New telegraph thursday, september 3, 2015 vol 2 no 561 binder1

I slept with my daughter six times, says father }8

PenCom moves against pension remittance defaulters Anule Emmanuel Abuja

T

he National Pensions Commission (PenCom) is gearing up to go after em-

ployers that fail to remit deductions from their workers’ salaries into their Retirement Saving Accounts (RSAs).

PenCom’s Director General, Dr. Chinelo Anohu-Amazu, told State

House correspondents yesterday in Abuja after briefing President Muhammadu Buhari on the activities of the commission that the organisation was working with the police to enforce the law that

mandates employers to timely remit deductions from workers’ salaries to their RSAs. The police will work with a department in the commission devoted to enforcement and compli-

ance, she added.

She said: "Right now, even in PenCom, we have a whole department devoted to enforcement and compliance; we have also engaged recovery agents

HEALTH

Keeping drugs safe

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

}23

Sanctity Of Truth

NIGERIA’S MOST AUTHORITATIVE NEWSPAPER IN POLITICS AND BUSINESS

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Alison-Madueke

/newtelegraph

Vol. 2 No. 561

Alison-Madueke battles Indian envoy over $15bn oil deal }2

Saraki seeks UN support to defeat Boko Haram }4

Saraki

@newtelegraph1 www.newtelegraphonline.com

DSS kicks out ex-spokesperson, Marilyn Ogar }6

N150

Ogar

ICPC goes after Amaechi, Akpabio, Akala, Chime lSets up task force to probe Lamido, Shema, Kwankwaso }2&5 l90% of N'Assembly members under graft probe –Ex-Kogi gov

A crowd at the scene of an accident where a trailer fell off an overhead bridge on a moving car below in Lagos…yesterday. Story on page 8

Buhari vows to end incessant strikes

}3

2

News

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

ICPC goes after Amaechi, Lamido, Shema, Chime Emmanuel Onani Abuja

T

he Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has launched an extensive probe into the administrations of some former

governors, New Telegraph has gathered.

According to a source, those being probed are Alhaji Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Mr. Chibuike Amaechi (Rivers), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (Kano) and Mr. Sullivan Chime (Enugu).

Others are: Alhaji Ibrahim Shema (Katsina),

Chief Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom) and Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala (Oyo).

Already, the ICPC has dispatched detectives, christened “Chairman Special Team” to scrutinise the expenditures of the former governors while in office.

The source, who spoke

on the condition of anonymity, because he was not authorised to discuss the matter, said: "The commission is fully prepared to go the whole hog in probing the former governors and, where cases of graft have been established, prosecuting them.

"As it is right now, a powerful crack team

named the Chairman Special Task Force, has since been dispatched to Enugu, Jigawa, Katsina, Kano, Oyo, Rivers and Akwa Ibom, to scrutinise and peruse transactions during the tenures of the former governors.

"We hope to get full cooperation from their successors, some of whom

L-R: Executive Director, Enterprise Risk Management, Skye Bank Plc., Mr. Dotun Adeniyi; Group Managing Director, Mr. Timothy Oguntayo; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode; Deputy Managing Director, Mrs. Amaka Onwughalu and the General Manager, Lagos Public Sector/South West states, Skye Bank Plc, Mr. Ayo Abina, during a visit by the bank's management to Ambode in Lagos…yesterday.

NNPC to unbundle PPMC, dismisses refineries' sale Adeola Yusuf and Johnchuks Onuanyim

T

he Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is set to unbundle its subsidiary, Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC).

Also, the corporation stated that the country's refineries were not for sale.

Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, made the disclosures yesterday during an official tour of the Okrika Jetty and the Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited.

In a statement issued by the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Ohi Alegbe, NNPC stated that the marketing company would be unbundle into three companies for efficient and profitable operations.

Kachikwu said: "The PPMC would be split into a pipeline company that would focus primarily on the maintenance of the over 5,000 kilometres pipelines of the corporation; a storage company that would maintain the over 23 depots and a products

marketing company that would market and sell petroleum products."

The NNPC GMD informed that the move would ensure that the right set of skills are rightly positioned and the number of leakages in terms of pipelines break and products loss are reduced to the barest minimum.

He noted that the ongoing phased rehabilitation of all the state-owned refineries would be given an accelerated vigour with the aim of reducing petroleum products importation into the country.

He added that at full capacity, all the refineries could supply only 20 million litres of premium motor spirit otherwise known as petrol on a daily basis.

He affirmed that the refineries would not be sold, rather joint venture partners with established track records of success in refining would be invited to support the running of the refineries in order to ensure efficiency.

He stated that efforts are in top gear to fix all the crude and petroleum products pipelines across the country, stressing that the

Nigerian Airforce would be engaged to provide aerial survey of the pipelines, the Nigerian Army Engineering Corps to fix and police the pipelines and the Nigerian Navy to provide marine surveillance for the network of pipelines.

Kachikwu commended the NNPC’s engineers for the successful execution of the ongoing phased rehabilitation of the refineries while urging them to prepare a replacement programmes for obsolete spare parts of all the corporation’s installations in order to avoid intermittent shut down of facilities.

In his remarks, the Managing Director of the PHRC, Dr. Bafred Audu Enjugu, said the ongoing phased rehabilitation of the company cost less than $10 million, adding that the job was holistically carried out by indigenous engineers without any foreign support.

On her part, the Managing Director of PPMC, Mrs. Esther Namdi-Ogbue, assured that the company would think outside the box to provide solutions to all the challenges confronting it.

are in full support of the ongoing probes.

"It is important to let the public know that the ICPC's commitment to the current government's anti-corruption policy, is total and unequivocal.

"Honestly, if the Federal Government could increase its funding of this agency, Nigerians, and indeed the international community will be extremely proud of us.

"From what I have just told you, you can see that the former chief executives cut across party lines and that tells you that the commission does not look at who is involved, but what is involved."

New Telegraph learnt that the ICPC decided to probe the former governors following petitions against them by some members of the public.

Efforts to reach the ICPC's Resident Consultant (Media and Events), Mr. Folu Olamiti, to get specifics on the allegations against the former governors have failed, as his phone line could not be reached.

A reply to a text message sent to him was still being expected as at press time.

$15bn oil deal: Alison-Madueke denies fraud allegation Johnchuks Onuanyim Abuja

F

ormer Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke has dismissed allegation of fraud on a botched $15 billion oil deal levelled against her by the Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Ajjampur R. Ghanashyam.

Alison-Madueke, whose tenure as Minister of Petroleum is being investigated, in a statement by his lawyer, Chike Amobi, described the allegation “as spurious, unfounded and libellous.”

The envoy had alleged in one of the national dailies that the former minister used front to collect kickbacks from Indian government.

Ghanashyam had alleged that Alison-Madueke denied the approval of oil concession to twin Indian companies, Oil and Gas Commission Videsh Limited (OVL) and Mittal Energy International JV, OMEL (MITTAL) in 2006, after receiving a $25 million signature bonus, is spurious , false and lacking in substance.

But reacting to the allegation, the former minister explained explained that the Federal Government voided the contract with OVL because the company wanted the Federal Government to waive the commitments they made during the bidding process which included investing $6 billion in an 180,000 barrels per day (bpd) greenfield refinery, a 2000 megawatt power plant or a railway line from East to West of Nigeria, all of which were considered in granting the concession in the first place.

The former minister stated that she facilitated the refund of the signature bonus. Her words: “When the issue of the request for refund, made

by OVL which was represented to me in May 2015, I immediately prepared and dispatched a letter dated May 13, 2015, Ref #: PI.LM/3900/S.693/ Vol.1/78b to former President Goodluck Jonathan recommending for the refund of the said signature bonus in compliance with the relevant and extant laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which requires such approvals

to be granted by the President, and implemented by the Federal Ministry of Finance.”

She also denied allegation that she used intermediaries to receive payment for crude oil transactions with India.

“We believe the conduct of Mr. Ghanashyam is aimed at damaging our client’s reputation for her insistence on protecting the interests of the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and for not acceding to inappropriate requests of his country to be relieved of its contractual obligations to Nigeria.

“Based on the falsity and unfounded allegations against our client, we firmly but humbly request an unequivocal apology and a complete retraction of the libellous statements from Mr. Ghanashyam against our client,” she said.

Mrs. Madueke advised Mr. Ajjampur R. Ghanashyam to govern his future conduct accordingly to prevent the possibility of reoccurrence of any other events that could potentially diminish the exalted office of a diplomat he represents.

News

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015

3

Buhari vows to end incessant strikes

Anule Emmanuel Abuja

P

resident Muhammadu Buhari has assured workers that his administration will take steps to boost national productivity in order to bring end incessant strikes.

The president said workers remained a vital sector of the economy and must be encouraged to contribute maximally to the national development.

Buhari stated this yesterday during a meeting with the permanent secretary and directors of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity in Abuja.

He said he was particularly disturbed by the seemingly endless strikes, especially in the health sector, a situation that has contributed to the fall in the standard of health services in the country.

Buhari directed the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Clement Illoh and directors in the ministry to liaise with other stakeholders and work out proposals for ending the recurring strikes in the health, education, transport, oil and gas, power and other critical sectors of the economy.

In his remarks, VicePresident Yemi Osinba-

jo urged the ministry to contribute to the ongoing plans for the extension of welfare services to the poor and the disabled.

Speaking to State House correspondents after the meeting, Illoh attributed some of the recurrent strikes to the inclination of some government officials to enter into agreements

with financial implications without carrying the Ministries of Finance and Labour along.

According to him, the Ministry of Labour has introduced a code of conduct for government negotiators that bars them from entering into agreements with financial implications without presidential consent.

He said both the president and his deputy showed interest in three areas.

"First is the issue of national social insurance trust fund that has to do with social security and social welfare. At the moment, the agency covers all sectors, both private and public, that is any organisation employing

five or more persons.

"You will also know that the ruling party has as its manifesto, the issue of providing social welfare. We have keyed into this.

"On incessant strikes and lockouts with special reference to the health sector, we listed the causes of strikes and how we can quickly ame-

liorate this in all sectors.

One way of doing that is to curb impunity," the permanent secretary said.

He added that government would establish rule of law in the management of trade disputes through provision of capacity building for institutions of conflict mediation.

L-R: Commissioner (Technical), National Pension Commission (PenComm), Mr. Reuben Omotowa; Director General, Ms. Chinelo Anolu-Amazu; President Muhammadu Buhari and Chief of Staff to the President, Alhaji Abba Kyari, at a meeting between the president and PenComm officials in Abuja‌yesterday.

PHOTO: TIMOTHY IKUOMENISAN.

INEC to revisit Anti-Saraki senators deny withdrawal of forgery suit constituency delimitation Tunde Oyesina

Onyekachi Eze ABUJA

T

he Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said the constituency delimitation exercise, which was suspended last year, may soon be revisited.

Former Chairman of the commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, at the heat of the controversy trailing the proposed creation of 30,000 polling units across the country, suspended the exercise because it was close to the 2015 general elections.

Jega, however, promised that the exercise would be revisited after the elections so that any controversy that may arise might be settled before the next general elections.

Acting Chairman of the Commission, Amina Bala Zakari, told the newly appointed Surveyor General of the Federation (SGOF), Ebisintei Awudu, who led a delegation on courtesy visit to INEC headquarters on Monday that "now that the elec-

tions are over, we have to dust our Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and process the agreement to commence the delimitation."

Zakari further explained that the commission had also signed partnership agreements with sister agencies like the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), National Air Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), National Population Commission (NPC) and others for collaboration on the project.

She reminded Awudu that the MoU signed with his office include the provision of maps as well as for technical support.

In his remark, the Surveyor General pledged to support INEC with 2.5 million Satellite Imagery Maps of the whole country, Settlement Data, Training, Technical and other logistics support.

He promised to assist the commission in the delimitation exercise whenever it will be conducted, since OSGOF is in the committee.

ABUJA

T

he Senate Unity Forum (SUF) yesterday denied withdrawing a suit before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja seeking the removal of Senate President Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu on the grounds of alleged forgery of the Senate Standing Orders 2015.

There were reports in the media on Tuesday that the SUF, an antiSaraki senators loyal to Senator Ahmad Lawan, had withdrew the case.

The plaintiffs, Senators Abu Ibrahim, Kabir Marafa, Ajayi Boroffice, Olugbenga Ashafa and Suleiman Hunkuyi had shortly after the proclamation of the Eighth Senate on June 9 approached the court on ground that the standing order used was forged.

Joined as defendants in the suit marked FHC/ ABJ/CS/651/2015 are Saraki, Ekweremadu, the National Assembly

and the Clerks of both the National Assembly and the Senate.

Refuting the reports that the suit has been discontinued, counsel to the plaintiffs, Mamman Mike Osuman (SAN) stated that the originating summons in Suit No FHC/ ABJ/ CS/651/2015 at the instance of the senators was never tampered with.

He, however, stated that the suit which was discontinued was one filed by Chief Anthony Adeniyi on July 24 and marked FHC/ABJ/ CS/647/2015.

Osuman further stated that the suit withdrawn was totally different from the suit filed by the five senators.

He added that the suits differ in contents as can be distilled from their respective grounds, reliefs sought, affidavit evidence, parties, declaration and orders sought.

New Telegraph recalls that Saraki and Ekweremadu had on Monday refused to show up in court when the hearing of the matter came up and also were not represented by

counsel.

The matter was filed during vacation and was then assigned to Justice Gabriel Kolawole.

The matter was later re-assigned to Justice Ademola Adeniyi who took over from Justice Kolawole as the vacation judge.

Due to the absence of the defendants on Monday, the case filed had since been returned to the Chief Judge of the court for possible re-assignment when the court resumes from its annual vacation.

The plaintiffs had anchored their suit on the use of alleged illegitimate and unconstitutional Senate Standing Orders 2015 to conduct the election of the current leadership of the Senate on June 9.

The plaintiffs alleged that the Senate Standing Orders 2015 was "contrived" from the amendment of the 2011 version of the Orders without following its (the 2011 edition’s) relevant provisions and those of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

They argued that the said amendment was in breach of the "prescriptive procedures" stipulated by the extant provisions of section 60 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and Rule 110(1), (2), (3), (4) and (5) of the Senate Standing Orders 2011 (as amended).

They, therefore, contended that the election of the current leadership of the Senate and other proceedings based on the unconstitutional orders were null and void.

The senators are seeking among other prayers, the declaration of the Senate Standing Orders 2015 as null and void for being a product of an alleged illegitimate and unconstitutional amendment of the 2011 version of the standing orders.

They also want the court to nullify the amended order as well as the election of Saraki as the Senate President and that of Ekweremadu as the Deputy Senate President, for being products of the alleged illegal orders.

News

4

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Saraki seeks global support to defeat Boko Haram Chukwu David Abuja

P

resident of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki, has urged the international community to partner with Nigeria in a bid to defeat Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East.

Saraki made the call yesterday while delivering a keynote address at the ongoing fourth World Conference of Speakers of Parliaments, organised by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York.

Saraki noted that insurgency and all forms of brutality being visited on innocent citizens by terrorists across the world required international collaboration to curtail as they posed great threat to global peace and democracy.

According to him, terrorism has become a clog on Nigeria's path to sustainable development.

Saraki said: "The time to act is now. For us in Nigeria, with the new leadership at the execu-

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tive and legislature, we are reacting already. You have a reliable partner to work with.

"Boko Haram represents the greatest terrorist threat we face.

The insurgency’s senseless terror has brought untold destruction and hardship on our people in the North-East of the country. I, therefore, call on the international community to partner with Nigeria to defeat Boko Haram.

"Thankfully, our military has in recent times, significantly degraded the morale and capacity of the insurgents to launch attacks in the area, a feat that has since seen many settlements liberated, roads reopened and hope restored. I call on the global community to join hands with Nigeria to rebuild the overwhelming destruction of the North-East," he stated.

The Senate president lamented that the conflicts had brought in their wake the problem of internal displacement.

He stated that the challenge facing the global community at present was how to quickly turn the tide around to achieve sustainable development.

His words: "Since 2009, we have seen many of our innocent citizens brutally and senselessly murdered and others rendered internally displaced. The idea of a 15-year-old girl suicide bomber, wherever it may be in the world, be it in the Middle East, South America, Asia or in my country Nigeria is not the world of our dream.

It is not reflective of a world where sustainable development is the agenda.

"Surely, it is not a local problem. Terrorism is evil that we must confront. Its brutality, lack of purpose and cross border activities makes it imperative that we adopt a global approach in tackling it. Terrorism in one part of the world is no more important than in another."

He further bemoaned the plight of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the North-East and other parts of the country, saying the human misery in the various camps he recently visited was horrendous.

"Nowhere are these challenges more keenly felt, than in the plight of displaced persons, migrants and refugees,

where due to conflict and natural disasters, citizens are bereft of human rights, even certifiable citizenship identities, such as the ongoing situations in North-East Nigeria, with the attendant shockwaves being felt in other parts of the world through the rising tides of unsafe and unregulated, emergency migration, to Europe and other regions.

"In my country alone, we have seen the displacement of over two million persons and about 10,000 children orphaned by the Boko Haram conflict. The human misery has been unspeakable. I had the opportunity of an entire day visiting from camp

to camp some of the IDPs, to see first-hand the real suffering that thousands of mostly women and children are going through. It’s horrendous," he said.

He called on his colleagues to ensure the success of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through enabling laws that would ensure the smooth implementation of embedded policies and programmes for the benefit of the global state.

He noted that with historic success of the 2015 general elections, Nigeria had demonstrated an abiding commitment to democracy especially with the country's rather long history

of military rule, and its location on a continent still dotted by sit-tight presidents.

"While the rest of the world has acknowledged this Nigerian achievement and have rejoiced with us accordingly, those of us in leadership position understand that an election by itself does not make democracy.

"Our democracy will only be strengthened if it is able to guarantee also, better life and security for our people. This is where the challenge then lies. How then do we guarantee better life for our people in the midst of terrorism, insecurity and corruption?" he queried.

Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, laying the foundation stone of Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) head office in Port Harcourt. With him are Chairman, NLNG Board of Directors, Chief Osobonye LongJohn; Wike's deputy, Dr. Ipalibo Banigo; Managing Director, NLNG, Mr. Babs Omotowa; Director, Mrs. Cordelia Agboti; General Manager, External Relations, NLNG, Dr. Kudo Eresia-Eke and Chief Manila Pepple of Bonny Kingdom...yesterday

PenCom moves against pension remittance defaulters CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

because the compliance is on many levels; some people have made deductions from their workers’ salaries and have not remitted them into their Retirement Savings Accounts (RSAs).

"We are calling out to those people and we are going to work with the appropriate law enforcement agencies because it is a financial crime to take money out of an employee’s salary and not to remit it to his Retirement Savings Account.

It is something we take seriously.

"Then, those who have not even complied at all,

who have no RSAs, who have no savings and part of what the commission is prioritising this year is to ensure that very one, it doesn't mean that you have to be in a formal employment as those in the informal sector will also be brought under the scheme because they are the ones that are most in need of a retirement saving plan."

On the outcome of their discussion with the president, Anohu-Amazu said Buhari promised to take concrete actions to end the problems faced by retirees in accessing their retirement benefits.

He also directed Pen-

Com to urgently look into complaints of retirees with a view to easing their access to their retirement benefits.

She attributed the bottleneck to accrued rights arising from the transfer of federal workers to the contributory pension system, midway into their career.

"So they have accrued right coming from their past service under the defined benefit under the Federal Government and what you have is because our budget is not as robust as we would wish; we have dwindling resources and every sector of the economy is affected.

"But the president has also directed that this matter be looked into and prioritised so that those who have retired receive their payment benefits as and when due," she added.

Besides, she said the president also directed PenCom to work with the National Economic Council (NEC) to ensure that all the states fully comply with PenCom guidelines.

She said: "The challenges are largely to deal with compliance, we need a lot more people on the scheme and he has directed that we work with the vice-president so that we can get the NEC to work with PenCom to ensure

that all the states are in full compliance as soon as possible.

"The PenCom reforms has introduced the pension contributory scheme, the scorecard remains that we have 6.637 million retirement savings account holders today and what that has done is show us the opportunity for more people to get in because that is only about 11 per cent of the working population and the scheme has also given the Retirement Savings Account holders freedom to determine how their retirement benefits would be administered," she said.

News

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015

5

90% N’Assembly members facing EFCC investigation –Audu lProtesters kick against ex-governor as Kogi APC candidate

Johnchuks Onuanyim Abuja

F

ormer governor of Kogi State, Prince Audu Abubakar, yesterday stated that 90 per cent of the National Assembly members have cases with the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).

There have been protests against the emergence of Audu as APC governorship candidate for the November 21 elec-

tion in Kogi State as a result of his trial by the EFCC for alleged corrupt practices while serving as governor.

Protesters stormed the APC National Secretariat yesterday to kick against Audu’s candidature.

But speaking after collecting his certificate of return, the former governor dismissed the protesters and the EFCC case being referred to.

According to him, the case has been there since 2003 and he had

contested the governorship elections in 2003, 2007 and 2011.

The placard-carrying protesters asked Audu to come clean from the N11 billion fraud allegation against him before he can be qualified to fly the flag of APC. Some of the inscriptions written on the placards are: "Kogi State say no to Audu” and “We need a credible leader in Kogi" Leader of the protesters, Suleiman Muhammad, told newsmen that

Audu’s case with EFCC was enough to disqualify him from the contest.

He said: "We are here to protest against the candidature of Prince Abubakar Audu, on the platform of APC for the forthcoming governorship election in Kogi State. We say no to Abubakar Audu because he has N11 billion corruption case with the EFCC. Until he clears himself of the case, he has no moral right to present himself for an election.

"The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has declared war against corruption.

We, the concern citizens of Kogi State, are in support of his anti-corruption move. We want to toe the line of the APC change mantra and we would not support Audu because of his alleged corruption."

However, Audu dismissed the protesters and the allegation. He said: "Ninety per cent of people in the National Assembly have cases with the EFCC. For the fact that you have a case with the EFCC does not make you a criminal. I have contested four different election since 2003 and I was not disqualified, so what are they talking about. I contested in 2003, 2007 and 2011, what are they talking.

"The case has been with the EFCC since 2003

and I have been contesting election. It is those that do not have electoral value that are making noise and using cheap means to discredit me, it is a very unfortunate situation.

"EFFC has so far gone to four different courts in Lokoja and when I want to get judgement they will quickly go to another court and restart the case. They are shopping for where they will nail me.

"This country constitution states that one is innocent until a court prove him guilty. They are the mischief makers."

Audu, last Saturday, emerged the party’s flag bearer by defeating 27 other aspirants.

The certificate was issued to Audu by the APC Deputy National Chairman, (North) Senator Lawal Shuaibu.

Arik chair blames Aviation Ministry for industry woes Wole Shadare

C L-R: Director General, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Mr. Emeka Mba; Copley Partner, Seni Adio and General Manager, Commercial Legal, MTN Nigeria, Mrs. Oghenerume Rotimi, at the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) conference in Abuja.

Nigeria’s crude exports steady as Shell reopens pipelines Adeola Yusuf

N

igeria has regained its full crude exports value following the repair and reopening of two major export pipelines with 330,000 barrels per day cumulative exports capacity of Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) and Nembe Creek Trunkline (NCTL) by Shell, country’s biggest oil producing company.

The crude exports from Africa’s biggest crude exporter has earlier suffered a dip last Thursday.

Shell’s subsidiary in Nigeria, the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC), however announced in a terse statement yesterday that its Joint Venture (JV) had also lifted the force majeure on Bonny Light exports.

“Shell Petroleum Development Company

of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC) operated Joint Venture today (September 2) lifted the force majeure on Bonny Light exports following the repair and re-opening of the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) and Nembe Creek Trunkline (NCTL),” the statement issued by the company’s corporate media relations manager, Precious Okolobo, stated.

The TNP, the statement added, “was repaired after a joint investigation visit found that a leak was caused by an illegal connection that failed. A number of crude theft points were removed from the NCTL.” It would be recalled that the crude exports from Nigeria suffered a dip last Thursday when Shell announced the shutdown of both the TNP and NCTL with 330,000 barrels per day cumulative production capacity.

The two major lines are critical for exports of Bonny Light Crude while the TNP is vital for domestic power generation (Afam VI power plant) and liquefied gas exports.

The company also declared then that it might not be able to meet up with contractual agreement with its customers with force majeure on Bonny Light Crude exports effective August 27, 2015.

This action, SPDC Joint Venture (JV) said in an earlier statement, was due to a leak on TNP and crude theft point on NCTL. “A leak was reported on the TNP at Oloma in Rivers State, while the NCTL is shut down for the removal of crude theft points. SPDC is working to repair and reopen the two lines as quickly as possible,” the statement issued last

Thursday read.

The Nembe Creek Trunk Line is 100 kilometres long and has a capacity of 150 thousand barrels per day.

“The TNP transports around 180,000 barrels per day of crude oil to the Bonny Export Terminal, and is part of the gas liquids evacuation infrastructure, critical for continued domestic power generation (Afam VI power plant) and liquefied gas exports,” the company said on its website.

The shutdown of the TNP, which is critical for continued domestic power generation (Afam VI power plant) and liquefied gas exports, may shot-live the new peak of power generation in the country.

The Nembe Creek was commissioned in 2010 and evacuates crude to the Bonny Crude Oil Terminal (BCOT).

hairman of Arik Air, Mr. Johnson Arumemi-Ikhide, has blamed the woes of the nation’s aviation industry on the Ministry of Aviation and its officials.

He specifically called on President Muhammadu Buhari to carry out a forensic audit of the ministry to look into the corrupt practices the officials allegedly perpetrated by putting numerous hurdles before Nigerian airlines who indicated interest in flying into other countries.

The airline chief spoke yesterday at a breakfast meeting of the Aviation Round Table (ART) in Lagos where he also debunked insinuations that Nigerian airlines do not have the financial muscles to carry out transatlantic operations into Asia, Europe and America.

The Arik Air Chairman said officials of the Aviation Ministry should be held liable for the rot that has characterised the Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASA) between Nigeria and other countries.

His words: "Past ministers in the ministry were ill-advised by officials who rather prefer to gain from the lopsided arrangement they entered into rather than protect Nigerian carriers. At various times, the airline has been denied entry into countries

it applied to fly into while they grant entry permissions into Nigeria to airlines from countries that refuse same to Nigerian airlines."

He said the recent publication in national dailies of the names of debtor airlines by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) was a disservice to local airlines.

He said the airline is not afraid of government setting up a national carrier and also denied allegations that Arik Air owes Nigerian banks any debt.

He said the airline has secured $1 billion loan to upgrade its operations and that Arik Air has concluded arrangement to acquire 26 new aircraft before May 2016.

The Federal Government had penultimate week inaugurated a 12man Ministerial Committee on the establishment of a national carrier.

It is headed by former Managing Director of Discovery Airlines, Capt.

Mohammed Abdulsalam, with the legal adviser of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Uche Isichei, serving as secretary.

The Arik chairman also accused the Presidency of poaching four of its pilots after the airline had spent millions to train.

He disclosed that the airline will soon be quoted on the Nigeria Stock Exchange.

6

News

Use stolen funds to create jobs, NLC advises FG Yekeen Nurudeen Abuja

T

he leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has advised the Federal Government to invest part of the funds looted by public office holders to be recovered in employment creation.

The Congress said the current unemployment situation in the country has become a time bomb ticking to explode, noting that it has set machinery in motion to review and fine tune its position presented to the 2009 tripartite National employment summit which the Federal Government organized with technical support

thursday, september 3, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

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from the International Labour Organization.

This was contained in a communiqué issued by the Congress in Abuja yesterday as the outcome of a three day National Leadership Retreat with the theme: “Returning to our Founding Principles; the challenges facing the Nigeria Labour Congress”.

It said its new position on the state of unemployment in the country would take into consideration, the final report of the Employment Summit which pledged that 4-5 million jobs would be created annually between then and 2020; and the campaign promise of the new All Progressive Con-

gress (APC) government at the Federal level to create three million jobs annually.

While noting that the unemployment crisis in the country is a ticking time bomb waiting to explode, the Congress however commended the priority accorded the issue by the new leadership of the Congress.

This was as the labour umbrella body said it would declare September 10, 2015 as a Day of Solidarity Protest Action against the incidences of escalating corruption in public life, as well as protest against the high cost of governance in the country.

It called on all stake-

holders in the Nigerian project to join in the crusade to massively turn out on the day, and send a clear message to political elites that Nigerians would not continue to allow very few greedy and unpatriotic members of the ruling elite to continue with the high level of corruption in the country, as well as the unsustainable high cost of governance.

"With a huge amount of our earnings going to pay the wages and allowances of political office holders, to the detriment of developmental projects, and developmental aspirations of the vast majority of our citizens."

It added

NPA introduces new electronics platform Bayo Akomolafe

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he Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), yesterday unveiled a fully Integrated Revenue Invoicing Management System (RIMS) to block revenue leakages in the port industry.

The new platform, which will also lower operational cost and reduce documentation time will be fully implemented in October this year.

At a one-day sensitisation forum organised for the stakeholders in Lagos by the authority, its Managing Director, Mallam Habib Abdullahi, explained that RIMS was introduced to improve efficiency in port operations, reduce the costs and time of clearing cargoes from the ports.

Abdullahi stressed that the Electronic Payment System and the Electronic Ship Entry Notice (E-Sen) that were introduced by NPA in February and September 2014, were the first step towards full automation of its processes.

The managing director added that the platforms

were fully integrated with all the existing solutions such as Oracle Financials, Oracle Human Capital Management, NPA Paydirect via Interswitch and Electronic Ship Entry Notice (eSEN).

He explained that the focus of the President of the Federal Government of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, was to make Nigerian ports the hub of maritime activities.

Abdullahi said that “the authority would continue to introduce initiatives in line with best practices that will ensure that we remain efficient, transparent and accountable to its stakeholders and the good people of Nigeria.”

He added: "As you are aware, ports operations involves a network of processes and documentations along the chain of activities from the port of loading to the port of destination. Effective coordination of the activities makes the integration of the processes through automation absolutely necessary in order to facilitate seamless operations thereby reducing both costs and time.

Etisalat increases benefits on EasyStarter

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L-R: Chairman, Aircraft Owners' Association of Nigeria, Capt. Mohammed Joji; Lecturer, Cambridge University, UK, Prof. Anthony Kila and Chairman, Arik Air, Sir Arumemi Johnson-Ikhide, at the 2015 breakfast meeting on Ownership, Funding and Sustainability of Nigeria Airlines, in Lagos…yesterday. PHOTO:TONYEGUAYE

DSS kicks out Marilyn Ogar — Investigation Buhari should rethink the imbalance in

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here are strong indications that the Department of State Services (DSS), has sacked its former Spokesperson, Ms Marilyn Ogar.

New Telegraph's investigation revealed that Ogar's fate may not be unconnected with her role in the last administration and the run-up to the 2015 election.

Many, including the All Progressives Congress (APC), had accused Ogar of alleged partisanship, in the build-up to the general elections.

The development, according to security sources, was largely responsible for her demotion from the rank of Assistant Director, and the accompanying posting to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, to serve in the Services' Command Centre.

Severally, she addressed pressed press conferences,

which seemingly gave her away as the "defacto" spokesperson of the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

For instance, she had addressed a press conference, where she displayed incriminating materials, which she claimed were recovered from the Services' raid on one of APC's offices in Lagos.

She also alleged that there were plans by the party, to hack into the site of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), allegedly to compromise its data.

Another alleged sore point in the career of Ogar, according to another source, who also spoke in confidence, was the weighty allegation that she was awarded multimillion naira contract to lift kerosene.

It is not clear if Ogar ever denied the damaging allegation.

his appointments — Archbishop Obinna Steve Uzoechi OWERRI

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he Archbishop of the Owerri Ecclesiastical province, His Grace, Anthony Obinna, has joined the league of prominent Nigerians calling for the redress of the pattern of appointments so far made by President Muhammadu Buhari.

He bemoaned the lopsidedness in the appointment citing a commentator who described the appointments as ‘more sectionalistic than nationalistic’.

Obinna made the observation while answering questions from journalists during a news conference to announce the schedules for the 2015 Odenigbo Lecture Series of the Archdiocese.

He noted that the 2015

Odenigbo Lecture would be the 20th in the series, which was started in 1996 with a view to fostering the uniqueness of the Igbo language and reawakening the consciousness of the Igbo man to the distinctiveness of the Igbo culture.

He expressed hope that in a democracy, the outcry of the people, which is not only coming from one region, may likely trigger positive responses from the presidency to ameliorate the evident imbalance in the appointments.

Said he: “Nigerians, wherever they are located, should be given their due in the country. They deserve recognition and respect as integral parts of the country. Until we begin to accept every federating unit as actual stakeholders, Nigeria will continue to wobble.”

n keeping with its commitment to provide topclass telecommunication experience, Etisalat has announced new benefits on its leading family product, EasyStarter.

On the EasyStarter package, customers can now register five ‘You & Me’ numbers and stay connected to more members of their community of family and friends.

Customers on the ‘You & Me’ platform get free N300 airtime to call any of the 5 ‘You & Me’ numbers for every N200 they recharge weekly. In addi-

tion, Etisalat is offering free 10MB of data weekly on recharges of 100 and above on the EasyStarter package. The new EasyStarter package also offers unlimited connection to 2go, Whatsapp, WeChat, Facebook and BlackBerry for only N150 weekly.

Speaking on the improved offer, the Director, Consumer Segment, Etisalat Nigeria, Wole Rawa, explained that EasyStarter is repackaged to give more value to customers, with which they can connect more with their families and friends.

North-East lawmakers back President Chukwu David Abuja

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embers of the NorthEast Caucus of the National Assembly yesterday, expressed their total support towards the recent appointments of President Muhammadu Buhari in spite of public criticisms and alleged marginalization certain sections of the country.

The group, made up of three Senators and five members of the House of Representatives, led by Senator Danjuma Goje (APC Gombe Central) made this expression while briefing journalists

in Abuja.

The Caucus’ position was a reaction to the widespread public outcry against perceived marginalization of the Southern Nigeria, particularly the South East, in the political appointments made so far

by President Buhari.

However, rising in defence of Mr. President, Senator Goje, who addressed journalists on behalf of the group, argued that it did not matter the ethnicity or sectional origin of whoever was appointed but the ability of the appointee to perform the task creditably in a manner that would yield the desired result.

NEW TELEGRAPH thursday, september 3, 2015

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AICE: Sacked VC refuses to vacate office Steve Uzoechi OWERRI

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n spite of last week’s directive by the National Commission for Colleges of Education conveying the reversal of the earlier University status granted to the Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education and the reinstatement of the Provost, Dr Blessing Ijioma, the deposed Vice Chancellor, Professor Sadiq Abubakar, has refused to relinquish power.

In apparent defiance, having received a letter from the Federal Ministry of Education, Abubakar yesterday in Owerri, the Imo State capital, said that he was still in charge.

It would be recalled that the College has been engulfed by crisis, after the Federal Government announced the downgrading of the College from a Federal University of Education to a Federal College of Education The Vice Chancellor insisted that he cannot obey the directive of the Ministry of Education, adding that, “I was appointed by the former President Goodluck Jonathan and I cannot be removed from office by a mere letter signed by a Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Education. I will only vacate the office after I am served with a letter from Buhari”.

L-R: Executive Director/ Chief Financial Officer, FirstBank, Mr. Adesola Adeduntan; Vice-Chairman, 9th CIBN Annual Banking and Finance Conference Organising Committee, Mrs. Kemi Onabanjo; Group Managing Director/CEO, FirstBank, Mr. Bisi Onasanya; Assistant Director, Learning and Development, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Mrs. Rukayat Yusuf and Executive Director, Lagos and West, FirstBank, Mr. Gbenga Shobo, during CIBN's courtesy visit to FirstBank Head Office in Marina…recently

Army discovers 5,000 drums of illegally refined diesel Emmanuel Masha Port Harcourt

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he Nigerian Army has discovered 5,000 drums filled with illegally refined diesel at an oil bunkering site along the Nigeria Port of Authority, NPA, Road, in Port Harcourt.

The Commander of 2 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, Brig.-Gen. Stevenson Olabanji, who disclosed this yesterday, added

Confusion rocks PDP e-registration in Edo Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

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here was confusion in the ongoing electronic registration exercise organized by the Peoples Democratic Party as the exercise scheduled for Edo State yesterday suffered a setback. Aggrieved party members kicked against a proposed N1,000 levy on each member as the registration fee.

It would be recalled that the PDP had stated that the e-project being handled by the party's Committee and headed by Chief Raymond Dokpesi, was aimed at returning ownership of the party to its members and strengthening the various structures of the party.

Besides, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, had last month announced the National Working Committee's approval of the resusci-

tation of the online registration of its members, using Edo as a pilot for the project.

Dokpesi had in a meeting in Benin yesterday stated that each member would be issued with a card containing their biometric information and bank details, after the exercise.

Dokpesi stated that 250 machines would be made available for the process in Edo North senatorial district for a kick off in order to ensure that the party registers many members desirous of joining its fold.

He said that the party would engage the services of the local government and ward chairmen to make the project effective.

He was however greeted with stiff resistance by aggrieved members when he announced a fee of N1,000 to be paid by each member into a Skye Bank account, for the process.

that four tanker trucks containing 132,000 litres of diesel combined and a badge with 165,000 litres of stolen diesel were also found at the site.

He said that the army, which acted upon a report, had deployed operatives to the site at Makoba Beach which is two kilometre away from the Rivers State Government House, and arrested 13 suspects at the site.

He said: “About 16:40 hours on Monday, we got an information that some illegal bunkering activi-

ties were going on along Makoba Beach. On arrival, our personnel discovered illegal activities which involved bunkering (of illegally refined petroleum products) and lifting of diesel to local boats".

