Tuesday, july 5, 2016 binder1 by Newtelegraphonline

Skye Bank: Why we struck, by CBN

lChairman, MD, EDs resign lAhmad, Abiru take over management Tony Chukwunyem

he Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has attributed its in-

tervention in Skye Bank Plc. to the lender’s failure to meet minimum capital ratios. Governor of the apex

bank, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, disclosed this at a press conference in Lagos yesterday. But the new Chairman

of the Skye Bank, Alhaji Muhammad Ahmad, has assured the shareholders, customers and depositors of the bank of his com-

mitment to preserve their investments and deposits. Emefiele explained that Skye Bank's liquidity and CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Emefiele

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Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Court to Sheriff: You’ve ceased to be PDP chair }5

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Vol. 3 No. 867

Sheriff

Fani-Kayode, Usman, others get N1bn bail }5

Fani-Kayode

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DG Law School, 21 others make new SAN list }5

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15 die as truck crushes commercial buses }8

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Buhari replaces Kachikwu as NNPC GMD, Baru takes over …Kyari, Akinyelure, Lawal, Umar, others constitute board }2 lFG arraigns Diezani’s associate, Omokore, ex-NNPC chiefs

suicide bombers attack mosques, shopping malls in Saudi cities }44

A scene of the attack near the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia... yesterday

Four Catholic priests arrested for gun attack lDPO sustains injuries, recuperating in hospital

Marijuana may cure Alzheimer disease - Study

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TUESDAY, July 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Buhari replaces Kachikwu as NNPC GMD, Baru takes over Adeola Yusuf and Anule Emmanuel

resident Muhammadu Buhari has removed Dr. Ibe Kachikwu as the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). In his stead, the president has appointed Dr. Maikanti Kacalla Baru as the new NNPC GMD. Buhari, however, retained Kachikwu as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and chairman, board of the NNPC. His removal came exactly 11 months after his appointment as NNPC GMD.

Buhari appointed Kachikwu GMD on August 4, 2015 from his position as Executive Vice Chairman and General Counsel of Exxon Mobil (Africa). Kachikwu was, in November 2015, appointed as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources to combine the two positions. The president has been under pressure in the last few months to remove Kachikwu from his dual portfolios of GMD and minister. Buhari also doubles as Minister of Petroleum Resources. The president, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity,

Mr. Femi Adesina, also approved the composition of the Board of the NNPC as provided for under Section 1(2) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Act of 1997, as amended. Kachikwu is the chairman of the board with Baru as a member. Members of the NNPC board approved by the president also include the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance and six other persons. They are Mallam Abba Kyari, Chief of Staff to the President; national vice chairman (South-West) of the All Progressives Con-

gress (APC), Dr. Pius O. Akinyelure; Dr. Thomas M.A John, Dr. Tajuddeen Umar, Mallam Mohammed Lawal, and Mallam Yusuf Lawal. The president, in the statement announcing the appointments, urged the new board to ensure the successful delivery of the mandate of the NNPC "and serve the nation by upholding the public trust placed on them in managing this critical national asset." Until his appointment yesterday, Baru, was the Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production of the corporation. Baru attended Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in

Kaduna State where he obtained Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) with a first class honours. He also holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical engineering. Baru had worked in various capacities in both the Upstream and Downstream Sectors of NNPC. These include Group General Manager of Greenfield Refinery Projects, Managing Director of Hyson, Executive Director of Nigerian Gas Company (NGC), General Manager (Gas Division) of NAPIMS; Manager (Operations), Procurement Management Services and Manager (Engineering) for

National Engineering and Technical Company Limited (NETCO). His leadership at NAPIMS which spanned from July 1993 to July 1999 saw him executing several gas projects which are utilising billions of standard cubic feet of gas per day. Several other ongoing projects were also conceptualised under his watch. He planned the projects that would ensure flare-out by 2008 and made huge savings while overseeing the Joint Venture Gas Projects. He was also the NNPC’s Chief Technical Negotiator on the West African Gas Pipeline project from July 1999 to April 2004.

FG arraigns Diezani’s associate, Omokore, ex-NNPC chiefs

…on money laundering, procurement fraud lDrop charge against Jonathan’s minister Tunde Oyesina ABUJA

he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arraigned an associate of former Petroleum Minister, Mrs. Deziani Alison-Madueke, businessman, Mr. Jide Omokore, for using his company to defraud Nigeria and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) of over $663 million. The anti-graft agency arraigned Omokore and five others before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on a nine-count charge bothering on money laundering and procurement fraud. Others arraigned alongside Omokore are Atlantic Energy Brass Development Ltd, Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Ltd, Victor Briggs, former managing director of NPDC; Abiye Membere, former Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production of NNPC; David Mbanefo, manager Planning and Commercial of the NNPC. Omokore is alleged to have used the Strategic Alliance Agreement signed between the NPDC and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Limited to swindle the NPDC and the Nigerian government of monies

€40.8m

The estimated transfer value of Roberto Firmino of Liverpool in 2016. Source: 101greatgoals.com

The number of refugees and people in refugee-like situation assisted by UNHCR in Montenegro at the beginning of 2010. Source: Blatantworld.com

Omokore

running into billions of dollars through the lifting of crude oil from some oil wells between March 2013 and May 2014. The other accused persons who were senior management staff of the NNPC are accused of conspiracy in inducing the NPDC to facilitate the lifting of crude by Omokore, Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Limited. They are equally charged with receiving car gifts from Omokore, Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Limited. In the statement of claim, the prosecution had alleged that during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Atlantic Energy, alongside other companies, was given multibillion dollar worth of public assets without due process. The prosecution added that at the time, the company, which was barely a year old and had no history of producing a droplet of oil, was awarded controlling stakes in two lucrative oil blocs – OML 30 and 34 – for just over $50 million each.

Membere

"The deal, which was signed by the immediate past Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke, gave Atlantic Energy Limited a controlling 55 percent stake in the oil block. "Interestingly, Shell, which owned the remaining 45 per cent stake, fetched $1.3 billion for a single field after an open and competitive bidding process," the prosecution added. In the charge, Omokore and other defendants were alleged to have, by false pretence, defrauded NPDC, NNPC and the Federal Government of Nigeria to deliver 7,551, 867 barrels of crude oil (Brass blend) valued at the sum of $823,075,189.95, through the medium of contact (Strategic Alliance Agreement) which delivery was induced by false pretence. One of the charges read: *That you, Olajide Jones Omokore, Atlantic Energy Brass Development Ltd, Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Ltd and Kolawole Akanni Aluko (now at large) between May 2013 and March 2014, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, obtained by false pretence and with

Briggs

intent to defraud 7,551, 867 barrels of crude oil (Brass blend) valued at the sum of $823,075,189.95 from Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Federal Government of Nigeria on the false pretence that you had funds (both local and foreign) necessary to support the Nigerian Petroleum Company Ltd in Petroleum operation for the OML 60, 61, 62 and 63 and you thereby committed an offence, contrary to Section 1 (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other fraud related offences Act CAP A6 2010 Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act. When the charge was read to the defendants, they all pleaded not guilty. The court, however, struck out the names of Alison-Madueke and a businessman, Chief Kolawole Akanni Aluko from the criminal charges before it. Aluko is a joint owner of Atlantic Energy with Omokore. While Madueke is in the United Kingdom, Aluko is said to be at large. The trial judge, Justice

Mbanefo

Binta Nyako, struck out their names after the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacob (SAN) made an oral application to that effect. Jacobs said that since the issue of Aluko and Alison-Madueke's absence was going to stop the defendants from taking their plea, it was better that their names be struck out of the matter. He said that both Aluko and Alison-Madueke would be charged separately. Earlier, Mr. Rafiu Lawal (SAN), counsel to Omokore, had told the court that the defendants could not take their plea since Aluko, whose name also appeared on the charge sheet was said to be at large. Lawal noted that the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) made it mandatory for all accused to be in court. He said that if his client took his plea and the case proceeded and his client was found not guilty and Aluko was found guilty, he could say he was not served and the process would have to begin afresh. Mr. Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), counsel to the fourth defendant, said he agreed with Lawal.

Oyetibo said that the prosecution needed to put its house in order before arraigning the defendants. “It is well settled in our jurisprudence that the proceeding without service on one of the defendants, no matter how well the procedure is conducted, it will be a nullity. “It is clear that Aluko has been charged and since no one has announced appearance for him, if we waste precious time conducting judicial proceedings and he eventually says he was not served, it will amount to a nullity,” he said. Oyetibo said that there must be proof that Aluko was served with the originating processes even through substituted service. He said it was an issue the prosecution could not gloss over, adding that as a result, the arraignment was not ripe. The judge suggested that since Aluko's name was being struck out on account of his absence, that of Alison-Madueke would also be struck out since she too was absent. She adjourned the case till October 19 and 20 for commencement of trial.

TUESDAY, July 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

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TUESDAY, July 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Disquiet as Police Commission appoints 7 DIGs l'Indicted' AIG now DIG

Our Correspondent

he Police Service Commission (PSC) yesterday announced the appointment of seven new Deputy Inspectors-General (DIGs) of Police, amidst complaints of alleged favouritism and perceived lack of transparency in one or two instances. In a statement signed by the Head, Press and Public Relations, Mr. Ikechukwu Ani, the commission said the appointment of the DIGs, who will automatically constitute the Police Management Team (PMT), has since been transmitted to the Acting InspectorGeneral of Police (IGP), Mr. Ibrahim Idris, for implementation.

The newly-promoted DIGs, which includes former Assistant InspectorsGeneral (AIGs) of Police, as well as Commissioners of Police (CPs), are: AIG Shuaibu Gambo (DIG, Department of Finance and Administration), CP Joshak Habila (DIG, Department of Operations), CP Maigari Abbati Dikko (DIG, Department of Logistics and Supply), CP H. M. Dagala (DIG, Department of FCIID), CP Emmanuel T. Inyang (DIG, Department of Training and Development), CP Ntom Chukwu (DIG, Department of Research and Planning), and CP Folusho A. Adebanjo (DIG Department of ICT). Appointed, as Force Secretary is AIG Abdul Bube who, until his promotion, was a CP.

Eid-el-Fitri: IGP orders AIGs, CPs to beef up security Emmanuel Onani Abuja

he Acting InspectorGeneral of Police (IGP), Mr. Ibrahim Idris, has directed zonal Assistant Inspectors-General (AIGs) of Police, and Commissioners of Police (CPs) in charge of State Commands, to ensure adequate security is provided during Eid-el-Fitri celebration. Specifically, the IGP, in a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Mr. Don Awunah, a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), asked the AIGs and CPs to deploy personnel around worship and recreation centres, as well as other vulnerable places. Idris also felicitated with Muslim faithful, as they celebrate Eid-el-Fitri. “IGP Idris has also ordered all Zonal Headquarters and Command Commissioners of Police to ensure adequate security in their areas of responsibilities throughout the duration of the celebration, warning that officers should be deployed evenly to cover the highways, worship and recreation centres, government installations and all vulnerable points in order to give Nigerians feasible sense of safety and security as they celebrate the Eid-el-fitri and go about their lawful business,” the statement said. While assuring that the Force under his leadership will be people-driven, the IGP emphasised the need for cooperation between the public and the police, to enhance national security. Idris said that the Nigeria Police Force under his watch would be people-ori-

ented and problem solving police. He said nobody should be afraid to give useful information to the police, as every information will be treated with the confidentiality it deserves.

Meanwhile, there is disquiet arising from the appointment of new DIGs, as some groups have alleged lack of transparency in some aspects of the promotion. A very senior official, who spoke in confidence with New Telegraph shortly before the announcement of the new DIGs, picked holes in the reason adduced for the retirement of 21 AIGs by the Police Commission. It will be recalled that the PSC has predicated the retirement of the AIGs on the ground that they were senior to the Acting IGP.

But, the highly placed source had drawn the attention of New Telegraph to the fact that one of the newly-appointed DIGs was senior to Idris, as at the time of the latter's appointment as the 19th IGP. This was as this newspaper gathered that an DIG (name withheld) was allegedly indicted by a Police investigation team on the abduction of Ese Oruru. He was said to be AIG in charge of Zone 1, Kano, when the Ese saga was said to have been reported. Another instance the source gave to buttress the argument in some quar-

18.05%

The percentage of individuals using the internet in Bahrain in 2002. Source: Itu.int

The capital importation percentage share of Consultancy of Nigeria in 2008. Source: National Bureau of Statistics

ters is the fact that an AIG (name withheld), who was promoted a couple of weeks back, was retired. The source said the argument that he enlisted into the Force before Idris, may not really stand objec-

President Muhammadu Buhari serving food to a physicallychallenged person during the breaking of Ramadan fasting at the State House, Abuja… yesterday PHOTO: Timothy ikuomenisan

Skye Bank: Why we struck, by CBN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

non-performing loan ratio have been below and above the regulatory limit respectively for a while and that the banking watchdog had held several meetings with the lender's board to resolve the issue. "The basic issue is capital adequacy and liquidity. From what we see, the prudential and adequacy ratios in the bank have been weakening and we don't want it to get to a point where depositors will be at risk," Emefiele said. The CBN boss, who also disclosed that Skye Bank had been a net borrower from its rediscount window for "sometime," said that even before the apex bank’s intervention, the board of Skye Bank had come to the realisation that they had tried their best and had failed to turn around the lender’s fortunes. Emefiele said: “Given the aforementioned issues and the fact that Skye Bank is a Domestic Systematically Important Bank (SIB) with significant interconnectedness, the CBN would be failing in its duties if it does not take immediate action to nip the steadily declining health of the bank in the bud and correct the situation. “In view of the long

tive scrutiny, save for the source's insistence that the IGP became AIG before him. “The DIG Finance was senior to the Acting DIG, but he was not retired, why? The AIG was promoted a couple of weeks ago, why was he retired? They are saying maybe he enlisted before the IG, but the IG was promoted AIG before him. “If a zone has no AIG, the most senior police officer should be appointed,” the source said, in reference to the alleged sidelining of the most senior officer from a certain zone, in preference for his junior.

grace period allowed the bank to correct the situation, we came to the conclusion that although the existing board had done its best to steer the ship, it had come to a realisation that it would be unable to bring the bank out of its present precarious situation. “The Chairman of the Board, all other Non- Executive Directors, the Independent Director, the Managing Director, the Deputy Managing Director and two longest serving Executive Directors have voluntarily resigned their appointments with immediate effect. In their place, we have selected industry experts and people of high integrity whom we believe can turn the bank around.” He said the CBN has appointed a former Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Pension Commission (PENCOM), Ahmad, as the new Chairman, while former Executive Director, First Bank Nigeria Limited, Mr. Adetokunbo Abiru would be the new Managing Director. The CBN governor revealed that Skye Bank’s recent Executive Directors will be allowed to remain, to “ensure continuity and a smooth transition.” Emefiele said that the new board and management have been given the

key task of ensuring the speedy restoration of the health of the bank. The CBN Governor, however, stressed that Skye Bank was “not in distress and remains a healthy bank in the system,” assuring depositors, shareholders and all stakeholders that there was no reason for concern or panic as, “no depositor will lose his money.” Responding to questions on the health of the country’s banks, he said that the health of the industry was good at this point in time, pointing out that the regulator conducts stress tests at the end of which any lender that has issues would be directed to take measures to address them. His words: “The strategic health of the banking industry is still good at this time. No doubt, there are certain weakening in values occasioned by external shocks, but it has not reached the point of distress.” Skye Bank has been in talks with shareholders and new investors to raise N30 billion. It suspended plans for a rights issue last year due to weak market conditions. The bank was also among lenders that issued a profit warning on its 2015 full year results. In a profit warning notification to the

capital market community, the bank said the expected decline in performance was attributable to decision to recognise increased impairment on loans to sectors severely affected by the prevailing economic headwinds, which are yet to abate, especially the lull in oil and gas and real estate sectors. Meanwhile, the new chairman of Skye Bank has expressed optimism about the lender, highlighting its vast potential and strategic position in the economy. He stated that the immediate priorities of the Board and the new management team is to quickly begin to leverage the huge investment in the enhanced branch network, technology and alternative channels to improve stakeholder value in a sustainable manner. Ahmad has about 35 years distinguished experience leading and working in various public sector organisations and financial services institutions in Nigeria. He has served on the boards of various corporate and notfor-profit organisations as well as presidential committees. He chaired the Technical Committee that produced the North-East Transformation Strategy (NESTS), a medium term

Regional Development Strategy, for the sustainable socio-economic transformation and reconstruction of the region and currently supervises its implementation. Ahmad is also a member of the Presidential Committee for the NorthEast Intervention (PCNI). Prior to his appointment, he was a Director on the Board of FBN Holdings Plc., where he brought his rich experience in the financial services industry to bear on the institution. The new MD/CEO, Abiru, is an alumnus of Harvard Business School (Advanced Management Programme) and Lagos Business School (Senior Management Programme). He holds a BSc (Economics) from Lagos State University and is a Fellow of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and an Honorary Senior Member of The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN). Equally during his banking career, he was at various times between 2013-16 a Non-Executive Director in the following companies: Airtel Mobile Networks Limited; FBN Capital Limited (now FBN Merchant Bank Limited); and FBN Bank Sierra Leone Limited. Tokunbo was the Commissioner for Finance in Lagos State Government between 2011 and 2013.

NEWS

TUESDAY, July 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Court to Sheriff: You’ve ceased to be PDP chair

lNo victor, no vanquished –Makarfi lI’m still in charge, says embattled chairman Onyekachi Eze and Emmanuel Masha

Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, has told Senator Ali Modu Sheriff that he is not the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and should stop parading himself as such. But, Sheriff has vowed to stay. According to him, he will appeal the judgement. Justice Abdullahi Liman, who delivered judgement in a suit brought

before the court by the PDP yesterday, noted that the decisions reached by the party's leadership at the national convention remained valid. He said that there was no illegality during the May 21 National Convention of the PDP in Port Harcourt that sacked Sheriff as the acting chairman of the party, and brought in the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee. Liman noted that the appointment of a caretaker committee of the PDP followed the party's constitution of the party,

adding that Article 31 (1) of the PDP constitution gives the party's national executive committee the powers to convene a national convention. According to the judge, Sheriff, who is the first defendant in the matter, was part of the process leading to the National Convention in Port Harcourt, and as such his absence at the main event cannot lead to the convention's nullification. He pointed out that despite the absence of Sheriff, the then PDP deputy national chairman, Uche Secondus, was at the con-

vention and participated fully in the absence of Sheriff. Justice Liman also pointed out that there was no suit that challenged the conduct of the convention, just as he said that neither was there an injunction to stop the convention. The judge held: “The national chairman cannot postpone it (convention). The principle and spirit of democracy, even in a party, vigorously abhors autocracy. "In the absence of the national chairman, the deputy national chairman presided over the conven-

Former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi FaniKayode (left), with former Finance Minister, Senator Nenadi Usman (right), at the Federal High Court, Lagos … yesterday

N4.6bn campaign funds: Fani-Kayode, Usman, others get N1bn bail

…trial begins October 19 Akeem Nafiu

Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday granted a bail of N250 million each to a former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode and three others charged with money laundering. Fani-Kayode, who was also the Director of Media and Publicity in the campaign organisation of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, was arraigned alongside a former Finance Minister, Nenadi Usman, and Danjuma Yusuf. Also charged with them is Joint Trust Dimension Nig. Ltd. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had slammed a 17-count charge bothering on unlawful retention, unlawful use and unlawful payment of money to the tune of N4.9 billion on the defendants. The money was for the prosecution of the 2015 presidential election. In a ruling yesterday, Justice Sule Hassan held that the accused persons were entitled to bail as there was no evidence to prove that they would interfere with investigation if granted bail as being canvassed by the EFCC.

The judge further noted that denying the accused persons bail would not serve the interest of justice, especially as the court would soon proceed on vacation. Accordingly, he admitted the first, second, and third accused persons to bail in the sum of N250 million each with two sureties in the like sum. Each surety, according to the judge, must exhibit evidence of landed property in Lagos and must

submit their international passports to the court’s registry. The judge also directed that all documents must be verified by the EFCC within seven days. He fixed trial for October 19, 20, and 21. EFCC, in a charge m a rke d FHC/L/ C/251c/2016, accused FaniKayode, Usman and others of conspiracy, unlawful retention of proceeds of theft and money laundering. The EFCC had alleged that the defendants com-

mitted the offences between January and March 2015. It said they unlawfully retained about N3.8 billion, which they “reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act of stealing and corruption.” The prosecution also said that the defendants unlawfully used about N970 million, which they “reasonably ought to have known formed part of an unlawful act of corruption.”

DG Law School, 21 others make new SAN list Tunde Oyesina ABUJA

he Director General of the Nigeria Law School, Mr. Olanrewaju Onadeko and 21 other lawyers yesterday bagged the position of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). According to the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Ahmed Gambo Saleh, 131 lawyers applied, out of which 51 were shortlisted and 22 appointed. Out of the 22, 19 are into advocacy, while three are from the academics. Out of the new SANs, two are female. The SANs are Nna-

monso Udo Ekanem, Prof. Muhammed Tabiu, Dr. Valerie-Janette Ogonna Azinge, Ofufunke Abimbola Agbor and Olusola Oladimeji Ojutalayo. Others are Richard Ayodele Akintunde, Oyesoji Gbolahan Oyeleke, James O. Ikeyi, Elisha Y. Kurah, Adewunmi Adedeji Ogunsanya, Olatubosun O. Olanipekun, Chief Kalu I. Umeh, Adewale Sunday Adesokan, Andrew C. Igboekwe and Fredson C. Okoli. Also on the list are Olaseni A. Adio, Olasheni Ibiwoye, Abdulhakeem U. Mustapha, MBA Ekpezu Ukweni, Edward Gyang Pwajok and Prof. Chukwu

A. Omaka. The new SANs will be sworn in on September 19 during the new legal year celebration. The committee had shortlisted 51 candidates before the final appointment. Some of the candidates who failed to make the final list are two popular Lagos-based lawyers, Festus Keyamo and Fred Agbaje. Others who did not make the final list are John Odubela, Chief Olubowale Taiwo, Richard Akintunde, Chiesonu Okpoko, Chief Ikenna Egbuna, Adeyemi Ajibade, Sylvester Elema, Prof. Wahab Egbewole and AbdulHakeem Mustapha.

tion. The constitution of the party is in support of this. “In view of this, the national convention was well convened and can exercise the authority to elect and remove national officers of the party. “It is obvious that the dissolution of the National Executive Committee (NEC) and National Working Committee (NWC) of the party was within the powers of the convention. Nothing in those decisions has violated the norm or law.” The counsel for the PDP, Mr. Demo Laminakara, said that with the judgement, Sheriff can no longer parade himself as party chairman, because the court has affirmed the party's decision to appoint a caretaker chairman. Sheriff, however, said he still remained PDP National Chairman despite the ruling of the court. The former national chairman, at a press conference, said he had asked his lawyers to appeal against the judgement. According to him, both the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt and that of Abuja that affirmed him PDP chairman last week are of coordinate jurisdiction. "I also want you to know that the court that gave judgement in Abuja High Court last week and Federal High Court in Lagos, and today's (Monday's) judgement are all courts of same coordinate jurisdiction. "Therefore, the order we have in Abuja is still

subsisting. What it means is that unless the Court of Appeal decides otherwise, I still remain national chairman of PDP. "Any court that is of the same jurisdiction, cannot overrule another court except the Court of Appeal. "We disagree completely with today's judgement. We ask our lawyers to immediately file an appeal and also ask the same court to stay execution on the judgement. "There are three other judgements before his own, orders from federal high court of coordinate jurisdiction," he said. Makarfi, however, said there was no winner or loser in the judgement on the leadership crisis in the party. "I am indeed happy with the judgement, on the one hand, but also sad that it had to come to this. "For me, there should be no winner or loser on this matter. I’m still calling on Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and his followers to join us so that we accommodate one another and indeed all other groups in a just, fair and equitable manner with a view to moving the party forward," Makarfi added.

The sex ratio of men to 100 women in the 60+ age group of Ireland in 2012. Source: Un.org

12%

The percentage of the population of men above 60 years of Dominica in 2006. Source: Un.org

Twitter suspends Niger Delta Avengers' account

…over violence, terrorism threats

Adeola Yusuf

witter has suspended the account of Niger Delta Avengers, a militant group that has carried out a series of attacks on oil facilities in Nigeria in the last few months, over terrorism and violence threats. This is one of the more than 125,000 terrorism-related accounts suspended since the middle of 2015, most of which were linked to the Islamic State group. "This account has been suspended," said a statement on the account. "We do not comment on individual accounts for privacy and security reasons," said a spokesman for the social media site when asked about the reasons for the suspension. However, the spokesman said the company's

policies included a "specific rule pertaining to violent threats" which states that "you may not make threats of violence or promote violence, including threatening or promoting terrorism." The Avengers have used a Twitter account as its main form of communication, using it to publicise claims of attacks and as a platform to criticise Nigeria's government. The group posted messages on Sunday, saying it had carried out five attacks in the last few days. Many tech companies are increasingly taking stronger steps to police controversial content online in the face of threats from legislators to force the companies to report "terrorist activity" on their sites to law enforcement agencies.

TUESDAY, July 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

METRO

ABIODUN BELLO abiodun.bello@newtelegraphonline.com 08023938212

...CRIME, CITY WATCH, COURTS

15 die as truck crushes commercial buses A

Collapsed building: 11 survivors get tricycles, N50,000 each

Muritala Ayinla

Scene of an accident

Dominic Adewole ASABA

t least 15 people lost their lives while several others were injured in an auto crash involving a truck and three commercial buses in Asaba, Delta State. The truck carrying cement ran over three Mitsubishi commercial buses plying the ever busy Asaba-Onitsha Expressway. A witness, who identified himself simply as Chinedu, said the truck was on speed while descending the slope between Asaba and Abraka before it lost control and swerved towards the

three waiting buses. Chinedu said the buses were picking passengers before the accident occurred. He said: “Before the passengers could disengage from the buses, the truck had crushed them.” Abraka Junction, the Asaba Master Plan shows, is one the 13 dangerous U-turn points which have become fatal accidents spots since the creation of the state in 1991. Others are between the entrance to Asaba metropolis at Okpanam in Oshimili North Local Government Area of the state, and the River Niger Bridge, which links the state with Onit-

City Briefs Analyst praises Arase for rebranding police Juliana Francis

he former Inspector General of Police (IG), Mr. Solomon Arase, has been applauded for his efforts in rebranding the Nigeria Police Force within 14 months of his reign. A crime analyst, Mr. Folorunsho Atta, who gave the commendation, thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for giving Arase the opportunity to serve. According to him, it shows the President is also a serious minded crime fighter. Atta said he was happy

by Arase’s determined strides to curb insurgency, corruption, banditry and kidnapping. He added: “Arase, with only 14 months at the saddle, surpassed the records of some of his predecessors who served the nation for many years. Arase started by ensuring that the transition from former President Jonathan Goodluck to the incumbent, Buhari, was smooth. After the smooth hand-over ceremony, police officers who took part in the transition were paid their allowances, without the usual practice of allowance diversion.”

sha in Anambra State. The gridlock caused by the accident forced motorists, especially those travelling from the South-West to the South-East to use the link roads within the metropolis to continue their journey. Sympathisers and relatives of those affected were wailing at the scene of the accident. Officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) had a hectic time freeing the road. The bodies of the victims were deposited at the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Asaba, while those who sustained injuries were rushed to an undisclosed hospital.

bout four months after a three-storey belonging to Lekki Gardens Estate collapsed and claimed about 30 people and injured several others, the firm yesterday gave out N50,000 to each of the 11 survivors and a tricycle each. The building collapsed on March 8. This was even as the survivors relieved their ordeal under the rubble before they were pulled out by rescuers. While many of them have fully recovered from the injuries they suffered in the incident, others are yet to fully regain their strength as they have been struggling to continue with life. Speaking shortly before presenting the N50,000 cash to the survivors and the tricycles, the Managing Director of Lekki Gardens, Mr. Richard Nyoung, said no amount was enough to bring back the lost lives. Nyoung said the management thought it wise to look at the direction of the survivors despite its travails and litiga-

tion following the incident. He said: “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a step. This gesture is to ameliorate the pains and to show our deepest concern and regret. It is also to say sorry to the people that lost so much. “The company’s decision is to begin to help in whatever way to correct what went wrong. In trying to do something meaningful we lost our friends, some died and some were wounded, it was a very difficult situation for everybody. “We are very hurt by the accident, but God saved our lives. It is very hurtful and painful, but we thank God for the survivors because whoever survived it must know it was a gift from God. It could have been me or anybody. No money is sufficient for someone to start a life as also any amount is enough for someone to start something.” The survivors who received the N50,000 and the tricycles are Tunde Basari, Wahab Olalude, Chukwudi James, Elechi Chika and Kayode Ezekiel.

One of the survivors receiving the money

Six jailed for forging Customs seal Bayo Akomolafe

S Arase

The crime analyst said that with Arase’s penchant for intelligence gathering, kidnappers involved in the abduction of Chief Olu Falae and Senator Iyabo Anisulowo were arrested. Arase’s administration also checked the activities of high-tech bank robbers who operated in Ikorodu, Lekki and Festac, leading to the death of innocent people.

ix people arraigned by the Nigeria Customs Service Board (NCSB) have been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for conspiracy, forgery and counterfeiting by the Federal High Court, Lagos. The accused were arraigned in 2013 for a five-count charge before Hon. Justice Musa H. Kurya of the Federal High Court, Lagos. The jail terms will run concurrently. The Public Relations Officer (PRO), Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A,’ Ikeja, Uche Ejesieme, said in a statement that the convicts counterfeited Customs’ allocation papers with reference no NCS/ ADM/MGT/012/S.1/C VOL IV, dated June 4, 2013, with serial number 0002095 for 1x20ft container marked GESU 2339750. Also, Ejesieme said that counterfeited

official seal of the Comptroller-General of Customs, the seal of the officer in charge of valuation at Idiroko, Ogun State Command and the seal of valuation seat at Apapa Command, were recovered from the convicts. The spokesman said that possession of Customs seals by unauthorised people was contrary to the provisions of section 162 (a) and (d) of Nigeria Customs and Excise Management Act Cap C45 Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004. He added: “The six persons were also jointly charged for conspiracy under Section 166 of Nigeria Customs and Excise Management Act Cap C45 Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004. The accused persons are Abiodun Ojo, Uche Nwamaka Mike, Charles Ali, Abutu Emmanuel, Sunday Nwaeze and Ngozi Ibeh.”

METRO

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Four Catholic priests arrested for gun attack on DPO Steve Uzoechi OWERRI

he crisis rocking Ahiazu Mbaise Catholic Diocese in Imo State at the weekend took a twist as the police arrested four priests and eight others. The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Andrew Enwerem, disclosed this in a statement in Owerri. Enwerem said the arrests became necessary following an assault on the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Ahiazu Mbaise Police Division, Danjuma Ragga, a Superintendent of Police, on Saturday at the Catholic Cathedral, Ahiazu Mbaise. The PPRO said the Vicar General, Rev. Fr. Clement Ebi, had played host to the National President of the Catholic Women Organisation on Saturday at the St. Roses Catholic Church in Ezinihitte Mbaise Local Government Area but some youths forcibly stopped the meeting. He said: “The youth set up bon fire, barricaded the highway and disrupted the peace of the town.

Ag IG, Idris

The youth led by Rev. Fr. John Ogoekwe of Christ the King Church, Uvuru Aboh Mbaise defied the appeal of the DPO as they started hauling missiles on the police, threatening to burn down police vehicle and disarm police officers involved in the operation.” The police spokesman added that the youth fired gunshots from inside the Catholic Church Cathedral which hit the DPO, Danjuma, on both legs and hands. According to him, Danjuma is recuperating in the hospital. The PPRO added that the Police Commissioner, Mr. Taiwo Lakanu, has warned that the command would not tolerate a situation where youths or groups would resort to violence to settle differences. Lakanu also ordered that the sealing of the Cathedral to avoid further violence. The Ahiara Catholic Diocese has been engulfed in leadership crisis over the non-appointment of an indigenous Bishop from Mbaise, following the demise of the pioneer bishop, Rt. Rev. Victor Adibe Chikwe, in September 2010. Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI had on December 7, 2012 announced Monsignor Peter Ebere Okpalaeke, a priest from Awka Diocese, Anambra State, as the Bishop-elect of Ahiara Diocese, an action that the Catholic faithful in Ahiara Diocese have resisted.

One of the damaged cars on Shokoya Street.

Taiwo Jimoh

rmed robbers dressed in Muslim attire (white robe and turban) attacked Muslim faithful returning from lailatu Qudri (Night of Majesty) at Oworoshoki area of Lagos. The 30 armed men started their operation from Shokoya Street on Friday where they attempted to remove a generator outside a house. They were chased away by the security guards in the area. The robbers responded by throwing bottles and stones at the guards. When our correspondent visited the area yesterday the road was littered with broken bottles and stones. Not satisfied, the robbers, according to a resident, Mr. Adebolawe Oke, went to Papa area and robbed Muslims returning from the mosque of their phones, money and other valuables. He said: “The robbers made a detour when they were stopped by the security guards at Shokoya Street and went to Papa area.

