Wednesday 11th May 2016

Saraki Says His Asset Declaration Form was Tampered With Witness: Senate president had 16 cars worth N263.4m before he was governor Fresh trouble for Umar as ex-Customs officer asks him to step down

Tobi Soniyi in Abuja

Senate President Bukola Saraki has alleged before the Code

of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) sitting in Abuja that his assets declaration form of 2003 was tampered with, citing it as the

reason the original copy of the form was not presented before the tribunal.

Saraki is standing trial for

false assets declaration when he was the governor of Kwara State between 2003 and 2011.

At the resumed trial

yesterday, counsel to Saraki, Paul Erokoro (SAN), made the allegation while crossexamining the prosecution

witness, Michael Wetkas.

Under cross-examination, Continued on page 8

At Senate Hearing, Emirs, Herdsmen Clash with N'Central, Southern Leaders over Grazing Reserves...

Page 11

Wednesday 11 May, 2016 Vol 21. No 7685. Price: N250

www.thisdaylive.com TR

UT H

& RE A S O

N

Fuel Subsidy: It’s Time for Difficult Decisions, Says Osinbajo

Kachikwu: FG to unveil new policy on subsidy Chevron to lift 1.9m barrels of oil weekly despite Escravos attacks Repairs to Forcados pipeline to end May 29 Ejiofor Alike in Lagos, Sheriff Balogun and Nume Ekeghe in Abeokuta Ahead of the federal government’s announcement tomorrow on the removal

of subsidy on petrol, VicePresident Yemi Osinbajo has said that the government will have to take tough decisions on the desirability of retaining fuel subsidies, adding that it had become necessary to

remove them.

His statement coincided with a remark by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, who confirmed that the government would in the

next few days unveil a new policy to address the subsidy issue in the country.

Osinbajo, who spoke at the third Ogun State Investors’ Forum held in Abeokuta, the state capital, said: “No

matter how we slice it, we are in economic times that are challenging, but they provide us with some of the best opportunities for making a real difference in our economic life.

“I think that we are at a point that a lot has been said about subsidies and what to do with subsidies. I think we are at a point where we must Continued on page 8

Buhari Dismisses Cameron’s Remark Describing Nigeria as ‘Fantastically Corrupt’

Transparency International defends country Tobi Soniyi in Abuja with agency report President Muhammadu Buhari has dismissed the remark made by the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, who in a conversation with Queen Elizabeth II described Nigeria and Afghanistan as “fantastically corrupt”.

Buhari, who departed for the United Kingdom yesterday to attend a global summit on anti-corruption, said the British PM’s unguarded remark was not reflective of his administration’s fight against corruption.

A statement by the president’s media aide, Mr.

Garba Shehu, said: “It is certainly not reflective of the good work that the president is doing. The eyes of the world are on what is happening here.

“The Prime Minister must be looking at an old snapshot of Nigeria. Things are changing with corruption and everything else.

“That, we believe is the reason they chose him as a keynote speaker at the presummit conference.”

Buhari, in the statement, also thanked the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who tried to correct Cameron after his remark, saying: “Thank Continued on page 8

NNPC to Concession 5,000km of Pipelines, 30 Product Facilities... Page 56

PUTTING OGUN ON INVESTORS’ MAP

R-L: Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; former President of Colombia and special guest speaker, Mr. Cesar Augusto Gaviria Trujillo; and Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, at the opening of the third edition of Ogun State Investors' Forum, in Abeokuta, Ogun State… yesterday kola olasupo

2

WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2016 T H I S D AY

Simple banking

T H I S D AY WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2016

3

4

WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2016 T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2016

5

6

WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2016 T H I S D AY

F id e li ty B r id g e A c c

ount

RC 103022

T H I S D AY WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2016

Transact with ease on the enhanced FirstMobile app. Pay bills, buy/send airtime, send money and do much more from your mobile phone.

Visit www.ďŹ rstbanknigeria.com/getďŹ rstmobile

Terms and conditions apply

5

015

2011-2

7

8

WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016 • T H I S D AY

PAGE EIGHT FUEL SUBSIDY: IT’S TIME FOR DIFFICULT DECISIONS, SAYS OSINBAJO make many difficult decisions and make very tough choices.

“But I think the Nigerian people are prepared for all what is required and all it would take to make a real difference.

“In no way can a country make the kind of progress we expect it to make without being able to ensure that in public life our finance system is transparent and would ensure that there is accountability.

“Our Ministry of Finance has been putting in place a system that would assure accountability. It would ensure that public funds are accounted for and that the country is not exposed to some of the kinds of huge corruption that we had seen over the past few years.”

He also urged state governments to encourage and support agriculture, noting that “in the area of agriculture I

know that there is so much room for so much more”.

He said: “The agriculture borrowers scheme is one I am not so sure any other state aside from Kebbi has adopted.

And that programme is one where the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has been able to lend to small rice farmers.”

He also advised states to do more in terms of generating electricity, stating: “I think that we can rewrite some of the regulations in such a way that states can generate more power.”

In the area attracting investments to the states, Osinbajo said: “The president has mandated the Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment to do something about the ease of doing business in the country."

Backing Osinbajo, the former President of Colombia and Secretary General, Organisation

of American States, Mr. Cesar Gaviria Trujillo, said a policy that had to be addressed head on was the one on the desirability of the retention of fuel subsidies, saying: “This is the moment to eliminate the subsidies.”

He said: “You cannot keep paying subsidies, most of which end in the hands of some privileged people.

What you need is a good tax system – improve income tax, improve value added tax and eliminate subsidies. That is the task this government can use to tackle this crisis.”

Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, who hosted the forum, affirmed that the state in the last five years of his administration had been set firmly on the path of prosperity, adding that it intends to consolidate on its successes and chart a new course for socio-economic

development and wealth creation.

He revealed that the first and second editions of the investors’ forum had not only earned the state its position as one of the fastest growing investments destination in Nigeria, but in the whole of West Africa.

He said that the forum would focus on improving available infrastructure in Ogun State, while developing new ones, and would encourage genuine investors to acquire land by offering them significant discounts at various levels.

The forum, he added, would create the avenue for the aggressive promotion of agriculture, which has been identified as the pivot of the state’s industrialisation plan, among others.

He said the state would diversify its economy by effectively harnessing its

rich mineral resources by encouraging existing and potential investors in the sector.

Ogun state, Amosun noted, would also take full advantage of its proximity to the largest market in West Africa, Lagos, including other South-western states and also the West African sub-region.

Also speaking on the subsidy issue, Kachikwu said that the introduction of price modulation had helped to stabilise the situation.

The minister, who spoke during the second leg of the federal government’s town hall meetings held in Kaduna, however added that it was necessary for the country’s oil sector to reflect the global pricing of the product.

“We are coming up with a policy in the next few days that will allow us develop the price modulation that allow us to swing our price along

with international pricing.

“We are now transiting into fuel modulating pricing because we do not have sufficient foreign exchange to continue the fuel importation we have been doing.

“Therefore, NNPC has to import about 100 per cent of the product, that is the cause of the scarcity,” he explained.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the minister said that the NNPC does not also have the logistics and coverage for the effective distribution of petrol, adding that there was no allocation for fuel subsidy in the 2016 budget.

He said: “The federal government has struggled to offset the N600 billion subsidy balance when the administration came into power.”

counsel, Erokoro, to go ahead with the cross-examination of the witness, who was previously examined by another of Saraki’s lawyers, Mr. Paul Usoro (SAN).

Jacobs however objected to the application and asked the tribunal to ensure that Saraki’s lead counsel be the only one to cross-examine Wetkas, who is the first prosecution witness to testify against Saraki.

Jacobs cited Section 349(7) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) to support his point that only the lead counsel should cross-examine Wetkas.

But a member of the bench, Mr. William Atedze, told Jacobs that the section alluded to, did not require the use of only the lead counsel for the said cross-examination.

Erokoro further said that the law allows Saraki to have as many representatives as he wants, and that the defence had not acted outside the provisions of the law.

In his ruling, the tribunal chairman, Danladi Umar, ruled that the tribunal would act based on the provisions of the law.

He added that while the defence counsel should not abandon the case at any point, the defendant had the right to be represented by as many counsel as possible.

In a related development, a retired Customs officer, Mr. Rasheed Taiwo Owolabi, who is standing trial on charges of false assets declaration before the tribunal has asked

its chairman to disqualify himself from the panel that will try him, because of his involvement in an unresolved N10 million bribery allegation.

The ex-Customs chief claimed that Umar in 2012 demanded a bribe of N10 million from him to pervert the cause of justice in the case filed against him by the federal government.

In a motion on notice filed by his counsel, Mr. Festus Keyamo, the applicant claimed that he reported Umar to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) prompting his arrest and interrogation on the alleged bribery request.

Owolabi claimed that he would never get a fair trial and justice from the CCT boss, having implicated him in the bribery saga and which led to the ongoing trial of the personal assistant to the CCT chairman, Ali Gambo Abdullahi, for the criminal offence at an Abuja High Court.

Owolabi alleged that the CCT boss was biased against him for dragging him (Umar) to the anti-graft agency over his demand for the N10 million and the part payment of N1.8 million to Mr. Abdullahi, hence he could not get justice before Umar’s tribunal as required by law.

Owolabi is billed to appear before the tribunal today on the false declaration of assets charges slammed against him since June 6, 2012 and is praying that the charge be struck out for want of diligent

prosecution and the likelihood of bias against him.

The motion was predicated on five issues, among which are that during the pendency of his trial he made several allegations of graft against the CCT chairman, which led to the trial of his PA in respect of the allegation.

He insisted that it had become legally impossible for the CCT chairman to adjudicate over the matter because of a real likelihood of bias by Umar against him.

In a three-paragraph affidavit in support of the motion, the applicant claimed that in the course of his trial, he had reason to raise allegations of graft against the CCT boss.

He averred that in the course of investigation by EFCC, Mr. Abdullahi, the PA to the CCT boss, admitted in his statement that he collected certain sums of money from the applicant as inducement and that he handed over the money to the CCT chairman.

The deponent claimed that based on the EFCC findings, a coalition of civil rights groups under the auspices of the Registered Trustees of the Mission for Peace and Development Initiative filed a court action at the Federal High Court seeking an order of mandamus from the court to compel the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) to file a criminal indictment against the CCT boss.

The applicant therefore asked Umar to disqualify himself from the CCT panel billed to try him on the grounds that he (the applicant) would not get a fair trial and justice from any trial conducted by Umar.

Continued on page 10

SARAKI SAYS HIS ASSET DECLARATION FORM WAS TAMPERED WITH Wetkas was asked whether he saw the original copy of Exhibit 1, which was Saraki’s assets declaration form in the course of investigation. Wetkas initially stated that he never saw the original copy, but on second thought, he reversed himself stating that he sighted the form shown to him by one Samuel Majemu of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).

When asked why the original copy of the form was not brought before the tribunal, Wetkas stated that he always worked with the certified true copy furnished by the CCB because it was a replica of the original and it served the same purpose.

It was at that point that Erokoro submitted that “whoever is prosecuting the defendant is hiding something by not bringing the original copy before this tribunal”.

“If it is important for the investigative team to see the original, then why is it not important for the tribunal to see it?" he asked.

Wetkas however denied the allegation, saying the form was filled and signed by Saraki before a competent judge.

When the witness was asked if he was aware that the assets declaration form submitted by Saraki in 2003 was tampered with since it contained some entries of properties that were not put on sale by the federal government until 2006, Wetkas said: “As far as I am concerned, Exhibit 1 was signed by the defendant himself on September 16, 2003.”

Also when asked if he inserted the properties located at Nos. 15B and B McDonald Street, Ikoyi, Lagos, he denied doing so.

When also asked if he knew who did it, the witness stated that “the Code of Conduct Bureau is a responsible organisation and he would not believe it would have done that”.

Still under cross-examination, the witness admitted that the defendant was worth $22 million, £12 million, €2.6 million and N4 billion in cash, and owned movable and landed assets before he became governor of Kwara State in 2003 as was contained in his asset declaration form of 2003.

Erokoro then led Wetkas to read from the asset declaration form, which Saraki submitted to the CCB on assumption of office as governor in 2003.

Erokoro submitted that he needed to take Wetkas through the form to debunk the impression created by the witness during his testimony earlier that Saraki could not afford to have bought property without obtaining a bank loan.

Wetkas confirmed that there were 16 vehicles in the form cumulatively worth N263,400,000.

The vehicles were a Mercedes Benz S320 valued at N16 million; Mercedes S500 valued at N20 million; Mercedes G500 valued at N6 million; Mercedes V220 valued at N2 million; Ferrari 456GT valued at N25 million; Navigator valued at N15 million; Mercedes MN240

valued at N8.5 million; and Peugeot 405 valued at N2.9 million.

Other vehicles included a Mercedes CLK 320 valued at N9 million; Mercedes E320 valued at N11 million; Mercedes G500 bullet proof valued at N45 million; Mercedes S500 valued at N30 million; Lexus jeep bullet-proof valued at N30 million; and Lincoln Navigator bullet proof valued at N25 million.

“By my calculation, the total worth is N263,400,000,” Wetkas said.

He further confirmed that Saraki’s landed property was worth between N2.5 billion and N3.5 billion, and further put Saraki’s cash at N50 million.

He also confirmed that the total assets declared by Saraki including that of his wife and his two children under 18 in 2003 was worth $22 million, £12 million, €2.6 million and N4 billion.

The tribunal adjourned till today for continuation.

The tribunal had earlier dismissed a request by the prosecution counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), requesting that Saraki should only use a particular counsel for the cross-examination of a witness.

It was the first ruling so far given by the tribunal in favour of Saraki since the commencement of the trial, as previous applications by the Senate president never succeeded.

Saraki’s lead counsel, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), had asked the tribunal to allow a different

BUHARI DISMISSES CAMERON’S REMARK DESCRIBING NIGERIA AS ‘FANTASTICALLY CORRUPT’ you to the Archbishop. We very much cherish the good relationship between our two countries and nothing should stand in the way of improving those relations.”

Also coming out in Nigeria's defence yesterday was Transparency International, the global anti-corruption watchdog, stating the country was making strong efforts in the fight against corruption.

The organisation also suggested that a statement by the British Prime Minister was hypocritical, reported online news medium, Premium Times.

Transparency International’s Managing Director, Mr. Cobus de Swardt, in his response to Cameron’s video, said the UK was actually the country that is “a big part of the world’s corruption problem”.

“There is no doubt that historically, Nigeria and Afghanistan have had very high levels of corruption, and that continues to this day.

“But the leaders of those countries have sent strong signals that they want things to change, and the London Anti-Corruption Summit creates an opportunity for all the countries present to sign up to a new era.

“This affects the UK as much as other countries: we should not forget that by providing a safe haven for corrupt assets, the UK and its Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies are a big part of the world’s corruption problem,” Mr. de Swardt said.

Nigeria currently ranks 136 of 168 countries and territories ranked in Transparency

International’s Corruption Perception Index for the year 2015.

According to the BBC, the British prime minister was briefing the Queen about the forthcoming anti-corruption summit when he made the comments.

It was not clear whether he knew the comments were being recorded.

“We’ve got some leaders of some fantastically corrupt countries coming to Britain...

Nigeria and Afghanistan, possibly the two most corrupt countries in the world,” Cameron said.

The Archbishop of Canterbury intervened to say: “But this particular president is not corrupt... he’s trying very hard,” before Speaker John Bercow said: “They are

coming at their own expense, one assumes?”

The conversation took place at Buckingham Palace at an event to mark the Queen’s 90th birthday.

The BBC described the prime minister’s comments as a “truthful gaffe”, because the two countries involved are widely perceived as having a corruption problem.

Afghanistan was ranked at 167, ahead of only Somalia and North Korea, in Transparency International’s 2015 corruption perception index.

Buhari won elections last year promising to fight widespread corruption in Africa’s largest oil producer.

The British government will host world and business leaders at the summit today in London, aiming to “galvanise a global

response to tackle corruption”.

Speaking ahead of the summit, Cameron said: “For too long, there has been a taboo about tackling this issue head-on.

“The summit will change that. Together we will push the fight against corruption to the top of the international agenda where it belongs.”

Cameron has in the past made unguarded remarks, bringing embarrassment to himself and the British government.

Last year, he was recorded talking about Yorkshire people “hating each other” - and he was previously caught revealing how the Queen “purred” with pleasure when he told her about the Scottish independence referendum result.

TOP GAINERS NGN NGN TIGERBRANDS 0.41 4.59 DIAMONDBANK 0.14 1.61 FLOUR MILLS 1.59 24.99 WEMABANK 0.05 0.80 UNILEVER 1.77 37.31 TOP LOSERS NGN NGN UPL 0.28 5.42 PORTPAINTS 0.10 1.97 AXAMANSARD 0.09 1.94 FIDSON 0.09 2.04 FORTEOIL 9.26 210.00 HPE Nestle Nig Plc ₦690.00 Volume: 237.837 million shares Value: N1.361 billion Deals: 3,885 As at yesterday 10/05/16 See details on Page 52

% 9.8 9.5 6.7 6.6 4.9 % 4.9 4.8 4.4 4.2 4.2

9

T H I S D AY WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2016

Polo_292x395_OfficialRetailer_01_16.indd 3

25.01.16 15:21

10

T H S D AY • WEDNESDAY MAY 11 2016

How Justice Uwais’ Son was Killed in Airstrike in Syria Ibrahim Uwais, son of former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), was reportedly killed in an air strike by US-led coalition forces which targeted a senior ISIS leader in Iraq on May 6.

Halima, Ibrahim’s wife who travelled with him to Iraq in February 2015, called to inform her father-in-law, Mohammed Uwais, who was Nigeria’s chief justice from 1995 to 2006 about the latest development.

Ibrahim was believed to be in the convoy of Abu Waheeb, a senior ISIS leader dubbed “the emir of Anbar”, at the time of the US airstrike in a town near Rutba in the Anbar desert.

It could not be confirmed if he was in Waheeb’s convoy or if he happened to be in the vicinity of the US strike.

All in the convoy were killed in the strike, but only the identity of Waheeb had been made public by the US Pentagon.

Waheeb had been reported killed on several occasions, but the Pentagon confirmed that the former member of Al-Qaeda in Iraq who used to appear in ISIS execution videos was killed.

Ibrahim, 42, left Nigeria early in 2015 to join ISIS in a surprise move, because he was said to have openly condemned Boko Haram for the “damage” they were doing to Islam.

He had two wives and four children at the time he left the country.

While his elder wife was the head of a private school in Abuja, the younger worked with the Debt Management Office (DMO).

Before embarking on the trip to Iraq via Turkey, he reportedly told his wives that they were free to return to their parents.

“But both of them said they would go with him,” a source said, when the news broke last year, adding that they took all their children with them.

When the retired justice was alerted on the disappearance of his son and his family, he became apprehensive and started to make investigations, eventually reporting to the security agencies.

The Turkish embassy in Abuja was compelled to disclose the details of

Two-Minute Briefing NEWS At Senate Hearing, Emirs, Herdsmen

WEDNESDAY

MAY 11, 2016

NEWS

• T H I S D AY

News Editor At Senate He Davidson Iriekpe n ari N’Central, Sou ng, Emirs, Herdsmen Cla sh thern Leader s over Grazing with FG unfolds plan for ranches Reserves Sena

11

Email davidso

Clash with N’Central, Southern Leaders over Grazing Reserves Stakeholders at a one-day public hearing on farmers and herdsmen’s clashes organised by the joint Senate Committees on Agriculture and National Security and Intelligence in Abuja... Page 11

EDITORIAL The Scarcity of Clean Water

Omololu Ogunmade

Ibrah m s movement through a court n unct on and t confirmed ssu ng v sas to Ibrah m and members of h s fam y The deta s of h s arr va n Turkey were made ava ab e wh e mages of CCTV record ngs were a so sa d to have been ana ysed by the Turk sh secur ty agenc es to estab sh the r movement Ibrah m who dropped out of the un vers ty and went nto fu t me bus ness n h s ear y 20s was the un ke est man to vo unteer for the Is am c State accord ng to a fam y fr end “He hated everyth ng Boko Haram stood for and often quer ed why they wou d be k ng nnocent women and ch dren n the name of Is am ” a source sa d “W th the benefit of h nds ght he was probab y try ng to cover up h s p ans

There was no way you wou d have suspected that he was ever go ng to be a fundamenta st h mse f ” He was a student of K ng s Co ege Lagos and went on to the Ahmadu Be o Un vers ty Zar a “where he was rad ca sed” accord ng to a former student of Queen s Co ege Lagos who sa d Ibrah m “was very popu ar w th QC g r s n those days” A fam y source confirmed that Ibrah m eft N ger a w th h s fam y ear y n February 2015 “w thout a word” “The fact that he d dn t say goodbye to both parents and the deafen ng s ence from h s end s nce then seems to end credence to th s story ne (that he has o ned ISIS) ” he sa d • Culled from The Cable

subsea p pe ne on May 29 Un ke the February subsea attack on the Forcados p pe ne wh ch forced She to c ose ts Forcados Export Term na THISDAY gathered that the attacks on Chevron d d not d srupt the oad ng of crude o nto the 400 000 barre s per day Escravos Export Term na as many other produc ng fie ds n the western N ger De ta cont nue to feed the export term na There are a so nd cat ons that the N ger an Nat ona Petro eum Corporat on (NNPC) w export more crude o through the Escravos export term na as the corporat on s equ ty crude that shou d have been sent to Warr and Kaduna refiner es wou d now be d verted to the term na fo ow ng the attack on the p pe nes feed ng the refiner es The add t on of NNPC s equ ty crude t was earnt w ncrease the ft ng rate at the export term na wh ch a Chevron source to d THISDAY norma y takes three days to oad a 950 000 barre -capac ty crude carr er The offic a who spoke on the attacks to d THISDAY yesterday that though the threat by the m tants was rea the company wou d not shut down ts western N ger De ta operat ons “Chevron s a bus ness emp re and they w not c ose down operat ons n the area un ess the threat s enough to shut down Chevron n ts ent rety” he sa d Invest gat ons further revea ed that wh e Chevron shares ts 950 000 barre s equ ty crude w th other partners – Dubr O and Cono – NNPC s equ ty crude was a so put at 950 000 barre s The February subsea attacks on the Forcados p pe ne wh ch reduced product on by the N ger an Petro eum Deve opment Company (NPDC) from

250 000 barre s per day (bpd) to about 115 000bpd a so forced She to c ose the Forcados Export Term na remov ng 250 000bpd from the export schedu e and reduc ng N ger a s output to about 1 69 m on bpd the owest s nce June 2007 Before the tw n attacks on Chevron s fac t es NNPC s month y financ a report showed that crude o worth N20 b on was ost to the Forcados attack between February and March But t was gathered that the Escravos attacks d d not d srupt the oad ng of crude o nto Chevron s export term na as on y the Okan o fie d was part y affected wh e other produc ng o fie ds that feed nto the export term na have cont nued to pump crude o However She has nformed the fifth month y meet ng of the M n ster of Power Works and Hous ng Mr Babatunde Fasho a w th operators n the power sector he d on Monday at the Sh roro Hydroe ectr c P ant n N ger State that the repa rs on the Forcados export ne wou d be comp eted on May 29 2016 Accord ng to the commun qué ssued at the end of the meet ng repa rs to th s p pe ne wou d be v ta to mprov ng the current e ectr c ty s tuat on and wou d be c ose y mon tored by the meet ng s secretar at She a so to d power sector operators that t had commenced supp y of gas to Gbara n Ub e power p ant n Baye sa State wh ch ust started generat ng e ectr c ty THISDAY had reported that the p ant s the on y Nat ona Integrated Power Pro ect (NIPP) that does not have gas supp y ssues because of ts prox m ty to She s Gbara n Ub e ntegrated o and gas pro ect

0811181308

1

tor: Govt has mon opoly of violence

in

French President toVisit Nigeria , Hollande as Hosts Security Buhari Summit

Tobi Soniyi in Abuja

MEETING THE PEOPLE

Real Amount Diverted in Arm Says Informat ion Minister s Purchase was $15bn,

ED TOR AL

O

W

16

MIDWEEKPOL ITICS With the assent of President Muhammadu Buhari on the 2016 Now Tha he Budge Appropriation Bill on May 6, the war of attrition between the Executive and the National Assembly may have come to a temporary end.The president’s assent to the bill also drew a curtain on the executive’s continuous claim of non-passage of W the budget... Page 16

T H I S D AY

• WEDNESDAY,

MAY 11, 2016

Group Politic s Editor Olawa le Olaleye Email wale.o laleye@thisda ylive.com 0811675981 9 SMS ONLY

s S gned

ith the assent of Muhammadu President Buhari on the 2016 Appropria May 6, the war tion Bill on of attrition between the Executive the National Assembly and have come to a may assent to the temporary end. The president’s bill also drew executive’s continuou a curtain on the s claim of non-passa of the budget as the reason for stalemate ge the economy. in It will also put by the ministers paid to the recurrent that they could not excuse in their respective perform areas of assignmen they were handicapp t because of the 2016 budget. ed by the non-availa bility

FEATURES Pushing Back the Rising Crime

FEATURES

Wave in Abia "A clear message has been sent to criminals: no safe haven tocr m na s there issnosafehaven for them in Abia." So said Godwin Adindu, the Chief Press Secretary, Ad ndu theCh efPressSecretary the Chief Press Secretary to Abia State governor, in justifying the “ action of government... Page 20

Pu h ng B k h R ng C m Wv nAb

BUSINESS Currency-in-circulation Rises to

T H I S D AY

• WEDNESDAY,

11 MAY 2016

BUSINESSW NIBOR OVERNIGHT 1-MONTH

N1.811 Trillion The value of currency-in- circulation increased year-on- year to N1.811 trillion at the end of March 2016, compared with the N1.712 trillion it was at the end of February.

Page 23

CITYSTRINGS Touching Lives

sdaylive.com,

Britain, Equatorial Guinea, the In furtherance of European the by his administrat ongoing efforts Economic Union, ECOWAS, the L-R: Community of Minister of Solid ion to enhance the security Central Minister African States Minerals, Dr. Kayode of and the of Information and investment lives, property Guinea and Culture, Alhaji Fayemi; Deputy Governor Commission willGulf of meeting to mark s in Nigeria and of Lai Mohammed; neighbouring the one year anniversar countries, President represented at the summitalso be and Minister ofKaduna State, Barnabas Bala y of President Muhamma Muhammadu State for Petroleum Bantex; which will have the Buhari will host du Buhari’s administra Dr. Emmanuel Governor Nasir el-Rufai; second Regional the of ongoing successful conclusion tion in Kaduna...ye Ibe Kachukwu at a Town military operations in Abuja on MaySecurity Summit against Hall sterday Boko Haram 14, 2016. idris egaji. at the top A statement of its agenda.” yesterday by theissued in Abuja Adesina said speedy to the President Special Adviser of the humanitari resolution John Shiklam in Kaduna an crises Publicity, Mr. on Media and by the barbaric atrocities caused According to said participants Femi Adesina, terrorist of the The group Minister of Information was the biggesthim, insecurity simple: would include in the summit prominentl would also feature By its very nature, challenge the and Buhari President Francois y on the summit’s Culture, Alhaji Lai insurgency ends no the bar administration Hollande of France agenda. in faced upon has disclosed that Mohammed, assumption who hosted taper off with suddenly. They cankerwormthe fight against this the first Regional the real amount of office on May The president’s time. Insurgencie . We have also brought 2015, adding that 29, are not aide said Buhari misappropriated in the s in Paris on May Security Summit would to conventional arms had succeeded the government purchase is $15 receive Hollande 17, 2014. wars and costthe attention of Nigerians t no agreeme billion. and the Adesina said he French delegation of corruption.

Speaking at Boko Haram in subduing the the guns. nts are signed to silence sensitisation Thanks to the at the Presidential French president Buhari and the Villa on insurgents.

Of course, meeting organiseda town hall Saturday morning campaign we launched “I am happy the world is strong no nation in earlier this year.... to arrive Abuja who is scheduled proceeding by the federal before governmen to enough to stop to the summit. t yesterday in Kaduna, gathering that we have inform this attacks on vulnerable official visit on Friday on an “Let me It is performed a to the minister said rare feat by mosques, churches, targets like the revelations state here that be joined at the Nigeria would agreementsexpected that new the $2.1 billion revelations from making subduing Boko Haram, IDP from the it arms scandal Presidents of summit by the and cultural on further defence camps, etc” he motor parks, billion dolla was to carry impossible for the group Cameroon, Niger rs are just a tip $2.1 cooperation between just a tip of the iceberg. out attacks.

The minister said.

Republic, Chad of Nigeria and stated further iceberg, because the total the He said France would and Benin “Some will Republic. funds involved in the concluded and be the $2.1 those who shared insurgents argue that the that the federal governmen arms purchase signed after billion meant has also fared He said: “The well in the fightt is $15 billion,” the minister for sporadic are still carrying out against United States, between the two presidents talks arms contributed to suicide bombings said. sending and innocent He said however their officials. and “Today, Nigcorruption, saying: soldiers and many other attacks, even nation’s economy p that the erians are less civilians are though to their early they tolerant osed a great now very few. of corruption graves. and corrupt people challenge to the administra “Well, our answer than before.” tion following the to that is drastic fall in “This is because we have raised price of crude oil, which the is the main foreign exchange earner.

