he was playing was politics and not cultural maturity. Which brings me to the main issue of today; that Nigerians and keen watchers have come to know the literary specialist more for political gimmickry than the realm that brought him fame. By 1986 when Professor Soyinka bagged the Nobel Prize for literature, he was 52 years old, the same age with my mother then. I learnt that the Nobel is not an end itself. I learnt that one of the reasons it is given out is to encourage winners to do more work in the area they excelled and which qualified them for the coveted price. I learnt also that many Nobels in other parts of the world even after the prize went ahead to invent things that made their earlier accomplishments look little. But not so for our own W.S. Since after the Nobel, Soyinka became enamoured with politics. The first demystification of his Nobel was when he accepted to be the pioneer chairman of the Federal Road Safety Commission in 1988, just few years after the Nobel. I did a story in the then Financial Post magazine which showed that the area the military boys drafted him was quite strange for him. Coming just a few years after he bagged the Nobel, it couldn’t be that Kongi was out for a job. It was just a way the chaps

wanted to make him look ordinary. Professor Soyinka left that job certainly not as invincible as the Nobel probably made him; though he was luckier than the late sage, Tai Solarin, who fell into the trap set for him (they) by the military chaps and got thoroughly messed up. Needless to say, Professor Soyinka is not new in playing in the murky waters of politics. Regardless of his fabled ebullience, Soyinka is one professor who doesn’t mind delving into mundane issues in a manner that even less lettered fellows would scoff at. Of course, by 2013 when he reportedly got the PR job from cash loaded Amaechi, he had gotten used to the language of politicians, their antics and tricks, to the extent that very few Nigerians of my age can remember that he bagged a Nobel prize for literature. Pray, are there any literature books by Soyinka being read today by Nigerians born after 1986? I wait to be better informed by my critics or Soyinka apologists who will certainly take me on. It was perhaps out of frustration that the radical lawyer, Festus Keyamo had to sometime ago posit that Professor Soyinka should do more of what he is known for so that he can win more laureates for Nigerians. I am certain that Keyamo would have laughed quite loud upon coming across the topic, “PREDICTING NIGERIA, ELECTORAL IRONIES” on which Soyinka delivered a lecture in far away America a few days ago. Personally, I am baffled at the choice of topic which must have been made by Soyinka himself. I ask, was a topic on the just concluded general election in Nigeria the best he could choose? Assuming even that there

was a compelling need to give a lecture on Nigeria at this point in time, would it not have been better and more edifying for Soyinka to once avoid a talk down on his country and instead remind the rest of the world that, contrary to some insinuations and expectations in several quarters, our dear country successfully conducted the general elections after all. Shouldn’t he have used the occasion of the lecture to tell the rest of the world that Nigeria did not break up after all and has indeed shown that it is capable of growing its democracy? Is it not baffling that at a time the rest of the world is praising Nigerians for collectively conducting themselves well at the 2015 general elections, an 81-year-old fellow whose generation got the very best of out of Nigeria would go to foreign land to abuse his fellow citizens in a hasty commentary on an election he, by his own admission, could not take a stand on. Newspaper reports quoted Soyinka as follows “It was a painful decision to tell people to vote Buhari … I was more against Jonathan than I was pro-Buhari”. As far as I am concerned, the Professor was merely hiding behind sheer semantic. He was sitting on the fence. Although he wrote critical articles on President Jonathan, Soyinka never came out to openly support Buhari and he has said so in his “… I was more against Jonathan than I was pro – Buhari” submission. So, where was he when others put in everything they had to be “pro-Buhari”? Or is he trying to reap where he did not sow? • Okere (etmensa59@gmail.com), sent in this piece from Lagos.

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

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All eyes on Sambisa forest

hen the 2015 general elections were postponed for six weeks on the excuse that it would enable the Nigeria Armed Forces to rout out the Boko Haram insurgents from their hideouts on the North East, many critics of the Jonathan administration cried foul. The cynics saw no sense in the plan by the troops to take the battle to Sambisa Forest, the stronghold of the terrorists. However, the military kept to its plans and launched a special operation that has continued to yield positive results till today. The operation has so far, resulted in the recapture of several towns and villages as well as the rescue of hundreds of women and children who had been in captivity in Sambisa forest for a long time. On April 28, 2015, the Nigerian troops rescued 200 girls and 93 women. Two days later, the troops .rescued another set of 234 women and children while a total of 260 women and children on Saturday May 2, 2015. They have equally recovered various weapons including Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs), Anti-Aircraft Guns and vehicles, which these terrorists abandoned as they fled the forest. For mer captives re g ained freedom and most of the conquered territories are now safe in the hands of Federal troops. In spite of all these successes, all eyes are still on Sambisa forest because the over 200 girls who were abducted from the Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok are yet to be found. The screening and

We urge the Nigeria Army and the multinational forces to intensify their search for this notorious terrorist and ensure that he is captured dead or alive. Characters like Shekau must not be allowed to escape after all the atrocities he has committed all these years as head of Boko Haram

profiling of all those so far rescued has shown no trace of these school girls whose kidnap one year ago, attracted widespread condemnation across the world. It is also disheartening that the dreaded Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau who was believed to have been operating from the Sambisa Forest has not been found till now. He

and the school girls he used to parade with pride have suddenly disappeared from the radar. The last we heard of Shekau were speculations that he might have fled from the forest, leaving behind his thuraya phone to avoid being tracked down by intelligence forces. Could it be that Shekau actually sold these girls into slavery as he once boasted? Could it be that Shekau has been killed in the air bombardments and artillery fire during the special operations by the troops? We urge the Nigeria Ar my and the multinational forces to intensify their search for this notorious terrorist and ensure that he is captured dead or alive. Characters like Shekau must not be allowed to escape after all the atrocities he has committed all these years as head of Boko Haram. This is the time, for Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameron to close ranks and ensure that Shekau does not slip away through any of the borders. All the countries in the Lake Chad region must realise that no one will be safe as long as Shekau remains at large. Already, Boko Haram has links with the Al Qaeda, Al Shabab and lately, Islamic State (ISIS) and Shekau could easily melt into any of these g roups and relaunch his evil mission in the future. We think that this is the right time to throw a water tight cordon around the Sambisa Forest to ensure that Shekau and his remaining jihadists are apprehended and made to face the wrath of the law. We recall that in the heat of the Boko Haram crisis, President Goodluck Jonathan placed a

Fifty Million Naira ( N50m) reward for anyone who could provide useful information on the whereabouts of Shekau. In the same vein, the United States pledged a bounty of Seven Million Dollars ($7 million) for the arrest of the same man shortly after Shekau called on Islamists in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq to join the bloody fight to create an Islamic state in Nigeria. We think it is pertinent to remind the whole world that these pledges by Nigeria and the United States remain valid and ready for any one to pick up in exchange for useful information on this terrorist. In the course of interrogating the men, women bad children rescued from Sambisa Forest, the Intelligence Unit of the Nigeria Army must probe deeper into the conscience of these victims in order to extract whatever they know about Boko Haram and it's leaders. We must not out of sympathy lose focus because the ultimate prize of invading Sambisa Forest would be to capture Shekau and others who have made life miserable for million of Nigerians in the last six years. Smoking out Shekau would also demystify the sect and prove to the world that just as US forces hit Osama bin Laden, Nigerian troops are also trained to strike. It is time to end the Shekau story. He has died so many times, he has reappeared severally and has disappeared again. The end of Shekau will definitely signal the last days of Boko Haram not only in the North-East but across the Lake Chad Basin.

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Politics

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

the court to set aside the appointment of Mu’azu. Strangely, the second defendant in the matter, Tukur, through his counsel, Adamson Adeboro, filed a counter-claim supporting all the claims of the plaintiff. In his counter-claim, Tukur argued that he was forced to resign his post as the national chairman of the party in order for the seven defected governors to come back to the party. Tukur further stated that the NEC of the party had no power to appoint the national chairman, adding that the votes and proceedings of NEC held

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Battle to save Mu’azu, others shifts to court at Wadata House on January 15 and 20 which deliberated on his resignation as the national chairman and appointment of Mu’azu as chairman were a nullity. He added that even if he had submitted a letter of resignation on January 15 to the party, the letter did not comply with Section 47(5) of the party’s constitution which re-

quired that a 30-day prior notice should be given. Opposing the application, counsel to PDP and Mu’azu, Solomon Umor (SAN) asked the court to dismiss the suit on the ground that the plaintiff lacked the right to institute such suit. He further noted that the counter-claim filed by the second defendant was strange in law and

should not be accepted by the court. He added that the plaintiff in the suit did not indicate any injury he had suffered or would suffer by reason of which the suit was brought. Umor also stated that the plaintiff had not pursued or exhausted the domestic or internal remedies available within the constitution of the party

prior to the institution of the suit. Furthermore, he argued that the subject matter was an internal affair of the party which the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain. Thus, he prayed the court to dismiss the suit in its entirety. The fourth respondent in the suit, the Independent National Electoral

Commission (INEC), did not file any application and pledged to maintain neutrality. In another twist then, a lawyer and a member of the PDP, Ezionye Ndubuisi, had then asked the court to remove Mu’azu as the chairman of the party. Mu’azu was appointed by the party’s NEC to succeed Turkur, who resigned as the national chairman of the party on January 15, 2014. But Ndubuisi wanted the court to declare as illegal, unlawful, null and void the appointment of Mu’azu as the substantive national chairman of the party on the grounds that he was not elected at the national convention of the party. The lawyer, who argued that Mu’azu’s appointment violated provisions of Articles 31(2) and 45(2) of the party’s constitution, also wanted the court to restrain him (Mu’azu) from further parading himself as the PDP’s national chairman. He also asked the court to order INEC to immediately rectify its record by deleting Mu’azu’s name as the PDP national chairman. Though he stated in his supporting affidavit that the Deputy National Chairman of the PDP ought to have stepped in as Acting National Chairman after Tukur’s resignation, the plaintiff was seeking an order among others reinstating the former national chairman pending when a national convention would remove him (Tukur) from office. The plaintiff, who prepared his court papers by himself, argued that the Deputy National Chairman of the party ought to have stepped in as the acting national chairman of the party pending the holding of another election by the national convention. The PDP, Mu’azu and the INEC are the first to third defendants in the suit. The suit, in which the plaintiff raised three questions for determination, was marked, FHC/ ABJ/CS/678/2014. The five major prayers being sought by the plaintiff include, “A declaration that the continued occupation of the office of National Chairman of the 1st defendant (PDP) by the 2nd defendant (Mu’azu) is illegal, unlawful, null and void as the 2nd defendant was not elected into the said office at the at the National Convention of the 1st defendant.” With the call to sack Mu’azu and the invitation of court to the rescue, all eyes are on the judiciary to see whether history will replay itself.

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

Analysts blame oil slump for weak Q1 GDP

Mansard Insurance: Investors build on strategic acquisition

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Nigeria imports $2.04bn fish from Norway in three years Nigeria has imported not less than 1,688,308 metric tons of pelagic fish from Norway in the last three years.

p.22

MPC to retain interest rates –Analysts

As the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting commences today in Abuja, financial analysts have predicted that members of the committee will leave the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) and other interest rates unchanged.

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L-R: Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Mr. Ola Oresanya; Mrs. Abimbola Jijoho-Ogun and Executive Director, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Lanre Adesanya, during a courtesy visit by the Management of the bank to LAWMA, at the weekend.

IT spend in Nigeria, others hits $4trn annually INNOVATION Partnership between EMC and TD will deepen its future and to deliver innovative solutions to businesses in Nigeria

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nformation and Technology (IT) spending in Nigeria and other countries around the world has hit $4 trillion yearly, experts from

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EMC have disclosed. The experts stated this during the unveiling of a strategic partnership between the global data storage giant and Technology Distributions Limited (TD), the biggest Information and Communication Technology (ICT) distributors in subSaharan Africa (SSA). According to General Manager, EMC West Africa, Mr Nicholas Travers, “by 2020, there will be seven billion people using the Internet and, by that year, 30 billion devices would have been connected. Also, it is forecast that there will be 44 zetabytes of traffic by

then. For now, the total IT spend in Nigeria and other countries around the world is estimated at $4 trillion annually. “In all of these developments being witnessed globally, ICT would be central. Our world is rapidly becoming digital and the future would be software and cloud-driven. It is on this

7bn Being the number of people to use internet by 2020

basis that we have partnered with a company such as TD to ensure that we jointly deliver to businesses solutions that help them to predict, deliver personalise services, do business faster, operate in real-time and demonstrate transparency.” Travers, who delivered the keynote presentation, traced EMC’s global trajectory and competence in the areas of storage, cloud computing, data security, content management and Big Data. According to him, EMC, which is already a renowned CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

Rates Dashboard INFLATION RATE April 2015................................8.7% March 2015.............................8.5% February 2015.........................8.4%

LENDING RATE InterBank Rate....................12.57% Prime Lending Rate...........17.93% Maximum Lending Rate...26.83%

EXCHANGE RATE (BDC as at May 15)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N222 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N338 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N247.50

l Foreign Reserves – $29.786bn as at 14/05/2015

Source: CBN

EXCHANGE RATE (Interbank as at May 15)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N200 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N301 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N214

Business | News

TRADE Fish importation from Norway surges Bayo Akomolafe

igeria has imported not less than 1,688,308 metric tons of pelagic fish from Norway in the last three years. The commodity, which was imported between 2012 and 2014, is valued at $2.04 billion. It costs $1,200 per ton to ferry the frozen food from Norway to the port of destinations in Nigeria. Pelagic specie consists of herring, mackerel, pelagic, blue whiting and horse mackerel. In 2012, data by the Norwegian Seafood Coun-

MONDAY,MAY 18, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Nigeria imports $2.04bn fish from Norway in three years cil (NSC) revealed that Nigeria imported 187,298 metric tons of herring; 140,298 metric tons of mackerel; 168,114 metric tons of horse mackerel, 90,065 metric tons of blue whiting and other species, 592, 194 metric tons. Also in 2013, the country took deliveries of 180,936 metric tons of herring; 116, 879 metric tons of mackerel; 106,548 metric tons of horse mackerel, 82,771 metric tons of whiting and 10,049

of other species, totaling 497,185 metric tons. Last year, importers shipped 106,168 metric tons of herring; 243,856 metric tons of mackerel; 95,109 metric tons of horse mackerel; 57,113 metric tons of blue whiting and 6,682 metric tons of other species totalling 598,929 metric tons to the country. The data revealed that the Nigerian pelagic imports increased last year by 101,745 tons or 20.5

per cent over 2013. Herring imports totalled 196,168t last year, up by 8.4 per cent over 2013. Imports for jack mackerel (95,109tons) and blue whiting (57,113 tons) were, however, down by 10.7per cent and 31per cent respectively. In 2013, Nigeria announced that it would take measures to start a structured embargo on fish imports from January 1, 2014, as part of plans to make the

country self-sufficient in seafood and boost its domestic fish farming business. It was learnt that the demand for fish in the country is expected to grow by over 700,000tons in 2020, according to the United Nations (UN). This means that shortfalls will persist in the interim, before local production can ramp up to meet rising demand. But, in November last year, importers alleged

that the ministry gave out import quota of 1.6 million metric tons of fish, which led to a glut in the market and a crash in price. According to findings, in the first and second quarters of 2014, allocations were given to 80 companies to import 280,000 metric tons of fish, while in the third and fourth quarters, allocations for 520,000 metric tons were given to 124 companies.

‘IT spend in Nigeria, others hits $4trn' CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

global leader in the storage and IT field, also retains a key interest in West Africa and Nigeria. He said that the interest was justified by the short space of time in which EMC has expanded its operations in Nigeria, going from having a single employee in 1999 to employing about 45 staff at present, while maintaining offices in Nigeria and the Ghanaian capital, Accra. Meanwhile, EMC and TD have said that the partnership will go a long way in positively enhancing the profile of technology distribution and penetration on the continent. Managing Director, EMC, Levant and Emerging Africa Region, Mr Nazim Fraijat, said that the addition of TD to EMC’s Global Business Partner Programme was in line with the organisation’s desire to deepen the pace of technological innovation and diffusion in the West African sub-region and on the continent as a whole. “We are happy to officially welcome Technology Distributions into our Business Partner Programme. Our delight further stems from TD’s status as one of the biggest and most structured ICT distributors in Nigeria and the West African region as a whole. “In view of our desire to make further in roads into sub-Saharan Africa, we are confident that this partnership with TD will, undoubtedly, accelerate the rate of access to the wide range of innovative solutions that EMC is known for world-wide,” CONTINUED ON PAGE 36

L-R: Vice President, Marketing, Unilever Nigeria, Mr Robbert deVreede; Managing Director, Mr. Yaw Nsarkoh; Knorr Ambassador, Omotola Jalade Ekeinde; Omotola’s daughter, Meraiah Ekeinde, and Brand Building Director, Food, Unilever Nigeria, Nsima Ogedi-Alakwe, at the ‘Follow in My Green Food Steps’ symposium organised by Unilever in partnership with the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, in Lagos. PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

MPC to retain interest rates –Analysts Unchanged MPR likely to remain at 13% Tony Chukwunyem

s the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting commences today in Abuja, financial analysts have predicted that members of the committee will leave the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) and other interest rates unchanged. The committee had, at its last meeting in March, retained the MPR at 13 per cent, maintained the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) on private sector deposits at 20 per cent and the CRR on public sector deposits at 75 per cent. It also retained the liquidity ratio at 30 per cent. The analysts hinged their

forecast on what they said would be the apex bank’s desire to address inflationary and exchange rate stability concerns. Commenting on the MPC meeting, the financial advisory firm, Dunn Loren Merrifield (DLM) Research, stated that “whilst we uphold our stance that fiscal and monetary policies should be supportive of stronger sustainable economic growth in the medium to long term, we are of the view that the prevailing economic realities is not fully supportive of a reduction in policy rate at this time. “Consequently, we are of the view that the CBN will keep monetary policy tight at the meeting slated for the coming week (today and tomorrow) with interest rates retained at current levels in a bid to address inflationary and exchange rate stability concerns. Overall, we re-iterate that economic stability in

the short-to-medium term is hinged largely on concerted efforts from fiscal and monetary authorities in the months ahead as we expect additional adjustments - particularly on the fiscal side - to enhance macro-economic stability,” the firm stated. Similarly, in a note made available to New Telegraph, Access Bank predicted that the MPC will leave rates unchanged. Also commenting on the MPC meeting, Financial Derivatives Company Ltd (FDC), pointed out that the committee would be concerned, among other things, about the impact of rising inflation at a time of fuel scarcity, forex market uncertainty and a backlog of unpaid salaries by state governments. According to the firm, “the MPC will be striving for monetary stability and how to ensure that the true value of the naira emerges from the

Interbank Foreign Exchange Market (IFEM) and is also sustainable. Interest rates are more likely to be sensitive to the outcome of the MPC meeting rather than an increase in the rate of inflation. The MPC has maintained the status quo at the last two meetings. The committee has not made any changes to its policy rate when an increased inflation number is announced close to the MPC meeting in the last year.” The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) last Thursday released numbers for April showing that Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures inflation, rose by 8.7 per cent (year-on-year), 0.2 percentage points from the 8.5 per cent rate recorded in March. It was the fifth consecutive month of a faster increase in the Headline index to reach the highest inflation rate recorded for the year. The Headline rate for April also equalled the highest rate recorded since July 2013.

INTERNATIONAL WEEKLY

In collaboration with

Sanctity of Truth

In Norway, A Push For Legal LSD By ANDREW HIGGINS

OSLO — In a country so wary of drug abuse that it limits the sale of aspirin, Pal-Orjan Johansen is pushing what would seem a doomed cause: the rehabilitation of LSD. It matters little to him that the psychedelic drug has been banned around the world for more than 40 years. Mr. Johansen pitches his effort as a battle for human rights and good health. In fact, he also wants to manufacture MDMA and psilocybin, the active ingredients in two other prohibited substances, Ecstasy and so-called magic mushrooms. All of that might seem quixotic, if only Mr. Johansen and EmmaSofia, the psychedelics advocacy group he founded with his wife and fellow scientist, Teri Krebs, had not already won some unlikely supporters, including a retired Norwegian Supreme Court judge who serves as their legal adviser. The group, whose name derives from street slang for MD-

An attempt to turn back the clock on the taboos of drug use. MA and the Greek word for wisdom, stands in the vanguard of a movement pushing to revise drug policies set in the 1970s. That it has gained traction in a country so committed to controlling drug use shows how much old orthodoxies have crumbled. The group wants also to manufacture the psychedelics to guarantee that they are safe. It recently began an online campaign to raise money so that it can, in cooperation with a Norwegian pharmaceuticals company, start quality-controlled production of psilocybin and MDMA, drugs that Mr. Johansen says saved and transformed his life. “I helped myself with psychedelics and want others to have the same opportunity without the risk of arrest,” said Mr. Johansen, 42, a former researcher at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. He recalled how he defeated an alcohol problem, a smoking habit,

Continued on Page 26

INTELLIGENCE

The roots of crisis in the Mideast. PAGE 24

PHOTOGRAPHS BY NICOLE BENGIVENO/THE NEW YORK TIMES

Hidden Price of Nice Nails Underpaid and Exploited Manicurists Endure Ethnic Bias and Abuse Jing Ren, near left, and her cousin Michelle Sun toil in nail salons. Ms. Ren subsisted on tips at first. Top, a nail salon in Manhattan.

By SARAH MASLIN NIR

By 8 a.m. every day without fail, thickets of young Asian and Hispanic women have collected on nearly every street corner in the Flushing section of New York’s Queens borough. As if on cue, cavalcades of battered Ford Econoline vans rumble up to the curb, and the women climb in. It is the start of another workday for legions of manicurists, hurtled to nail salons across three states. They will not return until late at night, after working 10- to 12-hour shifts. One morning last May, Jing Ren, a 20-year-old recently arrived from China, stood among them for the first time, clutching her lunch and a packet of nail tools that manicurists must bring from job to job. Tucked in her pocket was $100 for another expense: the fee the salon owner charges each new employee for her job. In return, Ms. Ren would be allowed to work for no wages, subsisting on meager tips, until her boss decided she was skillful enough to merit a wage. It would take nearly three months before her boss paid her. Thirty dollars a day. Manicures have in recent years become a grooming staple for women across the economic spectrum. There are now more than 17,000 nail salons in the United States. But largely overlooked is the rampant exploitation of those who toil in the industry. The New York Times interviewed more than 150 nail salon workers and owners, and found that the majority of workers are paid below minimum wage

WORLD TRENDS

New king aims to raise Saudis’ clout. PAGE 28

or not paid at all. Asian-language newspapers advertise $10-a-day openings for new manicurists. Workers have their tips docked for minor transgressions, are monitored by video, and can be physically abused. The products they work with expose them to serious health problems, including miscarriages and cancer. Employers are rarely punished for labor and other violations. Abuses listed in lawsuits included charging manicurists for the water they drank, and kicking and insulting them as they sat on their pedicure stools. Among more than 100 workers interviewed by The Times, only about a quarter said they were paid New York State’s minimum hourly wage. All but three

MONEY & BUSINESS

Start-ups are hot in India. PAGE 29

workers had wages withheld in ways that would be considered illegal, such as never getting overtime. In response to The Times investigation, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has formed a multiagency task force to look into the industry, institute new rules to protect manicurists from dangerous chemicals, and begin a six-language education campaign to inform them of their rights. The juxtapositions in nail salon workers’ lives can be jarring. Many workers spend their days holding hands with women of unimaginable affluence in Manhattan and in Greenwich, Connecticut. Away from the manicure tables, they crash in flophouses packed with bunk beds, or in fetid apartments shared by as many as a dozen strangers. Ms. Ren worked at Bee Nails, in Hicksville, New York, where leather pedicure chairs are equipped with iPads on articulated arms so patrons can scroll the screens without smudging their manicures. They rarely spoke more than a few words to Ms. Ren, who, like most manicurists, wore a fake name chosen by a supervisor on a tag pinned to her chest. She was “Sherry.” At night she returned to sleep jammed in a one-bedroom apartment in Flushing with her cousin, her cousin’s father and

Continued on Page 26

ARTS & DESIGN

Taking inspiration from an outsider. PAGE 34

THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL WEEKLY

Sanctity of Truth

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

O P I N I O N & C O M M E N TA RY The Baltimore riots threw a spotlight on the poverty and isolation of the African-American community where the unrest began last month. The problems were underscored when the Justice Department, in response to Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake’s request, started an investigation of the Police Department, which has an egregious history of brutality and misconduct. Other cities are plagued by the same difficulties that have proved especially intractable in Baltimore. A new study from Harvard University offers evidence that Baltimore is perhaps the worst large city in the country when measured by a child’s chances of escaping poverty. The city’s racially segregated, poor neighborhoods cast a long shadow over the lives of low-income boys. For example, those who grew up in recent decades in Baltimore earn 28 percent less at age 26 than otherwise similar kids who grew up in an average county in the United States. As shocking as they are, these facts make perfect sense in the context of the century-long assault that Baltimore’s blacks have endured at the hands of local, state and federal policy makers, all of whom worked to quarantine black residents in ghettos. This happened in cities all over the country, but the segregationist impulse in Maryland

ED I T O R I A L S O F T H E T I M ES

How Racism Doomed Baltimore was particularly virulent and well-documented in Baltimore, which is now 63 percent black.

A Southern City Americans might think of Maryland as a Northern state, but it was distinctly Southern in its attitudes toward race. In the first decade of the 20th century, for example, the Legislature approved amendments to the State Constitution to deny the vote to black citizens. Voters rejected these amendments, not out of sympathy for civil rights, but because of suspicion that the political machine would use disenfranchisement to gain a hold over state politics. The segregationist effort in Baltimore gained momentum in 1910, shortly after a Yale-educated black lawyer bought a house in the well-heeled Mount Royal section of the city. The uproar among whites led to an ordinance that partitioned the city into black blocks and white blocks: No black person could occupy a home on a block where more than half the people were white; no white person could move into

a block where more than half the residents were black. In 1910, The New York Times described this as “the most pronounced ‘Jim Crow’ measure on record.” When the courts overturned the ordinance, the city adopted a strategy under which building and health department inspectors lodged code violations against owners who ignored the apartheid rule. Civic leaders then imposed restrictive covenants that barred black residents.

‘House Not For Sale’ The Federal Housing Administration could have staved off housing segregation by enforcing a nondiscrimination policy. Instead, as the historian Kenneth Jackson explained in “Crabgrass Frontier: The Suburbanization of the United States,” the agency reflected “the racist tradition of the United States.” It insisted on a rigid, white-black separation in housing. It openly supported racist covenants that largely excluded African-Americans from the homeownership boom that took place between the 1930s and the 1960s. And it typically denied

ed apartments and skimped on repairs. The system accelerated urban decline and ghettoization. It also prevented a generation of black citizens from gaining the wealth that typically flows from homeownership.

mortgages to black residents wherever they lived. As Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote last year in The Atlantic, this policy meant that the federal government had endorsed a system of financial apartheid under which “whites looking to achieve the American dream could rely on a legitimate credit system backed by the government. Blacks were herded into the sights of unscrupulous lenders who took them for money and for sport.” African-Americans who were cut off from legitimate bank mortgages paid a price. But the penalty was especially high in Chicago and Baltimore, where laws allowed the worst kinds of financial predation. Black buyers often resorted to what was known as the contract system, run by sellers who were the subprime sharks of their time. They rigged up ruinously priced installment plans and financial booby traps with the express aim of repossessing the home when the buyer missed even one payment and then selling it again. To meet the outrageous costs, borrowers sometimes subdivid-

The Segregation Trap Segregation that traps black families in dangerous, decrepit neighborhoods continues to be an issue in Baltimore. As recently as 2012, the United States District Court in Maryland approved a settlement in the public housing desegregation suit, Thompson v. HUD, which sought to eradicate 100 years of government-sponsored segregation in the Baltimore region. The settlement called for expanding a housing mobility program that helps black residents move to low-poverty neighborhoods that are racially integrated in the city and surrounding region. Against this backdrop, the data showing diminished life chances for poor people living in Baltimore should not be startling. The tensions associated with segregation and concentrated poverty place many cities at risk of unrest. But the acute nature of segregation in Baltimore — and the tools that were developed to enforce it — have left an indelible mark and given that city a singular place in the country’s racial history.

was hitting everybody else, but not ISIS. … They needed to get somebody out there that’s worse.” In other words, with ISIS committing atrocities, the Syrians’ barrel bombs and use of gas on civilians did not look so bad. The king failed to say that this mimics the strategy of some Arab governments, which attack political opponents, both secular and Islamist, who might win support. Terror attacks are viewed by some Arab governments not as threats, but rather as opportunities to buy the acquiescence of their citizens and the silence of the international community regarding their human rights crimes. It is time for Arab leaders to listen to the moral and rational voices of their citizens. On the eve of the Arab Summit two months ago, 26 Arab human rights organizations submitted a letter to them. They asked the kings and presidents to “reconsider the pol-

icies that have led the Arab region to this catastrophic juncture, unprecedented in the modern age,” and “to devise an effective strategy based on lessons learned from the unilateral focus on security and military solutions.” What makes the region’s situation more dire is the world’s failure to condemn this oppression, turning a blind eye to the roots of radicalization. It is no longer about a choice between countering terrorism and respecting human rights. It is impossible to win the fight against terror in this region without addressing the oppression and lack of opportunity that spawns it. Defending human rights and confronting religious extremism, working to end the discrimination against Syrian and Iraqi Sunni populations, as well as against Bedouins of Sinai, are the first steps in a journey of a thousand kilometers.

INTELLIGENCE/BAHEY ELDIN HASSAN

Injustice Kindled Mideast Chaos The Middle East, as we have known it for more than a century, is about to disappear and a new model is in the making. The features of its new face are not being drawn by colonialists and traditional Arab powers, but by the chaos from today’s power vacuum. The central governments of at least five Arab countries — Syria, Iraq, Libya, Sudan and Yemen — have lost control over large parts of their territories to armed opposition groups. A mix of civil, sectarian or racial wars is plaguing these nations, and there are few signs the conflicts will abate. The global war on terror has largely failed. Al Qaeda has a stronghold in Yemen, while ISIS has established its hold over parts of Syria and a “State of Sinai” in Egypt. It also controls the city of Derna in Bahey Eldin Hassan is the director of Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies. Send comments to intelligence@nytimes.com.

Libya, has established an alliance with Boko Haram in Nigeria, and is carrying out its plan for extending attacks to European cities and on American soil, where two militants were killed recently after an attempted terror attack in Texas. As a result of the violence and despair throughout the region, the Mediterranean Sea has become the world’s largest cemetery. In less than four months, 1,700 asylum seekers, fleeing civil wars, dire economic conditions and systematic repression, have perished in the sea. Nearly four million refugees have fled the civil war in Syria, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Such suffering is the result of decades of severe social injustices, Islamic extremism, human rights violations and the absence of good governance. The countries that have most suffered from decades of systematic political, sectarian and racial repression and mass killings — Iraq and Syria — made possible the foundation of ISIS.

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Many Middle East governments have lost control over large parts of their territories. A street fighter in Aden, Yemen.

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In this context, people of the Arab region have a hard time answering the question: What represents “true Islam?” Is it ISIS, which uploads videos of its beheadings on YouTube, or Saudi Arabia, which beheads people in public? Is it ISIS, which uses “Islamic law” to justify the mass rape of non-Muslim women in Iraq, or is it the Sunni government of Sudan, which uses mass rape of non-Arab women as a tactic of war? Is it ISIS, which advocates the mass killing of non-Muslim minorities; the Alawite government of Bashar al-Assad, which has gassed Sunni cities in Syria; or the government of Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, which executes mass killing on Egypt’s streets and issues mass death sentences through its politicized courts? King Abdullah II of Jordan told CNN recently that his intelligence services saw ISIS forming almost two years ago in the northern city of Raqqa, but “the Syrian regime

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Sanctity of Truth

WORLD TRENDS

Corruption Siphons Billions in Venezuela By WILLIAM NEUMAN and PATRICIA TORRES

CARACAS, Venezuela — The weed whackers were $12,300. Each. Then there was the $1.8 million machinery to kill and gut chickens. When the police checked it, they found a worthless jumble of rusted scrap metal. And there were the businessmen who collected $74 million to ship chemicals and other products from abroad — but sent almost nothing in return. For years, Venezuela has had a hole in its pocket, a very big hole. The government’s complex currency system has led to exorbitant schemes by importers, who wildly inflate the value of goods to grab American dollars at low exchange rates. Then they just pocket the dollars that the government provides, or sell some of the money for a profit on the black market for American currency. Tens of billions of dollars needed for vital imports have been drained this way from Venezuela’s treasury, officials say, but the loss is especially painful now. With the huge drop in the price of oil, Venezuela’s only major export, the nation’s central bank has reported that the country’s foreign currency reserves, essential for international trade and debt payments, were at their lowest level in almost 12 years.

Chávez’s currency controls continue to hurt the economy.

consulting firm, Ecoanalítica, estimated that about $69.5 billion was stolen through import fraud from 2003 to 2012. It said that 20 percent of the importing done by private companies had been bogus, while 40 percent of the imports carried out by government agencies had been fraudulent. At the heart of the import ploys are the country’s currency controls, which were begun in 2003 by former president Hugo Chávez. Economists say the controls create incentives for fraud. “There are lots of Venezuelan multimillionaires thanks to this system,” said one importer of clothing, food and medicine. He said that he regularly shipped in only about 10 percent of what he claimed to be importing. Venezuela is dependent on imports for food, basic goods and raw materials needed to manufacture many items. But exporters abroad do not want to trade in bolívares, Venezuela’s currency. They want dollars or other foreign currency, like euros. So in Venezuela, importers obtain government permission to import a product and then apply to the nation’s currency control agency to buy the dollars needed to pay for the shipment. An importer can buy United States currency for as little as 6.3 bolívares to the dollar, then turn around and get as many MERIDITH KOHUT FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES as 280 bolívares With oil prices down, Venezuela’s cash to the dollar on reserves have fallen. A worker protest. the black market. Venezuelans call the churning of bolívares and dollars “the bicyThat has Venezuelans on the left and the right clamoring for cle” because the process can go someone to be held accountaround and around indefinitely. “In Venezuela, your real able. business isn’t your ‘business,’ ” “It’s scandalous,” said Vícthe importer said. “Your real tor Álvarez, a leftist economist. business is what’s behind your “It’s like the robbery that our ‘business.’ ” He explained that people were subject to in the hefty bribes, which can add time of the conquest and the up to hundreds of thousands colonies, when the gold and silof dollars per deal, needed to ver were carted off by the ton.” be paid at numerous steps to Today, with the country in a receive permission to import a deep economic crisis marked product and to have the dollars by recession, crippling inflareleased. tion and shortages of goods like Jesús Faría, a member of milk, condoms and shampoo, the commission investigating the missing billions are parimport ploys, said that the comticularly conspicuous. Many store shelves lie bare, and peomission had found that more than 250 companies “had brople wait in line for hours to buy basics. ken the law and that the prosA former president of Veneecutor’s office had hundreds of companies to evaluate and zuela’s central bank, Edmée investigate.” Betancourt, has said that up “Nevertheless, I have not to $20 billion of the $59 billion seen that any of these compathat went to imports in 2012 disappeared through fraudulent nies have been punished,” he transactions. One economic added.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY DANIEL BEREHULAK FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

After Ebola, a Crisis of Faith By NORIMITSU ONISHI

MONROVIA, Liberia — Now that the Ebola outbreak has officially ended in Liberia, the country is trying to rebuild just about everything, from its health and education systems to its economy and international image. But in the dim hall of the United God Is Our Light Church, its generator turned off to shave costs, the congregation has been trying to repair something more fundamental: its spirit. “Some of you are thinking that this church will die,” its secretary, Joseph Vayombo, shouted in the small Pentecostal church here, no longer able to contain his frustration at all the empty seats around him. “There are people here who want this church to die.” While Ebola still afflicts Guinea and Sierra Leone, the World Health Organization has declared that the epidemic is over in Liberia, which suffered the most from it, with more than 4,700 deaths. Markets, clinics and schools have reopened. But churches face a special challenge. Church leaders often denied that Ebola, a disease new to West Africa, was real, and many called it divine punishment for acts of homosexuality and government corruption. The sick, unable or unwilling to seek treatment were sometimes brought for prayers inside churches, which became sanctuaries for them. But the practice also ended up spreading the virus. In Monrovia, the Liberian capital, as many as 40 pastors died after contracting Ebola from ministering to their congregants, said St. John York, the Inter-Religious Council of Liberia’s secretary general. Most were Pentecostal, the fastest-growing Christian movement in Africa. “Ebola brought problems in churches; it brought problems in relationships,” Philip Moseray, the assistant pastor at the United God Is Our Light Church, told the faithful. “But God is in control, and we’re not giving up. We are trying to rebuild. We are trying to overcome.” The Inter-Religious Council worked with Christian and Muslim religious officials to stop any practices that involved touching the sick or dead. Most hewed to the new rules, except Pentecostal churches, which were the most fervent deniers of Ebola, Mr. York said.