Robbers in Muslim attire rob those returning from prayers They robbed those returning from the lailatu Qudri. “The robbers wore turban and pretended to members of the Muslim group, robbed and disposed everybody of their money and phones. “Immediately the robbers left Shokoya Street, we called the Divisional Police Officer of Alonge Police Station who deployed his men in area. Three of the robbers were arrested and handed over to the policemen.” Another resident, Mrs. Shakirat Adekunle, said it was not the first time the robbers were coming to the area. She said: “The robbers always come during the lailatu Qudri period into the community and disguise as real Muslims to rob worshipers. This is the fourth time they will attack us. “The robbers also robbed another person at No 17. The victim

Two brothers jailed 30 years for gang-rape

‘Why mob attacked FRSC official’ Camillus Nnaji

resh facts have emerged on why an official of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) was almost lynched by an angry mob at the Jibowu area of Yaba, Lagos State, on Sunday. According to some witnesses, the official, whose name is still not known, was attacked by angry mob after he caused a motorist to crash. It was gathered that the marshal was on the verge of given up the ghost when the leader of some street urchins intervened and stopped further attack on him. The marshal and three of his colleagues were said to have resumed duty at Empire area by Railway Road, on Jibowu-Ojuelegba Road about 9a.m. on Sunday when they noticed a Toyota Camry car with registration number MU 780 KJA. They were said to have flagged down the car, but the driver, who had another occupant, refused to alight for proper document check by the marshals. An argument ensued when the marshals decided to impound the vehicle based on seat belt violation. The driver allegedly sped off to his

street and quickly mobilised hoodlums who descended on the marshal, beating him black and blue. A resident, who identified himself simply as Christian, blamed the driver for the mayhem. He said: “I witnessed everything that happened on that Sunday. The two guys in the Camry car refused to allow the marshals to do their job. Rather, they entered into an argument with the marshals. The driver later sped off, but in the course of attempting to speed off, he knocked someone down. This angered people. But I didn’t witness the accident.” The state Sector Commander of the FRSC, Mr. Hyginus Omeje, confirmed the incident, but denied any form of accident or death of any person in the process. He said: “The driver of the Camry car recruited area boys in his area to beat up the marshals for performing their legitimate duties. Our men were on their legitimate duty; the driver of the Camry car and his occupant incurred seat belt offence. They also didn’t have valid vehicle documents, so our men decided to impound the vehicle. What the driver did was to speed off. Instead of heading to the unit com-

went to put on generator. They shot the man in the arm, while a lady who just returned from United Kingdom was disposed of her goods and money.” When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Dolapo Badmos, said about 23 suspects had been arrested in connection with the attack. The PPRO said the suspects would be transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad for further investigation. She said: “During the lailatu Qudri prayer session which held at Papa playing ground, Oworoshoki, a large number of boys suspected to be cultists were fomenting trouble, dispossessing innocent people of their possessions. “The cultists were armed with knives, charms, armlets and a substance suspected to be Indian hemp.”

Dominic Adewole ASABA

The FRSC official

mand, he changed direction towards Ojuelegba Road. He mobilised hoodlums in his area to beat up our men.” Omeje said the matter had been reported at Area ‘C’ Police Command, Ojuelegba, while the manhunt for the driver had begun. The Acting Public Education Officer, Deputy Route Commander Olabisi Sonusi, debunked news making the round that the marshals caused an accident while trying to stop the Camry car.

ustice Marcel Okoh of Delta State High Court sitting at Akwukwu-Igbo yesterday sentenced two brothers to 30 years jail term for gang-raping a 12-year-old girl. The convicts, Chukwuedo Mogaha (30) and Amaechi Mogaha (33), were found guilty of the crime after they could not prove their case beyond reasonable doubt. The judge held that the prosecution from the state Ministry of Justice was able to prove the essential ingredients of conspiracy and rape against the accused. Delivering his judgement in Asaba, Okoh sentenced the first accused, Chukwuedo, to seven years in jail for the offence of conspiracy to commit rape and 14 years with hard labour for the substantive offence of rape. For the second accused, Amaechi, the judge held that prosecution was only able to prove the count of conspiracy and failed in the count of rape against the accused. He, therefore, sentenced him to seven years in jail for count one while he was sentenced two years imprisonment with hard labour for indecent assault of a girl under 13.

10 News|NATIONAL

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

I can’t explain award of $40m contract– Witness Tunde Oyesina Abuja

he prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of Azibaola Robert, cousin to former President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday told the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja that only detained former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki can explain why OnePlus Holdings Limited got a $40 million pipeline security contract. The witness, Ibrahim Mahe, who recently retired as Permanent Secretary, Special Services Operations (SSO) in the NSA’s office, told the court that he paid Oneplus $40 million out of the $600 million special security fund sourced from the Nigerian National Petroluem Corporation (NNPC). Under cross-examination by counsel to Roberts, Chief Chris Uche (SAN), Mahe, who admitted serving only 11 months in the ONSA stated that some other firms got security contracts in excess of $40 million approved for OnePlus. The retired permanent secretary, however, failed to tell the court the names of the companies that benefited from the remaining $560 million of the special security fund.

He also admitted that the ONSA maintained Naira, Dollar and Euro security accounts. Also under cross examination, Mahe admitted that prior to crediting the account of OnePlus with the $40 million, at least nine officials in the office of the NSA minuted on the payment warrant. The retired permanent secretary said he paid OnePlus based on the conviction that the firm’s security contract met due process requirements, having been endorsed by nine top officials of the ONSA Mahe also told the court that the ONSA was not in

Abuja

he House of Representatives has queried the declining condition of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the north east geopolitical zones. Chairman of the House committee on IDPs, refugees and Federal Government initiatives on North-East region, Hon. Sani Zorro (APC, Jigawa) disclosed this in a statement in Abuja. He said that the committee has noted “with grave concern, the rapid deterioration of the humanitarian situation in

Maye, who was the first witness called by the prosecution, told the court that Dasuki had endorsed a memo to him with details of the company’s account. He said the memo was sent to him in his capacity as the Permanent Secretary, Special Service Office, a department in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. Meanwhile, the lead counsel to Roberts, Chief Chris Uche (SAN) had urged the court for an adjournment to enable the defence team cross-examine the 2nd prosecution witness, Olabode Fanilola,

who tendered the bank account statement from Zenith Bank Plc. Uche said he sought for the adjournment because he had not had ample information to enable him cross-examine the witness. The prosecuting counsel, Mr. Sylvanus Tahir, however, objected to the application on the grounds that there was adequate time in the course of the proceedings to cross-examine the witness. He argued that Fanilola as a “banker has busy schedules” which would make it difficult for him to be in court at the next adjourned date.

A scene of an accident at Toyota Bus Stop on Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Lagos…yesterday. PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

Reps decry poor condition of IDPs in North-East Philip Nyam

the habit of advertising security contracts. He also admitted that for security purposes, certain security contracts could be given coded names. Mahe however denied being part of any bidding process for the procurement of security gadgets, saying his responsibility only entailed disbursing monies already approved for security contracts. The witness had at the last adjourned date informed the court that Dasuki had instructed him to prepare a payment mandate of $40 million in favour of One Plus Limited.

the North East (N-E), especially since the latest influx of IDPs, from newly liberated areas of the vast Sambisa forest” He noted that the present chaos in the field can be traceable to the absence of concurrent plan(s) to respond to today’s internal displacement challenges, triggered by the intensified military campaign aimed at defeating Boko Haram insurgency. According to Zorro, “For inexplicable reasons, too, the Federal Government has failed to embrace best global policy practices that would have helped significantly.”

Forgery: Melaye alleges plot to doctor evidence Chukwu David

Abuja

hairman, Senator Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Dino Melaye, yesterday raised the alarm over a plot by some individuals to doctor the Police report on the investigation of allegation of forgery preferred against the presiding officers of the Senate. Melaye, who represents Kogi Central, in a statement he personally signed, alleged that the motive behind the scheme was to make the report to indict President of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki and his Deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu. He stated that those behind the sinister plot were scheming to forge a police report different from the one signed by AIG James Caulcrick in order to justify and prove a case of forgery against the presiding officers. The politician, who is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said that the development had become necessary for members of the public to be aware of the ‘unlawful plan’ through his alarm.

Marijuana may cure Alzheimer disease – Study

n active compound in marijuana can contribute to the removal of toxic proteins in the brain, which are thought to kick-start the progression of Alzheimer disease, a new study has found. The study, which was published in the journal ‘Aging and Mechanisms of Disease’ on Friday, stated that the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other compounds found in pot could help to remove toxic clumps of amyloid beta from nerve cells. According to a report

in the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the findings however supported the results of previous studies that cannabinoids have protective effects on patients with neurodegenerative diseases. Alzheimer disease, a common cause of dementia, is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and gets worse over time. The leading researcher, Prof. David Schubert, said that the study carried was out by the California-based Salk Institute for Biological Studies in the United States (U.S).

“It is likely to be the first to demonstrate that cannabinoids affect both inflammation and amyloid beta accumulation in nerve cells. “Amyloid beta is considered a hallmark of Alzheimer disease,” Schubert said. “The toxic protein accumulates in people’s brain, forming plaques and disrupting the communication between nerve cells,’’ Schubert said. The scientists modified nerve cells to produce high level of the protein to find out more about the role of amyloid beta in the disease. They found that increased amyloid beta pro-

duction led to increased expression of pro-inflammatory proteins in nerve cells causing inflammation and inducing deaths of neurons. The team applied THC to nerve cells with high amyloid beta production and found that the marijuana compound reduces the protein level and eradicate the inflammatory response to the protein, which ensures nerve cell survival. Researcher Antonio Currais, said that inflammation within the brain was a major component of the damage associated with Alzheimer.

Fashola charges DISCOs on system upgrade Court fixes Sept 29 for journalist’s assault Johnchuks Onuanyim Abuja

he Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN has charged the Distribution Companies to upgrade their systems to eliminate cases of electrocution being witnessed in recent time. The Minister gave the charge at the meeting which held at Shiroro Hydroelectric Plant, in Niger

State, according to statement from Director of Press, Mr. Timothy Oyedeji, in Abuja. Oyedeji, also in the statement, revealed that the Minister directed the Nigerian Electricity Management Services (NEMSA), Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trader, (NBET), and the Market Operator (TCN/ MO) to implement ranking criteria in order to assess the safety and payment performance of Distribution

Companies (DISCOs). The Director stated that the Minister’s concern was sequel to the spate of cases of electrocutions as recently reported on locations in Eko and Abuja DISCOs. Oyedeji said, “Although the families of those electrocuted were compensated in record time, the Minister is of the opinion that they should embark on system upgrade to reduce or totally eliminate this hazard.”

suit against Customs

Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday fixed September 29 to hear application to re-list a suit by a journalist, Otunba Olomofe, against the Nigerian Customs Service over alleged assault and rights infringement. The Lagos Branch of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) had filed the suit on behalf of

the Badagry-based journalist, seeking enforcement of his fundamental rights to life, freedom of expression and the press. Joined in the suit as respondents are the Comptroller-General of Customs, Muhammed Ndalati, Emmanuel Nkemdirim, and Ibrahim Turaki. The suit was filed following alleged severe

assault and beating the journalist received in the hands of customs officers and some hoodlums allegedly hired by them. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the suit, which was filed early January, had been fixed for mention on February 22 and March 17, but was eventually slated for hearing on June 16.

TUESDAY, JUly 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Corruption Generals in the dock

Politics The President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, has been courteous and diplomatic in his dealings with the executive arm, particularly the presidency, since the inauguration of the Eighth Senate on June 6, 2015. However, the embattled lawmaker might have resolved to jettison diplomacy, as he tends to use the powers of his office to check the excesses of the executive over alleged plans to oust him at all costs. CHUKWU DAVID reports

Saraki fights back

he leadership crisis that has rocked the Eighth Senate from inception is certainly not abating. The Upper Legislative Chamber is apparently the most antagonised of all the previous assemblies since Nigeria’s return to civil rule in 1999. More than ever in the history of the National Assembly since 1999, the current Senate has been enmeshed in deep crisis, obviously instigated by perceived executive interference in the process of emergence of the leadership of the Senate. Consequently, the apex Chamber, particularly its leadership has been having a running battle with the All Progressives Congress (APC) hierarchy on one hand and the Presidency on the other hand because both establishments preferred Senator Ahmad Lawan (APC, Yobe North) to Senator Bukola Saraki for the office of number three citizen. Since the inauguration of the Senate on June 9, 2015, efforts have been made by the executive arm to remove Saraki and his

FELIX NWANERI

GROUP PoLITICAL EDITOR nwanerif@newtelegraphonline.com

Buhari and Saraki at a public function.

deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu from office but the processes of actualising the mission have been dragging. However, it appears that the embattled President of the Senate is strategising to fight back the executive, notwithstanding what the consequences of such decision might be. Also, the latest development in the lingering rift between the executive and the nation's apex legislative Chamber, has shattered the soothing balm between the pro and anti Saraki senators, thereby reopening the festering strife between the groups, who seemed to have settled their rift and started working together in conducting legislative affairs in the Chamber. Unfortunately, the executive arm, a fortnight ago, demonstrated an unrepentant resolve to convict Saraki at all cost and oust him from the exalted office, by charging him and Ekweremadu to court on the allegation that they forged the 2015 Senate Standing Orders (as amended). This was in addition to the on-going trial of the Kwara-born politician by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Abuja, over alleged false declaration, underdeclaration and non-declaration of assets. Provoked by this new move to

The executive arm under Buhari is taking Nigeria back to the dictatorial era of the past

deal with him and possibly destroy his political career, Saraki seems to have vowed to now optimally utilize the powers of his office to resist the perceived executive threat and also take his pound of flesh from his unforgiving assailants from the executive arm of government. To this effect, it is been speculated that Saraki has resolved henceforth, not to treat any communication from President Muhammadu Buhari, which ordinarily would have been given accelerated consideration. It was further learnt that this was the reason why the Senate did not screen the 47 ambassadorial nominees forwarded to it on June 9 for approval by President Buhari. Although the ambassadorial list was greeted by complaints of omissions and irregularities from some Senators, an APC senator who pleaded anonymity, told our correspondent that he was afraid that the Senate might not screen the nominees in the near future due to the strife between it and the Presidency. He said: "Yes, there were pockets of complaints here and there by some senators against the list. While some said that their states were outrightly omitted like Bayelsa and Ebonyi, others said that those nominated from their states

were the least qualified. "However, I can confidently tell you that if it were before when Saraki was trying to please Mr. President in order to get a political solution to his case, he would have made the Senate to quickly get the list corrected and approved before embarking on this recess that will last for three weeks. "But what I am seeing is a resolve by Saraki to fight back, and if possible use the advantage of his position and constitutional powers to frustrate the President in certain things to prove that he also has power to revenge and resist his planned removal." This speculation appeared to have been confirmed by the failure of Saraki to read the President’s letter, which was submitted to his office on Wednesday last week, requesting the Senate to confirm the appointment of the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, as the substantive commission’s chairman. Buhari in a letter addressed to the President of the Senate, had urged senators to treat the confirmation request with dispatch. The request for Magu's appointment was coming about eight months after his appointment in acting CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

POLITICS

It is not the best of times for some serving and retired senior military officers who are under trial for alleged corrupt practices, TUNDE OYESINA reports

TUESDAY, JUly 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Corruption: Generals

t is the proverbial saying of a hunter becoming the hunted. This is how best one can describe the ordeals of some top military officers, both serving and retired who have been inside the dock, being tried for one corrupt act to another. Top among the officers are the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (Rtd); former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh; former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Dikko Umar and another ex-Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu. Others under trial are the Chief of Administration, AVM A.M. Mamu; a former Director of Production, Defence Headquarters, AVM O.T. Oguntoyinbo; Air Officer Tactical Command, Makurdi, AVM R.A. Ojuawo; former Chief of Accounts and Budgeting in NAF, AVM J.B Adigun; former commander of the Niger Delta Joint Task Force, Major General Emmanuel Atewe; and Air Commodore Gbadebo Owodunni Olugbenga. Also on trial is a retired former chairman, Presidential Implementation on Committee on Maritime Safety (PICOMMS), AVM Saliu Atawodi and a former Director of Armament with the Nigerian Air Force, AVM John Adeniyi KayodeBeckley. Dasuki The ex-NSA is standing trial over alleged illegal possession of firearms and diversion of funds meant for the procurement of arms before three different courts. The first charge was filed before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja where Dasuki was charged with diverting $2.1 billion arms funds. Secondly, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) preferred another 19 charges against him and four others before an Abuja High Court over alleged diversion of another N32 billion meant for arms procurement. Dasuki’s co-accused are a former Director of Finance and Administration in the office of the NSA, Shuaibu Salisu‎; a former General Manager, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Aminu Baba-Kusa. Two of Baba-Kusa’s companies – Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited – are also part of the defendants. The third charge was filed before another Abuja High Court, wherein the anti- graft agency slammed another 22-count charge bothering on alleged diversion of N13.57 billion meant for arms procurement. The former NSA had since been arraigned before the three courts.

Dasuki

Badeh

Umar

Adigun

Ojuawo

Adeniyi-Beckley

Although, Dasuki had pleaded not guilty in all the charges, the various courts had, one time or the other, admitted him to bail. Having perfected his bail, however, the Department of State Services (DSS) re-arrested Dasuki and kept him in its custody since December last year. Every effort to secure his release by his counsel had proved abortive. Badeh The former Chief of Defence Staff is standing trial on a 10-count charge bothering on money laundering, criminal breach of trust and corruption to the tune of N3.97 billion belonging to the Nigerian Air Force before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja. Badeh pleaded not guilty to the charges and was consequently admitted to bail, first under stringent condition. The condition was later reviewed due to his inability to meet them. Trial had since started as the prosecution, the EFCC, has called about four witnesses. The witnesses had, in turn, explained to the trial judge, Justice Abang Okon, how Badeh collected the said money and expended it on the purchase of a property in highbrow areas of Abuja. Badeh had, while being CDS, allegedly among other things, abused his office between January and December 2013. He was said to have used dollar equivalent of the sum of N1.4 billion from the accounts of the Nigerian Air Force to

A prosecution witness had insisted that he was pressured by Badeh to claim ownership of the property allegedly acquired

purchase a mansion situated at No. 6, Ogun River Street, Off Danube Street, Maitama, Abuja. The offence is in contravention of Section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act. At the last adjourned date, a prosecution witness had insisted that he was pressured by Badeh to claim ownership of the property allegedly acquired with the proceeds of crime. The witness, Mustapha Yerima, who had earlier testified as PW4, further testified to the effect that Air Commodore Salisu Abdullahi Yushau (retd) had invited him over to the Defence House, after his (Yushau's) retirement to coordinate the handover of documents and discuss progress of construction of the plaza, then ongoing. Umar Another former Chief of Air Staff standing trial over corruption-related charges is Air Marshal Mohammed Dikko Umar, who was accused of diverting about N4.8 billion belonging to NAF to purchase property for himself. Dikko, who was arraigned before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, however, pleaded not guilty when the seven-count charge bothering on diversion of funds slammed on him by the EFCC was read to him. In the charge, Dikko was alleged to have, while being the Chief of Air Staff between September 2010

and 2012, converted the United States dollar equivalent of the aggregate sum of N4,864,630,000 removed from the account of NAF. Dikko was also alleged to have used the sum of N700,000,000 removed from NAF account to purchase a property at No 14, Vistula Close, off Panama Street, Maitama. In addition, Dikko was also accused of using another N860,000,000 removed from the account of NAF to buy a property at Plot No. 1853 Deng Xiao Ping Street, off Mahathir Mohammed Street, Asokoro Extension, Abuja. Dikko was also accused of taking N500,000,000 from the account of NAF to purchase for himself a four-bedroom duplex with boys’ quarters at Road 3b, Street 2, Mabushi Ministers Hill, Abuja. In count 5, Dikko was accused of removing N250,000,000 from the account of NAF to buy himself a property at No 14, Audu Bako way GRA, Kano. In count 6, Dikko was charged with removing N160,000,000 from the account of NAF to purchase and renovate a property at No 8, Kabala Road, Unguwan Rimi, GRA, Kaduna. Diko was, in count 7, accused of transferring the sum of N66,000,000 into the Stanbic IBTC Account No: 9202077424 belonging to Capital Law Office from NAF operations account domiciled at UBA Plc. for the renovation/improvement of House No. 1853, Deng Xiao Ping Street, off Mahathir Mohammed street, Asokoro extension. The Federal Government listed

POLITICS

TUESDAY, JUly 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

in the dock

Amosu

Atewe

about 21 witnesses to testify in the case. Defence counsel, Hassan Liman (SAN), however, prayed the court to admit Dikko to bail on self-recognition. At the last adjourned date, Umar had informed the court that he had started talking with the anti-corruption agency with the intention of returning the money. Amosu, Gbadebo and Adigun A former Chief of Air Staff, Amosu, was also not left out from those top officers in the dock as he was arraigned before a Federal High Court in Lagos over an alleged fraud of N22.8 billion. Amosu was charged alongside two ex-top Air Force officers, Air Vice Marshal Jacob Bola Adigun, Air Commodore Gbadebo Owodunni Olugbenga and eight companies. The companies are Delfina Oil and Gas Ltd, Mcallan Oil and Gas Ltd, Hebron Housing and Properties Company Ltd, Trapezites BDC, Fonds and Pricey Ltd, Deegee Oil and Gas Ltd, Timsegg Investment Ltd and Solomon Health Care Ltd. The defendants were arraigned by the EFCC on a 26-count charge before Justice Mohammed Idris. The defendants were granted bail in the sum of N500 million with two sureties in like sum. The sureties, according to the judge, must have landed properties within the court's jurisdiction and should deposit their title documents to the court's registrar

Oguntoyinbo

read to him. Atawodi was remanded in Kuje Prison until his bail application was heard and granted. The trial is, however, ongoing.

Mamu

itime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to the tune of N19.7 billion. Atewe and other defendants were arraigned before a Federal High Court in Lagos on 11-count criminal charge. Atewe, a serving army officer, Kime Engozu, and Josephine Otuaga allegedly conspired to steal and convert N19.7 billion from the agency between September 5, 2014 and May 22, 2015. The money was alleged to have been stolen and converted through a number of companies. These companies, according to the charge, are Jagan Trading Company Ltd., Jagan Global Services Ltd., Al-Nald Ltd., Eastpoint Integrated Services Ltd. and De-Newlink Integrated Services Limited. The defendants sought for bail and were granted. The trial judge, Justice Saliu Saidu, admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N100 million each with two sureties in like sum.

Atawodi

for verification. The matter has been adjourned till July 8 for commencement of trial. There are indications that the case may be settled out of court as Amosu has already returned N4 billion to the EFCC. Counsel to Amosu had informed the court of the process. In the charge, the prosecution alleged that Amosu, Adigun, Gbadebo Owodunni Olugbenga, and the eight firms, on or about the 5th day of March, 2014 in Lagos, conspired amongst themselves and converted the sum of N21,467,634,707.43, property of NAF, for personal use. The defendants were also accused of using N328 million from the accounts of NAF between March 21, 2014 and March 12, 2015, to purchase for themselves properties. Amosun and Adigun were said to have, between July 17 and September 16, 2014 removed over N663.4 million from the Nigerian Air Force accounts to purchase properties at 50-52 Tenterden Grove, London (NW4 1TH) and at 93B, Shirehall Park, LondonNW4 2QU, United Kingdom. The court later adjourned to July 8 for commencement of trial. Atewe Another officer docked for corruption is a former commander of the Niger Delta Joint Task Force, Major General Emmanuel Atewe and three others who were alleged to have swindled the Nigerian Mar-

Amosu has already returned N4 billion to the EFCC

Oguntoyinbo Air Vice Marshall Olutayo Tade Oguntoyinbo is another ranking officer facing corruption charge before an Abuja High Court on a one-count charge of bribery to the tune of N166 million. Oguntoyinbo, while being the Chief of Training and Operations of the Nigerian Air Force, allegedly collected the said sum as gratification from a contractor with NAF, Societe D’ Equipments Internationaux Nigeria Limited. The defendant pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him and was subsequently admitted to bail. He was remanded in prison for some days before he met his bail conditions. Atawodi Also in the league of Generals in the dock is a former Chairman, PICOMMS, Air Vice Marshal Saliu Atawodi (rtd). Atawodi was arraigned by the EFCC on a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy, abuse of office and misappropriation of public funds. The defendants allegedly defrauded the government to the tune of over N600 million through suspicious contracts to procure military boats. The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty when the charge was

Ojuawo Also in the dock is a former Air Officer in charge of Tactical Air command, Makurdi, Air Vice Marshal Rufus Ojuawo. Ojuawo was arraigned before an Abuja High Court on a two-count charge of allegedly receiving a gift of N40 million and a car valued at N29.2 million from a contractor with the NAF, Mr. Hima Aboubakar of Societe D’ Equipments Internationaux Nig Ltd. When the charge was read to him, he pleaded not guilty to all the counts. The court, however, granted him bail in the sum of N10 million and a surety in the like sum. The surety, according to the judge, must be a civil servant not below the rank of an Assistant Director. The court later adjourned till September 15 for trial. Until his arrest by the EFCC on February 7, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, AVM Ojuawo was carrying out his duties as the Air Officer Commanding the Tactical Air Command, Nigerian Air Force, Makurdi. He was picked while on his way to Stuttgart, Germany, on national assignment as a member of the Armed Forces delegation to the United States African Command (USAFRICOM), where he was scheduled to deliver a keynote address on issues bothering on the speedy conclusion of the fight against the Boko Haram insurgency. Kayode-Beckly Air Vice Marshal Kayode-Beckly was docked over a one-count charge of bribery. Beckley, while serving as the Director of Armament with the Nigerian Air Force, allegedly collected N10 million as gratification from a contractor, one Mr. Hima Abubakar, of Societe D’Equipments Internationaux Nig. Ltd. The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge and prayed the court to admit him to bail. The trial judge, Adebukola Banjoko, however, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N10 million with two sureties in like sum. The court has, however, fixed September 27 for trial. Mamu Also, in the dock is a former Air Officer Training Command and a member of the Committee for Procurement, Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshal Alkali Mohammed Mamu. The Federal Government is prosecuting Mamu on a threecount charge bordering on bribery to the tune of N5.9 million. The prosecution had alleged that Mamu, while being the Air Officer Training Command and member of Committee for Procurement under the Ministry of Defence, allegedly collected a cash gift in the sum of N5.9 million to facilitate the purchase of a Range Rover Evoque, $300,000 and two vehicles (Ford Expedition SUV and Jaguar XF Saloon) valued at N15 million and N12 million respectively from Societe D’ Equipments Internationaux Nigeria Limited, a contractor with the Nigerian Air Force.

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Opinion The Igbo story I love to tell My Word CLEM AGUIYI totalpolitics@ymail.com 0803-474-7898 (sms only)

efore now Nigeria used to be a table for three, later a table for five and twelve. It later became a table for thirty six , yet we cannot agree on how to build a just nation. It has gotten so bad that even a table for three Hundred and Sixty may not resolve our differences because we lack visionary leaders. One thing however constant is the scheme against the Igbo, the tribe Nigeria loves to hate and yet will not let go. There was this story about a commercial aircraft that flew into turbulence. Everyone in the aircraft was in panic praying in different different voices for God's intervention. Some men and women who thought it was their end peed in their pants except for one little girl that was unperturbed as she ran along the aisle unmindful of the impending danger. A certain old woman pulled her over to know why she was not worried. The little girl looked into the old lady's face and calmly said to her, 'I am not worried because my father is the pilot’. I am confident that the Igbo belief in God is not misplaced. I know He watches over us and knows all that is happening in our affairs. I am not about to ask Him why he is allowing our fine officers in the Military to be removed for no justifiable reasons. I am not about questioning why he allowed the military to massacre Igbo protesters or why the desperation to remove Ike Ekweremadu as the Deputy Senate president has become more important than stabilizing the fragile peace of our nation. I have met some people who fret about the fate of the Igbo in Nigeria because the regime is not favourably disposed to accommodating them and giving them their rightful place in the scheme of things. They cite the appointments made so far by the regime which obviously doesn’t reflect Federal Character and of course the instigated crisis in the National Assembly which targets the Deputy Senate President.

Growing up my mother said one thing over and over. This has always been the theme of her life till date. She would say things not a lot of people would say to people in distress. She would say, ‘God is going to make this turn out for good’. God knows what is happening to Igbo; He knows how they are being vilified and short changed; He knows of the plot against them; He knows of threats on their lives and properties; He knows of the plan to make life more difficult for them; He is not shocked that anti-Igbo sentiments are spiking; He is still on His throne. To those that fret about the plight of the South East , all we need do is acknowledge that God is in control and on His throne. Nothing could be worse than what happened to us during and after the civil war. We must accept the socio-political circumstances that we are in today, adapt to the circumstance, act on the circumstances and acknowledge the presence of God in the circumstances. In the midst of our adversity our response will determine the results. Let those who hate the Igbo and work against Igbo interest continue in their hate and evil plans. Like Abraham Lincoln will say ‘’I am sorry for the man who can’t feel the whip when it is laid on the other man’s back’. No condition is permanent. The fate of the Igbo also reminds me of this timeless story I love to tell. I have repeated this story very often to my children. It’s the timeless story of Joseph as was told in the Bible (Genesis Cap 37-50). Joseph the son of Israel was a dreamer. He lived in Canaan and was loved dearly by his father more than he loved his other children. His father made him a coat of many colors. But his brothers hated him and never spoke any kind word of him. Joseph was a dreamer. He dreamt several dreams including the dream of the sun and the moon and eleven stars all bowing down before him. The more Joseph prospered with his dreams the more his brothers hated him. They conspired to kill and destroy him but by divine intervention sold him into slavery to the Ishmaelite after stripping him of the rich ornamented robe he was wearing. Meanwhile the Meadinites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s captain of the guard. Because God was with Joseph he prospered living in the house of his Egyptian master who also put him in-charge of his household. When Joseph who was handsome and well built

Like Joseph, the Igbo were marked for death and destruction

refused the amorous advances of his master’s wife the woman accused him of attempting to rape her. Consequently the master put him in prison where the king’s prisoners were confined but God was with Joseph. He found favour in the eyes of the warder who put him in charge of all the prisoners from where he encountered the King’s cup bearers who were in custody. The (cup bearers) had dreams which they couldn’t interpret. Joseph interpreted the dreams. Out of prison the cup bearers told the King about Joseph because the king had dreams that were bothering him for he had dreamt of the seven fat cows and the seven ugly lean cows and the seven ears of the corns. When Joseph interpreted this dream which the Pharaoh’s magicians could not decipher he was taken in by the King who put him in- charge of all Egypt. It then happened that there was severe famine in Canaan and the brothers came to Egypt in search of grains. In Egypt they encountered Joseph who took them in including their father Jacob. Pharaoh gave to them the best of all Egypt. When Jacob died , his sons became afraid that Joseph will pay them in their own coins; they came together and threw themselves down before him saying ‘we are your slaves’. But Joseph said to them, ‘don’t be afraid, you intended to harm me but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done’. I see the plight of the Igbo at every twist of the Joseph story. Our fate is in God’s hands. I know someday God’s big picture for Nigeria through the intervention of the Igbo will manifest. Joseph had brothers who loathed him just like the Igbo are despised because they are jealous that God loves the Igbo and blesses them. Like Joseph, the Igbo were marked for death and destruction. After the civil war we were stripped of our wealth and riches but because God's hands are upon us everything we touched prospered. Though the Igbo are hated ,we are never going to act in place of God. Nigeria will prosper under an Igbo leadership. We will forgive those that killed and cursed us because our heart is not wicked. Our fate is in God’s hand. Let no man fear or worry about the fate of the Igbo under the present government because God will always be God , and will deliver his people.

Appraising Demuren’s transformation Kayode Adewunmi

ormer Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr. Harold Olusegun Demuren, is a man widely known in the aviation industry, where he has operated for several decades, for his thoroughness and professional sagacity. His impressive record as the top policeman of the country’s airspace during the turbulent period of former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, when aircraft were dropping from the skies in an alarming fashion, speaks volumes. Tough-talking Demuren, the septuagenarian owner of Afrijet Airlines, surely knows his onions, as he brought his wealth of experience to bear on the chaotic aviation sector when Obasanjo appointed him the DG of NCAA in December 2005. When a livid Obasanjo, at a tense parley in Lagos, tongue-lashed stakeholders in the aviation sector

for alleged greed and complacency following the fatal crashes of Bellview Airlines Flight 210, which killed all the 117 people on board on October 22, 2005; and the Sosoliso Airlines Flight 1145, which led to the deaths of 106 of the 108 passengers, including 61 young and promising students of Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja, on December 10, 2005 - all the stakeholders knew it was time for a massive surgical operation in the sector. And Demuren, as the quintessential aeronautical surgeon, did not disappoint. Up until the time he was ill-advisedly eased out by the Federal Government on March 11, 2013, it was clear to all and sundry, especially players in the aviation sector, that a no-nonsense, nonquerulous professional, who does not suffer fools gladly, had passed through the industry, restoring sanity and whipping all to line through his strategic short, medium and long term plans anchored on Safety, Security and (Consumer) Satisfaction (consumer) in that order of priority. Demuren, expectedly,

carved a niche for himself in NCAA. However, while there at the aviation regulatory agency, the defunct Soviet Union-trained aviator was so engrossed in his job that he simply forgot the saying of one of America’s greatest Presidents, Thomas Jefferson, that “It behooves every man who values liberty of conscience for himself to resist invasions of it in the case of others; or their case may, by change of circumstances, become his own.” I am sure that in his wildest imagination, the Ijebu-born Demuren would not have thought that massive privatisation of the country’s airports, other than the Murtala Muhammed Airport Two (MMA2), as is being proposed by the present administration, would be a state policy so soon. Why do I say this? Why, because Demuren’s actions and deeds while at NCAA never portrayed him as an aviation policymaker desirous of seeing a private sector-driven airport management. In fact, his body language was interpretatively to put a kibosh on the Public-Private Participation (PPP)

mantra in the aviation industry. For instance, as a keen supporter of PPP in aviation - because I believe it is the surest way to bring the desired development to the sector - I never heard the former NCAA DG support loudly, or play any significant reconciliatory role between the few, mischievously demonised private sector players in the industry and the government, while he was at the helm, as he has been doing in recent times. Perhaps the “born-again” Demuren has just realised that private sector participation is a sine qua non for the ultimate development of the aviation sector. Indeed, this new thinking is timely, that is if it is really genuine and devoid of hidden conditionality. There was no any other way the former NCAA DG revealed his new garb other than his recent advice to the Federal Government to resolve all issues associated with the concession of MMA2 with its concessionaire. • Adewunmi sent this piece from Lagos.

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

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Enhancing Maritime Security

he renewed storm in the Niger Delta Creeks is enough to shake the foundation of Nigeria’s unity and economy. A larger threat which should keep the Federal Government on its toes is the presence of pirates across the Gulf of Guinea. Piracy in the gulf has attracted global attention with the United Nation Security Council raising the alarm. The International Maritime Bureau is concerned as well especially because of the deadly activities of the pirates who have surpassed their counterparts in the Gulf of Aden. Pirates are not just hampering free trade, they are hurting the Nigerian economy. Also, the economic crunch has forced all tiers of government to think of new ways of generating revenue. As such, there is a growing interest in the maritime sector, especially as a relief for land and air transportation. The roads will be greatly relieved if foreign and local investors can be encouraged to invest heavily in the maritime sector, especially the inland waterways. There is therefore the need for a nationalCoastguard. The Coastguard will help in research to detect likely threats from fauna and flora to inland waterways.