POLITICS Now That the Budget is Signed

Late brah m Uwa s

n.iriekpen@thi

Abuja simultaneously work Stakeholders at a one-day comprehensive developmenout a demand for grazing public hearing routes, saying on farmers and plan under the auspices t action the nomadic tradition He also said the herdsmen’s clashes of the cattle National Council of raising developme the joint Senate organised by for the smooth on Agriculture and was archaic and outdated would curtail the spread nt facilities for the treatment should be phased and transmission of cows. transformation Lokpobiri also Agriculture and Committees on livestock of of out. production, including said in view Cameroun, Niger and Njoku National Security diseases to man. cattle-borne of the and Intelligence Chad had led to projection actors in all supported also said Ohanaeze Lokpobiri the idea would become that Nigeria arms amongthe proliferation of shocked yesterday in Abuja were pastoralists the value chain from as the third most against grazing of ranching there were recalled that when populous herdsmen whom rejected the federalwhen herdsmen consumers to transporters, markers, advised he said reserves, repeated cases country of the governmen in the world, part migrate to the southern the federal governmenand conflicts between proposal to create government’s by-productand dealers in livestock immediately country. farmers ranches for cattle s. disarm herdsmen t to herdsmen in the United and plans to import t had earmarked rearing.

He also said They also demanded animal and the problem forthwith commence States, was resolved through artificial insemination semen for prepared to controlthe police are Stakeholders moves for of a Federal Ministry the creation the rehabilitatio were to aid in the the even creation productivit for more n shocked when Livestock of communities. of ranches for of firearms, even the possession prominent Northern Development in Nigeria He cattle starvation y of cattle and avert leaders threw in line was insisted that cattle rearing rearers. cattle rustling as as he described with practices in future. their a a private in most He disclosed In his submission the Miyetti Allah weight behind countries which must be criminal activity that have a large African hence, it would business and Saudi Arabia further that since Defence , Cattle the duly Chief Breeders’ punished. of Association. livestock be wrong for did of The population like land to grow grass,not have fertile Gabriel Staff (CDS), Lt.-General cases IG also disclosed that Kenya, Tanzania, the government which The governmen 70 Olonisakin, who they contracted of cattle rustling t’s proposal was Ethiopia, Senegal, Mali, Burkina to all to deploy state belongs the business was recorded had represented conceived to of growing grass Faso, Niger resources United

by Major-Gen while 99 conflicts been stop to a Edward Republic, Chad, to fund it. eral farmers States firm which killings of innocent the incessant Cameroun Nzeh, said and herdsmen between he said the Earlier and Central Nigerians by had also herdsmen as presidential order following been documente Africa Lopkobiri in his submission, grows the grass for them Republic. well and killings to periodically exports d. said Nigerians hostility between as perpetual by herdsmen, end the But The group also needed Arabia. it to Saudi to embrace the the farmers and the CDS that contrary to Lokpobiri’s claim had cultivated demanded United States herdsmen in different the funding of the killers the parts of the grazing reserves Saudi Arabian models and The junior military agencies collaboration of representativ were not Fulani, a country. development with paramilitary e of Southern Kaduna from the Central created ranches for cattle which compared cattle minister also agencies However, the insisted that killers to tackle rearing in Nigeria He said the developmenrearing. with Brazil, herdsmen, under Bank of Nigeria (CBN) interv of Southern He also said the menace. the aegis of Miyetti noting that whereas Kaduna people ention their t made Brazil were Fulani men Allah, pushed fund and SDG fund, and cattle more has 220 million working on the the CDS was whom for the creation asked productive, for support from cows, Nigeria he of has less than 19 technical financial pointing out that Saudi a joint task force establishment of communitisaid wanted to seize and routes, whichgrazing reserves and developme million, Arabia to currently es recalling patrol in the area. would sustain that 415 grazing nt partners like produces 4.7 areas and simultaneou affected their nomadic He warned reserves million litres of milk tradition of moving the World Bank, the sly mop up that Southern daily for the entire once existed in Nigeria which illegal arms in Food and cattle from one circulation among Kaduna people would Middle East. had been herdsmen, part of the country Agriculture Organisatio taken over by resist any to the other. attempt to take buildings and United Nations, Eu n (FAO) of adding that the Lokpobiri added land was working their land and military ropean Union But representat that restricting acquisition. with other security give to another group the movement ives of the and the International Fund He added that South-east and But the chairman of persons. for imperative of cattle had become of 5,000 hectares outfits to protect the borders.

North-central zones Agricultural Developme land had of the joint if cows On nt (lFAD), to sharply opposed among others. be productive, were expected governors been provided by Generalhis part, the Inspector committee, Senator Abdullahi adding that and threw their their submission from nine states Adamu, interrupted of The submission to Arase, whoPolice (IG), Solomon all of Miyetti Allah ranches are created, cattlewhen aid the provision federal governmenweight behind was strongly land belonged him, saying was represented of ranches, will disclosing be healthy because supported to the federal an Assistant Inspector by governmen by the Minister t’s presentation Sultan of that t and the governmen Sokoto, Sa’ad by the provided with waterthey will be be well utilised the land would Police General of of State for Abubakar Agriculture, reserved (AIG), Ibrahim t and grass. for the provision III; Emir of Kano, Senator Heineken Idris, said anywherethe right to take any land of boreholes, Lokpobiri, on dams and medical sharing borders with neighbourin Sanusi II, Emir Muhammad it the governmen of Zazzau and conflict-prone g further that wishes, threatening plan to create t’s Emir of countries of ranches Katsina, who only rearers and consequen for cattle represented were has the monopoly “government by individuals all on violence.” tly restrict affirmed their movement and that they .

But Miyetti Allah to support the had been sent which was position of cattle represented by rearers.

Tukur Bello, its legal adviser, Their position asked respective was also governments supported and leaders to “preserve community Abdullahi by Professor Ango and Senator and demarcate trans-human routes and cattle Aminu who claimed that Jubril resting points grazing reserves were with support created by the from technical and late financial partners.” Sardauna of Sokoto, Ahmadu The group Bello, and should be sustained. governments also asked the But Ohanaeze to review past interventions was represented Ndigbo, which and reports,

by Mr. and Njoku, opposed Miyetti Paddy Allah’s

While the United Nations General Assemblyyhasrecogn has recognised drinking Assemb seddr nkng water and sanitation as human W meaning that everyone must rrights, ghts mean ngthateveryonemust have access to them, the former still remains a serious problem for majority of Nigerians.That reality was underscored last week by no less an official the Minister of essanoff c a than thantheM n sterof T Water Resources... Page 15

FUEL SUBSIDY IT S TIME FOR DIFFICULT DECISIONS SAYS OSINBAJO On the uncomp eted Petro eum Inst tute n Kaduna the m n ster sa d that h s m n stry had created a sk s earn ng department to coord nate staff tra n ng and the runn ng of ts spec a sed centres n Warr Lagos and Kaduna Kach kwu sa d the department wou d prov de research and tra n ng sk s needed for effect ve refin ng and other serv ces n the o sector He sa d the Kaduna Petro eum Inst tute was programmed to prov de sk s to HND graduates n refin ng and so ar energy and to prepare them for emp oyment n the o ndustry On o exp orat on n Northern N ger a the m n ster sa d that the government had nv ted nvestors to exp ore for o n the reg on “I am one of those who be eve that w th modern techno ogy o and gas ex st n every part of N ger a he sa d Accord ng to h m research conducted n the ast s x months revea ed that o and gas cou d be found n the North “We are putt ng a ot of nvestment and we are nv t ng peop e to nvest money We have set up a department wh ch s do ng three th ngs for the north ” he sa d Meanwh e desp te the tw n attacks on Chevron s fac t es n the Escravos area of De ta State by m tants the company s set to export at east two very arge crude carr ers (VLCC) each w th a capac ty of 950 000 barre s of crude o per week trans at ng to 1 9 m on barre s week y nvest gat ons by THISDAY have revea ed The country w a so soon exper ence re ef n terms of ncreased crude exports and ava ab ty of more gas for power generat on as repa r works w be comp eted at the She -operated Forcados

STARTERS

R A T E S

4.4583 9.1071

ORLD

A S

NITTY 1 MONTH 2 MONTH 3 MONTH

A T

M A Y 6 ,

6.9949 7.2368 8.0819

6 MONTH 9 MONTH

23 Group Busines s Email: chika.am Editor ChikaAmanze-Nw achuku anzenwachukwu@ thisdaylive.com 08033294157

2 0 1 6

EXCHANGE RATE N197 / 1 US DOLLAR* *AS AT LAST FRIDAY

9.2061 9.5872 10.5042

Quick Takes

CIBN Holds

AGM

The Chartered Presidential Institute of Bankers of Valedictory Nigeria will Address hold Annual General Meeting (AGM) this Friday, while its its 14, 2016.

2016 will hold on Saturday, May Both events are to hold in Lagos. The the annual reports, 2006 accounts AGM has on its agenda resolutions and special and business The meeting, election of officers. which will be Chairman of Council, Mrs. presided over by the President Debola Osibogun, by top bank chief executives will be attended/ presidents of the institute. , fellows, associates and “Members are past enjoined to attend affecting their the AGM as important welfare will be The CIBN is issues discussed,” the umbrella the professional statement added.

Nigeria. The objectives body quality of competen of the Institute include: for bankers in to cies through and continuous accreditation, enhance the certification professional professional developme nt; to body for career opportunities; development be the preferred practices and to enunciate and ensure and progression L – R: Executive strengthen ourstrong commitment to adherence to best ethical and Technology Director, Lubes & Specialties technology to internal capacities of people, behaviour; to achieve operationa , Mobil Oil Nigeria processes and and Business , Nigerian Stock Exchange Plc, Alastair MacNaugh l excellence, Services Manager (NSE), Ade Bajomo; among others.

Lagos…recently Africa-Singapor & Controller, ton; Executive Mobil Oil Nigeria Chairman/Managing Director, Director, e Forum Holds The Internation Plc, Karl Thorsen Mobil Oil Nigeria Market Operations when the manageme Plc, Adetunji Business Forumal Enterprise (IE) Singapore in August Oyebanji nt of the company ’s Africa (ASBF), one investment, of the platforms Singapore visited NSE in trade for fostering Africa is slated and thought leadership between Asia to return 24-25 This year’s keynote and August for the speaker fourth time.

The value Singapore & of currency-i Coordinating is the Deputy Prime Minister circulation increased nPolicies, Mr Minister for of Tharman Economic and ECONO MY year-onyear to N1.811 Hosted in Singapore Shanmugaratnam.

Social that the total amount of banks’ end of March trillion at the easily since 2010, together close accessible accounts reserves 2016, compared to 2000 business the forum has brought N11.429 trillion. with the N1.712 from 30 countries marginally year-on-ye fell increasedwith the central bank The Monetary and governme Policy Committe from N3.384 at the end of trillion it was N20.489 nt leaders ar from the between these to develop opportunit e (MPC) of February. trillion previous month, trillion the central ies and partnershi This was revealed Notable past two dynamic regions. bank is expected to N20.470 trillionas at February, trillion. to ps But demand N3.947 to meet this at the Bank of Nigeria’s by the Central March.

Commerce, attendees include Ivory month and deposits, Similarly, narrow end of which are funds Mr (CBN) money Coast’s Minister the and credit statistics money account and businessm Jean-Louis Billon, Sudanese held in an money and credit statistics (M1), which of an, includes for March 2016. The data all physi- funds from which deposited would be part of the and CEO of Mara Dr. Mo Ibrahim, and renownedphilanthropist however showed cal monies such as data to can be withdrawn be considered Group, Mr. entrepreneur that banking coins and According to currency along in taking its at any decision. sector credit to time without a statement Ashish J. Thakkar. with any private sector the , the ASBF 2016 issues and identify decreased slightly deposits and other demand to the depository advance notice will address At its last meeting opportunities assets held year-on-year institution fell both regions by the central for the strategic critical to in March, through presentat the MPC raised bank reduced from N7.682 trillion in at the end of N18.882 trillion year-on-ye growth of well as provide February, ions and panel the Monetary March, compared to N7.599 trillion ar to N9.041 numerous networkin discussion, as with the N18.990 trillion under in the month Policy Rate (MPR) otherwise g opportunities. trillion it stood in the review month, as review. known as the the previous against Nominees the N9.059 trillion month.

The 12 per cent interest rate, to The central The African Announced for AIF’s from previous month. recorded the money latest central bank’s Innovation Foundatio It also increased 11 per cent.

Prize and credit revealed that bank data also top 10 nominees statistics But currency n (AIF) has announced broad Reserve Ratio bank’s Cash outside banks also revealed that quasi which generally money (M2), increased Prize for Africa for its landmark programm the (CRR) to 22.5 money, which from N1.377 e, the Innovation demand deposits is made up of in February, trillion liquid is made up of highly per cent from 20 per theme “Made (IPA). Now celebrating cent, in its at commercia in to N1.441 assets a move banks and offering a grandAfrica”, IPA is an innovation5th year under the monies held l as at the end of March.trillion be converted that can easily liquidity, aimed at tightening initiative in Africa share prize to cash did in which the central spur growth The central bank and prosperity of $150, 000 and incentives bank data showed move as it maintaine not blamed for the current solutions. in Africa through to d its previous month’s pressure home-grown “In the past five value of years, Continued I’ve seen innovation buzzword to a on page 24 sturdy industries across path for African growth grow from a mere potential and the continent. As Africans,in multi-disciplinary clout to solve we have the talent, too, and IPA our own problems is with ingenuity Mujawamariya testimony of this,” said IPA Eromosele Abiodun The IPA has Koelbl was quoted as sayingDirector, Pauline seen tremendo in a statement increasing interest us growth in . applications from both innovators Despite the enablers over and downturn in are made by the ECONO MY and innovation economy and the corporates.

6 000 innovators years. To date, IPA has Analysts at attracted more with from importing exchange crisis the foreign macro 50 African countries, Pan African initiative.

FBN Quest than food inputs believe the challenges which making it a truly IPA 2016 fact that corpo- should drive restaurant crippled companiethat have negatively innovators and have rates impacted consumer eurs received 985 attracted a record 3 600 are less s in most to source inputs sector of the 46 African countries. plus successfu locally Nigerian economy, spending. price movemen sensitive to could African ingenuity l submissions from the food and boost growth which new breakthrou Industry sources should provide ts than retail agriculture accommodation this year showcase in sectors have suggest for some comfort smart solutionsghs in malaria and other sector,” they the that the food s again stood public health hotels. stated. and accommod for farmers THISDAY as one of the out burdens, AIF will host ahad recently country’s vibrant tion sector accounts According to the IPA 2016: and dynamic energy initiatives industries. for about the analysts, reported that the persistent and its first Made in Africa 5.0 per cent “Foreign exchange ever Innovation awards ceremony. macro challenges Recent data and 23 June 40 labour force.of the country’s issues 2016 in GaboroneEcosystems Connector have contributesourcing tively affected have negation statistics on job generaon 22 , Botswana. d The inflation the from the National data for March sector’s sluggish growth.to the real estate sector, country’s Bureau of resulting Statistics (NBS) this year showed The Central Bank that prices showed that of Nigeria (CBN) a slowdown in activities. in ban on 41 (imported accommodation in the Restaurant Following the and Hotel and food created sector rose ) items flation shocking infrom accessing the third quarter 1,190 jobs in compared by 8.7 per cent data for March released exchange windowthe foreign by the T H I S D AY per cent of total of 2015 (2.9 recorded with 9.0 per cent •WEDNESDAY to ease pressure is expected Policy NBS, the Monetary in February All the governo MAY 11, 2016 Committe this year. import Last year the formal jobs). This componen on Nigeria’s rs have the CBN resumede (MPC) of bill over time. realised by 2.3 per cent sector grew cent weighting t has a 1.2 per that oil prices tightening “In the fourth Acting in the index. can Features compared with year-on-year plummet from quarter of by hiking its monetary policy Also, a recent 18 per cent Editor: Charle rate. survey carried 2015, food products accounted in 2014. per barrel to $28 $110Email out by an indigenou for 11 per s Ajunwa per barrel and charles.ajunw The MPC had cent of sectoral Analysts said s credit utilisation we could be so the slowdown rating and risk managem a@thisdaylive in March, raised in its meeting exposed in growth reflects company disclosed ent compared of foreign exchange that we cannot the Monetary .com the current Policy with 13 per that close even pay to 80 per cent salaries cent known Rate (MPR) otherwise recorded of reservatio as the interest ns quarter. in the previous rate, to The challenges Minister of Finance faced Continued , Kemi Adeosu on page 24 n

MOBIL OIL VISIT S

NSE

Currency-in-circ ulation Rises to N1.811 Trill ion

Accommodat ion, Economic Dow Food Sectors Lead Am idst nturn

The true meaning of Corporate Social CITYSTRINGS Touching Li Responsibility (CSR) came to the ves fore recently as the top hierarchy of the Nigerian Breweries Plc literary relocated to rural communities of Oma-Eke in Udi and Ogwofia Owo in Ezeagu Local Government Areas of Enugu State for the sole reason T of taking developmental initiatives to the people. Page 40

As part of a CSR initiative, projects in rural Nigerian Brew communities eries Plc recen in Enugu State , writes Chri tly inaugurated deve lopmental stopher Isigu zo

The borehole

in Oma-Eke

he true meaning Responsibility of Corporate Social water and sanitation (CSR) came fore recently to the for as the Nigerian the top hierarchy of at complementing the school nutrition aimed school's nutrition have "The project relocated to Breweries Plc literary project. past inaugurated similar rural communit potable water aims at ensuring availability school including Oma-Eke in as essential of Eke communiti Nsude, Ngwo Uno, blocks in the they in Ezeagu Udi and Ogwofia ies of health and component Local Governme are now indebted sanitation, Awhum and es," he said, State for the nt Areas of Owo would also enhance " he said, addingof good of projects noting that to the company.

“What sole reason they have Enugu and that it of taking developme initiatives to the health so far executedthe quality sure that we owe to this company teachers. of the pupils their commitment towards the people. these gifts showed ntal is to make Since the company are and human Also speaking revitalising capital education to build and develop well utilised and used at the inaugurati began Ama Breweries school our children He commende development in Nigerian society on of the at the 9th Mileoperations at its tables blocks with six classrooms the state. for d Governor on October Corner and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi He, however, and the world at large,” a better furnished with for his positive efforts 24, he said. tive contributio 2003, it has made severalEnugu a library chairs for all teachers help the school appealed to those and pupils, education in the state, in the development ns to the overall posi- convenienwith work-stations present to renovate the developme of progress dilapidated nt ces for all classes, and books with government alone noting however that since overlooking the building in Udi and of the surrounding communitand Director could NB Plc new said the company the NB Managing burden, as a responsibl not carry the entire that “the building Ezeagu as building, saying ies organisatio well as to is now e corporate company would continue ns within the groups and identify and respond citizen, the sinking, and is posing dilapidated, cracked, to in various was committed to supporting activities in state. positively of the a danger to Before and the students.” people Oma-Eke and to the cause sectors. through their the state the school had constructe Ogwofia, the the latest social investmen various corporate they received from While appreciating the Similarly, the ts in education, the Igwe, President-G support HRH traditional ruler boreholes, civicd school blocks, healthcompany water, youth the people of environme of the community Igwe Tom development Ogwofia community eneral and as carried out centres and ICT centres centres, Inyama thanked He said the , among others. nt, and teachers the school , scholarship the as company throughou building. principal well NB Plc for programmes had in 1994 the Felix Ohiwerei t the constructio and preparatio “You would for indigent and empowerment inaugurate n for the inaugurati n work have Education order to take students in Specifically Trust Fund d also urged the teachers on, Vervelde for yourselves the seen with your eyes in facilities. inaugurate , penultimate week, the the state. and research a more active role and beautiful and done by the d water projects He expressed and pupils to protect company activities towards in educational exquisite job multi-natio at the Communit the hope improve and toilet facilities of education that Ogwofia and the developme nal the the quality in her crescent organisation for nt enhancem blocks at Ogwofiay School, Oma-Eke, of learning project would that "What you Nigeria. whenever youth. I and knowledge classroom ent for see here today as well as the Service Mess In their respectivethe children. blessings the we count our successesdare say Nigeria Custom this investment. is an outcome within Within Udi contributions The inaugurati the capital city.

Plc to Ogwofia’s council alone, of in the communiti responses, major stakeholder of Nigerian and our on of the projects es expressed Breweries we brewery notable leaders well-being s a bold appreciation for their attracted of the respective to the letters page and that page will be enacted on who rolled initiatives which corporate social responsibil communities out will be written of gold. projects which the drums in celebration ity people positively. had greatly impacted in “We thank them of the on long way in according to them the with The Chairman that in their all our heart would go a improving expanded programm and believe of the School of their children. their lives Committee social responsibi Board Manageme and those of Oma-Eke e of corporate lity they nt At the inauguratio Ngwu Ejike and the HeadCommunity School, with more goodies for will soon be around and toilet facilities, n of the water borehole the principal For now, we our rustic communit Teacher, Felicia call on the Ike, ruler company, Nicolaas the Managing Director project Ogwofia, Alexof Community Secondary Holy and omnipoteny. of the skies of the Uzodinma School, by the company'sVervelde who was to prosper of Ogwofia, t represented their HRH Igwe , the traditional ruler that our shares from Kufere Ekanem, Corporate Affairs the projects their profits business so Tom Inyama, to grow in were timely will continue said that leaps of the projects said that the project Adviser, long way Also speaking, and bounds,” he prayed. was part so far executed in addressing as they would go Africa Foundation the a and water by the Heineken needs of not the accommodation Ogwofia communit President General of ODU for the purpose which was established y, pupils but the villagers. just the students and said it was a thing Chief Fred Onwuama of supporting in 2007 supply and of joy that healthcare, being opened Speaking, sanitation in a new page eze water the principal in the educationa sub-Sahara was He noted Uzodinma, of the school, community. n Africa. said l sector of projects are that the implementation the was remarkabl that the day of the inauguratio He noted that usually e in the history operating companydone by the local of such the new classroom n no doubt Secondary of Heineken Communi School among blocks are which in this Ogwofia NB Plc with the ty Local He disclosed case is the Government best classrooms in Ezeagu that the schoolImezi Owo. acknowledged 11 locations in the Area. accommod “While thanking country. He ation problems, was battling with Community the partnership of the you, I come to solve NBL to help Pan Initiative on by constructin which NB Plc has with other am also appealing to (PACIEH) led Education and African classrooms to enable the amenities like g “six ultra and borehole students to noted that the by Prof Uche Amazigo. Health “Ours is nowwell equipped library. modern these convenien have water project officially Vervelde a modern ces you have to run environme named as HAF “It will school provided here. nt 16 experienced which for the first timein a rural communityequally be good that you in provide the be the glory.” this part of Enugu State. is being as reached with job opportunities and scholarship in our request.

To God Uzodinma things will noted that with help the growth Provision of these Be the NB Plc gesture is it known to you all that of the community. now a friend Nigerian Breweries to Ogwofia Owo communit y,”

INTERNATIONAL Repair Crew to Assess Canada’s Wildfire Damage Repair crews were expected to assess wildfire damage to the Canadian energy boomtown of Fort McMurray, as the oil sands companies surrounding the ravaged city looked at bringing produc- tion back on line. Page 48

What we owe company is to this to make sure that these gifts are well utilise to build andd and used our childr develop en better Niger for a ian society and the world at large

48

INTERNATIO

Repair Crew NAL Wildfire Da to Assess Canada’s mage

WEDNESDAY

email:foreign

MAY 11, 2016

desk@thisda

• T H I S D AY

ylive.com

Zacheau s Somorin with agency reports

Rachel Notley encouraged said they were grow by how much further on Repair crews Tuesday, were expected of it escaped destructio ravaged to assess wildfire The assessmen estimating almost n, hectares some 204,000 t by officials came a to the Canadian damage of its (504,000 acres) 90 buildings were percent Alberta. But of insurance few hours after wa r m s p r i n g . energy boomtown of it also saved. far Fort McMurra But the experts revised Fort McMurray by the evacuati enough away moved sharply as the oil sands , scenes of tour also revealed evacuated center of Canada’sy is the on. downward from In one encourag companie utter devastatio their surrounding oil town to allow the estimates of ing sign n, official the ravaged s with blocks of the cost of region. About half sands for industry, an damage looked at bringing delegation city reduced Royal Dutch of its homes on crude output, from the to visit which Monday. produc- foundatio to blackene or 1 million Shell Plc said on Monday tion back on began on Mayblaze, barrels per d it restarted line.

Officials warned ns, front 1.

Cooler weather, Political leaders productio taken offline,day, has been reduced steps safe and metal barbecues. got their for residents it was not has helped which according to rate at its n at a first glimpse Notley said to return, Albian oil sands mining firefighters a Reuters estimate battling 2,400 struc- with parts still smolderin Monday since of the city on tures . operation Oil th had burned in Alberta, wildfire forced b l a z e , which sands compani 88,000 residents within the and large areas withoutg wa s e x p e c t e e adding it city while es, t h ro u g h T d t o l i n g e r costs, have high fixed to fly staff in and plans for safety. Alberta to flee saved. almost 25,000 were power, water and gas. h u r s d ay, out.

Notley said repair But Imperial Premier a c - work are expected to crews will have cording to Environm The fire, as quickly as late on Monday Oil said weeks expected possible a completed to them of work ahead of C a n a d a . S t i l l , m u c ent to get producti controlle to make the h Alberta is city safe. tinder-bo x o f online, but face on back its Kearl d shutdow n of after a mild dry the oil winter and lenge of many staffchal- ing project, sands minblaming the suppliers being and displaced uncertai nties associate with logistics. d A United States navy warship sailed close to the United a disputed reef Hillary Clinton the South China in entitled States and all states are and Bernie Sanders to damaged Sea exercise,” yesterday, are regional US Departmen Urban said in facing off again a an emailed peace and stabilt in West Virginia. source of gloating for Trump. ity,”he told a statement. said, prompting of Defense official daily news briefing. Clinton, a former secretary The Beijing and Washington anger in Beijing She said her comment China of state oper New York real estate develwhich denounced traded accusations have China claims most of the South and U.S. senator from New has taunted Clinton had been taken out of context the patrol Sea, through which has a commandin York, illegal and a that in and that she threat to peace as is militarising the South the other in ship-borne $5 trillion pledged g lead in the days by saying she“can’t recent wanted to help stability. and as China retrain people China trade passes close the deal” with Sanders, delegates needed undertakes large-scale Sea year. The Philippines every clinch her only rival worked in the industry, one who to since February Guided missile her party’s nomination reclamation land Malaysia, , Vietnam, of the state’s biggest 1. Clinton has destroyer, disputed s and construction the November Taiwan the USS William for employers. and she said on have overlapping Brunei also will ignore 8 election to succeed features while Sanders, P. Lawrence Democratic President travelled within the United insults and insteadTrump’s personal Vermont, a U.S. senator from States has increased The Pentagon claims. criticize his policy has reminded of Chinese-oc 12 nautical miles exercises its patrols and The outcome Barack Obama. pronouncem last month called his supcupied Fiery porters at crowded on China to reaffirm in the region. ents. where only 29 in West Virginia, Cross Reef, Defense it has Clinton apologised rallies that Facilities on Department spokesmost Fiery Cross Reef to deploy military aircraftno plans and opinion delegates are at stake Virginia man, Bill Urban in West Trumppolls show him beating polls show said. The so-called include a 3,000-metre in the last disputed freedom of navigation (10,000- used Spratly Islands after Beijing with a slight lead, is unlikelySanders confronted by week after being does by a larger margin than operation was foot) runway and Washington angry Clinton. a military plane to the course of undertaken to concerned China to the Democratic alter remark in March voters for her “challenge excessive A win would will use it to pressis sick workers from Fiery evacuate that she would race. “put a maritime claims” But Clinton’s battle bolster his deciits extensive Cross. lot of coal sion to with “Fiery Cross and Vietnam by China, Taiwan, expense territorial claims at the is sensitive who defied pollsters to Sanders, companies out miners and coal through keep fighting for votes which because it is of weaker of business” with win in her June 7, Indiana last week, to restrict navigationwere seeking Chinese Foreign rivals. plans to increase delegates are when nearly 700 the future presumed to be has become rights in the South China renewable at a energy sources. hub of Chinese man Lu Kang Ministry spokes- military Sea, 475 in California stake, including said the U.S. operations “These excessive he said. illegally ship in is now focusing where Sanders are inconsistent maritime claims was entered Chinese waters and South China Sea, given the his efforts. tracked and warned. already extensive its law as reflected with international infrastructure, “This Sea Convention in the Law of the threatenedaction by the U.S. side including its large and deep to restrict the in that they purport security China’s sovereignty and port and 3000-metre navigation rights runway,” that staff andinterests, endangered the said Ian Storey, a South China Sea facilities on the reef, and Yusofexpert at Singapore’s ISEAS Ishak Institute.

US Sails War China Sea ship Near South

Clinton, Sand ers Face

off in West Virg inia

North Korean Leader Caps Rare with Colourful Congress Mass Rally

Thousands of Koreans joinedecstatic North of accelerated a mass rally productivity in and parade yesterday run-up the Among other as leader congress,to the Workers’ Party Kim Jong Un changes at the congress, a former including sprucing-u consolidation capped off the the capital, army Chief p of General a grueling ruling party of his power at a that left Staff who South congress at which many people exercise Korean media he formalized exhausted, Western residents its claim to be been purged had reported had nuclear weapons and executed, a But there was said. no sign of elected alternate member was Kim used the power. that at yesterday’s of the the first in 36 party congress, thousands rally, where party Politburo and a member shouted “manse!”, of the powerful Central North Korea’syears, to highlight or “live Military Commission. aim to expand forever!” while its nuclear arsenal, clasping their The first congress of U.N. sanctions, in defiance waving hands in the air or said the weapons though he passed pink flowers as they 1980 was seen by since North be used if North would only officialsbefore Kim and other top Korea-watchers as a move restore the central on a leaders’ to Korea was threatened with platform.