“At the site, we found over 5,000 drums loaded with illegally refined diesel; four tanker trucks containing 132,000 litres of diesel combined and a badge with 165,000 litres of stolen diesel.

“This discovery is unprecedented because since we started our op-

erations 10 days ago, this is about the biggest that we have uncovered.

“Our mandate requires us to destroy the products here, but we cannot do this because it will degrade the environment and affect residents as it is situated in the heart of Port Harcourt.

Our plan is to move them to a safe location for destruction. The 13 suspects would be handed over to relevant authorities for further investigation and prosecution".

Olabanji, who warned against the sabotage of oil and gas installations by oil thieves, maintained that the JTF would not rest until it rids the state of illegal bunkering activities.

ICRC says 2nd Niger Bridge still on track

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he Director-General, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Mr Aminu Diko, has said that the construction of the long awaited 2nd Niger Bridge is still on course.

This is contained in a statement signed and made available to newsmen by the Director-General yesterday in Abuja.

Diko disputed reports that the project was ``on hold’’, ``stalled”, `` being probed” or even ``suspended”.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Director-General recently briefed President Mohammadu Buhari and the media on the status of the bridge, which had since then received bad publicity.

“During my visit with the President, I expressed concerns about project cost vis-à-vis projected toll fees and engagement of community stakeholders whose land would be affected along the bridge’s right of way.

“The commission would like to see the Niger Bridge

completed to alleviate the plight of travellers on that route, especially during festivities.

“We know that it is critical; we also know how Nigerians suffer during festive holidays and we hear people sleep on that old bridge. The time has come to bring succour to Nigerians.’’

Diko said as a Public Private Partnership, the project must pass through various checks to satisfy the Federal Government and investors alike of its viability and also to ensure people got value for money.

Diko said that apart from the Niger Bridge, ICRC was working with private partners on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, the Sagamu-Ore-Benin road and the Murtala Mohammed road.

He added that the three Deep Seaports at Akwa Ibom, Lekki, and Badagry and also the agriculture silos and hydro power were some of the projects the commission was working on.

“All these projects are important to the nation and it is in our interest that they are successful.

CNS to ship owners: We'll treat vessels with stolen crude as saboteurs Emmanuel Onani

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he Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, has warned ship owners against allowing their vessels to be used for crude oil theft. He said such vessels will be treated as

saboteurs by the state, when caught.

The CNS handed down the warning yesterday in Abuja, when Nigerian Ship Owners Association paid him a courtesy on him.

He said: "While acknowledging that the majority of your members

FG, Sao Tome & Principe to review joint development authority Anule Emmanuel Abuja

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resident Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, said that the Federal Government and Sao Tome & Principe have concluded arrangements to review the activities of both countries Joint Development Authority with a view to making it more efficient and productive.

The President stated this at a meeting with the Prime Minister of Sao Tome & Principe, Patrice Emery Trovoada, in the presidential villa, Abuja.

He said that the two countries also need to intensify their collaborative efforts with others to curtail piracy and insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea.

The President said that with their shared strategic interest in the security of the Gulf of Guinea, Nigeria and Sao Tome & Principe must work harder with other stakeholders to keep it safe.

Buhari noted that pirates, who take advantage of the present low level of security in the gulf were causing incalculable damage to the economies of countries in the region.

are carrying out legitimate business out there, and like any other society, you still have some bad elements that are perhaps dragging your name back, dragging the reputation back.”

The president of the Association, Capt. Niyi Labinjo (rtd), said:"The Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Ship Owners Association, we are indeed two wings of the same bird..."

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

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Metro One feared dead as container I slept with my daughter six times –Father

Adeolu Adeyemo Osogbo

falls off Lagos bridge

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34-year-old man, Mohammed Ahmed, has told the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Osogbo, Osun State that he had been sleeping with his daughter, 14, since April.

Ahmed said he had taught the girl how to “have a good sex on bed” and that anytime he needed her, he would just take her to bed.

The suspect said he did not see anything wrong in making love with his daughter.

According to him, he sees the teenage girl as his sex machine.

He said: “I don’t know what came over me from April that I have been having sex with my daughter. Any time I was having sex with her, I did not see anything wrong in it.

“I only have sex with her six times since April 2015.

But, I am regretting it now when NSCDC officials arrested me over the matter.”

It was discovered that Ahmed started sleeping with his daughter after he divorced the girl’s mother who later died.

The daughter, a primary 4 pupil of a public school, and her nine-year-old sister were both living with their father in a single room apartment.

The Head of Public Relations and Protocol Unit of NSCDC, Mr Wale Folarin, said “the perpetrator of the act would be brought to book”.

Folarin said his men acted promptly and arrested the man after a tip-off from one of his neighbours.

The neighbour, according to him, claimed that the girl always screams whenever her father was having sexual intercourse with her.

ABIODUN BELLO FEATURES Editor

abiodun.bello@newtelegraphonline.com

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

The scene of the accident

LUCKY ESCAPE A man narrowly escaped death in an accident on Western Avenue, Lagos Abiodun Bello

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ne person was feared killed yesterday when a container-bearing trailer crushed his vehicle at the popular Ojuelegba area on Western Avenue, Lagos.

The trailer, said to be coming from Apapa Wharf axis and heading out of Lagos, fell off the Ojuelegba Bridge.

The trailer fell on two vehicles, a white Nissan Sunny car with registration number Lagos DG 750 LND and a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV). The container fell directly on the SUV while the impact was slight on the other.

But while the lone occupant of the Nissan Sunny car was

said to have escaped death, the occupant of the SUV was still trapped under the container at press time.

A police officer attached to Area ‘C’ Police Command, Surulere, who preferred anonymity, said efforts were still being made to extricate the driver of the SUV. “The occupant of the Nissan Sunny car managed to escape. But we still do not know whether the driver of the SUV is still alive or not.

“We have sent for a crane to remove the container on the SUV and rescue the driver. Until that is done, it is not proper to say the driver is dead,” the officer spoke on phone from the scene of the accident.

Several commuters and motorists were stranded for several hours because of the accident, which caused a gridlock.

Most of them came down from their vehicles to have a glimpse of the accident. They lined up the bridge.

The traffic generated also

The crushed SUV under the container

hampered rescue efforts. Officials of some emergency agencies said they were held up in traffic.

Earlier in text message, a top official of the Lagos State Fire Service said firefighters were still on their way to the scene of the accident.

The message reads in part: “Officials of the Federal Fire Service who are closer have

responded promptly while other responders on are stuck in traffic presently.

“First-hand information indicates that the only occupant of the white car escaped while the other occupant of trapped jeep was the only one in the trapped vehicle under the container. Operations are on to extricate the trapped driver now.”

Metro

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015

Residents protest demolition, block Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway Kunle Olayeni

Some of the victims salvaging their property from the rubble

Nigerian Army to remove the barricade from the expressway.

When our correspondent visited the scene yesterday, weeping property owners and sympathisers were sifting through the debris to salvage some of their belongings.

A press time, over 50 structures had been demolished while more than 3,000 other buildings had been marked for demolition.

It was learnt that the large expanse of land covering Pakoto, Ilepa 1, Ilepa 2,

Oniyale, Iyana Cele, Ilogbo, Abule Oke, among about 40 communities, was acquired by the occupants illegally.

But many of the victims, who spoke with our correspondent, claimed that they were not aware the land belonged to the government.

They claimed that they bought the land from one Fabowale family and had been resident there for years.

Incidentally, the house of the Baale of the community, Chief Ismail Oladipupo Fabowale, was the first to be pulled down by the demoli-

tion team.

One of the victims, Olumide Obakeye, said he had expended over N6 million on his building, which was demolished.

Obakeye, in an emotionladen voice, said he relocated from Lagos State to Pakoto community in 2013.

He added that he never knew the land belonged to the Federal Government.

According to him, despite lobbying and plea to the state government and LUTH representatives, their houses were demolished.

Two killed in police, motorcyclists’ clash

Impounded motorcycles

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here was palpable fear in Festac town, Lagos yesterday as two motorcyclists were reportedly killed by policemen.

The police were said to have gone to the community for a raid about midnight.

A witness said a combined team of policemen attached to the Lagos State Task Force on Environmental and Special Offences Unit, the Rapid Response Squad (RRS)

Abductors demand N10m ransom for pensioner’s release Steve Uzoechi

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H

Taiwo Jimoh

City Briefs

OWERRI

Abeokuta

undreds of residents of Pakoto community and its environs in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State yesterday barricaded the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway to protest the demolition of their houses.

The houses, with household items and other property worth several millions of naira, were allegedly demolished by the authorities of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).

Two bulldozers from the LUTH demolition team, backed by armed policemen and soldiers, began to pull down structures in the community about 10am yesterday.

Miffed by the development, property owners and aggrieved youths in the community made bonfires on the expressway, which led to gridlock for about two hours.

The protesters, who were chanting anti-government songs, accused the LUTH and Ogun State Government of high insensitivity.

It, however, took the combined efforts of policemen from Ewekoro and Ifo divisions as well as men of the

9

and Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) from the Area ‘E’ Command stormed 7th Avenue, Festac, where the motorcyclists were sleeping and rounded them up about midnight.

The police also impounded hundreds of motorcycles.

During the raid, the motorcyclists reportedly threw bottles and stones at the policemen.

The policemen were said to have retaliated by opening fire on the motorcyclists.

One of the motorcyclists was

shot in the head while bullets hit the second one in the leg.

They both died later at a private hospital.

The victims were identified as Emmanuel Omofula an indigene of Cross River State and Audu Michika from Adamawa State.

A resident of the area, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the motorcyclists had constituted nuisance at Festac.

He said: “We don’t want them. Police should send them away. Most of these motorcycle riders were mostly from Adamawa, Borno and other parts of the North. On a slight provocation, they would bring out knife and threaten to kill whoever that has an issue with them.

“Recently, one of the motorcyclists killed a policeman and took his rifle away at Alakija area. The policeman wanted to impound his motorcycle.

“I saw the heavy presence of policemen in Festac raiding the motorcyclists and I felt relieved.”

But one of the motorcyclists, Ibrahim Abubakar, said the police had impounded several motorcycles.

He said: “We were sleeping outside the entrance of

an estate on 7th Avenue, when the policemen came and rounded us up.

“We all ran to Lagos State because of the Boko Haram crisis ravaging our states.

Some of us have lost our family members to the war.

We believe the place where they would accommodate us is Lagos. The state government should allow us to ply the inner routes we are already plying.

Another rider, who simply identified himself as Gabriel, said: “We are helpless.

We were sleeping when the policemen came to arrest us.”

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Patricia Amadin, said motorcycles were impounded while 25 persons were arrested.

She said: “The report of the motorcyclists operating without registration number in the area got to the state Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, who ordered a clamp down on them, after given them warning.

“When policemen went to impound motorcycles, the cyclists attacked them. They threw bottles and stones at our officers. Some of them sustained injuries in the process.”

unmen have abducted a retired civil servant and prominent leader in Umudibia community in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State, Chief Raymond Irechukwu.

He was abducted at his home at Umuofocha village opposite Wintersuit Hotel on Nekede Polytechnic-Ihiagwa Road about 1am on Sunday.

It was gathered that the kidnappers are now demanding N10 million ransom from the victim’s family.

Family sources said the kidnappers used a ladder to climb into Irechukwu’s one-storey building. They gained access to his room through a window.

Witnesses, who were returning from a night club, said Irechukwu was blindfolded while being led to a waiting motorcycle at gunpoint.

Three days after he was kidnapped, no clue has been established as to his whereabouts.

Igbo tasked on national unity A

Lagos-based royal father, Dr Cyril Osuala Aromneze, Eze Ojiofor Ndigbo N’Lagos, has called on the Igbo in Nigeria and Diaspora to cooperate with their fellow citizens to ensure rapid development, peace and harmony.

This, according to him, is the only way the country can to move forward.

Speaking after the election of executives of Igbo Community in Lagos State, Anomneze emphasised that cooperation was imperative because no nation could make any meaningful progress if the people were not united.

At the election, Chief Ebere Ubani was retuned unopposed as president-general of the community.

Anomneze, who is the national patron, Igbo Speaking Community in Lagos, also tasked his people on peaceful coexistence with their host community.

He said: “You should also pray for your parents and families, because prayer is the key to open the door of success.”

Community, monarch clash over New Yam Festival Dennis Agbo Enugu

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ension has gripped the people of Ibagwa-Nike community in Enugu-East Local Government Area of Enugu State following disagreement between the traditional ruler, Igwe Emmanuel Ugwu, and some villagers over the right group to organise this year’s New Yam Festival.

Ugwu reportedly marked the festival on August 16, another group, led by the former Majority Leader of the state House of Assembly and Secretary of the Umuanekeode family in Ibagwa Nike, Hon Maurice Ekete, was said to have fixed another celebration for last Sunday. However, the exercise was reportedly aborted.

Trouble started when armed policemen invaded the village square, venue of the celebration, shooting sporadically, apparently in a bid to scare the young men who trouped out from going ahead with the festival.

10 News Japanese firm donates sickle cell treatment equipment to UCH Sola Adeyemo IBADAN

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fforts of the management of the University Colle g e Hospital (UCH), Ibadan to tackle sickle cell anaemia and give proper treatment to its patients got a boost yesterday as a Japanese based health providing company, ‘Terumo’, donated some modern equipment to the hospital.

The Chief Medical Director (CMD), of the hospital, Professor Temitope Alonge, made the disclosure yesterday while conducting representatives of the company on a facility tour of the hospital.

NATIONAL

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outh–South politicians on Wednesday expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for placing Nigeria on the world map for good. They also thanked him for running a transparent and accountable government.

“Buhari has performed excellently to the envy of his foes” the leaders, under the aegis of the Politicians and Political Office Holders in the South-South (PPOHSS), said.

In a statement issued in Port Harcourt by the National Chairman of PPOHSS, Chief Julius Ikuru, the leaders also eulogised the national chairman of the All Progressives Party (APC), Chief John Odigie Oyegun for being above board in the discharge of his duties.

They not only praised Oyegun for elevating politics beyond the mundane levels of wrangling, greed and selfishness but commended him for his com-

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Buhari has performed excellently, say South-South leaders and exemplary conduct.

politicians, those lWarn political detractors Desperate without ideas and popular are running away lMourn death of Sam Inokoba goodwill, from real issues and resort-

mitment to principles in the practice of politics, the rule of law and the best democratic tradition of fairness and justice.

The leaders dismissed the allegation of forgery, describing a self-acclaimed APC House of Representatives Candidate, Chief Christopher Anirah and his backers in Delta State as unscrupulous politicians.

“The allegation of forgery is wide off the mark and misconceived. It is also extremely contradictory in a number of areas, thus exposing the high level of

ignorance and wickedness of Anirah and his PDP sponsors.

The leaders also lauded the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase for not yielding to calculated lies.

They appealed to journalists to protect Oyegun from undue harassment by self-seeking elements whose stock in trade is to hide under the banner of the media to bring down their imaginary or perceived opponents.

“Leaders at whatever level must demonstrate a certain degree of decency

ing to character assassination and personal abuse.”

The leaders advised APC members in Okpe, Sapele and Uvwie Federal Constituency in Delta State to show Anirah the way out of the party.

The leaders who also affirmed their total support to Oyegun on his quest to develop the party in the zone, urged him to keep up the good works, irrespective of the antics of some detractors who peddle false stories about the party.

“We have a national chairman with a listening

ear. We have a chairman that is committed to the development of the party.

We have a chairman that is providing responsible, accountable and transparent leadership to the people.

The avenue of peaceful dialogue is still available to members.

“APC is on a mission to change this country.

Oyegun is administering the party, with the fear of God and for the good of the people. He believes in merit,” the statement said.

The leaders also expressed their condolences to the people of Bayelsa on the death of the immediate past Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Sam Inokoba.

APC chair masterminded violence during guber poll, witness tells tribunal Tunde Oyesina ABUJA

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witness at the ongoing hearing of the Akwa Ibom Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja yesterday said that governorship elections could not hold in three units because of violence allegedly ignited by one Mr. Friday Edem, a ward chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

This was as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Governor Emmanuel

Udon opened their defense to the petition filed by the All Progressive Congress (APC) and its candidate, Umana Okon Umana.

The witness Bassey Asuquo told the tribunal headed by Justice Sadiq Umar that the election was conducted without violence and that he voted in the polls.

Led in evidence by counsel to Udom, Paul Usoro SAN, the witness who claimed to be a medical scientist and polling agent of The Peoples Democratic Party denied allegations of ballot boxes hijacking and any form of violence.

Unauthorised police protection: IGP gives CPs ultimatum Emmanuel Onani ABUJA

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he Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Solomon Arase, has handed down a one-week ultimatum to Commissioners of Police (CPs) in charge of State Commands, to report on the state of compliance with the directive, to withdraw policemen attached to unauthorised persons across the country.

Arase’s order is a follow up to the presidential directive for the drastic reduction of police personnel attached to some Very Important Persons (VIPs), with a view to deploying them to perform their core duty of guaranteeing internal security.

The disclosure was made in a statement yesterday by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Mrs. Olabisi Kolawole, an

Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP).

The statement further quoted the IGP as directing State Command CPs, to ensure adequate security is provided at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) offices as well as Election Tribunal sittings nationwide.

It said the Police boss disclosed this yesterday, when he called on the Acting Chairman of INEC, Mrs Amina Zakari, in Abuja.

The visit, the statement added, “is aimed at cementing the existing relationship between NPF and INEC in ensuring the actualisation of INEC’s mandate.”

This is as it said, “Zakari used the occasion to intimate the visiting IGP of INEC readiness to work with the NPF in ensuring successes on the forth coming elections in Kogi and Bayelsa States.”

President, Women Arise Initiative, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin (holding megaphone); former Chairman, Amuwo Odofin Local Government, Comrade Ayodele Adewale and other members of the Gani Fawehinmi Memorial Organisation’s rally in Lagos…yesterday.

PHOTO: MADAKI JEREMIAH

Airlines substitute kerosene for aviation fuel Wole Shadare

C

hairman, Aviation Round Table (ART), Captain Noggie Meggison has raised concern over the quality of aviation fuel imported into the country, stressing that the low quality of JET A1 has led to destruction of aircraft engines that has cost them several millions of dollar to fix. He added that the situation threatens air safety.

Meggison made the disclosure yesterday at a meeting of stakeholders put together by Aviation Round Table (ART) held in Lagos.

He disclosed that European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) recently released a circular warn-

ing that aviation fuel coming out of Nigeria needs to be checked to ensure they do not endanger lives.

While Jet A1 and DPK are similar products, they possess totally different specifications and require different levels of handling, transportation and storage infrastructure expertise possessed by members of Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) who are duly audited annually and certified by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Joint Inspection Group (JIG).

He reiterated that the continuous usage of kerosene as aviation fuel damages engines of their airplanes, which lead them to frequently change the engines.

Experts put the cost of a

brand new aircraft engine at over $1million, adding that aside bird strikes, poor quality of fuel has done incalculable damage to their operations.

In 2011, Major Oil Marketers Association (MOMAN) had sent a petition to the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, alleging that some unscrupulous Nigerians were selling kerosene meant for domestic consumption (DPK) to aviation operators as jet fuel (Jet A1).

Meggison, who is also the Managing Director of Jed Air, equally disclosed that the landing aids at most of Nigeria’s airports do not function well, stressing that marginal weather at any of the aerodromes will ground flights.

His words: “Weather of 1000 meters will ground

aircraft. The world has gone digital. The landing aids don’t function. Margin of weather today will ground flights. They blame the airlines all the time.”

Chairman, Arik Air, Sir Joseph Arumemi-Ikhide, lambasted the Federal Government for not promulgating aviation policy that should protect the airlines, stressing that multiple entries granted foreign carriers to Nigeria has seriously affected the fortune of the nation’s airlines.

Speaking on the over N200B bailout given to domestic carriers in 2009 by former President Umaru Musa ‘Yardua, the airline chief disclosed that no cash was given to the carriers, challenging any one to show proof that they received money from government.

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, September 3, 2015

Governance

Interview

Election

13

13

14, 15

Buhari’s body language working some magic – Olajide

Ndoma-Egba: PDP shut its doors against me

Appointing acting INEC chair not illegal – Kalu

Politics Governor Dave Umahi is bent on the recovery of looted funds from the immediate past administration in Ebonyi State. In this interview, he speaks on his challenges as governor and his vision for the state. UCHENNA INYA reports

The last administration embarked on many projects without their completion and still went ahead to inaugurate some of them. You have embarked on construction of 10 urban roads in the capital city. When are you going to complete them?

The good thing is that I was a businessman, contractor and an engineer. If you start a project and you don’t have the means to fund it, you are wasting time. If you get small money and put there, the contractor will spend it and be waiting for you. By the time you come back, he will give you a variation that will swallow the money you have put in. Every contract we want to do, we will sit down and measure it with the amount of money that comes to us.

If I pay the much I can pay to our civil servants and if they shout from now till next year, I will not listen to them. I have a responsibility to fulfil for Ebonyi people; a responsibility in terms of security, health care, education and most importantly provide basic amenities/infrastructure development to the people. All these things we are talking, they all involve money.

If we receive whatever that comes to us from the federation account and use all of them to pay workers salaries then we will fold our hands. It is not even safe for our workers because if the Commissioner of Police is not in office to provide security to us, even if you collect the money, you will see hoodlums coming to your house to

AYODELE OJO

DEPUTY EDITOR, PoLITICS ayodele.ojo@newtelegraphonline.com

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

Umahi: I’ll recover all stolen funds

Umahi

collect from you the 50 per cent salary increase you are demanding.

It is very annoying that the little equipment we imported into the country, they stayed in the warehouse and today we are paying over N130 million for demurrage for ordinary containers. This money is enough for us to do over three kilometres of road for the people.

We have geared into action by borrowing little money towards clearing the containers. I believe from next week, we will expect the containers and they are no more on the high sea.

Timing is very important.

People are asking how long it will take us to complete the 10 urban roads we started. But I assure you that by December this year, we will be able to complete them. And we will be able to do that because we are working in the raining season and you hardly do asphalt during the raining season. But with concrete in some of the roads, where we want to deploy concrete we will be able to do that.

We will recover the money that the former caretaker chairmen took away

11

What are your priorities?

The priority areas? Everything in Ebonyi is a priority because we have been forgotten years back by other states. The priority is to make plans for tomorrow and in making plans, you have to plan for everything. Our health system, education, electricity, our water system and the welfare of the people, take for example, we are impoverished, and that’s why I said; whatever little fund that is available, we will use it to do projects that will benefit our people. Our people have no any other place of income and we said whatever we get, we will spread it to benefit our people so that they will have a sense of belonging in this government.

How are you relating with your political opponents?

People may have helped us differently, and if you are in your ward, you cannot know what is happening in the other wards.

Enemies may have fought us dur-

ing the state and National Assembly elections but became friends during the governorship election.

Politics is all about negotiation, dialogue, agreement and disagreement. There is no one who worked for us that will not benefit from our administration and that is my assurance. But one thing that is very important is the ability to forgive.

When you forgive someone, you set yourself free. But forgiving does not make you a foolish person. When you forgive, you are expected to be careful. When people see a man who easily forgives, they begin to think that the man is weak. He is not weak because a real child of God does what God asks him to do. The reward is from God. A man cannot be disadvantaged because he forgives.

What has been your challenge since you came on board?

Honestly, I am a very courageous person because I believe in God. I don’t believe that in life, you are not going to have some challenges. The first challenge I had on my assumption in office, was my inability to keep to the promises I made to workers and students.

Because when I was campaigning, even though I realised that most of our people do not understand what is called minimum wage. When I was the deputy governor, I was in good relationship with the labour and we understood ourselves. I said I was going to pay minimum wage to our workers and that promise is sacrosanct and remains undiluted. I also made promise to our students that I will reduce school fees and each community we went, we made promises. We saw our defenceless women, mothers, brothers and sisters and their situation was very bad. But when we made these promises, the price of oil was still high. What was on ground then, as our allocation was enough to fulfil these promises. I was much shocked that oil price has fallen and it has affected our allocation. As a result, I saw myself as not being able to immediately fulfil those promises. I was badly challenged but my consolation is that it is good to be honest with the people. I had to open our account books to our people, that this is what we earn, made our intention known to them and this is what we can do now. To me, it is a challenge that I was unable to implement immediately the promises I made to the people but I am very confident that, we will fulfil all our promises.

The state House of Assembly recently probed former caretaker committee chairmen and ordered CONTINUED ON PAGE 13

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Politics | Interview

THURSDAY, September 3, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Buhari’s body language working some magic – Olajide Dr. Kunle Olajide is the National Publicity Secretary of the Yoruba Unity Forum (YUF). In this interview with TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE, the former Secretary of Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE) speaks on President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, anti-corruption war, bailout for states and cost of governance What is your take on the appointments made so far by President Muhammadu Buhari?

I am not too comfortable with the appointments because I think to have a complete preponderance of Northerners in his kitchen cabinet is a little bit worrisome, especially since we are just beginning to evolve a nation out of Nigeria. There is so much suspicion between different nationalities and ethnic groups across Nigeria. Therefore, I think Mr. President ought to have taken that into account to ensure some form of balancing in those appointments.

But some people are of the view that merit and not ethnic consideration should be paramount...

When you are talking about merit in Nigeria, there are competent people in all parts of Nigeria; no part of the country is barren of competent people, professionals and men of integrity. So, I believe that President Buhari, who has been former Head of State and contested for presidency many times before winning, should have one or two people who are his confidant in the Southern part of the country, who he can also appoint into his kitchen cabinet.

Some people also believe that there is no basis for the uproar over Buhari’s appointments, considering that majority of appointments are yet to be made.

Why can’t he start from the onset to do the balancing to inspire the confidence of the people? Honestly, I would have felt that right from the beginning of the appointments, he would have ensured a form of balancing so that there would be no cause for complaints anywhere. Yes, I agree that some appointments are still coming but again you will remember in Animal Farm that “all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal that the others.” I think we should keep our fingers crossed and continue to look forward to other appointments. But I think he should take the difference heterogeneous nature of this country into account in the issue of appointment to ensure some balancing.

How would you assess his administration in the last 100 days?

I think we should give him kudos because his body language has worked some magic in over 90 days he has been in office. We know that he regularly choruses war against corruption and since his personality epitomises integrity and credibility, I am sure some organisations in Nigeria and some actors are already behaving. We can see improvement in electricity supply and even petrol supply.

So, to me his personality; integrity and credibility has really worked magic.

We are only waiting that he should come up with his economic policy. It is only in that area that one might score him a little bit low.

For 100 days in office, I think we should have known the direction of his economic policy because lack of direction in the economic sphere is really holding back some foreign investors, who want to come in because nobody really knows the economic policy of the government. But on the whole, I think he should be scored excellence.

The president has promised to release the list of his ministers this month, what would be your advice to the president on the choice of his cabinet members?

They have to be people of integrity, who know his vision and mission, and who will mirror the credibility and integrity of Mr. President in their various cabinet positions. I have never grudged him for taking his time to constitute his cabinet because the rot in Nigeria has gotten so deep, particularly in the political class. So, I will advise that it would be best for him to look beyond the political class. Of course, there are men of integrity among the politicians but he must go outside the political elites. They (proposed ministers) have to be men and women of impeccable character and integrity; otherwise the message of anti-corruption would be loss.

So, the ministers should be a mixture of technocrats and politicians?

It must comprise of technocrats and politicians for some reasons.

Olajide

There are certain ministries that are highly technical and there is no need to put a political appointee as minister without the knowledge of the workings of the system. I will love the appointments to be dominated by technocrats and men of integrity.

Since his personality epitomises integrity and credibility, I am sure some organisations in Nigeria and some actors are already behaving

What is your take on the planned reduction of lawmakers’ allowances?

As far as I am concerned, the allowances of the lawmakers are too outrageous and they are not consistent with the economic reality of Nigeria. We have had political dispensation in this country before and in fact, we were told recently by a senator that served between 1999 and 2003, that they didn’t earn anything as scandalous as what the lawmakers are earning now. So, the allowances and remuneration are scandalous to say the least. Secondly, because of the outrageous allowances and remunerations, you have all sort of people going into the National and state Assemblies to go and make money. The motivation is money making; it is no longer service to the people.

So, the entire political system should be demonetised. Of course, people should be paid for rendering service, which they go to legislature to offer but it would not be out of tune with the economy reality in Nigeria. So, those who want to make money solely should stay out of politics. Politics is a vocation; it is a service and not a business. I believe the lawmakers allowances should be reviewed downward considerably.

Many people in political offices in this country today have no business being there. A former Deputy Inspector-General of Police, while in the Senate, looked around and

stood up in the chamber, saying that there were a number of senators who he has locked up for one fraud or misbehaviour in the past when he was in the Police. So, we have a lot of people in public office, who shouldn’t be there and who doesn’t even know what it is to be a member of the National Assembly and political leadership at all levels. That is the reality of the moment because the motivation is money. So, it is a shame.

What is your take on the recent bailout to state governments, especially those who are finding it difficult to pay workers’ salaries?

It is a good development. He (Buhari) is the president of the country and there is no point being a father to all Nigerians and you see that some of your children are very hungry; they have not been paid for months and so on.

So, I think for him to have come to the aide of the states is very remarkable and we must commend him for that. But, the idea of going to take a bailout from the Federal Government doesn’t speak well of the managerial capability of most of the state governments. I think most of them would have learnt their lesson now.

With economic reality in the country, government is cutting cost of governance. How do you see the development?

Yes, they have to do so. I am one of those people who have consistently advocated for reduction of cost of governance. In any developing country or economy, what you have is small government and large private sector but the reverse is the case in Nigeria. We have large government with little private sector and that is why we have an army of unemployed youths in the country.

Politics | Interview 13

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, September 3, 2015

Senator Victor NdomaEgba was the Senate Leader in the Seventh Senate. In this interview with CLEMENT JAMES, he speaks on the Muhammadu Buhari’s government as well as his political future

Ndoma-Egba: PDP shut its doors against me far are undeserving because they are not qualified or lack integrity.

There have been allegations of some principal officers tampering with the Senate rules just before the end of the Seventh Senate.

What exactly happened?

I cannot say what happened as I had left the Senate. We used the same rules, the Senate Standing Orders 2011 (as Amended) throughout the Seventh Senate.

The then Senate Committee on Rules and Businesses which was Chaired by Senator Ita Enang with me as Vice Chairman had proposed some amendments to plenary and those amendments were not considered until the expiration of that Senate. I am not privy to any new Rules, if any, that were introduced after I left on June 4, 2015.

What have you been doing since leaving the Senate?

I returned to my law practice, Ndoma-Egba, Ebri & Co, and I have since established the Abuja office of the firm. I have also, along with some former colleagues set up a legislative and public affairs consulting firm, Legum Consult, and I am also writing a number of books and also politicking.

You were close to former President Goodluck Jonathan when he was in power. What has been your relationship with him since May 29?

My relationship with him was formal and it remains cordial.

Since the All Progressives Congress (APC) took over government at the centre on May 29, you have remained silent on national issues.

Why is this so?

That cannot be correct; I have spoken out on issues when I needed to speak. The print and electronic media will bear this out.

There have been conflicting rumours that you are making plans to decamp to the ruling APC. What exactly is the situation?

I remain in politics and you can only play politics from the platform of a political party. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) shut its doors against me three years ago and denied me and my supporters its platform to play politics. Since I am not retiring from politics, I must move on.

President Muhammadu Buhari has started his war against corruption.

What is your impression on this war so far?

We owe Nigeria and unborn generations a duty to support him in the fight against corruption. President Buhari has dem-

You were reported to have been invited by the Department of State Services (DSS) at some point to explain certain things. What were the issues and what were your explanations?

Nobody has invited me.

What is your impression about what people consider as the slow pace of governance in the country?

I do not agree that the pace is slow.

Ndoma-Egba

onstrated the will to confront the monster of corruption. He has started the fight, it is too early to assess the fight but he needs the support of everybody.

Again, the President has made some appointments and there are people who think these appointments are so far tilting to one particular region of the country.

What is your take on this?

Nigeria is too complex for us to simplify our configuration to simply North and South. In the North, you have the major Hausa/Fulani tribe; you have the Kanuri’s and several minori-

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

them to refund over N1 billion they allegedly stole while in office. What are you doing about the recovery of the alleged stolen money by the past administration?

We will arrest some people and possibly jail them for involving in corruption. Everybody has his own method of tackling issues. I will not arrest them but if they fail to bring the money, I will arrest them. I will personal invite the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to go after them, but I believe they will return the money they took away.

Leadership is very important. The face of any administration is the face of leadership. If the past administration did not care so much about eradicating corruption, then we cannot allow that, we will recover the money that the former caretaker chairmen took away.

The money belong to the government.

We will pardon them but we need the

I have had no contact with PDP in three years since my supporters and I were shut out

ties, Christian and Muslim minorities. In the South, you have minorities and in the South-West especially a sizable population of Muslims. To pigeon hole the appointments into North or South is over simplification of our configuration and dynamics. In any case, given the multiplicity of available positions in the public sector that the president can make, it is premature and too early to reach a judgement. Let us wait and see, as he makes further appointments but I think the outcry so far will remind him of the need for spread. Fortunately, no one has said the appointees so

Back home, what is your relationship with the state governor, Prof.

Ben Ayade and your party, the PDP? Prof. Ayade and I were colleagues in the Seventh Senate and I believe that we are friends.

Our relationship is cordial. I have had no contact with PDP in three years since my supporters and I were shut out.

What are your plans to bounce back into political reckoning in the state in 2019?

I am in politics and I remain in reckoning even now. I do not have to wait until 2019 to be in reckoning.

Umahi: I’ll recover all stolen funds money. We need the money to enable us provide infrastructure development to the people of the state.

The first thing to do should not be to arrest them, because if I arrest them, people will say it is politically motivated. We have decided not to arrest them, since they have joined another political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), let them not say I am arresting them because they have joined another party. But let me emphatically say I will arrest them, if they don’t bring the money. I will arrest them even if they are at the headquarters of any political party. I will come there and arrest them and make sure they bring the money.

How do you intend to expend the stolen money if returned?

I have not seen any money. None of

them have refunded any money but we hope that they will get it. We have charged the Local Government Service Commission to do something about it and soonest they will report back to us.

We told them that we don’t want to remove anybody from office. This is the first government that is saying, look we want to unravel all the frauds that have happened in Ebonyi State but the Bible says “let him that steals, steal no more.”

We want to negotiate with these people.

What we need is the money they stole; we don’t need their downfall. We don’t want to destroy their political career but we need the money. By the time we get the money from them, nobody will hear the matter any longer.

Critics say you appointed indicted persons into your government. How true is this

assertion?

I am not aware of any person that was indicted by a commission of inquiry in Ebonyi State that was appointed into my cabinet. I may have appointed people that are standing trail but until somebody is convicted, he is presumed to be innocent.

Last year, Ebonyi experienced flood, what is the situation likely to be this year?

This is an opportunity for me to tell Ebonyi people that the information we had is that there will be so much flood this year. People who are living within the flood prone areas should relocate else they may have their property destroyed, Ebonyi State Government has no fund to come to their aid. Vacate the flood place after the flood you can come back.

14

Politics | Interview

THURSDAY, September 3, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Appointing acting INEC chair not illegal – Kalu Dr. Awa Kalu (SAN) is a renowned constitutional lawyer and was, for six years, the Attorney General of Abia State.

In this interview with EMMANUEL ONANI, the former Law lecturer at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) speaks on contemporary issues

What is the legality of having an Acting Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)? Does the constitution recognise the position of Acting Chairman?

I believe that a person can be appointed in an acting capacity for a temporary period, to serve as a stop-gap, pending confirmation by the Senate. I think that that position requires confirmation by the Senate, and that is why Mrs. Amina Zakari is acting at the moment. That is my believe; I’m not going to start looking through the constitution, but I know that the position of the INEC Chairman, requires confirmation by the Senate, and until that confirmation has been made, the incumbent has to remain in acting capacity.

Senate approval or confirmation never happens in a day. It is a process, and until that process is completed, she remains acting chairman.

seen as garrotting the tribunal by offering my own answer to the press. We have canvassed that position, but I would like the law to play out.

What was the position you canvassed at the tribunal?

Our position is that when you announce the result of an election, it is only a tribunal or a law court, as the case may be, that can validate or invalidate that announcement. And, if you now look at the converse situation, if you cancel a result, then the person cancelling, does not have the authority to revalidate. That is the position we have canvassed, and hopefully and ultimately, let’s hope that we are right.

Does the law allow a sitting president to operate for a period as long as say three months without a cabinet?

Let’s take it on two limbs. The first limb is that, our constitution provides for an executive presidency; that is to say that the president is not only the chief executive, but also the Commander-in-Chief, and by theoretical constitutional assumption, all executive powers are inherent in the president himself. And when he inaugurates a cabinet, all he is doing is to delegate some of his executive authorities to min-

The confusion has been that the acting chairman was actually a National Commissioner, and few weeks before her retirement from the commission, she was named.

Was the process of her appointment tidy?

Her tenure as National Commissioner is not the same as overall chairman. So, it’s a conversion; the analogy you may require, is when in circumstances warranted by the constitution, a Deputy Governor transits to Acting Governor, or a Vice President transits to Acting President. So, there is usually a transit bus stop, where you wait for the main bus to come. That’s what I think.

Does the law allow a Returning Officer, who has announced or cancelled collation from a polling unit or ward, to reverse himself?

I will be very slow in answering that question, because currently, I’m involved in an election petition, where that scenario has come up, and I don’t want to be

Kalu

For a country as large and as complex as Nigeria, you cannot have a surplus of advisers

isters.

