January 26, 2015 by The Nation

NIGERIA DECIDES

Newspaper of the Year •Jonathan seeks prayers at Winners •APC to PDP: let’s dwell on issues •Ahmed, Ajibola battle for Kwara •Bamidele: I want to be part of change •Polls shift is ‘coup’•Ambode to complete Lagos-Badagry Expressway AND MORE ON •PDP members stoned President in Bauchi, says Yuguda •PAGES 2-7,17&59 •Buhari’s school principal ‘not dead’•’APC didn’t offer ticket to Ladoja’

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VOL. 10, NO. 3107 MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

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•INSIDE: TROUBLE WITH THE ECONOMY, BY SOLUDO P2 FASHOLA: PETROL PRICE & ECONOMY P2

U.S. to Jonathan, Buhari: Feb. elections must go on

•President Jonathan (right) recieving Mr. Kerry …yesterday.

•Gen. Buhari with Mr. Kerry…yesterday

PHOTOS: NAN

Kerry talks tough against violence May 29 handover sacrosanct, says President

EXT month’s elections must go on as scheduled, the United States (U.S.) said yesterday. There have been unpopular suggestions of a shift in some circles, with the tacit support of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The position of the U.S was conveyed in Lagos yesterday by Secretary of State John Kerry after separate meetings with President Goodluck Jonathan and Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, the top contenders in the February 14 presidential

WILL THE CHIBOK GIRLS KIDNAPPED ON APRIL 15 EVER RETURN?

By Wale Ajetunmobi

election. National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) gave the clearest hint yet of the interest of the Federal Government in shifting the elections when he declared at a lecture in Chatham House in London last Thursday that there was nothing wrong in postponing the polls to enable eligible Nigerians collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). The statement has attracted outrage from many Nigerians, who likened it to a coup against the Constitution. The All Progressives Con-

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It is imperative these elections happen on time and as scheduled and must be improvements over past elections gress (APC) condemned the “advice”, saying it is a ploy to enable the ruling party regain its breath. But the PDP has not said anything on it. Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega has, however, said a change in date is not contemplated by the agency.

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Yesterday, Kerry declared: “It is imperative these elections happen on time and as scheduled and must be improvements over past elections.” He added: “They must set a new standard for this democracy. That means, Nigerians must not only reject violence, they have to actually promote peace.”

Kerry met with President Goodluck Jonathan at the State House in Marina, Lagos before meeting with General Buhari at the U.S. Consulate House in Ikoyi. Gen. Buhari was accompanied by APC National Chairman Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, National Leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Campaign Director and Rivers State Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi. The delegation arrived at the venue at about 2.41pm and immediately went into the closed door session, which lasted about two hours.

Kerry also cautioned against violence. He said any politician who organised a widespread “systematic violence” against civilian population will be held accountable, including placing them on diplomatic sanction. A source said Buhari told Kerry that the APC was against violence, adding that unruly behaviours occurred in PDP states. He said: “I came here today to deliver a very simple message and I have met Continued on page 4

Troops halt Boko Haram’s advance on Maiduguri

STORY ON PAGE 4

Commander, others injured as sect seizes Monguno

•APC TO FAYOSE: EXPLAIN HOW YOU SPENT N2B ECOLOGICAL FUND P7

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

NEWS

NIGERIA DECIDES

Federal G

•From left: Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Mr. Tony Elumelu; Kenya’s Deputy President, William Ruto; the Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire, Daniel Duncan and the President of Mali, Boubacar Keita discussing as members of the panel on Closing the Energy Gap in Africa at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland...at the weekend.

To Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo, the solution to the challenges facing Nigeria is not out of reach but there must be political will. In this article, the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor says incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan erred by outsourcing the management of the economy and not rolling up his sleeves for serious business. He thinks Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, the candidate of the All Progressives Party (APC) in the February 14 election should go beyond rhetorics and come up with facts and figures on how he plans to implement its party’s ambitious manifesto.

•All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode (right), his running mate Dr Oluranti Adebule (second left), former Commissioner for Justice and Commissioner for Justice in Lagos, Mr Supo Sashore (left) and Justice George Oguntade (rtd) at an Evening with Corporate Lagos at the Oriental Hotel, Lekki, Lagos.

NEED to preface this article with a few clarifications. I have taken a long sabbatical leave from partisan politics, and it is real fun watching the drama from the balcony. Having had my own share of public service (I do not need a job from government), I now devote my time and energy in pursuit of other pas-

•Jonathan

sions, especially abroad. A few days ago, I read an article in Thisday entitled: “Where is Charles Soludo?,” and my answer is that I am still there, only that I have been too busy with extensive international travels to participate in or comment on our national politics and economy. But I occasionally follow events at home. Since the survival and prosperity of Nigeria are at stake, the least some of us (albeit, non-partisan) must do is to engage in public debate. As the elections approach, I owe a duty to share some of my concerns. In September 2010, I wrote a piece entitled: “2011 Elections: Let the Real Debate Begin” and published by Thisday. I understand the Federal Executive Council (FEC) discussed it, and the Minister of Information rained person-

PMS pump price I

• The Senator representing Lagos Central District and Senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Oluremi Tinubu (third left); House of Representatives member and candidate of the APC for Lagos Island Federal Constituency II, Alhaji Yakub Balogun (left); APC candidate for Lagos Island State Constituency I, Mr. Wasiu Eshilokun (second left); APC leader in Lagos Central Senatorial District, Prince Tajudeen Olusi (third right); Lagos House of Assembly candidate of the party for Lagos Island, Mr. Sola Giwa (second right) and the party’s House of Representatives candidate for Lagos Island Federal Constituency I, Mr. Dolapo Badru at the APC rally in the Lagos Central Senatorial District, Idumota, Lagos Island.

•Director-General, Public Service Staff Development Centre (PSSDC), Mrs. Olubunmi Fabamwo, flanked by Permanent Secretary, Lagos Ministry of Transportation, Mr. Oluseyi Coker (left) and Director, Technical, PSSDC, Mrs. Bose Oyeniyi at the closing session of the workshop for middle-level officers in the public service at the PSSDC, Magodo, Shangisha, Lagos. PHOTO: OLUSEGUN RAPHEAL.

T is no longer news that the Federal Government has announced a reduction in the pump price of premium motor spirit (PMS), popularly called petrol. While I have made my position known on my Twitter handle that ‘a little over 10 per cent reduction in cost of the final (crude oil) product (PMS) in response to an over 50 per cent drop in the cost of the raw material is a good try and that Nigerians can get a better deal’, I am constrained to make this further intervention for a few reasons. There is a sense in the public space that this reduction is politically motivated, given the reactions that have followed it. To the extent therefore that there is a political nexus, it deserves further interrogation because it is an economic issue and this is a major issue in the elections as canvassed by both parties, especially at the presidential candidacy level. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari had seized the moment and the importance of the economic issue earlier this month. Through his campaign council he said: “Stop stealing from Nigerians and allow them enjoy the relief that has come to consumers of petroleum products globally. “For the Nigerian consumers, unfortunately the collapse of crude oil price since October 2014 has not translated into any change in diesel, kerosene and PMS prices across the country.” The second reason for my intervention is also economic, and it goes to interrogate policy, particularly this pricing policy, and the consistency of the party in government vis-a-vis its credibility before the Nigerian public. The economics of oil It must be obvious to any discerning mind that you cannot have a viable de-

By Babatunde Fashola mocracy without debating the management of the economy. This is because the real issue in elections is the way people’s lives have fared during the tenure of the incumbent. The question, sometimes spoken, sometimes not, but never forgotten, is this: - Has my life been better in the last few years or not? This question always involves an examination of the record of service of the incumbent and many have lost their seats in a bad economy. So, the present government must defend its record on the economy and this involves its management of prices and consumer indices. The cost of energy, fuel, gas, electricity for transport, cooking, heating and manufacturing is a direct determinant of the cost of living and how far people’s wages can take them before the next pay day. It is not therefore surprising that in the last decade and a half, many western countries have gone to war “in order to make peace”, especially in the Middle East, so that there is no scarcity of petroleum (crude oil) supply. The reason is simple. Scarce crude means high prices of crude oil, translating to high fuel, gas and production costs, leading to restive domestic population, which can translate to electoral defeat. If one remembers Iraq, Libya and Egypt; in spite of the democratic masks that those military interventions wore, it is difficult to dismiss a domestic, political (electoral) self interest in them. In the aftermath of these interventions and investment in shale oil as an alternative, leading to the crash of crude oil prices, what have these western countries done at home for their people

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

NIGERIA DECIDES

Government’s economic team weak, selfish

• Obasanjo

• Buhari

al attacks on me during the press briefing. I noted more than six newspaper editorials in support of the issues we raised. Beside other issues we raised, our main thesis was that the macro economy was dangerously adrift, with little self-insurance mechanisms (and a prediction that if oil prices fell below $40, many state governments would not be able to pay salaries). I gave a subtle hint at easy money and exchange rate depreciations because I did not want to panic the market with a strong statement. Sadly, on the eve of the next elections, literally, everything we hinted at has happened. Part of my motivation for this article is that five years after, the real debate is still not happening. The presidential election next

•Obi

month will be won by either Buhari or Jonathan. For either, it is likely to be a pyrrhic victory. None of them will be able to deliver on the fantastic promises being made on the economy, and if oil prices remain below $60, I see very difficult months ahead, with possible heady collisions with labour, civil society, and indeed’ the citizenry. To be sure, the presidential election will not be decided by the quality of ‘issues’ or promises canvassed by the candidates. The debates would not also change much (except if there is a major gaffe by either candidate like Tofa did in the debate with Abiola). My take is that more than 95 per cent of the likely voters have pretty much made up their minds based largely on other considerations. A few of us re-

main undecided. During my brief visit to Nigeria, I watched some of the campaign rallies on television. The tragedy of the current electioneering campaigns is that both parties are missing the golden opportunity to sensitise the citizenry about the enormous challenges ahead and hence mobilise them for the inevitable sacrifices they would be called upon to make soon. Each is promising an Eldorado. Let me admit that the two main parties talk around the major development challenges—corruption, insecurity, economy (unemployment/poverty, power, infrastructure, health and education among others). However, it is my considered view that none of them has any credible agenda to deal with the issues, especially within the

•Soludo

context of the evolving global economy and Nigeria’s broken public finance. The United Kingdom (UK) Conservative Party’s manifesto for the last election proudly announced that all its programmes were fully costed and were therefore implementable. Neither the All Progressives Congress (APC), nor the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) can make a similar claim. A plan without the dollar or naira signs to it is nothing but a wish-list. They are not telling us how much each of their promises will cost and where they will get the money. None talks about the broken or near bankrupt public finance and the strategy to fix it. In response to the question of where the money will come from, I

heard one of the politicians say that the problem of Nigeria was not money but the management of resources. This is half-truth. The problem is both. No matter how efficient a father (with a monthly salary of N50, 000) is at managing the family resources, I cannot see how he could deliver on a promise to buy a brand new Peugeot 406 for each of his three children in a year. Even with all the loopholes and waste closed, with increased efficiency per dollar spent, there is still a binding budget constraint. To deliver an efficient national transport infrastructure alone will still cost tens of billions of dollars per annum even by corruption-free, cost-effective means. Did I hear that APC promises a welfare system that will pay between N5, 000 and N10, 000 per month to the poorest 25 million Nigerians? Just this programme alone will cost between N1.5 and N3 trillion per annum. Add to this the cost of free primary education plus free meal (to be funded by the federal budget or would it force nonAPC state governments to implement the same?), plus some millions of public housing among others. I have tried to cost some of the promises by both the APC and the PDP, given alternative scenarios for public finance and the numbers do not add up. Nigerians would be glad to know how both parties would fund their programmes. Do they intend to accentuate the huge public debt, or raise taxes on the soon to-be-beleaguered private businesses, or massively devalue the naira to rake in baskets of naira from the dwindling oil revenue, or embark on huge fiscal retrenchment with the sack of labour and abandonment of projects, and which areas of waste do they intend to close and how much do they esti• Continued on page 48

e reduction and the economy: My takeaway in terms of oil price management? Let us look at a few examples: •United Kingdom (UK) Drop in price (dollar per litre): 0.52 Percentage of price drop: 23.75 per cent; •United States (U.S.) Drop in price (dollar per litre): 0.39 Percentage of price drop: 36.57 per cent; • Singapore Drop in price (dollar per litre): 1.79 Percentage of price drop: 21 per cent; •Nigeria Drop in price (dollar per litre): 0.03 Percentage of price drop: 10.3 per cent My takeaway: •It is poor economic management to import the final product of a commodity whose raw material (crude oil) we produce in abundance. •A refinery in Nigeria, such as the 400,000 barrel refinery we are supporting by providing land for the Dangote Group in the Lekki Free Zone will keep jobs at home, (instead of in foreign refineries), create income for the Nigerian government by way of companies income tax, and give us better control of pricing by eliminating subsidies and demurrage charges by port delays paid to ship owners in dollars against a weak Naira; and it will eliminate many other charges that are passed on to ordinary Nigerians. •Clearly, an inefficient Port management that escalates shipping costs, a devalued currency, and an exorbitant interest rate on borrowing, which are economic failures of the current government, are part of the reasons why Nigeria cannot get a better deal from an over 50 per cent drop in crude oil price. Iinterrogation of policy In announcing the reduction of fuel pump price, the Minister for Petroleum

Resources, Mrs. Diezani AlisonMadueke, stated the reasons for the government’s decision in her own words as follows: “As you may be aware, there has been a lot of volatility in the price of petroleum products, particularly crude oil, over the last few months. Invariably, this has meant that the price of the product in Nigeria has also been greatly impacted.” When addressing journalists she added: “After watching the price per barrel drop over the last few months, we have finally achieved parity… therefore this would be the best time to actually reduce the price. We have been watching very carefully over the last two weeks to ensure that the volatility did not destabilize this reduction in price and we think it’s safe to implement it at this time.” Please note she used the words (1) “price per barrel drop” and (2) “achieved parity” in the oil price regime to justify the reduction. (i) Price per barrel drop As I have pointed out, I doubt that a 10 per cent reduction is the best that we can get in response to a 50 per cent drop in oil price, and this is simple common sense. If a product is manufactured at X price and the price of the raw material drops by Y per cent, I think it is simple economics to reflect that Y per cent drop in the price of the final product without doing any damage to the cost of packaging or transporting the product. And this should happen vice versa if the price of the raw material heads in the opposite direction. But let me be quick to acknowledge that these price changes may not necessarily be effected overnight in a period of volatility; and this is the rel-

evance of the Minister’s point about “parity”, which I will come to later. But the quick additional point to make is that diesel has not enjoyed any subsidy for a long time and there is a loud silence on this product, as far as pricing policy is concerned; and nothing is said about Kerosene. So, if this was really meant to bring relief to the people, I think Diesel, which impacts on production costs, power costs in homes through generators, and Kerosene, which ordinary Nigerians use to cook, would have been the place for Government to demonstrate that it understands the plight of the people. This would have afforded some cushion against the austerity measures indicated by the Minister of Finance. My takeaway: This price reduction is not-far reaching enough. It demonstrates a knee-jerk reaction to a serious economic issue where the majority of ordinary Nigerians are concerned. When we factor the fact that the majority of Nigerians generate their own power at four times the cost of public power, and they mostly use diesel, a reduction there would have reduced the pressure on their disposable income. (ii) Achieved parity My understanding of the Minister’s use of these words is that government now believes that oil prices will hover around the current prices of $50 per barrel, so that, according to her, “the entire country will benefit immensely from this reduction.” If this is correct, then who are we to believe? If we go back to the statement of the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala, on December 17, 2014 when, while defending the oil budget benchmark of $65 for the 2015 Budget which some observers felt was too ambitious,

she said: “This is what we have done by proposing a benchmark of $65pb. We recognise that prices might still fall further but we do not intend to revise the price further down as price intelligence indicates that prices might average between $65 and $70pb in 2015.” If the Finance Minister expects oil prices to get to $70 and the Petroleum Minister says we have “achieved parity,” there seems to be inherent contradictions within the same government. My takeaway •Are government departments talking to themselves? •Who is co-ordinating the economy? •Why was the Minister for Finance not part of this major pricing policy briefing? •Was this price reduction provided for in the 2015 Budget? P.S. As I concluded this intervention, my attention was brought to a response by Governor Peter Obi to a contribution I had made, in which he said in ThisDay newspaper that: “The President showed that the sound economic policies of his government have brought about macro-economic stability. This has been acknowledged by the renowned economist and former Chairman of the Asset Management Division of Goldman Sachs Group, Dr. Jim O’Neill, who coined the term BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) and MINT (Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey), recognising these countries as the world’s fastest growing economies.” I have no issue with Governor Obi, because his role in government and policy making is still unclear to me. If he speaks as a party man, it is a measure of credit to him that he knows more about the programmes of a party

•Fashola

he joined a few weeks ago, than those he met there. But for the record, the same Jim O’Neill, whom he quotes in support of this government’s policy and the leadership of President Jonathan, said: “If he (Jonathan) doesn’t get reelected, and it’s because of Nigerian people wanting something different and something better, I think the markets would be happy with that. Foreign investors are pretty negative about Nigeria, so I don’t dismiss the possibility that if he lost, people actually might react positively.” Those who seek the truth should simply visit this link and verify the facts of what Jim O’Neill actually said: http:/ /www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-0108/o-neill-says-jonathan-vote-lossmay-be-seen-as-nigeria-positive.html My takeaway: I think Jim is right. Nigerians want “something different and something better.” They want Change. •Fashola is the Governor of Lagos State.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

NEWS What I told Kerry, by Jonathan

•Kerry (sitting centre) with Buhari (in white) U.S. Ambassador James Entwistle, APC leaders (from right) Governor Amaechi, Asiwaju Tinubu and Chief Odigie-Oyegun…yesterday

U.S. to Jonathan, Buhari: Feb. elections must go on Continued from page 1

with both major candidates to underscore that international community has paid a very close attention into this election and we are deeply committed to working with Nigerians with the hope that they will have an election that is free of violence and capable of instilling confidence in the future.” The U.S. envoy said there was need for a long-term and comprehensive global effort to combat violent extremism and to address its underlying causes. Nigeria, he said, knows how such global effort is desperately needed. He said the U.S was concerned about the effrontery of Boko Haram, which, he said, daily visits its bloody campaign on innocent civilians, and attacks villages and military installations in places like Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states. He said the U.S. government deeply regretted the toll, which insurgency was taking on the people. Kerry dismissed the notion that there was an alliance between Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) and Boko Haram, saying intelligence before the U.S. government showed the latter sprang up

Poll shift: Anxiety as NSA invites parties, service chiefs, INEC From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

MAJOR decision on the polls shift proposal is likely to emerge today as National Security Adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki has summoned a consultative meeting. Col. Dasuki (rtd) was under fire last week for proposing a postponement of the February 14 and 28 elections at a lecture in Chatham House, London where he said many people were yet to get the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). Col. Dasuki has invited all political parties, service chiefs, heads of security agencies and top officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), led by Prof. Attahiru Jega. Security reports, preparations for the poll, status of the distribution and collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), and Col. Dasuki’s submissions at the Chatham House last Thursday will feature at the session. But ahead of the consultation, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been lobbying weak parties to make a “strong case” for the postponement of the general elections. independently. He said President Barack Obama pledged his support for the Nigerian troops in fighting Boko Haram insurgency. He said there was need for a multi-national strategy that would not only crush Boko Haram and Al-qaeda, but which would also address the environment from where

violent extremism grows. He said: “This is why President Obama announced an international summit next month in Washington on combating violent extremism around the world. It will be held at the White House and it will be at the ministerial level and we hope to bring people together; they will be engaged

on the fight against Boko Haram and other entities. So, we can share best practices and we can hear from people about what they need and what they think is necessary to summon stronger global response.” The envoy said the best way to combat Boko Haram is by organising peaceful, credible and transparent election, which he said is essential for any thriving democracy. Nigeria, which he described as the largest thriving democracy in Africa, cannot afford to miss the opportunity. “I met with President Jonathan earlier today (yesterday) and separately with Gen. (Muhammadu) Buhari. I was encouraged to hear once again from both men that, this is exactly what they intend to do; to try to press for election that would be held with credibility, which people of Nigeria want and deserve. “As President Jonathan said in his New Year’s message, ‘none of our political ambitions is worth the blood of any of our countrymen, women and children’. And as Gen. Buhari recently twitted, ‘electoral violence is unacceptable and every Nigerian life is sacred’. Both candidates have also Continued on page 59

HE President said yesterday he expressed his deep commitments to ensuring free, fair and credible 2015 general elections, during his meeting with United States (U.S.) Secretary of State JohnKerry last night. He said: “I emphasized to Secretary Kerry that I am deeply committed to ensuring that our forthcoming election is free, fair, and credible. “It is especially critical that all political parties abide by the Abuja Accord, which commits each to non-violence before, during, and after the election.” he said On the handover date, he said: “I made it absolutely clear that the May 29th handover date is sacrosanct. In addition, the Government will provide all resources that are required by the Independent National

Electoral Commission to ensure that the election goes smoothly. “I also emphasized that INEC is an independent body, which makes its own decisions without any interference from the Government.” he stated He noted that Nigeria has a vibrant democracy and the largest trading partner of the United States in Africa, with more than $18 billion in bilateral trade. President Jonathan according to a statement from his office, maintained during his meeting with Kerry that the defeat of Boko Haram is critical to ending terror attacks across the globe. The Presidency quoted Dr Jonathan as saying: “Our countries and peoples share a mutual admiration for each Continued on page 59

The town Monguno

ONGUNO is a major town in Borno State, the epicentre of the Boko Haram insurgency. It is the headquarters of Monguno local government area, located 180 kilometres from Maiduguri, the state capital. It has an area of 1,913 km² and a population of 109,851 as at the 2006 census.

It is one of the 16 local government areas that constitute the Borno Emirate, under the Shehu of Borno, a foremost traditional ruler in the country. Earlier this month, residents fled Monguno and the village of Doron-Baga for the internally displaced persons camps in Maiduguri, following the capture of nearby Bama by Boko Haram

Maiduguri attack: Shettima commends military

ORNO State Governor Kashim Shettima yesterday condemned the Boko Haram attacks on Maiduguri and Monguno. Shettima also praised troops for saving the state capital from the insurgents. The governor told reporters in Maiduguri yesterday after the attack, that Borno residents would redouble their efforts and commitment to supporting the security agents in the fight against Boko Haram insurgents. Shettima expressed his pain over the attack on Monguno, and the military formation in the area, stressing that the attack must have resulted in the loss of lives and caused several pains on the people in addition to destruction of

From Duku Joel, Maiduguri

property. He said; “Our armed forces gallantly repelled attacks on parts of Borno State today. We must commend their patriotic efforts. We are very much in touch with leaders of security forces and we will continue to afford them all the support they need as we have always done from our first day in office till date. “So long as we have the resources, we will continue to regard the efforts to reclaim peace, our number one area of commitments. I want to reassure the good people of Borno State that we will never abdicate from our responsibility as those they entrusted with leadership. Continued on page 57

Troops repel Boko Haram’s attack on Maiduguri

ESIDENTS of Maiduguri, the troubled Borno State capital, stayed indoors all yesterday – no thanks to a curfew imposed on the city, which is a prime target of the Islamist sect, Boko Haram. The Defence Headquarters said troops killed scores of Boko Haram members and captured a Cobra Armoured Vehicle, heavy Artillery guns, and some machine guns from the insurgents. Also, three Golf cars laden with explosives were destroyed by troops. But the military admitted that a Brigade Commander and some troops were injured in the encounters. The injured soldiers have been evacuated, even as the military has launched air strikes against the insurgents. The DHQ made the statement in Abuja through the Director of Defence Information, Maj-Gen. Chris Olukolade, on the update on Boko Haram invasion of Maiduguri. The statement said: “Terrorists who attacked Maiduguri in the early hours of today

From Yusuf Alli, Abuja and Duku Joel, Maiduguri

(yesterday) have been successfully repelled. ”An extensive cordon and search is ongoing as part of the mopping up operation to determine details of the heavy casualties suffered by the terrorists. ”Meanwhile, scores of the terrorists have died in the course of the attack, while many of them were also captured with wounds. ”A Cobra Armoured Vehicle, heavy Artillery guns, as well as some Machine Guns and other weapons were captured from the fleeing terrorists. Three Golf cars loaded with explosives were also destroyed. ”Similarly, troops in Konduga successfully repelled terrorists’ attacks twice today, Sunday. ”Some of the troops however lost their lives in the series of operations to repel the terrorists today. Those that were wounded have been evacuated for appropriate medical treatment.

”The 24-hour curfew imposed in the course of the operation is expected to be lifted as soon as mopping operation is concluded. Citizens will be allowed to go about their lawful activities from 6 am tomorrow, Monday, January 26, 2015.” The DHQ said air strikes were ongoing in Monguno following the wounding of a Brigade Commander and some soldiers by Boko Haram, which led to the tactical withdrawal of ground force. The statement added: “Meanwhile, an exclusive coordinated air campaign had taken over from ground forces in Monguno, as troops had to retreat from the location after the Brigade Commander and some of the troops were wounded while repelling terrorists attack on the town today. “ Calm has been restored in Maiduguri and Konduga as operation continues with patrols and surveillance.” Troops blocked roads leading into Maiduguri, preventing civilians from escaping.

“We believe hundreds of thousands of civilians are now at grave risk,” Amnesty International said. The attacks came as United States (U.S.) Secretary of State John Kerry was in Lagos,meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan and Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, the main presidential candidates. The extremists attacked on three fronts around Maiduguri soon after midnight and troops battled to hold them at bay, according to an officer involved in the fighting. He said he saw dozens of combatants killed. A hospital worker said they were treating dozens of wounded soldiers. Both men spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorised to speak to the press. Gen. Olukolade said the militants simultaneously attacked Maiduguri and Monguno town, 180 kilometres (112 miles) away. While soldiers were succeeding in holding off the attack on Maiduguri, it appeared they might lose Monguno, accord-

ing to Abbas Gava, a spokesman for the civilian self-defence groups fighting Boko Haram. The 7th Division of the Army in Maiduguri announced a 24-hour curfew on Maiduguri. The Spokesman of the Division, Col. Sani Usman, said in a statement:“Be informed of the imposition of a curfew on Maiduguri immediately. “The curfew will remain till further notice.’’ The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt that insurgents had attempted to storm Maiduguri through Jimtilo on Maiduguri-Kano road on Saturday night. But NAN learnt that the attempt was repelled by the military. Explosions and gunfire erupted on the outskirts of the city in the middle of the night, marking the start of a major attack, according to Maiduguri residents. The sound of constant shelling could be heard from the Njimtilo area, about 20 kilometres away from the city, until around 11 am.

•Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh

Hours after the predawn raid, troops, backed by heavy weaponry and fighter jets, fought pitched battles with the militants, according to local officials. The city was being paContinued on page 59

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THE NATION MONDAY JANUARY 26, 2015

NEWS Police: Buhari’s head teacher not dead

APC to PDP: enough of mudslinging

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) has challenged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to tell Nigerians how it plans to move from the alleged near zero governance of the past six years of the President Goodluck Jonathan administration to good and purposeful governance, instead of engaging in perpetual and tiring mudslinging. APC’s National Publicity Secretary Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in a statement yesterday in Lagos, said the party believes that elections should be about issues that would be beneficial to the electorate, “not about throwing everything, but the kitchen sink at a particular candidate, simply because of his soaring acceptability.” The party added that it was, therefore, “time for the PDP to end the muckraking and tell Nigerians how it plans to tackle the worsening insecurity in the land, the collapsing national currency, with the United States (U.S.) dollar now exchanging for N215, massive unemployment, especially among the youth, decayed infrastructure and the unprecedented corruption under President Jonathan’s watch.” It said the essence of the sustained campaign of calumny against Gen. Muhammadu Buhari by the PDP was to distract the APC from telling Nigeri-

•Let’s dwell on issues, says party ans how it plans to effect the much-needed change from zero to purposeful governance, and also to sweep under the carpet the glaring failures of the Jonathan administration. ‘’In both instances, the PDP has failed, as Nigerians have refused to be swayed by all the scandal mongering by the PDP, while the APC has remained focused in selling its gamechanging manifesto to the citizenry,’’ APC said. The party said the PDP and the president should tell Nigerians what happened to the $20 billion missing oil funds, amid concerns that the money could have vanished into the ruling party’s slush funds for electioneering campaign. The statement also reads: ‘’Nigerians are also asking: Mr. President, where are the Chibok girls who were abducted nine months ago, and whom you promised to reunite with their families? What happened to the stage-managed truce with Boko Haram and why has no one been punished for deceiving Nigerians? Mr. President, where is the report of the forensic audit you ordered into the missing $20b oil funds? It is now two months since the deadline set by your finance minister for the release of that audit report. Will the report go the way of others before it?

“Mr. President, why are our soldiers being sent to battle Boko Haram without the necessary equipment, even though trillions of Naira has been budgeted for the security and defence sector under your watch? Why are soldiers having to buy even their uniforms and the wounded among them financing their medical treatment, as some soldiers said in a CNN interview? “Mr. President, why have you castrated the anti-corruption agencies, rendering them comatose and unable to tackle the runaway corruption under your watch? What signals are you sending to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), for example, when you picked as your campaign spokesman the same man who is facing corruption charges? Is that a way of telling the EFCC to let the notorious suspect off the hook? “Mr. President, you vowed that those involved in the N2.6 trillion fuel subsidy scam would never go unpunished, but many months later, none has been punished and it is back to business as usual. When will you consider stealing of public funds a serious act of corruption, sir? ‘’Mr. President, you said while campaigning for the 2011 elections that ‘four years is

enough for anyone to make significant improvement, and if I can’t improve on power within this period, it means I cannot do anything’. Why should Nigerians trust you to deliver on your promises this time around, now that the power situation has gone from bad to worse under your watch? “Mr. President, instead of creating jobs for the teeming unemployed youth of Nigeria, your administration has been fleecing and sending them to their early graves, as it happened during the fraudulent Immigration recruitment exercise in March 2014, when many innocent youths got death instead of jobs. When will you move from creating phantom jobs to real jobs? “These are the issues that are bothering Nigerians and these are the issues they want answers to, instead of engaging in an unprecedented personality-focused campaign,” the party said. APC said the truth was that the PDP and the president did not have any answers to the serious issues raised above. Hence, they have decided to engage in a multi-pronged approach of mudslinging, campaign for election postponement and the instigation of violence to scuttle next month’s general elections, among others.

HE Katsina Police Command has dispelled rumours of the alleged murder of Malam Ballo Isyaku, head teacher of Government College, Katsina, who released Gen. Muhammadu Buhari’s certificate. The command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Aminu Sadiq, made the denial to reporters in Katsina. He said the command had contacted top officials of the ministry of Education and they confirmed that the principal was hale and hearty. Sadiq said the command also contacted the commissioner for Education and the zonal director of Education, who assured the police that the rumour was false. “We are surprised to read the story online that the principal had been killed by unknown gunmen. “The command wishes to state that the principal in question is currently organising a naming ceremony for a baby that came into his family,” he said. The PPRO called on the members of the public to disregard the publication as the handiwork of mischief-makers, adding that some disgruntled elements were out to cause disaffection among the residents of Katsina. The social media had been spreading the rumour that Isyaku had been assassinated by unknown gunmen for releasing the certificate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate.

Fed Govt mulls ban on porn websites

HE National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.), says the Federal Government is planning to introduce a law that will ban and block all porn websites in the country. He stated this at the closing ceremony of a three-day workshop on use of social media organised for Islamic preachers, Imams and youths in Kaduna yesterday. The workshop, which was organised by the national body of Izalatil Bid’a Wa’iqamatis Sunna (JIBWIS), aimed at correcting anomalies in the use of social media. Dasuki, who was represented by the Minister of Special Duties, Alhaji Kabiru Turaki, said: “Government is planning to ban and block websites that inculcate negative attitudes in our children, but we need a law to support such move. “Because without a law, people can go to court and claim infringement on their rights.” While urging preachers to avoid use of unguided utterances against leaders, Dasuki said that preachers were not politicians, but they must play politics. In his remarks, Kaduna State Governor Muktar Yero stressed the need for credible people to join politics to contribute their quota toward sanitising the system. He cautioned people against the use of social media negatively to blackmail others.

‘Focus on victory for APC’

•From Left: Executive Secretary, Tetfund, Prof. Suleiman Bogoro; Executive Secretary, Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission Mr. John Kennedy Okpara; President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Pastor Ayo Orisejafor, at the CAN president’s “Special Prayer Rally For The Land” at St. Mary Catholic Church in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area, Bauchi State...at the weekend.

HE Deputy Director General of All Progressives Congress Campaign Organisation (APCPCO), Senator Olorunimbe Mamora, has urged state coordinators to focus on winning the presidential election. Mamora, who spoke while addressing a meeting of the coordinators, said the major task ahead of them was to mobilise the people in their various states to collect their PVCs, “which are their weapons to effecting the desired change in the country”. He told them that “this is not where the work is, but back at home. This is just a forum for interaction. But the work is back home. That is where the huge work is, especially the issue of PVCs. Ensure that our people obtain their PVCs. That is what we need to do prior to the election. “Also, we should be looking at the electoral process entirely and not just the election. Pre-election issues are also very important. That is why we must ensure that our people have their PVCs. The period after the election also matters because that is when the results are collated. So, let us keep our eyes on the ball; the goal is to win”. He explained that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was jittering, adding that was why it was seeking a postponement of the election.

Call ex-militants to order, Buhari’s campaign team tells Jonathan

HE All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Organisation (APCPCO) has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to call to order ex-militants, who have declared war on the nation on his behalf. The ex-militants last Saturday at a meeting in Bayelsa State, the president’s home state, threatened to go to war, if Jonathan did not win the February 14 presidential election. In a statement, APCPCO’s Director of Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said the ultimatum from the exmilitants was irresponsible and a barbaric threat to the sovereignty of the nation and against the spirit and letter of the non-violence pact to which the president was a signatory.

From Tony Akowe, Abuja and Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

The APC presidential campaign said the declaration of war against the state was causing panic and concern among Nigerians who are already embattled by so many challenges, particularly insecurity. Shehu reminded Jonathan that as commander-in-chief, it was his primary responsibility to ensure the protection of the citizens and their property. He added that such open declaration of war by the exmilitants and several other acts of violence must be denounced by the president in the interest of democracy, unity and stability of nation. Shehu said those beating the

•Kuku defends Bayelsa meeting drums of war needed to change to peace beats so that the citizens, especially the youth, would be encouraged to show that the sustenance of the country’s democracy “is better achieved through the ballot and not the bullet”. The APC campaign called on Jonathan to make good on his declaration that his “re-election is not worth the blood of any Nigerian by calling these war-mongers in his domain to order”. The organisation maintained that the latest threat was not an isolated act, adding that the threat on General Muhammadu Buhari by Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose and the attacks on the party’s offices and

rally in Rivers State were pointers of a coordinated insurrection against the APC ahead of next month’s general elections. According to him, “it is disconcerting that the president has not immediately addressed such treasonable actions by persons, who in the past, have taken up arms against the nation, “and whose amnesty is dependent on their good behaviour and complete disarmament.” “The president needs to remember that he took an oath, as commander-in-chief, to protect Nigeria against all threats, external and internal. In this case, his silence could be misconstrued as an implicit ap-

proval of this declaration of war, seeing as the meeting of the warlords and subsequent declaration of war were from his own backyard, his home state. ”The first step the President needs to take, to show seriousness in dealing with this issue is to dismiss from his government, his Special Adviser on Niger Delta, Kingsley Kuku who presided at the meeting at which this obnoxious resolution to dismember Nigeria was taken,” the statement said. But, defending Kuku’s presence at the meeting, his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Daniel Alabra, said: “It was a peace meeting called by Bayelsa State and held at the Government House. Kuku was only invited to that meeting just as Asari. Whatever Asari

•Kuku

said after the meeting was his own opinion. “The meeting was not called to threaten anybody or section of the country or the country. “It was called in respect of the tension rising in the Niger Delta concerning the attack on the president in the North during his campaign. His campaign buses have been burnt; he has been stoned.”

THE NATION MONDAY JANUARY 26, 2015

NEWS Federal courts resume today

Jonathan calls for prayers at Winners Chapel

From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan worshipped at the Winners Chapel, Ota in Ogun State yesterday, urging Christians to continue to pray for the success and peaceful conduct of next month’s general elections. In a brief speech at the service, Jonathan admitted that the country was going through some challenges. He noted that the situation would have been worse, but for the prayers of Nigerians. Despite fears and predictions of doom about the coming elections, he said he was sure that God would take control. He hailed the founder of the Winners Chapel, Bishop

•From right: Jonathan; Oyedepo; and his wife, Faith...yesterday.!

David Oyedepo, for his commitment to God’s work and education in the country. “It is very commendable that the church has two universities, which have contrib-

uted to the development of education in the country. I am from a humble background and know the value of education,” Jonathan said. Bishop Oyedepo led a

prayer session for the president during which the congregation prayed for grace to meet the demands of his office. “It is our duty to make

intercession for Kings. Our prayer is that God will lift His countenance upon the President and grant the nation peace,” Oyedepo said.

APC to sue NCC for closing fund-raising platform

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) has vowed to challenge the decision of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to shut down its fundraising platform in court. Director of Fund-Raising of the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation and Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, who said this yesterday evening at the directorate’s meeting, said

From Tony Akowe, Abuja

the party has no choice than to seek legal redress. Fashola described the NCC’s action as a clear breach of constitutional provisions, describing it as a double standard on the part of the commission, which allowed President Goodluck Jonathan to raise fund, using the same platform in 2010.

The governor said the directive from the commission closing the platform was contained in a letter dated January 19 by officials of the NCC. According to him, those who signed the letter included the Director of Consumer Affairs, Maryam Bayi, and the Head of Legal and Regulatory Services, Yinka Akinloye, acting on behalf of the NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Dr. Eugene Juwah. He argued that in 2010, ap-

proval was given to the Jonathan/Sambo Campaign Organisation to raise funds using such a platform, wondering why the APC is being denied the same right in 2015. “We have advised our lawyers to go to court. They are preparing the papers now. In 2010, approval was given to the Jonathan/Sambo campaign to raise fund (using such a platform).The

rule seems to have changed in 2015.” He, however, told the gathering that the fund-raising platform, which included the sale of scratch cards and donations into the designated First Bank Plc, was still valid. The governor said although the platform was established when Buhari was seeking for the party’s nomination as flagbearer, it is still running and supporters can still donate.

PDP members stoned Jonathan’s campaign convoy, says Yuguda

HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organisation and the Bauchi State Governor, Mallam Isa Yuguda, have disagreed on the identities of those who pelted President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign team in Bauchi and Katsina last week. While Yuguda, who was elected on the platform of the PDP, insisted that the hoodlums that pelted the president’s team in Bauchi were recruited by Abuja-based PDP politicians, the Jonathan’s campaign organisation blamed the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) for the attack. Speaking on a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Hausa programme yesterday, Yuguda said: “I am sure and I want to let the world know that the people who did this thing were PDP members and those politicians in Abuja were the ones behind it. They were not APC

•Fani-Kayode: it’s not true From Gbade Ogunwale, Assistant Editor, Abuja

members. “They found these youths on the road and gave them brooms and they instructed them that when the President was passing, they should raise the brooms and pelt them at him. “They did that so that the president would think that Isa Yuguda is against him. They have been telling him in Abuja that we are not supporting him. They did that to show the president that Isa Yuguda is nothing in Bauchi and to show that despite being an indigene of Bauchi, Isa Yuguda could not be respected with his guests in Bauchi. “We were not aware of the plan ahead of the rally. They took us by surprise. Did you

ever hear of such a disgrace to any guest in Bauchi, let alone the President?” The governor’s position corroborated the statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, that the stone-pelting hoodlums were recruited by certain PDP chieftains, as a decoy to blame the opposition for the dastardly act. But the Director of Media and Publicity of the PDP campaign organisation, Chief Femi FaniKayode, disagreed, insisting that the action was carried out by supporters of the APC. He described the statements by the governor and the APC spokesman as “lies, ridiculous and unbelievable”, adding that the claims were “absurd, reckless and asinine.” Fani-Kayode said: “Does it make any sense for the PDP to

hire thugs to chant ‘’sai Buhari’’, to waive brooms in the air and to physically attack their own candidate’s convoy? Does it make any sense for them to throw rocks at their own presidential candidate and injure his bodyguards? “Honestly, it is clear to all those with discerning minds that the APC have lost touch with reality. They have been blinded by their hate, deceit and their sheer desperation for power. “The truth is that they are the ones that have an inbred culture of violence and intolerance, and that encourage brutal and barbaric behaviour and not the PDP. “The PDP values peace, tolerance, a plurality of views, differing opinions and the sanctity of life; but the APC do not.” He warned the APC and

Fed Govt okays N26b for dry season farming

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan at the weekend announced the release of N26 billion by the Federal Government for this year’s dry season farming. Jonathan, who spoke at the 2015 Agrifest at the Eagle Square, Abuja, pledged the support of his administration to farmers. The president used the event to highlight his administration’s successes in agriculture. Nigeria, he said, would not be held hostage by rice importers, adding that the country is working to attain self-sufficiency in rice production. Jonathan said: “To further boost your efforts to produce more food for our nation, I am

From Frank Ikpefan, Abuja

pleased to announce here today the release of N26 billion naira towards the 2015 Dry Season Farming Programme. “Nigeria, our dear country, will not be held hostage by rice importers. There will be no sacred cows under my watch. All those owing Nigeria on rice import duties must pay.” The president said the private sector have put over N45 billion private investment in new oil palm plantation. The investment, he said, would allow farmers to cultivate 70,000 hectares of new plantations to allow Nigeria to become self-sufficient in palm oil pro-

duction by 2016. He said: “I am excited that today, Okomu, Presco, PZ - Wilmar and medium size oil palm estate operators such as Wilbahi are taking the lead in revamping our vast oil palm plantations. “We will continue to support the revamping of our oil palm industry and support the private sector to build new refineries to process crude palm oil produced in Nigeria.” Earlier, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, said government was supporting 27 Nagropreneur with N122 million takeoff grant to do their business. The youths were given N5 million each under the Youth Empow-

erment in Agriculture Programme. The minister added that the ministry would work closely with all states government to ensure capacity-building for youths. Also, Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said most of the 1.2 million jobs created in 2014 were in the agriculture sector. Dr. Okonjo-Iweala explained that without agriculture, the nation would not make much progress. “Because of agriculture, inflation has reduced. We are showing that we can feed ourselves,” she said.

•Yuguda

its presidential candidate to be ready for what he described as “grave and far-reaching consequences,” if anything untoward should happen to Jonathan during the course of his campaign. According to him, “All hell will break loose. The stoning, attacks, violence and intimidation have to stop and the safety and security of our presidential candidate, our supporters and our members must be guaranteed, if we wish to avoid being propelled into a vicious and reciprocal cycle of violence, turmoil, destruction and catastrophe in this country”.