Kim, 33, similar weapons. party while diluting role of the Kim also set western-stylehad traded the role of the suit he wore the military. political plan to revive out a five-year the four-day Old rival congress for at try’s creaking his isolated coun- more South the economy, although Korea traditional uniform denounced it was short on North North Korean of leaders, a dark nuclear ambitions, Korea’s party enshrined targets, and T the H I Sjacket seeing Kim’s“Byongjin” little cause for D AY buttoned •WEDNEto policy of simultaneo the collar. optimism in SDAY He conciliatory gesture MAY 11 2016 a nuclear weapons us pursuit of crowd smiled and waved at the Kim development. and economic and and chatted with military on the weekend when made party aides, he military talks “Under the authorizati were needed said footage showed. state media the South with on of Workers’ Party to discuss ways Kim’s sister, to Kim Yo Jong, ease tension.

Jong Un, the Chairman Kim who Central was South Korea sends the warmest Committee congress formally elected by the President Park the people and greetings to Committeto the party’s Central Geun-hye said the 61 North showed e, stood next Group Sports N P F L some concluded the soldiers who to him to changeno sign of willingness … N 70-day battle for of P Editor Duro theFtime.

L… N with the greatest but only made P Fposterous The young leader Ikhazuagbe L … claims “preEmail duro.ik of victory and glorified Kim, who about being assumed hazuagbe@th a an auspicious the Congress as his father’spower in 2011 after nuclear weapons state”. isdaylive.com event,” Kim Yong The two Koreas death, took on Nam, the titular new title the remain in told the rally head of state, Monday. of party chairman on a technical state of war skies in the under overcast previous The promotion - his their 1950-53 conflict endedsince Sung Square. capital’s Kim Il secretary party title was first truce, not a peace treaty. in a North - had been predicted Korea regularly North Korea threatens by analysts South and its the had been who had engaged in a major ally, the 70-day campaign Kim would use the expected United States, congress which to further shore up his power. cuses of planning a it acnuclear attack.

The threat of expulsion the league from left to again hangs play in Ilorin Giwa players over the sanctions to complete Jos now (6:10pm slapped to stay away as they look set team Tuesday),” one from today’s for crowd trouble on the of the Giwa Nigeria Professional during AfricanFoo players informed United we told ourselves Football League the Rangers match. we must get that (NPFL) match tball.com .

According to it right against Enugu Rangers strongman “Nobody the rules of United in Ilorin, against Akwa league, supersport.com. to on the the informatio has given us any Lobi Stars,” said the a team will 20-team top former club has been where the Jos out n if we are going be thrown flight FC IfeanyiUba of for h is seventh points, five points behind on 23 crowd trouble banished to after they the competition should the match or not.” leaders miss and neighbours at the Rwang Meanwhile, Stadium in Pam without a total of three matches Enugu Rangers.

FC IfeanyiUba the Plateau centre-back Chibuzor an acceptable h State capital. reason.

A player of the Okonkwo club informed has said his side will not Giwa has already AfricanFootball.com drop any more points failed to that honour a game in their remaining yesterday he Wikki Tourists, in Ilorin, against players along with the other matches left on the league calendar. are still in Jos been awarded who has since not and are sure if they the match.

The Nnewi will travel to The Jos club outfit will host Ilorin for two matches will be missing United. the game against Akwa Lobi Stars in a midweek if top-flight Match-day Nigerian up for today’s it failed to turn “I 16 can’t really tell clash in Nnewi.

Akwa United. match against about you the game, but anything Okonkwo said Giwa also have we the shifted his side has a home game players are confused now because right against their attention to the match the Pride of Benue we are still in 0-2 thumping after the at “We are not Akwa United. dropping any more points at home or away in our remaining matches.

“One point nine in our from a possible immediate three matches past scorecard for is not a good us.

“We want winning ways to return to Olawale Ajimotoka once again, starting with n in Abuja the match-up Nigerian players on Wednesda to the platform India has deployed y against Lobi that will her top coaches, one of level. expose them to world Stars.

“After the defeat Shriam Renganathan, Onyeama said at Akwa to the Nigeria the cricket team for the World agreement with India technical Cricket League will MATCH DAY Division 5 enable Nigerian players also competition 16 professiona play Elkanemi v Kano Island from billed for Jersey considered l cricket in India, Pillars May 19 through Ikorodu Utd one May 29. v Plateau cricket nations.of world’s leading Sunshine v Rangers Utd Nigeria will The Shooting v W’Wolves same group compete in the who Nigerian team of 16 players, have Gurnsey, Jerseywith Tanzania, February, been in camp since Rivers Utd v Wikki will depart for and Vanuatu for Island, Oman on Wednesda London Nasarawa v A’ Warriors slots that will the two available pre-tournam y for a number of Giwa v Akwa ent warm up matches to Division upgrade them before Utd heading to Jersey IfeanyiUbah level ever to 4, the highest v Lobi Island.

“The MFM v Enyimba the country be attained by Council International Cricket in world cricket.

(ICC) has set Tornadoes v Failure to progress up a World Cup Heartland will see the League that will take us them remain to final Eto’o (left) and demoted to in Division 5 or ‘big boys’.stage of the league of Division 6.

Yobo in Turkey...at Division 4 is a Renganath higher platform the weekend coach certifiedan is a Level A targeting of rating which we are by the Board Control for Cricket of the game to raise the quality of to assist national India (BCCI) explore in Nigeria as well as commercial opportunitie coach Uche Ogbimi.

Onyeama said. s,’’ Duro Ikhazuagb The President e Nigeria’s captain, of Nigeria Camerounian Kunle Adegbola, Cricket Federation expressed Antalyaspor superstar at his (NCF) Greens’ confidence the ‘Yellow The most decorated Emeka Akanni who club in Turkey Onyeama, African the is also a former yesterday that at Super said saying will qualify for Division 4, player of all time, Samuel weekend confirmed the Renganath After an illustrious Eto’o Fils, 16 selected players along with that that theEagles player revealed ian is of 40 in the country some other Eto’o along with outgoing out top footballers career with top clubs that went through coming capacity and in his voluntary camping from Africa and Chelsea captain, John all the other of Eto’o and Madrid, like three Europe will help in taking phases since big European Terry, and are going to Barcelona, Real are to be honoured February at are the best African be Inter Milan, Chelsea, honoured the players to in the country.

Joseph Yobo for Harcourt Everton and 18TH N Centenary their contributions to the game. is creating a Port others, Eto’o currently Game scheduled E ST L E “Joseph Yobo M I LO B buzz as a in Port Harcourt, for May 27 Samuel AS K E T met with in the Garden City. striker for Turkish plays BALL “Our chief Antalyaspor. club The event Rivers State. weekend Eto’o over the State Governor,host, the Rivers planned in Europe and He won the celebrate the His Excellency, the Ezenwo African retirement of to Camerounian reconfirme former Super the d that enthusiasNyesom Wike, is very of the Year award a Player Eagles captain he is coming to Port four tic from times: in 2003, record Harcourt of the receiving to be part of Two determined beautiful game the football superstars all 2005 Yobo’s testimonia 2004, and hard working bankrolled schools, Governmen l to Port coming in and 2010. He was third majorly by is as well as personally points nailed Harcourt. He the Rivers State t Secondary the match for School Karu, government the the award planned receive promised has the YearFIFA World Player of FCT boys. the support Abuja and with observed us for that award him,” from everyone in 2005. Eto’o Unilorin Secondary a few other firms. coming to the Coordinat In the scored the Yobo who School Secondarysecond semi-final, Unilorin Ilorin, Kwara met with the the Yobo Centenary or of capital is going Rivers State seasonsover 100 goals in five State, will meet School defeated Game, a lasting with to leave with Waidi Akanni. the Central Conference in High Grade Success also the record Barcelona, and is memory,” revealed Model School Boys final slated for today Akanni.

Nasarawa Keffi, of appearanc holder in number es by an African of Ilorin Indoor at the University the final State by 30-13 to set up player in La Sport with FCT. Liga.

Yesterday, GovernmenHall.

In the girls’category, As predicted t Secondary School Karu, Abuja Government , defending Secondary semi-final game out Governmen narrowly edged will confrontSchool Gboko, Benue champions Dolphins t of the Final to take on are 8 tourname Queen Amina Minna, Niger StateSecondary School Kaduna city from the first nt.

State in the final. College, Bank’s Elephant rivals, First 23-22 to progress to the last First to the Central Government matches Conference finals final of the 12th Girls, in the hand, Bank on the other fourth quarter to a keenly contested prove Plateau played yesterday in School ran riot crushing bookmakers Zenith Bank Gboko, Benue Secondary Women Basketba right.

IGP Rocks defeated, the ongoing Nestle encounter in Governmen State Meanwhile, ll League Queens 105-22 en-route AHIP Queens Milo Secondary t Secondary School beat scheduled for the Dolphins Basketball Champions final. of players Kano 63 the The second Bida, Niger State 25-18 -56 while Indoor and officials semi to Benue Princess points, while Sports Hall of the National final was a clear Captain of Governmenhip. are Queen Amina pay Stadium tomorrow t Secondary mismatch opponent case of on the a courtesy call bowed to Delta Force College, School Abuja, 59-42. .

Augustine Richard, outplayed Governmen Kaduna Group Managin The All-Stars Dolphins s as who had 12 game of the g 2016 yesterday Elephant Girls proved the Director of Zenith Secondary School t zoomed into hot for Queens too Wuse, Abuja Bank Bank edition of the Zenith 30-17. from Abuja Peter Amangbo tomorrow out-dunking the final after to handle.

Women Basketba at the corporate League ll Customs 74-53the Nigeria The of the bank head office to take scheduled for today is in the first coach O

SPORTS Giwa’s Expulsion Imminent as Club

Set to Boycott Akwa Utd Clash The threat of expulsion from the league again hangs over Giwa players as they look set to stay away from today’s Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) match against Akwa United in Ilorin, where the Jos club has been banished to after crowd trouble... Page 61

WEDNESDAY SPORTS

Giwa’s Expulsi Boycott Akwa on Imminent as Club Set to Utd Clash

Cricket: Indian Coach Inspires Nige ria’s World Division 4 Que st

Eto’o, Terr Centenaryy to be Honoured at Yob in Port Har o court

FCT Tackles Kwara in Centr Conference al Final Today

Zenith Bank WBL: It’s Dolp hins, First Bank

Final

WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2016 • T H I S D AY

11

NEWS

News Editor Davidson Iriekpen Email davidson.iriekpen@thisdaylive.com, 08111813081

At Senate Hearing, Emirs, Herdsmen Clash with N’Central, Southern Leaders over Grazing Reserves FG unfolds plan for ranches Senator: Govt has monopoly of violence

Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja Stakeholders at a one-day public hearing on farmers and herdsmen’s clashes organised by the joint Senate Committees on Agriculture and National Security and Intelligence in Abuja were shocked yesterday when herdsmen rejected the federal government’s proposal to create ranches for cattle rearing.

Stakeholders were even more shocked when prominent Northern leaders threw their weight behind the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association.

The government’s proposal was conceived to stop the incessant killings of innocent Nigerians by herdsmen as well as perpetual hostility between the farmers and herdsmen in different parts of the country.

However, the herdsmen, under the aegis of Miyetti Allah, pushed for the creation of grazing reserves and routes, which would sustain their nomadic tradition of moving cattle from one part of the country to the other.

But representatives of the South-east and North-central zones sharply opposed their submission and threw their weight behind federal government’s presentation by the Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, on the government’s plan to create ranches for cattle rearers and consequently restrict their movement.

But Miyetti Allah which was represented by its legal adviser, Tukur Bello, asked respective governments and community leaders to “preserve and demarcate trans-human routes and cattle resting points with support from technical and financial partners.”

The group also asked the governments to review past interventions and reports, and

simultaneously work out a comprehensive development action plan under the auspices of the National Council on Agriculture for the smooth transformation of livestock production, including all actors in the value chain from pastoralists to transporters, markers, consumers and dealers in livestock by-products.

They also demanded the creation of a Federal Ministry for Livestock Development in Nigeria in line with practices in most African countries that have a large livestock population like Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger Republic, Chad, Cameroun and Central Africa Republic.

The group also demanded the funding of grazing reserves development from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) intervention fund and SDG fund, and asked for support from technical financial and development partners like the World Bank, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of United Nations, European Union and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (lFAD), among others.

The submission of Miyetti Allah was strongly supported by the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III; Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, Emir of Zazzau and Emir of Katsina, who were all represented by individuals and affirmed that they had been sent to support the position of cattle rearers.

Their position was also supported by Professor Ango Abdullahi and Senator Jubril Aminu who claimed that grazing reserves were created by the late Sardauna of Sokoto, Ahmadu Bello, and should be sustained.

But Ohanaeze Ndigbo, which was represented by Mr. Paddy Njoku, opposed Miyetti Allah’s

French President, Hollande toVisit Nigeria as Buhari Hosts Security Summit Tobi Soniyi in Abuja In furtherance of the ongoing efforts by his administration to enhance the security of lives, property and investments in Nigeria and neighbouring countries, President Muhammadu Buhari will host the second Regional Security Summit in Abuja on May 14, 2016.

A statement issued in Abuja yesterday by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said participants in the summit would include President Francois Hollande of France who hosted the first Regional Security Summit in Paris on May 17, 2014.

Adesina said Buhari and the French president who is scheduled to arrive Abuja on Friday on an official visit to Nigeria would be joined at the summit by the Presidents of Cameroon, Niger Republic, Chad and Benin Republic.

He said: “The United States,

Britain, Equatorial Guinea, the European Union, ECOWAS, the Economic Community of Central African States and the Gulf of Guinea Commission will also be represented at the summit which will have the successful conclusion of ongoing military operations against Boko Haram at the top of its agenda.”

Adesina said speedy resolution of the humanitarian crises caused by the barbaric atrocities of the terrorist group would also feature prominently on the summit’s agenda.

The president’s aide said Buhari would receive Hollande and the French delegation at the Presidential Villa on Saturday morning before proceeding to the summit.

It is expected that new agreements on further defence and cultural cooperation between Nigeria and France would be concluded and signed after talks between the two presidents and their officials.

demand for grazing routes, saying the nomadic tradition of raising cattle was archaic and outdated and should be phased out.

Njoku also said Ohanaeze supported the idea of ranching as against grazing reserves, and advised the federal government to immediately disarm herdsmen and forthwith commence moves for the rehabilitation of communities.

He insisted that cattle rearing was a private business and hence, it would be wrong for the government which belongs to all to deploy state resources to fund it.

Earlier in his submission, Lopkobiri said Nigerians needed to embrace the United States and Saudi Arabian models which created ranches for cattle rearing.

He said the development made their cattle more productive, pointing out that Saudi Arabia currently produces 4.7 million litres of milk daily for the entire Middle East.

Lokpobiri added that restricting the movement of cattle had become imperative if cows were expected to be productive, adding that when ranches are created, cattle will be healthy because they will be provided with water and grass.

He also said the development would curtail the spread and transmission of cattle-borne diseases to man.

Lokpobiri recalled that when there were repeated cases of conflicts between farmers and herdsmen in the United States, the problem was resolved through the creation of ranches for cattle rearers.

He disclosed further that since Saudi Arabia did not have fertile land to grow grass, they contracted the business of growing grass to a United States firm which he said grows the grass for them and periodically exports it to Saudi Arabia.

The junior minister also compared cattle rearing in Nigeria with Brazil, noting that whereas Brazil has 220 million cows, Nigeria has less than 19 million, recalling that 415 grazing reserves which once existed in Nigeria had been taken over by buildings and land acquisition.

He added that 5,000 hectares of land had been provided by governors from nine states to aid the provision of ranches, disclosing that the land would be well utilised for the provision of boreholes, dams and medical

facilities for the treatment of cows.

Lokpobiri also said in view of the projection that Nigeria would become the third most populous country in the world, the government had earmarked plans to import animal semen for artificial insemination to aid in the productivity of cattle and avert starvation in future.

In his submission, the Chief of Defence of Staff (CDS), Lt.-General Gabriel Olonisakin, who was represented by Major-General Edward Nzeh, said following the presidential order to end the killings by herdsmen, the CDS had cultivated the collaboration of military agencies with paramilitary agencies to tackle the menace.

He also said the CDS was working on the establishment of a joint task force to patrol affected areas and simultaneously mop up illegal arms in circulation among herdsmen, adding that the military was working with other security outfits to protect the borders.

On his part, the Inspector General of Police (IG), Solomon Arase, who was represented by an Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Ibrahim Idris, said sharing borders with neighbouring conflict-prone countries of

Cameroun, Niger and Chad had led to the proliferation of arms among herdsmen whom he said migrate to the southern part country.

He also said the police are prepared to control the possession of firearms, even as he described cattle rustling as a criminal activity which must be duly punished.

The IG also disclosed that 70 cases of cattle rustling had been recorded while 99 conflicts between farmers and herdsmen had also been documented.

But contrary to Lokpobiri’s claim that the killers were not Fulani, a representative of Southern Kaduna insisted that killers of Southern Kaduna people were Fulani men whom he said wanted to seize communities in the area.

He warned that Southern Kaduna people would resist any attempt to take their land and give to another group of persons.

But the chairman of the joint committee, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, interrupted him, saying all land belonged to the federal government and the government reserved the right to take any land anywhere it wishes, threatening further that only “government has the monopoly on violence.”

MEETING THE PEOPLE

L-R: Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Barnabas Bala Bantex; Governor Nasir el-Rufai; Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; and Minister of State for Petroleum Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachukwu at a Town Hall meeting to mark the one year anniversary of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in Kaduna...yesterday idris egaji.

Real Amount Diverted in Arms Purchase was $15bn, Says Information Minister John Shiklam in Kaduna The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has disclosed that the real amount misappropriated in the arms purchase is $15 billion.

Speaking at a town hall meeting organised by the federal government yesterday in Kaduna, the minister said revelations from the $2.1 billion arms scandal was just a tip of the iceberg.

He said those who shared the $2.1 billion meant for arms contributed to sending many innocent soldiers and civilians to their early graves.

According to him, insecurity was the biggest challenge the Buhari administration faced upon assumption of office on May 29, 2015, adding that the government had succeeded in subduing the Boko Haram insurgents.

“I am happy to inform this gathering that we have performed a rare feat by subduing Boko Haram, making it impossible for the group to carry out attacks.

“Some will argue that the insurgents are still carrying out sporadic suicide bombings and other attacks, even though they are now very few.

“Well, our answer to that is

simple: By its very nature, no insurgency ends suddenly. They taper off with time. Insurgencies are not conventional wars and no agreements are signed to silence the guns. Of course, no nation in the world is strong enough to stop attacks on vulnerable targets like mosques, churches, motor parks, IDP camps, etc” he said.

The minister stated further that the federal government has also fared well in the fight against corruption, saying: “Today, Nigerians are less tolerant of corruption and corrupt people than before.”

“This is because we have raised

the bar in the fight against this cankerworm. We have also brought to the attention of Nigerians the cost of corruption. Thanks to the sensitisation campaign we launched earlier this year....

“Let me state here that the revelations from the $2.1 billion dollars are just a tip of the iceberg, because the total funds involved in the arms purchase is $15 billion,” the minister said.

He said however that the nation’s economy posed a great challenge to the administration following the drastic fall in the price of crude oil, which is the main foreign exchange earner.

12

WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2016 • T H I S D AY

NEWS

DHQ to Militants: We will Treat You Like Criminals Denies granting amnesty to repentant terrorists Militants continue attacks on security forces, kill three soldiers Senator Iroegbu in Abuja, Emmanuel Addeh in Yenagoa and Monday Osayende in Warri

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) yesterday warned the various militant groups in the Niger Delta region who have vowed to cripple economic activities through pipeline vandalism, oil theft and kidnap of expatriate workers in that region, saying that they would be treated as criminals.

The Director of Defence Information (DDI), Brig-Gen. Rabe Abubakar, said resources would be mobilised to crush their resistance.

According to Abubakar, military “will not hesitate to deploy every available resources to deal decisively with any threats to the economic lifeline of the nation.

“The military will employ all available means and measures within its Rule of Engagement to crush any individual or group that engages in the destruction of strategic assets and facilities of the government in the Niger Delta or any other location and they will stand to regret the consequences of their actions.

“The whole world has seen what they are causing in terms of economic terrorism against the nation and would be treated as criminals in line with the laws

of the land,” he stated.

He noted that while the military and other security agencies would continue to emplace more proactive measures within the creeks and other places to fish out those responsible for the heinous crime, it will remain focused and assure oil companies and law abiding community members of their safety and protection of their sanctity.

“The DHQ advises the community leaders, traditional rulers and the general public to cooperate with the security agencies to ensure the apprehension of the culprits for the interest of our great nation; as no individual or group interest is above national interest of this country,” he said.

In a related development, the DHQ, has denied and condemned the report in some media that 800 Boko Haram members had been granted amnesty.

Abubakar in a statement yesterday, called on members of the public to disregard it, adding that it would not tolerate acts of terrorism or criminality by any group.”

The Defence spokesman was reacting to the report credited to the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mohammed Sani-Sidi, saying that no fewer than 800 repented members of the Boko Haram sect were currently

undergoing various training and acquisition exercise which was being handled by the military and monitored by the Office of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).

He insisted that the report is false.

He clarified that the decision to rehabilitate repentant members of Boko Haram was based on a United Nations (UN) convention and could not be considered as amnesty.

He said: “The attention of the Defence Headquarters has been drawn to online media stating that 800 Boko Haram terrorists were given amnesty.

“The story is false and has no iota of truth in it as DHQ has never mentioned amnesty in all its statement.”

He continued: “In line with United Nations Convention Charter, which Nigeria is a signatory, The Defence

Headquarters came up with an initiative ‘Öperation Safe Corridor’, this initiative is geared towards rehabilitating and reintegrating the repentant terrorists back into normal life in the society.

“The general public should therefore disregard these insinuations as the initiative ‘Operation Safe Corridor’ should not be taken as amnesty.”

“We hereby emphasise and stand our position that no act of terrorism or criminality will be condoned in our nation by any group. Please be guided,” Abubakar advised.

Suspected Niger Delta militants yesterday continued their renewed onslaught on security forces in the region yesterday, killing three soldiers attached to the Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta, code-named

Operation Pulo Shield.

The killing of the security operatives brings to at least 10 the number of soldiers as well as naval officers felled in the last one month by the suspected hoodlums in various locations in the area.

Still sticking with their latest tactics, the heavily armed militants were said to have ambushed their victims last night in Foropa, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

It was gathered that the slain soldiers had been stationed in the area since 2010 when the activities of the gangs spiked around the area.

The gunmen who operated on a speedboat were also said to have overrun a military outpost near the area, carting away two AK47 riffles, a General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) and other

ammunition.

Last week, four naval ratings attached to an oil servicing company, were in the same fashion reportedly killed by some suspected criminals.

The militants ambushed the military personnel at the Nembe creeks, Nembe Local Government Area of the state, routing four of the naval ratings instantly. Their bodies were later found floating on the seashore.

Just a few days before that, a similar attack on some soldiers led to an officer sustaining serious injuries while about four of the suspects were killed by the army personnel on patrol at the time.

Following yesterday’s incident, residents of the community were said to be fleeing the community for fear of military invasion and indiscriminate arrest of innocent Cont’d on pg 47

Boko Haram: AI Claims Babies, Children Dying in Military Detention in Borno Says 11 children, 4 babies among 149 deaths Senator Iroegbu in Abuja The Amnesty International (AI) has claimed in its latest report that 11 children under the age of six, including four babies, were among 149 people who have allegedly died this year following their detention by the military in horrendous conditions in Giwa Barracks detention centre in Maiduguri, Borno State.

The AI in its briefing yesterday titled: ‘If you see it, you will cry: Life and death in Giwa barracks,’ said that evidence gathered through interviews with former detainees and eyewitnesses, supported by video and photos, shows many detainees may have died from disease, hunger, dehydration, and gunshots wounds.

The human rights watchdog said that their report contains satellite imagery, which it noted, corroborates witness testimonies.

According to the AI’s Research and Advocacy Director for Africa, Mr. Netsanet Belay: “The discovery that babies and young children have died in appalling conditions in military detention is both harrowing and horrifying. We have repeatedly sounded the alarm over the high death rate of detainees in Giwa barracks but these findings show that, for both adults and children, it remains a place of death.

“There can be no excuses and no delay. The detention facilities in

Giwa barracks must be immediately closed and all detainees released or transferred to civilian authorities.

The government must urgently introduce systems to ensure the safety and well-being of children released from detention.”

The International NonGovernmental Organisation (INGO) further claims that around 1,200 people are currently detained at Giwa barracks in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions.

According to the group, many were arbitrarily rounded up during mass arrests, often with no evidence against them, alleging that once inside the barracks, they are incarcerated without access to the outside world or trial.

AI further claimed that at least 120 of those detained are children.

“At least 12 children have died in Giwa barracks since February.

Children under five years old, including babies, have been held in three overcrowded women’s cells.

In the last year, there has been a ten-fold increase in the number of detainees in these cells rising from 25 in 2015 to 250 in early 2016.

Unsanitary conditions mean that disease is rife. Amnesty International understands that there were around 20 babies and children under five in each of the three cells,” AI stated.

It also claimed that “at least 136 men had died in detention in Giwa in 2016 including 28 men who appeared to have gunshot wounds.”

BRAINSTORMING ON HERDSMEN CRISIS

L-R:: Member of the Joint Committee of Agriculture and National Security, Senator Sabi Abdullahi; Chairman, Senate Committee on Agriculture, Senator AbdullahiAdamu;andChairmanSenateCommitteeonNationalSecurityandIntelligence,SenatorShaabaLafiagi,ataone-daypublichearingon‘Tackling the Perennial Conflicts between Farmers and Cattle Herdsmen’ organised by the Senate Joint Committee on Agriculture and National Security in Abuja... yesterday uliusAtoi

Adeosun to Present 2016 Borrowing Plan to FEC Next Week Ndubuisi Francis inAbuja The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, is to present the 2016 Borrowing Plan of the federal government to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) next Wednesday.

The Borrowing Plan is a fiscal document, which details government’s borrowing pattern, and usually comes with annual budgets.

A very competent source told THISDAY last night that the Borrowing Plan was initially to be present to FEC today by the minister, but had to shelve the presentation to next Wednesday due to the cancellation of the FEC meeting.

In a recent article entitled “Nigeria’s Economy: The Road to Recovery,” Adeosun had written:“Our total borrowing expectations are now at N1.8 trillion naira ($9.1 billion).We

hope to raise approximately $4.5 – 5 billion from multiple external sources. This includes multilateral agencies, export credit agencies and we are also planning to tap the Eurobond market.”

Meanwhile, the N350 billion earmarked to be injected to reflate the economy will be released immediately, according to a source close to both the Ministry of Finance as well as the Ministry of Budget and National Planning.

According to him, all that is required is for contractors to show proof of contracts executed to get the money released.

In another development, Adeosun has reiterated the resolve of the federal government to redefine spending in order to get maximum impact.

The minister, who was a guest at the Ogun State Investors’ Forum, holding in the state capital, said during a panel discussion on the economy that the current

administration is determined to ensure that going forward, government spending in Nigeria will achieve maximum impact.

Noting that government spending in previous years had been ineffective and not directed in the right areas, the minister reiterated the focus of the government on investing in critical infrastructure to enable growth.

In her remarks, Adeosun highlighted the fact that Nigeria is not an oil economy. Although oil accounts for 70 per cent of revenue, it constitutes only 13 per cent of our gross domestic product.

“By fully harnessing the potential of our non-oil sectors, we can create a more diversified and resilient revenue base which would provide the necessary fiscal buffers to insulate the economy against the impact of external shocks in the future,” the minister stated.

Adeosun also spoke on the need for the federal government to play its role so that states can focus on their core functions. According to a statement by her media aide, Mr. Festus Akanbi, the minister said the federal government will level the playing field by removing rent-seeking opportunity to unleash entrepreneurial activity and job creation, adding “We must engage in economic patriotism to support local job growth.” She commended the Ogun State government for patronising local entrepreneurs in producing its conference bags.

The minister concluded by assuring that the government is fully aware of the current economic challenges facing individuals and businesses and is working very hard on resetting the economy on the path towards achieving sustainable growth. She added that better days were ahead with President Buhari’s resolve to check corruption and wastage.

T H I S D AY WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2016

13

14

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

COMMENT

Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com

ENUGU MASSACRE: WAITING FOR JUSTICE (2)

H

The perpetrators of the heinous crime should be brought to justice, argues Sonnie Ekwowusi

ad the Enugu massacre occurred anywhere in the United States, the country’s flag would have been flown at half mast in honour of the slain citizens. A President Obama would have cancelled all official engagements and headed straight to the community where the massacre occurred to console and assure them that the murderers would be brought to justice. Men, women, children, young and old would have lined up the major streets with their lit candles in one act of solidarity against the murder of innocent citizens. But unfortunately here in Nigeria human lives no longer means anything to us. We have got accustomed to spilling of innocent blood that the death of our fellow citizens and brothers and sisters elicits only lip condemnation. This is not a good testimonial for any people. At the risk of sounding superstitious, I sometime have the funny feeling that the blood of all these innocent Nigerians murdered in all these idiotic clashes is clustering around the wheel of Nigeria’s fortune and preventing Nigeria from making real progress. If other countries are making enormous sacrifices to protect the lives of their citizens, why has human life lost its value in Nigeria?