The funding of such an outfit should not pose a problem as various multinational and Nigerian companies operating in the sector would be willing to back such a laudable initiative. It would not take the Federal Government too much effort to merge the NSCDC with agencies such as the National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency; NIMASA; Marine Police and other relevant agencies while the Merchant Navy can also be incorporated into the new outfit. Already, the United Nations has expressed readiness to

assist the nations of the Gulf of Guinea in dealing with security threats in the area. An excerpt from Wikipedia reads: “In November 2011 Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon assembled a team to examine the situation. As a result, a recommendation was made to convene a regional summit as to form a united front by the affected West African countries. It was recognized that the area needs a comprehensive maritime security framework across national boundaries to fight piracy. Furthermore, technical and logistical help is needed from

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the international community. The United States military Africa Command (Africom) started joint naval training exercises with affected West African countries. According to the International Maritime Bureau, pirate incidents off the West Africa seaboard in 2012 increased to 34 from 30 the previous year. On 19 November 2012, the

There are several models in various countries that can be adapted

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United Nations Security Council held an open meeting to discuss piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, among other

areas. The debate, which was the first held by the Security Council about this subject, was called by Indian Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri and had more than 40 speakers from different countries and international organizations. Several speakers noticed that while acts of piracy in the Indian Ocean were declining due to coordinated naval operations, piracy in the Gulf of Guinea was intensifying. They suggested applying lessons learned there to the Gulf of Guinea, “including a focus on modernizing counter-piracy laws, strengthen-

ing capacities for maritime law enforcement and crime investigation, supporting regional networks and increasing knowledge sharing.” There are several models in various countries that can be adapted to our nation’s needs in this regard. The United States, for instance, has maintained a viable coastguard for several years. It will be recalled that some years ago, suspected militants attacked Atlas Cove, a vital facility for the distribution of refined petroleum products on the Lagos coast. The recent discovery of oil by Folawiyo Group on the Lagos coast as well as the siting of the multi-million dollar Dangote Refinery and Tomaro Refinery in Lagos make it imperative that the coastline be closely guarded. The Federal Government must get its priorities right. The Armed Forces as presently constituted do not have the capacity to man our coasts. The creation of a Coastguard will be a welcome development. That could also help in reducing the number of aggrieved young compatriot in the Niger Delta creeks if they are offered opportunities to work in the new Coastguard.

POLITICS

TUESDAY, JUly 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

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

public have not fully embraced the fact that the Senate’s rules and procedures govern how the legislative body adjudicates and resolves its own disputes. “Let it be clear, as a citizen and as a foremost legislator, I will continue to rise above all the persecution and distraction that have been visited on me. “In the words of Martin Luther King Junior, 'the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at a time of challenge and controversy’. “I will remain true and committed to the responsibilities that my citizenship and my office impose on me. Without doubt, the highest of those responsibilities is the steadfast refusal to surrender to the subversion of our democracy and the desecration of the Senate. This is a cross I am prepared to carry. “If yielding (unyielding) to the nefarious agenda of a few individuals who are bent on undermining our democracy and destabilising the Federal Government to satisfy their selfish interests is alternative to losing my personal freedom, let the doors of jails be thrown open. I shall be a happy guest.” Saraki further said that the charges against him and Ekweremadu, were violation of the principle of separation of powers. “It is farcical to allege that a criminal act occurred during Senate procedural actions and the mere suggestion demonstrates a desperate overreach by the office of the Attorney General,” he said. He added: “These trumped up charges are only another phase in the relentless persecution of the leadership of the Senate. This misguided action by the Attorney General begs the question, how does this promote the public interest and benefit the nation? “At a time when the whole of government should be working together to meet Nigeria’s many challenges, we are once again distracted by the Executive branch’s inability to move beyond a leadership election among Senate peers. It was not an election of Senate peers and executive branch participants,” he said. Saraki said the Senate had worked to foster good relations with the executive branch in the past years, adding that it was in their collective interest to put aside divisions and move on with the nation’s business. He stressed that the leadership risked losing support of the people, who had entrusted it with the responsibility of seeking new and creative ways to promoting a secured and prosperous Nigeria. According to him, it is time to rise above partisanship and to move forward together. While events of the last two weeks have shown that Saraki is no longer going to do eye service to please President Buhari, who has turned a blind eye to his plight, the days ahead will determine who will blink first as the battle for supremacy between the warring camps is expected to be intensified.

Forgery allegation provokes Saraki capacity. The President had on November 9, 2015, removed Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde as chairman of EFCC and replaced him with Magu in acting capacity. Surprisingly, unlike him, the President of the Senate did not read the letter during Senate plenary session the following day, and the Chamber adjourned that same day to July 12. This was an indication that the embattled Senate president had prepared to confront the executive. Another pro Saraki senator, who also did not want to be mentioned, told New Telegraph that it was time for every arm of government to use its constitutional power to maintain checks and balances in the polity, while lamenting that the executive has been using and abusing its powers in undermining the independence of the legislature, by intimidating the Senate since its inauguration. He said: “The executive arm under Buhari is taking Nigeria back to the dictatorial era of the past, and I think this is not good for our democracy. In fact, this is one of the reasons some Nigerians believed that at the beginning stage of this democracy, it was not good to leave governance in the hands of former military dictators. "What we are seeing today is just a repeat of what former President Olusegun Obasanjo did when he ruled Nigeria between 1999 and 2007. They had military indoctrination and it is not easy to reorient them to embrace and live by democratic tenets. "But you saw the difference in Umaru Yar'Adua and Goodluck Jonathan. Although Yar'Adua did not serve out his tenure for Nigerians to see what orientation he had, we all saw that he believed in consultation. Jonathan was also very prone to the wishes of the people, though Nigerians misconstrued it to be weakness. "You may say that I am speaking for the opposition but the interest of the people is superior to parochial partisan interests of few Nigerians who would not allow things to work well in this country. "Talking about confirmation of ambassadorial list and Magu as EFCC chairman, is it not when the Senate is in a stable state that things can be done as expected? The executive cannot be harassing and intimidating the leadership of the Senate and you want us to treat executive communications with dispatch. "We have now learnt to take our time to handle issues in order not to make mistakes. We have to thoroughly examine the characters President Buhari is forwarding to us for appointment to any public office in Nigeria, in order not to appoint the wrong people to positions of authority. "It is our right, mandate and duty to defend democracy and the people from any form of threat. We have to ensure that there is good governance and we can only do that if we as the true representatives of the people are allowed to operate without the kind of inter-

Bwacha

ference we are witnessing today." The recent development in the Senate has also widened the rift between the pro and anti Saraki senators – that is members of the Senate Unity Forum and the Like Minds Senators. While the Like Mind Senators of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said recently that it had withdrawn its support for the APC-led government, the members of the Unity Forum said that it would continue to support Buhari's policies and actions. The Deputy Minority leader of the Senate, Senator Emmanuel Bawcha, who announced the support withdrawal, cited the “belligerent” nature of the Buhari-led APC as its reason. He said: “We condemn the plot to remove the Senate President and his deputy through illegal means. We will no longer cooperate with the APC government until they cease their belligerent acts.” The PDP caucus from the upper chambers of the National Assembly maintained that the action of the EFCC to block the bank account of Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose is a political witch-hunt. “The freezing of account of Ekiti state governor is a clear political witch-hunt. We wish the government to act with caution and desist from acts of lawlessness,” he said. But in a swift reaction, APC senators dared their PDP counterparts to withdraw their support for President Buhari’s government. Addressing a press conference, the ruling party senators insisted that no amount of threat from their PDP counterparts would make them back down on their support for the President’s programmes and policies which, they said were being considered unfavourable by their PDP counterparts. Senate Deputy Majority Leader, Senator Sola Adeyeye, who spoke on behalf of the APC senators, accused their PDP counterparts of mischief against their party and President Buhari, saying the

Adeyeye

The executive cannot be intimidating the leadership of the Senate and you want us to treat executive communications with dispatch

President’s fight against corruption was within the ambit of the nation’s laws. His words: “The Joint Caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Labour Party senators in the Senate are stoutly behind the policies and programmes of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. Our support is aimed at actualising the promised, desired change that Nigerians voted for last year. “We are shocked at the totally partisan reaction of our colleagues from the opposition party, PDP, to the on-going investigations and recovery of public funds meant for the prosecution of the war against insurgency.” In a related development, the rekindled strife between the Presidency and the National Assembly also manifested last week Wednesday, when the Presidency was compelled to cancel a dinner meeting earlier proposed between President Buhari and the leadership of the National Assembly. In several reactions from the Senate to the allegation of forgery and subsequent charging of Saraki, Ekweremadu and others to court, the Senate has made it clear that it would defer democracy and the independence of the Legislature as enshrined in the constitution. Saraki has also stated and stressed repeatedly that he would not be intimidated to surrender his office because of the harassment and intimidation coming from the executive arm. In fact, the Senate President said he is ready to lose his freedom to entrench democracy and stabilise governance in the country. In a statement that he personally signed, while reacting to the trial of the leadership of the Senate, which began last Monday, over alleged forgery of the 2015 Senate Standing Orders, Saraki said the trial was an onslaught on the legislature, adding that it posed a great danger to the democracy Nigerians fought hard to win and preserve. The statement read in part: “The suit suggests that perhaps, some forces in the Federal Re-

TUESDAY, JUly 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Herdsmen Cows, cows everywhere

Inside Abuja

Entrance to one of the backstreet brothels

There are several red light districts in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), but the brand in Mabushi, a long surviving ghetto settlement on the edge of the city centre, is something else. CALEB ONWE reports

“S

mall but mighty” is a phrase often used to describe the character of something or somebody that has the propensity of springing up a surprise, sometimes to the amazement of onlookers. Mabushi, a small settlement located not too far from the headquarters of the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, Mabushi District of Abuja, has acquired the appendage of ‘small but mighty’, not because of any positive exploit of its founders, but rather as a negative badge won by it residents. Spared by bulldozers Over the years, this slum has maintained its infamous status as a notorious red light zone in the Federal Capital Territory. In

Onwuka NzeshI

ABUJA BUREAU CHIEF nzeshi@newtelegraphonline.com

News ‘Vacate your residence in 30 days or face bulldozers’

19 20

Warning on the wall of a Mabushi brothel

Mabushi: Burgeoning ghetto for cheap sex spite of the series of demolition of illegal structures and shanty communities, Mabushi has remained in existence. The demolition exercises that extinguished many villages of its kind within the city centre merely reduced Mabushi to a smaller size slum, but it retained all its original colour. Inside Abuja learnt that the secret of its continued existence lay squarely on the logic that its main inhabitants were of the Gbagi and Gwari tribes, the aborigines of Abuja. Their excuse for staying put has been that the FCTA had not resettled them appropriately and they have a right to remain wherever they chose to live until government fulfilled its obligations. In the course of time, they have been joined by people from other parts of Nigeria and they now live side by side in their makeshift homes. At the moment, the settlement is dominated by the impoverished members of the society who are apparently hiding in the shadows, away from the glamour and glitter of the nation’s capital. Mabushi bubbles with a lot of social and economic activities that reflect both the good, the bad and the ugly. Like the average ghetto, the houses are built without appropriate plans. There are no decent arrangements in terms of streets and numbering of the houses. The roads are untarred and without drainages while waste waters spewing out of the kitchens and bathrooms flow over to the narrow winding streets. A first time visitor would

be confronted with the ugly sight of refuse dumped virtually everywhere and a stench that assaults not only the nostrils, but also constitutes a serious health hazard to everyone in the vicinity.

Sex, alcohol and drugs are the major commodities in this community

Heterogeneous population In spite of these negative picture, Mabushi has remained attractive to many fun seekers who besiege the various brothels and drinking joints that litter every corner of the village. The houses used as brothels have dwarf walls without any aesthetics but patronage is high particularly at nights. Sex, alcohol and drugs are the major commodities in this community. This burgeoning ghetto has been so notorious over the years as the place where men go to for cheap sex. Before the demolition exercise that reduced it to a shadow of itself during the El- Rufai era, its image was so poor that some residents of Mabushi were ashamed to be identified with the settlement. The village is evidently dominated by women of easy virtue and they cut across almost all the tribes in Nigeria. Inside Abuja’s checks revealed that there are many residents there who might not be into the sex trade in the strict sense of it, but are engaged in other means of livelihood related to the trade. These include those who operate bars and beer parlours alongside pepper soup joints. Nonetheless, a lot of bizarre things happen in Mabushi on per seconds basis. How do the families who live in the community because of the

cheap rent and closeness to the city centre raise their children in such morally depraved society? Considering the scale of oddities that play out in Mabushi, only divine intervention could make a child grow up in such an environment and not take to either prostitution or crime. The common code used by the prostitutes across the community is: Oga, how far now? Inside Abuja made effort to confirm the speculation that a mother and her daughter could be living under the same roof and compete for ‘sex customers’. Our correspondent’s curiosity made him to go extra mile when, in one of the joints, he noticed a woman who was clutching a child, within the age bracket of two and three years and yet was soliciting for patronage from our clients. Inside Abuja correspondent went closer to the lady, pretended to be an interested patron, bought a bottle of drink and a plate of pepper soup for the woman and gradually a revealing conversation ensued. The woman who should be in her late 30s, said her name was Sewase and hails from Gboko in Benue State. According to her, she came to Abuja, after escaping from the marauding herdsmen’s attack in their community. The gesture of a bottle of drink and pepper soup was actually the bait that bought the time she spent for the conversation, as those in sex ‘business’ are always vigilant with their seductive dragnets, without giving any CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

Inside ABUJA | SLUMS

TUESDAY, JUly 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Recently, a jailbreak occurred at the Kuje Prisons in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory. ONWUKA NZESHI recaptures the incident and the need for the authorities to forestall future occurrences

The prison The Kuje Medium Security Prison is located on the outskirts of Kuje, a densely populated satellite town and headquarters of Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory. The prison which occupies a vast expanse of land has always been in the news as the "special accommodation for special people," who have run foul of the laws of the land. Some residents of Abuja have satirically christened the territory occupied by the prison as a Government Reserved Area (GRA) for Very Important Personalities (VIPs) in the country. Apart from being the home of the regular prisoners serving various jail terms and the crime suspects awaiting trial, the facility plays host to celebrated political detainees undergoing trial on high profile corruption charges. The road to the prison is terribly in a bad shape, perhaps to serve as a warning to would-be prisoners of the worse times ahead of them as they are conveyed in the infamous Black Maria to the supposedly, correctional facility. The air around the entrance to the prison is chilly, the sight of the very high wall and presence of stern-looking security operatives, bearing sophisticated weapons are enough indications that life behind bars cannot be a joke. The armoured tanks stationed a few metres to the gates could give one some goose bumps while the dis-harmonious chirpings of some strange little birds hovering around the tall trees standing all over the compound, provokes an eerie feeling that one was treading on a dangerous ground. VIP Home Some of the high profile personalities that have been detained in Kuje Prison include a former Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh; former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh; Chairman Emeritus of Daar Communications, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi; leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mr. Nnamdi Kanu; former Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro and Charles Okah, a member of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) who was arrested on suspicion of being the alleged planner of the 2010 Independence Day bomb blast at

Kuje Prison

Jailbreak at Kuje …as two inmates escape

Eagle Square, Abuja.

Jailbreak or escape In spite of this awesome security cordon around the Kuje Prison, it is rather disappointing to learn that some inmates escaped from the facility Friday, June 24. The news filtered into town through the cyberspace on Saturday. It had all the colours of truth until journalists began to probe further to establish the facts. All this while Charles Okah was the focus. The initial report said Okah and another prisoner scaled the walls about 7:30p.m. on Friday. It was curios and people began to imagine how such a high profile prisoner could have broken through the security network and escaped from the detention facility. Hours later, the Nigeria Prisons Service confirmed that there was indeed an incident at the Kuje Prisons culminating in the escape of some inmates. It how-

Maxwell Ajukwu

What happened at Kuje prison was not the conventional jailbreak but an incident of two inmates escaping

ever said that what happened was not a jailbreak but "an escape from lawful custody". The prison authorities also allayed the fears that Okah, one of the key persons being held at the facility for terrorism, had escaped during the incident. The clarification was a big relief to not a few Nigerians. Charles is the brother of Henry Okah, the erstwhile leader of MEND who is currently in prison in South Africa following his conviction for terrorism. Both men have been linked to the October 1, 2010 bombing near the Eagle Square, an incident that opened the floodgate for the terrorist activities in Nigeria. If Charles Okah had escaped it would have jeopardised his trial and denied Nigerians the opportunity of know the truth about that Independence Day bombing six years ago. Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Prisons Service, Mr. Francis Enobore, said the service

Amodu Solomon

has opened an investigation into the jailbreak incident. “I wish to state that Charles Okah is still in the prison safe and sound. The Comptroller of Prisons has ordered an investigation. Two inmates escaped from the prison at about 1930hrs though not through jailbreak. The inmates in question were awaiting trial for culpable homicide and have no relationship with Charles Okah in whatever manner as it’s being speculated," Enobore said. The NPS spokesman said that efforts were on to recapture the fleeing prisoners in collaboration with sister security agencies and other relevant bodies. Timelines Research has shown that jailbreak is pervasive in prisons across Nigeria. Several cases of prison break have occurred between 2009 and 2014, resulting in the escape of over 2000 prisoners. On January 4, 2013, the Sagamu minimum prison in Ogun State was attacked resulting in the escape of 20 prisoners leaving several prison officials and other prisoners injured. About four escapee were later captured by the armed squad of the Prison Service. On June 30, 2013, it was reported that the Olokuta Medium Security Prison in Akure, the capital of Ondo State, was attacked by 50 unknown gunmen suspected to be armed robbers. The prison break resulted in the escape of 175 prisoners leaving two people dead and a warder injured. About 54 escapee were later re-arrested On September 7, 2010, a prison break was reported in Bauchi Prison. Like in the case of Akure, 50 gunmen suspected to be members of Boko Haram attacked the facility, resulting in the escape of 721 prisoners. Five persons died while six others were injured in the incident. On October 10, 2014, an unsuccessful prison break at the Kirikiri Medium Prison in Lagos State, by some convicted inmates of the prison was reported. One CONTINUED ON PAGE 21

Inside ABUJA

TUESDAY, JUly 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

In spite of the hue and cry across the states of the federation over the negative activities of herdsmen and the move in certain quarters to outlaw open grazing, Abuja, the seat of the Federal Government, still remains under the grip of the herdsmen as they stray into high security zones under the watch of security agencies. ONWUKA NZESHI and TUNDE OYESINA report

n September 2015, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) issued a notice, warning nomadic herdsmen grazing cattle in and around the Federal Capital City to desist forthwith or face the full wrath of the law. The order came from the desk of the then Permanent Secretary of the administration, Engr. John Obinna Chukwu, who said that directive had become imperative, considering the improper movement and grazing of cattle in the city and its environs. According to Chukwu, the practice of nomadic animal husbandry in the city constituted public nuisance, considering that the cows crossing major highways were hazards to road users. In addition, cow dungs which litter the streets even in the highbrow districts housing members of the diplomatic community were an eyesore. In reading this riot act, Chukwu warned that the practice must not be allowed to continue as Abuja being the capital of Nigeria was the window through which the world sees the country. He said that all hands must be on deck to ensure the adequate

Head of cows on the highway

Cows, cows everywhere

Cows on the Banex Bridge, Ahmadu Bello Way, Abuja.

maintenance of the Abuja environment in accordance with the change mantra of the Federal Government. He then directed the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) to ensure full compliance; by redirecting the herdsmen to specific areas designated for such activities in the Abuja Master Plan. Nearly one year after, it appears that both the warning and directive to the relevant agency fell on deaf ears. Cows, cows, everywhere The last might not have been heard about the migration of cows from one place to another within the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, as even the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport has been playing host to the herdsmen and their cows. The cows which move in droves have taken over the roads leading to the airport and even its staff quarters. On a recent visit to the air-

Every morning, herdsmen lead their cows along the major highways in these districts

port, Inside Abuja sighted the herdsmen and their cows along the major road leading to the main gate of the airport. The herdsmen did not limit the movement of their cows to the road alone, but the residential areas where there were no grass for grazing, especially FAAN Quarters where staffers of the airport authority live. A resident of the quarters who spoke with Inside Abuja on the condition of anonymity, said the issue of the cows entering the quarters was becoming a thing of concern to them. "This issue of these cows was never like this before, but all of a sudden, it surfaced up. We have contacted the airport authority, and I am sure they are working on it. I am not even sure where these cows come from, but I am sure it is not from the main entrance, because we have security people detailed to check movement of people there. "The small garden we cultivate is always being destroyed by these cows, and if you try to caution the herdsmen, they will be looking at you as if they are not the ones you are talking to," he added. The airport, apart from being a major entry point for foreign visitors and tourists, is a security zone where the practice of indiscriminate grazing of cows ought to be prohibited considering the recent reports that Boko Haram terrorists have infiltrated the local community of Fulani herdsmen. Special herdsmen Last years, security agents uncovered a plot by the insurgent group, Boko Haram, to launch bomb attacks on targets using cows. According to the National Orientation Agency (NOA), the insurgent had launched a new strategy of strapping bombs to cows and herding the cows to human settlements before deto-

nating the explosives. Should such a strategy be employed by herdsmen who have strayed into the airport, the security of the airport could be easily compromised. Inside Abuja has also noticed the movement of herdsmen and their cows through Aso Drive, the dual carriage way leading to the Presidential Villa (Aso Rock) , the National Assembly and the Federal Secretariat Complex. The headquarters of the Department of State Services (DSS) is situated on the same route, yet these cows usually have unfettered passage in the name of grazing their animals. If these special herdsmen could venture on roads and areas considered high security zones, one can only imagine what they are doing with their cows outside the city centre. They are a common sight in Mabushi, Kado and Jabi districts. They have also been spotted in Gudu, Kurudu, Lokogoma and Lugbe districts. Every morning, herdsmen lead their cows along the major highways in these districts. Sometimes the cows hold up vehicular traffic as they crossed from one side of the dual carriage way to the other. The herdsmen who are often teenagers usually hold their traditional stick to direct the animals and occasionally hit them to move faster. They are also visibly armed with long cutlasses tucked inside a leather scabbard and hanging be their sides. In the satellite towns of Kubwa, Bwari, Dutse, Kuje, Gwagwalada, Nyanya, Jikwoyi and Orozo, the herdsmen and their cows are lords and have right of first refusal on the roads. Motorists understand that it is better to avoid than confront them and be brutally bruised at the end of the day. Dennis Omorodion, a motorCONTINUED ON PAGE 22

INSIDE ABUJA \ NEWS

TUESDAY, JUly 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

‘Vacate your residence in 30 days or face bulldozers’ Yekeen Nurudeen Abuja

he Department of Development Control of Federal Capital Territory Administration is carrying on with the demolition exercise it commenced two weeks ago as it has handed down a 30-day ultimatum to residents of Sabo Iddo, a village along the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport Road, Abuja, to voluntarily leave the community or have their properties mowed down by its bulldozers. According to officials of the department, who handed down the ultimatum at a stakeholders’ meeting in the community, Sabbo Iddo village has been illegally existing and expanding within the precinct of the University of Abuja permanent site. While insisting that the community is not an organic settlement in FCT, Deputy Director, Monitoring and Enforcement, Kuchume S. Bawa, who led the Development Control officials, accom-

panied by security operatives to the area, said there would be total removal of the village, as it is located within the area allocated for the university as well as experiencing accelerated illegal expansion. He said at the expiration of the one month removal notice issued to enable the concerned settlers vacate the place voluntarily, officials of the department would return to the community to carry out intensive marking of houses in the village. Bawa noted that although the government adopted dialogue method in its effort to regulate the illegal existence and expansion of the settlement, but issuance of removal notice and or actual removal of such illegal development have been part of the routine function of the department, under the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC). He stressed that the department instead of storming the community with its bulldozers to enforce removal of the illegal structures on

the university land, the officials visited the area to first dialogue with the people concerned, to voluntarily leave the place within the given period, so as to avoid loss of any kind. “Before, what we do is just move in and start carrying out removal of illegal structures, but now that is not what we do; we first dialogue with the people concerned, so that we will now know what their problems are

and the best strategist to be used to remove their illegal structures,” he said. Meanwhile, there was palpable tension and despair in the village, occupied by about 3,000 indigenous Gbagyi people of Abuja and other settlers, who are predominately farmers, artisans and businessmen (now to be displaced), as they expressed shock over the demolition notice. In particular, various

leaders of the ‘illegal’ village, also with visible gloom on their faces, who dismissed the tag of illegality on their community, argued that the place has been in existence for over 40 years, even as they admitted that it (the community) has expanded beyond its original boundary. According to the Chief of Sabo Iddo Community, Yakubu Musa Alkali, the claim of illegality status of his village, does

not hold water, as the place has been in existence for a very long time, adding that he was born in the community. Alkali, however, appealed for calm and government’s consideration for the welfare of the people in the area, by only focusing on removal of illegal expansion in the place, saying his people have no other place to go if they are forced to leave the entire village landscape.

Outgoing Governor of The Rotary District 1925, Dr Mike Omotosho (sixth-right), with the nominees at the Rotary District 1925's Humanitarian Reporting Awards in Abuja.…at the weekend. PHOTO: NAN

NITDA to stimulate creative potential of young graduates Clem Khena-Ogbena Abuja

he National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has indicated its readiness to stimulate the creative potential in information communication technology (ICT) of young Nigerian graduates, through collaboration with private sector organisations and civil society groups. Acting Director General, NITDA, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, dropped this hint at the weekend during the Launch of Open Source Software Development for Youth Corp Members, at the Public Service Institute of Nigeria, Kubwa, Abuja. Olatunji said that the initiative would help the targeted youths unleash their potential for sustainable socio-economic transformation of Nigeria. The NIDA boss further explained that the empowerment and entrepreneurship scheme being deployed through the open source software development programme was aimed at developing and empowering graduate youths with requisite skills which will not only make them employable but also help in mentoring them to become suc-

cessful entrepreneurs. According to Olatunji, "This is just the pilot of the programme and we hope to continue or expand the programme after a thorough evaluation of the impact on the corp members in achieving the objective of selfreliance. NITDA is also willing to partner with private sector organisations and civil society groups to stimulate the creative ability of the youth and unleash them for sustainable socio-economic transformation of the country." Olatunji, who described the capacity building programme as one of NITDA's strategic pillars, cited another initiative of the agency, the NITDA/GIS partnership for IT entrepreneurial skill development which is currently ongoing in Lagos as one aimed at stimulating the creative potential of young graduates in the area of software development for some selected sectors of the economy. He further listed other initiatives of NITDA in the area of capacity building to include: Training for Youth with Disabilities; IT Essentials for Youth Corp Members; Business Process Outsourcing; Cyber Security Training for Network Administrators in Min-

istries and Agencies; IT Skill Development in Web Technology; and Project Empower 3600. Olatunji stated that about 100 youths are currently benefiting from the programme which has three months training and nine months internship as

part of its component. The programme is at its first phase and is to be expanded to other geopolitical zones of the country. "In addition, we offer scholarship for deserving students to acquire Masters and PhD degrees in core areas of

computer-related discipline. Under this scheme, over 400 Nigerians have benefitted from the Masters programme, while 36 have been sponsored for PhD programmes. The agency also supports Innovation Hubs, where youths are empowered, assisted and mentored

to develop their own IT businesses as entrepreneurs in the area of software development. Over 1, 200 youths have passed through the programme in the last five months, while another batch of 740 youths will take their turn in the next one month.

Minister to landlords: Stop violating land use plan Yekeen Nurudeen Abuja

inister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, has charged landlords in the nation's seat of power to strictly ensure that their buildings are used only for the purposes they were designed in the Abuja Master Plan. The minister gave this charge when the Nyanya (Phase I) Landlords Association, Abuja visited him in his office. The minister said this charge became necessary to forestall a situation where some of the landlords were converting residential properties into nightclubs, brothels and worship centres, against the purposes for which they were designed and approved by the FCT Development Control Department.

Bello stated that as community leaders, the landlords had a duty to insist that anybody staying in any of their properties subscribe to basic minimum standards of behaviour agreed between them and the tenants. His words: “A lot of activities take place in these buildings that are illegal. They are all done in properties owned by people. For every property, there is purpose for it. If as a landlord, you allow somebody to rent your house and before you know it, he converts it into a nightclub and the wrong people come there, it affects the neighbours.” The minister, who explained that districts and communities in the FCT were specifically designed to have areas for schools, commercial activities, residential and hospitals, regretted that some landlords allowed for mixed use, which he reiterated

often, has led to breakdown of law and order in the community. “If your member rented a house out and the tenant has converted it into a church or a mosque or a nightclub and then instead of normal service time that we know, somebody will put up something at 2a.m. This is wrong. You have to police these things and give us report so that we can enforce. “You as a community, not only in Nyanya but in all communities of the FCT, it is very important that community-based associations like your own also partner with us to make sure that we bring welfare and a very conducive living environment for the people,” the minister added. While making clarifications on the FCTA’s recent decision to shut substandard schools within the Territory, Bello

said some of the schools operated in such deplorable conditions that were simply not conducive for learning. According to him, “we were trying to close so many schools because most of them are not schools. There was an area where a school was located inside a brothel. You will see small children studying in the school and just by the side, you see people moving half naked. How can they learn in that kind of environment?” Earlier in his address, the Chairman, Nyanya (Phase I) Landlords Association, Abuja, Alhaji Mamman Jimoh Lawal, appreciated the pinister for the prompt way he is handling the problems of their community. He said the association was ready to partner with the FCTA to solve the problem of underdevelopment across FCT.

INSIDE ABUJA

TUESDAY, JUly 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Help from Japan to Bwari people The people of Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory have endured the pains of poor healthcare facilities for many years. Forty eight years after the General Hospital in Bwari was established, it got its first incubator and other medical equipment a few days ago, courtesy the Embassy of Japan in Nigeria. YEKEEN NURUDEEN reports

uccour has come the way of residents of Bwari Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja as the General Hospital that takes care of their health care needs has received a boost in terms of basic facilities. The hospital which started 48 years ago as a primary healthcare clinic in the then North Western State, has just benefitted from $89,662 project procurement for medical equipment. The project was implemented under Japanese Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) through a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Women's Right to Education Programme. Though it was upgraded to a comprehensive health centre in September 12, 1989 and was a General Hospital in March 2002, the hospital could not boast of equipment such as incubator for premature babies, medical resuscitaire and operating tables which have led to many deaths of infants and their mothers in the area council. But, these equipment have been made available to the hospital through the assistance of the Japanese Government. The project, according to the Ambassador of Japan to Nigeria, Sadanobu Kusaoke, covers presentation of 25 types of medical equipment and tools to the hospital. Speaking at the official handing-over ceremony of the equipment to the management of the hospital, the ambassador said that the equipment would lead to drastic reduction in child and maternal mortality in Bwari Area Council. His words: "We, the Embassy of Japan, have been trying to be helpful to our Nigerian friends in their pursuit of the nation’s overall economic development as well as improvement in its quality of life. Through the scheme ‘Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Project’, the Embassy has implemented a total of 152 projects since 1998 in various areas such as primary health, primary education and agriculture with the total amount of grants of over $10.4 million disbursed

Bello

Kusaoke

so far. “In the Project for Procurement of Medical Equipment for Bwari General Hospital, we are handing over 25 types of medical equipment and tools today. I believe that the equipment will contribute to better access to medical services in Bwari Area Council. “A large number of people from Abuja, Kaduna, and Niger come to Bwari General Hospital every day, but the hospital could not always provide patients with appropriate and swift medical services because of the lack of medical equipment. “For example, some expectant mothers could not receive appropriate caesarean surgeries when necessary, because the basic equipment such as medical resuscitaire and operating tables were not at hand. The shortage of equipment, in the worst cases, caused many babies and pregnant women to die despite the fact that their lives would have been saved with just one sort of

I believe that the equipment will contribute to better access to medical services in Bwari Area Council

equipment. “Responding to the request from the hospital through Women's Right to Education Programme, we have taken an action to bridge the gap and now successfully completed this project. We strongly wish that the medical equipment provided by the Government of Japan will contribute to reduction in child and maternal mortality in Bwari as well as neighbouring areas." He, however, charged the management of the hospital to take proper care of the equipment for optimum utilisation. "In order to maximise the value of the project, we would like to ask Bwari General Hospital to maintain the equipment properly so that it will be fully utilised and many people will be able to benefit from it as long as possible," he said. Receiving the equipment, Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Osagie Osayeme, said the presentation of the equipment would enable the hospital to achieve

the World Health Organisation (WHO) sets of Universal Health Coverage. He said the vision of the hospital was to be at the apex of health care delivery system in the FCT while its mission statement is to proffer world class health services to all residents of Bwari. Osayeme noted that the donation has helped in providing technological input to achieve some of the hospital's set targets just as he allayed fears on the maintenance of the equipment. According to him, the hospital is also a beneficiary of Japan International Cooperative Agency (JICA) training on 5-s Kaizem TQM which he said is already being put to practice at the hospital. One of the beneficiaries of the new equipment, Mrs. Priscilla Nwachukwu, who gave birth to a baby using some of the beds donated commended the Japanese government and urged Nigerian Government to pay more attention to the nation's health care sector.

Jailbreak at Kuje as two inmates escape C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 8

prisoner died and six others were wounded. On November 2, 2014, another prison break was reported in Koto-Karffi Federal Medium Security Prisons in Kogi State, by numbers of gunmen suspected to be members of Boko Haram. This incident resulted in the escape of 144 prisoners from the prison leaving one inmate dead and 45 escaped prisoners were rearrested. On November 30, 2014, another attack on the federal prison at Ado-Ekiti, 60 unknown gunmen was reported. This attack resulted in the escape of 341 prisoners leaving one prison official dead. About

10 prisoners were recaptured during the attack and 67 escapees were rearrested thereafter. On December 6, 2014, about a week after the Ekiti prison break, Minna medium prison was attacked by three unknown gunmen suspected to be armed robbers. This prison break resulted in the escape of 270 prisoners leaving one security officer injured. Security lapse So far, it appears that this is the second time an attempt at jail break has been reported at the Kuje Prison. There is yet no clue as to how the two inmates escaped. Since there is no part of the fence that has been found to have been pulled down, there are speculations

that the escape of inmates may have been as a result of a security lapse or aided by some insiders in the system. Being one of the newest prisons in Nigeria, the Kuje Prison is believed to have been equipped with more modern facilities in terms of welfare of inmates and general security. Manhunt begins Already the Nigeria Prisons Service has commenced a manhunt for the two inmates who escaped from the correctional facility. According to officials of the prison, all relevant security agencies have been alerted to look out for the escapees while their photographs have been un-

veiled to facilitate their easy recognition and capture. Enobore explained that what happened at Kuje prison was not the conventional jailbreak but an incident of two inmates escaping from lawful custody. He said that the incident was the second in the history of the Kuje Prison, adding that so far, no arrests had been made. However, it was learnt that the Minister of Interior, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd) who visited Kuje Prison a few days later ordered the removal of Deputy Comptroller of Prisons, Musa Tanko, who was in charge of the facility when the jailbreak occurred.