That is the first leg. So, if you recognise the president as the chief executive, then you need to know that the constitution did not say you are sworn in today, tomorrow you must have a cabinet. If not tomorrow, in three weeks, if not three weeks in three months. It may be healthier for our governance process to have a cabinet, but by not naming a cabinet, I personally do not think that the president has infringed any of the provisions of the constitution. That is the first limb of my answer. Second limb is with regard to the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, who is also a member of the executive when named. I believe that Mr. President should immediately name the Attorney General, because the office of the Attorney General is created in the constitution. So, to that extent, Mr. President ought to take immediate steps to appoint a person to the Office of Attorney General of the Federation, who also will be the Minister of Justice.

In your view, is the setting up of the Anti-corruption Advisory Committee, a subtle vote of no confidence on the existing anti-graft agencies?

Well, you can’t have your cake and eat it. You are blaming the president for not having a cabinet,

he appoints a committee to advise him, and you say that amounts to a vote of no confidence? I do not think that that is a vote of no confidence. For a country as large and as complex as Nigeria, you cannot have a surplus of advisers. Advice can come formally or informally, or through a committee, but the important thing – as many Christians would say – is that ‘all things should work together for good’.

Corruption has eaten very deep into the fabric of our society, corruption has taken over the mindset of many Nigerians, so I personally would not think that there is anything wrong with asking somebody as experienced as Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), a constitutional lawyer, an activist, to chair a committee and advise on the way forward. Whether or not the committee is ad hoc or permanent, is what I cannot say for now.

But, to answer your question, I don’t think there is any vote of no confidence on any of the agencies right now. Rather, they should actually work actively in cooperation. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and others, also give advice; they send their people abroad for training.

It’s all about capacity building,

Politics | Interview

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, September 3, 2015

because we need adequate capacity to fight corruption. If you have three committees and at the end, you get the fight right, I do not see any danger. It is a correct signal, that corrupt elements would be fished out and dealt with. And, I believe that is the message of the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

Should plea bargain be adopted as a veritable instrument of loot and asset recovery?

Plea bargain is already in the newly promulgated Administration of Criminal Justice Act. Plea bargain has always been in our system, and it comes in many parts and many means. I have always believed and I have said so at many public seminars and fora, that if you look very critically at the power of the Attorney General (either of a state or of the federation), as prescribed in the constitution, you will see that imbued, is the power to bargain. I will say that the Attorney General, pursuant to the constitution, has power to institute criminal proceedings, and he also has power to take over from any other person or agency.

So, the Attorney General can take over, institute; he can discontinue. So, if I can come to you and say this person or that person you are prosecuting, I am now taking over, or the state or the federation no longer wishes to proceed with the prosecution of X, Y, Z, there is no reason why the Attorney General cannot say look, the evidence we have against you is too tight; we don’t want to waste resources prosecuting you.

What do you have to say? And you hear, ‘Mr. Attorney General, I have N2 billion, I will give it to you, please don’t incarcerate me, because I love my children’. So, that opportunity, that apparatus of case management, has always been available to the Attorney General. I have read one or two books about the Attorney General and how the office works, and I know as a fact that the power to institute includes the power not to institute. It is not mandatory that every investigation that has been concluded, must result in prosecution. So, something has to happen in-between. And, that thing in-between, is the ability to compromise on behalf of the state.

What is your perspective on the decision of the current administration to limit its probe to the immediate past government?

Well, you know that the body language of politicians is to widen the available market for investigation, and once you widen the market, then we return to what a professor said a long time ago, that ‘a perfectionist never finishes’. So, when you start your investigation from 1960, and you are investigating public officers, who have been around since then, what you are telling yourself is that I am not prosecuting anybody, because the market will be too big. Nigerians go to China to buy specific things and some go to Dubai to buy specific items, but I don’t know any Nigerian who goes to China and doesn’t find what to buy, and then returns and goes to Dubai. Or now travels to the United States of America.

So, my point is simple; the journey of a thousand miles, must

15

sons. If you go into public office thinking about yourself, thinking about your family whether nuclear or extended, then we can never get it right.

Is the Excess Crude Account (ECA) legal?

I will not make any direct comment on that account, because as Attorney General of Abia State, I filed a suit, and I have not found any indication that that suit has been settled. And so, for now, I keep my gunpowder dry. But, I believe if you look at Section 162 of the Constitution, it is clear about what ought to be done. But, on a serious note, it is difficult for any individual or any nation or government, to function without savings, to function without making provision for the proverbial rainy day. And that is what the ECA is about. So, government may then do a quick amendment of the relevant sections of the constitution, in order to make provision for the rainy day. But, as the constitution stands today, the ECA may not find any particular pigeon hole.

Kalu

begin with one step. That is the lesson from a Chinese proverb.

So, if that one step happens to be the immediate past administration, I cannot see anything that is wrong with that. Certainly, government is a continuum; it is the Goodluck Jonathan administration that has handed over to the current administration, and it was the Olusegun Obasanjo administration that handed over to the Umaru Yar’Adua administration, and so on. So, there must be some grey areas where an enquiry into the Jonathan administration, may result in a collateral enquiry into the Yar’Adua administration and so on. But, to say that we are doing one holistic enquiry into corruption, say from 1960 till date, will be a wild goose chase.

So, this may not be an exercise to witch-hunt some people?

Well, witch-hunt is always a technical accusation for those who don’t want anything to happen. If they are witches, please hunt them (laughter). If they are witches and you want to sleep well at night, then you must hunt them. If the witches are under, let them confess, or let there be a hunt.

What is your take on the presidential directive to the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to operate a single treasury account?

I’m sure that that instruction may be modified in due course, because there are some agencies that maintain operational accounts that take a portion of their income, in order to fulfil their constitutional or statutory obligations. I believe that the less said about that directive, the better. As the administration unfolds its agenda, it is very possible that a case would be made for a subtle separation of the trading account, for instance, from real time income.

Would you say that having a unicameral legislature at the federal level will greatly reduce the cost of governance in the country?

I don’t think so. It’s not from a

A person can be appointed in an acting capacity for a temporary period, to serve as a stopgap, pending confirmation by the Senate

bicameral legislature that money is being spent in an unwise way.

The bicameral legislature exists only at federal level. Constitutionally speaking, the 36 states of the federation, maintain a unicameral legislature, but that does not translate into a good budget system. So, we have a bicameral legislature at the federal level, principally to reflect the complexities of our constituencies. The Senate, traditionally speaking, is supposed to be for elder statesmen, who will deliberate on matters of national importance and bring their experience to bear on functions of the legislature. The House of Representatives, on the other hand, reflects our diversities, and gives every section of the country, a sense of belonging.

So, what we may do, is to allow the agencies of government to work optimally. For instance, the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) is taking active steps now, to reduce salaries and allowances of public officers. If you do that, then public office holders, particularly of the executive branch, should have a directive as to how many aides they employ. Somebody who is occupying public office, now has a special assistant, and that special assistant has a personal assistant, while that person assistant will have their own assistant and down the line, and the payment has to come from public purse. If there is no payment from public purse, there is a vacancy announced for some other things that are not either salary or allowance. Public office functionaries are known to create avenues for aggrandisement for themselves or for the many assistants that they maintain. So, if we peg it like say, a minister has one assistant, and the assistant should not have an assistant, then the public expenditure profile, will definitely narrow. I know that people in public offices know how to minimise expenditure.

What we require are discipline, selflessness and integrity. Those are not qualifications that are found in the constitution. It is to be inherent in public-minded per-

What area(s) should the in-coming Attorney General of the Federation give urgent attention?

The Attorney General’s role – whether of the federation or of the state – is clearly articulated within the confines of the constitution. I had advocated in certain quarters, that our chief executives of the various governments should, in the Nigerian parlance, ‘shine their eyes’. It is possible that the Office of the Attorney General is the most important, apart from all other offices that are recognised by the constitution; the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. But, as a singular office, the office of the Attorney General is too serious to be devalued. Devaluations means giving the job to a thoroughbred politician, giving the job to a person, whose integrity is not beyond question; giving the office to a person who is not sound in mind and sound in law.

A person whose vision about the destiny of this country, is obscured by certain inarticulate premises. A person, who does not in fact understand that the authority of the Attorney General is one that, by virtue of the constitution, is inviolable. The Supreme Court itself decided that in deciding whether to prosecute or not to prosecute, the Attorney General is unquestionable. If a person is unquestionable, then he or she must, like Caesar’s wife, be above any suspicion. I think that if we circumscribe the Office of Attorney General by implanting in such offices men or women of impeccable character, the war against corruption will stand to test. That is the thing. A retreating General cannot command his troops, and so, a corrupt Attorney General cannot also command the troops who fight against corruption. This is something that nobody can challenge. It is true.

The Attorney General must exemplify the integrity which the Buhari administration is talking about. And, it is not only the Attorney General of the Federation, but also Attorneys General of the states. The search for an Attorney General, must be thorough one.

16

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Opinion ‘Koos James’, T. A. Orji & Kalu (2) Ebere Wabara CONTINUED FROM YESTERDAY

A

sk anyone outside the T. A. Orji camp, our own boss, the potential FIFA president, does not call (not dictate, as used by the ignoramus tagged Koos James) the tune. This is free lesson number one. It is stupidity on the part of this particular hireling of T. A. Orji to think that a strategist like me working as the Media Adviser to Dr. Kalu will be prospecting on barrenness or charity! If I am looking for such deployments of my cerebral endowments, I know where to go. Intellectualism attracts reward most times. Photoshop propaganda inevitably requires calling of the tune and could be done freely or for peanuts because there are no professionalism, ethics, core principles, integrity, diligence, candour, maturity, responsibility and God’s fear! I am very certain that if I get to know who this Koos James is, one of my copious personal engagements outside official relationships with Dr. Kalu will pay him handsomely unlike the periodic and wretched bloody handouts from Ochendo! True. I am not kidding.

Another stupefactious manifestation of the T. A. Orji media charlatanism is that the toddlers keep parroting the same sterile information from year to year due to exhaustion of the vicious fabrications in their specious armoury. One of such brainwaves is the repetition of the purported dismantling of Dr. Kalu’s political dynasty.

What kind of ludicrous interjection is this? Between Dr. Kalu and his amnesic and colourless successor in Government House, Umuahia, who has greater political influence at home and nationwide? Which political structure did T. A. Orji bring down? From where to where? Does Ochendo look like someone who has the temerity, capacity and competency to hamstring Dr. Kalu’s political flourish in any way other than exclusive electoral fraud perpetrated with the fleeting power of incumbency? This election fraud, institutional power drunkenness and surrogacy

were nurtured by protection from the former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, on grounds of spousal familiarity. Where was T. A. Orji in 1998 when Dr. Kalu donated N500 million to the formation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)? Whoever heard of T. A. Orji before Dr. Kalu brushed him up in 1999 and catapulted him to relevance and recognition? Even if, as the disjointed tale goes, T. A. Orji negligibly assisted Dr. Kalu to become governor in 1999, so what—will that be the first happenstance in the country’s political history? Was it not based on the muchtouted assistance that Dr. Kalu made him Chief of Staff and regrettably enthroned him, unilaterally, as the worst governor in the annals of Nigeria? Who in this nation does not know that Dr. Kalu has greater political value and utility than his foremost political godson? In fact, there is no platform for comparison. It is only inebriacy that could give rise to such an obstreperous depravity of pitting the two Orjis for any contest.

Pig-headed Koos and his sponsors should know that losing elections in highly flawed polling processes is not significant—even in standard polls. Most of the elections in Abia State this year were massively rigged and are subjects of litigation at various levels of adjudication, including majorly the stolen mandates of Dr. Kalu and that of the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Dr. Alex Otti, who is deservedly awaiting the revalidation of his victory. I am sure this rascally bloke nomenclatured Koos is unaware of the electioneering fullpage petition by the three senators from Abia State against T. A. Orji shortly before the same senatorial election that was manipulated against Dr. Kalu. Is this deranged letter writer also aware that N6.7 billion was splashed on the governorship and senatorial polls in the state to ensure that favoured candidates of the establishment won? For anyone to gloat over the thievish outcome of last elections in Abia State is to suffer from cancerous debility that culminates in aggravated amnesia associated with senility. Luckily, we are not yet dealing with gerontocratic elements. This piece of information from an unknown source should interest all the haters of Dr. Kalu who maliciously poke at him in utter ignorance: “President Muhammadu Buhari

is the 4th elected president in the 4th Republic after his 4th attempt (emphasis mine) and was declared winner in the 4th month of the year!” We all know the story of J. F. Kennedy of USA. With these two props, I rest my submission on the electoral fortunes of Forbes’ billionaire and one of the 50 richest men in Africa.

This Koos must be living in the moon to affirm that Abia State is on the path to development and progress to T. A. Orji’s credit! Is the ragamuffin aware that the state under the leadership of his employer was the worst in the country in terms of development and good governance?

Prince Arthur Eze confirmed this publicly not long ago.

Other eminent Nigerians at one point or another held the same view like the multi-billionaire Koos and his fellow gangsters should go to Katsina State and behold the credible legacies of the immediate-past governor, Dr. (Barrister) Ibrahim Shehu Shema. After T. A. Orji purportedly extricated the state from the stranglehold of vicious godfathers (veiled and dastardly pluralism for Dr. Kalu), what happened thereafter? By the way, what kind of stranglehold is this yarn in a regime of executive governance?

This old wives’ tale smacks of absurdity! Did Ochendo not leave the state in unprecedented and unparalled ruins years after the mirage of extrication from Dr. Kalu’s suffocative tendencies and godfatherly presumptions? Which combination of relations and hirelings of Dr. Kalu will be worse than Ikuku in the history of Abia State? For eight years, this young man ran the state aground while his father haplessly and forlonly watched sleepily with hands folded like when his compromised police agents from the Abia State Police Command handcuffed me last year on frivolous, barbaric and illegal charges consummated in the ghastliness of abduction!

When cometh the next diseased mind and inebriate joker in the genre of a certain Koos James? My team awaits you!

Concluded •Wabara (ewabara@yahoo.com/08055001948) is the media adviser to Dr. Orji Kalu.

Obituary announcement of the living Mike Arayuwa Wilkie

I

have read with dismay the obituary announcement of a Bini Chief who is not dead but alive. The event is extremely an extra-ordinary story which beats my imagination hollow in the face of the Bini culture and tradition.

Within the context of any society, such obituary preparation of any human being still alive is a complete abomination to the core. There is even no religion on earth which also gives credence to such an act that is at variance with natural circumstances and occurrences. The obituary announcement and story was as contained in the New Telegraph Newspaper edition of Thursday, August 20, 2015 on pages 21-22.

The man in the eye of the storm and who was presumed dead but yet alive is one Chief Clifford Osagie Osawaru, the Patron of Okhunmwun Community in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State. It is obvious that Okhunmwun Village has witnessed two factional groups who are contesting the position of its Odionwere. In the entire Bini kingdom, Odionwere is usually the eldest male in the community who plays an active role in the traditional and administrative units of the village. In most cases, the Oba appoints an Enogie who oversees the village or community for and on behalf of the Umogun. Umogun is one of the appellations of the Oba of Benin.

The dirty factional fight in Okhun-

mun is directly between the forces of Pa Isarobo Oboe (second in command) and Chief Igbinoghodua Odigie, the incumbent Odionwere of the village. In the confrontational imbroglio, Chief Clifford Osagie Osawaru, an astute businessman who owns one of the most functional hotels in Benin City is an ardent supporter and pillar of the Odionwere. The faction of Pa Isarobo Oboe who is next to the Odionwere has alleged that Chief Osawaru is its Chief sponsor of the litigation fireworks of which the court of law has given judgment in favour of the Odionwere as the legitimate incumbent office holder.

In theses circumstances, all concerted attempts were put in place to ensure that the vexing issue of the claim to the Odionwereship was resolved amicably.

The palace of the Omo N’ Oba N’ Edo. Uku Akpolokpolo, Erediauwa 11 was also involved in the peace process but could do nothing in view of the fact that the matter was already in court. As a typical Bini man whose mother hails from the palace of the Enogie of UtehEkoko, this columnist is fully aware that it is not in the character and tradition of the Oba’s palace to dabble into or handle any matter which is already in court.

What is expected of a case already under litigation is for such a matter to be withdrawn from the court before it could be discussed and finalised by the palace. In addition, a case which is yet to be filed in court is really the one

which the Oba can decide upon effectively and efficiently with a legal touch.

It has to be realized that Omo himself is a lawyer by profession and calling. It is therefore not surprising that all those who sought his assistance in matters of dispute within Benin kingdom would be satisfied at the end of the case before the palace. However, at the end of a case in the palace and if any of the parties is not satisfied with its verdict, may wish to proceed to court for the purpose of further legal mission inorder to get, perhaps, judgment in its favour.

Chief Clifford Osagie Osawaru, who has been identified as a strongman in the Odionwere factional group by the other, certainly had the impression that he should be destroyed at all costs. He was also seen as being critical of the youths consequent upon the fact that they have embarked on the sales of community lands illegally without the authority of the Odionwere and other elders. Chief Osawaru added that it was a result of the illegal sales of lands which prompted the youths to attempt to promote Pa Isarobo Oboe the second-In-Command and his office to take precedence over and above that of the present Odionwere. This is inspite of the court judgment already in favour of the Odionwere.

The sadistic and rugged fight continued to the extent that on August 14, 2015, Chief Clifford Osawaru Osagie saw his obituary posters littered all over his Okhunmwun community in the early hours of the day as he woke-up from his sleep.

The said obituary posters clearly stated the details and processes leading his interment in Okhunmwun village, his Ancestral homeland. According to the Chief, his eldest daughter who is in London with her nuclear family was alleged to have been the signatory to the obituary posters and announcements. Other forgeries were also contained on the posters.

The fact of the matter and its genesis was the inability of the youths and their elderly accessories to impose their wishes and desires on the Odionwere over the sales of community lands. Obviously, they see the Odionwere and Chief Osawaru as the stumbling blocks to their wayward life of illegal sales of Okhunmwun land.

Hence, their deft ambition to ensure that the second-In-Command, Pa Isarobo Oboe is super imposed on the incumbent Odionwere.

As a result of this glaring scenario, what is happening in Okhunmwun village may not be different from the youths of the Niger Delta who have definitely seized authority and power from the elders because they have tasted from the dividend of crude oil and gas. It is my wish to advise Chief Clifford Osagie Osawaru to seek protection from the security apparatus of state in his own interest. For a bunch of evil characters to have printed and circulated his own obituary posters and radio announcements is to say, the least, entirely dangerous.

• Wilkie can be reached at pmikky1950@yahoo.com (08023097251)

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015

17

EDITORIAL

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Alonge: Doctor with a difference

R

ecently, ace comedian, Moses Adejumo aka Baba Sala, was rushed to the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan amid rumours he had died.

The octogenarian was treated at the hospital and discharged about a week later.

But one gesture has remained indelible from Baba Sala’s illness. And that came from the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of UCH, Prof Temitope Alonge.

Alonge, who spoke through the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Mr Deji Bobade, said that the hospital management would be responsible for the hospital bill of the comedian.

“The CMD of UCH today on a visit to Baba Sala on his sick bed said that all the bills incurred for treating Baba Sala would be borne by UCH. Alonge said that Baba Sala is a national hero who should enjoy now in his old age,” Bobade said.

Alonge’s gesture might have stemmed from his love for Baba Sala’s comedy or nationalistic fervour because he described the comedian as a ‘national hero’. Whatever the reason, the CMD deserves commendation.

Earlier this year, a few kilometres from Ibadan where

Baba Sala was treated free of charge, a Nigerian lost his life for his inability to raise N3,500.

The Nigerian, Mr Olusegun Ososan, died because he was poor and unable to pay N3,500 to get treatment at a government-owned hospital in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.

His case was more painful because, until his death, he was an employee of government working in the same health facility which refused to treat him for his inability to pay N3,500.

Ososan worked at the General Hospital, Ijebu-Ode, as a gate-keeper. He fell ill on May 8 and was rushed to the hospital.

However, he returned to his house because of the inability to pay N3,500 required for hospital cards and sundry expenses. He died later at home.

The N3,500 fee was imposed by the hospital’s management before treating any patient at the facility.

According to report, the late gate-keeper pleaded with the hospital management, promising to pay the money after he had been treated. But the management was said to have refused to listen to his pleas.

Though strange and pathetic, Ososan’s case was probably one in several thousands.

Many Nigerians, who have

in one way or the other contributed to the growth of the Nigerian society, have died unsung.

These people include past nationalists, former footballers, talented musicians, gifted artists, veteran journalists, honest civil servants and academics. This list is certainly inexhaustible.

In a society like Nigeria, where there is no social security, where pensions and gratuities are not paid because of unbridled corruption by those in charge, and where there is no form of social safety net at old age, appreciating an act of benevolence is also as rare as a blue moon.

This explains why many people have not been able to appreciate Alonge’s gesture.

However, the man deserves not only commendation but his good gesture should be emulated by individuals and institutions.

It is rare for people in positions of authority to go outside the straightjacket policies of the organisations they represent.

But Alonge, in this case, has shown that rules are made for man and not man for rules. If others in positions of authority in institutions and establishments could emulate his good deeds, Nigeria would be a better place for all to live.

This also serves as a clarion call on lawmakers, particu-

larly at the National Assembly to, for once, show concern for the plight of the less fortunate fellow citizens.

There are millions of Nigerians, old and young, facing one form of misfortune or the other, who, with a bit of financial assistance, would be able to overcome their misfortune.

Some are battling to survive different forms of illness either at home or at the hospital. A gesture such as Alonge’s could make the difference in their lives.

Instead of fighting over funds for constituent projects or sitting allowances, the National Assembly members need to sponsor a bill to legislate on treatment of indigent people at the expense of the government.

The bill proposing stipends for the unemployed, which has been roundly rejected by the legislators should be considered and given accelerated passage. It is the right of every Nigerian of working age without job to get unemployment benefits.

The lawmakers should also make provision, through legislation, for the care of the old people. This will remove the burden of caring for indigent old people from institutions.

In the meantime, Alonge’s gesture remains the hallmark of conduct for leaders.

DAILY TELEGRAPH PUBLISHING COMPANY LIMITED Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief

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18

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015

19

South South Focus

News

When pregnancy brought parents’ curse

Community cries out over erosion

21

22

South East Focus

Panic over exposed NNPC pipeline

Igbeaku Orji Umuahia

T

here is imminent danger at OnichaAmiyi in Isuikwuato Local Government Area of Abia State as erosion has washed the oil-bearing pipeline of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to the surface. The fear that the pipe could burst any time is rife, especially given the reminiscence of similar incident in 2003 in which people were burnt as they went to scoop product from a burst pipe.

Isuikwuato Local Government is prone to gully erosion and landslide and there is concern that the present erosion menace at the Ogboro-Amaibo-Acha road, off the state university road, is a time bomb next door.

The people who live close to the exposed pipeline are already having sleepless nights because of the danger it poses to them and the road users. They are, therefore, making frantic efforts to draw the attention of the relevant authorities to do something urgently to avert possible danger before it happens.

The exposure of the said NNPC pipeline to the surface is, indeed, a serious threat to the pipeline and the road users, especially heavyduty trucks that ply the road on daily basis, “If the danger is averted, there may be no fire outbreak and lives will

The exposed pipelines

be saved. If not, then we should be ready for anything,” Secretary of Oguduasa Consultative Assembly (OCA), Dr Sunday Okanta, said.

Okanta, while showing this reporter round the site at Onicha, said that the OCA has made repeated appeals to the NNPC over the danger with no positive response.

He feared that the pipe was exposed to corrosion and could burst any time, hence the need

Umuahia

F coordinaTor pade.olapoju@newtelegraphonline.com

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

decided to get beyond the Corporation by calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene by giving a presidential directive to the NNPC to respond without further delay to avert danger.

“We are also calling on the state governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, to come and do palliative measures that will stop the exposure of the pipelines, including the member representing our people at the State House of Assembly, Hon. Mrs Uloma Onu-

Raised and dashed hope for community Igbeaku Orji

PAde olAPoju

for NNPC technicians to handle the pipe to avert explosion and the consequent loss of lives and property.

The OCA Secretary also explained that the traditional rulers from the area have made several moves to draw the attention of NNPC to the danger posed by the erosion- exposed pipeline, “But their efforts have not yielded any positive result from the NNPC”.

Okanta said that the OCA has

oha and Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, representing Abia North at the Senate to lend a voice to save our people”.

A frequent user of the Uturu -Isuikwuato road, Johnson Kanu, called on the concerned authorities and the individuals, including the representatives of the people to come to their rescue. He said that prevention was better than cure. “ Oguduasa has prominent people; they should rally round to save them from being cut from their kith and kin as the road will soon cut them off, while NNPC should do the needful to avoid pipeline explosion like it did in 2003,” Kanu Said.

The motorist expressed concerns that with the high level of poverty in the country, the people may be tempted to break the pipeline in an attempt to steal petroleum products, adding, however, that “this could be averted if those concerned cover the pipeline and stop it from being exposed and make it less attractive to hungry residents”.

Also an indigene of the area, Asonye Chimere, said that government should come to their help by attending to the various erosion sites identified in the area.

He recalled that in 2003, there was pipeline explosion around the area, which consumed many people, adding that the community cannot afford to lose its residents and indigenes to constant pipeline explosions because of the negligence on the side of the NNPC.

or the Oloko-Acha in Afa-Ukwu autonomous community Ikwuano Local Government Area, Abia State, Monday, August 24, 2015, will go down in the annals of the community as a day of dashed hope. It was the day they would have loved to fondly remember for the solar-powered Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) water project that would have ended their age-long water problem. But it was not to be.

NDDC had raised their hope

of getting potable water and dashed it.

The solar water project would have been the only government presence in the community and as it failed, they have returned to the status quo ante. It is, indeed, a sorry tale of a community shut out of any modern amenity. The community, according to the traditional ruler, Dr Monday Okeanya, has lost no fewer than 40 of its indigenes to the absence of a health facility in the area. But the incident of the water borehole will never be easily forgotten. The community had looked forward to this day as the day at least,

the water problem would end, though they still had to contend with deplorable state of the road and total absence of a health facility.

24 years after the creation of Abia State, Oloko Acha still sits in pre-colonial neglect.

Attempts by the paramount ruler to attract the NDDC to assist the community in the provision of water and cottage hospital before now yielded no result as the contractors handling the projects seem to be playing games with their job.

A solar-powered water project sited there by the NDDC was billed for commissioning on Monday, August 24. The

people had prepared for the ceremony, as the community was agog with anticipation of drinking water from a borehole. The project failed for the second time as the sumo could not pump water. The people were disappointed; NDDC officials were dumbfounded while the contractor made frantic efforts to convince the Commission and the people that the project was functional.

Eze Okeanya, in a statement, revealed that the sumo pumped water for only one month after it was installed and every other effort made to have the contractor rectify what may be the fault proved CONTINUED ON PAGE20

20 SouthEastFocus Okegwo Kenechukwu Onitsha

S

ome Onitsha-based industrialists, last week Thursday, protested against the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) alleging intimidation, harassment and demand for bribe, before issuance of MANCAP Certificate.

The industrialists and their workers numbering over 200 stormed the SON office at Awka, the Anambra State capital as early as 9.30am, with placards. They blocked the entry and exit gate of SON, chanting antiSON songs.

Displaying placards with inscriptions such as “Standard Organization of Nigeria, SON is corrupt, “SON stop frustrating indigenous industries for personal gains”, “With SON as presently constituted, there is no hope for successful campaign against substandard goods”, the group made a show of their anger at the SON office.

Other inscriptions on the placards include: “Nigerian industrialists, rise up to your rights, say no to SON’s dubious practices” “We have been pushed to the wall by SON for a long time and we cannot keep quiet anymore”; “SON is sponsored by foreign companies to destroy our indigenous industries, President Buhari cannot allow that to continue”.

Addressing newsmen in front of SON office, spokesman of the companies and one of the protestants and the Managing Director of D&K Golden City Investment Limited, Mr. Benjamin Nwaizu, alleged that some staff of the organization came to Anambra State and were demanding millions of

thursday, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Counterfeiting: SON, industrialist, NIPEN at war

naira as a condition for the issuance of MANCAP Certificate.

“He kept requesting the amount, but I said we cannot afford it. He threatened that in the next four months, I will see how our company will go down, threatening that when he visits our factories, he would make sure that he evacuates all the machinery, raw materials and goods there. I thought that it was not a serious threat, but to my greatest surprise, on 28th and 29th October 2014, the man came with policemen numbering over 20 and vacated all the goods, uprooted all the machinery in the company and charged us at the Chief Magistrate Court, Onitsha.

“As God would have it, the Magistrate Court, on 8th December 2014 ruled against them, and ordered them to return all the machinery they uprooted. Since that time till now, they have refused to return the machinery.”

Nwaizu, who is also the Managing Director of BENDUSCO International Agency Limited, claimed that, what prompted their protest was that the same SON official is now threatening them after the invasion and breaking into his warehouse in Lagos two weeks ago. “He threatened that he is coming again to Onitsha to come and clear the remaining things in our factory in Onitsha.”

“We have learnt to take his threat seriously these days.

Protesting workers

He said he would sweep the factory clean and make sure nothing is produced in the factory. He always makes good his threats. That is why we decided to protest to let the government know what the indigenous companies are seeing.”

An official of SON, who addressed the protesters, Mr. Omeje Veginus Okwudili, a standard engineer in SON, said, “SON does not do anything hideous. This is a public office and the office is here to serve Nigerians. The office is here to serve you and I. “From what my friend, Mr. Nwaizu is telling me with

his staff as alleged in their placards and his speech, they are protesting that the operations of SON is not in line according to his expectations. I want to assure you and your staff and others that since you have come here peacefully to register your anger and grievances, SON is ready to listen to you and act according to the enabling act that established it.

“I want to assure you that the management of SON will listen to all your complains.

But, however, I will assure you that our individual wants do not supersede the general or the public wants. So, I

Raised and dashed hope for community C O NTIN U E D F R O M PA G E 1 9

abortive as his several visits could not change the situation.

In what appeared to be a comic relief, the contractor handling the solar water project walked into the palace of the royal father while he was still addressing the NDDC officials that came to commission the project and insisted that the water had been running since he finished his job last year, but developed a little fault in June this year. He said when he was informed of it, he quickly sent a technician to fix it and since then the water has continued to run.

But when the NDDC team visited the site, the sumo could not pump water. At that point, the contractor blamed the inability of the sumo to pump water on poor sunshine in the village for some days. When some experts on the NDDC delegation argued that the sun was enough to power the sumo,

Eze Okeanya

he turned again to say that the traditional ruler was intimidating the community to lie against him. “The water is pumping. Touch it now, it is pumping”, he insisted shamelessly.

Addressing the community, the leader of the NDDC

team, who refused to disclose his name, pleaded with the community to be patient, adding that the commission will ensure that the water project is made functional before commissioning.

On the cottage hospital for the community, Eze Okean-

ya also pointed out that the staff of Messre Deprefix Multi- Systems, the company handling the Afa-Ukwu Cottage Hospital absconded even after it was resolved that they should go back to site and complete the project by June 2014.

The traditional ruler lamented that “this hospital is very important to us due to what is happening in our autonomous community. Since that time, we have lost not less than 40 souls - men, women, pregnant women and children. Please we are appealing to the NDDC to come to our rescue”.

An aged woman, Madam Priscilla Njoku, said she was not aware that the water has run before in the community, but pleaded: “please I want you to help us tell the government to come and build a hospital for us here. Look at me; I can’t walk very well again. With which legs will I go to Aba or Umuahia for treatment?

They should help us. Our children are dying every day.

Please tell them”.

want to assure you that what SON is doing is in line with the enabling act that established it and we have been empowered by the constitution to carry out our duties of saving lives and properties.

“I would not like to delve into the allegations and your core complaints about the money being demanded by a staff of SON. It is still an allegation, but I will only ask you people to calm down, follow the normal procedure, record your anger and write to the Director.”

But on Saturday in Lagos, two companies put a lie to the claims of Nwizu. Rather, they accused the businessman of counterfeiting their products and putting up a bold face.

The Nigeria Ball Point Pen Industries Plc (NIPPEN), makers of BIC products, along with Van Morris Links Limited franchise, owners of Dorco shavers, have called on the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to sustain the effort to end the attack of Bendusco and D&K who has allegedly counterfeited their products for over 12 years.

The two companies told journalists, that SON must be encouraged not succumb to the blackmail of a fake protest sponsored by Nwizu in Awka. The two companies, that claimed to be victims of Nwizu’s activities, said the protest was a bid to blackmail SON by casting aspersion of corruption on the agency.

National Sales Manager of NIPPEN, Mr. Olashore Fatai, lamented that Nwaizu and his counterfeiting enterprise has fleeced the country and the companies billions of naira for over five years, eating up to 50 per cent of their market share by the influx of his fake products into the market.

He said this attack by Nwaizu and his outfits on their companies in the past 12 years had CONTINUED ON PAGE22

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015

21

South South Focus Abandoned baby exposes family to ridicule

lFather, mother join neighbours to curse own daughter without knowing Cajetan Mmuta

Benin

P

roverbs in local parlance are words of wisdom and the oil with which people digest words. They are also farreaching weapons of counsel that the wise learns from but the foolish misses his path.

It is also not surprising why the words of the Bible are sacrosanct that no one adds nor subtracts from its indelible set precepts and standards. These form the path to life and death too that anyone who rightly follows them must live and cannot miss his or her way else there will be obvious calamity. It is instructive when the elders say that no bird ever flies without seeing the under and every secret thing must one day be revealed. Again, the Bible admonishes those that bother to listen to train children in the ways of God that when they grow up, they will not depart from it and that whatever one sows that he or she will surely reap.

For the family of Pa Ebohon Osarhiakhi in Odiguetue village, Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State, what they pretended to ignore has caused a stir and exposed them to public glare. For weeks past, the authority of the state police command had battled strenuously in its investigation to unravel those behind the sudden and shocking discovery of a new born baby wrapped in a black cellophane bag in the ancient capital town.

Residents of Obazuaye, Uselu quarters by Evbareke spare parts market in Benin City had woken up in the morning, but were jolted by the discovery of swam of flies over a strange black bag inside a gutter. Their curiosity was further heightened by strange cries of a baby within the neighbourhood. Before then, people within the area have been confronted by a foul and disturbing odour emanating within the vicinity. Yet, no one could spot where it came from until the final discovery. The strange find attracted hundreds of passersby and residents to the scene. The content of the bag revealed that an innocent baby was flung into the deep drain to die unsung by an unknown mother.

Sadly, it was discovered that the baby’s mouth was tied with wrapper to prevent it from crying be-

Joy Osarhiakhi

fore it was finally given a hard hit down the gutter to die. But as fate will have it, God’s divine intervention saved the little baby girl from dying. She was rescued alive by residents who were moved by her intermittent cries and the inhuman act and, in the process, rained curses that could send the perpetrator to early grave.

But little did Mr. Ebohon Osarhiakhi and wife, Elizabeth know that it was their daughter’s doing. Some residents who gathered to behold the ugly occurrence had appealed to relevant bodies, including security agencies to take measures towards nipping in the bud the abominable act by suspected young mothers and to ensure that the culprit is brought to book. However, as days ran into weeks, the suspect, Miss Joy Osarhiakhi, aged 28 years, was finally arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) who handed her over to the police in the state as the real mother of the baby and sole perpetrator of the crime. Could it be that the rain

of curses led to her trap into the net of security men or caught by nemesis?

Joy has been charged to court by the police for murder and remanded by the Magistrate’s court, Evborhiaria, near the ancient capital town. She painted a pathetic tale last week Thursday when she narrated why she cannot give joy to her own baby, no matter the circumstances she found herself.

It was a mind-blowing episode as she reeled out in tears how she failed to nurse her baby after nine months pregnancy that severed her years of love affairs with her Romeo. Besides, Miss Osarhiakhi had also asked for forgiveness from her parents, associates and millions of Nigerians, who may be moved by her sordid tale. According to her, she had, on June 13, 2015 been delivered of a baby girl in a bathroom within the house she lives with her parents and quickly and secretively too wrapped the baby in a nylon bag and flung it away near the neighbourhood. Joy admitted

to have successfully hid the pregnancy from her parents for nine good months till she was delivered of it, a confession that jolted many and raised serious concerns and doubt amongst members of the public.

Narrating her story, Joy said her action was informed by the shocking and dramatic denial of responsibility of her pregnancy by the baby’s supposed father. She was arrested by operatives of the state command where she spent three months and confessed to the crime on 16th of June. According to her, “It was never my intention to do what I did; I just took the decision immediately I delivered. I felt labour pains when I was about to bathe and when I had the baby, I held her in my hands for some minutes and asked myself what to do with the child. It was then I saw a N10 nylon bag and wrapped her inside. I quietly dropped her across the fence. I regret my action and appeal for forgiveness from everybody.”

She said, “I regret my action and have begged my parents, siblings for the pains and embarrassment I have caused them. I also want Nigerians to forgive me. I want my baby back. I want to take proper care of her and promise that I will not, in any way harm her.”

The girl’s parents, Mr. Ebohon Osarhiakhi and his wife, Elizabeth, in their reaction had denied any knowledge of their daughter’s pregnancy for nine months. They stated that they would not have allowed her take such regrettable decision if they were aware of Joy’s plight. Mr. Osarhiahki said they had joined others to rain curses on the person who dumped the baby without knowing it was their own daughter. According to Pa Osarhiakhi, a farmer, “When we heard a neighbour cry after discovering the baby, we joined them to curse whoever did it and never knew the person was with us. I don’t know what my wife saw that made her to tell me to question my daughter about the baby, who eventually confessed to the crime. I immediately handed her over to the security agency for her

to face the appropriate punishment. I have received lot of pleas from families and neighbours who appealed to me to assist her out of prisons. You don’t throw a bad child away and I want her back to be assisted in whatever capacity.”

