Mon 22 Apr 2013 The Guardian Nigeria by The Guardian Newspaper

UN, U.S. want Sudan to probe killing of Nigerian soldier in Darfur From Laolu Akande, New York UTRAGED by an attack on O Nigerian troops and the death of one of them in Darfur, the United Nations (UN) at the weekend urged Sudan to begin an investigation into the

tragic incident. In a statement by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in New York, the global body’s condolence was expressed to the Nigerian government and the family of the killed soldier, whose name was yet to be

publicly released as at weekend. Both the UN Security Council and the Secretary-General issued statements at the weekend condemning the attack, which came after four Nigerian peacekeepers in Darfur

were killed last October. In its comment, the United Nations Security Council said the attack was a targeted onslaught. The statement also pointedly demanded that the Sudanese government bring to justice those behind the attack on

the Nigerian troops. The United States (U.S.) Charge D’affaires to Sudan, Joseph Stafford, also warned that security in Darfur was worsening and militias should be disarmed, condemning the recent attack

that killed the Nigerian peacekeeper. Stafford also expressed grave concern “about the reports of civilian casualties and deliberate targeting of civilians by militias in Muhagiriya and CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

TheGuardian Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Monday, April 22, 2013

Vol. 29, No. 12,534

www.ngrguardiannews.com

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Achebe for burial May 23 From Lawrence Njoku, Enugu FTER a meeting of the A South-East governors in Enugu yesterday, they an-

Movie actors Mr. Kanayo O. Kanayo (left) and Mr. Kenneth Okonkwo displaying their lifetime awards during the 2013 African Movies Academy Awards in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State… at the weekend.

How powerful cabals control electricity sector, by Nebo From Emeka Anuforo, Abuja OU know that evil forces inhabit human beings and I am sure that you are aware of the fact that the cabals that don’t want the power sector to heal in Nigeria are very powerful. I wouldn’t want to start mentioning them one by one but it is im-

“Y

• Govt unveils revival plan for TCN • Rural electrification to get focus • Manitoba resumes at PHCN headquarters portant to remember that there are people who are benefiting from the sufferings of

the masses. There are people who are benefiting from Federal Government’s funds that

were supposed to be used to address issues but were not used.”

With the above words, the Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, at the weekend hinted in an interview with The Guardian, at the difficulties of successfully reforming the nation’s electricity sector. But he vowed not to be deterred by the activities of the CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

nounced May 23, 2013 as the burial date for the renowned writer, Prof. Chinua Achebe. Achebe died on March 21, 2013 in the United States (U.S.). The Chairman of the SouthEast Governors’ Forum and Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi who announced the date, said it was reached after an extensive consultation with stakeholders. Obi added that the meeting at Enugu Government House involved family members of the late writer. He, however, failed to give details on the burial, stressing that the meeting deliberated on other issues about security and the Enugu International Airport. Other governors at the meeting were Martin Elechi (Ebonyi), Theodore Orji (Abia) and Sullivan Chime (Enugu). Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, was represented by his Deputy, Eze Madumere. In an interview with reporters, the first son of the late writer, Ikechukwu Achebe, described his father as a good man who wished Nigeria well. He recalled that his father’s last wish was that Nigeria would be free of corruption and live up to the expectations of its citizens.

Obasanjo had no killer squad, says Fasawe - Page 8

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

4 NEWS

Govt unveils revival plan for TCN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 cabals, assuring that there would soon be an outburst of economic benefits as a result of anticipated improvements in electricity. He also unveiled government’s financial plan for the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), a critical component of the electricity sector responsible for evacuating generated electricity from generating companies and wheeling it to distribution companies. To revive the nation’s ailing transmission infrastructure, he said the Federal Government had secured a facility from the African Development Bank (AfDB). The facility and other budgetary provisions, according to Nebo, would bring TCN to a world class status, and be able to wheel all electricity generated in the country. On the cabals in the sector, the minister in this major interview with a newspaper said: “I mean, it is all too obvious that lots of funds have gone into the sector but in some areas, you don’t see a concomitant development in the sector, so there are problems within and without. There is the issue of Nigerian factor, cartels that feel that once there is power, they lose their own businesses.” He said he was equal to the task and would work with all well-meaning stakeholders to tackle the challenges. He said: “I have no doubt that we will succeed. In fact, I am so optimistic that we will solve the power problems. The power problems give the President nightmares and give all of us nightmares. The President has made up his mind that the power problem in Nigeria will

be solved and we will do everything that is required.” Nebo, an archdeacon in the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), had in a veiled reference to the task ahead told the Senate at his screening as a ministerial nominee earlier in the year that he would count on his religious inclination to cast away antiprogressive forces in the electricity sector. On the state of TCN, he stressed that, indeed, cumulative decay and neglect over the years brought together a system that was very near collapse. “But, this is being strengthened and government is working very hard to ensure that this is the case. A $100 million facility from the African Development Bank (AfDB) which is N15.6 billion is going into transmission without one kobo off. The government of President Jonathan realises that all these years of neglect have led to a situation where transmission, which is actually supposed to be the pride of the entire sector, has become the weakest link. Government is working in that direction and very soon with these interventions from government, by acquiring this facility from the AfDB, we are putting all the money into transmission,” he said. He said that the problems in the power sector had continued to be recurrent decimals, noting how multi-faced solutions would be required. The minister stressed the place of an integrated and holistic approach, emphasising that the entire sector had to be looked at from the perspective of finding a sustainable holistic solution. He said: “The power sector has

suffered intensely, especially because of the exponential growth in population without a concomitant development of power infrastructure in the system. What we really have now is a far cry from where we ought to be and that is the reason why Mr. President launched a power sector roadmap and reform which gradually is being seen by even naysayers as the only solution to the problems of the power sector in Nigeria. “I will say that I am keying into the power reform agenda of the President with regard to power sector development and gradual expansion of the generation facilities, the transmission facilities because right now the transmission remains the weakest link and the distribution aspects. Right now, with the reform agenda moving on very fine and rapidly and privatisation agenda getting closer to conclusion, the ministry will have to redefine its roles. We are moving on and the ultimate goal is to give Nigerians 24/7 uninterrupted power supply and that is the ultimate finish line that we are all moving towards.” On the misconception about the role of Canadian firm, Manitoba Hydro International, that led to electricity workers chasing the firm out of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), Nebo said Manitoba had since resumed after the issue was resolved. “One thing is very clear, Manitoba is just a management contractor and TCN was not concessioned to Manitoba. The firm was invited and contracted to manage the transmission network but our people misunderstood that and felt that government had given it to them free of charge

and also paying them again to do that. No, it is just management contractor and then we hope that within the three years of their stay in Nigeria, they will nurture our transmission network and people.” Asked about the roles and targets of the Power Ministry within the next three years of post-privatisation, he said reforms and repositioning for a new direction were already ongoing. His words: “The ministry has to learn to retool because it is no longer business as usual. Things are changing within the ministry which will go more into policy formulation, encouragement of research, strengthening regulation and mechanisms as well as developing other vistas and ensuring that other issues like rural electrification, energy conservation and renewable energy all come into play so that eventually a firm government policy on power will be established. The repositioning will be firm enough to include a good energy mix proportion because it is not a good thing just to have gas and hydro-driven plants; we need coal to power; we need solar and wind. Nigeria has an immense potential for renewable energy and even waste to power. “There are many cosmopolitan cities that produce so much waste. A good chunk of that could be converted into energy. The ministry will now be more into developing policies that will guide the government to make sure that the sector is progressing and growing the way it is supposed to grow so that eventually Nigeria’s power sector becomes globally competitive.” He said a supervisory board was being fine-tuned for the Rural Electrification Agency

Our error E inadvertently spelt the All Progressives Congress (APC) as W the Alliance for Progressive Change in our front page story entitled “ACN fuses into APC at convention in Lagos” in The Guardian of April 19, 2013. The error is regretted.

(REA) to bring it back to life. He said: “Of course you know it was stopped for many years. Incidentally, that is not the case anymore, right now there is a Managing Director and the entire Rural Electrification Agency has been brought back to life and we can say it has resurrected. “Beyond that, when you talk about the supervisory board, government has actually been working on that. I think more recently government came up with some names but I think they are trying to fine-tune that but that does not prevent the agency from going ahead because when it comes to issues, you will find out that something that has never happened before in the REA happened in this year’s budget for rural electrification. The chunk of money put into rural electrification this year is unparalleled in the history of the agency and this country. When you think of the fact that rural electrification should actually belong more to state and local councils and yet you see the Federal Government putting billions into the process… “It shows that the Federal Government is actually interested in that, it is coming back to life and the ministry will ensure

that it grows because without rural electrification, many of younger people or people born in rural areas are for life marginalised; they will never be able to compete with children born in cities or cosmopolitan areas. “ He said the hydra-headed problem of gas to problem was one of concern, stressing that prices were still not competitive enough to persuade the gas producers to sell locally. “But the government is looking into that and trying to put in place structures and mechanisms to make sure that tariffs are put in a way to make sure that they compensate for that. The Ministry of Petroleum has been very helpful. There is synergy between the Ministries of Power and Petroleum. We believe that we will get there. Past governments needed to address this issue of incredible neglect over the years. There was a time Nigeria had a lot of resources that we could have put all these gas pipelines all over the country. We didn’t do it then and if we don’t do it now, it is going to be a lot more expensive,” he noted. He said the power sector roadmap launched by the President in 2010 was being reviewed because of certain realities on ground.

UN wants Sudan to probe killing of Nigerian soldier CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Labado”, the region where the Nigerian peacekeeper died on Friday. He told reporters it is not yet clear who carried out the “deeply troubling” attack against the base of the UNAMID near Muhagiriya town in southern Darfur. But he said there was an “urgent” need for an investigation bringing those responsible to justice. “We’re worried about the deteriorating security situation in Darfur and the conflict between the government forces and the militia”,

Stafford said. The UN Secretary-General “is appalled and saddened by the fatal shooting of a Nigerian UNAMID peacekeeper by unidentified armed assailants during an attack today on a UNAMID military position in Muhajeria, East Darfur,” a statement on Friday from the UN head office in New York disclosed. The statement added that “two peacekeepers were also injured in the incident.” Ban condemned “in the strongest terms those reCONTINUED ON PAGE 6

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

NEWS 5

News ACN leads in Edo council election Mixed reactions trail result From Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, Benin City and Tosin Fodeke, Lagos ROM results of seven local Fofficially government councils so far released by the Edo

Senior Pastor, House on the Rock, Paul Adefarasin (right); Founder, Christian Life City Church UK, Bishop Wayne Malcom, Senior Pastor, Voice of Adonai Ministry, Dr. Kole Akinboboye, Bishop Dominion Sanctuary, John Praise; Founder, International Institute, Christian Studies USA. Prof. Danny McCain and Presiding Bishop of TREM, Bishop Mike Okonkwo at the inauguration of the Chair of the Metropolitan to Senior Pastor of House on the Rock, Paul Adefarasin in Lekki, Lagos… yesterday. PHOTO: FEMI ADEBESIN-KUTI

Presidency berates opposition leaders By Tunde Akinola

10-year jail term for pension funds diversion From Azimazi Momoh Jimoh, Abuja

• Senate may raise sentence to 20 years

HE Senate has started work on a fresh Pension Reform Bill aimed at taking care of certain loopholes in the existing Pension Act, which is believed to be exploited by many to divert funds to personal uses. When passed, the new bill, which provided a minimum of 10 years jail term in addition to other sanctions for anyone found guilty of misappropriation or diversion of pension funds, would automatically replace the Pension Reform Act 2004, the Pension Act 1990, the Police and Other Agencies Pension Offices Act 1993, and the Police Pension Rights of Inspector-General of Police Act 1993. As well, such person could be made to pay a fine equaling three times the amount so misappropriated. However, The Guardian learnt

that some senators were of the view that the 10-year jail term was not enough to deter potential fraudsters. As debate on the bill commences this week, those senators would be advocating an amendment to the provisions and an increase in the jail term to a minimum of 20 years. One said on condition of anonymity: “When the issue comes up for debate on the floor, we will need to do a lot of surgery to that bill. I do not think that even 20 years jail term is too much”. Serious public outcry and knocks greeted the two-year jail term or N750,000 fine awarded by an Abuja High Court to an assistant director in the Federal Civil Service, Mr. John Yakubu Yusufu, who confessed last year to have stolen N23 billion pension

HE presidency yesterday reT T acted to the criticism of the President Goodluck Jonathan

administration by leaders of opposition parties, saying they have no credible antecedent to support their claim of having what it takes to lift the nation to greater heights. Speaking in Lagos yesterday, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to the President, Dr. Doyin Okupe, deplored what he called the penchant of opposition leaders to denigrate the Jonathan government and the nation, assuring that the president would not be distracted by their ‘empty’ criticisms in its drive to transform the nation’s social, economic and political landscapes. Okupe criticised Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu for allegedly speaking disparagingly about the person of the president and his administration at the national convention of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Lagos last week, describing them as “ political liabilities.” He also described as unfortunate the decision of two nominated members of the Amnesty Implementation Committee, Mallam Shehu Sanni and Alhaji Datti Ahmed, to reject their membership, saying it will not affect the functioning of the panel. Okupe said the two were included in the committee because of their earlier personal initiatives to help resolve the crisis, and that they should have seen their inclusion in the panel as an honour to serve the government and their country, as people in several other countries see such calls to service. He described newly-formed All Progressive Congress (APC) as being made up of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) renegades, moribund and oneman owned and controlled political parties with no form of internal democratic credential.

fund. Nevertheless, the Pension Reform Bill, which was submitted to the two chambers of the National Assembly by President Goodluck Jonathan just last week, had already passed its first reading in the Senate and is scheduled for second reading this week by the Senate Committee on Business and Rules. According to Section 100 (1) of the bill, “any Pension Fund Administrator or Pension Fund Custodian or person or body who misappropriates or diverts pension funds commits an offence under this Act and is liable on conviction to a fine of an amount equal to three times the amount so misappropriated or diverted or to a term of not less than 10 years imprisonment or both.”

State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC), the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) is leading in the weekend local council elections as the party has won the chairmanship positions in seven councils. As at the time of this reports, chairman of EDSIEC, Solomon Ogor said the ACN had won the chairmanship positions in Esan South East, Egor, Akoko-Edo, Orhionmwon, Igueben, Etsako East and Etsako Central councils. However, attributing the delay in the arrival of electoral materials to flight problem from Lagos to Benin last Friday, Ogor said elections in Esan North East, Esan West, Ikpoba Okha and Oredo were postponed till Wednesday and Thursday due to shortage of electoral materials and violence. More results were being collated as at the time of filing this report. Reports from party agents in the yet to be officially announced results indicate that the ACN is most likely to win the entire councils which elections were concluded. However, the People’s Democratic Party chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, called for the cancellation of Saturday’s local government election in the state, and resignation of chairman and members of EDSIEC. Orbih said the PDP had consistently alerted the public on plans by the state government to manipulate the process; right from the time EDSIEC released election timetable, in January.

“We call for a new date, after due consultation with those interested in participating in election. We are not interested in staggered election, so, setting Sunday or Thursday as date for election in IkpobaOkha and Oredo does not arise, because there was no election in Edo State. But the state chairman of the ACN, Thomas Okosun expressed shock over the PDP allegation of the rigging recalling that “even during the governorship election we won in the 18 local governments, so why are they crying wolf when they only exist on the pages of newspapers. They were shooting with their thugs everywhere but we refused to fight back because we know that they are not on ground but we are on ground”. Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen alleged poor handling of the election. Speaking to journalists after casting his votes he said: “Not only that election material were sent late, some places like Ekpoma and Uromi in Esan West and the entire Esan North/East LGAs respectively, voting materials did not get to the polling centres as at 4 p.m. and sensitive materials like result sheets were allegedly removed by ACN agents. At about 5 p.m. the missing result sheets suddenly ’re-surfaced’ after a protracted protests by prospective voters. PDP chieftain and the commissioner representing Edo State in the Public Complaints Commission, Oladele Bankole-Balogun described the election as a “charade”, adding the whole process was a deliberate strategy to rig the polls in favour of the ruling party (ACN).

CPC flays Jonathan’s approach to security matters By Muyiwa Adeyemi (Ado-Ekiti), Adamu Abu and John Okeke (Abuja), Isa Abdusalami (Jos) and Odita Sunday (Lagos) the Congress for FhasROM Progressive Change (CPC) come an advice that

President Goodluck Jonathan should learn from his United States counterpart, Barack Obama, on the right approach to tackling any security challenges that could arise in the polity. The advice came as two former military chiefs and the participants at a forum at the weekend declared support for President Goodluck Jonathan’s amnesty plan for members of the Boko Haram sect. Meanwhile, the Human Rights Writers’ Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has flayed the continuous prosecution of the leader of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Chief Ralph Uwazurike and other members of the

• Ex-military chiefs back amnesty • It shouldn’t be blanket pardon, says Tinubu • HURIWA wants MASSOB leaders’ trial stopped group by the Federal Government for alleged treason. The group described it as the greatest manifestation of judicial double standard given that MASSOB, unlike others that have received amnesty from the Federal Government, is a strictly nonviolent self-determination platform. The CPC, through its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, said it was unfortunate that whenever issues of insecurity comes up in the polity, President Jonathan is fond of playing politics with it instead of taking a much more pragmatic approach to tackling the challenge. The party noted that the matter had been made worse by the alleged penchant by gov-

ernment officials to line their pockets with billions of naira under the pretext of tackling the menace of Boko Haram insurgency. In a statement entitled “Jonathan regime and the politicisation of Nigeria’s security”, the CPC lamented that the desire by Nigerians of peace under this People’s Democratic Party (PDP)-led administration has remained a mirage. The party made reference to the prompt manner the U.S. government tackled the Boston serial bombing to buttress its points. “After the Monday 15th April, 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, the American President, Mr. Barack Obama reassuringly told a traumatised nation that ‘We do not know who did this.

We will find them, and we will bring them to Justice.” In less than five days, the two suspected bombers have been decapitated. On 1st October, 2010, there were bomb blasts near the Eagle Square in Abuja. Jonathan, being more preoccupied with gaining some electoral credit through guiding public opinion to a decided outcome, declared to the nation: ‘It is not MEND!’ It did not matter anymore that formal investigation and subsequent litigation had confirmed the culpability of MEND in the bombing.” The retired former Commander of the Nigerian Army Signal, Gen. Tanko Ayuba and former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Ogomudia who spoke to newsmen at this year’s West African Social Activities (WASA) organised by the Nigerian Army Signals in Lagos, expressed support for the amnesty but urged Jonathan to ensure that the real Boko Haram members are

identified and separated from criminals so that government does not grant forgiveness to criminals instead of the insurgents who are agitated. “The late President Umaru Musa Ya’Ardua offered amnesty to the Niger Delta militants because they felt they were not fairly treated by this country, bearing in mind that the wealth and resource of this country came from that region,” Ayuba said. According to him, “the militants had a just course and the government listened to them. He offered them amnesty, today Nigeria as a country is enjoying that relief. Unfortunately, we now have the Boko Haram, which has remained unidentified for sometime now. Government in its wisdom has realised the effect of insecurity on its economy. The attempt by government to offer amnesty should be seen as a proper decision in the right direction. ”

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

6 NEWS

Fears over continuing viability of Nigeria’s foreign service From Oghogho Obayuwana, Foreign Affairs Editor F nothing is done to bridge Iarise the capacity gap that would from the retirement of top civil servants starting from mid this year to the end of 2013, the efficiency of the Nigerian foreign service, and by extension, her international enterprise could be hurt. This and other fears were expressed at the weekend about the deeper, futuristic implications of the administrative circular that now mandates a certain cadre of officers (directors) to step out of service after eight years, irrespective of age or overall service years. Sources within and outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have revealed that even though the retirement age (60) and service years (35) were in themselves policies geared towards addressing service issues, the “abnormal” manpower deficiencies that have gone unaddressed for years would catch up with the nation’s foreign service, which could now lose about 75 per cent of its well horned, top level, resourceful and versatile officers. Indeed, diplomats and advisory statesmen had not too long ago conceived a memo to draw the attention of President Goodluck Jonathan to the consequences of the disengagement policy on the nation’s external interests. Warning of the “obvious signs of paralysis that would soon catch up with the ministry,” which would further contribute to the decline of Nigeria’s engagement abroad, sources pointed at the “near absence of coherent, systematic and spread-out training scheme organised by the Office of the Head of Service or designated services to “address the deficiency from our higher institutions to guide new entrants up to the middle-

Experts thump down foreign service academy level cadre of the service.” “The gap we are speaking about is gaping, you can all see it. We do not want this to happen and then we start complaining after the damage,” a source said yesterday. “Yes, this policy has been in use for about four years now but its broad ranging implications are about to catch up with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which unfortunately has not designed any special human institutional memory training to take care of the gaps now being opened.” Worse still, they dismissed as “ad-hoc” the training scheme now being organised by the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, maintaining that it “does not address the sustainability, imperative necessity of a vibrant service,” such as the foreign service. According to them, the scheme does not have the international best standards that could “productively grow the service,” and currently in Nigeria, only the Armed Forces “can boast such systematic and targeted results-oriented service, the reason it is still sustainable and reliable.” Nevertheless, the experts also thumped down the operations of the Nigerian Foreign Service Academy (FSA) in Badagry, contending that the school has not been able to bring about “remarkable improvements” in the fortunes of the foreign service in terms of “practical aspects of the work of the foreign service officers.” The FSA, they stressed, only targets new entrants to the exclusion of middle career officers. The practical aspects of the foreign service officers were identified to include “complex issues such as analysis of international events, negotiation skills, writing of

reports, speeches and memoranda, to mundane ones as classification of files and routine minutes.” However, the Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru, told The Guardian that there was no cause for alarm over the gap that might be created by the exit due to the retirement policy. He insisted that rife as the gap might be, the ministry was putting in place machinery that could guarantee stability in its manpower planning and progression.

Former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Emeka Anyaoku (left); Mrs. Ngozi Achebe; her husband/Obi of Onitsha, Nneemeka Achebe; the celebrant, John Edozien and his wife, Vikky, during the 70th birthday anniversary thanksgiving of Edozien in Lagos… at the weekend. PHOTO: OSENI YUSUF

Court adjourns Oboh’s case against The Guardian to May 30 By Tony Nwanne LAGOS High Court sitting in Ikeja and presided over by Justice Idowu on Thursday adjourned a suit filed by a legal practitioner, Emmanuel Oboh, against The Guardian and Tunji Babalola of the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) to

May 30 to allow the second defendant’s lawyer enough time to come properly into the matter. Oboh sued The Guardian and the NPL acting secretary, Babalola alleging libel in the signing of sponsorship documents in his office. Before the adjournment, the first defen-

dant’s counsel, D. Olusoga Fayemi, had cross-examined the claimant’s first witness after the examination-in-chief by Olu Falana Esq. Adjournment was granted the second defendant’s counsel, who had earlier pleaded for time to regularise their position and to cross-examine the claimant’s first witness.

Mark, Suswam lament death of Benue former deputy gov From Bridget Chiedu Onochie (Abuja) and Joseph Wantu (Makurdi) RESIDENT of the Senate, P Senator David Mark, has condoled the government and people of Benue State over the death of their former deputy governor, Prince Ogiri Agene. In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Paul Mumeh, Mark lamented the loss of one of the state’s dependable political leaders, noting that he received the news of Agene’s death with shock and disbelief. He described the late Agene as an astute politician, who had the capacity to mobilise followers. He urged the government and people of Benue State, especially the bereaved family, to take solace in the fact that the late Agene lived an eventful and accomplished life worthy of emulation. In the same vein, Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State expressed shock at the death of Ajene, describing him as “a patriotic Nigerian, grassroots politician, true and committed leader.”

Ajene died at the weekend in a London hospital in the course of a protracted illness. He was aged 56. Suswam noted in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Dr. Cletus Akwaya, that Ajene’s death would create a big vacuum difficult to fill in the political sphere of the state, especially in his former senatorial district where he was a leading political figure.

The late Ajene was deputy to then Governor George Akume from 1999 to 2007. He later became councilor in his home council, Obi – a move that was unprecedented in the country’s political landscape. He was a member of the House of Representatives between 1992 and 1993, and later contested for governor in the Peoples Democratic Party primaries in 2007, though he later backed Governor Suswam in the said primaries.

UN wants Sudan to probe killing of Nigerian soldier CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 sponsible for the attack and called on the authorities to immediately hold the perpetrators criminally accountable.” Forty-four international peacekeepers have been killed so far in Darfur where the UN deployed troops since 2007. A good number of them are believed to be from Nigeria, the country with the largest contingent in the United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNIMAD). The UN Secretary-General ex-

pressed “his deepest condolences to the government of Nigeria and to the family and colleagues of the fallen peacekeeper.” Besides, the UN scribe expressed concern about “ the restrictions imposed on UNAMID and humanitarian actors by the Sudanese authorities, which are preventing the delivery of aid to civilians affected by recent clashes between Government and Sudan Liberation Army-Minni Minawi forces in Muhajeria and Labado, East Darfur.”

FG to partner UNESCO on tourism development From Willie Etim, Yenagoa RESIDENT Goodluck P Jonathan has announced the Federal Government’s new partnership with the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) on the provision of technical and financial support for the tourism industry and the establishment of an under-Water Research and Imaging Centre in Bayelsa State. Jonathan, who was represented by the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Edem Duke, at the ninth edition of the African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) in Yenagoa, announced the sum of N25 million for the proposed Yenagoa Film City and the quick release of N3 billion earlier pledged to the movie industry in the country. He urged the movie industry to focus more on telling stories that portray Africa in proper perspective and commended the industry for collaborating with other African countries to tell their stories across borders. Also at the event, Governor Seriake Dickson announced the institution of a Bayelsa State Indigenous Movie Trust Fund with an initial donation of N250 million for the development of budding talents, which would be managed by persons from within and outside the state.

Police link peace between Jigawa Fulani farmers, herdsmen to dialogue

We have crossed last hurdle before merger, says ACN From John Akubo, Dutse OLICE in Jigawa State have ment. HE Action Congress of Nige- vide an alternative platform “Coming at a time the PDP and Pdisclosed that dialogue T ria (ACN) has said that with for Nigerians, who are tired of Federal Government have with Fulani herdsmen and misrule. the huge success of its nation- perpetual al convention in Lagos last Thursday, the party has crossed the last hurdle in its quest to merge with other leading opposition parties in the country. In a statement issued in Lagos yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said it achieved its targets at the convention, which were to pass a resolution approving the merger with the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), and the conclusion of a pending disciplinary issue with the expulsion from the party of its erring one-time chairman in Kaduna State, Mohammed Musa Soba. The statement read in part: “Thanks to that convention, our party, the ACN, has irrevocably committed to consummating the merger with other key opposition parties to pro-

“The conventions of the CPC and the ANPP slated for next month will clear the last hurdle along the merger path and signal the dawn of a new day for long-suffering Nigerians, who are eagerly awaiting the merger. It will also sound the death knell for the evil forces that have held our country by the jugular in the past 13 years of its return to democratic rule.” Meanwhile, the ACN has lamented the level of corruption in the country, blaming it on the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). It said: “What Nigerians have always believed has been confirmed from other lands. “According to media reports today (yesterday), a new report submitted to the U.S. Congress by Secretary of State, John Kerry, has confirmed mass corruption at all levels of the Nigerian Govern-

been engaging in chest-beating over the fight against corruption, this is a body blow. They hinge their claim of fighting corruption on the establishment of the EFCC and the ICPC. “What they have not told Nigerians is that these two bodies have been stifled by the same PDP and the Federal Government to such extent that no other party or government in the history of our nation has been more immersed in corruption. “The unprecedented and monumental fuel subsidy fraud happened under the PDP and its central government. The mind-boggling pension fraud, the $6 million Wilbros Scandal - all happened under this government. We are therefore not surprised at the scathing portrayal of Nigeria by the U.S. report, which we will revisit in the days ahead.”

farmers, as well as other eminent people in the state, has brought lasting peace. In an interview with The Guardian in Dutse, the Police Commissioner, Kayode Theophilus, said the state has not recorded clashes between farmers and Fulani herdsmen in the past five months, noting that this was due to their reconciliatory sessions with both sides at intervals as a proactive step to addressing their incessant communal clashes. This was coming just as Jigawa and the Federal Government entered a partnership to provide grazing reserves and other facilities for the cattle rearers to end their encroachment on farmlands. The state also set up special mobile court to try communal clash defaulters.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

Edo LP chief faults arrest by EFCC From Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, Benin City

DO State civil rights activist E and the Deputy Chairman of Labour Party (LP), Patrick Eholor, yesterday faulted his arrest and detention for 72 hours by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in their Lagos office over a land dispute as illegal and “preposterous”. Eholor, who has been at the forefront of a campaign for quality representation by elected representatives from Edo-South Senatorial District, however, said he does not believe that his arrest was politically-motivated as rumoured by his associates. But he said he was shocked to see four heavily armed policemen who invaded his private residence at Ugbor in Benin City flashing a petition, accusing him of a land scam. “I was whisked away to Lagos and the most shocking thing was that my rights were not read to me, my rights were violated. They alleged that some people bought a land from and me that I refused to tender the papers to them.

Promote unity, Yero urges media From Saxone Akhaine, Kaduna OVERNOR Mukhtar Yero of Kaduna State has urged the media in Nigeria to promote the unity of the nation under the prevailing political situation. Addressing executive members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kaduna State Council, who paid courtesy call on him yesterday at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House Kaduna, Yero said the people of the state are living in fear, suspicion and mutual distrust, which he noted, had torn the fabric of peace and unity in the state. According to Yero, the state government recently embarked on the peace-building process in Southern Kaduna to engender mutual trust and harmonious co-existence among the people. The governor explained that the meeting with the religious and community leaders, traditional rulers, youth and other stakeholders would soon be held in Kaduna-North and KadunaCentral senatorial zones.

ICT confab begins in Abuja tomorrow From Gordi Udeajah, Umuahia N international A I n f o r m a t i o n Communications and Technology (ICT) Conference tagged: “Digital Africa Conference and Exhibition” will hold in Abuja from April 23 to 25 at the Nicon Luxury Hotel. Described as inaugural Digital Africa Conference, which Nigeria, as Africa’s most populous country and largest telecommunications market in the continent is to play host to, the event is expected to provide the forum for people and companies in the ICT businesses from Africa and beyond to network. Digital Africa 2013 Conference, being promoted by Compumetrics Solutions Limited, whose Chief Executive Officer is Dr. Evans Woherem, is being organised on its behalf by Eli Business Support Services Limited and Red Sapphire Nigeria Limited.

NEWS

This is my story, by Shuaib Former National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Spokesman, Yushau Shuaib, reportedly sacked last week for writing an article on the Co-ordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has not been sacked, after all. He confirmed at the weekend that he was only queried after he was redeployed to the Ministry of Information. He narrates his own story. HEN I wrote an open letW ter to the Co-ordinating Minister in Charge of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala, over appointments to some top positions, it was, to me, simply the continuation of an age-old hobby that I developed since my student days in the university. It was through my opinions and features writings that I won some awards in the university and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) at state and national levels. Though I deferred an admission offered to me by the University of Nigeria Nsukka to pursue Masters Degree in Public Relations after I was honoured with automatic scholarship for being the Best Writer during the NYSC, I accepted automatic employments by both the Delta State government and the Federal Government in 1993 and 1994 respectively. In my letter of acceptance, I reflected that I would continue to write opinion articles that would be geared towards making Nigeria a better society that every Nigerian will be proud of. My experiences with

great Igbo, Itsekiri and Urhobo formed the fulcrum of my early write-ups during my NYSC and after, I started work at the Government House, Asaba. Their leaders, who took me as their son, protected and provided for my needs. The Asagba of Asaba, Prof. Chike Edozien; Chief Paulinus Akpeki and the Ugoh of Okpe Kingdom were among some of the great people that made my NYSC year and work experience a worthwhile adventure in Delta State. When I moved to the Federal Civil Service, I never stopped writing. In fact, most of my deployments to different offices were largely influenced by my enthusiasm for generating news items, issuing press releases and producing wellinformed features stories. As a Nigerian, a public official, and a government spokesman, I have always been conscious of my responsibility to ensure that the general public perceives government in a good light. Within the few years that I have performed this role, I have strived to be a good ambassador of the government and people of Nigeria. I performed my roles with the best of intentions. My writings can be divided into two major categories: official and unofficial. A careful perusal of my writings in the media will shows that I sign the first category in my capacity as information/public relations officer of the different places that I have been posted to. In the second category, I have been careful to make it clear that I write in my personal capacity as a private citizen. To make that point even clearer, I affix my personal home address or e-mail to personal opinions. Since my employment, I have published books, issued over 2,000 news releases, written

news features and personal opinions, all in my bid to promote the activities of government and contribute to the peaceful co-existence of the diverse groups in the country. Most of my writings are accessible on my blog: www.yashuaib.com. The recent article, which generated a lot of reactions and comments, was not done to malign anyone. Incidentally, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is a personality I have a lot of admiration and respect for. I believe that she is aware of this. And so, when I put pen to paper in what has become routine to me to express my viewpoints on some recent appointments into top positions in her ministry, I never expected that it would be perceived negatively. It was to draw her attention to the strong speculations making the rounds, which, in my view, she is not only capable of addressing but would do well to be aware of. Maybe I should add here that during the President Olusegun Obasanjo administration in which Dr. Okonjo-Iweala was also an influential member, I wrote some critical opinion articles on the activities of the President, Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Mallam Nasir elRufai, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), among others. During the short-lived administration of President Umaru Yar’Adua, I x-rayed some of the President’s policies and those of Mr. Segun Adeniyi, his spokesman. I even wrote critical commentaries on my supervising minister then, Mr. John Odey, who on some occasions, publicly responded to and addressed some of the my issues raised in my write-ups. As late as 2012, I wrote an article on President Goodluck

Jonathan with the title: “Flood in the Eyes of the President” and it was published in most national dailies. Following this, I received words of encouragement even from some of his aides and was consequently requested to support my postulations with photographs. The Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Muhammad Sani-Sidi, who had intervened several times to resolve the current issue with Madam Minister, is one of the bosses that have tolerated my critical opinions on various issues. We disagree and later agree on issues like normal human beings do. In essence, encouraging responses that I have received in the past have served as the impetus for me to continue with my cherished hobby. To me, I am simply contributing to the betterment of our country. It was in view of the above, therefore, that I was encouraged to pen the open letter to the Finance Minister on some developments, which I strongly believe she has the capacity to address. I was initially elated when I received a telephone call from the Minister on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 at 6.15 pm. Naturally, I was happy that, once again, my effort had yielded fruit. Receiving a call from someone that a reputable international news organisation described as one of the most influential women on earth is humbling. I felt jubilant when I heard “Shuaibu, this is Okonjo-Iweala!” However, when she added “Why should you do this to me? You can’t praise me and condemn me and call it constructive criticism. Haba Shuaibu!” I knew that my opinion had not been viewed positively.