At the United God Is Our Light Pentecostal Church in Monrovia, where last year people laid hands on an Ebola patient. The church was under quarantine during the epidemic. “Some of them believed that they have the Holy Ghost and they can’t be affected by Ebola,” said Bishop Amos Sesay, the founder of Word of Faith Ministries, a Pentecostal church with 45 branches in Liberia. It was in mid-June that a sick woman was brought for a healing prayer to United God Is Our Light. After hands were laid on her — and then on those who got infected after touching her — the disease tore through the church, killing eight members, or about a tenth of the congregation. The church caretaker, a young father of four named James Fallah, was taken to a nearby clinic

In Liberia, a laying of hands spreads an epidemic. where he died just hours later. At the clinic, called Logan Town, he passed the virus to an employee and set off a chain of infections that killed at least 15 people, including one of Liberia’s top basketball players, according to dozens of interviews with church members, health workers, family members and residents. The Reverend Edward Kellie, the head pastor who was a founder of the church two decades ago, also fell ill, though he said it was not Ebola. He was absent from his congregation for sev-

eral weeks. The health authorities placed the church building under quarantine. “People were angry with the church leadership for taking in sick people in the church — it’s a place of prayer, not a hospital,” said Mr. Moseray, 42, the assistant pastor. “We’re still around them, talking with them to come back.” Ebola’s apparent randomness also took a toll on congregants’ faith. Mr. Fallah’s wife survived, but the church members who briefly laid their hands on him during a prayer got infected and died quickly. Scientists believe that some people have a greater resistance to Ebola, or even immunity. “We didn’t really understand this thing,” Mr. Moseray said. “Actually, it became a mystery.” After he recovered, Mr. Kellie, the senior pastor, began visiting members’ homes. “ ‘Praise God,’ I told them,” he said. “ ‘God loves you. I’m appealing to you. Please come back.’ ” After staying away for half a year, Mary Quito, a longtime member, returned to the church, though she had been terrified of it. “We trust in our God, that it’s safe,” she said. “Even if we enter here, God will work his miracle.” Eventually, most came around to the belief that Satan had brought Ebola into Liberia and into this church, a message still repeated in Sunday sermons. “I was vexed with the devil,” said Esther Fallah, the widow of the caretaker. “I can’t get vexed with God.”

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Group Wants LSD Legalized in Norway Continued from Page 23 post-traumatic stress disorder and depression by taking psilocybin and MDMA. While it took decades for pro-marijuana campaigners in the United States to shift public attitudes and government policy, Norway’s psychedelic champions insist that they have science and the law on their side. Even politicians who support them caution that it will be a long struggle. EmmaSofia has nonetheless succeeded in making its cause an issue, with Mr. Johansen appearing in debates on NRK, the state broadcaster, and in a lengthy profile in a newsmagazine. Mr. Johansen and his supporters point to a long tradition of nature-worshiping shamans. Even Vikings, at least according to fans of psychedelic drugs, ate hallucinogenic mushrooms before battle. Steinar Madsen, the medical director of the Norwegian Medicines Agency, said he had no objection in principle to what he called EmmaSofia’s “interesting project.” Ina Roll Spinnangr, a Liberal Party politician who supports a more relaxed policy on drugs, said the best way to bring about change was not to attack Norway’s paternalistic government but to turn it on its head. “You have to use a nanny argument: The government needs to take control and regulate the market instead of leaving it to criminals,” she said. “The argument that you decide yourself what you put in your own body will never work in Norway.” Ketil Lund, 75, the retired Supreme Court justice who advises EmmaSofia on its legal strategy, said he supported Mr. Johansen’s campaign as part of a “bigger struggle” against antidrug policies in the West that he described as “an absolute failure.” “The present narcotics policy in the West has so many detrimental effects,” he said. “These have to be balanced against detrimental effects of the drugs themselves.” The taboo in the West on psychedelics is deeply entrenched Henrik Pryser Libell contributed reporting.

— a legacy of government campaigns against drug use and a long backlash against the counterculture of the 1960s, when Timothy Leary, a Harvard professor and promoter of LSD, urged Americans to “turn on, tune in and drop out.” “LSD terrifies governments; it is their ultimate fear because it changes the way people look at the world,” said David Nutt, a professor of neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London. He was fired in 2009 as the British government’s drug policy adviser after he told a radio interviewer that alcohol was far more harmful than LSD and other psychedelics. He praised EmmaSofia and other groups for helping to lift the stigma and fear long attached to psychedelics, adding that “there has definitely been a renaissance” of medical research in recent years after decades of science-killing “paranoia and censorship” based on scare stories about psychedelics that fed public panic. “We are not in the 1960s anymore and have moved on,” Mr. Johansen said. “This is a question of basic human rights.” LSD, first synthesized in a Swiss pharmaceuticals laboratory in 1938, and MDMA, patented in 1914, won wide acceptance in Europe and the United States in the middle of the last century when they showed early promise against alcoholism and other maladies. But initial euphoria over their medical use was swamped by alarm as recreational use of psychedelics surged, leading to a cascade of horror stories in the news media. The United States banned LSD in 1970. A year later, the United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances banned their use “except for scientific and very limited medical purposes.” Dr. Madsen, of the Norwegian Medicines Agency, conceded that there “are a lot of myths” about psychedelic drugs like claims that “if you use LSD, you will jump from the roof.” All the same, he sees no quick way around laws and strict regulations on their use. “Everyone sees we have to be very careful with these drugs,” he said. “I don’t think the time is ripe.”

BRYAN DENTON FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

Teri Krebs and Pal-Orjan Johansen’s group Emma-Sofia wants to manufacture psychedelic drugs.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY NICOLE BENGIVENO/THE NEW YORK TIMES

Nail salon workers who are lowest in the salon’s hierarchy have to give the pedicures.

Nice Nails for a Hidden Price Jing Ren in the onebedroom apartment in Queens that she shared with her cousin, her cousin’s father and three strangers last year.

Continued from Page 23 three strangers. Beds crowded the living room, each cordoned off by shower curtains hung from the ceiling. When lights flicked on in the kitchen, cockroaches skittered across the countertops. Almost all of the workers interviewed by The Times, like Ms. Ren, had limited English; many are in the country illegally. The combination leaves them vulnerable. Some workers suffer more acutely. Nail salons are governed by a racial and ethnic caste system. Korean owners dominate the industry, and Korean workers earn twice as much as others. Chinese workers occupy the next rung; Hispanics are at the bottom. Ana Luisa Camas, 32, an Ecuadorean immigrant, said that at a Korean-owned Connecticut salon, she and other Hispanic workers had to sit in silence during their 12-hour shifts, while the Korean manicurists were free to chat. Lhamo Dolma, 39, a manicurist from Tibet, recalled a job where she had to eat lunch standing in a kitchenette while her Korean counterparts ate at their desks. There are typically three ranks of workers. “Big Job” employees are veterans, sculpting acrylic nails. It is the most lucrative job, yet many manicurists avoid it because of the specter of miscarriages, cancer and other ailments. A growing body of research backs up their fears, showing a link between cosmetology chemicals and serious health problems. Studies have found that cosmetologists have elevated rates of death from Hodgkin’s disease, of low birth-weight babies and of multiple myeloma, a form of cancer. Stories of children born slow or “special” and of miscarriages are so common that older manicurists warn women of child-bearing age away from the business. A step below “Big Job” employees are the “Medium Job” workers. These do regular manicures. “Little Job” is the category of the beginners. They launder hot hand towels and sweep toenail

clippings. They do work others do not want to do, such as pedicures. More experienced workers usually earn $50 to $70 per day, sometimes even $80. Their pay, though, still typically amounts to significantly less than minimum wage, given their long hours. The salons’ culture of subservience extends far beyond the pampering of customers. Tips or wages are skimmed or never delivered, or deducted as punishment for things like spilled bottles of polish. Qing Lin, 47, a manicurist for the last 10 years, recounts the time a splash of nail polish remover marred a customer’s patent Prada sandals. When

While a salon owner collects art, some workers go unpaid. the woman demanded compensation, the $270 came out of the pay of the manicurist, who also lost her job. “I am worth less than a shoe,” she said. Salon owners tend to justify their labor practices by pointing to how low manicure prices have been driven by competition: $10.50 in New York. A sign in one salon tells customers: “Less tips make us hard to hire good workers, or we have to pay higher wages to hire them, which might also cause a raise on the price.” Ms. Ren, who quit her original job and a subsequent one, is now earning $65 a day at a third nail salon and living in an apartment

with her parents, who joined her from China. Her father is a cook at a restaurant. Her mother became a manicurist, too, for $30 a day. Some owners readily acknowledged how little they pay, but said they were helping immigrants by giving them jobs. Ms. Ren’s original boss, Lian Sheng Sun, said: “Salons have different ways of conducting their business. We run our business our own way to keep our small business surviving.” Yet the contrast between owners’ lives and their workers’ can be stark. Sophia Hong, who owned Madison Nails in Scarsdale, New York, has an art collection that includes a work by Park Soo Keun, a Korean artist who had a painting sell for nearly $2 million at Christie’s in 2012. The art hangs in her home in Bayside, Queens, one of several properties she owns, including a Manhattan apartment in a luxury building. In 2010, she was sued by an employee for failing to pay overtime. The case was settled. When owners have been found guilty of wage theft, salons have often been quickly sold, sometimes to relatives. The proprietors vanish, along with their assets, according to prosecutors. Lili, a manicurist from Ecuador, recalls the time state inspectors visited her salon. Her boss barked for all the unlicensed workers to hustle out the back door. “So we left, we got in the car, and we took a spin around the neighborhood,” Lili said. “Twenty, 30 minutes later we returned. After they’d gone. We put our uniforms back on and we returned to work.”

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

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Research Nudges Babies’ Age of Viability to 22 Weeks By PAM BELLUCK

A small number of very premature babies are surviving earlier outside the womb than doctors once thought possible, a new study has documented, raising questions about how aggressively they should be treated. The study, of thousands of premature births in the United States, found that a tiny minority of babies born at 22 weeks who were treated survived with few health problems, although the vast majority died or suffered serious health issues. Leading medical groups had already been discussing whether to lower the consensus on the age of viability, now cited by most experts as 24 weeks. The study found that hospitals with sophisticated neonatal units varied widely in their approach to 22-week-olds, ranging from a few that offer no active medical treatment to a handful that assertively treat most cases with measures like ventilation, intubation and surfactant to improve the functioning of babies’ lungs. “It confirms that if you don’t do anything, these babies will not make it, and if you do something, some of them will make it,” said Dr. David Burchfield of the University of Florida, who was not involved in the study. “Many who have survived have survived with severe handicaps.” Results of the study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, are likely to influence the discussion among medical associations about how to counsel parents. In the United States, the Supreme Court has said that states must allow abortion if a fetus is not viable outside the womb, and changing that standard could raise questions about when abortion is legal. Medical groups have already been discussing whether it is

PHOTOGRAPHS BY BRENNA NORMAN FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

Micah Pickering, born at 22 weeks, left, is now ‘‘spunky’’ and almost 3. Micah with his mother, Danielle Pickering, above. ‘‘He was what the Lord had given us,’’ she said. reasonable to offer parents active medical treatment for babies born at 23 weeks. Some hospitals already do so. But babies born at 22 to 23 weeks are a question mark, their chances for survival slim but varying by things like birth weight and whether the mother received treatment before delivery with corticosteroids that can help a baby’s lungs and brain. The study, involving nearly 5,000 babies born between 22 and 27 weeks gestation, found that 22-week-old babies did not survive without medical intervention. In the 78 cases where active treatment was given, 18 survived, and by the time they were young toddlers, seven of those did not have moderate or severe impairments. Six had serious problems such as blindness or deafness or severe cerebral palsy. Of the 755 born at 23 weeks, treatment was given to 542. About a third of those survived, and about half of the survivors had no significant problems.

As techniques for keeping babies alive improve, parents face wrenching choices that are sometimes based on whether the estimated age is 22 weeks and one day or six days. The study found that hospitals tend to “round up.” “It’s very difficult to say to a mother, ‘If you deliver today,

New questions about how to treat premature babies. I’m going to do nothing, but if you deliver tomorrow, I’m going to do everything,’ ” said Dr. Neil Marlow of University College London. The study found that four of the 24 hospitals did not intervene for 22-week-olds, five intervened for all 22-week-olds and the rest varied. In all, about a fifth of the 357

babies that age were treated. Dr. Edward Bell, a pediatrics professor at the University of Iowa who led the study, said he considers 22 weeks a new marker of viability. Dr. Bell said, “I guess we would say that these babies deserve a chance.” Dr. Jeffrey M. Perlman of the New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell Medical Center, takes a different view. He said it was important to consider that long months in neonatal units can be “like riding an obstacle course or flying in a plane with bad turbulence, and each of these down spirals can have an impact on the brain.” At his hospital, “we go after the 24-weekers,” he said. “If it’s 23, we will talk to the family and explain to them that for us it’s an unknown pathway. At 22 weeks, in my opinion, the outcomes are so dismal that I don’t recommend any interventions.” Dr. Bell pointed to success stories, including Chrissy Hutchinson, 32, of Manchester, Iowa. Her water broke in 2010 when she was

21 weeks and six days pregnant. The first hospital she went to “said there really was no chance of survival, and if the baby was born not breathing that they weren’t going to resuscitate or anything,” she said. The Hutchinsons called the University of Iowa, and there, at 22 weeks and one day, Alexis was delivered, weighing 1.1 pounds. Alexis stayed in neonatal intensive care for almost five months. Now, Ms. Hutchinson said, aside from being more vulnerable to respiratory viruses, Alexis is a healthy 5-year-old. Danielle Pickering, 32, and her husband, Clayton, a Baptist minister in Newton, Iowa, chose treatment when she was hospitalized in July 2012 at 22 weeks. Her son Micah is now “a spunky almost 3-year-old,” she said, who has chronic lung disease and a speech delay. Ms. Pickering said: “We figured he was our baby, and he was what the Lord had given us, and we would just do everything we could.”

Technology Demonstrates a Dark Side Technology marches on, and so, too, does the daily stream of stories about how it is transforming our lives, in ways good and not so good. The good ways are plain for all to LENS see, usually trumpeted by a Silicon Valley executive standing in front of a very large video screen. The not-so-good sometimes fly under the radar, both figuratively and literally. Who could have foreseen the demise of the Keene Pumpkin Festival? Keene is a small town in New Hampshire, with 23,000 residents, colorful trees and pumpkins. Each fall for more than two decades, Keene’s festival has drawn tens of thousands of visitors, but that run appears to have come to an end. The partying during the fesFor comments, write to nytweekly@nytimes.com.

Flash mobs, and flying intruders at a state prison. tival weekend has gotten out of hand, and last year police officers in riot gear faced off against young people who were setting fires and throwing rocks and bottles, among other destructive behavior. That was enough for the Keene City Council, which recently decided not to allow the festival this year. Social media bears part of the blame, some people say, both for drawing the mobs and for making the unruly behavior impossible to ignore. And the problems are not limited to Keene. Panama City Beach, a popular spring break destination in Florida, is looking for ways to calm things down after a shooting and a beachside gang rape recorded on video. Mike Thomas, a county offi-

cial, said Panama City’s situation has gotten worse in recent years even though the city has stopped promoting itself for spring break. The bars and the students are doing the advertising themselves, online, he said. “When they get on these different social media sites, they can get 300 to 500 people meeting in an hour,” he told The Times. Law enforcement officials are reading the same feeds; in Keene, they studied YouTube videos and other sources to find troublemakers. But even after making arrests, the authorities still can find themselves a step behind the technology. Now they have to worry about drones delivering contraband to the prisoners. The Times reported that attempts at such smuggling have been carried out in the United States, Britain, Ireland, Australia and Canada in the past two years. After a drone crashed outside a prison in Bishopville, South Carolina, officers found a package containing tobacco, a cellphone and marijuana.

JEREMY FOX/THE BOSTON GLOBE, VIA ASSOCIATED PRESS

Social media can attract mobs and also publicize their misdeeds. Last year’s Keene Pumpkin Festival got out of hand. “It was a delivery system,” said Bryan P. Stirling of the South Carolina Department of Corrections. “They were sending in smaller amounts in repeated trips. They would put it on there, they would deliver it, someone inside would get it somehow, and they would send it back out and send more in.” The warden of the Bishopville prison, Cecilia Reynolds, said 17 phones had been found in one prisoner’s cell. Phones are a

particular problem, partly because they can be used to talk to fellow prisoners. After a riot at the prison in February, inmates called a television station from their cellphones, sending photos of the destruction they had done and of other prisoners they said they were holding hostage. “We’ve got to do something about this — these cellphones are killing us,” Ms. Reynolds said. ALAN MATTINGLY

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Poet Offers a Voice Of Reason in Ukraine By SALLY McGRANE

ODESSA, Ukraine — Every morning at 6, Boris Khersonsky turns on the computer in his dacha. Under the gaze of the dusky icons covering the walls, this 64-year-old psychiatrist, former Soviet dissident and acclaimed poet logs on to Facebook to conduct what has become something of a daily symposium on the identity of the new Ukraine. Dr. Khersonsky makes his case in political essays, poems, jokes and surreal diary entries where the only individual whose psychological health

BRENDAN HOFFMAN FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

“Terrible things happened to members of my family, and it really called me to justice.” BORIS KHERSONSKY

referring to relatives lost in the Holocaust can be trusted is a talking cat. “Ukraine can only become a whole state by admitting its differences,” he said. Dr. Khersonsky has long advocated moving away from the idea that Ukrainian nationality should be determined by ethnicity. But watching the pro-European protests in 2013 in Kiev, Ukraine’s capital, and the change in leadership in 2014, he became aware of something else. While his mother tongue, the bulk of his cultural heritage and most of his artistic fame have come from Russia, he felt he was Ukrainian at heart. The poet has come to embody a new kind of Ukrainian citizenship. “He’s a very important figure because of his

By RICK LYMAN

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — Jozef Izso, sitting on a platform bed beside his desk while his mother busied herself in the next room, said there were pluses and minuses to living with his parents at the age of 29. “It’s very comfortable here,” he said. With no rent to pay, he saves money and gets to live near his computer programming jobs in the city center. “But they do treat you like a child,” he said. For instance, when he returns to his room a few minutes after hanging up his clothes, he notices that they Miroslava Germanova contributed reporting.

mixed background,” said Iryna Slavinska, literary critic at Ukrainska Pravda. “He is Ukrainian, in the modern sense. It doesn’t depend on the language you speak. It’s not like in the Soviet passport, where you were Russian or Ukrainian or Jewish. It’s your choice.” In Ukraine, added Ms. Slavinska, much debate takes place on social media platforms. Online, writers exchange poems, news and opinions as they grapple with current political events. However, traditionally these conversations have been divided along language lines. Fellow poets credit Dr. Khersonsky with being the first and most important Russian-language poet to seek unity. Now he has struck up collaborations with prominent Ukrainian-language poets to translate one another’s poetry. “Terrible things happened to members of my family, and it really called me to justice,” he said. Dr. Khersonsky was in his 30s before he learned that more than 42 members of his parents’ families died in the Holocaust. Perestroika was in effect then, and Dr. Khersonsky began writing poems about these long-lost relatives. Published in Moscow as a collection called “Family Album,” in 2006, those poems made him famous. In 1992, his parents, sister, brother-in-law and niece emigrated to the United States. He thought of joining them but feared he would be unable to work as a psychiatrist. Dr. Khersonsky, who believes Ukraine’s war with Russia is lost, hopes political turmoil will not force him to leave. He said that if the opportunity arose, he would be happy to psychoanalyze his country. “If Ukraine came to lie on my couch, I would say, ‘You need a long process of integration,’ ” he said. “I might also tell her she needs to develop a better sense of reality. And, of course, I will remind her she should visit me twice a week for one hour. I won’t charge her much, because of her financial difficulties.”

King Salman, who took over Saudi Arabia in January, is reshaping its policy. Workers preparing to put up his image in Riyadh.

TOMAS MUNITA FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

Saudi King Shaking Up Region By BEN HUBBARD

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — For much of the past decade, change has come slowly to Saudi Arabia, if at all. The oil-rich kingdom was led by an ailing monarch who worked quietly to preserve the status quo, propping up friendly dictators around the Middle East and depending on a leadership of aging princes at home. But since the death of King Abdullah in January, the new king, Salman, has moved quickly to reshape foreign and domestic policies. He has agitated alliances with the United States and regional powers that for decades have been the bedrock of stability for his kingdom, and he has shaken up the Saudi royal family. King Salman, 79, has shifted toward an activist foreign policy, going to war in Yemen and increasing support for rebels in Syria as he positions his country as the defender of the region’s Sunnis. In some cases, he has sanctioned allying with Islamists to serve the kingdom’s agenda. Domestically, he has made sweeping changes, promoting younger officials, firing those deemed unfit and giving enormous authority to his untested son Prince Mohammed bin Salman, 29. He has shown close ties to religious conservatives, raising questions about the fate of his predecessor’s limited reforms. “Now, suddenly, change has become the norm,” said Ford M. Fraker, a former United States ambassador to the kingdom.

“King Salman is very clearly stepping up and ensuring that Saudi Arabia is taking the leadership role in the region.” King Salman had been expected to attend a recent meeting of Persian Gulf leaders with President Barack Obama in Washington, but instead sent Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef. The state-run Saudi Press Agency said it was because the meeting overlapped with a cease-fire in Yemen, but some officials said it was a signal of displeasure over United States policy toward Iran. King Salman’s policy changes are the efforts of a monarch to re-establish his country’s clout in a region torn apart by civil wars. They also reflect a resurgence of the pre-Arab Spring model of governance that emphasized centralization of power. His focus appears to be security, a reaction to the growing influence of Iran, the kingdom’s Shiite adversary, and the rise of extremist groups like the Islamic State. In addition to leading an air campaign in Yemen, he has promoted security-minded officials, naming his nephew Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, 55, who as interior minister has led the kingdom’s counterterrorism efforts, crown prince. During his last years, King Abdullah, who died at age 90, was ill, as was his elderly foreign minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal. Both men were often tied up with medical treatment as the war in Syria escalated, the Islamic State

Where the Nest Takes Longer to Empty have been rearranged the way his mother prefers. “It’s quite annoying,” he said. “But not enough to make me move out.” The recent rise in the number of adult children living at home with their parents is a trend not confined to the former Communist states of Eastern Europe, but they do seem to have perfected it. Last year a United States Census study drew considerable attention when it revealed 15 percent of adults 25 to 34 were living with their parents. And a recent study in Britain also inspired much hand-wringing when it re-

vealed a similar figure. But that’s nothing. In Slovakia, 74 percent of adults 18 to 34 years old — regardless of employment or marital status — still live with their parents, European Commission statistics show. And among older adults — those 25 to 34 — 57 percent reside at what is referred to here as “Hotel Mama.” In Bulgaria, it is 51 percent; in Romania 46 percent; in Serbia 54 percent; and in Croatia a chart-topping 59 percent. The recent financial crisis has played a critical role. Then there are the lingering effects of cen-

tral planning, combined with long-term shortages of housing, especially rentals. Less than 6 percent of housing in Slovakia is available for rent, compared with 50 percent in Germany. When Communism collapsed, residents of state-owned housing were given the opportunity to buy their apartments at generously low prices, a deal not available to their children. But it helps that the conservative culture here not only encourages young people to stay at home until marriage, but also attaches no stigma to doing so.

rampaged across Syria and Iraq, and Iran and its proxies expanded their influence. King Salman hit back in March, after mostly Shiite rebels in Yemen seized the capital and forced the president into exile, by forming an Arab military coalition to bomb the rebels, known as Houthis. “People are seeing this as positive because they have been longing to have a decisive leader,” said Awadh al-Badi of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies in Riyadh. But generating the most scrutiny is the tremendous power the king has granted his son Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Among his big jobs are defense minister; head of an economic and development council; and head of the Supreme Council of Saudi Aramco, the state oil giant. “What you have is a 29-year-old with untested and unproven leadership qualities and who is reported to be impulsive in his decision making,” said a diplomat, speaking on the condition of anonymity. Some have speculated that such centralization of power could cause challenges from those in the royal family who have been left out. Others say those princes have the most to lose if the dynasty that keeps them rich falters. “They have the power, I have billions in the bank,” said an aide to a top prince, summarizing the views of many in the family. “It is not in their interest to shake things.”

“Family members help each other,” said Katarina Izsova, Mr. Izso’s mother. Zuzana Majernikova, 24, teaches primary school, and on her salary cannot afford to move out. Saving up the money to buy her own home will take years. Of her student days in a shared apartment, she said: “I really miss my freedom.” Peter Hudec, 35, a Web developer, said it was hard moving back into his mother’s apartment. “My mother doesn’t work,” he said. “She just watches TV all day, every day. When you want to read, all you can hear are my mother’s television programs. It is depressing.”

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

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MONEY & BUSINESS

Investors Betting Big on India’s Tech Start-Ups By SARITHA RAI

BANGALORE, India — Intense interest from prominent investors is helping to drive eye-popping valuations among Indian tech start-ups. Venture capital firms, hedge funds and the likes of Rupert Murdoch are vying for a piece of India’s e-commerce market. It is a radical turnaround from a few years ago, when fewer smartphones, a smaller number of Internet users and a lack of funding hampered start-ups. One example of the shift is how quickly the fortunes have turned around for Pranay Chulet. When he first set up an online classifieds portal called Quikr, every investor he approached was skeptical about the idea of selling used goods, a social taboo in India. It took Mr. Chulet three years to get Quikr its first backer. But now Tiger Global Management, Warburg Pincus and eBay are among its investors. Quikr soared to a $1 billion valuation after a funding round in April. Well-known investors like Masayoshi Son, the chief executive of SoftBank; Jack Ma, the executive chairman of Alibaba; and Mr. Murdoch, the media tycoon, have all made

Chasing a huge prize: 300 million Internet users.

body, Nasscom. It is such interest that has created several technology “unicorns” in India — or privately held start-ups worth $1 billion or more. The value of the online store Flipkart — whose backers include Tiger Global and the Russian billionaire Yuri Milner’s firm DST Global — rose to $11 billion from $3 billion in one year. The valuation of Snapdeal, a leading e-commerce site backed by SoftBank, rose to $2 billion from $350 million in 2014. “No major market has multiplied at these rates in the history of this medium,” said Kunal Bahl, co-founder of Snapdeal. The stampede has brought its own set of challenges. None of India’s e-commerce players are profitable yet. For now, it is a game of capturing market share. There is the matter of the aggressive valuations that start-up founders d e m a nd . New s reports this year suggested a deal between Alibaba and Snapdeal fell through because the two could not agree on a valuation. With such inflated prices, investors ought to be wary. Any downturn could take with it hundreds of millions of dollars of MANJUNATH KIRAN/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE - GETTY IMAGES their money. The investor interIndia’s youthful market makes it est and money are attractive for e-commerce investors. being aggressively Jeff Bezos of Amazon in Bangalore. put to use by startups like Flipkart, which has tripled its number of investments in India’s e-comemployees in one year, to 33,000 merce companies. They are as of March. And it has leased going head-to-head with other 140,000 square meters for its experienced tech investors like new campus in Bangalore. Sequoia Capital and Accel PartEach of the two or three cateners. Mr. Son said he would pump gory leaders has 10 investors in $10 billion into India, joking pursuit. “That is driving up valduring a visit that he was uations,” said Mukul Singhal of “speed dating” entrepreneurs SAIF Partners. “Everything is to gauge their passion. Amgetting amplified.” Experts see India’s e-comazon’s chief executive, Jeff Bezos, posed on a festooned merce market at an inflection truck holding a $2 billion check point. A recent Morgan Stanley to be invested in the company’s report said Indian e-commerce India unit. would expand to $100 billion India’s market potential is in revenue by 2020, from $2.9 enticing. Only 300 million Indibillion in 2013, making it the world’s fastest-growing marans, or less than 25 percent of the country, are Internet users, ket. making it the second-largest India’s youthful market Internet market in the world, makes it enticing for e-comafter China. And five million merce, said Vijay Shekhar users are added each month, Sharma, founder of India’s according to Rajan Anandan largest mobile payments platof Google India. The number form, Paytm. of Internet users in India is ex“Only young people facilitate mass adoption of technology,” pected to reach 500 million in Mr. Sharma said. “This kind of three years, he said. e-commerce revolution could “Half a billion is a huge never happen in Europe with prize,” said Ravi Gururaj of Inits aged populations.” dia’s technology industry trade

KUNI TAKAHASHI FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

In New Delhi, Uber is trying to improve the rough and tumble image of auto rickshaws.

Uber’s Low-Tech Twist to Its Model By NIDA NAJAR

NEW DELHI — Auto rickshaws are the mangy donkeys of Delhi transport, glorified golf carts that are a cheaper open-air alternative to taxis, and whose drivers enthusiastically embrace Delhi’s perpetual, honking traffic chaos. Some of the green-and-yellow “autos” come equipped with speakers in the back that blare Bollywood hits. Many drivers will allow more than the legal maximum of three riders, leaving some passengers clinging to the sides of the vehicles. Few use their meters without a fight. Now Uber, the app-based car service that made its name matching technology with luxury, is trying to expand its ultramodern business model from cars to Delhi’s auto rickshaws. “Autos are pretty much the lifeline of Delhi,” said Gagan Bhatia, the general manager of Uber Delhi. “The product was always there, we are just making it more convenient and more Uber.” “More Uber” in this case means making do with what exists. Auto rickshaws are a far cry from the Cadillac Escalades and Lincoln Town Cars used to ferry professionals in San Francisco and New York when the company started out. The three-wheeled vehicles are light on shock absorption to cushion teeth-clattering rides over potholed streets. And seatbelts are not an option, leaving riders gripping their seats for security. But the company is trying, at least, for a new emphasis on niceties that have rarely been part of the auto rickshaw experience. “They tell us to say ‘namaste,’ ” a common Indian greeting, said Baljeet Kumar,

35, a driver or “autowallah” who recently sat through an hourlong Uber training course. Until now, his job demands had less to do with polite conversation than with the cunning it takes to navigate streets filled not only with cars and buses, but also cows, stray dogs and peddlers. Uber encourages drivers to use their meters, and pays its drivers an additional 40 rupees, or just over 60 cents, per ride on top of the fare, according to drivers. It also encourages drivers to live by the three-rider limit and to use GPS on the smartphones it provides rather than the usual method of finding directions to

An obligatory ‘namaste,’ then a jarring ride. an unknown address — shouting to passers-by to see if they know the way. For Uber, the new service, which started in April, is part of an effort to expand quickly in a country that it says is already its second largest market, but where it faces stiff competition. Ola, an app-based competitor that operates in 100 Indian cities to Uber’s 11, offered auto rickshaw rides months ago. Uber is also fighting its way back from a public relations disaster. Last year, a passenger in Delhi alleged that her Uber driver raped her, and the company faced criticism for its screening procedures. The city promptly banned app-based taxi services, but Uber has

continued to operate by offering rides in Delhi without taking a commission, until what its describes as the regulatory ambiguity is resolved. Even apart from that episode, the marriage of Uber and auto rickshaw has had its share of problems. Mr. Kumar said that most of the drivers in his training class of 60 had no idea how to use the app on the Samsung smartphones they were given. “It’s all in English,” he said. Ola has its driver interface in Hindi and other regional languages. Plus, many auto drivers he knows are reluctant to sign up, wondering how Uber makes money. They wonder if Uber will one day take their vehicles, he said. For the moment, the company is not making money from the auto rickshaws in Delhi, putting its emphasis on signing up new drivers. Mr. Bhatia would not divulge the number of auto rickshaws that have joined the service, other than to say “not enough.” Pawan Kumar, 30, who has signed on as a driver with Uber, said so far he books just two or three passengers a day through the app, compared with about 15 a day from the road and up to 10 from Ola. Despite its difficulties, Uber has had some successes. On three recent auto rickshaw rides booked through Uber, the drivers did not attempt the normal litany of reasons for not turning on their meters (“Madam, there’s lot of traffic.” Or, “Madam, it’s Sunday.” Or, “I won’t find a passenger at the other end of the ride.”) Instead, they started the ride by quietly clicking on their meters, then puttered into traffic.

THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL WEEKLY

Sanctity of Truth

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

MONEY & BUSINESS

In Europe, a Coin Meets Its Waterloo, Literally By DANNY HAKIM

BRUSSELS — Here at the Belgian Royal Mint, machines called giraffes spit out as many as 850 euros a minute. At times during the summer of 2008, that many shiny coins would have been worth $1,360. Now it is just under $950, a symptom of Europe’s inability to navigate through crisis. But at the mint, there were more immediate concerns during a recent visit: the Battle of Waterloo. Since members of the eurozone are allowed to produce a limited number of commemorative coins, the Belgians recently minted a 2-euro coin memorializing the 200th anniversary of the battle, which ended Napoleon’s rule in France. But then the French protested to European officials, arguing that the coin’s design, which shows a lion perched over a map, “appears prejudicial, in a context where the governments of the eurozone are trying to strengthen unity and cooperation throughout the monetary union.” In the skirmish that followed, the side of Napoleon prevailed. T h e Belgians were left with

180,000 new coins that had to be destroyed. When a reporter started laughing at the idea of European nations fighting anew over Waterloo, he was lightly admonished. “You can laugh about it,” Andre A. Toujour, the royal mint’s assistant manager, said. “We don’t.” The euro’s value is as much psychological as financial. This year, the euro has been flirting with parity to the dollar, underscoring the divergent fortunes of the American and European economies. Since the euro was introduced in 1999, it has been at parity with the dollar just twice.