HE National Executive Committee (NEC) of

the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) has agreed to a partial suspension of its strike. The JUSUN NEC, which met at the Supreme Court Complex in Abuja yesterday, agreed to allow court activities resume today in federal courts. The meeting, which saw temper rising among members, lasted between 3pm and 7.30pm. The state courts are to await the outcome of a meeting between representatives of the executive (both at state and federal levels), the judiciary, JUSUN and other stakeholders, scheduled to hold in Abuja today. The Federal courts include the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, the Federal High Court, the National Industrial Court (NIC) and federal capital territory courts. Others are the National Judicial Council (NJC) and the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC). JUSUN President Marwan Adamu confirmed the agreement. He said a statement would be issued later on the NEC’s resolution. He added that the NEC decided to allow a partial resumption in the interest of the larger society. The strike by JUSUN is to compel the executive to obey a January 13 judgment by the Federal High Court, Abuja, which, among others, affirmed fiscal autonomy for the judiciary and prohibited the piecemeal release of budgetary allocation to the arm of government. At a meeting on January 12 at the instance of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mohammed Adoke, was said to have argued that the judgment over which JUSUN had gone on strike, was not enforceable on the grounds that it was only the three tiers of government that could have their funds deducted from the Federation Account (FA). The AGF, Attorneys-General of states and others were said to have suggested that there was need to work out an alternative measure of ensuring proper funding of the judiciary through the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

Ex-CJ counsels citizens on polls From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

ORMER Acting Chief Judge of Oyo State Justice John Olagoke Ige has counselled stakeholders in next month’s elections to ensure that peace prevail before, during and after the elections. Justice Ige spoke in Ibadan at a symposium organised by Centre for Religious Cooperation and Tolerance under the headship of Prof. Sabit Ariyo Olagoke. The former acting CJ said: “As we go to the polls in the next few days to choose our leaders, let us choose leaders who have deep knowledge of the Nigerian problems and are ready to work hard to solve them. “Let us vote for leaders who will guarantee us security and put a final stop to the winds of violence and terrorism. Leaders who have respect for the rule of law, leaders who will have regard for the sanctity of human lives and who have zero tolerance for corruption.” Hailing Olagoke for organising the symposium, he called on governments at all levels to be committed to the upholding of the independence of the judiciary.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

NEWS DVC for UI From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

ROF. Gbemisola Oke of the Department of Periodontology and Community Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan (UI), has been elected as the institution seventh Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) . The Director of Public Communications, Olatunji Oladejo, said the new deputy vice-chancellor replaced Prof. Idowu Olayinka, whose tenure ended on December 16, last year. He said Oke, the former Director, Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation,is the second woman to occupy the position. In a statement, Oladejo said the new DVC (Academics) graduated with a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) in 1981 and had a Master of Public Health (MPH) from University of California, Los Angeles in 1985. Prof. Oke, the statement added, got a PhD in Community Medicine/ Epidemiology from UI. She is married to Prof. Bankole Oke of the Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Anatomy, UI.

Support for Jonathan From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

PEOPLES Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain in Oyo State, Adebisi Olopoenia, has reiterated his commitment to the re-election bid of President Goodluck Jonathan. Olopoenia, who spoke in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, yesterday, assured President Jonathan of massive support in Oyo State and Southwest. “President Jonathan is a leader, who has the people’s interest at heart. I believe and I am sure that the President will win next month,” he said. He hailed the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, for leading the campaign for the president’s re-election in Oyo State. “Oloye Akinjide should be praised for standing firmly for the campaign for President Jonathan’s re-election against all odds. She has brought good tidings to this state within the short period she was appointed minister.”

Adeleke berates PDP From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

ORMER Osun State Governor Isiaka Adeleke has berated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for misleading the people on the outcome of the last sitting of the election tribunal hearing the petition filed by its candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore, challenging the victory of Rauf Aregbesola in the August 9 governorship election. Adeleke, an All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Osun West Senatorial district, advised the people to disregard the claim by the PDP members that the tribunal delivered a judgment in Omisore’s favour. A statement by his media aide, Olumide Lawal, said what transpired last Friday at the tribunal was that the petitioners-the PDP and Omisoreand respondents, the APC, submitted the final written addresses.

•Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun and his wife, Olufunso, flanked by the aged, cutting his 57th birthday at the fourth edition of Uplifting the Aged, in Abeokuta... yesterday.

APC to Fayose: explain how you spent N2b ecological fund T

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has urged Governor Ayo Fayose to explain how he spent the N2 billion paid into the state’s coffers on December 30 by the Federal Government. The party, in a statement yesterday by its Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun, claimed that N10 billion was released to five states, including Ekiti. The APC said the governor collected the money, including that refunded for federal projects embarked upon by his predecessor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi. Olatunbosun said: “We want to challenge Fayose to tell Ekiti people how he spent the N2billion Ekiti Ecological Fund he collected on December 30, last year. “On that day, N10 billion was released to five states, among which are Bauchi and Ekiti states, which collected N2 billion each. “Bauchi State Governor Isa Yuguda has told the people

•I won’t reply deaf people, says governor From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado-Ekiti

the projects to be executed with the money. Instead of our governor to do the same, he jetted off to Dubai for days without any indication that he went there officially on behalf of Ekiti people. “It was later Ekiti people learnt about his lavish lifestyle in the bustling economic hub of the Middle East. “Governor Fayose denied ever collecting refund of the money ex-Governor Fayemi spent on federal projects in the state. “Four days after Fayose made this denial on state television, the Minister of State for Works, Dayo Adeyeye, said publicly at President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign rally in Ado-Ekiti that the Federal Government had refunded money spent on the

federal projects executed by the state, including Ado-Ifaki and Ado-Akure roads.” Olatubosun said the APC later learnt that Adeyeye was scolded for making that public disclosure. “Why are they crucifying Adeyeye for saying the truth? Even though we don’t want to believe that our governor was part of ‘January rush’ acquisition of prime property in Dubai, his unofficial journey to Dubai after collecting the money raises our fears that Ekiti State might have run into trouble again.” Olatubosun said it was wicked and insensitive to continue to owe workers their salary after collecting September allocation and other refunds running into billions. “The governor cannot tell the workers that he won’t

pay September salary because he was not governor in September. Why did he not reject September allocation because he was not governor in September?” Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Communications and New Media Lere Olayinka said it was not true that N2billion was paid by the Federal Government to Ekiti State in December. He added: “In this ICT age, all that is needed to be done on issues like this is to search the Internet because the Federal Government won’t release ecological to five states without the media reporting it. “The truth is Ekiti State government has not received any special fund from the Federal Government and it is important that the APC lying machine should begin to manufacture another lie.”

I’ll focus on agric, tourism, says Amosun

GUN State Governor Ibikunle Amosun has promised to pay more attention to agriculture and tourism as both have the potential to generate wealth and jobs to assist the state achieve self-sustenance. Amosun said the need to diversify the economy was imperative, following the dwindling drop in prices of oil at the international market. The governor spoke at the weekend in Maun, Ipokia Local Government Area while addressing All Progressives Congress (APC) members, supporters and residents during his re-election campaign tour. He said before the discovery of oil in commercial quantity, Nigeria survived mainly on agriculture. According to him, Nigeria should cease taking oil as the mainstay of its economy as the reality in the global oil market has shown that revenue from crude oil could neither be predicted nor relied upon. The governor said: “Oil has continued to fall in the inter-

From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

national market. That is bad news for Nigeria because as we all know, oil is our mainstay. We are compelled now to shift focus from oil to agriculture where we have comparative advantage. “Before oil came, Nigeria survived mainly on revenue

from agriculture. All the economic wonders performed in Nigeria before Independence were products of agriculture. We must go back to it.” Amosun said agriculture and tourism potential abound in Ipokia Local Government Area and assured that his administration would accord them priority.

But he reiterated his commitment to ensuring that the exploration on the oil-rich Tongeji Island takes off. “The falling price of oil will, however, not discourage us from exploring the oil reserve we have here on Tongeji Island. We are committed to its exploration and we shall do it in due course.”

Bamidele: I want to be part of change

MEMBER of the House of Representatives, Opeyemi Bamidele, has said he will work for the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari. Speaking with reporters after the APC presidential campaign rally in Ado-Ekiti, Bamidele said his support for Buhari was borne out of the need to rescue Nigeria from the political, social and economic problems afflicting it. Bamidele received a deafening ovation from the crowd at the Ekiti Parapo Square, venue of the rally, as he was presented by the APC Na-

From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado-Ekiti

tional Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He said he wanted to be part of the emerging change that would herald a new Nigeria, which would give hope, fulfillment and prosperity. Bamidele, who was the Labour Party (LP) candidate in the June 14 governorship election, said members of his political family, Ekiti Bibiire Coalition, subscribed to the quest for change of government at the centre. He noted that Buhari is a symbol of integrity, transparency and positive change in leadership, hence the need to support him to win the Feb-

ruary 14 election. When pressed to give details on when he would formally join the APC, Bamidele said steps on his return to the party would be taken after the election. Bamidele said: “It’s about Nigeria and it’s not about me or any individual. I want to be part of the change that is coming. “We will begin detailed discussions after the election because as far as I am concerned, I am still part of two parties in Ekiti State.” Members of the Ekiti Bibiire Coalition in North America and Canada have thrown their weight behind Bamidele’s decision.

‘I’ll build on my granddad’s legacies’

HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Ogun Central, Dr. Bisola Sodipo-Clark, has said she will build on the legacies of her grandfather, who was the first elected representative of the Egba division in the colonial administration of the 1950s. She spoke at a debate in Abeokuta organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Ogun State. The PDP candidate said: “I intend to pursue, if elected, a bill for an act to introduce care for our senior citizens. This will assist our elderly lead a comfortable and respectable life as they age. “I intend to collaborate with other senators to legalise, the setting up of homes for the elderly; payment of monthly stipends; free transportation for persons above 60; exemption from taxation for elderly Nigerians. “I will use my talent of perseverance, hard work and wide-contact with diverse persons in private and public service to ensure we get what is due to us .”

Folarin to revive Ikere dam By Jeremiah Oke

HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Teslim Folarin, has said he will resuscitate the abandoned Ikere dam in Iseyin. He promised to collaborate with the Federal Government to ensure that the Oke Ogun region was given a university of agriculture, adding that the region was known for agricultural development. Folarin said the party’s campaign rally had been peaceful because some people have left the party. According to him, the Ikare dam was one of the Federal Government projects which have been abandoned as a result of the lackadaisical attitude of successive administration. “Since Iseyin is the centre of the Oyo Central Senatorial district, it is reasonable to start our campaign here. The first thing we are going to do is to resuscitate the Ikare dam for domestic consumption and irrigation.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

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Man escapes lynching for attempted child theft

MIDDLE-aged man narrowly escaped being lynched last Saturday for allegedly attempting to steal a threeyear-old child. One of the women, who caught him said she suspected he was a ritualist. “I noticed the way he was trying to lure the child with a piece of biscuit. At a point, he carried the child and made to hurry out of the place. Seeing that if left alone without watching him, I may not see him again, I quickly alerted two other women and asked them look for the mother of the child. When the woman (mother) arrived at Agbe Road in

Policemen invade church over ‘debt’

By Ebele Boniface

Abule Egba, she found her child in the hands of a total stranger and raised the alarm,” said the woman. She added: “Within some few minutes, people started gathering. All efforts for them to know why he carried the child and attempted to go failed. He was silent. So, the crowd became angry and started punching him. Some people even attempted to break his head with empty bottles, but two men who held the man made it impossible for them to use broken bottles on him.” Another source, said the suspect was given the beat-

•The suspects...yesterday

ing of his life. The irate crowd was said to have dragged him to a nearby police station from

•One of the destroyed vehicles during an attack on supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at a campaign in Agbado/ Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area of Lagos... yesterday.

where he was transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) at Panti, Yaba, Lagos Mainland.

PENTECOSTAL church, People of Peculiar Ministry International, Araromi in Igando, a Lagos suburb, was thrown into disarray on January 15 following invasion by 10 armed policemen. They dispersed the worshippers, assaulted and whisked away the pastor and some members over an alleged N300,000 debt. The policemen who came in mufti, were said to have been sent by the Divisional Police Officer, Amukoko Division, Mr. Abayomi Agbana, a Chief Superintendent (CSP), although they initially claimed to have come from the General Investigations Division (GID), Ikeja, to execute a court order. When the church’s protocol officer, Mr. Samuel Ajakaiye, demanded to see the court order, the officers were said to have descended on him, before, forcing their way into the church to ransack offices, the kitchen and the pastor’s rest room. Ajakaiye, with a swollen eye-ball, told reporters: “We had a morning prayer session on Thursday, January 15, 2015 and the pastor, James Kunle Hephzibah, had two radio programmes at Bond Fm and Radio Lagos. At about 6.30am, an old danfo commercial bus stopped in front of the church. In fact, the way its occupants jumped out, I thought they were armed robbers. They said they were from GID, Ikeja with a court order. “When I demanded to see the court order, immediately they descended on me, tore my clothes and hit me with their handcuffs and gun butts. Just look at my swollen eyes. In fact, they scattered the office, kitchen, rest rooms, broke the door and the worst part, they humiliated the pastor. They dragged and forced him into the bus. They also arrested four members that questioned their conduct. But instead of the GID, Ikeja, they took us to Amukoko police division, where they subjected us to more ridicule and trauma until 7pm when people intervened from higher police formations.” The popular televangelist, Pastor Hephzibah, also known as ‘Baba Peculiar’ queried the legality of the action. “How can they invade a church without a legal authority? They came all the way from Apapa and did not regis-

Student group supports Buhari, Ambode

COALITION of Nigerian students under the aegis of APC Campus Connect has called on students and youths across the country to come out en masse and vote out the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) government. They said the Federal Government had only brought them pains, hardship, suffering and unemployment. Representatives of the group, which comprisesgraduates and undergraduates from Lagos State University (LASU), Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education and the University of Ibadan (UI), among others, visited the Special Adviser to Governor Babatunde Fashola on Education, Fatai Olukoga at

By Basirat Braimah

his office in Ikeja. They declared their support for APC’s Akinwunmi Ambode for governor and General Muhammadu Buhari for President in next month’s elections. Opeyemi Eniola, who coordinates the group, said they were campaigning for a change for the better through APC. Olukoga expressed delight about the youths’ initiative, saying: “What Nigeria needs now is a change from bad to good, from darkness to light and to achieve this, the electorate should wipe out PDP in governance in totality. Enough is enough and Mr. President should know that we are no fools”. He chided President Goodluck Jonathan over what he called the insignifi-

cant reduction in petrol price from N97 to N87 per litre, saying it was merely a political gimmick and an insult on Nigerians. Olukoga warned government not to take Nigerians for a fool with the hypocritical reduction which, according to him, came few weeks to the presidential elections. He said: “The reduction is not proportional to the reduction in the prices of crude in the international market. In fact, if this administration is serious at all, the fuel price should be brought down to N67 per litre. From the foregoing, it is evident that the President, government and the PDP lack integrity because they talk from two sides of their mouth and I want to advise the electorate to be wary of any hypocritical carrot they dangle before them at this time.”

•Olukoga (3rd right) with members of the group.

By Adeola Ogunlade

ter their presence at the nearest police station. When has the police turned to a debt collector? These men invaded our church, brutalised members and made away with three of my handsets and over half a million naira,” he said. The pastor added: “I have never seen or received this kind of embarrassment in my life. It was too much in our church yesterday. I am not a robber or fraudster and these people came all the way from Apapa to humiliate me and my members. They wounded our Protocol Officer Samuel. I lost three of my handsets - Samsung X2, X3, X4 - and we cannot find N560,000 meant for the radio programmes after their invasion. I just don’t know what to say but those policemen who came and disgraced me on the street and in the neighbourhood for a mere false allegation must receive their due punishment from the law and God. I had to calm down when their DPO apologised because I am a servant of God.” It was gathered that the policemen did not “book” their arrival at the Area ‘M’ until a crowd compelled them to take the pastor and his people to Igando Police Division to prove that they were from Area ‘B’ Command. When contacted, Agbana said he was not in his office, promising to be there before 2pm. But, he could not be reached later on his phone. Police spokesman Deputy Superintendent (DSP) Kenneth Nwosu said he was not aware of the incident. It was gathered that the church bought a Nissan bus from one Mr. Alabi Haruna for N1.2 million for which it paid N900,000. The c hurch promised to pay the N300,000 balance after the bus was test-run. In a petition to the Commissioner of Police, the church said: “When we test-ran the bus, it was in bad condition, hence we asked Haruna to either effect the repairs as we agreed or balance us our money and take his bus away. For one year and two months, he disappeared and never showed up. We did everything to contact him but he ran away. The case was initially at Igando Police Station, where he was asked him to comply, but after one year and two months, he connived with those policemen that his bus was missing.”

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

NEWS Ondo APC releases itinerary From Damisi Ojo, Akure

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has rolled out its itinerary for campaigns in local governments, wards and towns. A statement by the Secretary, Media Committee, Charles Titiloye, said the campaign rallies would start on Wednesday, covering the 18 local government areas, including towns, villages and hamlet. It said all party candidates, officials and campaign committee members would be part of the train. Titiloye praised party supporters and residents for trooping out during the APC presidential rally in Akure on Saturday. He said the massive turnout demonstrated their support for the party presidential candidate, Gen Muhammadu Buhari and his running mate, Prof Yemi Osinbajo.

Stop insulting Oyo workers, says APC From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

Ajimobi to Ladoja: Statesmen should not lie

YO State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has said lies and character assassination should not be found among statesmen, especially those who have had the privilege of administering a state. His comments followed an interview by former Governor Rashidi Ladoja in The Tribune yesterday. Ladoja had alleged that Ajimobi and leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) made overtures to him to be given the governorship ticket while Ajimobi goes to the Senate. In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Festus Adedayo, the governor said: “The truth is that Ladoja has become used to spinning lies that it has become a way of life. “Isn’t it illogical that a sitting governor would be asked to vacate his seat for someone he beat to the third place in the 2011 elections and that same sitting governor will gladly go to the home of his ‘nemesis’ and gleefully hand over his mandate to him? “Again, it is clear that, in telling this lie, Ladoja merely wants to recreate the absurd position he found himself in 2007 when, as a sitting gover-

‘APC didn’t offer governorship ticket to Ladoja’

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday refuted claims by the Oyo State Accord Party (AP) governorship candidate Senator Rashidi Ladoja that the party offered him its governorship slot. The National Vice Chairman (Southwest), Chief Pius Akinyelure, said the party never considered Ladoja, stressing that the thought was a figment of his “hyper-active imagination”. He said Ladoja may have confused an invitation to him to join the party as an elder with an imaginary offer aptly nurtured by his pre-conceived preference for the governorship ticket, which he may have coveted during preliminary interaction between him and the Southwest APC leadership. Akinyelure said there was no way the APC would have by-passed the performing Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, who had indicated nor, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took away his ticket and handed it over to his deputy. “It is apparent that he lacked political sagacity and the so-called people’s support, which were responsible for this political hemlock handed over to him to drink. “Isn’t it a negation of common sense that the governor, who was a former senator and a principal officer of the Senate and who completed his

By Emmanuel Oladesu

his interest in a second term, and offered the ticket to Ladoja. He added: “It is politically normal for a party like the APC, which is always interested in enlarging its coast, to invite more people to join its fold. Ladoja, being a former governor and senator, was invited to join the APC so that he can become one of the elders of the APC. There was never a time the governorship ticket was offered to him. “Governor Ajimobi has performed excellently. The party and the people are proud of his achievements. There was no way the party would have given the ticket to Ladoja when the governor, who has performed creditably in his first term, had indicated interest in re-election. Therefore, it is not true that Ladoja was offered the ticket as claimed by him.”

tenure, as against Ladoja who didn’t, would prefer a Senate slot that he once occupied to the prospect of continuing as the Chief Executive Officer of a state? “Ladoja must have thought that Oyo people and Nigerians have no sense of appreciation of logic and common sense.” Ajimobi picked holes in Ladoja’s claim that he was not arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commis-

sion (EFCC), stating that he was merely on a “roller coaster of comedy”. “Nigerians will, with this statement, appreciate the real comedy that Ladoja is. If he meant to demonstrate his naivety of semantics, he did it so well. For his information, he cannot rewrite the fact that he was arrested and detained for mismanaging the proceeds of the sales of shares belonging to Oyo State. “In his defence in a newspa-

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has warned the governorship candidates of Accord, Rashidi Ladoja and his counterpart in the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Seyi Makinde, to stop insulting civil servants, who they alleged have been forced to support Governor Abiola Ajimobi. In a statement by its Director of Publicity and Strategy, Olawale Sadare, the APC faulted the allegations that Governor Abiola Ajimobi was coercing civil servants, including teachers, to support his re-election bid. The statement reads: “In Oyo State, and indeed across the globe, public/civil servants, including teachers are recognised as a population of discerning, informed and dynamic minds. Therefore, it would be wrong for any individual, group or political party to describe them as worthless puppets, who could be treated with disdain or disrespect in the name of playing politics. “For the record, Sen. Ajimobi has impacted positively on the lives of teachers more than any other governor before him. “He has instituted life insurance policy for civil and public servants; 100 per cent upward review of housing loans for civil and public servants from N1million to N2million; 150 per cent upward review of car loans to civil and public servants from N200,000 to N500,000; clearing of outstanding promotions for workers spanning 2009 to 2012; raising the bar of graduate primary school teachers from GL 14 to 15 and gazzetting the employment of public primary and secondary school teachers. “And to crown it all, Ajimobi administration has prevented the people of the state including workers from falling victims of insecurity and political violence while it also reduced the workload of teachers with the recent appointment of 5,300 people to work in public schools as teaching and non-teaching staff.

per advertorial, he said he did not personally refund money to the EFCC. Does he have to personally refund money? If any money was refunded by his co-accused, he cannot exonerate himself from it,” the statement said. Stating that Ajimobi was yet to receive “Ladoja’s letter”, asking the governor to apologise for accusing him of the refund, the statement said the former governor was merely buying time as he does not have any case to pursue in court. On the allegation that the Ajimobi administration reneged on the agreement he had with the government to give him and his party 20 per cent of all appointments in the state, the governor said Ladoja was being driven by “political covetousness”. “Could Ladoja, known to be arrogant and unbending, during his time as governor, ever concede this absurd demand to anyone? Was it not a similar demand from the strongman of Ibadan politics, Chief Lamidi Adedibu, for a chunk of Ladoja’s security vote that led to the spiral of violence which consumed so many lives in Oyo State and which eventually truncated his regime?

Group berates Lagos CP By Miriam Ekene-Okoro

•From left: All Progressives Congress(APC) National Leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; former Interim National Chairman Chief Bisi Akande; Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola; Member, House of Representatives, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa and National Chairman Chief John Odigie-Oyegun at the APC campaign in Ondo State.

Fashola to Lagosians: eschew violence

AGOS State Governor Babatunde Fashola at the weekend led the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign train to Badagry in company of the governorship candidate, Akinwunmi Ambode. He urged residents and party supporters to remain calm, focused and avoid violence despite the provocation by the opposition. The governor, who spoke at the Badagry Grammar School, said the opponents were looking for an opportunity to foment violence and get an excuse to postpone the elections. “Irrespective of all the seeming problems that you are beginning to see, remain calm and focused. It is provocation. They are looking for opportunity to foment trouble and excuse to postpone the elections. “They are already saying that if there is violence in the

Northeast, the people would not vote. We are going to vote here, irrespective of what they do and whatever the provocation. Our answer is not violence; our answer would be by massive voting for the APC. The governor urged eligible voters, who have not collected their Permanent Voter Cards to colleect them at their ward offices. He told residents of Badagry and party faithful that the state recorded another first in the medical field with a successful Cochlear implant, which restores hearing to a person hitherto with impaired hearing. Fashola said the laws in Lagos State supporting the physically-challenged were not lip service but one born out of a deep commitment to ensure that they function well in the society. He said the state provid-

ed support to the School for the Blind at Oshodi through the building of dormitories, hostels and workshops, adding that the present government is not one to visit the electorate only at election periods. The governor said the present administration not only constructed the Igbo Elerin Road, which was a major request of the people of the area in 2007, it has gone on to build Joseph Dosu Road, Market Street, Cemetery Road just as it has worked in Iragan and Poka while work has started on Iya Afin Access Road all in Badagry. He advised the residents to beware of the inexperienced candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, who promised to cancel the toll on the Lekki-Epe Expressway. The governor said the PDP candidate failed to realise was that somebody invested

in the project and that the state signed a contract guaranteed by the Federal Government. “What of people working there? What of the construction company? What of the banks that financed the project? An aspiring candidate talking of cancelling contracts and he is the same person talking of his embracing Public Private Partnership (PPP)?” Fashola said all the promises to the division he made during his campaigns in 2007 were fulfilled, noting that Ambode will do even more because he lived and worked in Badagry Local Government. He noted that the initiative behind the ongoing reclamation work in Badagry was part of the effort at making it a tourist centre because many people travel out of the country to spend huge amount of money on tourism.

GROUP, the Centre for Rights and Grassroots Initiative (CRGI), has blamed the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Kayode Aderanti, for the indiscriminate and unregulated pasting of campaign posters. A few weeks ago, Aderanti served a notice directing his officers to arrest any personnel of the State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) found removing posters. CRGI’s Executive Director Nelson Ekujumi told reporters that since the police gave the directive the street have been flooded with political posters, thereby defacing the environment. Aside the environmental impact, Ekujumi also lamented the negative impact it has on the regulated outdoor business. “We wish to bring to your notice for urgent redress, threats to the constitution, public peace, health, democratic and economic rights of Lagosians by the indiscriminate and unregulated pasting of posters and billboards of political parties, ahead of the 2015 general elections. “Our investigation revealed that this act of lawlessness and impunity has resulted in the termination of two outdoor agencies advertisements by their sponsors and economic loss. As is expected, more is to follow, whose consequences on our already comatose economy is better imagined”. “We are disappointed that the police as an agency of the state set up by law can threaten and intimidate another agency of the state, (LASAA) established by the same law from performing its statutory responsibilities.”

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

THE NATION MONDAY JANUARY 26, 2015

NEWS

Over 5,000 dump PDP, APGA for APC •Buhari's campaign train moves to Anambra

By Tokunbo Ogunsami

VER 5,000 members of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State. This followed the inauguration of General Muhammadu Buhari's Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) in the state by the coordinator, Chima Okafor. Okafor, a lawyer and his 12member campaign team have taken the rally to the hinterland of Ogbaru, Ayamelum, Anambra West, Anambra East, Awka North among others. Before, the acceptance of the party was poor. What kept APC going was Senator Chris Ngige's popularity. Political observers said with

Uba's, PDP's campaigns get boost From Nwanosike Onu, Awka

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan's bid for re-election received a boost at the weekend, when the leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State, Chief Chris Uba, took the party's campaigns to Ogbaru, Onitsha North and South local governments. Uba is contesting the Anambra South senatorial seat with the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and former Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) Chief Executive, Ernest Ndukwe. Following his acceptance in his zone, he took the PDP campaigns to the local governments to introduce other candidates and woo voters for President Jonathan.

'PVCs' collection rises to 71 per cent' From Nwanosike Onu, Awka

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said the collection of the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in Anambra State has increased from 55 to 71 per cent. The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Edwin Nwatalari, briefed reporters yesterday in Awka. He said the increment occurred when he assumed office and embarked on a tour of INEC offices in the 21 local governments, where stakeholders were invited for an interactive session on the way forward.

APGA adopts PDP’s candidate in Enugu From Chris Oji, Enugu

THE All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Enugu State has adopted the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Mr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, as its choice for the election. The party said its choice was based on his performance, expressing confidence that with Ugwuanyi as the next governor, there would be a secure future for the people.

Ambode: I'll complete LagosBadagry Expressway

•From left: Onyeka (Odu), Ex-Deputy Speaker Obi, Senator Ngige, Buhari's campaign cordinator, Okafor and others at the event. From Nwanosike Onu, Awka

the massive support for the party, the battle between President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Gen. Buhari would

be close. The Nation learnt yesterday that the defectors took the decision because of the problems in their parties, which had resulted in factions. One of them, a former chair-

man in one of the councils, who preferred anonymity, said: "We can not continue this way every year in the PDP. "APC was regarded as a Boko Haram party in the Southeast because of the campaigns by

APGA and PDP. But now, truth has prevailed. Our people are tired of being fooled. "Buhari is the most acceptable person among the candidates. Jonathan has failed the people."

Buhari promises Igbo youths one million jobs T

HE presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari, has promised to create one million jobs for Igbo youths by revamping coal deposits in Enugu State for the generation of electricity and for export. He spoke at the weekend at the Enugu West APC zonal rally at Orie Awgu Market in Awgu Local Government. The presidential hopeful, who was represented by the state Chairman of the APC Presidential Campaign Committee, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, said coal would be revamped to generate electricity to serve the Southeast and boost its economy. He promised to award the contract immediately he was sworn in, to avoid the mistakes of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which squandered the over N2 billion voted for 3D Seismic Study for coal to power project,

From Chris Oji, Enugu

between 2012 and last year. Gen. Buhari said: "We are banking on huge coal deposits at Amasiodo, Inyi and Leje axes of Enugu coal belt. We will award contract for the mining and construction of coal-fired-powerplant. "We believe coal is the most abundant fossil fuel in Enugu State and Enugu coal is one of the most qualitative coal brands in the world, which means while some are used to generate electricity, some will be exported. My objective is to create one million jobs directly and indirectly, from the coal project, as ancillary projects will follow. "I want to emulate the Taichung Coal-Fired-Power-Plant in Taiwan, the largest coal power

station in the world. Coal supplies 46 per cent electricity in the United States and over 60 per cent electricity in China. It is callous to abandon such a golden treasury." The Vice Chairman, APC Enugu East, Anike Nwoga, said he hoped that Gen. Buhari would win the election. He urged those who attended the rally to be part of the victory party by voting for him. Said he: "Many of you are Catholics. Did you hear what Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka said? Every patriot must vote for APC. If you go to the North, people in the region are supporting him. People in the Southwest are also poised to vote for Gen. Buhari." At the campaign, three senatorial candidates from other parties endorsed the APC standardbearer as their candidate.

•Buhari They are Chukwu Ijeoma of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Mabel Onwukwe of the Labour Party (LP) and Nwabuike Oliver of the Advanced Congress of Democrats. Others at the rally were the Chairman, APC Enugu West, A.C. Ude, Director General of Buhari Campaign Organisation in Enugu State, Ejike Eze and the APC senatorial candidate in Enugu West, Luoisa Achieze.

Arise News now on DStv, GOtv

RISE News, the international news and entertainment channel is now on DStv and GOtv channels, MultiChoice has announced. ARISE NEWS will be on DStv channel 416 and GOtv channel 44, joining other global news channels as CNN, BBC, SKY News, Al Jazeera and Bloomberg already present on

By Seun Akioye

the MultiChoice platforms. According to the Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of ARISE NEWS, Prince Nduka Obaigbena, the news channel launches in Africa after its expansion in over 80 countries and territories. “ Today, ARISE NEWS comes home to Africa by launching for the

APC candidate for massive development of constituency

From Bolaji Ogundele, Warri

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Assembly candidate for Isoko South 2 Constituency of Delta State in next month’s elections, Chief Ferguson Onwo, has said he will bring basic infrastructure to the constituency, if elected. At one of his “meet the people” visits to Erowha town in Isoko South Local Government Area, Onwo decried the poor condition of the people of the constituency. The APC candidate noted that it was known to be the highest oil producing area in the state. He promised to develop the area within the four years of his tenure in the Assembly. Onwo also promised the people of Erowha that the road project, which had been abandoned by the Emmanuel Uduaghan administration, would be completed within his four years in office. On the only water project, the only source of portable water in the community, the APC candidate told the people that it would be revisited and completed before the elections. He urged his constituents to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), adding that it was their major tool to vote for him on Election Day.

first time on African platforms following on its very successful launch in over 80 countries and territories including the United Kingdom, West, East and Central Europe, Middle East, North Africa and the United States telling the stories and experiences of underserved communities especially on the African continent while covering issues of the day and world events that matter.”

MultiChoice Managing Director John Ugbe said: “We are glad to welcome ARISE NEWS to our bouquet of news channels on both DStv and GOtv. We have demonstrated over the years our support of ‘Africanness’. And what better way to prove this than to celebrate as ARISE NEWS comes home to Africa through our network. We have no doubt that uptake will be immediate,

Oke-Ogun still as senate deputywhip flags-off re-election campaign From Tayo johnson, Ibadan

HEAD of the February 14 presidential/National Assembly elections, Deputy Senate Whip Hosea Ayoola Agboola yesterday started his re-election campaign for Oyo North senatorial seat in the National Assembly. His campaign rally was attended yesterday by a huge crowd of party faithful in Oke-Ogun and parts of Ogbomoso. Agboola, the only Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senator in the Southwest in 201, pledged to consolidate on the number of infrastructural facilities he either facilitated or personally built in the 13 local government areas under Oyo North senatorial district. His rally at the outer precinct of the sprawling palace of Aseyin of Iseyin was also ttended by the PDP governorship flag bearer, Senator Teslim Folarin; former PDP Deputy National Chairman, Alhaji Yekini Adeojo; Senator Ayoade Adeseun, Senator Robert Koleoso, former Speaker Asimiyu Alarape, State PDP Chairman Yinka Taiwo and party supporters from the entire district, who defied the scorching sun to honour the senator.

HE governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, has promised to complete the 10-lane Lagos-Badagry Expressway if elected. Ambode, who spoke at the weekend at a rally at Badagry Senior Grammar School, Badagry, Lagos assured that the road would be completed by his administration, despite the face-off between the Federal Government and the Lagos State Government. He said although controversy rocked the execution of the project, with the Federal Government insisting that it ought to handle it, being an international route, "my administration will complete the expressway if voted into office." The APC governorship candidate said the state government could not toy with a project of such magnitude, considering its economic value to the country. He pledged to facilitate the establishment of industries in Badagry, to create jobs for youths. Ambode promised to bring the dividends of democracy to the doorsteps of the residents. His words: "I know your problems. I have worked and lived among you at the local government level. I will create jobs for you by establishing industries in this community. I will bring good governance to this community. I will complete the Lagos-Badagry Expressway project." Reiterating his commitment to the continuity of Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola's legacy, Ambode promised to lay a foundation for youths to realise their potential and become good citizens. He added: "I will give Badagry youths the opportunity to be the best. I didn't know I can be where I am today. I was just given the opportunity. I will give you that chance." At the campaign were Governor Fashola, his deputy, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, Mr. Solomon Adeola Olamilekan (aka Yayi), Mr. Sunny Ajose, members of Akinwunmi Ambode Kommittee of Friends (AA'KOF), APC candidates in the local government and others.

APC urges REC’s removal From Chris Oji, Enugu

THE Enugu State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, to remove the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. Eze Onukaogu. It said it had no confidence in him. “In an ideal society, Prof. Onukaogu ought not to be part of any electoral process, because of his terrible antecedents during the Anambra State governorship election in 2013.” Speaking at the weekend at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Enugu State Correspondents’ Chapel forum, the state Chairman of APC, Dr. Ben Nwoye, said the party had reservations about the REC.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

MONDAY JANUARY 26, 2015

POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

As Kwara State warms up for the governorship election, eyes are on three candidates-Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed(All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Simeon Ajibola (Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Dr. Mike Omotoso (Labour Party). Correspondent ADEKUNLE JIMOH writes on their strengths and weaknesses as well as the issues that will shape the contest.

Ahmed, Ajibola, Omotoso battle for Kwara Govt House

HE race to Kwara State Government House has begun. The contest is between Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Senator Simeon Ajibola of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The two candidates are from Kwara South Senatorial District. Ahmed is from Igbomina. Ajibola is Ekiti. Before the emergence of Ajibola as the standard bearer of the PDP, his party was enmeshed in a crisis. The party primaries were rancorous. The first shadow poll, which took place in December last year, was inconclusive. It was alleged that some powerful forces wanted to impose an anointed candidate. Eleven out of 12 aspirants cried foul. Ajibola, who has been elected senator thrice, was more vociferous. The aspirants accused the leadership of the party of scheming to impose a lawyer-turned politician on the chapter. However, when Ajibola emerged as the flag bearer, there was no jubilation in Kwara. The people did not take him serious. To observers, Ahmed has a bright chance at the poll. His structure-the Saraki structure-is solid and waxing stronger. Ajibola had rode on the same machinery to the Senate. When he deserted the structure, he was also deserted by the people. In fact, many people believe that the election is a litmus test for the Saraki Dynasty. The governor, who spoke with reporters in Lagos, said the structure is tested, trusted, strong, steady and sturdy, adding that it is capable of effectively warding off threats from the opposition. The opposition can only ignore the potency of the structure to its peril. However, Ajibola is optimistic. He defeated other aspirants at the primaries. These are former Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on National Assembly Matters, Senator Suleiman Ajadi (107 votes), former Chairman of the Federal Character Commission (FCC), Prof Shuaib Abdulraheem (58), ex-Minister of Transport, Alhaji Bio Ibrahim (45), son of late governor Mohammed Lawal, Hakeem (33), Deacon John Dara (27), Jani Ibrahim (16) and Sunday Babalola (three votes. Others are former Land and Housing Commissioner Kale Belgore (one vote) and Alhaji Abdullahi Sanusi (nil). The Chairman of the Electoral Panel, Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State, said the outcome of the primary was a demonstration of internal democracy in the PDP. Accepting the ticket, Ajibola said: “We are all winners in this election as there is no victor, no vanquished in this Governorship Primary and indeed, in all primaries of PDP in Kwara.I urge that we should all work together to ensure that today’s victory translate into winning Kwara for PDP.” In the ruling party, Ahmed had no rival at the primaries. Thus, his attention was not diverted by party intrigue. His party supported him for a second term. Kwara APC chieftains said the governor has lived up to expectation by implementing people-oriented programmes. The seeming obstacle to Ahmed’s second term bid is the avowed determination of the Presidency to “recover” Kwara State from the APC. But, APC leaders have predicted that the federal might will collapse in Kwara. They explained that the Saraki Dynasty will survive by winning the

•Map of Kwara State

•Ahmed

•Ajibola

•Omotoso

‘Despite the shortfall in the federal allocation to the state, the government is still able to pay civil servants and pensioners their monthly salaries promptly on the 25th of every month’ election as a tribute to its founder and the strongman of Kwara politics, the late Dr. Olusola Saraki. Like his illustrious father, Dr. Bukola Saraki has not relented in paying prompt attention to peoples’ welfare like his father did when he was alive. Also, APC leaders have also endeared themselves to the populace by always making themselves available, whether there is election or not, thereby ministering to their needs. Senator Bukola Saraki has been sponsoring both Christians and Muslims in large numbers on pilgrimages to Israel and Saudi Arabia, apart from empowering women with fridges, grinding machines, and cash to enable them start small businesses. Recently, Saraki also committed N80 million to the provision of Ramadan gifts to Muslims in the state, irrespective of ethnic and political affiliations. Kwara has become a huge construction site under the Ahmed Administration. There were also monumental infrastructural projects executed by Saraki during his eight-year tenure as state governor. The former governor had turned Ilorin, the state capital to a modern and commercial centre.

Ahmed has kept the vision alive by empowering transporters, students, youths, artisans and farmers. He has also tried to create employment opportunities for youths. The recent introduction of “Quickwin” Programme through which thousands of youths were engaged bears testimony to this claim. Before the end of last year, government had planned to engage over 8,000 youths under this scheme. Many indigenes have hailed the initiative. The landmark achievements of Governor Ahmad between 2011 and now include employment of 10, 200 youths, empowerment of 41, 000 small business owners, provision of 100 taxis to transporters, fees reduction at the state university, abolition of tuition fees in Senior Secondary Schools, free notebooks for senior secondary students, 13 General hospitals equipped and 42 Primary Health centres rehabilitated, construction and rehabilitation of urban and rural roads. The governor has also expanded water supply. He has created a new generation of commercial farmers, connected 400 communities to the na-

tional grid and extended a globallyapplauded community Health Insurance Scheme to cover about 80,000 Kwara indegenes. In the opinion of many stakeholders, Ahmed is a youth-friendly governor. He is perceived as a focused administrator. He started earning those credentials within weeks of taking office, with the engagement of 2,000 youths through Kwara Bridge Empowerment Scheme (KWABES). Not only did the government engaged 5, 000 youths under the scheme in three years, 2,000 of them are now in permanent employment in the civil service. It is on record that the state government has never defaulted in the payment of salaries since its inception. Despite the shortfall in the federal allocation to the state, the government is still able to pay civil servants and pensioners their monthly salaries promptly on the 25th of every month. The Ahmed Administration has also established International Vocational Centre in Ajase-Ipo, Kwara South,s to train youths on various vocational skill that could make them self-employed and employers of labour after the completion of their courses.

The Harmony Advanced Medical Diagnostic Centre, the International Aviation College, both in Ilorin, and the New Nigerian Commercial Farming initiative in Shonga, Edu Local Government Area are also worthy of applause. The governor recently announced plans to upgrade 59 traditional institutions in the state. He also said that plans are in the offing to create local government development councils areas out of the existing 16 local governments. If the governor makes good his promise on the upgrading of traditional stools and the creation of more local government councils, that will give APC bloc votes from Kwara South and Kwara Central districts. While the grading of traditional rulers are of paramount importance to the people of Kwara South, the people of Kwara Central have been yearning for the creation of additional councils out of the existing five councils in Ilorin Emirate. According to an observer, Ahmed worked and is still working as if he will not have a second chance. He added that, for every hard work, there is a reward. But, Ajibola would have to depend largely on the support of the Presidency to make any appreciable impact in the election. The PDP candidate has never won any election without the support of the Saraki dynasty. At a rally, Ajibola assured the people that his government would not discriminate against non-indigenes. He promised to liberate them from what he described as bondage under the Saraki hegemony. He said indigenes and non indigenes would be given equal rights and treatment as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution. “Whatever PDP government does for the state indigenes, would also be done for non indigenes”, Ajibola said. Ajibola promised free education, old age security trust, and welfare for all. “Our free health service to children below the age of five years and free pre and post natal treatment for pregnant women would include non Indigenes in the state”, he added. Dr Omotoso, a pharmacist, was adopted by the Labour Party (LP) its governorship candidate three weeks ago. He defected from the PDP, citing injustice. He complained that he was edged out of the House of Representatives primaries. He is popular for his medical mission under which no fewer than 5,000 people benefitted. The medical mission covered basic health solutions to improve the quality of lives of the people in the rural areas with free diagnostics, expert advice and provisions of free drugs including wheelchairs to all and sundry. The founder of Mike Omotosho Foundation also empowered women with N10 million micro credit loan scheme late last year. The Foundation has also trained 300 youths in Computer skills in Kwara South. But, Omotoso is perceived as an inexperienced politician. He lacks a rich political pedigree. However, it is being insinuated in some quarters that Dr Omotoso has connection with President Goodluck Jonathan. He was the North Central Coordinator of Jonathan Actualisation Movement (JAM). While some political analysts argued that the pharmacist is out to scuttle the ambition of his kinsman, Ajibola, who was said to be instrumental to his failure in his National Assembly primaries.