Bamigbetan ties surge in kidnapping to youth unemployment By Tope Templer Olaiya, Assistant Lagos City Editor ELEASED Chairman of Ejigbo Local Council Development Area, Lagos State, Kehinde Bamigbetan, relived his five-day experience in captivity to family and friends yesterday and concluded that “we are sitting on a time bomb in this country.” Brought back from his reverie by associates who surrounded him, lapping up every word of his ordeal, he explained: “With growing youth unemployment in this country, we are all at risk and exposed to danger. The message my abductors specifically asked me to tell Nigerians is that this new wave of kidnapping, especially in Lagos, will continue unless jobs are provided for graduates.” And he has every reason to be troubled, as a politician and a serving council chairman, his abductors told him when 2015 elections come, they will be doing their elections with guns. “They told me they didn’t like what they were doing but they are graduates with no jobs. “One claimed to be an engineering graduate, one claimed to have studied Human Resources Management, another said he was already in final year in a U.S. varsity when his father’s shopping complex was demolished and he had to be recalled home, while

• Wants special status for Lagos another one said he was a commercial motorcyclist, whose source of income had been outlawed by government. They were generally bitter about youth unemployment.” Looking slightly emaciated with injuries on his face and arms healing, he said the way out of the current quagmire is for government to grant special status to Lagos to address its growing needs. “Lagos is the melting pot of Nigeria. This is where everybody comes to, hoping to make it. That is why the Federal Government cannot continue to ignore Lagos. They must grant special status to the state. That is the way we can address the issue of massive graduate unemployment. “Graduates from every state are coming to Lagos to seek employment. As the commercial hub of the country, there should be massive provision of jobs. Without more money coming to the state to provide jobs, we cannot escape this trend of kidnapping. Everybody is at risk; they have gone beyond car snatching to kidnapping. “And as we move into the election year in 2015, they hear of billions of naira being spent on frivolities, they see the crazy budgets voted for projects disappear

into private pockets and they have decided to take up arms against the state and its citizens. PDP government has exposed all of us to danger; this is why we are insisting we should try another party like the All Progressives Congress (APC). “The solution is very clear, engage youth employment and provide more money for Lagos to address these issues. The governor is trying his best, but without massive resources to tackle the problem of unemployment, crime would always be an issue in this state,” he said. Bamigbetan, still dressed in the white lace he wore last week Monday when he was abducted close to his house, attributed his release to God and the prayers of friends and well-wishers. On the night he was released, he was driven blindfolded for over four hours before he was dropped at Badagry checkpoint. “When I was to be released, they asked if I could drive, I said yes. They said because everybody was looking for them, I had to drive myself home. They took me to a point and dropped me close to the border checkpoint at Badagry where a manual car was provided for me and the blindfold was removed. “They told me where to drop the vehicle when I got home

that they would come and pick it. And around 10 pm, I walked home after securing the car, which I guess must have been stolen.”

Despite the huge difference in age and status, the minister took her time to explain to me why so much of what I concluded was not the case. During the conversation, the minister even read portions of my write-up. While feeling flattered and honored that a world-class technocrat like the minister was humble enough to personally call me and explain her position to me, I can’t help wondering why this particular piece attracts such concerns and why so much more meaning than I intended has been read to it. To me, the article was as harmless as every other that I had written in the past. I was still contemplating how to tackle the seeming complications when just a few days afterwards, hate comments and rejoinders pointing out that my article had been inspired by ethnic and religious considerations began to appear in newspapers and Nigerian online fora. I want to emphasise, once again, that my article was written with the purest of intentions, and even a cursory Internet search will reveal that I have done this religiously in the last 20 years. Contrary to insinuations of ethnocentrism, sectionalism and sponsorship in many of the reactions and rejoinders to the opinion, I take full responsibility for the views that were expressed. I have never written with, or caused articles to be published with malice. I am a strong believer in the oneness and potential of this country, and most of my opinions have been centred on great Nigerians that I admire and will not want to see fall into disrepute. Despite this, however, I have realised that the said opinion has caused great discomfort to some individuals and groups. I want to reassure my elders and my good brothers and sisters, especially from a section of the country, who might have felt offended by my write-up that I harbor no grudge against them. I will not like to see this discomfort and the continuation of unnecessary hate comments.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

8 NEWS

‘Nigeria only country to report type 3 polio virus’

By Abiodun Fanoro

• Global vaccine summit begins on Wednesday By Chukwuma Muanya CCORDING to Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), globally the transmission of wild poliovirus type 3 (WPV3) is at its lowest levels ever recorded. It, however, noted that over the past six months, only one case due to this strain was reported worldwide from Yobe State, Nigeria, with onset of paralysis on November 10, 2012. Also, as part of activities to mark the World Immunisation Week, the United Nations GeneralSecretary, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Bill Gates will on Wednesday host a two-day Global Vaccine Summit, April 24 to 25, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). World Immunisation Week started April 20 with its call to “Protect your world, get vacci-

nated” with a range of activities in some 180 countries to help immunise more children against preventable diseases. According to the latest edition of the Weekly Polio Update published by the GPEI, it has been 12 months since Asia reported its last case due to WPV3. The last case on the continent occurred on April 18, 2012 in Khyber Agency, Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA), Pakistan. The GPEI report reads: “One new WPV case was reported in the past week (WPV1 from Yobe, onset of paralysis on March 5), bringing the total number of WPV cases for 2013 to 12. This is the most recent WPV case in the country. “No new cases of Circulating Vaccine-derived Polio Virus type two (cVDPV2) were reported in the past

week. The most recent cVDPV2 case had onset of paralysis on 24 November 2012 (from Kebbi). “Immunization Plus Days (IPDs) were conducted this week in 14 high-risk states using bivalent OPV. Recommendations from the recent Expert Review Committee on Polio Eradication and Routine Immunisation (ERC) are being incorporated. These include focusing available resources on identified highrisk Local Government Areas (LGAs) where progress has stagnated and filling remaining operational gaps in these areas.” Also, according to a special immunisation issue published at the weekend by Vaccine, global experts are highlighting strategies to further advance progress on the

Global Vaccine Action Plan that was endorsed by the World Health Assembly, 2012. The experts said better supply and logistics systems were essential to reach the estimated 22 million children in developing countries who were still not protected from dangerous diseases with basic vaccines. According to a statement, the summit will endorse the critical role that vaccines and immunisation play in saving lives and protecting children from preventable diseases such as polio. The Summit, which is held during World Immunization Week, will continue the momentum of the Decade of Vaccines – a vision and commitment to reach all people with the vaccines they need. The GPEI is a public-private partnership led by national

governments and spearheaded by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Rotary International, the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Its goal is to eradicate polio worldwide. The GPEI said immunisation averts an estimated two to three million deaths every year, providing protection from diphtheria, measles, pertussis (whooping cough), pneumonia, polio, rotavirus diarrhoea, rubella and tetanus. Yet, an estimated 22 million infants are not fully immunised with routine vaccines. There is an urgent need to better communicate the health benefits of vaccination and the dangers of not immunising children.

Director-General, Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON), Adewale Peters (left); Director-General, Bureau of Public Procurement, Emeka Ezeh and Chairman, House Committee on public petitions, Chief Uzor Azubuike, during the procurement retreat for Chief Executive Officers of Federal Parastatals and Agencies at Topo Badagry at the weekend.

World Bank seeks better sanitation to end poverty From Emeka Anuforo and Itunu Ajayi, Abuja ITH global losses estiW mated at $260 billion yearly as a result of poor sanitation, the World Bank President Jim Yong Kim has urged end to the problem as a way to checking extreme poverty by 2030 and boost the incomes of the poorest countries by 40 per cent. A report released in Washington at the weekend about the state of sanitation world wide, said one out of every three persons in the world today has no toilet, a situation which it said causes huge economic losses to the whole world by damaging health, environment and tourism. It said without proper toilets or sewage systems, many people in developing countries go to the bathroom in rivers or fields, unknowingly spreading germs that cause diarrheal disease - the second leading cause of death in children under five - in their own communities, as well as those

downstream. Yong Kim added: “From my background in health, I know well the magnitude of the problem. This is an absolutely critical intervention. The impact of inadequate sanitation lies at the core of so many barriers to prosperity faced by poor people – health, education, environment, wealth, equity, and dignity. The return on investment is high, espe-

cially for the poor.” The report posited that diarrhea which is the second killer disease of children apart from malaria kills thousands of children each day. Children who survive often miss school due to illness. It added that having no access to sanitation renders women and girls particularly vulnerable, as they risk personal security seeking private locations, or drop out of

Obasanjo had no killer squad, says Fasawe

school at puberty as there are no sanitation facilities. The World Bank, which prides itself as the largest multilateral financier of water and sanitation development committed US$4 billion to water supply and sanitation in 2011 alone, a figure expected to help nine million people access improved water supply and sanitation services.

“We support the effort for access to proper sanitation by 2025 for everyone,” Kim said. “We can achieve this goal and transform the lives of billions of people over the next several years. It will take real commitment and action from the heads of state of our client countries, as well as collaboration with all of our partners in civil society and the private sector.”

PEOPLE’S Democratic A Party (PDP) chieftain, Chief Oyewole Fasawe has debunked the allegation that former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, had a killer squad and that the squad was responsible for the death of the former Attorney General of the Federation and Minster of Justice, Chief Bola Ige and former National Chairman of the defunct All People’s Party (APP), Chief Harry Marshall. The allegation made by one Richard Odusanya, a former employee of Fasawe, was reported by a newspaper at the weekend. Fasawe, in a statement in Lagos yesterday, described Odusanya as pathological liar and that he had no direct or indirect access to the former president. Fasawe further described Odusanya as an “errand boy” who had no knowledge or insight into the working of government during the era of Obasanjo as president. He said Obasanjo has never cast his sight on Odusanya. In the statement, Fasawe revealed that contrary to the claims by Odusanya and Mr. Segun Seriki, a member of the House of Representatives in the Third Republic, Obasanjo had no hand in the unresolved murder of Ige and Marshall. Fasawe, a close associate of Obasanjo, said he was surprised that Odusanya could make such wild allegation, noting that at no time had Obasanjo met with Odusanya, whom he described as his errand boy until two years ago. “President Obasanjo and I have been friends for a long time, while Richard had been my errand boy for some time until about two years ago, when he surreptitiously wanted to sell one of my properties in London,” Fasawe said. Throughout my frequent visits to the Villa when Obasanjo was president, I cannot recall a particular time when I had gone in company of Richard Odusanya. “I am compelled to come out and dissociate former President Obasanjo from these vile and wild allegations made against him by Odusanya because I feel a sense of moral obligations to do so. “ On what led to the severance of relationship with Odusanya, the PDP chieftain said “the so-called Odusanya had been my errand boy for years until about two years ago when I severed relationship with him after his failed bid to put up one of my London properties for sale.”

Panel on Bakassi resettlement ends visit, urges peace From Anietie Akpan, Calabar

OGNISANT of the tension C being generated over the relocation of returnees, the Presidential Committee for the Resettlement of the Displaced Bakassi People on Saturday rounded off its three-day visit to the state with an appeal for peace. Last Thursday at Ikot Effiom, different interest groups either led by Senator Florence Ita-Giwa and the Bakassi Council Chairman Dr. Ekpo

Ekpo Bassey presented different positions on the matter. The presidential team led by the Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro, who addressed the traditional rulers and the people on government’s plans to fully resettle the Bakassi people, however, warned against any breakdown of law and order as hundreds of placard-carrying protesters besieged the venue of the meeting to demand where they should be resettled.

He said, “I can see people carrying placards here and I should say here that there should be no breakdown of law and order because we are here to hear from all sides and make recommendations to the Vice President who set up the Committee.” At the public hearing in Calabar on Saturday after visit in which the committee was inundated with different positions, the minister re-assured the displaced people of Bakassi Council that it would

deploy all resources at its disposal in ensuring that they were properly and permanently resettled with their welfare and well-being taken care of. He contended that the committee which is headed by the Deputy Governor of Cross River State, Mr. Efiok Cobham, would not be tempted to reduce the plight of the people to mere compensation but would ensure that they were well catered for and their lineage re-

spected as enshrined in the Green-Tree Agreement. While fielding questions from journalists shortly after embarking visiting Dayspring Peninsular, the proposed resettlement area by the displaced persons earlier in the day, the minister explained that, “the essence of the trip was to assess the habitability of the place and the possibility of the Federal Government taking a final decision about what to do with the displaced persons of Bakassi.

NEWS 9

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

Police impound cars with tainted glasses From Joseph Wantu, Makurdi ENUE State Police Command has said following the directive issued by the Inspector General of Police recently, it last week arrested and impounded over 40 cars with tinted glasses. The state Police Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ezeala, who disclosed this to The Guardian in Makurdi, explained that the measure was part of efforts aimed at tackling the security challenges facing the nation. Ezeala stated that the exercise was a continuous process and warned car owners with tinted glasses to replace them with transparent ones or face the wrath of the law. He added that those whose cars had been impounded would soon be prosecuted accordingly irrespective of whoever was involved.

Biography on monarchs for launch IGERIAN Monarchs - A Concise Biography, the first comprehensive reference work on traditional rulers in Nigeria, will be presented to the public in September 2013. The publication will feature a brief history of the kingdom, biography of the sitting monarch and a chronological mention of his predecessors. The publication is being put together by Biographies’ Development Centre, a not-for-profit organisation that is committed to publishing reference titles, encouraging reading, writing and scholarship. The Centre had produced The Nigeria 100 - The Most Influential Nigerians of All Time. “Our royal fathers and by extension the royal institutions they preside over, have over the years been relegated to the background,” the Chief Operating Officer/Editor-inChief, Dr. Prosper Ahworegba, said in a statement. “The origin and strategic evolution of this institution is as old as mankind in Nigeria. This was leveraged on by the colonial masters in administering the entity today called Nigeria, after the military conquest of the ethnic city-states of the South and the North in the 1860s. “Nigerian monarchs’ strategic position was recognised in the 1960 and 1963 Constitutions of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which created the National Council of Chiefs. However, the 1999 Constitution as amended, made no mention of the traditional institution. “The Biography will bring to the fore in one volume this institution and the role players, from the time of recorded history in Nigeria. This would assist to promote, preserve and perpetuate the institution. “This publication, which will be written in simple and brilliant prose, will be reviewed every 10 years while the on-line version will be updated bi-annually. Furthermore, it will be reproduced in compact disc. It will be widely distributed to serve as a dependable tool for students, scholars, researchers, tourists, etc”.

Poly teachers begin warning strike today From Collins Olayinka, Abuja

F teachers in the country’s Iauspices polytechnics, under the of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) make good their threat, then today, they will begin a seven-day warning strike that may snowball into a full-scale industrial action if their demands are not met by the government. Meanwhile, Osun State government has asked the lecturers of its four tertiary institutions who have been on strike to resume work in the interest of the students, saying that what the government has offered on their demands was the best they could get from any administration. The polytechnic teachers are today joining their research institutions’ academic colleagues who have been on strike for more than three months for various labour-related issues. Conveying the readiness of the union to embark on the warning strike to the Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufai, ASUP, in a letter titled: “Notification of a seven-day warning strike”, signed by its secretary general, Usman Peni, said the planned action followed a 21-day ultimatum served on

•Osun asks lecturers to resume work government on March 25, 2013”. The issues at stake are: • the failure of government to kick-start the re-negotiation of the FGN/ASUP Agreement, which was due in July 2012; • the failure of government to reconstitute the governing councils of federal polytechnics, which were dissolved 16 months ago; • the refusal of government to implement the CONTISS 15 Migration for the lower cadres in the polytechnic sector; • the failure of government to release the white paper on the visitations to federal

polytechnics more than one year after the exercise; among others. In a meeting held on April 4, 2013, the minister had promised that government would pursue the resolution of the disputes with utmost diligence and commitment to ensure concrete results before the expiration of the ultimatum, which did not happen. Therefore, at their meeting held in Abuja, the National Executive Council of the union, while appraising the situation came to the conclusion that government has indeed not

done enough to warrant a change of the plan to embark on a warning strike and if need be, extend it to a full-scale industrial action without any prior notice. The Osun State Commissioner for Human Resources and Capacity Building, Mobolaji Akande, while speaking in Osogbo at the weekend, said the demands of the lecturers had been met to a very reasonable extent despite the state’s lean resources. Akande, who was responding to the vow to disobey court orders by the lecturers, which ordered them to resume work, said the gov-

Fashola canvasses more funds for states By Taiwo Hassan ALLS for new revenue formula that will give more funds to the states reechoed as the Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola has called for a review of the allocation. According to Fashola, a situation whereby the Federal Government still collects the largest chunk of the nation’s revenue earnings was not acceptable in the current economic situation in the country, especially

with growing urbanisation. The governor, who spoke at the weekend in Lagos, said the situation had metamorphosed into state governments carrying the largest burden without the Federal Government playing a leading role in states’ infrastructure. The governor said despite the Federal Government having 52 per cent share of the nation’s wealth, it was alarming that some of the major road projects initiat-

ed by it in different states were still not completed in spite of its huge funds, hence the need for a review of the revenue sharing formula. Fashola, who stated this when he met auto-sector stakeholders, added that most of the roads initiated by the Federal Government, especially in Lagos State, were not yet completed, thereby putting more burden on his administration. According to him, it was

Govt plans N450b lifeline for farmers From Nkechi Onyedika in Birnin Kebbi HE Federal Government, through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has set aside about N450 billion to support small-scale farmers across the country who want to go into agriculture, just as efforts are being made to increase the capacity of the Bank of Agriculture to enable it meet the needs of framers in the country. Meanwhile, the Federal Government is to complete the construction of the N4.1 billion Strategic Grains Reserve in Bulasa, Kebbi State, by June this year. The silos, which has attained 95 per cent completion, has the capacity to store 100,000 metric tonnes of assorted grains. The Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, who disclosed this when he led the National Good Governance Team on an inspection of Labana Rice Processing Mill being executed under Public Private Partnership (PPP), observed that the current administration was looking into the agricultural chain of cropping, storage, processing and marketing. He added that the nation’s agricultural policy had been redesigned under the current agricultural transfor-

ernment’s negotiating team had satisfied many of the striking workers’ demands. He added that in the interest of the students, the workers should return to their duty posts. “The workers in the tertiary institutions must be sincere in their clamour and demands. The main issues, which are the implementation of the CONPCASS salary structure, heavy tax law, contributory pensions, elongation of the age of retirement from 60 to 65, and understaffing, have all been dealt with by the state government’s negotiating team and the workers got the best.

mation programme of the Federal Government. He said: “Before now, agriculture was very segregated, there was no provision for processing and marketing of agricultural produce. The abolition of the marketing board was the most disastrous policy Nigerian government has ever taken, as it completely cut off farmers from commercial traders and that affected the process of purchase and processing. Bank of Industry is giving support to commercial agricultural entrepreneurs at a rate that is cheaper”. Maku, who decried the billions of naira being spent annually on rice importation, noted that Nigerian farmers have the capacity to produce enough rice for local consumption.

He added that the target of the Federal Government is to ban rice importation by 2015. He said: “Unless we begin to process rice in a modern way, Nigerians will still prefer imported rice. We are bridging that gap by supporting rice processors to establish modern plants across the country. We don’t want government rice mills because it will never work. If government establishes rice mills, it will appoint bureaucrats or politicians and they will run it down”. Also speaking, Kebbi State Governor Sa’idu Dakingari said that his administration had spent about N4 billion on rice farming between 2010 to date. Dakingari said his government intends to establish five new rice processing

plans in addition to two established by the former governor of the state and three being set up by the Federal Government. He stated that the state government would ensure the sustainability of the rice farming through right pricing to ensure that farmers recoup their money.

time the Federal Government set aside politics of ‘mind game’ and parley with his administration to develop the state to a ‘truly mega-city state’ since the Federal Government accounted for the country’s highest revenue earnings. He lamented the burden of road projects on his administration, adding that the administration had approved the construction of 104 roads alone this fiscal year, compared to 193 highways last year. “We cannot hold responsible the state and local governments for all the challenges in the states, especially in road construction. A situation whereby the Federal Government still collects 52 per cent share of the country’s revenue sharing formula, while the 36 states (27 per cent) and the 774 local governments (21 per cent) is not acceptable in this current economic situation.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

WorldReport 23 police officers jailed over Brazil’s Carandiru prison massacre O fewer than 23 police N officers were each sentenced to 156 years in jail by a court in Brazil for involvement in a notorious 1992 prison massacre in Sao Paulo. The officers were convicted of killing 13 inmates in the city’s Carandiru jail during an operation to end a revolt. In all, 111 prisoners died, and prosecutors argued that most of them were shot dead at close range. But the officers’ lawyers said they would appeal. Three other policemen were acquitted during the trial. Meanwhile, three inmates who took 16 people hostage during an attempted jailbreak in central Brazil surrendered early yesterday, a

police spokesman said. “They surrendered, one at 1:00 am (0400 GMT) and the other two at 7:00 am,” Anesio Barbosa da Cruz Junior, a spokesman for Goias state military police, told Agence France Presse (AFP) by telephone. After seizing a revolver and subduing a prison guard on Saturday, the trio demanded cars and bulletproof vests to attempt a getaway from the jail in the town of Aparecida de Goiania, but their plan was foiled, he added. The prisoners then retreated to the jail infirmary where, in addition to the prison guard, they held three nurses and 12 fellow inmates who were being treated there, the spokesman added.

American investigators waiting to question arrested Boston bomber GROUP of top interrogaA tors in the United States (U.S.) is waiting to question Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the surviving suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings. The High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group – a multi-security agency unit specialising in questioning terror suspects –is waiting at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre in Boston where Dzhokhar is recovering from gunshot wounds to the neck and leg. Agency reports indicated that it could be a while before investigators are able to talk to him. Tsarnaev, 19, was arrested late on Friday when he was found seriously injured in a suburban backyard after a huge manhunt.

He is now under armed guard in the hospital. Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick said the suspect was stable, but not yet able to communicate, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported yesterday. The teenager’s brother, Tamerlan, died after a shootout with police. Three people were killed and more than 170 others injured by Monday’s twin bombing, close to the finish line of the Boston Marathon. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had been warned that the man who apparently carried out the first terrorist attack on an American city since 9/11 was a strong supporter of radical Islam.

Low turnout in Cote d’Ivoire’s polls amid opposition’s boycott OTERS in Cote d’Ivoire V turned out in low numbers for local elections yesterday seen as a test for stability in the West African nation amid high tensions in the face of a boycott by former President Laurent Gbagbo’s party. The United Nations (UN) has appealed for calm after skirmishes during the election campaign, voicing hope that the vote would help put the country on the path to “genuine democracy”. Agency reports claimed that voting was delayed at many polling stations in the

main city of Abidjan and other urban centres because of the late arrival of materials or staff, and several sources said turnout appeared to be low although the situation was calm. The local elections were the first of such polls in more than a decade in the world’s top cocoa producer and were seen as a trial run for the 2015 presidential election. Cote d’Ivoire is still recovering from years of unrest, which came to a head when Gbagbo refused to admit defeat in the 2010 presidential vote.

Song for new Dutch king withdrawn after public outcry UTCH organisers were D scrambling yesterday to find a new song to mark the upcoming enthronement of the Netherlands’ new king after a serenade written especially for the inauguration attracted a storm of criticism for its alleged “imbecilic” lyrics. “Dear compatriots, after having to block yet another insult on my Twitter account, I am now totally done,”

Dutch-British composer, John Ewbank, wrote on his Facebook page late Saturday. “My apologies to those who found it an appropriate song... but I hereby withdraw the Koningslied (King’s Song) and wish you plenty of success” in singing one of the unofficial songs written for the inauguration of the new Dutch monarch, Willem-Alexander, on April 30.

Rescuers step up search for China’s quake survivors Death toll hits 200, 11,300 injured EAMS of rescue workers yesT terday combed through flattened villages in southwest China in a race to find survivors from a powerful quake which struck the area at the weekend as the toll of dead and missing rose above 200, Agence France Presse (AFP) claimed. Dressed in bright orange uniforms, thousands of the rescuers battled their way up mountain paths strewn with wreckage to reach isolated parts of Sichuan province on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau. Troops had worked through the night, searching villages where houses had been destroyed for survivors and treating those injured in the quake. The death toll rose to at least 186, the official Xinhua news agency said, but reports of casualties slowed down yesterday. More than 11,300 people were injured and 21 remain missing, Xinhua added, citing local officials. In another development, the death toll from a new strain of bird flu in China has reached 20, with dozens infected, state media reported yesterday, as experts said there was no evidence so far of human-tohuman transmission. The H7N9 virus has been detected in 102 people, mostly in eastern China, including 20 cases, which proved fatal, Xinhua stated after the latest daily update from the National Health and Family Planning Commission. A total of 33 infections, including 11 deaths, have been reported in the eastern commercial centre of Shanghai. Meanwhile, China’s new Premier Li Keqiang has rushed to the quake disaster zone to oversee rescue efforts in his first major public test since taking office in March, before returning to Beijing late yesterday, China Radio

Chinese soldiers search for survivors yesterday after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit Lushan, Sichuan Province, wrecking homes and triggering landslides in an area devastated by a major tremor in 2008. PHOTO: AFP National reported. Li said on Saturday that the first 24 hours was “the golden time for saving lives”, as China’s new leaders respond to a fresh disaster five years after another Sichuan earthquake left more than 90,000 people dead or missing. The rescue operation was hampered by huge queues of traffic – some stretching back for 20 kilometres (12 miles) –clogging roads into the disaster zone. “We really want to go in and help people, but instead we are waiting in traffic,” one

Dressed in bright orange uniforms, thousands of the rescuers battled their way up mountain paths strewn with wreckage to reach isolated parts of Sichuan province on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau. frustrated relief official said in his car, as large numbers of volunteers tried to head to the zone.

Boulders the size of cars littered streets in Lushan county, the epicentre of the earthquake. “Three people died in that building, and no one wants to live in this area any more because it is too dangerous,” a 45-year man surnamed Yang told AFP, surrounded by rubble from the quake. More than 1,300 aftershocks have followed since the quake struck Saturday morning. Chinese seismologists registered the tremor at 7.0 magnitude while the U.S. Geological Survey gave it as 6.6.

U.S.-Israel arms deal sends ‘clear signal’ to Iran, says Hagel Kerry urges Erdogan to delay Gaza visit over M’East peace plan NITED States (U.S.) Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel has declared that a major arms deal between Washington DC and Israel sends Iran a “very clear signal” that military action remains an option to stop it from going nuclear. The comments by the top Pentagon chief, Agence France Presse reported, came shortly before his arrival in the Jewish state at the start of a six-day regional trip likely to be dominated by worries over Iran’s nuclear programme and Syria’s civil war. Hagel, who was asked by reporters if a multi-billion dollar arms package with

Israel was designed to convey a message that a military strike remains an option, said: “I don’t think there’s any question that’s another very clear signal to Iran”. On the other hand, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry yesterday called on Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to delay a visit to Gaza in talks aimed at putting Israeli-Turkish relations back on track as part of efforts to revive the Middle East peace process. “We have expressed to the prime minister (Recep Tayyip Erdogan) that it would be better to delay,” Kerry told reporters in

I don’t think there’s any question that’s another very clear signal to Iran. Istanbul, urging him to wait for the “right conditions”. Erdogan announced last week that he was planning to visit the impoverished Palestinian territory at the end of next month after a key trip to Washington on May 16. Erdogan said his visit would be aimed at pushing for the lifting of Israel’s embargo on the Gaza Strip but Washington fears such a

trip could hurt a fresh U.S.brokered rapprochement between the former allies after a three-year rift. Kerry also met Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas to continue talks “about how to get both sides (the Palestinians and the Israelis) back to the table,” a State Department official said. However, Hagel’s first trip to the region since taking over the Pentagon nearly two months ago, was likely to see him putting the finishing touches on plans to sell $10 billion worth of advanced missiles and aircraft to Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in a bid to counter the threat posed by Iran.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

Politics Tukur and jinx of PDP national chair By Seye Olumide and Joe Adiorho ILL the National Chairman of the Peoples W Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, survive the ongoing power play and intrigues in the party, which had literally consumed his predecessors, one after the other? This is the big question that has haunted the former governor of old Gongola State and president of the Africa Business Roundtable since he emerged as head of the ruling party in March 24, 2012. Many of the party big wigs did not endorse his candidature, but the Presidency eventually had its way. Therefore, it is given that he was aware of the enormity of burdens surrounding his assignment. Hence, one of the tedious tasks he quickly embarked on was to ensure true reconciliation of bringing back into the party fold aggrieved members, following irreconcilable differences arising from the party congresses and primaries. Tukur also faced the task of having to cool the nerves of many leading members of the party who were coerced to step down for him as chairman. However, efforts in this regard have proved herculean, and along the way, he has moved from one problem to another. Perhaps, there is no surprise here, as the PDP has had several substantive national chairmen since the Fourth Republic took off in 1999. None of those helmsmen had completed a tenure, let alone re-contest, as the party leadership. Horsetrading and scheming had dogged the party, all in an attempt by successive presidents to have their way and pocket the party structures. The pioneer national chairman from 1998 to 2002 was former governor of Plateau State, Chief Solomon Lar, who was succeeded by Chief Barnabas Gemade (now a senator). Others were Chief Audu Ogbeh, Dr. Ahmadu Ali, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, and the incumbent Bamanga Tukur. During interregnums between 2011 and 2012, Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed and Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje were appointed to preside in acting capacity. In his professional career as astute technocrat, Tukur has fought a myriad of boardroom battles on business matters but none is near in intensity as the political battle he is confronting at the moment. And this fight is totally at variance with the types that saw off other party chairmen of the PDP. While his predecessors were knocked out either because they had brushes with the chief executive officers of the country or they were nursing certain ambitions that ran counter to the dreams of the president; the party stalwarts and juggernauts had rejected Tukur before his election. When he joined the race for the chairmanship contest, opposition regarded him as the candidate of the president and that was considered highly undemocratic. Particularly, his selection did not go down well with the governors on the platform of the party, who were blackmailed into endorsing him. Recently, the governors moved against Tukur over the controversial handling of the crisis in the Adamawa State chapter of the party. They were alleged to have specifically demanded his sack for dissolving the state executive believed to be loyal to Governor Murtala Nyako. The recent tour of the country by the chairman to reconcile estranged members of the party also failed to yield expected result. Twenty governors and some principal officers of the party shunned the grand finale of the tour in Abuja. Concerted efforts from the Presidency to save the national chairman from the governors’ alleged conspiracy are yet to be felt. Reports bear it that President Jonathan has been under pressure to do something urgent on the issue, perhaps, to dispense with Tukur. In such eventuality, his exit would have followed the odious trend that characterised the tenure of his predecessors. Then, what will be the effect on the party? Will any credible personality in the country stake his reputation to assume the position in future? Chief Lar became the chairman of the PDP in 1999, and during his tenure, he was able to entrench democratic norms and values in the party. And for the two years he was in the saddle, the party enjoyed relative peace. He main responsibility was to organise the party for major elections and guaranteeing its success at different levels. He presided over the convention held in Jos, the Plateau State capital, where Chief Olusegun Obasanjo emerged as the

Tukur

Concerted efforts from the Presidency to save the national chairman from the governors’ alleged conspiracy are yet to be felt. Reports bear it that President Jonathan has been under pressure to do something urgent on the issue, perhaps, to dispense with Tukur. In such eventuality, his exit would have followed the odious trend that characterised the tenure of his predecessors. Then, what will be the effect on the party? Will any credible personality in the country stake his reputation to assume the position in future? presidential candidate of the party and went ahead to win the election. Ironically, it was Obasanjo that subtly plotted Lar’s fall and replaced him with Barnabas Gemade. At the initial stage of Obasanjo’s administration, Lar enjoyed a cordial relationship with the president even though he was uncomfortable with his towering influence on the leadership of the party. There was a rapid growth of mutual suspicion and it was not surprising that Obasanjo plotted Lar’s fall and replacement, which, observers said laid the foundation for the internal squabbles that plagues the PDP today. Gemade’s tenure was equally short. Being the president’s candidate, he enjoyed a good run as the party chairman until Obasanjo was reportedly told that the Benue-born politician was nursing presidential ambition. As such, Gemade did not serve out his tenure, as he could not survive the power game that followed his intent to be the president of Nigeria. Obasanjo, who was not ready to accommodate any opposition to his re-election bid in 2003, showed him the way out of the plum position. However, Gemade made bold to stage a fight, but he ultimately lost out at the national convention where Audu Ogbeh, also Benue-born, emerged as his successor. Chief Ogbeh’ chairmanship was also a brief one. His offence was being too assertive, and reportedly took exceptions to what he observed as the “excesses of the president and his un-presidential and undemocratic conducts.” The height of Ogbeh’s affront was made manifest in a letter, dated December 5, 2005 and published in the local press, conveying his frustration with Obasanjo’s administration. In the letter, Ogbeh took a swipe at Obasanjo’s economic reform, which initially received the informal backing of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), but failed to lift most Nigerians out

of poverty. He also lamented that corruption had remained endemic five years after Obasanjo’s first election, despite a high profile campaign against graft. Ogbeh then drew a parallel between Obasanjo’s government and that of Shehu Shagari, who was sacked in a coup in 1983 after four years in office, warning that the president was heading for disaster. He also took out time in his letter to outline the situation in Anambra State, where police stood by and watched political thugs burn down government buildings and shoot at the then Governor Chris Ngige’s convoy during three days of rioting in the state. At the peak of power struggle in Anambra, Ogbeh, as the chairman of the party, was said to have advised the government to do the honourable thing and hand over the electoral mandate to the presumed winner of the election, Mr. Peter Obi of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). But Obasanjo was piqued and highly angered by Ogbeh’s “effrontery”, especially that aspect of publishing his letter to the president. It was not surprising that Obasanjo went for his jugular and even threatened him with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), forcing Ogbeh to resign in 2005. Dr. Ali took over following the exit of Ogbeh. His choice was ratified at the party convention in 2005, though without any election. His leadership was quite controversial, as he was brash and tough on both party members he had reasons to disagree with on issues and the opposition parties. So, many party people heaved a sigh of relief following his exit from the post of PDP national chairman. Prince Ogbulafor from Abia State emerged the party chairman after an electoral battle that saw the likes of Sam Egwu, the former governor of Ebonyi State and Chief Anyim Pius Anyim, a for-

mer Senate President, who were allegedly sponsored by Obasanjo and former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida (Rtd), respectively vanquished. Even though Ogbulafor emerged as the popular choice of the PDP governors, it was not long before he fell out of favour with the power brokers in his party. Controversially predicting that the PDP would rule the country uninterrupted for 60 years, he was literally disgraced out of office not long after. The summary of the causes of his fall was that he was tactless in his utterances in such a sensitive issue of rotation and was gratuitous in taking sides with the PDP power rotation formula. He was also perceived to have overtly supported former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Obasanjo’s deputy, in the race for the seat of power. At the peak of the controversies that surrounded the succession of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua after his eventual death, Ogbulafor supported the North to produce the president in 2011. For President Jonathan’s supporters, that was unforgiveable sin. Consequently, he was removed and slammed with a case of alleged public embezzlement amounting to N100 million when he was the Minister of Economic Planning. Ogbulafor’s departure paved way for Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, former governor of Enugu State, who was later forced to step down by President Jonathan before the party’s emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting convened to determine his fate. Nwodo’s offence was hinged on the way and manner he handled the waiver for Atiku to return to the PDP, without clearing with President Jonathan. But the last straw that led to his removal was his move to forcibly preside over the party special national convention in Abuja, after an Enugu High Court barred him from parading himself as chairman. It was viewed Presidency minders that Nwodo deliberately wanted to participate at the convention in order to provide ground for contempt of the court, and thus void the presidential primary. Another reason that led to Nwodo’s removal was the overwhelming influence of the Governors Forum in the polity and the leadership of the PDP. He was reportedly uncomfortable with the powers of the governors and wanted to reduce their influence over the party before the 2011 general elections. The final straw was his attempt to introduce Eregistration in the party, which the governors kicked against, and collectively instigated Nwodo’s state governor and political opponent, Mr. Sullivan Chime, to remove him from office. Tukur, who took over as PDP chair, has also faced the fury of the governors, and where the pendulum will swing for him is anybody’s guess. Meanwhile, a member of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Ebenezer Babatope, said there was no jinx surrounding the national chairmanship position, as being speculated. “All those people that have occupied it at one time or the other had left either voluntarily through resignation,” he told The Guardian last week in Lagos. “The only one among them that I can say has problem was Audu Ogbeh and I wouldn’t say it was a problem per se because he resigned and another person took over from him.” Babatope argued that Tukur might not have such challenges. “When you occupy a position as delicate and tough, there are so many things involved like the tendencies of the governors, which I believe is not new or peculiar to him,” he said. “Others have faced similar challenges before. There are also the tendencies of the youths and other factors; it now depends on his ability to manage them, which, to the best of my knowledge, he is doing well.” He said insinuations that the “powers that be” may try to use the BoT chairman, Chief Tony Anenih, to undermine Tukur, does not hold water at all. “The way politics appears to an outsider is quite different to what goes on inside,” Babatope said. “Every organ of the party has its role to play and all is aimed towards the development and improvement of the party. “What I have always made people to understand is that a party as strong, solid and well entrenched with the largest intellectual members like the PDP would definitely have one or two challenges and we have always known how to resolve it.”