As the euro wavers, a scrap over an old battle breaks out. Last year, the Belgian mint produced more than 42 million European coins — from the 1-cent piece to the 2-euro coin — with a face value of 12.9 million euros. That was worth about $15.6 million at the end of last year and $14.4 million more recently. Back in April 2008, it would have been worth $20.6 million. “This is a signal that the euro-area economy is weaker than the U.S. economy,” said Zsolt Darvas, a senior fellow at Bruegel, a Brussels research organization. One kind of euro is rising in value — the now exceedingly rare Waterloo coin. At the royal mint, the giraffes sucked up unformed metal slugs from trays and deposit them into boxy gray machines where they are pounded into shape. This is the European dream of togetherness in perhaps its most tangible, if uncertain, form. “It is a foundation,” said Bernard Gillard, who runs the royal mint. “A foundation for European countries,” echoed Mr. Toujour. Mr. Gillard went to fetch a coin from a safe. He leaves a calling card on the millions of coins that are produced here — a tiny image of a cat, because Mr. Gillard is a cat man and has seven of them at home. He returned with a surviving Waterloo coin, which was encased in a protective covering, and placed it on a table in his office. “It is a beautiful design,” he said. Mr. Toujour said, “We were quite astonished, because we had a big part of the production ready, so now it’s just a waste of time and a waste of money and a waste of everything, because of the French government.” The French government declined to comment.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY MAROESJKA LAVIGNE FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

The Belgian Royal Mint struck a 2-euro coin, top, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. The French protested the move.

An array of movies are available for streaming on the Popcorn Time site.

A New Round in Piracy Battle By NICK WINGFIELD and EMILY STEEL

The method used by thousands of people to watch unauthorized broadcasts of the bout between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao might have been new, but to media executives who have led one battle against piracy after another, it was the same old story. Technology and its acolytes always find a way to make their content free. In the latest case, the tools used to watch the boxing match included mobile apps, from Meerkat and Twitter’s Periscope, that let people live-stream the pay-per-view bout by capturing their TV screens with the cameras on their smartphones. Then there is Popcorn Time, an app with a slick user interface that makes it easy to use BitTorrent, a decentralized file-sharing technology that for years eluded all efforts to take it down. And they are scrambling to take down websites that illegally broadcast sports and other live events. “The challenge is technology is far outpacing the rules and regulations around media usage,” said Rich Greenfield, an analyst at BTIG Research. “Media contracts never anticipated Periscope.” Media executives describe digital piracy as a never-ending game of Whac-a-Mole. As soon as networks and studios figure out a way to stamp out one issue, another emerges. The Motion Picture Association of America has waged legal battles against different file-sharing technologies since the early 2000s. The M.P.A.A. recently persuaded a high court in Britain to grant an order requiring five major Internet service providers to block access to four websites that make the Popcorn Time application available for downloading. “Popcorn Time has no legitimate purpose and it only serves to infringe copyright,” Stan McCoy, an executive at the Motion Picture Association, the M.P.A.A.’s international offVindu Goel contributed reporting.

The Mayweather-Pacquiao fight, as streamed by Twitter’s Periscope. Thousands watched the fight on the app. shoot, said in a statement. In late April, a judge in United States District Court in Los Angeles granted a request by the networks for a restraining order blocking two websites — boxinghd.net and sportship.org — from providing unauthorized streams of the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight. Both sites had advertised the streams ahead of time, a lawsuit filed by the networks said. The TV networks contacted Periscope and Meerkat about piracy concerns, according to two media executives. Some TV executives said the two app

Streaming apps give TV executives more headaches. makers were not as responsive about preventing piracy as YouTube, the Google-owned video-streaming site that media companies have tangled with for years. Periscope was already being watched by HBO, which sent warning notices to the company last month after people used the app to stream episodes of “Game of Thrones.” While the impact of the live-streaming apps appears to be small for now, media executives are concerned about how big it could one day become. During the boxing match, complaints immediately came

in to Periscope. But unlike older platforms like YouTube and Ustream, Periscope requires copyright holders to email takedown requests, which are individually reviewed. A Twitter spokeswoman said the company received 66 requests from copyright holders and 30 of the streams were disabled; the others had stopped streaming or were no longer available. The spokeswoman, Rachel Millner, said that Periscope respected intellectual property rights, “and we’re working to ensure that robust tools are in place so we can react expeditiously.” During the boxing match, Periscope’s co-founder and chief executive, Kayvon Beykpour, personally fielded many of the takedown requests. And the next day he tweeted: “Piracy does not excite us. Trust me, we respect IP rights & had many people working hard to be responsive last night (including myself).” Mr. Beykpour said on Twitter the excitement was over the official use of the app before the match, not the pirated streams. Netflix recently called the rise of Popcorn Time “sobering.” It pointed to a Google search trend comparing the words Netflix, HBO and Popcorn Time that showed a significant spike in searches for the piracy site, with more searches for Popcorn Time than HBO and about the same level of searches for Popcorn Time and Netflix. Netflix has deemed piracy a “considerable long-term threat.”

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL WEEKLY

Sanctity of Truth

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Hope for the Oceans, One Microgrant at a Time By KAREN WEINTRAUB

There was a time when manta rays were tossed back when they were accidentally trapped in fishermen’s nets in places like Sri Lanka. Now their dried gills are prized in China for treating everything from cancer to measles — without any proof that they are effective — and one of the sea’s majestic creatures is being fished nearly out of existence. Overfishing, habitat loss and pollution threaten species in so many places that research and conservation organizations cannot do all that is needed. So, with the aim of making a dent through small, targeted efforts, the New England Aquarium, which sits on Boston’s downtown waterfront, has for 15 years awarded microgrants to projects across the globe. Its Marine Conservation Action Fund has paid out $700,000 since 1999, supporting 122 projects in 40 countries on six continents. Elizabeth Stephenson, the fund’s manager, calls these projects “stories of hope for the ocean.” The grants are modest. One researcher, Rohan Arthur, used his $6,700 payout from the fund to buy a “secondhand, beat-up compressor” to fill his scuba tanks. But the support allowed him to maintain his critical assessment of coral reefs in the Arabian Sea. “There’s a lot to be said for large grants,” he said, but “often they’re fairly limiting in what they allow you to do.” Small grants, he said, offer more freedom. Gill Braulik, a dolphin expert based in Tanzania, used a $5,000 grant from the aquarium in 2005 to conduct the first assessment of cetaceans in Iran, at a time when few others would sponsor work in the politically isolated nation. Dr. Braulik used a second grant in 2011 to teach Pakistani scientists to take over her research on a blind dolphin species that lives only in the Indus River. Scientists knew that the dolphins’ numbers had declined since the 1870s, when their range stretched from the Himalayas to the Indian Ocean, 3,200 kilome-

OCTAVIO ABURTO; BELOW, GILL BRAULIK

The New England Aquarium funds studies of rays and, right, research into Indus River dolphin sightings. ters downstream. Now they are limited to 20 percent of their former habitat. These animals have long snouts, pinhole eyes and thin, spiky teeth. But “they are the coolest creatures,” Dr. Braulik said. She had twice led expeditions for Pakistani researchers down the Indus in wooden rowboats to count the dolphins. For a third trip, in 2011, a $6,000 aquarium grant allowed her to train the local researchers in complex survey methods and analysis. Now, local scientists lead the work. Dr. Arthur said he turned to the Marine Conservation Action Fund to fill holes in his data. He had had a grant to track coral reefs off the west coast of India beginning in 1998, but he missed four years when he could not afford to dive. Collecting more complete data sets may have helped him win funding from the Pew Charitable Trusts, which is now supporting his efforts to rebuild local knowledge about the reefs. One of the oldest local fishermen showed him how he travels

An aquarium has a plan to protect sea creatures globally.

through the archipelago without a compass, navigating from the reflection of the lagoon on the clouds. Even old recipes give a sense of what resources were readily available in the area, Dr. Arthur said, but these were being lost with the aging population. “When local communities are shown the value of these things, they take a lot of local pride,” he said, citing one fishing community that imposed a ban on grouper during spawning season after the researchers educated them about the fish’s spawning habits. Daniel Fernando, a marine biologist and associate director of

the Manta Trust, a Britain-based charity, has been working to change fisheries management policies in places like Sri Lanka, India, the Philippines and Malaysia to protect manta rays and their smaller cousins, the mobula. He used an $8,000 grant from the New England Aquarium to conduct a year of fish market research — following the rays from sea to customer — to better understand how and why they were being caught and sold. Mr. Fernando hopes to discourage the manta’s use in Chinese medicine, and to encourage American con-

Currents Offer Promise of Therapy By KIRA PEIKOFF

The manufacturer of Thync, the latest in transcranial direct current stimulation, or tDCS, says the device can alter users’ moods in minutes via electric current. With a connected smartphone app, the mood-impaired subject chooses one of two settings: “calm vibes” or “energy vibes.” The palm-size triangular module is affixed above the right eye. It connects to a strip of electrodes stuck onto the forehead and running down the neck. Until recently, it was mostly hobbyists who experimented with tDCS. But in the last few years, several companies have introduced slick consumer devices, among them Foc.us, whose

An app and a bit of electricity may help control moods. headset and controller cost $298, and The Brain Stimulator, whose advanced starter kit costs $150. In January, the journal Brain Stimulation published the largest meta-analysis of tDCS to date. After examining every finding replicated by at least two research groups, the authors reported that one session of tDCS failed to show any significant benefit for users. The developers behind Thync

are introducing a new form of tDCS that they say more reliably produces the intended effect. Originally, tDCS targeted a specific brain region by sending an electrical current through the skin, skull, blood vessels and cerebral fluid. Thync’s strategy is to instead use pulsed currents to stimulate peripheral nerves closer to the surface of the skin, with the goal of modulating the user’s stress response. “We spent a year and a half optimizing the wave forms to the point that we felt really confident in the science,” said Jamie Tyler, the company’s chief science officer. Wave forms refer to a series of electric pulses that change frequency and amplitude over time. The theory goes, the parameters

JOHNATHEN ROSEN

can be “tuned” to produce an intended biological effect. But some experts are skeptical. “I do think it’s a bit early in the game to be putting this rather untested and unknown technology out there as a kind of big societal experiment,” said Rex Jung, a neuropsychologist at the University of New Mexico-Al-

sumers to demand that the tuna they eat is fished by hand, rather than by nets that also trap rays. Fishermen’s nets were also a point of concern for a conservation effort in Chile. In small villages there, a $6,000 grant helped a nonprofit group install collection bins for torn nets that would probably have been thrown into the sea. The charity, run by the founders of Bureo Skateboards, a California-based company, recycles the nylon nets to produce skateboards shaped like minnows. The project is now self-sustaining and the villages receive some money back for other projects. The grant was out of the ordinary for the aquarium, because it focused on an engineering solution to marine debris rather than on a particular species or habitat. But, Ms. Stephenson said, “having the structure we do and our willingness to take chances gives us great flexibility.”

buquerque, who has researched tDCS. Thync posted one study of 82 subjects on bioRxiv, a website for unpublished research. The study measured only the device’s calming effect, and company researchers concluded that it induced “significantly greater subjective relaxation.” “It’s difficult to determine if the change in relaxation was due to stimulation or due to participants sitting comfortably for 40 minutes,” said Jared Horvath, a Ph.D. student at the University of Melbourne and lead author of the recent meta-analysis on tDCS. Other experts sounded a note of caution. “Almost all interventions of this sort have some sort of side effects,” Dr. Jung said. “Is the cure worse than the disease when you’re talking about changing the circuitry in the peripheral nervous system?”

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Sanctity of Truth

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Scientist Has a Chemical Theory of Earth’s Origins By NICHOLAS WADE

It was the actions of Jupiter and Saturn that inadvertently created life on Earth. The giant planets once orbited much closer to the sun. Driven outward, they let loose a cascade of asteroids, known as the Late Heavy Bombardment, that blasted the surface of the young Earth. In the heat of these impacts, carbon from the meteorites reacted with nitrogen in Earth’s atmosphere to form hydrogen cyanide. Cyanide is the ancient pathway for inert carbon atoms to enter the chemistry of life. By the time bombardment eased, some 3.8 billion years ago, the cyanide had rained down into pools, reacted with metals, evaporated, been baked and irradiated with ultraviolet light, and dissolved by streams flowing to a freshwater pool. The chemicals formed from the interactions of cyanide combined to generate the precursors of lipids, nucleotides and amino acids, the three significant components of a living cell. All of this is a hypothesis, proposed by John Sutherland, a chemist at the University of Cambridge in England. But he has tested all the required chemical reactions in a laboratory and developed evidence that they are plausible under the conditions expected of primitive Earth. He then developed this geological scenario because it provides the conditions required by the chemistry, which springs from Dr. Sutherland’s discovery six years ago of the key to the RNA world. Biologists have long favored the idea that the first information-carrying molecule of life was not DNA but its close chemical cousin RNA. RNA is made up of a

The Chemistry of Early Life on Earth

How the building blocks of life may have evolved.

An English chemist has been studying how RNA, a building block of living cells, may have emerged from chemicals present on the Earth’s surface before the first living cells. PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS

to explain how RNA formed focused on its three components: a phosphate group, a base and a sugar molecule (ribose).

Base RNA NUCLEOTIDE

Sugar Sugar

But chemists could not find a natural way to join the base and sugar to form RNA.

Base STARTING CHEMICALS

Phosphate

Phosphate group

A NEWER MODEL

combines the same starting chemicals in a different order, avoiding the base and sugar molecules. An RNA molecule can emerge from naturally forming intermediate molecules, part sugar and part base.

Intermediate molecule

Phosphate

Source: Nature

string of chemical units known as nucleotides. Each nucleotide consists of a sugar, ribose in the case of RNA, joined to a base at one end and to a phosphate group at the other. Researchers trying to reconstruct the chemistry that led to life had shown ways in which ribose and the bases could have arisen. But they could find no likely way of joining ribose to a base. So daunting was this obstacle that some began to doubt the idea of an RNA world. After 10 years of testing every possible combination of prebiotic chemicals, Dr. Sutherland dis-

RNA NUCLEOTIDE

THE NEW YORK TIMES

covered that the solution was not to build the ribose and the sugar units separately, but to construct a substance that was part sugar and part base. The addition of another chemical converted this hybrid into a ribonucleotide. The door to the RNA world had been opened. If this step was critical, Dr. Sutherland theorized, then the rest of prebiotic chemistry must somehow be related to it. He and colleagues have spent the last six years doing experiments to see how the ribonucleotide chemistry pathway can be linked back to hydrogen cyanide as its start-

ing point, and how other prebiotic chemicals might have emerged from the cyanide-to-nucleotide pathway. So far they have demonstrated ways to generate 12 of the 20 amino acids used in proteins, two of the four ribonucleotides of RNA, and glycerol 1-phosphate, the universal building block of the lipids from which cell membranes are formed. Their findings were reported in Nature Chemistry. Dr. Sutherland’s report “lays out for the first time a scenario for generating potentially all of the building blocks of life in one

geological setting,” said Jack W. Szostak, a geneticist at Massachusetts General Hospital. “The details of the scenario will be debated for some time, but over all, I think it’s a very big advance.” Steven Benner, the director of the Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution in Gainesville, Florida, said that many of the reactions in Dr. Sutherland’s scheme “aren’t real,” meaning that pure chemicals might react as proposed in the laboratory but that the process could not be expected to proceed the same way in a natural mix of chemicals. Prebiotic chemistry has made some headway, in Dr. Benner’s view, but not enough to suggest real answers. “Still, to have these very basic problems left hanging suggests that maybe we’re not answering the correct question,” he said. Dr. Sutherland hopes to understand how the molecules of life could have been built up from their individual units, a process known as polymerization. “In biology, RNA makes protein and proteins make RNA, so the biology is telling you they work in cahoots with each other,” he said. He added that he did not yet know if polymerization would take place on a metal surface, often assumed to be a good catalyst, or inside a cell membrane. Life may still be unlikely, but at least it’s beginning to seem almost possible.

Building to Bear the Brunt of Disaster By KENNETH CHANG

“Earthquakes do not kill people,” seismic experts often say. “Buildings do.” A powerful earthquake rattled Nepal on Tuesday, less than three weeks after a magnitude-7.8 earthquake shook buildings to the ground. They demonstrated the truism again. But for Brian E. Tucker, the founder of a nonprofit called GeoHazards International, two quakes in the late 1980s provided an inspiration. A magnitude-6.8 earthquake in December 1988 devastated Armenia, then part of the Soviet Union. The official death toll was 25,000. Unofficial estimates put the number at 40,000 or more. Ten months later, a magnitude 6.9 quake struck south of San Francisco, jolting about as many people as the Armenian quake. The death toll was 63. “I was just shocked by that,” Dr. Tucker said. “It sort of confirmed my gut feeling, my intuition that there was a tremendous disparity in the lethality of earthquakes.” In places like California and Japan, quake-resilient construc-

tion is standard. In many other places, building codes are lax, and builders take shortcuts. “I just thought we should somehow figure out how to export these practices — adapting them, of course — to developing countries that were really at risk,” said Dr. Tucker, whose nonprofit now helps developing

Countries in risky areas get assistance to save lives. countries better prepare for earthquakes. In Aizawl, a city in earthquake-prone northeast India, GeoHazards got the city to restrict cutting into slopes that would be susceptible to landslides. At the top of GeoHazards’ list was Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. The city is nestled in a valley near the Himalayas, above where the Indian subcon-

tinent is being pushed below the Eurasian tectonic plate. GeoHazards helped set up a local nonprofit, the National Society for Earthquake Technology-Nepal, which worked to retrofit schools and hospitals, to train emergency personnel and to educate people how to prepare. “I think they saved lives,” Dr. Tucker said. The more than 8,000 deaths reported from Nepal’s first quake were fewer than what many had feared for a major earthquake. “They have done fabulous work for decades, projects that make a difference, like retrofitting schools in Nepal and training local builders in many countries,” said Susan E. Hough, a seismologist with the United States Geological Survey. During earthquakes, students are instructed to take shelter under their desks, but that provides little help if the desk cannot survive the debris of a roof falling on it. “The schools are badly built, and the desks are pathetic,” Dr. Tucker said. Nepa l’s ea rthqua ke last

SLUG SCOOP SECTION SIZE ORIGIN

ORIGINS

sci 4.8" x 4" Jonathan x4340 Graphics x1839 DEPARTMENT OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT/ROYAL GOVERNMENT OF BHUTAN DATEto ensure 0505safer building in earthquake A nonprofit wants zones. A damaged home in Bhutan. month occurred on a Saturday when the schools were empty. But in Sichuan, China, in 2008, thousands of children and teachers were crushed to death when schools collapsed during a magnitude-8.0 earthquake. About a month ago, Dr. Tucker got Arthur Brutter, a student at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem, to come up with an earthquake-resilient desk, able to survive a one-ton weight falling on it but costing

as little as $70. In the Indonesian city of Padang, GeoHazards has coordinated a design for a raised earthen structure, seven meters high, that would serve as a refuge for up to 20,000 people in a tsunami. “Progress is slow,” Dr. Tucker said. “I feel like writing to them because of this Nepal earthquake and telling them, you guys, this will happen to your city.”

THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL WEEKLY

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

Sanctity of Truth

T H E W AY W E E AT

A French Debate: Pesticides and Wine By ELAINE SCIOLINO

TOURS, France — The task at hand was a two-day tasting marathon of wines with a welter of confusing labels: natural, organic, organic practice and biodynamic. But for Jean Bardet, a chef with two Michelin stars, there was little confusion about the worthiness of such bottles. “You have all these young people with rings in their noses who don’t know wine and say, ‘If it’s organic, it’s better,’ ” said Mr. Bardet, an expert on Loire Valley wines. “That’s crazy. Either wine gives pleasure and happiness or it does not. It’s all about taste.” Mr. Bardet said he’s not pro-pesticide. He is just anti-bad-winemaking. The use of pesticides has become a major issue among French vintners and drinkers.

‘I do fermented grape juice in a bottle, period.’ Many dismiss the sudden cascade of new wines that proclaim their environmental virtue as New Age gimmickry. Others condemn the resistance to pesticides as a threat to other wines. Many Europeans believe that France uses too many pesticides on all kinds of produce. The nation is the third-largest consumer of pesticides in the world, after the United States and Japan. One challenge facing wine producers is that there is neither a definition nor regulation of what constitutes a “pure” or “natural” wine in France. Wines defined as organic by the European Union are produced from organically grown grapes that can be chemically manipulated, with limitations on the use of sulfites, in the winemaking process. Many producers call their wines natural, which connotes a further

By ANAHAD O’CONNOR

A decade ago, the chef Rocco DiSpirito was overweight and headed for health problems. But a discussion with his doctor led to some major diet and exercise changes, which Mr. DiSpirito has documented in his best-selling cookbooks. Now he is back with “Cook Your Butt Rocco Off!” which looks DiSpirito at ways that people can slice calories from meals and turn their kitchens into home gyms. Q. How did you get interested in

This interview was edited and condensed.

step: Nothing can be added or removed during winemaking. Some natural winemakers add a small quantity of sulfites at bottling; others do nothing more than bottle fermented grape juice, call it wine and hope that it’s fit to drink. Biodynamic methods involve a holistic approach. The first of the tastings earlier this year was Renaissance, in Angers, which brought together producers who make organic, pesticide-free, but not necessarily sulfite-free, wines. The unlikely star was Emmanuel Giboulot, a vineyard owner in the Côte d’Or region. Mr. Giboulot produces organic, biodynamic red and white grapes. In December, he won a long court battle allowing him to refuse a government order to spray a pesticide named Pyrevert on his vines. The order had been issued to combat an insect that spreads flavescence dorée or “golden rot,” a bacterial disease. “The wine industry fights for pesticides at the same time that it argues that great French wine can only come from the country’s terroir,” Mr. Giboulot said, that elusive combination of soil, weather and emotional connection to the land. In nearby Les Anonymes, the tastings were uncompromising. There, many of the labels were handmade; many of the hundreds of wines offered had the same rough edge as wine made in the backyard of a house. “I do fermented grape juice in a bottle, period,” said Lilian Bauchet, who produces a Gamay de Beaujolais. In Saumur, about 40 kilometers away, nearly 200 winemakers from 15 countries assembled in a warren of caves for the La Dive Bouteille, the world’s largest annual natural wine exposition. “Every year, it gets more exciting,” said Camille Rivière, a New York wine importer. “Some like to say it’s a fad, but people who start drinking these wines never go back to the traditional.”

Dining at wastED, a popup restaurant that tried to make delectable fare out of the stuff normally relegated to compost heaps. Below, fried skate wing cartilage with tartar made with smoked fish heads. PHOTOGRAPHS BY NANCY BOROWICK FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

Eatery Turns Scraps Into Treats I chopped a week’s worth of food scraps to make an appetizing lunch for the molds, mini-bugs and earthworms in the backyard compost bin. The next night, I had a meal that made me wonder if my time would have been better spent ESSAY tossing everything with a good vinaigrette and eating it myself. The setting was Dan Barber’s Manhattan restaurant, Blue Hill. For three weeks, he converted it into a pop-up called wastED where he and his cooks sold fish bones, bruised and misshapen vegetables, stale bread and other items not commonly thought of as food for $15 a plate. Such fare was a protest against the way Americans waste food while millions go hungry. Poverty forced members of 6.8 million households in the United States to eat less than they normally would at times during 2013, the latest year for which government statistics are available. At the same time, 60 billion kilos of the food that is available to consumers goes into the garbage annually. In their search for overlooked ingredients, Mr. Barber and his cooks went out on a crosstown refuse hunt. From a restaurant supplier came bruised outer leaves from heads of bok choy and peelings from fennel, kohlrabi and apples for a “Dumpster dive vegetable salad,” dressed with a buttery vinaigrette of ground pistachios, a swipe of tarragon sauce and a heap of

PETE WELLS

white froth made from the liquid from chickpea cans. Pulp from juice presses was dyed to a reasonably convincing beef color by beet juice, shaped into burgers and slapped on buns made from “repurposed” bread. Remnant noodles that ran from the pasta rollers between batches of dough were boiled together, so they ranged from floppy to taut, and were dressed with a mildly fishy sauce made from monkfish tripe and smoked fish heads. The night’s guest chef, Philippe Bertineau from Alain Ducasse’s bistro, Benoit, appeared with head cheese, a pig foot croquette, stewed offal and tongue layered with foie gras, a reminder that French country cooking has a long tradition of turning scraps into treats. Halfway through dinner, Mr. Barber came to the table with a sheet of wax paper holding a fish skeleton as long as a baguette. “I grew up on this stuff,” he said. He didn’t mean the bones, which used to belong to a black cod, but the shiny white flesh sold

Devising a Workout for the Kitchen writing healthy cookbooks?

A . About 10 years ago, my doctor

half-jokingly said to me, “You might want to start writing your will because I don’t like what I see in your numbers.” He told me I could take some medicines and they would take care of the symptoms. But when he told me the side effects, I was like, “O.K., what else is there?”

Q. What did you do? A. I went six months pretending

to change my diet and lifestyle. I went back to him, and he said things have gotten worse. Then I finally made some changes. In about eight months, I went from a flat-footed, chubby chef with

a crooked spine to competing in the St. Croix Ironman, and I just thought, “If I can do this, anyone can.” Q. How did your diet change? A. I was a butter-holic. My job

as a chef was to make food taste good, and I would spend my time trying to figure out how to get more butter, foie gras and goose fat into food. But I had to change the way I ate in a drastic way. Q. Was your experience common among chefs? A. The chef lifestyle is not conducive to being healthy. We stand on our feet all day. We constantly put pressure on our spines, and

we do not exercise to strengthen the muscles in the back or core that would help us stay healthy through those challenges. We basically eat a lot, drink a lot and scream a lot. Q. How did you change your diet? A. I would take apart the foods

that I loved and put them back together with better parts. And what I realized is that in many cases, the healthy version is even more delicious than the unhealthy version. Q. Tell us why you wrote “Cook

Your Butt Off!”

A. I wanted to alert people that

cooking is a form of exercise.

as sable. When sable is filleted, some meat sticks to the carcass. I unstuck it with a sauce spoon. Sable is always a treat. I had one of the best times I’ve enjoyed in a restaurant in the last year. The food was great, full of the surprises that happen when cooks run into inspiration at full creative tilt. Almost every bite was delicious. “Repurposed” buns did not knock Martin’s potato rolls from their place in my heart. I had trouble getting at the fried monkfish wings, which were shaped like a V, with most of the good stuff jammed down in the crevice. Also, the crackers served alongside an intense and rich bowl of broth made from desiccated dry-aged beef trimmings had almost no flavor. Our food is produced and consumed in a complex web. It can’t easily be changed, certainly not by a three-week stunt in an expensive Manhattan restaurant. Perceptions do change, though, and quickly. Sliced white bread was a prestigious item in 1960. Many find it worthless today. For years our restaurant culture has placed supreme value in pristine, high-priced ingredients. What if everybody who could afford restaurants like Blue Hill learned instead to prize bruised vegetables transformed by a chef’s skill? What might we do with the ingredients that any hack could cook? It’s a provocative idea. For now, whenever one of my children complains about dinner, I’ll silence him by saying that I once ate garbage, and liked it.

Q. What are some things you urge people to do in the kitchen? A. If you had to whip eggs, you would get your KitchenAid out. In this book, I make you do it by hand, so that’s 10 to 15 minutes of constant whipping. Q. What are some examples

where you do this in a recipe?

A. I created cauliflower rice for

a recipe. I could have used a machine, but when you grate it by hand, you burn calories. Q. Are there any healthy ingredi-

ents that you encourage people to keep in their pantries? A. Go look in your pantry, and if you see a lot of processed foods — white rice, white sugar, white flour — replace them with brown rice, gluten-free tamari and fresh herbs.

THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL WEEKLY

Sanctity of Truth

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

ARTS & DESIGN

Getting Online Fans To Buy the Real Book By ALEXANDRA ALTER

Max Brallier didn’t have realistic career goals as a child. “I wanted to be a Jedi,” he said. That didn’t work out. But Mr. Brallier, 31, has found a more pragmatic way to channel his “Star Wars” fanaticism. The result is “Galactic Hot Dogs,” his new book about a boy who battles giant mutant worms and zombie space pirates with his sidekicks: a robot, a rebellious princess and an alien. The story, which Mr. Brallier described as “a goofier ‘Star Wars,’ ” is undeniably silly. His publisher is treating the project very seriously, though. Aladdin, an imprint of Simon & Schuster

SIMON & SCHUSTER

Millions of children have read ‘‘Galactic Hot Dogs’’ online. Children’s Publishing, bought “Galactic Hot Dogs” in a lucrative three-book deal. The company is printing 500,000 copies, and began promoting the book more than a year ago. Simon & Schuster has solid reasons to be bullish about “Galactic Hot Dogs.” The book has taken off on Funbrain.com, a popular gaming website for children that has been an incubator for some of the biggest blockbusters in children’s book publishing. Jeff Kinney’s “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series began as a free book on Funbrain and now has more than 150 million copies in print globally.

“Dork Diaries,” a middle-grade series by Rachel Renée Russell, experienced improved sales through a story-based interactive game on Funbrain’s sister site, Poptropica, and has more than 20 million copies in print. “Galactic Hot Dogs” seems to be on a similar trajectory. More than six million children have read chapters of the book on Funbrain. More than a million have played a story-based “Galactic Hot Dogs” game that went live on Poptropica two months ago. Like many books that have thrived on the site, it appeals to 8- to 12-yearolds who appreciate its hammy underdog hero, Cosmoe, and its slapstick humor and comic-stripstyle illustrations. In the last few years, multiplatform books with online gaming components have become crucial tools for children’s book publishers seeking to reach young readers who are migrating to digital and mobile reading. Sixty-seven percent of American children between the ages of 2 and 13 read e-books, according to a report released in January by Digital Book World and PlayCollective. To the uninitiated, Funbrain and Poptropica might look like a publisher’s worst nightmare, the sort of online activity that parents and teachers worry is chipping away at reading time. But authors and publishers have discovered that the sites often steer children toward books. Scholastic’s multiplatform game and book series, “39 Clues,” which started in 2008, has more than 17 million copies in print. Even though more than six million readers have already seen “Galactic Hot Dogs,” Mr. Brallier seems anxious. He dreads public speaking and is about to go on his first book tour. “I’m terrified,” he said. Shortly after college, he took a job in publishing at Penguin, and then St. Martin’s Press, where he worked in marketing. That experience has made him keenly aware of how unusual it is to have millions invested in promoting his book. He said, “It’s really exciting, but also super scary.”

RENE LION-CACHET, VIA JFC CLARKE

The story of Nukain Mabuza, shown in the 1970s, inspired a play written by Athol Fugard.

Tale That Is Written in Stone By ROSLYN SULCAS

Five years ago, Athol Fugard, the great chronicler of South Africa’s apartheid past and its post-apartheid present, heard a surprising tale. It was about a farm laborer named Nukain Mabuza, who had spent about 15 years, in the late 1960s and ’70s, painting vivid designs on the boulders and stones in the eastern province of Mpumalanga. Mr. Mabuza’s name and work are largely unknown, and Mr. Fugard, then living in California, was intrigued, particularly since “The Road to Mecca,” his 1985 play, had taken another outsider artist, Helen Martins, as its subject. “Here was a man who unquestionably had an individual vision, who spent decades of his life creating this incredible mountain of stone flowers,” he said. The outcome was “The Painted Rocks at Revolver Creek,” a new play written and directed by Mr. Fugard, 82, that recently opened at the Pershing Square Signature Center in New York. “Strange as it may seem, I consider myself an outsider artist,” he wrote in an email. “When I started working in theater, it was an all-consuming passion — I wrote the plays, directed them, acted in them, built the set and designed the costumes. This was also because my situation in apartheid

South Africa during the formative years of my writing was one of relative isolation.” In his initial try at the material, though, he was unable to make anything of it. When James Houghton, the artistic director of the Signature Theater, which programmed a full season of his plays in 2012, asked him to write a new work, Mr. Fugard found his draft. “I saw a way which meant that in the second act I would bring back two of the characters from Act I, and now they would be in the new South Africa,” he said. The story of Mr. Mabuza, who committed suicide in 1981 after abruptly leaving his home and painted garden the previous year, is a sad one. Born in Mozambique, he moved to South Africa in the 1950s in search of work, eventually settling on a farm called Esperado in 1965. He began to decorate his dwelling and the stones around him. The rocks, visible from a passing road, became a tourist attraction, though Mr. Mabuza, who lived alone, never charged people to enter or to take photos. “The idea of outsider art didn’t exist at the time,” said J. F. C. Clarke, whose book “The Painted Stone Garden of Nukain Mabuza” is the only comprehensive written and photographic account of the work, which is now badly sun-dam-

aged on a derelict site. “He was a humble man, but completely obsessed in a way that is different from the obsession of a mainstream artist. ” Mr. Fugard knew the basic facts and had seen Mr. Clarke’s photographs when he began to rework the draft. Essential elements are drawn from the facts, including the setting, the re-creations of the rocks and details of Mr. Mabuza’s life. But the depiction of the artist and the characters who share the stage with him are, Mr. Fugard said, fictional. He has written in a distinctively South African idiom, mixing Xhosa, Zulu and Afrikaans words into the text. Mr. Fugard said he never ceased writing for a South African audience. He moved back to South Africa about two years ago after the 2010 opening of the Fugard Theater in Cape Town, where four of his recent plays have had premieres. “I realized, my God, why am I spending so much time out of this country, where I belong?” he explained. In the new play, Mr. Fugard’s Mabuza faces one last undecorated rock, and falters. “There must come a point in an artist’s life when you have to confront the possibility that it is all over,” Mr. Fugard said. “I thought, this wonderful virginal rock is his last painting, and maybe this is my last play.”