INSIDE ABUJA

C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 9

ist, told Inside Abuja of an experience he had with the cows some months ago. According to him, he was driving through the Byazhin Road in Kubwa when suddenly, a herd of cows trooped into the road as he descended a bridge. Omorodion said he applied his brakes and managed to halt his car from ramming into the animals. He said he was lucky because he was not on full speed and his reflexes were sharp enough to respond to the emergency. A good number of motorists have not been so lucky and ended up in the hospital ward and their cars becoming a compete wreckage of its old self. AEPB The Abuja Environmental Protection Board was created pursuant to the AEPB Act of 1997 with the objectives of achieving sustainable development in the territory. The agency was established to secure the quality of environment and endure it is conducive for the good health and well-being of the residents of the territory. It was also created to conserve and use the environment and its natural resources for the benefit of the residents of the territory. Part of its responsibilities is to reduce the impact of physical development on the ecosystem, raise public awareness and promote understanding of essential linkages between environment and development while co-operating with the Federal Ministry of Environment and such other agencies to achieve effective prevention of trans-boundary movement of waste. It has become apparent that the AEPB Act may not have antic-

Cows everywhere

TUESDAY, JUly 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Cows on the highway

ipated that there will be a time the city will be flooded by herdsmen and their cows. The legislation therefore did not provide clear guidelines on what the agency should do to curb the menace of the herdsmen roaming the streets with their animals. Although, the directive given by the FCTA outlawing open grazing mentioned that the animals should be moved out of the city and taken to designated areas for animal rearing, Inside Abuja searched round the city

A good number of motorists have not been so lucky and ended up in the hospital ward

but could not locate an area designated as a grazing reserve or a ranch in the territory. In this light, it will be appropriate for the FCTA to approach the National Assembly which has the responsibility of making laws for the territory to amend the AEPB Act and make adequate provisions as to the responsibility of the agency to the burning issue of herdsmen in the city. If indeed there are designated places for the development of ranches in the terri-

tory, it should be clearly marked and the herdsmen relocated to such places to end this shameful parade of animal grazing and defecating in the open before the very eyes of visitors from other countries. The Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, and the Minister of Environment, Hajia Amina Mohammed should collaborate with the Minister of the FCT, Alhaji Mohammed Bello, to solve this problem before things get out of hand in the territory.

Mabushi: Burgeoning ghetto for cheap sex C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 7

iota of attention to side attractions that will not put food on the table for them. Sewase said she came to Abuja with her mother to hustle, she declined to disclose her marital status, but could not hide the fact that the little child seen with her was her child. “My mother dey around, and any time my costumers come, she go come stay for this beer parlour where she dey sell her burukutu,” she explained. On whether her mother frowns at what she is doing, she said: "My mother know say na money I dey find; the money to take care of her and my child.” HIV/AIDS campaign However, it is heart-warming to note that health advocacy groups such as the Society for Family Health have taken their campaigns against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) to this enclave. One of the old warnings conspicuously pasted on the walls of many of the buildings in Mabushi, with inscription like “HIV DEY SHOOT O, USE BULLET PROOF,” a message sponsored by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and other foreign donor agencies. But it isn't clear if these men and women involved in the sex trade were taking the messages seriously. Veronica, a health worker in one of the government hospitals in Abuja,

confirmed that a team of professionals often visit the various red light zones for awareness campaign cum free testing for HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. She said it was unfortunate that the sex trade still booms with reports of people rejecting the use of condom and having unprotected sex. Some ignorant women and their careless male patrons still go skinto-skin in their uncontrollable desire for sexual escapades. Most uninformed sex workers would justify the dangerous trade with the poor economic condition they found themselves and the quest for survival. Mystery of used condoms Another revealing part of the conversation was when our correspondent tried to confirm one of the strange reports that sex workers at Mabushi are in the habit of selling used condom after their sex bouts with unsuspecting patrons. Sewase did not deny the allegation but unwittingly tried to exonerate herself from such act. She said: “I hear say some people dey sell condom with sperm to some babalawo, but me I no dey sell. I used to collect my own in a letter bag, and after I will go and throw it away. I even get holy salt and water wey I get from my church. Before I throw away the used condom, I will pour the holy salt and water on it so that even if somebody carry it to do anything it will

Another view of Mabushi

not work,” she explained. In a bid to exit the scene safely, our correspondent pretended to be answering a phone call, stood up and stepped aside as if the noisy environment was obstructing his call. He sneaked away to escape the seductive charm of the place because Sewase was actually gulping down the pepper soup and drinks in anticipation of some action inside one of the chalets. There seem to be a nexus between the alleged sale of sperm-filled used condoms and the cheap sex in this en-

clave. Or how else could one justify that that these sex workers collect as low as N300 for a round of quick amorous service only to struggle to take possession of the condom after the bout and sell it to some herbalists for ritual purposes. Sewase, the woman our correspondent encountered during his visit, said she collects N2000 for an all-night service and N500 for short time especially when traffic is low. According to her, there are no fixed rates and anything goes depending on the bargaining prowess of the parties.

TUESDAY, july 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Energy Energy: Between landmine and landslide

Business What's news Why road projects are expensive in Nigeria, by expert

Homes & Property Persistent lull headlines Nigeria’s real estate

25 27

Rates Dashboard INFLATION RATE May 2016...............................15.6% April 2016............................13.7% March 2016..............................12.8%

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

EXCHANGE RATE

(BDC as at July 1)

(Interbank as at July 1)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N353 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N469 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N385

l Foreign Reserves – $26.363bn as at 30/6/2016

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N282.25 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N376 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N314

Source: CBN

p.24

Oil rout: Air transport trade in Nigeria, others decline by $200m p.24

L-R: President, Abuja Cooperative Federation (ABCOF), Emeka Mbagbha; President, National Co-operative Financing Agency of Nigeria (CFAN), Adebola Orolugbagbe and Head, Enterprise Business Unit (North), MTN Nigeria, Abdullahi Auwal Abdullahi, during the International Cooperative Day 2016 in Abuja.

Oil blocks: NPDC yet to pay FG’s $1.7bn 5 years after allotment ALLEGATION The Business Desk

NEITI says NNPC under-valued 8 Shell JV’s divested oil blocks

Ayodele Aminu

Deputy Editor (Business)

Bayo Akomolafe

Asst. Editor (Maritime)

Adeola Yusuf

Asst. Editor (Insurance)

Sunday Ojeme

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 Finance Editor

Taiwo Hassan

Industry, Agric & Brands Editor

Kunle Azeez

Senior Correspondent

Chuks Onuanyin Energy

Nnamdi Amadi Reporter

Johnson Adebayo

Asst Production Editor

he Nigeria Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), a subsidiary of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), which was allocated oil wells by the corporation in 2011, still owes the Federal Government $1.7 billion, years after the latter divestment, New Telegraph has learnt. The Nigeria Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI), which revealed this to New Telegraph, maintained that a Joint Venture (JV) between NNPC and Shell incurred the debt from the divestment of eight blocks. The blocks, valued at $1.8 billion, Director of Communication of NEITI, Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, said on the side-line of the Master Class in Oil and Gas reporting Course at the Pan-Atlantic University, were

also grossly under-valued. Despite being under-valued, NPDC, he said, only paid $100 million for the eight blocks. In a presentation on the NEITI’s 2013 report, the spokesperson for the institute said: “Sixteen government agencies and 41 oil and gas companies were audited in 2013 as contained in the report, which is the latest on the stable of NEITI. These were the producing companies that made material payment of $5 million and above in 2013. “Our findings included, but not limited to, the revelation the eight Oil Mining Lease (OML) divested to NPDC from Shell JV between 2010 and 2011 were valued at $1.8 billion, but only $100 million was paid, leaving an outstanding of $1.7 billion.” It was also established in the audit report that the country’s total crude oil production for 2013 as recorded by NNPC stood at 800.9 million barrels. “800.3 million barrels crude lifted by the different contract arrangements as recorded by NNPC,” according to the presentation. Aside from this, $58.07 billion revenues were also earned by the NNPC on behalf of the federal gov-

$58.07 billion Being the total oil revenue earnings by Nigeria in 2013

ernment in 2013. The total outstanding revenue from NNPC was $3.787 billion and the outstanding revenues from its sub-unit are N358.3 billion. Orji reiterated that $5.96 billion and N20.4 billion were the total losses to the federation due to Offshore Processing Arrangement (OPA), crude swap and oil theft, among others, in 2013. “In 2012, the total revenue earnings by Nigeria stood at $62.99 billion, while in 2013, the revenue earnings dipped to $58.07 billion,” Orji said. Nigeria, it would be recalled, signed up to the global extractive group, Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) in 2003, while former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who led the country to joining the group, began implementation in 2004. “This led to the establishment of NEITI same year,” Orji said, adding that the “concept of EITI is to promote due process and accountability.” This, he said, is done “through physical audit, financial audit, process audit and fiscal allocation and statutory disbursement audit.”

TUESDAY, july 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

BUSINESS |news

PARTICIPATION Body seeks quantity surveyors’ involvement in road projects to curb corrupt tendencies

Dayo Ayeyemi

harp practices, non-engagement of quantity surveyors, unsolicited bid and frequent policy summersault, among others, are liable for exorbitant prices of road construction projects in Nigeria. Chairperson of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS), Mrs. Adenike Ayanda, disclosed this to New Telegraph. She said these anomalies were responsible for plethora of uncompleted or abandoned projects in the country. Ayanda noted that Nigeria has been a country where corruption thrives, adding that recent reports revealed that road construction in Nigeria is over 100 per cent higher than global benchmark. Contrary to speculations, she stated that it was wrong for anyone to allege that quantity surveyors are colluding with engineers to increase road construction costs in the country. According to her, high cost of procuring civil and heavy engineering projects in the country

Why road projects are expensive in Nigeria, by expert

was largely due to the non-utilisation of quantity surveyors who, by training, are equipped to give value for money on all construction projects. Besides, she noted that most abandoned projects were due to a mismatch between the available funds and what the consultants have designed, adding that the use of quantity surveyors in both buildings and heavy/civil engineering projects would reduce

cost overruns that ultimately lead to abandonment of projects. She said: “At the beginning of a project, quantity surveyors should be involved to prepare the budget. This will allow the client to know what to do about the contract from the beginning, but most of the time we put the cart before the horse. “At times, government may want to impress the people and bring about some gigantic projects

that eventually become white elephant projects and cannot complete them. In Nigeria, wrong pegs are put in right holes. If you do a comparative analysis, the same project in Ghana, Europe and America cost more in Nigeria because so many things have gone into it,” she said. Consequently, she advocated significant role in engineering infrastructure projects in the country.

Ayanda said that involvement of quantity surveyors in these projects would curb corrupt tendencies and sharp practices, ensure financial probity, accountability, value for money and minimise mass wastages of economic resources usually associated with infrastructure provision. According to her, engineering infrastructure projects were critical to economic development and often an index in

measuring a nation’s global competitiveness, thus making the active participation of quantity surveyors imperative for their effective cost management. She advised government to provide consistent and supportive policies that will address and curb the current problems of defective budgeting, planning, high import dependence and expatriate dominance of the engineering sector.

L–R: Dr. Group Chief Operating Officer, Nestoil Limited, Chukwueloka Umeh, receiving the award for the Oil Service Project Manager Company of the Year from Managing Director, Total Exploration and Production Limited, Mr. Nicolas Terraz, at the 2016 edition of the BusinessDayOval Energy Oil & Gas Roundtable and Awards held at the Civic Centre, Lagos.

Oil rout: Air transport trade in Nigeria, others decline by $200m PROMISING IATA sees potentials for Nigeria, considering its population

Wole Shadare

iven the global macro challenges, it is estimated that air transport business in major African cities, including Nigeria declined by $1 per passenger since the slide in oil prices two years ago. This translates to over $200 million considering that Africa’s air traffic for 2015 was put at over 200 million. The aviation sector is said to cater for 3.5 billion passengers globally and is said to be a major facilitator for as much as 25 per

cent of world trade annually, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the clearing house for 260 airlines is quoted to have said. Despite the sliding oil prices, IATA could see huge potential for air transportation in Nigeria, considering the country’s estimated population size of 170 million. The group held that getting the huge population into flying required a sound business policy that would bring about low cost airlines. Not a few are impressed with some of the nation’s aerodromes despite several billions of naira that went into the airport remodelling exercise. But even with that, latest reports from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) show that air transport grew by 3.7 per

cent year-on-year in 2015 and contributed 0.1 per cent to total Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the equivalence of N63billion or ($317milllion). The report showed an increase of aircraft movement in/out of Nigerian airports in 2015 put at 61,692 approximately 6.9 per cent. However, the NBS noted that in the third and fourth quarters of 2015, there were 11.3 per cent and 14.3 per cent fewer domestic flights than in the same quarter of 2014 respectively, which resulted in a total of 46,157 and 50,686 flights in the third and fourth quarters. It also added that the year-on-year declines in the number of inter national flights recorded 3.3 per cent and 10.5 per cent in the third and fourth quarters of 2015 respective-

ly, which resulted in a total of 11,547 international flights in third quarter of 2015 and 11,006 in the fourth. The Bureau also explained that there was a large quarterly increase in domestic flights in the fourth quarter of 2015 of 9.8 per cent. International flights saw a decline of 541 flights, or 4.7 per cent, reversing the increase of 344 flights (3.1 per cent) recorded in the third quarter. This revelation indicates that the difference between the number of domestic and international aircraft to pass through Nigeria airports tended to be smaller than the difference between the number of domestic and international passengers, reflecting the fact that international aircraft tended to be larger, and therefore carried more passengers.

The NBS also recorded a total of 89.5 per cent of cargo movements across the country in the last quarter of 2015, stating that whereas the third quarter of 2015 saw a year-on- year decline of 13.9 per cent, the fourth quarter saw a year-on-year increase of 12.8 for the airport. The bureau said that the third quarter of 2015 saw a quarterly increase in the weight of cargo to pass through Nigerian airports of 724,792Kg or 1.8 per cent, to reach 41,636,713kg. The bulk of the weight of cargo to move through Nigerian Airports it declared went through MMA in Lagos in the second half of 2015. The data added, “This airport accounted for 91 per cent and 88.2 per cent of the weight in the third and fourth quarters;

the decline in the share between these two periods is in spite of an increase in the weight of cargo to move through MMA of 14.8 per cent. “The decline was mainly the result of a large increase in the weight of cargo to pass through Kano Airport between these periods. Whereas in the third quarter of 2015, the weight of cargo to pass through Kano was 1,681,772kg, this rose by 2,474,862kg (147.2 per cent) to 4,156,634kg in the fourth quarter. “As a result, Kano significantly increased its share of cargo between the fourth quarters of 2014 and 2015, from 3.3 per cent to 7.7 per cent. Port Harcourt also saw an increase over this period, from 2 per cent to 2.7 per cent, despite a year-on-year decrease in the weight of cargo moved of 4.6 per cent, this decrease was considerably less than for Abuja (16.3 per cent) or Calabar (44.4 per cent).”

TUESDAY, july 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Q2 2016

energy

Oil rig and power substation

Energy: Between landmine and landslide Nigeria’s energy sector grappled with removal of fuel subsidy, dwindling crude production and unimproved power supply in the second quarter of 2016. ADEOLA YUSUF reports

orty eight hours before the end of the second quarter, Nigeria secured a $50 billion investment in oil and gas from China. Through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on behalf of the country on Wednesday, June 28, China, one of the biggest consumers of Nigeria’s crude, was expected to invest the money in the country’s oil and gas development. The same day also witnessed the revelation of another milestone in the sector: the gas reserves in Nigeria hit 190 trillion metric tonnes, the highest in the country’s history. Before these feats, the second quarter had faced turbulence buoyed by the removal of subsidy on the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as petrol, dwindling crude production and unimproved power supply. Subsidy removal The federal government announced the removal of subsidy in May 2016. This announcement was not only accompanied by a surge in the prices of the commodity from N86 to N145 per litre, it also led to hardship and inflation. The hardship, surprisingly, led to the sack of staff by both local and international oil companies during the second quarter.

Shell, biggest international oil company in Nigeria based on assets and production, declared plans last May to sack additional 5,000 staff from its global operations including Nigeria. This raised the number of staff slated for sack by Shell to over 15, 000. Chevron had earlier declared its plan to also fire 10, 000 staff from its global operations. The removal of subsidy followed the scarcity of petrol, which dragged into the second quarter from the first quarter but reached its crescendo in the early part of the second quarter. With the controversial statement credited to the minister in charge of petroleum resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, the long queues for fuel in April became unbearable. This put Kachikwu, the federal government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) under massive pressure to end the lingering queues in filling stations nationwide before the ‘dreaded’ two months allegedly promised by the minister. The manufacturers under the auspices of the Organised Private Sector (OPS) expressed misgivings on Kachikwu’s statement. The alleged statement skyrocketed acute shortage of fuel and massive queues for the product in Lagos and Abuja. Chairman, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Small and Medium scale Enterprise Group (SMEG), Jon Kachikwu, declared that such a statement was unacceptable to Nigerians at a period when businesses are dying in the country over non-availability of petrol. Failed relief The federal government, also in the quarter, took another step to end the lingering fuel scarcity with the constitution of a 14-man committee, which will interface with the NNPC and the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC) on fuel distribution and enforcement of the official pump

Q2 2016 ended with hope and signals that the third quarter may be better

price by marketers. Kachikwu, who inaugurated the committee in Abuja, also mandated it to do everything possible to bring peace back to Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) at the national, zonal and depot levels. The committee chaired by Prince I. Dunuje, according to checks by New telegraph, was with the intervention of the president and the Commander-in- Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, who had directed the Hon Minister to see to the need of bringing IPMAN together as one and indivisible entity. The big decision The federal government, on May 12, took the decision considered as the biggest in the second quarter of 2016 by removing subsidy from sale of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, also known as petrol “with immediate effect.” Minister of state for petroleum resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu who said this, added that the marketers were “now free to bring in cargoes and sell, subject to meeting standard quality control.” He however, announced a benchmark of N145 per litre, as a recommended pump price, at which any trader, irrespective of the source of foreign exchange used to import cargo is guaranteed adequate profit. Meanwhile, the announcement led to a spontaneous disappearance of queues in filling stations across the country. It also sprang up competition among the marketers, which later crashed the price to as low as N135 per litre. Big gains for oil In the midst of the fuels scarcity, Prices of oil, Nigeria’s biggest revenue earner, were in the quarter on track to a quarterly rise, their largest monthly gain in almost a year. On a monthly basis, Brent’s front-month was on track to a 10

per cent gain for March – its best since April 2015 – and a 6 per cent rise in the first quarter. This was helped by a weak dollar and data showing a drawdown in crude stocks at the United States (U.S.) futures delivery hub. But concerns that a proposed production freeze will barely make a difference to the global oil glut kept a lid on the market’s upside, some traders and analysts said. Refineries shutdown The shutdown of four refineries in Nigeria lingered till the quarter under review. This shutdown, according to the NNPC became imperative due to the attacks on pipelines that transport crude to the installations. Amidst the shutdown of refineries and the attendant scarcity of fuel across the country, nine companies in the first quarter, submitted bids for the co-location of refineries with the NNPC, which is aimed at boosting the local refining capacity. While this figure increased in the second quarter, the winners of the contracts were not announced before the expiration of the quarter under review. The NNPC, which confirmed the bid-round, also revealed plans to increase the nation’s refining capacity from 445,000 barrels per day to 650,000. NNPC Chief Operating Officer (COO) Refineries, Mr. Anibo Kragha, opened the technical bid for the location of new refineries within the existing refineries in the country, stating that the corporation was committed to boosting the nation’s refining capacity, which in turn would put an end to perennial fuel scarcity in the country. “The aim is to leverage on the existing facilities to fast-track the takeoff of the refineries as soon as possible,” the COO said. According to him, a technical evaluation committee had been set up CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

TUESDAY, july 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

BUSINESS | Energy

Nestoil is oil services project manager of the year BOOST Group Managing Director of Nestoil says recognition will inspire the company

estoil Ltd has emerged as the Oil Service Project Manager Company of the Year at the 2016 edition of the BusinessDay-Oval Energy Oil & Gas Roundtable and Awards. The event held at the Civic Centre, Lagos, a statement from Nestoil said. Nestoil Limited, an Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Commissioning (EPCC) Services Company, beat other services companies nominated in the award category to win the coveted award owing to its history of performance, quality of equipment and number of projects successfully completed. Over the past two decades, Nestoil Limited said it had affirmed its industry leadership through execution of technically complex projects, which have enhanced quality of life in Nigeria and contributed to the operational efficiency of its clients in the oil, gas and energy sectors of the nation’s economy. As the indigenous leader in pipeline construction, the company is acknowledged CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25

to study the bids and announce winners as soon as possible. “A total of nine companies submitted bids,” Kragha said during the exercise witnessed by representatives of the Nigerian Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and the Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP). Corruption galore The second quarter witnessed more fights against corruption both in the government and private circles. The Dutch investigators in the quarter under review begun the probe of Shell’s alleged involvement in the $1.1 billion Malabu /Oil Prospecting License (OPL) 245 scam. Shell and Eni had invested at least $1.8 billion in purchasing and developing the block, which they own 50-50. The block reportedly holds probable reserves of 9.23 billion barrels of oil, which if proven, would represent the equivalent of a third of Shell’s proven reserves, and two thirds of Eni’s. The administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan had controversially approved the transfer of $1.092 billion from Nigeria’s JP Morgan account in London to Nigerian accounts controlled by Malabu, a company controlled by Nigeria’s former petroleum

for execution of some landmark projects in Nigeria, the statement added. These include construction of the Edjeba Sewage Treatment Plan in Warri, construction of the OB3 (Obiafu/Obrikom to Oben) 48” diameter gas pipeline for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), construction

of the 24” diameter NemberCawthorne Channel Trunckline (NCTL) for Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), construction and installation of the 2.5km Escravos River Cross as part of the OML 42 oil export pipeline network construction for the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC).

The company’s Group Managing Director (GMD), Dr. Ernest Azudialu-Obiejesi, while expressing his appreciation to the management of BusinessDay Media Ltd, described the award as “a recognition that will inspire Nestoil Limited and its sister companies to sustain their outstanding perfor-

mance and innovation”. Speaking through Dr. Chukwueloka Umeh, the company’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), who received the award on behalf of the company, Dr. AzudialuObiejesi enjoined operators in the nation’s oil and gas sector to showcase the sector’s potentials to investors.

Managing Director, Nipco plc, Mr. Venkataraman Venkatapathy [left] receiving the Downstream Company of the Year award from the director Oval Energy, Dr Dayo Ayoade, at the BusinessDay Oil & Gas Awards 2016 in Lagos

Between landmine and landslide minister, Dan Etete. Global oil giants, Shell and ENi, paid the money for Africa’s richest oil bloc, OPL 245. Power tariff increase The power generation, transmission and distribution failed to witness major improvement in the quarter under review. Despite subsisting court order and the resolution of the Senate against the implementation of the new electricity tariffs across the country, the electricity distribution companies commenced the implementation of the new tariff regime in the first quarter and this dragged into the second quarter of 2016. The dummy of hike in tariff was sold to Nigerians with a promise of improvement in power supply. This, however, is still a tall dream in the second quarter. The new tariffs, which took effect on February 1, 2016, reflected in the electricity bills of March through April to June 2016. The distribution companies, it was learnt, had dispatched the bills containing the new rates to post-paid customers in their respective networks. Grid collapse The national power grid col-

lapsed on Friday, 1st of April, which is the first day of the quarter, grounding power transmission in the country to zero. Data from the country’s System Operator, which showed this, revealed that all the Discos received zero Mega Watt (MW) when the grid collapsed. New Telegraph gathered that efforts to restore supply of electricity on the day in question were fruitless. Notwithstanding the restoration of the grid, DISCOs received dismal allocation, which worsened the power situation across the country. The milestone One of the highlights in the second quarter was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) worth 50 billion dollars between the NNPC and some Chinese companies for infrastructure development in oil and gas sector. “NNPC wishes to announce the recent landmark strides the Corporation has achieved in its bid to bridge the infrastructure funding gaps in the Nigerian oil and gas sector. This comes in the form of a first of its kind road show in China, where MoU worth more than 50 billion dollars will be spent on investments in oil

and gas infrastructure, pipelines, refineries, power, facility refurbishments and upstream sector,’’ the corporation said in a statement issued in Abuja. The companies include NORINCO, CINDA, CNOOC, SINOPEC/ADDAX, ICC -NDRC, among others. The ICC-NDRC, the NNPC statement added, would develop an overarching master plan for the Nigerian oil and gas sector. This, it stated, would include detailed feasibility study of current status of existing infrastructure in the industry. “ICC-NDRC will also develop bankable projects that will attract Chinese investors on this Government-toGovernment platform. This initiative will move us to a much more profitable and efficient state. “The master plan will form the basis of massive inflow of further investment from Chinese companies into the sector.” Commenting on the show, the Corporation stated that it featured over 300 Chinese and Nigerian businessmen to attract investors from China and the Asian sub-region to invest in the country’s oil and gas sector.

Support for dollars Four oil companies; ExxonMobil, Chevron, Eni and Addax joined the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to boost the Naira value at the interbank with the sale of $42.2million during the quarter at N283 per dollar. The four firms sold a combined $37.2 million through commercial banks for import of petroleum product to the country. The CBN, in the same vein, sold $7 million at N283 to the dollar on the interbank currency market last Thursday, Reuters reported last week quoting one trader at a major commercial bank. Traders said the local units of ExxonMobil, Chevron, Eni and Addax sold a combined $37.2 million through commercial banks for import of petroleum product to the country. The interbank market traded a total of $60 million volumes by 1256 GMT, with the naira quoted at 283 to the dollar. Conclusion Even though the second quarter of 2016 started with many lows, it ended with hope and signals that the third quarter may be better.

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Q2 2016

Homes&Property

Model of proposed Fourth Mainland Bridge, Lagos

Persistent lull headlines Nigeria’s real estate With so much uncertainty still beclouding the nation’s economy, many real estate developers are unable to cope with the downturn in the first six months of the year. Dayo Ayeyemi reports

espite efforts made by the Federal Government to revamp the economy, housing/construction activities are yet to resume fully in the real estate sector. The persistent macroeconomic headwinds slowed down construction activities throughout the first half of the year, while cost of building materials reached the roof top. Practitioners’ challenges are not limited to the difficult economic climate in the country due to major plunge in oil revenue, recent foreign exchange policy, anticorruption crusade, budget delay and low disposable income. Although the federal authorities has long passed 2016 budget with a promise to inject N350 billion into critical sectors of the economy, the housing industry is yet to recover from the recession going by the high level of inactivity throughout the first half of the year. The situation has also been made worse by the poor financial status of some state government. As at today, some state governments are yet to pay six months’ salary arrears of workers to talk less of initiating housing projects to benefit home seekers in their

respective states. Speaking with New Telegraph, some of the industry professionals enjoined real estate developers not to be discouraged by the current downturn but to rather reexamine their Bill of Quantities (BOQ) and make amends where necessary in view of rising costs of building materials. They noted that the wave of low disposable income negatively affected the demand for houses in the first half of the year, adding that challenges with transferability of title and weak judicial system also generated threats. According to them, some of the sub-sectors such as road and housing construction, mortgage and building materials suffered major setbacks within the period under review. Road construction Until the second week in June, road contractors handling projects in the country were on strike for eight months over unpaid N600 billion owed contractors by the federal authorities. According to the President of Federation of Construction Industry (FOCI), the umbrella body for all high profile contractors, Mr. Solomon Ogunbusola, 75 per cent of the workers were laid off as a result of inactivity in the sector. Within the period, construction works on Lagos-Ibadan, Shagamu-Ore, Lokoja-Abuja, Oshodi-Apapa, Enugu-Onisha, Enugu-Port Harcourt roads and Second Niger Bridge were suspended and abandoned due to scarcity of fund. However, due to persuasion and promise by the Federal Government to pay some of its debts and inject N350 billion into critical capital projects, the contractors are gradually going back to site.

For example, Messrs Julius Berger Plc and Reynoid Construction Company (RCC) have already commenced work on Lagos-Ibadan expressway. Also in April, Lagos State Government signed a Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with a consortium of firms to construct the Fourth Mainland Bridge.

The real estate sector is expected to rebound before the end of the year

Housing sector Major housing projects such as Eko Atlantic City, Ogun Plainfield Estate and Lagos housing schemes among others, lagged behind in the first half of the year due to scarcity of fund and lack of patronage by supposed home seekers. Although the Federal Government proposed to build one million housing units per year in partnership with states and the private sector, details of this project are yet to be out. Throughout the period under review, a lot of vacant houses in high-brow areas of Lagos and Abuja remained unoccupied due to the harsh economy and high rental value. The macro economic challenges facing the country have shot vacancy in real estate to as much as 71 per cent in the last one and half years. According to the latest reports from FBI Capital and Financial Derivatives Company (FDC), a number of vacant properties have been on the increase in the last 17 months. This scenario, according to the reports, reflects a continued deterioration in the real estate market. The reports blamed high vacancy factor in the property market on prevailing economic challenges, which analysts said had put immense strain on the country’s real estate sector and affected property market as sales dipped significantly. “Several completed residential

buildings (particularly in Lagos and Abuja) have remained vacant,” the study stated. The reports noted that despite the fact that national demand for houses remained very strong, affordability has been eroded on the back of economic slowdown, squeeze in consumers’ purchasing power and rising cost of imported building materials, which account for a considerable proportion of the final sales price of residential units. Although 10 states in the federation proposed to spend over N239.149 billion on housing provision, being the summary of their 2016 proposed budget allocation to the sector, Nigerians are yet to see signs of the initiative. The states include Lagos, Kano, Sokoto, Kaduna, Taraba, Enugu, Ogun, Anambra, Akwa Ibom and Kogi states. Besides, Federal Government clampdown on corruption and money laundering has reduced money going into real estate, as some houses belonging to former public office holders under probe have been sealed in Lagos and Abuja by officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). As a result, residential and non-residential building market has registered sluggish growth. Mortgage There was no serious mortgage activity noticed in the period under review. According to a reliable source, the apex housing financial institution, Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) has been finding it difficult to grant approvals to mortgage seekers under the NHF and Estate Developers’ loans due to current financial difficulties confronting it. The cash-squeeze, the source CONTINUED ON PAGE 28

TUESDAY, juLY 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Business | Homes & Property

HOMEGROWN

Stakeholders canvass use of made in Nigeria goods, especially fittings for houses

Stakeholders to govt: Give incentives to estate developers

Caleb Onwe Abuja

s a panacea to the lingering challenges in the housing sub-sector in Nigeria, stakeholders have urged the Federal Government to put in place concession and incentives strategically targeted at encouraging developers who build and provide infrastructure at affordable housing sites. The recommendations arose from deliberations by various experts, stakeholders, donor agencies and government officials who are directly and indirectly involved in the built environment at the just concluded Affordable Housing Summit. The summit, with the theme, “Developing a Blueprint for Affordable Housing Delivery in Nigeria,” held in Abuja. The event, described as the pulse of the moment by some of the participants, was organised through the collaborative efforts of the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, the German Development Corporations (GIZ) and some indigenous corporate bodies, who had for the past years been very visible in the vanguard for affordable housing delivery in Nigeria. While delivering his opening address, Housing Minister, Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, noted that the agenda of the summit would be

Model of Hannah Estate, Badagry

predicated on five pillars, namely: land, finance, concession and incentives; off-takes strategies, and skills and technology development. Going by the communiqué issued at the end of the two-day summit, there was a strong indication that participants and stakeholders reached a consensus on the issue of concession and incentives. Pertinent among other recommendations made at the end of the summit was the need to introduce tax exemption to de-

velopers who build and provide infrastructure at affordable housing sites. Government was also urged to make policies that will persuade Nigerians to patronise made in Nigeria goods most especially fittings for houses. There was also an agreement among the stakeholders that government agencies in land administration should as a matter of urgency reduce the rate of land registration, stamp duties, professional fees of valuers and surveyors and lawyers.

Persistent lull headlines Nigeria’s real estate CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27

said, was being compounded by the inability of employers at both public and private sectors to pay salaries of their workers, who are major contributors to the NHF. The source said: “Many state governments and private companies under the NHF scheme have not been able to pay salaries to workers in the last five months. Also, banks are laying off staff under the guise of difficult operating environment. “This has reduced the volume of cash flow to the National Housing Fund. The bank has been finding it difficult to grant loans to contributors and developers of housing estates.” According to the source, the planned recapitalisation of the bank to the tune of N250 billion has been put on hold due to the current financial challenge. Speaking recently, the acting Managing Director, FMBN, Mr. Richard Esin, canvassed for an improved mortgage system to overcome the challenges of low income, high cost of housing delivery and high mortgage transaction costs. He disclosed that as at March 2016, a total of N199.9 billion had been collected from 4.14 million registered contributors under the NHF scheme. He said: “In line with the pro-

vision of the Act, total sum of N5.9billion has been refunded to 118,284 individuals who met the conditions for a refund. “It is pertinent to mention that over 70 per cent of the cumulative collections were recorded within the last five years of operations.” Experts’ views Managing Director of Financial Derivative Company, Mr Bismarck Rewane, noted that Eko Atlantic City and major ongoing commercial/office projects such as shopping centres struggled to gain attraction as domestic and international investors adopted a wait-and-see approach to the projects. He described real estate as the fastest growing sector in the third quarter of 2015, pointing out that as the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grows in 2016 due to government expenditure, real estate would be a major beneficiary. The immediate past Chairman of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Lagos chapter, Mr. Stephen Jagun, confirmed that developers had not stopped expressing surprise about the situation in the sector. He expressed fear over shortage of low-income houses in major urban cities, urging developers to look at this gap as an

opportunity for revamping the sector. It has been established that over 68 million Nigerians are either improperly housed or not housed at all. A Lagos-based estate surveyor and valuer, Chief Kola Akomolede, said that the lull in property market would continue due to the low disposable income of ‘honest’ people. He wants government to deliberately allocate fund to the provision of low-income houses to revamp the economy. Besides, he wants the restructuring of the mortgage system to enhance easy access, low-interest and home-ownership among Nigerians. Other experts urged real estate practitioners and investors to look beyond the current situation in the country and invest more in property. The advice is based on the 2016 budget, which has highest capital expenditure on infrastructure such as works, power and housing with N433.4 billion. Conclusion The real estate sector is expected to rebound before the end of the year with major increase in government spending, investment, infrastructural development and improved power supply.