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

TheMetroSection Briefs

‘My five-day ordeal in kidnappers’ den’ T

Church begins programme

HE Truth Visionary Mission Inc. yesterday began its four-Sunday special event, which will end on Sunday, May 12, at the church auditorium, 66, Nnadi Street, off Liasu Road, Ile-Iwe Bus Stop, Ikotun-Egbe, Lagos from 8.0012.30p.m. on the designated Sundays. Rev. David Nwaohia, Ifeanyi Nwauwa, Silver Okafor and Sunny Ubanwa will minister while hosts are Pastor and Prophetess Okafor.

Awobiyi, 68, passes on FORMER Permanent SecreA tary in the Osun State Civil Service, Prince Oluwole

Bamigbetan (middle), his twin sister, Mrs. Taiwo Jacobs (left) and elder sister, Mrs. Funmi Adenuga

By Tope Templer Olaiya, Assistant Lagos City Edi-

They said that they were graduates, they didn’t like what they were doing but there are no jobs. One claimed to be an engineering graduate, one studied Human Resources management, another said he was already in final year in a United States varsity when his father’s shopping complex was demolished and he had to be recalled home. One said he was an okada operator and government had just outlawed his source of income. They were generally bitter about youth unemployment. HE Chairman of Ejigbo Local Council T Development Area (LCDA), Kehinde Bamigbetan, was yesterday full of thanks to God and appreciation to friends and associates who supported the family with prayers before he was released Saturday night. To the utmost shock of his family, he walked home unaccompanied and unhurt around 9:30pm after earlier reports of his release on Saturday morning, which turned out to be false, had heightened fears of a mishap in the release of Bamigbetan. But all doubts ended when Bamigbetan stepped into his living room to be received by a bewildered gathering, which were deep in prayers for his safe return. Looking slightly emaciated and still dressed in the white lace he wore on the day he was abducted, he rushed forward to hug his wife, shook hands with family members and breezed into a room with just one mission on his mind: check on his children, who had been locked away from the throng of visitors. When he was about to be released by his captors, according to him, they asked if he could drive, and he replied in the affirmative. They took him out, blindfolded and drove him for four hours before he was dropped at the Badagry checkpoint, where a car was provided and he drove himself home. He breathed his first air of freedom at exactly 9pm when he took control of a manual saloon car, singing “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” to himself as he drove home. He was instructed to park the car beside the bridge close to his house and trek home. After being reunited with his family and enjoying a special moment of privacy, he stepped outside into the night devoid of moonlight and took the moment to relive his experience of the last five days, which to him, looked like five weeks.

“We were coming in from work last week Monday around 11pm and we had entered my street when a saloon car overtook us and blocked us. We tried to reverse back, but from the vehicle came three men with rifles asking us to stop. As we were reversing, they fired into the vehicle. The driver reversed into a pole and we got stuck. So, I stepped out. I was trying to see if it was somebody I could recognize.” He continued: “They asked why we were running, I said maybe the driver was afraid. Speaking in Queen’s English, they said he shouldn’t have run, and they ordered me to enter the vehicle. They moved into the main road and drove towards Isolo. From that point, they pushed my head down and for the next four hours, we were on the road.” “We arrived at a place and I was blindfolded and moved inside a pitch dark room with only a carpet. I was asked to face down and from there, I lost track of time. They started agitating that they were graduates, they didn’t like what they were doing but there are no jobs. One claimed to be an engineering graduate, one studied Human Resources management, another said he was already in final year in a United States varsity when his father’s shopping complex was demolished and he had to be recalled home. One said he was an okada operator and government had just outlawed his source of income. They were generally bitter about youth unemployment.” Strangely, on the morning he was abducted, Bamigbetan had experienced a strange feeling he could not explain and had almost cancelled his engagements for the day, but his vacillation cost him dearly. According to an inside source, the council boss is usually tidy about his Mondays. On such days, he is always out before 9am and dressed in suit. So, they suspected something was amiss when they saw the chairman strolling around the premises at midday. “That morning I had a strong premonition that something unusual was going to happen to me,” he recalled. “I didn’t leave home until 2pm and I left only because we had two events, a CDA tour and another meeting with CDAs on flooding. My instinct was not to leave home but I ignored it after waking up with a great sense of fear.” “When I finished that meeting, I had to do two assignments that would take me to the island. So, I decided to go and sleep over on the island. Unfortunately, I finished both assignments early because Asiwaju Tinubu was traveling and immediately gave me audience. On other days, I usually wait a long while before I get to see him and I could be there till 2am sometimes.” “So, since I was through with what I came for on the island earlier than I thought, I told the driver to change the route on our way home. He came in

Bamigbetan (middle), his wife, Fatimah family members, friends and associates...PHOTOS: TEMPLER OLAIYA through Ikotun and the kidnappers were coming from Isolo. As soon as they saw a jeep enter the street, they picked on our car. They weren’t lurking around for me. I was just unlucky on the day. When they caught up with us, the picture just fell into space, but I knew people would be praying for me and that was the hope I clung to.” He further narrated: “They asked who I was, I said I work with Fashola and I am a journalist, I didn’t know they took my bag containing my laptop. They asked for my password, opened my laptop and started checking my details. They said you are a local government chairman; you are the one stealing our money. I told them I didn’t steal money and I started elucidating my programmes of free meal and uniforms for children in schools, free drugs for everybody in our PHCs and several skills acquisition initiatives.” “When I told them I don’t have the kind of money they were demanding, which is $1 million, they went brutal. They tied me to a chair and gave me serious beating, with blood flowing through my nostrils. I now discovered that the idea of we don’t have money would not work here, I needed to engage them. I told them I had friends who could render assistance and I should be allowed to contact them.” “We were on that when media reports starting rolling in. They even showed me a newspaper report that all the local government chairmen had contributed money to pay the ransom. Later, they said someone who wanted my position had paid N35 million. I laughed. They asked why, I said am not saying what you said is not true but N35 million is too much a price to pay on my head. We came to an understanding and they came back later to say they were not satisfied with the negotiated sum; that they needed more.” “At that point, I started praying because it was from there I remembered the strong premonition I had the morning I was captured. I was not sure where the trouble would come, but I knew I was in danger. I just started praying for mercy and Divine intervention while reciting my favourite Psalm.” “Suddenly, at some point, they started treating me nicely, asking what I wanted to eat. They washed my clothes, prepared food and fruits for me. Took me from the carpet to a room with mattress and switched on the Air Conditioner and encouraged me to sleep. They told me they came to the council the second day and listened to what people were saying and they found out that everybody said I was good. They said they believed I could be of help to them in the future. Their perception of me changed when they saw the newspaper reports of the kidnap.” Commenting on the recent wave of kidnappings in Lagos State, Bamigbetan doubted that the nation’s security operatives and apparatus could manage the level of sophistication of the criminal gangs. “Imagine them sending people to the council to find out things for themselves the day after I was captured; that

shows you that they know what they are doing.” “We don’t have the capacity because ordinarily, when they were making the calls, the nearest cell sites should have detected our location. We were in a place for five days and nobody had an inkling of where we were, but I know that it is God’s intervention that made my release possible. It is not about the ransom. This is why I thank everybody who offered prayers for us. When you looked at what happened to Dr. Nwike, former Anambra State deputy governor, his ransom was paid yet he was killed.” “The way I have approached politics here, trying to assist and cultivate people paid off. They could see through my sincerity. There were other people held captive in the room. Our eyes were blindfolded and we were not allowed to talk to one another. To engage in a conversation with our captors, we were told not to open our eyes even with the blindfold. Once you attempt to see them, they would fire. We had been strictly warned because they don’t want to be identified. Moreso, the blindfold was so tight that you can’t even open or move eyeball.” On why he shunned using police orderlies, he said he had never for once believed in police escort. “It is a test of your faith with people. If you truly want to serve people and you are doing it from your heart, you don’t need police protection. Even the police are seeking God’s protection, so why don’t we all go straight and look towards the same God for protection.” “I pray and try to do good deeds daily because those good deeds would pray for me and be my cover whenever I run into problem. That has been my philosophy. If the police had been with me, what would have happened, three AK 47 rifles to one policeman, would he wait? When you know that you are on your own, you are forced to work for the people genuinely. I have never taken a police orderly to anywhere because I believe in the God and people I serve.” His wife, Fatima, sat speechless, absorbing all the narration. Intermittently, she would wave to the clouds, at other times, she would sigh and let out a loud moan or simply nodded along. “I thank everybody, I thank God he is back. Now, I believe in the power of prayers. I didn’t expect that to ever happen to anybody in Lagos. So, when it happened, we couldn’t do any other thing than to resort to prayers. Friends, political associates, neighbours and well wishers came and offered prayers and fasting, we were holding vigil everyday,” she said. “We never expected him back. My husband appeared miraculously. The kidnappers were still calling us that day that I would carry my husband’s corpse. I was crying, begging them on the phone not to make me a widow. We were shocked when he walked in later that night. I am so happy he came back unhurt.”

Awobiyi has lost his wife, Esther Olufunke, at the age of 68. She was the Proprietress, Oluwakemi Maternity, Asaju, Ibadan and a former Senior Nursing Sister at the Oyo State Hospital Board. She died on April 9, 2013, at the U.C.H. Ibadan. The funeral ceremonies will hold on Friday, May 31 and Saturday, June 1, 2013. She is survived by her husband, children among whom are Oluwakemi, Yetunde, Leye and Damilola Awobiyi.

Awobiyi

Pa Olanrenwaju, 110, for burial Friday A James Oke Olanrewaju, a P community leaders and devout Christian, who died on Sunday, November 25, 2012, at the age of 110, will be buried at Okeagbe-Akoko in Akoko North-West Local Council of Ondo State on Friday, April 26, 2013, after a funeral service at Saint George’s Anglican Church. A Christian wake holds on Thursday, April 25, at his residence P4, Ayowe Street, Okeagbe-Akoko at 5.00 p.m. A statement by of his sons, Mr. Kayode Olanrewaju, Executive Editor, Total Education Newspaper, one of his sons, on behalf of the family, said Ayo Game competition would be played among members of Okeagbe community and its environs on Wednesday, April 24. He is survived by children, grand-children and greatgrand-children among whom are Evang. Remi Omoluabi Olanrewaju; Mrs. Florence Ajetunmobi; Emmanuel Durojaiye; Kayode Olanrewaju; Stephen Alaba Olanrewaju, of INEC; and Miss Abimbola Shittu.

Olanrewaju

METRO 13

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

Photonews

The couple’s parents: J. Bulley Igbre, Dr. Tunde Olufade, Dr. Oluseun Olufade (groom),Dr. Ann Igbre(bride), Mrs. Gladys Igbre, Mrs Joke Olufade, Mrs Theresa Okotie during their traditional marriage in Asaba , Delta State

ThisDay’s Sports Editor, Duro Ikhazuagbe (left), Frank Ilaboya of Sportsville, Marketing Communications practitioner, Ehi Braimah, Editor, The Guardian, Martins Oloja and The Vanguard’s Sports Editor, Tony Ubani, during the wedding reception of Ilaboya’s son at the Event Centre, Ikeja, Lagos…recently

Group gives 200 rural dwellers free surgery From Niyi Bello, Akure UCCOUR has come the way of about 200 indigent sufferers of surgically-treatable ailments, who cannot afford the cost of surgeries in the rural community of Ijare, Ifedore Local Council of Ondo State as they got free treatment courtesy of the Association of Rural Surgical Practitioners of Nigeria (ARSPON) at the weekend. The initiative, which is the third in the yearly series by the Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), increased the number of beneficiaries of the health intervention programme that started in 2011 to about 400. According to the initiator and co-ordinator of the programme tagged “Ijare Surgical Mission“, ailments such as goiter, prostrate, hernia, fibroids and vaginal pro-lapse are sur-

Soldiers pacifying protesting youths over delay of election materials in Uromi during the local council polls in Edo State..on Saturday

gically-treated by a team of 45 surgeons led by Prof. Charles Sagoa, a Senior Consultant Surgeon at the University College Hospital, Ibadan. Adesola, who stated that the indigent farming population could not afford the cost of these surgeries, which he put at hundreds of thousands of naira per case, said the aim of ARSPON was to reduce the high number of simple surgeries that were taken to the major hospitals. He disclosed at the commencement of the latest intervention that “when the programme started in 2011, we had 78 patients and in 2012, we had 103 while 183 had already registered for the current exercise.” While expressing gratitude to some indigenes of Ijare community who contribute funds to finance the project,

Adesola urged affluent Nigerians to donate to the initiative “so that we can increase the scope and even make it biannual to reach more patients.” The state governor who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Taye Oni, expressed the readiness of the government to offer assistance to the initiative. The monarch of the community, Oba Adebamigbe Oluwagbemigun, urged the governor to upgrade the Ijare Comprehensive Centre venue of the programme to the status of a General Hospital. “This community is more than half of the population of this local council, yet while others boast of better health facilities, we have only this that is poorly staffed,” the monarch lamented.

TheGuardian

14 THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

FOUNDER: ALEX U. IBRU (1945 – 2011)

Conscience is an open wound; only truth can heal it. Uthman dan Fodio 1754-1816

Editorial Let AMCON wind down ANY would fault it for allegedly providing undeserved soft landing for chronic M bank debtors, while others think it is an idea whose time has not only come but remains the idea to save these times. As with all things, however, good or bad, it can only be for a time and season. For the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), now is the time to begin winding down. Its Managing Director, the admirable Mustapha Chike-Obi, recently said that unlike the current festering banking crises in the Euro zone, the Nigerian banking crisis, which peaked in 2009, should be considered resolved because the ratio of non-performing loans to all bank loans had fallen from about 50 per cent then to within the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s target of five per cent. He asserted; “We have cleaned up the banking system, bad loans are under five per cent and we want to make sure that everybody adheres to the prudential guidelines.” AMCON’s feat, of course, came at the hefty price of about N5.7 trillion, which the corporation procured by issuing five series of zero-coupon bonds. The AMCON Act is open to elastic interpretation. For example, while the corporation was established mainly to absorb the toxic assets of nine very weak banks, the CBN, through the Bankers’ Committee, arranged for other banks that so wished (only three declined) to sell their non-performing loans to AMCON. As at December 2012, AMCON had bought toxic assets running to four times the volume of initially envisaged non-performing loans considered to require intervention. CBN data show that the ratio of bad debts to total bank loans dropped to five per cent by December 2011, a level which banks could absorb with ease. Yet, apparently drawing on the Banking Sector Sinking Fund, AMCON purchased toxic assets worth N76 billion in December 2012. That acquisition was meant to retain the above ratio at five per cent. The target is unattainable in the prevailing unfriendly economic environment. Hence, if AMCON sticks to the decision to stop further purchases of toxic assets from banks, the ratio is bound to rise in subsequent years with borderline banks becoming distressed. For the touted policy not to allow any bank to go under to be sustained, the sinking fund should give way to a prompt review of the extant fiscal and monetary measures, which fuel high inflation that props up high lending rates, the main predisposing factor to escalating non-performing bank loans. Reduced interest rates will also help some of the assets already acquired by AMCON to recover much earlier. It has come to light that the IMF had initially set a seven-year lifespan for AMCON while the corporation preferred 10 years. Meanwhile, despite accumulating a huge pile of toxic assets that are supported by bonds, which are guaranteed by the CBN, AMCON has not taken serious steps to redeem part of this class of sovereign debts.

LETTERS

Kudos to Auchi Poly rector IR: Permit me to use this medium to commend the Spresent rector of Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi, Dr. Mrs. P.O Idogo for the good job she has been doing since her assumption of office as the Rector of the school. I was astonished with the rate at which the institution has been developed just within the period of five years of her assumption of leadership of the institution. A visible development was the digitalisation of the school. All offices in the institution now work with modern computers.

The old manual typewriters formally used in the typing pools by the students of the Office Technology and Management Department have been replaced with computers. The old Editorial hall has been converted to ICT centre where students are being trained on computer operations before graduation. Apart from the part-time programme where the school generates a larger percentage of her revenue, Dr. Mrs Idogo has introduced other sources of internally generated revenue, thus creating employment for

the unemployed. Some of these sources are events centres, production of Auchi Polytechnic bread, Auchi Polytechnic bottled water, Auchi Polytechnic poultry farm, reformation of the existing Auchi Polytechnic Guest House and others. I commend her zeal to take the institution to greater heights and pray that God will grant her long life and good health to surpass her set target before completion of her tenure as the Rector of the School. • Mauzu Ibrahim, Lagos.

Of terrorism, tourism and NTDC efforts IR: It is stating the obvious Olusegun Runsewe, who has South Africa, we could not that terrorism, in form of been patriotically marketing the freely walk on the streets. To a Sbombing and kidnapping, nation’s tourism sector to the large extent, I will agree with which were alien to African culture until a couple of years ago, has done incalculable damage not only to our collective psyche, but also to the integrity of Nigeria as a country. Our dear country is gradually becoming a terrorist nation with an overwhelming sense of insecurity pervading the entire country. We can no longer walk around without intermittent fear of sudden bomb blast. As one is suspicious of the next person standing behind, one is equally fearful even in a church service as occasional thought of possible bombing flips through one’s mind. Indeed, our precarious situation is as frightening as it is harrowing. However, one is compelled to appreciate the efforts of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC,) ably led by Otunba

world despite our security challenges. Obviously, Nigeria is a tourist destination given the national assets and potentials, but this current fad of insecurity remains our albatross. Notwithstanding, Runsewe continues to initiate various programmes and partnerships with other nations with a view to burnishing Nigeria’s image. He has travelled far and near to propagate the tourism potentials of Nigeria. He has given tourism a global visibility. Good efforts. Regardless of the challenges, this enigma keeps telling the world that Nigeria remains one of the safest countries in the world. He may be right. My experience in Ethiopia recently confirmed that Nigeria is still far safer as we could not walk freely on the streets of Addis Ababa without being harassed by street urchins. Even in my recent trip to

the tourism marketer that Nigeria is still safe. I really appreciate the doggedness with which NTDC has been promoting Nigeria. A coward would have given in to despair and frustration in the vortex of the challenges, but not indomitable Runsewe, whose courage is as huge as the frame of his personality. Equally commendable is his recent decision to honour 50 artistes, including General Kollington Ayinla whose music honed our current affairs skill in those days. The lesson in NTDC efforts in the face of frustration is that we must never give up until Boko Harram actors relent, repent and renounce. May the muchdesired peace return to Nigeria? • Sunday Saanu University of Ibadan.

After the IMF accepted that the banking sector had become, as painted, stabilised (the real objective of AMCON) and recommended that the corporation should wind down, the corporation was caught unawares and openly sought to know how to go about it, in what timeframe and what assistance the IMF could offer. As a matter of fact, AMCON in 2011 and 2012 suffered a combined loss of N3.08 trillion. It has not even taken any step to redeem its first bond that was worth N1.7 trillion and which will mature in December by arranging to realise the affected assets before the maturity date. Instead, AMCON recently concluded a foreign roadshow to test the waters preparatory to possible issuing of a US$11 billion foreign bond to refinance the bond. Such a bond would bear not zero coupon but the standard international coupon rate of about six per cent. If and when this bond materialises, it will nearly triple the present level of external debts. Any plan to transform the local toxic assets into external debts is unacceptable. The acquired toxic assets hold no prospects of generating enough returns for the liquidation of the contemplated foreign bond. Generally, AMCON has focused on recovering the value of acquired non-performing loans. This approach is unrealistic because, first, in most cases, the market value of the assets was and remains below the discounted price, which AMCON paid for them. This is particularly true of bank debtors who set out to defraud banks and had no intention of ever liquidating the loans against which they had provided collaterals with little and fast depreciating values, if at all. Secondly, AMCON’s other inherited bank debtors probably had genuine but at times over-ambitious projects for which they had obtained loans that for one reason or another became toxic. Thus, with the corporation saddled with toxic assets arising from loans contracted with private sector banks, which either were not meant to be repaid or ran into hitches, AMCON’s present preoccupation with restructuring the acquired loans merely plays into the hands of inherited bank loan defaulters by allowing them to carry on running inefficient outfits as well as to continue to sponge on government-guaranteed loans for as long as possible. In all, in two years of AMCON, the banks have been encouraged to continue to perpetrate moral hazard lending for projects that are sure to fail while the bank loan defaulters who become AMCON debtors have been handed financial feather beds. So AMCON debtors have no incentive to settle any outstanding loans. It will therefore be unconscionable for such a level of unmerited pampering to go on for seven or 10 years. Therefore, AMCON should instead expeditiously sell off the 12,500 acquired non-performing loans together with any attached collaterals in whatever condition they happen to be. Why is AMCON still holding on to the supposedly recapitalised banks? The economy will be best served when the private sector assets acquired by AMCON are properly disposed of and taken over by individuals and private firms, which are capable and prepared to efficiently manage those assets. This option possesses the additional advantage of freeing government from the encumbrances of spiraling and unproductive debts.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

Business Boosting nation’s agric business with value chain strategy P.54 IFC initiate G-20’s online platform for women entrepreneurs From Ade Ogidan, London HE International Finance T Corporation (IFC)- a member of the World Bank Grouphas unfolded plans to commence the management of “the Women’s Finance Hub”an initiative launched last week by the Group of 20’s Global Partnership on Financial Inclusion, to improve access to financial services for women entrepreneurs and promote the sharing of knowledge and best practices. The hub is an online platform to help advance access to finance for women-owned businesses by disseminating research and information on critical issues related to the women’s market. It will also address gaps in data, promote collaboration in knowl-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria Limited, Jibril Aku (left); Deputy Managing Director of Deutsche Bank Nigeria, Mrs. Adeola Azeez; Managing Director, Fidelity Bank Plc, Reginald Ihejiahi; and Managing Director, Deutsche Bank Nigeria, Charles Weller, at the reception hosted in honour of the two banks that won the Deutsche Bank award, in Lagos, at the weekend.

Nigeria loses N9.7b to rice smuggling By Femi Adekoya IGERIA may have lost an N estimated N9.7 billion to evasion of duty payments, through rice smuggling. Specifically, findings by The Guardian showed that an estimated 80,000 metric tonnes of rice is expected to be smuggled into the country through the Benin Republic axis. Although, the Nigeria Customs Service dismissed this, saying that its men have received directives to enforce the zero tolerance on rice importation, investigations by The Guardian still reveals evidences of smuggled rice being repackaged into sacks of popular brands. Hitherto, the Chairman, Presidential Committee, Rice Price Benchmark, Dhiru Ado Kurawa, during the committee’s visit to Olam farm project in Doma, Nassarawa State, had noted that the price of rice may rise due to the ban on importation of the staple food in order to enhance local production, but urged Nigerians to endure and not encourage the activities of smugglers by patronising them. Indeed, investments in the rice production sector presently stands at N106 billion in backward integration. One of the major rice deal-

Collaborations with other security agencies have led to a massive seizure of 8000 bags of 50kg parboiled rice along the Seme-Badagry creeks. We have also identified the flashpoints where we are intensifying surveillance. ers in Daleko market, who spoke with The Guardian under the condition of anonymity, explained that many brands of smuggled rice find their way into the market and many of such brands are often re-bagged or mixed into bags of popular brands and sold to unsuspecting customers. She added that besides the fact that customers are often short-changed, such acts have continued to affect legitimate businesses in the market, as well as the revenue to be generated by government. When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) of Zone A, Ikeja, Mr. Uche, said: “Following the matching order from the Comptroller General of Customs, Dikko Abdullahi, to all Customs Area Comptrollers on ensuring zero tolerance on importation of rice through the land borders, our unit has been engaging stakeholders at the border areas to ensure the enforcement of this directive. “Recently, we had a meeting with the representatives

of Daleko Market Rice Sellers Association in order to create awareness on some banned products and we gave them the list of legitimate rice importers and their brands under the auspices of the Rice Millers, Importers and Distributors Association of Nigeria (RiMIDAN). The meeting will be a continuous one to ensure that Nigeria’s rice self-sufficiency goal is attained.” He however, solicited the support of stakeholders in providing adequate information for intelligence gathering in order to address the issue. He said: “Collaborations with other security agencies have led to a massive seizure of 8000 bags of 50kg parboiled rice along the SemeBadagry creeks. We have also identified the flashpoints where we are intensifying surveillance”. Nigeria’s yearly consumption of rice is about 5.5 million metric tonnes. While 1.8 million is produced locally, the country relies on importation to make up the balance of 3.7 million metric tonnes.

THE GuARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

16 BuSINESS

Nigeria emerging power house: Are firms ready to respond? CONOMICALLY and E geopolitically, Nigeria’s international reach is continuing to broaden. It is the most populous country in Africa, currently accounting for 20 per cent of the continent’s total population - a figure that is set to grow to 1/4 by 2030. Based on International Monetary Fund economic growth forecasts, African countries will outpace their Asian counterparts over the next few years with annual GDP growth rates in Nigeria alone predicted to be in the region of six to seven per cent. The operating environment for business in Nigeria is not without its challenges and the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Ranking rates Nigeria a lowly 131 out of 185. But a closer look at the index shows that Nigeria lies above India (132) and below Brazil (130) - two of the BRIC countries that business are clamouring over one another to break into. As an export market, Nigeria is a box of opportunity and open for business, which countries such as the uK are beginning to realise. In 2009, the uK exported £2.5 billion worth of goods to Nigeria. In 2011, that grew to £2.8 billion. The 2012 figure is set to continue this upward trend. A bourgeoning middle class with increasing disposable income is creating a new generation of consumers. In 2011, Nigeria emerged as Africa’s biggest destination for Foreign Direct Investment with $8.92 billion, according to the 2012 World Investment Report by the united Nations

Conference on Trade and Development. Health care, agriculture, power privatisation, information communication technologies, arts and creative media as well as retail have been identified as potential areas for foreign investment. But questions remain over whether businesses in Nigeria have the ability to respond to this breakneck impressive economic growth. Does the country have the human resources required to meet the growing demand from domestic and foreign owned companies for educated leaders? Alim Abubakre, Founding Executive Director of These Young Minds - an organisation that provides management training for African executives - thinks that many Nigerian companies do not fully understand the importance of human capital. “unfortunately the talent pool for skilled local workers with knowledge of good management practice and a grasp of international business markets is relatively small in Nigeria. The ration of well-grounded management professionals in Nigeria to the total population is minuscule.” “Many companies do not fully understand the importance of human capital in achieving a successful organisation. Often, little attention is paid to hiring the right people to do the job and favouritism amongst friends and family in the recruitment process remains common. Another problem is the level of attention given to the development of human capital within the organisation. A

lot of top management appear to have a short-term view of human resource management thus giving this key resource a low priority.” To be more competitive and sustainable, Nigerian organisations need to develop a knowledge-driven economy, pay more attention to human resource management (including employee reward systems and talent development) and harness new ideas, innovation and technology. They can do this by carrying out more research, managing the external environment and developing learning organisation via capacity development. In order to address the need to enhance the leadership capacity of African senior executives, These Young Minds and Aston Business School in the uK have partnered to offer a four-day executive education programme on Strategy for Sustained Competitive Advantage. The programme is unique in that it is specially customised for African senior executives from the public and private sector, ensuring it reflects contextual nuances and adds immense measurable value for participants and their organisations. Executive education programmes such as these are ideal for helping people gain international experience and applying it to the local context, ultimately making them more attractive to both domestic and foreign employers. Abubakre says “The programme Strategy for Sustained Competitive

Advantage combines tuition in management that reflects the contextual nuances of a developing country with a platform for senior executives to shape their organisational vision while challenging their assumptions. Through this programme senior executives would broaden their horizons, enhance their ability to provide strategic leadership, improve their capability to anticipate and manage the future and present risks involved and max-

imise their potential to harness opportunities for their organisation in a sustainable way”. Dr Andrew Bass, a member of the Aston Business School faculty for the programme and a seasoned international senior executive consultant said “the programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, case studies, syndicate group work, and group presentations. Lectures expose participants to the pivotal theories and frameworks necessary

for understanding and analysing strategy for competitive advantage. The casestudy discussions facilitate the practical application of these theories to real-world problems and support the appreciation of the pragmatic issues of strategy in practice.” With programmes such as this on offer Nigerian businesses have little reason not to be ready to respond to the continued economic growth that the country is set to enjoy.

Online platform for women entrepreneurs debuts CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 edge sharing, and highlight innovation and best practices in expanding women’s access to finance. The hub was launched during a ceremony at the 2013 Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group and IMF. Its creation was made possible with key support from several members of the Group of 20 advanced and developing economies— including the united States, South Korea, Turkey, Germany, and the united Kingdom—that have also consistently championed women’s access to finance issues in the G-20 financial inclusion agenda. “Women-owned enterprises represent significant untapped economic potential,” said IFC’s VicePresident for Business Advisory Services, Nena Stoiljkovic. “It will take much more than credit to unlock that potential. It will also be necessary to expand financial literacy, leverage best practices, and put in place policies and regulations that remove barriers to women’s participation in the economy. The Women’s Finance Hub will provide an important boost to global efforts in these areas.” More than 200 million small businesses in emerging markets cannot obtain the credit they need to grow and generate much-needed jobs. The challenge is even more acute for womenowned businesses, which account for more than 30 percent of these firms. The financing needs of these

enterprises reach about $320 billion a year. But credit is not the only barrier for these enterprises—they also need tools, know-how and networks. “We hope that this new collaborative platform will present opportunities for

extensive synergies with IFC’s leading role in the development of the G-20 agenda for scaling up access to finance for women-owned SMEs,” said Matt Gamser, Head of the Women’s Finance Hub and the SME Finance Forum.

Oil prices pare loses as euro rises against dollar RuDE oil prices advanced after a big price decline,” said C for a second day at the Michael Lynch, president of weekend, paring its third Strategic Energy & Economic weekly drop, on speculation that declines were excessive and as the euro increased against the dollar. Brent oil for June settlement gained 52 cents, or 0.5 per cent, to end the session at $99.65 a barrel on the London- based ICE Futures Europe exchange. The volume of all futures traded on Friday was 19 per cent less than the 100-day average. Futures touched $96.75 on Thursday, the lowest intraday price since July 2. Brent slid 3.4 per cent this week. West Texas Intermediate oil rose 0.3 per cent. Prices gained the most in three weeks on Thursday after the 14-day relativestrength index sank below 30 on April 17, a sign the market is oversold, data compiled by Bloomberg show. Commodities gained with the euro after German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said in an interview with Wirtschaftswoche magazine that the European Central Bank should reduce liquidity in the euro area. “We’re still getting a bounce

Research in Winchester, Massachusetts. “This isn’t an aggressively bearish market because investors are looking at the dips as buying opportunities.” WTI crude for May delivery rose 28 cents to settle at $88.01 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract touched $85.61 in intraday trading on Thursday, the lowest level since December 11. The volume of all futures was 6.1 per cent below the 100-day average for this time of day at 2:44 p.m. Prices fell 3.6 per cent this week and are 14 per cent lower than a year ago. The June European benchmark grade was at a premium of $11.38 to WTI futures for the same month. The spread was $10.72 on April 17, the narrowest closing level since Jan. 25, 2012. WTI rebounded in early March after its relativestrength index slid below 30, a technical indication that futures have fallen too quickly and further losses aren’t sustainable.