Therefore we need a change of attitude. The killing of innocent citizens diminishes our own existence. When a group of cattle men takes the law into their hands and goes about murdering innocent citizens and setting houses ablaze, our collective survival as a nation is highly threatened. That is why beyond lip condemnation the perpetrators of Enugu massacre should be arrested, tried in the law court and punished if found guilty. It is unfortunate that the notion of justice especially commutative justice is not understood in Nigeria even among the Nigerian elite. As a result there is so much apathy or reluctance in remedying injustices in Nigeria. In fact, the Nigerian crisis is rooted in the refusal to seek remedies to injustices. The paradox is that those clamouring for peace forget that justice is a sine qua non for the reign of peace. Peace grows in the crannies of justice.

One injustice left un-remedied begets another injustice. Injustices anywhere are injustices everywhere. If the ghost of Biafra is said to be still haunting Nigeria long after the end of the Nigerian Civil War, it is simply because of that earlier refusal or reluctance to find remedy to the Biafran injustice. At a public gathering in Lagos many years ago, the late Dr Tunji Braithwaite made a veiled reference to this. He said that former Biafran leader Emeka Odimegwu- Ojukwu did not declare war against his fatherland but that he declared war against corruption and injustice in Nigeria.

Therefore in order to nip the Fulani herdsmen menace permanently in the bud, the perpetrators of the last Enugu massacre should be arrested and prosecuted. Our greatest undoing in Nigeria is settling for half measures; doing things haphazardly and sweeping injustices under the carpet believing that they will fizzle out with the effluxion of time. Remember Christmas day 2011 when Boko Haram threw bomb at St. Theresa Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger State and

WHENEVER THE INNOCENTS ARE MURDERED IN NIGERIA, THE PUBLIC WILL SPONTANEOUSLY CONDEMN IT. GOVERNMENT WILL SET UP A PANEL OF INQUIRY TO INVESTIGATE THE MURDER. THEREAFTER NOTHING HAPPENS. CASE CLOSED

killed one Chiemezie Nwachukwu, a 10-month baby and others?

Remember how at first Jonathan government thought that Boko Haram was going to fizzle out with the passage of time and so treated the bombing lightly? But what happened afterwards? The Boko Haram insurgency grew and turned into an uncontrollable monster that went about killing and maiming Nigerians including abducting the Chibok girls.

So now that it is still dawn let us act very fast before darkness overtakes us: Let us dislodge the menace of the Fulani herdsmen before it metamorphosis into another uncontrollable Boko Haram insurgency. Femi Falana (SAN) has been quoted saying that he would file a case of genocide and ethnic cleansing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) court against Fulani herdsmen for their continued massacre of innocent people in Nigeria. Ohaneze Ndi Igbo has banned the eating of Fulani cow meat in the South-East. Catholic Bishops advice that the Fulani herdsmen armed attack should be treated as insurgency with the aim of quickly dislodging it. Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, and former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Joseph Daudu (SAN) said that the National Grazing Bill 2016 pending before the House of Representatives should be struck out for lack of merit. According to Daudu SAN, “It is unconscionable and a breach of the Constitution and the Land Use Act to seize land and give it to an itinerant businessman known and styled as the Fulani herdsman in a capitalist democracy to advance his own business...If the Fulanis require land for grazing they should buy it just like every industrialist buys land to set up a factory”. Following President Buhari’s latest directive, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Abayomi Gabriel Olonishakin has said that the military and other securities agencies would arrest the perpetrators of the Enugu heinous crime and bring them to justice.

Well said but I would wager that in probably the next two or three weeks the Enugu massacre, like many massacres in Nigeria, would be forgotten and ceased to be an issue. Commentaries on it will stop. Nothing will be heard about the panel of inquiries and commissions set up to investigate it. This is the way we are.

Whenever the innocents are murdered in Nigeria, the public will spontaneously condemn it. Government will set up a panel of inquiry to investigate the murder. Thereafter nothing happens.

Case closed.

Therefore beyond words, concrete efforts should be made to arrest and prosecute the perpetrators of the Enugu massacre.

The war against insurgency can only be won in Nigeria when perpetrators are brought to justice. If those who commit crimes routinely escape justice many criminals will be encouraged to persevere in their criminal activities. The rule of law is the ultimate safeguard of democracy.

WADA AND KOGI’S MYSTERY DEATHS

F

Phrank Shaibu argues Kogi State is still undergoing the most uncertain era of its time

ive months have passed since the infamous and controversial Kogi governorship election, yet the cracks that emerged on the Kogi political sphere are far from being mended. While the election tribunal is busy hearing the cases of disatisfied contestants and judgment awaited, there had been many thought-provoking situations and commentaries that have created many obvious holes in Kogi politics. First is what is perceived by many as the misdeeds of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which ironically thrust Kogi’s exceptional peaceful governorship election into an issue of confusion and near disorder.

Second is that the political problems of Kogi State have widened with the sudden death of three of its major politicians, Prince Abubakar Audu, James Ocholi and Rotimi Obadofin in quick succession. Indeed, the death of these men in an era of Kogi’s inconclusive governorship election and its baggage of mysteries have left many Kogi voters deeply disillusioned, thus making the prospect of Kogi politics intensely worrisome as they await the decision of the electoral tribunal. The third issue is that Kogi people have not demonstrated genuine desire to fiercely and boldly confront the sad point of political impunity and sleaze which had hampered their political growth and overall development of their state.

Unfortunately, the issues raised herein were shaped by the combination of actions of the Kogi so-called political leaders and their misguided intentions including selfaggrandisement, skewed identity and ethnic politics which have led to the crumbling of

the real and great Kogi dream. With all sense of modesty, these setbacks could have been checked or probably avoided with a better informed and less gullible electorate. Sadly, in a state like Kogi where many people are still in a struggle to keep up, the issue of a weak electorate is most often overlooked and neglected because most politicians find joy in using such platforms to confuse or dubiously attract voters. Indeed, this is why the Kogi people will need to rethink the status quo which advances ethnicity, greed and embezzlement above common good and opportunity for all even before a verdict is pronounced by the electoral tribunal on Kogi politics.

Specifically, any credible analysis of the situation on ground would suggest that such has given rise to Kogi’s most uncertain political era of our time. Indeed, this may not be out of order because right now, Kogi politics is like watching a football match in which you cannot even differentiate players by the colour of their jerseys. Already, with members of the APC split into many camps and the PDP trying to rebuild, it will be difficult to predict voters’ choice in any new election in Kogi.

Thus, to blithely assert that if a new election is conducted today in Kogi, the voters will vote along party lines is like claiming that divided loyalty brings more unity than political distortions. This is where the Kogi voters will be confronted with the tough choice of selecting a determined leader should the need for a fresh election arise.

Indeed, Kogi situation deserves a broad minded analysis and proper dialogue than criticisms based on political divides. For

now, the Kogi people must go beyond inconsequential politics to developing ideas that will confront the biggest challenges facing them and the future of their children which has been the looting of the state treasury. Contrastingly, in the recent past, the administration of Idris Wada appears to be the only exception in the long history of the pillaging of the Kogi state treasury.

Any objective observer of the Wada- led government would attest to the fact that Governor Idris Wada demonstrated that he was rather into working for the state than acquiring things. Unfortunately, Wada in the eyes of the press may not have had a remarkable record of desirable progress for the age- long neglected state. However, his stay in office should not be tarred with the non-performance brush because he remains the only Governor Kogi State has produced that demonstrated capacity for honesty and still stands firm as a selfless leader. In the end, Wada’s performance or lack thereof, should be measured by how many projects and programmes he engaged in with the little money available to the state and not necessarily assumptions that he ought to have clenased all the accumulated decay of past administrators of the state.

Yes, at times, without regular salaries for workers, the situation may look very gloom but let us not forget that even beyond Wada’s administration, payment of salaries of an over-bloated state civil service work force has remained a very difficult task to surmount especially in the absence of bail out funds which was offered to many states that shared similar problems. Indeed, there is far more work to do than unjustly

condemning the efforts a government based on delayed payment of salaries for few months with limited resources. In fact, mere demonising a government for not meeting all expectations of the voters can only be termed justified where there exist evidence that money had been looted, mismanaged, misapplied or cornered for private use. But this is not the case in Kogi under Wada.

First he inherited huge debts and accrued pension payments, so describing Wada as a non-performer because he could not do more than the financial strength of the state is a wrong premise for arriving at any meaningful conclusion.

It will make enormous sense for any good analyst to assess Wada’s performance based on the nature of revenue received, perhaps this will provide some vindication for his administration especially given that of all past governors of Kogi State, he stands out as the most determined leader Kogi has produced. Indeed, what others before him thought was not impossible was what he achieved in terms of greater teamwork and even spread of development across the state.

So, If we must salvage Kogi’s politics and development, Wada’s style of compassion, honesty, humility and offer of opportunity for all will not amount to asking too much from Kogi politicians. I am talking of the innocuous, easily forgotten initiatives and temperament of a man whose tenure made the state more united, peaceful and irrevocably hoisted on a path of identifiable progress and development.

Shaibu is the chief communications manager to Idris Wada

15

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

EDITORIAL THE SCARCITY OF CLEAN WATER There is need to invest more in the provision of potable water

W

hile the United Nations General Assembly has recognised drinking water and sanitation as human rights, meaning that everyone must have access to them, the former still remains a serious problem for majority of Nigerians. That reality was underscored last week by no less an official than the Minister of Water Resources, Mr. Suleiman Adamu, who said that over 54 million Nigerians cannot get potable water to drink. Yet without water, sanitation and hygiene, it is difficult, if not impossible, to have sustainable development.

In many rural communities in our country today, the challenge is critical as women and children trek long distances to fetch water from streams and ponds, some of which are contaminated. Even in the so-called modern cities like Lagos and Abuja, the federal capital, a large proportion of people have no access to drinking water and, as a joint WHO/UNICEF report recently observed, many often resort to using WITHOUT WATER, any available space for their convenience.

SANITATION AND HYGIENE, IT IS DIFFICULT For those who can TO HAVE SUSTAINABLE afford it, boreholes are indiscriminately dug.

DEVELOPMENT But that too constitutes its own problem as it undermines the water table and threatens future supply of the commodity.

In the absence of water from piped supplies and protected wells, millions of Nigerians living in both rural and urban areas consume what is available. The 2012 joint progress report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on drinking water and sanitation is not only depressing but indeed very embarrassing. It ranked Nigeria third behind China and India in the list of countries with the largest population without access to improved drinking water.

“Water scarcity is a major threat to economic growth

Letters to the Editor

T

and stability around the world, and climate change is making the problem worse,” said World Bank President Jim Yong Kim last week. “If countries do not take action to better manage water resources, some regions with large populations could be living with long periods of negative economic growth. But countries can enact policies now that will help them manage water sustainably for the years ahead.”

Incidentally, when the former president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan launched the water road map in January 2011, the administration announced some “quick measures to accelerate water coverage”, after releasing some intervention funds for some projects: drilling of motorised boreholes in each of the 109 senatorial districts of the country, rehabilitation of 1,000 hand pump boreholes in 18 states and installation of some special treatment plants, and the completion of all abandoned water projects.

Unfortunately, none of these short term measures have been met.

T H I S DAY

EDITOR IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU DEPUTY EDITOR BOlAJI ADEBIYI MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOlA BEllO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR KAYODE KOMOlAfE CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OlUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN

T H I S DAY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOlA BEllO, KAYODE KOMOlAfE, ISRAEl IWEGBU, EMMANUEl EfENI, IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU GROUP FINANCE DIRECTOR OlUfEMI ABOROWA DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS PETER IWEGBU, fIDElIS ElEMA, MBAYIlAN ANDOAKA, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS HENRY NWACHOKOR, SAHEED ADEYEMO CONTROLLERS ABIMBOlA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI GENERAL MANAGER PATRICK EIMIUHI GROUP HEAD fEMI TOlUfASHE ART DIRECTOR OCHI OGBUAKU II DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com

I

n a report entitled “High and Dry: Climate Change, Water and the Economy” released last week, the World Bank said: “Water scarcity, exacerbated by climate change, could cost some regions up to six per cent of their GDP, spur migration and spark conflict.”

The report claimed that the combined effects of growing populations, rising incomes and expanding cities would see demand for water rising exponentially, “while supply becomes more erratic and uncertain.”

However, what makes the report compelling for the Nigerian authorities is that it contains a serious warning that acute water shortage could deepen the clash between farmers and herdsmen in Nigeria. “Food price spikes caused by droughts can inflame latent conflicts and drive migration. Where economic growth is impacted by rainfall, episodes of droughts and floods have generated waves of migration and spikes in violence within countries,” it said.

What the foregoing says most eloquently is that access to water is a serious issue that must be tackled in Nigeria.

We therefore call on government, at every level, to invest more in the provision of drinking water for the people.

TO OUR READERS Letters in response to specific publications in THISDAY should be brief (150-200 words) and straight to the point. Interested readers may send such letters along with their contact details to opinion@thisdaylive.com. We also welcome comments and opinions on topical local, national and international issues provided they are well-written and should also not be longer than (9501000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive.com along with the email address and phone numbers of the writer.

BINDOW, BABACHIR AND THE OPPOSITION WITHIN

he Adamawa State governor, Muhammadu Umaru Jibrilla Bindow, is facing a formidable opposition, or better still, a ‘threat’ within his political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). Bindow’s two adversaries within the APC are the former governor Murtala Nyako and son-led group and the ‘Abuja group’ - aggrieved members of the legacy parties, led by Secretary to the Federal government, Babachir David Lawal. The main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) still remains an outside threat which cannot be written off, though it seems to have no clear leader.

Each of the groups is mainly composed of elite. Political fight among Adamawa elite is not new; but it takes different dimensions depending on the political leanings of the sitting governor.

Elitism is so much rooted in the politics of Adamawa to the extent that most political fights are centered on ‘government patronage.’

The Nyako and the Babachir groups share almost same interests apart from belonging to the APC. Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s alleged overbearing influence on Bindow’s government and the obvious sidelining of Nyako and Babachir political associates is one of the main reasons for the current political hostility between them and Bindow. The Nyako and Babachir groups will definitely work together to accomplish their common goals.

Before becoming the SGF, Babachir was said to have called Bindow on phone many times, but the governor ignored the phone calls. Thanks to providence, few days after the incident, Babachir was appointed SGF. The political hostility between

Babachir and Bindow became very obvious during Babachir’s daughter wedding. There was visible absence of Bindow and his entire government. Some political observers said that it was even a command from the governor that no government appointee should attend the wedding. It was so bad that Bola Tinubu, APC national leader had to use the vehicle of one of his friends when he came to Yola to attend the wedding.

For the Nyako group, they definitely have to be aggrieved. In the build-up to the 2015 elections, a very small committee was set up to shop for a sellable governorship candidate. Three names emerged- Dahiru Bobbo, former Director General of National Boundary Commission; Boss Mustapha, APC chieftain and Tahir Mamman, former DG, Law School, Yola campus. Bindow’s name was not even in the list. The Nyako group had to field Bindow during the primaries because they did not have an option, because among all the contenders, it was only Bindow who openly opposed Nyako’s impeachment and the group felt they could be at home with him. Atiku in his political reasoning opted for Ibrahim Yayaji Mijinyawa, probably because of loyalty. In fact, the APC governorship primary election was a contest between Atiku and Nyako. Governor Bindow won APC governorship primaries solely by relying on former governor Nyako’s political structures.

And twice, Bindow beat Atiku Abubakar’s preferred candidate Yayaji Ibrahim Mijinyawa in the primaries.

Though, the Nyako/Atiku rivalry dated back to 2003, Governor Bindow could have taken ‘advantage’ of both sides and simply used the presidency’s influence to reconcile Atiku and Nyako and remain the ‘son’ of both camps. After all, when the chips are

down, everyone answers his father’s name. Well, Bindow is not to be blamed entirely, because no right thinking politician can ignore Atiku’s well-established vast political structure, immense war chest and history of successes in political legal battles that easily scares off his opponents. Some political observers are of the view that Governor Bindow appears ‘self-assured’ in the murky waters of Adamawa politics, because he thinks, once one has Atiku’s group by his side- most political opponents can easily be dealt with.

There is even insinuation that Bindow has started reaching some of his governor-colleagues to support Atiku’s quest for presidency come 2019. Well, it is politics.

There is need for Bindow to look inwards and start re-engaging all APC stakeholders, instead of just local government party chairmen once in a while. Looking at the current atmosphere of Adamawa political settings, the Babachir and Nyako group may have an edge over Bindow if they play their cards together and smartly. They will sway aggrieved members of the APC; they may also have ‘Abuja’ as all three senators from Adamawa are not Bindow’s men- Abdul-Aziz Nyako is Nyako’s blood son, Ahmed Abubakar Mu Allahyidi is Nyako’s relative, while Binta Massi Garba was very close to Nyako.

Both supporters and antagonists of Governor Bindow share a common view- they agree that Governor Bindow has performed and is doing excellently well in terms of critical infrastructure development, but he has a shortcoming in payment of salaries for primary school teachers, health and local government workers and the failure to manage the widening division within his own party.

Zayyad I. Muhammad, Jimeta, Adamawa State

16

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

MIDWEEKPOLITICS

Group Politics Editor Olawale Olaleye Email wale.olaleye@thisdaylive.com 08116759819 SMS ONLY

THE NEWSMAKER

Now That the Budget is Signed With the signing of the 2016 budget last week by President Muhammadu Buhari, it is the belief of many that the government can no longer blame the absence of a spending plan for non-performance, writes Omololu Ogunmade

Buhari surrounded by Vice-President Professor Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Bukola Saraki, Speaker Yakubu Dogara and other members of staff of the president during the signing of the budget last week... what’s next

W

ith the assent of President Muhammadu Buhari on the 2016 Appropriation Bill on May 6, the war of attrition between the Executive and the National Assembly may have come to a temporary end. The president’s assent to the bill also drew a curtain on the executive’s continuous claim of non-passage of the budget as the reason for stalemate in the economy.

It will also put paid to the recurrent excuse by the ministers that they could not perform in their respective areas of assignment because they were handicapped by the non-availability of the 2016 budget. But more importantly, it will expose the ability or inability of the government to meet the yearnings of the Nigerian people as promised in the change mantra.

Almost a year after the All Progressives Congress (APC) seized power from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), things have not been easy in the polity. Inflation rose from a single digit figure of 8.2 per cent to double-digit figure of about 13 per cent while fuel scarcity took perhaps, the worst turn since 1999 with citizens still groaning under the yoke of perennial scarcity.

Power supply also dropped from over 5000 megawatts to 797megawatts in February before it rose again to only 2500 megawatts recently.

Initially, the APC-led administration hid under the excuse of non-availability of ministers to steer the ship of state as the reason for political and economic crises. There were claims then that if ministers with specific portfolios ascended the stage, things would immediately take shape.

But hardly had the ministers taken their seats than fuel scarcity became a permanent fixture of the economy while power supply has continued to nosedive. This was followed by inflation while insecurity became a norm. Human lives could easily pass for beef on the streets as suspected

Fulani herdsmen butchered, raped and maimed innocent Nigerians with impunity.

As Nigerians hoped for improvement on political and economic crises plaguing the country, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, further dashed their hopes when he said the economic situation in the country had completely gone out of Buhari’s control.

The minister blamed Buhari’s helplessness on global economic meltdown, which he claimed has a negative spiral effect on the economic.

According to him, Buhari’s government could

Now that the budget has been signed, will the nation heave a total sigh of relief? Will the carnage on the roads abate? Will the prevalent darkness give way for meaningful power supply? Will Nigerians drive in and out of petrol stations at will? Will prices of commodity be affordable to the downtrodden masses of Nigeria? These and more are the rhetorical questions seeking answers from Buhari’s government

no longer determine the price of crude oil or gas with claims that the president’s frequent trips abroad, especially to the oil-producing nations, became imperative because of the urgent need to rally support for the stability of the global oil prices and also to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the country.

This comment angered many Nigerians, who described the disclosure as unfortunate, saying a president, who had assured the Nigerian people that he would turn the country into an Eldorado lacked the temerity to announce his incapacity to fix the economy only 10 months into his administration. Most provocative to Nigerians, however, has been the persistent blame of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for economic crisis.

Such blame game is always accompanied by reactions from Nigerians who argued that they voted for APC because they wanted the party to bring them out of the woods and not to constantly hide under the cloak of PDP’s alleged failure. Therefore, they argued that continuously blaming the past for today’s woes was misplaced. But as Nigerians groaned under persistent rise in the prices of commodities, the executive continued to blame the helpless situation on non-passage of 2016 budget and its alleged subsequent padding by the National Assembly. The budget had been bedeviled by a myriad of malaise including padding, fraud, errors, accusation and counter-accusation.

However, after almost one year of pains and trauma, Nigerians eventually heaved a sigh of relief on Friday when the news filtered into town that the budget said to have been their albatross had finally been signed. The move signaled the final knell on the protracted excuses from the government, which rode on the pedestal of Nigerians’ goodwill to ascend power on May 29, 2015 after overwhelming promises of change.

It is against this background that Nigerians expect dilapidated roads across the country to be quickly fixed, inflation decisively curtailed, forex brought under drastic control and power supply stabilised. The road to the passage and signing of the budget was long and tortuous as Nigerians endured a range of hardships hoping that the passage of the 2016 budget would alleviate their plights.

Thus, the budget process witnessed impasse with a procession from the allegation of missing budget to swapping of the document; budget padding to budget of errors and duplication of figures as well as disowning their own budgets by ministers.

The impasse became known to the entire world as the embarrassment accompanying the budget process forced the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in faraway United States in April to advise the executive and the legislature to end the budget row in the interest of their country. Hence, on March 23, when the National Assembly eventually announced the passage of the budget, the entire nation was agog.

But the euphoria of that perceived victory was short-lived as 48 hours later the presidency came up with an allegation that N60billion Calabar-Lagos Rail Project in the budget had been removed by lawmakers.

The presidency also alleged the diversion of some allocations to some projects in the North as well as the removal of N18 billion Kaduna-Idu Rail Project.

This allegation put the National Assembly on the spot and portrayed it as an army of unpatriotic citizens, which discarded important projects that could add value to the lives of hapless Nigerians at the expense of selfish interests.

NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

17

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

EVENTS&REPORTS

MIDWEEKPOLITICS

Fashola: Transferring the Lagos Experience to Abuja The recent presentation of a book, “The BRF Era: Policy and Governance in Lagos State, 20072015” served as a perfect avenue for the former governor and Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola to furnish Nigerians with the state of power in Lagos and the hope for uninterrupted electricity supply in the near future, writes Shola Oyeyipo

T

hroughout his tenure as governor of Lagos State, the current Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), proved himself as an administrator who prefers to be evaluated on the basis of his achievements. He seldom engages propaganda.

Apparently, he has taken this character trait with him to his new posting as a minister, but that may not be working as it did in Lagos because of the huge confidence reposed in him and the high hopes of every Nigerian that the President Muhammadu Buhari with his minister would make significant changes in the country. But now that it is almost a year since the administration assumed office, not a few Nigerians are already getting agitated that time is running out.

The former governor, however, took advantage of an event held at the Oriental Hotel, Lagos, which was a combination of a public lecture with the theme: ‘Nigeria’s Electricity Challenge - Roadmap to Change,’ and the presentation of a book titled: ‘The BRF Era: Policy and Governance in Lagos State 2007-2015, authored by one of Nigeria’s leading public policy analysts, Mr. Opeyemi Agbaje The 366 pages book tracked the entire Fashola administration through its policies and activities ranging from matters such as security, law and order, road traffic law enforcement, including the controversial ban on activities of commercial motorcyclists popularly known as ‘Okada’ riders and other issues like federalism and state or multi-level police In what looked as reinstating their confidence in Fashola to make significant impact in resolving the lingering power problem that has been part of the bane of development, particularly in the industrial sector, six former commissioners, who worked with Fashola as governor spoke about how the lawyer-turned politician transformed Lagos.

Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, Mr. Tokunbo Abiru, Mr. Fola Arthur-Worrey, Mr. Ben Akabueze, Mrs. Omolara Erogbogbo, Dr. Yewande Adesina and Mr. Ayo Gbeleyi, mounted the podium one after the other and paid glowing tributes to Fashola’s leadership style, his goal-getter disposition, doggedness and commitment to duty.

When he eventually came up the stage to address the audience, Fashola said categorically that if the event was just about the book lunch, he might not have come, describing the achievements recorded during his tenure as governor of Lagos State as glories of the past.

“The past is a story told, the present is what we look out for,” he said.

Nothing can be more present for him than being the one in charge of delivering the much needed electricity to Nigerians, who are looking to the Buhari administration to perform whatever miracle to give Nigeria uninterrupted supply of electricity.

Shedding light on the activities of the Ministry of Power with efforts to improve the situation, Fashola said Nigeria could not go from where we are currently to uninterrupted power supply but instead, power supply in the country will grow from incremental phase to steady supply phase before the people can look forward to steady supply of electricity, highlighting the step-by-step actions required for Nigeria to attain the much desired uninterrupted power supply.

First, he said Nigerians must agree that there is not enough power. Comparing it to a situation, where 12 people are drinking two bottles of 60cl of water, Fashola said: “It will not clear their thirst. It is possible that they can share and get some sip and that is perhaps, where we are today. Just as a sip in thirst. Let us agree it is not enough.”

Going back the memory lane, he said: “Let us go back to 1950 – that was when we created Electricity Company of Nigeria (ECN) – so that

Fashola with Senator Gbenga Ashafa and other guests at the book launch in Lagos

is 66 years. The maximum energy we have produced is 5,075 megawatts. If you divide 5, 075 by 66, it gives you an idea of what we have been doing yearly. When you now measure that against our population growth, the number of houses, you will see how astronomical the population and demand have grown and also how left behind power production has been and you will see the race that we have to run,” he noted.

First, he said Nigerians must agree that there is not enough power. Comparing it to a situation, where 12 people are drinking two bottles of 60cl of water, Fashola said: ‘It will not clear their thirst. It is possible that they can share and get some sip and that is perhaps, where we are today. Just as a sip in thirst. Let us agree it is not enough’

Therefore, for power supply to improve, he said: “For me, to the question, what is the road map? I think the answer is getting incremental power supply. Please mark my work, incremental.

One after the other and this for me is the way to go. So, every unit of energy, wherever I can find it, I will bring it to the table, put it on the grid and send it to the homes and wherever it is needed.

“Then if we have achieved incremental power supply, we should then look to steady power and from steady power, we can then seek to achieve uninterrupted power.”

He attributed the current poor state of power supply to what he described as “collective errors of the past,” part of which according to him, include erection of distribution poles that are characterised by poor quality workmanship and that must be replaced because they are badly done; cable theft, vandalism of transformers, consumers who pay for diversion of metres so that it doesn’t read adequately, those angry with government policies and take out their anger on power assets, stressing: “All those bad things, like bad dreams, we must leave them behind and turn a new page.”

Narrating further some of the impediments to regular power supply and how the government is tackling them through his incremental power supply model, Fashola said: “Let me state that we have 26 power plants and that include the AES power plant developed during former Lagos State Governor Tinubu’s tenure. Out of those 26, three of them are hydro plants; one at Shiroro, Jebba and Kainji, the remaining are powered by gas. Now, out of those 25 power plants, there is capacity for 140 turbines.

Those are the generating units for electricity and the installed capacity is about 12, 341 megawatts. At the best of time, only about 78 turbines are working. But why is this a problem?

It is a combination of so many things – lack of maintenance, lack of gas – stories that you have heard.

According to him, at Egbin power station established in 1985 with six turbines and 1,320 megawatts capacity, when handed over in 2013, there were only two turbines working and generating only about 400 megawatts. Likewise Jebba, commissioned in 1985 by President Buhari with 36 turbines, which was supposed to be maintained every five to six years, was not maintained till after 28 years in 2013.

He also stated that the AES is now idle in two years since it can no longer secure gas from Egbin after investors had installed all the turbines and that the Azura power project in Edo State never took off because there were certain government security and guarantees that nobody was ready to give.

He however said on assumption of office, even before he became minister, President Buhari had resolved the Azura power plant issue with the guarantee given and that construction has begun and workers are now on site. As regards the Aba power project with former Minister of Power, Mr. Barth Nnaji involved, Fashola said the problem stalling the project has been resolved with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo leading the peace initiative and that the power plant will be completed hopefully this year.

At Zungeru and the Kaduna power plants designed to produce 700 and 215 megawatts respectively, he said efforts are on to put them to work at full capacity. The minister also said the people, who took over the concession of the power plants have started replacing, maintaining and repairing the turbines, stating that the “ NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

18

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

UPDATE&TRENDING

MIDWEEKPOLITICS

Kogi’s Lingering Bailout Palaver Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State recently rapped the immediate past governor of the state, Captain IdrisWadaoverthebailoutcontroversy.Intheirresponse,Wada,thestatechapterofthePeoplesDemocratic Party and other stakeholders of the party, have challenged the governor to an interesting debate on the issue. Yekini Jimoh writes

Wada...still hopeful

T

he Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, recently disclosed to the people during this year’s May Day celebration that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has approved the 50 Billion Naira bailout funds for the state and went on to accuse his predecessor, Captain Idris Wada for not doing a proper job that would have made the state to get the bailout funds.