Fans Pay for Musicians’ Second Acts By JOE COSCARELLI

Twenty superfans of De La Soul, the hip-hop trio, recently paid $300 each for a Skype video chat with the group. Another spent $1,500 on a vintage boom box from one member’s “personal collection.” The perks were offered in exchange for financial support as the act raised money to make its eighth studio album. In a monthlong Kickstarter campaign, De La Soul raised $600,874 from 11,169 backers — far more than its goal of $110,000. Kickstarter, once seen chiefly as a tool for emerging acts, has also proved to be fertile fund-raising ground for established artists. This year, the surviving members of TLC, the ’90s R&B

group, raised $430,255 to make its “final album.” It followed acts like Toad the Wet Sprocket ($264,762) and Kenny Loggins ($121,797). But this money often comes with expectations. De La Soul offered “And the Anonymous Nobody,” its first album since 2004, and one the group promised would be free of the commercial constraints that come with a traditional record deal. “A lot of times labels don’t even know what they want,” said Kelvin Mercer, one-third of De La Soul, who is known as Posdnuos. Michael McGregor, a Kickstarter spokesman, said that for a well-known act, the “history and the connection they’ve al-

ways had with their fans” comes through in a crowdfunding campaign. Members of De La Soul, which had its debut in 1989, are music “lifers,” he said. Before fund-raising started, De La Soul — which also includes David Jolicoeur, known as Dave, and Vincent Mason, or Maseo — had spent about $100,000, recording more than 200 hours of jam sessions to sample on the album. Some career musicians see the exchange as crass. In an interview with the Spanish newspaper El País, Morrissey called crowdfunding “a desperate measure, and insulting to the audience.” Amanda Palmer, the punk-cabaret singer who raised a record $1.2 million for an album on Kick-

Even experienced musicians are turning to crowdfunding. The hip-hop trio De La Soul raised $600,874 for a new album. CHAD BATKA FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

starter in 2012, said the funds can go fast. From manufacturing to shipping, “all of the risk and responsibility is in the artist’s hands, whereas it used to be the label’s problem,” Ms. Palmer said. Ms. Palmer acknowledged that crowdfunding was not for everyone. “No artist wants to feel like a charlatan salesperson,” she said. “Nor do you want to simply hide behind the system and hope that the fans and the money show up

magically at your doorstep.” Mr. Mercer said that De La Soul was “very unsure” about the arrangement until the group saw the success of veteran artists, like the director Spike Lee. “There were definitely labels interested in De La Soul,” he said, but now the group will be held accountable by only its longtime fans. That brings different pressure. “There’s no one in the way,” he said, “and no one to blame.”

Business | Money Line

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

Analysts blame oil slump for weak Q1 GDP Culprit Economic growth slowed to 4%

Tony Chukwunyem

nalysts at First Bank Capital Research have attributed the decline in Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth for the first quarter of the year to the impact of the oil

price slump and other factors such as insecurity in the northern part of the country. According to figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria’s GDP grew by 3.96 per cent yearon- year in the first quarter of 2015, which was a reduction by 225bps from the 6.21 per cent recorded in Q1 2014 and 198bps lower than the 5.94 per cent posted in the previous quarter. Commenting on the figures, FBN Capital stated

that. “the latest national accounts data provided by the NBS show that GDP growth (at constant basic prices) slowed to 4.0 per cent y/y in Q1 2015, the lowest rate since Q4 2012. Several factors are at play. The first quarter often produces the lowest figure of the year on account of the routine budgetary impasse. Further, pressures on consumption demand have mounted. To the insecurity in the north east we have to add the macro headwinds. Nigeria may be a non-oil economy in

productive terms, yet the slide in the oil price has a direct impact on wages and investment in the public sector. It also dents the feelgood factor in the private sector.” The firm further pointed out that the NBS data showed that the oil sector contracted by -8.1per cent y/y. “This was the sixth decline in the past eight quarters and another reminder that without a current legal and structural framework, the industry’s future is bleak,” it stated.

Sterling Bank partners Caleb schools

terling Bank Plc, in partnership with Caleb Group of Schools, has concluded plans to hold the second edition of the Parenting Workshop under its One Education Initiative. According to the lender, the workshop was aimed at educating parents and guardians on how to nurture their children and bring out the best in them. The event is scheduled to hold on Saturday May 23, 2015, at the Auditorium of Caleb International School, Magodo, Lagos. The theme of the workshop is ‘Enhancing your child’s capacity for learning’. The bank, in a statement by its Group Head, Strategy & Communica-

tions, Mr. Shina Atilola, described the Parenting Series as a family growth and education initiative designed to support parents’ desire to optimise the potentials and talents of their children. He noted that the purpose of the workshop is to aid parents and guardians in dealing with topical issues that affect the upbringing and training of their wards in the 21st century vis-à-vis the practical day-to-day realities of life in Nigeria. The bank’s Chief Strategist said that the involvement of the bank in the second edition of the workshop was informed by the overwhelming turn-out of parents who attended the first edition,

adding that the bank will continue to invest in initiatives that add value to the lives of people in line with its purpose. His words: “The level of attendance by the parents at the first workshop exceeded our projection. The workshop was well attended by both parents (fathers and mothers) with their children. This shows the value parents place on the workshop and the need to bring up their children in a worthy manner, not only to themselves, but the family and the country at large. Their contributions are noteworthy.” Speaking on the bank’s involvement in the education sector, Atilola, who assured that the bank will

continue to invest in initiatives aimed at supporting the sector, added that the private sector must come in and invest in the education sector if “we really want our children to get quality education. Sterling Bank’s intervention in the sector will help to ameliorate some of the challenges the sector faces.” Atilola further said: “Our focus on education is strategic. We are looking at all actors in the value chain and this is why we set up an education desk to look at the total value chain of education, from suppliers of inputs to the end users. Our desire is to use our expertise to contribute to the development of the sector through a variety of initiatives.”

Economic Indicators As at

As at M2* CPS* INF IBR MPR

N14,737,618.7m N16,509,472.5m 8.7 0.0000 13

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 May, 2015 2/5/2014 1/20/2014 Source: CBN

FGN Bonds Bid Price 90.20 99.25 104.10 109.35 114.15 76.60

91-day NTB DPR PLR Bonny Light Ext Res**

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

Bid Spot ($/N) 163.28 THE FIXINGS –NIBOR, NITTY and NIFEX of February 6,2014

10.899 7.96 17.01 US$109.9 US$29,786,757,961

NITTY

11/6/2013 Dec, 2013 Dec, 2013 1/20/2014 14/5/2015

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

Other highlights of the weak Q1 GDP include a -12.5 per cent y/y contraction in public administration and a -0.7 per cent y/y contraction in manufacturing, especially the -0.8per cent contraction in the food, beverages and tobacco segment. However, the firm stat-

ed that “the data offer evidence from the services sector that consumption demand still has legs. We note strong growth in accommodation and food services (26.7 per cent y/y), information and communications (9.5 per cent) and finance (9.0 per cent).”

CSR-in-Action partners Accenture, E&Y on benchmarking reports

ustainability advocate and social enterprise group, CSR-in-Action (CiA), has re-launched its flagship reports on corporate responsibility, the Collective Social Investment Report (CSIR) and the Corporate Citizenship Index (3C-Index), in partnership with global consulting firms, Accenture and Ernst & Young (EY). The new knowledge partnerships entail Accenture and E&Y, reviewing and subsequently assuring the framework for CSIR and 3C-Index the premier and leading publications on ethics and corporate social responsibility in Nigeria – to international standards and indices such as the FTSE 4 Good and the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. In a statement, the organisation said, “CSIR is a compendium and one-stop data bank for sustainable practices by organisations in Nigeria with greater focus on the private sector, while the 3C-Index is West Africa's premier rating of companies according to their approach to the ethics of socio-economic and environmental governance.

CSIR was first launched in 2012, while the 3C-Index debuted in 2013.” According to the Executive Director of CSR-inAction, Bekeme Masade, partnerships are ever more crucial to the organisation’s success this year, as she urged more companies to respond to CiA’s quest for information in a more timely manner. “Our approach to stakeholder engagement and management is so much more sophisticated that we expect more robust data. We are especially excited that we have garnered the support of such reputable knowledge partners as Ernst & Young and Accenture; their managing partners have shown why these companies have remained relevant and signify integrity in today's world,” Bekeme added. Accenture Nigeria Country Managing Director, Niyi Yusuf, expressed his excitement on the partnership. “Our views about sustainability are well documented and Accenture on its own has been measuring its sustainability efforts based on the 10 principles of the United Nations Global Compact annually.

CRR speculation boosts bond sales

peculation that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will reduce the Cash Reserves Ratio (CRR) on public sector deposits to 50 per cent from current 75 per cent at its meeting, which commences today in Abuja, fuelled increased buying of bonds last week. Reuters quoted a dealer as saying that "the market was bullish at some point in the week when speculations on plans by the Central Bank to reduce the CRR to 50 per cent on public sector deposits from 75

per cent filled the market.” The Federal Government sold bonds worth N60 billion at lower yields on all tenors at an auction last Wednesday. "Outlook on the market will depend largely on the outcome of the rate fixing MPC," another dealer said. Yields on the benchmark debt maturing in 2024 traded at 13.49 per cent last Friday, compared with 13.77 per cent the previous week. The 2022 paper traded at 13.60 against 13.70 per cent while the 2016 traded at 13.72 compared with 13.98 per cent.

Business | News

Danger UNEP raises fear over illegal dumping

Dayo Ayeyemi

report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has revealed that approximately $19 billion worth of e-wastes are being dumped in Nigeria, Ghana and some Asian countries. It noted that Ghana and Nigeria topped the list as the largest recipients in West Africa. The study noted that large piles of electronic waste were falsely declared as plastic or mixed metal scrap. It listed the illegally exported items to include hazardous waste batteries, Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) and computer monitors. The report explained that inconsistency in regulations between importing and exporting countries and lack of

‘IT spend hits $4trn'

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22

he said. While lending his voice to the landmark partnership, Chairman of Zinox Group, Mr Leo-Stan Ekeh, noted that the pact with EMC serves to reaffirm TD’s prime position as the major driver of technological revolution in Africa. Ekeh, who commended EMC’s exponential growth after just six years of operations in Nigeria, also encouraged solution providers and resellers to take advantage of the unique opportunity offered by the partnership to grow their businesses. “TD has maintained its position as the leader of the ICT distributor space over the years despite strong competition in the market place. This is why we see this partnership with EMC as strategic as it will go a long way to expand access to technology on the continent, especially considering the status of EMC as a major player in the global IT scene. “I wish to encourage all of our solution providers and resellers to take advantage of the unique partnership being unveiled officially today, especially in view of the sheer scale of TD’s wide reach and after-sales support infrastructure which is unmatched in the sector as well as the innovative solutions in storage and data which EMC brings to the table,” he said.

MONDAY,MAY 18, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Nigeria, others receive $19bn e-wastes clarity in classification of hazardous and nonhazardous waste were the key drivers behind increased illegal e-waste trade. The study, which identified the two countries as the fastest growing ewaste hubs, revealed that large volumes of e-waste were also dumped in Cote d'Ivoire, the Republic of Congo, China, Hong Kong, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Vietnam. It estimated the price per ton of e-waste at around $500, noting that

the total value of illegally dumped or traded e-waste was approximately $19 billion. The report noted that each year, the electronic industry - one of the world’s largest and fastest growing – generated up to 41 million tonnes of e-waste from goods such as computers and smart phones. Forecasts say that the figure may reach 50 million tonnes by 2017. A staggering 60-90 per cent of this waste is illegally traded or dumped, according to UNEP’s

"Waste Crimes, Waste Risks: Gaps and Challenges In the Waste Sector," launched in Geneva, at the Conference of Parties to the three major conventions. The International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) has estimated the price of a tonne of e-waste at around $500. Following this calculation, the value of unregistered and informally handled, including illegally traded and dumped e-waste, ranges from $12.5 to $18.8 billion

annually. UN Under-SecretaryGeneral and Executive Director of UNEP, Achim Steiner, confirmed the development, saying: “We are witnessing an unprecedented amount of electronic waste rolling out over the world. Not only does it account for a large portion of the world's nonrecycled waste mountain, but it also poses a growing threat to human health and the environment due to the hazardous elements it contains. “Through enhanced

international cooperation and legislative coherence, stronger national regulations and enforcement, as well as greater awareness and robust prevention measures, we can ensure that the illegal trade and dumping of e-waste is brought to an end. This will create a win-win situation, whereby rare and expensive elements are safely recycled and reused, boosting the formal economy, depriving criminals of income and reducing health risks to the public,” he added.

Business |Stock Watch

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

Mansard Insurance: Investors build on strategic acquisition GROWTH AGENDA Share price maintains tops among industry competitors Chris Ugwu

he importance of insurance to the growth and development of any country cannot be overemphasised as it remains the bedrock of economies across the globe and Nigeria is no exception. Today, there are even more compelling reasons why the nation’s citizenry as well as governments should take insurance more seriously. The truth is that citizens of this country are under daily threat from not only risks emanating from natural disasters such as floods and rainstorms, but also man-made security risks like the current threat of Boko Haram, kidnapping and other heinous crimes, which are taking their tolls on innocent citizens on a daily basis. However, despite the contribution of the sector to the nation’s economy, shares of insurance companies quoted on the official list of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, unlike other sub sectors of the economy, rather than appreciating in value, have remained relatively stagnant, even as a larger percentage of the companies have remained at the nominal prices of 50 kobo at which they were quoted on the market. Since the near collapse of the financial market in 2008, owing to a global meltdown, a series of strategies, including tighter regulatory frameworks and reforms in diverse sectors, have heralded a period of unprecedented growth and stability in the country’s equity markets. Hence, negative perception has trailed the sub-sector, which was compounded by the inability of about 85 per cent of the companies in the industry to pay dividend to shareholders for many years. However, one of the insurance companies that have weathered the storm and remains the toast of investors as regards return on investment is Mansard Insurance Plc. Market sentiments for the shares of the company have gained both investors and shareholders, loyalty as technical indicators have continued to reveal strong bargain tendency towards the stock. The company has maintained stability as bargain hunters jostle to take position and bet on the back of innovation and hope that recent acquisition will lead to a better return on investment. Stockbrokers also attributed investors’ sustained confidence in the stock to the gradual return in profitability, but also to the strong fundamentals of the

Osibodu

insurance firm. The share price, which closed at N2.62 per share on June 31, 2014, has maintained the number one spot in the sub-sector. When the closing bell rang on Friday, the company’s share price stood at N3.00, an increase of 38 kobo or 14.50 per cent year to date. Financials Mansard began the year 2014 on a negative trajectory as it reported a 20 per cent decline in its pre-tax profit for the first quarter ended March 30, 2014. In a filing with the Nigerian Stock Exchange, the company’s pre-tax profit went down by 20 per cent from N635.323 million in Q1 of 2013 to N506.696 million in the review period of 2014. Also, post-tax profit declined 16 per cent in the first quarter of 2014 as the company declared N486.696 million compared to N579.366 million reported in same period of 2013. Similarly, the gross premium dropped 31 per cent from N4.806 billion in the Q1 of 2013 to N6.274 billion in the review period of 2014. The provider of risk and investment management services posted a gross premium of N9.61 billion in its half year operations, against N3.51 billion.This represented 27 per cent growth, when compared with N7.55 billion achieved in the corresponding period in 2013.The company’s profit before tax, however, slid by 52 per cent, fromN2.06 billion posted in 2013 to N993 million during the period under review. According to the company, the growth in gross premium

Share price movement of Total Nigeria 2014 Jun 30

N2.62

Jul 31

N2.55

Aug 31

N2.54

Sept 30

N3.00

Oct 31

N3.00

Nov 30

N3.15

Dec 31

N3.20

2015 Jan 31

N3.00

Feb 28

N3.00

Mar 31

N3.05

Apr 30

N3.00

May 8

N3.00

The company have gained both investors and shareholders loyalty

was driven by increased patronage from both institutional and retail clients. Net premium income rose to N4.47 billion from N3.51 billion posted in 2013, representing an increase of 27 per cent. Total assets also increased from N36.13 billion to N39.59 billion during the period under review, which represents 10 per cent growth. The company continued with profit decline with a report of 38 per cent drop in profit after tax during the third quarter ended September 30, 2014. Its profit after tax declined to N1.143 billion from N1.850 billion in the same period of last year, indicating a loss of 38 per cent. However, gross premium also grew to N14.753 billion compared with N10.708 billion last year, an increase of 38 per cent. Mansard’s bottom line showed signs of recovery as growth in gross premium written firmed up 28 per cent in 2014 to N17.40 billion from N13.59 billion in 2013, while net premium income recorded a 20 per cent growth in 2014 to N9.05 billion from N7.54 billion in 2013 just as the profit before tax rose two per cent from N1.98 billion in 2013 to N2.02 billion in 2014. The company began year 2015 with a marginal leap in earnings as pre-tax profit rose from N506.69 million in the first quarter of 2014 to N512.08 million in 2015 Q1, representing an increase of 1.1 per cent, while gross premium equally rose to N7.020 billion during the first quarter of 2015 to N6.274 billion in 2015, indicating an increase of 11.9 per cent. Acquisitions Mansard, in 2014, completed

the acquisition of 60 per cent of the issued and paid up share capital of a Pension Fund Administrator (PFA), Penman Pensions Limited. The company, in a notice to the Nigerian Stock Exchange, said that the acquisition extended its subsidiaries to four, having already made significant inroads into asset management, health insurance and property segments through its wholly owned subsidiaries (Mansard Investments Limited and Mansard Health Limited) as well as its majority holding in the property joint ventures, APD Limited. Mansard recently modified its name and identity to henceforth be known as Axa-mansard Plc. The name change follows recent acquisition of 100 per cent equity in Assur Africa Holdings, which holds 77 per cent stake in Mansard by the France-based world renowned AXA group, the biggest insurance firm worldwide. AXA group, in December 2014, actualised its dream of expanding its business frontiers in subSaharan Africa through the buy over of Assur African Holdings, owners of Mansard Insurance in Nigeria. Disclosing this at the 23rd Annual General Meeting of the company held in Lagos, the Chairman, Mansard Insurance, Mr.Victor Osibodu, said with this, AXA has become the beneficial owners of Mansard. Forward looking On how the acquisition would favour Mansard, Osibodu said that it would allow Mansard limitless access to global resources, capacity development, strong global brand recognition in corporate space and staff cross- positioning, adding that Mansard staff have now become members of a multinational group. He promised that the company would deliver sustainable value to its shareholders, even as it will increase return on investment to all stakeholders. Osibodu said that there were significant improvements in measures of the organisational key performance and in its overall stability ratio that would ensure sustainable value in the bottom-line of the company. He said that the insurance company had the appropriate capacity to protect and safeguard the interests of its depositors and shareholders at all times. Conclusion Despite having faced several challenges recently, the insurance sector is believed by market watchers to have experienced positive times, giving the various reforms and initiatives introduced by the National Insurance Commission and investments by foreign players, which will have strong impact on growth and outlook of the sector.

Insurance

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Pension assets: Exploring details for fruitful investment PROFITS Putting the funds into more viable projects will ensure higher return on investment Sunday Ojeme

s early as two weeks ago, some stakeholders in the pension industry were still occupied with reviewing the Draft Regulation on Investment released by the National Pension Commission (PenCom) last month. Specifically, the Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) as major industry stakeholders hold the mandate to understudy the details in order to ensure an extensive participation in the process leading to an expanded investment of the growing pension funds. New Telegraph gathered from the commission that the need for a pragmatic approach to channeling the funds makes it mandatory for stakeholders in the industry to evaluate the draft before inviting the input of other experts. Investment clamour Having grown the pension assets without hitch for eleven years, fund managers have clamoured that the funds be channeled to other investment windows other than the traditional areas stipulated in the Act that created it. As far back as two years ago, the PFAs held a parley with the United States Agency for International Development in a bid to plough some of the assets into energy. The discussion with the international agency, according to reports, stemmed from the fund managers’ fear that the return on investment might be hampered if inadequate and reliable investment instruments were not identified and taken advantage of within the next five years. Specifically, the Managing Director, ARM Pensions Limited, Mr. Sadiq Mohammed, recalled that the issuance of bond in the Nigerian market was reducing and that yields would begin to taper with time, thereby leading to drought of investment instruments. He hinted that alternative assets were coming into the market to access pension funds, expressing hope that all of these would offer investment opportunities for the Pension Fund Administrators. The discussion with USAID was seen by observers as a positive step by the PFAs to move part of the fast growing funds into another reliable entity for safe keeping and profit. With the assets prudently spread across the instruments stipulated by the extant law, some experts still believe that more could be done as regards locating other profit yielding investment areas that more of the funds can be channeled into.

Experts' opinion Prior to the release of the Draft Regulation by the commission, the African Development Forum in Marrakech had called for the growing African pension funds to be ploughed into private equity industry. An African Development Bank (AfDB) representative, David Ashiagbor, highlighted the rapid growth of the Pension Fund industry and how it could provide a great source of capital for the private equity industry. He reflected that since 2008 in Nigeria, pension funds under management had risen from $6bn to $25bn. Namibia has pension fund assets 80 per cent of Gross Domestic Product, while Botswana's is 40 per cent, extremely healthy numbers. He, however, said regulatory reform was needed to ensure that the capital base could be accessed and invested in the African growth story. “Right now 70 per cent of these assets are sitting in riskless treasury bonds yielding returns upwards of 10 per cent, which makes other assets classes risky in comparison,” he added. During a recent launch of an industry led forum, a partner at Africonomie, Mr. Stanley Austin, highlighted that with the pension assets growing so fast, there was now an urgent need for the PFAs to look beyond traditional investment instruments, and proactively engage local, regional and international investment managers in creating investment products and implementing investment strategies that would maximise the growth potential of asset under management. Africonomie, a boutique marketing and communications services business outfit specialises in Africa and emerging markets investment funds and asset management industry. The group with partnership in major African countries also believes that recent market activities by the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority have increased investor appetite as well as enhanced the global perception of Nigeria’s investment landscape. Patterned investment Before now, the pension funds now in the region of N4.6 trillion have strictly been invested in quoted equities (ordinary shares, global depository receipts); federal government securities (FGN Bonds and Treasury Bills); state/local government bonds; corporate debt securities (such as bonds, asset/mortgage backed securities etc); money market instruments; open/closed-end funds; and real estate investments; Infrastructure bonds and funds; and private equity funds. About N2.7 trillion out of the N4.21 trillion pensions fund assets has been invested in FGN Securities as at March 31, 2014 by Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs), representing 63.39 per cent investment of the fund.

DG, PenCom, Chinelo Anohu Amazu

New order The PFAs also invested N602 billion in shares on the Nigerian Stock Exchange within the same period. This represents a 14.3 per cent investment of the fund. According to the new draft, the commission has set the minimum value of individual projects that pension fund assets can be invested in at N5 billion. It stated that as much as 15 per cent of the total value of pension fund assets under management could be invested in infrastructure through Infrastructure Bonds and another five per cent of the total value of pension fund assets could be invested in infrastructure through Infrastructure Funds, making 20 per cent of the total value of accumulated pension asset. The funds can be invested in infrastructure through either Infrastructure Bonds or Infrastructure Funds just as both outlets must meet the conditions for the investment of pension fund in infrastructure before PFAs could channel pension fund assets into such investments.

About N2.7 trillion out of the N4.21 trillion pensions fund assets has been invested in FGN Securities as at March 31, 2014

Legal position The regulator cited section 5.2.3 of the draft “Regulation on Investment of Pension Fund Assets,” which provides that pension assets can be invested in infrastructure projects through eligible Bonds, Sukuk subject to two major conditions. “The infrastructure project shall be not less than N5 billion in value and awarded to a concessionaire with good track record through an open and transparent bidding process in accordance with the due process requirements set out in the Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission Act (ICRC Act) and any regulation made pursuant thereto and certified by the Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission (ICRC) and approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC),” PenCom said. Other conditions for the investment of pension assets on infrastructure include projects, whose business plans and financial projections indicate viability as well as economically and financially rewarding for investment by pension funds. The commission noted, “The Bonds or Sukuks issued to finance the infrastructure project shall have robust credit enhancements including guarantees by the Federal Government or eligible bank/development finance institution or MDFOs and a maturity date that precedes the expiration of the concession. “It should also have a feasible and enforceable redemption procedure in the event of project suspension, cancellation or, in the case of regulated sectors, when changes in regulatory or policy decisions make the project to differ significantly from its original financial projections. “Where infrastructure projects are financed through Infrastructure Funds, the value of the Infrastructure Fund shall not be less than N5 billion and the Infrastructure Fund must have a welldefined and publicised investment objectives and strategy as well as disclosures of pricing of underlying assets, including any other necessary information.”

Business | Insurance

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

CPS most successful govt initiative –Diko PROSPECTS New pension law provides opportunities that are yet to be tapped Sunday Ojeme

he Chairman of Premium Pension Limited, Mr. Aliyu Diko, has commended the establishment of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) by the Federal Government. Aliu, who described the scheme as most successful government initiative in recent times, also acknowledged it as a clear testimony to the effectiveness of privatesector-driven rendition of service in critical sectors. The chairman, while making the declaration during the company’s 10th Annual General Meeting in Abuja, revealed that the company’s profit after tax grew from N1.625 billion to N1.766 billion, representing a growth of 8.68 per cent. He said, “The cumulative Funds under management today stands at N4.7 trillion as against the N4.1 trillion reported in 2013. Membership enrolment stands at 6.5 million workers as against 6.1 million in 2013. These figures are mainly indicative of the fact that, the teething challenges of the industry have been surmounted and the initial skepticism has drastically reduced. “The new law is indeed a great opportunity waiting to be tapped and our company has strategised towards optimising the benefits. However, more work still has to be done in the area of public enlightenment on the workings of the industry and the immense advantages accruable from enrolling in the scheme.” Speaking on the performance of Premium Pension, Diko pointed out that the company maintained its enviable position as one of the leading PFAs in Nigeria, stressing that despite the declining employment opportunities that had negatively impacted on its business generation drives, it expanded its horizon in terms of funds under management and number of Retirement Savings Accounts. The assets and income for the company witnessed significant growth during the year ended December 31, 2014 despite stiff competition

Premium Pension records 8.68% growth in profit and macroeconomic instability with the growth translating into very good returns for the RSA holders. “The number of RSAs registered by our company both in the public and private sector organisations increased from 613,449 as at December 2013 to 662,628 in 2014. Out of the total RSAs, 514,446 were funded while 148,162 were still being persuaded for

funding,” he said. As at December 31, 2014, the consolidated portfolio had a net asset value of N367.768 billion as against N323.427 billion that had been reported in December, 2013. This resulted in a growth of 13.69 per cent. The RSA (active) fund, which as at December 31, 2013 had a net asset value of N219.288 billion, closed the year 2014 with N268.198 billion signify-

ing, a growth of 22.30 per cent. The RSA (retiree) fund that had N41.415 billion as at the end of the year 2013 recorded a decline of N1.144 billion or 2.76 per cent to close the year with a net asset value of N40.271 billion. The legacy fund, which had N62.770 billion in 2013 financial year, decreased to N57.898 billion or a 7.76 per cent decline in growth.

During the year under review, the turnover for the company grew from N4.226 billion in 2013 to N5.252 billion resulting in a growth of 24.28 per cent. The company's profit before tax grew from N2.351 billion in 2013 to N2.609 billion, signifying a growth of 10.97 per cent, while profit after tax grew from N1.625 billion to N1.766 billion or a growth of 8.68 per cent.

Diko said the above impressive performance was a reflection of the various strategies the company had adopted and the commitment of the board, management and staff in ensuring that new businesses were won and existing customers well served through the delivery of superior customer service. Subsequently, the board recommended a dividend of N2.00 per share gross, subject to appropriate tax.

L-R: Managing Director, Premium Pension Limited, Mr. Wilson Ideva; Chairman, Board of Directors, Mr. Aliyu Dikko and Company Secretary, Mr. Nasiru Idris Shall, during the 10th Annual General Meeting in Abuja.

CONTRIBUTION Underwriters have contributed their quote to environmental growth

uinea Insurance Plc, a renowned and emerging financial risks manager in the country, recently

Guinea Insurance wins CSR award won the Insurance Company of Year 2014 Award in the Corporate Social Responsibility category of Businesstoday online news. The Awards were given in nine categories namely: Insurance Company of the year, Insurance Man of the year, Insurance Company for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of

the year, Micro Insurance Company of the year, Insurance Broking Company of the year, Pension Company of the year, Pension Man of the year, Most Pensions Compliant State of the year and individuals who have contributed to the growth of insurance and pension industry. Four insurance com-

panies namely: Anchor Insurance Plc; Industrial and General Insurance (IGI), Guinea Insurance Plc and Royal Exchange Insurance Plc, were considered for the CSR Insurance Company in Year 2014 category; of which Guinea Insurance Plc was the popular choice and thus, emerged winner in the

Leadway Assurance launches family product

eadway Assurance Company Limited has launched a new Life product, Leadway Family Benefit Plan Plus (LFBPP). The product is a multi-life policy designed to cover funeral expenses for the assured lives (spouse, parents and/or parentsin-law that are named in the policy) and the policy holder (person who purchased the policy). The policy helps to alleviate and bury the worries associated with the funerals for elderly loved ones. Giving details of the new product, Head, Life Retail, Mr. Femi Adebayo, explained that the policy provided funeral benefits in respect of all the assured lives as long as their death preceded that

of the policyholder. The policy also provided other extra benefits that cover the policyholder only. For instance, the policy offered additional monthly payments to the beneficiaries of the policyholder in the event of his demise. The Family Benefit Plan Plus, in his own words, was one of the ways in which Leadway Assurance was making life beautiful for its customers. Speaking at the product launch held at the Corporate office of Leadway Assurance in Lagos, the General Manager, Life Division, Mr. Shadrack Sivhugwana, said he expected that the demand for Funeral insurance would be the main driver of insurance growth in Africa in the

next couple years. He invited the public to take advantage of the new product and be prepared when the inevitable happened. Established over 45 years ago, Leadway is a composite insurance company underwriting both Life and General Insurance business with 23 branches spread across Nigeria. Leadway’s reputation has been attained by the continuing pursuit of improvements to maintain its competitive advantage within a very soft market environment. The company also offers subsidiary financial services like Bonds, Secured Credit, Miscellaneous financial losses and Fund/Portfolio management.

category. The Award for the CSR Insurance Company of the Year came in recognition of the selfless contributions of Guinea Insurance Plc to educational institutions at the bottom of the pyramid which, in turn offered pupils of the various schools new lease of life. The Director-General, Nigerian Insurers Association, Sunday Thomas on behalf of Businesstoday, online, presented the CSR Insurance Award of the Year to Polycarp Didam, Managing Director of Guinea Insurance Plc while noting that it was “key” for insurance practitioners to become more socially responsible by giving back to the society. In his words: "It is heart-warming to know that the company’s 2014 CSR efforts did not go unnoticed, we however intend to consolidate on this efforts and continue to show industry analysts, patrons and the general public, the human side of our organisation."

Business | Financial Market News

MONDAY,MAY 18, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

15-May-15

The DQL contains data relating to, amongst other things, market and model prices, rates of foreign exchange products, fixed income securities and instruments in the financial market (the “Information”). The Information does not constitute professional, financial or investment advice. We attempt to ensure the Information is accurate; however, the Information is provided “AS IS” and on an “AS AVAILABLE” basis and may not be accurate or up to date. We do not guarantee the accuracy, timeliness, completeness, performance or fitness for a particular purpose of any of the Information, neither do we accept liability for the results of any action taken on the basis of the Information.