FGN bonds record N131.6b transactions By Helen Oji HE Over-The-Counter T (OTC) market for FGN bonds, last week recorded a turnover of 108.212 million units valued at N131.607 billion in 622 deals in contrast to 105.744 million units worth N127.228 billion that changed hands in 651 deals during the preceding week. Specifically, last week, the financial services sector dominated in volume terms, as 1.759 billion shares valued at N14.642 billion exchanged hands by investors in 16,902 deals. The consumer goods sector followed in the activity chart with 121.622 million shares valued at N9.411 billion traded in 4,391 deals. Precisely, the banking subsector of the financial services sector was the most active last week (measured by turnover volume), as 1.435 billion shares worth N11.904 billion traded in 12,764 deals. Volume in the Banking

subsector was largely driven by activities in the shares of Wema Bank Plc, Skye Bank Plc and Zenith Bank Plc. Trading in the shares of the three banks accounted for 627.601 million shares worth N4.384 billion exchanged by investors in 3,720 deals contributing 29.691 per cent to the total equity turnover volume recorded last week. Further analysis of last week transactions showed that 6,021 units of NewGold Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) valued at N12.944 million were exchanged in 21 deals compared with a total of 510 units valued at N1.220 million transacted last week in 7 deals. Also, 4,140 units of FGN bonds and State bond valued at N4.471 million were traded during the week in 30 deals in contrast to 3,310 units valued at N4.049 million transacted last week in 20 deals (see details below). The NSE All-Share Index declined by 520.17 points or

1.55 per cent to close on Friday at 32,993.97 while the market capitalisation of the listed equities on the main board decreased also by 1.55 per cent to close at N10.547 trillion. Also, the NSE 30 Index depreciated by 25.27 points or 1.58per cent to close at 1,574.85. Other NSE sectoral indices that depreciated during the week include; NSE Consumer Goods, NSE Banking, NSE Oil and Gas, NSE-Lotus II and NSE Industrial Goods by 1.43 per cent, 3.74 per cent, 1.77 per cent, 0.81 per cent and 1.03 per cent respectively. However, NSE Insurance appreciated by 1.03 per cent. Twenty-eight equities appreciated in prices during the week higher than 20 equities of the preceding week. 49 equities depreciated in price lower than 59 equities of the preceding week, while 119 equities remained constant higher than 117 equities of the preceding week.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

BUSINESS 19

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

GTBank posts N28.49b profit in Q1 By Chijioke Nelson UARANTY Trust Bank Plc (GTBank) has released its unaudited financial results for the first quarter (Q1) ended March 31, 2013, to the Nigerian and London Stock Exchange. The bank recorded a 20.83 per cent growth in gross earnings to N63.57 billion, against N52.62 billion in the corresponding period of 2012. The result also showed a 16.85 per cent growth in profit before tax to N28.49 billion, against N24.38 billion in the

Q1 of 2012, while the bank’s non-performing loan ratio remained low at 2.8 per cent. The bank also reported shareholders’ funds of N307.95 billion for the period under review. Meanwhile, the bank has confirmed the date and venue for its 23rd yearly general meeting, where its 2012 financial results will be presented to shareholders. The results, which were approved earlier this month by the Central Bank of Nigeria

(CBN) and presented to operators of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, recorded a profit before tax of N103 billion, the highest for any Nigerian bank. Commenting on the results, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of GTBank, Segun Agbaje, stated that the bank is committed to positioning itself as the financial institution of choice for Nigerians and would continue to uphold the values of discipline, hardwork, excellent service quality and profession-

Standard Chartered to acquire Absa’s custody business TANDARD Chartered said it SAfrican will acquire the South custody and trustee business of Absa Bank, which also will build on the significant investment it has already made in its African franchise. The Group had acquired First Africa, a leading advisory business in 2009, Barclays’ Africa custody business in 2010, while it two new wholesale banking corporate offices in South Africa, in Cape Town and Durban last week. In a statement from the bank, it said: “Custody is a core capability that allows Wholesale Banking to deepen its core bank relationships with clients, while also generating sustainable income and liquidity in a capital efficient manner. This transaction will help achieve a step change in the Group’s custody capability across Africa. Over the past two years the Group has developed a profitable custody model across 21 sub-Saharan African countries, launching custody operations in South Africa earlier this year. This acquisition will position Standard Chartered as a leading South Africa custodian. The Chief Executive Officer, Africa Region, Diana Layfield, said: “Africa is an important strategic opportunity for the bank and for our clients, offering excellent economic growth and increasingly strong trade links with markets in Asia and the Middle East. “This deal will improve the range of services we offer to clients in the region. It builds our capabilities and is in line with our strategy to support

our organic growth with

selective acquisitions.”

alism in all its operations. According to him, the bank’s impressive 2013 Q1 result was due to customer loyalty, workers’ passion, a defined strategic plan and a supportive board, adding that barring any unforeseen development, the bank would maintain this performance for the rest of the financial year. According to a statement from the bank, the meeting would take place on April 25, 2013, at Zinnia Hall, Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos by 10:00 a.m. prompt. The meeting’s agenda would include receipt of the audited financial statement for 2012, declaration of dividend, and

election of directors and members of the bank’s audit committee. Additionally, the new

Chairman of the Board, Egbert Imomoh, would be presented to shareholders.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

Skye Bank’s PoS deployment to hit 15,000 By Chijioke Nelson KYE Bank Plc has concluded Smore arrangements to deploy Point of Sale terminals (PoS) in the six states to be covered in the second phase of the cash-less policy by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), an effort aimed at increasing the number to 15,000. CBN had recently announced that by July this year, the ‘Cashlite’ policy would be extended to states - Ogun, Anambra, Rivers, Abia and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, in response to a successful pilot test in Lagos State. The Group Head, E-Channels, Skye Bank Plc, Chuks Iku, said that the bank had deployed about 7,000 PoS terminals in Lagos, adding that additional 8,000 units would be deployed in the next phase of the roll out. To ensure the success of the exercise, Iku said branches of Skye Bank in Kano and the FCT have been made ready for the project and consequently, had commenced customer education in relation to how PoS could be used. The branches have also com-

CITN to give out prizes at tax confab HE Chartered Institute of T Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) will be giving out a new car and N800,000 cash prizes to winners of ‘Miss Tax 2013’ contest at its forthcoming conference in Calabar. Speaking ahead of the Institute’s 15th yearly tax conference holding from May 7 to 11, 2013, at Tinapa Lakeside Hotel, Calabar, Cross River State, Chairman of the conference committee, Ms. Gladys Simplice, said a new car will be won by ‘Miss Tax 2013’; second prize winner will go with N500,000 cash prize while third prize winner will be given N300,000 cash prize. She said that Miss Enumah Nwamaka Rosemary, who won the Miss Tax 2012 and Miss Helen Otey, for 2011 are now staff of Lagos Internal Revenue Service (LIRS). She participation is opened to students of tertiary institutions including polytechnics in the department of Business and Management Services, Law, Accounting, Economics, Public Finance, female tax practitioners, among others, and graduates below the age of 25 years. She said that winners will be announced during the conference. According to her, the development of any nation is a function of the efficiency and effectiveness of its tax system. According to her, this year’s conference with the theme, ‘Global Stability, Revenue Generation and Economic Growth’, will serve as unique opportunity for participants to interact with tax practitioners, administrators and policy makers as it remains the largest gathering of tax experts in Africa. She said the conference, being organised by CITN, will have the lead paper presented by Niger State Governor, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu, while Acting Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Alhaji Kabir Mohammed Mashi, will be Chairman of one of the sessions.

menced the provision of product knowledge and awareness about the policy and other payment channels. He said the awareness exercise would start in other states ahead of the roll out, adding that the bank’s workers in the states that would be covered under the second phase are presently undergoing training to ensure that they treat customers’ issues proactively and professionally to make the exercise a success. He listed some benefits of the new cash-lite policy to include safety of transactions, convenient payment arrangement, security and flexibility, noting that it would boost trade and commerce in the country.

BUSINESS 21

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

BUSINESS

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

MainOne lists benefits of regional connectivity in broadband growth in Africa By Adeyemi Adepetun O fast track Nigeria and T indeed the African market’s broadband growth, the need for a regional connectivity has been stressed. In a paper delivered at the inaugural West Africa Connect 2013, for West African Wholesale telecoms market in Dakar, Senegal, the Chief Executive Officer, MainOne Cable Company, Funke Opeke, reiterated the significance of reliable connectivity in pulling African economies into the future. Speaking on the theme: “Evaluating Key Developments, Innovation and Growth Opportunities in The West African Wholesale Markets”, Opeke explained the pervasive impact connectivity had on economic activities, businesses, improved educational delivery, standard of living and the revamp of the regional financial sectors. While shedding light on the growth opportunities in wholesale broadband, identifying the increase in new kinds of Internet activity and content-rich broadband applications as potential platforms, the MainOne boss said: “The development of fiber infrastructure by existing and new ISPs, the rise of wireless technologies

FCMB Capital Markets, others to serve as technical bank for $225m deal By Helen Oji IRST City Monument Bank FLimited (FCMB) Capital Markets and Stanbic IBTC has been identified as technical banks for Accugas Limited $225 medium term project finance facility for its Central Processing Facility and second gas pipeline project in Akwa Ibom. FCMB Capital Markets Limited, one of the Mandated Lead Arrangers (MLA) for the Facility, was in addition to being appointed MLA was also mandated as Technical Bank with Stanbic IBTC Plc. FCMB Capital Markets and Stanbic IBTC are the only Nigerian banks that demonstrated its ability to identify and allocate the technical risks associated with such complex projects as both institutions previously performed the same role for Nigeria’s first senior secured Reserve-Based Lending financed by Nigerian banks. Speaking after the transaction signing ceremony in Lagos, FCMB Capital Market’s Executive Director, Mr. Tolu Osinibi, explained that the Bank’s involvement to the facility was a demonstration of its commitment to the development of Nigeria’s power sector. He added that “the technical bank team would ensure that all the technical issues related to this novel project have been identified and addressed and that he is confident that the project will be completed on schedule and it will add significant value to the country’s power generation capacity”.

and the emerging migration towards user-created content and social networking will also form new prospects for broadband penetration in the continent”. “Reliable connectivity revolutionises various sectors of national life, such as the development of accessible government services, telemedicine, growth of intelligent transportation systems and the increased prominence of readily acces-

sible and convenient online banking portals”, she asserted. Opeke stressed the need for stakeholders in the industry to focus on global telecommunications issues such as its growth and development in West Africa, broadband development projects across nations, cross-border communication, the global growth of the telecoms sector and other critical issues challenging the sector.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013 Published in association with

InvestmentWatch Benefits Of Investing In Shares INTRODUCTION NVESTMENT in shares provides attractive returns. Based on current market scenario which projects the Equity space as a better profit returning sector compared to the Fixed income space, most investors tends to put a large portion of their investment in Equities than in other asset classes (e.g. Bond, Commodities, Real Estate etc). In this edition of Investment One education Series we will explore the several benefits that accrue from investing in shares and also highlight pitfalls to avoid. Shares A share is a unit of ownership that represents an equal proportion of a company's capital. It is a representation of the portion or part of a company that an investor owns. When an investor buys a share, he or she is referred to as a shareholder because the payment affords the investor a small percentage of everything that company owns e.g. Buildings, equipment, computers, etc. Holding the share of a company also gives an investor the right to make decisions that may influence the company. It also entitles its holder to an equal claim on the company's profits and an equal obligation for the company's debts and losses. Stocks fall into two main categories made of ordinary shares and preference shares namely: Ordinary shares Ordinary shares include those traded privately as well as shares traded on the various quoted stock exchanges. Ordinary shares have a stated "par value", but the true value of an ordinary share is based on the price obtained through market forces, the value of the underlying business and investor sentiment toward the company. They have voting right and also bear the liability of the company in the event of a winding up. Preference Shares This class of shares affords an investor ownership in a company which entitles him to a higher claim on the assets and earnings than ordinary shares. Preference shares generally receive dividend that must be paid out before dividends are paid out to ordinary shareholders and the shares usually do not have voting rights. Shares are available to investors in the primary market through private placements, public offers and the secondary market. These transactions are brokered

by stock broking firms who earn commission on the trades executed on behalf of the shareholders. We shall in the course of this piece highlight the several benefits of investing in shares as a veritable way of making money as follows: ATTRACTIVE RETURNS Shares have been popular with investors historically because shares have had better returns compared to other investments, such as bonds and cash in the bank. It is important to understand that past performance does not necessary mean a company will perform in the same way in the future. Perhaps you are thinking: "why not just keep money in the bank" as there is not much risk associated with that. While keeping your money in a savings account seems like a safer option, the returns are almost nonexistent if you factor in inflation. For example: You may be happy with the bank offering you 11% interest per annum on your term placement, however if you factor in inflation, which currently is at 8.6%(18th April, 2013), then your investment is only growing at a mere 2.4% per annum. For an investment to be growing, you need capital growth, which means share price increases beyond inflation (the general increase in the cost of things you buy day to day). OWNING QUALITY COMPANIES Ultimately, owning shares allows you to own a portion of a company (a share). The management team and board of directors effectively work for you, and are there to maximise your wealth. They carry out their fiduciary responsibility in a way that benefits you. Shares have the potential to generate good returns. However, it should also be noted that shares can also be risky. Investors deciding to invest in shares should have a long term view, this means 3-5 year time frame to maximise their investment. EASE OF DIVERSIFICATION Diversification is simply not putting all your eggs in one basket. If you make smaller investment in various different companies, the likehood that one of your investments fails means that it would not have a great effect on your total investment. If you have all your eggs spread between a numbers of baskets (investments), you are more shielded from any possible downturns, because you can

buy small number of different shares.

Dividends may be in the form of cash, stock or property. Most secure and stable companies offer dividends to their stockholders. Their share prices might not move much, but the dividend pay-out attempt to make up for this. Note however that high-growth companies rarely offer dividends because all of their profits are reinvested to help sustain higherthan-average growth.

LIQUIDITY The liquid nature of quoted shares makes them very attractive to investors. The market for shares is large (for the large blue chip companies), meaning you can find buyers and sellers to fulfil your request. For example, if you want to liquidate your portfolio (sell everything), it is relatively easy to find buyers, compare this to selling property, where SOME PITFALLS TO AVOID IN INVESTING you may have only 1 or 2 interested buy- IN SHARES ers. Investing in shares has a lot of benefits and also could lead to some pitfalls if you AVIALIBILITY OF INFORMATION lack the understanding of how the stock Information about a particular compa- market works and also do not make the ny’s share, especially blue chip shares, right choices. Some of the pitfalls to avoid are readily available everywhere, news include: on TV, newspaper and most financial • High Volatility: share prices can go up websites. Investors can get to know up or down due to one reason or the other, to the minute value of their share port- sometimes share prices drop so much folio. Also the Listing Rules on the that it may not provide you retirement Nigeria Stock Exchange require that income in form of dividends from these companies must report information to stocks. A discerning investor should their shareholders, including financials know what to do at any point in time. (full year and half year), news that may • Risk of ownership: It is true that you are affect the share price, such as acquisi- part owner of the company but when it tions and divestments and response to declares bankruptcy, you would be one queries relating to large movements in of the last persons to receive any proceeds their share price. This disclosure ensures from the liquidation of the company or that all shareholders are kept up to date more often, you do not receive any at all. on their investments. Sometimes companies go into liquidation thereby eroding the investments of CAPITAL APPRECIATION ordinary shareholders. For example, Capital appreciation refers to the some banks in Nigeria that did not meet amount of increase found in the princi- up with the N25 billion minimum capipal value or the price per unit of a share. tal as directed by the Central Bank of It is also a rise in the value of an asset Nigeria (CBN) were wound up. You must based on a rise in market price. be vigilant to watch over your investment Essentially, the capital that was invested if you consider it important to you. It is in the security has increased in value, important that you engage the services and the capital appreciation portion of of an experienced Investment Manager. the investment includes all of the mar- • Fraudulent stock brokers: some stockket value exceeding the original invest- brokers are fraudulent to their clients. ment or cost basis. Capital appreciation They may collect your money when there is one of the two main sources of invest- is perceived information that the shares ment returns, with the other being div- of a particular company are a good one idend or interest income. and instead of making the transactions in your name, divert the money for their DIVIDEND selfish interest. You must be careful in A distribution of a portion of a compa- selecting your stockbroker. ny's earnings, decided by the board of The equities market is indeed a unique directors, and approved at the compa- space with constantly evolving dynamny’s annual general meeting to a class of ics, from operators to the regulator and its shareholders. The dividend is most even investors; it demands a devotion to often quoted in terms of the naira its processes and practice to ensure that amount each share receives (dividends expectations are met. New investors per share). It can also be quoted in terms desiring to play in the market space will of a percentage of the current market do well to update their knowledge before price, referred to as dividend yield. entering the market.

Your decision to call a professional investment adviser may just be what you need to give you a broad and comprehensive feedback on how to invest in the stock market to help you achieve your investment plans. Please join us next week Monday to learn more on how you can successfully navigate the investment waters. Kindly let us know if you have found this article useful. Please contact us at: enquiries@investment-one.com

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

NCC lists subscribers’ role in number porting regime • Airtel targets 50m subscribers By Adeyemi Adepetun HEAD of the official launch in Nigeria of Mobile Number Portability (MNP) by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Ministry of Communication Technology in Lagos today, the role of subscribers in making the scheme work have been highlighted. Already, the NCC and telecoms operators and as well as MNP service provider, have confirmed their readiness for the scheme while there has been excitement stemming from what MNP is able and about to do. Expectedly, the service will give the telecoms consumers the freedom of choice, redefine competition and allow subscribers the opportunity to use only one phone and operate on the platform of their choice. Meanwhile, counting on its new ratings in the latest NCC’s Key Performance Indicator (KPIs) as the most improved telecommunications firm and an investment of over $1.5 billion in the last two years, Airtel said with the launch of MNP, it hoped to double its present 25 million subscribers by middle of next year. Indeed, the number porting process is expected to impose cutting-edge responsibility on the operators who will now ensure their quality of service is good enough to retain the confidence of their subscribers. However, the regulator has hinted that the programme is just beginning and will not provide the ‘magic wand’ to address all the problems of the industry immediately. For instance, the regulator at the weekend said while the it is envisaged that technical glitches may be expected within the first few days of the service launch, subscribers should visit the NCC website for detailed information on MNP. Explaining this, The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Eugene Juwah, in a document obtained at the weekend, called on the subscribers to carry out certain responsibilities. He said: “The following are very important: As a subscriber, you can port to another operator. However, you will be restricted from porting your number to a third operator within 90 days of a previous port; you can port your number as many times as you like in a given year. This means there is a 90-day restriction before your next port.” On how subscriber can confirm that the number he or she is porting is his or her number, Juwah said, “To move your number to a new mobile operator, you need to bring the following into the new operator’s

stores. Proof of identity is also important. It is an identity card, passport or driving licence or an officially-validated photographic identity document. Also, the mobile number you wish to port must be validly registered.” He also gave tips on where a subscriber can go to port his or her number. According to him, customers should go to the customer care office, retail shop or outlet of their chosen new service provider and meet with the authorized sales person to request to port their number. The NCC boos also informed the subscribers that the porting can only be undertaken by visiting the customer care office, retail shop or authorised dealer of a subscriber has chosen a new service provider and is not available by telephone, online or other electronic means. The Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya, while hosting journalists in Lagos on Saturday, said the firm was pleased with the development, stressing that it is on record that Airtel was the first operator in Nigeria to have moved for the adoption of MNP in the country. “Precisely, that was on November 19, 2012 in Abuja”, he stated. While dousing rumour about the firm’s capability to manage possible increase in traffic on its network, Ogunsanya said: “We have done our home work and fully ready to go live on MNP. So far we have invested about $1.5 billion on upgrade of our infrastructure. We have completed our 4G LTE trial in Lagos. Our target is to double our present 25 million active subscribers in the country. We believe that our preparation can help us to attain that.” Furthermore, Juwah, while urging the subscribers not to terminate service with their existing service provider before initiating porting with the new service provider, the regulator said it is obligatory on the customer to visit a service centre or his/her number does not get ported. He added that both post-paid and pre-paid customers would be able to port their numbers. “However, once the porting process is complete, post paid customers are required to settle their outstanding bills to their previous service provider including any early termination fees.” Juwah also intimated that the old service provider is permitted to use any legal measures to recover any outstanding charges from a subscriber, noting that though porting is free, an new operator may decide to charge for the SIM Card.

BUSINESS

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

Insurance Robust retail market is key to healthy insurance sector By Josha Nse ORRIED by the huge W insurance gap of 94 per cent that exist in the industry, chieftains and regulators have advocated that only retail market and distribution holds the key to a robust insurance growth in Nigeria. An insurance technocrat and consultant who spoke to The Guardian said that insurance companies must go the drawing board and embrace the concept of retail insurance distribution if they intend to survive in the next five years. Insurance gap of 94 per cent means that in a population of 170 million people, the demand created for insurance by this huge population, the insurance industry is only able to meet (supply) six percent of these needs. The managing director/CEO, RiskguardAfrica (Nigeria) Limited, Yemi Soladoye, who presented a graphic picture of the level of low insurance penetration in the country said, “We have 170 million Nigerians that have been neglected by the insurance industry for close to 100 years. We have the small and medium scale industries that are yarning for protection.

“Insurance is a business that guarantees the development of other sectors of the economy, mortgage cannot develop well without insurance, it provides protection and funds for long term investments, it is through insurance that we get funds for project of national development” On the development prospects of the industry, Soladoye explained that the Nigeria insurance industry in general is now set for the expected growth that we have been talking about all these years. You are looking at the growth pattern of our industry, you probably put it in phases. “I believe that between 1921 and 2007, that is the phase one when the competitive edge of insurance companies was probably pronounced. Betweem 2008 and 2011, we see it as a transition period, four years of transition because that kind of change can no longer be revolutionary, it has to be evolutionary and has to combine with so many other things.” According to him, the operators equally have to see and understand that there is the need for a new way of doing things. Hitherto, their business focus concentrated on wholesale markets - what can we get from the brokers, what can we get from gov-

ernment accounts, they had the capital, but the business orientation or focus was solely on the wholesale market and it became difficult for them to extricate themselves from the wholesale market without having a prepared alternative. However, he said, I know of four or five insurance companies in this market who are coming out big in the retail market area, we should realize in this industry that India, and China are what it is today, because of the effective development of the retail market in these countries. That is where Mutual

Benefits Assurance comes in. All along, the company saw the future, what we may call industry foresight and realized that retail would actually lead control of insurance market in Nigeria, and if you see the way they have been operating, for example, in the year 2012, Mutual opened 45 new offices, without anybody knowing what is really going on. At the moment, the company has about 70 branch offices, the largest in Nigeria. You need that spread in other to succeed in retail market, they already have it, you need new and dynamic products, they have 50 products they

are introducing into the market. You need to expand your distribution outlet to the non-traditional areas. He said, we are all used to agents, brokers, they have gone into collaboration and when you do this, excellent services is equally important you will see for the first time insurance company is advertising for customer service officers, which has been alien to our industry. An insurance company is bringing dignity to agency job and insurance. What this company has done is to provide leadership; the company has now become a concept in retail insurance business

just like what is happening in the developed world. He said, “The fact is that any insurance company that does not go into retail markets now will find itself out of business in the next five years, it has become necessary for all other insurance companies to go back to the drawing board to develop its retail distribution system.” The objective of the Market development and restructuring initiative (MDRI), a baby of the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), is focused on the development of the retail market through the compulsory insurance products.

AIICO enhances value of education assurance plan O protect the educational T future of children, AIICO Insurance Plc has added more value to its education legacy assurance plan. The firm noted that the policy is structured to protect a child from being forced to end school prematurely and can also be a savings plan to accumulate sufficient funds for education. Speaking on the benefits of the policy, the Group Managing Director, AIICO Insurance, Mr. David Sobanjo, said it assures a life assurance benefit of a guaranteed sum assured to a maximum of N10 million or the balance in the policy holder’s account, which ever is higher. According to the company, there is an annual maintenance income of 25 per cent of sum assured that will be payable for five years in event of the demise of the policyholder. The firm added that a disability benefit will be made available in the event of total or permanent disability of the breadwinner. Here, it explains that the policyholder enjoys benefits due under the life assurance cover and annual maintenance income. The AIICO Education Legacy Assurance, it added, provides a redundancy benefit due to loss of employment, thus,

allowing the policyholder to enjoy a waiver of the premium for six months. It also allows a cash withdrawal option of up to 20 per cent from the legacy account to assist in the child’s education provided the policy has been in place for a minimum of five years. The firm explains that there is also the AIICO Group Education Policy with extended benefits. Sobanjo said, “The policy will pay for the education of the child named in the policy, on the death of the sponsor parent/ guardian of the child.. Where the named child repeats a class for a maximum of two times, he explains that the policy will pay the school fees until such a child leaves school, consequent upon the death or permanent disability of the breadwinner. He added that school fees shall be disbursed to the school upon death or permanent disability of the sponsor of the child per term, until the child graduates from nursery/ primary or secondary school as the case may be. “The essence of this insurance scheme is to ensure that the education of a child is not disrupted either at nursery/primary or secondary level, should the sponsor die or suffer permanent disability,” Sobanjo said.

The President, Ghana Insurance Brokers Association, Rev. Asante Marfo-Ahenkora, (left), The lecturer Dr. Feyi Soyewo, and the Managing Director KEK Re-Insurance Brokers, Mr. Shuaibu Alli, during the 25th anniversary of Ghana Insurance Brokers Association (GIBA) in Accra, Ghana.

African insurance market requires legislation to boost capacity building ‘By Joshua Nse S a result of low insurance awareness on the benefits of insurance in the African continent, governments of African countries should enact laws that would fasttract capacity building for insurance brokers and underwriters. Besides, organised African insurance markets should embark on aggressive insurance awareness campaign to sensitise the public on the benefits and advantages of insurance as an effective risk mechanism. The chairman of Prestige Insurance Brokers Limited, and past chairman of the African Insurance Brokers Association (AIBA), Dr. Feyisayo Soyewa, made the call on governments of

African nations to strengthen on the paltry 1.5 per cent improvement of world insurance premium. At a public lecture he delivered to mark the 25th anniversary of Ghana Insurance Brokers Association (GIBA) in Accra, he told African governments to copy the Nigerian government example when it took the bull by the horn recently, and enacted the Local Content law which inter alia provides for oil and gas insurance, emanating from Nigeria to be compulsorily insured through local brokers. It is a law that, if diligently implemented, he said, would fast-track growth and capacity building of the local brokers in the continent. In his paper “The broker:

your gateway to the insurance market, Soyewo traced the origin of insurance broking and its introduction into the African continent and also enumerated the challenges facing the African insurance market. The former NCRIB President said: “In most African Insurance markets, majority of policy holders are not literate enough to be able to read and understand insurance policy documents. As a result, such policy-holders would not be aware of the conditions attaching to the insurance contract entered into viz: the scope of cover granted under the policy, what part of a loss he/she is to bear on every claim made, what policy conditions that are precedent to accepting liabil-

ity and such other conditions attaching to and forming part of the insurance policy and most times creates problems for policyholders and hinder them from receiving fair claim settlement. In some cases, outright repudiation of claims.” According to him, even among the literate policyholders, not too many of them has the time to go through the policy documents to understand the terms and conditions of the policy. Even when the socalled “small prints” are now made bigger, the poor attitude to reading still prevents many from reading. This no doubt is a marked departure from what obtains in the developed world where readCONTINUED ON PAGE 27

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

INSURANCE 27

Pensions Alliance tasks Nigerians on retirement plan T a customer forum organised by frontline Pension Fund Administrators (PFA), Pensions Alliance Limited (PAL Pensions), Nigerians were urged to consider retiring with ease. The forum, which held at the Educational Resource Centre in Abuja on Tuesday, gathered many of PAL’s customers drawn from the public and private sectors. Speaking at the event, the company’s Managing Director, Dave Uduanu, informed that the forum was organised to educate their customers on the processes and documentation required for assessing their retirement benefits. “The interactions, feedback and complaints that we get from here will go a long way to helping us proffer solutions where necessary,” he disclosed adding that the entire process also gives many customers a direct platform to updates their records.

African insurance market requires legislation to boost capacity building CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27 ing culture is imbibed by the larger majority and reading and understanding the policy documents is not a difficult task. He explained that the intervention of insurance brokers, especially in the African insurance market, therefore, becomes crucial as it helps to make insurance beneficial to policyholders. The brokers interpret the policy conditions to the insured and reject obnoxious ones on behalf of his client. He also ensures compliance, especially at the time of claim resulting in prompt, fair and equitable settlement, thus ensuring achievement of the purpose for which insurance policy was obtained. Claims that would have been turned down for non-compliance with policy conditions become payable. He said: “Because of this peculiar situation, the African insurance market requires new legislation that can strengthen the brokers to play their role effectively. Legislation that would enhance growth and capacity building for local insurance brokers to enable them compete favourably in the international market.” He lauded the Nigerian government on the local content law: “The Nigerian government took the bull by the horn recently when it enacted the local content law which “inter-alia” provides for oil and gas insurance, emanating from Nigeria to be compulsorily insured through local brokers. It is a law that, if diligently implemented, would fast-track growth and capacity building of the local brokers.” Besides, the Nigerian government recently put in place laws that compel some classes of insurance tagged “Compulsorily Insurance.”. “It is also unimaginable that despite vast potentials found in many African countries, the insurance sector remains a marginal activity and it is not growing at any appreciable rate. Statistics show that out of the 2010 worldwide premium of $4,339 billion, Africa’s share is a paltry N67 billion (1.5 per cent).

At the forum, customers asked several questions bothering on electronic payments and payment alerts, irregular remittances, not upgrading pension remittance due to employee promotion, inconsistent issuance of statements of accounts, the fate of retrenched employees, as well as issues bothering on the old scheme and the new scheme to which they all received explanatory answers. The company also took the customers through a presentation to explain pension process flow, benefit payment, retirement, documentation processes, payment processes, benefit computation as well as annuity and programmed withdrawal. The National Pension Commission (PENCOM) also lent its voice at the forum through its Acting DirectorGeneral, Mrs. Chinelo AnohuAmazu, represented by

Abdulrahaman Muhammad Saleem. According to her, the commission is working very hard to ensure that the objectives of the scheme are met so as to ensure that retirees have the best of benefits. While speaking on the noncompliance of many companies in Nigeria, Uduanu said access to pension is a right of every working Nigerian while explaining that since it is an act of government, it is an offence for companies not to comply. “When companies comply, their workers have something to look forward to and this will be a motivating factor for employees,” he said. PAL Pensions currently has more than 300,000 customers in their kitty with the latter’s pension contribution in the PFA’s care. With assets in excess of N100 billion, Uduanu disclosed that the company prides itself in the quality of services rendered.

IBERTY Mutual Holding Lcorporation Company Inc., the parent Liberty Mutual Insurance of the Liberty Mutual Insurance group of entities (the “Company”), is scheduled to review its first quarter 2013 financial results on May 2, 2013. At 11:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time that day, David Long, Liberty Mutual Insurance President and CEO, will host a conference call to discuss the Company’s financial results. The earnings release, financial results and other supplemental information will be available on the website www.libertymutual.com/inv estors prior to the call. To listen to the call and participate in the Q&A, please dial 800 857 2190, providing the pass code “Liberty” when prompted. A replay will be available until 5:00 p.m. on May 16, 2013 at 888-567-0419. For further information, please contact Alison Erbig, Vice President and Director, Investor Relations, at 617-5746655 or email investor_relations@libertymutual.com. “Helping people live safer, more secure lives” since 1912,

reviews Q1 2013 earnings Boston-based Liberty Mutual Insurance is a diversified global insurer and the third largest property and casualty insurer in the U.S. based on 2012 direct premiums written as reported by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Liberty Mutual Insurance also ranks 84th on the Fortune 100 list of largest corporations in the U.S. based on 2011 revenue. As of December 31, 2012, Liberty Mutual Insurance had $120.1 billion in consolidated assets, $101.5 billion in consolidated liabilities, and $36.9 billion in annual consolidated revenue. Liberty Mutual Insurance offers a wide range of insurance products and services, including personal automobile, homeowners, workers compensation, property, commercial automobile, general liability, global spe-

cialty, group disability, reinsurance and surety. Liberty Mutual Insurance (www.libertymutualinsurance.com) employs over 50,000 people in more than 900 offices throughout the world.

Liberty Mutual Insurance also ranks 84th on the Fortune 100 list of largest corporations in the U.S. based on 2011 revenue. As of December 31, 2012, Liberty Mutual Insurance had $120.1 billion in consolidated assets, $101.5 billion in consolidated liabilities, and $36.9 billion in annual consolidated revenue

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22 , 2013

Stockwatch In association with Lead Capital

Stock Market Report for the week Friday, 12th April to Thursday 18th April, 2013 n the week, the total vol- ANNOUNCEMENT AJOR equity markets around the I1.35% ume depreciated by M globe moved downwards as their URING the period under review, thirty three and value traded various indexes lost marginal points. D (33) stocks recorded price appreciation comappreciated by 16.45%. A pared In our universe of sample equity marto twenty two (22) that depreciated in the kets; the S & P 500, NASDAQ and Dow Jones all lost points by 2.22%, 2.81% and 1.24% respectively, at the end of last week. In Europe, The German Dax, FTSE 100 and France CAC 40 lost points by 3.94%, 2.24% and 3.86% respectively. In the Asia/Pacific region, BSE Sensex gained points by 2.56%, while the Nikkei 225 and Hangseng lost points by 2.43% and 2.66% respectively. In Brazil, the Bovespa lost point by 6.01% while Russia’s RTS INDEX lost points by 8.66%. On the local setting, NSE ASI closed at 32,887.45 recording 1.73% depreciation at the end of the week’s trading.

turnover of 2.19 billion units of shares valued at N28.67 billion was recorded, in contrast to a turnover of 2.22 billion units of shares worth N24.62 billion that was recorded in the previous week. Volume this week was driven by activities in the shares of WEMABANK, ETI, ZENITHBANK, SKYEBANK, ACCESS, FBNH, GUARANTY, UBA, DIAMONDBNK and UNITYBNK.

previous week, AGLEVENT was first on the top gainers chart to close with 18.64%, followed by AFRIPRUD with 15.48%, MANSARD with 14.89%, NEIMETH with 14.81%, AIICO with 13.33% and CCNN with 12.42%. Other gainers in the top ten categories were TRANSCORP with 11.50%, PRESTIGE with 10.71%, PZ with 10.42% and CUTIX with 1.87%. On the flip side, forty four (44) stocks depreciated in price last week compared to fifty four (54) that depreciated a week ago. LEARNAFRICA led on the price losers’ table with 26.84%, followed by ABCTRANS by 24.36%, MAYBAKER by 18.55%, COSTAIN by 18.52%, IPWA by 18.42%, WAPIC by 16.55%, WEMABANK by 12.86%, ZENITHBANK by 11.93%, ASHAKACEM by 11.44% and BERGER by 10.00%.

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THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

Lead Capital Stock Valuation

COMPANY’S RESULT

CONTINUE ON PAGE 51

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

Homes & Property Falana seeks justice, petitions NJC over Abuja land deal Page 32

Peace Court debuts at Lagos Oceanbay estate

Lagos targets September for completion of road projects

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Community battles FHA over Festac Phase II project site Litigation By Tosin Fodeke HESE are not the best of T times for the Federal Government’s dream to actualise its ambitious FESTAC Phase II project, through one of its agencies – Federal Housing Authority (FHA), as the Kuje Amuwo community, headed by Oba Isaac Owolabi Olayemi, is challenging the legality of the proposed project. Similarly, the resident association already in the area, has also indicated their interest to join issues, stating that the activities of omo onile on the disputed area, has continued to constitute a threat to their livelihood. In a case initiated by the Alamuwo of Kuje Land, Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area, Lagos, the monarch, supported by one Chief R.A. Balogun and persons unknown, the community said FHA has no legal right to temper with their landed property, which should have reverted to it. According to the claimants, who sued Federal Ministry of Lands Housing and Urban Development, the Attorney General of the Federation among others, their forefathers are the founder and the first settlers on the land presently being referred and called Festac Town in the Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area, Festac, Lagos State from time immemorial. They averred that they

The parties are in court over certain portions of land in Festac town, which has been approved for the development of a Phase II project in Lagos under a public-private partnership exercise maximum and unfettered control over the area known and called Kuje Amuwo community and the vast expanse of land lying along Lagos-Badagry Express Road, Lagos State. They also stated that their expanse of land extend and covered beyond the area from which Festac Town land was excised and acquired by the government for hosting of Festac 77 and that this land was initially acquired from the family by the Lagos State Government on behalf of the Federal Military Government and the Federal Housing Authority for the construction of Festac Town for the hosting of Festac 77. Alleging trespass on their land, the claimants are now praying for an order to restrain the defendants on their claimed land, measuring 152- 508 hectares. They are also seeking an order that the claimant’s lands in survey plan No. KESH/L/1106 dated 4th October, 1980 is free from

Site of the Festac Phase II project, recently any known Federal But the defendants are Government Acquisition or seeking to stop the persistfrom the FHA’s acquisition ent sale of land by a section in any manner whatsoever of the Kuje Amuwo Royal and howsoever, and athe family (claimants) and have legal owners of parcel of requested for the sum of N5 land measuring 508-152 million and N100, 000 hectares of land less 4.017 respectively for cost hectares of land (0.790 per incurred due to the court cent) as properly charted in case. the defendants survey plan Counsel to the Federal No. LS/D/BGT/63 at 6th Housing Authority (FHA), Avenue Festac Town, Lagos. represented by Courage

Okpeku revealed to The Guardian that the defendants’s case rests on its right to claim its land which was gazetted to it back in 1973 by the Federal Government for the construction of the Festac 77 project. He further revealed that presently construction work is still going on at the site. According to the residents,

the uncertainty has been giving them sleepless night as land speculators have been visiting the area in the recent time. “They recalled that sometime in January, 2012, a group of land speculators, popularly referred to as omo oniles in Lagos State, besieged part of FESTAC

CONTINUED ON PAGE 35

Council approves UN-Habitat budget, picks Medellín for WUF7 Urban Development By Chinedum Uwaegbulam NEW era is dawning on the A United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-

Nigerian Ambassador to Kenya,Ambassador Solomon Oyateru (right),Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Dr Joan Clos, Minister of Housing, Land and Urban Development, Amal Pepple and Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko at the signing of UN-Habitat Partnership during the 24th Governing Council of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) in Nairobi, Kenya, last week.