He explained that his daughter’s bride price was yet to be paid, pointing out that she had the pregnancy through the same man who she had her first child before now, who was also responsible for the latest pregnancy that left the family in utter ridicule.

“My daughter told me so, but the boy has denied it and even said he would carry out paternity test on the first child. They never quarrelled, but had an arrangement for my daughter to be staying in my house. It was closer to where she learns fashion designing. I do not only want my daughter back, but also my granddaughter who has been kept in an orphanage home after being discharged from the hospital,” he added.

He disclosed further that, “My daughter Osarhiakhi Joy, who is in jail now left secondary school some years back. She is my eldest daughter and she is 28 years. Three years back, roughly about five years now, immediately she left secondary school, she wrote her JAMB and passed all her papers and got admission into the College of Education, Ekiadolor. But I couldn’t meet up with the demands of the enrolment fees and I begged her that she should be patient till some other time. Before I knew it, she was pregnant. I called Bayo Tunde, the boy responsible for the pregnancy and told him that I didn’t want any stupid act and asked if he was going to marry her and he said yes. Then, I told him that my daughter wants to go to back to school to study Pharmacy and he said it was okay. So, she gave birth to the first child that was a boy, who is about two years now. After then, she told me that she was bored and couldn’t be staying at home. She said she wanted to learn a trade before she would gain admission into any school again pending when her husband and myself are financially alright.

That is how she now started learning fashion designing.

“She told her husband to come and beg me that at times, she would be staying with me because her place of work is closer and they don’t have their personal house and where they were living is very far from her place of work CONTINUED ON PAGE22

22 SouthSouthFocus

thursday, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Abandoned baby exposes family to ridicule C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 2 1

File picture of Governor Udom Emmanuel inspecting gully erosion at Enen Atai in Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State

Community cries out over erosion

T

he people of Ikpa Town in Esit Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State have made a passionate appeal to Gov. Udom Emmanuel to salvage them from the perennial cases of erosion. They fear the erosion is on the verge of wiping out the entire community if urgent steps are not taken to tackle the menace.

The plea was made by the Chairman of Ikpa Village Council, Elder Etim Eno during an inspection tour on the erosion-prone areas by the State Commissioner of environment, Dr. Iniobong Essien, The Village Council Chairman, during the visit, disclosed that not less than five members of the community have so far lost their lives to the monster, hence the need for government to urgently come to their rescue.

While taking the teams from the State Ministry of Environment round the

affected parts of the community, the secretary of the village council, Mr. Amos Enyiekpon, hinted that the gully erosion is located on the road leading to Iko Abio Esok, a reservoir of oil field where Frontier Oil Company Limited is about to resume operations.

According to him, the magnitude of the damage is worsening with every rainy season adding that five people have died in the process, including late Etim Jeremiah Ikot, a staff of Union Technical College, Ikpa town and one Idorenyin Edoho Ntekim, among others.

On his part, Mr. Solomon Eko, the deputy youth leader in the community, narrated how the death of the five persons, including two children and a sick patient said to have be receiving treatment somewhere close to the ravine, has caused strife between them and the contractor handling the project, Mr. O. J. Asubob, who inci-

C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 2 0

seen the fakers dump about over 30 million units of fake and counterfeit products into the market, cornering 30 to 50 per cent of the market and diverting over N2billion to himself every year with no adequate taxes and revenues accruing to the government.

“Imagine a man whose companies operate only at night. If you go to the run-down places where he carries out the counterfeiting, you will not see any sign that states that production activities take place there. During the day, nothing goes on in the place. The women, who innocently work in the place, only work in the cover of darkness to prevent being discovered by the law and the companies whose business he is destroying with his criminal activities.

“This man has made fortunes by taking advantage of our brand for over 12 years. We have repeatedly received complaints from consumers and our distributors about some products bearing our name and stamp being of ter-

dentally is a native of the village.

The youth leader confessed how some youths in the area made attempt to burn down the house of the contractor on the ground that he had abandoned the project after receiving mobilization.

The youth leader appealed to the state government to release money to the contractor to continue work on the project, noting that such action will lead to the protection of lives and property.

Explaining his role on the contract, the Managing Director of O. J Asubob and Company Limited, Mr. Asubob, admitted that the contract was actually awarded to his company on erosion control and the internals road at Adeng, but money was not released for the contract.

“I knew that a voucher was prepared and presented to the state treasury. I was equally issued an Interim

Payment Certificate (IPC). But up till date, I have not received a dime”, Prince Asubob explained to our correspondent.

Out of sympathy, Asubob said his company had mobilized equipment to the site to provide remedial measure to curtail the erosion problem, but noted that he could not do much following the none release of fund till date.

Meanwhile, the State Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Iniobong Essien, who described the situation in the community as pathetic, has assured the villagers that the state government will take steps to find a lasting solution to the gully erosion problem in the community.

Essien noted that beside Ikpa Town, other communities in the state are confronted with similar problems.

He, therefore, asked them to be calm pending the intervention of the state. He said the problem was beyond the capacity of the state government, hence in due time, they will seek for support from the Federal Government to be able to address the problem holistically.

and that was how we were living.

I never knew she was pregnant because I don’t stay in Benin and even her mother that stays in Benin at times they don’t get to stay together. I didn’t know she would be this clever to cover-up the pregnancy without our notice.”

Continuing he said, “It was all of a sudden on the 13th of June, the fourth day of my visit to Benin, that I discovered people were shouting that they had discovered a baby close to my compound in Benin. I never believed that it was my daughter who gave birth to the baby. I was taking my siesta that afternoon when I woke up and ran to the place and I have been hearing the cries of a little baby hoping that it was the next compound. I was the first person to swear, including my wife. I was the same person who organized to call the police.

“Next day, when I was ready to go back to my station, my wife called me and said I should ask our daughter that the way she is looking at her, there are changes in her. Then, I called my daughter at about 5am after the police have taken the baby away and told her to tell me the truth so that I could help her. That was when she told me that she was the one. I felt like collapsing. I asked her how the pregnancy came about and who was responsible. She said it was her husband, though they have not paid her bride price but the first child was being taken care of by her mother in the normal way and we live in the same village.

“When I asked her why she behaved that way, she said when she told her husband about the pregnancy, he told her to go and abort it. She said she wanted to tell me, but didn’t know what confused her. So, I was annoyed and took her hand straight to the chief security officer on my street to arrest her and let her suffer for what she has done so that others will learn from her. Then, I took my bag and left for my farm because I had an appointment that morning with some people that wanted to work in my farm.

Counterfeiting: SON, industrialist, NIPEN at war rible quality and sometimes causing them health challenge. And it was not until six years of this illicit practice that we were able to trace the first factory from where this criminal act was taking place.

“Bendusco International Agency Limited and D&K Industries have engaged in making, importing and selling of fake BIC shaving sticks for over 12 years now. The search of the location where they were carrying out these nefarious activities took us six years to unravel, from 2006 to 2012, when we discovered his first hideout located in Nwaziki Street, Awada, Onitsha and sought the assistance of SON who raided the factory and seized some products and equipment on September 26, 2012.

“Due to our persistence and SON’s effective monitoring and regulation, we discovered another two illegal fac-

tories belonging to the same Nwaizu in November, 2014, which SON also raided and closed. Since then, he went covert, importing all the fake products from abroad and simply repackaging and selling locally,” Fatai said.

Also speaking about the serious impact of the activity of the counterfeiter on their business, the legal counsel to Van Morris Links, Mr. Okon Uye, said his company, which is the only legal franchisee of Dorco shaving sticks and other products in the country, had suffered greatly in the hands of Nwaizu, who has made massive business for over a decade of violation of their franchise rights.

He said Nwaizu, at different occasions would simply disappear when SON clamps down on his illegal business to avoid arrest only to approach a court, procure injunctions to prevent

SON or other government agencies from arresting him.

“How do you explain a man who simply skittles away when he finds that government agents have discovered his hideout and impounded his equipment? He does not put up any protest; he does not come to SON to argue his case because he knows he is guilty. He simply goes to procure an exparte motion and then create another hideout.

“SON has done a great job smoking this man out. We wrote a petition to SON to report his criminal activities and his companies and we are happy that SON has responded, as a responsible government agency should. We call on President Muhammadu Buhari to further empower agencies like SON to be able to tackle these kind of people who are only interested in illicit business,” he said.

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015

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Health News

Health News

Nature Power

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Health benefits of midday naps

Health

PMGMAN seeks 20% tax on imported pharmaceuticals

Celebrating African traditional medicine day

Keeping drugs safe New pharmaceutical warehouse facilities in the country would strengthen storage capacity of medicines in the country and ensure that all medicines in the system are safe and of good quality, writes APPOLONIA ADEYEMI

I

n order to achieve the wellbeing of the populace, one of the key necessities is the availability of safe and efficacious medicines, which could be achieved through proper storage facilities. It has been shown that medicines and other health commodities are special items that require the provision of appropriate storage conditions to ensure stock security and their maintenance throughout their shelf-life.

However, the availability of modern storage facility for medications that meets the demand of 160 million populations in the country remains a very huge challenge.

To address the challenges posed by shortage of central warehouse for medicines, the FMOH in collaboration with some Agencies and partners, namely the United States (US) Gover nment through the United States Agency for Inter national Development (USAID), the Global Fund for AIDS, TB, and Malaria (GFATM) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) are executing pharmaceutical warehouse projects in Abuja and Lagos.

At the launch of the Lagos project recently, the Director of Food and Drug Services Department, Mrs Gloria Chukwumah disclosed that the first phase was the renovation and the upgrading of four cluster warehouses at the Federal Medical Stores (FMS), Oshodi, which was completed and delivered in 2013. “The second phase is the complete construction of six standard pharmaceutical grade warehouses, three each in Lagos and the Premier Medi-

Appolonia Adeyemi Health Editor

appolonia.adeyemi@newtelegraphonline.com

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

Permanent Secretary of Federal Ministry of Health, Mr. Linus Awute (3rd left) cutting the tape to launch construction of the warehouse. Assisting him are the acting U.S Consul General, Dehab Ghebreab (3rd right) and Director of USAID, Mike Harvey

cal Stores in Abuja.

The U.S Government through USAID in partnership with the GFATM are co-funding the construction of the state-of-the-art of the pharmaceutical grade warehouse in Lagos, using an innovative technology called a “Warehouse-in-a- Box”.

The new medical warehouse is expected to provide ample space for safe, quality medications for Nigerians in need, as well as reduce the cost and time of transporting life-saving medications and equipment to all parts of Nigeria.

According to the Director of USAID, Mike Harvey the Lagos warehouse covers a surface area of 3,465 square meters with smooth, dust-free floors, temperature regulating systems, security systems, thermal insulated ceilings, and warehouse handling equipment such as shelving, electric reach stackers, and hand pallet movers.

“The warehouse will double the storage capacity of existing warehouses and will make it easier for the FMOH to buy, store, track, and distribute medications to health care centres across Nigeria.”

Clinics experience shortages and there are times when drugs are simply not available in public health facilities

Drugs PHOTO: www.ngrguardiannews.com

Harvey explained that a warehouse in a box is a semi-prefabricated warehouse which will be part of a national warehousing and distribution system that the government of Nigeria is building with “our support for the country’s pharmaceutical supply chain.

“Once it’s up and running you have state-of-the-art warehousing facilities so that we can make sure that women, children, and families in Nigeria get quality drugs in every facility in the country.

“This is being funded entirely by US government through the President’s Emergency Pro-

gramme For AIDS Relief, with one-third funding coming from the Global Funding For AIDS Relief.

“Over 7,000 health facilities across the country will receive commodities directly from the two new warehouses and the warehouses will also reduce the cost and item of transporting life-saving medications and equipment to all parts of Nigeria.”

Dehab Ghebreab, acting U.S. Consul General, said that the facility would be part of a network of warehouses the U.S. Government is supporting through the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

“I have Nigerian friends who tell me that getting everyday medicines can be difficult.

Clinics experience shortages and there are times when drugs are simply not available in public health facilities. We also hear about counterfeit medicines in general, and malaria medication in particular that is out there. And when people are desperate and cannot find medication, they buy what they can find.

“As friends of Nigeria, are working in close partnership with the Government of Nigeria at both the state and federal level, we are doing all we can to ensure medicines are available everywhere, anytime.”

Permanent Secretary at the FMOH, Mr. Linus Awute, described the warehouse as the gains of President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent visit to the US. “The result of this project is going to equip us further in achieving a resilient health system that will be capable of responding to any situation of emergency,” said Mr. Awute.

“In healthcare, medicine and medical products are very important and its safety depends on how you preserve.

You have to be sure the drugs are safe. We don’t want to have occasion where we tolerate a chaotic drug distribution system.

“We want to be sure that the drugs donated or procured are safe and an efficient storage system is very crucial.”

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Health News

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Experts blame high maternal Health benefits of midday naps death on illiteracy, poverty Esther Albert

A

former chairman of Lagos State Primary Healthcare Board, Dr. Abosede Olayinka has blamed the high maternal mortality recorded in sub-Sahara Africa including Nigeria on illiteracy and extreme poverty among the less priviledged.

Olayinka who disclosed this at the 6th Quraterly CS-Media Forum on Maternal Health Accountability which held in Lagos recently, also charged governments all levels to improve the maternal health of its citizens.

The forum with the theme: Prioritising Maternal Health in Nigeria: Strategies for New Administration was organised by Development Communications Network (DEVCOMS) with support from MacArthur Foundation and others.

In her presentation at the forum, Olayinka said it was important to take the issue of seriously providing care for women during pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period.

Olayinka also said that it would be of great help to women if the government budgets enough fund for the health sector in order to eradicate the high maternal mortality rate in the country.

Executive Director, Women Advo-

cates Research and Documentation Center, Dr. Abiola Akiyode, also said governments have failed to do the right things concerning the general heath care of its citizens.

Akiyode who was represented by Mrs Yinka Onabolu, called on the three tiers of government to see to the maternal health care of the women in the society.

She said: “Government has not shown seriousness by allocating only five percent of its budget to the health sector.

The non-transparency in the budget implementation is one of the major causes of the increased rate in maternal death.

“Some women lose their lives in the process of childbirth because they could not afford the expensive bill at hospitals.

It is sad to know that even the general hospital where the bill is supposed to be affordable happens to be the most expensive.”

According to Akiyode, the attitude of the health workers is one of the several factors women complain about as challenges in accessing health care in Nigeria.

“It is a fact that pregnancy doesn’t give notice and emergency could occur at any time of the day whether it is during the day time or mid-night.”

Akiyode therefore blamed the Government for not giving the employed health workers enough training to enable them to know what is required of them at work so as to save innocent pregnant women.

Winners emerge in Peak ‘Reach for Millions Promo’

P

eak ‘Reach for Millions’ promo is rapidly gaining momentum as 16 consumers from different states across the country and Abuja have won a million naira each in less than three weeks. Some of the winners include hairdressers, students, custom officer and construction workers among others.

This is contained in a statement from the Corporate Affairs Director, FrieslandCampina WAMCO, Ore Famurewa.

According to the company, the lucky consumers of Peak were presented with their prizes at a location nearest to their homes and will redeem their cash in selected First Bank branches through First Monie, the financial partner of the promo.

Comfort Anthony, an Abuja based hairdresser and student won the first one million naira of the 60 million naira promo. She intends to expand her hairdressing business with the money among other plans.

Winners of a million naira in the

promo so far are Minchi Dandoka from Abuja, Mohammad Shayau from Kebbi State, Jefrey Kor from Benue, Franca Chire, Custom officer from Jos, Ndubuisi Dibio from Enugu, SheuAbdulahi from Abuja, DanjumaGarba from Yola, and Okpara Gregory, a trader and student from Lagos.

Others are Ikaroha Samuel from Kano, Raji Muideen Taiwo from Lagos State, AtsachaIshaku, a student from Maiduguri, MrsAmakaNweke from Enugu, Chris Ikoh from Kano, AniamaluNnamdi Fabian from Enugu and Ugochukwu Okafor also from Enugu.

One of the winners, Franca Chire, a Custom officer in Jos expressed happiness with thanks to Peak for the rear ‘gift’ given to her.

Another winner, Ndubuisi Dibio, a petty trader and an electrical building technician who resides in Awgu Local Government area of Enugu State disclosed he heard about the promo on a television programme.

Ndubuisi claimed he had to buy two

cartons of Peak brand in order to win and that his effort was not in vain after he was declared one of the winners of a million naira.

Meanwhile, consolation prizes of N1,000, N5,000, N10,000 and N15,000 among others prizes have also been doled out in different categories to other participants of the promo across the country.

Peak ‘Reach for Millions’ promo is part of 60th anniversary celebration of the Peak brand in Nigeria. The promo is targeted to reward consumers for 60 years of loyalty and patronage and also to build brand love with consumers who have been consistently consuming and are willing to consume more of Peak.

Speaking during the cheque presentation in Enugu, Mr. Rahul Colaco, Managing Director, FrieslandCampina WAMCO told the audience that the Peak ‘Reach for Millions’ promo is designed to transform 60 consumers into instant millionaires.

Communities embrace UNICEF’s social media platform

N

igeria has become the first country to reach one million responders on the SMS-based UReport platform, designed to strengthen community-led development and citizen engagement, UNICEF has announced .

UNICEF’s Global Innovations team has launched U-Report in 17 countries, mostly in Africa, as a way for community members to share their opinions and drive positive change. It is a user-centred social monitoring tool based on simple Short Message Service (SMS) messages, polling opinions on issues that affect communities and sharing useful information. It relies on volunteer community members, mostly young

people, serving as U-Reporters to provide information on issues that affect their communities.

“It is heartening to see a million young people in Nigeria becoming agents of change for their community and nation,” said Dr. SharadSapra, Director of Global Innovations at UNICEF, when Nigeria hit the one million U-Reporter mark, “These young people and the many more who join them every day, are becoming the pillars for sustainable social development in Nigeria.”

With the support in Nigeria of telecommunications service providers Airtel, Etisalat, Glo and MTN, engaging with U-Report is completely free and it has grown into a vibrant tool to

empower communities.

The first poll question from the UReport Nigeria platform was sent out in April 2014 and since then, nearly 70 polls on topics such as health, education, safety and security, Internally Displaced Persons, water and sanitation, violence against children and trafficking in persons have been discussed on the platform, with results disseminated to Government and other relevant agencies.

Having over a million voices on this platform means that a significant number of Nigerians now have an opportunity to speak out on social issues in their communities and the assurance that their voices are being heard.

M

idday naps are associated with reduced blood pressure levels and prescription of fewer antihypertensive medications, according to research presented at ESC Congress Tuesday by Dr. Manolis Kallistratos, a cardiologist at Asklepieion Voula General Hospital in Athens, Greece.

“Although William Blake affirms that it is better to think in the morning, act at noon, eat in the evening and sleep at night, noon sleep seems to have beneficial effects,” said Dr Kallistratos. “Two influential United Kingdom (UK) Prime Ministers were supporters of the midday nap. Winston Churchill said that we must sleep sometime between lunch and dinner while Margaret Thatcher didn’t want to be disturbed at around 3:00 pm. According to our study they were right because midday naps seem to lower blood pressure levels and may probably also decrease the number of required antihypertensive medications.”

He added: “midday sleep is a habit that nowadays is almost a privileged due to a nine to five working culture and intense daily routine. However the real question regarding this habit is: is it only a custom or is it also beneficial?”

The purpose of this prospective study was to assess the effect of midday sleep on blood pressure (BP) levels in hypertensive patients. The study included 386 middle aged patients (200 men and 186 women, average age 61.4 years) with arterial hypertension.

The following measurements were performed in all patients: midday sleep time (in minutes), office BP, 24 hour ambulatory BP, pulse wave velocity, lifestyle habits, body mass index (BMI) and a complete echocardiographic evaluation including left atrial size.

BP measurements were reported as diastolic and systolic BP. After adjusting for other factors that could influence BP such as age, gender, BMI, smoking status, salt, alcohol, exercise and coffee, the researchers found that midday sleepers had five percent lower average 24 hour ambulatory systolic BP (6 mmHg) compared to patients who did not sleep at all midday. Their average systolic BP readings were four percent lower when they were awake (5 mmHg) and six percent lower while they slept at night (7 mmHg) than non-midday sleepers.

Dr. Kallistratos said: “Although the mean BP decrease seems low, it has to be mentioned that reductions as small as 2 mmHg in systolic blood pressure can reduce the risk of cardiovascular events by up to 10 percent.”

The researchers also found that in midday sleepers pulse wave velocity levels were 11 percent lower and left atrium diameter was five percent smaller. “These findings suggest that midday sleepers have less damage from high blood pressure in their arteries and heart,” said Dr Kallistratos.

The duration of midday sleep was associated with the burden of arterial hypertension. Patients who slept for 60 minutes midday had 4 mmHg lower average 24 hour systolic BP readings and a two percent higher dipping status5 compared to patients who did not sleep midday. Dippers had an average of 17 minutes more midday sleep than non-dippers.

Dr. Kallistratos said: “Our study shows that not only is midday sleep associated with lower blood pressure, but longer sleeps are even more beneficial. Midday sleepers had greater dips in blood pressure while sleeping at night which is associated with better health outcomes. We also found that hypertensive patients who slept at noon were under fewer antihypertensive medications compared to those who didn’t sleep midday.”

He concluded: “We found that midday sleep is associated with lower 24 hour blood pressure, an enhanced fall of BP in night, and less damage to the arteries and the heart.

The longer the midday sleep, the lower the systolic BP levels and probably fewer drugs needed to lower BP.”

Health News 25

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015

PMGMAN seeks 20% tax on imported pharmaceuticals lExpects over 120 exhibitors at EXPO Stories by Appolonia Adeyemi

T

he Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMG-MAN) has recommended that an adjustment tax of 20 percent be immediately imposed on imported finished pharmaceutical products as it applies to other sectors where Nigeria has capacity as allowed by the Common External Tariff (CET).

Also, under the National List within the CET, the group has proposed that input into pharmaceutical manufacturing (raw materials, excipients and packaging) should be allowed to be imported at 0 percent by bonafide pharmaceutical manufacturers.

Chairman of PMG-MAN, Mr. Okey Akpa made the call on Tuesday while announcing the 4th Pharma Manufacturers EXPO 2015 which will be taking place at The Haven, Oba Akinjobi Street, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos from September 7 to 9.

Over 120 exhibitors are expected from France, Germany, India and other countries to

L-R: CEO, Topway Pharm Industry Limited, Mrs. Olamide Adegbenro; Managing Director, JAWA Group, V. Verghese; and Chairman, Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMG-MAN), Okey Akpa at the media briefing to herald the 4th Pharma Manufacturers EXPO 2015, held in Ikeja, Lagos on Tuesday

the EXPO with the theme: Nigerian Pharmaceutical Industry and International Competitiveness.

Similarly, over 3,000 participants and guests especially healthcare professionals from Nigeria and ECOWAS countries will be attending the forum.

Akpa said, “we are also expecting companies from West African countries to be

part of the exhibition.”

Justifying the call for tax on imported finished pharmaceutical products, Akpa said, “There is need to protect the local manufacturers and encourage industrialisation as self-sufficiency in essential medicines has national security implications.

‘Our position is remains that Nigeria’s responsibility to minimise the effect of dis-

eases on the economic, social and political stability of the country cannot be abdicated to imported medicines. “ He said the PMG-MAN has made representations to the government and “we have expectations that the government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari will address this anomaly expeditiously to avoid the collapse of the pharmaceutical industry.”

The Nigeria Pharma Manufacturers Expo 2015 as usual presents a unique opportunity for stakeholders in the health sector as well as related industries, Food, Beverages, Toiletries and Cosmetics to exchange information, products, services and ideas.

The EXPO will be a platform for new business opportunities, exposure to new formulations, latest machinery and equipment as well as serve as a catalyst for technology transfer.

In addition, Akpa said relevant ministries, departments and agencies of government such as the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade & Investment, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) and the Bank of Industry (BOI) are expected to participate.

Celestial Church advocates youth involvement in development

I

n order to ensure that youths across the federation are involved in national development, the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC) has advocated a template that will engage them in governance and other development activities.

General Youth Coordinator of CCC, World Wide, Snr. Evangelist Samuel Odeyemi who made the call at the weekend, also urged President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that youths are effectively carried along from scratch in the planning and implementation of some state and national programmes as a strategy to ginger their interest in nation building.

Odeyemi spoke at the 17th Annual Youth Conference of the CCC Youth Organisation World Wide (Nigeria Region), which held in Ifo, Ogun State at the weekend. The theme of the conference, Understanding Celestial Church is tailored towards awakening the consciousness of the youths into the real Celestial Church.

The conference attracted hundreds of youths from across the federation. Participants were drawn from Kano, Sokoto, Niger, Rivers, Lagos State, Edo, Zamfara, Plateau, Edo, Niger, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Republic of Benin, among others.

Odeyemi who was represented by Snr. Evangelist Gabriel Awosanya, deputy general, Youth Coordinator, CCC, Youth Organisation World Wide, said if the government wants the involvement of youths in nation building, right from secondary schools and tertiary institutions, the youths should be well informed about what is going to happen with regard to some programmes.

Although, the trend is that many Nigerian senators who now include former governors are elders, this should be reviewed to include the appointment of youths in ministerial capacity, as a way of engaging them

meaningfully. Awosanya added: “With this, they will begin to have a sense of belonging .”

Awosanya laid the blame of current youth decadence on negligence occasioned by the three tiers of government, especially their failure to engage the youths meaningfully.

Unlike in developed and advanced countries such as the United Kingdom (UK), the United States (U.S) and Russia, where the governments are involved in the development of children up till their youthful years, Awosanya said, “in Nige-

ria, we don’t even have the statistics of how many youths are leaving the primary schools, the secondary schools and the tertiary institutions. Besides, there is even no plan for them.” How then, do we capture the youths, he queried.

Awosanya lamented that the real tragedy facing youths in the country is that “there is no plan for them when they are in schools and there is no employment opportunity for majority of them as well.

When a child is born in the U.S. through various policies the

government provides for them.

“Here youths are just left on their own, roaming about. That is why they follow whoever gives them money as well as join insurgent groups.”

With this situation therefore, Awosanya reasoned that the youths may neither be loyal nor dedicated to the government.

Olu Bankole urged the government to discharge their responsibilities in planning and providing for youths. “By the time they are occupied they will be responsible in the society.

The issue of their involvement

in insurgency is as a result of negligence.” he added.

On the benefits of the meeting to participants, Ade Ojomo who is a delegate from Ondo State said the exposure would expand the horizon and scope of participants as well as foster unity in the nation.

According to the National Director of Gender Issues, Ayobami Akande, based on participant’s different cultural background, “there is unity in diversity.” She added that the meeting will go a long way to advance society.

NAFDAC moves to ensure traditional medicine safety Yemisi Adejoro

I

n order to address rising negative health consequences caused by the use of some herbal medicines, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has mandated traditional medicine practitioners to conform their products to acceptable standards of quality, safety and efficacy.

Director General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii who gave this directive in Lagos on Monday, explained that this development is to ensure that “all drugs and pharmaceuticals for human and veterinary use including herbal medicines that are manufactured, imported, distributed, advertised and sold in Nigeria are certified and registered in accordance with the Drugs and Related Products Registration Decree.

Orhii who was represented

by the Mrs. Titilope Owolabi, NAFDAC’S director, Drug Evaluation and Regulatory Directorate, spoke at the 13th African Traditional Medicine Day 2015 which is marked on August 31 as part of strategy to boost the role of traditional medicine in national health systems.

The decision to observe such a Traditional Medicine Day was endorsed by the Summit of African Heads of State and Government in Maputo in July 2003. The theme of the 2015 African Traditional Medicine Day is: Regulation of Traditional (Herbal) Medicine Production in the African Region.

Orhii said, “The long-term use of traditional medicine is not a guarantee of its safety as any medicine, whether traditional or conventional, can cause health risk.

“Owing to complexity of herbs in particular, it is essen-

Director General, NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii

tial that they are subjected to rigorous scientific evaluations like conventional medicines in order to guarantee their safety, quality and efficacy.”

On his part, the President, National Association of Nigeria Traditional Medicine Practitioners (NANTMP), Thomas Omon Oleabhiele urged the Bank of Industry (BOI) and other financial institutions to provide interest-free loans to

traditional medicine practitioners to enable them advance production and sales of their products so as to be at par with practitioners in China and India where herbal medicine is already a big business.

Similarly, he urged NAFDAC to approve the advertisement of traditional medicine products.

Although, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends traditional medicine as necessary partner to orthodox medicine, Oleabhiele lamented that many government officials in connivance with orthodox medicine practitioners have refused to accord traditional medicine its rightful place in the scheme of things.

However, Oleabhiele said “traditional herbal products are now of better quality.

Hence, there has been an increased public urge to take traditional medicine products.

26

Health Features

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Celebrating African traditional medicine day A

ugust 31 is set aside every year by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to celebrate African Traditional Medicine day. Some 16 years ago, the African Union Heads of State and Government declared the year 2000 to 2010 as the African Decade of African Traditional Medicine. All these show how seriously the African governments and International governments take African Traditional Medicine, at least on paper.

On paper, Nigeria’s health care plan looks impressive and appealing. However, in practice, it has not made much difference in improving the health of the nation. There have always been lots of discussions on how to improve healthcare services in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.

Hundreds of conferences and health workshops take place almost daily in different parts of the country to discuss ways and means of improving the health of Nigerians.

Proposals and recommendations from these conferences, workshops and committees litter the offices of the state and federal ministries of health in Nigeria. It is therefore clear that the Nigerian government is not in short supply of ideas and proposals on how to improve the health of Nigerians.

Fifty years after most countries attained independence, Africans remain the world’s least healthy people. As a group, they are at the bottom of every index of social and economic indicators. Surveys of the use of health services show that fewer Africans are seeking care, partly because fewer services are available at affordable price, and partly because they are dissatisfied with modern health care services.

The global income from the herbal medicine business is estimated at over $100 billion dollars yearly. Africa, which has over 70 percent of the world reserve of medicinal plants growing on her soil, has little or no share in this income. We are surrounded by wealth, yet live in poverty. Indeed, poverty is a threat to world peace.

According to a modern philosopher: “when the gap between the poor and the rich widens, the poor cannot sleep because they are hungry, and the rich cannot rest because the poor are awake.”

In Africa, public heath has been neglected and taken over by biohealth, with its emphasis on high-tech machines, money and profit.

Biotech or, Biohealth, is a new modern form of medicine that focuses almost exclusively on using high-tech machines to diagnose diseases, even before they appear in the body. In Biotech, patients are subjected to endless series of expensive tests, just to detect illnesses that are yet to manifest in the body, or to know the nature of already diagnosed ones. Biotech diverts attention from the question: ‘how can people prevent illness?’ to focus on ‘How can they pay for treatment?’

Nature Power Anselm Adodo

naturepower@paxherbals.net; twitter: @anselmadodo Whereas in the past, people go to the hospital when they feel ill, today everybody is advised to head for the hospital for sicknesses that they may suffer from in five or 10 years time. Modern medicine has abandoned its role as a healthcare provider to become a health scare promoter.

Fear is a very effective weapon in the armory of modern medicine. The sick go to the hospital because they are afraid of death and the healthy go to the hospital because they are afraid of falling sick. One way or the other, we have all become prisoners of fear.

Biohealth is not interested in addressing the disparities in wealth, trade imbalance and richpoor divide in the world communities. Biohealth turns away from the fact that poverty, unfair trade imbalance, poor sanitation, poor nutrition and unbridled monetisation of public health, is the root cause of health inequality and poor health in the world, especially in Africa.

Biohealth not only treats our diseases, but it often invents diseases and then go ahead to provide the medication to cure its invention. This medicalisation of human life, from infancy to adolescence, pregnancy, middle age and old age, partly explains the rapid expansion of the medical enterprise in the past 20 years. It is not a health for all, but rather health for the rich, who make up one

percent of world population.

Health for all, in the language of modern medical capitalism, means health of the one percent for the one percent and by the one percent.

When we talk about promoting traditional medicine, we are talking about a rediscovery of our traditional African culture of care and concern for one another and for our environment. As we celebrate another African Traditional Day this year 2015, I am calling for a new thinking on healthcare management, policy and reform in Africa.

I call for a reawakening of the Traditional African approach to health in which the health of an individual could not be separated from the health of a community. Instead of pursuing a ‘healthy lifestyle’ characteristic of modern, individualistic culture, I call for a return to the older wisdom traditions of Africa that corporately valued communitybased well-being and harmonious living.

When government wants to make efforts to incorporate traditional medicine into national healthcare services, it forms a committee comprising medical practitioners, health bureaucrats, and civil servants who are not passionate about traditional medicine. The inevitable result is that nothing positive will come out of the committee.

Neem tree called dogonyaro locally, is widely known for its medicinal property

Fruits

PHOTO:commons.wikimedia.org

Aloe vera plants

Modern medicine has abandoned its role as a healthcare provider to become a health scare promoter

PHOTO: en.mr-ginseng.com

THE WAY FORWARD 1. Form a presidential advisory board made up of sincere and knowledgeable healthcare providers from the private sector to advice the government on health reform and health policy in Nigeria.

2. Government should recognise traditional medicine as a genuine alternative alongside conventional medicine, and devote 20 percent of health budget to the development of traditional herbal medicine.

3. Form a registration and accreditation agency to register and monitor Traditional medical practice.

4. Encourage cultivation of medicinal plants for exportation.

5. Establish a training school of traditional medicine based on indigenous knowledge, philosophy and African heritage.

•Adodo is the Director of Pax Herbals Clinics and Research Laboratories

PHOTO: www.theneni.com

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, September 3, 2015

Industry

27

ICT

Boosting acceptability of Nigerian products at international market

Harmonising citizens’ biometric databases

29

31

Business What's news

Manufacturers lament economic woes, predict bleak year The Organised Private Sector (OPS) has tasked the Federal Government to develop economic instruments that will boost the real sector to contribute effectively to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the third quarter of this year.

p.28

EU dairy firm expects N56.50bn from Nigerian market A diary firm, Arla Foods is billed to flood the Nigerian markets with dairy products worth 240 million euro through its 50/50 joint venture with Tolaram.

L-R: Head, E-Channels, Skye Bank Plc, Mr. Akinwale Ojo; Deputy Managing Director, Chams Mobile, Mr. Gavin Young; Director, Business Relations, Chams Mobile, Mr. Ifeoluwa Oluyemi, at the unveilving of Virtual Visa card in Lagos.

Police, underwriters clash over N221m insurance premium RESERVED

p.28

The Federal Government had earmarked N3.5 billion for the cover

The Business Desk Ayodele Aminu

Deputy Editor (Business)

Bayo Akomolafe

Asst. Editor (Maritime)

Sunday Ojeme

Asst. Editor (Insurance)

Tony Chukwunyem

Asst. Editor (Money Market)

Dayo Ayeyemi Property Editor

Adeola Yusuf Energy Editor

Wole Shadare Aviation Editor

Chris Ugwu

Capital Market Editor

Abdulwahab Isa

Sunday Ojeme

T

he battle to extract insurance premium from the Nigeria Police Force has shifted to the court as some insurance companies have sued the security agency for failing to remit N221 million - being the balance premium for insurance cover.

A document obtained by our correspondent revealed that the case, which is currently before the Federal

Finance Editor

Kunle Azeez

Senior Correspondent

Chuks Onuanyin Energy

Nnamdi Amadi Reporter

Johnson Adebayo

Asst Production Editor

High Court in Lagos, borders on premium for a Group Personal Accident Scheme known as the Nigerian Police Welfare Insurance Scheme.

The document stated that the plaintiffs, comprising NEM Insurance Plc, Linkage Assurance Plc and others, are suing the Inspector General of Police and others not mentioned for the sum of N221 million being the balance due on the premium.

Although the period covered by the premium was not stated in the document, it will, however, be recalled that the Federal Government was reported to have set aside N3.5 billion for the insurance cover of police officers in the country last year.

The money was for the group life insurance cover for

all police formations and commands for the 2013 financial period.

Custodian and Allied Insurance led 21 other insurance firms to underwrite the risk in conjunction with 39 brokers.

In 2013, the NPF was granted autonomy to manage its own insurance, separate from those of civilians and other security agencies.

This was due to delays in the payment of premium on the group life policy for police officers, which often subjected their dependants to undue

N321.5 million Being one of the funds in the previous unpaid claims

hardship because of their inability to get claims.

Funds meant for insurance cover for men and officers of the NPF have always been mired in controversy, especially under past administrations.

New Telegraph recalled that under a former inspector general of police, who was tried for corruption by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), over 704 families of deceased officers and men were thrown into penury following their inability to get claims.

The money meant for Officers Group Personal Accidents Scheme was supposed to be paid to dependants of officers and men who died in active service.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 28

Rates Dashboard INFLATION RATE July 2015 ..................................9.2% June 2015.................................9.2% May 2015.................................9%

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

EXCHANGE RATE (BDC as at Aug 28)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N208 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N327 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N235

l Foreign Reserves – $31.429bn as at 27/08/2015

Source: CBN

EXCHANGE RATE (Interbank as at Aug 28)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N200 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N307.65 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N223.50

28

News

OIL ROUT The sharp fall in prices of crude oil at the international markets is affecting the real sector Taiwo Ademola Hassan

T

he Organised Private Sector (OPS) has tasked the Federal Government to develop economic instruments that will boost the real sector to contribute effectively to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the third quarter of this year.

A representative of the National Union of Textile Garment Workers of Nigeria, Hamed Balogun, said in a chat with New Telegraph that manufacturing companies operating in the country are yet to contribute more to the country’s GDP because of government’s policy somersaults, especially the policies from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which is hindering growth and development in the industry.

Balogun noted that the continued drop in government’s revenue due to the sharp fall in prices of crude oil at the international markets is affecting the real sector significantly.