This, they said, would reduce the cost of housing and create an enabling environment for investment. The summit is said to be a culmination of series of consultations amongst government and non-government stakeholders in the housing industry and is intended to generate the framework for a robust policy for affordable housing delivery in Nigeria. It attracted over 600 persons drawn from the entire spectrum of players in the built industry.

Other dignitaries at the workshop include Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Ekanem Oyo-Ita; representative of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Ambassador O. Bamgbose; Head of SEDIN Programme of the German Development Corporation (GIZ), Mr. Torsten Schlink; President of Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN), Rev. Ugochukwu Chime, and a host of other major players in the industry.

Quantity surveyors explore mediation for dispute resolution Dayo Ayeyemi

orried by the high cost involved in litigation and arbitration, the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS), Lagos Chapter, has called for an amicable mediation as an alternative dispute resolution. To this end, the body, whose members are regarded as the construction cost experts in the built environment, has commenced training for associates on the nitty-gritty of alternative dispute resolution. During a Continuous Professional Development workshop organised in Lagos, quantity surveyors were urged to adopt mediation as one of the specialised fields to go into in order to make more income during economic recession . Justifying the essence of the workshop, Chairperson, Lagos Chapter of NIQS, Mrs. Adenike Ayanda, said the training was meant to increase knowledge of quantity surveyors on the need to avoid unnecessary delay when resolving disputes as regards contract agree-

ments and conditions. Besides, she stated that the ability to cope in the period of economic downturn informed members’ training in mediation option as another field to explore to make money. She said: “People think quantity surveying is just about cost construction. It is cost engineering thing. We provide financial prudent management for all construction engineering. Apart from that, we draw the contract conditions. So we can also look at this, if one is not doing well, you can have something else to feed on. “Quantity surveying is versatile. We are also the legal professionals in the construction industry. We are the people who draw contract agreements. You cannot go into project with anyone without having a binding contract. We undergo arbitration; we are experts’ witnesses during arbitration.” Ayanda pointed out that alternative dispute resolution remained the best option in modern age due to expensive and time wasting nature of litigation.

TUESDAY, juLY 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Q2 2016

Aviation

For aviation, it’s slow path The aviation industry in Nigeria is not immune from the recession that has hit airlines globally. WOLE SHADARE writes on other issues that shaped the second quarter of 2016

he aviation sector in the last quarter was on a slow path. It was a mixed grill for a sector that is globally hit by recession. For Nigerian airlines, they are very much faced with hard times, leading to the cutting down of routes, especially on the lucrative Lagos –Accra route due to scarcity of foreign exchange. Even foreign airlines are also not spared following excruciating pain of sourcing foreign exchange coupled with tough operating environment that led to loss making by Spanish carrier-Iberia and American airline, United. Both airlines pulled out of the country as the Nigerian government was urged to release more than $599 million in air ticket sales blocked by the West African nation’s chronic foreign currency shortage. Airlines in recession The International Air Transport Association (IATA), the clearing house for 160 airlines have been meeting the with government to negotiate after the organization representing airlines warned: “The inability of airlines to access forex in Africa’s largest economy, if not solved, will affect air transport services to, from and within Nigeria and

undermine the country’s position as West Africa’s aviation hub.” The carriers are in serious financial position. If cash continues to evaporate at its present rate, even the strongest airlines will need to raise money. But the price they will pay for it could cripple them for years. Even airlines with healthy balance sheets are suffering. Meanwhile, the carriers are seeking a fresh window for stable foreign exchange rate for them to ease their operations. This, they said, would help to stem the astronomical rise in prices of air ticket. The carriers insist that a flexible exchange rate makes it difficult for them to determine exactly what to charge travellers. The plan to meet the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was unveiled by the IATA at a meeting it held with foreign airlines last week. A top airline official who was at the meeting told New Telegraph that aside that, the clearing house for global airlines would also discuss the issue of over $599 million of the airlines’ funds that are trapped in the country. Privatisation plans The sector witnessed huge talks on the planned privatisation of aerodromes. The twinproblems of mismanagement and corruption encountered by the state-owned corporations constitute the impetus for talk about plan to privatise some Nigerian airports. The government through the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi has continuously said that there is no going back on the exercise. Some stakeholders are opposed to the idea while many others have backed the govern-

ment’s action, arguing that it would help the government to channel resources where they are needed most.

Most Nigerian airlines are suffering because of their poor business plan

Allowing transparency They, however, stated that for government to demonstrate to investors that it is serious and committed to the privatisation programme, the first step is to make the process very transparent by throwing the bid open to would-be investors. Experts are of the view that privatisation of airports is directly tied to the economic prosperity of the country especially in increasing their operational efficiency and profitability, but most importantly in stimulating growth in the non-oil sector of the economy. Some also believe it is the most efficient way of curtailing corruption in the management of airports. Not a few believe that the country has not managed its airports efficiently as they remain a national embarrassment and the resources to do so are no longer readily available. Perennial JET A1scarcity The perennial scarcity of aviation fuel, otherwise known as JET A1 has not been tackled by the various groups responsible for the flow of the commodity. This has forced marketers to raise the price of the commodity from between N114 and N116 to between N150, N160 and N170 per litre depending on the location. In Lagos, aviation fuel, otherwise known as JET A1, goes for N150 per litre, while it costs N160 and N170 in Abuja and Kano respectively. Aviation fuel costs more in Nigeria and other oil producing countries than their counterparts that do not produce oil. For instance, in Nigeria, despite the

Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

stability in the lifting of aviation fuel across the country and the deregulation of the commodity, JET A1 has hit an all-time high of N170 per litre. The skyrocketing price of JETA1 in Nigeria has added more to the pains of airlines, which use over 30 per cent of their revenues for fuelling aircraft. Managing Director of First- Nation Airlines, Mr. Kayode Odukoya, confirmed that in Lagos, aviation fuel, otherwise known as JET A1, sells for N150 per litre, but it costs N160 and N170 in Abuja and Kano respectively. Fuel is key Aviation fuel is central to the operations of an airline, as it constitutes between 35-40 per cent of an airline’s cost. The price of the commodity – laden with taxes – in the West African sub-region, is the highest in Africa. While the specialised fuel is sold for about $2.30 cents per gallon in Nigeria, $2.30 in Benin and $1.94 cents per gallon in Cameroon, it is sold for close to $3.14 cents in Ghana, which also produces oil. In Luanda, Angola (also an oil producing country), it costs $3.75 per gallon; Libreville $2.05 per gallon; Khartoum, Sudan $2.44 per gallon. It is only Equatorial Guinea that sells JET A1 for $0.46. Jet fuel prices in some African capitals are double the global average and it is posing a threat to its aviation sector development. The high cost of jet fuel in Africa compared to other regions due to distribution inefficiencies and infrastructure constraints, has held back the development of airlines and fare reduction. Apart from the issues of CONTINUED ON PAGE 30

BUSINESS | AVIATION

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Ethiopian Airlines deploys A350XWB on Lagos route CONSOLIDATION

The carrier’s $175 million profit was more than the rest of African airlines

Wole Shadare

frica’s most profitable airline, Ethiopian Airlines at the weekend deployed its state-ofthe art A350XWB on the lucrative Addis Ababa-Lagos route. The Nigerian route according to a statement from the carrier is very strategic, as it is fast becoming the airline of choice for not only Nigerian traders, but to the elite travel public. The extensive route network equally makes the airline a global brand catering for the travel needs of travellers across the globe. The carrier is showing signs of promise, posting profits yearon- year, acquiring modern aircraft and competing with legacy carriers. These do not come easy, as long years of planning coupled with purposeful leadership has made the airline to be where it is today. Ethiopian Airlines’ $175 million profit for the 2014/2015 fiscal year that was announced at the end of last year, was more than what the rest of Africa’s airlines posted over the same period. The airline, which has been the most profitable carrier for a couple of years now, exceeded its revenue and profit targets for the fiscal year. Speaking at a ceremony to receive the aircraft at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, General Manager, Ethiopian Airways (Nigeria), Solomon Begashaw said that as a pan-African airline, Ethiopian is committed to introduce the continent with the latest and most advanced aviation technologies and systems of the century. He said: “The question is which city is to host this state-

The symbolic water shower for Ethiopian Airlines A350XWB arriving the Lagos airport.

of-the-art aircraft first in African soil. Indeed the answer is obvious and you all are here to witness and confirm that the first African A350-900 arriving on the soil of Nigerian, particularly Lagos first time ever. It’s also another honour and milestone for Ethiopian airlines and Nigerians to welcome the first commercial flight of the A350 to the land of Lagos.” Begashaw disclosed that Nigeria was favoured to receive the newest aircraft in the world Airbus A350, adding that Lagos and Dubai are the first stations to receive “Ethiopian Airlines brand new baby.” He recalled that almost four years ago, he was the host to receive Ethiopian Airlines Boeing B787 Dreamliner to Africa and to Lagos. His words: “The fact that we are ushering in another first to Africa in a span of four years is an affirmation of our continuing pioneering role in African aviation. “It is also a testimony of our commitment to give our passengers the very best travel experi-

Q2: For aviation, it’s slow path CO NTINUED FROM PAG E 29

highly priced jet fuel, Africa’s jet fuel shortfall is expected to triple from 1.8 million mt in 2013 to around 5.2 million mt by 2025. As a result of the high fuel price, ticket prices are relatively high. If the fuel price comes down and costs of operations reduce, airlines are likely to bring down their fares. Today, fuel prices globally average per 1.3 dollar. In Africa, it ranges between $2 and $3.77. In some places, more than twice what it is globally. Vice-President for Africa, International Air Transport Association (IATA), Raphael Kuuchi, said on the average, they notice that fuel price is 21 per cent more expensive in Africa than the world average. “In addition to that, we brought these taxes together. Africa is not a rich continent

and we ask, why must we be paying the most? If you look at the high fuel taxes in Africa, the victims are actually oil producers,” he said. Kuuchi lamented that in most of the oil producing countries; aviation fuel is mostly expensive, adding that it is baffling. Conclusion Most Nigerian airlines are suffering because of their poor business plan. A lot of routes are not developed on business principle. A start up airline should begin with domestic operation; then regional operation and the business plan should reflect business reality. You find many airlines in Francophone countries rushing to operate to Paris, while Anglophone countries rush to go to London without checking the business sense in that route.

ence, with the latest industry products and services. On behalf of all my colleagues at the Ethiopian family, I am delighted to see Ethiopian to continue making Africa First in Aviation Technology.” The A350 XWB is fitted with the latest high-definition touchscreen personal monitors and a higher selection of movies, television series and audio channels.

It has Inflight Wi-Fi connection. Passengers with smart devices can connect to the world while others can use the smart individual touch screens on their seats when the Internet service goes operational. The A350 XWB’s innovative technology also improves performance in operation. Its revolutionary airframe and simplified

systems have optimised fuel burn, maintenance costs and reliability, and its engines have the lowest carbon dioxide CO2 emissions of any in the wide body category. Ethiopian has ordered 14 Airbus A350 XWB aircraft and will continue receiving the remaining 13 soon, constantly raising the number of airbus aircraft in the fleet ensuring the extra comfort.

Insider threat: FAAN to fortify security at airports

he ‘insider threat’ is emerging as one of airport security’s greatest nemeses, just as the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said that the agency has made significant efforts to fortify security at the airports. The Managing Director of FAAN, Saleh Dunoma said with the efforts of the federal government, FAAN has developed efficient security system in response to new challenges. “Security is already in place, the only thing, is that once things happen you need to beef it up to a certain level above what we already have on ground. Such measures have been put in place. All the airports have been advised through a circular that they should improve security intelligence in all the airports, especially on the landside,” he said. Dunoma said FAAN is developing intelligence, which has become effective tool in result-oriented security apparatus, noting that intelligence has been part of the security system together with hi-tech and ever advancing security equipment, adding that the agency has ensured effective security coverage of the airports over the years. “Intelligence has always been there and hi-tech is a thing that is very dynamic; there are always changes; there are always new technologies that we need to adapt, but I want to assure you that we already have some technologies we have deployed and these are being used by our security personnel at the airports to make sure that as you move around they are there watching you. “From time to time we improve on what we have as technology gets updated. Intel-

ligence gathering is a normal thing; we have personnel doing that and analysis is also very important. Once it is analysed we share this intelligence with security agencies around the airports to make sure they take necessary actions as dictated by the analysis.” Dunoma said. He said security personnel in FAAN and support security operatives undergo continuous training to ensure that they are fit and updated to effectively carry out their responsibilities. Dunoma also spoke on the fears of insider threat and disclosed that the agency profiles workers who have access to the sensitive areas of the airport, including the airside and said that every six months the on-duty cards (ODC) is renewed and before the renewal the agency carries out background checks of its personnel and that of other workers to ensure that every person with the card passes security screening. “There are a lot of efforts that have been put in by various security agencies and the federal government to make sure that our airports are secured. We have never disputed the possibility of insider threat. As people working for you, you cannot rule out the issue, but what we do in order to forestall that is that anybody that comes and wants to access any part of the airports, whether staff, personnel from government agencies or workers of our concessionaires, must go through some checks before we access them on-duty cards. Dunoma assured that the agency would continue to ensure that the airports are protected and that the lives of passengers and other airport users are secured.

TUESDAY, juLY 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

OOU Council, VC’s rescue pills for OOU

Education

DISSOLUTION

Disturbed by the lingering crises at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) and the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), the Federal Government, last week, dissolved the Governing Councils of the institutions, and halted the appointment of Prof. Ayobami Salami as the 11th substantive Vice-Chancellor of OAU

Leadership Group, students brainstorm on entrepreneurship, leadership

kayode olanrewaju Editor, education

kayode olanrewaju@ newtelegraphonline.com

Reactions trail OAU, UNIPORT Councils’ dissolution •Unions, workers hail decision •Salami mulls litigation

Mojeed Alabi here seems to be no respite in the crises rocking the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, and the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Rivers State, following last Thursday night dissolution of the Governing Councils of the institutions by the Education Minister, Mallam Adamu Adamu. In the last few months, Obafemi Awolowo University has been engulfed in lingering crisis between the university management and a section of the workers’ unions, which faulted the processes leading to the appointment of Prof. Ayobami Salami as the 11th substantive Vice-Chancellor of the university. The university’s chapters of‎ the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) and the Senior Staff Union of Universities (SSANU), had vowed not to accept Salami to succeed the outgone Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Bamitale Omole, over alleged mismanagement of the university’s resources, leveled against Omole’s administration. Since the Governing Council announced Salami’s appointment, the union members were said to have relocated to the ground floor of the university’s Senate Building to protest the new appointment on daily basis. Through their protest, it was gathered that the management were chased away from the Senate Building, which serves as the administrative seat of the university. Based on their grouse, the unions had also vowed that they

Adamu

would not allow Salami to be inaugurated as the substantive Vice-Chancellor of the institution, calling on the Visitor to the university, President Muhammadu Buhari to order a fresh process of appointing a substantive vice-chancellor for the institution, who will not be a crony of the outgone vice-chancellor. Salami, who is the immediate past Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics) under Omole’s administration, according to the unions, is culpable in the allegations leveled against his boss and that his selection and appointment were manipulated to cover up Omole’s wrongdoings. However, in a swift reaction to save the face of the universities, especially OAU, which had been shut indefinitely, the Minister had in a news broadcast on the National Television Authority (NTA) and through an advertorial in The Guardian newspapers of Friday July 1, conveyed the approval of President Buhari for the suspension of the processes leading to the appointment of Salami as the OAU’s 11th substantive Vice-Chancellor. The information added that the status quo ante should be maintained on the appointment pending the determination of all the legal cases on the matter, while also directing the members of the Councils in the two universities to hand over official property in their care to the institutions’ Registrars. This latest development, which is the Federal Govern-

Salami

People should not hide under university autonomy to perpetrate evil

ment’s response to the conflicts in the two institutions, that had led to the death of a final year student in the case of the University of Port Harcourt, has continued to be trailed by reactions from various stakeholders in the nation’s education sector. In OAU, where the crisis had led to the closure of the 54-yearold ivory tower, the unions have welcomed the government’s intervention, describing it as the best solution to the raging crisis. The visibly excited workers, who had gathered in their hundreds at the university’s Senate Building as early as 8am on Friday, were singing victory and solidarity songs, as well as dancing relentlessly to drumbeats by some hired local drummers over the decision of the Federal Government. But the government’s action seems not to have gone down well with the embattled new vice-chancellor, as indications have emerged that Salami is considering approaching a competent law court to upturn the decision. He has reportedly viewed the decision as an infringement on the university autonomy as contained in the ASUU-Federal Government 2009 agreement. His argument, New Telegraph learnt is that having been duly appointed by the Governing Council, the university organ vested with the power to appoint a vice-chancellor, and having been issued an appointment letter to that effect, only a competent court could

sack him from office. Salami, whose appointment was supposed to have taken effect on Thursday June 23, following the expiration of Omole’s tenure, had been unable to perform any official assignment due to the stiff opposition to his appointment by workers and students. Speaking on the government action, which has turned out to be a victory for the aggrieved unions, the Chairman of the university’s chapter of the Senior Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Comrade Ademola Oketunde, said the President has only expressed his love for the masses as represented by the university’s workers through his intervention. Oketunde, who was apparently delighted over the development, noted that the workers’ persistent opposition to what he described as the Council’s flagrant disregard for laid down guidelines, procedures and laws governing the administration of the institution, has just been rewarded by their dissolution. He said: “We had said it that the voice of the people is the voice of God. The President has only proven to us that he is a man of integrity and one, who would not succumb to manipulations. We thank God for this victory and we appeal to the stakeholders to ensure that the new process of appointing the substantive vice-chancellor is free of irregularities.” When New Telegraph called the Chairman of the university’s chapter of NASU, Mr. Wole Odewunmi on his views on the development, he requested that our correspondent should call back, as the background voices of the jubilant workers made the call inaudible. Meanwhile, the leadership of the institution’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has refused to comment on the matter, saying it was too early to rush to the media. When asked for his position on the development, the ASUU Chairman, Dr. Caleb Aborisade, explained that the congress would react appropriately in due course. In the meantime, efforts to get the reaction of the National President of ASUU, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, also proved abortive CONTINUED ON PAGE 36

education

TUESDAY, juLY 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Council, VC’s rescue pills for OOU

he Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, which over the years had been bedeviled by protracted crises, resulting in academic instability, cultism, high level of indiscipline, incessant strikes and closure, low morale on the part of workers and students, and poor quality tuition, is now back on the path of academic excellence. Towards addressing the perennial crises at the university, the state government had inaugurated a Governing Council, led by its Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Dr. Segun Oshin, with a caveat to restore sanity into the system and remove the ivory tower from its woods. The council’s major focus, according to the state government, the proprietor of the institution, was to streamline the institution’s activities to conform with the 21st Century best practices. The target was also to restore hope to the 1,396 workers and over 13,922 students of the university, named after the state’s Second Republic Governor, late Chief Olabisi Onabanjo. With this at the back of its mind and to propel the implementation of the Marshall Plan, the Council swung into action by appointing a substantive Vice-Chancellor, whose mandates, among others, are to raise the banner of academic culture and discipline, as well as to restore public confidence, which had long been eroded in the institution. After wider consultations, the Council appointed Prof. Saburi Adejimi Adesanya, a former Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the Obafemi Awolowo University, as the seventh substantive Vice-Chancellor with the charge to reposition the institution to meet the challenges of the 21st Century and restore the lost glory of the 34-year-old university. Determined to restructure the institution, in which academic and administrative activities were at their lowest ebb, the vice-chancellor swung into action in line with the mandates handed over to his administration. He took the bull by the horns by updating the database of all students in the university. Under the exercise, the students were compelled to complete their registration online to determine their status as bonafide students, who were later issued identity cards, which they must always wear for proper identification. Following the data update, the university was able to organise its accumulated convocation ceremonies that had been put on hold for several academic sessions due to the long years protracted crises. “The issue of outstanding results which had hitherto become blight on the image of the university was resolved by the new administration as the graduates now collect their certificates upon graduation,” a university source said. Investigations by New Telegraph revealed that the vice-chancellor, on assumption of office evolved an Information Communication Technology (ICT) system, which placed the institution on the pedestal of IT compliance, thereby redeeming the image of the university in

One of the school buildings

Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, which for several years, had been at its lowest ebb, following protracted crises that rocked the institution, is now back on stream as a university to reckon with. Kayode Olanrewaju reports the areas of students’ academic transcripts which can now be processed online. In a similar development, in line with the National Universities Commission’s (NUC) benchmark, Adesanya restructured the academic prgrammes to reflect the new thinking of his administration. Under this, the new administration pruned down from about 75 programmes to 56 across faculties for effective management in order to ensure quality, marketability and relevance to national development. With the support of the Oshinled council, the university Senate introduced new postgraduate programmes in Management, Engineering, Science, Medical and Para-Medical courses. In the area of accreditation of academic programmes, the university recorded 100 per cent NUC accreditation for 56 programmes, while 11 courses had interim accreditation. Impressed by the quality assurance and control put in place by the management, the NUC increased the carrying capacity of the university from 4,000 to 6,000 students for the 2012/2013 academic session. As part of moves to deepen and internationalise the academic profile of the institution, the authorities of the university signed a number of Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with several universities locally and internationally towards fostering healthy linkages and collaboration that will promote scholarship through faculty and student exchange. Among these are, the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom; University of West Scotland, Glasgow; London Metropolitian University; Rutgers State University of New Jersey, U.S.A; Northwest University, Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A; University of Winneba, Ghana; University of South Africa (UNISA); National Centre for Remoted Sensing, Jos; Higher Education Academy (HEA), New York and The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, U.S.A, to mention a few. According to the vice-chancel-

OOU has reclaimed its leading position among the top universities in Africa

lor, the MoU would strengthen academic ties and offer the university the opportunity to establish academic cooperation with the universities with a view to fostering joint research activities and curricula development. Other areas of the agreement, New Telegraph gathered include exchange of documentation and research materials, learning and teaching involving the development of academic programmes. Basking in the euphoria of quality of the students, the institution recalled that two of its undergraduates in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering and Environmental Studies won the 2012 Summer Internship at Boeing Commercial Airplane Seattle, U.S.A, while another student in the Department of Mathematical Science, Faculty of Science qualified for an internship at Bowen Institute, Washington, United States. The university said: “In 2013, three of our medical undergraduates won a grant from Chevron Plc to attend the World Diabetes Congress in Melbourne, Australia. Also, at the Nigerian Law School Final Bar Examination in 2011, the university produced three First Class graduates. “All these and many other achievements are positive evidences that the support of every stakeholder in OOU has reclaimed its leading position among the top universities in Africa. In an attempt to create an enabling environment that will stimulate scholarship, the Adesanyaled administration encouraged members of staff and students to focus more on teaching and research, in order to shore up the research profile of the institution, and position it on the World universities ranking map. As part of moves to achieve this, and with the support of the government and the council, the vice-chancellor relocated all regular undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes from the Mini-Campus including the Directorate of Students’ Affairs, Directorate of Works, Services and Physical Planning, the Students’

Adesanya

Union Building and all the science laboratories to the main campus. On physical and infrastructural development, the new administration, with the funding support from the state government and Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) was able to complete the Faculty of Engineering complex; completed asphalt laying of all road network on the campus; ultra-modern ICT centre, built and donated to the university by Shell and NNPC, which has positioned the institution to be ICT compliant, as it now conducts its examinations through Computer-Based Test (CBT), as well as processing of students results and other university operations. To deepen its scope of its core mandate of community service, the university acquired a new site for the College of Agriculture at Aiyetoro; while N500 million was acquired to upgrade all the departments, especially for the establishment of the state-ofthe-art language laboratory for Faculty of Arts and Mechatronics laboratory for the College of Engineering. When New Telegraph visited the university, some of the completed and ongoing projects on the campus include the university library; Faculty of Arts Phase II; College of Health Sciences Building Phase II; upgrading of OGD Entrepreneurship and Conference Centre; the new Administrative Building Complex; construction of Faculty of Education Building Phase II and III; upgrading of electricity supply to the campus; construction of Department of Performing Arts Building, among others.

education

TUESDAY, juLY 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Normalcy returns to FUNAAB

Kayode Olanrewaju

fter several weeks of protracted crisis, which disrupted academic and administrative activities at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Ogun State, sanity has returned to the institution. With the return of normal academic and administrative activities into the university, the management had announced the commencement of the preadmission screening exercise for prospective students into the institution for the 2016/2017 academic session. The three workers’ unions; the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU), the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Education and Associated Institutions (NASU); under the Joint Action Committee (JAC), had embarked on industrial action and protest that paralysed and disrupted academic and administrative activities at the specialised institution. Following the restoration of industrial peace, sanity and stabil-

ity to the system, the institution disclosed that while undergraduates had earlier concluded their first semester examinations, the postgraduate examinations are still in progress. The return of normalcy and harmonious working atmosphere at the university, according to the management, was as result of the agreement reached between the university management and the concerned staff unions. “Issues bordering on the welfare of the workers had been resolved. Productivity bonus has been granted to staff as morale booster and to cushion the effects of the economic hardship facing the nation,” the university said. To underscore the management’s strong belief in staff development, it noted that arrangements had been concluded to fill the existing staff vacancies into the various positions. Towards this end, the management urged that the affected members of staff were being encouraged to present additional qualifications, where such qualifications are acquired for lateral conversion, subject to approved budgetary provision of the university.

How FOREX scarcity forces Nigerian students back home Yekeen Nurudeen Abuja

M Bandele

The process for the 2016 conversion exercise, which commenced earlier in the year would be concluded within the next few weeks, even as the university pointed out that provision for others would be made appropriately within the 2017 budget as the exercise is a continuous one. As part of the management’s determination to ensure a conducive working environment for its workforce, it said additional working tools and equipment would be provided for environmental officers and other personnel with a view to enhancing productivity in the institution.

any Nigerian students studying in tertiary institutions abroad are seeking transfer requests in Nigerian higher institution, due to scarcity of foreign exchange, it has been learnt. This was disclosed by the authorities of American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola, Adamawa State, who said the university has continued to receive transfer requests from the students. This was as the university further said that some Nigerians in the Diaspora are already sending their children back home to complete their education as a result of difficulty in sourcing foreign exchange. Assistant Vice President, Digital Services and Chief Information Officer for the university, Mr. Julius Ayutabe, who disclosed this in Abuja when addressing journalists at the 16th graduation ceremony of Global International College, declined to give the figure of foreign Nigerian students who had ap-

Council chair restates commitment to lift varsity

he Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Governing Council of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), Otunba Solomon Ayodele Oladunni, has pledged his commitment to ensure that the institution ranked among the leading universities in Africa. Oladunni, who assumed office as the eighth Pro-Chancellor early this year, made the pledge, while reeling out his vision for the state-owned university. He said: “The first on the list of my vision is to see that this university is ranked the first among leading institutions of higher learning in this country and certainly in Africa. My vision is to move this university from being the Best State University in this country to be the first among the leading univarsities in Africa.” While commenting on how to position the university to weather the storm of the current economic downturn in the country, Oladunni promised to look for means to boost the institution’s financial status within and outside the university. His words: “We will partner with different groups and organisations in the university including the business community, academic community, non-academic community, the alumni and the members of Council on how we can work together to achieve greater things. “We will partner with friends, as well as internal and external agencies to

boost the financial status of the university both in cash and in kind. Everyone in the university community has one thing or the other to contribute. Even the students would not be left out because they might have links or relationship with well-meaning individuals or corporate organisations in the society who could contribute immensely and positively to the university’s development.” While assuring that his administration would meet the aspirations of the workers in terms of their salaries and other welfare packages, the Pro-Chancellor said the council would treat the unions with fairness, dignity and respect. “My administration will bridge the communication gap between the management and Council, students and management; and between the management and workers,” Oladunni added.

Oladunni

plied to study in the university, but stated that the school had received students from the United States and United Kingdom. He noted that current value of naira had forced many parents to have a rethink about sending their wards abroad to school, while there are universities in the country that could serve the purpose. His words: “The Nigerians in the Diaspora are sending their children back home because even now, they are realising the potential back home to train their children at par with those abroad. Specifically, with the current value of the naira, parents do not have the option than to bring their children back home. “We are doing that already. We have received students from America; we have received students from England. It makes economic sense and more importantly to the parents, I can speak as a parent, I have children in the US and I have children who studied at the American University. They are at par in terms of the quality of their instruction, faculties and infrastructure.” L-R: President and Chairman of Council, Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered) (NIM), Prof. Munzali Jibril; Deputy Commandant, Armed Forces Command Staff College, Jaji, Rear Admiral Victor Adedipe, and Registrar/Chief Executive of NIM, Mr. Tony Fadaka, at the institute’s membership induction ceremony for Senior Course 38 Officers of the College in Kaduna.

Africans asked to apply for 2017 global teachers’ prize Temitope Ogunbanke

he winner of the Varkey Foundation’s $1million Global Teacher Prize 2016, Hanan Al-Hroub, has urged African school pupils and parents to nominate their inspirational teachers for next year’s prize. She gave the advice during the opening of applications and entries for the 2017 Global Teachers Prize, which started last week and will close in October. Al-Hroub, who was born at a refugee camp in Bethlehem, however, called on the governments and aid agencies to ensure that there is adequate funding, schools and social service support for traumatised refugee children entering new host countries. Widely referred to as the Nobel Prize for teaching, the US$1 million Global Teacher Prize is

the largest prize of its kind. It was instituted to recognise one exceptional teacher, who has made outstanding contributions to the development of the profession as well as to spotlight the important role teachers play in society. By unearthing thousands of stories of heroes that transform young people’s lives, the prize hopes to bring to life the exceptional work of millions of teachers all over the world. The Global Teacher Prize is part of the Varkey Foundation’s long-standing commitment to improve the status of teachers. The applicants for the Global Teacher Prize 2017 are expected to be shortlisted and prune down to a top 50, while a winner will be selected from 10 finalists by the Global Teacher Prize Academy made up of prominent individuals in February 2017. Al Hroub, who won last year Global Teacher prize for devel-

oping her ‘play and learn’ technique to help traumatized Palestinian primary school children, implored parents and pupils to appreciate the roles of teachers in society. Her words: “I encourage parents and pupils to think about the positive teacher role models in Africa that are making a difference to children whose lives have been torn apart. Without their human intervention, innovation and inspiration these children would have no hope. If a Japanese teacher is not nominated or does not apply, then they cannot get the recognition they deserve. “As I have experienced in my conflict-ridden homeland, children who see conflict around them on a daily basis experience profound and deep-rooted psychological harm. It is, therefore, crucial that children that arrive in a new host country have a safe, secure and loving environment.”

education | public discourse Scrapping of post-UTME

Jimoh: I stand by FG’s directive Comrade Alfred Jimoh is the National VicePresident (South-West) of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU)

e all know the genesis of the introduction of the post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (Post-UTME). It was the universities’ response to the inconsistencies in the results of the UTME conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) where some of the students with highest scores in UTME were performing poorly in their respective higher

institutions. All of us endorsed the idea then, and to some extent, it has helped in a long way in resolving some of the challenges faced by the higher institutions in ascertaining the quality of candidates admitted into the institutions. But we also know how suddenly the institutions turned the processes to money-making ventures. I learnt the Minister asked some relevant questions during the

Ibadan

stakeholders’ meeting on admission, which many of the vice-chancellors and registrars in attendance could not answer. I think with the introduction of the ComputerBased Test (CBT) mode by JAMB, the incidence of examination malpractices such as impersonation, among others would be eliminated.

Usman Dutse is the National President of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP)

he controversy over the scrapping of post-UTME is really needless because the issue has been over laboured. On the part of ASUP, we understand the fact that JAMB for a long time lost its integrity due to series of manipulations in the system, but could we ex-

Oludotun Shodunke is the President of the Association of Tutorial School Operators (ATSO)

here is no doubt that we welcome the scrapping of post-UTME, conducted by the higher institutions because it has lost its vibe. The higher institutions have also become culpable in series of malpractices in the system. But we should not also close our eyes to

post-UTME perform very well upon admission? The system soon became money spinning for the institutions and unfortunately, the revenues they generated were largely and always unaccounted for. So, my own take is that we should go back to the foundation and address all the challenges, rather than putting all the faults at the doorstep of JAMB. We all have roles to play in ensuring quality assurance in the education system in the country.

Shodunke: Scrapping of post-UTME good, but ill-timed the contributions of the post-UTME to quality assurance in the admission process. Until lately when the institutions turned the process to revenue generation venture, the gatekeeping purpose of the post-UTME really worked. However, should the scrapping of the post-UTME be now when the integ-

rity of JAMB is yet to be ascertained? Why should it be this year, when the conduct of UTME was purely a sham? There should not be any need to be in a rush until we could ascertain the integrity of JAMB by giving it the necessary support it requires, and its leadership should also open up for inputs from stakeholders.