Bonds FGN Bonds

Price

Rating/Agency

Issuer

Description ^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 15.54 13-FEB-2020 ^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 ^12.1493 18-JUL-2034

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

Maturity Date

TTM (Yrs)

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

Bid Price

Offer Price

16-Aug-13 27-Apr-12 27-Jul-07 31-Aug-07 30-May-08 29-Jun-12 23-Oct-09 13-Feb-15 27-Jan-12 14-Mar-14 28-Nov-08 22-May-09 20-Nov-09 23-Jul-10 18-Jul-14

13.05 15.10 9.85 9.35 10.70 16.00 7.00 15.54 16.39 14.20 15.00 12.49 8.50 10.00 12.1493

581.39 476.80 20.00 100.00 300.00 351.30 233.90 118.31 600.00 573.14 75.00 150.00 200.00 591.57 299.50

16-Aug-16 27-Apr-17 27-Jul-17 31-Aug-17 30-May-18 29-Jun-19 23-Oct-19 13-Feb-20 27-Jan-22 14-Mar-24 28-Nov-28 22-May-29 20-Nov-29 23-Jul-30 18-Jul-34

1.26 1.95 2.20 2.30 3.04 4.12 4.44 4.75 6.70 8.83 13.54 14.02 14.52 15.19 19.18

13.73 13.82 13.79 13.78 13.73 13.68 13.63 13.61 13.55 13.46 17.27 17.91 18.68 15.53 13.60

13.59 13.73 13.70 13.70 13.60 13.59 13.53 13.53 13.49 13.40 17.21 17.84 18.57 15.46 13.55

99.19 102.10 92.69 91.49 92.65 107.08 78.43 106.52 112.17 103.71 88.23 72.45 49.59 68.00 90.16

99.34 102.25 92.84 91.64 92.95 107.38 78.73 106.82 112.47 104.01 88.53 72.75 49.89 68.30 90.46

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

4,670.90

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

4,363.07

Rating/Agency

Issuer

Description

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

# Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Indicative Price

24-May-12 03-Apr-12 09-Dec-11 20-Apr-12 06-Jul-12

0.00 17.25 0.00/16.00 0.00/16.50 0.00/16.50

24.56 2.40 112.22 116.70 66.49

24-May-15 03-Apr-17 08-Dec-16 19-Apr-17 06-Jul-17

0.02 1.01 1.57 1.93 2.14

2.63 2.27 2.00 2.66 2.85

15.86 16.79 15.74 16.45 16.64

99.55 100.47 100.31 101.21 97.50

Agency Bonds FMBN ***LCRM

0.00 FMB 24-MAY-2015 17.25 FMB II 03-APR-2017 0.00/16.00 LCRM 08-DEC-2016 0.00/16.50 LCRM II 19-APR-2017 0.00/16.50 LCRM III 06-JUL-2017

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

322.38

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

322.38

Sub-National Bonds A/Agusto

KADUNA

12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015

31-Aug-10

12.50

8.50

31-Aug-15

0.30

4.44

16.71

98.71

A-/Agusto

*EBONYI

13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015

30-Sep-10

13.00

2.16

30-Sep-15

0.38

3.23

15.96

98.89

BBB+/Agusto

*BENUE

14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-11

14.00

4.86

30-Jun-16

0.65

4.46

18.21

15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-09

15.50

5.73

30-Jun-16

0.65

3.48

17.23

98.93

19-Apr-10

10.00

57.00

19-Apr-17

1.93

1.00

14.79

92.18

‡ /Agusto

*IMO

97.52

A+/Agusto; ‡ /GCR

LAGOS

10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017

‡ /Agusto

*BAYELSA

13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017

30-Jun-10

13.75

25.73

30-Jun-17

1.19

1.00

15.22

98.44

‡ /Agusto

EDO

14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017

30-Dec-10

14.00

25.00

31-Dec-17

2.63

1.79

15.55

96.71

‡ /Agusto; A+/GCR

*DELTA

14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018

30-Sep-11

14.00

30.81

30-Sep-18

2.01

1.80

15.60

97.36

Bb-/Agusto; A-/GCR

NIGER

14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018

04-Oct-11

14.00

9.00

04-Oct-18

2.02

1.00

14.80

98.62

‡ /Agusto; A-/GCR†

*EKITI

14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018

09-Dec-11

14.50

13.73

09-Dec-18

2.00

1.00

14.80

99.48

Bb-/Agusto

*NIGER

14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018

12-Dec-13

14.00

10.20

12-Dec-18

2.00

4.78

18.58

92.93

‡ /Agusto; A-/GCR

*ONDO

15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019

14-Feb-12

15.50

27.00

14-Feb-19

2.20

1.00

14.79

101.18

BBB+/Agusto; A-/GCR Aa-/Agusto; ‡ /GCR

*GOMBE LAGOS

15.50 GOMBE 02-OCT-2019 14.50 LAGOS 22-NOV-2019

BBB-/Agusto; BBB+/GCR

*OSUN

14.75 OSUN 12-DEC-2019

02-Oct-12 22-Nov-12 12-Dec-12

15.50 14.50 14.75

15.09 80.00 25.70

02-Oct-19 22-Nov-19 12-Dec-19

2.63 4.52 2.60

1.00 1.00 1.00

14.76 14.63 14.76

101.44 99.58 99.96

BBB-/Agusto

*OSUN

14.75 OSUN II 10-OCT-2020

10-Oct-13

14.75

10.78

10-Oct-20

3.14

1.00

14.72

100.05

Aa-/Agusto; ‡ /GCR

LAGOS

13.50 LAGOS 27-NOV-2020

27-Nov-13

13.50

87.50

27-Nov-20

5.54

1.00

14.56

96.03

A-/Agusto; BBB+/DataPro

KOGI

15.00 KOGI 31-DEC-2020

31-Dec-13

15.00

5.00

31-Dec-20

5.63

1.00

14.56

101.61

‡ /Agusto A-/GCR

*EKITI *NASARAWA

14.50 EKITI II 31-DEC-2020 15.00 NASARAWA 06-JAN-2021

31-Dec-13

14.50

4.55

31-Dec-20

3.29

1.44

15.15

98.39

06-Jan-14

15.00

4.56

06-Jan-21

3.32

1.00

14.71

100.65

99.20

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

452.88 441.92

Corporate Bonds BBB+/Agusto BBB-/Agusto

*UPDC

10.00 UPDC 17-AUG-2015

17-Aug-10

10.00

2.50

17-Aug-15

0.26

1.00

13.07

*FLOURMILLS

12.00 FLOURMILLS 9-DEC-2015

09-Dec-10

12.00

18.75

09-Dec-15

0.32

1.00

13.40

99.56

BB/GCR

*CHELLARAMS

14.00 CHELLARAMS 06-JAN-2016

06-Jan-11

14.00

0.42

06-Jan-16

0.40

2.63

15.49

99.45

A+/Agusto; A-/GCR

NAHCO

13.00 NAHCO 29-SEP-2016

29-Sep-11

13.00

15.00

29-Sep-16

1.38

1.00

14.94

97.63

A-/Agusto

FSDH

14.25 FSDH 25-OCT-2016

25-Oct-13

14.25

5.53

25-Oct-16

1.45

1.34

15.16

98.83

A/GCR

UBA

13.00 UBA 30-SEP-2017

30-Sep-10

13.00

20.00

30-Sep-17

2.38

1.00

14.78

96.50

BBB-/GCR

18.00 C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017

30-Nov-12

18.00

0.64

30-Nov-17

1.40

1.88

15.77

103.41

Nil

*C & I LEASING *DANA#{r}

MPR+7.00 DANA 9-APR-2018

09-Apr-11

16.00

5.40

09-Apr-18

1.65

1.00

14.75

101.70

A-/DataPro†; B+/GCR

*TOWER#

MPR+7.00 TOWER 9-SEP-2018

09-Sep-11

18.00

2.54

09-Sep-18

1.82

1.00

14.78

104.74

AAA/DataPro†; A/GCR

*TOWER#

MPR+5.25 TOWER 9-SEP-2018

09-Sep-11

16.00

0.70

09-Sep-18

1.82

1.00

14.78

101.76

A+/Agusto; A/GCR

UBA

14.00 UBA II 22-SEP-2018

22-Sep-11

14.00

35.00

22-Sep-18

3.36

3.00

16.71

93.20

BBB+/Agusto; BBB+/GCR

15.75 LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018

18-Oct-13

15.75

2.10

18-Oct-18

1.93

2.29

16.08

99.43

BBB-/DataPro†; BB/GCR

*LA CASERA *CHELLARAMS#

MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019

17-Feb-12

18.00

0.36

17-Feb-19

2.01

6.11

19.91

97.07

Nil

*DANA#{r}

16.00 DANA II 1-APR-2019

01-Apr-14

16.00

4.50

01-Apr-19

2.63

2.16

15.92

100.11

A+/Agusto; A-/GCR

NAHCO

15.25 NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020

14-Nov-13

15.25

2.05

14-Nov-20

5.50

2.76

16.33

96.18

A/GCR

UBA

16.45 UBA I 30-DEC-2021

30-Dec-14

16.45

30.50

30-Dec-21

6.63

2.14

15.63

103.24

A/GCR

STANBIC IBTC

182D T.bills+1.20 STANBIC IA 30-SEP-2024

30-Sep-14

11.93

0.10

30-Sep-24

9.38

1.00

14.69

86.14

A/GCR

STANBIC IBTC

13.25 STANBIC IB 30-SEP-2024

30-Sep-14

13.25

15.44

30-Sep-24

9.38

1.00

14.69

92.77

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

161.53

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

157.93

Supranational Bond AAA/S&P

IFC

10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018

11-Feb-13

10.20

12.00

11-Feb-18

2.75

1.00

14.75

89.98

Aaa/Moody's; AAA/S&P

AfDB

11.25 AFDB 1-FEB-2021

10-Jul-14

11.25

12.95

01-Feb-21

4.75

1.00

14.61

86.37

Bid Price

Offer Price

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

24.95 21.98

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION Rating/Agency

Issuer

Description

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value ($mm)

Maturity Date

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

6.75 JAN 28, 2021

07-Oct-11

6.75

500.00

28-Jan-21

5.41

5.19

106.49

107.58

5.13 JUL 12, 2018

12-Jul-13

5.13

500.00

12-Jul-18

4.35

4.08

102.24

103.06

6.38 JUL 12, 2023

12-Jul-13

6.38

500.00

12-Jul-23

5.66

5.50

104.62

105.65

FGN Eurobonds

Prices & Yields

BB-/Fitch; B+/S&P BB-/Fitch; BB-/S&P

FGN

BB-/Fitch; BB-/S&P

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

1,500.00

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

1,566.75

Corporate Eurobonds B+/Fitch; B+/S&P

GTBANK PLC I

7.50 MAY 19, 2016

19-May-11

7.50

500.00

19-May-16

6.45

4.40

101.00

102.99

B+/S&P

ACCESS BANK PLC

7.25 JUL 25, 2017

25-Jul-12

7.25

350.00

25-Jul-17

7.34

99.80

B/Fitch; B/S&P

FIDELITY BANK PLC

6.88 MAY 09, 2018

09-May-13

6.88

300.00

02-May-18

10.30

9.27

91.42

93.91

B+/Fitch; B+/S&P

GTBANK PLC

6.00 NOV 08, 2018

08-Nov-13

6.00

400.00

08-Nov-18

7.23

6.78

96.30

97.61

B+/Fitch; BB-/S&P

ZENITH BANK PLC

6.25 APR 22, 2019

22-Apr-14

6.25

500.00

22-Apr-19

7.40

96.13

B/Fitch; B/S&P

DIAMOND BANK PLC

8.75 May 21, 2019

21-May-14

8.75

200.00

21-May-19

10.24

9.83

95.19

96.51

B-/Fitch; B/S&P B-/Fitch; B/S&P B-/Fitch; B/S&P

FIRST BANK PLC ACCESS BANK PLC II FIRST BANK LTD

8.25 AUG 07, 2020 9.25/6M USD LIBOR+7.677 JUN 24, 2021 8.00/2Y USD SWAP+6.488 JUL 23 2021

07-Aug-13 24-Jun-14 23-Jul-14

8.25 9.25 8.00

300.00 400.00 450.00

07-Aug-20 24-Jun-21 23-Jul-21

8.74 10.39 9.33

8.74 9.99 9.33

97.21 95.00 93.00

97.21 96.75 93.00

B-/S&P

ECOBANK NIG. LTD

8.75 AUG 14, 2021

14-Aug-14

8.75

250.00

14-Aug-21

10.10

9.39

93.00

96.13

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

3,650.00

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

3,507.35

**Treasury Bills^ DTM 20 27 41 48 55 62 69 76

FIXINGS Maturity 4-Jun-15 11-Jun-15 25-Jun-15 2-Jul-15 9-Jul-15 16-Jul-15 23-Jul-15 30-Jul-15

Bid Discount (%) 12.11 12.52 11.98 12.47 10.30 11.60 12.30 11.48

Offer Discount (%) 11.86 12.27 11.73 12.22 10.05 11.35 12.05 11.23

Bid Yield (%) 12.19 12.64 12.14 12.68 10.46 11.83 12.59 11.76

Money Market Tenor

NIBOR Tenor O/N 1M 3M 6M

Rate (%) 13.5417 14.7638 15.6932 16.6143

Rate (%)

OBB

14.29

O/N

14.67

Tenor Call 1M

REPO

Rate (%) 15.00 15.25

Foreign Exchange (Spot & Forwards) Tenor

Bid ($/N)

Offer ($/N)

Spot 7D 14D 1M 2M 3M

197.62 201.81 202.13 202.87 204.24 205.60

197.72 201.93 202.28 203.37 205.31 207.21

^16.00 29-JUN-2019 7.00 23-OCT-2019 15.54 13-FEB-2020 ^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 ^12.1493 18-JUL-2034

29-Jun-12 23-Oct-09 13-Feb-15 27-Jan-12 14-Mar-14 28-Nov-08 22-May-09 20-Nov-09 23-Jul-10 18-Jul-14

16.00 7.00 15.54 16.39 14.20 15.00 12.49 8.50 10.00 12.1493

351.30 233.90 118.31 600.00 573.14 75.00 150.00 200.00 591.57 299.50

29-Jun-19 23-Oct-19 13-Feb-20 27-Jan-22 14-Mar-24 28-Nov-28 22-May-29 20-Nov-29 23-Jul-30 18-Jul-34

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

4,670.90

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

4,363.07

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015 Rating/Agency

Agency Bonds

APPRAISAL

FMBN

***LCRM Findings from the study will facilitate the TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION introduction of derivatives

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

Sub-National Bonds A/Agusto

KADUNA

A-/Agusto

*EBONYI

BBB+/Agustoby Chris Ugwu *BENUE Stories

A ‡ /Agusto

Description

Issuer

Issue Date

s one of itsLAGOS strategic ‡ /Agusto *BAYELSA objectives FMDQ Plc ‡ /Agusto EDO ‡ /Agusto; A+/GCR *DELTA a full is to introduce Bb-/Agusto; A-/GCR NIGER complement of fixed ‡ /Agusto; A-/GCR† *EKITI income and currency derivaBb-/Agusto *NIGER ‡ /Agusto; A-/GCR *ONDO tive products to manage risks BBB+/Agusto; A-/GCR *GOMBE by 2019.‡ /GCR Aa-/Agusto; LAGOS BBB-/Agusto; BBB+/GCR *OSUN The Managing Director / BBB-/Agusto *OSUN CEO, Mr. Bola Onadele, Aa-/Agusto; ‡ /GCR LAGOS who A-/Agusto; BBB+/DataPro KOGI disclosed this at a forum, said ‡ /Agusto *EKITI that to achieve this, a market asA-/GCR *NASARAWA sessment report was developed TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET for FMDQ by CAPITALISATION its consultants. He noted that the report arCorporate Bonds BBB+/Agusto the situation *UPDC ticulates analysis A+/Agusto; ‡ /GCR

24-May-12 03-Apr-12 09-Dec-11 20-Apr-12 06-Jul-12

0.00 17.25 0.00/16.00 0.00/16.50 0.00/16.50

24.56 2.40 112.22 116.70 66.49

24-May-15 03-Apr-17 08-Dec-16 19-Apr-17 06-Jul-17

0.02 1.01 1.57 1.93 2.14

2.63 2.27 2.00 2.66 2.85

15.86 16.79 15.74 16.45 16.64

99.55 100.47 100.31 101.21 97.50

12.50

8.50

31-Aug-15

0.30

4.44

16.71

98.71

13.00

2.16

30-Sep-15

0.38

3.23

15.96

98.89

30-Jun-11

14.00

4.86

30-Jun-16

0.65

4.46

18.21

97.52

09-Apr-18

1.65

1.00

14.75

101.70

of the15.50 financial markets as a IMO 30-JUN-2016 10.00formulating LAGOS 19-APR-2017 the prodbasis for 13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017 uct and development 14.00market EDO 31-DEC-2017 14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018 strategic goals, objectives and 14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018 roll-out plan. The FMDQ boss 14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018 added14.00 that oneIII 12-DEC-2018 of its major obNIGER 15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019 servations was the urgent need 15.50 GOMBE 02-OCT-2019 for a well derivatives 14.50 developed LAGOS 22-NOV-2019 14.75 OSUN 12-DEC-2019 market. 14.75 OSUN II 10-OCT-2020 He 13.50 said that the Nigerian LAGOS 27-NOV-2020 15.00 KOGI 31-DEC-2020 over-the-counter (OTC) market 14.50 EKITI II 31-DEC-2020 intends toNASARAWA commission a study 15.00 06-JAN-2021 after issuing a Request for Proposal (RfP) in 2015 towards the introduction of various deriva10.00 UPDC through 17-AUG-2015 the years tive products

Foreign Exchange Trading 5.73 30-Jun-16 0.65 57.00 19-Apr-17 1.93 System (TRFXT). The imple25.73 30-Jun-17 1.19 mentation of 31-Dec-17 this system will 25.00 2.63 30.81 30-Sep-18 2.01 foster system–based dealing 9.00 04-Oct-18 2.02 on13.73 FX Forwards, Swaps and 09-Dec-18 2.00 10.20 for Differences. 12-Dec-18 2.00 Cash FMDQ 27.00 14-Feb-19 2.20 is 15.09 also looking to review and 02-Oct-19 2.63 promote enabling derivatives 80.00 22-Nov-19 4.52 25.70 12-Dec-19 2.60 laws, guidelines, policies and 10.78 10-Oct-20 3.14 documentation standards. This 87.50 27-Nov-20 5.54 5.00 31-Dec-20 5.63 will include adapting the Global 4.55 31-Dec-20 3.29 Master Repurchase Agreement 4.56 06-Jan-21 3.32 (GMRA) and International 452.88 441.92 and Derivatives AssoSwaps ciation (ISDA) Master Agree2.50 0.26 ment,” he said.17-Aug-15 18.75 09-Dec-15 0.32 Chairman, FMDQ OTC Plc, 0.42 06-Jan-16 0.40 29-Sep-16 Dr.15.00 Sarah Alade, had said that1.38 in 5.53 25-Oct-16 1.45 order to deliver on its key man20.00 30-Sep-17 2.38 dates development 0.64 of market 30-Nov-17 1.40

of 2015 and 2018. 30-Jun-09 15.50 19-Apr-10 10.00 Onadele said that findings 30-Jun-10 13.75 from the30-Dec-10 study would 14.00 support 14.00 plan FMDQ’s30-Sep-11 product roll-out 04-Oct-11 14.00 for the introduction of 14.50 FX and 09-Dec-11 12-Dec-13 interest rate derivatives14.00 into the Nigerian14-Feb-12 market place.15.50 02-Oct-12 15.50 He noted that in the immedi22-Nov-12 14.50 12-Dec-12 14.75 ate, FMDQ is developing its FX 10-Oct-13 14.75 Options27-Nov-13 trading requirements 13.50 31-Dec-13 15.00 and rules, so as to secure a ‘No 31-Dec-13 14.50 Objection’ from the CBN. 06-Jan-14 15.00 “Additionally, FMDQ is also working with Thomas Reuters to implement the new FX trad17-Aug-10 10.00 ing system-Thomas Reuters

12.00 FLOURMILLS 9-DEC-2015

06-Jan-11

14.00 13.00

09-Dec-10

12.00

Skye Bank’s 2014 net earnings down NAHCO

A-/Agusto

FSDH

14.25 FSDH 25-OCT-2016

25-Oct-13

14.25

A/GCR

UBA

13.00 UBA 30-SEP-2017

30-Sep-10

13.00

BBB-/GCR

*C & I LEASING *DANA#{r}

18.00 C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017

30-Nov-12

18.00

MPR+7.00 DANA 9-APR-2018

09-Apr-11

16.00

MPR+7.00 TOWER 9-SEP-2018

09-Sep-11

5.40

8.75 AUG 14, 2021

ECOBANK NIG. LTD

14-Aug-14

09-Sep-18

1.82

1.00

14.78

104.74

09-Sep-18

1.82

1.00

14.78

101.76

35.00

22-Sep-18

3.36

3.00

16.71

93.20

2.10

18-Oct-18

1.93

2.29

16.08

99.43

17-Feb-19

2.01

6.11

19.91

97.07

4.50

01-Apr-19

2.63

2.16

15.92

100.11

2.05

14-Nov-20

5.50

2.76

16.33

96.18

30-Dec-21 6.63 angote 30-Sep-24 Cement Plc has 0.10 9.38 recorded a gross profit 15.44 30-Sep-24 9.38 161.53 of N74.7 billion for 157.93 the three months ended 31st March, 2015. This indicates an 12.00 11-Feb-18 2.75 increase of 10.5 per cent over 12.95 N67.63 billion01-Feb-21 recorded in 4.75 the 24.95 same period in 2014. 21.98 According to the cement giOutstanding Value ant’s unaudited results for Maturity Date Bidfirst Yield (%) ($mm) quarter of 2015, revenues, according to a statement, rose by 500.00 28-Jan-21 5.41 10.8 per cent to N114.7 billion compared with N103.57 billion 500.00 12-Jul-18 4.35 in500.00 the corresponding in 2014. 12-Jul-23 5.66 The improvement in the 1,500.00 results was buoyed by maiden 1,566.75 contributions from non-Nigerian factories. 500.00 19-May-16 Net profit, according to 6.45 the 350.00 25-Jul-17 7.34 statement, was up 44.1 per cent 300.00 02-May-18 10.30 to400.00 N68.6 billion in contrast7.23to 08-Nov-18 500.00 7.40 N47.62 billion22-Apr-19 in 2014, while 200.00 earnings per21-May-19 share grew10.24 by 300.00 07-Aug-20 8.74 45.7 per cent to N4.09. 400.00 24-Jun-21 10.39 450.00 23-Jul-21 9.33 Group cement sales volumes 30.50

8.75

250.00

14-Aug-21

10.10

was2.14 up by 3.415.63 per cent103.24 to 3.8 1.00 14.69 86.14 million tonnes driven by con1.00 14.69 92.77 tributions from South Africa, Senegal, Cameroon and new lines in Nigeria. The margins 1.00 14.75 increased 89.98 by from Nigeria was 14.61 86.37 new1.00 pricing, improved gas supply and more use of coal. Dangote Cement Plants, according statement, are Offer Yield (%)to the Bid Price Offer Price now operational in Zambia and Prices & Yields Ethiopia. The new plants are 5.19 106.49 107.58 expected to impact positively on the financials of the cement 4.08 102.24 103.06 giants. 5.50 104.62 105.65 Speaking on the first quarter results, Chief Executive officer, Dangote Cement, Mr. Onne van der Weijde, said: 4.40African101.00 102.99 “Our projects are now 7.34 99.80 99.80 beginning to deliver revenue 9.27 91.42 93.91 growth for the96.30 group and even 6.78 97.61 7.40 early stage 96.13 96.13seeat this we are 95.19 96.51 ing 9.83 good potential in all the 8.74 97.21 97.21 countries into which we 9.99 95.00 96.75 are 9.33 93.00 93.00 expanding. 9.39

3,650.00

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

2.54

0.70

0.36

#{r}

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

and3.48 governance, 17.23FMDQ Plc 98.93was 14.79 92.18 to be1.00 positioned as a world class 1.00 15.22 98.44 securities exchange with96.71 three 1.79 15.55 1.80 focus encapsulated 15.60 97.36 in year’s 1.00 14.80 98.62 financial market development. 1.00 14.80 99.48 4.78 18.58 the Nigerian 92.93 Alade said that 1.00 14.79 101.18 over-the-counter (OTC) market 1.00 14.76 101.44 will1.00 focus on product and mar14.63 99.58 1.00 14.76 99.96 ket development initiatives that 1.00 14.72 100.05 will1.00 promote 14.56 price discovery 96.03 14.56 and1.00 transparency to all101.61 stake1.44 15.15 98.39 holders. 1.00 14.71 100.65 She added that the initiative will also provide quality and reliable market research, promote 1.00 99.20 education and 13.07 capacity building 1.00 13.40 99.56 for stakeholders, foster integra2.63 15.49 99.45 14.94 97.63 tion1.00 of the markets, increase 1.34 15.16 98.83 investor confidence and reduce 1.00 14.78 96.50 market failure. 1.88 15.77 103.41

Dangote Cement posts N74.7bn 2015 Q1 profit

18.00 *TOWER kye Bank Plc has post- to N132.26MPR+5.25 billionTOWER from N121.4 of the challenging operat- 16.00 9-SEP-2018 09-Sep-11 *TOWER edA/GCR 47.4 per cent decline billion, a14.00 nine per cent rise. ing environment, the bank 14.00 UBA II 22-SEP-2018 A+/Agusto; 22-Sep-11 UBA 15.75 LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018 BBB+/Agusto; BBB+/GCR in profit after *LA taxCASERA for Operating income was up carefully grew18-Oct-13 its risk assets 15.75 MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019 17-Feb-12 18.00 BBB-/DataPro†; BB/GCR *CHELLARAMS the financial year *DANA ended marginally N69.33 billion portfolio, attained a 15.7 per 16.00 16.00to DANA II 1-APR-2019 01-Apr-14 Nil 15.25billion, NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020 A+/Agusto; A-/GCR NAHCO 2014. from N68.5 indicat- cent growth in14-Nov-13 deposits, sup- 15.25 16.45 UBA I 30-DEC-2021 A/GCR 30-Dec-14 The bank, in aUBA filing ing increasing efficiency in ported customers in critical 16.45 182D T.bills+1.20 STANBIC IA 30-SEP-2024 A/GCR 30-Sep-14 11.93 STANBIC IBTC with the Nigerian Stock Excost management. This was and productive sectors of 13.25 13.25 STANBIC IB 30-SEP-2024 A/GCR 30-Sep-14 STANBIC IBTC TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE change (NSE), said that its on the back of a 2.4 per cent the economy, and declared a TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION profit after tax was down rise in interest income from fairly decent profit. to N9.741 billion in 2014 as N105.3 billion to N107.85 bilOguntayo said that the Supranational Bond 10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018 AAA/S&P IFC 11-Feb-13 against N18.534 billion re- lion. recent acquisition of Main- 10.20 11.25 AFDB 1-FEB-2021 Aaa/Moody's; AAA/S&P AfDB 10-Jul-14 According to a statement treet Bank Limited, ported in 2013, indicating a which 11.25 TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE has resulted into a much drop of 47.4 per cent. from the management, the TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION Its 2014 pre-tax profit bank’s headline and bottom- larger franchise of over 450 equally fell 46.7 per cent to Issuerline profits in the period un- branches, provides the bankCoupon (%) Description Rating/Agency Issue Date N10.474 billion compared der review were tempered with enhanced capacity to FGN Eurobonds with N19.647 billion in the by impairment charges, provide easier access to its 6.75 JAN 28, 2021 BB-/Fitch; B+/S&P 07-Oct-11 regulatory payments and teeming customers, previous year. and ex- 6.75 BB-/Fitch; FGNhigher operating cost, inGross earnings, however, plore various opportunities 5.13 JUL 12, 2018 12-Jul-13 5.13 BB-/S&P rose to N136.742 billion from cluding cost of acquisition in diverse segments of the 6.38 BB-/Fitch; 6.38 JUL 12, 2023 12-Jul-13 BB-/S&P N132.392 billion the previ- of Mainstreet Bank, among Nigerian Economy. TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE ous year, representing an other costs. These, according He gave an assurance to TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION increase of 3.3 per cent. to the lender, muscled-down those who have kept their Corporate Eurobonds However, the bank pre-tax profit by 46.7 per cent investment with the bank, 19, 2016 along with other B+/Fitch; B+/S&P PLC I from N19.65 billion 7.50 19-May-11 showed a significantGTBANK approto MAY N9.74 stakehold- 7.50 7.25 JUL 25, 2017 B+/S&P ACCESS BANK PLC 25-Jul-12 billion. priation to retained earnings ers, that the synergies and 7.25 6.88 MAY 09, 2018 B/Fitch; B/S&P FIDELITY BANK PLC 09-May-13 6.88 as it grew 70.6 per cent from Speaking on the results, economies of scale expected 6.00 NOV 08, 2018 B+/Fitch; B+/S&P GTBANK PLC 08-Nov-13 6.00 APR 22, 2019 from the Mainstreet B+/Fitch; BB-/S&P 22-Apr-14 N19.73 billion in the ZENITH 2013 BANK fi- PLCthe Bank’s group 6.25 Managacqui- 6.25 8.75 May 21, 2019 B/Fitch; B/S&P 21-May-14 nancial year to N33.7DIAMOND billionBANK PLC ing Director/Chief8.25 Execusition will begin to manifest 8.75 AUG 07, 2020 B-/Fitch; B/S&P FIRST BANK PLC 07-Aug-13 8.25 in 2014. The numbersACCESS helped tive Officer, 9.25/6M Mr. USD Timothy from financial 9.25 LIBOR+7.677 JUN 24, 2021the current B-/Fitch; B/S&P BANK PLC II 24-Jun-14 8.00/2Y USDdespite SWAP+6.488 JULyear. 23 2021 B-/Fitch; B/S&P total equity FIRST BANK LTDOguntayo, said 23-Jul-14 8.00 the bank’s level that B-/S&P

Indicative Price

30-Sep-10

29-Sep-11

Valuation Yield (%)

31-Aug-10

13.00 NAHCO 29-SEP-2016

# Risk Premium (%)

13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015

14.00 CHELLARAMS 06-JAN-2016

AAA/DataPro†; A/GCR

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015

*CHELLARAMS

Maturity Date

107.38 78.73 106.82 112.47 104.01 88.53 72.75 49.89 68.30 90.46

322.38

*FLOURMILLS

A-/DataPro†; B+/GCR

107.08 78.43 106.52 112.17 103.71 88.23 72.45 49.59 68.00 90.16

322.38

BB/GCR

Nil

13.59 13.53 13.53 13.49 13.40 17.21 17.84 18.57 15.46 13.55

Business | Financial Market News

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

Coupon (%)

BBB-/Agusto

A+/Agusto; A-/GCR

13.68 13.63 13.61 13.55 13.46 17.27 17.91 18.68 15.53 13.60

FMDQ plans fixed income, currency derivative products 0.00 FMB 24-MAY-2015 17.25 FMB II 03-APR-2017 0.00/16.00 LCRM 08-DEC-2016 0.00/16.50 LCRM II 19-APR-2017 0.00/16.50 LCRM III 06-JUL-2017

14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016

*IMO

4.12 4.44 4.75 6.70 8.83 13.54 14.02 14.52 15.19 19.18

93.00

96.13

15-May-15

3,507.35

The DQL contains data relating to, amongst other things, market and model prices, rates of foreign exchange products, fixed income securities and instruments in the financial market (the “Information”). The Information does not constitute **Treasury Bills^ FIXINGS Money Market Foreign Exchange (Spot & Forwards) professional,DTM financial or investment advice. We attempt to ensure the Information is accurate; theBidInformation is provided “AS IS” and on an “AS AVAILABLE”Tenor basis and mayRate not(%) be accurate or up to date. We do not guarantee Maturity Bid Discount (%) Offer Discounthowever, (%) Yield (%) NIBOR 4-Jun-15 12.11 11.86 12.19neither do we accept liability for the results of any action taken on the basis of the Information. the accuracy,20timeliness, completeness, performance or fitness for a particular purpose of any of the Information, Bid ($/N) Offer ($/N) OBB 14.29 Tenor FGN

27 41 48 Bonds 55 62 69 76 Rating/Agency 83 90 104 111 118 132 139 153 167 202 216 NA 237 244 251 258 265 272 279 286 293 307

314 TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

11-Jun-15 25-Jun-15 2-Jul-15 9-Jul-15 16-Jul-15 23-Jul-15 30-Jul-15 Issuer 6-Aug-15 13-Aug-15 27-Aug-15 3-Sep-15 10-Sep-15 24-Sep-15 1-Oct-15 15-Oct-15 29-Oct-15 3-Dec-15 17-Dec-15 NA 7-Jan-16 14-Jan-16 21-Jan-16 28-Jan-16 4-Feb-16 11-Feb-16 18-Feb-16 25-Feb-16 3-Mar-16 17-Mar-16

12.52 11.98 12.47 10.30 11.60 12.30 11.48 Description 10.42 11.48 ^13.05 16-AUG-2016 11.62 11.37 ^15.10 27-APR-2017 12.77 9.85 27-JUL-2017 13.16 9.35 31-AUG-2017 12.81 10.70 30-MAY-2018 12.86 12.50 ^16.00 29-JUN-2019 12.95 7.00 23-OCT-2019 12.96 15.54 13-FEB-2020 12.63 ^16.39 27-JAN-2022 14.01 13.16 ^14.20 14-MAR-2024 13.90 15.00 28-NOV-2028 13.26 12.49 22-MAY-2029 13.75 13.60 8.50 20-NOV-2029 13.82 ^10.00 23-JUL-2030 13.54 ^12.1493 18-JUL-2034 13.26

Bonds

13.56

13.31

7-Apr-16

13.31

13.06

15.12

13.18

12.93

15.04

13.18

12.93

15.13

342 TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION 21-Apr-16 5-May-16

*for the Amortising bonds, the average life is calculated and not the duration #

12.64 12.14 12.68 10.46 11.83 12.59 11.76 (%) Coupon 10.67 11.81 13.05 12.02 11.77 15.10 13.31 9.85 13.81 9.35 13.47 10.70 13.59 13.26 16.00 13.94 7.00 14.04 15.54 13.76 16.39 15.45 14.46 14.20 15.41 15.00 14.68 12.49 15.32 15.17 8.50 15.49 10.00 15.18 12.1493 14.93

24-Mar-16

328

356

12.27 11.73 12.22 10.05 11.35 12.05 11.23Date Issue 10.17 11.23 16-Aug-13 11.37 11.12 27-Apr-12 12.52 27-Jul-07 12.91 31-Aug-07 12.56 30-May-08 12.61 12.25 29-Jun-12 12.70 23-Oct-09 12.71 13-Feb-15 12.38 27-Jan-12 13.76 12.91 14-Mar-14 13.65 28-Nov-08 13.01 22-May-09 13.50 13.35 20-Nov-09 13.57 23-Jul-10 13.29 18-Jul-14 13.01

Rating/Agency

Issuer

Risk Premium is a combination of credit risk and liquidity risk premiums **Exclusive of non-trading t.bills

15.35

Description

Tenor O/N 1M 3M 6M

Rate (%) 13.5417 14.7638 15.6932 16.6143

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

O/N

14.67

REPO

Maturity Date

NITTY

581.39 16-Aug-16 Tenor Rate (%) 1M 13.1245 476.80 27-Apr-17 2M 13.2456 20.00 27-Jul-17 3M 13.4426 100.00 31-Aug-17 6M 14.0273 300.00 30-May-18 9M 14.8504 12M 14.9875 351.30 29-Jun-19 233.90 23-Oct-19 118.31 13-Feb-20 NIFEX 600.00 27-Jan-22 Current Price ($/N) 573.14 14-Mar-24 BID($/N) 199.0000 75.00 28-Nov-28 OFFER ($/N) 199.1000 150.00 22-May-29 200.00 20-Nov-29 591.57 23-Jul-30 299.50 18-Jul-34

Tenor Call 1M (Yrs) TTM 3M 6M

Rate (%) 15.00 Bid15.25 Yield 15.50 15.75

(%)

Spot 7D 14D 1M 2M Offer 3M Yield (%) 6M 1Y

1.26 13.73 13.59 1.95 13.82 13.73 NOTE: 2.20 13.79 13.70 :Benchmarks 2.30 13.78 13.70 * :Amortising Bond 3.04Bond 13.73 13.60 µ :Convertible AMCON: Asset of Nigeria 4.12 Management Corporation 13.68 13.59 FGN: Federal Government of Nigeria 4.44 13.63 13.53 FMBN: Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria 4.75 Finance Corporation 13.61 13.53 IFC: International 6.70 13.55 Management 13.49 LCRM: Local Contractors Receivables NAHCO: Nigerian 8.83 Aviation Handling 13.46 Company 13.40 O/N: Overnight 13.54 17.27 17.21 UPDC: UAC Property Development Company 14.02Africa Portland Cement 17.91 Company17.84 WAPCO:West 14.52 18.68 18.57 15.19 15.53 15.46 19.18 13.60 13.55

197.62 197.72 201.81 201.93 202.13 Price 202.28 202.87 203.37 204.24 205.31 205.60 207.21Price Bid Price Offer 206.28 213.47 220.29 226.27

99.19 99.34 102.10 102.25 92.69 92.84 NA :Not Applicable 91.49 91.64 ^ : Market Prices 92.65 92.95 # : Floating Rate Bond ***: Deferred 107.08coupon bonds 107.38 78.43 78.73 ‡ : Bond rating under review 106.82 †: Bond106.52 rating expired 112.47 N/A :Not112.17 Available {r} :Issuer in receivership104.01 103.71 88.23 88.53 NGC: Nigeria-German Company 72.45Bank for Africa 72.75 UBA: United 49.59 49.89 68.00 68.30 90.16 90.46

4,670.90 4,363.07

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

# Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Indicative Price

Agency Bonds FMBN ***LCRM Modified Duration Buckets

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

Volume(Bn)

24-May-12 0.00 03-Apr-12 17.25 FMDQ FGN BOND 09-Dec-11 0.00/16.00 20-Apr-12 0.00/16.50 Weighting by Weighting by Mkt 06-Jul-12 0.00/16.50

Outstanding Vol

Value

1,439.67

1,409.48

41.39

43.48

3<5

1,217.14

1,124.68

33.03

36.76

Sub-National Bonds

0.00 FMB 24-MAY-2015 17.25 FMB II 03-APR-2017 0.00/16.00 LCRM 08-DEC-2016 0.00/16.50 LCRM II 19-APR-2017 Total Outstanding 0.00/16.50 LCRM III 06-JUL-2017 Porfolio Market Value(Bn)

Market

24.56 2.40

INDEX112.22 116.70

66.49 Bucket Weighting

322.38

0.41

322.380.33

24-May-15 03-Apr-17 08-Dec-16 19-Apr-17 % Exposure_ 06-Jul-17

Mod_Duration

0.02 1.01 1.57 1.93 2.14 Implied Yield

2.63 2.27 2.00 2.66 Implied 2.85

Portfolio Price

15.86 16.79 15.74 16.45 16.64 INDEX

99.55 100.47 100.31 101.21 YTD Return 97.50 (%)

19.10

13.74

105.4952

1,181.96

6.6899

38.71

13.51

111.9745

1,117.29

10.3421

654.26

871.07

25.58

19.76

0.26

42.19

14.74

78.3682

1,101.47

9.3797

3,311.07

3,405.23

100.00

1.00

100.00

14.07

100.6960

1,137.86

7.8350

A/Agusto

KADUNA

12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015

31-Aug-10

12.50

8.50

31-Aug-15

0.30

4.44

16.71

98.71

A-/Agusto

*EBONYI

13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015

30-Sep-10

13.00

2.16

30-Sep-15

0.38

3.23

15.96

98.89

BBB+/Agusto

*BENUE

14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-11

14.00

4.86

30-Jun-16

0.65

4.46

18.21

97.52

‡ /Agusto

*IMO

15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-09

15.50

5.73

30-Jun-16

0.65

3.48

17.23

98.93

A+/Agusto; ‡ /GCR

LAGOS

10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017

19-Apr-10

10.00

57.00

19-Apr-17

1.93

1.00

14.79

92.18

‡ /Agusto

*BAYELSA

13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017

30-Jun-10

13.75

25.73

30-Jun-17

1.19

1.00

15.22

98.44

‡ /Agusto

EDO

14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017

30-Dec-10

14.00

25.00

31-Dec-17

2.63

1.79

15.55

96.71

42 Business | Interview

MONDAY,MAY 18, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Why Nigerian airlines are Roland Iyayi is the Chief Executive Officer of Lagos, Nigeria-based TopBrass Aviation Limited, which offers VVIP and executive air charter and scheduled services,. In a no-hold-bared interview with WOLE SHADARE, the former Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) spoke on a wide range of issues concerning aviation in Nigeria, the predatory nature of airline business and the low contribution of the sector to Nigeria’s GDP. Excerpts

Iyayi

How can the aviation sector be reorganised to make it work because it is obvious that the industry in Nigeria is not growing? It boils down to policy. The United Arab Emirates (UAE), 25 years ago, took a conscious decision. Dubai was not a destination, it was planned. They looked at it from a stand point and said, ‘look, we have oil, but for how long can we depend on oil?’ They said that they needed to develop something else that they could build their economy around and it was decided that Dubai should be made a destination. That policy means how they can get all the financial institutions of the world to come to Dubai and use Dubai as financial capital of the world. Dubai is pretty much like in the centre of the world because from Dubai to the East, to the West, it is about the same time; it gave them competitive and strategic advantage to launch Emirates from there to anywhere in the world. What was the model they needed to have to develop Dubai into a huge hub? People fly through Dubai without stepping out of the airport and you spend. They move the entire economy around the airport. It was a deliberate policy. Again, can it work in Nigeria? Yes, it is possible, but how do you do it?