He said that some of the recent policy decisions by the apex bank

THURSDAY, September 3, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Manufacturers lament economic woes, predict bleak year are not business friendly, as it brought about drastic reduction in industrial capacity and low sales.

He added that many manufacturers are not happy with what is currently happening in the country’s economy, urging that if government does not make efforts to re-jig the system with new economic instruments in this third quarter, it would be assumed that Nigeria would record a

bleak result at the end of the year.

He stressed that CBN policy was basically intended to encourage real sector’s growth by channeling credit to the sector through reasonable low lending rates, but the reverse is the case now, as flow of credit to private sector had reduced drastically since the beginning of the year with business confidence equally nose-diving.

Balogun said: “We are

The sum was made up in two parts of N321.5 million as unpaid claims to beneficiaries and N13.4 million being cheques that were issued to beneficiaries but bounced.

Going by the provisions of section 50 of the Insurance Act, which makes it mandatory for premium to be paid before granting cover to an individual or institution, it might be difficult for the plaintiffs to get the balance of the premium paid since they have tactically flouted the rule on “no premium, no cover.”

According to the section, “The receipt of an insurance premium shall be a condition precedent to a valid contract of insurance and there shall be no cover in respect of an insurance risk unless the premium is paid in advance.”

It further states that any insurance operator who grants cover without having received the premium in advance or premium receipt notification from the relevant insurance broker,

I hope that government pursues the policy that will be beneficial to everyone, especially stakeholders in the real sector.

“Obviously, from January till date, if there is any sector that is worst hit, I will tell you that it is the real sector. Manufacturing companies are closing shops on a daily basis due to the harsh economic environment and squeeze in liquidity.”

Group Managing Di-

rector, Flour Mills of Nigeria (FMN) Plc, Paul Gbededo, had revealed that due to the harsh operating business environment in the country, the group recorded a marginal revenue loss of two per cent from N83.9 billion to N82.3 billion for the second quarter ended June 30, 2015.

Gbededo noted that daunting challenges posed by strong macroeconomic headwinds.

L-R: Head, Brand Marketing and Projects, Ajala.ng Travel Management Service, Ms Omolua Oyakhire; Head, Customer Relationship Management, Mrs. Bukola Isaac Oluwasanmi and Travel Finance Scheme Manager, Ms Obianuju Mofunanya, at the official launch of Ajala.ng Travel Management Service in Lagos.

PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

Police, underwriters clash over N221m insurance premium CO NTINUED FRO M PAG E 27

not satisfied with the current trend in the Nigerian economy since the beginning of the year. We know that we have been running a bleak economy due to the sudden fall in government revenue caused by the fall in prices of crude oil at the international market and the 2015 general elections.

“But some of the policy decisions by the CBN have not been helpful to the growth of the real sector.

shall be liable to a penalty of N500,000 in respect of each cover granted, and in addition, that may be a ground for the suspension of the licence of the insurer.

Former Commissioner for Insurance, Mr. Fola Daniel, had always lamented that underwriters had themselves to blame if they gave any cover without first collecting premium. He said that it was unprofessional for any underwriter to have gone into such an agreement even after a minimum of three cases went up to the Supreme Court to serve as a lesson.

In the past, underwriters gave covers to policyholders without collecting the premium, but only calculated it as part of gross premium income, even when they were yet to be paid or never got paid. The full implementation of the Insurance Act 51 (No Premium No Cover) has contributed hugely to the industry’s premium growth, especially in the last two years.

EU dairy firm expects N56.50bn from Nigerian market PROSPECT Firm to tackle milk deficiency in West Africa

Bayo Akomolafe

A

diary firm, Arla Foods is billed to flood the Nigerian markets with dairy products worth 240 million euro through its 50/50 joint venture with Tolaram.

The company, which belongs to 12,700 dairy farmers from Denmark, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, is also expecting 32 million euro from Senegal by 2020.

Already, it has established joint ventures with Tolaram Group in Nigeria and a Senegalese firm, Attieh Group, to bring in liquid milk, Dano brand powdered milk, cheese and butter.

Operations at Arla Senegal,

in which it holds a 75 per cent interest, are scheduled to begin before the end of the year.

The company currently boasts of 90 million euro sales in the sub-Saharan Africa, but hopes to hit 460 million by 2020 through the sale of its products.

It was learnt that the company is coming to West Africa to tacle the milk deficit in the sub-region.

The company said that it partnered with companies in Nigeria and Senegal to boost its distribution backbone in West Africa.

It was learnt that Arla Dairy Products LFTZ Enterprise and Arla Senegal would respectively handle the packaging, marketing, sales and distribution of Arla dairy products in Nigeria and Senegal.

According to Head of Arla’s sub-Saharan Africa business, Steen Hadsbjerg, West Africa faces a milk deficit, which gives the company an opportunity to provide milk and other dairy products that meet the

consumers’ needs.

He said: “We are here to build a long-term business, and that requires strong local partners. We are, therefore, pleased to join with two experienced partners in Senegal and Nigeria.

“Nigeria is one of the biggest markets for dairy products in Africa. For Arla to succeed in Africa we must succeed in Nigeria.”

Arla’s growth efforts in subSaharan Africa began in August 2013 when it established a joint venture with Ivorian distributor, Mata Holdings.

Other dairy products are ice cream and novelties, yoghurt, cheese and gelato.

Hadsbjerg added: “The population is growing at a rate of two to three per cent per year, and people are young, ambitious and increasingly well educated.

“This makes Nigeria a perfect market for Arla’s Africa strategy and we expect the new joint venture to start up its sales in the market in September.”

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015

Industrialists protest adulterated products in Onitsha p.30 The Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) commissioned world class accredited Chemical and Food Technology Laboratories in Lagos recently.

The impact the new centre is adding to the international acceptability of Nigerian products is gaining momentum among exporters, writes TAIWO ADEMOLA HASSAN

29

Industry

Boosting acceptability of Nigerian products at international market

T

he continued rejection of Nigerian manufactured products at the international market has generated serious concerns among stakeholders in the commerce and industry sector. This has prompted the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to commission a world class accredited Chemical and Food Technology Laboratories in Lagos recently.

Since the commissioning of the laboratories a few months ago by SON, there are reports that exporters of locally manufactured products who have been to the agency’s laboratory to conduct test are optimistic that the chance of accepting their food items at the international market is high with the certified SON certificate.

Speaking on the story since the commissioning of the world class accredited Chemical and Food Technology Laboratories, the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer, SON, Dr. Joseph Odumodu, said the test laboratories have opened a vista of opportunities among local exporters of manufactured products in the country in terms of international acceptability and quality assessment conformity.

He said reports have shown that those who test their manufactured products at the agency’s test centre and who have certified SON certificates are guaranteed of 90 per cent easy passage at the gateways and international market.

According to him, the purpose of opening the SON accredited Chemical and Food Technology Laboratories in Lagos is to ensure that there is a reduction in the country’s rejected goods at the international market, which is affecting the country’s image at the global market.

Correlating the SON’s DG submission, Angela Okisor, a representative of SON, submitted that there was instant impact with the opening of the SON accredited Chemical and Food Technology Laboratories especially on the acceptability of Nigerian manufactured goods at the global market.

Food items

She said that many local manufacturers are now coming to the SON laboratories centre for test of their export food products to beat the rejection syndrome that is always being associated with Nigerian manufactured products at the international market.

She said SON is only adhering to its statutorily obligation as spelt out in the constitution, pointing out that some manufacturers who are known to patronise other test centres in the country are now making u-turn to come to SON laboratory centre for test.

Okisor said that SON did not established the test centre for profit making rather, the objective of the agency is to ensure that those that come to the centre get satisfactorily result on their products.

She said that the chance of their food products acceptability at the point of export and international market is high due to the SON’s certificate.

“There is a lot of turn around since the commissioning of the SON accredited Chemical and Food Technology Laboratories.

We now see large turn out of local manufacturers coming to the centre for testing of their food products for international acceptability.

“We are not a profit oriented agency as we only charge little money compare to those who pay heavily to some international testing centres and still their goods were rejected at the point of exporting their products.

“The SON accredited Chemical and Food Technology Laboratories is the panacea to the mass rejection of local manufactured products at the international market,” she added.

Those who test their products at the agency’s test centre are guaranteed of 90 per cent easy passage at the gateways

She, however, said that SON will soon commission another world class accredited Chemical and Food Technology Laboratories in Lagos, adding that all is set for the commissioning if not for the change in government.

Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Segun Awolowo, said the current economic realities occasioned by falling global crude oil prices and lack of patronage by major oil consuming nations such as United States, which lead to a corresponding dwindle in revenue accruals to Nigeria, has made it imperative for the country to diversify its economy base towards making the non-oil export sector a major driver for the Nigerian economy.

He said quality is a prerequisite for successful market access and increasing revenues from export, but meeting technical requirements is a challenge for many exporters in the international markets.

Also, standards and conformity assessment play a key role in facilitating trade.

According to him, Internation-

al Trade Corporation reported that about 80 per cent of problems faced by exporters are in the area of technical barriers to trade and sanitary and physio-sanitary measures, adding this are the impediments faced by Nigerian exporters, which SON’s accredited laboratories hope to address.

Awolowo said the factors responsible for local products rejection at the international market includes - administrative issues: non-compliance with regulatory requirements for processed and semi-processed commodities, non-compliance with documentation requirements, incorrect filling of information for entry, inadequate information and know how on entry requirement for food imports from Europe and United Kingdom.

Others include food safety issues: high level of pesticide residue, presence of mycotoxins, heavy metals, high microbial load, presence of foreign matters, fumigation level, etc.

Also included are technical barrier issues: poor packaging, labelling, insufficient information on nutritional content and GMP certification.

Awolowo said: “It is envisaged that with the setting up of the Nigeria National Accreditation Service, Nigeria’s non-oil exportable products will compete favourably with others in the international markets.

“When I received the news last year that SON food chemical laboratories, which will all gather here today to launch received certification and accreditation from American Association of laboratories and protection, I knew that it would mean a lot to the Nigerian food processing and agriculture products unto the world.”

30

Business | Industry

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Industrialists protest adulterated products in Onitsha COMMENDATION Industrialists praise SON DG for sanitising the industrial sector Taiwo Ademola Hassan

S

ome leading manufacturers of shaving sticks in the country have called on the Federal Government to deal decisively with a notorious faker of their products.

They stating that the good images they built over decades risk being ruined if efforts are not made to save them from the ravaging scammer.

The manufacturers addressed newsmen in Lagos during a mass protest organised by Mr Benjamin Uzochukwu Nwizu of BENDUSCO and D&K Limited based in Onitsha, Anambra State, against Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) for evacuating several trucks of sub-standard and faked shaving sticks from the company.

SON had recently raided the company alleged to be packaging other company’s brands.

The manufacturers said the company specialises in faking all shaving sticks brands that have large market share.

The NIPPEN Plc representative, Mr. Olasore Fatai, said the activities of the BENDUSCO, a company based at Onitsha in Awka, Anambra State, have put its businesses under unbearable pressure.

Fatai said the fake BIC products importer was producing

illegally in Awka until the long arms of the law caught up with his factories, hence they were shut in 2014.

“Now, he has shifted his operations to a private primary school premises around 33 Area, Onitsha and the other factory along Owerri-Onitsha Road,” he said.

According to him, the company runs a distribution network nation-wide from the two depots where its stocks imported counterfeits of other brands.

The NIPPEN top official told

National President of Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Chief Bassey Edem (4th left) in a warm handshake with the Director, Xmatrix 369 Limited, Arc. Iman Nashe (3rd left) flanked by some members of Exco, Director General, Mr. Emmanuel Cobham and Deputy Director General, Mrs. Janet Omisore at the NACCIMA Contract signing ceremony in Lagos.

NACCIMA commences development of Abuja Plaza Taiwo Ademola Hassan

D

esirous of enhancing the feasibility of the apex business association in Nigeria, the National President of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Chief Bassey Edem, on behalf of the entire members of NACCIMA, has signed a N500 million building Contract with XMATRIX 369 LIMITED for the construction of the first phase of the NACCIMA Plaza in Abuja.

The first phase of the project is expected to cover the preliminaries, basements, hall, ground and first floors of the building.

Speaking at the contract signing ceremony at the NACCIMA Secretariat in Lagos recently, Bassey reiterated his mission for the association, as the return of NACCIMA to its rightful place as the apex body (for all business associations) that intervenes on behalf of the business community, interests and operators on all issues of business, as well as ensure the promotion and development of all matters affecting business in the country.

He said: “We will take measures towards making NAC-

CIMA the first point of call of government for business information, regarding any member of the association and the entire business community. We will also enhance our representation in any trade/bilateral Mission of the Federal Government and we will continue to play our leading role in the ECOWAS sub region through the Federation of West African Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FEWACCI).”

To achieve the above, Bassey said the Association needs to be more viable, hence, the need for a befitting Secretariat in the nation’s capital.

NACCIMA is the umbrella Organisation for all Chambers of Commerce and Industry nationwide. The association’s membership also includes business associations, professional bodies, trade groups and some corporate bodies in Nigeria.

NACCIMA has the strategic role of promoting trade, investment and other commercial activities in a conducive business environment, to be provided by governments at federal, state and local levels.

This will enable the private sector to create wealth which in turn generates more jobs.

newsmen that the man has imported an estimated 30 million units of counterfeit BIC products mostly from China and Taiwan in the past one year, adding that since his factory was shut last year, his renewed activities had pushed genuine BIC products in great distress and market failure.

“Worse still, the BIC products scammer recently took his activities another step by hiring protesters and advertising in some national dailies that the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, SON was destroying his business and putting the national economy under stress by undermining manufacturers.

Fatai described the activities of the company to be “evil`, saying the man had been operating since 2006 from a location at Nwaziki Street, Onitisha, Anambra State, until SON’s intervention. The illegal packaging factory was raided and equipment and counterfeited products were confiscated and the operations shut down.

Collaborating the NIPPEN claims, Bar. Okon Uye, Counsel to Vine Morris Links Nigeria Limited, which holds exclusive franchise for Dorco products in Nigeria, admitted that the problem with the counterfeiter started in 2008 when a lady in Lagos protested bodily injuries she suffered after using a Dorco product.

As corporate lawyer, he started investigating and found that it was difficult seeing any difference between two brands of the Dorco range of products.

Oil price rout: Impact and the way out

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he vulnerability of the Nigerian economy to external shocks is beginning to manifest with the collapse of crude oil price.

The Naira exchange rate is under pressure so is the foreign reserve; fiscal stability of the federal and state governments is at risk, as reflected in the inability of many MDAs at all levels of government to meet their financial obligations to contractors and civil servants.

The incidence of abandoned projects is on the increase. Capital flow reversals have intensified, manifesting especially in steady decline in the stock market.

The implications of this scenario for the macro economy are quite profound.

From a fiscal perspective, these are certainly not the best of times for the economy. What needs to be done?

There are two main dimensions to the solution – Revenue and Cost perspectives.

Revenue - Review of the tax regime to make the tax system more progressive in character, especially with regard to consumption tax.

VAT on luxury items and services should be reviewed.

- Tax administration needs to be strengthened for effectiveness and reduction of leakages in tax revenue.

The issue here is not about increase tax rates, but making the system more efficient.

- The introduction of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) is a welcome development. Before now most revenue generating MDAs are not remitting the appropriate revenues to the federation account.

- Boosting revenue through the curbing of oil theft.

- Need to review some tariff measures to boost customs revenue.

Already the Nigeria Customs Service is experiencing sharp decline in revenue as a result of the new tariff on vehicles and the forex restriction measures by the CBN. This needs to be reviewed in the light of the revenue backlash.

- CBN foreign exchange policy needs to be urgently reviewed to encourage the inflow of autonomous funds into the foreign exchange market.

The current tight exchange control is a major disincentive to inflow of the Diaspora funds and export

proceeds into the economy, thus worsening the foreign exchange crisis.

The CBN needs to be creative in its battle against money laundering in order to minimize disruptions to economic activities.

Cost - Need to reduce the cost of governance at the Executive, Legislature especially.

- Tackling corruption to stem the looting of the treasury.

- Regular value-for-money audit in the MDAs to reduce wastage.

- Greater vigilance on fiscal leakages from ghost workers, ghost pensioners, ghost institutions etc.

- Need to put a stop to the fuel subsidy regime to save the country an estimated N1 trillion annually.

There is in fact no reason for the current administration to retain kerosene subsidy for one day.

- Acceleration of oil and gas sector reforms to optimize investment and revenue potentials from the sector.

- Public Private Partnership options for the funding of infrastructure projects should be urgently activated to bridge financing gaps.

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015

31

ICT

‘Nigeria needs N100bn for digital broadcasting’ p.32

Harmonising citizens’ biometric databases Moves to syncronise the various citizens’ biometric databases residing with various government agencies have begun in earnest with NIMC championing the course.

KUNLE AZEEZ reports

ers in the past, especially in terms of cost of data acquisition, personnel, storage of acquired data and cost of making such data available.

Speaking through their President, Prof. Shola Aderounmu, the professionals said current multifarious databases in the country create general inconveniences to citizens, who repeatedly have to queue long hours for registration.

W

orried by the increasing number of disparate biometric databases residing with various agencies of government, President Muhammadu Buhari recently directed government agencies to harmonise the collection and usage of biometric data in the country instead of replicating their efforts in this regard.

He made the call ahead of the information that the national population census holding next year would gulp about N273 billion.

After receiving a briefing on the activities of the National Population Commission from The chairman, Eze Duru Iheoma, chairman who led other National Commissioners to the Presidential Villa, President Buhari wondered why each agency would gather its own biometric data, when such data could easily be shared.

“It will be more cost effective if you work together. It helps even the credibility of the election process as Nigerians of voting age can be identified easily,” the President said.

Government organisations that currently collect biometric data include the National Population Commission (NPC), the National Identity Management Commission (NMC), the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), as well as the suspended Nigerian Police Biometrics Central Motor Registry (PoliceBCMR), among others.

President Buhari added that all the agencies should work collaboratively instead of going in different directions, stressing that adequate data was necessary for planning and development in any country.

Familiar tunes New Telegraph, however, learnt that this is not the first time the Federal Government would give such directive for all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to harmonise their data in the interest of national development.

In June 2014, the Federal Government, under ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, issued detailed guidelines for implementation of presidential directive of Thursday 17th October, 2013, which decried the development of multiple biometric databases in the public sector.

A data capturing device. Inset: Prototype of a captured fingerprint

The president, therefore, ordered all MDAs and security agencies of the Federal Government that are involved in all forms of biometric data capture of all persons to complete their registrations and hand over to the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) on or before December 31, 2014.

NIMC as key actor In a circular with reference number: Ref. Na. 59B03Nll/87 signed by the then Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief Anyim Pius Anyim, on May 28, 2014, the FG, however, said only NIMC had the statutory responsibility to create, manage, maintain and operate including harmonisation and integration of existing identification databases in government agencies into the National identity Database housed in the commission.

Over the years, government has been accused of wasting billions of Naira on multiple biometric registrations being carried out by

The move will instill increased credibility in the country’s national databases

over seven Federal Government agencies in the country.

By its 2007 Act, NIMC was established to carry out the registration of citizens and non-citizens into the National Identity Database and issue a General Multi-purpose identity card to any person so registered.

Already, NIMC had deployed the National Identity Management System (NIMS) for the attainment of the purpose, making it the agency that should champion the harmonisation.

Stakeholders’ reactions In one accord, stakeholders in Nigeria have commended President Buhari’s latest directive, saying the move would instill increased credibility in the country’s national databases.

Information Technology and computer professionals under the auspices of the Nigerian Computer Society (NCS), said that it had become imperative, considering the huge cost implication biometric exercises have caused taxpay-

Forming collaborations Meanwhile, in a deliberate move to implement President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive on the harmonisation of biometric databases and data collection activities in the country, NIMC had begun consultation with other biometrics-data collection agencies, as NIMC management led by its Director General, Dr. Chris Onyemenam, paid NPC a courtesy call.

Onyemenam particularly stated that the call by President Buhari for MDAs concerned with the collection and storage of the various biometric databases and ongoing data collection exercises in the country was the primary reason for the visit.

The Chairman of the NPC, Chief Eze Duruiheoma, proposed the setting up of an Inter-Agency committee to midwife the NPC/ NIMC collaboration matters within a defined timeline, saying that, the issue of NPC/NIMC collaboration has been a topical issue within NPC. Onyemenam, however, ruled out the need to re-invent the wheel, stressing that NIMC had already put in place, a Harmonisation Committee (HC) comprising of representatives of the various MDAs security formations concerned with citizens data collection and usage.

Going forward Stakeholders are of the view that the current moves by NIMC to collaborate with NPC and subsequently with other agencies involved in data collection, would go a long way in accelerating the harmonisation of the various databases currently existing in silos.

NAS tasks FG, others on youth entrepreneurship

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he Nigerian Academy of Science (NAS) has called on the Federal Government (FG) and other stakeholders in the country to invest in entrepreneurship promotion among Nigerian youths.

The academy, which is concerned with embarking on research projects with a view to stimulating development, solving national problems and enhancing nation building, said that Nigeria would remain a consumer nation in years to come unless the country took the needed steps to diversify its economy.

Speaking at the academy’s

media roundtable in Lagos, NAS President, Prof. Oyewole Tomori, condemned the detachment of youths from the country’s basic decisionmaking programmes.

At the event organised to discuss NAS project bothering on Youth Social Development (YSD) and Reproductive Health (RH), Tomori said to the extent that most policies affect the youths more than elderly people, the youths should be carried along.

“Nigeria needs young people to champion major projects and activities in the country. Failure to have this may perpetuate Nige-

ria’s problems. Youths are more sensitive and vulnerable to national challenges and should, therefore, be given chance to disentangle them,” he said.

Also speaking on the theme: ‘Investing in Youths and Building their Capacities- Pathway for National Development’, the Chief Executive Officer, Lonadek, Dr. Ibilola Amao, noted that petroleum, which constitutes the major source of revenue for the country, could not defeat the problem of joblessness as it could only cater for direct or indirect job need of just two to 10 per cent of

Nigerian youths population, standing at over 60 million.

She enjoined governments at all levels to collaborate with interested local and international investors to tap into various other natural resources with which the country is blessed, to boom the self-reliability of the Nigerian economy.

During presentations on the investigation reports and assessment details with strategic plans carried out in two pilot states of Ekiti and Nasarawa, the academy said, “There is need to spread our talents across all economic activities in the country.”

32

Business | ICT

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Nigeria needs N100bn for digital broadcasting –CTO IMPASSE Nigeria failed to effect its digital transition in July this year

Clem Khena-Ogbena ABUJA

S

ecretary-General, Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO), Mr. Shola Taylor, has said that Nigeria would require not less than N100 billion for its transition from analogue to digital broadcasting by 2017.

Taylor who stated this at the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) First Annual Lecture, organised by the commission, in Abuja, in commemoration of its 23rd anniversary.

He also said that the country’s broadcasting industry would fare better under a convergence.

According to him, digitisa-

tion would lead to the creation of more jobs, creation of new market and several other benefits. He further said that the revenue that would be realised from digitisation would be far more than what may have been invested in it.

Agreeing with the CTO boss, the Director-General, National Broadcasting Commission, Mr. Emeka Mba, noted in an interview with journalists that funding had remained the major factor militating against the successful transition from analogue to digital broadcasting, a development, he said, was somewhat responsible for several shifts in deadline date for the country’s digitisation.

He, therefore, stated that for the country to meet its new deadline, June 20, 2017, about N100 billion would be required by the NBC to drive the process, adding that when the nation’s broadcasting industry would be fully digitised, no fewer than 30, 000 jobs would be created.

Mba, however, expressed

the hope that NBC would raise funds to drive the digitisation process, through sales of spectrums, once approved by the federal government.

“The pre-eminence of the role of electronic media in our society is hardly in doubt. That is why the Nigeria Broadcasting Code insists that broadcasting shall influence society positively, setting the agenda for the social, cultural, economic, political and technological development of the nation, for public good,” he said.

Meanwhile, in an exclusive chat, the Chairman, Radio, Television and Theatre Arts Workers Union (RATTAWU), Dr. Yemisi Bamgbose, pointed out that ab initio, NBC had never been properly funded by the successive governments to achieve the set date for digitisation cross-over from analogue, adding that the gov-

ernment’s approach to digitisation was a fire brigade one.

Bamgbose stated, “Those in government do not know about digitisation; that is why they refused to fund it in the past. We told them two years ago that there was no way they could meet the deadline of June 15, 2015, because we know there was no financial provision to carry out the assignment.

“Except they provide proper funding, it may fail again, because the public will buy the set up boxes for their own analogue TV to receive digital signal. It is good it has to be subsidised.”

It would be recalled that the NBC had on May 13, 2015 extended the switch over from analogue to digital broadcasting by 18 months.

The broadcasting regulatory body had already assured that the June 2015 deadline set by the International Telecommunica-

tions Union (ITU) for the digital switch over was sacrosanct.

With about a month to the deadline, Mba explained that three years into the process of digitisation with zero allocation and myriads of challenges before the NBC such as aggregate content development, distribution and production and availability of set top boxes, the June 17 deadline is uncertain.

The NBC boss noted that if forced, Nigeria would risk cutting off about 80 per cent of its citizens, which would automatically kill the content market, as well as the advertising industry in the country.

By June 17 this year, all analogue transmissions lost the protection by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), which might result in multiple interferences in transmissions across neighbouring countries.

Huawei’s P8 deepens smartphone market

A

new device, Huawei P8, introduced by a global smartphone manufacturer, Huawei Technologies, is set to deepen competition in the smartphone market in Nigeria.

The device, which stands neck-to-neck in quality of designs as devices such as iPhone 6 and Samsung Galaxy 6 is coming at a time when Nigerians are becoming sensitive to price and functionalities when choosing devices to access the Internet.

Described as a revolutionary light painting smartphone that breaks new ground in smartphone technology, Huawei P8 takes beauty to the next level, striking a flawless balance of artistry and creativity.

Based on a deep understanding of human-machine design, the Huawei P8 delivers a new level of usability for applications impacting everyday life - at work and at play.

With craftsmanship that pushes the bounds of possibility and new revolutionary light painting modes, the Huawei P8 provides consumers with an inspiration for creativity.

Introduced in 2012, the Huawei P series has redefined style. The P1 marked the debut of Huawei’s journey, taking the stage with a new ethos based on beauty. The P2 built on the momentum of the P1, breaking new boundaries of processing speed; the P6 brought out a new and elegant sleekness; and the ultimate craftsmanship of the P7 stunned the market.

The Huawei P8 design is deeply rooted in literary tradition, combining elements of ancient manuscripts, illuminated books and the essence of sunlight in stained glass library windows. It is inspired by the best of human design from different cultures across the centuries.

Financial inclusion: Airtel, Wari ink partnership deal

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igeria’s telecoms operator, Airtel Nigeria, has collaborated with payment solution provider, Wari, to provide an innovative payment platform for Nigerians.

The telecoms company said the move was part of its contribution towards Federal Government’s efforts to deepen financial inclusion in the country.

Designed as a convenient and easy-to-use payment solution, Wari allows users to make payment for goods and services, buy airtime, pay bills, deposit cash and make withdrawals within the country or outside.

Wari can also be used to transfer money and remit through accredited agents across Nigeria, and the service is available to anyone irrespective of whether they are

account holders or not.

Speaking on the deal, Chief Commercial Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Mr. Maurice Newa, described Airtel’s partnership with Wari as a collaboration of two forward-thinking brands, coming together to offer accessible and convenient payment service to millions of Nigerians, helping them carry out their day-to-day transactions seamlessly.

“Wari is designed to meet the needs of Nigerians, including the banked and unbanked; everyone who needs to make or receive payment for good and services. It also reduces the risk of carrying cash while travelling since you can deposit and withdraw at your destination through Wari agents whether within the country or outside Nigeria,” Newa noted.

L-R: Chef Executive Officer, Chams Plc, Mr. Demola Aladekomo; Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency, Mr. Peter Jack; former President of Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA), Mrs. Mary Uduma; Commercial Director, Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), Mr. Bilal Al Rais and President, Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Mr. Lanre Ajayi, at the GITEX preparatory forum in Abuja.

NITDA, 20 IT firms set for GITEX 2015

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he National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is firming up the country’s participation in the 2015 Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX) holding this October in Dubai with about 20 companies and organisations already selected to participate inside the Nigerian Pavilion.

The exhibitors include public and private enterprises notably Information and Communication Technology (ICT) startups for which the NITDA is hinging its 2015 participation in the 2015 GITEX Expo and Conference.

The conference attracts over 145, 000 participants from about 120 countries each year.

Speaking at a GITEX Preparatory Forum held recently in Abuja, the Director General of NITDA, Mr. Peter Jack, said Nigeria would leverage on the theme of this year’s event ‘The Internet Future of Everything’, to promote some of its budding

innovators who have created solutions with strong market or commercial values.

According to him, the innovators cut across sectors across including the retail industry, agriculture, education, security, oil and gas, and health care.

“We want to ensure promotion of local start-ups, projection of the country’s vast and untapped Information Technology potential, organisation of Nigeria’s IT Investment Forum within the Nigerian Pavilion as well as distribution of IT intelligence material from Nigeria to the rest of the world at GITEX,” he said.

Also speaking, Commercial Director at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), Mr. Bilal Al Rais, said, “GITEX is not about you buying space or setting up as an exhibitor or trade visitor, the question is whether you think it’s time to take your business global.

Business has to be both local and global, that is where GI-

TEX can help you leverage on its global networks to build interest in your enterprise and also to endear foreign partners to your business.”

Nigeria was the Country Partner for GITEX 2014 and first debuted at the 35 years old event in 2013.

The NITDA, Nigeria’s IT clearinghouse, is facilitating the country’s participation through the DWTC partnering organisations namely, Pinnacle International Consulting LLC and Knowhow Media International (KMI).

The exhibiting companies include the NITDA, Nigerian Communication Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) Limited, Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), a professional, non-profit, non-political umbrella organisation of all telecommunications companies of Nigeria.

33

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015

Mom&Parenting

Reasons to discipline that child

H

ave you ever been the sole parent hosting or supervising a play date that started to go south because your child’s friend was acting up? Did you intervene and discipline the friend or did you ignore and deflect? Here are many conversations on the topic, and guidelines for when it’s appropriate and even necessary to step up and discipline someone else’s child.

1. When safety is a concern Many moms agree that safety is more important than potentially offending another parent. If the behaviour is causing a safety threat, they feel strongly that reprimanding another child is acceptable. “I would step in if another child was doing something that was dangerous,” says Caitlin A. Christi H. agrees: “When my kid’s friends are over, I have no problem disciplining if I need to verbally prevent an accident or dangerous situation. When we are out at public place like the park or McDonald’s, if another child is cussing or could hurt my child, I will ask them ever so kindly to please don’t do that. My children and their safety are my responsibility and if a child is going to jeopardize that, I will have to say something.”

2. When the child’s parents are oblivious Readers say it’s considerably more complicated when the child’s parents are present and are ignoring misbehaviour. As Rebecca T. relays, these situations can be incredibly frustrating: “My oldest was playing on an indoor jungle gym and a kid kept trying to push him, and his parents were there but not paying attention and too busy talking.” Rebecca was glad she stepped in, as the parents never acknowledged what was going on, even to their child. “It was like they weren’t even there.”

Assuming the parents are at least approachable, Nicole F. will point out the child’s poor behaviour to them rather than disciplining the child herself. “It is my opinion that other adults should speak to the parent, not the child, when they witness disturbing, inappropriate behaviour,” she said. But added that,

Mom&Parenting

Oluwatosin Omoniyi City Editor

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

Making her understand discipline

“if the parent still does nothing about it. I take my child away.”

Then there’s Peita S’s more indirect approach: she made a point of trying to show parents who are ignoring the situation that they need to step in. As she explained, “I tell my child in front of the other child and their parents (making sure they can all hear), ‘Don’t worry about what they are doing, as long as you are doing the right thing, that is all that matters!’”

3. When your house rules are being broken Many moms who are hesitant to intervene in a public setting like a playground feel more confident about stepping up when the play date takes place in their homes. Erin J. tries to preempt any negative reactions by communicating her house rules upfront: “I let parents know the first time they leave their children with me that the rules are to be followed.” She is also sure to report poor behaviour to the offending child’s parents along with the message that “it’s not acceptable in my home.”

Sandra P. seconds this approach, explaining, “When I had my friends come over with their kids I told them this is my house and I will discipline them if you don’t, as it is my stuff that will get broken. I told them how I disciplined them and they were fine with it. The kids be-

came fine with it too as they got to know their boundaries in my house.”

4. When you’ve made a pact with the other parents If you’re not sure how your child’s friend’s parents might react to your intervention, several moms recommended discussing in advance how discipline will

You may need explanations

be carried out at each other’s houses. Jodi Z., who favoured this approach, said, “I have no problem with my sister talking to my child and she has no problem with me giving her children time outs. And I have no problem if someone else gives my child a time out, but we (all the parents and I) all understand each other and are okay with

that.”

Ashley C. agreed: “Our best friend’s children are kind of obnoxious to put it lightly and if their 9-year-old is hurting someone or something, I will step in,” she said. “I have had to talk to our friends about this and they agreed and have given me permission to put their son in his place if he kept it up.”

34 Mom&Parenting

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

The pride in remaining chaste MOM’S ALERT with

Grace Essen

grace.essen@gmail.com

Leaving our children behind and the consequences

I Mr. and Mrs. Odebiyi and other mentors of VPN

Mrs. Nkechi Odebiyi with maidens cutting the cake

Eniola Oduwale, Deneyin Olufunmilayo with another maiden

Ifeoluwa Idowu and Shalewa Pedro

M

aintaining virginity till the wedding night and shunning the temptation to becoming sexually perverted was the theme of a celebration recently organised by Cesala Virgins Pride Foundation (Virgin Pride Network) a non-governmental and non-denominational organisation.

Under the tag ‘Celebration of Purity,’ young girls were advised not to forget the old time values of keeping their virginity intact as that is their main pride of their being and existence. The celebration according to the organisers was to honour and encourage girls that have chosen not to defile themselves by alluring sexual pervasions.

Nkechi Odebiyi, leader of the NGO, said the purpose is to bring about a change that will impact families and society in general, also for young girls to stand firm and not sell their bodies. According to her, the vision of the network is to breed a new generation of women of high moral character, integrity and

WPHOTOS: TONY EGUAYE

purity, who can hold their heads high in an increasing morally depraved society and remain a positive reference. “virginity is still a thing of beauty and honour as against social lies that it is obsolete and undesirable,” she said.

Mrs. Moranugba, a parent whose daughters are 11 and 15 years told New Telegraph that sex education is important, so as to create the necessary awareness children need.

Noting, that she believes strictly in purity, hence, “I tell my children that their virginity should be intact till the night of their wedding because their body belongs to them and God. It is good to teach our daughters the right things.

The climax of the event was the parents blessing session. Parents were asked to pray for their daughters, after which the parents gave out gifts to their girls. Immediately they sang a song titled, “my body is your sanctuary” as a promise to God to keep their bodies away from men before marriage. This was followed by the renewal of vows of first and second celebrants where they promised to stay chaste and “not do until I say I do.”

could imagine the anguish of a fellow mom who recently had her four month old baby boy eaten up by a dog, her dog, when she left her baby behind for just a short while.

In the story as reported in a national daily last week, this mother was conveying the dog, the baby and her nanny in her car. Then she stopped over at a supermarket to do some shopping leaving the nanny, the baby and the dog in the car.

The dog which was being taken to the veterinary doctor allegedly started behaving funny, pounced on the baby and started eating him up. The nanny totally helpless ran into the supermarket to call her madam who immediately rushed out and raised an alarm. But it was too late; the dog had already eaten up part of the baby’s stomach.

He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was confirmed dead, the only child of his parents. How sad.

A woman, who left her four month old baby, nanny and dog in the car to shop, obviously didn’t intend to spend a long time at the supermarket, but it only shows just how ‘long’ it could take for such tragedy to happen. At a time when horrifying stories surround nannies and domestic staff, women are opting to leave their children behind, at home or with neighbours while they attend to important and urgent issues, errands, work or business outside the home. This has its consequences. Unfortunately.

Readily coming to mind is the story which happened sometime ago, involving a working mom who happened to be a Nigerian based in the UK. Apparently she and her husband could not afford to employ the services of a nanny so they worked at jobs which allowed them easily manage their movements in a way that their children (a boy and a girl), were not left alone for too long. The woman worked in the mornings, and would come home in the afternoon shortly after her husband would have left for work to stay with the children. One fateful day, the man left for work as usual expecting that she would come in soon, but that was not to be. She, for whatever reasons was delayed, and that was a perfect opportunity for the children to go swimming in their neighbour’s swimming pool which they had only imagined all along.

They took a dive in and were drowned before their mom or anyone came around.

How about the story which

is still very fresh in our memories, of a woman who went to have a baby leaving her three children behind, and on coming back a few hours later with her newborn, found that one of the children was missing. The following day, they were shown the body of their four-year-old already cut open for ritual purpose.

A day hardly goes by without us hearing news of something terrible happening to children who are left behind by their mothers for some ‘good’ reasons. Most moms find themselves in situations where they have to leave their children behind at one time or the other, and for one reason or the other. I have too, many times. We really can’t help it, can we? But we just have to come up with measures to keep our children safe. Here are a few tips: *Leave your children with a phone and make sure it is on.

One thing is to have a phone; another is to have it on. One day while away from home, I tried calling my home only to find the phone was switched off, my kids had played games on it until the battery went flat and there was no power to charge it.