Bello told workers in the state that the much talked about bailout for Kogi State has finally been approved as the state was expected to collect 20 billion naira as the first tranche of a 50 billion naira bailout approved by the CBN. “The reality we met on the ground at the CBN was that the previous application made on behalf of the state by the last administration was fraught with irregularities and shoddily done. In a word, it was so badly done it could never be approved. We had to start from scratch “We are glad to announce that our efforts have paid off. This week, we received approval to draw down on the first tranche of our bailout funds from the federal government. This will amount to about N20bn. We will draw down on the balance of about N30bn as we meet the milestones for implementation of the first tranche as set by the Central Bank of Nigeria”.

He noted that the money was for salaries and emoluments of the workers, adding that by the time they fully disbursed the funds, disputes over outstanding emoluments would be over. He pointed out that all sorts of tricks were devised by the previous administrations to short-change the state Workers, stressing that the worst was of course the scourge of ghost-workers.

“Thousands of non-existent ‘workers’ paid from Kogi State coffers thus bringing it under undue strain and leaving the real workers either totally unpaid or only receiving meagre percentages of their wages “I am a former federal civil servant. I was never owed salaries during my time in service.

When we came into office, Kogi workers were already on strike for at least six weeks, fed up with the then PDP government’s kleptomania, lack of transparency and disastrous policies.

“It hurt me that a so-called government could receive all the federal allocations due to it and still find the heart to leave workers

Bello...not yet uhuru

unpaid. I decided that my administration will be different,” he noted.

But in a swift reaction, the immediate past governor of the state, Captain Idris Wada stated that there was no truth in the assertion that the new administration had to apply afresh for the intervention fund from the federal government.

In a statement issued, a copy of which was made available to THISDAY in Lokoja by the Chief Communications Manager to the former governor, Mr Phrank Shaibu, said it was part of the bailout fund approved for the state during his tenure that the CBN released, adding that Governor Bello could not have fulfilled the conditions precedent for a state to benefit from such a fund.

Since the advent of the new administration, commissioners have not been appointed. So, could the state exec utive council have met to approve the application? The State House of Assembly has been in turmoil since January this year. Could some ghost lawmakers have been employed to approve the application?

And has the current staff audit ended as to have determined the monthly workers’ pay? How was the so called fresh application done without meeting these conditions

“It is curious that Governor Bello announced that the CBN has approved N20 billion as part of N50 billion bailout fund applied for. It was the same N50 billion we requ ested for out of which N20 billion was to have been released before the All Progressives Congress (APC) led federal government created bottlenecks to frustrate us from getting the bailout. But the coincidence in the figures leaves a very sour taste in the mouth,” he noted.

The former Governor wondered how the new administration could have applied for a bailout when there was no state executive council in place to approve, neither had the state Assembly met to deliberate on the application, nor the staff audit embarked upon by Bello to determine exact overhead cost completed.

“Since the advent of the new administration, commissioners have not been appointed. So, could the state exec utive council have met to approve the application? The State House of Assembly has been in turmoil since January this year. Could some ghost lawmakers have been employed to approve the application?

And has the current staff audit ended as to have determined the monthly workers’ pay?

How was the so called fresh application done without meeting these conditions,” he asked.

Wada stated that notwithstanding the antics of the APC, Kogi workers and the entire nation was aware that his government was denied the bailout fund as an election strategy to deny him a second term, adding that the incumbent governor knows that his days in the Government House are numbered.

“They plotted against me. The bailout fund was part of the strategy to deny me a second term in office. But their effort to play God failed.

Time and fate played a fast one on them. And the man who claims to be the landlord knows that his days in the Government House are numbered. I know he cannot sleep with his two eyes closed.” The standard-bearer of the PDP in last year’s gubernatorial election in Kogi State however expressed enthusiasm that he would soon return to Lugard House, Lokoja as he was sure the courts would rule in his favour soon.

“Governor Bello should not rejoice for long.

Justice would soon be served. Truth would soon ascend the throne. And I am sure that God has destined tha t I shall return to the

Government House. I have no doubt that the courts shall rule in my favour”, he declared.

Wada advised Bello not to misinform the workers and the general public as he tried to do during the May 1st Workers Day in Lokoja on happenings in his administration, pointing out that it is cheaper to stick by the truth at all times, saying a clear conscience fears no accusations.

Also reacting to the allegation, a group known as ‘Kogi Unity Group 2015’, faulted what it described as “convoluted facts” contained in the governor’s May Day address to workers.

The state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in a separate statements issued in Lokoja alleged that the body language of the CBN in the release of the bailout to Governor Bello had shown that it deliberately denied the last administration access to the loan to help the APC unseat Wada as Governor.

Noting that Governor Bello lied to Kogi workers, when he alluded to the efforts of the last administration to access the loan as a shoddy job, KUG spokesman, Abdulraheem Ojonimi noted that “Bello himself knows it would have been roundly impossible for his administration as presently constituted, to achieve this milestone, less than three months in office.”

According to Ojonimi, ‘The creeping lack of depth in the administration, the worrisome level of inexperience, the suspect human resource quality and aggregate lack of temperament and aptitude for governance of the Bello administration, cannot sustain the appropriation of this hard-worn achievement by the PDP-led Wada administration. Bello in his address claimed that Kogi State staff strength was over bloated by 100 per cent, as thousands of non-existent workers’ detected and yet he applied for the same amount of money Wada applied for as bailout. Who is fooling who?

“The governor was honest enough to admit in his address that the workers screening committee he set up is scheduled to conclude its work within the next one week after which he claimed only genuine workers will be on Kogi’s payroll, what then is the statistics of the workforce that was submitted to the CBN for a fresh application for bailout?”

NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

19

REVIEWS&ARCHIVES

MIDWEEKPOLITICS

Olaopa’s Reflections on Our Heroes Past In his new book titled: “The Labours of Our Heroes Past”, Dr. Tunji Olaopa, recipient of the prestigious National Productivity Order of Merit award, gives a refreshing account of the leadership roles played by the trio of SirAhmadu Bello, Dr. NnandiAzikiwe and Chief Obafemi Awolowo in the evolution of the country. Adams Abonu reports

I

n the days preceding the lowering of the Union Jack in Lagos, which symbolised Nigeria’s attainment of independence from the colonial administration by Britain, there were mixed feelings about the prospects of the emerging nation. Even as there was great excitement and a nationalist frenzy about the possibilities inherent in a Nigeria that is free from colonial exploitation, there were also concerns about the “booby traps” the disgruntled tendencies of the departing colonialists could bring.

Thus, to steer the ship of a state emerging in perilous circumstances, tact and sheer courage was required of compatriots. How a triumvirate of characters Sir Ahmadu Bello, Dr. Nnandi Azikiwe and Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the rallying points of earlier Nigerian nationalism emerged to the beckoning responsibility of national leadership to other facets of recent and contemporary Nigerian society forms the reflections contained in Tunji Olaopa’s new book, the Labours of Our Heroes Past, Thematic Narrative on the Nigeria National Project.

While it is important that new paradigms are evolved continuously towards bringing about a greater Nigeria that meets global expectations, a look back into the efforts and the attempts at engendering an intellectual framework for a viable country by the progenitors becomes further imperative at such time as now in national evolution. This is why Dr. Olaopa’s seminal into the heroic ventures of various individuals at crucial points in Nigeria’s national history is not only timely but also suggestive of a national rebirth delivered on the ideals of the founding fathers.

In witting a forward to the instructive intervention with a sub-header: Herohood and the Nigerian Project, Odia Ofeimum, a polemicist and poet of great repute, who had also authored many volumes of political essays, wrote that, “Essentially, the great value of this book is that by celebrating outstanding performers, the feat-makers, it upholds the resilience of those unspoken factors that, even if unacknowledged, prevent looming disaster, no matter how close, from happening.”

The venerable scholar recommended the book for those “not afraid to think outside the box” and for those within the box, who ought to know that national heroes should be celebrated and accorded due reverence “as a way of meeting and maintaining standards and the common morality that a country needs in order to hold together for the crafting, pursuit and realisation of goals.”

The time-bound masterpiece couldn’t have been better captured.

In Labour of our Heroes, Dr. Olaopa, once again, demonstrated his depth and brought a fresh perspective to the need to sustain the ideals of hard work, discipline and patriotism that was a common decimal in all those identified – an intervention made more imperative in the light of Nigeria’s need to correct a moral and patriotic deficit that has adversely affected national aspirations.

From the heroic patriotism of the early fathers in fashioning a viable foundation for the Nigerian nation to attempts at balancing a “generational deficit in the national scheme of things” by a crop of emerging national heroes and heroines, this narrative is about realising “Nigerian the beautiful” by returning to the time-tested values and ideals that work for national development.

In his many essays and newspaper articles, achieving institutional effectiveness have been the crux of the versatile author’s interventions and it comes as no surprise that the collection of essays on Nigeria’s register of heroic achievements took similar path of illumination.

Be it the recapture of Obafemi Awolowo’s example in pragmatism and visionary leader-

Dr. Azikwe, Sir Bello and Chief Awolowo...Nigeria’s founding fathers

ship, a personal ideal that was brought to national appeal; or the ‘Golden Era’ of civil service championed by Jerome Udoji, Sule Katagun, Philip Udoji, et al; or the “pedagogy of human resources” by the likes of Professor Babs Fafunwa, Alvan Ikoku and Tunde Bajah, the book seeks to address generational deficiencies that had been at a root of Nigeria’s national question.

What Olaopa did, to this writer’s perceptions

The lessons of leadership and heroism embedded in the pages of Olaopa’s reflective anthology is an abiding repository of national history and a collection of inspiring stories of distinction and how this could project national progress. A holistic review into this timely effort is a continuous effort on its own as Tunji Olaopa has come to become one of the heroes he so rightly esteemed

was to celebrate the intellectual effort of the identified compatriots as a form of an unfolding historical reappraisal of beloved Nigeria.

While there were leaders, who overcame the encumbrances of colonial maladministration, the failure to transcend this achievement across successive generations since independence has been a herculean task, one which Olaopa attempted to raise national consciousness towards in his book.

Worthy of mention too is that what this worthy reflection came short of, for instance, the military heroism and patriotic credentials of patriots like former President Olusegun Obasanjo, it made up for in the mention of men like the late Nelson Mandela and Ali Mazuri, who through their choices redefined what leadership should be in Africa.

Olaopa’s deification of Professor Ojetunji Aboyade continued with the mention of the intellectual’s prowess “in a period when Nigeria was seriously searching for the right mix of policies, ideas and methodologies to chart a path to national greatness.” So was the reflection on Pius Ochigbo and Nigeria’s Accounting and Development Planning, Professor Akin Mabogunje’s unparallel patriotism and the entrepreneurial charisma of Dantata through Ojukwu and Dangote.

No reflections on the impact of heroism to the Nigerian project would be encompassing without mention of contemporary individuals, who through a mix of hard work and a consciousness to making a difference are trying to balance the generational deficit concerns expressed in the anthology.

While one could agree that much was given to the earlier generation of Nigerian heroes, much is expected of the emerging generation. The feats achieved by the literary cum artistic genius of Chimananda Adichie; Jite Okoloko and Bukola Olemide, also known as ‘Asa’ “represent the younger faces of the old national war horses still in the arduous business of extending Nigeria’s possibilities.”

Adichie’s capture of the Biafra debacle that continues to challenge the collective aspirations of Nigerians in her book: Half of a Yellow Sun, was reminiscent of earlier strides like those of Soyinka, Achebe, Ekwensi, et al.

“The Nigerian story,” according to Olaopa, “is a multiplex; a beautiful tapestry of what is possible rather than the negativities; a wonderful exchange between the old and the new that Asa, Okoloko and Adichie represent.”

This is a somewhat succinct appraisal of the unfolding trans-generational transformation in the Nigerian project.

As Nigeria evolves through a period marked by a change in paradigm to the approach to governance through conscious improvement of institutional framework by the incumbent President Buhari administration, effort must be made to revive the needed consciousness capable of steering posterity towards prosperity.

The extent at which Olaopa took the need for heroic aspirations as a means to an end of realising the national project is unprecedented and deserves all emphasis.

A recent recipient of the prestigious National Productivity Order of Merit award, Dr. Olaopa comes across more as a public intellectual than a civil servant, who rose to the pinnacle of his profession.

Among his earlier books are Managing Complex Reforms; Public Administration & Civil Service Reforms in Nigeria; Innovation & Best Practices in Public Sector Reforms; The Nigerian Civil Service of the Future, etc, while the Labour of our Heroes has come to be a class of its own.

The lessons of leadership and heroism embedded in the pages of Olaopa’s reflective anthology is an abiding repository of national history and a collection of inspiring stories of distinction and how this could project national progress. A holistic review into this timely effort is a continuous effort on its own as Tunji Olaopa has come to become one of the heroes he so rightly esteemed.

20

WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016 • T H I S D AY

FEATURES

Acting Features Editor Charles Ajunwa Email charles.ajunwa@thisdaylive.com

Pushing Back the Rising Crime Wave in Abia Emmanuel Ugwu writes on the rising crime wave in Abia State and the steps taken by the government to checkmate the negative trend

Abia State Police Command recently paraded 11 suspected armed robbers, kidnappers and car snatchers, and recovered stolen items

“

A clear message has been sent to criminals: there is no safe haven for them in Abia." So said Godwin Adindu, the Chief Press Secretary to Abia State governor, in justifying the action of government after four buildings were leveled to ground zero for being used by kidnappers. It demonstrated how tetchy Abia government has become in tackling the crime of kidnapping. And justifiably so having in the recent years suffered the negative impact of the heinous crime on the economic and social wellbeing of the state.

Abia had, with the help of soldiers, dealt a devastating blow to kidnappers between 2010 and 2011 during the administration of Senator Theodore Orji. The then governor had to throw in every available resources to retrieve Aba, the commercial city in particular from the vice-like grip of kidnappers. But the security being enjoyed in the state began to wear away shortly after the 2015 general election. Kidnapping and car snatching incidents began to rear their ugly heads.

The crime wave was exacerbated when on March 12, 2016 two students of Abia State University (ABSU), Uturu, were murdered and beheaded by suspected student cultists, who stormed one of the off campus hostels where the victims and other students were staying. The state government was shocked and embarrassed by this crime as the killers even had the bravado of using the severed heads to set up goal posts on the lawn outside the university’s perimeter wall.

Obviously alarmed and enraged by the effrontery of these criminals, Abia State

In his drive to transform the Abia economy through massive rehabilitation of infrastructure to attract investors, the state Governor Ikpeazu considers the rising incidents of criminal activities as a major challenge that must be surmounted.

He has vowed to sustain the war against crime and even apply drastic measures as in the demolition of houses or hotels found to be used by kidnappers for their nefarious operations

governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu vowed to hit the hoodlums real hard. The demolition of the four buildings at Nkporo in Ohafia Local Government Area on April 15, 2015 was part of the measures taken to make crime a very bad venture. The bulldozer was called to action following the dismantling of a kidnap gang that usually snatched their victims at Aba and carry them to Nkporo where they were kept in the affected houses pending the payment of ransoms. The bubble burst for the “notorious” gang when troops of the 14 Brigade Garrison Ohafia stormed their hideout at Nkporo where they kept a victim they abducted at Aba. Army public relations officer of 14 Brigade, Major Sydney Mbaneme, told journalists that the leader of the gang identified as Ifeanyi fell to his death from the roof of the house, two escaped while Chidiebere Sunday, 39, was arrested. He was paraded as items recovered from their hideout were displayed. They included N5, 490, 000, two AK 47 rifles, police special pistol, nine magazines loaded with 124 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, two rounds of 9mm ammunition, six GSM handsets, RAV 4 Jeep marked Lagos MUS 428 RZ, generator, among others.

Though Sunday, who said he was doing business in Benue, denied being a member of the gang, claiming that he only went to collect money from his friend of 10 years Ifeanyi, his motive of being found with the criminals gave him out. The kidnap suspect disclosed that he was preparing for the

burial of his father and his friend invited him to come and receive financial assistance.

It was easy for the soldiers to conclude that the suspect was intent on giving his late father a big funeral and ransom money was a very attractive for him to actualise his dream. But it ended as a pipe dream as argument that arose among the gang members on the sharing formula of their loot attracted the attention of residents in the area. The army spokesman said that troops deployed to Abriba in Ohafia Local Government Area were tipped off about “suspicious persons in the area (Nkporo)” and their prompt response ended the bazaar for the hoodlums. The kidnap victim, said to be a trader in second hand cloths was targeted by his fellow trader and leader of the gang, Ifeanyi, whose intention was to eliminate the victim to avoid being identified.

His plan boomeranged while his victim escaped with a gunshot wound.

Even though the incidents of kidnapping have not exploded to the dimension of the Osisikankwu era the rate at which people were being snatched was worrisome.

Several of such incidents turned out to be successful operations for the hoodlums as victims, against police advice, paid to regain their freedom. While kidnappers were targeting individuals, car snatchers kept car owners on the edge. Cases of missing cars have become common as car thieves either dispossess them from their owners at gun point or make away with cars from where they are parked. Toyota

21

• T H I S D AY WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

FEATURES cars, especially Camry and Honda CRV are the most common targets of the car thieves. In Umuahia, the state capital, the World Bank Housing Estate has become the vulnerable area and hunting ground for the car thieves. The commercial city of Aba is equally experiencing high incidents of car snatching. In fact, announcements of stolen cars have become very frequent on radio with the police asking for useful information to recover the vehicles.

In his drive to transform the Abia economy through massive rehabilitation of infrastructure to attract investors, the state Governor Ikpeazu considers the rising incidents of criminal activities as a major challenge that must be surmounted. He has vowed to sustain the war against crime and even apply drastic measures as in the demolition of houses or hotels found to be used by kidnappers for their nefarious operations.

That was why he did not hesitate to send the demolition squad to Nkporo led by his special adviser on security, Capt. Awa Udensi to ensure that the four bungalows were reduced to rubbles under the weight of bulldozers. Udensi assured that it was a legal operation, since according to him, it was done in accordance with an extant anti-terrorism law of the state, which provides that any building or property used by kidnappers for their nefarious activities would be demolished and forfeited to the state.

He said that the affected buildings were properly identified as the hideout of kidnappers, adding that the demolition would serve as a deterrent to other people involved in the obnoxious business of kidnapping. The special adviser on security sternly warned kidnappers and other criminal elements that Abia would remain uncomfortable for them. He stated that any community that allows any part of its land or forest to be used as a hideout by kidnappers would lose ownership and forfeit it to the state.

To further demonstrate his determination to put criminals at bay in the state, Ikpeazu has been giving support to the security agencies in Abia. On February 19, 2015 he donated 20 patrol cars to Abia State police command to facilitate the war against criminals. The patrol vehicles, fully equipped with communication gadgets, were handed over to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Solomon Arase when he visited Abia.

The Abia governor commended the efforts of the police command in maintaining peace and security in the state, saying that the donation of the vehicles was in recognition of their efforts in ensuring that criminals were not allowed to have a field day in the state.

Ikpeazu urged the Abia police “to step up their game and ensure that no place is comfortable for criminals in Abia”. To sustain the logistics support to the security agencies the governor said that the Bill on Security Trust Fund has been passed into law, assuring that his government would ensure the full implementation of its provisions in order to give the police the needed confidence to keep criminals out of Abia.

In explaining the apparent surge in criminalities, Ikpeazu said that the geographical location of Abia was a major factor. Abia is strategically located between South-east and South-south geopolitical zones and shares border with six states hence Ikpeazu noted that criminals could readily drift into Abia whenever the situation becomes hot for them in neighbouring states. According to him, “the criminal community has no home and always on the move (hence) every state should ensure that their borders are safe (while) we want to make our state as safe as possible. We are not pretending that crimes can be wiped out completely but we want to keep it as low as possible,” Ikpeazu said.

Given the very disturbing statistics of crime wave in many states across Nigeria, IGP Arase said that “the security situation in Abia is tolerable”, adding that the police “are going to work harder to sustain the prevailing peace” and keep making improvements. While expressing appreciation to the Abia governor for assisting the state police command, the IGP said that even though the police force is in the exclusive

An arrested member of a four-man robbery gang terrorising Umuahia

R-L: Governor Ikpeazu, IG Solomon Arase, Hon. Garuba, Member House of Representatives Committee on Police Affairs, Deputy governor, Hon. Ude Oko Chukwu, Speaker Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Martins Azubike, and others during the official presentation of patrol vehicles to the IG by Ikpeazu in Umuahia

list in the Constitution of Nigeria it has become imperative for state governments to support the police as they strive to provide security in the land.

With the posture of the security agencies in the state it would be an uphill task for kidnappers and other criminal elements to operate comfortably in Abia. As a matter of fact, God’s Own state has no reason to feel threatened by criminals since it hosts the 14 Brigade of Nigeria Army and the headquarters of Zone 9 Police Command.

The Garrison Commander, 14 Brigade Ohafia, Lt. Col Sani Ahmed, said that the Army formation in Abia was committed in its efforts to rid the state of kidnapping and all other crimes in line with its mandate of ensuring peace and security in Abia.

The new Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 9, Mr. Yerima Fyarah in his maiden press conference last month assured that “our men will work tirelessly to provide security” in the zone comprising Abia, Enugu, Anambra and Imo states.

He said that the zonal command has mapped out strategies to rout criminals, adding that areas of concentration in fighting the criminals have already been identified in

all the states. “We will give you the best of service,” AIG Fyarah assured, adding, “we are going to use all the resources we can muster to combat crime. But he pointed out that people should live under the illusion that crime incidents would not occur from time to time as not even the developed nations with all their sophisticated technology in crime fighting have achieved the feat of crime free society. “The battle against criminals is unending because people will always commit crimes. So we keep evolving strategies to checkmate criminals,” the Zone 9 police boss said.

The Abia Police Command on its part has been making some successes in its war against criminals operating in Abia. Every now and the Command parades suspected criminal of all shades arrested at various operations the police mounted across the state. In one of such events last week the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Joshak Habila, told journalists that his men were not leaving any stone unturned in their efforts to neutralise criminal activities. He said that the police have adopted new tactics which has been yielding the needed results as more and more criminals are getting to the end of the road in crime business.

According to him, the tempo of surveil-

lance activities of his command has increased, more so as the patrol vehicles donated by the state government have been deployed to strategic parts of the state. The CP said that the police was enjoying an appreciable level of cooperation from the people in provision of useful information hence the successes being recorded in dismantling criminal gangs. Last week, the police killed a notorious criminal terrorising the state and also successfully arrested other criminals who were paraded before journalists.

While supporting the security agencies to make life unbearable for criminals in Abia, Ikpeazu has also seen the need to tackle crime from its roots. He has identified youth employment as effective tool in fighting crime. To this end, Ikpeazu has embarked on youth employment programmes, including the Education for Employment (E4E), which aims at equipping youths with vocational skills to make them self-employed. The coordinator of the programme said that over 30, 000 youths have registered for the programme while the Abia Youth Employment in Agriculture programme has been introduced. This particular programme is targeted at engaging 10, 000 Abia youths in agriculture thereby steering them away from crime.

22

IMAGES

L-R: Financial Secretary, Bunmi Arowosafe; Vice President, Akeem Oyewale; President, Taiwo Sonola; General secretary, Biodun Adebimpe; and Publicity Secretary, Solomon Ikeanyi, all of Association of Assets Custodians of Nigeria (AACN) during a briefing to announce the 5th Annual Investor Conference of AACN holding in London, in Lagos...recently

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

Photo Editor Abiodun Ajala Email abiodun.ajala@thisdaylive.com

L-R; Deputy President, University of Lagos Muslim Alumni (UMA), Mumini Alao; Chairman, Troyka Holdings, Biodun Shobanjo, and Ex-President, University of Lagos Muslim Alumni (UMA), Lere Alimi during the presentation of an award for Entrepreneurial Excellence to Shobanjo by the alumni in Lagos.. recently.

Emirates Country Manager, Mr Manoj Nai (middle) flanked by Grand Winners, Alao Olamilekan(left) and Alfred Chiedozie, at the presentation of gifts to Grand winners of the Emirates FA Football Competition in Lagos...recently

L-R: Chairman, House Committee on Capital Market & Institutions, Honourable Yusuf Tajudeen ; Managing Director/CEO, FMDQ OTC Securities Exchange (FMDQ), Mr. Bola Onadele Koko and Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Capital Market & Institutions, Honourable Tony Nwulu, during FMDQ’s visit to the House of Representatives Committee for Capital Market and Institutions, in Abuja... recently

L-R: Vice President, ICAN, Mr. Titus Soetan; President, Otunba Samuel Olufemi Deru and Registrar/Chief Executive, Rotimi Omotoso, at the 2016 staff long service award/send forth ceremony in Lagos...recently SUNDAY ADIGUN

L-R; Bishop of Ijesa North Diocese (Anglican Communion), Rt. Rev. Dr Isaac Oluyamo; his Wife Margaret Oluyamo; Chairman, Osun House of Assembly Committee on Information and Strategy, Hon. Olatunbosun Oyintiloye and Vicar of All Saints’ Church, Esa-Odo, Ven. Joseph Oni, at the inauguration of the new EsaOdo Missionary Archdeaconry in Obokun East LCDA, Osun State...recently

L-R: Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Sun Newspaper, Steve Nwosu; Representative of Ondo State Governor, Mrs Kolawole Taiwo; Author, Our Nigerian Story, Olabisi Olaleye; Group Executive Director, Zinox Group, Stanley Okpalaeke and Head, Policy and Research, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Henry Nkemadu, during the unveiling of the book in

L-R: Director General, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Dr. Dikko Umaru Radda; Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Hajiya Aisha Abubakar; Director, Enterprise Development Centre, Pan Atlantic University, Mr. Peter Bamkole and Head, Enterprise Marketing, Etisalat Nigeria, Bidemi Ladipo at the market access forum organised by the Enterprise Development Centre, Pan Atlantic University in partnership with Etisalat Nigeria in Abuja...recently

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, 11 MAY 2016

23

BUSINESSWORLD NIBOR OVERNIGHT 1-MONTH

R A T E S 4.4583 9.1071

A S

NITTY 1 MONTH 2 MONTH 3 MONTH

A T

Group Business Editor ChikaAmanze-Nwachuku Email: chika.amanzenwachukwu@thisdaylive.com 08033294157

M A Y 6 ,

6.9949 7.2368 8.0819

6 MONTH 9 MONTH

2 0 1 6

9.2061 9.5872 10.5042

EXCHANGE RATE N197 / 1 US DOLLAR* *AS AT LAST FRIDAY

Quick Takes CIBN Holds AGM

The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria will hold its Presidential Valedictory Address this Friday, while its 2016 Annual General Meeting (AGM) will hold on Saturday, May 14, 2016.

Both events are to hold in Lagos. The AGM has on its agenda the annual reports, 2006 accounts and special business resolutions and election of officers.

The meeting, which will be presided over by the President/ Chairman of Council, Mrs. Debola Osibogun, will be attended by top bank chief executives, fellows, associates and past presidents of the institute.

“Members are enjoined to attend the AGM as important issues affecting their welfare will be discussed,” the statement added.

The CIBN is the umbrella professional body for bankers in Nigeria. The objectives of the Institute include: to enhance the quality of competencies through accreditation, certification and continuous professional development; to be the preferred professional body for career development and progression opportunities; to enunciate and ensure adherence to best practices and strong commitment to ethical behaviour; to strengthen our internal capacities of people, processes and technology to achieve operational excellence, among others.

Africa-Singapore Forum Holds in August

MOBIL OIL VISITS NSE

L – R: Executive Director, Lubes & Specialties, Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc, Alastair MacNaughton; Executive Director, Market Operations and Technology, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Ade Bajomo; Chairman/Managing Director, Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc, Adetunji Oyebanji and Business Services Manager & Controller, Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc, Karl Thorsen when the management of the company visited NSE in Lagos…recently

Currency-in-circulation Rises to N1.811 Trillion The value of currency-incirculation increased year-onyear to N1.811 trillion at the end of March 2016, compared with the N1.712 trillion it was at the end of February.

This was revealed by the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) money and credit statistics for March 2016. The data however showed that banking sector credit to the private sector decreased slightly year-on-year to N18.882 trillion at the end of March, compared with the N18.990 trillion it stood the previous month.

The central bank data also revealed that broad money (M2), which generally is made up of demand deposits at commercial banks and monies held in

ECONOMY easily accessible accounts fell marginally year-on-year from N20.489 trillion as at February, to N20.470 trillion at the end of March. Similarly, narrow money (M1), which includes all physical monies such as coins and currency along with demand deposits and other assets held by the central bank reduced year-on-year to N9.041 trillion in the review month, as against the N9.059 trillion recorded the previous month.

But currency outside banks increased from N1.377 trillion in February, to N1.441 trillion as at the end of March.

The central bank data showed

that the total amount of banks’ reserves with the central bank increased from N3.384 trillion the previous month, to N3.947 trillion. But demand deposits, which are funds held in an account from which deposited funds can be withdrawn at any time without any advance notice to the depository institution fell from N7.682 trillion in February, to N7.599 trillion in the month under review.

The latest central bank’s money and credit statistics also revealed that quasi money, which is made up of highly liquid assets that can easily be converted to cash did not move as it maintained its previous month’s value of

N11.429 trillion. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the central bank is expected to meet this month and the money and credit statistics would be part of the data to be considered in taking its decision.

At its last meeting in March, the MPC raised the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) otherwise known as the interest rate, to 12 per cent from 11 per cent.