THE NATION MONDAY JANUARY 26, 2015

volumes of government pro‘ The grammes and projects are creating wealth and job opportunities, reviving collapsed business enterprises, stimulating agriculture and local food production

‘

Adeleke’s an embodiment of humility, says Timi

ORMER Governor Osun State Senator Isiaka Adeleke has been described as an embodiment of humility, perseverance and political integrity. This was contained in a goodwill message delivered by the Timi of Ede, Oba Munirudeen Adesola Lawal, at the 60th birthday anniversary of the senator, held at his Ede country home recently. Oba Lawal said Senator Adeleke’s love for Edeland is unsurpassed, adding that he has given so much to the community since 1992. This, he said, was evidenced in the establishment of the Adeleke University by his dynasty, among other developmental efforts that has improved the lot of the people. In his goodwill message, Governor Rauf Aregbesola enjoined politicians to shun bickering, politics of bitterness and character assassinations. He said they should focus on developmental projects that will benefit the electorate, as Senator Isiaka Adeleke has always done. In his remark, Senator Mudasiru Hussen and Hon Nojeem Salami, the Speaker of the Osun House of As-

Agbaje promises light rail for Ikorodu

By Musa Odoshimokhe

sembly, said they have learned a lot from Adeleke’s virtue of humility, perseverance and political integrity. Senator Hussain remarked that, despite the fact that Senator Adeleke lost out to him in the Osun West Senatorial contest of 2011, Adeleke was the first to write him a letter of congratulation, which really jolted him and made him to regard Adeleke as a God-fearing, simpleminded and honest politician of no mean repute. Adeleke said February 14 and 28 general elections should be conducted without rancour, stressing that it is not worth the trouble to shed a pint of blood to achieve their goals. Adeleke noted that politics of acrimony and vendetta is a disaster to any community. He, therefore, enjoined stakeholders in the general elections to soften the ground for fair, free and credible elections. Political stalwarts and business moguls, among which was Dr. Adedeji Adeleke, the Ede Council of Christian Association of Nigeria, led by Prophet John Adewuyi, showered

•Adeleke

encomium on Adeleke. They described him as an apostle of politics without bitterness and a man of peace, praying that God to grant him long life. In the same vein, the Islamic Ulama, led by the Chief Imams of Edeland, Sheikh Moshood Akajewole, enjoined politicians to emulate the strong virtue of Adeleke, as far as love for the people and accessibility to all without hindrance is concerned.

HE governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in in Lagos State, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, has said his government would construct a lightrail system to tackle the traffic gridlock in Ikorodu and connect it with other parts of the metropolis. On a visit to his paternal roots as part of his ongoing tour of local governments, Agbaje said he recognised the harrowing experience the people suffered daily in a bid to access other parts of the state. Agbaje hails from the Lasunwon Ruling House. His father, Prince Joseph Kosebinu, is a descendant of the roayl family. According to him, part of the holistic solution he would proffer to the problem, if elected, would be the construction of a railway system to link the town with other parts of Lagos. In reference to the road construction going on between Ikorodu and Ojota, he said: “This road that they have been constructing for all these years have been inflicting suffering upon the people of Ikorodu. It

HE people of Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State have are backing the All Progressive Congress (APC) led by Senator Bukola Saraki. They described it as their party of choice in the general elections. The people declared their support for APC, during the party leader’s visit to the Olofa’s palace. They were led by the former governor and Chairman of Senate Committee on Ecology. Addressing the Olofa of Offa, Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi, high chiefs of Offa and environs and community leaders at the palace, Saraki urged his audience to reflect on the state of the nation by assessing issues ranging from the economy, insecurity and youth unemployment. Saraki called on Nigerians to refrain from politics of personal interests, ethnic or religious affiliations urging the people not to make the mistake of voting for any PDP candidate in the general elections because the party has not done anything for the people of Kwara in the last six years of President Jonathan’s leadership. He alleged that the nation’s funds are be-

Offa unites for Saraki, APC ing mismanaged by the ruling party without accountability. Saraki asked the audience to indicate, if indeed they were happy with the PDP government led by Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. He said that the present administration has dwindled Federal allocation which has made it impossible for states to embark on major projects. Also speaking at the event, the Kwara State governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed commended the people of Offa for being very supportive. Ahmed said in spite of daunting national challenges and falling federal allocation which has destabilized many states, Kwara has been lucky in managing its resources by paying workers’ salaries adequately and embarking on major projects, including the General Hospitals in Ilorin, Offa, Omu Aran, Share and Kaiama, which were constructed by his administration. Ahmed emphasized the need for all and sundry to vote for all APC candidates at national and state lev-

els in order to rescue Nigeria from the falling state and reset the nation on the right path. Oba Gbadamosi decried the present state of the nation. He said: “Offa people are well informed, they are not naïve of the ongoing state of the nation. I want to assure you to put your mind at rest because Offa people are set for change and united for the APC. When you leave the palace and see the crowd awaiting you at the campaign ground, you will be certain that Offa people are for the APC” he said. After departing from Offa, Saraki also led the Kwara APC campaign team to Erin Ile and Ijagbo where the party was received by a large crowd. He assured Kwarans that more developments will be witnessed in Kwara if the APC wins at the presidential level. The event was witnessed by the Kwara deputy governor Elder Peter Kisira, Speaker Hon. Razak Atunwa, Hon. Rafiu Ibrahim among other government officials.

•Agbaje

Vote for credible candidates, Abatemi-Usman urges Nigerians

•Senator Saraki at the rally

is not designed to solve the traffic gridlock.” Agbaje said, although the current regime in the state had embarked on some infrastructural developments, projects on ground were not commensurate with money reported to have been earned in the last 16 years.

HE Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Nurudeen Abatemi-Usman, has called on eligible voters in the to vote for candidates that will bring about development at all levels of governance, regardless of whatever political parties they belong to. According to a statement by his media assistant, Michael Jegede, the senator, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District made the call while addressing the mammoth crowd that came to show him solidarity, upon his arrival in Okene to formally inform members of his constituency that he was in the Senatorial. Abatemi-Usman was among the senators, who recently quit the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a result of the injustice meted out to them in the last primary election. He has secured the ticket of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) to pursue his second term ambition in the Senate.

The PPA senatorial candidate in Kogi Central said: “I thank you all for your unflinching support all this while since you gave me the mandate to represent you in the Senate. I have come to let you know that I am still fully involved in the senatorial contest for Kogi Central holding on February 14, 2015. I am now running on a different platform which is the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA). “My dear people, I seek your continued support and I assure you that I will not relent in my pursuit to ensure the sustenance of peace in Ebiraland, where political thuggery and violence will continue to remain a thing of the past. I urge you, and indeed, the entire Nigerians, not to vote for party in the coming election, but to look out for credible candidates that will change things for the better in the interest of the masses, irrespective of the political party on whose ticket they are running in the election.”

Olejeme drums support for Jonathan

HE Chairman of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Dr. Ngozi Olejeme, has described President Goodluck Jonathan as an epitome of development, saying the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate will continue to be accountable, accessible and approachable. Olejeme, who is also Deputy Chairman of the Finance Committee, Presidential Campaign Organisation, advised the electorate to lay emphasis on his achievements.

•Dr. Jonathan

Speaking in Abuja, Olejeme said President Jonathan, through his people-oriented programmes and policies has rekindled the people’s confidence in civil rule and a better and prosperous future. She praised Jonathan for putting the people at the centre of the formulation of government policies, providing facilities, encouraging women to participate in socio-economic and political activities, promoting foreign investments, providing ample incentives and giving exemplary leadership. The PDP chieftain also extolled him for confronting the country’s problems, diversifying the economy, reducing retail prices of petroleum products to reflect the downscaling in global oil prices, establishing 12 conventional and two specialized universities and cleaning up the electoral process. Olejeme said: “The volumes of government programmes and projects are creating wealth and job opportunities, reviving collapsed business enterprises, stimulating agriculture and local food production”.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

COMMENTARY EDITORIALS

LETTER

Peace accord and its question marks

Fuel price cut •When will kerosene and diesel prices too come down to reflect the new reality?

OTHING better illustrates the profound disconnect between citizens and the Jonathan administration than the brouhaha over the margin of reduction in the pump price of petrol in the aftermath of the global slump in oil prices. After weeks of strident calls for price reduction, Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke, would finally announce a N10 cut from N97 to N87 on a litre of petrol on January 18. A day after, the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA’s executive secretary, Farouk Ahmed, would give a breakdown of how the new price was arrived at. He gave the landing cost of petrol as at the close of business on Friday, January 16 as N74.35 per litre. With the approved distribution margin unchanged at N15.49 per litre, he gave the new market price as N89.84 per litre, leaving N2.84 per litre as subsidy on the new pump price. If we expected the petroleum minister and the petroleum price regulator, PPPRA to touch on the pump prices of domestic kerosene and industrial fuel – diesel, nothing of the sort came forth. Indeed, neither the minister nor the PPPRA boss said anything about kerosene price which, like petrol, is supposed to be regulated at N50 per litre but actually sells for anything between N120 to N150 in the open market. As for diesel, mostly used by manufacturers and businesses to power their operations, although its price is officially deregulated, in reality, the price is dictated, not so much by any market fundamentals, but by a powerful car-

tel that willy-nilly has the end-users at their mercy. The big question here is why the Federal Government would accept the basis for the discount on petrol price on one hand, while denying the same basis for kerosene and diesel on the other? The answer is to be found in the grotesque, laisez faire environment of fuel pricing which the Federal Government has promoted and sustained over the years, all in the name of deregulation. Of course, in removing N10 off the price of petrol – being extremely price-sensitive – the Federal Government merely moved, albeit wisely, to take the winds off potential agitations in the wake of the unceasing demands for price cuts. Is the measly N10 discount the best the Federal Government can offer? First, we know that crude oil prices have tumbled by more than 60 percent over the last six months. The other known fact is that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has devalued the naira by some 20 percent in the last few weeks. Whereas the former would ordinarily have translated to lower landing costs, the latter would more than guarantee that products cost would never come down! Here, it seems so easy to appreciate the bind that the Federal Government has thrown the country in the event of its failure to terminate the current regime of fuel importation. We must say that we consider the argument by labour and some notable trade associations in favour of a return to the old price of N65 per litre persuasive. An offer of a paltry 10 percent discount only on petrol price is at best tokenistic. How

about the Federal Government seeking to make a fetish of the PPPRA template also feigning ignorance of its make-up? That, to be sure, must be galling. Of course we know what the template, directly linked to the current wholesale reliance on fuel imports, contains. Apart from the Cost and Freight (C&F) values which are subject to foreign exchange fluctuations, the other elements have the trappings of the rentier economy which the downstream sector is fabulously known for. Domestic sufficiency in products refining, aside insulating the economy from the vagaries of currency movements, would appear the best strategy to sound the death knell of that rentier segment. That route, unfortunately, is what the Federal Government seems least prepared to take at this time, or ever.

‘Domestic sufficiency in products refining, aside insulating the economy from the vagaries of currency movements, would appear the best strategy to sound the death knell of that rentier segment. That route, unfortunately, is what the Federal Government seems least prepared to take at this time, or ever’

Too many cooks •Plans by security agencies to deploy 360,000 men for polls may be counter-productive

ONDUCT of elections could be the primary function of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), but other agencies of state are involved in ensuring that things go well and the results are generally accepted. For example, we have the security agencies that are to ensure provision of adequate security. It is not just about the quantity, but the quality. How many are deployed for the purpose; how well are they equipped; what training did they receive and who coordinates inter-agency relationships? These had posed great challenges in the past. At a training workshop in Abuja, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Suleiman Abba, and the CommandantGeneral of the National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr. Ade Abolurin, disclosed that 300,000 police officers and men, and 60,000 NSCDC operatives would be sent to the states to provide security cover at polling units and collation centres on election days. The IGP said those to be used for the purpose had been specially trained and were awaiting instructions. He had also released manuals to guide all policemen that would be used for the purpose. On the surface, this appears laudable, especially with the involvement of INEC in the training and coordination of the agencies. But, the number of men and materials being deployed is enough to frighten people and could be counter-productive. Is election being equated to war? At the level of polling units in the country, there would, on the average, be about three op-

eratives, many armed, for every unit. Yet, the United Nations has advised that armed men be kept away from voting centres as their presence could intimidate voters. The security chiefs should be reminded that voting is a civic responsibility of all qualified citizens and the net of participation should be made as wide as possible. Apart from the police and the NSCDC that have made their plans known, other security agencies usually drafted for election work are yet to speak out. The Department of State Security (DSS) is usually involved as are the Armed Forces, the Prison Service and the Department of Customs. Releasing all the men would amount to overdramatising what is at stake and suggesting that elections in Nigeria are as deadly as war. If the police plan to release 300,000, what remains for the important purpose of securing other important sectors of the society on those days, and at what cost? It is even the more frightening that the NSCDC plans to bring in 25 dogs from the United States of America. How many Nigerians would be so committed to dare ferocious dogs by moving close to areas where they are deployed? Political participation is the soul of democracy. It has always been said that turnout at elections in Nigeria is usually low, sometimes below 50 per cent of registered voters. At a point when voter card production and distribution remain great challenges and are capable of disenfranchising many would-be voters, measures that could keep those

with the Permanent Voter Cards away from the centres should be avoided. We are also worried about effective coordination of the agencies. INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, has disclosed that the commission would be involved in ensuring that the operatives conduct themselves in acceptable manner. However, the fact that the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd) is a co-chairman bogs the mind as his recent utterances tend to paint the picture of a man who lacks faith in the process. As is the case in India, the capacity of the electoral commission to fully take responsibility for the conduct and management of elections should be boosted before the next general elections. All agencies and operatives deployed for election purpose should abide by rules and guidelines drawn up by the electoral commission and should subordinate themselves to the body throughout the period of electioneering.

‘All agencies and operatives deployed for election purpose should abide by rules and guidelines drawn up by the electoral commission and should subordinate themselves to the body throughout the period of electioneering’

IR: Since the signing of the peace accord two weeks ago several cases of violent attacks have been recorded across the country in the course of the campaigns for the February elections. Three of such incidents bear mentioning here. The day the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari flagged off his presidential campaign in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, at least one person was shot dead while several others sustained injuries when party members and supporters travelling to the venue of the rally where ambushed and attacked by ‘’unknown’’ gunmen. The party’s offices in Rivers State have been similarly attacked, allegedly with bombs. Also, President Jonathan’s convoy was reportedly stoned last week in Kano and Bauchi while on a campaign visits to the states. These are clearly acts of physical violence in obvious contradiction to, and negation of, the spirit and letter of the peace accord signed in Abuja. Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State last week committed what would, perhaps, go down in the history of electioneering campaigns in Nigeria as abomination when he caused to be published on the front page of The Punch an advert wishing the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, dead. Such acts, no doubt, do much violence to the sensibilities of all Nigerians who support the Buhari bid for the presidency. Even though the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, have since distanced themselves from the advertisement and its author/sponsor, it is an act of violence which puts a big question mark on the commitment of the party and its members to the peace accord it signed to be of good behaviour both in words and actions. Peace accord notwithstanding, Nigerian politicians will always be abusive while campaigning. Their members are also more often than not fanatical in their support for the candidates. It is, therefore, easy to incite them especially where they feel inadequate or unsure of electoral victory. This can be overcome if political leaders continually remind their members and followers that electioneering need not be violent if the aim is to gain power for the good of the people. Those who seek to serve must ensure that fellow citizens are not dehumanised and traumatised on alter of gaining power. In spite of what has happened already, I look forward to a free, fair and credible election on February 14 only if the electoral umpire, INEC, dots its ‘’I’s and crosses its ‘’t’s very well. It must live up to the true meaning of its name as an independent umpire. It must ensure that those who win do so squarely while those who lose do so fairly. This is the only way winners and losers will embrace themselves as they did at the Abuja peace accord signing. • Nasamu Jacobson, Benin City, Edo State. TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief Victor Ifijeh • Editor Gbenga Omotoso •Chairman, Editorial Board Sam Omatseye •General Editor Adekunle Ade-Adeleye •Editor, Online Lekan Otufodunrin •Managing Editor Northern Operation Yusuf Alli •Managing Editor Waheed Odusile

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THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

CARTOON & LETTERS

IR: Ask yourself, granted you have the ambition, why would I invest in pursuit of power? By extension why do men, and women, seek power? Power to do what, show what, or just for the fun? There are various directions to these questions arising from fancies and a question requesting answer may get answer that may be akin to a man who fancies his looks: to show how far he can conquer. But that is what many powerseekers unconsciously focus their gaze. Of course, a conqueror has unlimited access to the booty of conquest. And this is the root of sleaze in government. Very few employ business strategy to achieve optimum result; to make profit and do good. The business philosophy or policy, Management by Objective – MBO – can make government business more rewarding to do good for the government stakeholders – the electorate. Soon after his nomination as the All Progressive Congress gubernatorial candidate for Enugu State, Okey Ezea, in close-house dinner conversation with some friends who occasionally held him by the collar demanding why he should get into dirty Nigerian politics rather than face his successful business outfits quipped: “the pursuit for power is to do good just as presiding over business empire is to earn profit, redistribute it and engender peace and harmony among those who have no access to factors of production…” He told his guests that he was not seeking the people’s mandate “for the fun of it or a show of telling anybody that I am Okey Ezea, a lawyer and businessman, but to find solution to the poverty in our land...’ He would add that “the situation calls for men of character, with ideas and solutions to recreate the Enugu State of Wawa dream.” I am reliving the dinner dialogue, almost a monologue, because the climate is ripe now that contenders to Governor Sullivan Chime’s

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Enugu: Of dreams and realities of power seat are on the prowl seeking support and endorsement at election. More importantly, there have been no known manifestos from his opponents detailing what the Enugu people should hold them accountable in default or in assessment. He declared: “hold me accountable in pursuit of the change I seek in Enugu… we advocate true democratic governance where government is for the people, by the people and of the people where my social contract with the people is anchored in wealth creation and

poverty reduction, improvement of the health sector and health system, infrastructure development, security of life and property, and accountability and good governance.” It seems Enugu may get solid and independent helmsman after Senator Chimaroke Nnamani who held sway between 1999 and May 2007, as the governor. “I am my own boss, nobody’s godson or lackey... my pedigree is my business sense which I will use to change Enugu state of our

dream… I will create wealth, provide jobs and reduce poverty, develop infrastructure and show that government is a continuum… it is indecent for a succeeding government to abandon a project embarked upon with the people’s money simply because there is irritation between the departed governor and the sitting governor… and mark you the project was duly authorized by the state legislature by way of budget approval…” Knocking off after the 45 minutes buffet, he was philosophical “… in

social engineering, an effective follower-ship is as important as a visionary and dynamic leadership…getting the people to identify with government and its programmes goes beyond propaganda…it flows from providing leadership by example…projecting open, accessible, transparent and accountable government to earn trust… I will restore the Wawa virtues and values by implementing a mixed grill of ethical reorientation programmes built on known pillars of trust…” Will this change come? He quipped; “Certainly for the first time in the east, and Enugu in particular, APC government will show the difference and introduce free education up to Senior Secondary School level… I cross my crest.. “ •Obieze Ozoagu, Enugu

That Fayose’s poisonous advert IR: Ayodele Fayose is a character that appears to defy social norms. Defying social norms is not a problem because it encourages debate and promotes engagement with issues as they develop. There is no rule that says somebody is right because you align with public opinion or with the views of the majority. When people defy social norms, they go against what the ‘majority’ sees as right or wrong. This is perception which may be jaundiced. Hence, a deviant is one who does something or engages in a habit condemned by the majority as unwholesome. It is against this background that the likes of Governor Fayose can facilitate social change (violent or peaceful) through their utterances and symbolic representations such as what has been called ‘death-wish advert’ published on the front page of national newspapers against the All Progressive Congress Presidential candidate, General Muhammad Buhari. Fayose did not do anything unusual from what most of us do. The advert is only a reflection of what we all do in our religious spaces. The

subtle difference in Fayose’s advert is that whereas we pray for the death of our enemies in churches, the enemies are anonymous and mostly unmentioned. That Fayose chose to go to the press with overt pictorial evidence of the perceived political enemy that ‘should die’ is callous, wicked and totally insensitive. Now if Governor Fayose is not sufficiently knowledgeable to appreciate the sensitivity of his message at this time in the history of Nigeria when issues of religion, ethnicity, sectionalism and power become hotly debated, what about his advisers? He who walks with the wise grows wise but a companion of fools suffers harm (Proverbs 13:20). What is the essence of having special advisers on media and public communications who cannot advise their principal rightly? It may not be their fault. The Governor may not be listening to them or they are just yes-men advisers. Whichever way, negligence is condemnable. And if the special advisers were just interested in keeping their jobs, what is the role of the media in ensuring

social order? Social responsibility dictates that the press should censor items likely to cause disaffection. I expected the advert clearing house of the newspapers to consider the unintended consequences of using the advert on the peace and unity of the country. Front page colour advert is huge money and tempting but everything should not be about money. The foolishness of the advertorial is that it has given the ‘enemy’ of Fayose more popularity and sympathy like the type President Goodluck Jonathan enjoyed during the last elections. At that time, the cabal tossed him around, silenced him until the people rose up and fought for him. It was his persecution that shot him to electoral victory not because people thought he could deliver anything called ‘dividends of democracy’. Again why is age 72 a problem to Fayose? In the same Bible which he quoted in his advert, Moses led the Israelites until he was 120 years! Indeed if former President Umar Yar’ Adua did not die, would Fayose have had the opportunity of support-

ing Jonathan today? The likes of Murtala Mohammed, Sani Abacha, and Musa Yardua came to intervene in the affairs of Nigeria. No man should undermine their contributions. They served us to usher in social change. Let Fayose know that death is no history. It is a reality. It is a social fact. It is a debt which we all owe.. The serial death advert is poisonous, destroying the very fabric that binds us together as a country. People like Fayose have their own children secured somewhere and expose others to death due to their unguarded utterances. Let all those placing hate adverts and making hate comments be warned! Nigerians will not allow the selfishness of ‘polithiefcians’ and their cronies bring death upon them. That is why a change that will end the reign of deaths and hopelessness in Nigeria is desired. The death-wish advert may be a propeller towards that change. • Oludayo Tade, PhD Department of Sociology, University of Ibadan.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

COMMENTS

OON after the reality of the finality hit me, a poem came to my mind. The pithy lines of Streamside Exchange by J.P. Clark became more real to me than ever. Child: River bird, river bird Sitting all day long On hook over grass, River bird, river bird Sing to me a song Of all that pass And say, Will mother come back today? Bird: You cannot know And should not bother; Tide and market come and go And so shall your mother. This recollection transported me back to the 1970s when I first experienced the poem in secondary school. In a way, the gripping dialogue prepared me for an event that was to happen about 38 years later. It was a death foretold. But when it eventually occurred, I was still unprepared. For over five decades, Eleanor Bodunrin Macaulay (nee Williams) was a constant and consistent parental presence. Even now, the shadow of her presence remains, suggesting a deathless physicality. I was her first-born and bonded with her beyond the restrictive ephemerality of earthly life. Genetically and by socialisation, she will always be with me. This is a time for the choreography of memory. What can I remember? What do I remember? What do I want to remember? Her modesty was magical and magnetic, particularly in a world of vain noisiness. Her younger brother, Mr. Bankole Williams, said of her: “She disliked anything flamboyant and believed in modesty.” One of her favourite sayings, “Little drops of water make a mighty ocean,” provided an insight into her sense of organic development and increase, which was reflected in the way she lived and projected herself. Hers was a life of meticulous attention to order and propriety. As a working mother with four children, three

‘This is a time for the choreography of memory. What can I remember? What do I remember? What do I want to remember? Her modesty was magical and magnetic, particularly in a world of vain noisiness’

HE ongoing campaigns by various candidates seeking elective posts and their political parties have provided Nigerians with the opportunity to assess those seeking to rule over them for the next four years. When politicians come to the people directly for a face to face interaction, citizens can evaluate their programmes and suitability for the office they are seeking. In Sokoto State, attention of voters is now fixed on the plan of action rolled out by the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the governorship contest, Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal. At the flag-off of his campaign penultimate week, Tambuwal, better known to Nigerians as the ever-smiling and no-nonsense Speaker of the House of Representatives, promised to take the state on a journey of prosperity already started by the incumbent governor, Alhaji Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko. The greatest treasure the state is currently enjoying, according to him, is the peace and tranquility found in abundance within its borders. Located in a region bedeviled by the Boko Haram insurgency, Sokoto’s ability to steer off crisis has been a source of admiration for sociologists. Considering its unique position as the centrepoint of Islam in Nigeria, Sokoto has in the past taken the lead in finding lasting solutions to the menace of terrorism in the country. Political and religious leaders have, at various times, given a true interpretation of all the tenets of Islam, and have openly abhorred wanton killings and destruction of property. The citizens of Sokoto have at various forums harped on the need to ensure continuity of government policies. Many who gave their inputs into the Tambuwal agenda emphasized that coming to start afresh will be detrimental to the prosperity of their state. Their claim followed a close observation of the achievements of Wamakko in critical areas like education, healthcare, social reorientation, youths and sports development and infrastructural development. The economic potential of Sokoto is enormous. With the Cement Company of Northern Nigeria factory located in the state and various small and medium scale industries scattered all over, Sokoto has already charted a path to industrialization. As Tambuwal noted in Shagari and Tureta LGAs during his campaign stop, there are also abundant water resources for irrigation farming and other agro-allied activities. The Sokoto Rima River Basin Development Authority has its headquarters in the capital and so far, there are plans to enhance its capacity to meet the growing needs of the people of the area. The people of Sokoto are known for their entrepreneurial disposition. Tambuwal said when elected, the state government will complement their efforts by creating an enabling environment to boost investment and other commercial activities. He said this can be done by

‘Will mother come back today?’ boys and a girl, she had to strike a balance between her workplace and her home, which she did with remarkable aplomb. Apart from her incalculable contribution domestically, she was able to hold down a job in a bank for 30 years. During the period, starting from July 1955, she held secretarial positions at the Barclays Bank (DCO), and later at the Union Bank following a business-name change, and retired in 1985. She was awarded certificates for “loyal and faithful service” to mark her 10th, 20th and 30th service years. Bodunrin Macaulay was dependable and consistent, and had long-term money-keeping responsibilities in the Shotan Williams family union as well as her church society. She was also a fascinating stickler for time. By Saturday afternoon, she was already prepared for church service the next day, with her clothes and accessories chosen and ready. Also, when she had to attend a special event, she would start planning for it at least a week or two ahead. She was impressively time-conscious and her punctuality was a timeless lesson. It is food for thought that as she lay dying, she was sufficiently conscious of her commitments, and a particular demonstration of her sense of duty was noteworthy. She sent her monetary contribution to the Women Missionary Union (WMU) through a family member, despite her infirmity and the distraction it represented. Bodunrin Macaulay was born in Forcados, a riverine area in the present-day Delta State, on January 5, 1935. She was the fifth of the eight children of the late Pa Joseph Latunji

Williams (alias J.L.), who was a marine engineer with the Nigerian Marine, now Nigeria Ports Authority. Her mother, Omare Edudun (known as Nene) from Isie, Warri, was of Itsekiri stock. In the mid-forties, her father was transferred back to Lagos and lived with his family at No. 29 Odunlami Street, Lagos Island. Bodunrin had her elementary education at the Salvation Army Central School, Kakawa Street, directly opposite the famous Da Rocha House. After completing her Standard Six education, she worked for Alban Pharmacy and enrolled with Pitmans Secretarial Institute, and studied Typing and Shorthand. On completion of her studies, she passed the Intermediate Level and joined the then Barclays Bank (DCO), now Union Bank, as a Shorthand typist, and rose through the ranks to senior secretarial positions. In 1960, she got married to Frank Olusola Macaulay (of blessed memory), a grandnephew of Herbert Macaulay, the famous Nigerian nationalist. Their wedding, which followed a considerably long courtship, took place at Ereko Methodist Church, Lagos. They were married for 53 years and were only separated by the death of her husband in August 2013. It is worth mentioning that in a moment of candid expressiveness in the 1980s, Olusola Macaulay advised his first and second sons, me and my younger brother, who were then undergraduates, to go for women who would be like their mother when they were ready for wedlock. It is a reflection of her loyal and dedicated nature that until her death Bodunrin Macaulay maintained a good relationship with members of the Ladies Friendly Society, which was founded in August 1947 by 12 people including her, even after she had followed her husband to the First Baptist Church, Lagos. In a tribute, the group described her as “respected.” The group also said: Without any exaggeration, our late Sister Bodunrin Macaulay has set a unique record that is difficult to challenge or beat, viz. (1) She is a foundation member (2) Her great financial involvement and commitment to our Society and the Church of God.” It added: “We need to remind ourselves that great deeds never perish and great men and women are always remembered by those they left behind.” Bodunrin Macaulay would have been 80 on January 5, 2015, but she didn’t wait for the celebration. Three weeks to the milestone, on December 15, 2014, her mortality intervened. The fictional conversation between the child and the bird in J.P. Clark’s immortal poem came alive in all its profundity. I ponder on David Carradine’s poetic line: “If you can’t be a poet, be the poem.” Bodunrin Macaulay might not have been a poet, but she was a poem. Her life had a poetic quality, and I am duty-bound to extend the lyricism. Let me ask a rhetorical question: “Will mother come back today?”

Tambuwal’s agenda for Sokoto By Imam Imam ensuring that parameters for ease of doing business are enhanced for both local and foreign investors. Given its huge economical potential, it is pertinent to ask: what will the incoming administration do to further harness them to advance the socio-economic development of the state and its people? The initiatives of the present government are numerous. Let us look at a few. The first is the vision of the administration in developing the human resource capacity to meet its development challenges. Since its inception in 2007, the administration has invested handsomely in education, based on a vision premised on developing skills for the future industrialization of the state. The state has its gaze fixed on developing the mining industry in the state in the very near future. Today, the human resource to drive that industry is being prepared. For example, quite a number of youths have been abroad to study various courses in Mining and Mineral Engineering. Others went to other parts of Nigeria and Africa to study agricultural extension. All these are done with the aim to ensure that those trained contribute their quota towards the development of various sectors of the state. As a leader, the Speaker has promised to lead from the front, working in tandem with other progressive Nigerians from all walks of life to bring about needed change in the socio-economic landscape of his dear state in particular an Nigeria in general. This he said can be done by fully implementing the policies of the APC as espoused in its manifesto. Tambuwal remains the quintessential politician who

has defied the notion that politicians, especially of the Nigerian variety, cannot say the truth to the powers that be while still in power. By now, Nigerians have come to identify their Number Four citizen as a fearless man whose words are not at variance with his deeds. In a clime polluted by years of sheer indiscipline and unfulfilled promises, the optimism, and testimonies openly exhibited by those who followed his leadership style will no doubt gladden the hearts of the people of Sokoto who are now set to have him as their Leader in the coming years. Not since independence have we seen a politician promote an ideology as fervently as the speaker does. Tambuwal has promoted the concept of a strong dichotomy between politics and governance. To him, there is a marked difference between a candidate in electoral contest on the platform of a political party and an elected official who has assumed a non-partisan responsibility and taken oath to protect and preserve the constitution, to serve the people and the nation. While the former is not merely at liberty but under a duty to be partisan, the latter must conduct himself in a manner worthy of the call to non-partisanship in governance. And whenever partisan interests conflict with national interest it is partisan interests that must be sacrificed in the preservation of the national interest. In Sokoto today, many are confident that Tambuwal will leverage on his experience and contacts in national and international circle to the benefit of the state. In him, they see a person who will not only redesign the economy of the state, but will also redefining its politics. •Imam (@imamdimam), wrote from National Assembly, Abuja

Tambuwal remains the quintessential politician who has defied the notion that politicians, especially of the Nigerian variety, cannot say the truth to the powers-that-be while still in power. By now, Nigerians have come to identify their Number Four citizen as a fearless man whose words are not at variance with his deeds. In a clime polluted by years of sheer indiscipline and unfulfilled promises, the optimism, and testimonies openly exhibited by those who followed his leadership style will no doubt gladden the hearts of the people of Sokoto who are now set to have him as their leader in the coming years’

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

COMMENTS

ERHAPS, the reduction in the price of petrol from N97 per litre to N87 is the first time in recent memory the selling price of that commodity would come down in this country. All we have been treated to in the last several years have been constant increases in the name of fuel subsidy removal that pay scant regard to the wellbeing of our toiling people. So when the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke announced government’s reduction of the selling price of petrol penultimate Sunday, it must have struck as a sharp departure from the norm. And reactions to it are bound to follow this mood. The measure which was dictated by the falling price of fuel in the international oil market has expectedly attracted reactions from segments of the Nigeria population. The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) commended the price slash but insisted that it is not deep enough. For drivers and commuters across the country, the reduction would make life a little better for them. There are also those who think the reduction is a design by the PDP government to catch votes in the coming elections. For the opposition APC, the reduction by just 10.3 per cent is a “mere tokenism” at a time the price of crude oil has crashed by about 60 per cent in the international oil market. It said the selling price should not be more than N70 and that at N87 the government was forcing Nigerians to subsidize the massive corruption in the oil sector. All these views have their merits and therefore cannot be dismissed with a wave of the hand. Not when it is recalled that since the decline in the price of oil commenced some months back, there have been calls on the government to slash the selling price of petrol in keeping with trends outside our shores. These calls were further reinforced by the fact

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Petrol price reduction that all along, the government had hinged fuel price increase on the high cost of the commodity in the international market. It was the same logic that was the raison d’être for previous increases in the price of petroleum products in the name of fuel subsidy removal. Moreover, the fear of further increase or removal of fuel subsidy as it is generally called was still palpable some months back such that the government had to come public denying such a move. If by any circumstance, there is a sharp fall in the price of that commodity, it is only rational that it should be followed by a corresponding reduction in its domestic price. The government did not help matters when it appeared to have shut its eyes to reactions to the development by other oil producing countries. This is especially so when other African countries as Zambia and Tanzania had slashed the price of petrol to 23 and 16 per cent respectively. If the contention is that the reduction did no go that far as it only represented 10.3 per cent of the current price that point cannot be wished away. More so when

‘The slide in oil price should prick our collective consciences on the misuse of the revenue that has overtime accrued to the nation from that commodity. It should send the message very clearly that there is time for every thing. It is possible that we will someday find to our dismay that a golden opportunity to lift our country from the shackles of poverty and underdevelopment has been frittered away’

HE forthcoming governorship election in Lagos state is surely arousing the curiosity of most Nigerians - from the political analysts and scholars of Nigerian politics to the so-called common man, for a number of reasons. It presents an opportunity to further test the political credentials and clout of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, unarguably the most influential politician and strategist in the south-western part of Nigeria, having previously been governor of Lagos State from 1999 2007. Tinubu is regarded as the originator of modern Lagos State’s development template. Upon leaving office after the expiration of his mandate in 2007, he had successfully engineered the election of his successor, now the outgoing governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola, in 2007, despite the expression of interest by a number of his own loyalists, as well as the perpetually marauding People’s Democratic Party (PDP), which is cognizant of the fact that the key to Tinubu’s continued relevance lies with his firm control of Lagos politics. Despite fielding such candidates as the late Funsho Williams, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, Ade Dosumu, in the past, the PDP has been continually trounced in the gubernatorial elections in Lagos State. With the imminent end of Governor Fashola’s tenure, a man widely respected for transforming Lagos state beyond expectations, to the extent that even opposition politicians grudgingly admit he has discharged his duties well as governor, the race for the governor’s office becomes even more interesting. As with previous governorship elections, the contest is between the candidates of the APC and the PDP. The PDP candidate, Jimi Agbaje, who had previously contested against Babatunde Fashola in 2007 under the less-known Democratic Peoples’ Alliance (DPA), surprised many by coming third and garnering more votes than more experienced and better-known politicians like Tokunbo Afikuyomi and Femi Pedro. Agbaje is the flag bearer of the PDP and given the weight of the PDP, and going by Agbaje’s previous antecedents in the 2007 election, he surely represents a formidable challenge to Ambode’s APC. Ambode has a couple of advantages going forward in the February governorship elections. First is the political goodwill enjoyed by the Tinubu-Fashola administrations in Lagos State, which gives the APC the political legitimacy to present a relatively unknown person as gubernatorial candidate. This goodwill has been earned, more so, as a result of Fashola’s excellent delivery of good governance in the State. Fashola, who was also relatively a political unknown in 2007, having served as Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, has further endeared Lagosians to the APC. The PDP has not been helped greatly by the internal squabbles within its fold, as well as the dearth of a credible leader of the party in Lagos State. Second, the prospect of a continuation of the public service delivery initiated by a candidate who understands the workings of government in Lagos State also works in Ambode’s favour. Having served in the Lagos State Civil Service for almost three decades as

weighed against the background of the raging poverty in the country and the huge corruption that pervades all spheres of the national economy. The scandalous corruption in the oil sector denoted by the exposed scandal in fuel subsidy payments is the more reason why the ordinary people should be made to take full advantage of any decline in the international price of crude oil. We are all witnesses to revelations sometime ago of how unscrupulous marketers ripped the nation dry by receiving payments for fuel not supplied. Much of the companies and individuals that were involved in that scam have their cases before the courts even as the wheel of justice is grinding very slowly. It is therefore not out of place to demand that the full benefits of the slide in oil price should be availed our toiling people who have over the years, borne the brunt of the misrule of various governments. It is not a matter that has to do with one government. It has little to do with who is in power now or the efforts to effect regime change through the current electioneering campaigns. This point has to be made and most unambiguously too otherwise we mix issues and get no where with them. Nigerians need the full benefits of the oil price slash. That could be the little token they get from the oil gift which nature bountifully placed at their backyard. That could form part of their share of the national cake. Besides, a further reduction in the domestic price of petrol will impact positively in the prices of goods and services that are largely patronized by the poor. It will not

only force down the price of transportation but that of goods and services largely patronized by the poor. Being a populist policy, it is not surprising why it has been dubbed a vote catching strategy. But it is immaterial whatever capital the government of the day may wish to make out of the measure. Even if the target is to lure the larger public to the side of the government given the coming elections, what is important is that ordinary people will still be better with the reduction. That is a better way to look at the matter. We should align with those who want a further reduction rather than dissipate energy on whatever benefits the government may get from it. Even then, the rational for the reduction is hinged on events in the international oil market and this should be clear to everybody. It has not even gone that deep to correspond with the fall in oil price in the international market. So the issue of scoring political points through the reduction should be out of it. It is an economic decision that is universal to oil producing countries. If the current regime gains any political edge from it, so be it. Such should neither detract from the current reality in the oil market nor blur our understanding of the dynamics of international oil pricing. It is hoped that it is not being suggested that measures that will improve the lives of our people should be denied them just because someone somewhere may take political advantage of them. That will amount to carrying such matters too far. Beyond these, the slide in oil price should prick our collective consciences on the misuse of the revenue that has overtime accrued to the nation from that commodity. It should send the message very clearly that there is time for every thing. It is possible that we will someday find to our dismay that a golden opportunity to lift our country from the shackles of poverty and underdevelopment has been frittered away. We may soon discover that a golden opportunity to elevate our country in the development matrix has been lost. These are the foreboding issues that have been elevated to the fore by the sliding price of oil. In the ongoing electioneering campaigns, politicians have made issues out of the need to diversify the nation’s economic base. This is nothing new. It is only hoped it is not another vote catching gimmick that will give way to sectional and primordial considerations as a guide to economic decisions as soon as the elections are over.

Ambode’s human security agenda By Afolabi Tunde Permanent Secretary and Accountant-General respectively, and having the privilege of understudying Tinubu and Fashola, Ambode appears to represent the continuity in governance that the APC advocates for, which also resonates with most Lagosians. What appears evident from an examination of candidate Ambode’s Governance Plan is a focus on human security, centred on promoting freedoms from poverty, need and fear. The Plan has service delivery as its core, which will be under girded by the principles of Leadership, Accountability, Governance, Opportunity, Service (L.A.G.O.S). The Plan has as its main areas of focus: tourism, economic growth, community cohesion, and equitable distribution of wealth, poverty reduction and the urbanization of slums, human rights protection, urbanization and the provision of physical and social infrastructure, all in tandem with the present administration’s development blueprint. The Ambode Plan focuses on Security, Economy, Infrastructure, Healthcare, Education, Social Welfare and Good Governance. In the area of job creation, it proposes the establishment of an Employment Trust Fund to the tune of N25b within a period of four years by the government, with one billion naira earmarked for each of the five divisions in the state for the next four years; Ikorodu, Badagry, Ikeja, Lagos and Epe Divisions. On ‘Corporate Lagos’, the manifesto proposes measures that will attract and retain both foreign and local investors to Lagos, with the aid of e-governance solutions for business. Quite importantly, it prioritizes the re-establishment of a middle class in the state, under strict adherence to the Rule of Law. Also, while recognizing that multiple taxes/fees exist in the state’s tax codes, a pledge is made to remove them as soon as Ambode assumes office. On Education, a number of initiatives have been highlighted for implementation. The emphasis of the manifesto is on the upgrading and creation of new e-libraries, in line with best global education practices, the upgrading of the state-owned tertiary institutions - the Lagos State University (LASU) and the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), as well as the introduction of scholarship schemes in the vocational and technical colleges. On Health, the manifesto seeks to further improve upon the Primary Healthcare Programme, the harmonization of private and public sector partnership in secondary healthcare, as well as the establishment of medic-parks and bio-parks in Lagos state.. On Tourism, there is a plan to launch a project known as

T.H.E.S.E, which refers to an integrated solution involving the systematic integration of Tourism, Hospitality, Entertainment/ Arts Sports for Excellence, aimed at enabling the state to explore, execute and enshrine a new vista of jobs for our youths, our women and vocational artisans. On Social Welfare issues, the manifesto seeks the continuation of free education for primary and secondary school children, in line with the core principles of the APC. Underscoring the need to ensure the protection of the rights of children in Lagos State, there is an emphasis on the enforcement of the Child Abuse Law, and the criminalization of child labour. Also, ensuring the protection of the rights of women, the aged and the disabled, as well as the provision of social welfare and opportunities for these groups are emphasized in the manifesto. On power generation, priority is placed on the exploration of opportunities for alternative energy sources. There are also plans to further expand the already-existing Independent Power Project (IPP), and the protection of the rights of Lagosians in their engagement with private power suppliers. On what is referred to as ‘Integrated System’, the plan’s starting point is that the existing 29 bridges in Lagos are inadequate to cater for its huge number of motorists. It therefore seeks to expand seven of the bridges while also exploring the opportunities of pursuing an integrated transport management system. On Finance, the manifesto underscores its commitment to a 20-year financial and statistical planning on the needs of the state, as well as the establishment of a Lagos Finance and Development Commission, which will afford all stakeholders in the State, including the private sector, civil society and government, to match the needs of the State with the financial resources required to achieve set goals. While across Nigeria, there is the increasing agitation for change, especially at the federal level, in Lagos State the majority seem to aspire towards a more encompassing continuity and improvement in the delivery of public services to the people. Candidate Ambode’s credentials appear to fit the bill for the tasks ahead. In the efforts to further develop the manifesto into concrete policy documents, there will be the need for an inclusive and coordinated engagement with sectoral experts, the civil servants of Lagos State who will be tasked with implementing the plan, while obtaining the input of the citizenry, on whose behalf the manifesto has been developed. This will promote and guarantee a genuine partnership and ownership of the plan, while inculcating a crosscutting sense of responsibility and inclusivity. • Tunde, a public policy analyst, is based in the United Kingdom.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

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‘Govt’s policies, others promoting housing deficit’ - P. 37

Brighter future for the physically challenged - P. 35 News Briefing Oil firms slash capex, work programmes on price crash OIL companies are cutting their capital expenditures (capex) and work programmes for this year as crude oil price remain below $50 per barrel for close to two months, it was learnt. –Page 26

LCCI, OPS task Ambode, Agbaje on multiple taxation, others THE Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) and the Organised Private Sector (OPS) have tasked the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Mr.Akinwunmi Ambode and his counterpart in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Jimi Agbaje to address the issue of multiple taxation in the state. –Page 26

Investors gain N259b on 21,044 deals

IGERIAN equities witnessed considerable recovery last week as market value of investors’ assets in quoted shares on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) rose by N259 billion to N9.930 trillion. Market values of several quoted companies rode on the back of sustained bargain-hunting to close at their recent highs. While the market witnessed a mid-week paused on Wednesday and Thursday, the overall market situation was dominated throughout the week by increased buy orders. All indices at the NSE indicated marked improvements in volume and value of activities as well as share prices of most equities that were traded. Aggregate market value of all quoted companies on the NSE increased by 2.68 per cent to close the week at N9.930 trillion as against N9.671 trillion recorded as opening value for the week. The All Share Index

By Taofik Salako Capital Market Editor

(ASI), the common value-based index that tracks prices of all quoted companies, underlined that the increase in market value was purely driven by capital gains rather than supplementary or new listing. The ASI similarly rose by 2.68 per cent from its week’s opening index of 29,034.89 points to close at 29,812.05 points. The uptrend last week moderated the negative return at the stock market, although investors’ average year-to-date return remained negative at 13.98 per cent. Share price analysis showed that 35 companies recorded price appreciation as against 31 companies that suffered depreciation. Most equities, 130 companies, however remained flat. Most group and sectoral indices at the NSE also appreciated, indicating a widespread market rally. Riding on the back of Guaranty Trust Bank, the banking

sector was the most bullish sector with the NSE Banking Index rising by 7.27 per cent. The NSE Industrial Goods Index recorded average gain of 3.54 per cent while the NSE Insurance Index indicated a week-on-week gain of 3.33 per cent. The NSE 30 Index, which tracks the 30 most capitalized companies, recorded average return of 3.26 per cent. The NSE Consumer Goods Index appreciated by 1.96 per cent while the NSE Lotus Islamic Index rose by 1.60 per cent. However, the NSE Oil and Gas Index declined by 1.36 per cent. UAC of Nigeria (UACN) led the bullish rally, in percentage terms, with a gain of 19.43 per cent to close at N37. Guaranty Trust Bank trailed with a gain of 17.32 per cent to close at N21. Mansard Insurance rose by 10.53 per cent to close at N3.15. Flour Mills of Nigeria added 8.87 per cent to close at N38.80 while NEM Insurance rose by 7.55 per cent to close at 57 kobo. On the other hand, Dangote

Flour Mills recorded the highest loss of 18.41 per cent to close at N3.19. RT Briscoe followed with a loss of 16.67 per cent to close at 70 kobo while Ikeja Hotel dropped by 12.90 to close at N2.70 per share. Turnover also improved considerably during the week. Total turnover stood at 2.12 billion shares worth N 25.94 billion in 21,044 deals. In the previous week, total turnover was 1.66 billion shares valued at N16.59 billion in 23,591 deals. The financial services sector remained the most active sector with a turnover of 1.4 billion shares valued at N8.69 billion traded in 12,352 deals; representing 66.02 per cent and 33.49 per cent of total turnover volume and value respectively. The oil and gas sector was the second most active with a turnover of 440.33 million shares worth N9.69 billion in 1,681 deals. Consumer goods sector place third with 100.49 million shares worth N5.384 billion in 3,392 deals.