I replaced it with a phone that has no games. Problem solved. *Give them instructions and possibly warnings never to leave the house, and please add, never to allow anyone in. I got home one day, to find that my neighbour had left her two children, the younger one less than two, with my children to look after, without asking me. I got into my house to see my daughter (10) totally overwhelmed with the crying baby. It’s bad enough leaving our children behind all alone, adding someone else’s is not such a good idea. *Keep anything and everything that could harm your children, or arouse their curiousity for something potentially harmful, away. Keep your bedroom and any other room they should not have access to, locked. *Leave them with stuff to keep them engaged, entertained and of course, food or snack to eat. Most children who met their untimely death were lured with something as little, but enticing as sweets. *It wouldn’t hurt to ask your neighbours to please keep an eye on them, would it?

And when we have done all we can to keep our children protected, we can only leave the rest to God. Grace Essen is the author of ‘Successful Working Mom’, president and founder of Mum

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015

Photo | News

35

Former Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi (right), with the former Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Kofi Anam, during a recent meeting.

Immediate Lagos State past Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, (right), presenting a book to the Ambassador of Poland to Nigeria, Mr Andrezj Dycha, during a courtesy visit to Mr. Fashola in Lagos.

L-R: Cathedral Provost, Ven. Adeyinka Ekanola; Bishop of Lagos Central Diocese, African Church, Rt. Rev’d Gabriel Adebanjo; his wife, Dorcas; Vice Lay President, Chief Muyiwa Adebajo; Chairman, Ilupeju Archdeaconry, Ven. James Akinwande and Publicity Secretary, Chief Femi Adetona, during a welcome service for Rt. Rev’d Adebanjo as the new Bishop of The African Church, Lagos Central Diocese in Lagos.

PHOTO: MADAKI JEREMIAH

Glo ambassador/musician, Reekado Banks (second right), with his fans, at the Ibadan, Oyo State edition of Glo Slide ‘n’ Bounce concert.

BEAUTIFUL GATE ACADEMY INTERNATIONAL ABUJA HOLDS GRADUATION PARTY

Proprietress, Beautiful Gate Academy International School, Abuja, Mrs. Greatness Angel (middle), with member of staff, during the school’s graduation party.

Pupils of Beautiful Gate Academy International School, Abuja, entertaining during the school’s Graduation party in Abuja.

Chairman of the occasion, Mr. Jatau Raymond, presenting a certificate to a pupil of the school at the event.

L-R: Mr. Jatau Raymond presenting a certificate to one of the graduating students, with them is Mrs. Greatness Angel.

36

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Features

Eradicating poverty possible in Nigeria The Gani Adams Foundation holds World Humanitarian Summit in Lagos where experts give guidelines on how Nigeria could conquer poverty, reports JOHN EDU

O

n August 19, the Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos was a beehive of activities. It was a convergence of experts from different fields and all walks of life.

The event was organised by Gani Adams Foundation (GAF) to commemorate the 2015 United Nations World Humanitarian Summit. The late Ambassador Segun Olusola, Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, Chief Adedeji Doherty and Otunba Gani Adams are among the trustees of the foundation.

The gathering at the Airport Hotel, including professors, religious leaders, traditional rulers, journalists, artistes and students, ruminated on “Improving the living conditions of the poor, the less privileged and the physically challenged during crises in Nigeria.” That was the theme of this year’s World Humanitarian Day. The 63rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly in December 2008 set aside August 19 every year to mark the World Humanitarian Day. In his speech, the Chairman of this year’s event, former Head of Department of History and International Studies, Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo Prof Charles Ade Alade, listed five reasons for the global celebration of the World Humanitarian Day on August 19 every year.

He said: “These are to contribute to increasing public awareness about humanitarian work and the importance of international cooperation; to commemorate all humanitarian and United Nations and associated personnel who have worked in the promotion of the humanitarian cause and to remember those who have lost their lives in the course of duty, in trying to save other people’s lives.

“Others are to draw attention to humanitarian needs worldwide and

ABIODUN BELLO FEATURES Editor

abiodun. bello@newtelegraphonline.com

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

Some of the participants at the summit.

Adams

the importance of international cooperation in meeting these needs, and to honour all those who have lost their lives in humanitarian service and those who continue to bring assistance and relief to millions.”

According to him, many people lose their lives while millions of others suffer untold agony each year, as disasters wreak havoc across the world, affecting mostly the world’s poorest, most marginalised and vulnerable individuals.

The don also called on all and sundry to “join the Gani Adams Foundation to honour the fallen by protecting those who carry on their work, and supporting humanitarian relief operations worldwide”.

Speaking at the event, Adams said the foundation was founded in 2003 and incorporated by the Corporate Affairs Commission in 2005.

According to him, GAF has been assisting indigent and vulnerable members of the society as well as complementing government’s efforts to ensure better life for Nigerians.

Adams said that since its establishment, the foundation had been a blessing to a number of children’s homes and other organisations such as the SOS Children’s Vil-

lage, Isolo; Modupe Cole Memorial Child Care at Akoka, Lagos; Little Saints Orphanage, Palm Grove; Lagos State chapter of the Nigerian Red Cross Society; Pacelli School for the Blind, Surulere, Lagos and the Nigerian Society for the Blind, Oshodi.

According to Adams, GAF has instituted a number of skill acquisition programmes for youths and others.

He said about 200 widows had received cash and material donations from GAF, while the foundation spent N4 million on charity annually.

Addams called on the government to make the world a better place for children, women, youths, physically-challenged persons and other vulnerable groups.

“Government should increase budgetary allocation to education, align education with skills development for better employability, deal with human rights abuses and social injustice, prevent the spread of small arms and light weapons and treat the issues of environmental degradation more seriously,” he added.

The guest speaker, Alfred Akpavirie Aggrey-Fynn, a professor of Economic Development Programme, Public Sector Economics and Petroleum and Energy Economics at the Houdegbe North American University, Republic of Benin, commended Adams for establishing GAF. According to him, the foundation has been at the forefront of bringing solace to the poor.

Adams, he said, must immediately set up another organisation – Movement for the Total Eradication of Poverty in Nigeria.

Aggrey-Fynn said based on Nigeria’s huge natural endowment, no one should be regarded as “less privileged” in the country.

He said: “For example, Nigeria is the highest producer of crude oil in Africa and number 12 in the world by the 2010 rankings. Nigeria is also adjudged the largest econo-

my in Africa. Therefore, all things being equal, and all the resources of Nigeria, both manpower and material resource, properly harnessed and directed, Nigeria should be above the poverty line.”

According to him, the economic development of any nation must rest on three pillars - political stability, economic stability and social emancipation.

“For any nation to develop, it must be free from political crisis, and the economy must have the potential for development. The social needs of the people of such a nation must also be met constantly,” he said.

Aggrey-Fynn also listed three major laws of economics - Law of Opportunity Cost, the Law of Comparative Advantage and the Law of Economies of Scale - that could aid a country in its economic development plans.

The professor also recommended Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs - physiological and biological needs, safety and security needs, social needs, self-esteem and status as well as self-actualisation and selffulfilment - to any country seeking economic development.

He gave 23 suggestions which he said could help in eradicating poverty from the country.

According to him, the Federal Government must quickly create a task force on the eradication of poverty in Nigeria.

Aggrey-Fynn said the Federal Government must encourage indigenous entrepreneurs to start using local technology to refine crude oil for export, while it must also start developing other sectors, especially the cocoa industry in Ondo, Ekiti and Osun states.

He also advocated the abolishment of the security vote to governors, and called for the establishment of portable oil-refineries in all the oil-producing states.

The Kaduna Refinery, he suggested, must be dismantled and replaced with food and meat processing factories because, according to him, it is too far from its raw material.

He called for the dredging of River Niger to enable ocean-going ships to move freely from the South to the North.

Also at the event, GAF honoured some organisations such as Royal Diamond Orphanage Home; Wesley School for the Blind; Little Saints Orphanage; Boys Brigade, Lagos State branch; Nigerian Red Cross, Lagos State branch; Nigerian Girls Guild; Federal Society for the Blind; SOS Children’s Village; Heritage Homes Orphanage and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), for their humanitarian commitments.

Also present were traditional rulers such as the Oba of Shasha Kingdom, Lagos State, Oba Babatunde Nasir Lawal, and Olu of OwodeEgba, Oba Kolawole Sowemimo.

Zack Orji and his wife, Segun Arinze, Rachael Oniga, Tunde Brainard and Liz Anjorin were some of the frontline Nollywood artistes in attendance.

Business | Money Line

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, September 3, 2015

37

FRC probes Stanbic IBTC Bank’s foreign deals petition from the stakeholders of Stanbic IBTC is on issues relating to Stanbic IBTC and the way they have been accruing some monies in their account. And if you acrrue money in your account, well, there is nothing wrong with accrued monies, but it must be disclosed properly.

‘Now, they said the

PETITION

Shareholders petition FRC over lenders transactions with technical partners Abdulwahab Isa Abuja

T

accruals were requiring NOTAP approvals before they can make those payments. But the petitioner is saying that there is no need making those accruals because IBTC has not been able to secure NOTAP approval. The petition kept coming and then we invited Stanbic IBC to hear their side in the matter. After listen-

ing to their side of the story, we believe that the petitioners have a good case.”

Consequently, FRC boss said the next step is to look at the agencies that were duly involved.

“NOTAP itself, which will give the approval, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as regulator and Security and Exchange

Analyst doubts JP Morgan’s threat on Nigeria

he Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRC) said it had launched investigation in to the activities of Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc following a petition by stakeholders indicting the bank.

FRC Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer, Mr Jim Obazee said this yesterday in Abuja after having a session with the Director General, National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion, Mr DanAzumi Ibrahim.

He said some stakeholders had written to his organisation drawing the attention of regulatory authorities to some unapproved transactions conducted by the bank with its foreign technical partners.

Obazee said: “The

before the expiration of the year-end deadline.

He said, “I don’t think JP Morgan would remove Nigeria from the bond index. This is because the consequences would be quite serious if Nigeria was to be removed from the index. The bond index is the most commonly used emerging debt index.

The Nigerian market is very important. If Nigeria were removed from the index, it would force funds tracking it to sell Nigerian bonds from their portfolios, resulting in significant capital outflows. In addition, the CBN is likely to devalue the naira before the end of the year.”

JP Morgan had last June threatened to remove Nigeria from its Government Bond Index (GBI-EM) by the year-end

Tony Chukwunyem

T

he chances of JP Morgan carrying out its threat of removing Nigerian from its Government Bond Index Emerging Market (GBIEM) by the year-end unless the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) restores liquidity to foreign exchange market are slim, an international financial analyst, Mr. Jurgen Hecker, has said.

He told New Telegraph on the sidelines of the Sterling Bank’s training programme for financial journalists at the weekend, that the threat was not likely to be carried out because aside from the importance of the Nigerian market, the CBN would take steps to meet JP Morgan’s conditions

unless the CBN restores liquidity to foreign exchange market to allow foreign investors tracking the benchmark to transact with minimal hurdles.

The international bank placed Nigeria on a negative index watch last January, saying it would assess its place on the index over a three to five months period.

In June, it said it had extended the deadline to take into account the arrival of President Muhammadu Buhari who won the presidential elections in April.

According to analysts, the removal from the index would lead to funds tracking it to sell Nigerian bonds from their portfolios, potentially resulting in significant capital outflows.

Economic Indicators M2* CPS* INF MPR 91-day NTB Bonny Light Ext Res**

As at Mar, 2015 Mar, 2015 July, 2015 4/6/2015 Mar 2015 2/9/2015 1/9/2015

N19,142,526.05m N18,579,219.49m 9.2 13 10.77 US$50.72 US$31,302,070,089

FGN Bonds

TTM

Price 98.98 100.38 99.09 102.31 92.34 68.00 78.32

1.65 3.82 4.45 6.40 8.53 14.89 18.87

NIBOR

Tenor (Days) Call 30 90 180

Rate (%) 9.3750 15.6591 16.5951 18.1300

Bid Yield 15.78 15.84 15.82 15.79 15.87 15.58 15.77

Change (%) -0.25 ▼ 0.25 ▲ -0.20 ▼ 0.08 ▲

Change (%) 0.00 ↔ 0.00 ↔ 0.00 ↔ 0.00 ↔ 0.00 ↔ 0.00 ↔ -0.03 ▼

Price 99.13 100.68 99.39 102.61 92.64 68.30 78.62

Tenor (Months)

Offer Yield 15.68 15.73 15.73 15.72 15.80 15.51 15.71

NITTY

1 2 3 6 9 12

Treasury Bills

Rate (%) 13.9540 14.2690 14.5687 15.3955 15.4759 15.9689

Change (%) 0.00 ↔ 0.00 ↔ 0.00 ↔ 0.00 ↔ 0.00 ↔ 0.00 ↔ -0.03▼ Change (%) -0.12 ▼ -0.17 ▼ -0.37 ▼ -0.06 ▼ -0.23 ▼ 0.10 ▲

Money Market

Maturity Date Discount Bid Yield Change (%) Discount Offer Yield Change (%) Rate (%) Change (%) 10.06 10.32 -0.01 ▼ Open-Buy-Back (OBB) 9.83 0.83 ▲ 03-Dec-15 10.31 10.59 -0.01 ▼ 13.53 14.51 -1.04 ▼ Overnight (O/N) 10.17 0.25 ▲ 03-Mar-16 13.78 14.80 -1.05 ▼ 13.61 15.57 -0.01 ▼ 04-Aug-16 13.86 15.90 -0.01 ▼

Spot($/N)

Bid 198.43

FX

Offer 198.53

Change (%) 0.50 ▲

NIFEX

Spot($/N)

Bid 199.0000

Offer 199.1000

Change (%) 0.00 ↔

CBN Clearing Rates of September 2, 2015 Spot($/N)

196.00

197.00

share. “ So, government is losing out on it. So, we want to straighten this out. We want to know if it wasn’t reported correctly in the financial statement. Otherwise they will be subjected to the FRC disciplinary procedure. We can even ask them to withdraw the financial statement and reissue it.”

Speaking on the issue, NOTAP boss said that no approval was granted by the agency to the Stanbic IBTC Bank for the transaction.

He said: “We regulate the inflow of foreign technology into the country and at the same time develop local technology.

“Well NOTAP is expected to register Stanbic IBTC with its foreign partner and we have a guideline on how we do our registration.

The forex manual of the CBN guides us. So, whatever is not covered by the manual, we don’t approve. Stanbic IBTC applied for a franchising agreement; management fee agreement and we still did not render them that approval because management service agreement is not required in Nigeria.

We have local firms that have this. So, we felt we do not need foreigners to come and teach us how to manage banks. And also a franchise arrangement is not covered under banking facility.

Commonwealth govts tasked on virtual currencies’ regulation

Source:CBN

Description 15.10 27-APR-2017 16.00 29-JUN-2019 15.54 13-FEB-2020 16.39 27-JAN-2022 14.20 14-MAR-2024 10.00 23-JUL-2030 12.1493 18-JUL-2034

Commission (SEC) were asking for general mandate for the treatment of third party transactions, which we were against because that will not be line with related party transactions accounting standards.

“We are here to also find out if NOTAOP approved any of these payments, such as historical fees. We are looking at transactions from 2011 to date. Did they get approval for 2011, 2012,2013 and 2014 fees?

So, why are they keeping these monies? The other party that is part of this entanglement is SEC. We intend to immediately put a call to them to stand down on whatever rights issue request that Stanbic IBTC is making in a hurry. Until this matter is resolved properly, because our jobs as government agencies is to protect investors and other stakeholder’s interest. Government is also involved in this matter because if you are taking out some money out of profit before tax, and you are warehousing it for a number of years, you are actually defrauding the federal government.”

Noting that the Federal Government is supposed to have taxes from the profit, he said if the money from profits before tax is kept, it means that that money was taken off and government was denied its

0.00 ↔ Source: FMDQ

T

he lack of regulations on the use of virtual currencies could be exacerbating the risks associated with them, such as terrorism financing, money laundering and trade in illicit goods and services, a new report by the Commonwealth Secretariat has warned.

As such, Commonwealth governments have been urged to review their legislative response to virtual currencies such as bitcoin to ensure they are addressing associated risks and avoid stifling innovation.

This was one of several recommendations made by a Commonwealth working group set up to address these currencies.

After a three-day conference in London, the newly formed Commonwealth Virtual Currencies Working Group concluded that virtual currencies had the poten-

tial to benefit countries and drive development.

After hearing from experts from the banking sector, academia, virtual currency operators, users and law enforcement agencies, the group issued a set of recommendations, which urge countries to regulate virtual currencies and strengthen law enforcement to counter risks such as criminal misuse.

“Member states should consider the applicability of their existing legal frameworks to virtual currencies and where appropriate they should consider adapting them or enacting new legislation to regulate virtual currencies,” the group concluded.

In addition, the group called on governments to provide education and funding for training for law enforcement, prosecutors, judges, regulatory authorities and the financial sector.

Business | Financial Market News

38

THURSDAY, September 3, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

2-Sep-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

NA

NA

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

581.39 480.13 20.00 100.00 300.00 351.30 233.90 311.93 605.31 599.99 75.00 150.00 200.00 591.57 370.50

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

0.95 1.65 1.90 2.00 2.74 3.82 4.14 4.45 6.40 8.53 13.24 13.72 14.22 14.89 18.87

15.38 15.78 15.82 15.83 15.85 15.84 15.86 15.82 15.79 15.87 15.41 15.35 15.29 15.58 15.77

15.20 15.68 15.72 15.74 15.77 15.73 15.74 15.73 15.72 15.80 15.36 15.29 15.21 15.51 15.71

97.99 98.98 90.50 89.26 88.85 100.38 73.81 99.09 102.31 92.34 97.63 83.74 61.02 68.00 78.32

98.14 99.13 90.65 89.41 89.00 100.68 74.11 99.39 102.61 92.64 97.93 84.04 61.32 68.30 78.62

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

4,971.02

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

4,452.53

Rating/Agency

Issuer

Description

#

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Modelled Price

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

17.25 0.00/16.00 0.00/16.50 0.00/16.50

2.10 112.22 116.70 66.49

03-Apr-17 08-Dec-16 19-Apr-17 06-Jul-17

0.83 1.27 1.63 1.84

2.94 1.00 2.66 1.00

18.15 16.60 18.43 16.81

99.31 99.26 103.45 102.06

Agency Bonds FMBN ***LCRM

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

297.52

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

302.07

Sub-National Bonds A-/Agusto

*EBONYI

13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015

30-Sep-10

13.00

2.16

30-Sep-15

0.08

3.23

17.59

99.61

BBB+/Agusto

*BENUE

14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-11

14.00

2.60

30-Jun-16

0.58

4.46

19.32

97.18

A/Agusto

*IMO

15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-09

15.50

3.96

30-Jun-16

0.59

3.48

18.35

98.42

A+/Agusto; ‡ /GCR

LAGOS

10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017

19-Apr-10

10.00

57.00

19-Apr-17

1.63

1.00

16.77

90.65

‡ /Agusto

*BAYELSA

13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017

30-Jun-10

13.75

21.24

30-Jun-17

1.12

1.00

16.51

97.28

A-/Agusto

EDO

14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017

30-Dec-10

14.00

25.00

31-Dec-17

2.33

1.79

17.63

93.24

‡ /Agusto; A+/GCR

*DELTA

14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018

30-Sep-11

14.00

30.81

30-Sep-18

1.71

1.00

16.78

96.13

A-/Agusto; A-/GCR

NIGER

14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018

04-Oct-11

14.00

9.00

04-Oct-18

1.72

1.00

16.79

96.08

‡ /Agusto; A-/GCR†

*EKITI

14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018

09-Dec-11

14.50

12.40

09-Dec-18

1.91

1.00

16.82

96.41

A-/Agusto

*NIGER

14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018

12-Dec-13

14.00

9.21

12-Dec-18

1.91

4.78

20.60

90.33

A-/Agusto; A-/GCR

*ONDO

15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019

14-Feb-12

15.50

24.44

14-Feb-19

2.10

1.00

16.84

97.76

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 24.74

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

2.33 4.22 2.39

2.02 1.00 1.00

17.86 16.86 16.84

95.81 93.01 96.13

BBB-/Agusto

*OSUN

14.75 OSUN II 10-OCT-2020

10-Oct-13

14.75

10.46

10-Oct-20

2.93

1.82

17.67

93.75

Aa-/Agusto; ‡ /GCR

LAGOS

13.50 LAGOS 27-NOV-2020

27-Nov-13

13.50

87.50

27-Nov-20

5.24

1.00

16.82

88.66

A-/Agusto; BBB+/DataPro

KOGI

15.00 KOGI 31-DEC-2020

31-Dec-13

15.00

5.00

31-Dec-20

5.33

1.00

16.82

93.69

‡ /Agusto A-/GCR

*EKITI *NASARAWA

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

31-Dec-13

14.50

4.30

31-Dec-20

3.17

1.00

16.85

94.60

06-Jan-14

15.00

4.31

06-Jan-21

3.20

1.00

16.86

95.70

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

429.21 399.55

Corporate Bonds BBB-/Agusto

*FLOURMILLS

12.00 FLOURMILLS 9-DEC-2015

09-Dec-10

12.00

9.38

09-Dec-15

0.27

1.00

12.06

99.94

BB/GCR

*CHELLARAMS

14.00 CHELLARAMS 06-JAN-2016

06-Jan-11

14.00

0.22

06-Jan-16

0.35

2.63

14.93

99.59

A+/Agusto; A-/GCR

NAHCO

13.00 NAHCO 29-SEP-2016

29-Sep-11

13.00

15.00

29-Sep-16

1.08

1.00

16.48

96.66

A-/Agusto

FSDH

14.25 FSDH 25-OCT-2016

25-Oct-13

14.25

5.53

25-Oct-16

1.15

1.34

16.87

97.31

A/GCR

UBA

13.00 UBA 30-SEP-2017

30-Sep-10

13.00

20.00

30-Sep-17

2.08

1.00

16.84

93.47

BBB-/GCR

18.00 C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017

30-Nov-12

18.00

0.56

30-Nov-17

1.31

1.88

17.51

101.24

Nil

*C & I LEASING *DANA#{r}

MPR+7.00 DANA 9-APR-2018

09-Apr-11

16.00

5.40

09-Apr-18

1.35

1.00

16.65

99.24

A-/DataPro†; B+/GCR

*TOWER#

MPR+7.00 TOWER 9-SEP-2018

09-Sep-11

18.00

2.54

09-Sep-18

1.52

1.00

16.75

101.54 99.07

AAA/DataPro†; A/GCR

*TOWER#

MPR+5.25 TOWER 9-SEP-2018

09-Sep-11

16.00

0.70

09-Sep-18

1.52

1.00

16.75

A+/Agusto; A/GCR

UBA

14.00 UBA II 30-SEP-2018

30-Sep-11

14.00

35.00

30-Sep-18

3.08

3.00

18.85

89.01

BBB+/Agusto; BBB+/GCR

15.75 LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018

18-Oct-13

15.75

2.10

18-Oct-18

1.63

2.29

18.06

96.93

BBB-/DataPro†; BB/GCR

*LA CASERA *CHELLARAMS#

MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019

17-Feb-12

18.00

0.32

17-Feb-19

1.96

6.11

21.94

94.21

Nil

*DANA#{r}

16.00 DANA II 1-APR-2019

01-Apr-14

16.00

4.50

01-Apr-19

2.33

2.16

18.00

96.36

A+/Agusto; A-/GCR

NAHCO

15.25 NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020

14-Nov-13

15.25

2.05

14-Nov-20

5.20

2.76

18.58

89.10

BBB/GCR

FCMB

14.25 FCMB I 20-NOV-2021

20-Nov-14

14.25

26.00

20-Nov-21

6.22

1.00

16.80

90.33

A/GCR

UBA

16.45 UBA I 30-DEC-2021

30-Dec-14

16.45

30.50

30-Dec-21

6.33

1.00

16.80

98.61

A/GCR

STANBIC IBTC

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

30-Sep-14

16.29

0.10

30-Sep-24

9.08

1.00

16.87

97.32

A/GCR

STANBIC IBTC

13.25 STANBIC IB 30-SEP-2024

30-Sep-14

13.25

15.44

30-Sep-24

9.08

1.00

16.87

83.45

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

175.32

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

163.55

Supranational Bond AAA/S&P

IFC

10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018

11-Feb-13

10.20

12.00

11-Feb-18

2.44

1.00

14.91

90.63

Aaa/Moody's; AAA/S&P

AfDB

11.25 AFDB 1-FEB-2021

10-Jul-14

11.25

12.95

01-Feb-21

3.66

1.00

16.86

85.42

Bid Price

Offer Price

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

24.95 21.94

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

7.52

7.22

96.65

97.91

5.13 JUL 12, 2018

12-Jul-13

5.13

500.00

12-Jul-18

6.24

5.83

97.12

98.17

6.38 JUL 12, 2023

12-Jul-13

6.38

500.00

12-Jul-23

7.76

7.56

91.97

93.08

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

1,428.66

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

4.36

4.36

102.13

102.13

B+/S&P

ACCESS BANK PLC

7.25 JUL 25, 2017

25-Jul-12

7.25

350.00

25-Jul-17

9.30

9.30

96.50

96.50

B/Fitch; B/S&P

FIDELITY BANK PLC

6.88 MAY 09, 2018

09-May-13

6.88

300.00

02-May-18

16.97

14.54

79.00

83.51

B+/Fitch; B+/S&P

GTBANK PLC

6.00 NOV 08, 2018

08-Nov-13

6.00

400.00

08-Nov-18

9.61

8.92

90.31

92.06

B+/Fitch; BB-/S&P

ZENITH BANK PLC

6.25 APR 22, 2019

22-Apr-14

6.25

500.00

22-Apr-19

8.87

8.87

92.00

92.00

B/Fitch; B/S&P

DIAMOND BANK PLC

8.75 May 21, 2019

21-May-14

8.75

200.00

21-May-19

12.40

11.77

89.36

91.08

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

9.71 13.20 14.09

9.71 12.76 14.09

93.70 84.33 75.50

93.70 85.92 75.50

B-/S&P

ECOBANK NIG. LTD

8.75 AUG 14, 2021

14-Aug-14

8.75

250.00

14-Aug-21

12.42

11.53

84.16

87.50

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

3,650.00

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

3,253.91

**Treasury Bills^ DTM 8 22 29 43 50 57 64

FIXINGS Maturity 10-Sep-15 24-Sep-15 1-Oct-15 15-Oct-15 22-Oct-15 29-Oct-15 5-Nov-15

Bid Discount (%) 6.42 11.18 13.72 14.30 15.01 14.47 11.74

Offer Discount (%) 6.17 10.93 13.47 14.05 14.76 14.22 11.49

Bid Yield (%) 6.42 11.25 13.87 14.55 15.32 14.80 11.98

Money Market

NIBOR Tenor O/N 1M 3M 6M

Rate (%) 9.3750 15.6591 16.5951 18.1300

Tenor

Rate (%)

OBB

9.83

O/N Tenor Call

10.17

REPO

Rate (%) 11.08

Foreign Exchange (Spot & Forwards) Tenor

Bid ($/N)

Offer ($/N)

Spot 7D 14D 1M 2M

198.43 199.39 200.81 201.55 204.19

198.53 199.71 201.15 201.90 204.62

^10.00 23-JUL-2030 ^12.1493 18-JUL-2034

23-Jul-10 18-Jul-14

10.00 12.1493

591.57 370.50

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

4,971.02

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

4,452.53

Rating/Agency

Description

Issuer

23-Jul-30 18-Jul-34

14.89 18.87

15.58 15.77

15.51 15.71

#

68.00 78.32

68.30 78.62

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Modelled Price

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

17.25 0.00/16.00 0.00/16.50 0.00/16.50

2.10 112.22 116.70 66.49

03-Apr-17 08-Dec-16 19-Apr-17 06-Jul-17

0.83 1.27 1.63 1.84

2.94 1.00 2.66 1.00

18.15 16.60 18.43 16.81

99.31 99.26 103.45 102.06

Agency Bonds 17.25 FMB II 03-APR-2017 0.00/16.00 LCRM 08-DEC-2016

FMBN

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, September 3, 20150.00/16.50 LCRM II 19-APR-2017 ***LCRM

0.00/16.50 LCRM III 06-JUL-2017

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

Business | Financial Market News

AfDB expands African Index

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

302.07

BOOST Sub-National Bonds

30-Sep-10 A-/Agusto 13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015 The expanded index*EBONYI 30-Jun-11 BBB+/Agusto *BENUE 14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016 30-Jun-09 A/Agusto *IMO 15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016 will now include currency sovereign indiand Namibia are set to 19-Apr-10 A+/Agusto; ‡ /GCR LAGOS 10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017 30-Jun-10 13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017 ‡ /Agusto *BAYELSA join index family . ces and will be joined from the six most liquid 30-Dec-10 14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017 A-/Agusto EDO AfDB through the October 2015 by Botswana 30-Sep-11 14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018 ‡ /Agusto; A+/GCRbond *DELTA sovereign 04-Oct-11 14.00 NIGER IIMar4-OCT-2018 and Namibia.

A-/Agusto; A-/GCR NIGER African Financial 14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018 ‡ /Agusto; A-/GCR† markets in Africa *EKITI kets Initiative (AFMI) “As more African 09-Dec-11 coun12-Dec-13 A-/Agusto *NIGER 14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018

launched its15.50 AfDB/ AF- tries are increasingly14-Feb-12 lookONDO 14-FEB-2019 02-Oct-12 15.50 GOMBEAfri02-OCT-2019ing to domestic capital MISM Bloomberg® 14.50 LAGOS 22-NOV-2019 22-Nov-12 can Bond Index (ABABI) 12-Dec-12 BBB-/Agusto; BBB+/GCR *OSUN 14.75 OSUN 12-DEC-2019 markets to source much Stories by Chris Ugwu 10-Oct-13 BBB-/Agusto *OSUN 14.75 OSUN II 10-OCT-2020needed financing for in February 2015. eco27-Nov-13 Aa-/Agusto; ‡ /GCR LAGOS 13.50 LAGOS 27-NOV-2020 he African DeCalculated by Bloomnomic development, we 31-Dec-13 A-/Agusto; BBB+/DataPro KOGI 15.00 KOGI 31-DEC-2020 berg Indices, 31-Dec-13 ‡ /Agusto velopment Bank *EKITI 14.50 the EKITI II com31-DEC-2020 are delighted to welcome 06-Jan-14 A-/GCR NASARAWA 06-JAN-2021 (AfDB) has *NASARAWA an- posite index15.00 is currently Botswana and Namibia to TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE nounced the ex- comprised of the Bloom- the index and expect to inTOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION pansion of its African berg South Africa, Egypt, clude more countries to it Corporate Bonds Bond Index as Botswana Nigeria and Kenya local as soon as reliable pricing A-/Agusto; A-/GCR

*ONDO

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

*GOMBE LAGOS

T

BBB-/Agusto

*FLOURMILLS

12.00 FLOURMILLS 9-DEC-2015

09-Dec-10

BB/GCR

*CHELLARAMS

14.00 CHELLARAMS 06-JAN-2016

06-Jan-11

13.00

2.16

14.00

2.60

15.50

3.96

12.00

9.38

14.00

0.22

SEC lifts suspension on two operators NAHCO

13.00 NAHCO 29-SEP-2016

A-/Agusto

FSDH

14.25 FSDH 25-OCT-2016

25-Oct-13

14.25

5.53

UBA

13.00 UBA 30-SEP-2017

30-Sep-10

13.00

20.00

BBB-/GCR

*C & I LEASING *DANA#{r}

18.00 C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017

30-Nov-12

18.00

0.56

09-Apr-11

16.00

Nil

T

he Securities *TOWER and ExAAA/DataPro†; A/GCR *TOWER change Commission A+/Agusto; A/GCR UBA BBB+/Agusto; BBB+/GCR (SEC) has lifted sus*LAthe CASERA BBB-/DataPro†; BB/GCR *CHELLARAMS pension placed on three market Nil *DANA operators for various infracA+/Agusto; A-/GCR NAHCO BBB/GCR FCMB tions.

A/GCR In a notice obtainedUBA from the A/GCR STANBIC IBTC Commission’s website, the operA/GCR STANBIC IBTC ators whose registrations were TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE reinstated include Standard AlTOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION liance Capital & Asset ManageSupranational Bond ment Limited and Strand AAA/S&P IFC Capital Aaa/Moody's;Limited.

AAA/S&P AfDB Partners TOTAL OUTSTANDING According to theVALUE notice, SEC #

A-/DataPro†; B+/GCR

#

#

#{r}

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

29-Sep-11

MPR+7.00 DANA 9-APR-2018

MPR+7.00 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 on August 10, 2015 reinstated MPR+5.25 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 the registration of Standard 14.00 UBA II 30-SEP-2018 15.75 LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018 Alliance Capital & Asset ManMPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019 agement Limited as Issuing 16.00 DANA II 1-APR-2019 House15.25 and Fund Manager while NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020 14.25 FCMB on August 20,I 20-NOV-2021 2015, it lifted the 16.45 UBA I 30-DEC-2021 suspension it placed on Strand 182D T.bills+1.20 STANBIC IA 30-SEP-2024 Capital Partners Limited and its 13.25 STANBIC IB 30-SEP-2024 sponsored individuals.

The lifting of the suspension according to the Commission was sequel to satisfactory reso10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018 lution11.25 of AFDB all 1-FEB-2021 complaints and issues with the Commission by the

13.00

Description

Issuer

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

T

6.75 JAN 28, 2021

ranscorp Nigeria Plc embarked on strategic plans that FGN 5.13 JUL 12, 2018 has promised to deliver would help boost its share price BB-/Fitch; 6.38 JUL 12,increase 2023 sustainable value to its in the stock market and BB-/S&P shareholders, stressing that shareholders’ value.

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE itTOTAL would increase Return on Nnorom said that the comMARKET CAPITALISATION Investment (RoI) to all stake- pany had commenced renovaCorporate Eurobonds holders. tion work that would change the 7.50 MAY 19, 2016 B+/Fitch; B+/S&P GTBANK PLC I Hilton Hotel Addressing stockbrokers dur- ‘face’ of Transcorp 7.25 JUL 25, 2017 B+/S&P ACCESS BANK PLC ing theB/S&P bell ringing ceremony atPLC Abuja.

6.88 MAY 09, 2018 B/Fitch; FIDELITY BANK 6.00 that NOV 08,the 2018 comB+/Fitch; B+/S&P GTBANK PLC Besides, he said the floor of the Nigerian Stock 6.25 APR 22, 2019 B+/Fitch; BB-/S&P ZENITH BANK PLC Exchange (NSE) in Lagos yes- pany would also embark on a 8.75 May 21, 2019 B/Fitch; B/S&P DIAMOND BANK PLC groundbreaking8.25ceremony of terday , the President/CEO of AUG 07, 2020 B-/Fitch; B/S&P FIRST BANK PLC inJUNPort the company , Mr. Emmanuel 9.25/6M USDHotel LIBOR+7.677 24, 2021 B-/Fitch; B/S&P ACCESS BANK PLC II the Transcorp B-/Fitch; B/S&P FIRST BANK LTD Nnorom, said the company has Harcourt. 8.00/2Y USD SWAP+6.488 JUL 23 2021 BB-/Fitch; BB-/S&P

07-Oct-11

6.75

B-/S&P

8.75 AUG 14, 2021

ECOBANK NIG. LTD

14-Aug-14

8.75

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

1.82

17.67

93.75

5.24

1.00

16.82

88.66

31-Dec-20

5.33

1.00

16.82

93.69

31-Dec-20

3.17

1.00

16.85

94.60

06-Jan-21

3.20

1.00

16.86

95.70

0.27

1.00

12.06

99.94

12.42

11.53

84.16

87.50

S

hareholders of 2.63cost of 14.93 funding, 99.59 inade0.35 UACN Property financing 29-Sep-16 1.08 1.00quate mortgage 16.48 96.66 25-Oct-16 1.15 Com- 1.34and poor 16.87 97.31 Development infrastructure, 30-Sep-17 2.08 1.00 16.84 93.47 pany (UPDC) Plc at their were expected to persist 30-Nov-17 1.31 1.88 17.51 101.24 Annual Meeting 1.00in the medium-term 09-Apr-18General1.35 16.65 99.24 and 09-Sep-18 1.52 16.75 (AGM) approved a divi- 1.00would continue to 101.54 prevent 09-Sep-18 1.52 1.00 16.75 99.07 dend of N859.375 million, effective demand in the 30-Sep-18 3.08 3.00 18.85 89.01 18-Oct-18 18.06 96.93 residential amounting to 501.63 kobo per 2.29low/medium 17-Feb-19 21.94 94.21 ordinary share1.96 held by 6.11market segments.

01-Apr-19 2.33 2.16 18.00 96.36 members as at August He said despite the 14-Nov-20 5.20 2.76 18.58 89.10chal6.22 1.00lenging 16.80 90.33 14, 20-Nov-21 2015. business environ30-Dec-21 6.33 1.00 16.80 98.61 Addressing shareholdment, the Company posted 30-Sep-24 9.08 1.00 16.87 97.32 ers30-Sep-24 at the meeting, the 1.00revenue16.87 of N10.08billion 9.08 83.45 Chairman of the Compa- (Group N11.70bilion) ny, Mr Larry Ettah, said as against 2013 revenue the company is focused on of N9.33billion (Group long-term creation. 1.00N11.29billion).

11-Feb-18 value 2.44 14.91 90.63 01-Feb-21 85.42 Besides, said 3.66 the firm 1.00 Profit16.86 before taxation had put in place strate- (PBT) was N2.04billion gies to enable it take ad- (Group N3.54billion) vantage of emerging op- against N4.38billion Maturity Date Bid Yield (%) Offer Yield (%) Bid Price Offer Price portunities in the market (Group N3.71billion) in Prices place.