It also increased bank’s Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) to 22.5 per cent from 20 per cent, in a move aimed at tightening liquidity, which the central bank blamed for the current pressure Continued on page 24

Accommodation, Food Sectors Lead Amidst Economic Downturn Eromosele Abiodun Despite the downturn in the economy and the foreign exchange crisis that have crippled companies in most sector of the Nigerian economy, the food and accommodation sectors have again stood out as one of the country’s vibrant industries.

Recent data on job generation statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that accommodation and food created 1,190 jobs in the third quarter of 2015 (2.9 per cent of total formal jobs).

Last year the sector grew by 2.3 per cent year-on-year compared with 18 per cent in 2014.

Analysts said the slowdown in growth reflects the current

ECONOMY macro challenges which have negatively impacted consumer spending.

Industry sources suggest that the food and accommodation sector accounts for about 5.0 per cent of the country’s labour force.

The inflation data for March this year showed that prices in the Restaurant and Hotel sector rose by 8.7 per cent compared with 9.0 per cent recorded in February this year.

This component has a 1.2 per cent weighting in the index.

Also, a recent survey carried out by an indigenous credit rating and risk management company disclosed that close to 80 per cent of reservations

are made by corporates.

Analysts at FBN Quest believe the fact that corporates are less sensitive to price movements than retail should provide some comfort for hotels.

According to the analysts, “Foreign exchange sourcing issues have contributed to the sector’s sluggish growth. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) ban on 41 (imported) items from accessing the foreign exchange window is expected to ease pressure on Nigeria’s import bill over time.

“In the fourth quarter of 2015, food products accounted for 11 per cent of sectoral utilisation of foreign exchange compared with 13 per cent recorded in the previous quarter. The challenges faced

with importing food inputs should drive restauranteurs to source inputs locally which could boost growth in the agriculture sector,” they stated.

THISDAY had recently reported that the persistent macro challenges have negatively affected the country’s real estate sector, resulting in a slowdown in activities.

Following the shocking inflation data for March released by the NBS, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the CBN resumed tightening by hiking its monetary policy rate.

The MPC had in its meeting in March, raised the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) otherwise known as the interest rate, to Continued on page 24

The International Enterprise (IE) Singapore’s Africa Singapore Business Forum (ASBF), one of the platforms for fostering investment, trade and thought leadership between Asia and Africa is slated to return 24-25 August for the fourth time.

This year’s keynote speaker is the Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore & Coordinating Minister for Economic and Social Policies, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

Hosted in Singapore since 2010, the forum has brought together close to 2000 business and government leaders from 30 countries to develop opportunities and partnerships between these two dynamic regions.

Notable past attendees include Ivory Coast’s Minister of Commerce, Mr Jean-Louis Billon, Sudanese philanthropist and businessman, Dr. Mo Ibrahim, and renowned entrepreneur and CEO of Mara Group, Mr. Ashish J. Thakkar.

According to a statement, the ASBF 2016 will address critical issues and identify opportunities for the strategic growth of both regions through presentations and panel discussion, as well as provide numerous networking opportunities.

Nominees Announced for AIF’s Prize

The African Innovation Foundation (AIF) has announced the top 10 nominees for its landmark programme, the Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA). Now celebrating its 5th year under the theme “Made in Africa”, IPA is an innovation initiative in Africa offering a grand share prize of $150, 000 and incentives to spur growth and prosperity in Africa through home-grown solutions.

“In the past five years, I’ve seen innovation grow from a mere buzzword to a sturdy path for African growth in multi-disciplinary industries across the continent. As Africans, we have the talent, potential and clout to solve our own problems with ingenuity too, and IPA is testimony of this,” said IPA Director, Pauline Mujawamariya Koelbl was quoted as saying in a statement.

The IPA has seen tremendous growth in applications and increasing interest from both innovators and innovation enablers over the years. To date, IPA has attracted more than 6 000 innovators from 50 African countries, making it a truly Pan African initiative. IPA 2016 attracted a record 3 600 plus innovators and received 985 successful submissions from 46 African countries. African ingenuity this year showcases new breakthroughs in malaria and other public health burdens, smart solutions for farmers and dynamic energy initiatives.

AIF will host the IPA 2016: Made in Africa awards ceremony and its first ever Innovation Ecosystems Connector on 22 and 23 June 2016 in Gaborone, Botswana.

All the governors have realised that oil prices can plummet from $110 per barrel to $28 per barrel and we could be so exposed that we cannot even pay salaries

Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, 11 MAY 2016

23

BUSINESSWORLD NIBOR OVERNIGHT 1-MONTH

R A T E S 4.4583 9.1071

A S

NITTY 1 MONTH 2 MONTH 3 MONTH

A T

Group Business Editor ChikaAmanze-Nwachuku Email: chika.amanzenwachukwu@thisdaylive.com 08033294157

M A Y 6 ,

6.9949 7.2368 8.0819

6 MONTH 9 MONTH

2 0 1 6

9.2061 9.5872 10.5042

EXCHANGE RATE N197 / 1 US DOLLAR* *AS AT LAST FRIDAY

Quick Takes CIBN Holds AGM

The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria will hold its Presidential Valedictory Address this Friday, while its 2016 Annual General Meeting (AGM) will hold on Saturday, May 14, 2016.

Both events are to hold in Lagos. The AGM has on its agenda the annual reports, 2006 accounts and special business resolutions and election of officers.

The meeting, which will be presided over by the President/ Chairman of Council, Mrs. Debola Osibogun, will be attended by top bank chief executives, fellows, associates and past presidents of the institute.

“Members are enjoined to attend the AGM as important issues affecting their welfare will be discussed,” the statement added.

The CIBN is the umbrella professional body for bankers in Nigeria. The objectives of the Institute include: to enhance the quality of competencies through accreditation, certification and continuous professional development; to be the preferred professional body for career development and progression opportunities; to enunciate and ensure adherence to best practices and strong commitment to ethical behaviour; to strengthen our internal capacities of people, processes and technology to achieve operational excellence, among others.

Africa-Singapore Forum Holds in August

MOBIL OIL VISITS NSE

L – R: Executive Director, Lubes & Specialties, Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc, Alastair MacNaughton; Executive Director, Market Operations and Technology, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Ade Bajomo; Chairman/Managing Director, Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc, Adetunji Oyebanji and Business Services Manager & Controller, Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc, Karl Thorsen when the management of the company visited NSE in Lagos…recently

Currency-in-circulation Rises to N1.811 Trillion The value of currency-incirculation increased year-onyear to N1.811 trillion at the end of March 2016, compared with the N1.712 trillion it was at the end of February.

This was revealed by the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) money and credit statistics for March 2016. The data however showed that banking sector credit to the private sector decreased slightly year-on-year to N18.882 trillion at the end of March, compared with the N18.990 trillion it stood the previous month.

The central bank data also revealed that broad money (M2), which generally is made up of demand deposits at commercial banks and monies held in

ECONOMY easily accessible accounts fell marginally year-on-year from N20.489 trillion as at February, to N20.470 trillion at the end of March. Similarly, narrow money (M1), which includes all physical monies such as coins and currency along with demand deposits and other assets held by the central bank reduced year-on-year to N9.041 trillion in the review month, as against the N9.059 trillion recorded the previous month.

But currency outside banks increased from N1.377 trillion in February, to N1.441 trillion as at the end of March.

The central bank data showed

that the total amount of banks’ reserves with the central bank increased from N3.384 trillion the previous month, to N3.947 trillion. But demand deposits, which are funds held in an account from which deposited funds can be withdrawn at any time without any advance notice to the depository institution fell from N7.682 trillion in February, to N7.599 trillion in the month under review.

The latest central bank’s money and credit statistics also revealed that quasi money, which is made up of highly liquid assets that can easily be converted to cash did not move as it maintained its previous month’s value of

N11.429 trillion. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the central bank is expected to meet this month and the money and credit statistics would be part of the data to be considered in taking its decision.

At its last meeting in March, the MPC raised the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) otherwise known as the interest rate, to 12 per cent from 11 per cent.

It also increased bank’s Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) to 22.5 per cent from 20 per cent, in a move aimed at tightening liquidity, which the central bank blamed for the current pressure Continued on page 24

Accommodation, Food Sectors Lead Amidst Economic Downturn Eromosele Abiodun Despite the downturn in the economy and the foreign exchange crisis that have crippled companies in most sector of the Nigerian economy, the food and accommodation sectors have again stood out as one of the country’s vibrant industries.

Recent data on job generation statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that accommodation and food created 1,190 jobs in the third quarter of 2015 (2.9 per cent of total formal jobs).

Last year the sector grew by 2.3 per cent year-on-year compared with 18 per cent in 2014.

Analysts said the slowdown in growth reflects the current

ECONOMY macro challenges which have negatively impacted consumer spending.

Industry sources suggest that the food and accommodation sector accounts for about 5.0 per cent of the country’s labour force.

The inflation data for March this year showed that prices in the Restaurant and Hotel sector rose by 8.7 per cent compared with 9.0 per cent recorded in February this year.

This component has a 1.2 per cent weighting in the index.

Also, a recent survey carried out by an indigenous credit rating and risk management company disclosed that close to 80 per cent of reservations

are made by corporates.

Analysts at FBN Quest believe the fact that corporates are less sensitive to price movements than retail should provide some comfort for hotels.

According to the analysts, “Foreign exchange sourcing issues have contributed to the sector’s sluggish growth. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) ban on 41 (imported) items from accessing the foreign exchange window is expected to ease pressure on Nigeria’s import bill over time.

“In the fourth quarter of 2015, food products accounted for 11 per cent of sectoral utilisation of foreign exchange compared with 13 per cent recorded in the previous quarter. The challenges faced

with importing food inputs should drive restauranteurs to source inputs locally which could boost growth in the agriculture sector,” they stated.

THISDAY had recently reported that the persistent macro challenges have negatively affected the country’s real estate sector, resulting in a slowdown in activities.

Following the shocking inflation data for March released by the NBS, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the CBN resumed tightening by hiking its monetary policy rate.

The MPC had in its meeting in March, raised the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) otherwise known as the interest rate, to Continued on page 24

The International Enterprise (IE) Singapore’s Africa Singapore Business Forum (ASBF), one of the platforms for fostering investment, trade and thought leadership between Asia and Africa is slated to return 24-25 August for the fourth time.

This year’s keynote speaker is the Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore & Coordinating Minister for Economic and Social Policies, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

Hosted in Singapore since 2010, the forum has brought together close to 2000 business and government leaders from 30 countries to develop opportunities and partnerships between these two dynamic regions.

Notable past attendees include Ivory Coast’s Minister of Commerce, Mr Jean-Louis Billon, Sudanese philanthropist and businessman, Dr. Mo Ibrahim, and renowned entrepreneur and CEO of Mara Group, Mr. Ashish J. Thakkar.

According to a statement, the ASBF 2016 will address critical issues and identify opportunities for the strategic growth of both regions through presentations and panel discussion, as well as provide numerous networking opportunities.

Nominees Announced for AIF’s Prize

The African Innovation Foundation (AIF) has announced the top 10 nominees for its landmark programme, the Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA). Now celebrating its 5th year under the theme “Made in Africa”, IPA is an innovation initiative in Africa offering a grand share prize of $150, 000 and incentives to spur growth and prosperity in Africa through home-grown solutions.

“In the past five years, I’ve seen innovation grow from a mere buzzword to a sturdy path for African growth in multi-disciplinary industries across the continent. As Africans, we have the talent, potential and clout to solve our own problems with ingenuity too, and IPA is testimony of this,” said IPA Director, Pauline Mujawamariya Koelbl was quoted as saying in a statement.

The IPA has seen tremendous growth in applications and increasing interest from both innovators and innovation enablers over the years. To date, IPA has attracted more than 6 000 innovators from 50 African countries, making it a truly Pan African initiative. IPA 2016 attracted a record 3 600 plus innovators and received 985 successful submissions from 46 African countries. African ingenuity this year showcases new breakthroughs in malaria and other public health burdens, smart solutions for farmers and dynamic energy initiatives.

AIF will host the IPA 2016: Made in Africa awards ceremony and its first ever Innovation Ecosystems Connector on 22 and 23 June 2016 in Gaborone, Botswana.

All the governors have realised that oil prices can plummet from $110 per barrel to $28 per barrel and we could be so exposed that we cannot even pay salaries

Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun

24

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, 11 MAY 2016

BUSINESSWORLD CURRENCY-INCIRCULATION RISES TO N1.811 TRILLION in the foreign exchange market with a strong pass-through to consumer prices. Inflation in the country rose to 12.77 per cent last month. The MPC had also kept liquidity ratio unchanged at 30 per cent, and further resolved to narrow the asymmetric corridor around the MPR from +200 and -700 basis points to +200 and -500 basis points respectively.

Nigeria’s Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) dropped to 43.7 per cent in April 2016, compared to 45.9 per cent in the preceding month. This implied that the manufacturing sector declined at a faster rate during the review period.

The PMI report for April 2016 posted on the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) website, of the 16 manufacturing sub-sectors, 12 recorded decline in the review month in the following order: furniture and related products; paper products; primary metal; electrical equipment; computer and electronic products; printing and related support activities; fabricated metal products; plastics & rubber products; textile, apparel, leather and footwear; petroleum and coal products; chemical and pharmaceutical products and food, beverage & tobacco products.

The remaining four sub-sectors however recorded expansion in the following order: appliances and components; cement; nonmetallic mineral products and transportation equipment.

ACCOMMODATION, FOOD SECTORS LEAD AMIDST ECONOMIC DOWNTURN 12 per cent from 11 per cent.

It had also increased bank’s Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) to 22.5 per cent from 20 per cent, in a move aimed at tightening liquidity, which the central bank blamed for the current pressure in the foreign exchange market with a strong pass-through to consumer prices. Inflation in the country rose to 11.4 per cent last month, effectively exceeding the CBN’s inflationary ceiling by 240 basis points.

Group Business Editor

Chika Amanze-Nwachuku Maritime Editor

John Iwori

AgriBusiness/Industry Editor

Crusoe Osagie

Comms/e-Business Editor

Emma Okonji

Capital Market Editor

Goddy Egene

Senior Correspondent

Raheem Akingbolu (Advertising) Correspondents

Chinedu Eze (Aviation) Linda Eroke (Labour) Eromosele Abiodun (Cap Mkt) Ejiofor Alike (Energy) James Emejo (Nation’s Capital) Obinna Chima (Money Mkt) Reporters

Nume Ekeghe (Money Market) Nosa Alekhuogie (AgricBusiness)

NEWS

Unremitted Taxes: FIRS Demands over N3bn from Cross River Bassey Inyang in Calabar The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has commenced moves to recover over N3billion from taxes and other deductions made by the Cross River State Government from contractors and other sources, but were not remitted to the federal government as statutorily provided.

The move came to the fore during a recent visit of a delegation of the service to the state to discuss the way forward on how to get the money remitted to the service.

Led by the coordinator of the FIRS for Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa and Cross River State, Mr. Innocent Ohagwua, the officials of the FIRS met with the state deputy governor, Professor Ivara Esu , in his office, where they spoke on their mission to recover the unremitted funds for the federal government.

According to extracts of recordings of the meeting held last week, which was availed some newspapers, the FIRS coordinator said: “We are here sir, to raise some of the outstanding issues, and some of those outstanding issues.

Without wasting your time, if we need to quantify it in terms of outstanding, they are in excess of N3 billion.”

Ohagwua said though the FIRS would prefer the arrears of outstanding deductions, especially taxes deducted from contractors and others, to be remitted service in bulk sum, they were prepared to provide a window of opportunity to the state to make such remittances in instalments.”

Responding to the demands of the FIRS, the state deputy governor said the state govern-

ment will continue to work with the service to ensure that its objective of generating revenue for the federal government was realised. The FIRS coordinator said revenues generated and remitted to the FIRS by state were for the execution of projects for the benefit of the people at the federal, state and local government levels.

Esu demanded that issues raised by the FIRS be documented and forwarded

Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade

to the state government for necessary action.

“I want to also let you know

that we are a responsible government, we know that it is important for one to pay his

or her taxes; very important and I can assure you that, if you properly document ll this things that you have told me that we that we have not done, especially the issue of deducting taxes from contractors and not remitting them...

“My advice is that you should properly document these matters, make them very clear, let them not be ambiguous, they should be as clear as possible, and then give that to us,” Esu Said.

OUR SCORECARD

L-R: Company Secretary, Wema Bank Plc,Oluwole Ajimisinmi; Chairman, Adeyinka Asekun, and MD/CEO, Segun Oloketuyi at the Annual General Meeting of the bank held in Lagos...recently

IFAD: Investments in Agriculture Can Report Highlights Rising Usage of Shopping Apps Unlock Africa’s Prosperity Obinna Chima While Africa is expected to experience its slowest growth rate this millennium, the President of the United Nation’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Kanayo Nwanze, has sent a strong message of optimism to government and business leaders gathering for the Grow Africa Investment Forum and the World Economic Forum on Africa (WEF) in Kigali this week.

“Investments in agriculture can generate great riches for the continent and lift millions out of poverty and hunger,” Nwanze said in a report ahead of the forum. “There are high returns to those countries that take agriculture seriously.”

Since 2009 Africa has been seen as the next great investment frontier yet, according to the International Monetary Fund, economic growth on the continent is now predicted to be slower than the rest of the world for the first time in sixteen years. With many countries in southern and eastern Africa suffering from the worst drought in decades, and with fiscal deficits widening

and conflicts increasing, some experts are questioning whether Africa is still on the rise.

Despite these dire predictions, Nwanze said Africa is still a continent of unprecedented opportunity, and supporting smallscale farmers and investing in rural areas are some of the best ways for countries to meet their broader development objectives, including poverty reduction.

With the right investments, he said, Africa could double its agricultural productivity in the next five years.

“Half of the world’s uncultivated land which is suited for growing food crops is in Africa,” Nwanze added “We need to work together to harness the continent’s potential and this means investing in small-scale farmers who are the backbone of African agriculture.”

Africa has 25 per cent of the world’s arable land, yet it generates only 10 per cent of global agricultural output. With a population growth of 2.7 per cent annually, food demand on the continent is expected to double every 30 years. Investments that encourage increased agricultural production would cut Africa’s annual US$35 bil-

lion food import bill, keeping this money on the continent to be used for broader economic development. Nwanze said investments alone would not transform the continent, adding that governments need to get their own houses in order and ensure that there is a strong commitment to policies and incentives that encourage higher food production by smallholder farmers.

“At IFAD we know that small-scale farmers do not want hand-outs. They want economic opportunities,” said Nwanze.

“I am looking forward to discussing how we can create those opportunities and make agriculture a profitable sector and a powerful catalyst for development.”

The Grow Africa and WEF events will bring together global and regional heads of government, business and civil society. Nwanze will participate in a high-level panel discussion at Grow Africa on “Accelerating Agricultural Transformation.” While at WEF, he will moderate “Rethinking Agriculture,” a session on innovative ways to create sustainable food systems.

Experienced Nigerian consumers are ahead of the curve when it comes to online shopping compared to consumers in Kenya and South Africa, according to the Broll Shopper Segmentation Report 2016.

The Broll Shopper Segmentation Report 2016 is a comparison of how consumers shop in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.

“Nigerians purchase online more often with 64 per cent saying online shopping is advantageous with another 83 per cent regularly using the shopping centre app for specials and/or product searches,” the Divisional Director for Research, Broll Property Group, Elaine Wilson said. Online shopping is mostly dominated by a growing young internet savvy generation, who are price conscious and can easily do their research online to compare prices and deals, she explains. Although 58 per cent of those surveyed prefer traditional shopping, 78 per cent believed they will shop more online in future.

Generally, Nigerian consumers are experienced shoppers who are organised and shop from a list as well as compare prices.

Furthermore, Abuja shoppers

were described as window shoppers who look for bargains and always buy the same brands while those in Lagos are experienced shoppers who plan their shopping trips and they also regard themselves as smart shoppers, reveals the report. “Nigerian consumers are very sophisticated and are used to shopping internationally particularly in the UK, US, South Africa and Dubai and they regularly compare product ranges and prices for the best deals both locally and internationally,” Broll Nigeria CEO, Bolaji Edu said.

Compared to Kenya and South Africa, Nigeria as a whole has a very limited number of leisure opportunities that the whole family can enjoy.

Visiting a secure shopping centre where consumers can shop, eat, socialise and watch a movie is a good option especially during the rainy season, explains Edu. Of those surveyed, 92 per cent said trading hours are inadequate and would ideally like to see shopping centres trade from 7am to 10pm. hours (9am to 9pm), it is often difficult for many shoppers.

25

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, 11 MAY 2016

BUSINESSWORLD

EQUITIES WATCH

Nestle Shows Resilience

Despite the challenging operating environment, Nestle Nigeria’s adoption of internal cost saving initiatives paid off with the better-than-expected results for the first quarter ended March 2016, writes Goddy Egene The challenging operating environment has dampened the enthusiasm of many investors for high returns. In 2015 some companies managed to pay dividends, while others could not pay dividends due to their poor results. The difficult operating business environment has continued in 2016 engendered by the rising inflation, fuel scarcity, foreign exchange challenges. This has led to apprehensions among investors that companies may performance poorly at the end of the year. The results released by many of the companies for the first quarter ended March 31, 2016 have reflected the state of the economy with many of them reporting decline in their bottom-lines. However, Nestle Nigeria Plc surprised many stakeholders with better-than-expected results in Q1. The company grew its profit before tax (PBT) by 150 per cent.

Corporate profile The first sale of Nestle products in Nigeria date back to the beginning of the 20th century. This was through local importers who placed their orders directly with British trading companies active in the country. The importation of Nestle products became regular from the 1920s when Nestlé decided to formally organise the importation and distribution of products.

However, in 1961, one year after Nigerian independence, Nestlé Products (Nigeria) Limited was officially created. This signaled the start of the Nestlé operations in Nigeria as a locally based subsidiary of Nestlé.

Nestle S.A, Switzerland owns 63.5 per cent of the company’s shares, while the remaining 36.5 per cent shares are held by Nigerian shareholders.

The company has two major two business units including food products and beverages. This strategic business units offer different products and are managed separately because they require different technology and marketing strategies.

The food products segment contributed 59.75 per cent to the company’s revenue in FY 2015, compared with the contribution of 40.25 per cent by the beverages range.

First quarter results Nestle reported a revenue of N36.131 billion for Q1 of 2016, up by 31 per cent from N27.556 billion in the corresponding period of 2015.

Gross profit grew by 46 per cent from N12.187 billion to N17.781 billion. Net finance cost dropped by 86 per cent from N2.159 billion to N300 million. PBT soared by 150 per cent from N3.487 billion to N8.725 billion, while PAT grew by 126 per cent from N2.954 billion to N6.681 billion.

Commenting on the performance, the company said it is a testimony to the strength of its brands and its ability to provide value for consumers who are negatively affected by macroeconomic challenges.

“The reduction in the cost of sales, net finance cost and internal cost saving initiatives contributed a positive evolution of net profit during the period. The board and the management are committed to delivering on its set objectives despite the current turbulence and economic challenges,” the company pledged.

Analysts’ review Analysts at FSDH Merchant Bank Limited said Nestle Nigeria reported an impressive performance in Q1 2016 despite the difficult economic environment. They attributed the performance to diversified product mix of the company and aggressive customer-focused advertising the company adopted improved the top-line performance.

“We also observed that the company was able to increase the prices of some of its products to compensate for the increase in inputs costs. The unaudited Q1 2016 result shows that turnover increased by 31.12 per cent to N36.13 billion compared with N27.56 billion in 2015. The company’s cost of sales increased by 19.40 per cent to N18.35 billion from N15.37bn in Q1 2015. The cost of sales as a percentage of turnover improved to 50.79 per cent in Q1 2016 from 55.77 per cent as at Q1 2015. The

gross profit increased by 45.90 to N17.78 billion in Q1 2016 from N12.19 billion in Q1 2015.

Nestlé’s administrative, selling and distribution expenses increased by 33.86 per cent to N8.75 billion,” they said.

These expenses as a percentage of turnover increased to 24.23 per cent in Q1 2016 from 23.73 per cent in Q1 2015. The cost saving measures of the company led to a growth in the operating profit or Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) by 59.84 per cent to N9.03 billion from N5.65 billion. PBT grew to N8.73 billion in Q1 2016, an increase of 150.23 per cent from N3.49 billion in Q1 2015.

“The growth was as a result of the drop in the interest expenses. The low interest rate in the market during the period helped to lower the interest expenses. The tax provision also increased by 283.71 per cent to N2.04 billion from the N532.69 million. The PAT was N6.68 billion in Q1 2016, from N2.95 billion in 2015, representing an increase of 126.16 per cent. There was a significant increase in the company’s profit margins in Q1 2016, compared with Q1 2015,” they said.

Balance sheet A cursory look at the balance sheet position as at Q1 2016 compared with full year (FY) December 2015 shows a marginal decrease in the company’s fixed assets. The total fixed assets decreased by 1.90 per cent to N69.16 billion in Q1 2016 from N70.50 billion in FY 2015. The inventory increased by 13.37 per cent to N12.26 billion in Q1 2016, from N10.81 billion in FY 2015. The cash and bank balances increased by

115.40 per cent from N12.93 billion in FY 2015 to N27.85 billion in Q1 2016. Trade debtors decreased in Q1 2016 by 17.05 per cent to N12.11 billion, from N14.60bn in FY 2015. This may signify that there was at least a net cash inflow of about N2.49bn from payments previously owed by customers for goods sold on credit.

The company’s trade payables also decreased by 4.09 per cent in Q1 2016 to N8.86bn from N9.24bn as at FY 2015. The working capital stood at a negative N2.15bn in Q1 2016 from a negative N11.02bn in FY 2015, while net assets for the period increased by 17.88 per cent to stand at N44.80 billion in Q1 2016, from N38.01 billion as at FY 2015.

The total assets of the company, which stood at N130.13 billion as at Q1 2016 was financed by a mix of equities and liabilities in the ratio of 34.43 per cent and 65.57 per cent respectively.

According to FSDH, “our analysis of the liabilities shows that the short-term liabilities stood at N63.12 billion, accounting for 73.97 per cent of the total liabilities. The short-term liabilities constituted mainly of trade and other payables and short-term loans and borrowings. Shortterm loans and borrowings dropped by 1.54 per cent to stand at N16.84 billion in Q1 2016.

The company’s long-term liabilities stood at N22.21 billion accounting for 26.03 per cent of the total liabilities. Long-term liabilities constituted mainly of long term loans and borrowings and deferred tax liabilities, which stood at N12.58 billion and N7.22 billion respectively in Q1 2016.”

Looking forward FSDH has made a five-year projection for Nestle

after considering some factors. The positive factors include: focus strategy on food segment of the Nigerian economy; cost management initiatives; growing demand for food and beverages in Nigeria; focus on investment in key brands; investment and innovation in plants, which should improve efficiency; technical partnership with the parent and related companies; large market size in Nigeria and stable growing population; strong demand for product at all levels; existing taste and preference for products by consumers.

On the other hand, the negative factors are: the prevailing stiff competition in the industry, the current weak consumer spending power, security challenges in some parts of Nigeria, and expected further depreciation in the naira.

“Looking at the medium to long-term outlook of the company and the impact of the aforementioned factors, we are of the opinion that the impact of the positive factors would be higher on both the revenue and the profitability of the company than the negative factors. We therefore estimate a turnover of N176.64 billion, N208.90 billion, N253.33 billion, N305.18 billion, and N358.49 billion for the periods ending December 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

Our PBT forecasts for the periods are: N45.58 billion, N57.63 billion, N71.20bn, N86.43bn and N102.47bn. Adjusting for tax, our PAT forecasts are N31.90bn, N40.34bn, N49.84 billion, N60.50 billion, and N71.73 billion, PAT Margin for the period are 18.06 per cent, 19.31 per cent, 19.67 per cent, 19.82 per cent and 20.01 per cent.

Our forecast final dividend for the FY 2016 is N36.36 per share,” they said.

Q1 Revenue(N’bn)

Q1 Financing Mix

40.00

Debt

34.43%

35.00 30.00 25.00 20.00 15.00 10.00 5.00 -

Equity

65.57%

Q1 Revenue(N’bn)

Q1 2013

Q1 2014

Q1 2015

Q1 2016

30.70

33.43

27.56

36.13

26

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, 11 MAY 2016

BUSINESSWORLD

ANALYSIS

Adopting the Public Private Partnership Model

As Nigeria aggressively seeks to close its huge infrastructure gap, Obinna Chima highlights the need for the country to leverage on public private partnerships to achieve its goals and attract foreign direct investments

Rails

Notwithstanding the challenges confronting Nigeria, the importance of quality infrastructure is essential for economic growth.

Addressing the country’s infrastructure deficit will require a substantially larger annual level of investment in infrastructure, a significant increase in annual allocations for routine and periodic maintenance to ensure reliable infrastructure services, and increased attention to the institutional arrangements that support the infrastructure network of the country and the related services.

The long-term issue of funding and the option(s) for financing of infrastructure are becoming hugely important questions for policy makers and the government officials also, especially with the significant reduction in the country’s revenue.

But spending on infrastructure offers a lot of benefits and, if wisely directed, such investment can deliver improved quality of life to the affected citizenry.

However, nowadays, public-private partnerships (PPPs) are increasingly considered to be an attractive development instrument and are often being used in development programmes globally.

PPPs are increasingly envisaged as an attractive proposition for involving the private sector in infrastructure development. It is generically known as a form of cooperation between government and the private sector which sometimes also involves voluntary organisations (NGOs, trade unions) or knowledge institutes – that agree to work together to reach a common goals or carry out a specific task, while jointly assuming the risks and responsibilities and sharing resources and competences.