Akinpelumi: Post-UTME good to test performance Victor Akinpelumi is a Senior Assistant Registrar at the Information Unit of AAUA, Ondo State

think the laws establishing universities empowered each institution to determine the conditions for admission of students. Beside, Post UTME helps institutions to identify the most suitable candidates that would fit into their programmes. It equally helps to sift out qualified candidates among the several thousands vying to fill the

limited quota allocated to each institution. It helps in the admission selection process and makes it transparent where admission is merit-driven. The conduct of the screening is also a means of testing and ascertaining the level of proficiency of candidates in computer since internal examinations in the various institutions are conducted through

Don: Disconnect between researchers, govt bane of development Sola Adeyemo

Dutse: Challenges go beyond post-UTME onerate the foundation schools from the blame? We all know how primary and secondary schools have fast degenerated and parents could go to any length to influence results in external examinations for their ward because the society lost its moral values. The same integrity crisis that we accused JAMB of committing is what the higher institutions have also been accused of in the conduct of post-UTME. Are we saying all the candidates admitted through

TUESDAY, juLY 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

CBT. Evidences abound to show that a good number of candidates could not operate the computer during the Post-UTME exercise yet they passed the UTME conducted by JAMB. Besides, the screening is a means of linking the faces of candidates, who took the UTME with those who turn up for Post-UTME screening.

interviews by mojeed alabi

Senior Principal Lecturer at the Department of Business Administration and Management Studies at The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Dr. Nathaniel Adebayo, has identified the sharp disconnect among researchers, government and policy makers as one of the major causes of socio-economic instability and dwindling fortunes of the country. This was part of his views at the ninth inaugural lecture of polytechnic, which was entitled: “Rethinking Nigeria’s Development Paradigm: The Entrepreneurship, Poverty Nexus”, where he advised that President Muhammadu Buhari should appoint sound economic adviser, with high pedigree of research aimed at finding solutions to the myriad of socio-economic problems in the country, to head his administration’s economic team. He said: “Nigeria, as a country is being confronted with too many setbacks because there is disconnect between researchers and those who make economic policies for the country. I want

to tell you this, I have said it several times that the President should appoint an economic adviser, someone who has done a lot of research; who in his published articles has proffered solutions, as head of an economic commission that should be put in place by the President. “I am not talking about that body which the Vice President is the chairman. That is a constitutionally- established commission named National Economic Commission, but what I am talking about is that the President should assemble Nigerians, who have at one time or the other experimented with research; experts who have consulted for countries that have developed, but who are in Nigeria. We have the opportunity of using them and we have refused to use them over the years. This is a bad commentary on the history of the country.” Specifically, Adebayo berated the Federal Government’s planned N5,000 monthly allowance for the unemployed youths in the country, saying before doing that the government should have created a database to identify the actual unemployed youths before distributing the allowance.

LR: Covenant University Chancellor, Dr. David Oyedepo in a handshake with Prof. Jerry Gana, the convocation keynote speaker and Pastor Faith Oyedepo (middle) during the varsity’s 14th convocation lecture

Oshiomhole seeks review of varsity education policy Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

do State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has called on the Federal Government to review the university education policy with a view to subsidising tuition fees for indigent students. This was as he reiterated that brilliant but indigent students should have unfettered access to and encouraged to acquire qualitative university education. The governor, who spoke at the maiden matriculation ceremony for the pioneer students admitted into the Edo State University, Iyamho, said the rich should be made to pay for quality university education for their children, while the government should subsidise the education of children of the poor. He said: “Nigeria has to engage in a serious national conversation on the appropriate educational policy with particular reference to higher education. Now, this conversation is taking place in an informal way. The system seems to have collapsed and the governments at all levels simply do not have the capacity to provide the

level of funding which universities required to produce first class graduates. “Right now, Nigeria is running a system which is highly deceptive and is not sustainable, a system that I will like to describe as a “generalised system of suffering, a system that subsidises the children of the rich just as it subsidises the children of the poor.” “For God’s sake, my dear friend who works in an oil sector, why should his son or his daughter go to the university and enjoy subsidy when they can afford to pay $20,000 or $30,000 on his son in Canada or in the United Kingdom or in the United States? But, if they are in Nigerian universities, they pay N40,000 or N50,000, and we know that is not sustainable.” No fewer than 91 pioneer students of the institution took the matriculation oath at the ceremony to be good ambassadors of the newly established university. Oshiomhole wondered why the people are finding individual solutions to a matter that requires a national policy, adding that some university lecturers send their children and wards to foreign universities for quality education, and some Nigerian doctors also go to India for medical treatment.

TUESDAY, juLY 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

campus

Participants in a group photo after the seminar

EKSU alumni offer scholarship to indigent students

Group, students brainstorm on entrepreneurship, leadership Eddy Uwoghiren UNIBEN

hat are the roles of the youths in solving the numerous challenges facing the

country? This was one of the main thrust of a one-day seminar, organised by the Young Africans Leaders Initiative (YALI), Edo State chapter. The seminar tagged: “Productivity Enhancement Series (PES 101),” and which took place at the Conference Hall of the African Network for Environment and Justice (ANEEJ), Airport Road, Benin City provided a platform for student entrepreneurs, young leaders and social entrepreneurs to brainstorming on ways to be more productive so as to move the country away from its present level of underdevelopment. While delivering a paper on “Purpose Discovery,” Reverend Benson Akhigbe II of Firm Foundations said the role of Nigerian youths in solving the myriad of problems facing the country could not be overemphasised. According to him, the youths are blessed with lot of talents to develop the country, but are yet to come to terms with their talents, while others have abandoned such talents for the pursuit of money. Akhigbe noted that the pur-

pose of an individual in life is what he or she is doing that would not sap their energy, but would give them strength after doing it and for which they will be willing to do more without being paid. To this end, he said the life being lived outside this purpose is a wasted life and that everyone should discover the purpose to which they were sent to this earth. His words: “Many of you are in the higher institutions, you are studying courses that you know you do not have passion for, but the fear of being poor after graduation has made you to opt for those courses. “Thus, many of you have abandoned your purpose for the pursuit of money. No doubt, you will make the money, but the only thing money is meant to do is to pay bills. It won’t make you a responsible parent, citizen or even better. Ask yourself this question daily, were you sent to this earth to pay bills? “When you are in your purpose, you won’t have to worry about your bills because money will definitely come at the end. There are many of your initiatives and gift that the Nigerian economy does not have room to accommodate currently, but you need to develop it since we are now living in a global village.” Akhigbe II, who relived his

story of how he resigned from his former job in the bank as an accountant to pursue his passion for teaching and in the ministry, called on the government and well-meaning individuals to support the initiatives of young Nigerians so as to drive the economy. On his part, the National Coordinator of YALI, Kehinde Samuel enlightened the gathering about the focus of the initiative, which he said, include entrepreneurship, civil leadership and public management, stressing that it is an initiative of President Barack Obama to invest in young Africans. He said: “President Obama realised that the major problems facing Africa is leadership and in solving such problems, he instituted YALI and he is investing so much in Africa youths because we are the future of Africa. If we fail Africa, it will be difficult for Africa to be redeemed. “YALI allows individuals to network, shares ideas and celebrates each other’s’ success. I encourage everyone to key in into it.” At the end of the seminar, Osarugue Aigbogun and Eby Akhigbe, the CEO Teens Entrepreneurship Academy (TEA) described the event as timely and apt, even as the duo lauded the organisers for what he said, was a job well done.

o fewer than 50 indigent students of the Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado-Ekiti have benefitted from a scholarship scheme instituted by the Alumni Association of the institution. The scholarship award, which is aimed at assisting the students in their studies, according to the, National President of the association, Prof. Matthew Ayeni, is to ensure that needy among the students of the institution were not left in cold. In fact, he said the gesture would go a long way in reducing the financial burden of the beneficiaries, adding that the scheme was part of efforts by the association to ensure that such students are assisted to acquire their university education. Ayeni, who spoke while handing over N10, 000 cheque to each of the students during the second edition of the Alumni Scholarship Scheme, urged the students to be focused and to develop clear-cut vision around what they do best. The president, who pledged that the scope of the programme would be widened by next session, challenged wellmeaning Nigerians to award

American dons list way out of poverty H ow poverty and hunger ravaging developing nations across Asia, Africa and South America could be addressed was at the front burner at this year’s edition of the Adekunle Ajasin University Public Lecture series. The theme of the lecture: “Global Food and Health Security,” was delivered by a team of Professors from Auburn University, United States of America. The dons, who are Professors Curtis Jolly, Williams Daniels, and Henry Fadamiro, identified the need to take agriculture as business by adopting global best practices, and genetically modified organisms and food security as

China commissions research centre at UNIZIK Franklin Onwubiko UNIZIK

he Chinese Cultural Research Centre of Nigeria, which is aimed at facilitating cultural exchange between Nigeria and China, has been commissioned at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka in Anambra State. The centre, which is the first of its kind in Nigeria and Africa continent in particular, was inaugurated by the Cultural Attaché to the Chinese Embassy

in Abuja, Mr. Xiang Dong, who commended the university for embracing the need to further strengthen the Nigeria-China relationship in the areas of culture and educational advancement. He expressed delight that the Confucius Institute established at the university had trained many students in Chinese Language, adding that the centre would serve to boost the relationship between the two countries. Dong disclosed that the Chinese Government had invested a lot of resources in Nigeria and would continue to do more

Ahaneku (right) presenting the key to the centre to Dong at the event

because Nigeria and China have many things in common. He further said that the Chinese Government would always do its best to encourage and strengthen the centre and upgrade it to a higher level. Speaking at the event, the Vice-Chancellor of the univer-

scholarships to indigent students as part of their contributions towards supporting the course of the needy in society and building a veritable future for them. According to him, selection of beneficiaries of the scheme was “meticulously and painstakingly carried out by the Counseling Unit of the university” with the aim of assisting those who are in dire need of assistance. Ayeni, however, reiterated the determination of the association to partner the ViceChancellor, Prof. Samuel Oye Bandele to collectively move the university forward to attain the expected goal of a world class university. “God be on our side, we shall continue to give him and his administration and the university in general all our support that is required to achieve this goal,” he noted. The vice-chancellor, in his remarks, said former students of the institution had been giving immeasurable support to the university, citing one Dr. Seinde Olatunji, a 1989 graduate of Geography Department, who donated N300 million worth of ICT equipment to the university.

sity, Prof. Joseph Ahaneku noted that the Confucius Institute at the university was established in response to tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the university, the Chinese Language Council International (HANBAN) and Xiamen University, China in 2007.

ways out of the current food dilemma confronting some developing nations. Besides, while proffering solutions to the poverty challenges in the African continent, the Globally-acclaimed professors and experts in agriculture and food-related fields said the reluctance of Nigerian youths to embrace agriculture would remain a problem until they take it as a worthwhile business venture. During the visit to the university, the trio formally activated a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) earlier signed by the two institution, even as they noted that the visit was aimed at boost the partnership and make it more effective, especially in the area of agriculture. As part of the partnership, they facilitated a two-day workshop for the polytechnic lecturers on academic mentoring; research; grants and development of collaborations. The dons noted that the genetically modified organisms and foods are healthy and are a veritable way out of the chronic shortages of food in most parts of the world. The renowned scholars and experts said the various aspects of farming are symbiotic and inter-related as maize and corn husks, as well as grains could be developed into fish meals, while dried grasses and corn stalks could be broken down into animal feeds.

education

TUESDAY, juLY 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Criticisms over councils’ dissolution C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 3 1

as he told our Correspondent that he was in a meeting, even as messages sent to his mobile phone were also yet to be replied as at the time of filing this report. But in his reaction, a strong member of the union at the national level, who craved anonymity, said the decision of the Minister was not only a violation of the ASUU-FGN Agreement on university autonomy, but also a violation of the academic freedom as enshrined in the Ethiopian Convention documents, which Nigeria is a party to. “I want to believe there are many anti-democratic forces in the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, who are bent on taking this country backward,” the source noted, saying: “This is the second time this kind of aberration is being committed. You will recall the last time the vicechancellors and governing councils of about 13 federal universities were abruptly dissolved, but following the strong criticisms that followed the action, the President himself apologised.” “But, this same illegality is being committed again and I think it must not be al-

Prof. Rowland Ndoma-Egba, OAU Council CHair

lowed to stand,” the source added. The source also noted that only a competent court could remove the new vice-chancellor and that the dissolution of the entire council was beyond the power of the minister, even as the source argued that there was supposed to be no vacuum in the university’s council membership. “The Federal Government by law is empowered to remove its appointed four members of the Council, while the two representing the congregation and the four representing the university’s Senate are expected to stand having been democratically appointed through an internal arrangement,” the source added.

But in his reaction, the South-West Zone Vice-President of SSANU, Comrade Alfred Jimoh, said as the proprietor of the federal universities, the President was right to intervene and take appropriate step to address whatever conflicts besetting the institution. He said: “People should not hide under university autonomy to perpetrate evil. It is true there is university autonomy, but what is the essence of an autonomy that cannot ensure justice and fairness. The President has not done anything bad to have intervened in the matter of the two universities.” Echoing his position on the matter, the National President of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Comrade Usman Dutse, noted that the circumstance surrounding the case of OAU in particular should be considered when judging the intervention of the President. “Such decisions as taken by the Federal Government in the case of OAU could not be viewed entirely as insubordination on the part of the President because as the Proprietor and Visitor to the university, the President has the responsibility of ensuring peace at all times,” Dutse stressed.

L-R: Nasarawa State Deputy Governor, Hon. Silas Ali Agara and the VC of UNIJOS, Prof. Sabastine Maimako and other alumni of the university during the 2016 National Delegates Conference of UNIJOS Alumni Association held in Jos.

Astymin set to honour 200 pupils for excellence

ver 200 pupils from private and public schools across the country, as well as their parents, teachers and other key stakeholders in nation’s education system will converge on Grange School, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos, for the 2016 edition of Astymin Brilliance Reward (ABR). It is being organised yearly by Fidson Healthcare Plc to recognise and reward the best graduating pupils from primary schools across South-West and South-East geo-political zones of the federation. They would be presented with certificates of excellence and valuable prizes during the annual presentation ceremony. The programme, which

was instituted in 2010, is aimed at developing the mental and academic performance, while rewarding hard work and academic excellence among primary school pupils, through special recognition and provision of educational materials. According to the General Manager, Fidson Healthcare Plc, Mr. Ola Ijimakin, “the ABR is our attempt to bring back the old glory of our education by throwing our weight behind the children’s drive for academic excellence.” Ijimakin explained that Astymin Brilliance Reward is one of the ways the company is partnering the government and other wellmeaning stakeholders to develop the education system.

He said: “We believe it is better to catch them young and put the children on the right path to success. Therefore, Astymin will continue to take the giant stride in rewarding brilliant primary school kids in a way that will motivate them to stay focused on their studies, believing that merit and hard work can still be rewarded.” On monthly, the company organises the Astymin Genius of the Month, where essentially, primary school pupils in Lagos write essay on a topic agreed upon by their teachers. The teachers also assess them and choose the best of the entries, whom Astymin will reward with prizes, which include educational materials for that month.

EDUPEACE

with Mahfouz A. Adedimeji (08066372516, sms only)  Dr Adedimeji is a Senior Lecturer and Director, Centre

for Peace and Strategic Studies, Unilorin

You own nothing

major problem endangering our collective existence in the world today is this obsession with materialism. From the antics of those who dominate other lands to steal their resources to the shenanigans of the “fantastically corrupt” Nigerians who would rather steal our common patrimony than secure lives and property in the war against Boko Haram, it is the same virus that runs through their veins. Material wealth, which is not bad in itself, is being glorified by the media and the popular culture as the ultimate success, with some religious groups also joining the fray. Today, everyone seems desperate to be Dangote and Otedola (because they don’t have two heads each, if you get my drift) by hook means or crook, with serious implications for peace and security. Despite the high fences and security cameras which were not part of our childhood, we are less safer than we were before. Those who want to grab ours still go to incredible extents to unleash violence as evident in a cursory glance at our national dailies. To worsen the situation, the means to acquire is pseudo-intellectualized by such hackneyed sayings as Niccolo Machiavelli’s “the end justifies the means.” The counterforce to this prevalent scenario is the need to be wisely educated and realise that we actually own nothing. The life of this world is short and all material possessions are useless to the owner when life ends. Therefore, it is much better to prioritise more beneficial things than to be obsessed with what would be useless at the end of life. Everything we have is a test or trial because we don’t possess them in the real sense. Our wives and children are not ours – at least forever. Besides, wives marry other husbands and children soon become other people’s “exclusive property” as subsequent wives or husbands. Our ears, eyes, hands, legs and other body parts are ours, right, but it is when we lack or lose the capacity to use them that we appreciate how they can be taken away. It is in our interest to understand the nature of life and enjoy the time we have to spend in it with contentment and happiness, not with anxiety over unmet aspirations or sadness on present situations. The following passage is relevant and it is worth sharing again because all we worry about are ultimately useless: “When we die, our money remains in the bank. Yet, when we are alive, we don’t have enough money to spend. “In reality, when we are gone, there is still a lot of money not spent.

In a high-end phone, 70 per cent of the functions is useless

“One business tycoon in China passed away. His widow, left with $1.9 billion in the bank, married his chauffeur. His chauffeur said, “All the while, I thought I was working for my boss…it is only now that I realize that my boss was all the time working for me! “The cruel reality is that it is more important to live longer than to have more wealth. So, we must strive to have a strong and healthy body. It doesn’t really matter who is working for who? “In a high-end phone, 70 per cent of the functions is useless! For an expensive car, 70 per cent of the speed and gadgets are not needed. If you own a luxurious villa or mansion, 70 per cent of the space is usually not used or occupied. How about your wardrobe of clothes? 70 per cent of them are not worn! A whole life of work and earning…70 per cent is for other people to spend. So, we must protect and make a full use of our 30 per cent “Go for medical check-ups, even if not sick. Drink more water, even if not thirsty. Learn to let go, even if faced with grave problems. Endeavour to give in, even if you are in the right. Remain humble, even if you are very rich and powerful. “Then, learn to be contented, even if you are not rich. Exercise your mind and body, even if you are very busy. Make time for the people you care about. Life is short, live it peacefully to the full.” Therefore, a life that is more abundant is that which is simple and happy, not one with the excess baggage of possessions that end up complicating matters, in life, like some “big men” ignominiously accounting for their ill-gotten wealth now. As a matter of fact, when all is said and done, everyone came to this world with nothing and everyone will leave it with nothing. So, it is ultimately senseless stealing all those billions they cannot finish spending because they don’t own the money and all of us actually own nothing. Let us be educated: whatever we didn’t bring to this world on arrival remains in the world at our departure.

BUSINESS |Money Line

TUESDAY, july 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

CBN reviews operations of KYC accounts CAVEAT

Transaction limits for single deposit tier 1 accounts raised to N50,000 Tony Chukwunyem

ollowing what it said were representations made by stakeholders and as part of efforts to deepen financial inclusion in

the country , the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has revised upward current transaction limits on Tier 1 and 11 levels of Know-You-Customer (KYC) accounts. In a circular posted on its website yesterday, which was signed by the Director, Financial Policy and Regulation Department, Mr. Kevin Amugo, the apex bank said that the transaction limits for single deposit and cumulative balance under Tier 1 accounts have been raised to

N50,000 and N300,000 respectively. Similarly, the transaction limits for single deposit and cumulative balance under Tier 11 accounts have been increased to N100,000 and N500,000 respectively. The regulator , however, stated, “the provisions of regulation 77 of the CBN Anti Money Laundering/ Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) regulation, 2013 shall apply in the identification and verification

by Citi Nigeria CEO, Mr. Akin Dawodu. Other members of the delegation included Citi’s Global Head of Energy Strategy, Mr. Seth Kleinman, who was the lead presenter, Citi’s Chief Economist for Africa, Mr. David Cowan and Citi’s Regional Public Sector Head, Mrs Funmi Ogunlesi. The presentation was designed to provide the government of Nigeria’s top economic managers with the forecast international market prices for oil and other energy sources such as gas. Following the presentation, Dawodu said, “It has been a great privilege to provide this key data and information to the top-tiers of government through the EMT as Chaired by His Excellency, the Vice President. We were honoured to have the opportunity and greatly impressed by the levels of engagement and focus of

the members of the EMT.” Kleinman also expressed Citi’s appreciation for the opportunity and stated that it represented a great honour for Citi, to have been invited to give this presentation. In his remarks, Vice President expressed his appreciation to Citi for the very timely presentation, which he said would assist in future planning for the economy. Other members of the EMT present included the Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Okey Enelamah, the Minister of Budget and Planning Mr Udo Udoma, Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; the Director General of the Debt Management Office, Dr. Abraham Nwankwo; Director General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Mr. Ben Akabueze and Dr. Yemi Kale, CEO of the National Bureau of Statistics.

of Tier 11 customers as stated in item (111) of our circular dated 18th January 2013.” It will be recalled that the CBN had in January 2013 introduced KYC requirements for banks and deposit lim-

iti, a global bank, has said that Nigeria remains a key focus country for its operations within Africa and the emerging markets. The bank restated this commitment while giving a presentation to the Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and members of the Federal Government’s Economic Management Team (EMT) in Abuja. The presentation focused on the outlook for energy markets including oil, gas, power and renewables, in the short, medium and long-term. The bank currently has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. The Citi delegation was led

Economic Indicators As at M2* CPS* INF MPR 91-day NTB Bonny Light Ext Res**

N19,142,526.05m N18,579,219.49m 15.6 12 10.77 US$48.04 US$26,363,435,289

Mar, 2015 Mar, 2015 May, 2016 23/03/2016 Mar 2015 4/7/2016 30/6/2016

Kunle Azeez

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 12.50 22-JAN-2026 10.00 23-JUL-2030 12.1493 18-JUL-2034 Tenor (Days) Call 30 90 180

FGN Bonds

TTM

Price 104.54 114.58 111.91 120.62 109.79 100.32 83.54 97.16

1.06 3.23 3.86 5.81 7.94 9.80 14.30 18.29

NIBOR

Rate (%) 4.2500 8.2420 10.1127 11.7162

Bid Yield 10.45 10.54 11.61 11.43 12.23 12.43 12.49 12.54

Change (%) -0.21 ▼ -0.87 ▼ -0.90 ▼ -0.66 ▼

A Change (%) 0.07 ▲ -0.01 ▼ 0.01 ▲ -0.01 ▼ -0.04 ▼ 0.04 ▲ 0.05 ▲ 0.06 ▲

Price 104.69 114.88 112.21 120.92 110.09 100.62 83.84 97.46

Tenor (Months)

Change (%) 0.07 ▲ -0.01 ▼ 0.01 ▲ -0.01 ▼ -0.04 ▼ 0.04 ▲ 0.05 ▲ 0.06 ▲

NITTY

Rate (%) 5.1731 6.4137 7.3300 8.8857 9.6247 10.5416

1 2 3 6 9 12

Treasury Bills

Offer Yield 10.30 10.44 11.52 11.36 12.18 12.38 12.44 12.50

Change (%) -1.82 ▼ -0.82 ▼ -0.75 ▼ -0.32 ▼ 0.04 ▲ 0.04 ▲

Money Market

Spot($/N)

Offer 199.24

Change (%) 0.00 ↔

NIFEX

Spot($/N)

Bid 199.0000

CBN Clearing Rates of January 7, 2016 Spot($/N)

196.00

197.00

0.00 ↔

Offer 199.1000

Change (%) -0.08 ▼ -0.08 ▼

Change (%) 0.00 ↔

ties, profitability and mPOS business model; and mPOS as part of wider telecom’s wider and digital business strategy respectively, provided perspectives on mPOS business globally and in Nigeria. A communiqué issued after the event and signed by Event Director, EBS, Mr. Sola Fanawopo, noted that the rapid growth of the mPOS solutions worldwide is making a profound impact on the wider industry with banks, financial Technologies (fintechs), vendors and non-bank players (NBPs) fighting for a piece of the action. Although mPOS only emerged as a distinct category of payments about five years ago, but the global mPOS industry has experienced exponential growth. “Though, the Nigeria Interbank Settlements Systems (NIBSS) has certified 14 mPOS providers, the communiqué the deployment is abysmally low with about 2,000 terminals in circulation.

Zenith Bank praises firm over PoS deployment Abuja

Maturity Date Discount Bid Yield Change (%) Discount Offer Yield Change (%) Rate (%) 7.34 7.47 -0.35 ▼ Open-Buy-Back (OBB) 3.75 30-Jun-16 7.59 7.73 -0.35 ▼ 6-Oct-16 8.37 8.12 8.47 -0.24 ▼ Overnight (O/N) 4.25 8.74 -0.24 ▼ 16-Mar-17 9.40 10.32 0.04 ▲ 9.15 10.02 0.04 ▲ Bid 199.14

xperts in the electronic payment industry have advocated the need for Nigeria to join the league of nation currently deploying mobile Point of Sales (mPOS) terminals to run a more inclusive payment system, even as mPOS shipments is projected to reach 52.1 million worldwide by 2018. The industry experts made the call during the eNNovators Breakfast Series (EBS), a quarterly breakfast event organised by eMMaginations, exclusively packaged for the dreamers, drivers and doers (3Ds) of technology business in financial services industry across Africa. At the event, three major presentations were presented by Innovectives, Etisalat and Mastercards to set the tones for discussions among the stakeholders at the event. The presentations, which focused on mPOS local opportuni-

Yekeen Nurudeen

Source:CBN

its for account holders. That policy separated bank customers into Low Value Accounts, Medium Value Accounts and High Value Accounts, which stand for Level one, level two and level three respectively.

ePayment: Experts advocate mPOS adoption in Nigeria

Nigeria key focus for us, says Citi Bank E

Kunle Azeez

s parts of its renewed drive to promote the cashless policy, Zenith Bank at the weekend showered the management of Sahad Stores Limited and residents of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja patronising the store with gift items for making transactions through Point of Sale (POS) machines. Presenting the gifts to the Managing Director of Sahad Stores, Alhaji Umar Minjiyawa on behalf of management of Zenith Bank, the General Manager, Maitama branch of the Bank, Louis Odom, said the gesture was to appreciate the store’s use of POS and customers’ patronage through that platform. He said the bank embarked on the customers’ reward campaign to deepen the Federal Government ‘s cashless policy by encouraging stores as well as many Nigerians to embrace the policy. ”We want to thank you for the patronage and for the use of our POS : we said let’s take today as a Bank to come and thank Sahad stores for all your wonderful support. Today, we came around to re-

ward your customers and also your cashiers that also present POS to your customers. That’s our little way of saying thank you and appreciating what you have been doing. We want to associate with you as a Bank. We want to keep asking for your continued patronage “ he said. Speaking on behalf of the management of Sahad Stores, the Managing Director, Alhaji Umar Minjiyawa commended Zenith Bank for choosing Sahad stores for the customers’ reward promo. He gave assurance to the Bank of the continued support and patronage of its various products particularly the POS. One of the beneficiaries of the customers’ reward, the Head Public Relations and Media, Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, Malam Ahmed Shekarau, who was given a gift bag by officials of the Bank for using POS, commended the Federal Government for introducing the cashless policy. He urged the Federal Government and the financial institutions in the country to deepen the coverage of the cashless policy, which according to him, has reduced risks associated with carrying cash around

Stock market down by N104bn

LOW CONFIDENCE Market closes downward as confidence ebbs

Stories by Chris Ugwu

rading activities on the floor of the Nigerian stock market yesterday opened the first trading week in July in the red, sustaining bearish trend that began last Friday. The local bourse recorded 31 losers against 10 gainers, resulting in further depression of the overall performance measures, NSE ASI fell and Market capitalisation, by 1.03.5 per cent each. The downswing according to market watchers was due to profit takings by market speculators following appreciable gains some blue chip companies achieved recently. Consequently, the All-Share Index dropped by 303.34 basis points or 1.03 per cent from 29,305.40 index points last Friday to close at 29,002.06, while the market capitalisation of equities depreciated by N104 billion or 1.03 per cent to return to N9.960 trillion from N10.064 trillion. Further analysis of the day’s trading showed that Oando Plc topped the day’s gainers’ table with 10.16 per cent each to close at N7.37 per share, while Van-

leer Plc followed with 4.98per cent to close at N9.69 per share. Red Star Express Plc added 4.88 per cent to close at N4.51 per share. On the flip side, Skye Bank Plc led the losers’ chart with a drop of 9.52 per cent to close at 95 kobo per share, as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) replaced its chairman and

merging-market stocks rallied for a fifth day on speculation central banks will boost stimulus after the UK voted to leave the European Union. Raw-material and energy producers led stocks to the best performance for the period in almost four months, as metals advanced and Brent crude traded above $50 a barrel. According to Bloomberg News, the extra yield investors demand to hold developingnation debt declined for a fifth day. Brazil’s real dropped, as the central bank intervened to weaken the currency, while Polish assets retreated on government plans to dismantle

chief executive officer after the lender failed to meet minimum capital ratios. The banking watchdog said Skye Bank’s non-performing loan ratio had been above the regulatory limit for a while and it had met with Skye’s board to resolve the issue, Governor Godwin Emefiele told journalists in a briefing yesterday.

by the activities in the shares of Access Bank Plc and Skye Bank Plc. Premium subsector boosted by the activities on the shares of FBNH Plc and Zenith Bank Plc followed with 34.5 million units traded in 729 deals. In all, investors executed a total of 142.8 million shares exchanged in 3,321 deals.

privately owned pension funds. More than $500 billion has been added to the value of emerging-market equities since June 27 amid expectations that global central banks will add to monetary stimulus to counter any contagion from Brexit. At the same time, bets that the Federal Reserve will increase interest rates this year have evaporated. “People have woken up to the fact that Brexit is going to be yet another catalyst for global monetary policy and that conquers all,” said Peter Attard Montalto, senior emerging markets strategist at Nomura International Plc in London, who favours Polish, Turkish and Mexican assets.

Oando closes $210m downstream recapitalication exercise

nado Plc, Nigeria’s indigenous energy group, listed on both the Nigerian and Johannesburg Stock Exchange has announced a $210 million recapitalisation of its downstream operations by HV Investments II B.V., (HVI), a joint venture owned by Helios Investment Partners, a premier Africa-focused private investment firm and the Vitol Group, the world’s largest independent trader of energy commodities. As a result of this and further to the announcement on June 30, 2015, a new company according to a statement, will be formed to hold interests in Oando

Red Star reports 13% drop in FY PAT

ed Star Express Plc has posted 12.83 per cent decrease in profit after tax for the full year March 3, 2016. The company in a filing from Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) yesterday said its profit after tax fell from N383.637 million the previous year to N334.427 million during the period under review, representing a decrease of 12.83 per cent. The group’s profit before tax was down by 6.37 per cent to N572.107 million

Honeywell Flour Plc shed 6.21 per cent to close at N1.5 per share. Guinness Nigeria Plc followed with 5.21 per cent to close at N99.50 per share. On the activity chart, banking subsector of the financial services sector dominated in volume terms with 54.9 million shares exchanged in 882 deals. The sub-sector was enhanced

L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE), Oscar Onyema and Group Chief Executive Officer, Oando Plc,Mr Adewale Tinubu during Oando’s Facts Behind the Figures, in Lagos …yesterday.

Emerging stocks extend rally to fifth day

TUESDAY, july 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

BUSINESS |Financial Market News

from N611.062 in 2015. The company’s turnover dropped marginally by 0.39 per cent to N6.632 billion from N6.658 billion the previous year. Red Star Express recorded 18.67 per cent decrease in profit after tax for the third quarter ended December 2015. Its profit after tax slid from N309.091 million the previous year to N251.353 million in 2015, depicting a drop of 18.67 per cent. However, the company’s turnover dropped marginally by 0.02 per cent to N4.999 billion from

N5.000 billion the previous year. The company began the financial year with an increase of 2.91 per cent in pre-tax profit in the first quarter ended June 30, 2015. Red Star posted a profit before tax of N128.667 million for the first quarter ended June 30 2015, as against N125.027 million, accounting for an increase of 2.91 per cent. Profit after tax equally grew by 2.91 per cent from N87.519 million in contrast to N90.067 million recorded during the comparable period of 2015.