2013.& Yields Ettah Commenting on 28-Jan-21noted that 7.52 the Ni- 7.22 96.65 97.91 the gerian market remained operational environment, 12-Jul-18 6.24 97.12 attractive as there were 5.83he noted that in 98.17 recent 12-Jul-23 7.76 91.97 93.08 eqsignificant untapped po- 7.56years, foreign private tentials in the residential uity firms have invested segment, and numerous millions of dollars in opportunities in the hos- the Nigerian Real Estate pitality, retail, commer- market, attributing the 19-May-16 4.36 4.36 102.13 102.13 in the country’s cial25-Jul-17 and industrial seg- 9.30interest96.50 9.30 96.50 ments of the market in 14.54market 79.00 to huge demand, 02-May-18 16.97 83.51 8.92which is 90.31driven 92.06 the08-Nov-18 near term. 9.61 by in22-Apr-19 8.87 92.00 92.00 He pointed out that the 8.87creasing urban popula21-May-19 12.40 11.77 89.36 91.08 challenges being9.71 faced by 9.71tion and93.70 changing93.70 shop07-Aug-20 the24-Jun-21 industry in 13.20 terms of 12.76ping culture among 84.33 85.92 the 23-Jul-21 14.09 75.50 title uncertainties, high 14.09expanding middle75.50 class.

06-Jan-16

5.40 2.54 0.70 35.00 2.10 0.32 4.50 2.05 26.00 30.50 0.10 15.44

175.32 163.55 12.00 12.95

24.95 21.94

Outstanding Value ($mm)

Nnorom disclosed that Coca12-Jul-13 5.13 Cola Company is launching a 12-Jul-13 6.38 new line of fruit juice made from concentrate and had announced Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc (Transcorp) as the sole local-concentrate sourcing 19-May-11 7.50 partner for the line. 7.25 25-Jul-12 “Transcorp agribusiness 09-May-13 6.88 08-Nov-13Teragro Commodi6.00 subsidiary 22-Apr-14 6.25 ties Limited processes orange, 21-May-14 8.75 mango07-Aug-13 and pineapple concen8.25 trate for industrial markets at a 24-Jun-14 9.25 23-Jul-14 8.00 processing plant in Benue State.

2.93

09-Dec-15

FGN Eurobonds

BB-/Fitch; B+/S&P

10-Oct-20 27-Nov-20

UPDC shareholders get N859m dividend

15.00

09-Sep-11 18.00 operators.

09-Sep-11 16.00 It advised the investing public 30-Sep-11 14.00 15.75 the opto take18-Oct-13 note and deal with erators17-Feb-12 in line with the18.00 approval.

01-Apr-14 16.00 The14-Nov-13 Director General 15.25 of the 20-Nov-14 14.25 SEC, Mr. Mounir Gwarzo, had 30-Dec-14 16.45 said that the commission would 30-Sep-14 16.29 do anything 30-Sep-14 to compel 13.25 operators in the market to obey the rules guiding it. This, according to him, informed the decision to tighten the noose 10.20 on market 11-Feb-13 10-Jul-14and other 11.25 infractions miscellaneous capital market crimes.

Transcorp assures investors increased ROI Rating/Agency

African countries can access financing at vari30-Sep-15 0.08 3.23able terms.

17.59 By providing 99.61 30-Jun-16 0.58 4.46 19.32 97.18 transparent and credible 30-Jun-16 0.59 3.48 18.35 98.42 benchmark indices, at least one year remaining 19-Apr-17 1.63 1.00 16.77 90.65 the 30-Jun-17 1.12 1.00 16.51 97.28 to maturity and withstand AFMISM Bloomberg® Af31-Dec-17 2.33 1.79 17.63 93.24 price stability tests.

30-Sep-18 1.71 1.00rican Bond 16.78 Index provides 96.13 04-Oct-18 1.72 16.79 96.08with The AFMI works to 1.00investors with a tool 09-Dec-18 1.91 96.41 deepen the continent’s lo- 1.00 which 16.82 to measure and 12-Dec-18 1.91 4.78 20.60 90.33 cal14-Feb-19 currency bond markets 1.00track the performance of 2.10 16.84 97.76 02-Oct-19 95.81 and also strives2.33 to create 2.02Africa’s17.86 bond markets,” 22-Nov-19 4.22 1.00 16.86 93.01 an12-Dec-19 environment 2.39 where 1.00he said.16.84 96.13

information is made57.00 avail10.00 13.75 21.24 able,” said the Director of 14.00 25.00 the Financial Sector Devel14.00 30.81 14.00 9.00the opment Department of 12.40 AfDB ,14.50 Stefan Nalletamby 14.00 9.21 in a statement.

15.50 24.44 15.50 15.09 Nalletamby noted that 14.50 80.00 the expanded index would 14.75 24.74 14.75 now include the six10.46 most 13.50 87.50 liquid sovereign bond mar15.00 5.00 kets in14.50 Africa and 4.30 three 15.00 4.31 sub-indices for different maturity ranges. 429.21 399.55 “To be included in the index, a security must have

A/GCR

A+/Agusto; A-/GCR

39

297.52

500.00 500.00 500.00

1,500.00 1,428.66

500.00 350.00 300.00 400.00 500.00 200.00 300.00 400.00 450.00 250.00

14-Aug-21

3,650.00

2-Sep-15

3,253.91

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 (Spot & Forwards) 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 accurateForeign or up toExchange date. We do not guarantee DTM Maturity Bid Discount (%) Offer Discount (%) Bid Yield (%) Tenor Rate (%) NIBOR the accuracy, 8timeliness, 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.

10-Sep-15 6.42 6.17 6.42 22 29 43 FGN Bonds 50 57 64 Rating/Agency 71 85 92 99 106 113 127 134 141 148 155 NA 162 169 176 183 197 204 211 218 225 232 TOTAL OUTSTANDING 239 246

VALUE

24-Sep-15 1-Oct-15 15-Oct-15 22-Oct-15 29-Oct-15 5-Nov-15 Issuer 12-Nov-15 26-Nov-15 3-Dec-15 10-Dec-15 17-Dec-15 24-Dec-15 7-Jan-16 14-Jan-16 21-Jan-16 28-Jan-16 4-Feb-16 NA 11-Feb-16 18-Feb-16 25-Feb-16 3-Mar-16 17-Mar-16 24-Mar-16 31-Mar-16 7-Apr-16 14-Apr-16 21-Apr-16 28-Apr-16

11.18 13.72 14.30 15.01 14.47 11.74 Description 13.70 14.29 10.31 13.05 16-AUG-2016 13.39 ^15.10 27-APR-2017 12.74 9.85 27-JUL-2017 13.83 9.35 31-AUG-2017 14.34 10.70 30-MAY-2018 14.89 14.85 ^16.00 29-JUN-2019 14.77 7.00 23-OCT-2019 14.91 ^15.54 13-FEB-2020 14.91 ^16.39 27-JAN-2022 14.57 14.95 ^14.20 14-MAR-2024 13.78 15.00 28-NOV-2028 14.31 12.49 22-MAY-2029 14.18 8.50 20-NOV-2029 14.81 14.71 ^10.00 23-JUL-2030 14.70 ^12.1493 18-JUL-2034 14.45 14.73

5-May-16

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION 26-May-16 267

10.93 13.47 14.05 14.76 14.22 11.49 Issue Date 13.45 14.04 10.06 16-Aug-13 13.14 27-Apr-12 12.49 27-Jul-07 13.58 31-Aug-07 14.09 30-May-08 14.64 14.60 29-Jun-12 14.52 23-Oct-09 14.66 13-Feb-15 14.66 27-Jan-12 14.32 14.70 14-Mar-14 13.53 28-Nov-08 14.06 22-May-09 13.93 20-Nov-09 14.56 14.46 23-Jul-10 14.45 18-Jul-14 14.20 14.48

11.25 13.87 14.55 15.32 14.80 11.98 Coupon 14.08 (%) 14.78 10.59 13.05 13.89 15.10 13.23 9.85 14.44 9.35 15.09 10.70 15.75 15.75 16.00 15.71 7.00 15.92 15.54 15.97 16.39 15.62 16.11 14.20 14.80 15.00 15.50 12.49 15.40 8.50 16.20 16.13 10.00 16.16 12.1493 15.91 16.30

14.45

14.20

16.01

14.60

14.35

16.34

274

2-Jun-16

14.10

13.85

15.76

316

14-Jul-16

14.36

337 Rating/Agency

4-Aug-16 13.86 Issuer *for the Amortising bonds, the average life is calculated and not the duration

Description

14.11

Tenor O/N 1M 3M 6M

Bonds

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

9.83

O/N

10.17

Tenor Call

Maturity Date

REPO

TTM 1M(Yrs) 3M 6M 0.95

NITTY

581.39 16-Aug-16 Tenor Rate (%) 480.13 27-Apr-17 1M 13.9540 20.00 27-Jul-17 2M 14.2690 100.00 31-Aug-17 3M 14.5687 300.00 30-May-18 6M 15.3955 9M 15.4759 351.30 29-Jun-19 12M 15.9689 233.90 23-Oct-19 311.93 13-Feb-20 605.31 27-Jan-22 NIFEX 599.99 14-Mar-24 Current Price ($/N) 75.00 28-Nov-28 BID($/N) 199.0000 150.00 22-May-29 OFFER ($/N) 199.1000 200.00 20-Nov-29 591.57 23-Jul-30 370.50 18-Jul-34

Rate (%) 11.08

Bid12.17 Yield (%) 12.88 13.23 15.38

1.65 15.78 15.68 1.90 15.82 15.72 2.00 15.83 15.74 :Benchmarks 2.74 Bond 15.85 15.77 * :Amortising µ :Convertible 3.82 Bond 15.84 15.73 AMCON: Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria 4.14 15.86 15.74 FGN: Federal Government of Nigeria 4.45 Mortgage Bank 15.82 15.73 FMBN: Federal of Nigeria 6.40 15.79 15.72 IFC: International Finance Corporation LCRM: Local Management 8.53Contractors Receivables 15.87 15.80 NAHCO: Nigerian Aviation Handling Company 13.24 15.41 15.36 O/N: Overnight 13.72 15.35 15.29 UPDC: UAC Property Development Company 14.22Africa Portland15.29 15.21 WAPCO:West Cement Company 14.89 15.58 15.51 18.87 15.77 15.71

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE Modified Duration Buckets TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

<3

Sub-National Bonds A-/Agusto

*EBONYI

BBB+/Agusto

*BENUE

A/Agusto

*IMO

3<5 >5 Market

Porfolio Market Value(Bn)

03-Apr-12 09-Dec-11 20-Apr-12 06-Jul-12 FMDQ

Total Outstanding Volume(Bn)

827.86

831.43

1,482.44

1,517.23

692.43

962.07

3,002.72

3,310.74

13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015 14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016 15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016

Offer ($/N)

198.43 198.53 199.39 199.71 Price 201.15 200.81 201.55 201.90 204.19 204.62 Bid Price Offer Price 208.20 208.75 217.14 218.20 230.93 233.26 97.99 98.14

98.98 99.13 90.50 90.65 89.41 NA :Not89.26 Applicable ^ : Market Prices 88.85 89.00 # : Floating Rate Bond 100.68 100.38 ***: Deferred coupon bonds 73.81 74.11 99.09 99.39 ‡ : Bond rating under review †: Bond102.31 rating expired 102.61 N/A :Not Available 92.34 92.64 {r} :Issuer in receivership 97.63 97.93 83.74 84.04 NGC: Nigeria-German Company 61.02 Bank for Africa 61.32 UBA: United 68.00 68.30 78.32 78.62

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

# Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Modelled Price

03-Apr-17 08-Dec-16 19-Apr-17 06-Jul-17

0.83 1.27 1.63 1.84

2.94 1.00 2.66 1.00

18.15 16.60 18.43 16.81

99.31 99.26 103.45 102.06

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

***LCRM

Bid ($/N)

4,452.53

16.40

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

Spot 7D 14D 1M 2MYield Offer 3M (%) 6M 1Y 15.20

NOTE:

#

FMBN

Tenor

4,971.02

15.90 Issue Date

13.61

OBB

Rate (%) 9.3750 15.6591 16.5951 18.1300

Weighting by Outstanding Vol

17.25 0.00/16.00 0.00/16.50 0.00/16.50 FGN BOND

Weighting by Mkt Value

25.11 45.83

13.00

30-Jun-11

14.00

30-Jun-09

15.50

100.00

297.52 Bucket Weighting

302.07

27.57

30-Sep-10

29.06

2.10 112.22 116.70 INDEX66.49

49.37 23.06

100.00

0.25

2.16 2.60 3.96

0.46 0.29 1.00

% Exposure_ Mod_Duration

11.99 44.21

Implied Yield

15.82

129.2765

15.83

123.3604

15.66

91.7756

15.75

115.6679

30-Sep-15

0.08

30-Jun-16

0.58

30-Jun-16

0.59

43.80

100.00

Implied Portfolio Price

INDEX

1,176.12 1,069.46

YTD Return (%)

6.1622 5.6183

3.23

17.59

99.61

4.46

19.32

97.18

3.48

18.35

98.42

1,106.45

1,101.46

9.8740

4.3856

A+/Agusto; ‡ /GCR

LAGOS

10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017

19-Apr-10

10.00

57.00

19-Apr-17

1.63

1.00

16.77

90.65

‡ /Agusto

*BAYELSA

13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017

30-Jun-10

13.75

21.24

30-Jun-17

1.12

1.00

16.51

97.28

A-/Agusto

EDO

14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017

30-Dec-10

14.00

25.00

31-Dec-17

2.33

1.79

17.63

93.24

‡ /Agusto; A+/GCR

*DELTA

14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018

30-Sep-11

14.00

30.81

30-Sep-18

1.71

1.00

16.78

96.13

A-/Agusto; A-/GCR

NIGER

14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018

04-Oct-11

14.00

9.00

04-Oct-18

1.72

1.00

16.79

96.08

‡ /Agusto; A-/GCR†

*EKITI

14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018

09-Dec-11

14.50

12.40

09-Dec-18

1.91

1.00

16.82

96.41

A-/Agusto

*NIGER

14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018

12-Dec-13

14.00

9.21

12-Dec-18

1.91

4.78

20.60

90.33

A-/Agusto; A-/GCR

*ONDO

15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019

14-Feb-12

15.50

24.44

14-Feb-19

2.10

1.00

16.84

97.76

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

*GOMBE LAGOS

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

02-Oct-12 22-Nov-12

15.50 14.50

15.09 80.00

02-Oct-19 22-Nov-19

2.33 4.22

2.02 1.00

17.86 16.86

95.81 93.01

40 News

south south-west - south

thursday, september 3, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Cleric seeks education summit for Ekiti

Ogun Assembly approves Amosun's N18.9bn loan request

Adesina Wahab Ado-Ekiti

Kunle Olayeni

T

he Catholic Bishop of Ekiti Diocese, Bishop Felix Ajakaye, has called for the convention of an education summit in the state, saying there was urgent need for the state education sector to be repositioned.

The cleric who spoke in Ado-Ekiti yesterday during Governor Ayo Fayose, visit him in connection with the proposed Education Summit in the state, said education was the only means to tackle poverty in the society.

The position of the cleric was contained in a statement signed by the governor's Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, in Ado-Ekiti yesterday.

Ajakaye was quoted as saying the church would support the effort, but warned against not implementing the recommendations.

The cleric said a secondary school being promoted by the church was recording excellent results in WAEC examinations because the ability of those concerned was matched with the right attitude.

Fayose, who acknowledged the great role being played by the church in providing quality education, added that people would only deceive themselves that only the government should shoulder the responsibility.

Abeokuta

O

Wife of Ogun State governor, Mrs. Olufunso Amosun (right), presenting Frisomum Gold Nutritional Supplement to a beneficiary on behalf of the wife of the President, Hajia Aishat Muhammadu Buhari, in Abeokuta...recently.

Sola Adeyemo Ibadan

T

he Accord Party and All Progressives Congress in Oyo State engaged in a war of word over posters of Governor Abiola Ajimobi pasted in some parts of the state.

While a stalwart of the APC and past Caretaker Chairman of the Ibadan North West Local Government, Wasiu Olatubosun, accused the Accord party governorship candidate, Senator Rasidi Ladoja, of being responsible for the posters, apparently preempting the outcome of election petition tribunal proceedings, the Accord Party has petitioned the state Police Commission-

Ekiti decries FG’s bailout Adesina Wahab Ado-Ekiti

E

kiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, yesterday has decried the proposed Federal Government’s bail-out funds aimed at cushioning the poor financial situations of the states.

The governor who expressed reservations at a meeting held with public servants yesterday on whether the state should or decline the bail-out, said the bail-out would aggravate the debt profile of the states rather than ameliorate their current poor financial situation.

This is just as the governor granted the 31 workers caught coming late to work on Monday pardon.

According to him, even with the 9 per cent interest on the fund, rolling it over with the debts and commitments the state already had would be too burdensome.

"They say they are restructuring N18.8 billion of our commercial

loans and with the 9 per cent interest, by the time the money is repaid in 20 years, we would have paid an extra N36 billion as interest. That means the N18 billion would have become N56 billion.

"I am addressing you on the issue so that before I commit the state to taking the loan, I have to get your permission. The main consequence of the bail out is that it is from same monthly allocation from the federal that we will accommodate servicing the N25 bond we inherited from the previous administration, that bail out itself and commercial loans.

"When allocation comes and they are deducting from source, do not say I did not tell you. I set up a technical committee to see to how we disburse monthly allocations coming to the state. The committee has members drawn from labour unions, tertiary institutions among others. We do this to allow for transparency in the system," he said.

Ladoja, APC bicker over Ajimobi's posters in Oyo er, asking that Olatubosun be arrested for spreading falsehood about Ladoja.

The petition signed by the state Administrative Secretary of the party, Bola Akinyemi, on behalf of the State Chairman, Basiru Lawal, and titled, ‘Falsehood and campaign of calumny against the person of Senator Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja and Accord’, was dated August 31, 2015.

The party alleged in the petition that a group called "Ajumose Coalition Movement" led by Mr. Olatubosun, had accused Ladoja,

as being responsible for the posters seen in some parts of Olodo in Ibadan and in Oyo town.

When contacted, Olatunbosun, said he would not comment on the matter because it could be viewed as prejudicial to the ongoing state governorship election petition hearing. He said the tribunal had earlier warned that statements relating to the tribunal should be avoided in the public.

The petition read inter alia that “Mr Olatubosun alleged that Accord Party and Senator Rashidi Lado-

ja were responsible for erecting bill boards in the name of Senator Ajimobi and APC calling for a rerun of the governorship election of April 11, 2015.

This criminal falsehood is not only prejudicial; it is also an insult on the integrity of the Honourable panel sitting on the governorship election petitions.”

The Accord Party said in the petition that Ladoja had never embarked on a campaign for the re-run of the election and that the party and its National Leader, Ladoja, had great respect for law.

Lagos to demolish 120 buildings Muritala Ayinla

L

agos State Government yesterday said it has identified about 120 buildings across the state suspected to be distressed, saying that it would not condone the building of substandard structures in the state.

Speaking with New Telegraph, the new General Manager, Lagos State Building and Control Agency (LASBCA), Mr. 'Sola Adeigbe, said that the state government would do everything possible to avert

unwarranted loss of lives as a result of incidences of collapsed buildings, calling on the residents to inform the agency of any substandard ongoing constructions or existing distressed buildings still being occupied by unsuspecting residents.

He said that the state Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, has directed the agency to forestall incidents of building collapse and ensure that only certified standard structures were built in the state.

To prevent development of weak structures by quacks or compromised building experts in the state, Adeigbe, noted that the agency has opened a website for intending builders or developer to fill a form via Internet, informing the agency of their plans to commence construction work on a site.

This, he said would enable the government to inspect the building materials and the construction work since the government officials could not be everywhere.

India mulls investments opportunities in Lagos Muritala Ayinla

T

he Lagos State Government yesterday said it would partner with a Confederation of Indian Industry Business Group for the establishment of industries in the state, restating its commitment to

Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiatives and provision of a conducive atmosphere for investors.

The government identified the Lekki Free Trade Zone (LTZ), Medical Park, Transportation, Agriculture, Manufacturing, Oil and Gas, Power, Shopping Mall, Power

generation, International Airport amongst others as areas of its focus in immediate investments for investors to tap into.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives, Mr. Olalekan Akodu, said Lagos would welcome more investors in the state.

gun State House of Assembly has approved the request of the Governor Ibikunle Amosun-led government to obtain the sum of N18.9billion loan to offset outstanding workers' deductions and subvention.

The House during its plenary session in Abeokuta on Tuesday, presided over by the Speaker, Suraj Adekunbi, granted the approval.

Amosun's request was a follow up to the House Resolution 008/2015, authorising the restructuring of commercial bank loans into the Federal Government of Nigeria bonds which would enable the state full participation in the bail-out scheme.

It was gathered that the loan would be provided to workers on the state's payroll from the Guaranty Trust Bank.

According to the governor's letter to the Assembly, which was read by the Speaker, the loans would be broken down into N9.779 billion for outstanding deductions/subvention and N9.139billion for the local governments in the state.

Ijebu must emerge as Amosun's successor — UPN chieftain Kunle Olayeni Abeokuta

F

ormer governorship candidate of Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) in Ogun State, Prince Rotimi Paseda, has declared that the Ijebu comprising the Ogun East Senatorial District must produce the successor to the incumbent governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, in 2019.

He made this declaration at his Omu-Ijebu residence while hosting UPN women leaders from the 20 local government areas of the state, led by Chief (Mrs) Toyin Ogunsemowo.

He said he had already put behind the outcome of the last governorship election in which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), declared Amosun of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner.

Paseda, who expressed his intention to run again in 2019, maintained that the Ijebu, was expected to produce the next governor by zoning the arrangement.

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015

Abia inherited huge debts, empty treasury –Ikpeazu’s aide Norman Obinna

A

bia State Government yesterday said that its financial profile is not in a healthy state, following the several denials by former Governor Theodore Orji that his administration left a reasonable amount of funds in the state coffers at the end of his tenure, as the new government is insisting that it met an empty treasury as well as inheriting huge debts from the past administration.

The Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the governor, Mr. Godwin Adin-

du, who revealed this at the Government House, Umuahia, recently during a chat with newsmen, noted that the financial recklessness of the past administration appears to be putting clog in the wheels of the Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s administration.

“The governor is yet to settle down; there is no funds to work with. Ikpeazu inherited a government that was in a mess, huge debts here and there and that was why the governor sought for the N30 billion loan facilities to execute some of his capital projects,” Adindu said.

News 41

SOUTH-EAST

The CPS had in a press release July said that report from the Debt Management Office (DMO) Abuja indicated that Abia State, is among the least indebted states in the country on both local and foreign loans, further said that the messy financial situation has contributed to the delay in the payment of salary backlogs as promised the civil servants during campaigns.

This revelation by Adindu, contradicts his earlier position on the immediate past administration of T.A Orji, which he had praised for his visionary leadership which he said

has stabilised Abia State.

“Apart from servicing debts incurred by the former administration, the new government has commenced a large-scale programme of correcting the excesses of the past administration.

“This saw to the birth of many social-welfarist programme like the Ochendo Youth Empowerment Programme, which transformed Abia into a yellow state; the Hannah May Foundation, the pet humanitarian programme of the first lady; the student bursary Scheme and the student free city buses,” Adindu said.

France to help Nigeria fight Boko Haram Igbeaku Orji Umuahia

T

he global assistance against insurgency in Nigeria received a boost as France has pledged to support the country to fight the terrorist group, Boko Haram.

The French Defence Attaché [DA] to Nigeria, Col. Marc Humbert, made the pledge yesterday at the Nigerian Army Language Institute (NALI) Ovim, in Isuikwuato local government area of Abia State, where he donated French books and other teaching aids, saying that Nigeria has done well in the war against insurgency and assured of his country’s support in the raging war.

He said that there is an improvement in the

Nigerian war against insurgency, adding “ my country will help in fighting the war and will continue to support them until the war against terrorism is won”.

The Defence Attaché also said that Nigeria and France are very close allies and that there is need for the Nigeria to educate its officers in French language. He said that the close relationship between the two countries made the embassy to donate the books to enable them face the challenges of language in future.

He described the institute as a place for the future and believed that it will grow to support the entire military force in its fight against all manner of terrorism and other forms of challenges in any part of the country.

Okorocha bans use of sirens Steve Uzoechi OWERRI

G

L-R: Enugu State ALGON Chairman, Prince Cornelius Nnaji; Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; his Deputy, Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo and Speaker, Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Edward Ubosi, at the launch of the 20 tractors acquired for farmers in the state at the Michael Okpara Square, Enugu...on Tuesday.

PDP agent admits error in results sheets

A

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), local government collation agent during the governorship election in Abia State, Chief Ike Onyenweaku, has admitted error of signing eight out of the 10 ward results from the Ugwunagbo local government area before the state election petition tribunal.

Onyenweaku said this under cross-examination in the petition filed by the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Dr. Alex Otti.

Otti is challenging the declaration of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, as Governor, urging the tribunal to declare him as the lawful winner of the election.

Onyenweaku told the tribunal that his reason for signing the eight ward results was that the ward collation was done at the council headquarters.

He said that he was the only one allowed to enter the local government office of the Independent National Electoral Commission, venue of the collation.

He also admitted to

have signed the ward results, in addition to signing the local government collation results.

Onyenweaku, who was cross-examined by Counsel for Otti and APGA, Prof. Awa Kalu, scrutinized the result sheets for Wards 07 and 09 and said that he was shocked to see that the result sheets were marked ’No result.’

“At the time of collation, it was a shock that election was peaceful in the two wards yet they said no result. It was my most shocking period since I started managing

elections,’’ he said.

Onyenweaku further told the tribunal that other agents also joined him in signing the ward results.

He, however, said that he was surprised not to find the signature of the APGA agent on the result sheets marked exhibits PBB01b2, PBB01b3, PBB01b4, PBB01b6, PBB01b7, PBB01b8 and PBB01b9, respectively.

Earlier, the tribunal overruled Awa’s objection, challenging the competence of the witness to testify.

Enugu establishes advert regulatory agency Charles Onyekwere ENUGU

E

nugu State Executive Council yesterday, approved the establishment of an agency under the State Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources to be known as the Enugu

State Signage and Advertisement Regulatory Agency (ENSARA) for the enforcement, sanitization, authentication and production of outdoor advertisement practices in the state.

Consequently, the council further directed the office of the At-

torney General of the State, to sponsor an executive bill to the State House of Assembly for the establishment of the said agency.

Speaking at a press briefing that followed the state executive council meeting, at the Gover nment House

Enugu, the State Commissioner for Information, Dr. Godwin Udeuhele, said the council also approved that the ministry be allowed to engage the services of consultants or agents to generate revenue in the state under the arrangement.

over nor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, has banned the use of sirens by unathorised persons in the state, stating that the government will henceforth make any unauthorized person found using siren in the state to face the law.

The governor also said that henceforth, the government will check the unlawful use of tinted vehicle glasses by unauthorized persons, pointing out that many people who engage in the acts were those who indulge in crimes like kidnapping, using such vehicles to convey their kidnapped victims, adding, “ we advise that anyone illegally using tinted glasses should please desist from using them in their own interest.”

Announcing the ban at the unveiling of new Gover nment House

vehicle plate numbers yesterday the governor frowned at the incessant and unauthorized use of siren in the state and condemned the situation where every vehicle in the state uses siren, revealing that even a recently arrested kidnapper named ‘Vampire’ was found moving about in vehicles with sirens.

“We are doing these to check crime in the state as government is bent on bringing criminal activities to its barest minimum.”

He advised all those who use sirens illegally to dismantle them or their vehicles will be confiscated while the owner would be prosecuted according to the law.

The governor warned owners of vehicles with unauthorized government plate numbers to remove them to avoid arrest and prosecution as they are now illegal and has been replaced with new ones.

PUBLIC NOTICE IRETI OGO HOLY YAWEH ISUN IRAPADA CHERUBIM & SERAPHIM CHURCH The general public is hereby notified that the above-named church has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Acts, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Snr M.I.I Prophetess Christian Tunrayo Oladimeji (JP) - President 2. Pastor/Prophet Gabriel Oladimeji Rotimi – General Secretary 3. Lady Evan. Funmilola Adewumi Bisola - Treasurer 4. Lady Evan. Oriyomi Funmilola Abosede - Member 5. Evan. Ezikiel Olusogo Olateru

- Member 6. Lady Evan. Lydia Olubukola Funmilola - Member 7. Lady Evan. Funmilola Yemisi Biodun.

- Member 8. M.I.I. Elizabeth Iyabo Olaniyan (J.P) - Member 9. Lady Leader Grace Asunmo Umah - Member 10. Apostle Mathew Omotunde

- Member AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To teach, preach and propagate the total unadulterated, unalloyed gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ both within and outside Nigeria.

2. To help establish and build up churches and religious organizations for the purposes of spreading the good news of Jesus Christ as stipulated in the Holy Bible.

3. To train, license and ordain Ministers of God for the furtherance of the work of God worldwide..

Any objection to this application should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: Micheal A. Adeoye Esq. CNA,MNIM/FAAI, Messrs Keye Adeoye & Co. Certified National Accountants (ANAN) 3147, TEL: 08038519469

42 News Chris Ejim and Philip Nyam

N

ineteen days after defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC), the former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State, Sam Inokoba, slumped yesterday and died. He was aged 67.

Inokoba was reported to have slumped and died in Lagos while on a private visit to his family.

While some family members claimed the former PDP chairman may have died of food poisoning, others claimed that the deceased chairman's health was failing and should have gone on a deserved holiday devoid of political activities.

Inokoba was reported to have procured his Expression of Intent and Nomination Forms at the APC secretariat in Abuja to contest the governorship election primaries of the party.

According to his son, Waripamo Inokoba, “My father slumped at about 2am in the early hours of yesterday and was confirmed dead before he was taken to the hospital.

Some of our people are on their way to Lagos to bring back his corpse.”

The Inokoba family in a statement signed by the deceased elder brother, Clee Inokoba and first son, Waripamowei, confirmed the incident.

Condoling with the family yesterday, the Bayelsa State government expressed shock over the demise of the former PDP

south-south

Ex-Bayelsa PDP chairman, Inokoba, dies at 67

l It’s a painful loss — Bayelsa govt l He didn’t die in my house — Alaibe chairman in the state.

According to a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Daniel Markson-Iworiso, “the death of Inokoba is a sad and painful loss to the state.

“He will greatly be missed by his family and close associates, especially the political class. We pray that God grant the family the fortitude with which to bear the irrepa-

he petition filed by the Labour Party (LP) and its gubernatorial candidate in the just concluded governorship election in Delta State, challenging the election victory of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa at the polls, suffered yet another setback on Tuesday.

At the resumed hearing of the substantive suit, the three-man panel hearing the case affirmed that LP and Ogboru’s star witness is hostile to the petitioners.

Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Nasiru

Chris Ejim Yenagoa

S

cores of politicians from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State yesterday met in Yenagoa to deliberate on the need to unite contending forces within the party and form a solid force against anti-PDP forces

rable loss as well as grant his soul eternal rest.

“We assure the family of the government's preparedness to support and participate in the rites of passage for the late Inokoba,” Markson-Iworiso said.

But reacting to speculations by an online news medium that the former PDP chairman died in his Lagos home yesterday, the former Managing Director of the Niger Delta De-

velopment Commission (NDDC) and APC gubernatorial aspirant in the state, Mr. Timi Alaibe, denied any such possibility.

He said the late Inokoba did not die in his house.

The online report alleged that the late exPDP chairman had, at a meeting with Alaibe over stepping down for the exNDDC leader, rejected the N200 million given to him to step down before his death.

But Alaibe, who spoke through his aide, Mr. Nwokoma Ndu, told New Telegraph in an interview that the allegation was “a baseless, malicious and a wicked one coming from a drowning government.”

Ndu said: “Timi Alaibe has been in Abuja all through the week. How can somebody who has been in Abuja all week suddenly appear in Lagos for a ghost meeting?” he queried."

“It is evident from the hate stories emanating from the pro-PDP media in the state that they want to look for every opportunity to nail Mr. Alaibe due to their fear that he will beat the governor in the December election if he gets the APC nomination” Ndu told our reporter.

He said the same PDP propaganda machine had before now accused the gubernatorial aspirant of name dropping to raise money.

According to him, the “PDP apparatchik came up with another allegation that he offered the former governor of the state, Timi Sylva, N5 billion to get the party’s nomination.

“How can a man they described as broke suddenly be offering huge money? How far will they go in their bid to bring down the personality of Timi Alaibe?” the aide queried.

Also reacting to the development, the former governor of the state, Chief Timipre Sylva, described the late Inokoba as a great community leader and an intelligent politician whose contributions to society will be missed by the whole Bayelsa and indeed Nigeria.

‘Stop bickering over Buhari’s appointments’ L-R: Managing Director, Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, Mrs. Esther Namdi-Ogbue; Managing Director, Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited, Dr. Bafred Audu Enjugu and Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, during a facility tour of the NNPC installations in Okrika Jetty in Port Harcourt.

Ogboru’s petition against Okowa suffers another setback

T

thursday, september 3, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Gunmi, held that the star witness of the Labour Party and Great Ogboru, the candidate of the party, has not only suddenly abandoned them, but that he has turned hostile.

Counsel to LP and Ogboru, Mr. Robert Emukpoeruo, had informed the tribunal that certain portion in paragraphs 5, 6 and 7 of their witness, Mr. Felix Enabor, from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) statement on oath, contained depositions that are “animus and hostile” to their petitioners.

Rivers PDP alleges forgery of INEC records by APC Emmanuel Masha Port Harcourt

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he Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of forging records of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that it plans to tender before the state’s electoral tribunal sitting in Abuja.

The state Chairman of the party, Felix Obuah, alleged that some INEC

officials in the state are collaborating with APC officials to produce fake election results to support APC’s claim that there was no election in the state.

While calling on security operatives to immediately arrest those involved in the forgery, Obuah said the people of the state are aware that elections took place contrary to the report released by INEC after the election.

He said: “We have uncovered the production of a fake report by a syndicate of corrupt personnel

Bayelsa PDP leaders meet over governorship poll ahead of the governorship election in the state.

The meeting led to the formation of a political group known as the PDP Integrity Group. The new group, according to the PDP, was set up to unite the leaders of the party and put an end to cases of defection recently noticed

within the ranks and file of the party.

Notable among the members and the interim executive of the group are a onetime state PDP Chairman and former Commissioner for Local Government, James Dugo, the National Coordinator, Hon. Ferdison

Agada, a former state Assembly aspirant and Director of Media and Publicity, Kingdom Blessing, the Director of Women Mobilisation, Mrs. Julie Okenarhe, the Director of Organisation, Embiowe Tonworitimi and Director of Finance, Comrade Timi Gbendo.

in the election monitoring unit of INEC Rivers State led by one Charles Okoye.

“The said Charles Okoye, Cosmos Ukalu and Amadi Romanus, working in concert with the Rivers State APC chairman and one Mr. Achi, have originated a fake election report covering the local government areas of Rivers State to the effect that there was no election in the state during the 2015 elections.

“The said report is coming almost five months after the election and was backdated with the plan to get a certified true copy of same to be used at the election petition tribunal with the sole aim of nullifying the 2015 elections in the state.

“We further discovered that the plan of the APC is to apply for a subpoena to be issued on the said corrupt officers, who will appear at the tribunal to tender such fake reports and give evidence as facts coming from INEC.”

Chris Ejim yenagoa

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ollowing the controversy that trailed the appointments made by President Muhammadu Buhari recently, Bayelsa State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Tiwei Orunimighe, yesterday called for calm in the polity, saying there was nothing wrong with the appointments by the President.

He said the appointments could be taken as the President's kitchen cabinet and his domestic staff, which, according to him, should come from the President's trusted friends.

The appointment that was made is such that belongs to him, they are like his domestic staff and he should appoint his own trusted persons, not his enemies. So the president must appoint someone who has the capacity to work with him, not tribe or religion, or ethnicity.

Orunimighe said: “There are up to five thousand appointments to be made, and if that is the case and we are talking of federal character and zones, the North East and the North Central are not the same."

NEW TELEGRAPH thursday, september 3, 2015

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north

APC chieftain scores Buhari high in three months Alhassan Yusuf Bauchi

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chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Sule Wada, yesterday scored the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari high in the last three months.

He said the administration has achieved a lot in the last three months in the country, especially in the North-East.

According to him, the present administration of Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar in the state has tackled many challenges, considering the debts accumulated by the immediate past government in the state.

The APC chieftain said their administration had studied the challenges facing the state, but that Governor Muhammad Abdullahi Abubakar, has taken the state by surprise.

“The APC government inherited huge accumulated debts from the past administration and so it had to study carefully before going into business.

We cannot make or provide appointments as at now, because the government has no sufficient funds. But we were able to appoint the state SSG and advisers just for the government to take off.”

L-R: Bauchi State Governor, Muhammed Abubakar; Speaker, Bauchi State House of Assembly, Hon. Shehu Daminah; former Bauchi State Governor, Theopilus Bamigboye and the Emir of Misau, Alhaji Ahmed Suleiman, at the inauguration of the new Secretary to the Bauchi State Government…yesterday.

Boko Haram kills 26 in Borno

Niger CP gives pensioners hope

Maiduguri

Dan Atori

Ahmed Miringa

l Meat price soars

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tacked late on Tuesday.

He said he escaped the attack by scaling a mango tree from where he saw horsemen chasing and shooting fleeing villagers.

Abdulqasim said he spent the night on the tree and when he came down in the morning, he saw many corpses. Abbas Gava, a spokesman for a civilian defence group, said at least 26 people died in the attacks.

Boko Haram's six-yearold uprising has caused the deaths of an estimated 20,000 people.

In another development, the price of meat

t least 26 people were reportedly killed on Tuesday night by attackers who were said to be operating on horseback in Borno State, North-East Nigeria.