Habitat), following a broad consensus reached by governments at the 24th biennial meeting of Governing Council of body, especially on the relevance of sustainable urban development and the important role the agency is playing in the United Nations system. Several resolutions were adopted after five days of intense discussions and negotiations impacting positively on the work of UN-Habitat and the lives of millions of urban dwellers. A total of 1,144 delegates from 107 countries attended the meeting representing national governments, local authorities, private sector, civil society as well as media. At the event, UN-Habitat released two landmark

The Council approved the work programme and budget of the agency for the next two years. There was also a resolution to give full support for the preparations of the Habitat III conference to be held in 2016 where a new global urban agenda will be formulated reports on women and youth, which reveal that cities must resolve the issues affecting the two segments of society. The State of Women in Cities report says that equitable, inclusive and prosperous cities need to harness the full potential of all citizens – men, women, and the youth. This is important as the world grapples with the effects of the global economic and financial crisis that has resulted in climate change, food insecurity and widespread unemployment among women and youth. On the other hand, State of Urban Youth report says that youth are the society’s most important and dynamic human resource. There are

more people under the age of 25 today than ever, totaling nearly three billion - or half of humankind − of which 1.3 billion are between ages 12 and 24. Most live in urban areas. Yet, nearly 45 per cent of young people around the world— almost 515 million— live on less than two US dollars a day. Specifically, the Council approved the work programme and budget of the agency for the next two years. There was also a resolution to give full support for the preparations of the Habitat III conference to be held in 2016 where a new global urban agenda will be formulated.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 35

HOMES & PROPERTY

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

Falana seeks justice, petitions NJC over Abuja land deal Litigation By Yetunde Ayobami-Ojo ESOLVED to get justice, a Lagos based human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), has petitioned National Judicial Council (NJC) and the Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, Justice Lawal Gummi over the ownership of a landed property located in Asokoro area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). In two separate petitions, Falana sought investigations into the circumstances under which a judgment delivered over the ownership of the land was executed. The petitions were written on behalf of Mr. Imonkhuede Ohikhuare, whom he said was the owner of the land and the N1bn property built on it. Falana said although Ohikhuare had earlier written similar petition to the NJC, the decision earlier taken on it by the Council “is deserving of review”. He said Ohikhuare was forcibly evicted from the house upon a warrant of possession issued by Justice A.S Umar of the FCT High Court, while an appeal against the judgment and an application for stay of execution were pending at the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal. Falana also faulted the execution of the judgment delivered by Justice Umar on May 17, 2012, saying the Judge issued the warrant of possession before time and also when none ought to have been issued. He stated in the petitions, “The judge (Justice Umar) did not only issue a warrant of possession before the time allowed by law, but he also deliberately issued a warrant of possession when none ought to have been

The property in Asokoro, Abuja

The controversy surrounding the ownership of the disputed choice land in Asokoro area, Abuja, is yet unabated as a counsel in the matter is calling for investigation into the circumstances that led to an execution of a court order, when litigation is still on issued at all. “This is nothing but a naked abuse of judicial power.” Falana argued that the writ of possession was only appropriate for a judgment obtained against a tenant by his landlord or for recovery of possession of premises. “It is a land matter dispute matter and the judgment the plaintiff was given against the defendants was not for delivery up of possession of premises which belonged to the plaintiff, a landlord, but held over by a recalcitrant tenant.

“Assuming, without accepting that the judgment contained an order for possession, along with the declaratory, mandatory and injunctive reliefs granted by the judge, that order for possession can only be enforced pursuant to the Sheriff and Civil Process Act, and the Judgment Enforcement Rules, made thereunder, with requisite Forms being used in the circumstances.” He added that it was illegal for the Judge to have issued a writ of possession by Justice Usman “only six days (including

Saturday and Sunday)”, instead of fourteen days after delivery of judgment, as stipulated by law. He said as such, the manner of the execution of the judgment was contrary to Order IV, Rule 1(1&2) of the Judgments (Enforcement) Rules, made under Section 94 of the Sheriffs and Civil Process Act. Vol. 14 Cap S6, LFN, 2006. He said the writ of possession was not sought among the plaintiff’s reliefs, but that the judge issued the judgement “to aid the usurpers of our client’s property to quickly take over his

property”. Also, he said the judge must have signed the writ of possession “in full knowledge of the existence of an application for stay of execution of his judgment”. The lawyer urged the NJC to do justice to this matter. “The NJC has a duty to halt any further dent to the image of the judiciary in these troubling times, when the impartiality and relevance of the judiciary is, daily being called into question,” he stated. He therefore urged the Chief Judge of the Abuja High Court to sanction all those involved from the office of the Sheriff and Bailiffs of the court. “We want your Lordship to cause an investigation into this petition, sanction those

involved from the office of the Sheriff and Bailiffs, in the sordid execution and grant our client an administrative redress by restoring him by to his property pending the outcome of the said appeal.” The judgment,which is currently being challenged at the Court of Appeal in Abuja,was delivered in favour of Alhaji Shehu Malami but the said judgment was executed in favour of Sir Emeka Offor. Malami had filed the suit in 2010 claiming that he was originally the person allocated the said parcel of land in 1984. However, during a hearing of the appeal at the Court of Appeal in Abuja, Malami applied that his name be struck out and be replaced with that of Offor to whom he claimed to have sold the land. Malami’s basis for the request was that his interest in the property had ceased, stating in his letter, that “In 2010 I consented to the action at the High Court being instituted in my name because I did not know that Sir Emeka Offor had registered the power of attorney I gave him”. Meanwhile, Ohikhuare claimed to have bought the parcel of land from the then Minister of State, Mohammed Aliyu in 2006. He claimed to have bought the land after “conducting a legal search” at the Federal Capital Development Authority – Abuja Geographic Information Service which he said established that the Certificate of Occupancy were in favour of Aliyu, from whom he bought the land. He noted that during the three years of constructing the two identical building on the land in late 2009, “no adverse claimant or trespasser” disturbed him on the land or contested his title to

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

Prime Estates Peace Court emerges at Lagos Oceanbay estate Projects By Tosin Fodeke NOTHER private residential estate in the heart of Lekki Peninsula, Peace Court is set to join the ranks of housing developments on the Victoria Island-Epe corridor. The 16unit estate is located in Ocean Bay Estate Lagos. Promoted by private developers, Messer Kalyteros Nigeria Limited, the estate is a cluster of innovative house types comprising 4 bedroom terraces with each unit having a roof terrace as a star feature, two units of three bedroom maisonettes and two units of two bedroom apartments. Each of the units comes with its own detached maid’s room. The estate located in a gated neighbourhood with functional amenities and infrastructure, and situated at Ocean bay, off the Lekki-Epe Expressway. It also offers other benefits such as, individual 2.5 KVA Inverters ensuring uninterrupted power supply Swimming pool and fitness area to refresh and unwind, a large roof terrace for everything from enjoying the sea breeze, to outdoor entertaining. Managing Director Kalyteros Nigeria Limited, Mr. Ademolu Oyenuga in a chat with The Guardian revealed that the firm is in talks with GTHomes to provide mortgage facility

Artist impression of the proposed Peace Court, Lekki, Lagos

Peace Court is an exclusive development Nestled in Ocean Bay Estate, a matured gated neighbourhood with functional amenities and infrastructure whose sole aim is to provide a secure and comfortable living environment to those who appreciate luxury, beauty and comfort. even as it is committed to developing homes that are of excellent long-term investment. “Our homes are not only designed for beauty, but inno-

vation, functionality and convenience. Our efficient use of space, quality materials and fine workmanship will give your homes lasting value and

appeal. “The proximity to shopping and leisure at The Palms shopping complex, Spar shopping centre, Four Points by

Sheraton, the Lekki Free Trade Zone and lots more, most of which are national landmarks, no doubt make this everyone’s dream location. Ocean Bay has a five acre golf range, a sports/recreation park, a mini shopping strip, world class infrastructure, an internal communications

facility powered by Visafone, private postal system with private mail bag, dedicated sewage management system, 24 hours security, professional facilities management and a dedicated independent water treatment plant that ensures that good, potable water is available all day long.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

34 HOMES&PROPERTY

Lagos targets September for completion of road projects Infrastructure By Tunde Alao AGOS authorities have awarded 261 contracts for road upgrading and reconstruction works to different contractors between May 2012 and May 2013. Another 100 contracts including 53 nongrading and surface dressing have also been awarded in 2013. State’s Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, who made the revelation the Annual Ministerial Press Briefing held in Alausa last week, assured that most of the ongoing projects, especially, road, structures and bridges, would be completed by the third quarters of 2013. Hamzat, while listing the number of the ongoing proj-

The state official linked the delay in infrastructure delivery in Lagos State to factors that include the city’s topography, frivolous litigations by residents, government’s consideration for people’s rights and privileges; weather factors such as rain and incompetence of some contractors ects across the state, said the delay in infrastructure delivery in Lagos State is being caused by several factors, including Topography of some areas, frivolous litigations by residents, government’s consideration for people’s rights and privileges; weather factors such as rain, incompetence of some contractors, lack of public ownership of infrastructure leading to vandalisation of public utilities, amongst others. Besides, he said, the menace of axle loads on some inner roads

is putting more financial pressure on the limited funds accruable to the state government. But despite these constraints, Hamzat assured that government is forging ahead to ensure the completion of most of the ongoing projects across the metropolis. Among the listed projects, apart from Mazamaza-Okokomaiko, are; the 13.5-kilometres six lanes expansion of Lagos-Ikorodu Road, being handled by CCECC; 7.2 kilometres Ipaja

On-going work at the Lagos-Badagry Expressway Ayobo Road, that is currently 47 percent work stage; 3.5 kilometre Idimu-Ejigbo road, handling by Messrs Palmyra

3invest launches real estate network, loyalty scheme Real Estate By Tosin Fodeke N an apparent bid to provide real estate funding solutions, a Lagos-based firm, 3invest Limited has unveiled two new initiatives, which will create profitable access to housing for both investors and buyers. The initiatives tagged 3INVESTOR Loyalty Programme and the Real Estate Investor Network (REIN) were launched to address some specific barriers such as High cost of housing, high Agency fees, high interest lending rate, lack of housing finance sector, lack of proper information data and quackery. Managing Director and Chief

Executive Officer, 3Invest Limited, Ruth Obih while speaking last week at a Property Buyers’ Forum, explained that the 3INVESTOR loyalty programme is an annual fee-based loyalty program that provides brokerage services to its clients at the lowest price guarantee in the market. She added that it offers a range of benefits to its members who get access to discounted offerings from their Real Estate transactions within the 3Investor circle or affiliate platforms as well as licensed mortgage brokerage services, complimentary invitations to exclusive real estate events, weekly investor newsletter, legal and advisory services, priority boarding.

“Members of this loyalty programme, which has three types of membership, notably, Standard, Premium and Merchant, are called 3INVESTORS They include Landlords, Household Suppliers, Interior decorators, HNI’s, FDI’s, Individuals, developers or corporations who may act as sponsor or investor on the REIN network. The Real Estate Investor Network (REIN) is a subscriptionbased nexus of real estate investors. It is a platform that provides real estate funding solutions to developers a safer forum for investors. Its mission is to enable its members push forward their development projects by successfully sourcing funds, as well as diversify-

ing their investment portfolio through investment in incomeproducing real estate, yielding competitive rate of returns. REIN is exclusive to 3INVESTORS who may be an organization or individual seeking funds/ investors on one hand or with visible funds seeking a good incomeproducing real estate deal on the other hand. Nigeria’s Real Estate Industry contributes less than 5 per cent to the nation’s economy. In other emerging markets such as Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa; the sector contributes between 15-25 per cent Key regulatory, financial, housing and policy challenges has resulted in building investors’ apathy within the industry.

Construction Nigeria Limited that is 15 percent completion stage; 2.1 kilometre Ajao-Ejigbo, that consisted of two bridges, and currently 70 percent work stage. The projects are expected to complete between July 2013 to September 2013, while IdimuEjigbo is targeted to complete by November 2013, and Ago Palace road that is also 70 percent completion is to be completed in July 2013. Others projects billed for September completion date are; Ozumba Mbadiwe upgrading project that commenced from Bonny Camp, leading to Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island; Addo-Kekere/Langbasa/Kajola road, Ibeju, Maidan Agiliti, Phases one and two, July 2013. On Ago Palace, Hamzat said that the controversy surrounding the execution of the project has been resolved. According to him, some landlords in the area initiated a suit against the government, thus, stalling the early completion of the project.

”But we are happy that we have resolved the issues and contractor would be mobilized back to site any moment from now”. Defending the role of government in awarding contracts to the indigenous and young professionals and in view of the allegation of poor job delivery in some sites, Hamzat said while government is not hesitating in sacking contractors that are not performing, said government owes Nigeria, especially, Lagos a duty to encourage the indigenous and young engineers by giving them opportunity to get contracts. “We are not afraid to make mistake. We have a leadership that influences us to embark on major complex infrastructure, and by extension employing different cadres for different projects”, he said, adding that those young engineers would make mistakes and through such mistakes would become a better handler of projects.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

HOMES&PROPERTY 35

UN-Habitat plans new global urban agenda in 2016 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31 The Governing Council whose theme was ‘Sustainable Development: The role of cities in creating improved economic opportunities for all, with special reference to youth and gender’ recorded several firsts. It was the first major gathering Kenya’s newly elected President Uhuru Kenyatta was presiding over and it was also the first Governing Council in the history of the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON). The conference also unveiled the City of Medellin as the venue of the Seventh session of the World Urban Forum due next year, 2014 (WUF7). Dr. Joan Clos the United Nations Under-Secretary General and the Executive Director of UN-Habitat hosted top officials from the Colombian government and the city of Medellin in unveiling the venue.

Dr. Clos was accompanied by the Ricardo José Arango Manager of the Local Organizing Committee of the World Urban Forum Diego Restrepo, Chief of the Institute of Housing of Medellin and Colombia’s ambassador to Kenya and Permanent Representative to UN-Habitat, Maria Eugenia Correa when they announced that Medellin will play host to the Forum next year. After a bidding process with other cities, Medellin got the honors of being chosen to host next year’s event. According to the representatives of the Colombian Government and the city of Medellin the choice was a great honour to them. They said that after many decades of being depicted as a place of violence and non-growth, Medellin had turned a new chapter which it wanted to show case to the world.

The Colombian officials extended a warm invitation to all the delegates who will be heading to their city and promised them an experience to last a life time. On his part, Dr. Clos expressed optimism that the great and exciting changes seen in Medellin would help stakeholders from other cities of the world- especially those undergoing urbanisation challenges- would serve as an incentive so that when they go back home they can replicate the same. In the space of a few short years, the World Urban Forum has turned into the world’s premier conference on cities. The Forum was established by the United Nations to examine one of the most pressing problems facing the world today: rapid urbanization and its impact on communities, cities, economies, climate change and policies.

Controversy trails FHA’s Festac expansion project CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31 Town, referred to as 6th Avenue (or FESTAC Extension or Canal View Estate), hired the services of tractors to construct makeshift roads and also engaged in mapping out portions of land and selling same to the unsuspecting public. To protect their interest, the residents said it was necessary for them to be joined, praying the court to dismiss the case of the claimants so long as they have failed to clearly mark out the extent of the land they are claiming from the defendants, and as such their claims are speculative, vexatious and lacking in merit. The residents, who claimed to legally bought their landed property from FHA, said they are entitled to a quiet, peaceful and undisturbed possession of their property without any interference from the claimants or anyone claiming through them or in trust for them. According to the residents, they are entitled to a clear demarcation of the boundaries showing the extent of the area referred to as FESTAC Town and more particularly 6th Avenue, FESTAC Town, Lagos, and that the Claimants herein have not shown or established the exact dimensions and abuttals of the parcels of land which they are claiming in this suit. It would be recalled that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) last month approved the development of Phase II of the FESTAC Town in Lagos under a public-private partnership arrangement as it received 2012 performance report by the Ministry of Interior. Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, who made the disclosure in company of his counterparts in Housing, Ms. Ama Pepple and Interior, Abba Moro, stated that the Phase II FESTAC project, involves the development of the remaining 1,126 hectares of land out of the 2,000 hectares acquired for ‘FESTAC 77’ with projected revenue of N25.7 billion to the Federal Government. The council she stated fur-

ther, approved that the remaining portion of land should be developed after reclamation is done by the New FESTAC Property Development Company (NFPDC) in order to fast track the project, which is a way of developing the economy without dipping hands into government purse. Other benefits of the project include the provision of jobs to Nigerians adding that the 7,000 plots are to be carved out of the land and equipped with infrastructure facilities such as police stations, schools, shopping malls and others. Speaking on the encroachment on the area envisaged for future development, Pepple said government is aware of the situation but

was yet to know the extent of such, pledging that when the developers move in, the extent of the encroachment will be determined. She attributed the dilapidation of FESTAC Phase 1 to the refusal of its occupiers to pay the mandatory maintenance fee as stipulated in their letter of offer adding that the ministry discovered this after holding a stakeholders meeting and emphasized that another meeting was being proposed to iron out this issue. She revealed that the Ministry discovered that there was problem with water supply in the area where all the four boreholes were spoilt noting that two have been repaired, but the people don’t want to pay the

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22 , 2013 In association with

RealEstateWatch

THE INSTITUTE FOR REAL ESTATE EXCELLENCE (IREE)

Excellence. Integrity. Professionalism

IREE 102 – The Art of Marketing and Selling Real Estate in Nigeria (Part 1)

THE IREE

The IREE was inaugurated in 2012: Vision: To raise the standards in the Nigerian real estate industry through professional training and coaching to meet international standards.

Cutting Edge Real Estate News. Trends . Advice

When marketing and selling real estate, there must be a plan, a style, and a strategy that should be implemented in order to achieve results. With the availability of thousands of agents in the industry –professionals and lay men alike, there is need to master the art of marketing and selling properties.

he Intelligent Real Estate Series is a bi-weekly column aimed at educating readers on matters relating to the real estate industry. We will be discussing the various factors that affect the industry, current trends and future projections in practicing real estate in the 21st century as the industry is continuously evolving and business is no longer business as usual. Enjoy!!!

What is Property Marketing and Sales? According to the 8th edition of the Oxford Advance Learner’s Dictionary, marketing is N the real estate industry, there are sever- the activity of presenting, advertising and selling a company's products in the best posal types of properties – residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural and special- sible way. It is the bridge that links a product to the consumers by understanding the conpurpose. Residential properties include sumers and finding ways to provide products properties that serve as housing or a or services that meet their needs. It is the art dwelling, such as single-family homes, duplexes and other multi-family homes in of encouraging sales of your products through communication to the public by urban, rural or suburban areas. identifying your objective, performing Commercial properties are properties research in the market, analyzing the where business or commerce takes place such as shopping centres and malls, office research, developing a plan of action to buildings, parking facilities, hotels, motels achieve set objectives, and implementing the plan. Selling on the other hand is the act of or theatres. Industrial property is sometimes confused with commercial property completion of the marketing process whereas it has a commercial use but requires the by there is an exchange for the product with money or money worth. It involves creating a use of heavy machinery and large scale manufacturing also takes place there. They relationship with clients, identifying the include factories, warehouses, manufactur- client's needs and wants, providing possible solutions that meet their needs and wants ing firms, power plants. Special purpose properties include agricultural properties, and closing the sale. churches, cemeteries, schools and govern- Property marketing therefore is the development and execution of strategies which ment held land.

Intelligent Real Estate

include research, advertising, promotions all ultimately leading to the sale of the property. In today’s competitive environment, businesses of all sizes and structures must establish effective marketing strategies through various marketing tools to ensure successful sales. In real estate marketing, it is difficult to figure out the best strategy that will attract the attention of potential clients to your properties as there are no best strategies. The strategy that would work for one project may not necessarily work for another project.

In selling real estate, there are several essentials that need to be put in place. They are basically known as the 4Ps of property marketing – Product, Price, Place (Location), Promotion. The 'product' is the type of property, development or apartment that is up for lease or sale. The ‘price’ is the monetary value that is placed on the property either for lease or sale and it is often subject to market forces of demand and supply, the design of the property, facilities available in the property, and even the property owner. The ‘place’ refers to the location of the property. In real estate, location is critical as the property in the right location hastens sales. The ‘promotion’ is the actual marketing of the property by the use mediums such as radio, television, print adverts and press releases to bring it to the attention to the target audience, etc. The effective combination of these

factors leads to the sale of the property. In order to drive people to act, the use of marketing materials cannot be over emphasized as people are visually minded and tend to buy what they can see, feel, and experience. All marketing materials should have a call to action. There are a number of options through which real estate can be presented to the public for purchase and they include:• Newspapers • Magazines • Postcards • Business Cards • Billboards • Referrals • E-mails • Advertisements on the internet Brochures • Website • Television adverts • Social and Business Networking Once this happens, there is need to further encourage sales of your properties by giving out proper information about your property and highlighting its unique selling points as prospective clients would need you to justify why they should buy your property and not the other thousands of properties that are available in the market. Information such as the location of the property; the lease or sale price which must be comparable with that of properties having similar features; exciting features and facilities on the property; the tenure on the property; adjoining developments that might be of interest to a potential client such as schools, supermarket, recreational centers, hospitals, etc must be made available to prospective clients. Marketing is not instant and it takes a while for the strategies to be set in place and promoted consistently to ensure that it remains in the minds of the target audience. It has been observed that longer marketing strategies go a long way in increasing the number your clients ultimately leading to sales but care needs to be taken so that the target audience is not bored and the product gets disregarded hence the marketing needs to be creative, engaging, dynamic and interesting. (To be continued)

REAL ESTATE TRIVIA

Question. What is the most expensive piece of property ever recorded in the world? Answer. In October 1988, the Mediya Building in central Tokyo was quoted at $248,000 per square foot. Please send your questions or comments to iree2013@gmail.com.

38 HOMES&PROPERTY

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

Ogun steps up projects, urban renewal scheme Urban Development By Tunde Alao and Emmanuel Badejo ET to redefine the state’s land value as well as encourage investments, the Ogun State Government has speed up several construction projects under its urban renewal scheme. The state urban renewal programme has had it cost as some properties had to be demolished. “There will be loss of property by some people to create right of way for the new roads. Vehicular and pedestrian movement will be slowed down around the construction sites. Many people whose homes and businesses are beside the roads may find it difficult to access their premises.

Ogun State of Nigeria, is one of the states where construction works, particularly roads infrastructure, is going on in large scale; all of which are part of the Ibikunle Amosu led administration’s urban renewal drive Many property owners voluntarily demolished their structures once they are marked to be affected by the road construction, ” according to senior government officials. At the moment, according to Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Yussuf Olaniyonu, 16 major road construction projects are on-going simultaneously across the state and other reconstruction works on some other smaller roads. Some of the projects are located in Abeokuta, Ijebu Ode, Ota, Sagamu, Isheri, Magboro, Ilara, Ijohun, Ilashe, Ilishan,

Ago Iwoye, Mowe, Ibafo and Ofada, among others. The government commenced this urban renewal programme with the reconstruction and expansion of the 2.4 kilometre Ibara-Sokori-Totoro road, which was used as a model for what is now known as ‘Ogun Standard’ roads. The already completed road came with road furniture including walkways, drainage, median with streetlights and flowerbeds, bus stop, flyover at the Ibara junction and pedestrian bridge. Also, Olaniyonu said that as at today, the 7 km Sagamu-Benin Express Junction/Oba Erinwole Junction road, 4.8 km Ilo Awela road in Ota, 8.7 km OGTVBrewery junction road, 6 km Moshood Abiola Way, 34 km Lafenwa – Ayetoro road, 9 km Ojere-Asero road, 5.6 km Somorin – Ajebo road, 2.2 km Abiola Way Junction- Muda Lawal Stadium, 850 metre Moriamo Olorombo road, all in the state capital, are under construction. Other roads being modernized by the Ogun State government are the 100 km IlaraIjohun-Ilase road, 25 km Ilishan-Ago Iwoye road, 29 km Mowe-Ofada-Ibafo road, 9km Ejinrin-Oluwalogbon junction in Ijebu Ode, 12 km MagboroUnderpass road and the Isheri road. Contractors handling these

roads are PW Nigeria Limited, China Construction Engineering Company (CCEC), Hi-Tech, Borini Prono, CSCC, First August, Siktobs and Zebra Gold. Most of these roads are at different stages of completion to levels ranging from 2 to 30 percent; and the last of the roads may be completed by December next year. There is still the 32 kilometre SangoIjoko-Ojodu Abiodun road, which may be delivered through Public Private Partnership arrangement. While search for investor is still on, the government has been servicing the road through palliative measures. Olaniyonu, said that the huge construction works have had to reduce the rate of unemployment plaguing the state, as the construction firms are employing thousands of skilled and unskilled workers. On why the road projects, the Commissioner said: “The road network is also part of the infrastructural development necessary to attract genuine investors who will like to have their companies located in a place where there is easy movement of goods and persons. In any case, the state government is expanding the roads in readiness for the future construction of light rail to complement the road transportation system. On April 9, the government signed an agreement with the CCECC,

a Chinese construction company for the construction of light rail, which will link up the major cities in the state like Abeokuta, Ota, Sagamu and Ijebu Ode.” He added: “The plan therefore is to use the road construction to prepare the state as the next preferred investors’ destination in West Africa. The road construction projects are to be complemented by ambitious housing programme, which will help to accommodate the people that will expectedly begin to relocate to Ogun State in search of jobs and a safe, peaceful abode. More importantly, the new roads, when completed, will open up the nooks and crannies of the state to modernization. There will be

effective link between the farflung parts of the state in Ipokia and Imeko to Ogun Waterside and Ago Iwoye.” Speaking on the sources with which these projects are funded, Olaniyonu, said: “With over N90 billion being invested on these infrastructural development projects, there are those who wonder where the money is coming from. The sources are many. There is the Internally Generated Revenue, which has risen from the paltry sum of N700 million per month that this administration inherited on assumption of office in May 2011 to about N3 billion. There are internal loans from local banks, which are being frugally dispensed. There are also funds from development partners.”

Ministry to partner sovereign fund authority on infrastructure Projects HE Federal Ministry of Works T is to partner with the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NS on the LagosIbadan Expressway and an additional 39-kilometer road linking the Second Niger B r i d g e . The Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen, an architect, disclosed this when a delegation from the organization led by its Managing Director, Mr. Uche Orji paid him a courtesy call, in his Mabushi Office. The Federal Government owned authority established Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) with an initial funding of US$1 billion. NSIA is legislated to invest pledged funds for their medium and long-term benefit through investments: savings for future generations, infrastructure development and stabilization of the Nigerian economy. Onolememen stated that projects such as the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway would be increased to a four-lane carriageway with the construction of a fly-over, while the 2nd Niger Bridge is coming with an additional 39kilometer dual carriageway

along the Onitsha-Enugu axis. The Minister also stated that the Ministry will continue to collaborate with the Organization in developmental projects across the country, adding that there are many other projects but for now the ministry is prioritizing on these two key projects The Minister of State for Works, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda, who was present at the event, reminded the Sovereign Wealth Organization that there is the need to speed up the project, restating that the project needs to be completed before the tenure of this administration lapses.

FIABCI President to visit Nigeria Professional Practice HE Nigerian Chapter of the T Real Estate Federation (FIABCI) will play host to the President-elect, Mr. Flavio Gonzaga Nunes of the world body later in the month. In a statement signed by the FIABCI President in Nigeria, Chief Kola Akomolede and the association’s General Secretary, Mr. Joseph Akhigbe, said as part of activities marking the twoday visit, FIABCI Nigeria seminar will organise a seminar. The seminar with the theme: “Urban Infrastructure/Toll Gates and Its Effects on Property Development”, and will take place between April 29-30, 2013 at Best Western Hotel, Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos. Guest Speakers at the seminar include a past President of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, Mr. William Odudu and A lawyer and Social Activist, Mr. Ebun

Sparklight’s Open House NE of the leading real estate O developers, Sparklight Property Development Company Limited is organizing an ‘Open House’ for the second phase of its Gateway Sparklight Estate Magboro in Ogun State, Opposite Prayer City. In a statement, the Director, Subsidiary and Production, Mr. Adeoye Adeyinka, said the event is scheduled to commence on Tuesday, April 23 to Saturday, April 27, 2013. The second phase comprises of 15 blocks of three bedroom flat, two blocks of two bedroom flats with the buildings in various stages of development and a proposed 20 units of four bedroom town houses Stallion Home Savings and Loan Limited officials will be present to discuss the process of acquiring mortgage facility.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

HOMES&PROPERTY

Minister pledges govt support for building materials’ firms Building Materials the introduction of technologically WITH

advanced wire rod and alloy steel long product rolling complex for manufacture of value added coils by Messrs

Until now, manufacturers had depended on importation of Mild Steel Wire Rod from overseas firms. The rod serves as raw material to other manufacturing industries producing nails, wire-mesh, binding wire, furniture and utensils. Sand and Sun Industries Limited, a new dimension may have been added to the history of steel business in the country. The launch of commercial production of mild steel wire rod in Nigeria by the firm was part of forward integration of the processes and boost to export of Ferrous and Nonferrous alloys (aluminium alloys, copper alloys, Tin alloys, lead alloys and Wire rods. Until now, manufacturers had depended on importation of M.S.Wire Rod from overseas firms. The rod

serves as raw material to other manufacturing industries producing nails, wiremesh, binding wire, furniture and utensils. The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Musa Mohammed Sada who unveiled the plant last week commended Sand and Sun industries for partnering the federal government in its steel development efforts. “It is a strong contribution to the steel and non-ferrous sector. Sun and Sand is already becoming more than a stakeholder in the steel and non-ferrous

sector. This is what we are aspiring for. Government, at some point in time, decides it wants private investors, who will invest their funds and development the sector,” Sada said. The government’s role, he said would be that of a regulator and that this was a reason the government privatised some of the operations it has interests in. “Government is interested in providing a level playing field for companies like this to progress and take advantage of the opportunities that are available. The minister said from his interaction with the management of the Sun and Sand, he realised that they had taken the challenge very seriously. “I think they are succeeding. What makes it even more interesting is the technology that they use

to be able to integrate backwards to be able to produce most of the required raw materials from areas that are bound with natural resources in the country,” he said. He said the management of the company approached him with a wish to start off some mining projects towards the backward integration of their products. “This, to me, is a very strong and important decision to make, because in our own efforts …they have undertaken quite a lot of geological surveys and come to realise the abundant natural raw materials. “We are going to come up with certain requirements and options that will be very good for them to consider so that we will be able to get the necessary reintegration that they so require.” The minister said small scale wielders and fabricators in all parts of the country use products from factories like Sun and Sand’s, adding that the linkage was already there but the situation would get better with improved infrastructure like rail, increased electricity power generation that would serve small and medium enterprises. The Managing Director, Sun and Sand Industries Africa Limited, Shweta Satija appealed to the federal government to look into the issue of multiple-taxation, and to help in the construction of the road leading to the factory, adding that the company was interested in iron ore mining.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

HOMES&PROPERTY 43

NIQS seeks collaboration in quantity surveying practice Professional Practice MID the communication A gap between industry and the academia, Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors has urged senior quantity surveyors to create a platform to enhance standards of quantity surveying training and practice.

NIQS President, Mr. Agele Alufohai, made the call in his goodwill message at the Convocation of Senior Quantity Surveying Academics in Nigerian Tertiary Institutions, which was held at the Department of Quantity Surveying, Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA). The ceremony created an

avenue to emphasize the enormous mutual benefit that can be had from close interaction and collaboration between quantity surveyors in the field and colleagues who are thinking about and teaching the subject in the academia. The convocation marked a major landmark in the history of quantity surveying

in Nigeria because of the great value of close collaboration between the industry and the world of research. He said: “Transparency in construction and infrastructure expenditure not only accelerates our economic growth but makes an important contribution to resolving political and security problems. It is hence

FCT minister to award contract for NUJ complex in June Projects From Ezeocha Nzeh, Abuja ARRING any last minute hitches, the contract for the construction of the four storey new secretariat of the FCT Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) will be awarded before the end of June. Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed, made this known during the unveiling of the building plan of secretariat. He urged the leadership of the NUJ in Abuja to make all necessary efforts to ensure that work commenced at the site without delay. Presenting the building plan to journalists in Abuja, the minister, who was represented by Mr. Emeka Enidom, an architect said that the complex would contain three standard halls, bar and restaurants, offices, underground parking spaces, as well as a 22room chalets among others. His words: “Part of our arrangements is that before the end of June, every documentation about the building would have been concluded. We decided to unveil the building plan to you so that you can make your input before we get to the advance stage where it will be impossible to amend anything. “The four floor and pent

Zamfara sets up committee to compensate landowners Land Matters From Isah Ibrahim, Gusau Federal Fa OLLOWING Government’s approval for university in Gusau, the Zamfara government has constituted a committee for the assessment of farms, lands, and trees for the payment compensation to landowners within the proposed site. The formation of the committee was contained in a state issued by the State’s Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Lawal Jibril Jangebe, an engineer indicated that, the committee was approved by the state governor Abdul’aziz Yari Abubakar. According to the statement, the 12- member committee has former State’s Works and Transport committee, Rabiu Saidu, an engineer and Imrana Mukhtar Mafara as chairman and secretary of the committee respectively. Jangebe reiterated the commitment of the state government to provide necessary support for successful take off of the university as scheduled by the federal government. He appealed to those affected people by the proposed site to give the committee all the support and cooperation in carrying out its assignment for the educational development of the state.

house structure would contain underground packing lots that can take as many cars as possible. There will also be a bar and restaurants, office complex, underground packing spaces, and 22-room chalets,” he said. In his response, the chairman FCT council NUJ, Mr. Chuks Ehirim commended the minister for showing strong penchant for the affairs of the union, revealing that out of the four requests the

union took to him, he has already responded to two with dispatch. “What you are seeing now was the product of the journey we started on December 4, 2012 during our visit to the FCT minister. We made four requests including building a befitting secretariat for the union since the one we have does not befit our status. This is what the minister has unveiled today. He has already delivered the official bus we requested” Ehirim noted.