While it is expected that with the signing of the 2016 budget into law, the focus would be on how best to develop the country’s pallid infrastructure, funding remains a challenge.

For instance, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola said recently that the federal government will need as much as N1.7 trillion to complete

In addition to driving some element of competition into public services, it also has the potential to encourage knowledge transfer between some of the most sophisticated international private sector firms and the government

about 206 road projects. Fashola however noted that the three ministries under him have only N433 billion earmarked for them in the 2016 budget.

He explained in this light that the ministry decided to phase the road projects and complete them over the next three years starting from high priority roads.

According to Fashola, to overcome extant challenges in sustainable road infrastructure development, the government upgraded the budget to finance infrastructure from 15 per cent he said was the situation in the past to 30 per cent.

“This is the first step to sustainability. But it is not enough to budget. It is important to implement the budget and use the finances properly,” he said.

He stated: “Today, with about 206 road contracts already awarded in the past and not completed, it does not make sense to start any new roads when the amount needed to complete is about N1.7 trillion and the budget for the three ministries is N433 billion as proposed by the Executive.”

Why Turn to PPP? According to a recent White Paper from the PwC and the Dubai Investment Development Agency, (DUBAI FDI), PPPs have become a popular tool for funding new infrastructure projects around the world. The report showed that states typically tend to turn to PPPs when facing: Budget deficits; the need to protect against project delays and cost overruns; a desire to diversify the economy by stimulating private sector investment; and a desire to maintain the pipeline of projects when government funds are constrained.

It pointed out that using PPPs to develop infrastructure gives governments the opportunity to shift large upfront capital spending off their near-term financing commitments.

For example, Oman’s Energy Sector Law, in effect a PPP law, had removed billions of dollars of spending to develop power and water production facilities from the state budget. This cost was then spread across decades through a payment to a private sector company which has taken on the ownership, construction and financing of the plants.

“Because payments by the government to the private sector are based on performance standards, it encourages competition and efficiency in the provision of services, and drives value for money. It also helps minimise project delays and cost overruns as these would eat into the profit margin of the private sector partner.

“In addition to driving some element of competition into public services, it also has the potential to encourage knowledge transfer between some of the most sophisticated international private sector firms and the government,” the report added.

Lessons from Dubai When Dubai announced its PPP law last August (published in September) the key aim was transferring knowledge and experience from the private sector to the public sector and the training and qualifying of Emiratis in the management and operation of projects. Dubai has succeeded in turning itself into the undisputed business hub for the Middle East by creating a business friendly Continued on page 27

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, 11 MAY 2016

27

BUSINESSWORLD

ANALYSIS ADOPTING THE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP MODEL

environment that welcomes investment from around the world. It has also spent heavily on infrastructure to create a physical working environment including modern office and residential space, a stable power supply, and transport infrastructure easing links within the city and between neighbouring cities.

To keep playing this role, it outlined plans to develop as a tourism, aviation and trade hub, but continuing to invest in these areas, as well as the supporting sectors of power, transport, utilities, health and Education will be challenging during a period of economic weakness in the region, and the Emirate needs to find new ways to fund its investment programme. It is only by doing so that Dubai will maintain its pre-eminence as the region’s business hub.

Dubai wants to have 20 million visitors and add 35,000 new hotel rooms by 2020, while its population continues to expand. All this requires more to be spent on providing power, transport, and other infrastructure that makes Dubai a welcoming and attractive business and travel hub for the region.

Up until around 2010, Dubai financed the bulk of this on the government balance sheet.

This was done either directly by government grants, or by borrowing in the loan markets and debt markets with an assumed government guarantee. This mismatch between short- term borrowing and the long-term infrastructure that was being built caused financial problems for the Emirate when the ability to refinance loans disappeared during the financial crisis.

This led to the creation of its PPP law to strengthen public-private partnerships in the country.

Setting the Right Platform for PPP Therefore, in order to significantly raise the level of infrastructure in Nigeria and enhance foreign direct investments (FDIs), experts have stressed the need for policy makers to embrace PPPs. They noted that Nigeria’s huge infrastructure deficit cannot be tackled by government alone, considering the significant drop in earnings to the three tiers of governments.

Specifically, the Senior Transactor, Infrastructure Financing, Rand Merchant Bank Nigeria (RMB), Rachel More, stressed the need for a conducive environment for PPPs to thrive in the country, saying that the financing opportunities in Nigeria are huge.

She also said there must be transparency, consistency of policy and regulation in the system to encourage investors.

“There is a funding gap in Nigeria, given the state of the country’s infrastructure space. There is absolutely no way that the government can provide these infrastructures relying solely on public funds. So there is an opportunity to partner with the private sector to make those projects reach fruition and for the people to benefit.

“Yes, there are many hurdles such as inconsistencies in policies, the legal framework, so we need to create an enabling PPP environment. A lot depends on our policy makers and regulators. There are obviously constraints on the financing side.

“But you can unlock those constraints if there is certainty about what to expect going forward. So, if there is clarity, consistency and transparency, then you have investors more willing to throw monies at projects hoping that they would get fair returns on their investments,” she added.

More, noted that competition for global FDI has become stiffer, urging government to tackle militating hurdles and implement macroeconomic policies that would be accommodating.

On his part, a Director at FBN Quest, Patrick Mgbenwelu pointed out that FDIs plays a critical role in accelerating infrastructure growth in any economy. He also noted that an encouraging environment remains a building block for the growth of any economy.

Once there is the right environment, investors would be willing to come in and banks would be willing to lend, he said Mgbenwelu added: “FDIs will only flow where there is a stable government, clear and consistent policy, and an investor-friendly environment. So, looking closely at each of these, the foregoing remains the direct correlation of these with what is required for driving the growth of infrastructure in

Buhari

Nigeria.

“According to one of the leading African regional banks, Nigeria’s infrastructure gap currently sits at $350 billion to be extended over the next 10 years. There are different figures however. This represents a significant opportunity for investors and financiers alike in the Nigerian economy. This would result to creation of jobs and growth in the non-oil sector.

“One of the major constraints is that the Nigerian banks is still not able to provide long term funding no matter how much liquidity you have if you cannot finance infrastructure that is so much highly capital intensive, if you do not have long term liquidity, you can as well change the subject,” he added while speaking at a seminar organised by Akindelano Legal Practitioners (ALP) recently.

Also, the Director-General, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Mr. Aminu Dikko described PPP as the best option to finance Nigeria’s wide infrastructure gap.

Dikko said the concession of the projects

There is a funding gap in Nigeria, given the state of the country’s infrastructure space. There is absolutely no way that the government can provide these infrastructures relying solely on public funds.

So there is an opportunity to partner with the private sector to make those projects reach fruition and for the people to benefit

Fashola

through PPP was to resuscitate infrastructure decay.

The director-general pointed out that slump in the country’s revenue as a result of the drop in crude oil prices has made the case for PPP stronger.

Dikko added: “The public private partnership should not be seen as privatisation; PPP allows the private sector to repair and rebuild infrastructure as well as recoup their investment for a stipulated time. The ICRC is involved in the monitoring of the projects to ensure delivery at the expected time.

“Similarly, in the port, you have people who have been given concession of some terminals; they do not use it and they sublet to other people. If you look at the magnitude of the initial investments, you see that they have been seriously under-utilised,’’ he said.

The ICRC boss said that all investments and equipment bought at the end of a concession period belong to government and not the private sector.

But the Investment Director for West Africa, African Infrastructure Investment Managers, Olusola Lawson, stressed the need to have a proper legal framework.

“Investors should always know that the system will be able to protect their rights.

As a foreign investor, you should be able to move capital in and out of a jurisdiction without trapped for PPP to succeed,” he said.

The Head of Special Project at the ICRC, Emmanuel Onwudi, however noted that a lot of people have the impression that PPP is about borrowing money from the private sector. That, he said is not true. “PPP is about partnership, where the private sector brings in its expertise, efficiency and they both share risk and reward. The second thing is that PPPs are not about the public sector acquiring assets. I need to make it very clear that it is about service.

“There are certain models where you have build-operate-and own. So, at the end of the asset’s life, there is nothing to transfer. But there are certain other models where you have a build-operate-and-transfer model. So, it depends on how you are looking at it,” Onwudi explained.

Fashola had noted that the rationale for PPP is improved management of scare resources, better risk allocation and more efficient and cost-effective delivery of public services.

He had said: “There are number of good reasons for public sector using PPP to assist to develop its infrastructure. PPP offers both strategic and operational choices to government.

“Strategically, the use of PPP fosters economic growth by developing new commercial opportunities and increasing competition in the provision of public services, thus

encouraging crowding-in of private sector or foreign investment.”

Furthermore, he stated that PPP allows governments to set policy and strategy and where appropriate, to regulate economic activities, while leaving service delivery to the private sector. He also declared that operationally, PPP provided opportunities for efficiency gains (better quality and more cost-effective delivery of services), better asset utilisation and quality, clearer customer focus and accelerated delivery of projects.

“In addition, PPP is an instrument that government can use to reform and restructure certain strategic sectors of the economy to bring in competition, which will increase investment and efficiency, reduce prices and expand the range of services available,” he added.

Shortcomings of PPPs According to a report titled: “The Hidden Cost of PPP,” no PPP in the world can rescue a poorly planned infrastructure project. It stated that infrastructure schemes – whether PPPs or not – often suffer from governance problems including poor planning, low administrative capacity of public officials to oversee projects, and lack of transparency.

The report argued that PPPs can make these problems more difficult to uncover and resolve because of their complexity and lack of transparency.

“Many officials are insufficiently committed to wide consultation and consideration of all alternatives. Public access to information is often poor and consultation processes are invariably carried out as a formality, at a late stage, and with no real intention of taking public opinions into account. Corruption remains a problem. Examples of suspected corruption in PPPs include the Trakia Highway in Bulgaria, and the Moscow-St. Petersburg motorway in Russia.

“The novelty with PPPs is that they can, when handled badly, multiply the usual problems that plague infrastructure construction. Due to the complexity of PPP arrangements and contracts, and the possibility of hiding behind ‘commercial confidentiality’ as an excuse for failing to provide public information, there is very little space for public scrutiny during the preparation of the projects,” the report added.

Therefore, just like most countries that have been able to give the state of their infrastructure a facelift, Nigeria needs to start communicating with the market its prospective PPP projects and must demonstrate transparency in its plans. This may help the country attract FDIs and save valuable public finances to rebuild its fiscal buffers, create jobs and encourage the transfer of skills to the public sector.

28

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, 11 MAY 2016

BUSINESSWORLD

ANALYSIS

Humanising the Automated Teller Machine The use of Interactive Teller Machines or Personal Teller Machines, a next-generation banking solution that combines the technology and convenience of an ATM with the human touch of a bank teller, pioneered by Stanbic IBTC, is a welcome development, writes, Eromosele Abiodun

ATM

Technology has no doubt changed the face of banking in Nigeria. With remarkable frequency, banks have over the last decade churned out products and services, leveraging the power of technology and innovation to make life easy and convenient for people.

Today, practically every aspect of banking has become automated. Such banking terminologies as internet, online or virtual banking, mobile banking, e-banking, core banking solutions and telephone banking have since joined the growing list of banking lexicon in the country derived from technological application.

The notion of banking as a physical location where forms are filled in order to execute a financial transaction or obtain money is fading fast. With a mobile phone app or web page, the customer has his bank in his pocket; thanks to technology and digitalisation.

Technology underlines the capacity to exploit the opportunities offered by the digital age.

New technologies, according to the 2013 Networked Readiness Index (NRI), compiled by the World Economic Forum (WEF) for its Global Information Technology Report (GITR), have been instrumental in transforming a wide range of sectors, including healthcare and farming. Even advanced economies are aggressively investing in technology to bolster their innovation capacity, which is central in driving productivity growth.

Rather than wait before a teller, fill some forms and linger on a queue to obtain cash, the automated teller machine (ATM) has become available, providing a quick and convenient way to withdraw and deposit money, as well as offer multiple service support such as checking account balances. All these require just a touch of a button and a debit card. ATMs are now a part of daily life.

That is the power of technology and innovation, especially as competition continues to intensify, with the attendant opening of battles on different fronts.

A major downside Despite its convenience, reliability and precision, the ATM has a major downside, which lack of human factor. Because there is no well-developed sense of touch or feeling, the machine cannot decipher the challenge faced by the customer, just as the customer cannot communicate with

the machine. There is no way of exchanging feedback between man and machine. Even figuring out between the user and the machine that is wrong poses a challenge. This situation has prompted demands in different parts of the world for installation of voice services in the ATM to enable disabled persons, in particular, know the appropriate buttons to push.

Such clamour for humanising technology easily brings to mind a trail-blazing effort in Nigeria. Late last year, Stanbic IBTC pioneered the use of the Interactive Teller Machine (ITM) or Personal Teller Machine, a next-generation banking solution that combines the technology and convenience of an ATM with the human touch of a bank teller.

Deployed in collaboration with NCR, ITM combines video banking collaboration and remote transaction processing banking technology embedded within the machine to give customers the choice of self-service or connecting with a remote teller in a highly personalised, two-way real-time audio and video interaction. The machine’s interactive nature helps to close the ‘intimacy gap’ that is currently unavailable on the conventional ATM. With ITM, the challenge of the debit card

Even advanced economies are aggressively investing in technology to bolster their innovation capacity, which is central in driving productivity growth

disappearing into the machine, due to wrong PIN or system malfunction, is non-existent.

Customer experience is enhanced by ITM as it enables the individual perform banking operations such as account opening, cash deposit and withdrawal, cheque deposit and other general account enquiries like account balance, loan enquiries, card related services, among other functions, without having to use their debit cards. No other bank has launched a similar solution in Nigeria yet.

Convenience banking Commenting on the development, Executive Director, Personal and Business Banking, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Mr. Babatunde Macaulay, emphasised that the bank would consistently deploy overarching innovations to drive home its quest for ‘convenience banking’ in Nigeria.

“The Interactive Teller Machine is available to all our existing and prospective customers.

The use of ITM avails customers an added advantage over the conventional ATM in the sense that it allows customers to withdraw above the maximum allowable daily ATM cash limit of N150, 000, in addition to giving customers the option of choosing the exact denomination of currency of choice,” he said.

It also enables high value cash deposits into personal and third party accounts, as well as enables cheque deposits, among other transactions,” he said.

Speaking at the launch event, NCR Managing Director, Elsayed Usama, said the company was delighted to partner with Stanbic IBTC for the launch of the innovative ITM. He said the choice of Stanbic IBTC Bank for the pilot rollout of the Interactive Teller was informed in large part by its industry leadership in innovation, deployment of technology, security of its platforms, e-banking and its strong retail banking footprint.

“We are delighted to be partnering with a leading financial institution for the launch of this product. The partnership between Stanbic IBTC Bank and NCR is due to our shared value and vision to provide solutions to customers that will make their lives easier and create exceptional experiences,” Usama had stated.

The provider identified some of the special features of the ITM to include the two-way

video and audio technology, which allows the customer see, speak or interact directly with a virtual teller when initiating a transaction on the machine; a signature pen and pad, which allows the customer to endorse and sign-off every transaction performed on his account; a scanner, which allows customers to scan small sized documents like utility bills, cheques and identity cards; and a camera, which is used to take the pictures of the customer using the machines as source of evidence or for the purpose of taking the customer’s photograph for account opening purpose.

Growing sophistication of customers Such novelty, Macaulay stated, is underscored by the growing sophistication of customers who provide both the reason and incentive to innovate, adding that the increasing emphasis on timely access to financial services 24 hours makes it imperative to harness emerging technologies to provide convenient and efficient services.

He added: “A combination of competition, customer feedback and experience in other markets, both in Africa and abroad, as part of the Standard Bank Group, has sharpened our insights into the needs and behaviors of customers and how best to address such needs.

This has been instrumental in our unrelenting quest to develop unique value propositions to meet our customers’ expectations, applying a multiplicity of platforms.”

The group, Macaulay stated, has long recognised innovation as the central driver of modern economic growth, hence every effort is made to deploy robust technology in driving all aspects of its operations. Meanwhile, with the growing adoption of convenience in the Nigerian banking dynamic, the next stage in customers’ expectation will be ‘convenience plus,’ a wave of innovations in the sector that unlocks numerous opportunities for discerning institutions to meet the needs of their clientele.

A few years ago, discourse on the Nigerian banking landscape projected a new phase of growth that will be driven by technology, innovation and convenience, combining to place the sector on a global foothold. Interestingly, as amplified by current trends, that projected era has already arrived, almost unannounced. The innovation game, moreso in the digital space, according to experts, is infinite.

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, 11 MAY 2016

29

BUSINESSWORLD

ANALYSIS

Akinwolere: Out-of-Home Marketing Stands a Better Chance of Influencing Consumer Behaviour Marketing Manager, Optimum Exposures Limited, a leading out-of-home company, Lucia Akinwolere, spoke to Raheem Akingbolu on the place of marketing in today’s business and how Optimum Exposures is redefining the outdoor market through cutting edge technologies. Excerpts: What is the place of marketing in the out of home industry?

Beyond the out-of-home industry, marketing is important in any business and organisation as a driving force to drive sales and improve on the bottom-line. In today’s world, the role of marketing in organisations is too important to be ignored. Large and small organisations are today competing for the same market and the most innovative and proactive have emerged victors. As a result, a company’s survival is dependent upon their wise marketing efforts coupled by financial operational among other functions within their structure.

In the out-of-home industry, marketing is important in the area of conceptualisation of strategies through which clients would be attracted into the various sites to market their products and drive their campaigns.

Marketing plays a huge role in increasing the market share of any organisation, including the out of home industry. It helps to reassure the existing clients and bring in new businesses. In short, the job of marketing cannot be underestimated because it concerns with increasing the market share monthly, quarterly and all year round.

Why should brand owners or government agency go for out-of-home in place of other tools of marketing?

Every brand owners and even government are out to engage their target audience on their way to the office, on the street and in the market. Like I used to say anytime an issue like this comes up, it is only through the outdoor platform that constant reawakening can easily be achieved. This is possible because out-of-home advertising is the only platform that reaches the consumers while they are outside their homes. Out-of-home advertising is focused on marketing to consumers when they are “on the go” in public places, in transit, waiting or in specific commercial locations, such as in a retail venue. Today, we have various forms, there are digital platforms and there are static ones that stare at consumers on the roads. It helps you to showcase your products to the public. It is like a reminder as it keeps telling the story every second. There are situations when some people will pass a particular place several times in a day and the outdoor platform register the product in their mind as many times as they pass. This will result and translate to patronage of the advertised products and eventually increase the bottom-line of the business. From any angle one chooses to look at it, marketing shapes the image of an organisation and how people perceive the products or services. It indeed gives organisations and consumers the confidence about their products or services.

The industry is advancing globally, with many of the still sites giving way to digital platforms, how can you describe the local industry adaptation to this new technological trend?

You will agree with me that even though Nigeria is just coming up in the area of digital, the fact remain that we are catching up well with the global trend. Today, when you look around, you will discover that Nigeria parades an array of digital platforms that can match what is obtainable anywhere in the world.

Every day, the industry is advancing. It is common now to get to a particular place where there was a static board few months or years ago that have transformed into digital platform. Now, the awareness is getting stronger, people don’t just want to see their campaigns on a still platform; they crave for something interactive and engaging.

Migration to digital is a gradual process and we are moving fast and better than we were a few years ago.

Akinwolere

Compared to other tool of marketing, why should a brand manager go for out-of-home?

Like I said, out-of-home is like a reminder in the advertising industry. For instance, when a commercial is run on television or aired on radio, consumers will not make an instant decision based on that but through a constant reminder platform as provided by outdoor, such a consumer will have a change of mind and make a decision to buy. That is why every brand owners need to engage the out-of-home to keep consumers on their toes by reminding them on the need to buy a particular brand.

How is Optimum Exposures tapping into

You will agree with me that even though Nigeria is just coming up in the area of digital, the fact remain that we are catching up well with the global trend. Today, when you look around, you will discover that Nigeria parades an array of digital platforms that can match what is obtainable anywhere in the world

technology to advance its operations in the Nigeria market?

For us here, we have been able to toe the global line by upgrading most of our static platforms to digital. For instance, we have one at Adeniji in Lagos here, which we called ‘lion’, which is so far the largest platform in the sub-Sahara Africa. Again, we have a new upgrade coming up soon, which is going to be bigger than the one in Adeniji, that will be called ‘elephant’ because of its size. Elephant, as we all know is the biggest animal that one can think of. Beyond Lagos, we have gigantic digital boards in Onitsha, Port Harcourt and Abuja, more are coming. Another way, we are tapping into this is by partnering a global digital agency –Daktronics, an LED supplier that is reputed to have conceptualised the best sites globally, to serve our clients better and give them more values for their money.

Can you please give an insight into the Unique Selling Points of the company’s new board?

Like I said, the shape of Elephant is massive, towering and big. Now, talking about this platform, it is going to be the smartest billboard in the sub-Sahara Africa. It is not only the fact that it is the smartest but the fact that it is interactive and easily connects consumers. Advertisers can easily connect it with their websites and feed on it. It can be linked with the twitter account and consumers can also be engaging in live tweeting with the platform at home and in the offices. At every step, these brands come up on the board, live tweet comes up with it and instagram are connected to it. Brands can have live events they want to project on it. In short, it is not only interactive but it is also dynamic and engaging. The size is 600 square meter and it is in a prime location on Eko bridge.

Another advantage is its closeness to market –the popular Apongbon market which will also encourage huge traffic to the site. Let me quickly add this, aside helping advertisers to grow their brands, the board can also be seen as a Corporate Social Responsibility platform, provided by our agency to serve the public.

On the board is a displaced clock that will serve the public. There is also a slot there that will be updating the public on weather at every point in time. Another thing is that it has an information display. For instance, if there is fire outbreak in a particular place, the board will inform the public and relevant agencies. Therefore, beyond what it does for brand owners and consumers, it also serves members of the public in various ways. What this tells us is that there is something for everybody that looks at the board for various reasons.

Can you share the feedback on the board as you market it to existing and potential clients?

We have introduced the board to a number of organisations and the response has been positive. As I talk, corporate entities, like Globacom, First Bank, Hennessy and many others have all shown interest to come on the board. Generally speaking, premium brands have seen the value in this premium board because of the value it can offer. They have seen that it can help them connect the massive segment of the society and so they are willing to come on board. There is no brand manager we demonstrate it to that has not taken interest because it speaks to all demography of the market; the youths and the old. It is out to give value to the clients and serve the high segment of the market.

Now that competition has escalated more than ever and as major inroads are achieved in the use of technology, there is a need for all brand owners to up their games. We make the board interactive because social media avenues have been incorporated by organisations seeking to capture the audience with their product and service offerings. Most of them have indeed attained much success and customers are more informed than they were a few years back.

In a nutshell, with the ‘elephant’ board, Optimum Exposures Ltd has taken out-of-home to another level. It gives total experience to consumers and it will help to build many Nigerian brands.

30

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, 11 MAY, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD

ANALYSIS

TSA: Opportunity for a Fledging Economy Eromosele Abiodun writes that for the government to ensure the continued success of the TSA, it must respect its agreement with banks and the provider of thesoftware used for the transfer of government funds from commercial banks to the CBN

FOUR FACTS ABOUT TSA N

As at the end of March, 2016, total inflows into TSA was about N3 trillion ($15 billion)

MDAs

The number of Ministries, Departments and Agencies(MDAs) on TSA has risento 976

N

TSA became fully operational in April, 2012 with 93 pilot MDAs accessing their allocations directly from the Consolidated Revenue Fund Account(CRFA).

Incrementally, MDAs on TSA went to 225(2013), 345(2014) and 706 (2015). Currently, over 900 MDAs are on TSA.

TSA Infographic

Last week, the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun announced that the N165 billion civil service monthly wage bill is over-bloated and can no longer be sustained by the federal government. The minister stated this in Lagos at a meeting with the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN) attended by her counterparts in the Ministry of Information, Lai Mohammed, Ministry of Environment, Ms. Amina Mohammed, and Ministry of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh.

Adeosun, who provided details on the economic reform agenda of the federal government, said the N165 billion being paid to federal civil servants monthly represented 40 per cent of the total spending of government, reported the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

She said the figure was too high and the government was pursuing aggressive measures to detect and prosecute ghost workers and other saboteurs in the system.

“We spend N165 billion every month on salaries and when I came in there was no checking. Now, we have created a unit assigned with the sole responsibility of checking the salaries and catching those behind the over-bloated salaries,” she said.

Adeosun said the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) introduced by the previous administration was defective and sabotaged by the elements benefitting

from the salary fraud.

She said many federal government establishments including the police were yet to be captured in the system.

According to her, it was shocking that the

We can’t afford to waste money the way we wasted money in the past. Let me give you a shocking statistic. Last year, we spent N19 billion on roads in the entire federation, but we spent N64 billion on travels

Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), which is not fully functional, still had 10,000 workers in its payroll serviced by government.

Saving for rainy day In another forum, Adeosun also faulted the position of her predecessor, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who had blamed the state governors for the inability of the immediate past administration to save for a rainy day on.

The governors, the former finance minister said, had insisted that all revenues accruing to the federation must be shared, effectively eroding the fiscal buffer that would have shielded the economy from external shocks.

But countering this position, Adeosun pointed out that 52 per cent of the Federation Account allocation goes to the federal government, so if the federal government under former President Goodluck Jonathan had the will to save, it would have saved its own portion of its allocation.

She pointed out that it was unfair for the immediate past administration to always blame the states.

She said the drop in crude oil prices presented a good opportunity to reset the economy, adding that the opportunity for diversification of the economy created by the crisis should not be wasted.

She also spoke on the measures adopted

by the federal government to assist state governments that are unable to meet their various statutory obligations.

“Everybody is now extremely sober. Every Nigerian is sober. All the governors have realised that oil prices can plummet from $110 per barrel to $28 per barrel over such a short period of time and we could be so exposed that we cannot even pay salaries. So there is a sobriety that has set in and I don’t think we should waste. We are working very hard with the states and we said to them, first of all we are not bailing them out.

“We have said we would have a fiscal restructuring plan. Whatever we are doing is conditional, they must go and drive efficiency, which means the states must do biometric capture of their staff, know those that are paid, put in efficiency units just as we have done at the federal government level where we are seeing a level of savings that it can generate,” she said.

Continuing, the finance minister pointed out that there is a big misunderstanding about the Treasury Single Account (TSA) and how it operates.

Understanding TSA TSA is a huge bank account. So what happened Continued on page 31

T H I S D AY WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2016

31

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, 11 MAY, 2016

32

BUSINESSWORLD

ANALYSIS TSA: OPPORTUNITY FOR A FLEDGING ECONOMY

was that all the agencies of government closed their accounts in various banks and moved them into a single account at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Now, at every point in time, the balance on that account is quoted, it can be N3 trillion today, maybe tomorrow it is something else. But that money is everybody’s money.

“The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) money is in there, and so not all of that money is available for spending.

That is, how much of it is a free cash float that can go into the budget. So it is not like everything in the TSA can be spent,” she explained.

Adeosun, nonetheless, stressed that the TSA has given the federal government better control and visibility of its revenue.

On other measures to block leakages, Adeosun said: “We have been borrowing to pay salaries for years and the reason is that revenue is leaking and that is one of the things I am very passionate about sorting out. Let me explain this: at the moment, there are only three lines of federal government revenue that we account for. That is money that comes in from oil, taxes from the Federal Inland Revenue Service and the Customs and Excise Service.

All the other revenues of government sit in boards of corporations. And most of them have not been remitting any money into the Federation Account.

“We can’t afford to waste money the way we wasted money in the past. Let me give you a shocking statistic. Last year, we spent N19 billion on roads in the entire federation, but we spent N64 billion on travels. So we set up the Efficiency Unit to look at those expenses. So, for example, we now have industry guidelines through a circular we sent out that a public officer cannot fly first class on government money. You also cannot even travel on business class unless you are a minister or permanent secretary. If you are travelling for government business, why should you travel business class?”

Nigeria is Broke!

These are indeed strange times in the country.

That a Nigerian minister cannot fly first class is very strange to say the least. The finance minister failed to say it the Buhari way-Nigeria is broke! As we all know, oil price decline has put a strain on the capital inflow into the economy, pressure on the foreign reserves and exchange rate.

There has also been an increased exit of foreign investors especially in the capital market. According to the Nigerian Stock Exchange’s (NSE), monthly foreign outflows outpaced inflows, which was consistent with the same period in 2015. Total transactions at the nation’s bourse decreased by 17.87 per cent from N117.27 billion recorded in February 2016 to N96.31 (about $0.49 billion) in March 2016. In comparison to the same period in 2015, total transactions decreased by 47.66 per cent from the N184.02 billion recorded in March 2015. Also, the NSE figures had shown that domestic investors outperformed foreign investors by 28.48 per cent as total foreign portfolio inflows (FPI) decreased from 36.48 per cent to 35.76 per cent over the same period.

The deteriorating macroeconomic environment as well as some earnings-constraining policies from both the monetary and fiscal authorities has seen some commercial banks in the country gasping for breath.

In addition, the persistent scarcity of forex in the economy as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) continues to ration dollar supply through its demand management strategy has increased the risk that banks’ asset quality could deteriorate further. Also, this might cause a lot of the financial institutions to default on their international obligations to correspondent banks and maturing forex obligations in view of the challenges currently facing banks and businesses in the country.