Marketing Limited, Oando Supply & Trading Limited, Apapa SPM Limited, and Oando Trippmart Limited. Oando Plc however, will retain 49 per cent shareholding in the newly formed corporate vehicle, with the Consortium owning 49 per cent, and the residual 2 per cent owned by a local entity. Commenting on the transaction, the Group Chief Executive, Wale Tinubu, said: “Despite global economic headwinds, we have taken the proactive approach to establish a strategic partnership, which will leverage Oando’s sector dominance, considerable local knowledge and expertise; together with HVI’s international, and technical capabilities. This partnership will reinvigorate Nigeria’s downstream sector and create one of Africa’s largest downstream operations. We are extremely confident in the success and potential returns this alliance will deliver.” “The new company will be renamed OVH Energy (OVH) to reflect its ownership structure and the commitment of its new shareholders. A local management team, tasked with building the business, safely and efficiently, will lead OVH. Under the new busi-

ness structure, the initial Board will consist of Mr. Wale Tinubu, Group Chief Executive of Oando Plc., as the Chairman, Mr. Christian Chammas, CEO of Vivo Energy, operating 1600 service stations across 16 African countries and other Vitol and Helios representatives. The current CEO, Mr. Yomi Awobokun, will continue in his role. The service stations will retain the Oando brand. “OVH’s assets will comprise over 350 service stations in Nigeria with supporting infrastructure, including 84,000 tonnes of storage and a newly built inbound logistics jetty; as well as complementary businesses, chiefly LPG filling and distribution, lubricants and an interest in a supply and bulk distribution company in Ghana. The new business will be the second largest downstream fuels company in Nigeria, with a market share of 12 per cent,” he said. Co-founder and managing partner of Helios Investment Partners, Tope Lawani noted: “We look forward to leveraging Helios’ expertise in support of OVH’s management team, and to building another partnership with Vitol, with whom we created Vivo Energy, a leading pan-African downstream business.”

tuesday, july 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Eid-el-Fitr

national | news

Kalu, Saraki, Tinubu, Atiku, governors preach tolerance Our correspondents

s Muslims in Nigeria join their fellow faithful all over the world to mark the Ed-id-el-Fitri, prominent Nigerians have tasked them and other Nigerians on peace, tolerance, nation building and respect for other people. Some of those who sent in messages yesterday included former Governors of Abia and Lagos states, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Senate President, Bukola Saraki; former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar; Governors of Lagos, Enugu, Kwara, and Nasarawa among other states. Kalu charged Nigerians to live in peace and harmony, adding that the future of the country was bright under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari. Kalu pointed out that the heterogeneous nature of Nigeria should be seen as an advantage, noting that peaceful co-existence among Nigerians regardless of religion, tribe, economic and social status was a panacea for sustainable development In a statement signed by his Special Adviser, Alhaji Kunle Oyewumi, Kalu said: “It is indeed another opportunity to join our Muslim brothers and sisters to celebrate this year’s Eid-el-Fitr in commemoration of the successful completion of the month-long spiritual exercise. “The tenets of the holy month of Ramadan must be sustained by the Muslim Ummah as a way of keeping to the teachings of the holy Qu'ran and exemplary qualities of Prophet Mohammed.” Atiku urged Muslims in the country to portray Islam positively through the spirit of tolerance and

Soun wants religious tolerance

oun of Ogbomosoland, Oba Oladunni Oyewumi Ajagungbade 111, CFR, has felicitated with Muslim faithful on the successful completion of Ramadan fast. According to the paramount ruler, it is important for traditional rulers and religious leaders to sensitize the people on the benefits of peaceful co-existence irrespective of tribal, political and religious differences. In a statement signed by his Private Secretary, Toyin Ajamu, Oba Oyewumi said, “I wish to congratulate the Muslim community on the celebration of Eid-el-Fitr, which marks the successful completion of the Ramadan fast."

commitment to peaceful coexistence in their everyday conducts. He said: " It is an important reminder to the Muslim faithful that there are millions of others who go without food daily on account of their poverty." Tinubu said that the Ramadan period, apart from providing a period of self examination and deep reflection, has become a necessary tonic for both religious commitment and nationalistic revitalization. He urged Nigerians that after the Ramadan comes the big task of working for the betterment of our neighbours and of Nigeria. "Nigeria must feel the

impact of the fasting and prayers in the new spirit of tolerance, good neighbourliness, patriotism, compassion and forgiveness.” Saraki appealed to Nigerians to tolerate one another and live in harmony. He also urged Muslim faithful in the country to sustain the values and virtues which the holy month of Ramadan taught them in their day-to-day relationship with God and fellow human beings. In a statement in Abuja by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, he urged all Nigerians to remain steadfast and prayerful in the face of daunting socioeconomic challenges. Saraki said: "I urge all

Nigerians, across religious divide, to remain steadfast, prayerful and patriotic.” Also, Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, called on the Nigerian Muslims to use the occasion of this year’s Eid el Fitri to pray for divine intervention in the face of various forms of difficulties confronting the nation. He said: “On this blessed occasion, I rejoice with the Nigerian Muslims and wish them a hitch-free Sallah celebration.” Ambode cautioned against acts that would divide rather than unite the country, urging Nigerians to rededicate themselves to the cause of a peaceful and prosperous Nigeria where

citizens regardless of ethnic, religious, political or social status can flourish. In a message issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Habib Aruna, the Governor said that the nation needed brotherly love and harmonious co-existence among her citizens above all other things to overcome its numerous challenges. Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State called on Muslim faithful and Nigerians in general to take advantage of the spiritual rebirth that Ramadan represents to promote love, peace and justice as well as reflect on the importance of unity in the country. Ugwuanyi, in a state-

The Administrative Officer, Ketu Special Children Centre, Mrs Olapeju Adeboye (third right); the President of Lagos State Cooperative Federation, Mr. Oriyomi Ayeola (second right), and the Executive Secretary, LASCOFED, Mrs Ebun Akin-Falaiye, during the presentation of gifts by Lagos State Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives in conjunction with LASCOFED to the centre in Lagos

Ahmed, Baraje sue for tolerance Mark seeks peaceful coexistence Biodun Oyeleye Ilorin

wara State Governor, Alhaji AbdulFattah Ahmed and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Alhaji Kawu Baraje, yesterday advocated tolerance, perseverance, and love for one another as basis for a peaceful and prosperous society. Ahmed, in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Abdulwahab Oba, noted that honesty,

resilience and piety are critical lessons of Ramadan which are also crucial for societal growth. The governor, encouraged religious leaders to continue to preach the message of peace and religious tolerance among the citizenry “so we can harmoniously build a great nation” and urged kwarans to see the current national economic travail as transitory. Baraje asked Nigerians to shun acts capable of causing disunity, but instead promote unity and harmonious coexistence.

Fayemi Congratulates Muslims at Eid-el-Fitri

inister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has felicitated with Muslim faithful in Ekiti State and all over the country on the completion of the Ramadan fast culminating in the Eid-el-Fitri celebration. Fayemi, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Olayinka Oyebode, said witnessing another Eid-el-Fitri is a special privilege from the Almighty Allah who has control over the destiny of man.

The Minister said the 30-day Ramadan fast has drawn the faithful closer to Allah. He therefore urged them to keep on practising the lessons learnt from the holy month in their relationship with their Maker and fellow human beings. Specifically, he charged Muslims to allow the lessons of humility, sacrifice, love and selfless service learnt during the Ramadan season to continue to guide their private and public conducts.

former President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, has decried the growing spate of violent crimes such as kidnapping, armed robbery, religious extremism, terrorism and vandalism in Nigeria. In a goodwill message to felicitate with Muslims on the Eid- el Fitri celebration, Mark challenged all men of good will to rise up to the occasion by promoting peaceful coexistence among citizens of the country. According to the for-

mer Senate President violent crimes were destroying national cohesion at an alarming rate and this could only be reversed when citizens imbibed the spirit patriotism and service to their fatherland. "This is no longer an assignment for government alone. All hands must be on deck. It is not the case between Cain and Abel where one insist I am not my brother's keeper. In the battle to save Nigeria, everyone must be his brother's keeper," he said.

APC: Buhari has brought economy back Johnchuks Onuanyim Abuja

he All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday stated that President Muhammadu Buhari is nursing the country's economy back to life. The APC National Chairman, John OdigieOyegun, stated this in his goodwill message to the Muslim faithful on their celebration of of Eid-el-Fitr, which marks the end of this year’s Ramadan fast. Odigie-Oyegun, raising hopes of the Muslim and

Nigerians on the economy in a statement issued by the APC Assistant Director of Publicity, Edegbe Odemwingie, said, "Happily, the President Muhammadu Buhariled administration is already nursing Nigeria’s battered economy back to life. Nigeria has regained its rightful place amongst the comity of progressive nations. The implementation of palliative measures and social safety nets contained in the 2016 National Budget will ease the current economic hardships in the country".

ment signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Louis Amoke, noted that the significance of the Muslim festival was enormous and compelling for all Nigerians to embrace one another and affirm the trust of the founding fathers towards a peaceful, united and prosperous nation. Cross River State Governor, Senator Ben Ayade, urged Muslims to strive towards strengthening peaceful coexistence and good neighbourliness in the country for the betterment of the people. Ayade, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media and Chief Press Secretary, Mr Christian Ita, said: "Nigerians must imbibe the lessons of the Ed-el Fitri, which include love, kindness, piety, sacrifice, peaceful coexistence and commitment to duty." Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko appealed to Muslims in the country to maintain the tempo of their supplications to God during the Ramadan period, stressing that the country still remained in dire need of prayers more than ever before to surmount her numerous challenges. In his message issued by the State's Commissioner for Information, Mr Kayode Akinmade in Akure, Mimiko called on Muslims in the nation to also sustain the lessons of Rammadan by allowing the God-like characters they lived all through the period to become a way of life for them. Governor Tanko Almakura of Nasarawa State called on Muslims to use the lessons of the Ramadan period as a formidable tool to build the fabric of national unity. In a Sallah message issued through his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Ahmed Tukur, Al-makura, expressed optimism that the nation experiences ultimate benefit from the spiritual lesions from the Ramadan. Also, Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, charged leaders and the well-to-do individuals in the country to show concerns for the poor in whatever they do either in their public or private life. The governor noted that everybody would one day give account of his/her stewardship to the Creator. In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi, in AdoEkiti, the governor said, "with the hardship that Nigerians are currently going through, this is not the period to turn a deaf ear to their crying for the amelioration of their situation.”

News|south-west

Court sacks PDP lawmaker in Ekiti Sulaiman Salawudeen Ado-Ekiti

Federal High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital yesterday nullified the election of a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) State Assembly member, Mr. Musa Arogundade. Arogundade represented Ado Constituency 1 in the Assembly. Justice Taiwo Taiwo, however declared Mr. Toyin Obayemi also of the PDP as the validly elected candidate in the April 11, 2015 general elections. The judge ordered the Speaker of the Assembly to swear him in immediately

just as the judge blamed the party for refusing to substitute Obayemi in place of Mr Talabi Odunayo who won the party’s primaries of November 29, 2014. Odunayo’s name was substituted following allegations of certificate forgery, noting that Obayemi who came second in the primaries should have been chosen as a replacement in compliance with Sections 31 and 36 of the Electoral Act. Also, Justice Taiwo accused the party for obtaining judgment by default before Justice Evoh Chukwu of the Federal High Court in Abuja with a view to smuggling Arogundade in replacement of Talabi in the constituency.

CONFIRMATION/change OF NAME

Adeoye

I, formerly known and addressed as Sanni, Tajudeen Adeoye now want to be known and addressed as Sanni Micheal Adeoye. FCMB, UBA Plc, GTBank and entire public note.

Olowoyeye

I, formerly known and addressed as Obayemi, Omolola Omolayo now wish to be known and addressed as Olowoyeye, Aanuoluwapo Omolayo. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

Adagbonyi

I, formerly known and addressed as Elizabeth Eghaghe now wish to be known and addressed as Elizabeth Eghaghe Adagbonyi. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

ADEMUYIWA

I, formerly known as Olanrewaju Akeem, now wish to be known as Ademuyiwa Akeem Samuel. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

OLAYINKA

I, formerly known and addressed as Olayinka M.O. Oladipupo now wish to be known and addressed as Olayinka Serifat Motunrayo All former documents remain valid. GTBANK and general public take note.

Akamelu

I, formerly known as Akamelu Ogochukwu now wish to be known and addressed as Akamelu Ogochukwu Clara. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

Ifeoluwa

I, formerly known as Miss Adams Blessing Ekaete now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ifeoluwa Blessing Ekaete. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

Ugwu

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Onah Annastacia now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ugwu Annastacia Nkechi. All former documents remain valid. UNN and the general public should take note.

Paschal

This is to confirm that the names Opara Thaddeus Chiedozie, Nwawuike Paschal Thaddeus, Opara Nwawuike Paschal, Paschal Thaddeus Opara and Opara Nwawuike Thaddeus Paschal refer to one and same person. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as Paschal Thaddeus Chiedozie Nwawuike Opara. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

Aroke

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Eze Cordelia Nkechi now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Aroke Cordelia Nkechi. All former documents remain valid. Fidelity bank and the general public should take note.

Ojoh

I, formerly known and addressed as Ochege Paul Ojor now wish to be known and addressed as Austine Ojoh. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

Udemezue

This is to confirm that the names Mr. Benjamin Nweke Chukwukelu Udemezue and Mr. Benjamin Chukwukelu Udemezue refer to one and same person. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as Mr. Benjamin Nweke Chukwukelu Udemezue. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

Obasanjo wants single currency in West Africa Kunle Olayeni Abeokuta

ormer President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday drummed support for the proposed single currency for West African countries, saying it would enhance deeper regional economic integration. Obasanjo, who spoke while hosting the President of ECOWAS Commission, Marcel Alain deSouza, at his Presidential Hilltop Estate, Abeokuta, called for speedy processes towards ensuring the implementation of the common currency known as “eco.” De-Souza had led a four-man delegation on

a courtesy visit to the former Nigerian leader, seeking his assistance on matters concerning the sub-regional body. ECOWAS had, hitherto, expressed its commitment to implement the single currency unit by year 2020 for its member-states. But Obasanjo, who observed that the proposal was commendable, stated that it would aid regional economic integration and development of the West African countries. “We have decided that our unit of currency will be ‘eco.’ Let us now start

71.4%

The percentage of households with a computer in developed countries in 2010. Source: Itu.int

using eco, let eco become our unit of currency. The single currency unit for ECOWAS states will bring about more development and growth among the states,” he said. The former president stressed the need for reform within the ECOWAS Commission to enable member countries to move beyond movement of goods and services. He stated that economic integration was imperative in order to stem the tide of youths’ unemployment gradually growing in the sub-region.

£14.9m

The amount of money received by Stoke City as merit payment for the 2015/2016 season. Source: Goal.com

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

ICAN, CLO write FG, DSS over YABATECH crisis Mojeed Alabi

he Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and a non-governmental organization, the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) have written separately to the Federal Ministry of Education and the Department of State Security (DSS) over the lingering crisis between the management of the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Lagos, and some members of staff of the college including the Bursar, Mr. Olu Ibirogba. In a letter addressed to the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu and signed by its President, Otunba Olufemi Deru, ICAN asked for the release of the white paper on a probe panel set up to investigate the allegations.

AKUJEKWESI

I, formerly known as Chioma Maryann Anthonia Umenweke, now wish to be known as Chioma Maryann Anthonia Akujekwesi. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

Obinwa

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Okere Perpetua Ezinne, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Obinwa Perpetua Ezinne (Nee Okere). All documents bearing my former name remain valid. Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki (FETHA) and the general public should please take note.

NNANNA

I, formerly known and addressed as Saviour Godwin Obonnoidem now wish to be known and addressed as John Patrick Nnanna. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

ADAMU

I, formerly known and addressed as Maijida Muktari now wish to be known and addressed as Hauwa Adamu. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

Areola

I, formerly known as Folasade Sayo Olaiya now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Folasade Sayo Areola. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

Olabayo-Ojo

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss. Akioh, Mercy Iru, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Olabayo-Ojo, Mercy Iru. All former documents remain valid. Rivers State Senior Secondary Schools Board and the general public should take note.

Obata

This is to confirm that the names Obata Chibueze Victor and Alo Emeka refer to one and same person. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as Obata Chibueze Victor. Also, my correct date of birth is July 15, 1995 and not September 15, 1992 as was wrongly written in my account. All former documents remain valid. UBA bank Plc and the general public should take note.

Akindele

Oladipupo Sheri Nike (Deceased) died on the 7th November, 2013 at the age of 34 years, that Akindele Tobi Ishola is the next of kin. Banks and general public note.

L-R: Mrs. Laja Adedoyin; Celebrant, Kemi Otegbade and Sola Babarage, during the 50th birthday of Kemi Otegbade’s which she celebrated with Hearts of Gold Children’s Hospice, at Surulere, Lagos… yesterday. PHOTO: TONY EGUAYE

Oyo court denies accused persons bail over N8.5bn CBN scam Sola Adeyemo Ibadan

ope of some of former members of staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other commercial banks indicted

in the N8.5bn fraud to regain freedom, was yesterday dashed as a Federal High Court in Ibadan, Oyo State capital denied them bail. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik turned down their bail applications having listened to arguments

PUBLIC NOTICE

THE DIVINE KING OF GLORY CHRISTIAN BIBLE CHURCH

This is to notify the general public that the above named CHURCH has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Abuja for registration under Part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990. The Trustees are: 1. Pastor (Prophet) Solomon Niyanu Adeleke – General Overseer 2. Mr. Lawrence Olanrewaju Akogun – Ass. General Overseer 3. Mr. Aaron Olugbade Oduwaye – General Secretary 4. Lady Evang. Abimbola Olubunmi 5. Mr Oyebamiji Hammed Ademola AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. To preach the gospel of peace and deliverance of our Lord Jesus Christ 2. To establish more churches for the expression of the gospel of Jesus Christ Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission, plot 420 Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication. SIGNED: GENERAL SECRETARY

canvassed by lawyers to both the accused persons and the prosecution, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. While Olalekan Alli, defendants’ counsel told the court that the offence was a bailable one as enshrined in the Constitution, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs who is holding the brief for the anti-graft agency argued that with the weight of the offence, and evidence before the court, there was likelihood that the accused persons would jump bail if granted. The accused persons- Olaniran Muniru, Toogun Kayode Phillip, Oni Ademola Dolapo and Afolabi Esther Olunike are standing trial on a 20-count charge of alleged conspiracy to defraud the banks in the mutilated currency scam. In her rulings on the

bail applications by the second, third, fourth and fifth accused persons, the Judge said though the offence committed by them was bailable, their being granted bail was dependent on weight of evidence before the court. She said having read the charges against the defendants, the proof of evidence, weight of evidence and sentence that the offence attracts which is either 21 years or life jail, she had no option than to refuse them bail. She said in one of the rulings that although, the applicants were entitled to bail especially when they had not been tried in court before, “the court holds the discretion that the bailability of an accused is dependent on the weight of evidence against him. The bail application is hereby refused.”

News|SOUTH-EAST

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Cutting of grasses, panacea to discourage grazing, monarch tells tribunal Charles Onyekwere ENUGU

traditional ruler of Anuka Autonomous Community, in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State, Chief Michael Utazi, has revealed that the cutting of grasses is the only way to discourage grazing in the affected areas where the Fulanis use as their homes. The traditional ruler stated this yesterday in Enugu while testifying before the panel of Commission of Inquiry into the killing of people and destruction of property in Nimbo community by suspected herdsmen. Utazi said the measure has become necessary following the inability of government to adequately contain the activities of the cattle herders.

According to the monarch, such measure would put to an end the incidences of clashes between herdsmen and farmers in the rural communities. He said that his community had recorded its fair share of the clashes which involved the loss of lives, theft and kidnapping. He added that his people had thought of what to do to ensure that the herdsmen were discouraged from grazing on their farmlands due to their hostile nature. “We have suggested that our people should either stop eating cow meat or spray grass killing substances on all green grasses in our community. This we can be doing two times in a year,” he said. Utazi said that their community had been living in fear due to threats by the suspected herdsmen.

Court sets July 7 to hear Ikpeazu’s suit seeking to stay judgement execution Tunde Oyesina ABUJA

he Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, yesterday fixed July 7 to hear the motion for stay of execution in the judgement of the court that removed Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu from office. The motion praying the court to stay the judgement was filed by Ikpeazu through his counsel, Wole Olanipekun (SAN). When the matter came up yesterday, Justice Abang who was scheduled to hear the motion in court fixed hearing for July 7. The judge said all issues relating to the grant of stay in the case of election petition will on the said day be determined whether it is applicable to a pre-election matter.

He urged parties in the matter to file and exchange necessary process before the adjourned date so as to facilitate early hearing of the motion. In the motion, Ikpeazu is asking the court to put the judgment which removed him from office on hold pending the determination of his appeal filed against the judgment of the court at the Court of Appeal. He told the court that the appeal had been entered at the appellate court and that necessary steps will be taken to facilitate quick determination of the appeal. The court had last Monday ordered Governor Ikpeazu to vacate office with immediate effect. Justice Okon Abang, in his ruling then ordered the governor to hand over to Samson Ogah, owner of Masters Energy, who came

second in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primaries in the state. The judge further ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue a Certificate of Return to Ogah, who contested the governorship ticket with Ikpeazu. The court held that Ikpeazu was guilty of tax evasion and was therefore not qualified to have contested the 2015 governorship election in the state, which was held in April. Two members of the PDP had accused Ikpeazu of failing to pay Personal Income Tax as and when due for 2010 and 2011 in line with Section 24(f) of the 1999 Constitution, which states that “It shall be the duty of every citizen to declare his income honestly to appropriate and lawful agencies and pay his tax promptly.”

Obi mourns his Principal

he former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, has joined many other former students of Christ the King College (CKC) to mourn the death of their former Principal, Rev. Fr. Nicolas Tagbo. In a release made available to the press, Obi, who said that the likes of Fr. Tagbo are in short supply, recalled how the discipline and thoroughness of Fr. Tagbo contributed to making most of those that passed through him what they are today. Obi explained that Fr. Tagbo lived a happy and fulfilled life and to grand old age, and was alive for many years to share in the glory of the success of his many children. The former governor also recalled the high commendation he received from Fr. Tagbo after he single handedly, against all odds, returned schools to the missionary. He said: “Education remained his first love till he died. When our government returned school to the missionary, he called and said that that was the highest gift I have given him. Each time we did anything phenomenal in school, such as when we gave buses, computers, generators, Internet connectivity, money for sports, library and laboratories to all the schools in Anambra, he would call to say, ‘my boy, you are on the right path.” Ordained a priest in 1960, Fr. Tagbo was the first black Principal of Christ the King College, Onitsha. He was among those that received National Awards (OON), on the intervention of Mr. Peter Obi and his former SSG, Mr. Oseloka Obaze.

Wife of Enugu State Governor, Mrs. Monica Ugwuanyi (right), with the father of a set of triplets, Mr. Dickson Nnamene, his wife and the babies, when the governor’s wife gave assistance to the babies, at Government House, Enugu State…yesterday

Board sanctions 45 school principals in Enugu

nugu State Post Primary School Management Board (PPSMB) has sanctioned 45 school principals over misconduct which included falsification of documents, students’ slavery, bad attitude to work and collection of illegal levies. Chairman of the Board, Mr. Nestor Ezema, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Enugu that the principals had been placed on an indefinite suspension ranging from six months to outright dismissal. He said that some principals engaged their students as labourers in their private farms from morning to evening thereby preventing them from their studies for the whole day. The chairman, who said he was just seven months in office, said that he was facing a lot of pressures from people to absolve the sanctioned principals back to work. Ezema said that 30 per cent of his workers presented age declaration instead of normal birth certificate when they were employed. He said that the duty of the Board was to monitor and supervise schools, stressing that with the ongoing exercise, sanity would return to the Board. The chairman, who said the Board under his leadership met the system in total collapse, however, said he has been able to restore sanity to it as its teachers now report early to schools.

Abia: Third claimant to governorship Abia PDP cautions against unbridled ambition seat emerges Igbeaku Orji Steve Uzoechi OWERRI

third claimant has emerged, demanding the sack of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State and the withdrawal of the Certificate of Return given to Uchechukwu Ogar. Chief Friday Nwosu, a governorship aspirant on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the December 2014 PDP governorship primaries in Abia State had approached the Federal High Court in Ow-

erri, asking that Ikpeazu be removed as governor. That was even as the Federal High Court sitting in Owerri yesterday fixed Friday July 8 for judgment in the suit. Nwosu claimed among other things that Ikpeazu submitted false tax receipts and other documents to his party. Justice A. I Alagoa, reserved judgment after admitting written applications, and motions filed by the plaintiff ’s counsel as well as the preliminary objections by the counsel for first,

second, third and fourth defendants. When the suit was mentioned for hearing, Mr Francis Unyimadu, counsel to the plaintiff told the court that Ikpeazu was not qualified to represent PDP at the April 2015 governorship election in Abia. Unyimadu, who claimed that his client’s position was contained in written addresses already submitted to the court, stated that Ikpeazu submitted false tax receipts and other fraudulent documents.

Anambra commission calls for scrapping of Customary Court of Appeal Pamela Eboh AWKA

he Anambra State Judicial Service Commission, JSC, yesterday called for the transfer of the three judges serving in the state Customary Court of Ap-

peal. It also called for the scrapping of the court in view of its low patronage. Speaking to journalists in Awka, the Executive Secretary of the state JSC, Mr. Christian Nnabuihe said the state Chief Judge, Justice Peter Umeadi, who is the state chairman of JSC,

has already been mandated by the Commission to forward the recommendation to Governor Willie Obiano and the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, who is the chairman of the National Judicial Council, NJC, for necessary actions.

UMUAHIA

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State has cautioned politicians involved in the present tussle for the soul of Abia State to trade with caution and put their ambition in check. The party said the call became necessary because “of reports making the rounds in the state that a certain desperate politician in the state, whose illegal efforts to seize power from the back door has been frustrated by decent application of the rule of law, is now directing his evil machination towards kidnapping Judicial officers in the State with the hope of intimidating them in order to have access to power he did not canvass for.” A statement issued by the state’s Publicity Secretary of the party, Sir Don Ubani, and made available to newsmen in Umuahia yesterday, stated that PDP “has equally taken

cognizance of the inordinately-ambitious politician’s plot to kidnap some top functionaries of the party in the State.” It further noted that intelligence available to the party indicated that the politician, whose name was not mentioned, is not happy with the stance of the party’s state executive over the present political imbroglio in the state. The statement reads: “According to intelligence available to the party, the political desperado is embittered with the state executive of the party for not coming out to support his acts of illegality. “The party, therefore, cautions the politician that is involved in this sacrilegious and bloody shenanigan to quickly retrace his nefarious steps as the likely consequences of his devious desires and mischievous plots would compound his imagination and would only leave him with regrets that may not be redressed or even corrected in his life’s time.”

42 News|south-South

arely 24 hours after Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, appealed to former militants in the Niger Delta, to exercise patience with the Federal Government over the delay in the payment of their stipends, angry former militants yesterday blocked the East-West Road over the delay in the payment of

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Delayed stipends: Ex-militants disrupt traffic on East-West road their five months’ stipends. Hundreds of angry former militants from Bayelsa and Delta States disrupted traffic on the

East-West Road for several hours in protest against the delayed payment of their five months stipends by the Federal Government.

The protest left travelers stranded for many hours while several vehicle owners, commercial drivers and commuters were stuck in

Staff of Egor Local Government Council, Edo State blocking the Benin /Lagos Expressway to protest nonpayment of 17 months’ salary arrears in Benin City …yesterday.

Court remands ex-Rivers council boss till Sept 22 Emmanuel Masha Port Harcourt

ivers State High Court, sitting in Port Harcourt, has again remanded Hon. Ojukaye Flagg-Amachree, the former chairman of Asari Toru Local Government Area of the state in the Port Harcourt Maximum Prison, till September 22, the adjourned date. The court, presided over by Justice Layi Lamikanra, the Rivers State Chief Judge, noted that FlaggAmachree was supposed to be in court, but failed to appear, as it was the case on July 1, when the matter brought against him by the

state government came up. Despite the absence of the accused in court, there was heavy security presence at the Rivers State Judiciary Complex as people struggled to enter the court. It was the second time that the authorities of Port Harcourt Prison failed to produce Flagg-Amachree in court in the matter titled Rivers State vs FlaggAmachree, where the former council boss is being charged for murder. Lamikanra said his absence could slow down the case, pointing out that the accused person deserves a speedy trial, just like the state, but expressed worry

that his failure to appear in court may not lead to a speedy trial. Lamikanra said: “I hereby direct that the prison authorities present the accused in court in the next adjournment. The accused should remain in prison custody. “I hereby sign a production warrant for the accused to be brought for the next adjournment...” Counsel to the state government, Godwin Obla,

20,760

The total area (in sq. km) of water of Burma. Source: Worldfactsandfigures. com

SAN, who spoke with reporters outside the courtroom, expressed hope that the accused would appear in court during the next adjournment. “We made a further application for the production order and remand to be renewed,” he added. Also speaking, counsel to the accused, Sebastine Hon, said he came to argue for the bail of his client, but was embarrassed by his absence in court.

15%

The percentage of the population of women above 60 years of Dominica in 2006. Source: Un.org

Okowa asked to address neglect Ijaw monarch supports referendum to end crisis of Delta communities Gabriel Efeduku Ughelli

prominent leader in the Niger Delta, Dr. Clement Tonfawei, yesterday lamented the plight of the riverine people of oil rich Delta State with a call on Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to show more concern for the people. Tonfawei, a kinsman of former MEND leader, Chief Government Ekpemukpolo, alias Tompolo, implored the governor to be more proactive about bringing peace to the state, saying that; “Let the governor bring justice to the oil bearing communities. Speaking to our corre-

spondent, the Ijaw leader blamed the continuous attacks on oil facilities by militant groups in the state on the injustice done to the people of the oil bearing communities in the past. Irked by the outcome of the stakeholders’ meeting with the governor recently, he said the people living in the oil bearing communities were suffering from decades of neglect by past and present governments. He urged the governor not to show indifference towards the plight of the riverine communities, appealing to him to site some projects in such communities as he has done in other areas since he assumed office.

Ola James Warri

foremost Ijaw monarch in Delta State, Pere Gold Tiemo III, the Agadagba of Egbema Kingdom, yesterday added his voice to the call for a referendum by the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), saying it will serve as a panacea to the present crisis in the Niger Delta region. According to him, the region has been suffering from the beginning, adding that the region that is responsible for the nation’s economic fortune should be treat-

ed and developed adequately. The monarch in an interview with newsmen in Warri explained that although he did not support the carrying of arms and ammunition to achieve the struggle for the emancipation of the region, however added that; “what is good for the goose is also good for the gander.” He, however, commended President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Ifeayin Okowa, for ensuring peace in the communities, but pleaded for the withdrawal of soldiers from the riverine communities.

the gridlock for hours. The former militants, who arrived at the Mbiama-Yenagoa Junction of the road as early as 6am with placards having inscriptions like; “Buhari, Pay us our stipends,” “Don’t politicise Niger Delta Amnesty” and “Boroh pay us our money” while chanting solidarity songs, demanded that the Presidential Amnesty Office pay them their outstanding five months stipends. Heavily armed soldiers and other security

personnel were at the scene of the protest to forestall any breakdown of law and order. It took the intervention of the Commander of the Special Joint Security outfit in the Niger Delta, codenamed ‘Operation Delta Safe,’ Rear Admiral Joseph Okojie, for the former militants to leave the road. Okojie urged the exmilitants to be patient with authorities, assuring them that their stipends would be paid. It will be recalled that Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, had at the weekend appealed to the ex-militants to be calm and exercise patience with the Federal Government over the delay in the payment of their stipends.

Sacked aide drags Oshiomhole to court Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

acked Executive Director of Poverty Alleviation and Women Mmobilisation in Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s government in Edo State, Chief (Mrs.) Evelyn Igbafe, has dragged the governor, the Attorney General of the state, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the September 10 election, Mr. Godwin Obaseki and the Commissioner of Police in the state before the federal high court in Benin, the state capital. Igbafe is asking the court to bar the respondents/ applicants from violating her fundamental human rights, following alleged threat to her life, using the second respondent (police) for possible arrest and in the process, abused her fundamental human rights as enshrined in chapter 4 of the 1999 Constitution. This, however, may not be unconnected with her

recent attacks on the alleged person of Governor Oshiomhole and the APC governorship candidate, following the outcome of the party’s governorship primaries held on June 18 this year at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in the state capital. At the hearing yesterday in suit number FHC/B/ CS/110/2016, the respondents; the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, Attorney General of the state and Commissioner for Justice, Henry Idahagbon, were not in court while the Commissioner of Police, Chris Ezeki, as the third respondent, was represented by his lawyer. But counsel to the 3rd respondent (CP), Austin Osamede Enobabor, pleaded with the presiding judge for time to properly study the court process served on his client to enable him put up appropriate response since the service was received on Sunday.

Ayade working to develop Cross River, says ex-PDP chair Clement James Calabar

ritics of Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade, have been asked not to dissipate their energy any more on frivolities as the governor was working hard to develop the state. Immediate past Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Ntufam John Okon, gave the assurance in Calabar, in a chat with journalists. Okon, who was reacting to criticisms on the frequent trips of the governor abroad, said having been close to the governor, he was in a better position to know him than

the critics, explaining that the governor never traveled without having the interest of the state at heart. “You know that the economy is very bad and the only way to develop this state is to sell it to investors. How would people invest in the super highway, the deep sea port and other laudable projects of the governor if he stays back in the state?” Okon queried. The PDP chieftain added that the governor has consistently shown his passion to develop the state, noting, however, that he has been facing financial challenges which inform the idea of scouting for investors in strategic infrastructure in the state.

News|north

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Eid-el-Fitri: Adamawa workers laud govt over free meat Ibrahim Abdul Yola

ivil servants in Adamawa State have lauded the state government for distributing free meat to the workers for the Sallah celebration. A cross-section of workers who spoke on the development, described the action of the state government as commendable, They said: “We have received our June salary and this free meat is bonus. This is a good development.” “First of all we want to thank the government for this timely payment of our salary at this critical time. This free meat is a good step and we are happy that it went round to both Muslims and the Christians.” The workers, however, commended the government for the gesture and urged it to sustain the tempo. While speaking on the development, the

Head of Service of the State, Mr. Musa Kaibo said the measure was part of efforts by the present administration to assist the workers. Kaibo said that the free meat for workers during festive periods like Sallah and Christmas had become a usual practice by the government in the state, just as he assured the workers of the government’s commitment to their welfare. He, urged the workers to reciprocate the government’s gesture by showing more dedication and commitment to duty.

£8.78m

The amount of money received by Stoke City as facility fees for the 2015/2016 season. Source: Goal.com

$20.2m

The total amount of salary/ winnings of Kevin Durant (Basketball) for 2016. Source: Forbes.com

Niger: Lawmakers urge governor to refund 50% workers’ salary Dan Atori MINNA

he Niger State House of Assembly has condemned the reduction of the civil and public servants’ salary in the state, describing it as unlawful, inhuman and highly irresponsible. The House yesterday directed the governor, Abubakar Sani Bello to refund the 50 per cent balance slashed from the workers’ salaries or face the dire consequence. Chairman, House Committee on Labour and Productivity, Hon. Abdulmalik Madaki made the position of the House on the development known while addressing journalists at the State House of Assembly complex in Minna, the state capital. He, however, declared that no one had the right

to tamper with the salaries of civil and public servants, saying that the salary cut was a gross violation of the law and the Labour Act. According to him, “our salary is backed by the law. The way the civil servants salaries were slashed, so was the salaries of the Legislators slashed. The issue of salary is regulated by the law and someone cannot just wake up one morning and slash the salaries without consultation with the House of Assembly.” He, however, called for the executive arm of the government to explain what it did with the N10 billion and N4.6 billion, which amounted to N14.6 billion bailout funds paid by the Federal Government in which the payment of workers’ salaries were included.

Nasarawa/Jahun youths butchering a cow for the celebration of EidEl-Fitr in Bauchi … yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

Benue IDPs accuse soldiers of aiding Fulani attacks on communities Cephas Iorhemen MAKURDI

nternally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of the recent Fulani herdsmen attacks in some communities in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State, have accused officers of the 93 Nigerian Army Battalion stationed in Chinkai, Kente and Sonde Villages in the neighbouring Taraba State of aiding and supporting Fulani militia to attack Tiv farmers in the area. The allegation by the IDPs came just as a member of the House of Representatives, representing Buruku Constituency in the House, Hon. Emmanuel Orker Jev donated assorted relief materials to the victims of Fu-

Musa Pam Jos

he immediate past governor of Plateau State and member of Senate, representing Plateau North in the National Assembly, Senator Jonah Jang, has challenged Governor, Simon Lalong to publish any document where he endorsed the establishment of grazing reserves in the state in his eight-year administration. Jang, in a statement

lives of the people. While addressing the IDPs, Commissioner for Industries, Trade and Investment, Mr. Tersoo Kpelai promised to convey their grievances to Governor Samuel Ortom, even as he appealed to the Nigerian Army to carry our proper investigation into the allegation in order to avoid a repeat of the incident. However, the Executive Secretary of SEMA, Mr. Boniface Ortese, in his remarks, regretted the incident, saying the entire nation depended on the army for protection and security of lives and property of the people. The agencies, which also visited other ravaged communities of Uikpiam and Affia, among others,

specifically lamented the persistent attacks on the communities, saying relief materials would soon be sent to the IDPs. But Jev, while addressing the IDPs in three affected communities assured the people of the National Assembly’s commitment towards making relevant laws that would bring succor to the recalcitrant Fulani attacks. He expressed dismay over the wanton destruction and killing of innocent lives, saying as Chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business, he had received four different motions on grazing reserves and ranches on which he was working to harmonise them as part of efforts to stem the tide of the attacks.