Mohammed

important that Quantity Surveyors must actively collaborate with relevant Government agencies and allied professionals to build the confidence of our citizens in the costing processes associated with public procurement in Nigeria.” According to the NIQS president, “One of the most valid criticisms one can make of the Nigerian education system is the dissonance between the teaching and research in our higher education institutions and the needs of industry”. He confirmed that to play a successful role in the enhancing governance, quantity surveyors must acquire and disseminate upto-date relevant knowledge on cost economics theory and practices and must master the latest value-formoney techniques on Public Private Partnership projects on electric power stations, railways and other key infra-

structure. He enjoined quantity surveyors to work towards excellence, not only Quantity Surveying but also in other allied construction and infrastructure fields, so as to create excellence in the cutting-edge areas of the professions in as many tertiary institutions as possible. “The industry and the academia have to come together to work on how to keep enhancing the quality of national knowledge of cost economics and in strategizing on how knowledge of cost economics can provide answers to governance challenges as a nation” he e m p h a s i z e d . The President also said that the regular exchange of information between the industry and the academia must be a critical component and congratulated the quantity surveyors in tertiary institutions for taking a bold step.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

The Environment Sustainable urban infrastructure can foster economic growth, says UN report The Environment EVELOPING sustainable urban infrastructure benefits not just the environment, but can also boost economic growth and social stability, according to a United Nations report released last week, which stresses the need to transition to resource-efficient technologies in cities, given scarce natural resources. The report, ‘City-Level Decoupling: Urban Resource Flows and the Governance of Infrastructure Transitions,’ argues that sustainable city infrastructures can sustain economic growth while using fewer resources. Around three-quarters of the world’s natural resources are already consumed in cities, and the proportion of the global population living in urban areas is set to rise to 70 per cent by 2050. The study says much greater effort is needed to support new and improved infrastructure for water, energy, transport, waste and other sectors – generally located in and around cities – to wean the world off unsustainable consumption patterns, and avoid serious economic and environmental implications for future generations. For instance, the report says that the introduced a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in Lagos, Nigeria has contributed to a 13 per cent drop in carbon emissions from urban transport. Around a quarter of commuters on the route use the service and journey times have been cut by up to 50 per cent. Supported by the World Bank and private investors, the BRT system addressed chronic congestion

‘Clean energy progress too slow,’ Climate Change HE development of low-carT bon energy is progressing too slowly to limit global warm-

The report says the introduction of Lagos’ Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system has redcuced carbon emissions

Government investments should support the role of cities in national sustainable development strategies, and support infrastructures that stimulate low-carbon, resourceefficient and equitable urban development, the report states. The cost of meeting the urban infrastructure requirements of the world’s cities between 2000 and 2030 is estimated at $40 trillion. and pollution problems in the city. The report, which was produced by the UNEP-hosted International Resource Panel (IRP), features 30 case studies around the world that show how sustainable infrastructures

have created scores of green jobs and reduced environmental degradation. Fore example, in Melbourne, Australia, carbon emissions dropped by 40 per cent after the introduction of energy efficiency measures in public buildings,

while in Cape Town, South Africa, a re-fit of low income housing with solar water heaters and efficient lighting has saved over 6,500 tonnes of carbon per year, cut respiratory illnesses by 75 per cent, and reduced the cost of hot water for

poor households. Other efforts involve reducing oil consumption by moving more people and goods onto public transport powered by electricity, or re-establishing urban farms to supply locally grown food. The cost of meeting the urban infrastructure requirements of the world’s cities between 2000 and 2030 is estimated at $40 trillion – both through the building of new infrastructure or retrofitting existing facilities, the report states.

ing, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said. With power generation still dominated by coal and governments failing to increase investment in clean energy, top climate scientists have said that the target of keeping the global temperature rise to less than 2 degrees Celsius this century is slipping out of reach. “The drive to clean up the world’s energy system has stalled,” said Maria van der Hoeven, the IEA’s executive director, at the launch of the agency’s report on clean energy progress. “Despite much talk by world leaders, and a boom in renewable energy over the past decade, the average unit of energy produced today is basically as dirty as it was 20 years ago.” Global clean energy investment in the first quarter fell to its lowest level in four years, driven by cuts in tax incentives at a time of austerity, according to a separate report by Bloomberg New Energy Finance this week. The IEA said that coal-fired generation grew by 45 percent between 2000 and 2010, far outpacing the 25 percent growth in non-fossil fuel generation over the same period. A revolution in shale gas technology has triggered a switch from coal to cleaner natural gas in the United States. Elsewhere, however, coal use has soared, particularly in Europe, where its share of the power generation mix increased at the expense of gas.

Ogun, experts plan talks on breaking barriers to going green The Environment By Chinedum Uwaegbulam S part of efforts to reorient its citizens toward sustainability, Ogun authorities have moved to pursue knowledge, practices that can lead to more environmentally friendly and ecologically responsible decisions and lifestyles, which can help protect the environment and sustain its natural resources for current and future generations. The government is breaking this new ground through a twoday international conference, beginning tomorrow at the Cultural Centre, Abeokuta; where the Ogun State Government will also be chart a new course for sustainable development and seeking effective instrument of awareness building on environmental issues and green growth – in order to secure full participation of all relevant stakeholders. The forum will also search for best practices that will contribute to government policies and harness Non-Governmental organisations (NGO)activities to the creation of the condition necessary for green growth as well as fashion out regulatory framework for Public Private Partnership (PPP) model that will encourage domestic and

There is a rich pool of experience in PPP development worldwide, and many African countries are increasingly encouraging this model. The Abeokuta conference will take stock of these experiences and bring together policy makers and stakeholders from private and public sectors to identify and discuss possibilities to apply this model productively in their own local, national environments. foreign investors to be involved in green projects. The new model is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Africa, a continent with the richest natural resources and youngest population is facing serious development challenges. The environment, probably the most important among the challenges is linked to issues of energy, transport, waste management, climate change, deforestation, soil degradation and decline of biodiversity. In many areas there are also issues of population, lack of irrigation and water, and threats of unsustainable urbanization “The response to all these challenges in going green, whereby Africa can achieve sustainable development and leapfrog through the right choices and by effectively drawing on its vast resources, including the young and dynamic population, rapidly turning into valuable human capital which is the crucial factor in the development process,” according to Ogun State Commissioner for

Environment, Dr. Lanre Tejuoso. Packaged by International Centre for Promotion of Enterprises(ICPE), Knowledge Economy Network (KEN) and Uplift Development Foundation, initiated by the wife of the governor of Ogun State, Mrs. Olufunso Amosun. The foundation desire is to see schools integrate the green values into school curriculum to assist our youth in cultivating and imbibing Green ideologies. Coming under the theme, Uplifting The Environment, Ogun StateNigeria goes Green, the organisers say going green “means adjusting policy option and business models, which will lead to higher economic efficiency and corporate responsibility. With appropriate regulatory environment companies will pursue profit in more sustainable ways, making environmental and economic benefits equally important.” Dr. Tejuoso said: “These important goals will also be achieve by creating green enterprises that

tap into new markets with green products and services. and green jobs, aiming at reaching sustainable levels, have the importance, too, in this process: the contribute to reducing the harmful footprint of enterprises, by reducing the energy and raw material consumption, avoiding greenhouse gas emissions, minimizing waste and pollution- thereby contributing to an improved ecosystem (securing clean water, flood protecting and biodiversity). “While searching for its own development paradigm, Africa should come up with original and innovative approaches, being aware of its potential and limitations, as well as benefiting form several good practice cases and experience from all corners of the world. Africa has the chance to avoid certain mistakes committed in the past by the industrialised countries. “Some of such good practice will be presented at the Abeokuta conference in order to support Ogun state, Nigeria and other Africa countries in con-

Governor Ibikunle Amosun fronting their environmental development challenges in most responsible way.” Tejuoso said: “It goes without saying that implementing the right policies can contributes to shifting more investment flows towards green projects in particular in middle and low-income African economies. Clean technologies, along with the innovation and entrepreneurship associated with green industries, does not only accelerate Africa’s development in general, but also increase Africa competitiveness on the global markets, as well as attract FDIs needed to generate economic growth and jobs. As for green jobs, they could be treated in both urban and rural areas, and should include occupation across the spectrum from manual to the highly skilled ones.

Africa alone cannot meet all of its sustainable development challenges. “The conference aims to contribute to identify and elaborate models, ways and instruments through which the international community can offer to Africa nations some know-how, technologies and financial resources needed for achieving these important goals. The commissioner noted that “there is a rich pool of experience in public-private partnership (PPP) development worldwide, and many African countries are increasingly encouraging this model. The Abeokuta conference and exhibition will take stock of these experiences and bring together policy makers and stakeholders from private and public sectors to identify and discuss possibilities to apply this model productively in their own local, national environments. “The PPPs should tackle the growing complex and multifunctional issues in building infrastructure projects; to help meet the demand for creative, functional and efficient delivery of projects; and for private investors to participate in profitable social development projects through partnership with the public sector.”

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

People & Environment My life lesson, journey into world of environmental matters, by Osuntogun When PROF. ADENIYI OSUNTOGUN decided to change his career by entering environmental field; he didn’t have any inkling that life will get better. But more than two decades in the saddle, having been through and worked in the academic world, he says that no matter what your skills are, with focus you can succeed. After he retired from FEDEN/LEAD Nigeria as the Director, where he inspired people on issues of environment and how these issues affect their communities, Osuntogun still preaches that all tiers of government should adopt the sustainable development principles, which state that development today must not undermine the development and environmental needs of present and future generations. He spoke with the Assistant Housing & Environment Editor, CHINEDUM UWAEGBULAM, recently Early Life I started off, as a young boy born by a teacher. My father was a teacher while my mother was a very caring woman and a trader. On retirement, he became a businessman. He was relatively successful by the standard of his time. My father was a strict and a disciplinarian. When you’re a son of a teacher, nothing less is expected from you in terms of mannerism. My father believes that all his children must be focused. His focus was not to acquire any wealth, but to give his children good education. In life, the greatest gift you can give a child is education. While his colleagues were busy acquiring wealth, buying properties, my father was busy investing in our education. Today, they now know the difference. I began my childhood education at the Catholic Preparatory Nursery and Primary School in Ibadan, Oyo State, and attended secondary education at Olu-Iwa (now Adeola Odutola) College, Ijebu Ode in 1957. I left there in 1961 and moved to Muslim College, Ijebu Ode for my Higher School Leaving Certificate. I entered University of Ibadan, where I read Bachelor of Science degree in Economics, from 1964 to1967. After a short span of working in the banking sector, notably United Bank for Africa (UBA) and Central Bank of Nigeria, I went to the University of Leeds, United Kingdom to obtain my Ph.D. degree in Agricultural Economics. I was also part of the Overseas Development Institute in Nigeria, India and Britain. When I came back, I was battling within myself whether to go into banking or academic profession. I told my wife even though academics was paying less than what the banking sector offers that it pays us to go into academics as it would enable us contribute to national development. I later joined University of Ife now Obafemi Awolowo University as lecturer Grade II in 1972. I rose through the ranks to become a Professor of Agricultural Economics in 1980. By the grace of God, I became the Vice-Chancellor of the University in January 1990, the position I held till September 1991. Frankly, I was lucky to have a good wife, Bolanle, very understanding, and cooperative. Anything you do in life, there is need for dedication, pain staking and vision. One must be focused, work and pray. You face challenges, but never give up. In those days and up till now, academia is relatively disadvantaged in the Nigerian economy in terms of welfarism, things of life, but in terms of knowledge, we have knowledge. But one must not be discouraged by that, always think of what to do with talents God has given you. Journey into Environmental Education In 1990, the then Director of Federal Environment Protection Agency (FEPA), was looking for an economist, particularly an economist that understands biodiversity and natural resources. He called on me to assist him. So, when Nigeria was preparing for first Rio Summit in June 1992, he appointed me as one of the members of the preparatory team, which will prepare Nigeria’s position for the summit in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. We got it prepared, that’s how my journey into the environmental arena began. After that, I did a couple projects and reports for the agency and one of them is on Economics of Biodiversity. The report was highly valued by United Nations Environmental programme (UNEP). From there on, I became an expert and Biodiversity Economist. When I left office as a Vice Chancellor, I joined Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD), the world’s largest international non-profit organisation that focuses on capacity building on leadership and sustainable development as National Programme Director. I was introduced to LEAD by Chief (Mrs.) Opral Benson through Foundation for Environment Development and Education in Nigeria (FEDEN). Nigeria was one of the foundation members. My

memorable time in LEAD Nigeria was when we produced our first set of fellows. Then, Nigeria didn’t enjoy any goodwill internationally, and I brought 15 fellows for the international session, where you have Brazil, India, China, and Indonesia. Nigeria programme was rated the best of them all. It made me proud. In those days, LEAD could hardly organise any programme or co-organise event, without taking Nigeria into consideration. During my tenure, we had an average of 15 fellows per Cohort and I graduated 14 cohorts. Impact of LEAD Programme LEAD is a global institution and the mission is to inspire leadership and change for a sustainable world. We believe that people are the key to change and that the complexities of sustainable development can only be tackled by investing in leadership. The challenges of sustainable development are huge – poverty is deepening, populations are growing, natural resources are diminishing and the international community has failed to tackle climate change effectively. The only way to begin to address these challenges is through the adaptation of sustainable models of development at the local, regional and global levels. Sustainable development cannot be achieved without leadership. Leaders equipped with skills for sustainable decision making ensure that we are able to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In LEAD Nigeria, we are developing a new generation of outstanding leaders from all sectors, with leadership skills and understanding of sustainable development. Those who came as scientists, when they graduate, can discuss intelligently on social science, physical science, natural science and all areas of human endavours. How to Improve Environmental Education It is time for tertiary institutions to imbibe all aspects of the LEAD programme that preaches theory and practical works. We ensure graduating fellows look into challenges people face at the grassroots’ levels and proffer solutions. This is what is lacking in teaching of education in our tertiary institutions. When we started in 1992, we were preaching environment; people thought we are just trying to get ourselves occupied. They did not appreciate some of the messages we were putting across, and the implication of environment. That was the same with the Ministry of Environment, which is suffering lack of cooperation and appreciation. Government must now know environment cuts across all sectors and it’s a critical thing. Everyone must tap into the sustainable principles that allow us to use resources, not for us today, but for generations yet unborn. One problem that usually comes up is lack of environmental policy. It is now being put in place. It is very critical, for government to move forward. There must be a policy, and programmes to achieve what has been stated in the policy. The greatest handicap the ministry is facing is funding. The activities of the ministry cut across, and when they are talking about priority, environment is something not easily visualised, unlike roads and industry. Until recently that everybody is facing the problem of floods, desertification, and all forms of environmental health impact, that the government is paying attention to know that the environment is not a the-

Osuntogun and wife, Bolanle

Osuntogun

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

Weekly Lead Equity Ratings

COMPANY’S RESULT

CONTINUE FROM PAGE 30

STOCKWATCH 51

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

52 STOCKWATCH

Beware of investment scams INTRODUCTION Ever find a scam like this in your e-mail? To: investor@worldwideweb.com Subject: This is your lucky day!!! DON'T usually send out stuff like this, but what I have to tell you is just too good. For the last six months I've been developing the ULTIMATE TRADING PROGRAM. I've figured out exactly how to pick the next Microsoft. In fact, over the last year I've had a 3,000% return on my investment!!! . In my investing program there is absolutely NO RISK. In fact, it's such a SURE THING that we'll guarantee you cannot lose your investment. Thing is, if you want a part of the action, you'll have to send me $499.95 today. There are just too many other investors who want to get in on this..”. The Internet is a great tool for investors, allowing us to research investments and trade securities with unprecedented ease. Unfortunately, the lack of rules on the 'Net also makes it a perfect place for fraud to flourish. In this article, we look at the ins and outs of Internet investment fraud. We examine different scams, see how they are carried out, and discuss how to avoid them. DIFFERENT TYPES OF SCAMS Very few of the scams on the Internet are new. Most of the swindling techniques we see today originated long ago as telemarketing, direct mail, or even door-to-door selling schemes. But the Internet adds another troubling dimension to these old tricks. For example, a fancy Web site can create the illusion of a large and reputable company, especially if it provides links to legitimate sites. . Here are some of the largest and most successful investment scams: • Ponzi Scheme - A type of pyramid scheme, this is where money from new investors is used to provide a return to previous investors. The scheme collapses when money owed to previous investors is greater than the money that can be raised from new ones. Ponzi schemes always collapse eventually. • Pump and Dump - A highly illegal practice where a small group of informed people buy a stock before they recommend it to thousands of investors. The result is a quick spike in stock price followed by an equally fast downfall. The perpetrators who bought the stock early sell off when the price peaks at a huge profit. Most pump and dump schemes recommend companies that are over-the-counter bulletin board (OTCBB) and have a small float. Small companies are more volatile and it's easier to manipulate a stock when there's little or no information available about the company. There is also a variation of this scam called the "short and distort." Instead of spreading positive news, fraudsters use a smear campaign and attempt to drive the stock price down. Profit is then made by short selling. • Off Shore Investing - These are becoming one of the more popular scams to trap any investor around the globe. Conflicting time zones, differing currencies, and the high costs of international telephone calls made it difficult for fraudsters to prey on North American residents. The Internet has eroded these barriers. Be all the more cautious when considering an investment opportunity originating in another country. It's extremely difficult for your local law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute foreign criminals. • Prime Bank - This term usually describes the top 50 banks (or thereabouts) in the world. Prime banks trade high quality and low risk instruments such as world paper, International Monetary Fund bonds, and Federal Reserve notes. You should be very wary when you hear this term-it is often used by fraudsters looking to lend legitimacy to their cause. Prime bank programs often claim investors' funds will be used to purchase and trade "prime bank" financial instruments for huge gains. Unfortunately these "prime bank" instruments often never exist and people lose all of their money. BULLETIN BOARDS There are literally hundreds of investment boards where anyone can rant, rave, or post BS. Online bulletin boards (BBs) come in various forms, including newsgroups, usenet, or web-based boards. Some of the larger BBs, like those found on sites such as Raging Bull, Boards on Yahoo! Finance, and Silicon Investor, see thousands of messages posted on an hourly basis. While there are many valid and useful posts on these boards, a large number of tips turn out to be bogus. Fraudsters most often use a pump and dump scheme on BBs by pretending to reveal inside information about big upcoming announcements, great new products, or lucrative contracts. The opposite can be done too. If fraudsters hold a short position in a company, they will try to spread negative rumors in the hope that investors will panic and push prices down. Here's the tricky part about BBs: anonymity. You don't know for sure who you're dealing with and how credible they are. People claiming to be unbiased observers who've carefully researched a company may actually be company insiders, large shareholders, or paid promoters. A single person can easily create the illusion of widespread interest in a small, thinly-traded stock by posting a series of messages under various aliases. In the aftermath of the dotcom bubble, bulletin boards experienced a dramatic drop in traffic. Thankfully, many investors realized they couldn't believe everything they read online. But that's not to say there is no valuable information on BBs. Before Enron went bankrupt, posts were made online that revealed many of the fraudulent practices taking place at the energy giant. Regrettably, at the same time, there were countless posts that were bullish on Enron. It's nearly impossible to sort out the valuable posts from the fake ones. NEWSLETTERS Almost every stock pick site offers a newsletter that is supposedly full of useful insights and great stocks. There are many good newsletters out there, but some are just promoting stocks under the guise of presenting investors with "free unbiased information." In fact, many companies hire employees or pay people to write online newsletters to promote their stock. In theory, this practice is not illegal. But federal securities laws require newsletters to disclose who paid them, the amount paid, and the type of payment. Most fraudulent newsletters fail to provide this information. Instead, they lie about the income they receive, their independence, their research, and their historical results. They stand to profit handsomely if they convince investors to buy or sell particular stocks. Newsletters also use the pump and dump technique discussed earlier. With enough people on the list, it is possible to create movement in the price of small stocks. Even worse is junk e-mail or "spam." As spam costs next to nothing to create, it has become the tool of choice for many fraudsters. Often these messages consist of “get-rich-quick” schemes and offer "guaranteed results." If the sender is unfamiliar to you or the message is addressed generally (great investment tip) it is likely a scam. Brokers and traders don't give away good tips to random people for free. Besides, no reputable company

schemes thus making business much more difficult to run. In case you did not know, a pyramid scheme according to Wikipedia, is a non-sustainable business model that involves the exchange of money primarily for enrolling other people into the scheme, usually without any product or service being delivered, and is highly illegal. Pyramid schemes have existed for at least a century. Matrix schemes use the same fraudulent non-sustainable system as a pyramid; here, the victims pay to join a waiting list for a desirable product which only a fraction of them can ever receive. Meanwhile, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had in May 2012, on its website issued a warning on an illegal fund manager, Finance and Commercial Services Limited – (FCSL) which had through a newspaper advert, announced the introduction of four Funds into the market. The funds are: • Evergreen Ethical Fund • Beta Growth Fund • Diamond Fund • Beautiful Minds Education Endowment Fund The funds are illegal as neither the funds nor the Manager are registered with the commission and thus anyone who invests in these Funds does so to his/her own risk. Investors are advised to consult the Commission’s website for the list of authorized Funds. Similarly in August 2012, the SEC, raised another alarm over the activities of an illegal capital market operator — Global Growth and Income Limited — for soliciting deposits from members of the public for the purchase of shares on their behalf. The company, operating out of Number 19, Bode Thomas Road, Onipanu, Lagos, according to a statement by SEC, is calling for deposits from unsuspecting members of the public purporting to purchase shares on their behalf. SEC disclosed that the company is not registered and licensed to carry out any capital market activities. Therefore, it said, “Investors wishing to purchase shares or invest in any financial product are hereby advised to contact investment advisers or the Commission to verify the status of the company/institution before making such investments.

“I

would spam to get their name out. The smartest thing you can do is hit your delete button. Identifying these shady e-mails isn't tough. Besides promising huge results with no risk, look for CAPITALIZED LETTERS WITH MANY EXCLAMATION MARKS!!! FOR SOME REASON SCAM ARTISTS THINK YOU'LL LISTEN IF THEY WRITE LIKE THEY ARE SCREAMING AT YOU!!! Another clue is when the e-mail comes from free e-mail providers such as yahoo.com or hotmail.com. DEALING WITH INVESTMENT FRAUD If you come across or are the victim of an investment scam, the best thing to do is report it to the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) website http://www.sec.gov.ng/. When contacting the SEC, you only need to give as much personal information as you wish. However, the more information you give them, the better they will be able to help you. Include specific details of how, why and when you were defrauded with any contact info you have on the fraudulent person or company you are reporting. THE NIGERIAN EXPERIENCE Investment scams in Nigeria had in the past manifested in form of wonder banks that offers mouth watering interest rates on deposits. Interest rates could be as high as 8 to 10% per month or 120% per year. If you invest N100 today, you will reap N220 in one year. Such offers were too tempting to ignore by investors who did not take their time to do a background check on the status such companies registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In the last five years, investors have lost money to a number of online investing companies but eventually the bubble bursts as these wonder bank fails to deliver returns. Barely one month after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) sounded an alarm about the re-emergence of wonder banks in the country, the bubble began to burst as one of the organizations has closed shop following its inability to settle bogus interests promised investors. The wonder bank which has offices in Ajao Estate, Egbeda and Ikeja areas of Lagos, with head office in Ibadan has crashed as it was unable to pay thousands of its depositors the jumbo interests promised just within 26 weeks of operation. Most of the depositors who lodged various sums of money with this institution met its three Lagos offices locked when they visited the place last week to collect their heavy interests for week 26 which was due for collection. This is where the scam really is: The organization has been accepting as minimum deposit the sum of N10, 500 from depositors with the promise to deliver N20,000 after three weeks of lodgment. They claim to be fund managers. That their business is genuine, clean, not designed to defraud members of the public, and in fact aimed at alleviating poverty. But there is something eerie, strange and chilling about their operations and conduct casting doubt on this claim. None of these companies visited had a visible signboard at their offices. Also, none of the owners or directors of these companies wants to be identified publicly. Perhaps due to the ongoing onslaught by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at that time, the personalities behind these companies made themselves elusive. The companies also bear queer but seemingly attractive names .i.e. Wealth Solutions, Success Point, Pennywise, Spring of Wealth, Cash Seed, Open Gate, Fantastic Options, Gold Power etc. Another puzzling aspect of these companies is that most of them have their headquarters located in the ancient city of Ibadan. And nobody seems to know why this is so. Why any Nigerian will deposit a massive 450,000 Naira (about 3,500 US Dollars) into a shady investment scheme beats anybody’s imagination. Of course the “investment schemes” do not portray themselves as scams. They also promise huge rewards for such investments and gullible Nigerians fall prey for such scams. Nospetco for example, promises to pay 40,000 Naira monthly on your 450,000 Naira “investment”. What they do not tell you is that this business of theirs is nothing new. It’s an old scam whereby deposits from new members are used to pay old members. In response, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN ) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) placed advertisement in the media that anybody patronizing these companies does so at his/her own risk. Despite the warnings, a large number of people queue up on daily basis to join the schemes offered by these companies and even new ones are being floated. The bubble is bursts – not because there are no new gullible members to join, but because the Central Bank of Nigeria ordered that commercial banks closed the accounts of these schemes. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) also hunted down the directors of this shady

Other types of scams experienced in Nigeria are a type of advance fee fraud and one of the most common types of confidence frauds in which the victim is defrauded for monetary gain. There are many variations on this type of scam, including advance fee fraud, Nigerian Letter Fifo's Fraud, Spanish Prisoner Scam, black money scam, or Detroit/Buffalo scam. The scam has been used with fax and traditional mail, and is now used with the internet. Common Elements Fake cheques Fraudulent cheques and money orders are key elements in many advance-fee scams, such as auction/classified listing overpayment, lottery scams, inheritance scams, etc., and can be used in almost any scam when a "payment" to the victim is required to gain, regain or further solidify the victim's trust and confidence in the validity of the scheme. Western Union/MoneyGram wire transfers A central element of advance-fee fraud is that the transaction from the victim to the scammer must be untraceable and irreversible. Otherwise, the victim, once they become aware of the scam, can successfully retrieve their money and/or alert officials who can track the accounts used by the scammer. Wire transfers via Western Union and MoneyGram are ideal for this purpose. International wire transfers cannot be cancelled or reversed, and the person receiving the money cannot be tracked. Anonymous communication Since the scammer's operations must be untraceable to avoid identification, and because the scammer is often impersonating someone else, any communication between the scammer and his victim must be done through channels that hide the scammer's true identity. The following options in particular are widely used. Spelling and grammar errors Scam emails originating from non-native speakers of a language usually contain numerous spelling and grammar errors. This is often the result of scam operators using widely available internet translation programs that do not accurately translate syntax and grammar. This phenomenon has been widely parodied as an obvious indication of fraudulent intent. Cormac Herley of Microsoft Research suggests that spelling and grammar errors are intentional to filter out intelligent recipients and increase the likelihood of a success. Web-based email Because many free email services do not require valid identifying information, and also allow communication with many victims in a short span of time, they are the preferred method of communication for scammers. Some services go so far as to mask the sender's source IP address (Gmail being a common choice), making the scammer more difficult to trace to country of origin. While Gmail does indeed strip headers from emails, it is in fact possible to trace an IP address from such an email. SMS messages Abusing SMS bulk senders such as WASPS, scammers subscribe to these services using fraudulent registration details and paying either via cash or stolen credit card details. They then send out masses of unsolicited SMSes to victims stating they have won a competition/lottery/reward or like event and they have to contact somebody to claim their prize. Telecommunications relay services Many scams use telephone calls to convince the victim that the person on the other end of the deal is a real, truthful person. The scammer, possibly impersonating a US citizen or other person of a nationality, or gender, other than their own, would arouse suspicion by telephoning the victim. In these cases, scammers use TRS, a US federally funded relay service where an operator or a text/speech translation program acts as an intermediary between someone using an ordinary telephone and a deaf caller using TDD or other teleprinter device. The scammer may claim they are deaf, and that they must use a relay service. The victim, possibly drawn in by sympathy for a disabled caller, might be more susceptible to the fraud. CONCLUSIONS Now that you're familiar with the various kinds of online investment scams, we hope you'll be prepared for anything the fraudsters throw at you. We'll be happy if this tutorial saves one person from being scammed out of their hard-earned money. To recap: • Many scams on the 'Net aren't new at all. They're just variations on classic Ponzi schemes, pump and dump scams, and offshore investing scams. • Bulletin boards are especially dangerous because you don't know the identity of who is posting. Take all posts with a grain of salt. • Newsletters are often written by paid promoters. Always be skeptical: if things sound too good to be true, they probably are. • Spam isn't even worth the second it takes to hit delete. • If you encounter a scam, contact the SEC.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

BusinessInterview We have taken value chain approach to

Adesina

Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, believes the days of subsistence farming are fast fading away as the huge money-making aspect of the venture has been exposed at various fora even to the least discerned mind. He asserts that the Federal Government has done much to re-engineer Nigeria’s agricultural sector through time testing policies and programmes. In this interview with BUKKY OLAJIDE, the consummate technocrat bares his mind on a wide range of issues, including the decentralisation, acquisition, distribution of high quality seedlings, fertilisers and other input seamlessly to farmers across the country, capturing of biometric of farmers so as to serve them better, as government’s efforts starved off famine in the land following large scale flooding of last year, Nigeria’s measures to shore up Africa’s agricultural produce, among other governance issues. Excerpts. OU are always emphasizing that agriculture Y must be treated as a business, how do you see this in practice? Agriculture is not a sector where government should be in control of production of anything. The role of government is to provide policies, good incentives, infrastructures, and a regulatory environment that will allow agriculture to grow. The issue is that the private sector are those that needed to actually grow agriculture as a business. What we are doing right now is that we have taken a value chain approach which means that we look at agriculture from the farm to the table, when we are talking about rice, it is not just about how rice is produced, but how rice is processed, milled, packaged and transported to reach the consumer. Because of the approach that we have taken on agriculture as a business, we have seen a dramatic shift in our local agriculture today in Nigeria. In the last one year, we have been able to attract $8 billion worth of private sector invest-

ment commitments into agriculture. It goes from seeds to fertilizer manufacturing, processing of foods, logistics and finance. The local companies in Nigeria are also coming up, you notice that the best performing stocks on the Nigerian Stock Exchange are agriculture stocks. As a result of the policies of this administration, we are seeing a clear transformation of agriculture from development programme to agriculture as a business. Concerning cocoa, it seems Nigerian farmers are having difficulties competing, are there any practical steps taken to solve this problem ? You know Nigeria used to be the second largest producer of cocoa in the world, we were well ahead of Ghana, Cameroon, Malaysia and Indonesia, they have overtaken us. We have introduced about 500,000 metric tones of cocoa. We have started three major activities. First is to provide for our farmers with high yielding varieties of cocoa. The cocoa Research

Institute of Nigeria has developed high breeds of cocoa. This high breeds will give you yields of 2.5 tonnes per hectare compared to 0.5 tonnes per hectare of the existing varieties. Secondly, the new high breeds mature in two and a half years compared to five years of the existing varieties. It is seen as one of the most revolutionary thing in cocoa market globally today. The cocoa market globally has a shortage of one million metric tonnes and Nigeria wants to aggressively take advantage of that. Last year, we started distributing 3.5 million of the high yielding cocoa breed. In terms of plant, that means 114 million seedlings. We are doing that to quickly recapitalise our plantations because most of our plantations are very old and the yields are low. Government is giving away all the seeds for cocoa free of charge as the President directed. We started with a number of tree crop units in different states that are raising the seedlings. Also, we are giving them ‘Growth Enhancement Support,’ as well as access to

other chemicals for their cocoa plantations. Finally, we have what is called ‘Export Enhancement Grant’ (EEG). This provides financing support for our cocoa farmers to be able to export. These are the things we are doing and as you can see, the cocoa export for Nigeria has continued to rise. Our goal is to be able to yield one million metric tonnes per year when compared to Ghana or Ivory Coast. What is the progress of the youth programme that your ministry has undertaken ? If you look at agriculture today in Nigeria, it has been done by a lot of old people. The average age of farmers in Nigeria is about 60 years old. When those farmers are no longer there, what are we going to do. It’s a major risk facing agriculture today: the risk of rapidly aging population of farmers and the President has decided that we should take quick action to bring younger, more entrepreneurial commercial farmers into agriculture. The programme is going to be called

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

treat agriculture as a business, says Adesina Nagropreneur, which is Nigerian Agricultural Entrepreneurs and it would involve about 760,000commercial farmers that we are going to work within the next five years. They would be young graduates that have left university, some secondary school leavers, and some of the people that were in primary schools that dropped out. The whole idea is to enable us reduce unemployment rate among our youths. It will also reduce the rural-urban migration. More importantly, it will address insecurity issues arising from unemployment. For instance, some of the agricultural projects we are doing in the North today where we have a lot of insecurity challenges we are using agriculture as a base. Looking at your achievements, what is the level of foreign inflow of investments to the sector The agenda of this government on transforming agriculture in this country is on course. When we started, we said we were going to be self sufficient in rice production by 2015. Last year, we were able to produce 690,000 metric tones of pallet rice and Mr. president approved for us to do what the Federal Government has never done before to support dry season rice cultivation in ten northern states. We distributed a lot of seedlings to farmers to plant on 170,000 hectares of land at an average yield of four tonnes per hectare. As we go into the raining season, we will continue to give farmers across the federation 32,000 metric tonnes of improved varieties to cultivate and to my estimation should produce roughly 2.3 million metric tonnes of pallet rice. We are well on course to actually attain rice sufficiency. We are oblivious of the fact that there may be people out there who could be hell bent towards scattering the efforts of the president. These are rice importers who want to continue to bring in rice. We are doing well, a lot of our work is showing and we would not allow those people to undermine our work. As we speak today, we have also launched a major effort to register all the farmers we have in this country. What efforts have you made so that the ministry could access farmers across the federation? You cannot spend government money unless you know the people you are spending it on. Public probity and accountability are important. If government is spending money, it must know them. Farmers are not faceless, You must know the farmers that you are reaching out to, the reason we developed the ‘Growth Enhancement Scheme’ and ‘Electronic Wallet’ are geared at farmers through mobile phones. Within 120 days time-frame last year, we were able to access 1.2 million farmers. Hopefully, by the end of this current planting season, we should be able to impart 1.5 million farmers. As we go into the new planting season, our target is to reach more than five million farmers and as I speak to you, we embarked on a nation-wide registration of our farmers. We have trained 11,000 enumerators and every farmer will possess identity card as well as have his/her biometric’ captured. Within this scheme, we are able to tell where they are, what they cultivate, how much area they have. I can tell you for the first time, as a Minister of Agriculture how many farmers got seeds, fertilizers, and where they are. And last year, because of the Electronic Wallet System we did, private sector companies, fertiliser companies sold N15 billion worth of their products directly to farmers instead of to government. The seed companies also sold N1.5 billion worth of seedlings to farmers. Nigeria is the first country in Africa or probably in the world that has developed an electronic wallet system or mobile phones to reach farmers with subsidised seeds and fertilisers. The European Union, World Bank, Africa Development Bank and other sales and distribution tolerant institutions had now decided to scale up what we are doing in Nigeria to

other countries. We are able to end corruption of 40 years in fertiliser with Mr. president’s support within 90 days. Other countries are noticing our effort, and that we will continue to work hard to achieve our aim. When it comes to the issue of other crops, take cocoa for example, we are distributing freely 3.5 million pods of hybrid cocoa to farmers also freely across the cocoa-growing states of Nigeria. For the North alone last year, we distributed high quality seeds of cotton and were planted on 75,000 hectares across the entire region for the first time in history. So, we are focused on the job, though there are detractors outside there, but I don’t get distracted. We will get the job done. How many silos have been completed as food storage facilities? Everything is computerized. Due to the importance the president placed in food security, the silos, which were at 35 per cent completion stage countrywide are on courses. There are different types of silos, some have 25,000 metric tonnes capacity like the one in Ikenne, others that have 100,000 capacity. As we speak, we have a total silo capacity in the region of 3.1 million metric tonnes. It is very important because as a nation, we have to maintain at least five per cent of our total food production for strategic grain reserve. This is what we have to do for food security in case of any shock or crisis. Last year, when we had the flood, you would recall that there was panic in the country, but government did not panic because we had given our farmers access to seeds, fertilizers and genuine farmers were getting them and we were expecting roughly eight million metric tonnes of food, as a buffer within the food system. Amid the crisis, which spurred famine fears among the citizenry, which many had wholesale believed would have resulted in huge hunger in December, the period came and passed without anything of such owing to the safeguards government had put in place through this sustainable agricultural policy and effective distribution chain. As I said earlier, due to this concrete arrangement, 1.2 million farmers were accountable last year. This year, we have started registration in earnest with 10 million farmers. Is Nigeria planning to raise Africa’s farm produce With lots of land, water, labour and a diverse agro- environment system, Africa has huge potential in agriculture. So, there is a need for a new green revolution for Africa. The original “Green Revolution,” resulting from technological advancements led by agronomist and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Norman Borlaug, is credited for saving a billion people from starvation, mostly in South Asia, in the 1960s and 1970s. A number of technologies exists to unlock Africa’s potential. As biotechnology is growing, pest-resistant biotech cotton which has resulted in high productivity and Kenya successfully testing more biotech crop varieties. There is success story in Malawi, which achieved food sufficiency at the end of the 2006 planting season and began to export 400,000 metric tonnes of surplus grain. Increases in crop productivity are possible with crops the country already grows – peanuts, millet, cocoa, sesame, cassava and sorghum – crops already captured less affected by the Green Revolution, which concentrated on rice and wheat. Africa could use fertilizers and irrigation more effectively to raise productivity and African leaders need the political will to implement policy changes to support smallholding farmers. Nigeria has integrated food processing and farm financing into its agricultural sector policies. It has also established a marketing corporation to provide access to financing, high-quality seeds and fertilisers as well as provision of technical assistance. The country aims to replace imported rice with Nigerian-raised production.