You must have policy direction, set the objective. And having set the objective, you can now say let us see what role aviation will play and how we can use aviation to sustain that model into the future. That is what Dubai has done. Nigeria had Lagos as strategic hub that can be developed for the entire region, but we have not taken advantage of that; we have allowed Ethiopian Airways, using ASKY Airline, to come into Lagos, pull passengers to Togo. We have not seen that. We are talking of things that are abstract. Charity, they say, begins at home. Have you sorted your own things? The minister was talking about Yamoussoukro Decision. While this is laudable, but if you read the history, because it was not implementable, the West African region called for Banjul Accord, nothing has happened. Nigeria has a population of about 170 million today. The World Bank report, in 2013, said the population rate growth in Nigeria is at three per cent. By the year 2050, Nigeria will be the fourth largest state in terms of population in the world, with 400 million people. I stand to be corrected. That is a projection. 400 million people out of which 70 per cent of that population will be between the age of 25 and 40. We

We have 22 airports in Nigeria, only four of them can barely sustain their operations

are in 2015 and nobody is thinking about that population? We have 22 airports in Nigeria, only four of them can barely sustain their operations through earning, all others are termed unviable. There is nothing in my dictionary termed unviable airport, unless of course you have not addressed the fundamental issues. Let us start from the airlines. I have a licence, Arik has a licence, Aero has a licence. When they came to you as a CAA, they bring to you a business plan, did you take time to assess the business plan to see viability or not because if you did, you already have numbers to indicate the traffic numbers. Let me give you an example. We have a licence in Ghana, but our licence there only allows us to d o charter. The DG, GCAA, told me that they could not allow me into their domestic market. They allowed just four airlines and said to me that he would only allow me if any of the four operators fail because they have looked at capacity in the market. If they allow too many operators, they will end up with war of attrition. Because some airlines in Nigeria have a lot of money to burn not because they have a good model, they are more than glad to come there, lower their fares to destroy the market. As soon as you leave the market, they jerk up their fares. That is predatory. What is the implication of policy somersault of former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah and her successor, Osita Chidoka? We have over the years seen policy somersault and this has brought distortion to the market. Over the years, we have seen distortion in the market because of policy inconsistency. And when you have distortion in the market, to a large extent, you may not feel that the larger economy is suffering big time and people have been lamenting and asking the question on why aviation in Nigeria contributes a paltry 0.4 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GPD)? I have said this and I pride myself as a student of Aviation because I am doing my Doctorate Degree in Aviation currently. I have done series of research. If we look at Brazil, which I have studied exten-

sively, I can tell you categorically that Brazil saw that indeed there is need to embrace deregulation and liberalisation. When you take out a reform agenda, no matter how laudable, if it is tied to disconnect in the overall economy. When you do that, you create more harm to your economy. I will take us back. We had a partial deregulation of the industry in 1985, Nigeria Airways then had a monopoly of the industry, to that extent, Nigeria Airways was well equipped to operate domestic market as 100 per cent market shareholder. When government decided to de-regulate, remember the fact that Nigeria Airways was tax payers’ money. If government now so chose that at that time to deregulate for the purpose of allowing better consumer, which informed deregulation worldwide, how come 20 years down the line, those benefits have not manifested. The ultimate outcome and the context in which the reforms are carried out are key in any reform. Where is that disconnect? The intended outcome is not ultimately what you will get. Nigeria Airways did not prepare for deregulation and could it have done that? It is an on-going thing for ever. Nigeria Airways did not re-equip. What Nigeria Airways used to get 100 per cent, they are getting 70, 50 per cent, what did you do to manage that on behalf of Nigeria Airways, considering the fact that it was tax payers’ money? I was privy to what happened, because I was part of the system then. At a time, Nigeria Airways had about 18 aircraft in its fleet. Because of the fragmentation in the market, Nigeria was forced to be using aircraft that was not so perfect in a fragmented market to exploit the same market they had when they had a monopoly. It led to the depletion of Nigeria Airways aircraft. What that led to was a reduced earning, carrying the same overhead which was not sustainable. It got to a point when we said that Nigeria Airways owed money all over the place, nobody looked at it. It did not allow airways enough time to respond to the new market. So, we had the likes of Okada and others who brought in all manners of airplanes that were not necessarily good to sustain the longevity of the industry, just because they were affordable and all of a sudden, we had a lot new airlines coming into the industry. If you bring in an old airplane to operate, it is cheap to buy, but invariably, you are paying very high to maintain it. Nigerian airlines will go and acquire airplanes that will not last two or three years before they are out of operations. If quality at that time had been looked after, I am sure that we would have had

Business | Interview

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

not profitable, by Iyayi The company: TopBrass Aviation Founded 2008 Assets under management Nil

Core business focus: Aircraft management and aircraft charter services to the private, corporate and non-commercial aviation industry in Nigeria and the West African sub-region.

Nigeria Airways. At the point Nigeria Airways was liquidated, it had more assets than liabilities because I was part of the team that did restructuring assessment of Nigeria Airways. We advised government to release $127.5 million to resuscitate and acquire additional aircraft to make a total of 15 aircraft comprising five short haul, five medium haul and five long haul and Nigeria Airways was looking at having Lagos as international hub and Abuja as domestic hub. The asset base of Nigeria Airways was over $500 million. Now we have liquidated Nigeria Airways and we have other players in the industry. The other players do not have the solid foundation Nigeria Airways had. What we do is to say, let them run an airline. Do they start with any particular model in mind? If you don’t have, you will come and go. We have this boom and burst cycle. Secondly, you have a situation where all the airlines in the country today are in a war of attrition. Why? Between Lagos, Abuja and Port-Harcourt, we have 80.2 per cent travellers today going to Abuja, Lagos and Port-Harcourt. In my research, I refer to those three airports as business triangle of Nigeria. Everybody is gravitating towards these three destinations. People who are into oil and gas go to Port-Harcourt. Those going to Lagos go there because of the sea ports and commercial nature of the city while Abuja as the political capital of Nigeria. Those three cities remain key and vital. Because the airlines recognise that this is the case, they have thrown so much of their capacities into this market. If you have that situation, there is already deep ticket competition in those markets. So, you have airlines that say let me throw enough schedules into Abuja. Their frequencies have increased into Abuja and PortHarcourt and Lagos with a view of holding market share. Let me also say this, the size of that market vis a vis the capacity thrown into it are totally incongruent. Assuming they all have equal share, they still cannot break even because if you look at the operating economics of each of these airlines, the type of aircraft they operate, they cannot operate profitably enough

schedules into this market. They still cannot break even. If you look at the operating economics of each of these airlines, the type of aircraft they operate, their overheads, their exposure financially, they can’t practically be profitable. For as long as we have airlines thinking on how to hold on to market share, throwing in frequencies, there will be major problem. That is where we are today. That war of attrition is not helping the sustainability of the industry. How have we implemented our policies? There has been policy somersault, policy inconsistency in terms of implementation. As far as this becomes a pattern, I can’t see it grow. What we see here are airlines like big bubbles ready to burst. People were saying that AMCON has come to rescue the airlines. Government talked about providing funding for the airlines. Money provided by AMCON was used to buy debts, not adding growth. What they did was to give them a new lease of life to continue to create distortions in the market for which no growth is recorded. If you ask me, the almost N200 billion expended through AMCON to airlines was money down the drain. Could it have been done differently? I believe so. The key is the context to which those policies were put in place and the objective that were being looked at in terms of outcome, do we have a dis-connect? If the answer is yes, it means that we cannot implement those policies. How is Top Brass Aviation doing? We started operations in 2009, operating business jets. We are able to expand and diversify to niche areas because we have the opportunity of contract with oil and gas companies for which we are now focused. We are able to vie for those contracts and we were able to deliver. We operated for about two and half years for those contracts. The payment that was due to us by the multinational companies was held down for two years at the time. The whole situation became not too attractive. By 2014, we indicated that we wanted to have a resolution. If we had all the monies owed us at the time, we would not be having problems with our bankers, it would give

Iyayi

our operations a better ambience of stability and, of course, sustainability. These are the things we were unable to achieve and it became clear to us that they were not willing to make these payments to us, we initiated a dispute. They felt bad and said how could Top Brass, a small company, be making such demand of us. Spitefully, they decided to let go of our services and we resorted to other providers, even though we are putting for a five year. We were in good contention, they still went ahead to award to another firm that seems not to have met the condition simply because we insisted that they pay us what was owed. What I did in order to curtail our exposure was to park two serviceable aircraft since April last year and in active storage and could be brought back to active service by just doing basic checks and hopefully get them back to fly. I had to lay off 124 workers so that we will stay liquid in order to retain our Air Operator Certificate (AOC). Fortunately, we just acquired Hawker XP just at the point the matter was escalating to a dispute. We have used Hawker to sustain our operations pretty much in terms of our operations in terms of overhead in the last 14 months. The Hawker went for a major check in November and has been concluded last week and undergoing checks by the CAA and to return to service soonest to keep the business rolling until we can have some level of restructuring and ultimately looking at different niche to refocus our operations. Apart from laying off staff, what are your other challenges? Essentially, the interesting thing is that we acquired two of our aircraft on lease. We acquired the third aircraft outright through bank financing, so we are owing on residual. As a result of what has been happening, we have been non-operational in the last twelve months in terms of flying; we have huge exposure to our bankers; it is escalating and the number increasing on

a daily basis. We have not been in the position to service even the interest and penalty is being applied on quarterly basis. At this point in time, we have exposure close to about N4 billion to our bankers.

At the point Nigeria Airways was liquidated, it had more assets than liabilities

President/CEO Topbrass Aviation Limited Post Graduate Student: Cranfield University (2010-present); Previously worked with Aero Contractors Airline; Former Managing Director, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).

Daily Summary as of 15/05/2015

Printed 15/05/2015 14:56:51.051

Business | Capital Market

MONDAY,MAY 18, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Daily Summary (Bonds)

Daily Summary as of 15/05/2015 Printed 15/05/2015 14:56:51.051

No Debt Trading Activity

The Nigerian Stock Market Exchange as at May 15, 2015 Daily Summary (Equities)

Daily Summary as of 15/05/2015 Printed 15/05/2015 14:56:51.051

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

AGRICULTURE Crop Production FTN COCOA PROCESSORS PLC OKOMU OIL PALM PLC. PRESCO PLC Crop Production Totals Livestock/Animal Specialties LIVESTOCK FEEDS PLC. Livestock/Animal Specialties Totals

Symbol FTNCOCOA OKOMUOIL PRESCO

No. of Deals 1 5 33 39

Current Price 0.50 28.44 30.00

Quantity Traded 5,000 6,070 260,615 271,685

Value Traded 2,500.00 168,701.00 7,834,857.00 8,006,058.00

Symbol LIVESTOCK

No. of Deals 3 3

Current Price 2.40

Quantity Traded 60,027 60,027

Value Traded 144,064.80 144,064.80

331,712

8,150,122.80

Current Price 1.62 0.90 4.44 3.19 40.00

Quantity Traded 10,000 293 11,480 22,516,315 221,423 22,759,511

Value Traded 15,400.00 251.98 48,445.60 72,031,381.00 8,866,339.62 80,961,818.20

AGRICULTURE Totals CONGLOMERATES Daily Summary as of 15/05/2015 Diversified Industries Printed 15/05/2015 14:56:51.051 A.G. LEVENTIS NIGERIA PLC.

JOHN HOLT PLC. S C O A NIG. PLC. TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATION OF NIGERIA PLC U A C N PLC. Activity Summary on Board EQTY Diversified Industries Totals

42 Symbol No. of Deals AGLEVENT 1 JOHNHOLT 2 SCOA 4 Daily Summary (Equities) TRANSCORP 128 UACN 43 178

CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Building Structure/Completion/Other COSTAIN (W A) PLC. G CAPPA PLC Building Structure/Completion/Other Totals

178

22,759,511 Page

Activity Summary on Board EQTY INDUSTRIAL GOODS Building Materials ASHAKA CEM PLC BERGER PAINTS PLC

Activity Summary on Board EQTY INDUSTRIAL GOODS Building Materials CAP PLC CEMENT CO. OF NORTH.NIG. PLC DANGOTE CEMENT PLC DN MEYER PLC. FIRST ALUMINIUM NIGERIA PLC IPWA PLC PAINTS AND COATINGS MANUFACTURES PLC PORTLAND PAINTS & PRODUCTS NIGERIA PLC LAFARGE AFRICA PLC. Building Materials Totals

80,961,818.20 1 of 14

Symbol COSTAIN GCAPPA

No. of Deals 8 1 9

Current Price 0.81 14.46

Quantity Traded 9,040 69 9,109

Value Traded 7,350.80 948.06 8,298.86

Infrastructure/Heavy Construction JULIUS BERGER NIG. PLC. Infrastructure/Heavy Construction Totals

Symbol JBERGER

No. of Deals 23 23

Current Price 51.70

Quantity Traded 65,462 65,462

Value Traded 3,410,406.12 3,410,406.12

Real Estate Development UACN PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT CO. LIMITED Real Estate Development Totals

Symbol UAC-PROP

No. of Deals 18 18

Current Price 10.25

Quantity Traded 90,171 90,171

Value Traded 936,676.80 936,676.80

Symbol UPDCREIT

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 10.00

Quantity Traded 100 100

Value Traded 1,000.00 1,000.00

164,842

4,356,381.78 Value Traded 18,864.00 18,864.00

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) Daily Summary as of 15/05/2015 UPDC REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST Printed 15/05/2015 14:56:51.051 Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) Totals CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Totals CONSUMER GOODS Automobiles/Auto Parts DN TYRE & RUBBER PLC Activity Summary on Parts Board EQTY Automobiles/Auto Totals

CONSUMER GOODS

Beverages--Brewers/Distillers Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © CHAMPION BREW. PLC. GUINNESS NIG PLC INTERNATIONAL BREWERIES PLC. JOS INT. BREWERIES PLC. NIGERIAN BREW. PLC. PREMIER BREWERIES PLC Beverages--Brewers/Distillers Totals

Beverages--Non-Alcoholic 7-UP BOTTLING COMP. PLC. Beverages--Non-Alcoholic Totals Food Products DANGOTE FLOUR MILLS PLC DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC FLOUR NIG. PLC. Daily Summary as ofMILLS 15/05/2015 HONEYWELL FLOUR MILL PLC Printed 15/05/2015 14:56:51.051 NATIONAL SALT CO. NIG. PLC UNION DICON SALT PLC. Food Products Totals Food Products--Diversified CADBURY NIGERIA PLC. NESTLE NIGERIA PLC.

Activity Summary on Board EQTY CONSUMER GOODS Food Products--Diversified Food Products--Diversified Totals

Daily Summary (Equities) Symbol DUNLOP

No. of Deals 7 7

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 37,728 37,728

Symbol CHAMPION GUINNESS INTBREW JOSBREW NB PREMBREW

No. of Deals 10 42 17 1 75 1 146

Current Price 7.09 155.00 20.00 1.92 155.18 3.43

Quantity Traded Page 374,459 158,502 2,728,423 3,080 394,032 438 3,658,934

Symbol 7UP

No. of Deals 21 21

Current Price 176.00

Quantity Traded 18,853 18,853

Value Traded 3,345,059.94 3,345,059.94

No. of Deals 31 38 106 33 59 2 269

Current Price 4.64 6.60 35.00 3.47 8.00 11.84

Quantity Traded 116,785 452,243 1,838,359 1,015,943 1,119,039 1,092 4,543,461

Value Traded 522,568.29 2,921,891.69 64,336,489.05 3,563,898.29 8,936,213.80 12,285.00 80,293,346.12

Current Price 39.90 900.00

Quantity Traded 25,309 9,182

Value Traded 981,770.99 8,232,524.98

Symbol DANGFLOUR DANGSUGAR FLOURMILL HONYFLOUR NASCON UNIONDICON

Daily Summary (Equities) Symbol No. of Deals CADBURY NESTLE

11 28

Page

Household Durables VITAFOAM NIG PLC. VONO PRODUCTS PLC. Household Durables Totals

Symbol VITAFOAM VONO

No. of Deals 81 4 85

Current Price 6.38 0.94

Quantity Traded 2,273,569 86,049 2,359,618

Value Traded 14,330,196.43 80,911.06 14,411,107.49

Personal/Household Products P Z CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC. UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC. Personal/Household Products Totals

Symbol PZ UNILEVER

No. of Deals 32 39 71

Current Price 29.00 45.03

Quantity Traded 532,096 358,792 890,888

Value Traded 15,348,226.48 16,155,961.95 31,504,188.43

11,543,973

281,348,060.96

Quantity Traded 32,844,240 7,355,610 1,061,562 4,481,499 7,626,747 15,673,980

Value Traded 203,394,173.17 32,340,552.71 22,942,599.13 8,448,663.16 225,063,774.50 33,114,000.59

FINANCIAL SERVICES

DIAMOND BANK PLC ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORPORATED FIDELITY BANK PLC GUARANTY TRUST BANK PLC. BANK PLC ActivitySKYE Summary on Board EQTY

FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking STERLING BANK PLC. UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC Published by UNION The Nigerian Exchange © BANKStock NIG.PLC. UNITY BANK PLC WEMA BANK PLC. ZENITH INTERNATIONAL BANK PLC Banking Totals

Symbol No. of Deals ACCESS 169 DIAMONDBNK 57 ETI 60 FIDELITYBK 62 Daily Summary (Equities) GUARANTY 184 SKYEBANK 119 No. of Deals 30 132 27 73 29 144 1,086

Current Price 2.15 5.20 10.50 2.23 0.99 22.22

Quantity Traded 2,343,376 15,794,169 61,430Page 5,214,620 1,919,713 1,766,721 96,143,667

Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services Symbol No. of Deals AIICO INSURANCE PLC. AIICO 15 CONTINENTAL REINSURANCE PLC CONTINSURE 16 CORNERSTONE INSURANCE COMPANY PLC. CORNERST 1 GREAT NIGERIAN INSURANCE PLC GNI 3 CONSOLIDATED HALLMARK INSURANCE PLC HMARKINS 1 INTERNATIONAL ENERGY INSURANCE COMPANY PLC INTENEGINS 5 Daily Summary as of 15/05/2015 MANSARD INSURANCE PLC MANSARD 1 Printed 15/05/2015 14:56:51.051 MUTUAL BENEFITS ASSURANCE PLC. MBENEFIT 2 N.E.M INSURANCE CO (NIG) PLC. NEM 33 PRESTIGE ASSURANCE CO. PLC. PRESTIGE 1 SOVEREIGN TRUST INSURANCE PLC SOVRENINS 1 Daily Summary (Equities) STANDARD ALLIANCE INSURANCE PLC. STDINSURE 1 WAPIC INSURANCE PLC WAPIC 45 Activity Summary on Brokers Board EQTY Insurance Carriers, and Services Totals 125

Current Price 1.00 0.99 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.53 3.00 0.50 0.68 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.54

Quantity Traded 1,098,485 1,344,894 18,000 500 1,000 485,648 14,000 21,000 2,418,938 1,950 400 90,000 1,359,770 6,854,585

FINANCIAL SERVICES Micro-Finance Banks

NPF MICROFINANCE BANK©PLC Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange Micro-Finance Banks Totals Other Financial Institutions AFRICA PRUDENTIAL REGISTRARS PLC CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED PLC FBN HOLDINGS PLC FCMB GROUP PLC. ROYAL EXCHANGE PLC. STANBIC IBTC HOLDINGS PLC UBA CAPITAL PLC Other Financial Institutions Totals

Symbol STERLNBANK UBA UBN UNITYBNK WEMABANK ZENITHBANK

Current Price 6.18 4.37 21.56 1.89 29.50 2.17

UNION DIAGNOSTIC & CLINICAL SERVICES PLC Healthcare Providers Totals

Medical Supplies MORISON INDUSTRIES PLC. Medical Supplies Totals

HEALTHCARE

GLAXO SMITHKLINE CONSUMER NIG. PLC. MAY & BAKER NIGERIA PLC. NEIMETH INTERNATIONAL PHARMACEUTICALS PLC NIGERIA-GERMAN CHEMICALS PLC. PHARMA-DEKO PLC. Pharmaceuticals Totals

Value Traded 4,985,837.37 81,668,936.80 4 646,049.79 of 14 11,377,433.19 1,901,326.22 39,390,810.80 665,274,157.43 Value Traded 1,098,495.00 1,330,725.06 9,000.00 250.00 500.00 250,462.12 42,840.00 10,500.00 1,650,831.40 975.00 200.00 45,000.00 727,360.48 5,167,139.06

Current Price 1.26

Quantity Traded Page 2,862,248 2,862,248

Value Traded 5 3,653,328.30 of 14 3,653,328.30

Symbol AFRIPRUD CUSTODYINS FBNH FCMB ROYALEX STANBIC UBCAP

No. of Deals 44 18 296 91 3 21 53 526

Current Price 2.99 4.17 8.99 3.00 0.50 30.00 1.49

Quantity Traded 579,008 157,000 7,080,630 11,464,164 16,950 135,149 1,799,362 21,232,263

Value Traded 1,734,214.97 654,880.00 63,119,430.39 34,499,989.82 8,475.00 4,095,463.73 2,683,120.19 106,795,574.10

1,785

Exploration and Production SEPLAT PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LTD Exploration and Production Totals

SERVICES Advertising AFROMEDIA PLC Advertising Totals

Value Traded 61,159,763.00 of 14

2,808,236

10,050,102.63

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 15,100 15,100

Value Traded 7,550.00 7,550.00

IT Services COMPUTER WAREHOUSE GROUP PLC IT Services Totals

Symbol CWG

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 4.00

Quantity Traded 300 300

Value Traded 1,140.00 1,140.00

Processing Systems CHAMS PLC Processing Systems Totals

Symbol CHAMS

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 2,924 2,924

Value Traded 1,462.00 1,462.00

18,324

10,152.00

Page

Current Price 1.52 33.00

Quantity Traded 119,349 35 119,384

Value Traded 181,410.48 1,212.75 182,623.23

Symbol No. of Deals Current Price Daily Summary (Equities) NIGROPES

1 1

7.46

Page Quantity Traded 71 71

8Value Traded of 14 503.39 503.39

Page 1,021,809

9 of 14 58,541,631.17

138 Symbol BOCGAS

No. of Deals 2 2

Current Price 5.11

Quantity Traded 300 300

Value Traded 1,458.00 1,458.00

Symbol ALEX

No. of Deals 2 2

Current Price 10.43

Quantity Traded 1,000 1,000

Value Traded 9,910.00 9,910.00

1,300

11,368.00

4 Symbol JAPAULOIL

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 500 500

Value Traded 250.00 250.00

Symbol OANDO

No. of Deals 234 234

Current Price 17.81

Quantity Traded 5,766,287 5,766,287

Value Traded 102,787,888.50 102,787,888.50

Symbol CONOIL

No. of Deals 12 10 35 15

Current Price 39.92 2.70 173.23 151.30

Quantity Traded 22,000 282,173 153,736 17,095

Value Traded 885,429.47 762,806.41 26,194,334.13 2,596,130.23

Symbol MRS TOTAL

No. of Deals 5 26 103

Current Price 50.54 150.00

Quantity Traded 4,421 74,977 554,402

Value Traded 212,296.42 11,262,542.35 41,913,539.01

Symbol SEPLAT

No. of Deals 11 11

Current Price 387.00

Quantity Traded 1,415 1,415

Value Traded 564,549.90 564,549.90

6,322,604

145,266,227.41

ETERNA Daily Summary (Equities) FO MOBIL

Page

349

Current Price 0.92

Quantity Traded 159,667 159,667

Value Traded 146,893.64 146,893.64

Symbol REDSTAREX TRANSEXPR

No. of Deals 10 22 32

Current Price 4.92 1.06

Quantity Traded 347,790 950,864 1,298,654

Value Traded 1,706,561.00 1,007,917.84 2,714,478.84

Symbol CILEASING

No. of Deals 59

Current Price 0.69

Quantity Traded 8,258,977

Value Traded 5,608,724.04

Symbol

No. of Deals 59

Current Price

Quantity Traded 8,258,977

Value Traded 5,608,724.04

Hospitality TANTALIZERS PLC Hospitality Totals

Symbol TANTALIZER

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 500 500

Value Traded 250.00 250.00

Hotels/Lodging IKEJA HOTEL PLC TRANSCORP HOTELS PLC Hotels/Lodging Totals

Symbol IKEJAHOTEL TRANSCOHOT

No. of Deals 14 2 16

Current Price 3.79 9.63

Quantity Traded 424,200 10,050 434,250

Value Traded 1,481,888.92 91,957.50 1,573,846.42

Media/Entertainment DAAR COMMUNICATIONS PLC Media/Entertainment Totals

Symbol DAARCOMM

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 30,000 30,000

Value Traded 15,000.00 15,000.00

Symbol ACADEMY LEARNAFRCA UPL

No. of Deals 3 9 24 36

Current Price 1.00 1.15 6.03

Quantity Traded 56,500 85,523 611,359 753,382

Value Traded 56,380.00 98,366.24 3,538,323.57 3,693,069.81

Quantity Traded 582,643 582,643

Value Traded 324,737.22 324,737.22

Daily Summary as of 15/05/2015 Courier/Freight/Delivery Printed 15/05/2015 14:56:51.051 RED STAR EXPRESS PLC TRANS-NATIONWIDE EXPRESS PLC. Courier/Freight/Delivery Totals Employment Solutions C & I LEASING PLC.

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Road Transportation ASSOCIATED BUS COMPANY PLC

Road Summary Transportation TotalsEQTY Activity on Board

NIGERIAN AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY PLC Transport-Related Services Totals

Daily Summary (Equities)

Page

Daily Summary (Equities) Symbol No. of Deals Current Price ABCTRANS

Symbol AIRSERVICE NAHCO

4 4

No. of Deals 6 57 63

SERVICES Totals Daily Summary as of 15/05/2015 EQTY Board Totals Printed 15/05/2015 14:56:51.051

FoodSummary Products on Board ASeM Activity

No. of Deals 2 2 4

Symbol AVONCROWN BETAGLAS

No. of Deals 15 15

Activity Summary on Board ASeM

5,869,006.90 1,171,023.47 1,844,173.25 408.68 2,423.00 10,046,798.30

Value Traded 79,630.00 4.00 79,634.00

Symbol RTBRISCOE

Automobile/Auto Part Retailers R T BRISCOE PLC. Automobile/Auto Part Retailers Totals

Value Traded 2,804.33 2,804.33

135,408 733,413 1,569,426 68 1,100 2,805,615

Quantity Traded 50,000 8 50,008

Value Traded 500.00 500.00

Quantity Traded 1,621 1,621

Quantity Traded 366,200Page

Current Price 1.58 0.50

Quantity Traded 1,000 1,000

Current Price 1.82

Current Price 3.20 44.20 1.60 1.10 6.32 2.13

No. of Deals 3 1 4

Symbol CUTIX NIWICABLE

Current Price 0.50

Daily Summary (Equities) Symbol No. of Deals

No. of Deals 26 27 16 23 1 3 96

Value Traded 1,743,561.00 1,750,476.35 11,441,950.23 158.00 3,049.50 210.50 13,420.00 2,857.50 41,065,621.19 58,278,870.55

No. of Deals 11 19 26 1 3 1 2 1 38 129

No. of Deals 1 1

Value Traded 500.00 500.00

Symbol FIDSON GLAXOSMITH MAYBAKER NEIMETH NIG-GERMAN PHARMDEKO

Quantity Traded 42,541 172,690 64,128 200 6,099 421 11,000 750 418,425 852,346

Symbol CAP CCNN DANGCEM DNMEYER FIRSTALUM IPWA PAINTCOM PORTPAINT WAPCO

Symbol AFROMEDIA

780,890,198.89

1 1

Current Price 43.00 10.50 178.50 0.83 0.50 0.50 1.27 3.64 98.20

20.47 10.00

OIL AND GAS Totals

127,092,763

No. of Deals 2 2

Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © OIL AND GAS Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors MRS OIL NIGERIA PLC. TOTAL NIGERIA PLC. Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors Totals

Quantity Traded 1,000 1,000

Symbol COURTVILLE

ICT Totals

OIL AND GAS Energy Equipment and Services JAPAUL OIL & MARITIME SERVICES PLC Energy Equipment and Services Totals

Current Price 0.50

MORISON

Value Traded 1,734,924.00 522,642.28

15 12

NATURAL RESOURCES Totals

No. of Deals 1 1

Symbol UNIONDAC

HEALTHCARE Totals ICT Computer Based Systems COURTEVILLE BUSINESS SOLUTIONS PLC Computer Based Systems Totals

Metals ALUMINIUM EXTRUSION IND. PLC. Metals Totals

Printing/Publishing Daily Summary as of 15/05/2015 ACADEMY PRESS PLC. Printed 15/05/2015 14:56:51.051 LEARN AFRICA PLC UNIVERSITY PRESS PLC. Printing/Publishing Totals

No. of Deals 48 48

Symbol NPFMCRFBK

FINANCIAL SERVICES Totals

Daily Summary as of 15/05/2015 HEALTHCARE Printed 15/05/2015 14:56:51.051 Healthcare Providers

NATURAL RESOURCES Chemicals B.O.C. GASES PLC. Chemicals Totals

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Value Traded 9,214,295.97

Quantity Traded 83,742 52,350

ASHAKACEM BERGER

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors CONOIL PLC ETERNA PLC. FORTE OIL PLC. MOBIL OIL NIG PLC.

Quantity Traded 34,491

Symbol No. of Deals Current Price Daily Summary (Equities)

Integrated Oil and Gas Services

Current Price

Daily Summary as of 15/05/2015 Banking Printed 15/05/2015 14:56:51.051 ACCESS BANK PLC.

NIGERIAN ROPES PLC Tools and Machinery Totals

OANDO Daily Summary as of PLC 15/05/2015 Integrated Oil and Gas Services Totals Printed 15/05/2015 14:56:51.051

No. of Deals 39

638

142,561,199.01

Symbol

CONSUMER GOODS Totals

Electronic and Electrical Products CUTIX PLC. NIGERIAN WIRE AND CABLE PLC. Electronic and Electrical Products Totals Packaging/Containers Daily Summary as of 15/05/2015 AVON14:56:51.051 CROWNCAPS & CONTAINERS Printed 15/05/2015 BETA GLASS CO PLC. Packaging/Containers Totals

Value Traded 2 of 14 2,536,688.48 24,485,968.63 54,592,046.95 5,636.40 60,939,430.67 1,427.88

Daily Summary (Equities)

CONSUMER GOODS

CONSUMER GOODS Food Products MCNICHOLS PLC Food Products Totals

Daily Summary (Equities)

0.56

Current Price 2.11 6.80

Quantity Traded Page 70,653 1,667,358 1,738,011

Value Traded 12 of 14 156,143.13 11,183,713.30 11,339,856.43

228

13,257,084

25,417,356.40

3,515

185,322,158

1,395,003,420.24

Daily Summary (Equities) Symbol

No. of Deals

Current Price

Quantity Traded

Value Traded

Symbol MCNICHOLS

No. of Deals 2 2

Current Price 1.50

Quantity Traded 550 550

Value Traded 863.50 863.50

550

863.50

CONSUMER GOODS Totals

ASeM Board Totals

550

863.50

Equity Activity Totals

3,517

185,322,708

1,395,004,283.74

Exchange Traded Fund

Name LOTUS HALAL EQUITY ETF NEWGOLD EXCHANGE TRADED FUND (ETF) VETIVA GRIFFIN 30 ETF Exchange Traded Fund Totals

Page

Daily Summary (ETP) Symbol LOTUSHAL15 NEWGOLD VETGRIF30

No. of Deals 3 2 4 9

Current Price 10.80 2,333.00 16.06

Quantity Traded 110 758 605 1,473

Value Traded 1,208.00 1,759,558.00 9,740.30 1,770,506.30

ETF Board Totals

1,473

1,770,506.30

ETP Activity Totals

1,473

1,770,506.30

Page

Photo | News

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

Pro-Chancellor Ebonyi State University, Dr. Alex Ekwueme (left), with Prof. Chiweyite Ejike, during the presentation of Honorary Doctor of Science by Ebonyi State University to Prof. Ejike in Ebonyi State.

L-R: President, Offa Descendants Union, Alhaji Najeem Yasin; Secretary to the Kwara State Government, Alhaji Isiaka Gold; Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed and Chairman, Offa Local Government, Prince Waheed Olanipekun, during the governor’s inspection to Owode Market, Offa, which was gutted by fire.

L-R: Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (Tetfund), Prof. Suleiman Bogoro; Justice of High Court 9, Bauchi, Justice Yelim Suleiman, former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon and ViceChancellor, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Prof. Vincent Tenebe, at the inauguration of NOUN in Bogoro LGA, Bauchi State.