Unsettled claims: ‘Report defaulters’ THE National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has urged the public to report any insurance firm that refuses to settle its claims. –Page 28

DATA STREAM COMMODITY PRICES Oil Cocoa

-$117.4/barrel -$2,686.35/metric ton

Coffee

- ¢132.70/pound

Cotton

- ¢95.17pound

Gold

-$1,396.9/troy

Sugar

-$163/lb RATES

Inflation

-8.2%

Treasury Bills-10.58%(91d) Maximum lending -30% Prime lending

-15.87%

Savings rate

-3%

91-day NTB

-15%

Time Deposit

-5.49%

MPR

-12%

Foreign Reserve

$39.6b

FOREX CFA

-0.2958

EUR

-206.9

-242.1

-156

-1.9179

SDR

-238

RIYAL

-40.472

• Speaking is Chairman/CEO, Yah’am Press Limited, Yahaya Amfami; Managing Director, Skysat Technology Limited, Izzat Debs and Registrar, Trademarks Patents & Design Registry, Mrs Niwa Salmanmann, during the unveiling of the Bizhub Press C1100/C1085 of Konica Minolta’s Digital Printing Solutions in Abuja....at the weekend. PHOTO: LUCAS AJANAKU

Siting of NIPPs not political, says Power Ministry

HE siting of the Na tional Independent Power Plants (NIPPs) in the southern belt was strategic, and not political, the Special Adviser on Investments, Finance and Donor Relations to the Minister of Power, Olajuwon Olaleye, has said. He said politics was not part of the reasons behind the establishment of the power plants in the southern belt, as being rumoured in some quarters. He said: “The government was more concerned about the issue of gas supply since southern belt hosted the

By Akinola Ajibade

country’s gas processing plants. Going by the government’s calculation, it would be easier for the power companies to access gas in the south than the north. It is not economical to construct gas pipeline from north to south. Besides, the topography of the land in the north is not good enough for such investment.” He added that efficiency of a project matters matter most to the government than any other thing. “We should gradually begin to look at what is effi-

cient when it comes to infrastructural development. These companies are in the southern belt to make piping of gas easier and cheaper ‘ he added. He noted that seven out of 10 of the plants have been completed, adding that the remaining three are going through bidding processes, adding the bidders for the plants have been identified, following a screening exercise conducted for them by the government. The 10 plants are billed for privatisation to ensure effective management the plant built by the Niger Delta

•Power Minister, Chinedu Nebo

Prof

Power Holding Company Plc on behalf of the Federal Government are expected to provide 5,000 megawatts (Mw)of electricity to the nation grid on completion.

Schneider urges local manufacture of oil, gas equipment By Oluwatoyin Adeleye

OWER sector giant, Sch neider Electric, has urged the Federal Government to go a step further in the implementation of the Local Content Act by enforcing local manufacturing of oil and gas equipment. Its new Country President, Mr. Walid Sheta, who spoke in Lagos at the weekend, said the firm also plans to venture into the oil and gas sector of the economy, despite the fall in the prices of crude oil in the international market. He argued that enforcing the local production of oil and gas equipment will further enhance the diversification of the economy and encourage the promotion of made-in-Nigeria goods. Mr. Sheta said: “We are going to target oil and gas, despite the fact that the price of crude oil is going down; we believe, at the Schneider, that there are still opportunities to invest Nigeria.” On how to improve the power sector, he said more still needed to be done by both the government and the private investors. According to Mr. Sheta, government must ensure that the private investors are profitable and sustainable too. He said one of the ways this could be achieved is through the deployment of prepaid meters to customers. He said: “It is through the collection of the proper payment of the bills, then reinvesting to make sure that electricity supply does not go off twice a day in the country. So they need to work on their collection, balance sheet, their profit and loss to remain in business. And they do have the answer with their metering.” Another way of solving the power challenge in the country, according to the Schneider Electric chief, is through maximum investment in complete grid upgrading and generation upgrading. This,he said, will cost a lot of money but said it’s necessary for the country that he described as the ‘number one economy’ on the African continent. He said: “To solve the power problem of Nigeria, it’s a central decision about generation and transmission in addition to privatisation. It needs a backbone, long term investment that usually, in many countries, took 10 years to acheive.” The energy organisation urged the use of alternative power sources such as solar to generate clean energy and eliminate worries about exhumes of carbon monoxide while still offering highly effective power.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

BUSINESS NEWS LCCI, OPS task Ambode, Agbaje on multiple taxation, others

HE Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Indus try (LCCI) and the Organised Private Sector (OPS) have tasked the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Mr.Akinwunmi Ambode and his counterpart in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Jimi Agbaje to address the issue of multiple taxation in the state. The bodies also urged the two candidates to come out with a blue print on how to develop the state in the face of dwindling revenues from the Federation Account, the Eko Atlantic City project and how to unlock Apapa traffic gridlock. Ambode said he will draw from his experience in the public and private sectors to provide a thriving business economy for the OPS, ensure security of lives and property and create more jobs. He said he will create a N25billion Employment Trust Board that will dole out a million naira yearly to the youth to become entrepreneurs. On the Eko Atlantic City he said the 9,000 hectares reclaimed was to create a new city where people can live and work, a financial hub for international business. On multiple taxation and ease of doing business in the state, he said the state will harmonise the taxes, negotiate with Federal Government on derivation of taxes and work on factors impeding the ease of doing business in the state by working on land and construction and tax efficiency laws and procedures.

By Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie

He said: “The drop in oil revenue means less revenue from the federation account for the state. Usually we get N139 billion from the Federal Government and N260 billion as internally generated revenue (IGR), what we need to do as a government is to ensure efficiency of tax collection by improving the E- Platform, integrate tourism and sports as an income generation stream in addition to building a competitive infrastructure for the private sector to thrive” He tasked the Federal Government on the gridlock in Apapa, insisting that they have not done enough while hailing the State Government for various efforts aimed at unlocking Apapa and the Mono rail which he added will discourage road movement in and out of the Port town. Agbaje while criticising the high cost of land and multiple taxation in the state where he alleged only about four million people are paying tax instead of an estimated eight million adults said he will have a robust tax regime where people will find paying tax pleasurable especially the OPS as a result of the enabling environment that will be provided by his administration if voted to power. He said: “We will create a new economy base, expand tax base in an innovative way and expand opportunities for people to be gainfully employed so that paying tax will no longer be an issue”.

N240m cassava stems coming to 500,000 farmers

VER 500,000 farmers will benefit from the distribution of stems valued at N240 million for multiplication across the country, HarvestPlus Country Manager, Paul IIona has said. Speaking during a Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) training to sensitise members of National Youth Service Corps’ (NYSC) in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, he said the Healthplus team arrived at the decision out of the need to promote and adopt Vitamin A bio-fortified staple crops, and delivery to Nigerians especially the rural poor. According to him, this will be achieved through intensified effort to reach out to as many Nigerians as possible by engaging young school leavers with a view to making them partners through sustainable agricultural entrepreneurship. He noted that the number of farmers that will receive the stem increased from over 450,000 who received Vitamin A Cassava stems from HarvestPlus last year to 500,000 this year as a result of the need to showcase the opportunities in Vitamin A Cassava value chain, which will help people to attain their potential, generate income and employ others. He added that HarvestPlus is committed to fighting hunger manifested through micronutrient deficiencies in foods by deploying bio-fortified staple crops and foods to the vulnerable population

By Adedeji Ademigbuji

across the country and urged the corps members to partner with the organisation to achieve this noble objective. Areas of active entrepreneurial engagement that the corps members can invest in include: Vitamin A cassava stem multiplication; tuberous root production; service provision; and establishment of point of sale (PoS) outlets in strategic locations, among others. He said: “Last year, over 450,000 farmers received Vitamin A Cassava stems from HarvestPlus. This year, over 500,000 farmers will get stems for multiplication across the country and this comes in a value range of about N240 million.” To ensure that more people have access to the product made from the stem, more PoS will be opened across the country. “Last year, we opened a PoS to demonstrate to our partners that there is market for their Vitamin A cassava products. This year, HarvestPlus intends to work with partners from the nooks and crannies of Nigeria to establish 300 more points of sale. An online sales portal to connect the points of sale is nearing completion with huge benefits for those who come on board now,” Ilona further said. He also said while the company has embarked on training of new corners, HarvestPlus will train willing partners and provide technical support to ensure their successful take-off.

• From left: Nigerian Idol 5 judge and R’n’B crooner, Dare ‘Art’ Alade, Executive Director, OMG, Ugochi Pedro, Nigerian Idol 5 judges, Dede Mabiaku and Yinka Davies and Presenter, Ills Rhymz during the Nigerian Idol 5 audition at the Xcape Centre, Port Harcourt... at the weekend.

Oil firms slash capex, work programmes on price crash O

IL companies are cut ting their capital ex penditures (capex) and work programmes for this year as crude oil price remain below $50 per barrel for close to two months, it was learnt. The implication of these cut downs, according to the Managing Director of Seplat Petroleum Plc, Austin Avuru, is that as the oil firms cut their capex, they are also reducing future oil production. Avuru told The Nation that the stable long term average price of crude should be within $70 and $80 per barrel noting that if the price is at $40 per barrel, a number of projects will be cancelled and work programmes will be reviewed to reflect the current realities. He also confirmed that Nigeria companies will cut down their workforce to ensure that their capital expenditures (capex) and operating expenditures (opex) remain within the generated revenue from the current oil price. However, he assured that Seplat will not sack its staff as a result of oil price slump. He said: “A few things will

• Job cut, projects cancellation loom By Emeka Ugwuanyi

normally happen when oil sells at $40 per barrel. A number of projects will be cancelled. Every company in Nigeria today is reviewing its capex spend and its work programme. There will be projects that will be cancelled in deepwater, shallow water, swamp and even some high capex projects on land. In the near term if the low price persists and the capex cut continues, it will affect production in the future. When you cut down capex today, you are inevitably cutting production in the future. And once the capacity production gets lower and demand doesn’t fall with that production, there will be pressure on price.” The Seplat chief said in periods of oil price decline like this, what is important is operational discipline and prudence to make sure that a company’s cash flow remains neutral at least if not

positive, adding that if a company can establish operational and financial discipline at a period like this, it can only get better. “So for us (oil firms), these are trying times but these are the kind of times that are require from time to time to test your resilience in the business and also to remind you that should prudent because there will always be tough days like these,” he added. “I have also heard that some companies will layoff. Will that apply to Seplat? I can specifically say no, not because we are doing better than other companies but because fortunately we don’t want to kill the growth mode. Ordinarily, we should still be growing even our human capital, so what will happen in reality with cutback in capex and work programme, is that we will simply reduce our growth rate in terms of manpower rather than fire the ones we already have.

So, Seplat wouldn’t be firing but it will slow down on its manpower growth because of the existing reality. The Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Joseph Dawha had last week at the Offshore West Africa conference in Lagos, said that the ongoing decline in crude oil price will cause delay of about three deep water projects in Nigeria. Dawha said that many companies had serious cash flow challenges due to oil price decline which has to reduce their capital expenditure adding that it will result in delay of economic viable projects. “Delay in major projects will now be a feature in many companies’ project and progammes, especially for offshore project,” he added. He said some deepwater projects will suffer delays or outright cancellation including one in Angola, three in Nigeria and one in Ghana, while two shallow water projects in Angola, one in Nigeria and two in Ghana may also suffer delays.

‘Final draft of national quality policy ready in March’

HE final draft docu ment of the proposed National Quality Policy (NQP) for Nigeria would be ready for presentation to the Federal Executive Council (FEC), by March this year, the Chairman, Technical Secretariat of the National Steering Committee (NSC), Dr. Paul Angya, has said. Dr. Angya said the final draft document is currently being edited in line with the schedule drawn up by the NSC for presentation to FEC and subsequent passage by an Act of Parliament.

By Chikodi Okereocha

He explained that the general elections scheduled for February 14 is responsible for the delay in getting the final draft document ready, adding that as soon as the elections are over, the document would be ready by March. The NSC was inaugurated last year by President Goodluck Jonathan. While the Minister of Industry, Trade & Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga is the Chairman of the committee, the Director-General (DG),

Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr Joseph Odumodu, is Secretary. The broad-based, interministerial steering committee was charged with driving the process of establishing the NQP. It has the mandate to review and harmonize existing quality policies in Nigeria, prepare a draft NQP that is acceptable to all stakeholders, and support the approval and implementation of the NQP. Dr. Angya said that in line with the Committee’s mandate, it had between November and December last year,

toured the six geopolitical zones of the country with the draft quality document for the purpose of validation and getting the buy-in of stakeholders. He said the tour took the Committee to Sokoto, for the Northeast; Minna, Northcentral; Lagos, Southwest; Enugu, Southeast, and Calabar, Southsouth. The final tour, according to him, was on December 13 last year in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). He said in each of the zones stakeholders endorsed the document.

Why Kebbi built N17b airport, by DG

HE Director–General, Sir Ahmadu Bello In ternational Airport, Birnin Kebbi, Alhaji Abubakar Umar Dakingari has said the airport was built to boost the export of farm produce, enhance socio-economic development and prepare the state for foreign investment. He said the state exports farm produce such as onions,

By Kelvin Osa-Okunbor

maize and rice to North African countries and Asia. He said the airport would provide the link fly such farm produce as export beyond local markets in Lagos, Kano, Southeast and Southsouth as the largest onion and rice producer in the country. Speaking in telephone interview, he said the absence

of an airport has limited the transportation by air of many farm produce from the state. He said because the state lacked its own airport before now, its farmers faced unprofitable process of first trucking the farm produce to over 150 kilometers to the airport in Sokoto before exporting them. He said the farmers use trucks as the only choice to move 1,500 tons of onions daily

out of Kebbi to the large markets in southern states of the country through over hundreds of kilometres of largely bad roads. Dakingari said that to empower the farmers economically, the state government realised that exporting the produce from airport in the state would be cost-saving, more profitable and less rigorous for the farmers.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

BUSINESS AFRICA Firm unveils device for tracking music on radio Tv

OMPLIANCE and Content Monitoring Limited (CCM), a technology and media monitoring company, has unveiled a music tracking service known as musiktrak to provide superior media monitoring capability to music industry stakeholders. The device, which is available on www.musiktrak.com, provides comprehensive and verifiable log of the airplay of songs by local and foreign artistes across 260 radio and television stations in Nigeria. The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, CCM Limited, Mr Tunde Onadele, in a statement in Lagos, said musiktrak is the first and only service that tracks songs across Nigeria with 24/7 recording of free to sir broadcast transmission from radio and TV. He noted : “Now that reliable data of song plays on radio and tel-

evision stations in Nigeria is available, collective management of organisation, such as COSON and MCSN had no excuse for not collecting royalties from broadcast organisations or paying same right owners locally and abroad in a way that is fully transparent and accountable.” He said: “Some of the disputes in the music industry can be averted and music makers, users, collection bodies and regulator can now focus to grow the industry.” He said musiktrak is a most advanced detection and logging technology that can be put to effective use by various music industry stakeholders in comparative airplays for planning competitive activities obtaining hard data for making royalty/legal claims or forecasting upcoming royalty fees.

Ghana mulls first Cedi bond G

HANA plans to sell threeyear local-currency bonds next month, the first issuance after a sale was canceled in October when borrowing costs soared to the highest level in Africa. The Bank of Ghana will offer 630 million cedis ($193 million) of notes on February 19, with proceeds used to roll over maturities, reorganise debt and manage liquidity, the Accra-based regulator said in a statement.

The world’s second-biggest cocoa producer scrapped sales of cedi bonds with maturities longer than two years as yields on benchmark 91-day Treasury bills soared 659 basis points, or 6.59 percentage points, in 2014. When Ghana cancelled its threeyear offer in October, rates on 91day notes rose to 25.7 percent, the most expensive on the continent, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. They were 25.8 percent at the auction on January 16, the high-

est after Malawi. The West African nation, which is struggling to narrow its budget deficit, is also planning to revive fiveand seven-year bond sales this year after abandoning the offers last year. The cedi weakened 27 percent against the dollar over the past 12 months, the worst performer among 24 African currencies tracked by Bloomberg. It fell 0.3 percent to 3.2650 per dollar in Accra, extending its weekly decline to 0.9 percent.

CWG wins Wincor’s ATM award

AN African business transformation information communication technology (ICT) company, Computer Warehouse Group (CWG) Plc has won the Wincor Nixdorf Best Absolute Achievement award. The presentation was made at the recent Wincor Nixdorf’s Portugal, Middle East and Africa (PMEA) Regional Partners’ Conference and Award Ceremony in Mauritius. The PMEA conference and award is a yearly event where Wincor Nixdorf celebrates her partners in the PMEA region for their sales performances and shares the Company’s focus for the next Fiscal year. At the recent event, 10 partners were selected for Top sales performance and CWG Plc camefirst while Nigerian Companies—Cyber space Networks Limited and Soft Works Limited took fifth and seventh positions. Computer Networks from United Arab Emirates was the first runner up to CWG Plc. Presenting the award to the Head of e-Channels Business for CWG, Mr. Olatayo Ladipo-Ajai, President of Wincor Nixdorf, Mr. Eckard Heidlof, noted that CWG’s performance in the year under review, is outstanding and, therefore, the award is a well-deserved honour for such a dependable partner as CWG. “CWG’s contribution in Fiscal Year, 2014 made it possible for

Wincor Nixdorf to meet her target in PMEA,” he added. Receiving the award, Ladipo-Ajai expressed his gratitude for the recognition. According to him, it is always good to see the reward of commitment as it triggers greater commitment. “At CWG, excellent customer service delivery has been the bedrock for greater achievements. We hold our customers in high esteem, hence our commitment to deliver what we promise in spite of any challenge. “CWG, having topped the chart in sales and support performance consecutively for two years—2013 and 2014, is a proof that the company is the number one e-Channel service provider in Nigeria,”Ladipo-Ajai said. Also, he said the recognition challenges the company to sustain service excellence. Heidloff noted that the company is refocusing its business on driving the hardware business using Software and retail services. “Wincor Nixdorf is favourably positioned to support retail banks and retailers in their efforts to combine digital and stationary channels to the customer,” said Heidloff. In addition, he said the new concept – Omni-channel solution,allows the integration of different sales channels such as the internet, call centers, and branch or store structures.

Technovation challenge kicks off

RIDESCENT, a non-government organisation (NGO), has announced the opening of this year’s edition of Technovation, a programme designed to encourage women, especially girls, grow and make a career in information communication technology (ICT). In a statement, the firm explained that the mission of Technovation is to empower young women to use technology to make the world better. Last year, 1,500 girls from around the globe developed 362 mobile apps, making Technovation the largest global technology entrepreneurship programme for girls. It added that registration is open till February 15. This challenge is open to secondary school girls of between 10 and 18 who will work in teams of five to develop Mobile Apps, conduct market research, write business plans and create a “pitch” for funding. Each team is expected to work with a teacher in her school and a women mentor/role model from a technology industry. Teams will compete in one of two divisions: middle school or high school. The age of the oldest girl on the team will determine the team’s division. Top ranked teams from each division will qualify to travel to San Francisco for World Pitch:

Technovation makes travel scholarships available to the finalist teams who cannot cover the travel costs on their own. At World Pitch: One winner from the middle school category will pick $10,000, and another from the high school category will get $10,000. All teams are expected register at http://technovationchallenge.org. Technovation Regional Ambassadors, organise and notify participants about Girls Make Apps Day at various locations. Technovation’s mission is to motivate and educate girls and women to solve problems through technology inspiring girls to see themselves not just as users of technology, but as inventors, designers, builders, and entrepreneurs in the industry. Students work in teams to develop mobile app “startups” to solve real problems in their communities. The girls are taught life skills such as how to identify a problem, design and test a solution, collaborate with a team, and communicate to different audiences. It reinforces the following academic concepts: digital representation of information, algorithmic thinking and programming, and the societal impact of information and information technology.

• President, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) Mr Chidi Ajaegbu decorating Hajia Zulaihat Aminu Bello, first chairperson of the institute’s District Society in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, during the society’s inauguration.

Namibia relocates rhinos to avoid poaching N AMIBIA, home to one of the world’s largest populations of black rhinos, has started relocating the animals from poaching hot spots to privately-owned farms as it battles escalating poaching of the endangered pachyderms. Relocated rhinos are being placed in the care of private commercial farmers while remaining the property of the state, Deputy Minister of Environment and Tourism Pohamba Shifeta said by phone from the capital, Windhoek. The government is spreading rhinos around the southern African nation, placing them with farmers who are better able to protect them, as it struggles to defend the animals from poachers who want to remove their horns. The arid country’s rhino population is under threat from poachers

who kill the animals for their horns, to be used chiefly in traditional Asian medicines, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature. About 1,750 black rhinos live in Namibia, out of a global population of 4,800, along with 469 white rhinos, according to Save the Rhino and the WWF. Applications by farmers in Namibia are considered based on security of the area, grazing and other environmental factors before relocation. “We have to be satisfied before we translocate,” Shifeta said. Poachers killed 23 rhinos last year in Namibia’s remote north-eastern Kunene region and Etosha National Park, a prime tourist attraction. About 76 elephants were also killed by poachers last year, Romeo Muyunda, a ministry official, said on January 16.

The number of rhinos moved so far and their new locations couldn’t be disclosed because of “security reasons,” Shifeta said. A dehorning exercise, which started last year, is also continuing, he said. Namibia’s planned 400-member strong anti-poaching unit will be ready once it secures funding from the government, Shifeta said. A plan to use drones to improve surveillance in poorly policed and remote parks and conservancies, will be implemented once legal issues have been resolved. Neighboring South Africa, home to more than 90 percent of the world’s white rhinos, said yesterday that poachers killed a record 1,215 rhinos last year, up from 1,004 in 2013.White rhinos, the bigger of the two types of the animal found in Africa, can weigh more than two metric tons.

South African stocks rally for best week since billion rand of goods to Europe TOCKS in Johannesburg December in the 11 months of last year to rose in the biggest weekly

advance in a month after Europe, South Africa’s largest regional trading partner, announced economic stimulus to bolster growth. The 167-member FTSE/JSE Africa All Share Index (JALSH) advanced 3.1 percent in the past five days, the most since the period ending December 19. It rose 0.1 percent to 49,943.92 in the country’s commercial hub. The European Central Bank said it would buy as much as 60 billion euros ($67 billion) of assets a month through September 2016. South African stocks from banks to property companies and insurers rallied.

“Europe is our most important trading partner and the fact that many of our listed companies have operations there means the stimulus will have great and most likely positive economic implications,” Jonathan Bachrach, a money manager at Vunani Private Clients, which oversees about 600 million rand ($54 million), said by e-mail. “A lot of free cash will filter through to local and European equities.” The ECB’s decision came as the euro-area economy hangs on the brink of recession and risks deflation because of lower oil prices. South Africa shipped 202

November, according to data from the country’s revenue service. Quantitative easing is meant to boost inflation and stimulate growth. Assore Ltd. (ASR), a mining holding company, led the week’s rally, advancing 20 percent. Sappi Ltd. (SAP), a papermaker which makes most of its sales in Europe, rose 8.7 percent in the five days. The JSE gained in step with the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, which climbed 3.7 percent in the best week since March. “Hopefully the ECB didn’t wake up too late and the stimulus succeeds,” Bachrach said.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

THE NATION

BUSINESS INSURANCE

Unsettled claims: ‘Report defaulting firms’

HE National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has urged the public to report any insurance firm that refuses to settle its claims. NAICOM’s Commissioner for Insurance, Fola Daniel, who gave the advice reiterated that the Commission’s Complaint Bureau is mandated to handle cases from non-settlement of claims against any insurance firm submitted by either the public or beneficiaries. He stressed that insurance disputes, such as undue delay in settle-

Stories by Omobola Tolu-Kusimo

ments of genuine claims, denial of liability, where the complainant is convinced that there is liability, can be referred to the Bureau. Daniel, however, said the Bureau is not an alternative to the court, where some disputes must be resolved. He said members of the Committee of Adjudication comprises a chairman, secretary and four other members, who are employees of the NAICOM.

He said: “Those who may complain include any policy holder or beneficiary that feels aggrieved by the operations of any insurance institution. Brokers and Agents may also complain on behalf of their Principal. ‘’The public can complain through the walk in option, visit NAICOM’s Complaints Bureau or any Zonal Office. They can also write a complain addressed to the Commissioner for Insurance in Abuja, fill and submit a complaint form on the Commission’s website, call the

Complaints Bureau contact line or call NAICOM’s Call Centre.” ‘’The contents of the letter of complaint should include name of complainant or policy holder, phone number, address and e-mail address. ‘’They should also include name of insurance institution being complained against, nature of complain, type of policy with policy number and claim number and amount of claim.” Daniel added that the services rendered by the Complaints Bureau of NAICOM are free.

NSE clears Goldlink

OLDLINK Insurance Plc has received a clean bill of health from the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). This follows the response from Goldlink’s management to the warning issued by the Exchange to delist some companies from the NSE, including Goldlink, its Managing Director, Gbolahan Olutayo has said. He said this was contained in a statement by the NSE on its website, which cleared Goldlink from the list of firms to be delisted. He said the NSE had posted the list of firms to be delisted on its website in September, last year and stated that 19 companies were regularising their books with the NSE to avoid being sanctioned. According to the NSE, he said,

other listed companies that failed to take any or appropriate steps to regularise their books have been delisted from the Stock Exchange following the expiration of the deadline it gave before taking the final decision. He noted that with the clearance of Goldlink by the NSE, the company is reassuring its shareholders of its commitment to secure their investments in the company. Olutayo said all hands are on deck to ensure better returns on the investment of shareholders. He said the National Insurance Commission(NAICOM) has addressed all challenges confronted by Goldlink in the past, adding that measures were in place to ensure that all requirements of statutory compliance are adhered to.

• Olutayo

Olutayo assured the shareholders that plans were in place to acquaint them with reports of efforts made to reposition the company for effective service and better returns on their investments.

LASACO Assurance promotes four GMs, others

ASACO Assurance Plc has promoted four general managers and 36 others to various cadres. The general managers are Mr. Akinwale Sofile, Finance &Accounts; Mr. Shobo Ademoye, Marketing; Mr. Oluyemi Samson, Technical and Mr. Olona Oladimeji, LASACO Life. The Group Managing Director of LASACOAssurance Plc, Mr. Olusola Ladipo-Ajayi, explained that the company values its human resource, saying the prime factor in the accomplishment of corporate goals and has a robust laid out plans to ensure their continued motivation to deliver on cutting edge expertise. He said the promotion was carried out early in the year to motivate staff to consolidate on the strides the firm

recorded in 2014, particularly in reversing negative performances the company had witnessed. He assured that the management would continue to give staff the attention they deserve. According to him, “Messrs Akinwale, Ademoye, Oluyemi and Olona deserved being elevated to the General Manager’s cadre having demonstrated great professionalism and leadership within the company and we have absolute confidence in their competence and skill to move the LASACO brand to the next level”. He saluted the resourcefulness sand diligence of other 36 staff that were also promoted, urging them not to rest on their oars. “With the

challenge in the industry, we have to motivate and hold on to our best brains and hands,’’ he said. The feats achieved in 2014 could not have been possible without their dogged commitment to elevate the brand and the management took cognisance of their sacrifices and dedication,”, he added. The new General Managers, who were Assistant General Managers, have over 20 years each in diverse core areas of insurance and have held various positions at the company. They are members of various professional associations, such Chartered Institute of Insurance of Nigeria, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN),Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM).

New Zealand joins International Information supervision.”We are glad to welHE Chairman of the Execu Exchange come New Zealand as a signatory tive Committee of the Inter

national Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) Felix Hufeld has announced that the insurance supervisor of New Zealand has joined an international supervisory cooperation and information exchange agreement. Nigeria’s National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) is also a member of the IAIS. According to IAIS, there are 44 jurisdictions admitted as signatories to the IAIS Multilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MMoU), representing more than 60 per cent of worldwide premium volume. The MMoU is a global framework for cooperation and information exchange among insurance supervisors. It sets minimum standards to which signatories must adhere, and all applicants are subject to review and

approval by an independent team of IAIS Members. Through membership in the MMoU, supervisors are able to exchange relevant information with and provide assistance to other signatories, thereby promoting the financial stability and sound supervision of cross-border insurance operations for the benefit and protection of consumers. Richard Dean, Manager Operational Policy said: “The Reserve Bank of New Zealand is delighted at its accession to the IAIS MMoU, which we regard as another important step in the continuing development of New Zealand’s insurance prudential regulatory regime. “With a number of overseas insurers operating in the New Zealand market the MMoU will be a key support for the Reserve Bank’s

to the MMoU,” said Mr Hufeld. “To achieve our ultimate goal of policyholder protection within the global insurance marketplace, an insurance supervisor needs the ability to cooperate quickly and effectively. The MMoU is an essential regulatory tool, not only in crisis situations, but on a day-to-day basis for supervisors to foster safer and more stable insurance markets, and the IAIS encourages each of its Members to become a MMoU signatory.”Previous MMoU signatories include, among others, Australia, Austria, Bermuda, Canada, Chile, California (USA),Connecticut (USA), Chinese Taipei, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, the Netherlands, Qatar, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Virginia (USA).

• Daniel

‘Traders show apathy for insurance’

HERE is apathy towards insurance by some traders, The Nation’s investigation has gathered. Of the 10 traders interviewed at the Ojuwoye, Mushin, and Ketu markets in Lagos, six said they did not believe in insurance, four said they did not know how to go about it while only one of them had an insurance policy. A trader, who simply gave her name as Blessing, said insurance is not valued in Nigeria unlike countries abroad where it is effectively run. Blessing, who sells cosmetic and beauty products, said most market men and women do not have enough capital to run their business successfully, needless say having an insurance cover. Michael Ojo runs a boutique store on Agonron route in Mushin market. For him, insuring businesses is a very good strategy because it ensures peace of mind such that if

By Bukola Bolajoko

any loss occurs to the business, insurance companies will pay claims that will bring the insured back to business. He however said the problem he has is that he does not know how to go about it. ‘’I don’t have detailed and adequate information on how the insurance policies operate and the benefits I stand to gain,” he said. Adebayo Shobowale, trader at Ketu market, said he does not know how to get his business insured. Godwin, the only trader who said he had an insurance cover for his business, owns a phone store at Ojuwoye market. According to him, insurance help straders to trade safe but a majority of the traders believe they do not need insurance because their business is not really big, especially traders that sell pepper, vegetables among others.

We’ve submitted our 2014 Q3 accounts, says Oyefeso

TACO Insurance Plc has submitted her last year’s third Quarter Accounts to the regulatory authority National Insurance Commission, the firm’s Managing Director, Sakiru Oyefeso has said. In a statement, he said contrary to a report published on January 15, this year by the Commission that the firm was yet to submit her 2014 third Quarter Accounts, the firm had actually submitted since December 2014.He said the Commission has however reconfirmed the submission of their accounts. He said: “NAICOM has confirmed via her website that Staco Insurance Plc has submitted her 2014 third Quarter Accounts to the regulatory authority. “The company has actually submitted the third quarter returns since last year but this was not updated on NAICOM website until recently.” In an update on NAICOM website as at January 15, 2015 only few insurance companies have their third quarter account spending”, he noted. Oyefeso reiterated the firm’s resolve to continue to enhance its services through prompt claims settlement. “We have consistently improved on our service delivery to clients aided by investment in information and communications technology and the exposure of our staff to quality customer service training. “We shall not relent in our efforts to deliver quality service every time. Management has further taken steps to deploy various epayment platforms to enable clients pay easily and avoid the rigors

associated with premium payments. Our internal processes have further guaranteed reduction in overhead, streamlining of operations and creation of synergies.” He added that the marketing strategy is driven by enhanced product offerings, excellent operations, relationship marketing and exceptional service delivery to our customers. He said the firm also ensures adequate risk management practice in accordance with international best practice which enables their underwriters to operate on risk based analysis to determine the intended consequence in our operations. “We have consistently strengthened our relationship with our brokers as a vehicle for increased market share. In the same vain, our focus has not shifted from public sectors at all levels of government, specially targeting the ministries, departments, and agencies (MDA’s). Marketing strategies have been deployed to meet the dynamic peculiarity of this sector and are directed at improving productivity and operating efficiency as well as capturing full synergies for the benefit of all stakeholders. On the future outlook, he said, inspite of the unfavourable business environment, they are confident that insurance has a bright, robust and prosperous future, with opportunities to grow and build long term values for all stakeholders and remain on top of competition. We have put appropriate strategies to strengthen our activities in micro-insurance and retail end of insurance marketing.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

ISSUES

• Oil platform

Oil price crash: implications for Nigeria Since mid last year when the price of oil started plummeting, there have been concerns over its implications for the global economy, especially Nigeria, which is heavily dependent on oil for revenues. There is widespread fear over how far Nigeria can go if the slump in oil prices continues, Assistant Editor EMEKA UGWUANYI takes a look at the situation and what it portends for the country. Background

HE price of oil, like any other commodity, swings. Over the years, there has been evidence that when the price of oil goes up steadily over a long period, the tendency is for a drastic price drop to be expected. It is because of the volatility and politics of oil, which determine the way the price goes, that led to the formation of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in September, 1960, to intervene in shoring up prices through production cut when needed. Such interventions in the past, according to the former Minister of Petroleum, Odein Ajumogobia, had immensely helped in the rebound of prices. For instance, prices had averaged $18 per barrel from 1990 to the end of 1997, but from December 1997 to July 1999 oil prices had fallen from $18 per barrel to about $12 per barrel. In December 1998, the price dipped below $10 per barrel, and by April 1999 the price was just over $11 per barrel. But OPEC intervened by joining forces with non-OPEC producers such as Mexico, Oman, Norway and Russia to cut 2.1 million barrels with effect from April 1, 1999. By the end of April, the price had rallied, reaching about $16 per barrel and $18 by July. It later rose to $20 per barrel. Also between 2007 and 2008, the world witnessed the greatest level of volatility in the oil market with prices going up from $65 per barrel in 2007, to an all time high of $147 per barrel in July 2008 and many analysts predicted a rise to $200 per

barrel, but by October of the same year, it dropped to $32 per barrel. Similarly, OPEC intervened, cut production and price rallied and rose to $70 per barrel. Very few people predicted that oil price would rise soon to $100 per barrel and by the beginning of last year oil prices had gone up averaging about $110 a barrel before the current slump set in mid-last year. However, the fear that the current price slump may last longer than expected is hinged on the fact that the leading oil producing members of OPEC such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have refused to buy into the proposal by other members to cut production. Besides, the United States (US), a major global oil producer and consumer, is accessing its oil reserves apart from the regular production; therefore, it is not buying from external market. Also, oil demand by other big buyer countries such as China has dropped, following a lull in the economy. Therefore, the glut in supply is expected to continue until all members of OPEC reach a

consensus to cut production perhaps in their next meeting in Vienna, Austria, on June 5, this year. There are various unconfirmed reports why the big time oil producers are pushing the commodity into the market despite the low price. For instance, the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, who spoke on ‘Global Energy Policies and Power PlayEmerging Regional Dynamics,’ at a forum in Lagos, said the topic is about the Gulf of Guinea in general, and Nigeria in particular, now that not a single drop of oil from Nigeria, and only an insignificant quantity from the region in general goes to the US, the traditional market for the bulk of the oil trade from the region. The new trend, he said, is not likely to change in the foreseeable future. He said until very recently, sustained high oil prices as well as an increasing demand fueled by growth-induced demand in fast growing countries such as China, India and other emerging economies, have encouraged

‘If we have self-sufficiency, the effect will trickle down to other sectors of the economy. Imagine if Nigeria doesn’t import products, but produces and refines more than it requires locally, in a period of continued drop in prices, it can export refined products and create jobs and value in-country’

the development of new sources of oil, especially shale oil and gas, as well as the emergence of new oil regions. He stated that high oil prices over the past decade or so have also accelerated the search for alternative fuels and continued improvements in fuel efficiencies. The consequence of these developments have created a significant shift in the supply dynamics and an oversupply situation with the resultant collapse of the oil price which, in just a few months, has seen a 20-25 per cent drop from over $100 per barrel to just below $80 per barrel by November last year. The price further fell to below $50 per barrel by close of the year. Dangote said: “These demand- supply dynamics however, are not the only drivers of the recent price collapse. Some observers have suggested that global politics and power play are also at work. Could it be the “Swing Producers” flexing their influence? Saudi Arabia, which is capable of pumping 12 million barrels per day versus the US nine million barrels per day appears to have started a price war designed to punish its major competitor (Russia), who is unable to tolerate oil price at levels below $75. “In October 2014, as oil prices slipped towards $85, the Saudis increased their production and offered discounts to major Asian customers, and this month, with US prices nearing $80, Saudis again offered discounts to their North American customers in a transparent bid to gain the market • Continued on page 30

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

ISSUES

Oil price crash: implications for Nigeria • Continued from page 29

share. “United States oil supply un-disputably has contributed to low prices, the question is how soon low oil prices can chase American oil from the market. No doubt, an extended period of low prices would kill projects in oil sands, deepwater and the Arctic, which typically require many years and billions of dollars to develop. But the Saudis are also not able to sustain low prices, as their economy is now accustomed to oil above $100. It is believed that Saudi Arabia needs the price to be above $90 to balance the books, but can live with lower oil price for longer than their competitors. “Another scenario: Could this be high stakes poker by world powers? USA and Saudi Arabia playing the oil card against Iran and Russia? Think about this a minute: “the Obama administration wants Teheran to come to their position over its nuclear programme. It also wants Vladimir Putin to back off eastern Ukraine. After recent experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan, the white House has no desire to put American boots on the ground to force their position. Instead, it is in alliance with Saudi to drive down oil price by flooding an already weak market with crude? “As the Russians and the Iranians are heavily dependent on oil exports, the assumption is that the economic impact of sanctions and significantly reduced oil revenue, will make them easier to deal with. So have the US and Saudi Arabia found a common cause to use oil as the leverage? Saudis want to put pressure on Iran and to force Moscow to weaken its support for the Assad regime in Syria. As oil and gas account for 70 per cent of Russian exports and its budget does not add up unless the oil price is above $100, the US is able to bring deeper economic pressure on Russia in addition to sanctions. Could this be another dynamic?” He noted that the increasing instability as a result of the terrorist activity in Nigeria also worsens the impact of crude price fall. Also, some stakeholders said the oil price crash is a deliberate arrangement besides increasing shale oil output. They said some militant groups, such as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), access crude oil illegally and sell it through informal channels at very low prices to fund their activities. But with low oil prices, it would be difficult to find buyers, which will affect them negatively or weaken them, a reason such groups have resorted to kidnapping and asking for ransom. There are speculations too that the fall in price is also deliberate to punish Nigeria for not legalising same sex marriage and giving freedom to homosexuals. However, Ajumogobia and the former President of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE), Mrs. Adedoja Ojelabi, said increase and decline in oil price are normal, noting that what matters is to manage the revenues from the period of high price well to make up for that of low price. It is important to save for the rainy day, they said. Ojelabi said the falling oil price shouldn’t have been a concern if the necessary precautions were put in place. She said in any normal market, prices are expected to rise and fall, but the fact is that as a country, we don’t anticipate issues that will drive prices up or down. She stated that although Nigeria doesn’t have control over oil price because it is internationally determined through the forces of demand and supply, but it can mitigate the effect locally through building of relevant infrastructure such as refineries and electricity, among others. “If we have self-sufficiency, the effect will trickle down to other sectors of the economy. Imagine if Nigeria doesn’t import products, but produces and refines more than it requires locally, in a period of continued drop in prices, it can export refined products and create jobs and value in-country. Also if proceeds from oil have been sufficiently invested in making power available to Nigerians, the benefits should be unquantifiable because uninterrupted power supply will boost industrialisation, manufacturing and technology development,” she said.