Adesina

If you look at agriculture today in Nigeria, it has been done by a lot of old people. The average age of farmers in Nigeria is about 60 years old. When those farmers are no longer there, what are we going to do. It’s a major risk facing agriculture today: the risk of rapidly aging population of farmers and the President has decided that we should take quick action to bring younger, more entrepreneurial commercial farmers into agriculture.

Adesina

Other countries are noticing our effort, and that we will continue to work hard to achieve our aim. When it comes to the issue of other crops, take cocoa for example, we are distributing freely 3.5 million pods of hybrid cocoa to farmers also freely across the cocoa-growing states of Nigeria.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

Oil & GasWeekly Remi Aiyela, Editor-in-Chief

editor@NOGintelligence.com www.NOGintelligence.com

UPSTREAM NEWS

Shell Declares New Force Majeure On Bonny Light

In the deal in which it acquired a stake in the block, Addax was required to pay the signature bonus of $55 million to the Nigerian government. In additionitwasrequiredtocommittoaminimuminvestment of $75 million to cover the acquisition of 3D seismic and the drilling of one well. Addax was also required to pay the company a reputed $25 million farm-in fee as part of the deal. Addax would also pay Starcrest's share of exploration and development costs, which would be fully recoverable out of production. This extraordinary deal saw Starcrest walk away with $25 million dollars in hand with Addax left to carry the total risk on the block after having paid out $80 million in upfront costs. A strong public outcry followed the news of the deal and Starcrest was investigated over the award but cleared of wrongdoing. At the time Addax said that the farm-in fee "was fully transparent, disclosed publicly at the time, and represented a good commercial opportunity for Addax Petroleum and its shareholders. The payment of a farm-in fee is standard practice in the industry." Canadian national, Jean Claude Gandur, was the founder of Addax Petroleum, which he sold to Chinese state-owned Sinopec in 2009 for a reported $9.8 billion. He is back in Nigeria with Oryx Petroleum Corporation, which is currently trying to raise funds through an initial public offering to finance its 2011 farm-in into OML 141 owned by Emerald Energy Resources Limited and Amni International Petroleum Development Company Limited. It seems the only losers on the block are the Chinese who paid an inflated price for Addax partially valued on the expected yield of OPL 291.

Afren Prepares to Drill OML 115 Offshore Nigeria Â

ARELY one month after the Shell Petroleum B Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC) ONDON Stock Exchange listed Afren's states that shut down the Nembe Creek Trunkline (NCTL), the Lit is on schedule to commence drilling two explocompany has once again shut the troubled trunk rations wells in OML 115 Ufon prospect, offshore line down to carry out essential maintenance. They shut the 97-kilometre line on Monday to remove crude oil theft connections and investigate suspected oil theft leaks. As a result, production of some 150,000 barrels of oil per day has been deferred and SPDC has declared force majeure on Bonny Light export. Reiterating the concern of the company, Managing Director of SPDC & Country Chair, Shell Nigeria,MutiuSunmonusaidinastatement:"We're concernedthattheNCTLhasbeentargetedbycrude oil thieves repeatedly since we installed the new line in 2010 at a cost of $1.1 billion." "The current exercise aims to remove a significant number of oil theft connections and repair any leaks on the pipeline. We recognise efforts by the security forces to contain the crime, and SPDC will work with them during the shutdown to clear illegal connections on the NCTL," he added. The vital NCTL has been closed several times as a result of crude oil theft leaks and fires between December 2011 and May 2012. The last declaration of force majeure on the NCTL was only last month when it was shut down on the 5th of March after a leak was detected. A specialist mobilisation team was moved in to repair the line. Also, between the 22nd and 25th of February,12 flow stations producing into the pipeline were shut down by safety systems three times due to oil theft according to the company. Mr Sunmonu has called for the nation to join hands in tackling the escalating menace of crude theft. "Crude theft continues to affect people, the environment and the economy, and urgent action is needed by all stakeholders to tackle the problem," he said. It is estimated that the country loses 150,000 barrels of oil per day to oil theft.

Addax Considering OPL 291 Exit?

HERE are unconfirmed reports that Addax T Petroleum Development Company, which operates Oil Prospecting Licence (OPL) 291 in which it has a 72.5% stake, is considering exiting the block. Addax acquired the its stake in the block from politically connected Emeka Offor's Starcrest Nigeria Energy Limited, amid a great deal of controversy in the aftermath of the 2006 licensing round. The block, which is in deep-water offshore Nigeria, was created after OPL 216 was converted into Oil Mining Lease (OML) 127 and the area of OPL 291 relinquished under the government's mandatory relinquishment programme. The prolific Agbami field operated by Chevron is located in OML 127. It appears that following the acquisition of 3D seismic over the block, the interpretation of the data indicates that the block does not have oil in quantities that would be commercial for it to exploit especially given its deep-water location. Starcrest won OPL 294 in the bid round while an Indian consortium won OPL 291. The Indians were unable to exercise their right of first refusal in time and lost out to Transnational Corporation (Transcorp). After Transcorp failed to secure a technical partner and pay the signature bonus, Starcrest went after the block. The company was allowed to swop OPL 294, which it won for OPL 291, which was considered likely to contain large reserves given its proximity to Agbami.

Nigeria. The Ufon prospect is a three-way dip closed structure that is interpreted to have oil prospectivity in the same D Series reservoirs that have proven to be oil bearing at the nearby Ebok and Okwok fields. Afren, the operator of the block, farmed into it early in 2010 entering into a joint venture agreement with Oriental Energy Resources (OER) and Energy Equity Resources (EER). The block adjoins the Ebok and Okwok development area in which Afren and OER have had great success already. The success of the Ebok and Okoro fields have helped the company go from 19,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 43,000 bpd boosting its share price on the LSE along the way. When Afren farmed in, it acquired 81.25 per cent of EER's 40 per cent of OML 115, giving it a total of 32.5 per cent. It however, had an effective economic interest of between 77 per cent and 100 per cent pre cost recovery. It also had to shell out around US$6 million upfront including signature bonuses for the acquisition. Under the deal, Afren was to carry OER and EER for the drilling of one well (at a cost of around $30 million) after which the OER and EER would be required to meet future cash calls. The proximity of the block to Ebok and Okwok was a big influence on the decision to make the acquisition. At the time of the acquisition, the Chief Executive of Afren, Osman Shahensah, said: "OML 115 represents an attractive exploration opportunity at minimal up front cost, adjacent to the Ebok and Okwok fields, where we have enjoyed considerableappraisalsuccess.ThecloseproximityofOML 115 to the Ebok - Okwok complex will provide a preexisting export solution for any development on the block." Afren currently has a 100 per cent pre cost-recovery working interest and a 50 per cent post costrecovery working interest. OER remains a partner in the block. The southern portion of the Okwok structure (Okwok South) extends into OML 115. With production processing, storage and export infrastructure in place at the Ebok field, they have a readily available export route for any potential future development in the area. They completed 3D seismic over the whole Ebok/Okwok/OML 115 in 4 November 2011. They hope to spud their first well within months using the GSF Monitor drilling rig.

MIDSTREAM NEWS

Dangote to Plans $8 Billion Oil Refinery

FRICA'S richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote has A announced that he plans to build a refinery at a cost of $8 billion. He made the announcement this week in Lagos, saying that the refinery will start once the company has secured the appropriate approvals from the government. The location and capacity of the proposed refinery are yet to be con-

firmed. The history of Nigeria's refining capacity is not very encouraging. Last year, the President set up the National Refineries Special Task Force (NRSTF) to report on the state of the nation's refineries. The reportconfirmedthediabolicalstateofthenation's refineries. The Task Force found that although Nigeria had the largest production capacity in Africa, at 445,000 barrels per day between the three traditional refineries, the country had an average utilization of just 18%, making them the worst performing of Africa's 42 refineries. This compares unfavourably with Egypt's 81% and South Africa's 85% for the period from 2006-9. Earlier this year, the Chairman of the Association of Private Refineries Owners of Nigeria (APRON), Justice Samuel Ilori, accused the Federal Government of frustrating the take-off of private refineries by introducing policies that are not favourable to the projects. Eight years ago, he said, the government granted licenses to 18 private firms to build and operate refineries after paying $1 million each, altogether amounting to $18 million to the government as stipulated in the guidelines. The licenceshavenowbeenrevokedbytheDepartment of Petroleum Resources (DPR) for their failure to meet the 18-month deadline to build the refineries. Ilori criticised the fiscal policies saying that the crude oil allocation formula, which stipulates that the "government will guarantee crude oil requirement of refineries up to the maximum turn down ratio, that is, 60 per cent processing capacity of the plant to the extent that crude is available" is not helpful. He argued that it should be 100 per cent to serve as an incentive to private refiners. To ask them to source for 40 per cent of their crude needs may be problematic, he said. With all the 19 licences issued so far failing to result in a single new refinery, Dangote is urging the Federal Government to allow market forces to determine the price of fuel. "We are all aware that the federal government had issued 19 licences to the private sector to establish refineries in the country, but how many of them have come on stream? There is uncertainty in the sector and only a mad businessman will put up a refinery now, but we are set to do that," he said. He was however sure, that the refinery would succeed in spite of these problems, saying they had done the numbers and the numbers looked good. Analysts are saying privately that his strong government connections should secure the appropriate policies which will ensure the success of the project that could see Nigeria's refining capacity doubled to 400,000 barrels by the time the refinery comes on stream within the next three years. Dangote is already invested in the upstream sector. The group's Equity Energy Resources owns 9 per cent of Block I in the Joint Development Zone ( JDZ ) of Nigeria Sao-Tome along with Chevron Texaco and Exxon Mobil. The company also has a 10 per cent share in Block III in JDZ of Nigeria along with Anadakko as Operator as well as a 6 per cent stake in Block 315 in Nigeria along with Statoil and Petrobas as operators.

DOWNSTREAM NEWS

OPEC Daily Basket Price Slides To $96.71 A Barrel Wednesday, 17 April 2013 HE price of the Organisation of Petroleum T Exporting Countries (OPEC) basket of twelve crudes continued its downward slide, ending at $96.71 dollars a barrel on Wednesday, compared with $97.15 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations. The price of the OPEC basket has been under pressure since the 2nd of April when it stood at $108.16. Since then it has continued to slide, although temporarily recovering between the 9th of April and 10th of April when it stood at to $102.72and $103.26 respectively. Analysts say that data showing that growth in China was slowing after demand fell to its lowest in seven months in March triggered the steep drop in crude prices around the world to below $100 for the first time this year. Prices are expected to recover as traders re-enter the market at the lower prices. Concern over supplies following SPDC's force majeure declaration on Bonny Light is also likely to support prices. Shell Petroleum Developing Company (SPDC) shut down the 150,000-barrel-a-day Nembe Creek pipeline for repairs on Wednesday. The Iranian Oil Minister, Rostam Qasemi said on Wednesday that OPEC members would hold an

in association with

emergency meeting if oil prices stayed below $100 a barrel but there has been no reaction to the statement from other member countries. OPEC's is scheduled to meet on the 31st of May. Introduced on 16 June 2005, the new OPEC Reference Basket is currently made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Oriente (Ecuador), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Qatar Marine (Qatar), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).

TECHNOLOGY NEWS AVEON Offshore Wins Major Subsea Systems Components Contract

VEON Offshore Limited, an engineering and A fabrication services company, has won the contract for the fabrication of some major componentsofthesubseasystemsfortheEssoExploration and Production Nigeria Limited (EEPNL) Erha North Phase 2 Project. The wholly Nigerian owned company secured the contract from Cameron Offshore Systems Nigeria Limited who won the Engineering Procurement Construction contract for the subsea systems of the project. Aveon's contract consists of the fabrication and load-out of approximately 1,000 tons of subsea structures which includes 5 manifolds and modules together with the associated suction piles, various Christmas Tree frame elements and control system foundations. Aveon's fabrication yard in Rumuolumeni, near Port Harcourt, is preparing its 240,000 sq m fabrication yard to take on the project. They expect it to generate 200,000 productive man-hours of work. The company is now intending to add a dedicated 2,000 m2 high-bay workshop that will ensure that it has the capacity to handle the job with delivery scheduled for between August and October 2014. NOGintelligence featured Cameron Offshore Systems Nigeria Limited in October last year when we reported that the company had completed its first made in Nigeria sub-sea Christmas Tree for Total's Usan project. At the time, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian content Development Management Board, Mr Ernest Nwapa, commended the company on the completion of the ChristmasTree,saying:"Inthenext3-5yearsNigeria will have over 25 globally recognised original Equipment Manufacturers making their equipment or major components here, either directly or using their Nigerian representatives". It appears Mr Nwapa's prediction is slowly being borne out. Aveon says that the project will help it fulfill a strategic milestone in the development of the company as a sustainable Nigerian owned fabrication yard serving the oil & gas industry.

New Spill Detection Technology Utilises Fluorescence To Detect Oil Spills

N American company says it has developed a A technology that uses fluorescence to detect early signs of oil spills. Many oil companies rely on unsophisticated visual reports. With the new technology, expert, Bala Zakka said oil companies can now heave a sigh of relief as natural fluorescence of even tiny amounts of oil in or on water can be detected with ease. Zakka, who spoke to NOGintelligence said that the technology which was developed by an American company, Cambridge Consultants, utilises fluorescence to detect leaks or spills. "The new fluorescent oil spill technology is one that the oil industry will find very handy in stemming the rising incidence of oil spills in the Niger Delta. The way it works is that if you shine the ultraviolet light onto the various different types of crude oil, you will get a fluorescent signal. However, there are other things that also fluoresce and give off visible light if you eliminate them in that sort of environment. The trick is to know how you can tell the difference between what is oil and what is something you are not concerned with," he said. The complicated technology entails developing a sensory set up to understand the illuminating ultraviolet source, how much power is being put in and how it is distributed. The technology looks at the detection optics, the optical arrangement and the sensor itself, which collects the fluorescent light and puts it unto a detector. It is also important to detect the fluorescent signals that get in the way, what sort of signal they might give off and the different ways you might separate them out from the signal you are trying to measure. He urged major oil companies to take advantage of the new technology for the purpose of detecting leaks that may arise from vandalism or pipeline rupture early enough so that intervention works can be carried out on time. To address the issue of pipeline vandalism, Zagga urged the Federal Government and major oil companies to consider the deployment of fibre optic technology for monitoring the safety of the pipelines.

BondWatch DLM BOND WATCH: APRIL 22, 2013

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, June22, 6,2013 2011 THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April

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THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

Opinion APC needs ideologically-driven manifesto By Kingsley Ogbonda MISSED the article by Prof. Chukwuma ItheSoludo titled “Where is the Political Party for Nigerian Economy”. But I read that of Zainab Usman titled “APC: The Game Changer” and Soludo’s postscript to it on April 1, 2013. I also read Kayode Komolafe’s “Politics Without Ideology” on April 3, 2013, all in ThisDay newspaper. These articles were intended to stir a debate about the absence and the relevance of ideology in contemporary Nigeria. This is a welcome departure from the dreary debates that have reduced Nigerian politics to discussions like; I want to be president because my region has been marginalised for 20 years or since 1914. Robust, matured political ideas debates are stuff that determines serious nations. Maybe we are finally getting unto something exciting. But I caution, the temptation to overintellectualise or display our usual rhetorical flamboyance must be resisted so that most of us – the lumpen proletariats, can make sense of what are being said and feel happy to join in. Personally, if the debate gets too academic I will be lost. I shall return briefly to consider Zainab’s article – the role of political ideology in our new world order. Before that, a brief comment on Soludo’s article. I repeat, I did not read it, so I tread cautiously. If it were possible to deduce from Zainab and Kayode’s articles, and Soludo’s postscript, what he said; it is this – that PDP and All Progressives Congress (APC – yet to be formed) and other political parties must have manifestos, which are underpinned by their respective ideologies. That’s a reasonable comment. Soludo further advises that parties should get to work. Political power and office should no longer be gotten for nothing, there must be a quid pro quo – that is giving something for something, Soludo argues. Again, a sound political argument. Sadly, it is hard to separate a man’s comments from his actions. Soludo falls on the issue of motive. If he is not a member of PDP, which has by force and crock ruled Nigeria since 1999, and if he had been admonishing PDP (which I know not) for lack of ideology before he sought nomination under PDP for the governorship of Anambra State, his call for

ideologically based parties would resonate with the majority of us. It is possible that Soludo now agrees that PDP is ideologically empty. If so, his confession is applauded. But, as one suspects that Soludo’s call is based on his fear that Nigerians may sleep walk into an APC undefined future government, for that, I suggest he is not being totally honest with us. As an illustration I point to the neat comment by Kayode in the referred article; – “The PDP prides itself as the ‘largest party in Africa’. When you ask party enthusiasts this basic question: what does the party stand for? You are likely going to get some answers to the effect that the party will rule for the next 50 years or so. Now, that is no programme. In the last 14 years of being in power at the federal level, there is hardly any programme or policy option that has consistently defined the party.” As illustrated above, the party has no vision, nor the desire to serve the country. Under Chief Obasanjo, PDP failed to offer any ideological compass. This probably did not matter because the Chief is natural. With him, what you see is what you get. He could not have offered what he hasn’t got – a clear political vision for building a viable nation. Under the late Yar’Adua and now Jonathan – all PDP has offered and is offering are seven points’ agenda and transformation agenda respectively. What really do these words mean? Nigerians have no idea. Shamefully, ministers and newscasters continue to sheepishly mouth them as mere platitudes. Zainab in her article argued that political ideology is now a weak tool in mobilising the electorate. For her, Nigerians have become cynical of politicians and ideological labels will exacerbate it. In view of Nigerians’ low expectations of politicians this is a persuasive point. Perhaps, it is also PDP’s alibi for not presenting its ideology/manifesto to Nigerians. But it is a false alibi, particularly as its members are now goading APC for its ideology/manifesto. Having read Zainab, both her intention and motives are well meaning. She argues for a political and economic vision, which transcends party labels but based on things that matter to ordinary people. In a world of increasingly ideological convergence (unipolar), the role of ideology in Nigerian politics should be de-emphasised; indeed she said, “it is not relevant” in our present reality. If ideology was useful in shaping political par-

ties outlook and their role in power, in the ideologically divided Nigeria of the 1960 – 1980; post 1990 – generally regarded as the end of communism, Zainab suggests, ideology has become irrelevant or at least benign in political and economic debates. I have my doubts. Conceded, that the role of ideology in global political and economic development after 1990 has waned, within countries it remains relevant. Zainab’s view is therefore not an entirely correct reflection of politics in liberal western democracies of which we now imitate. If she is right, the real political animosity we witnessed between the Republican and Democratic parties of America in the 2012 presidential elections, which exist between the Conservative and Labour parties of Britain, would not be there. These parties are still ideologically divided. I further concede that their ideological differences on some national issues like, defence and external relations are less divisive and nuanced. But on most economic and social issues they are real. These differences are what stirs the passion and animates their supporters in elections. In 1992, 1997 and 2001 British general elections if you had told my colleagues and I, on our canvassing mission for the Labour Party that we were Conservatives colons you would have been swiftly rebuffed. We were not just desperate for a Labour government; we had the argument. It was new Labour, The Third Way (Public Private Partnership) – a new way of managing key public institutions, and a rejection of the Conservatives minimalist State – these were political beliefs. The army of volunteers Obama assembled in Chicago in 2012 were not only opposed to Mitt Romney’s promise to cut taxes for the rich and his trickle-down economics belief, but were energised by Obama’s promise to increase spending on public works and in his Keynesian approach to stimulating the economy. Like Zainab, most Nigerians agree that unhindered access to basic necessities of life matter most in our lives. Access to good schools, hospitals, roads and jobs, acceptance of our choice in elections, security of lives and properties; not turning vices into virtues, which PDP does by celebrating thieves greatly

matter to Nigerians. If our basic needs are largely met, perhaps ideology may become irrelevant in our politics. But, how are we to know which political parties commit to these objectives; those best able to provide them on consistent bases? The answer lies in parties “contract with the people” – manifestos. If we know what a party promises at elections, we can hold the party answerable for failure to deliver on its promises at the next elections. Parties and their elected members are more likely to fulfil their promises if they are ideologically committed. Although I have questioned Soludo’s motive, I think that he is right to ask for APC to provide its answers to Nigeria’s political and socio-economic problems. Saying that a party is ideological does not mean it cannot be pragmatic. Indeed, the primary purpose of a party is to win power: winning requires it to be more popular – it becomes popular by appealing to a broad range of voters by lurching onto ideological common ground. If APC means well it must be bold to provide a road map on how to get us out of our quagmires. Some pieces of advice: APC must be ready to provide a viable opposition both in appearance and content. If APC fails to become a reality, I fear the opposition would have shattered the remaining hope of Nigerians. It is imperative that there is a clear alternative to PDP. APC must listen to Nigerians and ensure that its candidates are transparent and morally upright. The party must not be desperate for exPDP members to join it. Nigerians are notoriously reluctant for civic engagement even apathetic but are savvy in identifying those with tattered credibility. If in doubt ask the taxi drivers I met in Port Harcourt and Abuja in March 2013. As a demonstration of APC service orientation, after merger all its elected members must begin to serve their states, for state governors and for legislators. They must apply their constituency allowances for their intended purposes. These are the receipts to be tendered at the next elections. None should be under any illusion, Naira for Naira; APC cannot match PDP in spending power. PDP will have no moral qualms in bankrupting the country to buy votes. Nigerians be warned. • Ogbonda contributed this from London.

Margaret Thatcher’s pragmatic relations with Nigeria By Kayode Soyinka IKE her or hate her – and opinion may vary about her – MarLmost garet Thatcher’s place in British history is assured as one of the controversial, if not greatest, prime ministers the country has ever had – the greatest perhaps since Winston Churchill. How ironic that it was an African country, Nigeria, that taught her her first bitter lesson in foreign affairs when she became Prime Minister in 1979. It was at the height of Nigeria’s “dynamic foreign policy” when, demonstrating that it was truly “The Giant of Africa”, it took everyone unawares and surprisingly nationalised the Nigerian assets of British Petroleum (BP) and paid every dime of the worth of the international oil company in Nigeria back to its Brittanic House headquarters in the City of London. As if to thumb its finger on the eye of its former colonial master, Nigeria renamed British Petroleum as African Petroleum (AP). The British establishment reacted with astonishment. It was a deliberate move by General Olusegun Obasanjo, the Head of State then, to punish Britain for breaking UN sanctions to supply oil to apartheid South Africa – although the true reason for the action was to force Thatcher, famous then as “the Lady who is not for turning” to reach a compromise on the issue of Rhodesia/Zimbabwe. Nigeria’s BP masterstroke came unexpectedly on the eve of the Commonwealth Summit in Lusaka, Zambia. The Iron Lady was so dazed, wrong-footed and embarrassed as the news from Nigeria filtered through the garden of the presidential villa in Lusaka where a reception was going on for visiting Heads of Government. UK’s Foreign Secretary, ever so pleasant, usually a very well polished technocrat and highly respected, Lord Carrington, did not know when he lost his diplomatic calm as he approached Nigeria’s External Affairs Minister, Major-General Henry Adefope, who was the leader of the Nigerian delegation, and swore that UK would make Nigeria regret the action. Prior to the nationalisation of BP, the view of Nigeria at No. 10 Downing Street was that it could “only bark but not bite”. That move by General Obasanjo set the tone for Anglo-Nigerian relations in the late ‘70s and up to the early and mid ‘80s. Things

were so bad then between both countries, so much so that it was under Thatcher’s premiership that Nigeria even broke her diplomatic ties with the UK over the issue of the kidnapping in broad daylight on London streets of former Nigerian Transport Minister, Umaru Dikko. But due credit must be given to Mrs. Thatcher that she later on mended fences with Nigeria, struck a good pragmatic partnership with President Babangida whom she famously described on seizing power from General Buhari as “a man we can do business with”. She lived up to that statement by visiting Nigeria, not once but twice when Babangida was president. In one of the visits, she came with her husband, Denis. It is important to note that Nigeria was the only African country she officially visited twice as British prime minister. And that speaks volume. For someone who as British Prime Minister was not really a friend of Africa, her coming to Nigeria twice despite the frequent diplomatic rows between the two countries showed the esteem with which she later held Nigeria. Not only that, under her premiership she increased the number of Nigerian students admitted into British universities on British scholarship under a scheme administered then by her education secretary, Dr. Rhode Boyson because statistics had shown that Nigerian students had consistently outperformed their peers from the rest of the world. Shortly before this, she had in a year when Nigeria’s total spend on students on government scholarship in the UK was about £80 milllion, jacked up school fees for foreign students. It was an unpopular move that made countries like Nigeria and Malaysia affected by it to consider cheaper climes like America to send the bulk of their students to. Britain’s loss was thus America’s gain. Again Thatcher came head-to-head with Nigeria when a new Commonwealth Secretary-General was to be elected. She had pitched her tent in support of Malcolm Fraser, the former Australian prime minister, who was the opponent of Nigerian Chief Emeka Anyaoku. To be fair to her on this particular occasion, it was not Thatcher’s fault that she was against the Nigerian candidate. Chief Anyaoku, who was then deputy secretary-general, entered the race very late – long after Fraser had almost completed his campaign tour of the Commonwealth seeking support. Interestingly, Thatcher was not the only key ally of Nigeria

who was against Anyaoku, even President Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia was in support of Fraser based on principle that the former Australian premier had been to him first to seek his and Zambia’s support at the election and he had been given his word to the affirmative before Anyaoku came calling. And, by the way, if Anyaoku had not decided to contest Nigeria too would have backed Fraser in appreciation of his unflinching support to Nigeria and Africa’s stance on issues of Rhodesia and South Africa when he was premier of Australia. Chief Anyaoku had done the honourable thing by waiting patiently to get the nod from his boss, Sir Shridath Ramphal, that he would not contest for another term before putting his hat in the ring. In the end, however, it did not matter anymore as Nigeria succeeded in getting enough support for Anyaoku who was elected the first African Secretary-General of the Commonwealth despite Thatcher’s and Kaunda’s support for Fraser. And finally, it must be said: Mrs Thatcher was again surprisingly generous in her praise of Nigeria in her memoirs in which she described Nigeria as a very complex country to rule. In Britain she will be remembered for her social and economic reforms (most especially her controversial poll tax) considered by many Britons to be inhuman – left to her, the social security system of the welfare state would have been scrapped because she did not believe that “the state should do it all” for its citizens. On this her position she was considered too insensitive. Don’t forget that she was also the notorious “Margaret Thatcher the milk snatcher” – reference to her stopping the distribution of free milk at school when she was education secretary. Besides, she will also be remembered for taking on the powerful trade unions and breaking their influence for good. In Europe she will be remembered as the British prime minister who was always the odd man out and ensured that the UK did not join the single currency – the Euro, and the exchange rate mechanism. And in the world, Margaret Thatcher will be remembered for taking Britain to war against Argentina in far away Falkland Island; for her unflinching support for Ian Smith in Rhodesia and P.W Botha in apartheid South Africa. May her soul rest in peace. • Soyinka is the publisher, The Africa Today Group.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

Opinion Between religion and state policy By Oguntoye Oluwaseyi “The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man; neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abominations unto the Lord thy God” - Deuteronomy 22 v 5, (King James Version.) HEinteraction of religion and state policy has T bewildered me for some time and the recent incident of Miss Damilola Ekundayo, who was ejected from her Ogun State orientation camp for her refusal to wear the prescribed kits, has set the springboard for a careful analysis of this delicate relationship. Perhaps more interesting is a question that has been disturbing me since; for religious adherents, which is more important; the laws of the state or that of God? Just last week, I came across the text of Prof. Wole Soyinka’s presentation as the inaugural winner of the Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership (The Nigerian Tribune, March 7, 2013 pgs. 47-50). The presentation was titled, “Winding down history: Religion and Nation, Power and Freedom”. It was so powerful that I have found the brilliant thoughts of the Nobel laureate unavoidable in my discourse. Damilola Ekundayo refused to wear the NYSC prescribed kits and insisted on wearing skirts as against trousers and was therefore in violation of the guidelines setting up the scheme. She claimed wearing trousers goes against her religious beliefs. It brings a question to the fore. Does she have the right to demand that her religious beliefs be respected? In that presentation, Wole Soyinka gave two illuminating examples of misplacement of policy priority. First, it was the refusal of some teachers to allow some students write their examinations because they wore hijab. Second, it was the refusal of some two doctors in United Kingdom to treat their patients unless they wear the hijab. These two similar scenarios in different climes pose the same inquiry; of what relevance is hijab to writing an exam and receipt of treatment? While the “if you are a club member, you ob-

serve the rules of the club” cliché holds true, he wrote; “all institutions have the right to set their own rules – as long as these do not violate constitutional rights – including dress codes and accessories that are symbolic of the school’s founding principles, philosophy and ideology”. This specifically has been used by many to criticise her. It has been argued that she signed up to the scheme and must be aware of the rules and cannot now complain that her religious beliefs are threatened. This thinking is flawed. First and foremost, she has a right guaranteed by the constitution that her religious beliefs must be respected. Section 38 of the 1999 constitution (as amended) states that “every person is entitled to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom in community with others (whether in public or in private) to manifest or propagate his belief in worship, teaching, practice and observance”. Wole Soyinka qualifies this; “Translated in plain, practical terms, it establishes the principle that religion should be recognised as a right, not a privilege and that a citizen’s desire for spiritual fulfilment deserves to be assisted – as a basis for both social understanding and governance equity”. This brings out the jurisprudential question; is Section 3 subsections (h) of the NYSC 2012 byelaws superior to Section 38 of the 1999 Constitution, to the effect that the right of Miss Ekundayo to observe her religious beliefs becomes subsumed under her willingness to serve her fatherland? It doesn’t take five years in a law faculty to answer that question. The constitution is the ground norm and by virtue of section 1, it is superior to any other enactment. The NYSC guidelines therefore must be in conformity with the spirit of the constitution. I believe Miss Ekundayo’s case is important for two reasons; one, it reveals the hypocrisy called religion as practiced in Nigeria and at its highest; it exposes an unfortunate failure of Christian leadership. Second, it epitomises the main reasons why the much needed change might be far from this country. Damilola’s religious beliefs are not shared by

her alone but has popular support among Christians. Now, if most pastors would frown at a lady wearing trousers to church for a Sunday service, what justifies the acceptance of trousers for NYSC? If it is truly believed that the Holy Bible disallows women from wearing trousers, through which means was the exception to allow it for NYSC created? In the same vein, given that most churches frown at women wearing trousers to church, the same men of God were silent when the issue came up. It is a total lack of leadership. It is already established that this literal interpretation of that biblical passage is upheld by many churches in the country. Then one wonders why the same men of God that know that she is standing on the truth didn’t come out in her support. Where were the Adeboyes, the Kumuyis, and the Olukoyas? Where were they when one sheep from the flock was in dire need of a voice to lean on? Or perhaps, they were saying in their hearts; “she should have given Caesar what belongs to Caesar”. Damilola stood for her faith in the face of ejection from camp and such act of bravery and Christian steadfastness was not lauded. Ideally, she should be a role model for religious firmness. A visit to those private schools established by these churches would interest you. They maintain a strict dress code, which for ladies disallows the wearing of trousers. Unless I am convinced by superior argument that the origin of that regulation is not from the book of Deuteronomy 22 v 5, does it not make a mockery of the rule when those same students are allowed to wear that same forbidden trousers for NYSC? This incidence in its simplest form showcases everything wrong with this country. Damilola didn’t do anything wrong. Her only mistake was her attempt to change an established norm; one established and perpetuated in hypocrisy. Christian leaders see nothing wrong with ladies wearing trousers for NYSC when same action would entail condemnation on a normal Sunday service. But, if I may ask, what is so strange about wearing skirt for NYSC? Policewomen wear skirts. Between

NYSC, which is only a paramilitary scheme and the Nigerian police force, which is more critical and important to the country? So if policewomen can be allowed to wear skirts, what stops female corps members? Also the concept of conscientious objection is not strange to our polity. It is a situation whereby citizens could reject conscription into the armed forces based on their religious beliefs. It has constitutional backing. Now, if I can reject my country’s call to defend her in times of emergency because of my religious beliefs, does it not sound stupid to think that I cannot refuse a habiliment for a mere paramilitary service because of that same belief? Jehovah witnesses don’t sing the national anthem and none has ever been kicked out of school because of that. In fact, the right of conscientious objection demonstrates the high esteem to which the state regards the right to religion. Those that argue that she knew the rules before going to the camp do not understand the issues. Those are the rules because no one has ever stood up to assert her religious beliefs and challenge them. No ‘genuine’ Christian sister has been brave enough to ask for an amendment of the guidelines to suit her religious leanings. Instead, they all abandon their religious beliefs when going to camp. Comparison with membership of a club is flawed. Membership of a club is voluntary and as such you are required to obey the rules as you join of you own volition. The Iranian women national team was thrown out of the Olympics football qualifiers because they insisted on wearing their hijab. Playing in the Olympics is voluntary and they have to follow the rules if they wish to participate. But the comparison stops there. NYSC is not a voluntary scheme, it is compulsory for any graduate that wishes to seek employment in the country. It is a prerequisite, one that its avoidance renders useless for employment purposes, the years spent in the higher institution. As such, it is a general scheme and knowing fully well, the sensitivity of religion in this country, modalities should be put in place for the incorporation of religious beliefs of all citizens in the scheme. • Oluwaseyi, a law graduate of the University of Lagos is a serving corps member in Osun State.

Customs: Passing the inefficiency buck By Chigozie Chikere HE Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) of 1958, which empowers Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) anti-smuggling operatives to seize trucks and other vehicles used in smuggling has, in recent times, been wielding its sword in the wrong direction. Nonetheless, the anti-smuggling effort of NCS has been commended at various quarters for stepping up security at various entry points in the country and making smuggling, be it across border or through the home ports, a costly trade in Nigeria. However, the CEMA anti-smuggling law is not designed to make innocent truck owners bear the brunt of the failure of Nigeria Customs to forestall the rising trend of cargo underdeclaration, false declaration, cargo concealment, and customs duty value underpayment, which respectively, are regarded as subtle forms of smuggling within the ambit of the law. But that is what is happening as evidenced by the various categories of road haulage trucks loaded with freight containers and detained at the operational bases of the NCS Federal Operations Unit (FOU) all over the country. Besides the high cost of cargo clearing, it is on record that Nigeria Customs Service runs the most stringent cargo examination procedure in West Africa; one of numerous factors that led to cargo diversion from Nigerian ports, port capacity underutilization, and loss of revenue in the late 1990s and to port concessioning by mid 2000. At a time, there were about 14 security agencies involved in cargo examination at the ports. It was of recent that the list was reduced to Nigeria Customs service (NCS), Customs Intelligence Unit (CIU), Police Anti-Bomb Unit (PAU), State Security Service (SSS), National Agency for Foods, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON). Each of these agencies is expected to be present each time a container is positioned and unsealed for examination. Moreover, they are expected to endorse the cargo examination form that enables agents to process other release documents for their consignments. This is in consonance with the Nigeria Customs cargo clearance procedure that is aimed at preventing release of contrabands, detecting cargo underdeclaration, unraveling false declaration, concealment of goods and smuggling of unexamined containers out of the ports.