L-R: Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria, Jibril Aku; Chairman, Ecobank Foundation, Chief Philip Asiodu; Chairman, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI), Mr. Emmanuel Ikazoboh; Chairman, Elizade Nigeria Limited, Chief Michael Ade Ojo and Chairman, Ecobank Nigeria Plc, Olor’ogun, Sonny Kuku, at Ecobank Transnational Incorporated’s pre-Annual General Meeting cocktail held in Lagos.

L-R: Guest Lecturer, Mr. Femi Akintola; former Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalism (NUJ), Lagos chapter, Mr. Wahaab Oba and Chairman, Photojournalists Association of Nigeria (PJAN), Mr. Ademola Akinlabi, at a seminar on Ethics in Practice of Photo Journalism, at the NUJ hall, Alausa, Lagos.

PHOTO: TONY EGUAYE

L-R: Director, Customer Business Development, P&G, Mr. Ayma Fahmy; National President, Fashion Designers’ Association of Nigeria (FADAN), Mrs. Funmi Ajila Ladipo; Communications Manager, SubSaharan Africa, P &G, Mrs. Jeanne Du Plessis; Commercial and Brand Director Nigeria, Mrs. Ehinomen Enekabor; General Manager, Mr. George Nassar and Founder, Tiffany Amber, Mrs. Tiffany Amber, at the launch of Ariel Automatic in Lagos

L–R: Admiral Superintendent, Naval Ordinance Depot, Rear Admiral Joseph Okojie; Chief Executive Officer, MTN Nigeria, Micheal Ikpoki and Commandant, Armed Forces Resettlement Centre, Oshodi, Air Vice Marshal Monday Morgan, at the MTN Golf Championship in Lagos.

L-R: Regional Business Manager, Ibadan, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Joseph Bodunrin; Yoruba movie actor, Olaniyi Afonja; Olota of Ota, Alayeluwa Oba Alani Osanyintola Oyede; Contestants, Ibrahim Ishola and Ogede Azeez, during Goldberg Fuji T’o Bam team’ visit to Oyede, Ogun State.

46 News

monday, may 18, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

south-west

Use media to promote unity, bishop tells journalists Adesina Wahab Ado-Ekiti

L-R: Member-elect, House of Representatives, Prince Akeem Adeyemi; Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi; Secretary, State of Maryland, United States, Mr. John Wobensmith; Prince Adeleke Adeyemi and Archbishop Ayo Ladigbolu, during their visit to the US, to facilitate the proposed medical and trade mission to Oyo State, as part of the activities marking the 2015 Oranyan Festivalâ&#x20AC;Śat the weekend.

he Catholic Bishop of Ekiti Diocese, Most Rev Felix Ajakaye, has urged journalists not to misuse their privilege of setting agenda for country, stating that the media should promote the unity of the country. The Bishop, also a journalist, said this in AdoEkiti yesterday, while delivering a sermon at St. Patrick's Catholic Cathedral, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, to mark the 49th World Communication

Day, warning against the use of the media for evil deeds. The theme of this year's WCD, 'Communicating the family: A privileged place of encounter with the gift of love', the cleric said was very appropriate, considering the important role effective communication plays in the family and the society at large. He advised that the media should be used to promote sincere friendship, interaction, community living and should avoid being used to promote enmity, division or destruction.

Lagos begins distribution of residents' 3m cards Muritala Ayinla

he Lagos State Gover nment, has said that it would begin distribution of the residents' cards to the three million residents of the state that registered in the ongoing residents' registration exercise out of the estimated 21 million residents in the state.

Speaking with journalists at the weekend, the General Manager of LASRRA, Ms. Olayinka Fashola who disclosed this, said the distribution would kick-off with the 14,000 state civil servants already registered with the agency, adding that the exercise would continue to other residents in phases. The state government had earlier charged all the state public servants

and other residents to register with the agency in order to have free access to public services and facilities, adding that the registration exercise was meant to facilitate proper planning. The LASRAA boss added that registered residents had already been sent messages to come for the collection of the cards. "Before anyone comes up to collect his Perma-

nent Resident Card, PRC, he would have been sent a SMS. And in the message, such person will be told where to go for the collection of his card. And this marks the expiration of the registration life circle. "And for today, we will be distributing cards mainly for the civil servants. And that was why we have decided to organize it here. At the end of the day, we will be moving to the auditorium within

Osun suspends labour leaders over N373m fraud Adeolu Adeyemo Osogbo

he Osun State Civil Service Commission has suspended the Chairman and Treasurer of the Association of Senior Civil Servants in the state, Comrade Akinyemi Olatunji and Francis Oladele Adetunji indefinitely, over an alleged N373 million fraud. The two labour leaders were alleged to have falsified government documents used to obtain a loan of N373 million from

the same bank. They were, however, directed to hand over all documents in their possession to the Accountant General of the state before proceeding on the suspension at the commission's plenary meeting of the association held on April 29, 2015. The Permanent Secretary, Osun State Civil Service Commission, Mr. K.O. Adesina, had announced the immediate suspension of the duo through a letter dated April 30,2015, with reference number C621/83.

The letter, revealed that the duo were suspended for allegedly falsifying documents purportedly signed by Mr. G.A Babatunde, the former Accountant General of the state on behalf of the state government. The two men also allegedly forged the signatures of Messrs K. Oni and P.O. Awokojo, Directors of Finance and Account and Director of Administration and Establishment of the Osun State Universal Basic Education respectively, as well as the signatures of R.M.

Ajayi and J.O. Abolade, Director of Finance and Account and Director of Administration and Establishment respectively in the state Ministry of Education. However, it was learnt, that the State Head of Service had also set up an administrative Panel of Enquiry to investigate the matter since January 2014 which has not yielded any meaningful results. It was also gathered that the loan of N373 million fraud was allegedly shared by the union leaders and their cronies.

Ekiti elders' forum faults removal of PDP chair

Bank robbery: Ondo police assure residents of safety

Adesina Wahab

Babatope Okeowo

Ado-Ekiti

kiti State Elders Forum of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has faulted the removal of the state Chairman of the party, Chief Idowu Faleye, by a faction of the State Working Committee led the Vice Chairman (North), Mr. Olatunde Olatunde. Olatunde, who declared himself the new chairman of the party at a press con-

ference in Ado-Ekiti last week, said Faleye was removed for alleged inefficiency and his failure to call meetings since assumption of office in 2014. But Faleye had, since, dismissed the allegation, saying he remained the authentic party chairman in the state until the National Working Committee of the party thinks otherwise. Faleye traced the genesis of the crisis to his refusal to sign a N11 million honorarium for members of the SWC.

Akure

ollowing the rumour that a gang of armed robbers were planning to attack some banks in Owo and Ikare in towns of Ondo State, the State Police Command yesterday allayed fears, assuring residents of the towns of adequate protection. Some banks in Owo and Ikare in Akoko North East Local Government, have closed their doors

to customers for fear that armed robbers were coming to attack them. The two major towns had also witnessed armed robbery attacks, resulting in the loss of some policemen's lives whiletherobberscartedaway hundredsof millionsof naira from the banks' vaults. But the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Wole Ogodo, in his reaction to the latest threat, said there was no cause for alarm as the command was on top of the security situation in the state.

the secretariat, also to distribute the cards. And this will elapse at the end of this month," she said. Noting that the exercise marks the end of the life cycle of a budget ,hinting that the demographic database information that existed with the agency after the registration could be shared with relevant government agencies without compromising individual privacy.

For those who couldn't get theirs on time, she added that in June, the cards would be transferred to the local councils so as to bring the card closer to their owners. Fashola, however, blamed the reason for the delay for the issuance of the card on difficulty encountered by the agency in verifying all the information collected to ensure that there was no duplication.

Aregbesola: Buhariâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s administration will accommodate youths Adeolu Adeyemo Osogbo

sun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, yesterday assured youths in the country that the incoming administration of Mohammadu Buhari, would accommodate the youths in the scheme of things as issues relating to their welfare would be adequately addressed in the quest to move the country forward. Speaking through the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youths, Sports And Special Needs, Dr. Akinyinka Esho, at the swearingin ceremony of the 2015 Batch 'A' National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), members deployed to Osun State, Aregbesola described the APC led government's template for the youths in the country as second to none. He, however, charged youths across the coutry to cooperate with the new government to be able to transform the country as well as put it on the path of advancement. The governor, however, warned against untoward acts that could

bring disrepute to the image of the country, saying it is only their positive contributions to nation building that would make them good ambassadors of the country. He argued that, the future of the country lies in the hands of the youths and appealed to them to always engage in habit that would promote the success and advancement of the country. On the newly admitted youth corps members in the state, the governor, advised them to see their deployment to Osun State, as an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the growth of the nation. "You should not see the harsh economic environment around you as an excuse for engaging in social vices but rather to motivate them to be hardworking, steadfast and honest." "I want you to know that the great men of today had once found themselves in challenging and very demanding positions but they decided to serve selflessly and diligently and that is the reason why many of them are now celebrated," he concluded.

NEW TELEGRAPH monday, may 18, 2015

News 47

south - east

Health Act: Nigerian doctors kick against foreign interest Steve Uzoechi OWERRI

igerian doctors have raised the alarm over what they described as ‘treasonable’, the involvement of foreign interest groups and agencies in the planning and implementation of the National Health Act 2015. The physicians, under the aegis of the Association of General and Pri-

vate Medical Practitioners of Nigeria (AGPMPN) maintained that it was a potent security risk to allow foreign interests to dominate a sector as critical as the nation’s health system. In a statement signed by the Imo State Chairman of AGPMPN, Dr. Philip Njemanze, a neurosurgeon, the group lamented that the National Council on Health, presided over by Dr. Khaliru Alhassan, the Supervising Minister for Health recently inau-

gurated a national committee to implement the National Health Act 2015, with 18 members of the 27 member committee revealed to be foreign organizations presiding over the implementation of a Nigerian health law. The statement read in part, “At the helm of the committee are the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Embassies of foreign Western Diplomatic Missions in Nigeria, World Health Organisation (WHO) and

other UN organizations. The action of the Minister constitutes a treasonable felony under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, because health is considered national security and surrendering the National Health System to foreign organizations amounts to an act of treason. The group linked the industrial crisis rocking the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, over a PPP deal, to the activities of foreign interests who

have allegedly moved to acquire medical facilities across the country because of the loose ethical checks on medical activities in the country. Njemanze, however, said, “the implementation of this act is illegal so far as the National Health Act 2014 has not been domesticated by the State Assemblies in the various states. National Health Act 2014, as passed by the National Assembly, is only in force in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.”

L-R: Registrar, Federal University, Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, Alhaji Ibrahim Mungadi; Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau; Eze Cletus Ilomuanya and Minister of State (Education), Prof. Viola Onwuliri, at the presentation of appointment letter to Eze Ilomuanya as Chancellor, Federal University Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State at Obinugwu – Orlu, Imo State…at the weekend

Eviction: Nwobodo faults judgement Yekeen Nurudeen Abuja

ollowing the eviction notice to vacate his No. 24 Ona Crescent, Maitama house, the former governor of old Anambra State, Chief Jim Nwobodo, has faulted the judgement of a Federal Capital Territory High Court Abuja, which ordered him to vacate his rented apartment, saying the Court erred in law. Speaking at a press briefing yesterday in Abuja, counsel to Nwobodo, Mr. Amobi Nzelu, said his client has been residing in the property situated at 24 Ona Crescent, Plot 768 Cadastral Zone A5, Maitama Abuja for a very long time. He wondered why the respondent decided to release the judgement to the press after two months but did not inform the media

that there was a substantive appeal against the judgement. According to him, the judge also erred when he assumed jurisdiction to hear and determine the case "in the absence of valid documents" that will vest/clothe the court with jurisdiction. The respondent, Adin Miles International Limited, was said to have sometime in 2008, bought the property from one Alhaji Al-Mustapha Abubakar, who had earlier leased the property to Nwobodo. Nzelu said, "It is not about non-payment of rent as was wrongly reported in the media. My client was ready to pay rent. He was negotiating for an outright sale. The man that bought this property is a fellow Igbo man and knew that my client was occupying this house and that he was his former governor.

"Despite knowing these facts, he still went behind and bought the property, and then told his lawyer not to disclose his identify to my client. That was what happened. A Yoruba man will not do this, likewise an Hausa man won't do this. My client had an agreement with the person that sold the house. We do not have any business with the new buyer. I have raised the issue in court, but the Judge closed his eyes on these issues." In an appeal with suit No. FCT/HC/CV/80/2011 filed at the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal by his counsel (Nzelu), the ex-governor asked the appellate court to set aside the judgment of the lower court delivered on March 25 2015 by Justice Suleiman Belgore, in favour of the respondent, Adin Miles International Limited.

APC BoT member decries Jonathan’s late appointments

member of the Board of Trustees of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Sam Nkire, has advised against the out-going President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’s lastminute appointments of people into public offices and positions. According to Chief Nkire, such appointments, if not reversed by the in-coming President, Muhammadu Buhari, would only amount to allowing the out-going government determine what the the in-coming administration wants. He was of the opinion that the appointments being made in the last one month should not have been made, as according to the APC stalwart, "they are not likely to stand." Nkire said it was one thing to have power to hire and another thing to hire

at the right time, adding that President Jonathan was hiring these hands at the wrong time. The APC stalwart said it was unacceptable for President Jonathan to make five-year appointments that would outlast Buhari's four-year presidency, reminding President Jonathan that the Buhari's presidency was not an extension of his administration. Nkire advised those he described as political jobbers not to accept the last-minute appointments from a departing president, stating, "as their music might just stop before they warm up to dance". Nkire, a former National Chairman of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) also warned other public office holders against indiscriminate use of the right to "hire and fire."

Obiano felicitates with Obi of Onitsha Pamela Eboh Awka

he Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano, has congratulated the Obi of Onitsha and the state Chairman of Traditional Rulers' Council, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, on commemoration of his 74th birth anniversary. Conveying the best wishes of the state government to the monarch, Obiano said he joined other well wishers in thanking God for his benevolence over the gift of life to Achebe in his ripe age and his visionary leadership to the state and humanity. The governor said, "It is with a sense of pride and admiration that I sought to share in the joy of the anniversary. The premier traditional ruler belong to the class of those who do not only attain greater heights, but live widely celebrated." According to Obiano, the record of the traditional monarch's service in the oil industry where he rose to the pinnacle of his career had been inspiring, just as his seamless switch to royal leadership has been remarkable. He, however, observed that it was a source of gratification that at 74, Achebe, was still strong and focused as ever, adding that the best was yet to seen of him.

Ebonyi decorates 12 promoted police officers Uchenna Inya ABAKALIKI

bonyi State Commissioner of Police, Dikko Maigari, at the weekend decorated twelve newly promoted officers of the command with a charge on them to see their elevation as added responsibility. Among those promoted was the Public Relations Officer of the Command, Chris Anyanwu, who was promoted to the position of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP). Eleven officers were promoted from ASP to DSP, while one was promoted from the rank of CSP to SP. Addressing the newly promoted officers, Maigari thanked the Inspector General of Police for finding them worthy of the elevation and called on them to see their promotions as added responsibility.

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MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

SOUTH-SOUTH

Oshiomhole: My wife, model in my heart Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

do State governor, Adams Oshiomhole, yesterday described his new wife, Lara, as a model in his heart. Although, he maintained that his new wife is not a replacement for his late wife, Clara, who he said is irreplaceable. Speaking at a thanks-

giving mass held at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Auchi yesterday, Oshiomhole debunked reports that his wife is a ‘top model,’ saying the speculation might have been generated from her poise and beauty. He said: “When I read newspaper stories saying Comrade has married a ‘top model,’ I’m like maybe it’s another person. The lady that God has

directed to my path and heart to marry is not and was not a model.” According to him, “Of course, she looks beautiful and I understand that is why people assume that this kind of a lady must be a model, but of course, she is a model in my heart and we hope and pray that we will be models in the heart of our God and I think that is the most important thing.” Governor Oshiomhole

appealed to the congregation to keep supporting him and his new wife in prayer. “I ask you to please continue to pray for us. It is not easy. I lost my first wife and it is not possible to replace her. Yes, I have married another one, but it is not a replacement. You cannot replace a wife, especially the one you married when you were young and you were anonymous. “Nobody knew you

L-R: Provost, Akwa Ibom State College of Education, Afaha Nsit, Dr. Patrick Uko; Governor Godwill Akpabio; Governor-elect, Mr. Udom Emmanuel and Senator Ibok Essien, at the inauguration of the administrative block of the college during the 6th combined convocation of the institution…at the weekend

from anywhere, you had nothing, no car; no house; now, that you can never replace, but I understand that under the Catholic doctrine, I am entitled to have another wife which is what I am trying to do.” He thanked the people for their prayers, support and blessings, adding that “you have always showered on me and the one you conveyed this morning on me and my new wife and we ask for more and more prayers that this marriage will be my last and that God will help us, to unite us and bond us together with the blood of Jesus.” The parish Priest of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Auchi, Rev. Fr. Valentine Anavbeokhai, in a homily entitled; “Communicate the truth in Christ,” urged Christians to eschew misrepresenting or twisting the truth in their daily communication, saying we all have a duty and obligation to speak the truth, live the truth and if the need arises, to die for the truth. The cleric also used the opportunity to congratulate the governor and his new wife on the success of their marriage and prayed for God’s peace and blessing on them.

Tompolo visits Olumba in Calabar Clement James Calabar

or mer militant leader, Government Tompolo, has reportedly paid a visit to the spiritual leader of the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star, Olumba Olumba Obu, at the church’s headquarters in Calabar. An official of the church, who did not want his name in print, said Tompolo spent over

four hours with the spiritual leader inside his inner vestry with his boys. Although details of the meeting were sketchy, it was gathered that Tompolo told Brotherhood adherents that he would offer substantial support to the church for the construction of a proposed mega-cathedral, called The Bassilicca, to be sited on a five hectare of land in Calabar.

Before meeting with Obu on Saturday, Tompolo was alleged to have been baptized into the fold some two weeks earlier. About a month ago, there were speculations that the former militant had sent emissaries, led by a close relation of his, as advance team to meet with the spiritual leader. The emissaries cleared the way for his formal visit, it was learnt.

‘Jonathan’s wife denied Bayelsa of development’ Chris Ejim Yenagoa

he First Lady, Patience Jonathan, has been accused of denying the people of Bayelsa State of needed development during the tenure of her husband. This was the view of the Chairman of Bayelsa Grassroots Initiatives, Chief Peretimi Akari, who addressed the media at the weekend. He also accused President Goodluck Jonathan of allowing his wife to deny Bayelsa State of devel-

opment. Akari said his position stems from the resounding victory recorded at the just-concluded polls, just as he said that his group has vowed to continue to expose all enemies of progress in Bayelsa State. The chairman, who literally relocated to Lagos in the heat of the struggle to wrest Bayelsa from Patience Jonathan’s grip said: “Bayesla State has spoken with the April 11 polls despite the show of shame by the First Lady and her thugs. President Jonathan

kept mum while his wife stifles the state of needed federal presence, just because she is not getting her ways; this was disappointing; that beats us hollow.” Akari said: “Though Jonathan speaks on the need for Bayelsa people to continue working with Dickson for a continued developmental stride since assumption of office three years ago, his actions are contrary as there has not been deliberate effort to support the state on infrastructural development from the Presidency.”

Following his request, it was gathered the church reportedly sent an “evangelical delegation” from Brotherhood to visit Tompolo in his home in Delta State. The outcome of that visit to Tompolo’s community is said to have necessitated the recent visit to Calabar. A senior church member confirmed that Tompolo was at the church’s headquarters, adding that when he arrived the

34, Ambo Street, Calabar, world headquarters of the spiritual organisation, members of the fold who know him, especially those from Delta and Bayelsa States, hailed and swarmed around him. According to the member, Tompolo reportedly said: “The father’s (Olumba) assistance enabled me to survive the turbulent period and repositioned me.”

Navy arrests 30 ships for carrying illegal products ClementJames Calabar

he Eastern Naval Command (ENC) of the Nigerian Navy, at the weekend, said it has arrested no fewer than 30 ships in the area of its operations which include Calabar, Ibaka, Oron, Bonny, Ikot Abasi and Port Harcourt, in the last six months. The ships were arrested while conveying adulterated crude oil and stolen products along the waterways under the watchful eyes of the ENC. This disclosure was made by the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral Henry Babalola, at a regimental dinner organised after a successful bi-annual sea exercise which took place between May 12 and 14. Babalola said the arrest was made possible due to the steady patrol of naval personnel along the water ways. “In the last six months, I think we have arrested well over 30 ships and boats and our men have been on steady patrol and we have destroyed several illegal refineries in our operating base,” he said. He added; “When we arrest a ship, we go further to investigate their patrons and hand them over to the relevant government agencies like the civil defence and others.” He said the sea patrol was a routine exercise of the navy to secure the economic assets of the country and other multi-million dollar off-shore investment and platforms. “The importance of this exercise is that we continue to maintain continuous presence in our maritime environment to give confidence to legitimate users in the maritime sector. Our presence at the sea is enough security for maritime operators. The exercise also helps us to know the status of our ships and other equipment,” he emphasised.

NUJ vows to down tools over digitisation Joe Obende Warri

he Delta State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has vowed to down tools if action is not expedited to complete the digitisation of the transmitting stations of the Delta Broadcasting Service (DBS) in Warri and Asaba. Members of the union in Warri and Asaba chapels and the Radio and Television, Theatre and Arts Workers Union (RATTAWU) made this call when

an attempt was made by the state government to commission the ongoing uncompleted digitisation projects at the two stations. The unions said they had resolved to resist any attempt by the government to commission the uncompleted digitisation projects by embarking on a “Bring back our TV and FM” protests on the streets of Warri and Asaba. While commending the governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, for trying to reposition the broadcast stations, particularly in the up-

grading of facilities to meet international digitisation requirement, the unions resolved that the projects should not be commissioned until they had been completed and certified by the stations’ engineers. In a statement signed by their leadership, the unions urged the state government to prevail on the contracting firm, COMFAX, to replace the Asaba Television transmitters and its accessories to enable the station commence full transmission as the transmitter had not been on air for over a year.

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

News 49

NORTH

Tambuwal harps on good governance Ibrahim Abdul Yola

he outgoing Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, has charged politicians, especially those who won during the justconcluded general elections, to concentrate on

programmes that will provide the dividend of democracy to the electorate, rather than over heating the polity. Tambuwal, who was speaking in Yola, during a courtesy call on Governor Bala James Ngillari, said the electorate who voted them did so, that they will provide good governance, considering the challenges

facing the people in all ramifications. The speaker added that upon assumption of offices, the issue of politicking should be over and that everybody should be carried along, regardless of their political parties and religious affiliations. He urged leaders to be honest and be committed to their mandate,

advising them to always consult properly with the people to know exactly what the yearnings of the people are. He said: “We are done with politicking and now is time for governance. “What Nigerians are yearning for is good governance and that is why they have elected us. “I am calling on those who emerged victorious

at the last polls to face governance and stop politicking. “They should be honest and dedicated to the mandate which the people gave to them. “They should always consult with the public to avoid unnecessary conflict,” he emphasised The speaker was on a private visit to the state to thank the Lamido Ad-

amawa for bestowing on him the traditional title of ‘Wakilin Raya kasan Adamawa.’ Responding, Governor Nggilari commended the speaker for piloting the affairs of the House without rancor, saying Nigerians should remain grateful to him for his contributions towards democratic governance in the country.

Senate presidency: Group prays for Akume Cephas Iorhemen Makurdi

s the race for the Senate presidency hots up, a group under the auspices of the National Coalition for Democratic Change (NCDC) yesterday took the case of Senate Minority Leader, Senator George Akume, who is also a major contender for the position, to God through intercessory prayers. Presenting their case at a well-attended prayer session held in Makurdi, National Coordinator of the group, Mr. Peter Hir, Benue State Governor-elect, Dr. Samuel Ortom (middle); Vice-Chancellor, Benue State University, Prof. Charity Ashimem Angya (fourth said Akume needed to be left) and other principal officers of the university, during a visit to the governor-elect…at the weekend ... given the position in com PHOTO: CEPHAS IORHEMEN pensation for his efforts in overwhelmingly delivering Benue State and the entire North Central to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Nigerians urged to offer selfless service Musa Pam Jos

ormer Chaplain to President Olusegun Obasanjo and 2007 candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi State, Prof. Yusuf Obajeh, has called on politicians to adopt the spirit of selfless service institutionalised by Rotary International in order to make Nigeria a great country. Obajeh, who delivered the keynote address at the opening ceremony of Rotary International District 9125 6th District Conference (DISCON) 2015 held in Jos at the weekend, said Nigeria would begin to do well if people in leadership positions would lead with patriotic selflessness. He said: “If we have the spirit of service as Rotarians have, we won’t be the way we are today. Sadly, many of the religious leaders don’t serve with genuine compassion. Rotarians’ spirit is one of peace and friendly co-existence, of self-discipline, and of positive change.”

Aliyu, Lamido receive knocks over comments on Buhari Dan Atori MINNA

overnors Babangida Aliyu of Niger State and the his counterpart in Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, yesterday received knocks for their comments on the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, last week, saying the two governors contributed to the destruction of the country politically and economically. The governors had, last week, told Buhari to stop making excuses, but be ready to fulfill his campaign promises to Nigerians.

Speaking at the weekend, the Gbagyi people of Niger State, through their group, Gbagyi Leaders’ Forum, a socio-cultural group, called on Nigerians to ignore Aliyu and Lamido, saying they both played roles in destroying the country. The forum, while appealing to Nigerians to exercise patience for the Presidentelect and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to effect the much desired change, said the remedy needed would require a lot of time, patience and perseverance on the part of all. In a statement jointly signed by its Chairman,

Alhaji Abubakar Bosso and Secretary, Hon. John Maikarfi, made available to New Telegraph, the forum said the damage done to all spheres of our national life and that of Niger State is enormous and will require time and patience to be rectified. According to the forum, “The out-going government at the national and state levels, which include Governors Babangida Aliyu and Sule Lamido, have destroyed the economy of this country and the remedy needed would require a lot of time, patience and perseverance on the part of all.”

Buhari asked to implement confab recommendations Musa Pam Jos

he President, Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), Rev. Dachollom Datiri, has called on the in-coming government of Presidentelect, Muhammadu Buhari, to implement the recommendations of the national conference, which was conducted by the outgoing administration. Datiri, who spoke yesterday at the church’s

headquarters in Jos during the closing ceremony of the 88th General Church Council, also urged government at all levels to endeavour to pay workers their dues and union leaders to remain approachable and engage in dialogue to resolve their differences. While congratulating Buhari and others who won various positions in the recently held general elections, Datiri tasked them to deliver on their campaign promises to

make the lives of Nigerians better. The cleric also condemned the incessant killings going on in Plateau State, especially the recent ones in Barkin Ladi, Jos East and Riyom council areas and called on the Federal Government to investigate the alleged killings and destruction of property in Kadarko, Wase Local Government of Plateau State and that of Kurmi in Taraba State by the military.

Hir said it will be inconceivable if the senator representing Benue North-West is “denied the Senate presidency position on flimsy excuses.” He added that the political antecedents and pedigree of the three-time senator and former governor of the state, speaks volumes for him as a credible leader with impeccable credentials capable of stabilising the Eighth National Assembly. The NCDC helmsman applauded the dexterity, political experience and tact of Akume, whom he said, had contributed immensely to the growth of the APC to what it is today, maintaining that such qualities will better be exploited to help the President-elect in pulling the country out of the political doldrums.

Church leaders urged to educate members Buhari Bello Jos

hurch leaders across the country have been urged to educate their members to respect constituted authority for the development of the nation. The Chairperson of Christian Rural and Urban Development Association of Nigeria (CRUDAN), Dr. Juliana Mafwil, who spoke yesterday said: “The church must set an example for society and educate its members to respect constituted authority. We believe the church has almost all the resources to be responsive to the plight of its members, especially the vulnerable.” The chairperson, who was speaking at the annual general meeting and inauguration of CRUDAN’s new conference hall, called on Christian leaders to ensure inclusiveness and participation for all groups in the church, including women,

youths and children, adding that; “The church also has a responsibility to ensure equity and justice by holding elected officials at all levels responsible to the people whom they represent.” He decried the increase in gender-based violence, saying; “We note with dismay that women and children account for a high number of victims of attacks, giving rise to the level of gender-based violence. “Although the Nigerian Army, in its operations in the North-East, has rescued many women, it is sad that our Chibok girls have not yet been accounted for. “Education and awareness creation are practical steps to halt the rate of gender-based violence. We will continue to put pressure on government at all levels to take proactive steps and support laws that will check some cultural practices and liberate the most vulnerable members of the society.”

50 WORLD | News

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Clashes erupt in Jerusalem as Israel marks â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Jerusalem Day'

nder heavy police guard, thousands of Israeli demonstrators yesterday marched through Arab sections of Jerusalem's Old City to celebrate Israel's capture of the area nearly 50 years ago. Police reported clashes between Israelis and Palestinians in several areas of east Jerusa-

lem as Israel marked its annual "Jerusalem Day." No serious injuries were reported. Jerusalem Day commemorates Israel's capture of the Old City in the 1967 Mideast war. The Old City is home to Jerusalem's most sensitive holy sites and nationalistic Israelis mark the day by marching through Arab areas of the Old City. The

day, marked according to the Jewish lunar calendar, often experiences unrest. In the main event of the day, thousands of Israelis, many waving flags or chanting nationalistic slogans, marched through Damascus Gate, the entrance to the Muslim Quarter of the Old City and made their way to the Western Wall in the

Jewish Quarter. The Jewish protesters danced, sang songs and chanted "Long live Israel," while small groups of Palestinian counterdemonstrators held Palestinian flags and chanted, "With our souls and our blood, we will redeem Palestine." Walls of paramilitary Israeli border police kept the sides apart from one other, although

some scuffles took place. Police said they arrested six Palestinians, four charged with stone throwing and two others for allegedly attacking police. They said four officers were lightly wounded by rocks thrown by Palestinian demonstrators. The issue of Jerusalem is one of the most intractable in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Burundi president makes first appearance since failed coup

Palestinian demonstrators are confronted by Israeli police during the Israeli's flag march in Jerusalem's old city during celebrations for Jerusalem Day yesterday.

Migrants â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;killed in fight for food' on boat

igrants rescued from a sinking boat off Indonesia have told the BBC that about 100 people died after a fight broke out over the last remaining food. Survivors told of horrific conditions. Three men separately said people were

stabbed, hanged or thrown overboard. The 700 rescued migrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh are being processed by the Indonesian authorities. Thousands of migrants are estimated to be adrift in South East Asian waters, denied permission to

Somali Islamists deny Burundian president's claim of planned attack

he Somali Islamist group al Shabaab denied a claim by Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza yesterday that they were plotting an attack against the country, calling the beleaguered president's claims a distraction from a political crisis in his country. Nkurunziza, who has faced weeks of protests and an attempted ouster over his decision to seek a third term in office, made his first appearance in the

Burundian capital in days to say he was "very preoccupied" by the threat posed by al Shabaab. "We think that this is an attempt by him to appease his people, who are standing in the streets protesting against his dictatorship, or to divert the world's attention from him while he possibly prepares his mass revenge," al Shabaab spokesman Sheikh Ali Mahamud Rage said in a statement to Reuters.

land. The BBC's Martin Patience, who spoke to some of the survivors in the Indonesian port of Langsa, cautions that their accounts cannot be verified. However, three migrants made similar statements in separate conversations. If true, the claims will add to the growing international pressure on Asian countries to find a solution to this crisis, our correspondent says. The migrants had wanted to land in Malaysia but say they were driven away by the Malaysian navy. The boat had reportedly been at sea for two months and had been recently deserted by its crew when it was rescued by Indonesian fishermen Friday. The survivors are now being sheltered in warehouses on the shore in Langsa. Many are suffering from malnutrition and dehydration.

urundi President Pierre Nkurunziza has made his first appearance in the capital since the attempted coup against his government last week. Nkurunziza made a brief statement to journalists in the foyer of his heavily guarded presidential offices in Bujumbura yesterdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s morning. He did not mention the failed coup plot against him or the protests that have rocked Burundi for weeks over his bid for a third term in office. Instead he described how he contacted the presidents of nearby African countries to discuss the threat from Somalia's Islamic extremists, alShabab. Burundi, Kenya and Uganda contribute troops to the African Union force in Somalia that is fighting al-Shabab. The extremist rebels have retaliated by carrying out violent attacks in Kenya and Uganda. "You know that Burundi is among the countries that is contributing troops in Somalia and that's why I came here to contact my friends and my fellow presidents in Kenya and Uganda and these countries are being targeted by al-Shabab," Nkurunziza said French. He said his aim in contacting

US braces for storms after tornado series hits area

hunderstorms and flash floods were predicted for several central US states yesterday after a tornado series hit large parts of the area a day earlier, cutting power lines and damaging structures. Parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas,

20,000 call for Macedonian government to step down

ore than 20,000 people rallied in Macedonia's capital yesterday to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski's government which is grappling with a deep political crisis and an outbreak of violence. Waving Macedonian, but also Albanian flags, opposition protesters chanted "Victory! Victory!" at the demonstration in Skopje, the culmination of

months of wrangling between Gruevski and his centre-left opponents that has already sparked clashes. Macedonia's problems deepened last weekend when 18 people were killed in a shootout in the northern town of Kumanovo between police and ethnic Albanian rebels. The main opposition leader, Zoran Zaev, has vowed that yesterday's protest will be peaceful, although the police brought in

large supplies of anti-riot gear. On a warm day, volunteers left bottles of water in front of the government building, in expectation of a long day. Zaev said protesters would remain in front of the government building until Gruevski who has been in power for nine years and his cabinet stands down. "The protest will continue. Some 4,600 activists, mostly young people, have said 'we'll stay regardless of whether you

fellow presidents was to find strategies to stop threats to the security of Burundians. Nkurunziza was in neighbouring Tanzania Wednesday when a general announced a coup. Loyal forces put down the rebellion and Nkurunziza returned to the country, but he had not been seen in the capital. The coup attempt came after weeks of street protests against Nkurunziza's efforts to stay in power by standing in elections for a third term in office. Seventeen security officials, including five generals, accused in the attempted coup appeared Saturday before a prosecutor who charged them with an attempt at destabilizing public institutions, lawyers of some of the suspects said. The general who announced the coup, however, remains at large. In Rome yesterday, Pope Francis called for a sense of responsibility to prevail in Burundi following the attempted coup. "I would like to invite you to pray for the dear people of Burundi, which is undergoing a delicate moment: May the Lord help all to avoid violence and act responsibly for the good of the country," he said.

will or not'," he told the NOVA online television channel. At the protest, Aleksandar Krstevski, a 33-year-old psychologist from Kumanovo, told AFP: "We will stay as long as it takes, until the final victory, until the prime minister's resignation." Carrying a placard with the inscription "Goodbye Nikola", 29-year old Jelena said "there is a need to finish with this government."