The attackers were believed to be members of the Boko Haram sect that have been terrorising the northern part of the country in the last six years.

An eyewitness, Ali Abdulqasim, said his home village of Kolori and the neighbouring village of Baana-Imam were at-

Assembly summons owners of ‘illegal’ filling stations Biodun Oyeleye Ilorin

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he Kwara State House of Assembly yesterday summoned two owners of filling stations in Ilorin metropolis to appear before it for allegedly operating ‘illegally.’

Besides, the lawmakers also summoned the owners of petrol stations under construction along Oko-Erin, Kuntu, Abayawo and Ode Alawonla in Okelele to appear before the House's Ad-Hoc Committee on Proliferation of Filling Stations, for alleged failure to secure necessary documents before embarking on the construction.

They are all to appear before the committee with approval of the state Town Planning and Development Authority, Directorate of Petroleum Resources (DPR), State Fire Service and Environmental Assessment approvals, to avoid closure of the affected filling stations.

Chairman of the committee, Mr. Kamaldeen Fagbemi, gave the directive in Ilorin during the committee's visit to some filling stations at Okelele, Abayawo, Alagbado, Kongbari and Muritala Mohammed Way, all in Ilorin metropolis.

Fagbemi, who was accompanied by members of the committee, officials of the Town Planning Development Authority, Fire Service, Ministry of Environment and Forestry as well as the Independent Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), expressed disappointment over the indiscriminate construction of filling stations in residential area of the metropolis without regard for safety of lives and property.

The lawmaker said the Assembly would not fold its arms and watch the lives and property of those who elected them to be threatened by few individuals who are desperately looking for money.

has continued to soar in the state as Boko Haram insurgents continued to rustle cattle, sheep and goats, a situation that had forced some herdsmen to migrate to where they considered safe.

A butcher, Alhaji Shuaibu Hassan, said the price of domestic animals have continued to increase as most of the herdsmen have migrated to where they considered safe, while the remaining nomads were forced to move closer to major towns, due to the activities of the insurgents.

He said: “A kilogramme of beef used to cost N1, 000, but now we sell it for between N1, 200 and N1, 300, because even butchers buy the animals at higher prices than before.”

Another butcher, Mallam Mansur Ibrahim, said the price of the domestic animals, especially cattle, have skyrocketed, as most of the village markets were closed down due to the activities of the Boko Haram insurgents.

He added that Borno used be the centre of livestock market in Nigeria, but now they bring cattle and other animals from Kano, Katsina and other parts of the North-West.

APC kicks as Kogi governor applies for another N50.842bn loan Muhammad Bashir Lokoja

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he All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State yesterday challenged Governor Idris Wada to explain to Kogi people the reasons for his application for another N50.842 billion loan as part of the special Federal Government facility for states.

The state Chairman of the party, Alhaji Haddy Ametuo, while reacting to the recent Federal Government financial intervention to some states, including Kogi, said the state government had already obtained N20 billion bond, which he said was yet to impact on the lives of the people.

“When you add up N50.842 billion with the N20 billion bond, it is N70.842 billion. Tell me who will pay up this debt in the end. Remember this fund is not a free gift to Kogi, but a burden to our

state, so it is not something to be happy about.

“Even some states that are facing dire situations in the country applied for less, but Kogi State government that has less problem, went for the highest. Now, can Governor Wada tell the people of the state why he applied for such a huge amount, what's his intention,?” he queried.

“Since Wada insisted that he did not owe workers’ salaries, there was no need to draw from a facility approved for only states that were indebted to their workers.”

Ametuo insisted that the governor’s explanation became pertinent against the background of persistent claims that he did not owe workers in the state civil service.

MINNA

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iger State outgoing Commissioner of Police, Mr. Olusola Emmanuel Amore, has vowed to make a difference in the Nigerian Police pension scheme by ensuring that retired officers smile always.

He spoke yesterday at the state Command Headquarters, Minna that all he needs to succeed at the pension department is prayers.

Amore's redeployment to the Police Pension Department is, however, viewed by many to be the need to correct the excesses at the pensions’ office after the Director General of the Pension Transition Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Nellie Mayshak, recently said the directorate uncovered 3, 000 ghost pensioners in the scheme.

Mayshak said: “When PTAD was first given the police pensions payroll, it contained 18,000 pensioners which were all genuine, but when we went around the states to verify what was on ground, we discovered that there were 15, 000 pensioners in the police.”

Taraba varsity fastest growing in Nigeria, says VC Sabiu Mustapha JALINGO

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araba State University has been described as the fastest growing university in the country and one of the best in the north.

This description was made yesterday by the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Mohammed Sani Yahaya. Yahaya spoke yesterday at the

sixth matriculation ceremony of the institution.

He said out of 3, 800 candidates who applied for admission into the institution for the 2014/2015 academic session, only 1, 400 were admitted, which constituted the optimal capacity of the university as approved by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

He said: “At this

juncture, permit me to express our deep appreciation to the various stakeholders for the role they have been playing in making us the fastest growing university in Nigeria,” he said.

“Let me also appreciate the hardworking staff of the university, whose commitment, diligence and dedication, have made us to be one of the best universities in northern Nigeria.”

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WORLD | News

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Migrants defy Hungary’s train blockade

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undreds of migrants chanted defiant slogans outside Budapest’s main international train station yesterday as Hungarian police blocked them for a second day from seeking asylum in Germany and other wealthy European Union countries. “What we want? Peace!

What we need? Peace!” the migrants shouted outside the cavernous Keleti train station, the latest focal point for European tensions over the unrelenting flow of migrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa fleeing war and poverty.

Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orban, will take a “clear and obvious message” to his meeting Thursday with EU chiefs in Brussels about migrants, a government spokesman said. “We have to reinstate law and order at the borders of the European Union, including the border with Serbia,” Zoltan Kovacs said. “Without re-establishing law and order, it will be impossible to handle the influx of migrants.” The 28-nation bloc has been at odds with itself for months on how to deal with the influx that has seen more than 332,000 migrants enter so

far this year. Frontline nations like Greece, Italy and Hungary have pleaded for more help, while powerhouse Germany, which is expecting to take in 800,000 migrants this year, the most in the EU, has demanded that other nations step up and take in more asylum-seekers.

At other pressure points yesterday in the route into Europe, Turkish media reported that 11 migrants drowned as they tried to cross the sea to Greece. French authorities said cross-Channel Eurostar trains were returning to normal yesterday after serious overnight

disruptions triggered by reports of migrants running on the undersea tunnel tracks and trying to climb atop trains. On a beach in Turkey, people pulled the bodies of migrants out of the water, including one of a little child, and clothes from migrants washed up on the sand.

Six other migrants were rescued and five remained missing when two boats carrying them from Bodrum to the nearby Greek island of Kos capsized yesterday. The private Dogan

Anti-government protests resume in Burundi

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nti-government protesters have resumed in some neighborhoods in Burundi’s capital after residents accused the police of harassment. Police have been disarming Bujumbura neighborhoods amid political tensions stemming from the president’s disputed re-election in July. Residents reported heavy gunfire overnight and yesterday morning as police searched neighborhoods for firearms. In the volatile Musaga area, protesters threw

Cattle war rages amid CAR’s sectarian violence

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Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The value of cattle has caused herds to be alternatively pillaged or massacred by raiders in virtually all sectors of the country’s north and west.

That campaign has choked off supplies to the capital, Bangui, causing the PK 12 cattle auction and slaughterhouse to the north of the city to be shuttered. “Herd figures have dropped by 77 percent compared to levels before the crisis, due to mass slaughter and theft,” said the FAO. The agricultural violence is the most recent reverberation of unrest

following the March 2013 overthrow of President Francois Bozize by Muslim Seleka rebels in favour of their leader, Michel Djotodia. Djotodia was forced to step aside in turn for failing to quell sectarian violence between Seleka members and Christian militias known as the anti-balaka, whose deadly clashes erupted in 2013 and 2014 across the country.

The primary human victims of the recent cattle war chapter of that conflict are Mbororo livestock farmers members of the Muslim Fula ethnic group caught between anti-balaka and Seleka hatred.

Protesters escalate campaign in Lebanon

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ebanon’s divided gover nment appeared powerless yesterday to address a growing protest campaign that began with frustration over rubbish collection and ballooned into anger at a stagnant and corrupt political class. On Tuesday night, the situation turned briefly violent when police ejected several dozen protesters from the “You Stink” campaign who had occupied part of the environment ministry to press the minister to resign.

In a sign of the ongoing impotence of the political class, parliament failed yester-

day for the 28th time to elect a new president. The post has been empty since May 2014, and the legislature is so politically divided that every attempt to fill the job has failed.

This paralysis has increasingly become the target of “You Stink,” which is not only demanding that Environment Minister Mohamed Mashnuq step down, but also insisting on new parliamentary elections and accountability for violence against protesters.

Yesterday, “You Stink” activist Assaad Thebian said the campaign would continue after the environment ministry sit-in, which was broken

stones at police as others ran to safety amid gunfire and loud explosions.

Musaga resident Hussein Abdallah said they were protesting because the police have been making arrests even if they fail to find illegal guns. Burundi has been rocked by violence since it was announced in April that President Pierre Nkurunziza would run for a thirds term.

He won re-election amid frequent street protests in which at least 100 people were killed.

Malaysian PM must explain $700m in account –TI

Migrants protesting with a corpse at Budapest train station.

“cattle war” is raging amid the sectarian violence bloodying the Central African Republic, with herds massacred by grenade or machine gun, cows stolen, breeders kidnapped or murdered and reprisal strikes staged against rival villagers.

Targeting cattle within the country’s religious strife inflicts direct economic damage.

Trade in the livestock is a major source of income for around 300,000 people in the nation of five million, and constituted over 10 percent of GDP in the 2000s, according to the Food and Agriculture

agency said the dead included a mother and three children.

The Greek coast guard also recovered the body of a man south of the tiny island of Kalolimnos. It was unclear if he was connected to the Bodrum deaths. Hungary’s police said they intend to reinforce their positions outside the Keleti terminal as the volume of migrants arriving from Serbia grows by the hour, with an estimated 3,000 already encamped near the station.

up by police after eight hours.

“It seems that the government is persisting in ignoring the demands of the Lebanese people,” he said. “The leaders are in a state of political bankruptcy, incapable of taking any decision.” He said “You Stink” had “taken the movement up a notch” with the sit-in. “We also forced the minister to stay in his office for eight hours, which is rare for him!” Yesterday afternoon, Interior Minister Nuhad Mashnuq sought to forestall any repeat action “Any occupation, sit-in or damage to public institutions will be dealt with immediately according to the law and with force,” he warned.

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ransparency International said yesterday that Malaysia’s fight against corruption can’t be credible unless the truth is revealed about the $700 million found in Prime Minister Najib Razak’s personal accounts.

Najib has been fighting for political survival after leaked documents in July showed he received the money from entities linked to indebted state fund 1MDB. He later said the money was a donation from the Middle East.

Jose Ugaz, the president of Germany based Transparency International, warned yesterday that Malaysia is facing a “corruption crisis” and that questions over who gave Najib the money, why and what happened to it must be answered.

“We want to see more progress, but that cannot happen while there are unanswered questions about the $700 million that made its way into the prime minister’s personal bank account,” Ugaz said at the opening of a three day

international anti-corruption conference in Malaysia’s administrative capital of Putrajaya. He slammed recent actions taken by the government, including the firing of the attorney general investigating Najib and the suspension of an investigation task force. Najib also fired his deputy, who was critical of him, and four other Cabinet ministers. “These are not the actions of a government that is fighting corruption,” Ugaz said.

If Najib fails to fully explain the money, an independent investigation free from political interference is needed to uncover the truth, Ugaz said. “Until that happens, no claim from the government on anti-corruption will be credible,” he said. Tens of thousands of Malaysians held a mass rally in Kuala Lumpur over the weekend to demand Najib’s resignation over the financial scandal. A nation of 30 million, Malaysia is predominantly Malay Muslim, who form the core of the ruling party’s support.

Iran unveils anti-US plaque

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ore than a dozen hard line Iranian students have unveiled an antiAmerican plaque at the gate of the former US Embassy in Tehran. The plaque unveiled yesterday by the Basij paramilitary forces carries a list of condemnations of America uttered by the Islamic republic’s late founder, Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. During the gathering, the students set

fire to US, British and Israeli flags.

Iran and the US have had no diplomatic relations since 1979, when Iranian students stormed the embassy and took 52 Americans hostage for 444 days. Hardliners in Iran have stepped up displays of anti-American fervor since the signing of a landmark nuclear agreement with Washington and five world powers last month.

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 3, 2015

International

Hazard: I’ll never be a true scorer like Messi or Ronaldo

Tennis

Quadri moves up in ITTF rankings, eyes top 20

Sport News

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Thomas replaces Enyeama as Musa leads Eagles

Sport

Did you know?

That Ivo Karlovic is currently the oldest man in professional tennis at age 36. He also happens to be the biggest, standing tall at 6’11”.

I won’t dump Nigeria, says Okagbare ...laughs off nationality change option Emmanuel Tobi

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Nigeria’s Vincent Enyeama in action

Enyeama’s absence unsettles Oliseh

• NFF fumes as players panic

Ifeanyi Ibeh

T The Sport Team Adekunle Salami Group Sport Editor

Emmanuel Tobi Assistant Sport Editor

Ifeanyi Ibeh Sport Correspondent

Ajibade Olusesan Sport Correspondent

Charles Ogundiya Sport Correspondent

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

he withdrawal of Super Eagles captain Vincent Enyeama from Nigeria’s squad for the African Cup of Nations qualifier against Tanzania has thrown a cog in the wheel of coach Sunday Oliseh’s preparation for the crucial encounter.

Oliseh confirmed to the media in Abuja on Wednesday that Enyeama sent a message informing him that he would not be available for the match due to pressing family issues, a move the coach described as “so unfortunate.”

Enyeama apparently pulled out of the Tanzania encounter after he rowed with the Nigeria Football Federation over his comments regarding the safety of the northern Nigerian town of Kaduna for another AFCON qualifier against Chad in June.

“The late withdrawal has put me in a tight corner. He asked to be withdrawn from the team. And the reason for that I don’t know, I think it’s best you ask the player,” said Oliseh who was instrumental to pardoning of the goalie after the NFF threatened a heavy sanction.

New Telegraph can report that Enyeama’s absence has sent jitters into

mbattled African queen of the tracks, Blessing Okagbare, has stated that she is not contemplating dumping Nigeria for another country despite her poor outing and the controversy that surrounded her performance at the just concluded World Athletics Championships in Beijing.

The double Commonwealth Games champion finished last in the 100m final and controversially missed out on the 200m event claiming a hamstring injury which later generated a lot of remarks after it was discovered that she had an altercation with some officials of the Athletic Federation of Nigeria.

The Delta-State born sprinter further fuelled the controversy with her ranting on her facebook page where she slammed her critics and journalists.

One of her fans on facebook Abiodun Bakare on Wednesday urged her to dump Nigeria for another country saying, “Blessing why not naturalise to another country where you can achieve all the success in you because

the camp of the Eagles as most of the players believe his presence as the leader of the team and his ability as a world class goalkeeper always help to pull the team through in difficult times.

“It is so sad our captain is not around but we have to summon courage and battle like wounded lions in Tanzania,” said a player who pleaded anonymity.

Meanwhile, an official of the Nigeria Football Federation who also does not want his name in print has expressed disappointment with Enyeama’s attitude, describing it as unpatriotic.

“The fact is that those excuses are not reasonable enough to stop him from coming to represent his country in a crucial Nations Cup qualifier. This is totally unpatriotic and unacceptable,” he said.

In Enyeama’s absence, Wolves goalkeeper Carl Ikeme is now expected to make his Eagles debut in Dar es Salaam on Saturday afternoon.

“I will just try and do what I do in my club. I will not be under pressure but I will give my best. I am not going to try and be Vincent (Enyeama), but I will just try and play my own game and give my best,” he assured fans.

I believe you are better than those Jamaicans. What you need is just support.”

Okabare however replied with excitement, reiterating her commitment to Nigeria.

“Thanks for making me laugh. I understand what you are saying perfectly, but I have made my vows to stay with Nigeria no matter the circumstances. It is hard though but I have come too far to give up,” she added.

The 26-year old completed a disappointing Championship on Sunday in China by losing out in the race for a place on the IAAF Athletes Commission.

Okagbare who could only muster 424 votes thereby placing 11th and five places below the cut-off was among the 16 candidates who put their names forward for the six places on offer, with all 1,873 athletes accredited for t h e IAAF World Championships eligible to vote.

Okagbare

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Sport

THURSDAY SETEMBER 3, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Hazard: I’ll never be a true scorer like Messi or Ronaldo C helsea forward Eden Hazard admits that he “will never be a true scorer” as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are.

Having been crowned Player of the Year after driving the Blues to the Premier League title last term, the Belgian has been talked up as having the potential to rival the Barcelona and Real Madrid stars.

With 19 goals to his name in all competitions last season, manager Jose Mourinho

and team-mate Cesc Fabreas were among those to hail Hazard’s potential.

However, the 24-year-old says that he is not convinced of rivalling Ronaldo or Messi – who have been crowned the world’s best player five times between them – in terms of goals.

“I often ask myself what I can do to become like Messi and Ronaldo and score 50 or 60 goals in a season,” Hazard told Sport/Foot Magazine.

“I try of course but I realise that I will never be a true scorer. It’s not in me. It is mainly mental - at 2-0, not thinking that is enough, for example.

Sometimes I still think, after a goal, ‘that’s enough’.

“I’m not in search of records like some other players... if I can score between 15 and 20 goals each season, I will be very happy.

“I’m at a peak of my career but I want to become even better every day. I’m not there yet.”

Being unknown is normal – Martial

N Hazard (left)

Zlatan: AC Milan not Arsenal wanted me

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latan Ibrahimovic claims AC Milan were “a bit desperate” to sign him but the Paris Saint-Germain striker admits there was no offer on the table from Arsenal.

Rumours had suggested that the French champions were willing to sell the 33-year-old this summer, with Arsenal, AC Milan, Manchester United and Inter all linked with moves.

Speaking during a press

conference with the Swedish national side, Ibrahimovic said, “A lot of interest but I said from the beginning that I will stay with PSG. I like it, we have a good team, my family feel good and it’s just positive with Paris and PSG. But they wanted, they wanted much.”

On Arsenal’s reported interest, the forward replied: “No, so the interest that existed, I have not committed myself to.

ew Manchester United signing Anthony Martial insists it’s “normal” to hear that Wayne Rooney does not know who he is.

Morgan Schneiderlin revealed that the United captain asked about the 19-year-old, who became the world’s mostexpensive teenager on deadline day after joining from Monaco in a deal that could eventually be worth up to 80 million (£59m).

“It’s normal that he [Rooney] does not know me,” Martial told reporters.

“I have not played in Ligue 1 a lot and this is the first time I’m in the France team. But I’m happy to go there. He is a great player and I will progress a lot with him.

“I don’t know if I’m worth 80 million. I do not think about the amounts. The amount is between the two clubs. I do not put myself under particular pressure.”

Roof will help top players, says Federer

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Federer

oger Federer has said that the addition of a roof to the Arthur Ashe Stadium at the US Open will favour the top players.

The structure is in place over the biggest court at Flushing Meadows for the first time in 2015, and will be a fullyfunctioning retractable roof by next year’s tournament like that over Centre Court at Wimbledon.

The second seed, who is a five-time champion in New York, told report-

ers: “It has changed. Forever. I think it’s going to increase the level of play from all players.

“If you don’t have to fight the wind you can play closer to the lines and make it better tennis. So probably it might be better for the top guys, my opinion.”

Federer faces Belgium’s Steve Darcis in the second round of the tournament after beating Argentina’s Leonardo Mayer in straight sets on Tuesday.

Iheanacho axed from Champions League squad Ajibade Olusesan

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elechi Iheanacho’s dream of playing UEFA Champions League has been dashed after his name was omitted from Manchester City’s 25-man squad for the competition this season.

The Nigerian youngster was not registered for the premium competition because of UEFA’s rules that limit foreign players to 17 in

a 25-man squad.

The striker had a slim chance of making the cut after the departure of Stevan Jovetic and Edin Dzeko this summer freed up two slots but the late arrival of Kevin De Bruyne and Nicolas Otamendi put paid to that.

UEFA’s rule is stricter, stipulating that an under-21 player must have been at the club for two consecutive years before they become a “free” addition to the squad.

Iheanacho

Muyiwa Daniel on Thursday

md_muyiwa@yahoo.com 08023525087 (sms only)

D’Tigers as Nigeria’s blessing!

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he Lagos National Stadium has served as reporters nest in the last four decades-at least from a personal experience. The bug for reportage was caught early as a youth witnessing the swimmersJohn and Evelyn Ebito pick medals from the pool just like the Egyptian mermaid-Fanten Afifi-who fished out seven gold medals-just like American, Michael Phelps-from the pool at the 2nd All-Africa Games. We-the reporters-had been schooled in the art of giving a meaning to the four “W” and “H” from that stadium to the newsrooms. The What, Where, When, Why and How became the creed in pursuance of excellence.

We added the runs to the Rowe Park Sports Centreor Mobolaji Johnson at the Adekunle area which was once one of the Government Reserved Areas(GRAs) of Lagos as bequeathed by the British colonialists but had been turned into slum and dreaded environment for cultists. Then we reported professional sports administrators running that aspect of our lives especially during the tenure of former international-Jide Johnson-a man whose memory still yearns for recognition by the state. He was followed in office by physical and health education “experts” Dr. Abdulfatai Adio Folawiyo and his assistant-Adedeji Shinaba.

Reporting Rowe Park and those grassroots developers was a delight and stiff challenge.

That was combined with reportage of the State League and FA Cup at the Onikan Stadium while the UAC (now Teslim Balogun) hosted the LAFA League, Oba Cup and the intercollegiate-Principals cup. Our bosses then were always in the comfort of their offices Chief Ajibade Fashina-Thomas who had edited the Daily Express and Punch newspapers. He was assisted by Adeoye Mabo, Abiola Laguda (ABILAGS) and our closest ally-Kunle Sewoniku. The reporter “sneak” into the complex and move to various associations for their scoops and “dash” to the offices before the editors complete their daily runs.

That had been the unforgettable experience where the country’s most successful director-of-sports, Isaac Akioye, held sway in development policies with assistance from the United States, Cuba, Germany and Hungary. It was

one of such that gave breadth and life to the National Institute for Sports (NIS). Within the complex, we sat with the sports icons as we have done in the last month with the trials for this weekend’s All-Africa Games opener in Congo watching the trials of boxers, tabletennis players and the season’s basketball play-offs. Also veteran Tony Oghuma had been putting together the volleyball team and hoping he can clone current NSC director-general, Alhassan Yakmut.

As usual, we wanted information as to how safe it would be for Lagos-our dear Lagosto host the the Sierra Leone versus Cote d’Ivoire match on the fringe of the Ebola crisis but had assurances from the Lagos State FA that all will be well with the government putting on alert its medics for the team and delegation.

That was before the game was moved to Port Harcourt We ruminated through Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh, watching his first domestic league game in Ibadan with Shooting Stars and as usual drifted to Europe with the four-week old league In each of the Premiership, Budesliga, French Ligue 1, La Liga and Serie A. Deep down, our thoughts were very much in Rades-Tunisia-as from Ipads, notebooks and the internet, we monitored proceedings in basketball version of the Africa Cup of Nations-Afro Basket Championships.

On this day, it was what will happen in the semi-final against Senegal-a team that trounced the D’Tigers two seasons back. We had lost hope in the World Athletics Championships after the biggest hope was dashed through Blessing Okagbare’s crash and it rubbed off the entire team while Usain Bolt took everyone especially Justin Gatlin to cleaners in 100m, 200m and the relays while new IAAF President, Sir Sebastian Coe, promised a look into how grants are disbursed by Federations as athletes voted with their feet from Africa to the Arab world.

Then like thunderbolt the D’ Tigers struck. With Abdulfarouq Aminu and his brother, Lawal, Chamberlain Oguchi hit the Senegalese in overtime to face perennial champions-Angola- in the final. They ran riot Sunday and for the first time with a 74-65 victory ruled Africa. Take a bow, guys. We are proud of you!

Sport News 47

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY SETEMBER 3, 2015

Quadri moves up in ITTF rankings, eyes top 20 Ajibade Olusesan

A

runa Qaudri has continued his steady rise on the International Table Tennis Federation rankings after he jumped from 56th in the world to 43 in the September rankings.

The Nigerian who saw his fortune nosedive shortly after he was named 2014 ITTF Star Player of the Year appears to have arrested the slump and is making a steady progress on the world rankings.

He was number 60th in the world two months ago but moved four places last month.

And after another impressive showing at the last Czech Open where he reached the quarterfinal, the Nigerian gathered more points to move 13 places in the September rankings. He scored 2,262 points to become the second highest-ranked African player. He is behind rival, Egypt’s Omar Omar, who is 36th in the world.

The ping pong player told New Telegraph that he was ex-

cited about the progress and now targets top-20 in a short period of time. He said he would have moved a lot higher in the latest rankings if he had not lost in the quarter final of the Czech Open due to injury.

“I dropped in the rankings because I was thinking about a lot of things including lack of support from my country. But I have put that behind me and want to concentrate on my game. I have my target which is to break into the top 20 very soon. I know it is achievable,” he said.

Thomas replaces Enyeama as Musa leads Eagles

E

Musa

nyimba goalkeeper Femi Thomas has been called up to replace Vincent Enyeama after the Super Eagles skipper withdrew from the AFCON 2017 qualifying game with Tanzania.

Thomas was initially called up by Oliseh when the team resumed camping a couple of weeks ago but didn’t make the cut after only five home-based players got Oliseh’s nod to join up with the foreign-based pros.

Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper Carl Ikeme and Sunshine Stars of Akure’s Ikechukwu Ezenwa are the two goalkeepers in camp and Thomas will join up with them

GTBank Principal’s Cup will revive women’s football – Chiejine Emmanuel Tobi

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ormer Super Falcons captain, Ann Chiejine, has called for more focus on academicals like the GTBank Principal’s Cup which she described as a platform to discover and nature talents for the female national teams.

Chiejine who is one of the coaching crew for the 2015 edition of the Camp GTBank, an annual football development programme sponsored by Guaranty Trust Bank, stressed that efforts should be geared towards the replacement of the ageing players in the women national teams.

“Our biggest challenge in women football is getting

new players to replace the older one but programmes like the the GTBank Principal’s Cup will help to remedy the situation, ”she said.

Camp GTBank, a residential camp designed to train and develop outstanding footballing talents discovered from GTBank sponsored youth football leagues, Principal’s and Masters Cups, has 40 participants selected from the GTBankLagos State Principal’s Cup, GTBank-Ogun State Principals Cup and GTBank Masters Cup competitions.

The programme which started on August 31 at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in Ibadan, Oyo State, will come to an end on September 7.

Beat Tanzania, Glo charges Eagles

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ponsor of Nigerian national teams, Globacom, has advised the Super Eagles to embrace the new dawn inspired by the team’s new technical crew and show the stuff they are made of when they play the Tanzanian national team this weekend in Dares Salaam.

Globacom, in a statement in Lagos on Wednesday said, “It’s a crucial encounter from which the Eagles must

emerge victorious and take the commanding position in the group,” Globacom said.

“We believe that the stiff competition for shirts among the Eagles introduced by Coach Sunday Oliseh would help to raise a daring squad that would make Nigeria’s qualification for the Gabon 2017 finals a possibility,” the statement added, stressing, “the Match is a must-win for Nigeria.”

now.

Meanwhile, Ahmed Musa has been tipped to captain the side, albeit in an interim capacity until the situation about Enyeama’s future with the national team is resolved.

The CSKA Moscow striker, who has the highest number of caps in the absence of John Obi Mikel, has been in top form, scoring five goals in the Russian top flight this season.

“I’m not under any pressure to lead the team because I have done that against South Africa [in March 2015] and by the grace of God we’re going over there for the three points,” Musa said.

Quadri

NPL: Enyimba whip IfeanyiUbah to increase lead Charles Ogundiya

E

nyimba of Aba on Wednesday whipped IfeanyiUbah FC 4-0 to tighten their grip at the top of the Nigeria Professional Football League table.

Two goals in each half was enough for the People’s Elephant to increase their lead at the top of the table to five points after their closest rival, Sunshine Stars played a barren draw against Heartland of Owerri.

The Akure Gunners hop-

ping to do the double against the Naze Millionaires failed to convert their chances in a game they needed to win. They had earlier defeated Heartland 3-0 when both sides met in the first half of the season.

Speaking after the goaless draw, Sunshine Coach, Kennedy Boboye, said, “We did our best but the result didn’t come our way, we had played draws away and won games away too,” Boboye said.

“I have to give kudos to Heartland for giving us a big fight,” he added.

AfroBasket: FIBA Africa Zone 3 hails D’ Tigers Ifeanyi Ibeh

T

he executive board of the FIBA Africa Zone 3 on Tuesday sent a formal congratulatory message to Nigeria’s D’Tigers following their victory at the just concluded AfroBasket 2015

in Tunisia.

Nigeria defeated Angola 7465 to become African champions and qualify for next year’s Olympic Games.

And according to the president of FIBA Africa Zone 3, Colonel Samuel Ahmedu (rtd), the victory is one wor-

D’Tigers players lifting their coach, William Voigt, up high after winning AfroBasket 2015

NIGERIA PREMIER LEAGUE MATCH DAY 27 RESULTS FC Taraba 2-0 Sharks Enyimba 4-0 Ifeanyiubah Bayelsa Utd 1-0 Giwa FC Lobi Stars 1-0 Dolphins Akwa Utd 1-1 El-Kanemi Rangers 2-0 Wikki Warri Wolves 4-0 Shooting Abia Warriors 1-0 Nasarawa Kano Pillars 1-0 Kwara Utd Sunshine 0-0 Heartland

thy of celebrating given the fact that it is the country’s maiden AfroBasket title.

Ahmedu, a renowned critic of the Tijjani Umar-led Nigerian Basketball Federation, noted that divergence of opinion is good for any polity and where there is such divergence it should not be taken to a ridiculous level of hatred.

“Positively, on a personal note I congratulate D’Tigers and Nigeria for this championship win,” he said. “It is hoped we can take advantage of this victory to build our basketball and not waste its goodwill like we did with our qualification for the 2012 Olympics.

“If we cannot build the local league and give the so called home-based players a sense of belonging, then our victory will be a pyrrhic one.”

Dynamic FC wins African Nations Challenge Charles Ogundiya

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ynamic FC, Orile Agege, has emerged champions of the 1st African Nations Football Challenge, a grassroots competition played at the NYSC orientation camp, Iyana Ipaja, Lagos.

The team representing Equatorial Guinea defeated Mosan Okunola Boys, Alimosho (Senegal), 7-6 on penalties after the regulation time ended 1-1.

It was a sweet revenge for the team which had earlier lost 1-0 to Mosan Okunola Boys during the group stage of the competition.

Speaking to New Telegraph after the victory, the coach of Dynamic FC, Femi Folarin, said the victory was as a result of hard work.

“I am happy for my boys, because they were not expected to get this far, but thankfully we won the trophy,” he said.

In his own words, the organiser of the competition, ADWAAIK Sports International, Adewale Adebayo, said,”I single handedly sponsored the competition but I hope from next year we to have sponsors.”

He however appreciated the Lagos State ministry of youth, sports and social development for their support towards the success of the competition.

On Marble

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Buhari @ 100: Appointments fritter goodwill

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resident Muhammadu Buhari told Nigerians during the campaign that he is a converted democrat. On his inauguration Day May 29, 2015, he told them again this time, with the global political community that he belongs to everyone and to nobody.

However, clear indicators show that President Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is not living up to his own words and for this, the huge goodwill that accompanied his Presidency is vanishing.

With about 31 key appointments made and 27 of them from one region, the person behind such lopsidedness cannot in all honesty convince anybody that he is a democrat and that he belongs to everybody and to nobody.

What is correct is that President Buhari, who claimed to be a converted democrat, has rather displayed the characteristics of a General, who after three attempts to conquer a territory, gets through on the fourth attempt and is now taking his pound of flesh on all those variables that subjected him to prolonged battle.

Those who helped him to get through the battle on the fourth attempt will soon discover to their dismay that they may not be judged necessarily by their roles at the fourth attempt in isolation of their roles in frustrating the three previous attempts, as there is no evidence of such large heart to letting the bygone be.

So in Buhari’s conquered territory, it appears that the North is Nigeria and the other zones of the country are colonies apparently in line with Sarduna of Sokoto’s widely published statement in the 60s that Southern Nigeria is a conquered territory as the North owns Nigeria. Those finding President Buhari’s geo- political and gender sectional appointments embarrassing, need to know a little of the issues raised above for proper understanding of their leader.

If President Buhari is truly a converted democrat, he should have known that those who injected federal character principle into the nation’s constitution knew that it is the core to our national peace and stability.

Perhaps, the only area one can ignore federal character principle and get away with it in this country, if you record success is in selecting players for our national football teams.

That notwithstanding, even managers of this very popular and emotive round leather game have not ignored federal character principles, hence the long survival of players like Garba Lawal, Tijani Babangida and Daniel Amokachi in the national team and the deliberate balancing of coaching crew in all our national teams.

If therefore a football manager can accommodate federal character principle, why should a political manager at the level of a President of a country of over 200 ethnic nationalities not find it important and necessary to carry everybody along and give a sense of belonging to the citizens.

One may attempt feebly to rationalize President Buhari’s handicap of

Political Musings IKE ABONYI

igwebuike2001@yahoo.com 08024024029 (sms only)

Buhari

not knowing much of the rest of the country because of his introversive life, but he should have made use of his party men since he did not win as an independent candidate.

The politically unhealthy development surrounding appointments so far is a big threat to national cohesion and unity because time is long gone when someone thinks he can move the country forward without carrying other components of the geo-political entity.

Not even the North who are benefiting from this obvious indiscretion are in jubilation because they know the implication. Except for those promoting anarchy, the likes of Dr. Junaid Muhammad, reasonable Northern leaders who reacted to the lop-sidedness in the Buhari’s appointments have been cautious and remorseful because they appreciate the danger that awaits the greedy dog who eats its own share of the bone and goes for that of others just because it has the might.

Even the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is not too comfortable with the development, not necessarily because its active members are being sidelined, but more to the fact that the one sidedness in the appointments so far is capable of affecting the electoral fortunes of the party.

The sensible and strategically political thing to do by any political party conscious of the voting power of the people is to be sensitive and to avoid any action that could undermine its electoral fortunes. Rather than snub areas where it did not get votes, a sensible political party should have deliberate policy to woo voters

from such area.

So far APC as a party has not demonstrated any seriousness at getting the people of the South East to switch their political support from PDP to them.

For instance, instead of encouraging the few federal legislators of APC from the South East by accommodating them in the leadership of the House of Representatives, they snubbed them and prefer instead to saturate the South West with both Deputy Speaker and leader of the House, leaving the South East with nothing at that level.

Ditto in the Senate, where the APC has not accommodated the South East and has refused to see the providence in the emergence of a PDP’s Ike Ekweremadu as the Deputy Senate President, who it is working round the clock to remove.

During the Second Republic, yours sincerely recalls that the defunct ruling National Party of Nigeria (NPN) made deliberate effort to give recognition to the few areas the party got votes in the states controlled by the Unity party of Nigeria (UPN) and Nigeria Peoples Party (NPP) in the South West and South East respectively.

Even in this latest democratic dispensation, in 1999, President Olusegun Obasanjo did not get votes from his South West people, but rather than deprive them of appointments, he accommodated them with juicy positions and was able to lure them into PDP in 2003.

Also President Goodluck Jonathan who did not get votes from the North West, did not throw them away, but gave such strategic positions as NSA, Minister of Defence, and Inspector General Police and others to the zone.

If President Buhari is really a party man and a converted democrat as he claims, appointment time is when he should listen to his party.

This is also time for him to be conscious of his age and experience as a former Head of State and equally take into cognizance his highly acclaimed word marble of “belonging to everybody and to nobody”. He should also improve on the current perceived sectional character of his party.

Some unconvincing defence from his supporters in this matter that the appointment he has made so far is his personal staff has not been helpful, as he, as the father of the nation is supposed to see the whole country as his family, and moreover what is personal in the SGF, Comptrollers General of Customs, Immigration or heads of AMCON, NIMASA, FIRS, Service chiefs? But even then, is something not strange for over 30 ‘personal staff ’ to be assembled without somebody

from the South East? Was Andy Uba, from the South East, not domestic assistant to then President Obasanjo?

Was Hassan Tukur, from the North East not the most powerful man in the Jonathan’s Presidency?

This macho man attitude of “I don’t care; I can do without you” in dealing with the other parts of the country on political matters is certainly not an ingredient that lubricates nerves in a democratic dispensation.

Ironically, President Buhari and APC who have been breathing down on the supposedly independent legislative arm for not toeing the lines of the party and trying to arm twist the Senate President and the Speaker, have gone ahead to jettison the party’s zoning arrangement on the Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF in the name of using his own constitutionally guaranteed discretion.

What a double standard! Is what is good for the goose no longer good for the gander?

If anybody should be worried about these apparent narrow political decisions, it should be President Buhari and his image managers because of the devastating effect it is having on his goodwill. Roman author Cornelius Nepos warned clearly that “no government is safe unless fortified by goodwill” The little achievements recorded so far in the 100 days of this administration, most of them largely due to the body language and the anti-corruption credentials of the President, are being endangered by this misjudgment in distribution of political positions.

There is no doubt that the President needs all the goodwill he can get in his anti-corruption war, and he can only achieve that if he is seen as an unbiased leader ready and willing to carry every citizen along, irrespective of geo political, religious and ethnic interests. May God help President Buhari lead this country aright.

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