Challenges

The greatest challenge that crude oil price crash poses to Nigeria, according to analysts, is the inability to fund the budget for smooth

• Petroleum Resources Minister and OPEC President Diezani Alison-Madueke

• Dawha

• Nweze

running of the economy and government. For instance, Dr Austin Nweze, a lecturer at the Pan Atlantic University, Lagos and governorship aspirant in Ebonyi State under the Social Democratic Mega Party, said Nigeria runs a rental economy where commodities such as oil, which account for 80-90 per cent of the nation’s revenue, are exported. Therefore, there is no in-country value creation, which could have been if the crude oil is substantially refined in the country. He said as the 2015 budget stands, it is undecided with oil benchmark of $65 per barrel, while oil price is below $50 per barrel. If there is no money to fund the budget, it means there will be no implementation of capital projects and workers’ salaries will be difficult to pay. There was such a scenario in 1998 when the price of oil was very low and salaries could not be paid and teachers were out of school because schools were closed. Nweze noted that although, the government has the option of borrowing to fund the budget, but it should know that it has paucity of infrastructure from where money could be generated to pay back. Besides, the foreign exchange reserves have dropped significantly. He said when borrowing, countries consider their percentage debt to Gross Domestic product (GDP). This consideration is critical, he noted. He said that countries with high GDP such as the U S can go as high as 80 per cent but because Nigeria runs a rental economy, its percentage debt to GDP should not be more than 10 per cent even though the standard acceptable limit is 40 per cent, adding that currently Nigeria’s percentage debt to GDP is well over 20 per cent. He also said if the oil price slump persists for so long, many economic activities and projects may be put on hold and that implies job cuts, retrenchment and downsizing of the workforce. The Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Joseph Dawha, corroborated Nweze’s view on loss of jobs and projects stagnation when he spoke at a conference in Lagos on January 20 this year. The ongoing decline in crude oil price, according to him, will cause delay of about three deep

water projects in Nigeria. Dawha, who spoke through the Group General Manager, National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), Mr. Jonathan Okehs, said that many companies had serious cash flow challenges due to oil price decline, which has reduced their capital expenditure. “To many healthy companies balance sheet these will result in delay of economically viable projects. Delay in major projects will now be featuring in many companies’ projects and progammes, especially for offshore projects.” He said a number of deep water projects will suffer delays or outright cancellation including one in Angola, three in Nigeria and one in Ghana. In shallow water, two projects in Angola, one in Nigeria and two in Ghana may also suffer delays. According to him, in Nigeria the challenge for the industry is how to manage major projects through both price and physical uncertainty. The President of NAPE, Chinwendu Edoziem, also expressed concern that the oil price crash may lead to stopping exploration for discovery of new oil fields. He said that it is the price of crude that determines whether an oil firm will go and drill or not. Search for oil is often driven by price of crude, so let’s pray the price rallies.

tor as well as a very outdated policy and regulatory environment for the oil and gas sector. He said despite Nigeria’s GDP rebasing, which brought it to the 26th largest economy in the world and the largest economy in Africa, its GDP per capita still remains low at $ 2,688 and ranks her as 121st in the world (South Africa has a much higher per capita GDP of $7507 and ranked 69th in the world. The much anticipated Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), according to him, needs to be passed as it affects the source of the bulk of national foreign exchange earnings. “This is critical to the transformation of the sector and its repositioning to play an effective role in the new economy. The removal of Petroleum Fuel Subsidy is also critical because it benefits the more affluent, which is a small minority of the population,” he added. Nigeria’s inability to monetise its enormous natural gas resources, according to Dangote, is a major challenge. Gas, he said, has great potential to accelerate economic growth, adding that the huge deficit in the nation’s energy consumption especially electricity, which has constrained our economic growth, can be easily eliminated if gas is fully utilised. “The key is to adopt a pricing regime for gas that will encourage investment in gas infrastructure,” he added. The Executive Secretary of Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Mr. Obafemi Olawore, also confirmed that the percentage reduction in pump price to N87 per litre from N97 by the government last week was not commensurate with reductions in some countries across the world. He said if the country doesn’t import products and the value of naira didn’t go down, with crude price of less than $50 per barrel, Nigerians could have been buying the product far less than it is now. But because we import the petroleum products in dollars with current pressure on naira, reducing the pump price further may not be in the interest of the country, economy and Nigerians, because the subsidy will still soar despite low price of crude. There is need to shore up the value of the naira. Nweze said because of dwindling oil receipts resulting in the decline of government revenue, it can borrow to fund the budget but must try to develop infrastructure that will be generating money to pay back the debt. Such infrastructure, he said, should be developed under public, private partnership for prudent management and sustainability. For private sector to participate in building of refineries, he stated that government should encourage investors by giving them robust incentives and removing subsidy. This, according to him, will engender competition and investors who feel that importation is cheaper than refining in the country, will import and price of products will crash. Ajumogobia said the government has to address the issue of pipeline vandalisation, oil theft and militancy, develop the culture of maintenance of critical infrastructure in the oil and gas industry, make the existing refineries operational and encourage construction of new ones, meet its funding obligations in oil and gas projects, and ensure that policies that guide the oil and gas industry are stable and properly implemented. Most importantly, oil revenues must be properly managed to care for the rainy days. Former Group Managing Directors, Jackson Gaius-Obaseki and Funsho Kupolokun, among others also backed the handover of the existing refineries to the private sector.

Solutions

Dangote said international relevance and influence in any geo-political interaction and power play depend fundamentally on the internal social cohesion, economic strength, and political stability of the player nation. In other words, international political prestige and clout depend on the legitimacy and transparency in governance and socio-economic development of the country. For Nigeria to achieve its aspirations in the global arena, two imperatives must be vigorously pursued: significant improvement in governance and broad based inclusive socioeconomic development. Nigeria, he noted, must increase its local processing and consumption. This has been the goal of the government for many years. But the progress has been impeded by lack of investment in the downstream petroleum sec-

HISTORY OF FUEL PRICE CHANGES IN NIGERIA NO. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

REGIME General Yakubu Gowon Murtala Mohammed General Olusegun Obasanjo Shehu Shagari General Babanjida General Babanjida General Babanjida General Babanjida Ernest Shonekan General Sanni Abacha General Sanni Abacha General Sanni Abacha General Abubakar General Abubakar Obasanjo Obasanjo Obasanjo Obasanjo Obasanjo Obasanjo Obasanjo Yar’Adua Goodluck Jonathan Goodluck Jonathan Goodluck Jonathan

DATE 1973 1976 October 1, 1978 April 20, 1982 March 31, 1986 April 10, 1988 Jan 1, 1989 March 6, 1991 Nov 8, 1993 Nov 22, 1993 Oct 2, 1994 Oct 4, 1994 Dec 20, 1998 Jan 6, 1999 June 1, 2000 June 8, 2000 Jan 1, 2002 June 8, 2003 May 29, 2004 Aug 25, 2004 May 27, 2007 June 2007 Jan 1, 2012 Jan 17, 2012 Jan 2015

INCREASE 6 kobo to 45 kobo 8.45 kobo to 9 kobo 9 kobo to 15.3 kobo 15.3 kobo to 20 kobo 20 kobo to 39.5 kobo 39.5 kobo to 42 kobo 42 kobo to 60 kobo 60 kobo to 70 kobo 70 kobo to N5 N5 to N3 dropped N3.25 kobo to N15 N15 to N11 (Pr. dropped) N11 to N25 N25 to N20 (dropped) N20 to N30 N30 to N22 (dropped) N22 to N26 N26 to N42 N42 to N50 N50 to N65 N65 to N75 Back to N65 N141 N97 dropped to N87

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

Taxation Tax Clearance Certificate (TCC), due dates for filing returns…

VER the years, questions have been raised on issues regarding Tax Clearance Certificates (TCC), due dates for filing returns, accounting year, accounting period and other tax related issues. The following questions and answers seek to shed some light on these matters. Question 1 If someone lives in Kaduna and pays his tax there, can he obtain his TCC in Abuja? Answer No, one can only obtain his/her TCC from the tax authority where the person is registered for tax purposes and has been paying his taxes in compliance with the rule of residence as contained in the tax law. Question 2 Why does it take more than two weeks to issue a TCC even if the taxpayer pays tax in cash? Answer A TCC can only be issued only after all taxes payable by the taxpayer for the past three preceding years have been paid. The statutory standard of issuing a TCC within two weeks is still in force. However, the two weeks start to count only after all taxes have been paid and from the day the taxpayer files an application for a TCC with the tax office and not from the date of payment of taxes to the banks. Question 3 Why does FIRS still refuse to issue TCC after PAYE has been deducted from the staff salary? Answer FIRS does not deny issuance of TCC to any taxpayer who has paid his tax liability in full. However, a TCC request is rejected where the taxpayer still has an outstanding liability to pay. Question 4 On what basis will an application for TCC be rejected after two weeks and still be under processing? Answer TCC can be rejected on the following grounds: a. Where taxes have not been paid. ii Where penalties or interest is still outstanding. iii. Where outstanding returns have not been filed iv. Where there are outstanding issues arising from tax queries, audit or investigation. v. Where the case is with the Tax Appeal Tribunal for hearing and part of the tax has not been paid as required. TCC application once rejected cannot be said to be still under processing, but it is kept on hold until outstanding issues have been resolved or sorted out by the taxpayer with the relevant office. Question 5 Is installment payment no longer allowed for self-assessment filers? Answer The tax law still recognizes the granting of installment payment to self-assessment filers. However, this can only be granted on application by the taxpayer to the tax office. Question 6 If a taxpayer gives a cheque to a banker in his office without going to the bank, how can the taxpayer know whether payment has been made to FIRS account? Answer The taxpayer should insist on the bank delivering the eticket to him which will indicate the date and time payment was captured into FIRS’ account by the bank. Question 7 Is medical allowance taxed? Answer Yes. If it is paid directly to the hospital, Withholding Tax (WHT) should be deducted and if it is given to an employee in the form of allowance, it is taxed under PAYE. Question 8 Can a taxpayer pay to any collecting bank branch? Answer Yes. There are no designated bank branches for any tax

offices or tax types. All approved lead/collecting banks can collect for all offices and tax types. Question 9 What is the process involved in getting back tax payment erroneously credited in the name of the depositor instead of the taxpayer? Answer Any tax paid in error can be reversed by the collecting bank within 24 hours if the bank is put on notice within the period. However, if the error was not detected on time, refund can be made by FIRS on request through e-payment platform with the option to use it to off-set future tax. Question 10 What is tax avoidance and tax evasion? Answer • Tax Avoidance: - This is a way of identifying loopholes in the tax law and then taking advantage of such loopholes to reduce the tax payable. • Tax Evasion: - This is a deliberate and illegal act by the taxpayer not to pay the correct tax. Question 11 What is accounting year and accounting period? Answer • Accounting Year: - This is a twelve (12) month period over which an entity‘s financial accounts are made-up. • Accounting Period: - This simply means the period with reference to which financial accounts of an entity are prepared. Question 12 Is inclusion of Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) on a contractor’s quotation necessary? Answer Yes it is mandatory. Question 13

• Acting Executive Chairman, FIRS, Alhaji Kabir Mohammed

Mashi What is the meaning of due date? Answer Due date is the date prescribed by law for filing of tax returns and making of tax payments by taxpayers. All tax types have their different due dates as provided by the relevant tax laws. Due dates for other tax types are as shown below:

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

MONEYLINK

NDIC cuts insurance premium for banks

HE Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has reduced the insurance premium rate for all Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) in Nigeria. The Managing Director/Chief Executive, NDIC, Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim, also said the board of the corporation granted further reliefs to the DMBs at its last meeting last year by reducing the insurance premium basis rate from the existing 40 to 35 basis points. He said the new premium rate would take effect this month. In a statement, NDIC which covers 97 per cent of the bank depositors, said the reduction is part of its deter-

Stories by Collins Nweze

mination to contribute to the financial system stability and promote public confidence in the banking sector. He said the premium reduction was initiated to consolidate on the gains achieved by the corporation’s migration from Flat Rate Premium System (FRPS) to Differential Premium Assessment System (DPAS). The DPAS approach, it explained, takes into consideration the risk each lender poses to the system and encourages them to adopt sound risk management practices. According to Ibrahim, the insur-

ance premium rebates were part of the NDIC major contributions toward improving the intermediation role and other banking-related activities of the DMBs. The NDIC boss pointed out that Principle 11 of the core principles for effective deposit insurance system requires Deposit Insurance Agencies (DIAs) to set aside adequate funds to ensure depositors’ prompt reimbursement in the event of any bank failure. He also said the corporation would from 2015 set new coverage levels for the DMBs in view of their relatively large volumes of deposits. It would be recalled that the corpo-

ration began the insurance premium rebate since the commencement of DPAS in 2008 but the import began in 2010 sequel to the board’s decision to contribute to the financial stability fund that was spearheaded by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The corporation had supported the fund through the reduction of premium base rate from 50 to 40 basis points to reduce the premium burden on the DMBs. By 2012, 2013 and 2014, the corporation had granted a total rebate of N53 billion, N63.6 billion and N75.98 billion respectively; thus a cumulative refund sum of N192.6 billion to the DMBs.

UBA assures investors on naira stability

ROUP Managing Director/ CEO, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Phillips Oduoza

has urged investors in Nigeria not to panic over falling crude oil prices and exchange rate volatility as the country has enough reserves to support the local currency. Speaking to CNBC Africa on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) at the weekend, in Davos, Switzerland, the bank chief said that at $34 billion, Nigeria has enough external reserves to support the naira. “I do not see any significant devaluation of the currency happening,” said Oduoza.

ANK of Industry (BoI) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Ecobank Nigeria to provide loans at low interest rate to the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)subsector. Managing Director/Chief Executive, BoI, Mr. Rasheed Olaoluwa, while speaking at the event in Lagos, said Ecobank and nine other banks in the country were selected

He also explained that Nigeria faced similar challenges in 2008/ 2009 and the country learnt a lot from that experience, which will come in handy in managing the current currency challenges. “In my opinion, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is handling the challenges very well because they have come out with tools and instruments to stabilise the exchange rate and we are beginning to see some form of stability in the market,” he said. Oduoza explained that the foreign investor community does not need to panic since the country has

The corporation administers three

no form of currency or capital restriction. He also dismissed any fears that there will be a rise in nonperforming loans due to exposure of the banking industry to companies in the oil and gas sector. “The international oil companies are very versatile and have hedged their positions for a very long time. Most of them also have foreign currency receivables. So, what you are likely to see is an elongation of the tenure or restructuring of these loans rather defaults. So, you are unlikely to see any significant increase in non-performing assets,” explained Oduoza.

•Oduoza

BoI, Ecobank sign pact on SMEs based on their support to the SMEs, adding that the low interest rate will heighten activities in the subsector. According to the MoU, the 10 banks would provide working capital loans to SMEs qualified by the BoI at interest rate of Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) plus six per cent,

with tenor ranging from six months to 12 months. The BoI on the other hand would provide Term Loans to the qualified SMEs at between nine and ten per cent rate with tenor ranging from three to five years, and moratorium of six to 12 months. Deputy Managing Director,

Ecobank Nigeria, Tony Okpanachi, explained that the selection of Ecobank by BoI was in recognition of the massive support the bank has offered the sub-sector over time. He observed that the support has won the Ecobank several awards and recognitions in recent times.

GTBank donates N40m to Red Cross, DwB

UARANTY Trust Bank has donated N40 million to Swiss Red Cross and Doctors without Borders (DwB)in its support towards the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) Intervention strategy in West Africa. The response to Ebola outbreak by Swiss Red Cross and Doctors without Borders started in early 2014 with the establishment of Ebola Case Management Centers (CMCs), provision of beds in isolation and transit centres, proper disposal of dead bodies and provision of medical personnel and supplies. The lender said in a statement that after a few months of properly executed intervention measures by these organisations, there is remarkable gradual decline in the outbreak. However, more action is required to combat further outbreak as well as effective implementation of World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Roadmap against Ebola. The bank said the fund would help dispatch trained personnel, create mobile laboratories to improve diagnostics, set up more Ebola case management facilities in remote areas, create regional network of field hospitals to treat medical personnel and address the collapse of state infrastructure. The Managing Director and CEO of Guaranty Trust Bank plc, Mr. Segun Agbaje, said the lender would continue to lead the way as a responsive and socially responsible corporate organisation in line with its strategic Corporate Socially Responsibility (CSR) objectives.

DATA BANK AFRINVEST W. A. EQUITY FUND ARM AGGRESSIVE GROWTH BGL NUBIAN FUND BGL SAPPHIRE FUND CANARY GROWTH FUND CONTINENTAL UNIT TRUST CORAL INCOME FUND FBN FIXED INCOME FUND FBN HERITAGE FUND FBN MONEY MARKET FUND FIDELITY NIG FUND • UBA BALANCED FUND • UBA BOND FUND • UBA EQUITY FUND • UBA MONEY MARKET FUND

125.78 9.17 1.12 1.19 0.63 1.39 1,734.52 1,101.29 112.61 121.16 1.67 1.29 1.32 0.95 1.17

125.70 9.08 1.12 1.19 0.62 1.33 1,734.52 1,100.53 112.30 120.30 1.62 1.28 1.32 0.93 1.17

C/PRICE 29.63 24.46 5.53 38.80 0.65 1.75 3.75 17.50 0.78 34.00 37.00 129.99 21.00

CHANGE 5.00 4.98 4.93 4.89 4.84 1.79 4.17 4.04 4.00 3.66 2.81 2.34 2.04

LOSERS AS AT 22-01-15

SYMBOL

O/PRICE

DANGFLOUR 3.52 ABCTRANS 0.55 WAPIC 0.55 NPFMCRFBK 0.84 NEM 0.59 WEMABANK 0.95 UBA 3.66 DIAMONBANK 4.10 ACCESS 5.09 OANDO 16.50 FCMB 2.30 FO 226.99 LIVESTOCK 2.30

C/PRICE 3.19 0.53 0.53 0.81 0.57 0.92 3.56 4.00 4.99 16.20 2.09 224.00 2.27

Transaction Dates 13/01/2015 3/12/2014 1/12/2014 ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Inflation: December

CHANGE -9.38 -3.64 -3.64 -3.57 -3.39 -3.16 -2.73 -2.44 -1.96 -1.82 -1.42 -1.32 -1.30

Amount Offered in ($) 500m 400m 350m

Amount Sold in ($) 499.93m 399.97m 349.96m

CBN EXCHANGE RATES January 22, 2015

Monetary Policy Rate

GAINERS AS AT 22-01-15

SYMBOL O/PRICE PRESCO 28.22 OKOMUOIL 23.30 DANGSUGAR 5.27 FLOURMILL 36.99 COSTAIN 0.62 AIRSERVICE 1.67 VITAFOAM 3.60 ZENITHBANK 16.82 AIICO 0.75 UNILEVER 32.80 UACN 35.99 GUNINNESS 127.02 GUARANTY 20.58

RETAIL DUTCH AUCTION SYSTEM (RDAS)

Currency

Buying (N)

Selling (N)

167

168

13.0%

Foreign Reserves

$35b

US Dollar

Oil Price (Bonny Light/b)

$45

Pounds Sterling

252.8881

254.4024

Euro

206.2617

207.4968

Swiss Franc

191.0537

192.1977

Yen

1.4067

1.4151

CFA

0.2759

0.2959

236.8538

238.2721

Yuan/Renminbi

26.8726

27.0344

Money Supply (M2)

N16.42 trillion.

Credit to private Sector (CPS)

N17.2 trillion

Primary Lending Rate (PLR)

16.5%

NIGERIAN INTER-BANK OFFERED RATES (NIBOR)

WAUA Tenor

20-01-15 Rate (%) Rate (%) 21-01-15

Overnight (O/N)

10.54

11.17

Riyal

44.4622

44.7284

11.94

12.18

SDR

237.1233

238.5432

13.08

13.33

14.03

14.17

FOREX RATES

R-DAS ($/N)

167.29

168.29

Interbank ($/N)

162.75

Parallel ($/N)

185.50

GOVT. SECURITIES YIELD – SECONDARY MARKET

Tenor

Jan. 22, 2015

Rates

T-bills - 91

13.65

T-bills - 182

13.88

T-bills - 364

13.65

Bond - 3yrs

13.81

Bond - 5yrs

13.85

Bond - 7yrs

13.83

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

EQUITIES

AIICO, IFC in N3.4b convertible loan deal A

IICO Insurance Plc and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) have opened discussions on a $20 million convertible loan deal that may see the global finance company holding substantial equity stake in the Nigeria-listed insurance company. Regulatory filing obtained at the weekend indicated that the IFC, the private sector arm of the World Bank, plans to extend $20 million, about N3.4 billion to Aiico Insurance. Under the arrangement, IFC has an option to convert any unpaid part of the convertible loan to equities in Aiico, referencing similar strategy that has seen IFC acquiring major stakes in many Nigerian

financial institutions. Aiico’s share price rose by 4.0 per cent at the weekend to open today at 78 kobo. At current market valuation, the convertible loan deal could see IFC holding as much as one third of Aiico’s shareholding. Aiico’s issued share capital of 8.80 billion ordinary shares of 50 kobo each is valued at N6.86 billion. IFC had made similar arrangement to invest $12.5 million in Custodian and Allied Insurance Plc in 2012. The Custodian deal came through a 4.5 per cent convertible loan stock, an approximately N1.95 billion deal that allowed IFC to convert the debt stock into equities upon the terms of the agreement. IFC recently acquired additional

4.6 per cent equity stake in Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI) Plc, the financial services holding group for all Ecobank banks, including Ecobank Nigeria Limited. ETI, which is listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) and the BRVM, Abidjan, issued more than 838.32 million ordinary shares of 50 kobo each to IFC, through convertible loan deals involving two funds being managed by the corporation. A document submitted to the NSE indicated that IFC acquired the shares through its managed fundsIFC ALAC Holding Company II and the IFC Capitalization (Equity)

Fund LP. Under the deals, both funds converted convertible debts earlier granted to ETI to shares, with effect from July 1, 2014. The outstanding convertible loans of about $56.39 million for the IFC Capitalization (Equity) Fund LP and $18.10 million for the IFC ALAC Holding Company II were converted to some 628.74 million and 209.58 million ordinary shares of ETI respectively. Consequently, ETI issued 838.32 million additional shares, increasing its outstanding shares by 4.9 per cent from 17.21 billion ordinary shares of 50 kobo each to 18.05 billion ordinary shares of 50 kobo each. The conversions au-

tomatically reduced ETI’s convertible debts by $75.180 million. It should be recalled that IFC had in 2012, through these two managed funds and another fundAfrica Capitalisation Fund Limited, acquired 8.63 per cent equity stake in ETI. It had acquired 1.25 billion ordinary shares at agreed price of 8.0 cents per share, totaling $100 million, about N15.6 billion. ETI then had 13.24 billion ordinary shares outstanding. The supplementary listing of the additional shares issued to IFC increased total outstanding shares to 14.49 billion shares, giving IFC 8.63 per cent post listing.

•From left: Mr. Bola Adeeko, Head, Corporate Services Division, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE); Amb. Ummuna Orjiako, Ambassador/Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva; Mr. Oscar Onyema, Chief Executive Officer, NSE; Mr. Isaac Obodo, President, Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO), Swiss; Mr. Aigboje Higo, Managing Director, Capital Bancorp Plc and Amb. Lawrence Ayodele, Nigerian Ambassador to Greece at the NSE Investor Forum for Nigerian Diasporas in Switzerland

Samuel Oni joins UBA board

HE board of directors of United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has appointed former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN’s) director, High Chief Samuel Oni, as a non-executive director of the bank. The appointment was made at the board’s meeting held on Friday, January 16, 2015. However, the appointment is still subject to the approval of the CBN. Oni joined the CBN as an Assistant Director in 1993 and rose to the position of Director, Banking Supervision in 2011.

Seplat gets new deadline on Afren acquisition

EPLAT Petroleum Development Company Plc has up till this weekend to make formal acquisition offer to Afren Plc, according to the latest update on the ongoing business combination between the two oil companies. The acquisition will consolidate the listing of Seplat on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and indirectly brought the London-listed Afren to the Nigerian stock market. Regulatory filing at the NSE obtained by The Nation indicated that Seplat and Afren has started exploratory talks on possible merger and acquisition, although the deal is still at a very early stage and shroud in uncertainties. According to Rule 2.6(a) of the UK

City Code on Takeovers and Mergers, Seplat was initially expected to make a firm offer for Afren on January 19, 2015 but it was unable to conclude the talks. Regulatory filing obtained at the weekend indicated that the board of Afren has received the consent of the UK Takeover Panel for an extension of the offer deadline up till 5.00 pm on January 30, 2015 to enable the parties to continue their ongoing discussions. By the weekend, Seplat must either announce a firm intention to make an offer for Afren or announce that it does not intend to make an offer for Afren, in which case the announcement will be treated as a statement to which Rule 2.8 of the Code applies.

However, the parties can still extend the new deadline with the consent of the Panel in accordance with Rule 2.6(c) of the Code. Seplat confirmed that it has made a highly preliminary approach regarding a possible combination with Afren. However, the company stated that there can be no certainty that an offer will be made or as to the terms of any offer. Afren, an international independent exploration and production company, has a premium listing on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and it is ranked within the FTSE 250 Index. Seplat has dual listing on the NSE and LSE. Afren prides itself as a dynamic, entrepreneurial organisation

with a portfolio of world-class assets located in many world’s most prolific and fast-emerging hydrocarbon basins in Africa and the Middle East. It has substantial operations in Nigeria. Afren’s activities span the fullcycle value chain of exploration, appraisal, development and production. It divides its operations into three core business units, Nigeria and other West Africa, Afren East Africa Exploration and the Kurdistan region of Iraq. In 2013, Afren’s exploration and appraisal campaign yielded remarkable results, with the playopening discovery in OPL 310, offshore Nigeria, one of the largest discoveries in the world during the year.

We are focused on vibrant stock market, says Stanbic IBTC

HE Stanbic IBTC Group is focused on helping to unearth the potential of the Nigerian capital market and building it into a vibrant and strong market. Chief Executive Officer, Stanbic IBTC Stockbrokers Limited, Oladele Sotubo, gave this assurance while commenting on the emergence of his company as the best stockbroker at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in 2014. The NSE had named Stanbic IBTC Stockbrokers Limited, a member of the Stanbic IBTC Group, as the leading market operator in the Nigerian capital market. The stockbrokerage

firm won the NSE Chief Executive Award as the best dealing member firm on the Exchange in 2014. The NSE CEO Award is an annual capital market award, in three subcategories, that recognizes excellence and exceptional performance by market operators in a given year. The awards seek to reward outstanding contributions to the growth and development of the capital market and the Exchange. The award was based on Stanbic IBTC Stockbrokers’ trading activity during the year. Market data for 2014 showed that Stanbic IBTC Stockbrokers Limited achieved a

turnover in excess of 24 billion shares, which represented 11.42 per cent of turnover volume at the NSE. The shares were valued at over N472 billion or 17.55 per cent of aggregate turnover value. IBTC Stockbrokers was also the largest stockbroking house in Nigeria in 2013. Sotubo said the Stanbic IBTC Group is committed to delivering innovative and timely financial solutions to the Nigerian and foreign investors. According to him, the award validates the appetite and growing capacity of the stockbroking firm, which is leveraging on the expertise

of the Stanbic IBTC Group, to provide robust services in the capital market. He noted that the award and the recent listing on the Exchange of Stanbic IBTC Exchange Traded Fund (Stanbic IBTC ETF 30), are clear indications of the Stanbic IBTC Group’s focus on building a strong and vibrant stock market. “We are delighted to be recognized for our efforts and credible performances in the Nigerian capital market. The award reflects our strong commitment to consistently deliver relevant, innovative and timely solutions to our ever growing local and foreign clientele,”

Sotubo said. He added that the increase in the broker’s market share is a bold statement that gives its present and prospective clients more confidence to do business with it, assuring that the company will work harder to maintain that position as competition will continue to strive to take the lead from it. He said the award speaks to the company’s consistent performance and efforts to remain the best-in-class capital market operator pointing out the rich heritage of the Stanbic IBTC Group, a member of the Standard Bank Group, to which it belongs.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

THE NATION

BUSINESS JOBS

• People living with disability at a programme organised by Shell (Inset: A training session for them)

For the physically challenged, there is hope of a better tomorrow. Shell has introduced a programme through which they are being empowered, writes AKINOLA AJIBADE.

Brighter future I for the physically challenged

N line with United Nations (UN) char ter which identifies the rights of the physically challenged, such as the blind, dumb, deaf and lame, to live, develop their skills and work, corporate organisations, government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have gone into training them. One such organisations is Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC). The oil major is training the physically challenged to make them employers. It has so far trained 30 who were selected from the Niger Delta, especially Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Akwa-Ibom, Imo and Abia. The initiative, part of Shell Live Wire empowerment programmes, is meant to make the physically challenged productive. Outgoing Shell Managing Director Mutiu Sunmonu said the training was introduced to enable the less-privileged achieve their

goals. He said the scheme has a lot of jobs’ prospect, adding that the 30 beneficiaries are going to provide thousands of jobs. Those expected to benefit from the scheme are skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers, such as shoe makers, bead makers, tailors, hair dressers, phone repairers, and poultry managers. Others are those into dying. Sunmonu explained that 54 per cent of Nigerians are youths between 15 and 35, arguing that the only way Shell could bring about the desired change is to empower them. He said 54 per cent of youths were unemployed, going by the 2012 Baseline Youth Survey Report provided by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS). “Through training, we believe we can help reduce unemployment in Nigeria. The country was ranked as the largest economy in Africa. However, unemployment rate is rising in Nigeria. The figures are alarming

when profiling youths between 15 and 35 years. The 2012 National Baseline Youth Survey Report issued by NBS in December 2013 attested to this. It said 54 per cent of Nigerian youths were unemployed,” Sunmonu said. Sunmonu, said the physically challenged are sensually impaired and unable to do what others are doing, arguing that the only way to make them relevant is to empower them. This, he said, informed Shell’s decision to train 30 people, and give them N300,000 each to start business, adding that through the initiatives the AngloDutch firm, Shell is ploughing back to the countries where it operates. Managing Director, Shell Nigeria Exploration Petroleum Companies (SNEPCOs) Tony Attah said the organi•Continued on page 36

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

JOBS

Brighter future for the physically challenged •Continued from page 35

sation gave N750,000 each to 20 youths trained under the Shell LiveWire programme last year. Youth Development Adviser, Shell Monica Umah said the beneficiaries were picked across board, adding that those trained were 10 with visual impairment, 10 deafs and dumb, and 10 that are physically challenged. She said six consultants were hired to handle the training. Umah said: “We had a-27-day programme where people were put in a class, trained on how to repair shoes, phones, make beads, keep poultry among others. During the training, we made people to understand that they would get a shop, buy materials with which they would render services to their customers, expand their businesses to create more jobs and grow the economy. At the end of the programme, beneficiaries were given start-up funds of N300,000 to enable them commence operations.” She said Shell signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation in the six states to enable it achieve its goals. On the method of recruitment, she said people applied, were shortlisted, interviewed and selected for the training, stressing that each of the states was represented in the programme. Umah said the training is on-going because Shell is committed to the society’s growth. According to her, Shell wants to see that more people are empowered in order to help drive socioeconomic activities in its countries of operation. She said every aspect of the social empowerment programmes organised by Shell, comes with something unique and attractive. Umah said the physically challenged have been exhibiting their

• Sunmonu

skills in sports and other aspects of human endeavours. She said members of the Nigerian contingent to Paralympic Olympics in London in 2012 won 13 medals, including six gold, five silver and two bronze. Many who are physically challenged can make success

• Attah

of their entrepreneurial skills, if giving the opportunity to do so. “Shell is creating opportunities for the physically challenged to develop their skills, create jobs and help grow the economy. Shell Live Wire programme has succeeded in developing skills, hith-

erto inactive in the country,” she added. A beneficiary,Mbuotidem Okorie, said the training has not only exposed him to business ideas and ways of actualising his dream of becoming rich. He said he would be repairing phones and

‘We had a 27-day programme where people were put in a class, trained on how to repair shoes, phones, make beads, keep poultry among others. During the training, we make people to understand that they would get a shop, buy materials with which they would render services to their customers, expand their businesses to create more jobs and grow the economy’

render ancillary services, noting that the growth in Information Communication Technology (ICT) has provided a vista of opportunities for people. Another beneficiary, Agnes Udo, said she benefited from the training, adding that her childhood dreams of becoming an employer has come true. The Chief Executive Officer, First Books Limited, Dr Emmanuel Obidiegwu, said every human being is blessed with one talent or the other, arguing that anybody that fails to discover and use his talent would not grow. He urged the physically challenged not to lose hope. He said Nigeria is a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), arguing that the physically challenged would occupy vantage positions soon. “The disabled should see hope, instead of hopelessness; success instead of failure, and goodness and not sorrow. They should sit down, discover their talents or skills, put them into practise and forge ahead. By doing these, they would succeed in their chosen endeavours and make impact on the economy the same way people who are not impaired in any form are doing,” Obidiegwu advised. Joblessness, UNO said, is a scourge that must be fought to enable the physically challenged realise their potentials and feel a sense of belonging in the society. It said through this, the physically challengedwould be able to live a normal life. The global body said the physically challenged, like other human beings, are unique and should be assisted emotionally, mentally and physically. The International Day of Persons with Disabilities marked across the world in December 3 last year underscored this assertion. It had the theme: “Sustainable Development: The Promise of Technology.”

CAREER MANAGEMENT

Putting more energy behind your job hunting “M Y job hunt is stuck in the mud. I know I need to fix it, but I’m feeling overwhelmed and I’ve got no energy left. I’ve tried everything, and nothing seems to work.” Does this sound like you or what you feel now?

The simple truth is: Hunting for a job can be tiring, demoralising, and frustrating for people who have internalised their inability to find work as a sign of personal failure. Confidence and self-image suffer. Not to mention the economic embarrassment. As that happens, it becomes increasingly difficult to present the optimistic, energetic “can do” persona that employers seek. We all hear the longer you are out of work, the harder it is to get work. One of the reasons for this is that employers are looking for you, Mr/Ms. Jobhunter not to be jaded, tired, and “down.” And, they fear that the longer you are out of work, the more likely it is you won’t have the vim and vigour they seek. How can you put more energy to your flagging job hunting campaign? There are things you can do to

By Olu Oyeniran

energise your job hunt. Below are my suggestions. This list is hardly exhaustive, but it’s a good start:

Remember getting a job is a job Treat it with the same sense of professionalism that you would bring to any employment. Show up on time every day. And, at the end of the day, don’t feel guilty about packing the work up, and transitioning to “personal” or “family” mode. As with any job, it’s important to maintain a healthy work/life balance.

Confront your self-imposed roadblocks Are you frozen in place by fear of possible future failure? Many people have experienced so much rejection that they are afraid to have any more piled on. Such feelings are real, and they need to be acknowledged. Sometimes inaction can be psychological defence mechanism. It’s important, however, to understand that inaction is a certain road to the status quo.

Try to move forward every day – even if you only do one or two small “baby step” things that can help to build up your self-confidence.

Break out of your isolation Figure out who are the members of your support system – your family, friends, other job hunters you meet at networking groups, members of your church or synagogue and so on. Talk to them regularly. Tell them what you’ve been up to, what seems to be working, and what seems to be frustrating you. Make them part of your team. Ask for their feedback and advice. Help them to help you by creating a context of “us” instead of “me.” And of course: seek a good job hunting coach who can understand and relate to you, and provide both guidance and the occasional “kick in the pants” when it’s called for.

Balance your job hunting activities You can’t be everywhere, all

the time. Strive to create a balance over the course of a week or two in a cycle. If you think of your search for work as a job hunt, then imagine each tool or tactic as one arrow in your quiver. You need a variety of arrows including: informational interviewing; attending professional meetings and seminars; social networking utilising LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter; writing your blog, and so on. However, important online activity has become, remember that social networks are but the means to the end of building personal relationships. Nurture your relationships both in the real and virtual worlds.

Stay focused and use your time wisely People who work out of their homes often say that one of the biggest challenges they face is managing their time. It’s easy to be distracted by kids, pets, housework, TV, internet, computer games, and so much else! Organise your day and week in advance. Create an hourly schedule and stick to it by setting alarms on your computer calendar or wherever they will

best be seen and heard.

Practise, practise, and practise some more Rehearse your elevator speech out loud and prepare answers to interview questions that you can anticipate. For example, don’t allow yourself to be flummoxed by opening queries like, ”Tell me about yourself.” Did you know Larry Bird, one of the greatest basketball players of all time, shot 1,000 baskets every day! He was great because he understood the need for constant repetition and skill building.

Maintain your mental and physical health Eat healthy. Exercise at least three times each week. If it’s been a while since you exercised with any regularity, start slow and gradually build yourself back up. Get those endorphins flowing and you will look better, have more energy, and feel better about yourself. •Oyeniran is Lead Consultant, EkiniConsult & Associates. He can be reached on Jobsearchhow.com.ng Tel 08083843230 (SMS Only).

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

THE CEO Can Nigeria achieve the ‘Housing for All’ component of Vision 20:2020? Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) Board of Directors Chairman, Chief Bisi Ogunjobi says ‘yes, if the nation works in the right direction’. But he laments that regulations, financial system and the government’s policies designed to support the housing sector have served as obstacles to its development. He says the FMBN, constrained by the huge debt it is being owed, needs recapitalisation. MUYIWA LUCAS met him. HERE is an estimated 17 million

‘Govt’s policies, others promoting housing deficit ’

housing deficit in the country. How did we get to this stage? The question of housing deficit is as a result of significant increase in population. Over the years, there has been increased urbanisation, that is people moving to urban centres from rural areas. This has, therefore, necessitated more accommodation as opposed to the inadequate funding of the sector. You will agree with me that Nigeria is one of the few countries where the acquisition of a house is a cash and carry thing. Knowing full well that for you to be able to own a house, you have to pay almost at once the entire cost of the house, because the system does not have a well-structured and working mortgage system. So you end up waiting for a long time if you want to buy a house, but of course the individuals cannot wait for that long so, they have to build the house on their own. You now discover that more than 90 per cent of houses built in this country are from personal efforts, not financed through the banking system. This is a sharp contrast to what obtains in developed countries where it is the banking system that provides the funds for most houses and you pay your equity contributions, that is, a small proportion of that and then you are able to acquire the house. Another factor is the system of getting title for the land. Land acquisition is a very tedious and complex process. Take the case of Certifi-

• Ogunjobi

cate of Occupancy for instance. For you to obtain the title or document has become a Herculean task.When you look at the regulations, the financial system, the policies of the government in supporting housing all over the years, they have all collectively acted as constraints for house acquisition and that is why you have a large deficit. How does the FMBN work or relate

with other stakeholders towards finding a solution to this problem? There are various institutions and stakeholders such as the commercial banks; we also have the developers and of course, the state governments. We synergise with all of them. The FMBN, through two windows: the National Housing Fund (NHF) and the Estate Development Loan, combines to see that we

‘The NHF is very crucial, but at the same time, its ability to do it for everybody is limited. When people are saying ‘we have not got the house we paid for,’ they are saying the reality, because based on your personal contribution, it will take you 40 years to get a house of N3 or N4 million. But when you have the pool, that is the number, then it makes for more opportunities for housing and that is why the question of contribution in large number of the workers becomes crucial’

are working in that direction. The major resource we have now is the NHF which enjoins every worker to contribute two and half per cent of their salary towards the acquisition of a house. This brings us to the point I was making that housing is a fundamental right of everybody. Workers are enjoined to pay two and half per cent of their salary at the NHF towards possible acquisition of a house, but many people misunderstand this concept. The two and half per cent of your salary using the minimum wage of N18,000 is about N450. How long will it take you if you are contributing N450 every month to acquire a house of N5 million? That will translate to a minimum of 35 to 40 years. So when people complain that they have been contributing every month and don’t have a house, the issue is not your personal contribution alone, it is the pool of resources by the large number of workers that can allow FMBN to provide housing for some •Continued on page 38

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

THE CEO

‘Govt’s policies, others promoting housing deficit ’ •Continued from page 37

of them. What is the way out of this situation? It was only recently that for the first time we have a National Housing Policy only in the last three years.That is a big progress. Although, government efforts have been here and there, institutions have been created, it is within the framework of the policy that set the goals and consistently works towards the goals. I think today we have the right direction towards which all the institutions can work and be able to do that including the recent creation of the tertiary institution of National Mortgage Finance Company. How effective has the NHF contribution been to mortgage financing? The FMBN has never been conceived as providing for everybody; it is just one of the institutions to provide housing. The NHF is very crucial, but at the same time, its ability to do it for everybody is limited. When people are saying ‘we have not got the house we paid for,’ they are saying the reality, because based on your personal contribution, it will take you 40 years to get a house of N3 or N4 million. But when you have the pool, that is the number, then it makes for more opportunities for housing and that is why the question of contribution in large number of the workers becomes crucial. But the NHF has its own problems too. One of these is the non-remittance of collections to the FMBN. We have had people collect money and did not remit the entire amount. Or some remit without the schedule of who are the contributors and so it is impossible for the Federal Mortgage Bank to determine who owns what and in trying to resolve that, you find all the problems associated with non-remittance and unfortunately the Federal Mortgage Bank is the scape goat to say they have not been able to provide housing. On the NHF and e-collection, recently, the president launched the e-card collection, which is a product of using IT and today you can have an e-card with your identity and any payment you make, you can receive an alert that this is how much you have contributed. You can go to any ATM and check your account. It is for transparency, for accountability and for ease of doing business with the bank. In the past, part of the problems was that things were done manually. Not only that it is tedious, it takes time and it is subject to human error and possible manipulation. But with e-card and the computerisation of the system, we are now in a position to say we are making progress, we are more transparent, because it is easy to deal with us. If you want a refund, the data is there and we can be able to do that. In fact, during the commissioning, we were able to trace the contribution of the President when he was a worker in the university. That is why we are able to produce a personal card for him under the ecollection. How well is the FMBN funded or capitalised to discharge its statutory responsibility? If you look at the capital structure of the bank, we are highly undercapitalised. In fact, when you compare us with similar institutions in Ghana, we are way below what is happening. If we compare ourselves with Malaysia, then we are far from that. There is no gainsaying that the bank is undercapitalised. As I always say, the issue is not just the capitalisation, but making the institution an effective one and managing its resources properly. In the past, this has not been done and that is why the change that is now in place, we are saying we are undercapitalised and there is need for recapitalisation.The level will be determined by the government, but what we are doing now is to show that we have the capacity to utilise the money, otherwise recapitalisation will not be effective; it will not make any sense. What we are doing now is building the necessary institutional base and providing adequate system of operation that enables us to absorb a higher level of recapitalisation. And that is what this

‘We found that the issue of people not respecting the agreement they entered into with Federal Mortgage Bank had been the bane of our problem. We have a lot of money outstanding under the Estate Development Loan. If you look at our annual report, you will see that the outstanding debt is almost N20 billion. We need to recover this money because it is weighing heavily on the bank. People have to respect their agreements and one of the ways we have to reduce that outstanding debt is to have aggressive debt collection system’

• Ogunjobi

board and this new management is saying- demonstrating that we have used what we have properly either from the government or from international institutions. There is no doubt that the resources we put at the disposal of the bank today in terms of the capital is inadequate, particularly when compared with the assignment that has been put to us. I think that is a fundamental issue. How far have you gone on the Estate Development Loan (EDL) window? When my team got in place, we wanted to make a difference, and we looked at the opportunities in the bank, the challenges it has faced all these years and how we can address them. We found that the issue of people not respecting the agreement they entered into with Federal Mortgage Bank had been the bane of our problem. We have a lot of money outstanding under the Estate Development Loan. If you look at our annual report, you will see that the outstanding debt is almost N20 billion. We need to recover this money because it is weighing heavily on the bank. People have to respect their agreements and one of the ways we have to reduce that outstanding debt is to have aggressive debt collection system. Now, we have embarked on a process of loan recovery, talking to stakeholders that the money belongs to the bank and also ensuring they realise that the money which was loaned to them belongs to the people and therefore, we as managers must ensure that the recovery is done. We are now reviewing the whole exercise to enable us recover as much as possible. Just before we came in, the EDL operations had been suspended; we are now reviewing it; we are going to come up with proposals as to how this is going to be structured. It is five years away from the year 2020 target of housing for all. Do you think this is still feasible? I was a member of the team for the preparation of the Vision 20:2020, but I was in

charge of governance and social responsibility. When you look at the Vision 20:2020, the thing it was meant to say is that this is the direction we want to go; whether we get there or not in year 2020, to me, is not the issue. The question is: Are we taking the necessary steps towards that goal? If the target is 2020 and we didn’t reach it and take stock in 2020 and we say we are 20 per cent short, then you know we are in the right direction. I think that is the essence of Vision 20:2020- it is not about getting the exact figure, but working in the right direction, taking all the necessary steps towards achieving the goal. So, if you ask me “can we achieve that?” I will say that is not my take; but rather, by taking the right steps towards achieving the goal. If you look at the Transformation Agenda, it encompasses the various steps we need to take towards Vision 2020. Of course, it requires active implementation. We may not get to that point but we are in the right direction and I think that is what is important because a journey of 20 years starts with a step. The bank has recently commissioned some projects. How were you able to achieved these? The bank has done some laudable projects such as the Aviation Village in Abuja, where the bank financed the construction of 270 housing units. By the time the project was completed, it was already 70 per cent subscribed by the NHF contributors. But people do not know that the houses were financed by the bank; they will be looking more at the PMI (Primary Lending Institution). For example, Aso Saving and Loans, First Generation, Platinum and the likes, all of them are being financed by the FMBN. The PMIs deal directly with the contributors, but the funding is from the FMBN. You may see this estate is by a PMI, but the money is from the FMBN. We are not given enough acknowledge-

‘When you look at the regulations, the financial system, the policies of the government in supporting housing all over the years, they have all collectively acted as constraints for house acquisition and that is why you have a large deficit’

ments for our contributions. The reality of the situation is that part of the problems of the bank are borne out of the legal frameworks that we have to grapple with, because of the difficulty in getting title for land. All this account for some of the weaknesses or constraints we face in trying to bring the best services we can offer. However, this is not to mean we are absolving ourselves completely or claiming to be perfect; that is why the institutional reforms that we have undertaken in the last two years are going to transform the institution and help it in providing better services. Any hope for Nigerians, especially those yet to be home owners? We are encouraging the people, the government, the labour unions that contributing to the NHF is the right thing to do, and that your money is safe and therefore it is going to lead you to being able to have houses in the future. Our advice and what we have been soliciting is that those who are contributing should do so. We are therefore even putting in new products to encourage those who were not covered by the system before, because it was with those with employment. We now have schemes to cover for co-operatives, private sector, artisans and even Nigerians in the Diaspora. These are new products which will encourage not just those salary earners in government employment, but the entire spectrum of workers in Nigeria. We have signed a tripartite MoU (memorandum of understanding) with the NLC (Nigeria Labour Congress), TUC (Trade Union Congress) and the employers of labour and the FMBN. We have a joint committee looking at the issues of how the bank could work better with the public, we have signed that agreement and they have now issued instructions to all the workers, particularly those who stopped paying at one time by their governments. We have got good result from this effort. In the last one year, we have been able to bring back about eight states that opted out of the NHF contributions. These are the efforts that we have been making and my advice is thatwe should continue in that direction. We have demonstrated that you can have confidence in us and we are working closely with commercial banks. This is enough hope for the people!