As proposed, however, the procedure has not turned out quite as the NCS planned. Along the highways, the FOU has continued to intercept thousands of metric tonnes of cargo valued at hundreds of millions of naira previously passed by the customs examination team, on the same grounds of under-declaration, false declaration, and concealment as the case may be. At the Ikeja Zone A office of the FOU, for example, scores of containerladen trucks are reported as intercepted and detained for offences having to do with the inefficiency of the customs examination team who passed these containers before they were loaded onto trucks. Recall that cross-border smuggling does not involve integrated transport units like freight containers. Hence, all containers intercepted and detained by the FOU were previously passed by customs at the ports. The customs FOU arbitrarily choose to detain trucks alongside impounded containers on the pretence that it would attract extra trucking cost for the importer and his agent depending on how long the truck is held. But truck owners see this as very unfair considering that it is not consistent with standard business ethics. It is noteworthy that, of all documents used in clearing, only the Terminal Delivery Order (TDO) permits a truck owner to load a container. The TDO is therefore the only document with which a contract of carriage between the importer’s agent and the truck owner is initiated and consummated. The TDO has no provision for cargo description or manifest and, as such, does not place responsibility on the truck owner for whatever findings the FOU may make as regards the content of the container, or value of customs duty paid or payable as the case may be. By detaining the truck alongside the container, the FOU runs the risk of illegally passing the buck of inefficiency of the customs container examination team to innocent truck owners. Moreover, the FOU, after detaining the trucks on the pretence of increasing costs for defaulting agents, does not ensure the payment of such extra costs to the truck owners before they are released, thereby pitting truck owners against agents and their individual unions. On countless occasions, similar developments had caused serious fracas between the individuals and sometimes their unions. Apart from the quantifiable costs accruable to the agent on event of a seizure or detainment of cargo and truck, there are

the less quantifiable costs. The economic cost of one idle truck for one day is so significant when viewed from the angle of depreciation or wear and tear of the truck. Now, considering the weight of a fully loaded 20 feet or 40 feet standard TEU container on a parked truck for one day, there is no doubt that the impact on the wear and tear will be enormous. Yet, these costs run into days, weeks, and sometimes, months without anybody calculating their cumulative economic cost to the truck owner, the transport and logistics industry, and the nation at large. The FOU boasts of a vast array of operational equipment ranging from exotic automobiles, powerful marine motor boats, customized air planes, and state-of-the-art office automation. This is commendable in the light of the Federal Government’s commitment to ridding Nigerian waters, land borders, and the hinterland of smugglers. But for the sake of innocent truck owners who provide invaluable logistic support to the maritime industry but unsuspectingly fall victim of the FOU’s draconian rule, the NCS should consider adding container handling machines to their fleet. This would enable the FOU operatives to offload impounded containers, letting the trucks off the hook, and saving truck owners unnecessary economic costs with their contingent multiplier effects. The NCS should also identify and subscribe to more effective standard cargo examination procedures alongside competent personnel to stem this ugly trend of discrepancies and irregularities that are a regular feature at the nation’s ports. The Nigerian maritime industry is growing steadily and, in no distant time, Nigeria would assume her rightful position as the maritime hub for the West and Central African sub region. The Nigeria Customs Service should therefore endeavour to live up to their mandate as regulators, managers, and collectors of duties of customs and excise for Nigeria. Their unique position within the hub of international supply chain of goods and services should motivate them to vigorously pursue the fourth article of their vision of protecting Nigerian society, generating accurate and precise statistical data by developing a professional, transparent administration that implements international best practices and obligations. • Chikere is Member, The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), Lagos.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

Media Boston blasts: How good police-media relation yields bumper harvest Issue From Kabir Alabi Garba, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA NE might not deeply appreciate the esoO teric and exoteric meaning of President Barack Husseini Obama’s submission last Monday’s night over the Boston Marathon bombing until last Friday’s night when the second suspect was captured. In what appeared like his first comment on the dastardly act which left four persons (including the M.I.T officer, Sean A. Collier killed on Friday) dead and more than 170 injured, Obama had said, “Make no mistake. We will find out who did this. We would find out why they did this. And we will hold them to account.” Juxtaposing Obama’s statement with what, perhaps, could have been the reaction of President Goodluck Jonathan if the incident had happened in Nigeria, a BB message which was circulated the following day reads: “No statements about prayers for the bombings to stop, no statements that maybe it is our turn, no comments about amnesty, dialogue or forgiveness. That is a President! “And no comment that it was the opposition or the ‘losing’ presidential candidate that orchestrated it! It was all a statement of intent, purpose and that of assurance to the citizens that the government (of America) is in charge and will take care of their worries.” And giving efficacious interpretation to Obama’s statement, within 48 hours, one could see pro-active law enforcement agencies in action. They were simply on top of the situation. And nobody was left in doubt that, at least, the first part of Obama’s prediction (we will find out who did this) would soon come to pass. It did, just five days later. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, is cooling off in police custody, while the law enforcement authorities perfect strategies for the realization of other aspects of the mandate as indicated by President Obama: the motivations for the bombings and holding perpetrators responsible. Dzhokhar’s co-suspect, his older brother, Tamerlan, 26, died on Friday during a gun battle with the police. The Tsarnaev brothers are of Chechen heritage. They were reportedly born in the Caucasus region, a cauldron fought over by Chechen separatists in the 1990s after the collapse of Russian federation. They came to America over a decade ago as a result of strife in their homeland. While the writer of the BB message may not be totally incorrect, after all, some of the wordings are close to what President Jonathan had uttered, reacting to similar occurrences of bomb blasts in the country, could he be totally blamed for his comments? This reporter thinks otherwise. This is because you can’t give what you do not have. In a country where public office holders play too much ‘politics’ than governance, you can’t expect anything less. Besides, who will do the investigation? Who is going to lead the manhunt? Are they the police that are not only ill-equipped, but poorly trained? Where are the gadgets to track the suspects as shown in the Boston Marathon bombings event? Life began to fall apart for the Tsarnaev brothers as soon as Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) shared surveillance-camera images of them with the public on Thursday with the appeal that people should help with further information that could help hunt the suspects down. “Somebody out there knows these individuals as friends, neighbours, co-workers or family members of the suspects,” Richard DesLauriers, FBI agent in charge in Boston, was quoted saying on Thursday, while appealing, “Though, it may be difficult, the nation is counting on those with information to come forward and provide it to us.” Why wouldn’t President Obama be over confident, when he knows the investment government has expended on security of life and property of Americans home and abroad? Another factor that may deny Nigeria recording feat in intelligence gathering and tracking

Reporters keeping vigil over the manhunt of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in Watertown, Massachusetts, USA… on Friday criminals, soon, is the perceived lack of cordial relationship between the law enforcement agencies and the media. Nigerians are witnesses to legion of harassment and brutality of journalists by the police while quite a number of cases of murder of journalists are yet to be resolved. And recent encounter between the police and some journalists of Leadership Newspaper would serve as fresh pointer to strain bond that has continued to exist between the two institutions that are so pivotal to nation building and development. But in America, last week, news organizations as well as social media became part of a real-time manhunt drama. The close interaction of reporters with the unfolding events underscored the complex relationship the news media have had with law enforcement authorities in the US. Ironically, in the case of unearthing the perpetrators of the Boston bombings, news organizations received both knocks and kudos. On Thursday, reports of scolding some media establishments for what was termed “ irresponsible reporting” dominated the scene, while earlier on Friday, the police authorities, however, thanked news media outlets for spreading the word that Bostonians should take shelter — and cautioned them against repeating secondhand or thinly sourced information. Indeed, the F.B.I. had, on Wednesday, chastised news outlets that mistakenly reported an arrest in the case, saying it could have “unintended consequences.” But the next day, the authorities used the news media (print, electronic, and online) to help display photographs of the two men it was seeking as suspects. On Friday, network programming was preempted most of the day for live coverage of the manhunt. As day turned to night, ABC, CBS and NBC scrapped their prime-time schedules for news and refrained from taking commercial

breaks. At a 9:30 p.m. news conference after the second suspect was taken into custody, the Massachusetts governor, Deval Patrick, thanked the news media and the public in the same breath. In places where reporters could not tread because of police restrictions, local residents filled in some of the audio and video gaps. From their front stoops and through their windows, they posted videos of an early-morning shootout and photographs of a vehicle said to be involved in a police chase. The material was quickly scooped up by local television stations and Twitter users. On NBC’s “Today” show, Savannah Guthrie was able to interview two Watertown residents sheltering at home, thanks to a Skype video connection. The residents showed images of bullet holes in their walls, presumably from the shootout. As thousands of police officers filed out on Friday, the Massachusetts State Police asked local and national television networks to refrain from showing any live video of police movements, and for a time the Federal Aviation Administration restricted news helicopters from hovering above the area where one of the suspects was believed to be hiding. As partners in progress, they complied. “We’ve only been showing the feeds that authorities are comfortable with,” the CNN anchor Chris Cuomo repotedly told viewers about 10:45 a.m., 12 hours after the chaotic situation started with a shooting in Cambridge, just across the Charles River from Boston. By then, the first suspect was confirmed to be dead. The second suspect’s face was omnipresent on news Web sites and television, sometimes accompanied by the words “on the run.” Journalists positioned themselves as close as they could to the action in Cambridge and nearby Watertown, at times spurring law enforcement officials to push them back. At one point, Kerry

Nigerians are witnesses to legion of harassment and brutality of journalists by the police while quite a number of cases of murder of journalists are yet to be resolved. And recent encounter between the police and some journalists of Leadership Newspaper would serve as fresh pointer to strain bond that has continued to exist between the two institutions that are so pivotal to nation building and development.

PHOTO: EVAN MCGLINN, The New York Times Sanders, a correspondent for NBC, was reporting while crouching for his own safety, in a scene evocative of wartime coverage from the Middle East. It was gathered that the CNN correspondent, Deborah Feyerick, who was near Mr. Sanders, insisted that the channel’s coverage pause so that it could be put on a delay. Such delays are common when broadcasters are concerned about accidentally showing violent or graphic images. The tension of the day also played out on Twitter, where seemingly every utterance from the local police scanners was repeated, often without any context. Twitter users urged one another not to share what they were hearing on the scanners, and by midday the audio feeds on at least two scanner Web sites had been taken offline temporarily. On Friday night, as word spread that the second suspect had been spotted, more than 250,000 people, it was learnt, were simultaneously tuned to a Ustream rebroadcast of a scanner. The cooperation and understanding from all and sundry especially, the media, the police, and also the people couldn’t have yielded anything less, other than the ultimate result, the arrest of the second suspect, several hours after the first suspect had been killed in a gun battle. The import of the feat is captured by President Obama as he declared Friday night that Tsarnaev’s capture “closed an important chapter in this tragedy.” But he is not oblivion of yet to be answered question, “the motivations of the two men accused of perpetrating the attacks that unnerved the nation.” Obama insisted, “The families of those killed so senselessly deserve answers.” President Jonathan couldn’t have offered anything better than what the sender of the BB message relates above, because, he knew, killers of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige (since December 23, 2001) and several others such as Dele Giwa (1986); Godwin Agbroko (December 22, 2006); Abayomi Ogundeji (August 16, 2008); Bayo Ohu (September 20, 2009) are still at large. It is however hoped that stakeholders in the Nigeria project will take the lessons and strive to act accordingly.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

Sports More East Africans register, as Egbagbe lends voice to Okpekpe Race

CAF Champions League

Rangers walk tight rope, held 0-0 by Recreativo Libolo By Christian Okpara NLESS Enugu Rangers ups its game in the second leg of their CAF Champions League qualifier against Recreativo Libolo of Angola in Luanda the last surviving Nigerian team in the continent would kiss the competition goodbye in two weeks time. Reason, Rangers, which had new Captain, Chigozie Agbim in the squad, could not find a way of breaking down the Angolans inside the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu. And from the flashes shown occasionally by the visitors, fans left the stadium with the belief that the Angolans had secret weapons they were somehow not ready to unleash on the home team. The Enugu side did not lack support for the stadium was filled to its capacity with its fans. The weather was clement, but the elements simply conspired to make things difficult for the Flying Antelopes. Some fans believed that Rangers deserved clear victory as they took the battle to the Angolans from the beginning, but for the heroics of Landu in goal for the Angolans. When Landu was not thwarting Rangers’ efforts, the Nigerian team’s strikers chose profligacy when presented the opportunity to make hay. Such was typified by Emeka Eze, who chose to blast the ball to the skies when he was presented a begging net in the fading

ORE East African road runM ners have signified interests in coming to Nigeria to

moments of the game. Timing was also one of the Nigerian team’s banes as they were caught by the offside trap set by the crafty Angolan defenders on numerous occasions. At least five times, Efe Yarhere was snared by the Angolan strategy to the consternation of the crowd, who eagerly awaited goals from their darling team. Even with 10 corner kicks in the first half Rangers could not score any goal out of it. Although the fans left the stadium not sure of what would become of their team in a fortnight in Luanda, there were those who drew consolation from history. They hope that as Enyimba did in 2004, when the ‘Peoples Elephant’ was held to a 1-1 draw in Aba by another Angolan team Petro Atletico, but it went to Luanda to defeat the Southern Africans en route its second CAF Champions League triumph.

Chelsea’s John Mikel Obi (right); vies with Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson, during their English Premier League match at the Anfield Stadium, Liverpool …yesterday. PHOTO: AFP.

English Premiership

Suraez bites back, Tottenham beats Man City UIS Suarez capped a controL versial afternoon by scoring a dramatic late equaliser as Liverpool ruined Rafa Benitez’s return to Anfield with a 2-2 draw against Chelsea. Eden Hazard’s penalty on 57 minutes appeared set to lift Chelsea back into third spot after Liverpool’s half-time substitute, Daniel Sturridge, had cancelled out Oscar’s first-half

header. However, midway through the second half, Suarez appeared to bite Branislav Ivanovic before the Uruguayan striker headed home an equaliser in the seventh minute of added time. There was bad news for Chelsea earlier in the day as Tottenham’s Champions League hopes received a huge shot in the arm as it staged a

stunning comeback to defeat Manchester City 3-1 and leave the champions on the brink of relinquishing its Premier League crown. Former Arsenal man, Samir Nasri, looked as if he was going to inflict another damaging defeat on Andre Villas-Boas’ men when he put City ahead in the first half. Despite the return of Gareth

Bale, Spurs struggled to get into the game. It lacked cohesion for the most part, but Villas-Boas’ substitutions changed the game and led to a spell of three goals in seven minutes to claim a famous victory, which means Manchester United will win the title on this night if it beats strugglers, Aston Villa, at home.

battle for the mouth-watering prize money at the Okpekpe 10km International Race slated for May 4 in Edo State. Co-ordinator of the Race, Yusuf Alli confirmed at the weekend that the latest entries received from managers of these road-runners include Moses Masai (Kenya), who has a personal best time of 27 mins.19secs in the 10km race. Masai is a bronze medalist in the 10,000m event of the 2009 World Championship in Berlin. He also placed fourth in the same event at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Also booked on the flight to Nigeria is another Kenyan, Mike Kigen, who won the silver medal at the last All Africa Games in Maputo, Mozambique and has a personal best of 27:25 in the 10km race. One of the managers of the athletes from the stable of Pace Sports Management, Michael Skinners admitted inability to attract European runners to this first edition was because of the limited time to the race. “The athletes I have forwarded and set to come to Nigeria for the Okpekpe Road Race. It is just unfortunate I do not have European runners for this edition because this is high season and still there are some marathon races in Europe going on,” stressed Skinners in the email to the race organisers at the weekend. Meanwhile, a retired Sales and Marketing Director at the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Grace Egbagbe has thrown her weight behind the race. Egbagbe is just one of the several Okpekpe clan indigenes, who are eagerly waiting for the race date to come for the community to show their hospitality to the visitors.

Djokovic ends historic Nadal era, wins 2013 Monte Carlo Masters OVAK Djokovic yesterday N won the Monte Carlo Masters and in the process ended Rafael Nadal’s remarkable winning streak. Even before the draw was made for the first clay Masters event of the year in Monte Carlo, it would be hard to find a man, woman or child, who would dare to bet against Rafael Nadal. For in this tiny, well-heeled corner of Europe, the Principality of Monaco, there has been one ‘king,’ the master not just of Monte Carlo’s green and orange terraces but of clay around the world. The Spaniard’s statistics have been eye-watering. The best match record on clay in the Open era: 270-20, a 38-5 record in clay finals, a 48-1 streak in Monte Carlo, his only loss a third-round exit as a 16year-old in 2003 exactly 10 years ago to the day—then a run of eight consecutive titles and every French Open since

2005 except one, in 2009. As if all that was not enough, Nadal hit the tour in February after a seven-month absence to reach five out of five finals: He arrived in Monte Carlo on the back of three straight titles. Against any other player, the task of beating Nadal here took on Everest proportions, but against Novak Djokovic there was just the chance of an upset. They were meeting for the 34th time in their 16th final. Indeed, despite the aura surrounding the Federer-Nadal rivalry and the intrigue of the Djokovic-Murray rivalry, the Nadal-Djokovic match-up has become the most significant between the ‘big four,’ the fourth most played in the Open era. On paper, Nadal had a 19-14 overall advantage and astonishing 12-2 on clay, including all three finals last year: Monte Carlo, Rome and the French

Open. But in only the season before, in 2011, Djokovic had dominated Nadal through all seven finals, including two on clay. And this year, Djokovic was on a 25-2 win record that included the Australian Open and Dubai titles. However, Djokovic’s biggest weapon—not surprising in a man, who stands 4,000 points clear in the rankings—is his self belief and that was not in short supply, “I need to have a very optimistic mindset in order to get a win. I’m not going out there to play my best; I’m going out there to win. That’s how I’m going to feel.” Nadal was, as is his way, more circumspect. “To have a chance of beating him I need to be playing at 100 per cent. I don’t know if I’m ready, but I’m going to try.” The suspense, then, was palpable, though their arrival on court was delayed by torrents of rain. The Monte Carlo faithful would have to wait an hour

more for blue skies, bright sunshine, shimmering orange courts and the return of the combatants—but they would not be disappointed. It was clear from the start that Djokovic intended to lead from the front—take the initiative, play aggressively—and he pressured Nadal’s opening serve with his angled groundstrokes from inside the baseline. It took 26 shots for Nadal to win his opening point, and he followed it with an edgy double fault. Djokovic kept up the pressure through three deuces and more than seven minutes before a bullet of a backhand down the line drew a Nadal error on break point. Djokovic persisted with his aggressive tactics. He was able, despite the still-drying court, to generate huge pace down either wing, constantly opening up the court wide to Nadal’s forehand and then backhand before producing

the coup de grace—more often than not, a killer of a backhand down the line or cross-court. He tore open Nadal’s serve again in the fourth, and a cruel net cord on break point gave Djokovic a 4-0 lead. Now, Djokovic threw in a serve-and-volley winner, and sealed another service game with an ace: 5-0. Never had Nadal’s back been against the wall of a clay court so firmly, and in the sixth game, Djokovic opened with a backhand winner down the line followed by a forehand straight past a rooted Nadal: The Spaniard was facing two more break points and the prospect of a bagel set. Nadal closed to deuce but still Djokovic found winners at will to earn three more set points. Finally, and to huge cheers of encouragement from the crowd, Nadal got on the board, 5-1. Djokovic attempted to serve

out the set with an adventurous patch of net rushes, but it cost him dear—three unforced errors and a break back—but it simply delayed the inevitable. Djokovic deployed his exocet backhand to bring up an eighth set point, Nadal double faulted, and the Serb led, 6-2. The set might have been over far quicker than its 46 minutes if Djokovic had converted more than three of his 10 break point chances. Even so, it had been a dominant, highquality start from the world No1, and he did not let up in the second set. He continued to toy with Nadal in the opening game and sealed his hold with a lethal drop-and-lob combo. Nadal, though, simply redoubled his effort, made his first love hold and pummelled his forehand at Djokovic to earn two break points. He could not convert them but did so in the fifth. •Culled from www.thesportreview.com

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

76 SPORTS

Ogaba tips Eaglets for World Cup glory By Adeyinka Adedipe HE performance of the Golden Eagles in the CAF Under 17 tournament in Morocco has caught the attention of Former Flying Eagles’ players, Peter Ogaba, who predicted that the team would win the World Cup with the talent at its disposal. The Eaglets bounced back from their 1-0 defeat to Cote d’Ivoire in their second game to crush Congo 7-0 in the last group games on Saturday and qualify for the World Cup. The Nigerians also defeated Ghana 6-1 in the opening game and ended with six points to top the group. Ogaba, who at 13 was the youngest player at the Canada 1987 edition of the FIFA under 17 championship, told The Guardian yesterday that he knew the players before they travelled for the competition and was not surprised that they have qualified to the World Cup. “I have been in touch with team when they began screening and the way the final team was selected, it was clear that the team was destined for the top. “Coach Manu Garba and the other coaches have passion for what they are doing and I have never doubted their

ability. Their good work has come to the fore and I am happy for the entire team,” Ogaba added. The former Lokeren star said that the players have been together for a long time and have bonded so well to deliver the type of performance they are dishing out. He said it was what made the Nigerian junior teams successful in the past. “In those days, we camped for over two years and the players get to know each other and it gave us a big edge when we went to play tournaments. I think that is what is also working for this team,” he added. According to him, the noninclusion of league players in the squad has also given the team the opportunity to stay together without distraction from clubsides, who would require the services of their players. Ogaba tipped the team to win the World Under 17 World Cup but stated that the unpredictable nature of football would play a big role in deciding the eventual winner of the trophy. “The statistics so far shows that the Eaglets have what it takes to win the trophy. They have won two games, scored 13 goals and conceding two,

which shows that they can wreck any team on a good day.” The former Duisburg of Germany player, who runs the Glory Sport International Academy in Abuja, said that most of the players in the squad deserved their places, commending the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the House Committee Chairman on Sports, Godfrey Gaya for supporting the team. The Eaglets take on Tunisia in one of the semi final games on Wednesday.

Members of the Glo Soccer Academy and Manchester’s Irlam and Cadished College team in a group photograph before the match.

How Glo Academy defeated Manchester United youth teams NE of the major highlights minute of the game by the Club as part of the training teams in the Manchester area. O of the recent training tour most valuable player of Glo programmes lined up for the Sixteen finalists chosen from of Manchester United Soccer Soccer Academy, Muri Lawal, Glo Soccer Academy boys dur- the thousands of participants Schools, Carrington, UK, by the Glo Soccer Academy team was the defeat of the Manchester United trained Irlam and Cadished College Team in a friendly encounter. In an action-packed match played at the Irlam and Cadished College pitch, the Glo Soccer Academy team outclassed their host through purposeful and coherent football, which resulted in 1- 0 victory. The only goal of the match was scored in the dying

who netted the ball after a free kick from the edge of the box was blocked by an Irlam and Cardished defender. The ball rebounded to Muri on the edge of the box and he clinically fired a low drive to the left of the post beyond the goalkeeper’s reach. The match offered the Glo Soccer Academy team an opportunity to practise and showcase all they had learnt in real match situation. It was organised by the Manchester United Football

ing their training tour of Manchester. Commenting on the match, the youth coaches of Man United, Andrew Smith and Adam Temple said, “ the quality of the players is high and each of them has the talent to walk into any academy in the EPL.’’ The Irlam and Cadished College is a Manchester United-supported team under Manchester United Football Foundation that offers technical training and support to several college

drawn from across West Africa in the Glo Soccer Academy, 12 from Nigeria and Benin Republic, made it to the UK for the training at Manchester United Soccer Schools. The remaining four boys from Ghana, who were not issued visas, would undergo a training tour of Dubai’s Soccer Academy. The 16 finalists have been awarded G-Bam Scholarship of N750,000 and N1 million each for 15 of them, while the Most Valuable Player received N5 million.

Greensprings adopts teenage football sensations, Alli, Onyese OR their exceptional disFGreensprings play during the second Kanu Football Camp, the management of Lagos-based Greensprings School has adopted teenage sensations, Musa Alli and Elvis Onyese. According to the school director, Lai Koiki, the players were part of the one-week camp and were picked by the technical crew for their outstanding talents. She gave the two players full scholarship to attend the school. “We want to encourage the players and we have decided to adopt the two players by granting them scholarships to further their studies as well as pursue their passion in sports. For us, this is what we love to do so that in near future we can produce educated sportsmen,” she said. Koiki disclosed that the

scholarship would cover the full boarding of the students and their tuition fee. They are expected to resume with the school in September this year. She added: “Initially, we just wanted to give them scholarship for them to hone their skills in football but we felt that education must go with this and that is why we decided to give them the opportunity to be part of our school as well as pursue their dream in football.” Alli, a student of Longford International School, Ebute Metta in Lagos, was singled out by the coaches for possessing the potential to become a super star. The technical crew also identified Onyese, a student of Iba Housing Estate Junior Secondary School, Ojo, as a future star.

NFF orders club chairmen to withdraw threat to LMC HE Nigeria Football T Federation (NFF) at the weekend ordered chair-

affront, not only to the Football Federation but to Nigeria football,” the statemen/managers of the Nigeria ment read. Professional Football League The statement added, “any (NPFL) to withdraw their person(s) purporting to act on threat to the League behalf of club(s) in the Nigeria Management Committee Professional Football League (LMC) to convene an emer- to, therefore, undermine the gency Congress. authority and legitimacy of In a statement issued in the LMC shall be visited with severe sanctions.” Abuja on Saturday, the NFF very The NFF called on the chairreiterated that the LMC was conceived, constituted and men/managers concerned to inaugurated by the NFF lead- follow due and acceptable ership – the nation’s football process by channelling their governing body – and there- grievances to the Glass House, while observing that nothing fore, legitimate. “The LMC is duly recognised should be prompted to disby the NFF and has been keep- rupt the 2012/2013 League seaing to the letter and spirit of son that has been running its terms of reference, since excellently, with good organiinauguration. The NFF views sation and absence of violence any threat to the LMC as an and brigandage.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, April 22, 2013

TheGuardian

Monday, April 22, 2013

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

By Paul Edor Obi Jr Y lucky number is the number 7. I was M born on the 7th, in 1987, so in many ways it feels like I was predisposed toward that number. Nevertheless, in the lucky number sweepstakes, I am willing to admit that the number three reigns supreme, regardless of my filiation for the 7th digit. Three is just, well, perfect. Why? Well, three medals are awarded at the Olympics and sporting events; atoms consist of protons, electrons and neutrons; humans perceive white light as a mixture of green, red, and blue, the primary colours; the earth is the third planet from the sun; the tricolour is the most popular sort of national flag, as is the triband; Pi equals 3.14, which can be approximated to three (ok that might be pushing it a bit); bad luck is said to come in threes but three is seen as a lucky number in Chinese culture because it sounds like the word “alive” (four, incidentally, sounds like the word “death”); Abrahamic religions, one of three main groups of comparative religion, include Christianity, Islam and Judaism; during ablution, a Moslem is required to wash the required parts three times; Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem are the three holy cities of Islam; the three wise men left the Baby Jesus three gifts; Jesus was crucified along with two other people; Catholicism claims there to be three realms of the afterlife; Christianity, and a few other religions, believe in the concept of a trinity. The list could genuinely be endless. I could even ask you to provide and I suspect we could break some sort of record. It is indeed truly quite easy to make such a list (one can always find coincidence when one is looking for it) but I honestly believe that three is seen as the optimum number for most of the structures of humanity, some of which we are not even aware of. Now contrast that with the number four. I for one have always felt that the number four has a particular extraordinary feel to it, in the sense of being an unlikely addition to it. As alluded to earlier, the number four is considered extremely unlucky in not only China but few other East Asian countries as it sounds like death in their languages, a mere syllabic difference causing this caustic difference in the impression it gives. There may indeed be four terrestrial planets but only one can support human life; of the four heart chambers the left ventricle is made of much stronger muscles than the others; don’t get me started on Northern Ireland; I’d give you 10,000 if you told me the name of one Beatles song that Ringo Starr wrote; the Qur’an is the only uncorrupted Islamic holy book of; the three synoptic gospels differ from the gospel of John in their emphasis on the stories of Christ’s life; and the rider of the pale horse, is the only horseman accompanied and not described as carrying any weapon. Again, as with my vignette on the number 3, my examples are, of course, open to interpretation. I suspect that one could find enough examples to oppose my point and have no qualms admitting that this is very much a matter of opinion. Nevertheless, it is apparent that most of the world’s institutions are formed in threes. Take a look at the concept of government even. Most nations have three arms/branches of government (executive, judiciary and legislature), as well as three tiers of government (federal, state and local). Even in constitutional monarchies, power is divided between the monarchy and the two bicameral houses of parliament. Very few sane people argue for the institutionalisation of a fourth tier or arm of government as it is assumed that this three-pronged attempt at balancing the powers is most stable and effective. Sadly, however, Nigeria appears to have come as close to institutionalising a fourth arm or tier of government without actually legalising it. Whilst most uses of the term in Western democratic contexts are pejorative in reference to the influence of a sector of society on the other official arms of government, the opposite occurs here. The fourth tier/estate/branch surreptitiously exists concurrently with our government and provides the services that our government is unable, unwilling or unqualified to provide. What exactly do I mean by what I shall henceforth refer to as The Fourth? Do you have a generator in your house? You are part of The Fourth. Are you a security guard? You are part of The Fourth. Do you, not being a member of the government, a member of the armed forces or a high-ranking diplomat, feel the need to traverse under armed escort? You are definitely part of The Fourth. In essence, The Fourth runs the gamut of individual citizens who, because of the aforementioned inability, apatheia and misappropriations of our governments, have been forced into providing the services that it ought to provide, namely reliable electricity, policed law enforcement, safety and security provided by the armed services, clean running water, universal health care, good roads and

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The Fourth is strong in this one

Mohammed Garba, President, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) lots of others. Please do not feel that I fail to understand or see the positive impacts of those members of The Fourth on our nation. I doubt not how much of an impediment the lack of constant electricity supply would be to the growth of our economy without generators. When I narrowly escaped armed robbery in traffic, I know how much I wished I had an armed escort. Equally, only the presence of such an armed escort in the Niger Delta or parts of Northern Nigeria could assuage the rather reasonable fears of incoming foreign investors. Finally, the prevalence in Nigeria of the four-wheel drive off-road vehicles commonly referred to as “Jeeps” are not merely a status symbol (although partly) but rather a response to the inability of cheaper lower cars to cope adequately and with longevity on our roads. My issue with The Fourth are as such not simply that it exists. Rather, it is because it lives, that it, and the unfortunate backwardly side effects it brings, has become so entrenched in the psyche of the Nigerian that it has become the norm. Rather than asking whether it can be done without and even more disturbingly, the reverse has begun to take place, in the reluctance to do anything that would place more of the responsibility

for provision of said services on the government. The Fourth has become such an economic powerhouse, with the vested interests of a large percentage of the political and executive elite embedded in it. Take the seemingly least harmful of the given examples: our roads and our jeeps. There’s nothing intrinsically wrong with people buying large cars. In some countries, people just love to drive in monsters. America has one of the best road systems in the world, yet people drive around in cars that make our Land Cruisers seem like hobbits. Nevertheless, they can do so because their society as a whole is a lot more responsible in purchasing things they can afford (with a GDP per capita $48,328 (IMF, 2011) compared to our $2,582 (IMF, 2011), they can afford a lot more than we can). The large number of Nigerians with jeeps are, therefore, stuck incurring comparatively larger operating costs in terms of purchase, fuel and maintenance, which in turn prevent them from investing in other more worthwhile ventures. Are we attempting to fix this problem? No, because our jeeps make do and (depressingly) because it would ruin the businesses of various jeep manufactures in the Nigerian market. Then, there is the twinned issue of security

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Editor: MARTINS

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in Nigeria, in terms of law enforcement or the maintenance of security and safety of the country’s inhabitants. Now, first of all, the first and foremost duty of a national government is the protection of its citizens. Without that, the purpose of a government is defeated. Now, it is only fair to mention that Nigeria is not the only country in the world with the presence of non-governmental security forces. Similarly, there are laudably stricter rules than those in the U.S. governing what persons may carry armed weapons. Nevertheless, it places the scant number of policemen that are out there in a difficult position when dealing with these security personnel. Are they civilians? Can they be arrested like everyone else? However, this is relatively innocuous comparative to the issue of individuals, even members of the military and police, using the said forces as their own personal security. We have all been at or heard of an event of which it was said that “half of the police in the city were there”. While this may be an exaggeration, there are often cases where, as a demonstration of dignities, some important person has an inordinate amount of security at an event, drawing resources away from places of need. Nigeria being what it is, our forces lack the flexibility that can deploy them to so and so place at short notice. Therefore, where there is a situation in the mainland while a large proportion of the force is on the island for that important person’s daughter’s wedding, our security services are left hopelessly abandoned. Finally, and most pressingly, are the issues of generators and our electricity supply. As mentioned earlier, I am fully versed on the ways by which the use of generators has contributed positively to the Nigeria economy. But let’s look at the maths. At the end of the past decade, the World Bank calculated that the electricity situation was losing Nigeria about $600 million a year. Concurrently, according to findings in GlobalData’s “Diesel and Gas generator, 2012”, the market for diesel and gas generators in Nigeria is valued at about $450 million year. Thus, for every $10 Nigeria loses through the electricity situation, $7.50 is pocketed by those providing generators for us. That may not sound particularly lurid, until you consider the implications of that market value. In purely realpolitik terms, what incentive would the government have to resolve the power situation, when it risks stemming the flow of a large part of $450 million into the Nigerian economy? Sure, doing so could earn it $600 million but the opportunity costs that would be the sums it would have to invest in power sector improvement and, the effort it would have to actually make in ensuring its policies are implemented. And when it comes down to it, in Nigeria, little seems worth actual governmental effort. Through much more cynical eyes, as the CEO of a company operating in a market that was worth $450 million, you’d be pretty resistant to anyone trying to reduce the value of your market. You’d probably lobby (used in Nigeria, “lobby” is a euphemism for another 5 letter word) to ensure that no action was taking to destabilise your market. Unlike most people, this doesn’t particularly anger me. Jon Stewart, the American comedian and host of The Daily Show once said, “If corporations are people, then they’re sociopaths.” Corporations are intrinsically made to be as profitable as possible. So, in a country like Nigeria where graft and underhandedness is sine qua non, corporations in it almost have responsibilities to its shareholders to be part of that culture. If that means directly persuading the government to ignore the power sector, depriving the large number of Nigerians unable to afford a generator without electricity, well, pity. If I am honest, the concept of The Fourth was not wholly mine. My father mentioned it while discussing with a friend the lengths one will go just to have constant electricity. My father is at that age where he makes tremendously entertaining, if ever so slightly sensationalistic, apercus ever so often that I could quite easily write articles on them. However, what struck me about this was how indisputably and dreadfully true it was. And is. And, as the generator market is estimated to grow to $950 million by 2020, it sadly appears shall be for years to come. The powers against it are substantial. We have gone from the rock of MEND to the hard place that is the Boko Haram epidemic so the culture of using our security forces as personal security shall remain for quite a while, and until our roads undergo radical renovations, people shall continue to live hand to mouth just so they can afford to buy a jeep. Thus, The Fourth shall continue to be as much a part of our government as the other three are, whilst still, as with all other fourths throughout time, remaining out of the ordinary. As for the title of this piece, it’s a Star Wars reference. Think about it. Obi Jr a writer lives in London