Tennessee and Kansas were either under a flash flood watch or flash flood warning yesterday morning as thunderstorms battered several central states, the National Weather Service said. There were 29 reported tornadoes Saturday that hit states ranging from Louisiana to Wyoming, it said. Texas and Oklahoma were the hardest hit but there were no reports yesterday morning of major damage or deaths. Thousands were without power due to the storms. "We haven't had any injuries reported as of this morning," Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management spokeswoman Keli Cain said. The damage in Oklahoma was mostly in the southwestern and northeastern parts of the state, she said. The National Weather Service has also issued a flash flood watch for parts of south-central Pennsylvania.

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

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International Sport

Nigeria Premier League Pillars, Enyimba secure away wins

AFN opens camp for athletes May 25

Musa scores as Enyeama, Ejide concede eight goals

Djokovic, Sharapova win in Italy

Sport

Atletics

Did you know? That the first use of gold, silver and bronze medals at the Olympic Games was at the 1904 Games in St Louis, Missouri, USA.

Keshi: Temile faults NFF, prefers foreign coach Ajibade Olusesan

x-international, Clement Temile, is still sceptical about the ability of Coach Stephen Keshi to recapture the glory days of the Super Eagles, saying only a foreign handler can lead the team to success again. The Nigeria Football Federation reappointed Keshi after reports had suggested the soccer house was planning to hire an expatriate. The coach has been handed a two-year contract, and Temile said that the decision to retain the coach could be counter-productive. Temile, a sliver medalist at the African Nations Cup in Cote d’Ivoire in 1984, said that the NFF’s handling of the coaching issue was shoddy because the body acted like an organisation without vision. He said that Amaju Pinnick, upon assumption of office, had said he was going for a foreign coach for the Eagles and many pundits were surprised to see him renege on that promise.

The Sport Team Adekunle Salami

He said that the national team was in deplorable condition and the right thing would have been to engage the services of a quality foreign coach to take the team back to the summit of the game. “The NFF has not helped matters by reappointing the coach that failed in his responsibility. I don’t see any reason why you allow the coach to return when there is a clear decline in his output. “When Pinnick assumed office, he gave us the impression that he was going to rebuild the team with the appointment of a foreign coach and Nigerians were willing to support him but it seems that move was truncated by underground political schemes. “Now, they have introduced all manner of clauses in Keshi’s new contract, would all that have been necessary if we had done the right thing? I am afraid, we are back to square one,” he said. Keshi will handle his first major assignment in his second spell when Nigeria host Chad in a 2017 Africa Nations Cup qualifying match in Kaduna on June 13. Egypt and Tanzania are in the same group as the three-time champions and they will all be fighting for a sole ticket from the group.

Diamond League: Okagbare victorious in Shanghai

Group Sport Editor

Ifeanyi Ibeh

Emmanuel Tobi

Assistant Editor, Sport

Ifeanyi Ibeh Sport Correspondent

Ajibade Olusesan Sport Correspondent

Charles Ogundiya Sport Correspondent

Nigeria’s Vincent Enyeama trying to make a save against France’s Kareem Benzema at the Brazil 2014 World Cup

Okagbare

frica’s fastest woman, Blessing Okagbare, on Sunday stormed to victory in the women’s 100m at the Shanghai Diamond League. In one of the most anticipated contests of the night, 28-year-old Okagbare put triple Olympic champion Veronica Campbell-Brown and double Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who came in fourth and

fifth respectively, firmly in their place, storming home in a season’s best of 10.98 seconds. Second place went to American Tori Bowie in 11.07 and Trinidadian Michelle-Lee Ahye came third in 11.13 seconds. Veteran Campbell-Brown, 33, got a blistering start out the blocks but was not able to live with the speed and power of Okagbare, finishing in a time of 11.22. Olympic 100m champion Fraser-Pryce ended with 11.25

seconds to her name. By her standards she looked sluggish out of the blocks having the third slowest reaction time. Jamaica’s Schillonie Calvert came in eighth place recording a time of 11.53. Okagbare, who won the 200m and the long jump at last year’s meet in Shanghai, was ecstatic at her victory. “It is not easy to compete with the best in the world but I won,” she was quoted as saying by the AFP. “Shanghai loves me and the track loves me.”

52 Sport

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Musa scores as Enyeama, Ejide concede eight goals Emmanuel Tobi

uper Eagles striker Ahmed Musa finally ended his two months goal-drought after scoring in CSKA Moscow’s 4-0 victory over city rivals, Spartak Moscow on Sunday. The 22-year-old’s last goal for CSKA was on March 7, when he netted a brace in a 2-1 win over Terek Grozny. Since then he has gone nine games without a goal, before scoring in the 76th minute after picking up an assist for his side’s third goal in a comprehensive 4-0 win. However, despite his goal drought he has already surpassed last season’s tally of seven goals, as he now has 10 goals from 28 games in the Russian Premier League. Meanwhile, Super Eagles goalkeepers, Vincent Enyeama and Austin Ejide, had a miserable weekend after conceding four goals each in their respective clubs at the weekend. Enyeama conceded four goals as Lille were thrashed 4-0 at home by Olympique Marseille while Ejide let in four goals as his team Hapoel Be’er Sheva lost 4-0 at Maccabi Haifa in an Israeli championship playoff game on Saturday.

Spartak Moscow’s Sergei Bryzgalov (r) challenging CSKA Moscow’s Ahmed Musa during the Russian Premier League match in Moscow on Sunday.

WTF Championship: Chukwumerije finishes in top eight Emmanuel Tobi

eijing 2008 Olympics bronze medalist, Chika Chukwumerije, at the weekend made it to the quarterfinal stage of the ongoing World Taekwondo Federation World Championships in Chelyabinsk, Russia to finish in the top eight of the men’s +87kg category. Competing in the men’s +87kg Chukwumerije who recently lost his father, defeated Canada’s Jordan Steward 3-0,outclassed 2013 World Championship bronze medalist, Slovakia’s Ivan Trajkovic 7-6 in the round of 32 before securing a 5-3 victory over European Championships silver medalist, Croatia’s Vedran Golec in the round of 16. In the quarterfinal tie, he came up against his 2012 London Olympics conqueror, Cuba’s Robelis Despaine and the encounter lived up to expectation but the Cuban prevailed at 9-4 to end Chukwumerije medal’s dream. Nigeria Taekwondo Federation president George Ashiru said, “Chika proves that he is still world class. The World Championships carries three times as many points as the All Africa Games. That is how

important it is to improve your world rankings. Two years ago, Chika was in the last 16 and it was good enough to be ranked top 20 in the world. “ H added that, “With this performance of being in top eight he will regain much momentum which if he so desires and is still passionate about training and competition will keep him in contention if he gets back on the Grand Prix Circuit.” However, Chukwumerije’s compatriot, Saturday Martala was unlucky as he fell 15-7 to Kazakhstan’s Smaiyl Duisebay in the men’s -87kg in the first round. On Monday, May 18, another Nigerian, Francebased Mohammed Murtala will face Tajikistan’s Farkhod Negmatov in the first round of the men’s -80kg.

Chukwumerije

NSC pays Athletic Federation outstanding bills ing more attention to foreign based athletes than the home ones stressing that the home based had been busy since the beginning of the year. “I don’t want to join issues with Blessing Okagbare because she is becoming too self-centered. Her major interest is money and it is not good for an athlete of her status. Blessing accused us of not caring for local athletes, which is not true. Ogba added that, “The AFN had organised three local competitions this year. Even in the midst of serious financial challenges, we took our U-20 athletes to defend their title at the African Junior Championship in Ethiopia, and also our youth athletes to the championship in Mauritius.”

Adeolu Johnson Abuja

he National Sports Commission has cleared all outstanding money it is owing the Athletic Federation of Nigeria. AFN President, Solomon Ogba told New Telegraph that he was delighted with the payment made under the new Director General, Alhassan Yakmut, adding that this would enable the federation to task itself further ahead of the various competitions lined up. “We have just received our payment for the 2014 African Senior Athletics Championship in Mauritius last year as well as the funds for the just concluded World Championship in the Bahamas from the Sports Ministry and are very glad that the Sports Minister Tammy Danagogo made good his promise under the new DG,” he explained. Ogba said this gesture would make the members of the board to go extra mile to source for funds to enable them to attend every meet. He described as baseless the claim his board is pay-

Ogba

CBN Senior Tennis: Enosoregbe, Agugbom are top seeds Ifeanyi Ibeh

lifford Enosoregbe and Christy Agugbom have been named as the top seeds of the men’s and women’s singles events as the main draws of the Central Bank of Nigeria Senior Tennis Championship begins on Monday at the National Stadium, Lagos. Other seeds in the men’s singles are Abdulmumuni Babalola, who is seeded number two; Thomas Otu, Henry Atseye and Joseph Imeh, who are seeded three, four and five respectively, while Nonso Madueke is the tournament’s sixth seed.

In the women’s singles Sarah Adegoke is seeded number two, ahead of Anu Aiyegbusi, Airhunwunde Osareimen, Loveth Donatus and Ronke Akingbende, who are seeded third to sixth. With 16 players drawn from the qualifiers that ended at the weekend to complete the men’s singles chat round of 64 and eight picked from the women’s category to make up the round of 32, action begins later on Monday with Enosoregbe and Agugbom hoping their top status will go a long way in aiding their quest for victory in the 37th edition of

the annual championship. Action will also take place in the men’s and women’s wheelchair events. The sum of N14.4 million has been set aside as prize money with winners of the men’s and women’s singles category carting home N700,000 each while runnersup are to get N500,000 each. Winners of the wheelchair category will pocket N250,000 each as runners-up will receive N200,000. In addition, all the players in the main draws are to get N8,000 subsidy courtesy of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Okpekpe race will not die after my tenure – Oshiomhole Charles Ogundiya

do State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has said the annual Okpekpe 10km Road Race will be sustained after the expiration of his tenure as the governor of the state. Speaking with New Telegraph correspondent who was at the third edition of the race, the governor said the competition was not about him as an individual, but about the interest of the youth who have been part of the competition since inception. “It would be sustained after I have left office, the newly-wedded governor said.

The most important thing is for people to buy into it, and you can see that people have already bought into the idea, it is no more discussion for the government. It is not about me, Okpekpe will be here forever and ever and the interest of the young community must be sustained. You must also know that this is all about our health too.” When the governor was asked why he decided to join the race despite getting married a night before, he said it was his own way of encouraging the participants and to show his new wife that he remains strong. He added: “It started

Oshiomhole answering reporters’ questions before the race

as just a rural outing but has become an international event, I think it is something that we need to sustain. “I came out to be part

of the race despite the fact I just got married. It is not to start something, but continuity is very important and I want to do that.”

International Sport 53

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

Renard to coach Enyeama at Lille

RESULT ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE Swansea 2 – 4 Man City

Man United 1 – 1 Arsenal Southampton 6 – 1 Aston Villa Burnley 0 – 0 Stoke QPR 2 – 1 Newcastle Sunderland 0 – 0 Leicester Tottenham 2 – 0 Hull City West Ham 1 – 2 Everton Liverpool 1 – 3 Crystal Palace GERMAN BUNDESLIGA Augsburg 1 – 2 Hannover

Barcelona players celebrating after Lionel Messi’s goal on Sunday

Bremen 0 – 2 Gladbach Freiburg 2 – 1 Bayern Hertha 0 – 0 Frankfurt Leverkusen 2 – 0 Hoffenheim Mainz 2 – 0 Cologne

Messi strike hands Barca La Liga title

Schalke 1 – 0 Paderborn Stuttgart 2 – 1 Hamburg Wolfsburg 2 – 1 Dortmund ITALIAN SERIE A Sassuolo 3 – 2 AC Milan Atalanta 1 – 4 Genoa

Cagliari 0 – 1 Palermo Torino 2 – 0 Chievo Verona 2 – 1 Empoli Inter 1 – 2 Juventus Sampdoria 0 – 1 Lazio NIGERIAN PREMIER LEAGUE Abia Warriors 0 – 1 Kano Dolphin 1 – 2 Enyimba

second-half goal from Lionel Messi on Sunday handed Barcelona the La Liga title and a 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid at Vicente Calderon. Atletico came close to opening the scoring inside the first 10 minutes when a corner found Jose Gimenez at the near corner, but Claudio Bravo quickly got across

El Kanemi 1 – 0 Bayelsa

his goal to make the save. Messi had the first opportunity of the night for Barcelona when Dani Alves crossed the ball in for the Argentine, but his header was straight to the keeper. Alves was involved again late in the first half, winning a freekick just on the edge of the box, but Messi’s curling effort from the resulting set piece struck the crossbar.

Messi tried to set up Neymar with a low cross shortly before the interval, but Juafran was on hand to block the effort, keeping he sides level at half time. The home side made the brighter start to the second half, and came close to breaking the deadlock when Fernando Torres burst into the box, but Bravo was ready to keep the striker’s effort out.

uper Eagles goalkeeper and captain, Vincent Enyeama, and Lille teammates will soon be under the tutelage of Herve Renard after the former coach of the Zambian and Ivoirian national teams reportedly reached an agreement to become the French club’s manager from next season. Les Dogues are out of contention for a European place following their 4-0 home defeat at the hands of Marseille on Saturday evening. According to French newspaper, L’Equipe, Lille and current coach Rene Girard have mutually agreed to end his contract, with Girard bowing out after taking charge of Lille’s final game of the season at Metz. However, Renard, who guided Cote d’Ivoire to the Africa Cup of Nations title earlier this year, is said to have already begun contacting potential summer signings. It is thought that Renard has agreed a three-year deal with the Ligue 1 outfit.

Enyeama

Djokovic, Sharapova win in Italy

Gabros 1 – 0 Sharks Giwa 0 – 0 Taraba

Heartland 2 – 0 Akwa Nasarawa 1 – 1 Sunshine 3SC 1 – 1 Enugu Rangers Wikki 1 – 0 Lobi Stars

PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE TEAMS

PTS

1 Chelsea

2 Man City

3 Arsenal

4 Man United

5 Liverpool

6 Tottenham

7 Southampton 37

8 Swansea

-2

9 Stoke City

-2

10 Everton

-1

11 West Ham

-1

12 C. Palace

-5

13 West Brom

-13

14 Leicester

-13

15 Aston Villa

-25 38

16 Sunderland

-20 37

17 Newcastle

-25 36

18 Hull City

-18

19 Burnley

-26 30

20 QPR

-27

Djokovic

ovak Djokovic has won the men’s singles title at the Rome Masters while Maria Sharapova warmed up for the defence of her French Open crown in the best way possible by claiming the Italian Open title for the third time in Rome. Djokovic stormed past Roger Federer 6-4, 6-3 in final to perfectly set up his French Open challenge, while Sharapova won a hard-fought final against Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro, losing the first set and winning a very tight second, before romping through the decider to triumph 4-6 7-5 6-1. The upcoming Roland Gar-

ros tournament remains the only Grand Slam trophy to elude Djokovic’s grasp yet his mighty form in 2015 has transitioned without any problems onto the clay courts. In the Italian capital on Sunday, the Serb outworked and outlasted the legendary Federer in an hour and 15 minutes to demonstrate the prowess against elite opposition on this surface that makes him the favourite heading to Paris. Djokovic has won all four major tournaments that he entered this calendar year. Their overall career record now stands at 2019 in Federer’s favour.

For Sharapova, it was her 35th WTA tour title and she will climb to second in the world rankings next week. But Suarez Navarro began well in her quest for just the second title of her career, breaking Sharapova and going on to take set one. And she fought hard in the second set, recovering from 1-3 and 3-5 to level at 5-5, before Sharapova won two games in a row to level the match. Suarez Navarro broke to start set three but that proved to be the end of her resistance, Sharapova smacking a backhand return past her tiring opponent to break back immediately.

Hat-trick hero, Berardi, wants to face Milan every week Chelsea want

assuolo hitman Domenico Berardi has joked that he would like to face AC Milan every week after maintaining his freescoring form against them with a hat-trick in Sunday’s 3-2 win. The 20-year-old now has seven goals in his last three meetings with the Rossoneri, having scored all four in a 4-3 win in this fixture at the Mapei Stadium last season. “Facing Milan brings me luck, as every time I play against them I seem to score!” Berardi told Sky

Sport Italia. “If we always played against Milan, it’d be great! This is an important season and every week I worked to improve even more.” Two goals inside half-anhour put the hosts 2-0 up, before Giacomo Bonaventura reduced the arrears for Milan before the break. Alex was on hand to equalise early in the second half, but Berardi struck again on 78 minutes - after Bonaventura was sent off for a second yellow card - to snatch the points.

Man City’s Toure

Berardi

anchester City midfielder Yaya Toure will be the subject of a summer bid from rivals Chelsea, according to reports in the English media. The 32-year-old has been linked with a move to Inter Milan and Juventus in recent weeks as speculation continues that he will leave the Etihad Stadium at the end of the season. However, Jose Mourinho is ready to tempt the Ivory Coast international to Stamford Bridge, reports The Express. Toure, who joined Manchester City from Barcelona for £24m in 2010, has scored 10 goals in 28 games in the Premier League this season.

Sport

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Pillars, Enyimba secure away victories Charles Ogundiya

Directorate Head, South - Heritage Bank Limited, Mr. Emeke Anene, (right) and Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole (left), presenting dummy cheques to the three male finalists - Korio Alex Olotptip from Kenya (middle); Leul Gabriel Salassie, an Ethiopian (2nd from right) and Amos Mitel from Kenya (2nd from left) at the 3rd Okpekpe Road Race, which held at the weekend. Heritage Bank sponsored the race as Official Banker.

igeria Premier League defending champions, Kano Pillars, on Sunday secured their first away win of the season after defeating Abia Warriors 1-0 in Umuahia in one of the Week Nine league matches played across various centres in the country. Similarly, former champions, Enyimba of Aba shocked their host Dolphins 2-1 to pick the three points at stake in Port Harcourt.

Meanwhile, Heartland returned to winning ways as they defeated Akwa United 2-0 in Owerri while the game between Shooting Stars and Enugu Rangers ended 1-1 in Ibadan. Giwa FC of Jos failed to make their home advantage count as they played a goalless draw against FC Taraba. The game between Nasarawa United and Sunshine Stars also ended in a 1-1 draw while Jamiu Alimis’ own goal in the 77mins gave Gabros a 1-0 win over Sharks in Nnewi. Enyimba captain, Chinedu Udoji

Morgan, Caxton-Martins win MTN Golf Championship Emmanuel Tobi

ommandant of Armed Forces Resettlement Centre, Oshodi, Air Vice Marshal Monday Morgan and Executive Secretary, Ikoyi-Obalende LCDA, Toyin Caxton-Martins emerged champions as golfers and enthusiasts of the sport were treated to an exciting tournament sponsored by MTN Nigeria at the luxuriant Lakowe Lakes over the weekend.

The 18-hole world class championship Golf Course is situated along the Lekki– Epe axis in Lagos. The one-day MTN Golf Championship featured captains of industries, technocrats and administrators such as Uyi Akpata, Senior Country Manager, PWC; Kate Iketubosin, Managing Director, Stern & Kay Consulting Limited; Obinnia Abajue, Executive Director, PBB, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc and Demola Mumuney, former captain of the Ikoyi Club Golf section, among

many other distinguished personalities. Speaking at the event, Mike Ikpoki, Chief Executive Officer, MTN Nigeria said, “Our sponsorship of golf is not just a unique opportunity to connect our high-value stakeholders but equally reinforces our role as an enabler of socio-economic development across several fronts in Nigeria.” At the exciting competition, the male category, saw AVM Morgan, who played off Handicap 18, carding an impressive score of 91

gross and 73 net to finish tops while, Caxton-Martins, won the female net category, after carding 102 gross and 72 net. . For their efforts, the winners received an all-expenses paid golfing weekend in George, South Africa, plus a trophy and three months data subscription bundle while the runners up were rewarded with a trophy as well as a golfing weekend at the Le Meridien Ibom Hotel & Golf Resort, Uyo and free one month data subscription.

Morgan (left) and Caxton-Martins with their trophies

FIFA U-20 World Cup special Ghana arrive in Australia for final preparations

Sokari ready for Brazilian starlets K

ingsley Sokari has sent a message to Brazil’s Under 20s boss, Rogerio Micale, that the Flying Eagles are not quaking in their boots ahead of both countries opener at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Plymouth, New Zealand. Of the 21 players the newlyappointed manager named to his roster, the eye-catching names include midfielders Andreas Pereira (Manchester United), Alef Dos Santos (Marseille), Danilo (Sporting Braga) and Jean Carlos (Real Madrid). And Enyimba playmaker Sokari is confident of winning the midfield battle against some of the brightest youngsters in world football. “I am not scared of anybody because I play for the best

hana Under-20 coach Sellas Tetteh and his charges have begun final groundwork for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Melbourne, Australia, where the group travelled to after spending two weeks in New Zealand participating in a mini tournament which they won. They are expected to be in Australia for two weeks

country that has everything good players, coaches and the best federation - so instead Brazil should be thinking of how to take care of our own players,” said Sokari, according to a report in SL10.ng. “We are really working hard to make sure we win all our seven games and take the cup, we have a good midfield that money can’t buy. “I am feeling very happy that I made this team. It’s like dreams coming true in my career, I will give all my best. “It’s a great grace for me to be playing for all the national teams,” added Sokari, who has been capped by Nigeria’s U-23 team and the Super Eagles. ‘’I am very happy with the way my career is going, everything is happening so fast.”

before going back to New Zealand for the competition which begins on May 30. Two friendly matches have been lined up against Portugal U-20 and Colombia U-20 in Sydney. The Black Satellites are in Group B alongside Austria, Argentina and Panama. Ghana will play their first match on May 30

against Austria in Wellington where they will also face Argentina on June 30. Coach Tetteh led Ghana to historic victory in the competition in 2009, becoming the first and only African team to win the U-20 FIFA World Cup. Under Tetteh, the Satellites claimed bronze at the 2013 U-20 FIFA World Cup held in Turkey.

Man United’s Pereira off to New Zealand

ndreas Pereira‘s debut season in the Manchester United first team has come to a premature end, with the player himself confirming he is now on his way to the U-20 World Cup. The tournament kicks off in New Zealand in two week’s time, and Pereira will continue his international career with Brazil, after declaring himself for the nation despite being born in Belgium. Despite worries among fans Pereira would depart on a free as Paul Pogba did, Pereira has put pento-paper on a new deal and will return to Old Trafford for pre-season alongside

Pereira

his teammates. Pereira made his debut for the club back in August in the defeat to MK Dons, before going on to make his league debut in the 3-0 win over Spurs a couple of months ago.

Pereira could be one of a number of players set for a loan move next season, with PSV emerging as a potential option even before Memphis Depay agreed to move to Old Trafford.

Controversy over Presidential veto

Gerrard: I wanted one last memory L

iverpool captain Steven Gerrard admits he was desperate to give the Anfield faithful one final flourish to add to his extensive catalogue of exploits. In reality there was little he could have done in the 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace which would have come close to matching any of his magic moments already entwined in the club’s great history. The 34-year-old midfielder is a competitor right to the end but the fact he could not bend the match to his will, as he has done so many times before, suggests he has chosen the right time to seek a new challenge in Major League Soccer with Los Angeles Galaxy. “I tried to give them everything I’ve got; I wanted to give them one last memory but it just didn’t come,” he said. “But I’m proud of what I’ve done and I just hope that they’ve all got memories to remember me by.” Manager Brendan Rodgers acknowledges replacing Gerrard is impossible but somehow he and the transfer committee have to come up with a successful plan. “I don’t think there is that person

who has come into the club who has given what he has done over the time,” said the Reds boss. “We will have to plot a way to improve in the summer and that is our challenge.” Asked if he was optimistic for the future Rodgers added: “We have to be. In my time here we have lost a couple of players in Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard. Those two players in the Premier League years here have been monumental. “Throw in a world-class player like Luis Suarez and of course it is difficult but we will rise to the challenge. Hopefully in the summer we can add that quality.” England midfielder Jordan Henderson looks set to assume the captaincy from Gerrard but he is well aware of the void which will be left behind. “It doesn’t feel too good to be losing a leader and a role model,” he told LFCTV. “He’s had a huge influence on me. I felt when Stevie hasn’t been in the team I’ve tried to lead by example and that’s all I can do and all I’ll look to do in the future. Now is the time for us to kick on as group next season.”

AFN opens camp for athletes May 25

he Athletics Federation of Nigeria it will take another giant step in its drive to develop young talents and also provide a good training environment for star athletes based home as it commissions its High Performance Center at the University of Port Harcourt on May 25. The centre, equipped with facilities found in similar centers worldwide, also has a standard accommodation for athletes, while those who are in school can take advantage of University of Port Harcourt to acquire education at all levels. President of Confederation of Africa Athletics - Hamad Kalkaba Malboum and President of AFN Solomon Ogba are expected to declare the centre open. Nigeria’s foremost sports scientist Ken An-

Special Features 55

Sports

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

ugweje who helpes to lead the centre said it was shame that a federation like AFN is not getting any support from either the Federal Government or Corporate Nigeria. Anugweje who is also a medical doctor and director of sports University of Port Harcourt said Nigeria probably the only country in the world where the people were passionate about football yet, government still spends billions of naira on the sport. “I think the sporting press need to educate our leaders that in nations where people are passionate about football, the sport funds it, but here our government spends billions of Naira on football yearly. “Since the board of AFN was inaugurated in May 2013, government has not given us a kobo as

Malboum

subvention, yet football gets billions of Naira.’’ Meanwhile, the 3rd All Comers Competition will hold May 26, 2015 at UNIPORT Sports Centre. Clubs, institutions, military and para-military athletics clubs are invited and enjoined to submit their realistic entries for this All Comers competition, latest May 22.

Jonathan

Mark

C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 5 6

powers. Instead exercise of legislative powers is made, for example; “…….Subject to the jurisdiction of Courts of law and of judicial tribunals established by law” (Section 4(8))... Consequently one firmly submits that it will be perilous to all and sundry if the Nigerian polity, including the legislators themselves, ignore the limitation to ‘Alteration’ in its desire to see changes made to our constitution, and allow the National Assembly to proceed with amendment or review of the constitution. As our people say, one should not give the monkey water in a cup because of the possibility of the monkey climbing to a tree top with it, as no one would successfully pursue it to that location. The legislature was therefore advisedly limited in its powerful state; and should so remain with contentment. One therefore submits that the Presidency was right in the exercise of its veto power to prevent what would have been a constitutional calamity. Having said the above, one also holds the view that the effort by the Presidency to interfere with the process of legislative override of the legitimate veto of the bill by court process is ill-advised since the process is also constitutionally legitimate. It is doubtful whether any Court enjoys the competence to restrain the performance of a legitimate constitutional process, or proceeding, or act in the legislature. What may be challenged, in one’s humble opinion, is the end product, that is the resultant Act after the override (if it succeeds) in view of the express provision in Section 4(8) which the subjects every exercise of legislature power to “the jurisdiction of the Courts of Law and judicial tribunals established by law………”. This will determine whether what the legislature has enacted is consistent with Section 1(3) of the Constitution in the absence of which, if determined to the contrary, the Alteration Act (No.4) so produced shall be null and void and may be competently so declared by the Court. Let both sides shelve the sword of ego which will be counterproductive in the instant circumstan ce.

and dangerous to our democracy. One holds the view that to effect any fundamental change to the constitution, there is need for a body that is independent of those who will practice the constitution, or to whose authority or functions it would apply directly. Such a body is not the National Assembly which can proceed to enact provisions that could hold the Executive and the Judiciary hostage, or provisions which are self serving. The result would be the dictatorship of the legislature... The difference between the provisions of the U.S Constitution on Amendment and those of the Nigerian Constitution on Alteration is very clear: the Congress of the United States may only propose Amendments to the Constitution but plays no role in the actualisation of the Amendment, while the Nigerian National Assembly may only alter the provisions of the Constitution by enacting an Act of the National Assembly through the procedure set down in Section 9 thereof, which is the end point of the proceeding. However, one common factor exists in both constitutions which is that both did not allow their respective national legislatures the opportunity to, in the Legislative Chambers, effect any fundamental changes to the constitutions by limiting the U.S. Congress to only proposing an amendment, and limiting Nigeria’s National Assembly to only altering provisions, of their respective constitutions. One sees the same deliberateness in the respective restraints. It needs be noted that this power to alter the provisions of the constitution does not, with respect, include power to change the word ‘alter’ to ‘amend’ or ‘review’. Such an alteration would tantamount to a ‘coup’ by the legislature because it would amount to an enhancement or increase of the power of the legislature which is not in any way anticipated by the constitution; for while the legislature, the National Assembly, is empowered to give additional authority of action or jurisdiction to the Executive or the judiciary respectively, there is no provision for enhancing by statute the provided legislative

•Ahamba is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN)

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Controversy over Presidential veto GUEST COLUMNIST Mike Ahamba

very serious controversy is raging between the legislature and the Presidency over the exercise of the respective powers conferred on both institutions in the making of an Act of the National Assembly. This controversy, in my view, is uncalled for. The constitutional provisions on the matters in dispute are very clear and unambiguous in the conferment of the respective powers that need to be exercised in the process of law making. The section in issue is Section 58 of the Constitution and the relevant subsections in the controversy are 58(4) and 58(5). There is no controversy over Section 58(3). The exercise of the President of the power conferred on him under 58(4) to refuse assent is conventionally called ‘veto power’. On the other hand, Section 58 (5) empowers the legislature to override a veto exercised by the President by exercising legislative power of twothird majority vote. Exercising a veto, or overriding a veto, is constitutionally legitimate and should not upset either side if the intention is the interest of the nation. Unfortunately, both sides appear to be showing anger at each other for exercising their respective powers. This should not be so. The point in dispute is the bill passed by the National Assembly for the amendment of the constitution which the Presidency feels includes provisions which erode presidential powers which constitute the checks and balances in the Constitution. The bill also includes provision of additional powers to the existing powers of the legislature... When the details of the exercise of those powers are considered as provided in the Constitution, it would be seen that under the principles of checks and balances, the exercise thereof by the Legislature vis-à-vis the Executive is clearly in favour of the legislature. The Legislature makes the laws by which the Executive operates. Also, while the Executive may veto a bill passed by the legislature, the legislature has the competence to override that veto, and the Bill becomes law without presidential assent. The governments at both the Federal and State levels operate under Appropriation Acts and Laws respectively enacted by the respective legislatures. These enactments regulate the way and manner the governments spend money, or are supposed to do so. The legislature enjoys the power to terminate an Executive tenure by impeachment; the President has no similar power over a legislator, or the legislature as an institution. There is no provision in the Constitution n by which the Executive has a final say as against the legislature; and the

Ahamba

Judiciary cannot initiate any action against a legislative act, its involvement being only in the resolution of a dispute between persons and authorities properly brought before them by a person (natural or corporate) in protection of an existing legal right or obligation. Furthermore, only the National Assembly may effect a change to the provisions of the Constitution, without prejudice to the provision on modification of a law under Section 315 of the Constitution, a transitional provision which I submit has outlived its usefulness. Thus the federal legislature, the National Assembly, enjoys the highest authority under the Constitution. But the enormity of powers already enjoyed by the legislature appears not to have satisfied the members of the hallowed chambers; hence the effort to acquire more powers by eroding those of the Presidency in the proposed ‘amendment’. One such proposal is to be able to enact an Act

Exercising a veto, or overriding a veto, is constitutionally legitimate

under certain circumstances without the need of a Presidential assent. The Constitution, in recognition of the enormity of the powers it conferred on the legislature, duly protected itself from possible misuse of such powers which could create a dictatorship of the Legislature and which could erode its sacrosanctity. In pursuit of this objective, certain provisions which limit the application of those legislative powers are firmly entrenched in the Constitution. These may be found in Sections 1(3), 4(3), 4(8) and 4(9) of the Constitution. In summary, these provisions prohibited the legislature from making laws that (a) are inconsistent with any existing provisions of the constitution, but may alter (not amend) these provisions in terms of Section 9 of the Constitution; (b) inhibit or oust the powers of the Court whether directly or by implication; (c) are not for peace, order, and good government; or (d) have retrospective effect on criminal offences. A first look at the said Section 9 gives the impression that it is inconsistent with the prohibitive Section 1(3) or 4(8) of the Constitution. It is submitted that there is no contradiction. Rather, Section 9, although enacted to effect changes when necessary, remains subjected to both Sections 1(3) and 4(8) since every Alteration enactment under the section is no more or less than ‘an Act of the National Assembly’ as any other Act of the National Assembly. An alteration which is inconsistent with any existing provisions of the constitution is, it is submitted with respect, dead on arrival, that is, null and void. ( Section 1(3) ) It is noteworthy and equally instructive that Section 9 of the Constitution authorized alteration, not amendment or review of provisions of the Constitution. This authority to enact Alteration Acts is being confused with power for ‘amendment’ or ‘review’ of the Constitution. Although these words all portend change, they are, in detail, not the same. A word may be relative to another, but no word is exactly the same as the other. In the Blacks Dictionary of law ‘to alter’ means “to make a change in; to modify; to change some of the elements or ingredients of details without substituting an entirely new thing or destroying the identity of the thing affected; to change partially, or to change in one or more respect, but without destruction of the existence or identity of the thing changed” (emphasis supplied). So it is that alteration is a change that may adjust, but not obliterate what is already in existence. Consequently, one submits that ‘alteration’ is not properly applied in any change which involves the sub-

stitution of a practically new document, or substantial part thereof, with something new. On the other hand ‘amendment’ is defined in the same Black’s Dictionary of Law as “To alter by modification, deletion, or addition” This definition shows that there is a type of alteration which becomes an amendment. Review pertains to reconsideration, the taking of another look at a thing with a view to effecting a total change to that thing. It relates to the whole and not part of a thing. From the definitions above one may safely conclude that amendment, or review, though accommodating alteration, goes beyond alteration. In interpreting the provisions of the Constitution, note must be taken of the time hallowed rule of interpretation which is that words used in the provisions must be given their ordinary grammatical meaning, save where ambiguity arises from such approach. One therefore believes that the word ‘alteration’ was, as against ‘amendment’ or ‘review’, advisedly deployed in section 9(1) of the Constitution to achieve a purpose. It is also noteworthy that the alteration provided in Section 9(1) of the Constitution is tied and limited to effecting change to provisions of the Constitution, and not the Constitution as a whole. It is therefore very important that the National Assembly warns itself about the limitation beyond which it may not go. It has no power, one submits, to amend or review the constitution, or to give Nigerians a new constitution, or make changes that affect the power structure as provided for each of the three arms, or fundamental structure of this country, desirous as those changes may be. For example, in my opinion, the National Assembly cannot, in exercise of the power of alteration, change our system of government from presidential to parliamentary system, or from state structure to regional structure, or create additional states through an alteration process, or split the office of the Attorney-General of the federation or a state. Much as one does not like the federal base of our Local Government system one does not see the competence of the National Assembly to change it through an alteration procedure. So is the much orchestrated removal of immunity provisions from the constitution, or creation of additional beneficiaries of immunity provision. IT CANNOT REDUCE ANY CONSTITUTION CONFERRED PRESIDENTIAL POWERS, AND/OR ENHANCE ITS OWN POWERS. The proposed amendment to Section 9 which would, if it becomes law, enable the National Assembly to amend the Constitution or even legislate a new one without Presidential assent is definitely utra vires the legislature, C O N T I N U E D on PA G E 5 5

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