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

BUSINESS

MOTORING

Nissan Altima: rare comfort, agility

•The Altima

Impressive acceleration and fuel economy; strong crash test scores; satisfying ride and handling balance; capable and user-friendly electronics, these and many more are what make the 2015 Nissan Altima a top choice among family sedans, reports TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO

HE 2015 Nissan Altima may not be the sportiest family sedan, or the most luxurious, but if one is looking for both traits in the same package, it is hard to think of a competitor that does it better. That is why it continues to be a favourite choice among the family sedans, delivering excellent fuel economy and a rare blend of comfort and agility as recently affirmed by the foremost American online resource for automotive information, Edmunds.com. The online resource described the Altima as stylish, bold and aggressive with long body lines that distinguishes the sedan from rivals like Toyota Camry, Honda Accord Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima. Emerging from a total makeover last year, the new Nissan Altima provides customers with premium experiences and high technologies that drivers will cherish to remember especially when viewed against Altima’s package with far better value proposition than competition. Altima’s innovative features are designed to reposition the car way ahead of competition and to keep it fresh against rival brands. While many manufacturers are offering different 4-cylinder engines with hybrids and diesels, the 2015 Nissan Altima sedan goes the traditional route by offering a base 4cylinder and a V6. The 2.5-litre 4- cylinder for instance is designed for lighter weight and higher efficiency, while the 3.5-litre V6 offers improved fuel economy. Both engines drive Altima’s front wheels through Nissan’s next generation Xtronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) that drives engine revs ahead of vehicle speed during strong acceleration and helps both the Altima achieve tremendous fuel economy. Popular Mechanics, a United States classic magazine of popular technology attested to this assertion, stating in one of its recent publications that “the new Altima remains one of the most engaging family sedans, and its fuel economy approaches 16 kilometers per litre gasoline for the 2.5 litre engine and 13 kilometers per litre gasoline for the 3.5 litre engine, on the highway driving, and Nissan should have no problem attracting the most discerning family-sedan buyers.” According to United Kingdom based automotive classified website, Kelley Blue Book (KBB), Nissan Altima is no doubt a driver’s delight. “With its Maxima-like good looks, and unique features such as its NASAinspired zero-gravity seats, the Altima re-

•Interior of the car

ally does give shoppers a viable alternative to the Camry and Accord. “The 2015 Nissan Altima’s key strength is its driving dynamics, without giving up any of its mainstream family-sedan features. The Altima imparts a measure of driving fun that is uncommon in the segment. Its multilink independent suspension and bestin-class variable automatic transmission is a testimony of Nissan engineers’ ingenuity especially when they benchmarked premium sedans like the Audi A4 and BMW 3 Series.” Nissan Altima has indeed caressed the midsize family sedan market like a colossus, described as the toughest segment in the industry and accounting for a huge number of sales each year. So competitive is this segment that every automaker wants a slice of the pie and it may not be unfeasible for the Altima to have one of the biggest slices in the coming few months beating rivals like the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord in the Nigerian market. “The 2015 Nissan Altima has a fantastic

sporty handling making it more fun to drive than most affordable midsize cars,” usnews.rankingsandreviews.com affirmed. It added that the Altima’s standard four-cylinder engine provides plenty of power for passing and merging highway, while the V6 engine delivers a robust acceleration. Altima’s automatic transmission (continuously variable transmission) is responsive and operates seamlessly; this gives a more smoother and lag free drive compared to competition. Modern-attractive styling and first-rate materials make the 2015 Nissan Altima’s cabin one of the nicest in the class while features like ‘Nissan intelligent key remote engine start system’ lets you tap a button on the door handle or trunk to unlock, while your key stays in your pocket or purse. One can start the car from up to 100 feet away. This convenient solution lets you cool down the Altima before it is time to get in. Altima’s rear seats have generous legroom, while the trunk size of 436 litres is ambitious for the class. Standard features

include Bluetooth and a USB/iPod input, leather upholstery, a rear-view camera, premium BOSE audio x 9 speakers and 3D display. The unique multifunction rearview camera performs the lookout jobs very well and the NASA-inspired seats zero gravity seats are proved to be fatigue-reducing. The 2015 Nissan Altima comes standard with antilock brakes, stability and traction control, front side airbags and side curtain airbags. A rearview camera is optional on 2.5 S and standard on 3.5 S and all SV and SL models. Blind-spot monitoring, rear crosstraffic alert and lane-departure warning are available on the 2.5 SV and 2.5 SL and standard on the 3.5 SV and 3.5 SL. Stallion NMN, Nissan sales company and local custodian of the brand has described its target customers as: confident individuals, stylish and responsible adults seeking personal and professional fulfilment on their terms. “This class of people want more out of life and do not want a conservative or dull midsize sedan,” says Amit Sharma, Stallion NMN head of sales and marketing.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

MOTORING

Volkswagen delivers over 10m vehicles T

HE Volkswagen Group achieved the first goal of its Strategy 2018 last year – the group delivered over 10 million vehicles to customers. According to the Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, Prof Martin Winterkorn, 10.14 million vehicles were handed over to customers worldwide from January to De-

Stories by Tajudeen Adebanjo

cember 2014. “That is impressive; we are vigorously implementing our Strategy 2018 despite challenging market conditions. We are also making good progress with our other main goals – return on sales, customer satisfaction and top employer,” Winterkorn said.

Developments in the month of December were also positive, with deliveries running at 881,000 units against 857,600 in December 2013. Group Board member for Sales Christian Klingler said the group has doubled vehicle deliveries in the last 10 years. Klingler described it as outstanding performance and an impressive result, stating

that all group brands have played their part in achieving the results despite difficult market conditions. The Volkswagen passenger cars brand delivered 6.12 million vehicles to customers worldwide from January to December 2014. This means the brand has doubled deliveries since 2004, and topped the six-million mark for the first time.

VER the years, MercedesBenz tuner Brabus has created some unforgettable pieces of moving art. Building off the ‘tame’ arrangements of Mercedes-AMG, the Bottrop-based outfit has fashioned everything from an 850horsepower luxury sedan to an apocalypse-approved G-Wagen, and the German company is not stopping any time soon. The brand’s latest creation is called the Brabus 700, a Mercedes G63 AMG 6×6 with a healthy smattering of cherry-tinted carbon fiber and performance enhancements. The six-wheeler was commissioned by Badr Bin Saud, a Saudi Arabian enthusiast with a clear passion for red. The luxury SUV is simply covered in velvet-hued material, with striking carbon weave on the wheel arches, hood, and roof, or the red and black upholstery inside.

Six-wheel Brabus makes debut •Mercedes-Benz Brabus

Hiding behind the bold ‘B’ logo on the grill is an augmented version of the AMG’s 5.5-liter, twin

turbo V8. It is not quite as extreme as, say, the 828–hp Mansory Mercedes version, but it is defi-

nitely got some weight behind its punches. With the help of Brabus’ B63S-

700 performance kit, the G63 now produces 700 hp and 708 pound feet of torque, improvements of 156 hp and 147 lb-ft over stock. This is accomplished via upgraded turbochargers, high-performance downpipes, ‘Gold Heat’ reflection insulation sheathing, and a stainless steel exhaust. These improvements allow the 8,487-pound bruiser to hit 60 mph in 7.4 seconds. Pricing for the 700 has not been released, but the standard G63 AMG 6×6 runs a pretty penny on its own: $560,152 to be exact. Only 20-30 units are built each year. Mercedes has hinted at a hardcore version of the G63 4×4, which should be available sometime next year. Several spy shots of a G63 test vehicle surfaced in November, which showed the 4×4’s bolstered ride height and all-terrain style bodywork.

Peugeot loan scheme receives boost

ORMER Head of Morbid Anatomy Department, College of Medicine of University of Lagos/Lagos University Teaching Hospital (CMUL-LUTH), Prof Fatimah Abdul-Kareem became the first customer in South-West to acquire a brand new Peugeot 301 Luxury car under the Peugeot Vehicle Acquisition Finance Scheme. PAN Nigeria Limited is offering its models to customers across Nigeria through its recently introduced ‘Peugeot Vehicle Acquisition Finance Scheme’ (PVAFS), geared towards aiding civil servants, private sector employees and middle-class own brand new personal Peugeot cars at a low equity contribution rate. The PVAFS is designed to offer maximum value to customers far above any existing scheme currently offered by competition in the country. Embellished with over 40 years experience in the Nigerian auto market, PAN Nigeria has continued to produce exquisite brand of Peugeot vehicles that offer unsurpassed value to customers in terms of durability, reliability and affordability. Prof Abdul-Kareem expressed satisfaction with the scheme, stating that “once you have a stable salary, you can also achieve the goal of having a

Y research has shown that every religion teaches the basic principles that guarantee safe driving in every environment if strictly followed. God is most concerned about the attitude of our hearts. Let us look at some of the points: 1. Do not kill – God clearly tells us that He does not want us to kill either through road accident or other means Bible a. Exodus 20:13 b. Deuteronomy 5:17 c. Luke 18:20 Quran a. Sura 4:29

brand new Peugeot car of your choice by simply walking into Jaiz bank Plc or Enterprise Bank Plc.” Jaiz bank Plc, Relationship Manager, Mutiat Dada said Peugeot aside being a foremost automobile company in Nigeria, also produces quality cars. “When we had a marketing call with them, our team came up with the idea of providing the populace with easy access to vehicles for those people that don’t have the money to buy a new car. “The Peugeot Vehicle Acquisition Finance Scheme is open to everybody that has a regular source of income. Whether they have account with Jaiz or not, the entire process requires minimal documentation, offer letter from Jaiz bank, and offer letter from your employer,” she said. Comparatively, if a customer is not disposed to Jaiz bank, Enterprise bank is also providing Nigerians with the opportunity of paying for these contemporary Peugeot cars at very flexible and affordable rates. With as little as 10-20 per cent down payment, interested person can actually drive home a brand new Peugeot car of their choice and conveniently spread the rest of the payment over a period of 48 months. PAN Nigeria Limited Managing Director, Mr Ibrahim Boyi described

•PAN Nigeria Executive Director (Finance), Alhaji Jumat Alli-Oluwafuyi presenting key to Prof AbdulKareem. With them is Regional Sales Executive, Mr Adeniyi Onifade.

the offer as a great opportunity for Peugeot lovers and indeed all those that appreciate quality and elegance to take advantage of the scheme. According to him, “buying a new car has long been regarded as an expensive luxury due to the amount of money required to own one. However, according to research, running a brand new car can be as much as 73 per cent cheaper to run than a used

car popularly known as ‘tokunbo’ of just five years older. Set this alongside generous low rate finance deal, which means some new car buyers never end up paying out the full price at once and they end up looking a good option at the end of the day. Although the initial cost of buying a new vehicle is higher, safety tends to be a guarantee for brand new cars while advancements in

technology denotes they gulp less fuel and are easier to maintain in terms of overhead cost of overhauling the vehicle when the need arises. “In addition to the above stated benefits, new cars also come with a warranty – typically three years; while several new versions of popular models have low emissions, meaning they are environment friendly.”

Religion and safe driving skills b. Sura 4:92-93 2. Obey the road traffic laws and regulations God clearly tells us to obey the government and even pray for the Leaders. We are, therefore, expected to always obey the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria including the road traffic laws and regulations – traffic signs, road markings and other traffic laws. Let the fear of God be in you when driving (this will guarantee you wisdom for the right driving acts) Bible a. Deuteronomy 13:4 b. Titus 3:1

c. Hebrew 13:17 d. Proverbs 1:33 e. Proverb 1:2-7 Quran a. Surah 7:55-56 3. Avoid road rage and aggressive driving When other people (Drivers and other road users) make us angry, we may want to get even, but God says we must do good to those who offend us. We must guard our hearts against hatred for anyone on the road. We must cultivate the habit of seeing other road users as members of our immediate or

nuclear family and always relate to them as such, lovingly and wholeheartedly. Bible a. Mathew 5:21-22 b. Mathew 5:38 – 48 Quran a. Surah 13:21-25 4. Defensive driving (hazard perception) We must always use our Godgiven knowledge, understanding and wisdom to perceive likely hazards on the road and take prompt actions to prevent accidents. Bible

Jide Owatunmise Registrar / Chief Executive, Professional Driving and Safety Academy

a. Proverbs 22:3 b. Ecclesiastes 8:5 Quran a. Surah 7:95 b. Surah 51:21

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

20 CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME

AMASSOMA

TEIKAKPO

I,formerly known and addressed as Mr.Austin Nemine Amassoma now wish to be known and addressed as Mr. Matthew Seibokuro.All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

EKPO

I,formerly known and addressed as Emem Ekpo now wish to be known and addressed as Emem Nsikak John.All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

YUSUF I,formerly known and addressed as Abdulmumini Aliyu Yusuf now wish to be known and addressed as Emmanuel Yususf.All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

OLANBIWONU

I,formerly known and addressed as Olanbiwonu Veronica Akinlonu now wish to be known and addressed as Akinlonu Feyisara Veronica.All former documents remain valid. Nigerian Immigration Service and general public should take note.

MUSTAPHA

I,formerly known and addressed as Mustapha, Adeyinka Hussenat now wish to be known and addressed as Yusuf, Adeyinka Hussenat.All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

OMOTOWA

I,formerly known and addressed as Omotowa Bosede Oluwatosin, now wish to be known and addressed as Omotola, Bosede Oluwatosin.All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

OLOJEDE

I,formerly known and addressed as Olojede, Julius Yemi, now wish to be known and addressed as Olojede Julius Babatunde.All former documents remain valid. General public should take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME I,Adeniyi Michael Wasiu is the same person as Adeniyi Michael Olamilekan, I am from Ikirun not Ejigbo L.G.A. All documents bearing the above names remain valid. Yabatech general public should take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME I,Aguwa Moses Steve is the same person as Aguwa Chukwunyere Steve. All documents bearing the above names remain valid. Yabatech general public should take note.

TANIMOWO

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Taiwo Tanimowo, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Taiwo Tanimowo Akanro.All former documents remain valid. Ifako-Ijaiye LG& LGSC and general public should take note.

ONOVAKPURI

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Elizabeth Emuobonuvie Onovakpuri, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Lizzy Emuobonuvie Ebulu. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

I,formerly known and addressed as Mrs. Dora Izonebi Teikakpo now wish to be known and addressed as Izonebi Foubai.All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

YAKUBU

I,formerly known and addressed as Mr. Yakubu Olayemi Lateef now wish to be known and addressed as Mr. Yakubu Adeyemi Lateefn Elijah.All former documents remain valid. Nigeria Prison Service, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ekiti State University, AdoEkiti and general public should take note.

OJO

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Ojo, Tosin Mercy now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Itakorede Oluwatosin Mercy.All former documents remain valid. Ekiti State Teaching Service Commission and general public should take note.

ADEDOJA

I,formerly known and addressed as Adedoja Olaniyi Wilfred now wish to be known and addressed as Bah Adedoja Olaniyi.All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

UZORDINACHI I formerly known and addressed as Miss Uzordinachi, Cristy Ifechukwude, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ajibade, Christy Ifechukwu. All former document remain valid. General public should please take note.

NJOKU

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Njoku, Patience Oluchi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ezeike, Patience Oluchi. All former document remain valid. Fidelity Bank Plc. and general public should please take note.

ADEKAHUNSI

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Oluwakemi Mosunmola Adekahunsi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Oluwakemi Mosunmola Onafeso. All former document remain valid. Lagos State Civil Commission, Lagos State Ministry of Environment and general public should please take note.

OKPALA

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Okpala, Jacinta Chioma, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Okonkwo, Jacinta Chioma. All former document remain valid. NYSC and general public should please take note.

ADEOYE

I formerly known and addressed as Adedotun Adeoye, now wish to be known and addressed as Adedotun Osho. All former document remain valid. General public should please take note.

UWANUAKWA

I formerly known and addressed as Joyce Uwanuakwa, now wish to be known and addressed as Joyce Osho. All former document remain valid. General public should please take note.

YAQUB

ADENIYI

I formerly known and addressed as Yaqub Shakirat Omolara, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Orimogunje Shakirat Omolara. All former document remain valid. General public should please take note.

OYELOWO

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Akinpelu, Bukola, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. John-Atayero, Bukola Rhoda All former document remain valid. General public should please take note.

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Adeniyi, Iyabode Ronke, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ohonusi, Iyabode Abeni.All former documents remain valid. General public should take note. I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Oyelowo, Dasola Saudat, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Agbonhin Dasola Saudat.All former documents remain valid. Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology and general public should take note.

DISU

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Disu, Esther Funmilayo, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Edun, Esther Funmilayo.All former documents remain valid. Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta and general public should take note.

EZEH

I,formerly known and addressed as Ezeh Stella Ijeoma, now wish to be known and addressed as Chiemelu Stella Ijeoma.All former documents remain valid. Federal Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and general public should take note.

IDOKO I,formerly known and addressed as Adachukwu Chidera Idoko, now wish to be known and addressed as Adachukwu Chidera NdubuisiOmeh.All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

AKINTAN I formerly known and addressed as Titilayo Akintan, now wish to be known and addressed as Titilayo Akinsemoyin All former document remain valid. General public should please take note.

AKINPELU

OKEKE I formerly known and addressed as Okeke, Uchenne Chiamaka, now wish to be known and addressed as Obuezue Uchenna Chiamaka All former document remain valid. General public should please take note.

OGUNWO

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Ogunwo, Titilayo Oluyinka, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Titilayo Akingbagbe Titilayo Oluyinka. All former document remain valid. General public should please take note.

EWEGBEMI

I formerly known and called Miss EWEGBEMI AYODEBAMI GRACE, now wish to be called and addressed as Mrs. SULEIMAN AYODEBAMI GRACE. All documents bearing my former name remain valid. The general public should please take note.

OLORUNDARE

I formerly known and addressed Miss Eunice Kemi Olorundare, now Mrs. Eunice Kemi Aderemi. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

OBIEKWE

I formerly known and addressed as Obiekwe Ann Uzoamaka, now wish to be known and addressed as Igbo Ann Uzoamaka. All former document remain valid. General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME IFEDIORAH

I formerly known and addressed as Ifediorah Ebele Joy, now wish to be known and addressed as Odum Ebele Joy. All former document remain valid. General public should please take note.

EZEALA I formerly known and addressed as Ezeala, Oluchi Justina, now wish to be known and addressed as Agoha Oluchi Justina. All former document remain valid. General public should please take note.

OKU

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Oku, Onate Anthonia, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Adeniji, Onate Anthonia. All former document remain valid. General public should please take note.

IHEANACHO

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Iheanacho, Ogechi Matilda Nneka, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ogechi Matilda Ozoekwe. All former document remain valid. Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, University of PortHarcourt and general public should please take note.

OKON

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Patience Edet Okon, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Patience Ubong Peter. All former document remain valid. General public should please take note.

FAJUYIGBE I formerly known and addressed as Miss Fajuyigbe, Bosede Funmilayo, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. OMOTOSO Bosede Funmilayo . All former document remain valid. Osun State Ministry of Education, SUBEB Oriade local govt., IJEBU-Ijesa and general public should please take note.

SALAAM

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Salaam, Olamiji Basirat, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Adekoya, Olamiji Basirat. All former document remain valid. General public should please take note.

IREOGBU I formerly known and addressed as Ireogbu Ihechinyere, now wish to be known and addressed as Sylvanus Blessing Ihinchinyere. All former document remain valid. General public should please take note.

ENEH

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Eneh, Jacinta Obumneme, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Okugo Jacinta Obumneme. All former document remain valid. General public should please take note.

ECHEGWO I formerly known and addressed as Echegwo Stella Chinwendu, now wish to be known and addressed as Ndukwe Precious Offorma. All former document remain valid. General public should please take note.

SANUSI

I formerly known and addressed as Nakao Sanusi, now wish to be known and addressed as Yusuf Sanusi. All former document remain valid. General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME AGBASO

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Chimma Chinaemerem Agbaso, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Chimma Chinaemerem Lawrence. All former documents remain valid. General Public Should please take note.

OLAOLU

I formerly known and addressed as Tobi Omolara Olaolu now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Tobi Omolara Kushimo. All former documents valid. The public should please take note.

OGUNSOLA

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Ogunsola, Remilekun lyabo, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ogunkolati Remilekun lyabo. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

WAHAB

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Wahab, Abidemi Damaris, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Oyalade Abidemi Damaris. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

AKIN-ADUBI I formerly known and called Miss Akin - Adubi Oyinlola Ayopo, now wish to be called and addressed as Mrs Adeyemi Oyinlola Ayopo. All documents bearing my former name remain valid. The general public should please take note.

OLOFINJANA

I formerly known and addressed as MISS OLOFINJANA COMFORT SEUN. Now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. AKINLOYE COMFORT SEUN. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

OLADOJA

I formerly known and addressed as Miss OLADOJA MARY AYOBAMI now to be known as Mrs. ADEWOYIN MARY AYOBAMI. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

OLUKA-NGEI

I formerly known and addressed as MISS CHARITY OCHENYA OLUKA-NGEI, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. CHARITY OCHENYA JOHN NAAJOR. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

ANEKE

I formerly known and addressed as MISS CYNTHIA CHINELO ANEKE, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. CYNTHIA CHINELO NNAMERE-ANEKE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

FADIRAN

I formerly known and addressed as Miss ZAINAB GALADIMA UMAR, now wish to be known as Mrs. ZAINAB GALADIMA METHVEN. All former documents remain valid general public please take note.

FANIRAN

I formerly known and addressed as Miss EMEH VIRGINIA NNENNA, now wish to be known as Mrs. BONIFACE VIRGINIA NNENNA. All former documents remain valid general public please take note.

I formerly known and addresed as MISS FANIRAN LYDIA OLUFUNKE, now wish to be known and address as MRS. ARAOYE LYDIA OLUFUNKE.All former document still remain valid,general public should please take note.

FOLAJIMI I Dr. Micheal Rotimi Folajimi wish to let the general public that my children's , Rotimi Joseph Rotimi Chutufolum, Rotimi Seyi Victor Ebuka, Rotimi Tumi Benjamin Dumebi, Rotimi Ifeanyi Williams Bolu, have changed Folajimi Joseph Rotimi Chutufolum,Folajimi Seyi Victor Ebuka, Folajimi Tumi Benjamin Dumebi, Folajimi Ifeanyi Williams Bolu. The general public please take note.

DARAMOLA

ALABI

KALU

I formerly known and addressed as MISS AKPOAISI RACHAEL OGHENEBRORIE, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. TARIQ RACHAEL, All former documents remain valid. The general public please take note.

I, formerly known and addresed as MISS ALABI SULIYAT IYABO,now wish to be known and address as MRS. LAWAL SULIYAT IYABO.All former document still remain valid. NYSC, Osun State Polytechnic,iree and general public should please take note. I, formerly known and addressed as MISS COMFORT ANYA OLUGU KALU (Chibuzo) now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. COMFORT ANYA NNE. All documents bearing my former name remain valid. The General Public should please take note.

NWAGWU

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS ESTHER CHIOMA NWAGWU, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. ESTHER CHIOMA ONOBEVUNE. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

OSIRI

I,formerly known and addressed as MISS OSIRI ARUODO UWAKA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. EDOHASIM ARUODO HELEN. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

EKWEBELEM

I,formerly known and addressed as MISS NGOZI BLESSING EKWEBELEM, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. MARTINS NGOZI BLESSING. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

OSAROLLOR

I,formerly known and addressed as MISS MERCY AUNTY OSAROLLOR, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. MERCY ALLEN AMAFAH. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, MR. GIDEON NYEWUNA and MR. GIDEON NYEWUNA AMADI refers to one and the same person. Now wish to be known and addressed as MR. GIDEON NYEWUNA. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ODIMGBE

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Odimgbe Prisca Adaeze now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Nenger Prisca Adaeze. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

JIMOH

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Jimoh Sekinat Abolade now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Majolagbe Sekinat Abolade. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Ajikanle Riliwan is the same person as Ajikanle Ridwan Olawale Henceforth I want to be known and addressed as Ajikanle Ridwan Olawale. All former documents remain valid. Osun State Polytechnic Iree and general public take note.

KALU

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Kalu Ogonna Josephine, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ogonna Emeka Udodirim. All former documents remain valid. MOUAU and general public should please take note.

OKORONKWO I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Okoronkwo Peace Nwamaka, Now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Abazie Peace Nwamaka. All former documents remain valid. NYSC , Abia State University Uturu and general public should please take note.

UMAR

I formerly known and addresed as MISS FADIRAN FASILAT OPEYEMI,now wish to be known and address as MRS. LAWAL FASILAT OPEYEMI.All former document still remain valid,SUBEB,Osun State government and general public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS DARAMOLA FRANCISCA DAMOLA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS OLAWUMI FRANCISCA DAMOLA. All former documents remain valid. UBEC Abuja and general public please take note.

OSISANYA

I formerly known and called Miss Oluyemisi Morayo Osisanya now wish to be called and addressed as Mrs. Oluyemisi Morayo Koyaolu Salami. All documents bearing my former name remain valid. The general public should please take note.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015 CHANGE OF NAME CHANGE OF NAME

AKPOAISI

TAIWO

I formerly known and addressed as MISS TAIWO OLUWAKEMI FLORENCE now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. OLUKEMI KAOSARAH SARAFADEEN. All former documents remain valid. The general public please take note.

OZOR

I formerly known and addressed as MISS YONNEM NDUDI OZOR, now wish to be known and addressed as MISS YONNEM NDUDI UDUEZUE. All former documents remain valid. The general public please take note.

AKIN-BENSON I formerly known and addressed as MISS AKIN-BENSON TEMITOPE JENNIFER, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. ONIJIGIN TEMITOPE JENNIFER, All former documents remain valid. The general public please take note.

MESHIOYE I formerly known and addressed as MISS MESHIOYE AYISAT OMOBOLANLE, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. LAWAL AYISAT OMOBOLANLE. All former documents remain valid. The general public please take note.

JOSEPH I,formerly known and addressed as MISS JOSEPH NDIDI FAVOUR, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. EMMANUEL NDIDI FAVOUR. All former documents remain valid. The general public please take note.

SALIHU I, formerly known and addressed as MRS AISHAH GAMBARI SALIHU now wish to be known and addressed as MS AISHAH GAMBARI. All former documents remain valid. EFCC, Embassy of the United States of America, British High Commission, NIS and the general public should please take note.

CHIMA I formerly known and addressed as Miss Chima Francisca Nkechinyere, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Chukwu Francisca Nkechinyere. All former documents remain valid. Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria. And general public should please take note.

OKEZIE

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Goodness Ihunanyachi Okezie, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Goodness I. Chijioke - Okoronkwo. All former documents remain valid. Madona University, Okija Anambra State, NYSC and general public should please take note.

JIMOH I formerly known and addressed as Jimoh Fatai Jimoh, now wish to be known as Mr. Jimoh Fatai Afolorunsho. All former documents remain valid general public please take note.

FASASAI

I formerly known and addressed as Fasasi, Olasumbo Ibironke, now wish to be known and addressed as Ambali, Olasumbo Ibironke. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

EMEH

ONYEANUSI

I formerly known and addressed as Miss ONYEANUSI CONFIDENCE OBIAGERI, now wish to be known as Mrs. NKEMAKOLAM CONFIDENCE OBIAGERI. All former documents remain valid, general public please take note.

OBASI I formerly known and addressed as Miss OBASI JULIANA CHINENYE. Now wish to be known as Mrs. NWAIMO JULIANA CHINENYE. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

EZEKWEM

I formerly known and addressed as Miss ONYINYE NANCY NONYE EZEKWEM. Now wish to be known as Mrs. ONYINYE NANCY IBE. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.Vera

WORGU

I formerly known and addressed as Miss ROSE WORGU now wish to be known as Mrs. OROMA EREHCHRISTIAN. All former documents remain valid general public please take note.

OKAFOR

I formerly known and addressed as Miss OKAFOR ELIZABETH CHIZOBA, now wish to be known as Mrs. EZEKAFOR ELIZABETH CHIZOBA. All former documents remain valid, general public please take note.

EGWUATU

I formerly known and addressed as Miss EGWUATU CHIOMA JULIET, now wish to be known as Mrs. IFEDI CHIOMA JULIET. All former documents remain valid general public please take note.

ULUMMA

I formerly known and addressed as Miss ONUKAOGU FAUSTINA ULUMMA, now wish to be known as Mrs. AHUMARAEZE FAUSTINA ULUMMA. All former documents remain valid general public please take note.

UMEH I formerly known and addressed as Miss MARY EZINNE UMEH, now wish to be known as Mrs. MARY EZINNE ETIMS. All former documents remain valid general public please take note.

OGUNJIOFOR

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Chikaodili Victoria Ogunjiofor, now wish to be known as Mrs. Chikaodili Victoria Uwaezuoke. All former documents remain valid general public please take note.

AMUH I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Amuh, Ifunanya Loveth, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Okafor, Ifunanya Loveth. All former documents remain valid. Insitute of Management and Technology, Enugu, (IMT), NYSC and the general public should please take note.

FAGBOHUN

I, formerly known and addressed as Fagbohun Victoria Kemi, now wish to be known and addressed as Alufo Victoria Kemi. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

KOMOLAFE

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Komolafe, Fisayo, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Fisayo Ayodeji-Omowaye. All former documents remain valid. Federal University, Oye-Ekiti and general public should please take note.

SERIKI

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Seriki, Endurance Eloho, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Okwandu Endurance Eloho. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

ASUBIOJO

I, formerly known and addressed as MR PAUL ADEOLA ASUBIOJO, now wish to be known and addressed as MR PAUL ADEOLA OLAJIGA. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

EZEBUBE I, formerly known and addressed as Ezebube Helen Ifeyinwa, now wish to be known and addressed as Ozumba Helen Ifeyinwa. All former documents remain valid. Nigeria French Language Village and general public should please take note.

46 CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME

AMASSOMA

TEIKAKPO

I,formerly known and addressed as Mr.Austin Nemine Amassoma now wish to be known and addressed as Mr. Matthew Seibokuro.All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

EKPO

I,formerly known and addressed as Emem Ekpo now wish to be known and addressed as Emem Nsikak John.All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

YUSUF I,formerly known and addressed as Abdulmumini Aliyu Yusuf now wish to be known and addressed as Emmanuel Yususf.All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

OLANBIWONU

MUSTAPHA

I,formerly known and addressed as Mustapha, Adeyinka Hussenat now wish to be known and addressed as Yusuf, Adeyinka Hussenat.All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

OMOTOWA

I,formerly known and addressed as Omotowa Bosede Oluwatosin, now wish to be known and addressed as Omotola, Bosede Oluwatosin.All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

OLOJEDE

TANIMOWO

ONOVAKPURI

I,formerly known and addressed as Mrs. Dora Izonebi Teikakpo now wish to be known and addressed as Izonebi Foubai.All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

YAKUBU

OJO

ADEDOJA

I,formerly known and addressed as Adedoja Olaniyi Wilfred now wish to be known and addressed as Bah Adedoja Olaniyi.All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

NJOKU

ADEKAHUNSI

OKPALA

ADEOYE

I formerly known and addressed as Adedotun Adeoye, now wish to be known and addressed as Adedotun Osho. All former document remain valid. General public should please take note.

UWANUAKWA

I formerly known and addressed as Joyce Uwanuakwa, now wish to be known and addressed as Joyce Osho. All former document remain valid. General public should please take note.

YAQUB

ADENIYI

OYELOWO

DISU

EZEH

AKINTAN I formerly known and addressed as Titilayo Akintan, now wish to be known and addressed as Titilayo Akinsemoyin All former document remain valid. General public should please take note.

AKINPELU

OGUNWO

EWEGBEMI

OLORUNDARE

I formerly known and addressed Miss Eunice Kemi Olorundare, now Mrs. Eunice Kemi Aderemi. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

OBIEKWE

I formerly known and addressed as Obiekwe Ann Uzoamaka, now wish to be known and addressed as Igbo Ann Uzoamaka. All former document remain valid. General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME IFEDIORAH

I formerly known and addressed as Ifediorah Ebele Joy, now wish to be known and addressed as Odum Ebele Joy. All former document remain valid. General public should please take note.

EZEALA I formerly known and addressed as Ezeala, Oluchi Justina, now wish to be known and addressed as Agoha Oluchi Justina. All former document remain valid. General public should please take note.

OKU

IHEANACHO

OKON

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Patience Edet Okon, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Patience Ubong Peter. All former document remain valid. General public should please take note.

SALAAM

ENEH

SANUSI

I formerly known and addressed as Nakao Sanusi, now wish to be known and addressed as Yusuf Sanusi. All former document remain valid. General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME AGBASO

OLAOLU

I formerly known and addressed as Tobi Omolara Olaolu now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Tobi Omolara Kushimo. All former documents valid. The public should please take note.

OGUNSOLA

WAHAB

OLOFINJANA

OLADOJA

I formerly known and addressed as Miss OLADOJA MARY AYOBAMI now to be known as Mrs. ADEWOYIN MARY AYOBAMI. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

OLUKA-NGEI

ANEKE

FADIRAN

I formerly known and addressed as Miss ZAINAB GALADIMA UMAR, now wish to be known as Mrs. ZAINAB GALADIMA METHVEN. All former documents remain valid general public please take note.

FANIRAN

I formerly known and addressed as Miss EMEH VIRGINIA NNENNA, now wish to be known as Mrs. BONIFACE VIRGINIA NNENNA. All former documents remain valid general public please take note.

DARAMOLA

ALABI

KALU

I formerly known and addressed as MISS AKPOAISI RACHAEL OGHENEBRORIE, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. TARIQ RACHAEL, All former documents remain valid. The general public please take note.

NWAGWU

OSIRI

I,formerly known and addressed as MISS OSIRI ARUODO UWAKA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. EDOHASIM ARUODO HELEN. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

EKWEBELEM

OSAROLLOR

ODIMGBE

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Odimgbe Prisca Adaeze now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Nenger Prisca Adaeze. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

JIMOH

KALU

UMAR

OSISANYA

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015 CHANGE OF NAME CHANGE OF NAME

AKPOAISI

TAIWO

OZOR

I formerly known and addressed as MISS YONNEM NDUDI OZOR, now wish to be known and addressed as MISS YONNEM NDUDI UDUEZUE. All former documents remain valid. The general public please take note.

OKEZIE

JIMOH I formerly known and addressed as Jimoh Fatai Jimoh, now wish to be known as Mr. Jimoh Fatai Afolorunsho. All former documents remain valid general public please take note.

FASASAI

EMEH

ONYEANUSI

I formerly known and addressed as Miss ONYEANUSI CONFIDENCE OBIAGERI, now wish to be known as Mrs. NKEMAKOLAM CONFIDENCE OBIAGERI. All former documents remain valid, general public please take note.

OBASI I formerly known and addressed as Miss OBASI JULIANA CHINENYE. Now wish to be known as Mrs. NWAIMO JULIANA CHINENYE. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

EZEKWEM

I formerly known and addressed as Miss ONYINYE NANCY NONYE EZEKWEM. Now wish to be known as Mrs. ONYINYE NANCY IBE. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.Vera

WORGU

I formerly known and addressed as Miss ROSE WORGU now wish to be known as Mrs. OROMA EREHCHRISTIAN. All former documents remain valid general public please take note.

OKAFOR

I formerly known and addressed as Miss OKAFOR ELIZABETH CHIZOBA, now wish to be known as Mrs. EZEKAFOR ELIZABETH CHIZOBA. All former documents remain valid, general public please take note.

EGWUATU

I formerly known and addressed as Miss EGWUATU CHIOMA JULIET, now wish to be known as Mrs. IFEDI CHIOMA JULIET. All former documents remain valid general public please take note.

ULUMMA

I formerly known and addressed as Miss ONUKAOGU FAUSTINA ULUMMA, now wish to be known as Mrs. AHUMARAEZE FAUSTINA ULUMMA. All former documents remain valid general public please take note.

UMEH I formerly known and addressed as Miss MARY EZINNE UMEH, now wish to be known as Mrs. MARY EZINNE ETIMS. All former documents remain valid general public please take note.

OGUNJIOFOR

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Chikaodili Victoria Ogunjiofor, now wish to be known as Mrs. Chikaodili Victoria Uwaezuoke. All former documents remain valid general public please take note.

FAGBOHUN

I, formerly known and addressed as Fagbohun Victoria Kemi, now wish to be known and addressed as Alufo Victoria Kemi. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

KOMOLAFE

SERIKI

ASUBIOJO

I, formerly known and addressed as MR PAUL ADEOLA ASUBIOJO, now wish to be known and addressed as MR PAUL ADEOLA OLAJIGA. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

THE NATION MONDAY JANUARY 26, 2015

say no to postponement. There ‘We should be no postponement. This election has already been won and lost ‘

‘Why Lagosians ‘ll reject Jonathan’ A

LL Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains Chief Rabiu Oluwa and House of Representatives member Hon. Olamilekan Adeola have spoken on why Lagosians will reject President Goodluck Jonathan at the general elections. Oluwa, a delegate to the recent National Conference, said the President has neglected the state in the last six years. Adeola, who is the APC senatorial candidate in Lagos West District, rejected the call for the postponement of the general elections, saying that it is in bad faith. He said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is pushing for postponement because it is no more popular. Oluwa, who addressed party supporters at the governorship campaign in Ajeromi/ Ifelodun Local Government Area, challenged the President to list his achievements in Lagos, despite his promises to the people in 2011. He said Lagosians, who have rejected his second term bid, will also not vote for the PDP governorship candidate, Mr. Jimi Agbaje. The party elder said APC has served Lagosians meritoriously, urging them to vote for its governorship candidate, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode. He said: “Four years ago, we came to ask for your votes. You obliged us. We served you. The party redeemed its promise. Today, we are asking you to vote for our candidate. He is an experienced administrator. he has worked across the councils. After that, he moved into the civil service, rising to the position of an Accountant-General and Permanent Secretary. He is not going to learn the ropes. “The CMS/Badagry Road is a federal road. The APC government is constructing it. Billions of naira have been spent. The Federal Government has not paid a penny to Lagos. Our hospital here has become a General Hospital. A magistrate court is being built here. Look at our schools. Twenty five schools in Tolu Village have been rehabilitated.” At the rally, Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) also warned against the postponement of the general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), saying that it is dangerous for democracy. He said: “We say no

By Emmanuel Oladesu Group Political Editor

to postponement. There should be no postponement. This election has already been won and lost.” The governor predicted failure for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the poll, noting that President Goodluck Jonathan has failed Nigerians. Fashola added: “The passion with which the people voted for him when he said he had no shoe is the passion with which Nigerians will vote him out. The President has deceived us. He made promises and he has not fulfilled his promises. He has breached the social contract between him and Nigerians, which he made in 2011. Your message of change is reaching Abuja, New York and London. They know you are ready. We will drive them out of the Aso Rock with your brooms and votes. The governor, who spoke on the cancellation of the APC fund-raising platforms, using telecommunication operations, said the move smacked of the repression of the opposition and a colossal assault on mass communication. He flayed President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP for intolerance, despite the fact that the APC had reiterated the lack of partisanship by selected banks and telecommunication operators. Fashola, who is the Chairman of the Buhari/Osinbajo Campaign Fund-raising Committee, said: “It is with deep sadness that I note the disgraceful and distasteful conduct of the presidential campaign team and the repression of the freedom of expression. I feel personally embarrassed. The Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) has issued a letter to telecommunication operators not to carry our political messages. “If radios and televisions can carry political messages, why should telecommunication operators not do so? They are frustra-

tion the process because of one man’s desire to serve. Why should the government shutting down communication platform? The presidential campaign has been using the platform. The President has a face book account. This is media censorship.” The governor said the shutting down of the GSM “33350” platform was lamentable. He said before the shut down, no fewer than 5,200 people had responded to the request for donation into the campaign. Fashola, however, clarified that the bank and the scratch card platforms are still working, urging Nigerians to make use of them. The governor recalled that, in 2011, the NCC granted the SMS approval to Jonathan/Sambo ticket, wondering why it has decided to denied the opposition. He said it is not too late for the President to redeem his democratic credentials by demonstration respect for the peace and non-violence accord. Describing the APC as a mass movement, Fashola said: “The promise of a greater Nigeria is greater than the ambition of one man. This is the people’s desire. Nobody can stop it.” The governor said the APC has not received any official communication from the NCC, adding that the President has kept a sealed lip on the NCC’s directive. Fashola alleged that the Minister of Communication has been putting pressure on the telecommunication operators not to carry APC messages. On whether the APC will challenge the directive in court, Fashola said: “If we are to go to the court, the entire judiciary has been shut down. It has not happened in the history of the country.” At the Ajeromi/Ifelodun rally, the party chairman, Otunba Oladele Ajomale, presented flags to the Lagos West senatorial candidate, Hon. Adeola, House of Representatives candidate Taiwo Adenekan, and House of Assembly candidates for Constituency 1 and 11, Hon. Kolawole Taiwo and Hon. Ladi Balogun.