Bello to sack 60% workforce in Kogi, says Labour Muhammad Bashir Lokoja

ollowing the persistent industrial disharmony between the government and the organised labour in Kogi State, the union leaders have accused Governor Yahaya Bello of plans to reduce the state workforce by 60 per cent. But in a swift reaction, the state government has denied such alleged move, describing it as frivolous and

Jang dares Lalong on grazing reserves policy signed by his Media Aide, Comrade Clinton Garuba, and made available journalists yesterday in Jos, the state capital, said if indeed Lalong published any fake document, he would be left with no other option than to institute a legal action against the state government. The former governor, while responding to allegations leveled against his administration by Lalong when he visited the Presi-

lani invasion in the affected communities. The IDPs, led by Joseph Ade and Paul Mechori made the allegation when the officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) were on an assessment visit to Vaase and Gbeji, the villages that were ravaged by the military during the invasion of the state in 2001. The IDPs recalled that they had witnessed instances when soldiers came to spy on their communities before attacks were launched on them by the Fulani insurgents. They called on the state and the federal governments to urgently intervene in the matter with a view to tackling the crisis and save the

dential Villa last week, in a statement noted: “The attention of the Senator representing Plateau North in the National Assembly, Senator Jonah David Jang has been drawn to remarks made by the Plateau State Governor, Barrister Simon Bako Lalong to the effect that he (Senator Jang) was responsible for the protests that greeted the APC government’s policy on grazing reserve, ranching or livestock.”

untrue in its entirety. The labour in its statement jointly issued by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and JPSNC, and signed by the Chairman of the state NLC, Comrade Onu Edoka, and the TUC Chairman, Comrade Ojo Matthew respectively and made available to journalists in Lokoja yesterday directed workers to stay at home until an agreement was reached by the labour unions with the state government. The labour leaders al-

leged that the state government had resorted to blackmailing the union leaders, rather than making efforts at addressing the workers’ legitimate demands. “The government wanted to hide under the screening documents so that it can use our signatures for its illicit intention to lay off over 60 per cent of the workforce across the state,” the statement said. However, the government through the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Kingsley Fanwo, had

debunked the allegation, saying that the screening was carried out to ascertain genuine workers, adding that the screening exercise had brought to the fore the issue of ghost workers and those in ‘Diaspora’ that had drained the resources of the state. Fanwo said: “The report of the screening exercise of the state workforce is ready and our payrolls are free from the stranglehold of ghost workers, who have made it impossible for our state to move forward.”

Labour stages demonstration over salary cut Cheke Emmanuel LAFIA

embers of the organised labour in Nasarawa State, yesterday embarked on peaceful demonstration to protest the decision of the state government to cut the salary of civil servants in the state. This was as the labour union issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the state govern-

ment to rescind its decision with immediate effect or face the wrath of the union. Members of the organised labour, led by Commander of the protest, Comrade Gabriel Abashi began their rally from the state Secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) along Makurdi Road to the Government House, Lafia. The protesters, who were chanting solidarity songs also carried placards with various inscriptions such

as “Salary is our right therefore it must be paid as at and when due”; “Al-Makura - Salary cut is unconstitutional” and “We reject any downward review of salary” among others. Speaking during the protest, the Chairman of the state wing of NLC, Comrade Abdullahi Adeka, said that the organised labour vehemently opposed the decision of the state government to cut the salary of civil servants in the state.

NEWS

WORLD \ NEWS

FG suspends 14 officers over inmates' escape at Kuje prison Johnchuks Onuanyim Abuja

he Federal Government yesterday suspended 14 prisons staff for the escape of two inmates from the Kuje Medium Security Prison that occurred on June 24. According to the statement from the Nigeria Prisons Service spokesperson, Deputy Controller of Prison, Mr. Francis Enobore, the Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prisons Services Board (CDFIPB) approved their suspension on behalf of the Federal Government.

In the statement, Enobore said: "Following the escape of two high profile inmates, Solomon Amodu and Maxwell Ajukwu, both standing trial for culpable homicide, from lawful custody in Kuje Medium Security Prison on June 24, 2016, the Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prisons Services Board (CDFIPB) has approved the suspension of four senior officers while the Controller-General of Prisons, Ja'afaru Ahmed, in his capacity, also approved the suspension of 10 junior staff of the prisons. "The suspension is sequel to the outcome of the preliminary investigation into the incident

and in consonance with PSR 030406 (2008) Revised Version; the officers were suspended from duty to allow for unhindered trial process. "The commissioned officers among them are to be served with letters of query while the junior staff will be given Form 96 (Charge Sheet) to explain their role in the unfortunate saga." Also, Enobore said efforts to recapture the fleeing prisoners in collaboration with sister security agencies are ongoing, as he stated that the Service is tightening the security measures in all prisons’ formations nationwide to forestall a repeat of such incident.

Fayose’s accounts remain frozen as court adjourns till Sept Sulaiman Salawudeen Ado-Ekiti

Federal High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, yesterday adjourned next hearing in the case involving Governor Ayodele Fayose and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) till September 30, 2016. The governor was in court to challenge the move by the EFCC to freeze his two personal accounts with Zenith Bank Plc over suspicions of perceived illegal

transactions. Justice Taiwo Taiwo adjourned the case on the request of Fayose’s counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), who said such would enable him study the EFCC's reply to a motion on notice dated June 23, 2016, which he noted he just received. The EFCC through its counsel, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, submitted a counter position backed with 10-paragraph affidavits and a lone exhibit. The court had on June 28, ordered the EFCC to

appear before it and show cause why Fayose’s accounts in Zenith Bank, which EFCC had caused to be restricted, should not be lifted. The governor had in an ex-parte motion deposed to by Bimpe Olatemiju, prayed the court to grant a mandatory order lifting the restriction on the accounts, describing the anti-graft agency's move as an infringement upon his rights to absolute (not qualified) immunity by virtue of Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution.

Buhari: Stand against my anti-corruption war, face consequences Anule Emmanuel Abuja

resident Muhammadu Buhari on Monday,war ned those standing in the way of his anti-corruption war to prepare to face the consequences that will follow. The President said he knew exactly how to deal with such individuals or group. President Buhari stated this when he

hosted various group of Nigerians including Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and the physically challenged to a breaking the Ramadan fast at the Presidential villa, Abuja. He attributed the current social-economic challenges confronting the country to mismanagement on the part of the past administrations in the last 16 years. According to Buhari,with the com-

mitment Federal Government was deploying to addressing social ills that will bring about improvement in a number of critical infrastructure,including power,road and medical facilities in the near future. "We are committed to tackling corruption in this country, but whoever tries to deter us from fighting corruption will suffer the consequences,"he said.

Troops foil attack on Mungonu IDPs' camp

he Nigerian Army says its troops on Monday averted two separate bomb attacks by three female suicide bombers in Mungonu town, Borno.  A statement issued by the Army spokesman, Col. Sani Usman, said the first foiled attack occurred at 6.15 a.m. Usman said the first attempted attack was targeted at a camp for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)

located on the outskirts of Mungonu. He said the two suspected suicide bombers were killed by vigilant troops protecting the camp, while three civilians were injured in the attack.  ``Today at about 6.15 a.m., two suspected female Boko Haram suicide bombers attempted to attack Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) fetching water at a borehole located about

three kilometres, outskirt of Monguno. ``Our vigilant troops detected and gunned them down, killing two of the bombers instantly. ``Unfortunately, the explosive they were strapped with exploded and injured two civilians." Usman said the third suicide bomber that followed a different route detonated hers at 7.10 a.m. close to troops’ deployment along the same road.

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Suicide bombers hit three Saudi cities

uicide bombers struck three cities across Saudi Arabia yesterday, in an apparently coordinated campaign of attacks as Saudis prepared to break their fast on the penultimate day of the holy month of Ramadan. Six people, including two security guards, were said to have been killed in a suspected suicide bombing outside the Prophet's Mosque in Saudi Arabia's Medina, Islam's second holiest city, sources tell Al Jazeera. The explosions targeting US diplomats, Shi'ite worshippers and a security headquarters at a mosque in the holy city of Medina follow days of mass killings claimed by the Islamic State group, in Turkey, Bangladesh

and Iraq. The attacks all seem to have been timed to coincide with the approach of Eid al-Fitr, the holiday that celebrates the end of the fast. A Saudi security official said an attacker parked a car near the US consulate in Jeddah before detonating the device. The official said the government was checking the reports of blasts in Qatif and Medina. In the only one of the three attacks that appeared to have caused many casualties, a suicide bomber detonated a bomb near the security headquarters of the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, the secondholiest site in Islam. Saudi-owned al-Arabiya television said an initial death toll from the

Medina blast included three suicide bombers and two security forces officers. A video sent to Reuters by a witness to the aftermath of the Medina bombing showed a large blaze among parked cars in the fading evening light, with a sound of sirens in the background. A picture sent to Reuters showed a burnt and bleeding man lying on a stretcher in a hospital. Other pictures circulating on social media showed dark smoke billowing from flames near the Mosque of the Prophet, originally built in the 7th century by the Prophet Muhammad, who is buried there along with his first two successors.

Images showed a blazing vehicle near the mosque in Medina.

TightsecurityasUSAmarksIndependenceDay

he United States celebrates July Fourth yesterday with parades, hotdog eating contests and fireworks shows amid heightened security because of concerns about terrorism in New York and timeworn holiday gun violence in Chicago. Millions of Americans will mark independence from Britain with celebrations as boisterous as a music-packed party by country music legend Willie Nelson for 10,000 people at a race track in

Austin, Texas and as staid as colonial-era costumed actors reading the Declaration of Independence at the National Archives in Washington. History may be in the making in the traditional hotdog-eating contest at New York's Coney Island. Joey "Jaws" Chestnut - a world record holder who ate 69 hotdogs in 10 minutes - attempts to regain his Mustard Yellow International Belt from Matt Stonie, who last year ended Chestnut's run of eight straight victories.

With the holiday taking place days after the attack at Istanbul's international airport, the New York Police Department will deploy eight new canines known as vapor wake dogs, trained to sniff out body-worn explosives, Commissioner Bill Bratton said on Friday. The department's human presence this holiday will be increased by nearly 2,000 new officers who graduated Friday from the New York City Police Academy.

IsraeliPMinEntebbetomarkhostage-rescueanniversary

sraeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has visited the scene of the 1976 Entebbe hostage rescue in Uganda, in which his brother, who led the raid, was killed. Israeli commandos freed more than 100 hostages held for a week at an airport terminal, in a daring operation. They returned to Israel July 4, 1976. Mr. Netanyahu is also scheduled to visit Kenya, Ethiopia and Rwanda. He has said the trip

symbolises "dramatic changes" in the relationship between Israel and Africa. He is the first Israeli prime minister to visit Sub-Saharan Africa since Yitzhak Shamir in 1987. Yesterday's ceremony at the scene of the raid was attended by some of the rescued hostages and Israeli special forces who carried out the operation. Mr. Netanyahu said: "Exactly 40 years ago Israeli soldiers carried out the historic mission in En-

tebbe. Forty years ago they landed in the dead of night in a country led by a brutal dictator who gave refuge to terrorists. Today we landed in broad daylight to be welcomed by a president who fights terrorism." His elder brother, Jonathan, was shot dead as he led the operation to free hostages, who had been taken captive on an Air France flight by Palestinian and German militants.

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Sport News

Did you know?

Sport Musa breaks country, club transfer record

Leverkusen target Ambrose

That Mesut Ozil despite his penalty misses is the only German player to score in all of the last 4 major tournaments for his country.

International

Bale plays down Ronaldo rivalry ahead of Wales,

46 47

Eagles’ star agrees to £21m move with EPL champions

Adekunle Salami

uper Eagles striker, Ahmed Musa, is set to join English Premier League Champions, Leicester City, with a record fee for both club and country. Musa, who was also linked with Southampton and West Ham United, will become Nigeria’s most expensive footballer should he pass his medical and put pen to paper in the deal said to be worth £21m. Austin Okocha was Nigeria’s most expensive player when he joined PSG after France’98 in a deal worth $17million, about £14m Leicester City on Monday agreed a deal with CSKA Moscow to sign Nigeria forward according to the player’s agent. The 23-year-old, who joined CSKA in 2012 and scored 54 goals in 168 games, is set to sign for what is also said to be a club-record fee. “Everything has been finalised and Musa will be in England for his medical on Wednesday,” Tony Harris told the BBC. CSKA Moscow coach Leonid

Slutsky admitted the Nigerian, who can play as winger or striker, was on his way out of the club. “He’ll be leaving on Tuesday,” Slutsky told the Russian media. “If you look at the way things are done over there, you’ll see he is a player just made for English football.” Musa made his international debut against Madagascar in September 2010 and has scored 11 times in 58 appearances for the Super Eagles. He scored twice in Nigeria’s 3-2 loss to Argentina at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, becoming the first Nigerian to score twice in a World Cup finals match. Scoring 54 goals in 168 games, Musa was no doubt fans’ favourite in Russia. The £9m transfer of Andrej Kramaric from HNK Rijeka of Croatia is still the highest fee of Leicester until Musa completes his record transfer deal. That was in the 2014/2015 season. Last season, it was Shinji Okazaki’s £7m that was the highest for the Claudio Ranieri team.

Musa (right)

How Lagos disgraced Nigeria in S’ Africa

Charles Ogundiya

The Sport Team Adekunle Salami Group Sport Editor

Emmanuel Tobi Assistant Sport Editor

Ajibade Olusesan Sport Correspondent

Charles Ogundiya Sport Correspondent

t was a big disgrace for the country on the final day of the recently concluded CAA 20th African Senior Championships in Durban, South Africa, when no representative of Lagos State, the next host of the competition, was present to receive the competition flag. The governor of the state, Akinwumi Ambode, was absent on the final day of the competition despite several promises to the Athletic Federation of Nigeria and officials that he would be in Durban. Speaking on condition of anonymity to New Telegraph’s correspondent who was in Durban, a board member of the AFN said it was unprecedented in the history

Rivers tipped to take over

of the competition for any hosts of the next competition to be absent on the final day. “The governor promised us to be available on the final day. It was a big surprise that not even a commissioner

Ogba

was available to receive the hosting flag. “Lagos was not forced to sign the agreement and for nobody to come from the state shows that they are not serious. I hope we are going to get a reasonable excuse why they didn’t come for the closing ceremony after the assurance we received that the governor would be there,” the source said. The Technical Director of the AFN, Navy Commodore Omatseye Nesiama, was saddled with the responsibility of receiving the competition flag. A journalist based in South Africa, Charles Baloyi,

asked our correspondent if the official receiving the flag was Lagos State governor as he also expressed his disappointment. He said: “Are you sure they will still be hosting the next competition? For nobody to be here then it shows they are not ready. Or are you facing the same political problems we are facing here in South Africa? “I will love to be in Nigeria and see a better competition than what happened here in Durban. Lagos 2018 should be the best ever because of the pedigree of Nigeria. There are insinuations that the competition might be taken from Lagos State and allow a more serious state to host it

SPORT NEWS

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Eagles coach: NFF banks on $1.5m lifeline

Leverkusen target Ambrose

Ikeme

…as Wolves offer Ikeme new deal Emmanuel Tobi

erman Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen have expressed interest in signing Super Eagles defender, Efe Ambrose. Leverkusen are ready to offer 1.5 million pounds for the 27-year-old who joined Celtic in 2012 from Israeli club, FC Ashdod, for 800,000 pounds. He has since established himself at the Glasgow club, but last season his first-team appearances were limited to 21 games as against 27 in the 2014/15 season and 38 in 2013/14 season. New boss, Brendan Rogers, is already ringing the changes at the perennial Scottish champions.

Meanwhile, Wolverhampton Wanderers are keen to offer a new contract to Super Eagles goalkeeper Carl Ikeme. Ikeme is among the three senior players in the first team that comes off contract in June 2017 and the Molineux Stadium outfit wants to continue its association with him beyond the end of next season. Speaking to the official website of Wolves, manager, Kenny Jackett, said: “Now we are all back, there will be discussions. Jez Moxey will be speaking to all three players. “They are players we are keen to keep and those three are very established at the club. They all have futures at the club, definitely.”

W/Cup qualifiers

Adi upbeat on Eagles invitation Ajibade Olusesan

ortland Timbers striker, Fanendo Adi, believes he has what it takes to be successful with the Super Eagles if given the chance. The US-based star who was handed his first international call-up by the then interim coach, Samson Siasia, said he was ready to prove his worth if considered again. Adi, who was one of the highest goal scorers in the Major League Soccer last season, has taken his game a notch up this term after netting nine goals already, just two behind leading

scorer, David Villa of New York City, believes his performance will attract attention of national team selectors ahead of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. “I know I have what it takes to play for Nigeria and I think I can prove a point when given the opportunity.” Speaking on the 2018 World Cup draw which pits Nigeria against Cameroon, Algeria and Zambia, he said: “It’s a tough group for Nige-

Kunle Azeez frica’s digital TV entertaining company, StarTimes, has secured media rights to cover exclusive matches of the Chinese Football Association Super League in sub-Saharan Africa region. The two-year media rights was signed during the CSL media rights press conference in China, according

to a statement made available to New Telegraph. The deal gives the African audiences, especially Nigerians, the opportunity to watch native football stars like Nigerian and Shanghai Greeanland Shenhua forward, Obafemi Martins, Senegalese’s Demba Ba and Zambia’s Jacob Mulenga, among others, on their StarTimes channels. Speaking on the deal, the General Manager,

learnt. The NFF is broke and the sports ministry had made it abundantly clear that government would not help out with paying for an expatriate coach. The NFF, it was learnt, had sounded out a bank and an oil company to pay the new coach, who will lead Nigeria through a difficult 2018 World Cup qualifying group that has

Algeria, Cameroon and Zambia. It would be recalled that a major telecoms company bankrolled the salaries of German coach, Berti Vogts, between 2007 and 2008, while a presidential task force was responsible for the salaries of the country’s last foreign coach, Lars Lagerback, for the 2010 World Cup.

Serena, Venus hit Wimbledon quarters

ix-time champion Serena Williams overcame a first-set blip to reach Wimbledon’s last eight with a straight-sets win over Svetlana Kuznetsova. Williams, 34, defeated the Russian 7-5 6-0 to set up a quarter-final tie with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Kuznetsova failed to serve out the first set and before rain halted play the top seed was far from her best. But under the Centre Court roof, Williams was supreme, winning eight games on the trot to secure victory. From trailing 3-1, two-time Grand Slam champion, Kuznetsova, twice broke Williams’ serve for a chance to serve for the set, but the defending champion immediately broke back to level at 5-5 before play was suspended because of light rain. When the players returned to the court the roof had been closed and the indoor conditions favoured Williams’ big serve, with Kuznetsova

failing to win a game as the world number one confidently secured the first set and, without further loss of a game, the match. “She has played really well against me in the past and beat me earlier this year, so I knew I had to play well to win,” Williams told BBC Sport. Joining the defending champion in the last eight is her sister, Venus, the five-time champion. She beat Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 on Court One to progress to the last eight at Wimbledon for the first time since 2010. The 36-year-old, who last won the title at SW19 in 2008, lost her opening two service games to trail 3-0, but fought back to take the first set to a tie-break, which she led 4-2 before rain stopped play. When the match resumed, the American confidently wrapped up the tie-break and claimed the second set to take the match after an hour and 35 minutes.

L-R: Captain of MFM FC, Opara Austine, presenting the club’s jersey to Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode before the match between MFM and Ikorodu United, at the Agege Stadium on Sunday. MFM won 3-1.

CAF lecture date for Bassey

he Confederation of African Football has invited Nigeria’s Paul Bassey to superintend over the CAF Match Commis-

StarTimes secures CSL media rights

Adi

ria. Of course, it may look difficult because we have Africa powerhouses in the group and only one will progress, but it is still possible for the Eagles to pick the sole ticket. “It’s all about dedication, it will be tough for Nigeria as well as other countries, but the most determined team will prevail at the end. If we play like we did against Cote d’Ivoire in 2013 Nations Cup, I believe we will qualify.”

he Nigeria Football Federation is banking on a sum of $1.5 million from a sponsor to cover the salaries of a new foreign coach for the country. The cash is expected this week and if it came through, Nigeria could appoint a new coach as early as next week, AfricanFootball.com has

Media Divisions, StarTimes Group, Mr. Michael Dearham, said: “We understand that football is like a religion in Africa and that is why we are bringing exclusive matches to the living rooms or offices of our teeming subscribers in Africa and Nigeria,” stressing that Chinese Super League has excellent and amazing football players with strong presence of African stars.

sioners seminar scheduled for Cairo from July 11 to 17. A letter from the African ruling soccer body invited the respected FIFA and CAF Match Commissioner to serve as an instructor for the match Commissioners who have been invited by CAF to come and refresh their knowledge of the round leather game as the sport gets sophisticated by the day. CAF, it will be recalled is in the vanguard of technological match assessment and reporting with the institution of the CAF Competitions Management System which is an online reporting tool for match officials.” Most Match Commissioners,

Referees, Coordinators and other officers are yet to come to grasp with the CMS so we have to organise seminars like this to bring them up to date” our CAF source said. Paul Bassey, Chairman Akwa United and member NFF Technical Committee was the designated General Coordinator for the botched Champions League clash between Zamalek and Setif. It will be recalled Bassey has been the lead resource person in the NFF Pre-season Match Commissioners seminar in the past three years. Chairman Technical Committee and Board Member of the NFF Barrister Chris Green will be a participant in the Cairo seminar.

INTERNATIONAL SPORT

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Transfers Stoke battle Valencia for Nani signature

toke City are interested in signing Nani and hope the lure of the Premier League can entice him to choose them over Valencia, says assistant manager Mark Bowen. Nani has impressed in a more central role at Euro 2016, scoring twice and sup-

Bale plays down Ronaldo rivalry ahead of Wales, Portugal clash G

plying two assists in Portugal’s run to the semifinals.

areth Bale has played down any rivalry between himself and Real Madrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo, ahead of Wales’ Euro 2016 semi-final clash with Portugal. Bale and Ronaldo have spent three seasons together at the Santiago Bernabeu, with the Welshman’s world-record transfer fee reportedly having an immediate negative impact on the pair’s relationship. However, Bale insisted he gets along well with Ronaldo and their European Championship meeting will not degenerate into a battle of individuals. “It’s not about two players, everybody knows that, it’s about two nations, 11

Nani

Man City sign midfielder Zinchenko

anchester City have announced the signing of 19-year-old midfielder Oleksandr Zinchenko from FC Ufa. The youngster burst onto the scene with the Russian club this season and ear ned himself a place in Ukraine’s Euro 2016 squad, play-

ing in all three of their matches at the tournament. The Ukrainian also gained fame in his home country as he became the youngest ever player to score for the nation, breaking a record previously held by Andriy Shevchenko with a goal in the 3-2 win over Romania in May.

Ronaldo (left) and Bale

oachim Low does not agree with suggestions France have a complex about facing Germany ahead of the Euro 2016 semifinals. The two nations have met four times at major tournaments, Germany triumphing on the last three occasions after France won the first clash 6-3 in 1958. Low faced questions over a hoodoo his team supposedly faced going into their quarter-final against Italy, a team

Torres signs one year deal at Atletico

ernando Torres has signed a one-year contract with AtTorres letico Madrid following the expiration of his deal with AC Milan. “I’m delighted to continue at home, the only place where I ever wanted to be, and it has finally come true,” Torres told Atletico’s official website. “[I am] happy to be here. I’ve never had doubts about where I wanted to be during all this process in which we didn’t know what was going to happen and, in the end, what matters is that I have achieved what I was expecting.”

men v 11 men,” said Bale. “It will be a very different game, they’re in the semi for a reason but we’ll enjoy the occasion as we have done. “[Ronaldo is] a fantastic player, everybody knows what he can do, but we speak about what we can do as a team. “The teams we’ve played had very good individuals, but it’s about how we perform as a team and by doing that we can shut out a lot of threats. “The star in our team is all of us. We are all together, we all work as one, running for each other, tackling for each other. We get on like brothers and we’re having fun, enjoying the occasion, with no fear. It’s working so far.”

No Germany complex for France, says Low

PSG close to Rodriguez deal aris Saint-Ger-

main are in advanced talks to sign James Rodriguez, according to Yahoo. Rodriguez The Real Madrid attacker had been strongly linked with a move to Manchester in recent weeks, but new reports claim a deal to play under Unai Emery at Parc des Princes is very close to being sealed. It is also mentioned that the new PSG boss is no longer interested in trying to recruit Napoli’s Gonzalo Higuain for Les Parisiens’ project, preferring instead James’ countryman, AC Milan striker Carlos Bacca.

Federer

Federer ties Grand Slam record with latest win

oger Federer reached his 14th Wimbledon quarterfinal and tied Martina Navratilova’s all-time Grand Slam record of 306 match wins on Monday. The seven-time champion achieved his double landmark by seeing off Steve Johnson of the United States 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 in the fourth round on Centre Court. Federer, the third seed, next takes on Croatia’s Marin Cilic for a place in the semifinals. Cilic, the ninth seeded Croatian, progressed to his third Wimbledon quarterfinal when Japanese fifth seed Kei Nishikori pulled out of their last-16 clash with a rib injury in the second set. Federer has a 6-1 record over Cilic but the big Croatian stunned the 17-time major champion in the US Open semifinals in 2014 on his way to his maiden Grand Slam title. “He brushed me off the court in the US Open a few years ago and I hope to get him back,” said Federer.

they had never beaten in eight matches at the World Cup and European Championship. “I don’t believe France have a Germany complex, we didn’t have an Italy complex,” said Low. “I don’t put much stock in such talk. What has happened in the past does not count.” France booked their place in the semi-finals with a 5-2 thumping of Iceland in Saint-Denis on Sunday, and Low was impressed by their display.

Low

I’ll succeed with my style in England –Guardiola

ep Guardiola says he has moved to Manchester City to prove his doubters wrong and is confident his style of play will be successful in the English Premier League. Guardiola’s critics suggest his possession-based game, which he perfected with Barcelona and modified at Bayern Munich, is not suited to English football’s demanding calendar. “People say that Pep is

not going to adapt in that way, so that is why I’m here, to try to do it,” he

Guardiola

said. “Some people are confident that it will go well and some say that the way I play will not be possible in the Premier League. I said to myself: ‘Why not? Why not travel there and try it.’ It’s a big challenge. “Not just for me but in all my teams I’ve been able to involve the players and so it’s going to happen here as well. When that happens, everything will be easy.”

‘Brazil have firepower to take Olympic gold’

lympian Luan says he believes Brazil have the firepower to take gold at the Rio Olympics in August. The Gremio youngster was named in coach Rogerio Micale’s 18-man squad on Wednesday. And set to line up alongside the likes of Neymar

and Douglas Costa next month, the 23-year-old is confident the Selecao are well prepared to end their long wait for final title still to elude the five-time world champions. “For me, Neymar is an inspiration to all of Brazilian football, and to play with him will be a geat ex-

perience,” Luan told Globo. “We have everything to take the gold. I think this attack gives to place eyes closed either. Neymar, Douglas (Costa), Gabriel and Gabigol, who is playing, Brazil will be well represented.” Luan went on to reveal his delight at making a very competitive squad.

On Marble No country can really develop unless its citizens are educated.

–Nelson Mandela

Clem Aguiyi

Sanctity of Truth

The Igbo story I love to tell

NIGERIA’S MOST AUTHORITATIVE NEWSPAPER IN POLITICS AND BUSINESS

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2016

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N150

Public arena T he column you write

The media in a changing world Adewale Kupoluyi

he mass media is prominent in nearly every facet of our daily lives while technology is constantly shaping our future. The technological advancement has changed communication significantly such that the media has become a veritable vehicle for social transformation. This reality was the fulcrum of discourse at the 4th Annual International Conference on Journalism and Mass Communications, which was put together by the Global Science and Technology Forum (GSTF), a partner of 38 universities around the globe with 63 other universities and partner organisations that gathered in Singapore for the annual conferences that was attended by over 1,000 academics, scholars, professionals and researchers. Presenting the first keynote address titled, “The Merlion in Winter”, Professor Lin Allen of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, United States of America, “explores the ‘complicated intrigue’, when the heir to a story must be chosen”. She reviewed the critical role of “journalists in the development of the mythos of concealment and revelation surrounding this intrigue, proposing a creative way to manage the mystery so that a fuller historical plotline may become manifest”. Professor Allen, in a satiric style, mentioned the impact made on the global information history by the likes of the William Shakespeare, the celebrated English poet. Dr. Wu Wei, Director, China Affairs Office and an Associate Professor, School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, observed in his second keynote address titled, “Political Communication in the Digital Era: Hopes and Hypes”, observed that governments worldwide more than ever now embrace digital democracy hoping that it would significantly improve public communication. Dr. Wei made case for a paradigm shift in political communication, transparency to reduce cynicism and the four process levels connect, consult, explain and describe. In the paper titled, “Indian Traditional Media for Development Communication: Reference to Protection of Children’s Rights”, Professor Ravi Chaturvedi, Municipal University, Jaipur and Dr. Junali Deka, Central University of Rajasthan, revealed that arts and crafts remain part of traditional media with universal appeal that could effectively be used for persuasion. Characteristics of the Indian traditional media they noted; include flexibility, cost effectiveness, immediacy in giving of feedbacks and intelligibility, among others, as Iwan Yusuf, Faculty of Psychology and Socio-Cultural Sciences, Universitas Islam Indonesia, talked about “Sensationalism of Yellow Journalism: A Question About Ethics of Journalism”, where he reviewed the country’s

Nduka Obaigbena, Newspaper Proprietors Boss

popular print media tradition and the role which Yellow Journalism played in the freedom of the press era. Yusuf, however, challenged journalists still practicing Yellow Journalism to turn a new leaf by maintain professionalism and integrity at all times. “A Socially-Responsible Educational Response to Routine-Biased Technological Change in Journalism: Fostering Employability among Journalists in the United Kingdom”, was the topic of Professor Michael Bromley’s paper, where he disclosed that journalism in the UK had straddled the divide between high and middle-skilled jobs and that since 1970s, young people had been vulnerable to increasing difficulty in finding employment, deepening insecurity of employment and limited advancement avenues. He submitted that journalism is short-term career that can be upskilled. Dr. Bradley Freeman, American University in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, revealed that UAE is a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural country and this is reflected in the diversity of the media as local newspapers and radio stations cater for the needs of the various language groups. Using the example of the Dubai’s Tag FM, Dr. Freeman stated that the commercial station operates in a community-public service way because it was providing entertainment and information in a language that is not native to the region even though it is not the official language of the country. In finding answers to the question; how do online media professionals educate members of the public about environmental impacts of energy issues? Dr. Keith Zukas, Department of Communication and Sociology, Carroll Univer-

sity, Waukesha, Wisconsin, USA, in the presentation titled, “New Media, New Structures: How Digital Journalists Frame Renewable Energy Stories”, affirmed that previous research suggested that media utilise concise episodic frames to succinctly transmit the news for environmental energy matters and the like. Dr. Yudi Perbawaningsih, Department of Communication, Atma Jaya Yogyakarta University, Indonesia, stated that in Indonesia, it was cultural for women to be married as unmarried women were considered a disgrace to their parents and family. By the time a woman reaches the age of 25 and is not showing any sign of her getting married, she becomes the topic of gossip, she said. In finding a soft-landing, parents often organise mates - also known as match or forced marriages - for their daughters whether they like it or not. Similarly, young women, who patronize dating agencies, are also not respected thus putting them in a fix. As a way out, the presence of the social media readily becomes a companion in filling this gap. Titilayo Osuagwu, Department of Linguistics and Communication Studies, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, disclosed that research in social media had pointed to the fact that the female gender has taken the lead over the menfolk in the use of the social media platforms even though not much attention is paid to why females are ardent users of the social media even to the level of assumption that they “are idling away”. Though, her research study area was limited to her institution, which I find very interesting, she stated that females mostly use the platform mainly for making new friends, keeping in touch with product brands and making comments on their friends’ posts. “Social Media and the Management of Multi-subjects Integration in Chinese Public Crisis”, was the topic of the presentation by the duo of Tang Jing-tai and Sun Li, School of Journalism and Communication, Jinan University, China, where they observed that with the upsurge in the New Media, the “agenda set-up process in emergent events shows fierce game trend among multiple subjects”, calling for a need to integrate multi-subjects and forge coalition, ensure the integration of the distribution channel, advance the multi-issues fusion by media convergence and conduct the integration of fact-guidance and value-guidance. Reacting to the presentations, I raised two points that elicited reactions from participants. The first issue has to do with how the owners of social media sites can exercise more controls over the nature of postings on the web, going by the increased volume of obscene posts going into the social media, and secondly, why is very little recognition given to Internet sources, often cited in academic papers. While many contribu-

tors felt that doctoring postings could lead to an infringement on people’s right to freedom of expression while many web sources remain largely unverifiable but hoping that with time, improvements were bound to be recorded such that the Internet would add more to academic research. Dr. Dan Eller, Department of Journalism, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, USA, spoke on “Expanding Public Sector Communications: Moving Beyond Public Affairs to facilitate Collaborative Public Relations”, where he noted that traditionally, public sector agencies pass on information to their target audience mainly to communicate and resolve conflicts. Dr. Eller prescribed the broadening of the role of public sector communications, by moving beyond the traditional approach, to a more collaborative public relations model that is based on the twoway symmetrical communications. Interestingly, in “Calling a Foul: An Examination of American Sports Journalists’ Interactions with Whistleblowers”, Sada Reed, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Phoenix, USA, reviewed newstories that exposed American athletes’ scandals that often start with a ‘whistleblower’, who usually contacts the sports journalist. Results from Reed’s study, binary logistics regression, show that sports journalists’ length of time working with a newspaper media largely determines whether or not they interacted with whistleblowers.

Solution to puzzle 19

•Kupoluyi writes from Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), adewalekupoluyi@yahoo.co.uk, @AdewaleKupoluyi

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