‘The PDP has spoilt the country through corruption. Some people are going round to offer market men and women N10, 000 in exchange for their voter’s cards. Reject it. You can create a new Nigeria by voting APC’

•Adeola

Ajomale dismissed the PDP candidate as an unserious, adding that he is twisting facts about the achievements of the Fashola Administration. He stressed: “Somebody is criticising the progress of Lagos. The person wants to be governor of Lagos. I have sent a doctor to examine him and give him glasses so that he can see well. “The PDP has spoilt the country through corruption. Some people are going round to offer market men and women N10, 000 in exchange for their voter’s cards. Reject it. You can create a new Nigeria by voting APC.” Adeola urged Lagosians to vote for the APC, assuring that the party will redeemed its electoral promises. The senatorial flag bearer said the APC legislators will fight for the protection of the additional 37 councils and fight for special status for Lagos. He added: “The PDP people have been there for 15 and half years. What they can offer is another four years of misrule.” Ambode, who spoke in pidgin English, urged the people to vote for continuity in the Centre of Excellence. Thanking the people for sealing a pact with the progressive bloc in the last 15 and half years, he said there is a compelling reason for people to vote for a party that has not failed them.

‘INEC should not postpone polls’ The Director, Strategic Communication, Buhari/Osinbajo Campaign Organisation, Mr Dele Alake, contends that the postponement of the general elections will amount to a coup against the constitutioin.

•Alake

IT is certainly no exaggeration to say that the ruling Peoples Democratic (PDP) is undertaking a creeping, insidious and very dangerous coup against the Nigerian constitution. The PDP, it is now obvious, will stop at nothing to manipulate the forthcoming general elections in its favour and, where this is not possible, it will do all it can to abort the exercise from holding at all. Another indication to this effect was the recent statement by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), at the Chatham House, London, that the elections be postponed until the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has distributed all Permanent Voters Cards still in its custody. The NSA gave

INEC the unsolicited advice to take advantage of what he called a ’90-day window’ provided by law to complete distribution of the PVCs before elections are held. In the first place, it is difficult to understand when and how the NSA became the official spokesman and adviser of INEC. This is particularly so as President Goodluck Jonathan has always claimed as one of his administration’s achievements the autonomy granted INEC to conduct free, fair and credible polls without external interference. By his own admission, Colonel Dasuki said he had mooted to INEC the desirability of postponing the elections. This action by Dasuki amounts to a crass interference with the functions of INEC that is both illegal and immoral. To the best of our knowledge, INEC has not said that it is not ready to conduct the elections as scheduled. Indeed, the electoral umpire has expressed optimism that it will distribute all outstanding PVCs before the first elections slated forFebruary 14. Dasuki’s statement has serious implications for democratic sustainability in Nigeria. For one, if the elections are not held in February as scheduled, there will be little time to address and resolve post-election issues before the May 29th deadline for the swearing in of the next president and governors. This means that the nation may be embroiled in a constitutional crisis beyond May 29. Again, what time limit is Dasuki thinking of if the elections are not held in February? What happens if INEC is still perceived as being unprepared to conduct the polls even after

Dasuki’s laughable 90-day window? The truth of the matter is that if a new government is not sworn in on May 29th, we would have a veritable coup on our hands. The government in power would lack any constitutional basis for exercising authority. What then would be the fate of the country since nature abhors a vacuum? A fallacy underlying Dasuki’s reasoning is that INEC will ever be in a state of perfect readiness to conduct elections. Even with the best intentions in the world, INEC as a human organization will still have to contend with some lapses however minor , even if it is given till eternity to organize elections. All we can expect is for INEC to conduct all elections as best as it can knowing that each election will serve as a basis for learning from errors and conducting future ones better. The notion that there will ever be perfect elections is idealistic. Dasuki’s call for the postponement of the elections is obviously the view of the PDP-controlled Federal Government. This call tallies with that of the various shadowy groups that have called for the postponement of the election for a variety of spurious and untenable reasons. It is our view that all these calls amount to nothing but an advocacy for the extension of President Goodluck Jonathan’s tenure in office. Like all others before it in our political history, this hitherto hidden but now open agenda will fail. Not since the historic June 12, 1993 presidential election have Nigerians been as mobilised and energised as they are today for next month’s elections. It is evident in the massive

turnout of people at the various party rallies. It is obvious in animated discussions on radio and television phone-in discussion programmes. It is demonstrated in the frenetic engagement on diverse issues on the social media. Nobody who has the slightest respect for the sensitivity of Nigerians will call for the postponement of the election for the flimsy reasons cited by Dasuki. Not even the raging violence in the NorthEast can be a justifiable reason for not holding elections in that region. To do so will only give the terrorists the impression that they have succeeded in achieving their aims and disrupting our way of life and our commitment, against all odds, to democratic ideals. Any serious Commander-In-Chief should know this. Ordinarily, it ought to be the opposition that should be jittery about holding elections and thus seeking to buy time by calling for postponement. That it is the government in power, which controls tremendous resources and has a monopoly of the agencies of state that is scared of the forthcoming elections speak volumes about the vulnerability and fragility of the Jonathan administration. We call on the INEC, particularly its Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, to be mindful always of honour, decency and integrity. INEC has courageously stated its preparedness to conduct the elections. It should stand by its word, jealously guard its autonomy and do only that which is just and right for the Nigerian people. At the end of the day, history will always vindicate the just.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

NIGERIA DECIDES

Federal Government’s economic team weak, selfish • Continued from page 3 mate to rake in from them? I remember that the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo was asked similar questions in 1978 and 1979 about his promises of free education and free medical services. Even as a teenager, I was impressed by how he reeled out figures about the amounts he would save from various ‘waste’ including the tea/coffee served in government offices. The point is that at least he did his homework and had his numbers and I give credit to his team. Some 36 years later, the quality of political debate and discourse seems to border on the pedestrian. From the quality of its team, I did not expect much from the current government, but I must confess that I expected the APC as a party aspiring to take over from PDP to come up with a knockout punch. Evidently, from what we have read from the various versions of its manifesto as well as the depth of promises being made, it does not seem that it has a better offer. Let me digress a bit to refresh our memory on where we are, and thus provide the context in which to evaluate the promises being made to us. Recall that the key word of the 2015 budget is ‘austerity’. Austerity! This is just within a few months of the fall in oil prices. History repeats itself in a very cruel way, as this was exactly what happened under the Shehu Shagari administration. Under the Shagari government, oil price reached its highest in 1980/81. During the same period, Nigeria ratcheted up its consumption and all tiers of government were in competition as to which would out-borrow the other. Huge public debt was the consequence. When oil prices crashed in early 1982, the National Assembly then passed the Economic Stabilisation (Austerity Measures) Act in one day - going through the first, second, and third readings the same day. The austerity measures included the rationing of ‘essential commodities’ and most states owed salary arrears. Corruption was said to be pervasive, and as Sani Abacha said in that famous coup speech, ‘unemployment has reached unacceptable proportions and our hospitals have become mere consulting clinics’. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari/Tunde Idiagbon regime made the fight against corruption and restoration of discipline the cardinal point of their administration which lasted for 20 months. I am not sure they had a credible plan to get the economy out of the doldrums (although it must be admitted that poverty incidence in Nigeria as of 1985 when they left office was a just 46 per cent - according to the Federal Office of Statistics FoS). E have come full circle. If the experience under Shagari could be excused as an unexpected shock, what Nigeria is going through now is a consequence of our deliberate wrong choices. We have always known that the unprecedented oil boom (in both price and quantity—despite oil theft) of the last six years is temporary but the government chose to treat it as a permanent shock. The parallels with the Shagari regime are troubling. First, at the time of oil boom, Nigeria again went on a consumption spree such that the budgets of the last five years can best be described as ‘consumption budgets’, with new borrowing by the Federal Government exceeding the actual expenditure on critical infrastructure. Second, not one penny was added to the stock of foreign reserves at a period Nigeria earned hundreds of billions from oil. For comparisons, President Olusegun Obasanjo (when he assumed office) met about $5 billion in foreign reserves, and the average monthly oil price for the 72 months he was in office was $38, and yet he left $43 billion in foreign reserves after paying $12 billion to write-off Nigeria’s ex-

ternal debt. In the last five years, the average monthly oil price has been over $100, and the quantity also higher but our foreign reserves have been declining and exchange rate depreciating. I note that when I assumed office as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the stock of foreign reserves was $10 billion. The average monthly oil price during my 60 months in office was $59, but foreign reserve reached the all-time peak of $62 billion (and despite paying $12 billion for external debt, and losing over $15 billion during the unprecedented global financial and economic crisis) I left behind $45 billion. Recall also that our exchange rate continuously appreciated during this period and was at N117 to the dollar before the global crisis and we deliberately allowed it to depreciate in order to preserve our reserves. My calculation is that if the economy was better managed, our foreign reserves should have been between $102 and $118 billion and exchange rate around N112 before the fall in oil prices. As of now, the reserves should be around $90 billion and exchange rate no higher than N125 per dollar. HIRD, the rate of public debt accumulation at a time of un precedented boom had no parallel in the world. While the Obasanjo administration bought and enlarged the policy space for Nigeria, the current government has sold and constricted it. What debt relief did for Nigeria was to liberate Nigerian policymakers from the intrusive conditionalities of the creditors and thereby truly allowing Nigeria independence in its public policy. How have we used the independence? Through our own choices, we have yet again tied the hands of future policymakers. This time, the debt is not necessarily to foreign creditor institutions/ governments which are organized under the Paris club but largely to private agents which is even more volatile. We call it domestic debt. But if one carefully unpacks the bond portfolio, what percentage of it is held by foreign private agents? And I understand the government had removed the speed bumps we kept to slow the speed of capital flight, and someone is sweating to explain the gyrations in foreign reserves. I am just smiling! In sum, the mismanagement of our economy has brought us once more to the brink. Government officials rely on the artificial construct of debt to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio to tell us we can borrow as much as we want. That is nonsense, especially for an economy with a mono but highly volatile source of revenue and forex (foreign exchange) earnings. The chicken will soon come home to roost. Today, the combined domestic and external debt of the Federal Government is in excess of $40 billion. Add to this is the fact that abandoned capital projects littered all over the country amount to over $50 billion. No word yet on other huge contingent liabilities. If oil prices continue to fall, I bet that Nigeria will soon have a heavy debt burden even with low debt to GDP ratio. Furthermore, given the current and capital account regime, it is evident that Nigeria does not have enough foreign reserves to adequately cover for imports plus short term liabilities. In essence, we are approaching the classic of what the Shagari government faced, and no wonder the hasty introduction of ‘austerity measures’ again. Fourth, poverty incidence and unemployment are also simultaneously at all-time high levels. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), poverty incidence grew to 69 per cent in 2010 and projected to be 71 per cent in 2011, with unemployment at 24 per cent. This is the worst record in Nigeria’s history, and the paradox is that this happened during

the unprecedented oil boom. One theme I picked up listening to the campaign rallies as well as to some of the propagandists is the confusion about measuring government “performance”. Most people seem to confuse ‘inputs’, or ‘processes’ with output. Earlier this month, I had a dinner with a group of friends (14 of us) and we were chit-chatting about Nigeria. One of us, an associate of President Jonathan veered off to repeat a propaganda mantra that Jonathan had outperformed his predecessors. He also reminded us that Jonathan re-based the GDP and that Nigeria is now the biggest economy in Africa among others. It was fun listening to the response by others. In sum, the group agreed that the President had ‘outperformed’ his predecessors except that it is in reverse order. First, my friend was educated that re-basing the GDP is no achievement: it is a routine statistical exercise, and depending on the base year that you choose, you get a different GDP figure. Re-basing the GDP has nothing to do with government policy. Besides, as naira-dollar exchange rate continues to depreciate, the GDP in current dollars will also shrink considerably soon. We were reminded of Jonathan’s agricultural ‘revolution’. But someone cut in and noted that for all the propaganda, the growth rate of the agricultural sector in the last five years still remains far below the performance under Obasanjo. One of us reminded him that no other president had presided over the slaughter of about 15,000 people by insurgents in a peacetime; no other president earned up to 50 per cent of the amount of resources the current government earned from oil and yet with very little outcomes; no other president had the rate of borrowing; none had significant forex earnings and yet did not add one penny to foreign reserves but losing international reserves at a time of boom; no other president had a depreciating exchange rate at a time of export boom; at no time in Nigeria’s history has poverty reached 71 per cent (even under Abacha, it was 67 -70 per cent ); and under no other president did unemployment reach 24 per cent. Surely, these are unprecedented records and he surely ‘outperformed’ his predecessors! What a satire! One of those present took the satire to some level by comparing Jonathan to the ‘performance’ of the former Governor of Anambra, Peter Obi. He noted that while Obi gloated about ‘savings’, there is no signature project to remember his regime except that his regime took the first position among all states in Nigeria in the democratisation of poverty mass impoverishment of the people of Anambra. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), poverty rose under his watch in Anambra from 20 per cent in 2004 (lowest in Nigeria then) to 68 per cent in 2010 (a 238 per ecnt deterioration!). Our friend likened it to a father who had no idea of what to do with his resources and was celebrating his fat bank account while his children were dying of kwashiorkor. He pointed out that since it is the likes of Peter Obi who are the advisers to Jonathan on how to manage the economy (thereby confusing micromanagement which you do as a trader with macro governance) it is little wonder that poverty is fast becoming another name for Nigeria. It was a very hilarious evening. My advice to President Jonathan and his handlers is to stop wasting their time trying to campaign on his job record. Those who have decided to vote for him will not do so because he has taken Nigeria to the moon. His record on the economy is a clear ‘F’ grade. As one reviews the laundry list of micro interventions the government calls its achievements, one won-

‘ Fortuitously,

just as he succeeded Shagari when Nigeria faced similar situations, Buhari is once more seeking to lead Nigeria. But times have changed, and Nigeria is largely different

‘

•Shagari

ders whether such list is all that the government could deliver with an unprecedented oil boom and an unprecedented public debt accumulation. I can clearly see why reasonable people are worried. Everywhere else in the world, government performance on the economy is measured by some outcome variables such as: income (GDP growth rate), stability of prices (inflation and exchange rate), unemployment rate, poverty rate among others. On all these scores, this government has performed worse than its immediate predecessor - Obasanjo regime. If we appropriately adjust for oil income and debt, then this government is the worst in our history on the economy. All statistics are from the NBS. ESPITE presiding over the biggest oil boom in our his tory, it has not added one percentage point to the growth rate of GDP compared to the Obasanjo regime especially the 2003- 2007 period. Obasanjo met GDP growth rate at two per cent but averaged seven per cent within 2003- 2007. The current government has been stuck at 6 per cent despite an unprecedented oil boom. Income (GDP) growth has actually performed worse, and poverty escalated. This is the only government in our history where rapidly increasing government expenditure was associated with increasing poverty. The director-general of the NBS stated in his written press conference address in 2011 that about 112 million Nigerians were living in poverty. Is this the record to defend? Obama had a tough time in his reelection in 2012 because unemployment reached eight per cent. Here, unemployment is at a record 24 per cent and poverty at an all-time 71 per cent but people are prancing around, gloating about ‘performance’. As I write, the naira exchange rate to the dollar is N210 at the parallel market. What a historic performance! Please save your breathe and save us the embarrassment. The President promised Nigeria nothing in the last election and we did not get value for money. He should this time around present us with his plan for the future, and focus on how he would redeem himself in the second term—if he wins! Sadly the government’s economic team is very weak, dominated by selfinterested and self-conflicted group of traders and businessmen, and socalled economic team meetings have been nothing but showbiz time. The very people government exists to reg-

ulate have seized the levers of government as policymakers and most government institutions have largely been “privatised” to them. Mention any major government department or agency and someone will tell you whom it has been ‘allocated’ to, and the person subsequently nominates his minion to occupy the seat. What do you then expect? The economy seems to be on auto pilot, with confusion as to who is in charge, and government largely as a constraint. There are no big ideas, and it is difficult to see where economic policy is headed to. My thesis is that the Nigerian economy, if properly managed, should have been growing at an annual rate of about 12 per cent given the oil boom, and poverty and unemployment should have fallen dramatically over the last five years. This is topic for another day. So far, the government’s response to the self-inflicted crisis is, at best, laughable. They blame external shocks as if we did not expect them and say nothing about the terrible policy choices they made. The National Assembly had described the 2015 Budget as unrealistic. The fiscal adjustments proposed in the 2015 Budget simply play to the gallery and just to pander to our emotions. For a $540 billion economy, the so-called luxury tax amounts to zero per cent of GDP. If the current trend continues, private businesses will come under a heavy crunch soon. Having put economics on its head during the boom time, the government now proposes to increase taxes during a prospective downturn and impose austerity measures. Unbelievable! Fortuitously, just as he succeeded Shagari when Nigeria faced similar situations, Buhari is once more seeking to lead Nigeria. But times have changed, and Nigeria is largely different. First, this is a democracy and dealing with corruption must happen within the ambit of the rule of law and due process. Getting things done in a democracy requires complicated bargaining, especially where the legislature, labour, the media and civil society have become strong and entrenched. Second, the size, structure and institutions of the economy have fundamentally altered. The market economy, especially the capital market and foreign exchange market, impose binding constraints and discipline on any regime. Third, dealing • Continued on page 55

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

NEWS

Why Edo won’t vote for Jonathan, by Oshiomhole E

DO State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has said President Goodluck Jonathan abandoned the state in the last six years that he has been in office, despite securing 95 per cent votes from the state during his re-election in 2011. The governor said the people had become wiser and would vote out the President on February 14 for abandoning them. Oshiomhole spoke at the weekend at the All Progressives Congress (APC) rallies in Ehor, Uhumwode Local Government Area and at Igueben, Igueben Local Government Area. The governor said despite several letters his administration wrote to the Federal Government for assistance on the erosion ravaging parts of the state, the Jonathan administration still abandoned Edo State. He said: “The last time, we voted for President Jonathan. He got 95 per cent of the total votes in Edo State. Yet, I cannot think of any meaningful thing he has done in the state. “We have written volumes of letters to Abuja on

the Queen Ede erosion site. That erosion was caused by the Federal Government as a result of the design errors in the course of constructing the road to Asaba. It started as a small erosion. But over time, it has escalated.” Oshiomhole added: “I have written for support from the Ecological Funds, which we are entitled to, to rebuild and reclaim the place. It has destroyed some houses, farmlands and a secondary school. Right now, it has almost destroyed a Catholic church. Yet, the Federal Government has not done anything. “Last year, President Jonathan gave N2 billion each to some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) states, even where he lost election, to deal with erosion. Those that don’t have flood erosion were given money for desertification. But we in Edo State, who voted for him, got nothing. “I am not lamenting this. We have learnt from it and we are determined not to repeat our mistakes. But the

good news is that we have secured funds from the World Bank on our own effort to rebuild Queen Ede erosion and restore it and save the lives, farmlands and the property of the people who live around there. Soon, the construction work will start. “For 16 years, the only Federal thing I see in Edo State is the resurfacing of Ofosu up to Benin old dual carriage way, which they only started after our government decided to construct additional lanes to Ugbowo. I can’t see any other thing they have done in 16 years.” On the failure of the PDPled Federal Government to prosecute those indicted in last year’s ill-fated Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) recruitment, Oshiomhole said it showed that Jonathan does not care about the welfare of the Nigerian youth. He said: “Young people were defrauded in the name of providing jobs. They were asked to pay N1,000

to apply for Federal jobs that did not exist, illegally using consultants in clear breach of Federal laws. “The PDP-led Federal Government defrauded our youths to the tune of N800 million. They organised a mock interview, using various stadia across the country and young people’s lives were wasted. “The minister who presided over this national fraud was given honours. For the PDP, this is a normal way of life; not one person was punished. Several people died. Last week, the relatives of those who died in Benin were protesting to us that the Federal Government had not given them even the jobs they promised.” The governor urged the people to vote out the PDP at the federal and other levels and in the country. He said: “I believe that with General Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria will be in a safer hand, beginning with security. Under the PDP, security has completely collapsed. Insurgents have taken over our land. People are now afraid to go to church or mosque to worship.

Emerhor promises N10b jobs fund in 100 days •‘APC is the only alternative party for state’

ELTA State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate Olorogun O’tega Emerhor has said he will establish a N10 billion empowerment fund for youths, if elected in the February 28 election. Emerhor also said his administration would provide over one million jobs for the teeming unemployed youths and women in the first four years of his tenure. The APC candidate spoke at the weekend at his campaign rallies in Uvwie, Warri South and Warri South-West local government areas. He said the party was the only alternative that would deliver Delta State from years of misrule under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Emerhor urged youths, women and the elderly to get their permanent voter cards (PVCs) to enable them vote for the APC in all the elections. The APC candidate said the party had better programmes to improve the people’s lives.

From Bolaji Ogundele, Warr i

He said: “APC is the alternative party. Nigerians want Gen. Buhari. Or else, ask why the government of the day is asking for the postponement of the elections. “I have been in the private sector. We know how to use money. In four years, we must take out a minimum of one million youths and women from the labour market. We will set aside N10 billion for empowerment fund to start our youths and women financially within my first 100 days in office. We intend to set up social security for the elderly. “How do we turn this underdevelopment? Your PVC is your power. Go, vote and protect your votes. Wait and make sure your votes are counted.” Delta State APC Chairman Jones Erue said Emerhor was an ‘A’ list professional in his career. The chairman assured the party’s supporters that hewould give “first-class government leadership to Delta”.

Wike is wasteful, says Amaechi

IVERS State Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Nyesom Wike, is an extravagant and immature person who cannot match the excellent academic and public service record of All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate Dr. Dakuku Peterside. The governor said Wike was incapable of providing the quality leadership expected of the governor of a sophisticated state like Rivers. Amaechi spoke at State School ground at Okehi in Etche Local Government Area. The governor recalled the incalculable profligacy that marked Wike’s tenure as Chief of Staff of his (Amae•Oshiomhole addressing a large crowd at the All Progressives Congress (APC) rally at Ehor...at the weekend

Two drown fleeing from arrest

WO youths from Obunagha community in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State drowned yesterday when they attempted to evade arrest, after they were caught smoking cannabis sativa (Indian hemp). One of the deceased, whose body was recovered by divers, was identified as 32-year-old Meipor Ebinimias, an indigene of Obunagha and father of three kids. His body was discovered on Saturday evening by a search party from the community. But it was learnt that the remains of the other victim, who was referred to as a visitor to the community and an Igbo man, had not been found. An indigene of the community, who simply iden-

From Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa

tified himself as Preye, said the drowned youths were found smoking the prohibited substance in one of the classrooms of the community’s primary school. He said: “Youths usually gather at the community’s primary school to smoke hard drugs. Sometimes, the chiefs of the community alert the police on the activities of those youths and

accuse them of using the community for violent crimes in the state capital. “On Friday evening, some youths gathered, as usual. On sighting the patrol vehicle of the State Special Security outfit, Operation Door Akpoor, they panicked and jumped into the river behind the school. Unknown to them, that part of the river was shallow and filled with dangerous woods.”

‘Etche is 100 per cent for Peterside’

FORMER Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State, Chief Ambrose Nwuzi, has said whatever remains of the party in the area has been given to the All Progressives Congress (APC), following his defection. Nwuzi, who defected with his supporters to APC, pledged to work for the party and its candidates in the February elections.

He spoke at the weekend at the State School in Okehi during APC mega rally. The event brought together party faithful and Etche sons and daughters. Nwuzi said: “There is no more opposition in Etche. Everybody has now joined the APC. I think it is in our best interest. Nobody needs a prophet to know the party that will be victorious at the polls here. We in Rivers State must key into

Oshiomhole sacks two commissioners

DO State Transport Commissioner Orobosa OmoOjo and his Lands and Survey counterpart, Donald Osikhena-Boih, have been sacked. No reasons were given for their sack. Two new commissioners and two Deputy Chiefs of Staff were appointed. Those appointed are: Joseph Ayegbeni Ugheoke, Kenneth Edebiri, Saturday Idehen Uwulekhue and Prestly Ediagboya. A statement by the Special Adviser to the Governor on

chi’s) government during his first term. Amaechi told the crowd how Wike’s office, when he was Chief of Staff, repeatedly discouraged him from building government guest houses because he benefited directly from the massive fraud that characterised lodging and accommodating government visitors. Governance, the governor said, is for responsible people with a high degree of moral bearing and stability, not for people who cannot survive outside government. He said Peterside was assigned the sensitive Ministry of Works during his (Amaechi’s) first tenure because of his sterling qualities as a patriot and gentleman who did not see public service as an avenue for primitive accumulation.

•Governor names replacements, two aides From Osagie Otabor, Benin

Media and Public Affairs, Prince Kassim Afegbua, said Oshiomhole also appointed two Deputy Chiefs of Staff - former House of Assembly’s Majority Leader Frank Okiye (Administration) and Mr. Kenneth Ehesikhien (Political Matters). It said the names of the commissioner-nominees had been forwarded to the House of Assembly for screening.

this movement called the APC. More so, we are not ready to go back to the Dark Age that was characterised by impunity and underdevelopment. We have joined the APC and we are happy here.” The party chieftain described Peterside as a well prepared candidate. He urged the people to reject those who planned to take power by force. Nwuzi stressed that the desperation of the PDP should worry every rightthinking resident of the state. He described the APC candidate as a stable and forthright person with clear fear of God. Nwizu urged the people to support Peterside because the APC candidate was the only one who could be accountable to the people of Rivers State, if they voted for him.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

NIGERIA DECIDES

Federal Government’s economic team weak, selfish • Continued from page 48 with most of the other issues - insecurity, unemployment/poverty, infrastructure, health, education, etc, require increased, smarter, and more efficient spending. Increased spending when the economy is on the reverse gear? If oil prices remain between $40$60 over the next two years, the current policy regime guarantees that foreign reserves will continue the precipitous depletion with the attendant exchange rate depreciation, as well as a probable unsustainable escalation in debt accumulation, fiscal retrenchment or taxing the private sector with vengeance. The scenario does not look pretty. The poor choices made by the current government have mortgaged the future, and the next government would have little room to manoeuvre and would inevitably undertake drastic but painful structural adjustments. Nigerians loathe the term ‘structural adjustment’. With falling real wages and depreciating currency, I can see any belated attempt bythe government to deal with the bloated public sector pitching it against a feisty labour. I worry about regime stability in the coming months, and I do not envy the next team. The seeming crisis is not destiny; it is self-imposed. However, we must see it as an opportunity to be seized to fundamentally restructure Nigeria’s political economy, including its fiscal federalism and mineral rights. The current system guarantees cycles of consumption loop and I cannot see sustainable long term prosperity without major systemic overhaul. The proposals at the national conference merely tinker at the margins. In totality, the outcome of the national conference is to do more of the same, with minor amendments on the system of sharing and consumption rather than a fundamental overhaul of the system for productivity and prosperity. President Jonathan promises to implement the report of the national conference if he wins. I commend him for at least offering ‘something’, albeit, marginal in my view. I have not heard anything from the APC or Buhari regarding the national conference report or what kind of federalism they envisage for Nigeria. N Nigeria’s recent history, two examples under the military and civilian governments demonstrate that where the political will exists, Nigeria has the capacity to overcome severe challenges. The first was under President Babangida. Not many Nigerians appreciate that given the near bankrupt state of Nigeria’s finances and requirements for debt resolution under the Paris Club, the country had little choice but to undertake the painful Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP). I want to state for the record that the foundation for the current market economy we operate in Nigeria was laid by that regime (liberalisation of markets including market determined exchange rate, private sector-led economy including licensing of private banks and insurance, de-regulation, privatization of public enterprises under TCPC). Just abolishing the import licensing regime was a fundamental policy revolution. Despite the criticisms, these policy thrusts have remained the pillars of our deepening market economy, and the economy recovered from almost negative growth rate to average 5.5 per cent during the regime and poverty incidence at 42 per cent in 1992. Under our democratic experience, President Obasanjo inherited a bankrupt economy (with the lost decade of the 1990’s GDP growth rate of 2.2 per cent and hence zero per capital income growth for the decade). His regime consolidated and deepened the market economy structures (consolidation of the banking system which is powering the emergence of a new but truly private sector-led

economy and simultaneously led to a new awareness and boom in the capital market; telecommunications revolution; new pension regime; debt relief which won for Nigeria policy independence from the World Bank and Paris Club; deepening of de-regulation and privatisation including the unbundling of NEPA under PHCN for privatisation; agricultural revolution that saw yearly growth rate of over six per cent and remains unsurpassed ever since; sound monetary and fiscal policy and growing foreign reserves that gave confidence to investors; establishment of the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) which is leading infrastructure finance in Africa; backward integration policy that saw the establishment and growth of Dangote cement and others; established ICPC and EFCC to fight corruption, etc). The economy roared to average yearly growth of 7 per cent between 2003 and 2007 (although average monthly oil price under his regime was $38), and poverty dropped from estimated 70 per cent in 1999 to 54 per cent in 2004. Obasanjo was his own coordinating minister of the economy and chairman of the economic management team which he chaired for 90 minutes every week. I met with him daily. In other words, he did not outsource economic management. E expected that the next government after Obasan jo would take the economy to the next level. So far, we have had two great slogans: the Seven – Point Agenda agenda and currently, the Transformation Agenda. They remain empty slogans without content or direction. Let me suggest that the fundamental challenge for the next government on the economy can be framed around the goal of creating twelve million jobs over the next four years to have a dent on unemployment and poverty. The challenge is to craft a development agenda to deliver this within the context of broken public finance, and an economy in which painful structural adjustments will be inevitable if current trends in oil prices continue. Most other programmes on corruption, security, power and infrastructure are expected to be instruments to achieve this objective. SO far, neither the APC nor the PDP has a credible programme for employment and poverty reduction. The APC promises to create 20,000 jobs per state in the first year, totalling a mere 720,000 jobs. This sounds like a quota system and for a country where the new entrants into the labour market per annum exceed two million. If it was intended as a joke, APC must please get serious. On the other hand, President Jonathan targets two million jobs per annum but his strategy for doing so is a Job Board - another committee of sort. Sorry, Mr. President, a Job Board is not a strategy. The principal job Nigerians hired you to do for them is to create jobs for them too. You cannot outsource that job, Sir. Creating three million jobs per annum under the unfolding crisis would task our creativity and audacity to the limits. I heard one politician argue that once we fix power, private sector would create jobs. Not necessarily! Well, this government claims to have added 1,700 mega watts to the national grid and yet unemployment soars. Ask Greece, Spain and other states with power and infrastructure and yet with high unemployment. Structural dislocations play a key role. For example, currently in Nigeria, it is estimated that more than 60 per cent of graduates of our educational system are unemployable. You can understand why many of us are amused when the government celebrates that it has established twelve more glorified secondary schools as universities. I thought they would have told us

how many Nigerian universities made it in the league of the best 200 universities in the world. That would have been an achievement. Surely, creating millions of jobs in this economy would, among other things, require ‘new money’ and extraordinary system of coordination among the three tiers of government plus the private sector. Unfortunately, from what I read, the CBN is largely likely to be asleep at this time the country needs the most revolutionary finance. This is a topic for another day. Only the President can lead this effort. Moreover, we are waiting for the two parties/candidates to spell out how they will create jobs, whether it is the 20,000 jobs per state by APC or 2 million per annum by President Jonathan. Let us know how you arrived at the figures. Whichever of the two that is declared winner will have his job cut out for him, and I expect him to declare a national emergency on job creation. Surprisingly, none of the parties/ candidates has any grand vision about African economic integration, led by Nigeria. There is no programme on how to make the naira the de facto currency of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) or the international financial centre that can attract more than $100 billion per annum. Where is the strategy for orchestrating the revolutionary finance to power the economy during this downturn? For President Jonathan, I find it shocking that the most important initiative of his government to secure the future of the economy by Nigeria refusing to sign the ruinous Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union is not even being mentioned. President Obasanjo saved Nigeria from the potential ruin of an ECOWAS single currency while to his credit, Jonathan safeguarded our industrial sector/economy by refusing to sign the EPA. Or does the government not understand the import of that? It will be interesting to know the APC’s strategy for exploiting strategic alliances within Africa, China, and the world for Nigeria’s prosperity. If Buhari wins, he will ride on the populist wind for “change”. Most people I have spoken to who have decided to vote for Buhari do not necessarily know the specifics of what he would offer or how Nigeria would be different under him. I asked my driver, Usman, whom he would vote for President. He responded: “If they no rig the election, na Buhari everybody go vote for”. I asked him why, and his next response sums it: “The man dey honest. In short, people just want to see another face for that villa”. But if he wins, the honeymoon will be brief and the pressure will be immense to magically deliver a ‘new Nigeria’ with no corruption, no Boko Haram or insecurity, jobs for everyone, no poverty, infrastructure and power in abundance, etc. As a first point, Buhari and his team must realise that they do not yet have a coherent, credible agenda that is consistent with the fundamentals of the economy currently. The APC manifesto contains some good principles and wish-lists, but as a blue print for Nigeria’s security and prosperity, it is largely hollow. The numbers do not add up. Thus, his first job is to present a credible development agenda to Nigerians. HE second key challenge for Buhari and his team will be to transit and transform from a group of what I largely refer to as aggrieved people’s congregation to build a true political party with a soul from the patchwork of political associations. It is surely easier to oppose than to govern. This should not worry us much. After all, even the PDP which has been in power for 16 years is still an assembly of people held together by what I refer to as dining table politics. I am

‘

If Jonathan wins, then God must have been magnanimous to give him a second chance to redeem himself. Most people I know who support Jonathan do so either out of self-interest or fear of the unknown

‘ not sure how many members can tell you what their party stands for or its mission and vision for Nigeria. The third but more difficult agenda is cobbling together a truly ‘progressive team’ that will begin to pick the pieces. The lesson of history is that the best leaders have been the ones who went beyond their narrow provincial enclaves to recruit talents and mobilize capacities for national transformation. In Nigeria’s history, the two presidents who made the most fundamental transformation of the economy, Babangida and Obasanjo, were exceptional in the quality of the teams they put together. I therefore pray that Buhari will be magnanimous in victory – if he wins—to put together a ‘team Nigeria’ for the rescue mission. F Jonathan wins, then God must have been magnanimous to give him a second chance to redeem himself. Most people I know who support Jonathan do so either out of self-interest or fear of the unknown. As a friend summed it, the devil you know is better than the angel you do not know. One person assured me that we would see a ‘different Jonathan’ if he wins as he has been rattled by the harsh judgment of history on his presidency so far. I just pray that he is right. In that case, I would just draw the President’s attention to two issues: First, beside the coterie of clowns who literally make a living with the sing-song of transformation agenda, President Jonathan must know that it remains an empty slogan. His greatest challenge is how to save himself from the stranglehold of his largely provincial palace jesters who tell him he has done better than God, and seek out ‘enemies’ and friends who can help him write his name in history. Propaganda would not do it. Second, Jonathan must claw back his powers as President of Nigeria. He largely outsourced them, and must now roll his sleeves for a new beginning. I take liberty to tell you this brutal truth: if you are not re-elected, there is little to remember your regime after the next few years. On January 7, 2004, I made a special presentation to an expanded economic management team to set agenda for the new year (as chief economic adviser). The focus of my presentation was for us to identify seven iroko trees that would be the flagship markers for the administration as well as how to finance them. I use the same frame-

work to evaluate your administration. What I say to you, Mr. President, is that your record of performance so far is like a farmland filled with grasses. Yes, they are many but there is no tree, let alone any Iroko tree, that stands out. Think about this. The beginning of wisdom for every President in his second term is to admit that he is racing against time to cement his legacy. So far, your report card is not looking great. You need a team of big and bold thinkers, as well as with excellent execution capacity. So far, it is not working! UNDER the executive presidential system, Nigerians elected you to manage their economy. You cannot outsource that job. Our constitution envisages a federal coordination of the economy, and that function is performed by the National Economic Council (NEC) with Vice President as chairman. Indeed, the constitution and other laws of Nigeria envisage the Office of the Vice President as the coordinator on the economy. All major economic institutions of the federal government are, by law, chaired by the Vice President including the national planning (see functions of the National Planning Commission (NPC) as coordinator of Federal Government economic and development programmes), Debt Management Office (DMO) National Council on Privatisation (NCP), etc. As chairman of National Planning (with Ministers of Finance, Agriculture and CBN governor as members), the vice president oversees the federal planning and coordination. Then the Constitution mandates the vice president as representative of the Federal Government to chair the NEC, with only the CBN governor and state governors as members—to coordinate national economy between federal and states. No minister is a member of NEC. Many people do not understand the logic of the design of our constitution and the role of the vice president. Of course, the buck stops on the desk of Mr. President. Only the President and his deputy have our mandate to govern us. Every other person is an adviser/assistant. I bet that you will only appreciate this article after you leave office. Now that you are in power, truth will only hurt! Be assured that those of us who are prepared to die for Nigeria will never spare you or anyone else this bitter truth. Nigeria must survive and prosper beyond Buhari or Jonathan!

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

NEWS

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 25, 2014

Boko Haram frees over 200 hostages in Yobe

‘Buhari not too old to be President’

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, is not too old to be President, the party’s Lagos State chapter has said. In a statement by its spokesman, Joe Igbokwe, the party said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its members have indirectly been campaigning for the APC through their utterances and actions. “In their futile bids to stop candidate Buhari they have angered Nigerians who now feel that the man is being persecuted for nothing,” Igbokwe said. APC Lagos faulted PDP’s claims that Gen. Buhari is too old and unfit to be president. “Now look at this: President Robert Mugabe is still ruling Zimbabwe at the age of 90 even though this is not a good example. “Beji Caid Essebsi has just

By Joseph Jibueze

been elected at 88 as the president of Tunisia. Anerood Jugnauth is the Prime Minister of Mauritius at 84. “Karolos Papoulias is the President of Greece at 85. The late President Mandela started ruling South Africa at more than 75 years old. Eamon De Valera ruled Ireland at 90. Shimon Peres ruled Israel at 90. “Arthur Pasizade is the Prime Minister of Azerbaijan at 79. Raul Castro is the President of Cuba at 83. Paul Biya is the President of Cameroon at 81. I can go on and on. “Candidate Buhari has been campaigning throughout the country while the death wishers think he has cancer. This is no longer politics but wickedness. “Again this stupid and wicked attempt to belittle the image of candidate Buhari has backfired and consequently

pushed more votes to the man,” Igbokwe said. The party spokesman said the call by the National Security Adviser (NSA) Colonel Sambo Dasuki for the postponement of next month’s elections shows that the “PDP and the President handlers cannot think and have run short of ideas.” Igbokwe said: “Millions of Nigerians think PDP is jittery and afraid of the impending defeat, possible humiliation and collapse of the party. “The NSA and PDP have been pushing millions of sympathisers to APC without knowing it. “To suggest that presidential elections should be shifted means a third term agenda for President Jonathan and these people do not see that Nigerians hate the idea which is unconstitutional.” According to Igbokwe, PDP

treats its supporters and members with scorn and levity. ”Arrogance, overzealousness and inability to manage success have ruined PDP and made millions of its supporters to look for shelter in APC.” Igbokwe said despite the threat of some Southsouth leaders, many now feel Nigeria can do without oil. “In fact they believe that disappearance of oil will make us to reason, think, plan and dream big,” he said. The APC spokesman said the controverial advert sponsored by Ekiti State governor Ayo Fayose could have put the nation in jeopardy “if it was not well managed by eminent Nigerians.” “It was a day Fayose took primordial sentiments and ethnic preoccupation to a frightened dimension. It could have been worse...”

Osinbajo blames Nigeria’s woes on leadership

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) vice presidential candidate Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has blamed the dwindling fortunes of the country on leaders’ failure to adhere to God’s commandment. Osinbajo spoke yesterday at the Prayer Rally Toward the 2015 Election, organised by the Civic Consciousness Initiative, at Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos. He said: “The words of God say that when the righteous rules, the people rejoice. One of the reasons the scripture says that is because it wants people to rejoice when the righteous is in power. “God wants people to be happy; the government must make people happy. The reason for government is for the welfare of the people. That is what God wants; He wants a government that is responsible to the people, not a government that steals from the people but a government that provides for the people.” Osinbajo said when a king behaves like a child, the land is cursed.

By Musa Odoshimokhe

“It means that when people are in governance and they are not mature, it will not be well. “When a child is in government, he is eating everything. A child is somebody who does not have responsibilities for everybody. He only has responsibility for himself. “That is why the scripture says also that woe unto the land whose king is like child and whose leaders wake in the

morning and they drink,” he said. Osinbajo added that it is the duty of government to ensure the welfare of the people. He added: “Government is to provide for those who do not have, create an environment where those who have and do not have are happy, so that when the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice. “God expects righteous rulership. He expects them to be honest and forthright. Cor-

ruption is not in God’s dictionary. If you are a Muslim or Christian in government and you are corrupt, God is against such a person. God expects that it is the people who are upright and just who should rule the people.” Osinbajo said in countries where the gospel of Jesus Christ is adhered to, people progress, irrespective of the religion of those who govern them.

Police to prosecute ‘troublesome’ politicians in Kwara

HEAD of next month’s general elections, the Kwara State Police Command has vowed to arrest and prosecute any politician found in possession of dangerous weapons. Police Commissioner Salihu Garba read the riot act at a security meeting with political stakeholders in Ilorin, the state capital. The police chief said the police command would not tolerate the proliferation of firearms.

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

He said: “We are not going to give anybody the permit to carry guns. We would not allow anyone to kill us. If you have a disagreement with your opponent, there is a better way to settle it - through the ballot. And if you have cars with factory-fitted tinted glasses, please obtain an official permit so that you can use it.” Following the speculation that the police command was planning an indiscriminate ar-

rest of politicians during the general elections, Garba said only those who foment trouble would be arrested. He said: “We are not planning to arrest people indiscriminately. I am a human being and I would not like my liberty to be tampered with unnecessarily. Please, let’s talk to our children and wards not to be used by politicians as political thugs. If you do not commit any offence, walahi talahi, Garuba will not arrest or detain anybody.

From Duku JOEL, Maiduguri

VER 200 Boko Haram hostages, mostly women and children, were released in Yobe State on Friday night, security sources have said. The release, it was learnt, took place at Katarko in Gujba Local Government Area, where several residents were abducted and others maimed. Katarko town is 22 kilometres away from Damaturu, the state capital. A resident of Katarko, who spoke in confidence, told our correspondent on phone that the insurgents released the hostages in two batches. The source said: “It is true that the incident happened. Some of our people have seen their relatives who were captured. From the information I got, the insurgents only released women and small children. But they killed youths in their captivity and either dumped them in the some wells or by the roadsides. They freed 135 people in the first batch and another 70 in the second batch.” Another resident, who was reunited with his hitherto abducted family and preferred not to be named, said the insurgents called them to pick their relations at Woron Yinwa village. The resident said: “They were so lucky to get a lorry that conveyed them to Gazargana village, where we picked them through the aid of some military personnel. The military kept them in a camp and pleaded with us to leave them there for security reason. “I received four of my five family members abducted. The other one is among the 29 people who are yet to be released by the insurgents.” One of the captives, a woman who simply identified herself as Kaltume, said the insurgents gathered the captives and asked them to form two groups.

APC, Ambode decry attacks on members By Miriam Ekene-Okoro

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership in Agbado/Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State has condemned the incessant attacks on the party’s campaign team by armed hoodlums alleged to be members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) . The Director of the LCDA’s Campaign Committee, Mr. Isaac Omoregie, told reporters yesterday, with the Chairman of the Campaign Publicity Committee, Mr. Aderemi Adeyemo, that the incidents began about a fortnight ago with the defacing and tearing of APC campaign posters, destruction and vandalisation of banners and billboards of the party’s candidates, among other attacks. He added that the trend assumed a more dangerous dimension on “Thursday, when we were about to start the LCDA campaigns at our party’s headquarters on Ekoro Road in Abule Egba”. Adeyemo alleged that the PDP was behind the serial attacks, which he said were launched against the Ambode campaign team in various parts of Alimosho Local Government Area. He said an armed gang was stationed at the Old Ota/Ekoro Road Junction, close “to the base of the PDP House of Representatives candidate for Alimosho Federal Constituency, Mr. Busari Ayinde, unknown to our team, began to molest and harass our members on their way to the APC party secretariat”. “In the process, at least, eight of our members were physically assaulted, two of whom were hospitalised immediately to prevent mortality from the profuse bleeding due to multiple machete cuts they sustained,” Adeyemo said.

Maiduguri attack: Shettima commends military Continued from page 4

“I was supposed to be in Abuja this morning for an important engagement but I have canceled all engagements outside Borno State. We will remain behind with our people through thick and thin as we have been doing as a matter of constitutional and moral covenant. “I condole with families, friends and associates of any innocent citizen that might have lost loved ones as a result of the unfortunate incident in parts of the State. I commiserate with those that might have suffered injuries and lost property. “I assure the people of Borno State that we are very committed to our duty as their leaders. “My heart bleeds whenever I remember the deaths, the injuries, the lost communities and the displaced persons of Borno. I know the burden of leadership on my shoulders as governor of the state and I know my responsibilities within the limits of my constitutional powers, influences and resources. I

have been deploying all, within my limits as governor and I will continue to do, including making continued efforts to get more influences that are beyond me. “I urge the good people of Borno State to remain optimistic and vigilant. We should open our eyes wide to take note of any strange person and movement in our midst which we should promptly report to authorities without causing panic. Parents and guardians should kindly watch over their children to monitor where they go and who they move around with or bring home. School authorities should take proper control of pupils. Residents should cooperate with armed forces and always regard them as partners that put their lives on the line so we all can be alive,” Gov. Shettima said. Dr. Bulama Mali Gubio, spokesman of the Borno Elders Forum, wondered why a few insurgents were tormenting millions of Nigerians on the streets. Dr. Gubio expressed concern over the Sunday attack

especially coming after the visit of the president. “This particular attack came immediately after the visit of Mr. President. If you remember, the governor of Borno state was on television and radio pleading to the people of Borno state to give maximum respect to the person of the president of the federal republic of Nigeria. “He told the people of Borno that Jonathan is not coming only as a candidate of the PDP but also as the President and commander in chief of the armed forces of Nigeria therefore, he deserves our loyalty, respect as our leader. This appeal was respected to the letter by the people. Mr President came in safely, conducted his affairs peacefully and left Maiduguri. The midnight of the day the president left Maiduguri, Boko Haram struck around Dalwa in their thousands and have been engaged with the armed forces from midnight to early hours of this morning. Up to 9-10am, there were exchange of fire. “We don’t believe that the

Boko Haram are just daring the people on their own. They are daring the people because they have the backing of some people who do not want peace and as political activities are going on, you know earlier that there was a time table released by the APC which shows that Gen. Mohammadu Buhari, (GMB)the presidential candidate of the APC will visit Maiduguri on the 24 of this month. That time table came out much earlier than that of PDP but PDP hurriedly said the president will be in Maiduguri on the 24, the same day GMB will be in Borno. Because of the respect Buhari has for the position of the president of the country, he withdrew his own date and shifted it to another dat and allowed Mr. President to come on the 24. Immediately he left, Maiduguri has become inaccessible. Now a 24hrs curfew has been imposed. They said it’s indefinite and there is time for the end of electioneering campaigns by the president. “From all consideration, it is a deliberate attempt to en-

sure that GMB does not visit Maiduguri. But I want the whole world to know that GMB does not need to come to Maiduguri to get the votes of Borno state. Whether he is in Maiduguri or not, he is going to get the maximum votes of Borno state. Everybody in Borno is a Buhari. Let him forget about coming to Maiduguri if these people want to distract him. Let him continue to with his campaign whether he comes to Maiduguri or not,” he said. He wondered why the Federal Government is afraid of moving against the foreign Boko Haram mercenaries and their collaborators who he said are mostly Chadians. For Boko Haram, what we learnt is that most captured members are not even Nigerians. We are told that most of them are Chadians. Does it mean a foreign country is invading Nigeria and the Federal Government is collaborating with that country? Is it out of fear or what?” Dr. Gubio queried. The military authorities last night eased the move-

•Shettima

ment in the metropolis on Monday 26 January, 2015. Col. Sani Usman, spokesman of the 7 Division Nigeria Army said, “Good evening Sir, my earlier text imposing curfew on Maiduguri refers. Please inform the public that the curfew will last till 6.00am tomorrow morning. Therefore, people can go about their legitimate business tomorrow morning. Thank you so much. Col Sani Usman, spokesman 7 Division Nigerian Army Maiduguri”.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

FOREIGN NEWS

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 25, 2014

•Jubilant crowds brave a storm to greet Pope Francis in the Philippine city of Tacloban, which was devastated by Typhoon Haiyan just over a year ago. Amid strong winds and pouring rain, he celebrated Mass, but eventually had to cut short his visit because of the weather. PHOTO:Reuters

Obama to meet new Saudi king

.S. President Barack Obama will travel to Saudi Arabia tomorrow in order to meet the newly appointed monarch, King Salman, and pay his respects to the family of the late King Abdullah, the White House said Saturday. Vice President Joe Biden was originally set to have led a delegation to Saudi Arabia on Obama’s behalf. However, the schedule for the President’s departure from India has been adjusted to allow Obama to stop in Riyadh himself on his way home, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said. Funeral services were held Friday for King Abdullah bin

Abdulaziz al Saud, who died earlier that day. He was 90. World leaders are now traveling to the Saudi capital, Riyadh, to offer condolences for Abdullah’s death and pay their respects to the new ruler. Abdullah was seen by many as a cautious reformer who succeeded in securing broader freedoms in the conservative kingdom, but fell short in gaining greater independence for women. His successor, who is 79, faces a number of challenges as he takes up the reins, including Iran, the rise of ISIS, the crisis in neighboring Yemen and the drop in oil prices. But Salman has plenty of

experience to draw on, having served as defense minister and deputy prime minister of Saudi Arabia, a vital U.S. ally in the Middle East. Like Abdullah, he is one of the dozens of sons of Saudi Arabia’s founder, King Abdulaziz. Today, he will become the first American president to headline India’s Republic Day parade, standing beside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Earnest said Obama’s schedule had been changed in coordination with the Indian government and that he would now be leaving India after giving a speech tomorrow. “The President regrets that he will be unable to visit Agra

Security tightened on anniversary of Egypt’s uprising

E •Salman

during this trip,” Earnest said. Agra is where the spectacular Taj Mahal mausoleum is located. Biden will now remain in Washington rather than go to Saudi Arabia.

Pressure mounts on Russia over Ukraine

HE mayor of Mariupol’s office said 97 people were wounded by dozens of long-distance rockets that smashed into a packed residential district and open market yesterday. A fellow resident named Pavlo described dazed survivors helping wounded victims to climb out of the concrete rubble of Soviet-era apartment blocks and navigate streets strewn with shattered glass. Leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic Alexander Zakharchenko on Saturday claimed that “today, we launched an offensive against Mariupol”.

He later denied ordering an actual invasion of the industrial Sea of Azov port of half million and his deputy rejected responsibility for the civilian deaths. But the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) said the Grad and Uragan rocket fire came from two locations “controlled by the ‘Donetsk People’s Republic’”. The attack on the last Kievcontrolled major city in Ukraine’s restive east drew ire from Western leaders who blame Moscow for stoking the conflict that has claimed more than 5,000 lives. US Vice President Joe Biden

warned that costs would “continue to rise” on Russia for its intervention against its western Soviet-era neighbour and military support for the revolt — a charge Moscow flatly denies. And EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini warned that the latest escalation “would inevitably lead to a further grave deterioration of relations between the EU and Russia”. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday accused Kiev’s leaders of launching “largescale combat operations” in its eastern belt in violation of a tattered September truce. Rebel leader Zakharchenko gave a mixed message in the

wake of the bloodshed, calling the potential capture of Mariupol on Saturday “the best tribute possible for all our dead” but adding that his troops were “saving their strength” and not conducting any “active” operations in the port. Western leaders watched with worry as violence once again threatened to spiral out of control in what is already one of Europe’s deadliest and most diplomatically-explosive crises since the Cold War. Washington and Brussels have both imposed sanctions on Russia for its March seizure of Crimea and backing of the separatists.

Greece: Exit poll gives leftist Syriza party the nod

ATEST exit poll has given the nod for a landslide victory to leftist Syriza Party in yesterday’s contest for the 300-seat Greek Parliamentary election to determine the ne next government. lenders. The leader of the leftwing Syriza party, Alexis Tsipras, has pledged to write off Greece’s huge debt and revoke austerity measures. However, the current conservative prime minister, Antonis Samaras, says the austerity measures are working. He’s urged voters not to take Greece to the brink of catastrophe. Greece has endured tough budget cuts

in return for its bailout, negotiated with the European Union, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and European Central Bank (ECB). The economy has shrunk drastically since the 2008 global financial crisis, and increasing unemployment has thrown many Greeks into poverty. Polls across Greece opened at 07:00 local time (05:00 GMT) and will close at 19:00. The coalition led by the New Democracy party called the election two years early Mr Tspiras’ Syriza party is tipped to win Unemployment is a big concern. There are nearly 10 million eligible voters,

who are electing the country’s 300member parliament. The first exit polls are expected immediately after the voting ends. After casting his vote, Syriza leader Alexist Tsipras told the BBC that “the vicious circle of austerity is over”. He has said his party would restore “dignity” to Greece by rolling back on cuts to jobs, pay and pensions which have hurt millions of people across the country. The possibility of a Syriza victory has sparked fears that Greece could default on its debt and leave the euro - the single currency of 19 EU members.

GYPT tightened security in Cairo and other cities yesterday as police moved to break up scattered, small protests marking the anniversary of the 2011 uprising that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak. One protester was killed in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria as police clashed with a demonstration of some 300 supporters of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group, security officials said. Earlier, a firebombing set a city tram ablaze, they said. In the Nile Delta province of Beheira, two suspected Islamists were killed when a bomb they were placing under a high voltage tower exploded, officials said. Two police officers were injured by shrapnel when a roadside bomb exploded in an eastern Cairo district and a gas pipeline was blown up in a Nile Delta province, according to the security officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they weren’t authorized to talk to journalists. Cairo, a city of some 18 million people, appeared mostly deserted Sunday, with many residents staying home to avoid being caught up in any turmoil. The protests and the stepped-up security came as activists mourned the death of a female protester shot Saturday in downtown Cairo while taking part in a gathering commemorating the nearly 900 protesters killed in the 2011 revolt. Activists blame police for the death of Shaimaa el-Sabagh, a 32year-old mother of one from Alexandria. The government says it is investigating. Videos posted online show el-Sabagh, a member of the leftist Popular Alliance party, with other protesters carrying placards and chanting “bread, freedom and social justice” — the chief slogan of the 2011 uprising. She and others carried wreaths of roses they intended to place at nearby Tahrir Square, the birthplace of the uprising, in memory of the fallen protesters. In the videos, two masked, black-clad police officers point their rifles in her direction before gunshots ring out and el-Sabagh falls. She is later shown carried by a male protester as blood seeped out of her mouth. The videos are consistent with Associated Press reporting on the shooting.

U.S. offers Japan condolences over ‘IS killing’

S President Barack Obama has telephoned Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to offer his condolences after the apparent murder of a Japanese hostage by Islamic State. Mr Obama said the US stood “shoulder to shoulder” with Japan. Mr Abe said he accepted that a video claiming Haruna Yukawa had been killed by IS was likely to be authentic. The prime minister has demanded the release of a second Japanese hostage in the video, said to be Kenji Goto. On Tuesday, Islamic State (IS) had said it would kill the two men unless Japan paid $200m (£130m) within 72 hours. The White House said Mr Obama had called Mr Abe to “offer condolences for the murder by IS of Japanese citizen Haruna Yukawa and to convey solidarity with the Japanese people”. It added: “He also expressed appreciation for Japan’s significant contributions of humanitarian assistance to the Middle East region. The two leaders agreed to continue their cooperation on a range of regional and global issues.” Mr Abe condemned the apparent killing, telling Japanese television: “Such an act of terrorism is outrageous and unforgivable. I condemn it strongly and resolutely.”

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015 USEFUL PHONE NUMBERS ON ANY EMERGENCY Council endorsed the useful phone numbers submitted by the security agents in case of any emergency on the metropolitan Roads. Accordingly, the public may easily contact KAROTA for: Breakdown of Vehicle(s), Traffic Congestion, Accidents, and Illegal/Wrong Parking on – 08091626747. Similarly, the State Police Command could be contacted on – 08032419754, 08123821575. In addition, the State Fire Service can also be contacted on – 07051246833, 08191778888.

185TH KANO STATE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING

PREPARED BY COUNCIL AFFAIRS DIRECTORATE, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY TO THE STATE GOVERNMENT, GOVERNMENT HOUSE, KANO.

ime waits for no one. It is continuous and dynamic of which only frames and properly designed schedules for activities can be utilized. As such, the present administration in Kano State under the capable leadership of Governor Engr. Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso, FNSE in his second (2nd) term does not wait for but pursues time vigorously so as to meet its four (4) - year time frame in the execution of properly scheduled activities inherent in the services delivered by MDAs across all sectors. "Four (4) years is a long time". Unquote. Governor Engr. Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso, FNSE ever stated this. He submitted that a lot can be achieved within four (4) years given the will and commitment which is currently proven beyond doubt. Kano State is transformed for the better in all aspects and ramifications, only continuity/maintenance of the trend is required. Available records on achievements so far attest to this. Characteristically, the Kano State Executive Council held its number one hundred and eighty fifth (185th) sitting on Thursday 22nd January, 2015 (1st Rabi'ul Thani, 1436AH). Thirteen (13) MDAs submitted thirty nine (39) memoranda for deliberation of which Council approved the execution of twenty five (23) cutting across five (5) sectors with an expenditure of Three Hundred and Forty Seven Million, Seven Hundred and Sixty Five Thousand, Nine Hundred and Sixty Five Naira, Forty Nine (N347,765,965.49) covering seventeen (17) projects while the remaining six (6) are on policy issues. Thus; 1. THE EMPOWERMENT SECTOR Self reliance connotes independence and signifies the capacity of the individual to produce reliably for personal consumption/upkeep, that of the Community and the Nation at large. Efforts exerted to actualize this by the present administration in the State is unparalleled by any other at Local, State and National Level. From inception ( 29th May, 2011) to date, this administration granted approval for the execution of multitude memoranda under the Empowerment Sector which center on activities undertaken by various MDAs towards empowering the citizenry in the State for self actualization/reliance. These cut across all segments of the society as they encompass provision of access to professional/academic education; provision of access to capacity building for serving civil servants; provision of access to employable skill acquisition and provision of take - off capital; provision of support to the needy; etc. Reliable authentic records are kept on this from which only excerpts can be presented in this medium. Viz; o Provision of access to professional/academic education; Unequaled number of achievements is recorded under this sub - section of the Empowerment Sector. Series of approvals were granted for the sponsorship of Kano State Indigenous Qualified Students to undergo studies at under and/or post graduate levels in Colleges/Universities in Nigeria and abroad. Most especially, professional and applied required courses such as MBBS,Pharmacy; Marine Engineering; Aircraft Piloting/Engineering; etc. are involved and the number of beneficiaries exceeds 5,000. o Provision of access to acquisition of employable skills; Over eighteen (18) of the twenty four (24) established tertiary institutions are on provision of access to training for employable skills and granting of take - off capital free of charge. Conduct of series of empowerment schemes for the unemployed youth of both genders were granted approval for execution under the supervision of the State Community Reorientation Council; the State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development; etc. o Provision of access to capacity building for serving civil servants; Though statutorily, this aspect of the empowerment sector enjoys prominence in the series of approvals granted. o Provision of support to the needy; The copious magnanimity of the present administration towards provision of support to the needy transcends quantification since the series of approvals are selflessly granted as the requests emerge. The commendable trend was maintained by the Kano State Executive Council at its one hundred and eighty fifth (185th) sitting. Five (5) memoranda were approved for execution under the empowerment sector which can further be sub - divided into three (3). Viz; provision of access to professional/academic education = 1; provision of access to training for acquisition of employable skills = 2 and provision of access to support for the needy = 2. o Provision of Access to Professional/Academic Education:Request for Funds to Enable Provision of Financial Assistance to Fifteen (15) Members of French Students Association, Bayero University Indigenous to Kano State:This request was channeled through the Kano State Ministry of Higher Education, endorsed by the office of the Secretary to the State Government and presented to Council for consideration. Council was politely notified, through contents of this memorandum that, it is mandatory for all students of French Language of Bayero University, Kano to undergo a one (1) year course (two semesters) in an approved University/Institution in a French Speaking Country. The Republic of Togo is earmarked for the 2014/2015 academic session. Fifteen (15) Kano State Indigenous French students at Bayero University, Kano are involved. Details were submitted along with request for the release of the sum of N4,740,000.00 at N316,000.00 each. Council noted, considered and approved as requested. o Provision of Access to Training for Employable Skills:-

Request for Funds to Enable Procurement/Distribution of Equipment/Materials; Payment for Office/Workshop Rent for the Fourth (4th) Batch of the Kiru Reformatory Institute, Kano (KRIK):It is a fact that, the Kiru Reformatory Institute Kano (KRIK) does not only reform the drug addicted youth but also rehabilitate, reorient and empower them for re - entry into the society as useful and responsible citizens. The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and the Kano Entrepreneurship Institute (KEDI) provide the employable skills acquisition training required on six (6) different trade clusters which include Computer Operation, Tailoring, Welding, Carpentry,

Rabi’u Musa Kwankawaso

Building (POP) and Electrical Works. Details were presented along with the request for the release of the sum of N9,791,925.00 for the stated purpose. Council acknowledged and approved as requested. Presentation on the Introduction of Tarauni Local Government Council Area (LGCA) Football Clubs and Request for the Release of the Cleared Former Refuse Dump Site along Court Road for Use as Football Pitch:Authorities at the Tarauni Local Government Council submitted this presentation for consideration by Council. Contents of this memorandum introduced eight (8) football clubs that solicit for the release of the stated site for use as football pitch. The clubs include Tornadoes FC Gyadi - Gyadi; Morning Stars FC Gyadi - Gyadi; Liverpool FC Unguwar Gano; New Generation FC Darmanawa; Berger FC Darmanawa; Marcel FC Darmanawa; Court Road FC and Dangi FC. Council noted considered and approved as requested but with the following specifications; i. The Kano State Government owns the site. ii. The Tarauni Local Government Council to manage the site. iii. The itemized clubs to utilize the site as football pitch. iv. This approval to be Gazethed. 2. THE EDUCATION SECTOR General improvement and positive transformation of the education sector under the present administration in Kano State with the conscientious guidance of Governor Engr. Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso, FNSE deserve commendation and outright accolades especially from the unbiased observer. The seemingly impossible declaration of the provision of education free of charge in public (Government owned) schools and financed schemes/programmes/projects is the pinnacle. Progressively, two (2) memoranda were approved for execution under the education sector at the one hundred and eighty fifth (185th) of the Kano State Executive Council as follows; a) Presentation of Report and Request for Funds to Enable Payment of Outstanding Allowances to Three (3) Committees on Islamiyya Schools:The office of the Secretary to the State Government endorsed this request and presented it to Council for consideration. Accordingly, the three (3) Committees are; the Steering Committee; the Publicity Committee and the Inspection Committee which exceeded the period granted for their assignment with three (3) months due to the enormity of the assignment. In this regard, nineteen (19) highlights, nine (9 observations and seven (7) recommendations were presented. The details presented can be summarized as follows; i. Islamiyya Schools Pupils = 2,207,454 (1,117,457 male, 1,090,007 female). ii. Islamiyya Schools Teachers = 26,511 (post graduates; graduates, NCE, ND, grade II, etc.). iii. Infrastructure = 18,058 classrooms available; 17,561 more required. iv. 5,489 toilet cubicles available; 4,784 more required. In the light of the above, the three (3) Committees comprising fifteen (15) members requested for the release of the sum of N1,410,000.00 as outstanding allowances due to them for the months of March - May, 2014. Council appraised the request and granted approval for the release of the trimmed sum of N1,000,000.00 for the stated purpose. b) Presentation of Update Report on Activities of the Taskforce on Private Schools:The Chairman of the cited Taskforce submitted this report which was endorsed by the office of the Secretary to the State Government and presented to Council for consideration. Seven (7) highlights and five (5) notations were presented to Council for consideration most important among which are the following; i. That the Taskforce Committee registered 2,500 Private Schools in thirty six (36) to operate in Kano State. ii. That the Taskforce generated the sum of N500,000,000.00 as revenue to Government in thirty six (36) months. iii. That the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) contributed immensely to the success recorded by the Taskforce. In this vein, Council approved the selection of twenty (20) outstanding Private Schools in the State for the award of Honours by the State Government.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015 3. THE HEALTH SECTOR Akin to the education sector, the health sector enjoys priority consideration by the present administration for the tangible achievements recorded in its positive transformation for the betterment of the lives of the citizenry in the State. Only appreciation can be expressed and accolades chanted for the enviable feat tirelessly accorded in line with which three (3) memoranda were approved for execution under the health sector at the one hundred and eighty fifth (185th) sitting of the State Executive Council as follows; a) Presentation on the Need to Employ Health Personnel for Kano State Government Owned Secondary Health Facilities:Cognizant of the vital need to reduce infant and maternal death; morbidity; HIV/AIDs Prevalence; etc. in all the thirty six (36) Government owned Hospitals in the State, the Ministry of Health submitted this request for consideration by Council. The details presented prompted Council to approve for the immediate employment of one thousand (1,000) Health Professionals especially in the areas of X - Ray Technicians; Dental Therapists; CHEWs; JCHEWs; etc. b) Request for Funds to Enable Implementation of Five (5) Rounds of Polio Immunization Plus Days (IPDs) Campaign in Kano State:Contents of this memorandum notified Council that five (5) rounds of the National Polio Immunization Campaign are scheduled to be conducted between January (now) and July, 2015 with the first (1st) round to be conducted within 24th to 27th January, 2015. Details on the genesis, history and ample reasons that instigated submission of this request for consideration by Council were submitted for consideration along with the request for the release of the sum of N30,245,000.00 budgeted for the project at this stage. The routine nature of the request prompted Council to approval as requested. c) Presentation on the Resurgence of Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) in Kano State and Request for Funds to Enable its Containment:The Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources intimated Council, through contents of this memorandum, of the confirmed resurgence of the highly pathogenic Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) in Kano State. Primarily a Zoonotic disease of poultry famously known as Bird Flu, the disease also affects human being which makes it necessary to contain its spread. Details on the requirements estimated to cost the sum of N3,696,000.00 which was requested for release were presented to Council for consideration. Accordingly, Council considered and approved the release of the stated sum for the commitment. 4. THE INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT/MAINTENANCE This sector is the main custodian of the general/physical developmental improvement/achievements recorded by the present administration under the capable leadership of Governor Engr. Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso, FNSE. The commendable performance cut across all sectors which affords Kano State a new look and value especially with the urban renewal/beautification policy. The first ever flyover named Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso flyover bridge at Kofar Nassarawa, was completed and finally Commissioned on January 20, by the Presidential candidate of the APC Gen Muhammadu Buhari. Similarly the Senate building of Northwest University named after Gen Muhammadu Buhari and naming of Kabuga-Katsina road named after him as well in the Metropolis was performed on this day. Continuing with the unparalleled commendable trend, Council approved the execution of thirteen (13) memoranda under the infrastructural development/maintenance sector at its one hundred and eighty fifth (185th) sitting which can be sub - divided into three (3). Viz; public utilities = 9; roads and related structures = 3 and residential housing =1. o Public Utilities:i. Council approved the release of the sum of N96,999,925.23 to enable the State Ministry of Health procure and install Modern Intensive Care Unit (ICU) equipment, instruments, furniture and drugs for the new Intensive Care Complex at Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, Kano. ii. The sum of N13,524,368.00 was approved for release to enable the Ministry of Water Resources address the challenges/problems of water supply at Sa'adatu Rimi College of Education, Kumbotso. iii. One (1) Unit of D8K Bulldozer was approved to be released from the Ministry of Rural and Community Development to the Ministry of Environment for use by REMASAB. iv. Approval was granted for the release of the sum of N15,810,251.86 to enable construction of proper perimeter wall fence at the cleared former Refuse Dump Site along New Court Road on Contract Basis to be supervised by the Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport. v. The Sports Complex at Shagari Quarters was granted approval for the construction of a perimeter wall fence at the Contract sum of N15,044,684.45 to be supervised by the Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport. vi. The sum of N9,922,624.58 was approved for release to enable construction of Dwarf perimeter wall fence with decorative steel grilles at Government Technical College (GTC), Kano on Contract Basis to be supervised by the Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport. vii. Council granted approval for the signing of a Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) among the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Cooperatives and Tourism; the Kano State Fire Service Department and 2TOC Solution on the adoption of fire alert system at Muhammad Abubakar Rimi (Sabon Gari) , Kurmi and Kantin Kwari Markets. The details presented were considered. viii. The Magaga newly developed Irrigation Scheme was approved to be provided with necessary requirements estimated to cost the sum of N4,252,075.74 approved for release. ix. The approved site for the establishment/construction of Government Technical College (GTC), Gwale was granted approval for the release of the sum of N3,502,122.58 to enable construction of a perimeter wall fence on Contract Basis to be supervised by the State Ministry of Education. o Roads and Related Structures:i. Approval was granted for the release of the sum of N34,163,438.82 for the construction of road network with Kwankwasiyya - Type Drainage at Dan' Ujile Market, Dala Local Government Council Area on Contract Basis under the supervision of the Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport. ii. The Koki - Daurawa Road was approved for construction on Contractual arrangement under the supervision of the Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport at the cost of N33,284,785.74 approved for release. iii. Council approved the release of the sum of N57,781,366.25 to enable payment of outstanding claims in the continuation of Road Maintenance Works within the metropolis. iv. Approved the release of the sum of N11,395,898.00 for the expansion of outer lane at Abdullahi Wase Road by IBB Way Kantin Kwari. o Residential Housing:Council approved the sale prices of three categories of residential housing units of new

63 designs recommended by the Kano State Housing Corporation as follows; 3 - Bedroom with Green Roof = N25,592,425.57; 4 - Bedroom with 3 - Bedroom attached GW= N47,107,561.64; New 4 - Bedroom Type = N40,783,584.88. 5. THE ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION/PROTECTION SECTOR The prevalence of heaps of refuse around Kano Metropolis is of the past currently replaced by the aesthetically valuable, renewed and beautified urban settlement of international status continually cleaned and hygienically safe for the wellbeing of the citizenry courtesy of the commendable efforts by the present administration. Issues related to the Environment are among those given preference by the present administration especially the ones connected to the activities of REMASAB which are continuous, time/capital intensive and impact on all and sundry as exemplified by the only memorandum approved for execution under the environmental sanitation/protection sector at the one hundred and eighty fifth (185th) sitting of the State Executive Council. Thus; Request for Monthly Release of Funds to Enable Procurement of Equipment and Chemicals Required for Vector and Mosquito Control for the Period of January - December, 2015:REMASAB plans to collaborate with the Kano State Ministry of Health in the conduct of its routine fumigation exercise throughout the year 2015 (January - December) estimated to cost the sum of N14,500,000.00 every month to total up to N174,000,000.00 in one (1) year. The fund is proposed to be contributed monthly between the Kano State Government and the eight (8) Metropolitan Local Government Councils as follows; i. State Government Contribution - N2,500,000 x 12 = N30,000,000.00. ii. Eight (8) Metropolitan Local Government Councils - N1,500,000.00 x 8 x 12 = N144,000,000.00. Total = N174,000,000.00. Council noted, considered and approved execution of the Standing Order monthly as requested. UPDATE ON ACTIVITIES AT THE 185TH KANO STATE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL SITTING 1. COMMISSIONING OF THE FIRST (1ST) FLYOVER BRIDGE AND THE SENATE BUILDING OF THE NORTHWEST UNIVERSITY IN THE STATE Council noted with delight the successful commissioning of the first (1st) ever flyover bridge with five (5) clovers at Kofar Nassarawa constructed by the present administration under the leadership of Governor Engr. Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso, FNSE on Tuesday 20th January, 2015. Similarly, Council further noted the commissioning of the Northwest University Senate Building on the same day by the All Progressive Congress (APC) Presidential Candidate General Muhammad Buhari (Rtd). In a related development, the State Executive Council has approved the naming of Kabuga Underpass nearing completion after General Muhammad Buhari (Rtd). 2. CONDUCT OF ALL PROGRESSIVE CONGRESS (APC) PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN IN THE STATE Council noted the successful conduct of Presidential Campaign Rally in the State by the All Progressive Congress (APC) on Tuesday 20th January, 2015 where its Presidential Candidate General Muhammad Buhari (Rtd) and his Deputy Professor Yomi Osibanjo, Chief Host Governor Engr. Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso, FNSE, National Working Committee as well as other party faithful graced the occasion. In the same vein, the party flag - bearers who were vying for various political offices where presented with their certificates. Furthermore, Council wishes to express its appreciation on the general public for coming out en - mass to support the rally. 3. CONDUCT OF PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDP) PRESIDENTIALCAMPAIN IN THE STATE Council noted the successful conduct of Presidential Campaign Rally in the State by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday 21st January, 2015 where its Presidential Candidate President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR and other stakeholders of the party witnessed the occasion. The party flag - bearers seeking for various political offices were presented with mandate certificates. 4. BAZAAR/EXHIBITION OF THE FINISHED PRODUCTS Council noted the scheduled/organized exhibition of the finished products by the State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development by Women trained on various skills/ trades. The Bazaar was a clear celebration of the successes achieved under the empowerment programmes of the present administration. 5. REPORT ON VISIT TO BILLAND MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION Council acknowledged the Successes achieved so far on the Tripartite Funding Arrangement on routine immunization exercise among the Kano State Government, Dangote and Bill/ Melinda Gates Foundations [BMGF] in an effort to checkmate Polio occurrence in the State. 6. CONDOLENCE MESSAGE Council solemnly acknowledged the death of an Elder Statesman/stakeholder in the All Progressive Congress (APC) in person of Ahmad Musa Anka who served the nation meritoriously and until his death he was a Member of the Judicial Service Commission. Council commiserates with the bereaved family and the entire citizens of the State over the irreplaceable loss and prayed for the Almighty to grant the deceased eternal bliss in Jannatul Firdausi. 7. PRESENTATION OF AWARDS TO GOVERNOR ENGR. RABI'U MUSA KWANKWASO, FNSE 1. Two (2) Awards to the Governor by the Newswatch Magazine that conducted an independent survey to identify the person of the year among Nigerian leaders especially Governors who impacted positively on the lives of their citizenry in Education and Rural Transformation. 2. An Award of Appreciation to the Governor by the ALUMNI Association of National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru Kano State Chapter in area of service transformation among the civil service of the State.

Signed: Hon. Commissioner, Ministry of Information, Internal Affairs, Youth, Sports andCulture www.kn.gov.ng/new

TODAY IN THE NATION

MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

VOL 10 NO 3107

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

OVERNOR Ayo Fayose thought he pulled off a great score with his insolence of an advert against General Muhammadu Buhari. And he did. For infamy, that is. And PDP faithful, including Femi FaniKayode and Olisa Metuh, bedecked themselves as Goebbels reincarnates because of their juvenile tales about Buhari’s certificate. Except that they are counterfeit remakes of Goebbels, who was known as Hitler’s liar-inchief. If Fayose’s lack of culture unveils the mistakes voters make in a democracy, the likes of Fani-kayode and Metuh indicate the failure of a generation - for throwing up barbarian upstarts as party denizens and role models. You can throw in the legal infantilism of a man like Mike Ozekhome. Fayose’s lack of respect for elders and jockeying with death remind me of my encounter with former Senate President Chuba Okadigbo. He had insulted, with flamboyant irreverence, the Great Zik in public and dismissed his words as the “ranting of an ant.” Zik was upset and railed back at him with avuncular rage, cursing him that he would rise to the top but fall precipitously, like humpty dumpty. Those with superstitious imagination believed that Zik’s curse hit Okadigbo in his later years as his song grew suddenly dark and passed away like a jolt. But beware of curses, even if they convince the facile minds. However, it was his sense of guilt that struck me when I confronted Okadigbo at the Lagoon Restaurant in Lagos a few years after his errant rhetoric against the great politician. I asked Okadigbo if he had apologised to Zik, and if the great Owelle accepted, or if he had not, and why not. He was having lunch with some guests and was put off, because he had expected me to cushion him with flattering questions as most reporters did. Okadigbo flew into contained fury, and rambled about his peace moves with the old man and that it was not my business. I reminded him that when he ribbed the Great Zik, he exulted in public and why would he want to make it a private mea culpa if he did. That ended the dialogue. Buhari does not have Zik’s flair for the dramatic, so Fayose may not expect a curse from the old general. Nor is it necessary. Fayose, in his primitive gusto, just showed to the Ekiti people why democracy can expose its own underbelly, its fatal terrors. When a clown mounts the throne, and whips up ethnic hate, it is no longer fun or funny. For those practitioners of the high art of comedy, it is a most dangerous oeuvre into the dark soul of society. It is like what playwright Samuel Becket describes as a laugh laughing at itself. It is sad. He made us laugh at ourselves in a gloomy way. Fayose wished GMD dead, and when it ignited an uproar, he repeated it. His party dissociates itself from it without condemning him. Not even President Jonathan, who the advert favoured. It was consent by silence, by a wink and a nod. The newspapers that aired the adverts pre-

RIPPLES NIGERIA WILL GET TO PROMISED LAND, SAYS JONATHAN

Yes, LATER than SOONER!

SAM OMATSEYE

IN TOUCH

intouchnation@gmail.com 08054501081(sms only) Twitter: @samomatseye

•Winner, Informed Commentary (DAME)

Disrespect, death wish and lies

’

•Buhari

•Fayose

ferred money to decency. They now know they made a mistake. Freedom of speech is no licence to indecency. That was why the Pope cautioned the French and the editors of Charlie Hebdo magazine that desecrated Islam in the name of freedom of speech. As Machiavelli noted, “where everybody is free, nobody is free.” Machiavelli was no prude himself. What was wrong with age? Did Churchill, the last lion, not roar with Britain at age 70 when he led his country in victory over Germany in the Second World War? Did the British not re-elect him at age 76? Did he not die at 90 exactly 50 years ago? Did Charles de Gaulle not reign in France until he was 79 years old? Were Churchill and De Gaulle not the greatest modern leaders of Britain and France? Did Mandela not salvage South Africa from the abyss of ethnic and racial turmoil at 76 years old? Do we remember the presidential debate when Reagan was asked about his age, and won over Americans with a quip? “I will not make age an issue in this debate. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my

Fayose is no student of history, but he did not need to study history to learn decency. His Yoruba upbringing might have taught him a thing or two about dealing with elders

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opponent’s youth and inexperience.” It was Reagan’s winning quote of the election. Fayose is no student of history, but he did not need to study history to learn decency. His Yoruba upbringing might have taught him a thing or two about dealing with elders. The certificate scandal should not be on whether Buhari was qualified. We should ask a different question. How come the file of an army’s commander-in-chief does not contain his certificate? How did he get other equivalent certificates and those that surpassed secondary school certificate? The question should be directed at a desecrated institution. Who sneaked into his file room? After all, how did he gain admission into Mons Officer Cadet School in the United Kingdom, or Defence Staff College in India? How did he obtain a master’s degree in Strategic Studies at the America

HARDBALL

EAR reader, Hardball hopes you don’t mind this rather cheeky opener this Monday morning, but the question really is: Femo, what next? Femo, of course, is the smooth-talking and sweet-tongued Femi Fani-Kayode, who seems to lay much store by the sweetness of his tongue and the smoothness of his elocution than the sense or nonsense of his subject. His principal, President Goodluck Jonathan, not the best in the land when the subject is elocution and the gift of the gab, would appear well and truly wowed by Fani-Kayode’s oratorical talents, so much so he made him the chief spokesperson of his presidential campaign. Ah, the president is entitled to his beloved choice! Still, it is amazing how Femo runs himself into a ditch — with his principal’s cause of course! Even after the unlamented burial — with full contempt — of a certificate scandal that was not, Femo is still waxing lyrical about a phantom “forgery”. Hear the son of Fani-Power talk as if only power, brazen power, matters; and never common sense: “We do not know who the authors and masterminds of this forgery are, but whoever they are, we urge them to come forward and be identified”. “If they fail to

War College in Pennsylvania, United States? When he released his certificate, Fani-kayode, whose devotion to political harlotry is irredeemable, started clutching at straws. He also had fits of hallucination with his mendacious partner, Olisa Metuh. In this age of harlotry, Fani-kayode has swiveled in the chairs of political loyalty from PDP to APC to PDP. He is entitled to his own beds and partners. When he released his certificate, Buhari must have thought he had laid the matter to rest. But hallucination was at full throttle. Fani-Kayode and Metuh saw what they wanted to see. In semiotic and literary circles, it is in tradition of what is called hermeneutics, or reader response theory. Thinkers like Althuser, Roland Barth, Shklovsky, and a few others explicated this human trait. Minds of mischief read mischief. As a man thinks in his heart, so he is, says the Bible. The text loses innocence in the eyes of the wicked. So even if Buhari takes the certificate from Cambridge and places it before him, they would not accept. They are worse than Thomas Didymus, who saw the evidence of Jesus and exclaimed in agreement, “My Lord and My God!” Fani-kayode and Metuh would start asking questions like, where are his uniforms and the spoon he ate rice with, etc? In the West, it is easy to know if a person graduates from an institution. When I practised journalism in the United States, a Nigerian had lied to me that he was a neuro-surgeon, and his family and friends about did not deny it. I published a story on him. Then his estranged white wife materialised and denied that the man ever attended a university. He was a fake. All I did was place a phone call to the university he claimed gave him his certificate. They told me he never walked through their portals. The fake did not challenge the university. I used the instance to teach my students in the same university on the pratfalls of sourcing and reporting. Let’s not forget the disgrace that billionaire Donald Trump brought on his head when he tried to prove that Obama was not American. The racist failed to distort his birth certificate. But it is not the driveling of men like FaniKayode and Metuh that should worry fairminded Nigerians. It is when a lawyer like Mike Ozekhome plays devious games with truth and legal integrity by backing falsehoods. If Buhari has a master’s degree, it means his maximum is more than the required minimum. American War College could not admit him without requisite qualifications. Ditto to Mons Officer Cadet School in the UK. Facts are sacred, and opinions can be foolish. It is that sort of obsession that Charles Dickens mocked in his novel, Hard Times. Facts are meaningless without their use. The pettifogging over certificate arises from mischief to divert attention from the real issues of the campaign, about war on terror, corruption, infrastructure deficit, failed education, etc. We can now ignore the Fani-Kayodes, Metuhs and Ozekhomes.

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Femo, what next? come forward voluntarily,” he warned, “we hereby call on the Police and other security agencies to seek them out, find them, arrest them, interrogate them and prosecute them in accordance with the laws of the land.” Some talk, yak, yak! The Police and other security agencies — as in public security services in private vice-grip of his ruling federal party? But thank God for small mercies, Femo barely escaped the late Augustus Aikhomu’s syndrome — Admiral Aikhomu, the Chief of General Staff (CGS) to Gen. Babangida as military “president.” The late naval officer threatened to gaol a certain group of citizens for alleged offences. “We will gaol them,” he thundered to the media — until somebody pinched him: “Your Excellency, you have not tried them ...” “Yes” the gamesome marine soldier conceded, “we will try them and gaol them!” At least Femo still talks of prosecution “in accordance with the laws of the land”, even if his body language suggested more of the late Aikhomu stuff. Thank God for small mercies! But the notorious fact is, as Femo continues

to waste his time on a dead and buried scandal that was not, even the most gullible of his former riveting audience has moved on. Even as he huffed, puffed and threatened, Alhaji Isyaku Bello, the current principal of Buhari’s old school that made public the report, has invited the doubting Thomases to come see the original of the document, if only to purge them of their verbal diarrhoea! But Fani, Hardball guesses, is far too gone, working himself into a lather! Well, Hardball’s sincere observation. Fani and his party started phantom campaigns of spite and blackmail, and at every juncture, they have woefully failed. First, it was the opposition as Islamic party. Then, it was anticipation of a Muslim-Muslim ticket. Then, the conjuring of Buhari being allegedly down with prostate cancer. And now, it is the dead and buried certificate non-scandal. Meanwhile, as Femo and co waste precious time over inanities, they de-market their principal and give his opponent the bounce! So Femo, what’s next in your factory of mischief?

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