In 2015, the Nigerian economy grew by 2.82 per cent, compared with 6.23 per cent in 2014, signifying a major decline in economic activities across board. The issues surrounding the currency curbs introduced by the CBN and declining disposable income brought on by unpaid wages were responsible for the sluggish growth recorded in 2015.

These emerged just as one of the biggest global rating agencies, Standards & Poor’s (S&P)

revised the country’s sovereign credit outlook to negative from stable, just as the country’s total merchandise trade fell to N3.65 trillion in the fourth quarter of last year compared to N4.02 trillion in the previous quarter.

S&P stated that Nigeria’s foreign exchange policy was creating dislocations in product and financial markets, adding that the negative outlook it assigned to Nigeria reflected the possibility of a downgrade in the coming 12 months, “if there is deterioration of Nigeria’s fiscal or external accounts.”

Enhancing government’s revenue One of the important priority areas for public and private sector has always been how to organise, manage and secure assets deployed to enhance government revenue. This may appear easy, considering the promises of advanced features often reeled out by technology solution providers.

However, many deployments suffer badly from a mismatch between expectations and reality. Often times, greed, egocentric squabbling and a propensity to place personal priorities above national or enterprise ones, lie at the root of the implementation imbroglios.

For instance, the contract between SystemSpecs Limited, provider of the innovative product, Remita, software used for the transfer of government’s funds from commercial banks to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under the TSA policy of the federal government and the CBN was signed on December 12, 2013 and under the heading ‘Fees Annexure’ spells out the fees to be charged on CBN transactions on the Remita platform.

Under the first heading for ‘e-Payment,’ the contract states that “a tariff of N100 per N1million per transaction” will be charged, of which the CBN would keep 40 per cent while SystemSpecs would have a 60 per cent stake.

With respect to collections on behalf of the federal government, the agreement provides for a tariff of 1 per cent of funds collected to be charged for government revenue collections.

The sharing formula is also clearly stated as: Platform Owner/SystemSpecs – 50 per cent take; Collecting Agents/deposit money banks (DMBs) – 40 per cent while the Introducer/ CBN gets 10 per cent of the fees. All fees are stated to be payable simultaneously with the transaction and deducted from the nominated account. Despite this, a few disgruntled elements still rely on sentiment to discredit an effort meant to enhance government’s revenue.

The Chairman of SystemSpecs is Dr. Christopher Kolade, whose credibility as an administrator is generally acclaimed. Kolade was, among other things, the founding chairman of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment

Programme (SURE-P) which was started by the Jonathan administration in 2012.

He resigned as SURE-P chairman in November 2013, citing his age (he was a month away from clocking 81 at the time) as a reason. Kolade, however, explained two years later that he quit the position because SURE-P’s operations were becoming tainted with corruption and politics, thereby losing its credibility.

Emphasis on Foreign Help The Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON) recently stated that so much emphasis is placed on foreign software to the detriment of locally developed software, which has been proven severally to have the same international standard with imported variants.

ISPON warned that the country risks the opportunity of not growing her software industry and building a sustainable local and regional market.

It warned that if the trend persists, Nigeria would not be able to build and develop incountry capacity and export software talent the same way Nigeria doctors were outsourced to Saudi Arabia in the 80’s.

“Nigerians should frown on a situation where foreign software is preferred to locally developed software, even when they are tested to meet the same international standards. Also, systems and solutions required to address security challenges would demand and depend on sophisticated software solutions, super-fast networks, powerful computer systems, intelligence analysts, databases and most importantly, indigenous software that understands the nuances of the country, “ISPON added.

Supporting ISPON’s view, the Governor of CBN, Godwin Emefiele explained that the Remita platform is still the cheapest compared to RISS that charges 1.9 per cent, when Remita was appointed as e- payment Solution platform.

He said the Nigeria Inter-Banks Settlement System (NIBSS) owned by the CBN was not quite ready to provide the services.

In acquiring a world-class technology like Remita in Nigeria, experts believe there must be a change in the paradigm and thinking of decision makers and policy formulators.

“The considerations in our climes are numerous, and require a cohesive approach to eliminate duplication of expenditure and commercial risks, “said an expert who pleaded anonymity.

Government, he said, should implement a National Database initiative that ensures all critical sectors maintain up to date databases that can be aggregated into a National Data portal.

He added, “Our approach must also focus on encouraging foreign exchange conservation, intel-

lectual capacity development, job creation and capacity retention, while eliminating duplicated expenditure, introduce scale economics and deliver a platform from which comprehensive analytics can be elicited for improved National planning and resource deployment. Without this, we are effectively planning in the dark, or even worse with skewed data baselines.”

FG records N3tn inflow Meanwhile, while banks whose platforms are used for the collection of funds for the federal government under the TSA are threatening withdraw their services because of the failure of government to honour their contract. The federal government announced last week that it has recorded N3 trillion inflows into the TSA in the first quarter of the year.

Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Ahmed Idris, disclosed this at ICAN UK International Zonal Conference, in London.

He said as at end of March, 2016, total inflows into TSA was about N3 trillion ($15 billion) while the number of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, on TSA has risen to 976.

Addressing the global audience on the benefits of the TSA, Idris said the federal government had stopped borrowing from itself as commercial banks use MDAs idle balances to buy treasury bills and other short-term instruments.

According to him, successful TSA implementation rests on a tripod, which includes the collection of MDAs receipts, payment by MDAs and budgetary control of MDAs. He explained that two core systems supported TSA: Government Integrated Financial Management and Information System (GIFMIS) at the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and the CBN, and Payment Gateway called Remita at CBN-the two systems were integrated and deployed in 2012.

He said: “TSA became fully operational in April 2012 with 93 pilot MDAs accessing their allocations directly from the Consolidated Revenue Fund Account (CRFA). Incrementally, MDAs on TSA went to 225 (2013), 345 (2014) and 706 (2015). Currently, over 900 MDAs are on TSA.” While listing the benefits of the TSA, Idris said the adoption of the system provided better information on the cash resources available to government at any point in time and the financing gap that needed to be met.

He said the initiative had instilled fiscal discipline, eliminated the process of cash backing MDAs accounts with commercial banks, and gained economy of scale due since the adoption of the systems by the MDAs instead of investing resources in several ICT platforms. The system has also reduced average monthly ways and means advances of CBN associated costs.

33

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, 11 mAY 2016

BUSINESSWORLD Great Nigeria Insurance Donates Learning Kits to Hearing Impaired Pupils Great Nigeria Insurance Plc recently donated educational learning kits to the hearing impaired pupils of Wesley Schools 1 and 2. The company said the donation was part of its social responsibility act to the school.

Speaking during the official presentation of the educational materials to the school, the Executive Director, Business Development of the company, Mrs. Roselyn Ulaeto, said, one of the pivotal forces on which Great Nigeria Insurance Plc’s Corporate Social Responsibility initiative hinges on includes giving back to the community within which it operates.

According to her, “there is no better way of being a socially responsive entity than to assist in community development by empowering the lower class and the physically challenged to help actualise their potentials”.

She noted that the children who were at a disadvantaged position, were so due to no fault of theirs, therefore must be assisted to ensure that they learn valuable educational and vocational skills which in turn would make them independent and capable of leading normal lives as responsible citizens.

Ulaeto commended the Principal, teachers and other members of staff of the Wesley Schools 1& 2 for their humanitarian efforts in ensuring that the pupils have the best education available to them.

She admonished the staff not to relent in their dedication and

commitment towards improving and supporting the pupils.

She was accompanied to the school by the Corporate Communications &Brand Manager of the company Ms. Sobande Oyinkansola.

Oyinkansola, said Great Nigeria Insurance, is uncompromisingly committed to providing support in those critical areas that could make or mar the progress of the society.

“As a responsible and responsive corporate citizen, we are willing to consistently offer a helping hand to those in the society who need the support to become better citizens and to continue contributing positively to the advancement and growth of the society”.

Receiving the educational materials on behalf of the staff and pupils of the School, the Principal, Mr. Alimi Kehinde thanked the Management of Great Nigeria Insurance Plc for putting smiles on the faces of the pupils and for always supporting the school and more importantly, the pupils, through the provision of educational materials to enhance their learning. He appealed to other corporate organisations to emulate this laudable gesture so that together, everyone can make Nigeria a society better.

Great Nigeria Insurance Plc commenced operations in 1960 and has continued to be driven by innovation and determination to offer premium services that are of exceptional value to its esteemed customers.

INSURANCE

Leadway Assurance Records N6.3bn Profit After Tax Stories by Ebere Nwoji Leadway Assurance Company Limited has said it successfully grew its Profit After Tax (PAT) by 125 per cent, from N2.8 billion in 2014 to N6.3billion in 2015.

This is despite the obstacles in the economy, which made it difficult for many businesses to keep head above waters.

The company however grew its gross premium by mere 20 percent from N39 billion in 2014 to N46.6 percent in 2015.

This was disclosed at the 44th Annual General Meeting of the company held in Lagos.

Addressing shareholders at the meeting, the acting chairman of the company, Mr. Jeremy Rowse said Leadway also grew its asset by 37percent from N100.5billion in 2014 to

N137.3 billion in 2015.

He also said Leadway was committed to fulfilling its promises to customers adding that the company proved this in the year under review through payment of N14.3 billion claims to clients during the period, showing 13% increase from the N 12.7billion claims paid in the previous year.

This, according to Rowse, positioned Leadway as the highest claims paying insurance company in the industry during the period under review.

Rowse said with various guidelines aimed at reinforcing standards and encouraging confidence in the Nigerian insurance industry, his company remains poised to take advantage of emerging growth opportunities to compete ef-

fectively within its immediate market and the larger global markets.”

He noted that as the Nigerian polity itself becomes restructured to tackle the myriads of socio-political, economic and infrastructural challenges facing it, the opportunity for increase in insurance penetration and contribution to GDP should increase adding that on its part, Leadway would maximise its resources to remain competitive within the retail segment of Nigerian Insurance Market.

The company’s management thanked the erstwhile chairman of the company Mallam Umar Yahaya and two other directors, Dr. Konyin Ajayi and Dr. A. B. C. Orjiako for their excellent directorship whilst on board of the company which

they recently resigned.

Established over 45 years ago, Leadway is a composite insurance company underwriting both Life and General Insurance business with branches spread across Nigeria.

Rowse said Leadway also offers subsidiary financial services like Bonds, Secured Credit, Miscellaneous financial losses and Fund/Portfolio management.

He added that with core values of i-SCORE meaning; integrity, Service, Customer focus, Openness, Respect-forthe-individual and excellence, Leadway’s reputation has been attained by the continuing pursuit of improvements to maintain its competitive advantage within Nigerian insurance market environment.

Continental Reinsurance Boss Counsels Business Operators on Application of African Solutions The Group Managing Director, Continental Reinsurance Plc, Dr. Femi Oyetunji has counseled sub- regional business operators in Africa to strive towards developing their businesses and the sub regional economy in general through the application of African solutions and the local potential in the continent rather than adopting foreign methods.

Oyetunji said this during the third Chief Executive Officers’ summit for African operators sponsored by the Company in Eden Island, Seychelles.

The summit, attended by delegates from different African countries has the theme: ‘Navigating through global headwinds.’

Advising the operators on their business development, Oyetunji stated: “I do not think it is by repacking products or structures borrowed from Europe or China that will change Africa, I think we must come up with African thoughts, principles and culture to transform our countries,” he said. According to him, the continent is blessed with huge potential needed for its growth and development.

He said Continental Re would continually create steps to address those challenges facing the insurance sector.

“I strongly believe that we

will not get the inspiration from outside but one thing we will continue to do in Continental Re is that we are focusing on bringing back talent from the diaspora and this is one of the things we want to encourage”, he said. Oyetunji expressed his company’s commitment to support underwriters and ensure capacity development in the African Continent.

Also speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Insurance, Kenya, Mr. Sammy Makove said in the last ten years, Africa had witnessed strong economic growth trajectory.

Makove said this while speaking on the topic ‘Creating a value curve: How can foreign investors share and support Africa’s prosperity?’ at the summit.

He said that the services sector’s share of total employment and Gross Domestic Product has continued to grow exponentially, upstaging the traditional agricultural and manufacturing sectors.

According to him, this promising growth in the services sector is a paradigm shift not only in driving value addition but also serving as a critical input for other economic activities.

He pointed out other sectors where growth is expected, as agriculture, water, fisheries, forestry, tourism, oil and gas.

STOCK TAKING

L-R: Douglas Machuki, Andrew Borda, Dickie Ulu, Babatunde Mimiko, Chairman of the company; Fola Adeola; Abimbola Alabi, Owolabi Salami and Asue Ighodalo, all of Ensure Insurance Plc, at the annual general meeting (AGM) of the Company held in Lagos… recently

Law Union & Rock Develops Electronic Payment System Law Union & Rock Insurance Plc is making insurance more accessible to the insuring public through its electronic payment system.

The Managing Director of the company, Mr. Jide Orimolade stated this while speaking on the company’s efforts to increase its value and services to its customers.

He said the company has developed an e-Retail platform to sell its retail products online with the aim of delivering value promptly to the customers, enable clients pay easily and avoid the long documentation process previously associated with retail insurance business.

Orimolade affirmed that with this innovation, the

company’s customers can pay through direct transfer, Quickteller, Mobile SMS enabled by Scratch Card or Web pay.

He also said through this means, the customers can buy, pay for their insurance premium and obtain their insurance documents online with ease.

Speaking on other innovations lined up by the company for marketing of insurance products, he said: “We are also planning to launch in a few weeks, a technological and target market driven retail products that have just been approved by NAICOM which will see more people at all income levels obtaining insur-

ance. This will drive insurance penetration which is still at the lowest level in Nigeria.”

In addition to its developed e-Retail Platform, Orimolade said Law Union & Rock has set up a robust sales agency and its products are being distributed through this agency network that is expanding fast.

He also explained that the company is planning to empower new entrepreneurs through its SUPER AGENT SCHEME. He explained that under the scheme, the company plans to partner with individuals and small & medium scale enterprise to sell its retail insurance products through

their business channels.

He said the e company’s objective is to create more business opportunities and generate additional revenue for their partners and also to increase the Company’s turnover.

This, according to him is in line with the Law Union& Rick’s strategic initiative to create value for its stakeholders, improve customer intimacy and achieve operational efficiency.

Law Union & Rick, is one of the first generation insurance firms to open office in the country and it currently has over N8bn in total assets and shareholders’ fund in excess of N4billion.

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, 11 mAY 2016

34

BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

Customs Intercepts Bags of Cannabis The anti-smuggling campaign of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) paid off at the weekend as no fewer than 26 bags of cannabis were intercepted by officers and men of the service.

Cannabis is high on the Import Prohibition List (IPL) and the Export Prohibition List (EPL) prepared by the Federal Ministry of Finance based on the Federal Government fiscal policies and enforced by NCS. Though the exact present market value of the prohibited items could not be immediately ascertained, THISDAY gathered that it

runs into millions of naira in the open market.

Packed neatly in jumbo bags and left unattended to at Tanfi Island near the Republic of Benin, the cannabis were intercepted by men and officers from the Badagry station of NCS while patrolling the creeks at the Badagry-Republic of Benin axis.

Customs Area Controller (CAC), Western Marine Command (WMC), Comptroller Yusuf Umar who confirmed this in a chat with THISDAY said the prohibited items was being kept in readiness for

smuggling into Nigeria from the Republic of Benin.

Giving an insight into how the operation was carried out by men and officers of his command, Umar said: “After waiting for several hours in ambush for the owners of the cannabis to surface, the team sought re-enforcement from the Nigerian Navy, who responded immediately and assisted in conveying the bags of cannabis to our base at Ibafon, Apapa, Lagos in one of our patrol boats. No suspect was apprehended. The contraband is valued at N100

million and the weight is 3750 kilograms”.

“The management of the service led by our amiable Comptroller General, Colonel Hammed Ali (retired) has been very supportive and focused on eradicating smuggling activities on the waterways.

This support has been the motivation for officers and men of the Western Marine Command”.

The Customs Chief also revealed that the command has made several seizures for the year 2016 which isvalued at N260 million with duty paid

value (DPV) of N265 million.

This is against a total number of 13 seizures valued at N6.5 million and DPVof N8 million.

This showed that the seizures for this year 2016 alone is over 20l0 percent increase compared to those made in the same period of 2013 and 2014 respectively.

He commended the Comptroller General of Customs and his management team for giving WMC a letter of commendation for its efforts in combating smuggling in its areas of jurisdiction.

He commended the roles by several individuals and organization to ensure that the prohibited items were intercepted by men and officers of his command.

The CAC specifically hailed the management of the Nigerian Navy for its continuous collaboration with the NCS, especially the WMC. According to him, NCS is looking forward to a more fruitful relationship with other stakeholders as this synergy has yielded tremendous results.

NIPR Commences Membership Audit Stories by Raheem Akingbolu The leadership of Lagos chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has announced the commencement of its membership audit aimed at evaluating the chapter’s effectiveness.

The membership audit, which is aimed at transferring data from hardcopy to digital version, will also be linked to the re-certification exercise and Master Class projects.

Speaking at a media briefing organised to herald the exercise, Chairman, Lagos NIPR, Olusegun McMedal, said the audit will enable the secretariat to update its membership record and offer advice on procedure for status upgrade.

“The Executive Team realised that our Members

are the Chapter’s greatest asset. Thus, this exercise is one of the cardinal plans of the present administration to nurture and protect membership in line of the vision to run a government of inclusion.

The exercise will appreciably reduce paperwork and cost of operation in addition to ensuring prompt notification of meetings, events, subscription renewals & upgrades.

“Updated data of members from the Membership Audit will form rich contents for the Chapter’s website which is currently being developed adding that it would also evolve into ePayment solutions and Online Membership Catalogue”, he stated.

To this end, McMedal enjoined members to visit the institute’s secretariat in Lagos or send email detailing their basic information about them to the association.

SERAS Calls for Entry into 2016 Edition TruContact CSR Nigeria has called for entry into the SERAS- CSR Awards 2016 edition. The award, which is in its 10th edition, has earned its positioning as the most consistent Corporate Social Responsibility based award in this part of the world.

In a statement issued at the weekend, the organisers promised that the 2016 edition would be more exciting.

The theme for the awards is: Sustainable Development Goals and The Future of Africa: Organisations as The Game Changers.

The statement further stated that assessments and categorisations would the based on the recent globally launched seventeen sustainable development goals.

“The theme is based on the launch of an ambitious global mission by the world leaders to reduce poverty and enhance human development.

Africa and Nigeria was only able to attain a little under 15% of expected target impacts. But with the take-off of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) by the United Nations, businesses have been urged to take the driver’s seat in actualising this huge agenda. According to the UN Secretary General,

Ban Ki-moon, business is a “vital partner in achieving the sustainable development goals”.

However, the organisers have also announced that for the first time in its ten years’ history, the awards would be opened to entries from other parts of Africa.

The coordinator of the award, Mr. Ken Egbas was quoted as saying that when the exercise commenced the organisers had short, medium and long term goals.

“We expected by the tenth or eleventh year to make the awards accessible to all of Africa, that is after we must have proven our mettle in Nigeria which of course is not only one of the largest markets in Africa, but also at the moment Nigeria rates as number two the continent in terms of CSR and sustainability investment and related activities.

Besides, over the last two editions we have had organisations in east and southern Africa wanting to participate. So we believe the time is right to open the SERAS to the rest of Africa.

We are also on track to make the awards one of the top three of its kind in the world”, he stated.

SMES DEVELOPMENT

L-R: A Consultant to Bank of Industry, Mr. Adolphus Ojobo; Area Manager, Skye Bank Plc, Benin Area, Mrs. Chinyere Imeribe; Managing Director, Omega Foods and Hospitality, Mr. Alex Otuya; and Head, Small Business Group, Skye Bank Plc, Mrs. Ayo Olojede, at the SME seminar organised by Skye Bank in Benin … recently

SterlingBankBacksOgunInvestment Investec Asset to Manage $670m Forum Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund Senator Iroegbu in Abuja As part of its drive to collaborate with stakeholders in the growth of the nation’s economy both at the state and national levels, Sterling Bank has announced its sponsorship of the third edition of the Ogun State Investment Forum.

The theme of the two day event starting on May 9, 2016 is “Ogun State: Open for Business- Emerging Economic Powerhouse”.

The bank had also sponsored the 2014 edition of the programme and stands out as a major partner with other state governments especially in the area of education and economic development. Last year, the bank presented an e-library to the College of Education, Ikere Ekiti in Ekiti State and commissioned co-branded verve/identity cards which serve as access control system and identity management solution for staff and students of the Benue State University in Makurdi.

The bank, in a statement signed by its Group Head, Strategy & Communications, Mr. Shina Atilola explained that the involvement of the bank in the Forum was informed by the need for

public - private partnership to achieving rapid economic development in Nigeria.

While commending the Ogun State government for opening the state for domestic and international investors, Atilola noted that the step taken by the government would accelerate the desired growth and development of the state’s economy curtailing the challenge of unemployment and improving the standard of living of her citizens.

The statement added: “The private sector operators must collaborate with both the states and Federal Government for any meaningful economic development to take place in the country.

This has informed the Bank’s participation and support of laudable programmes that are aimed at changing the economic landscape of the country for the better.

“We have demonstrated this as a responsible corporate citizen by way of supporting the last edition of the Forum and other laudable projects from both the public and private sectors. We have thus truly established ourselves as a worthy partner with all stakeholders in the country.”

Goddy Egene Investec Asset Management has been appointed to manage the $670 million Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF), a public-private partnership anchored by the governments of the United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland. According to the company, the appointment followed a competitive tender process that brought interest from over 30 companies globally.

Investec said this development deepened pan-African investment expertise and follows the recent launch of the Growthpoint Investec African Properties platform to invest in pan-Africa real estate, and the recent closure of its second Africa private equity fund.

EAIF is an initiative of the donor-financed private infrastructure development group and was developed to mobilise capital into private sector infrastructure projects across sub-Saharan Africa.

Established in 2002, the Fund has committed over $1.2 billion to 63 projects in 19 countries.

In addition to the equity provided by the UK, The Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland, lenders include a combination of private sector financial institu-

tions and development finance institutions.

Speaking on the appointment, Chief Executive Officer of Investec Asset Management Hendrik du Toit said: “The private sector has a crucial role to play in unlocking the conditions for the sustainable, long-term development of Africa’s infrastructure. A major initiative of its kind globally, this fund aims to provide growth capital, expertise and support to these projects with the aim of stimulating economic development, encouraging growth and employment, and fuelling Africa’s long-term development.”

Also speaking, Chair of EAIF, David White, said the fund has established itself as a market leader in infrastructure finance in Africa and is now ready to be a bigger and more potent force in the economic development of sub-Saharan Africa.

On Investec’s appointment, White said: “We were impressed with Investec Asset Management’s determination and agility, its commitment to our core mission and its belief in a successful future for Africa.

Their appointment as the Fund’s manager means that we now have the final element in place to power our growth strategy.

35

T H I S D AY •THURSDAY, 11 MAY 2016

BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

FG to Support Harvesting of Rice, Wheat in Kebbi Crusoe Osagie The Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, has promised to send no fewer than 50 threshers to Kebbi dry season farmers, to help them during this harvesting season, to take off the drudgery associated with post-harvest operations on the farms.

The minister made this promise when the Deputy Governor of Kebbi State, Col. Samaila Yombe Dabai (rtd),

paid him a courtesy call in his office in Abuja. The visit came on the heels of the assessment visit on Anchor Borrowers’ support programme for Kebbi farmers, which began towards the end of 2015. The farmers, mostly rice and wheat farmers, ordinarily use drums and hands to thresh their harvests, mostly on the floor or open ground, leading to contamination with stones.

By the minister’s gestures, the problems associated with

manual threshing will be eliminated and the quality of produce enhanced. The Minister noted that Kebbi farmers may need something between 400 to 500 threshers. “We are designing them specially,” he disclosed, expressing gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for the support leading to what he described as a “loud testimony of things that can be achieved.”

Speaking to the visiting Deputy Governor, Chief Ogbeh

Quantum Global Group Invest in African Farming Global investment firm Quantum Global Group has announced that the Government of Angola has leased over 80,000 hectares of plantations and additional land bank area to the Group to develop large-scale wood fiber plantations in the Planalto region of Angola, representing a unique opportunity on a global level. As part of this concessional agreement, Quantum Global Group aims to invest approximately $50 million into the new plantation establishment, infrastructure and wood processing industries over the next five years.

The region of Planalto has an exceptional combination of large areas of underutilised fertile land, very little natural forests, low population pressure,

access to transport infrastructure and sufficient water resources, which enables the development of large-scale wood fiber plantations. Furthermore, the area has existing plantations that can support the early establishment of wood processing industries in the area and contribute in the creation of industrial employment and a forest industry based cluster.

Investments into timberland will bring much needed long term stability and jobs into the underserved rural communities.

Martin Bachmann, Head of Active Management, Quantum Global Group commented, “Quantum Global Group firmly believes that timberland investment is core to promoting rural economic development,

employment and socialeconomic development, and the Group is fully committed to the ethical conduct in its business.

With this overarching objective in mind, the Group aims to promote sustainable forestry practices to support the local communities through various skills development programs along with ensuring measures that protect the natural habitat.

Our timberland investments aim to be third-party certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.”

Through this acquisition, Quantum Global Group aims to realise risk-adjusted returns for the timberland asset class, whilst implementing sustainable forestry practices and facilitating conservation protection on the investments.

expressed optimism that “by the time you utilise most of your dams,” a lot more will be realised from the harvests from Kebbi State. The minister suggested that the chaffs from wheat and rice after harvest should henceforth be chopped with machines and mixed with molasses from sugar mills and used for cattle, sheep and goat feeding during the dry season of the year. According to him, through this, “a lot of conflicts will be reduced.”

Kebbi State’s Deputy Governor, in his response, observed that “the visit galvanises us to the fact that we are about to do something.” He seized the opportunity to thank the ministry of agriculture, but complained of annual invasion of Quelea birds on their rice farms, particularly during the rainy season, seeking support to overcome the menace. Chief Ogbeh, in response, promised to embark on a cross-border cooperation with the north-

ern neighbouring countries, particularly Niger, to put the situation under control.

The minister disclosed that, as part of the efforts to combat desertification, economic trees, such as Neem, Acacia and Eucalyptus, will be planted.

He said the Neem will be used for producing organic pesticides to be sprayed on farms, while the cake by-products will be fed to animals. The Eucalyptus, in turn, will be used for producing healthcare products.

GOtv Increases Channels, Launches Naija FM 102.7 Audio Channel Emma Okonji In order to boost the viewing experiences of its increasing subscribers, Gotv has announced an increase in the number of its channels from 42 to 50, which include 48 TV channels and two audio channels, covering 25 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The Lagos-based Pidgin English audio channel, the Naija FM Lagos, becomes the second audio channel to launch on GOtv in Nigeria.

Launched in April 14 on the GOtv platform, the Naija FM Lagos is now available on channel 301 to all subscribers, GOtv has said.

Managing Director, Multi-

Choice Nigeria, John Ugbe, said the additional channels would further boost local programming on the GOtv platform.

“We regularly assess the quality and relevance of our content to ensure that it caters to the different tastes and preferences of our subscribers.

The launch of Naija FM Lagos on GOtv is driven by our understanding that local content is important to our subscribers,” he said.

He also noted that no other digital terrestrial television (DTT) operator in Nigeria has shown more commitment and support for local content than GOtv. Also speaking on the devel-

opment, Managing Director of Megalectrics Ltd, owners of Naija FM, Chris Ubosi, said: “We are delighted to partner with MultiChoice Nigeria on the launch of Naija FM 102.7, Lagos, on GOtv. The partnership is significant as it creates an additional medium for us to reach our audience.”

Naija FM Lagos provides a wide range of programming that includes news, talk shows, sports and music.

GOtv subscribers can start their day with Naija FM Lagos by tuning to the morning motivational show, Morning Runs, hosted by the trio of Godwin Aruwayo (First Voice), Sabina (Naija P) and Ushbebe.

36

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2016

EDUCATION Empowering Youths through Job Creation, Bridging Skills Gap In view of the declining quality of formal training in schools, the Lagos State Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Babatunde Durosimi-Etti, highlighted the efforts of the 10-month-old ministry, in partnership with various bodies, to cover skills deficit among youths to create more employment opportunities. Funmi Ogundare reports

S

ince the establishment of the Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment by the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode-led administration in June 2015, it has continued to explore various avenues and partnerships to curb unemployment, seen as a hydra-headed monster, among youths and Lagosians in general, as part of his campaign promise.

As a way of achieving this, the Commissioner, Babatunde Durosimi-Etti said the ministry had to first embark on a mindset orientation among youths and disseminate information about employment opportunities and how they can harness it.

“We need to build up from ground zero and within the past six months, we have started working on five employment centres, three of which will be ready within the next two weeks. The centres will serve as a nexus of exchange between unemployed youths and potential employers.”

He said it has also entered into partnerships with other stakeholders in the private sector and social entrepreneurs with shared values involved in development, adding that, based on that premise, it will be kick-starting a technology-driven 11-week training course with Andela, a talent acceleration company in the technology sector. “They will train 500 Lagosians in the five divisions of the state.”

The commissioner said the ministry has also collaborated with the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA); National Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI); Lagos Chamber of Commerce; and the National Association of Small Medium Enterprises (NASME), to cover areas where there is deficit in employability skills and vocational education to identify areas of intervention for employment generation.

“We are currently in collaboration with them because they form the nucleus of potential employers and our collaboration.”

Asked what practical steps his ministry has taken to ensure that youths in the state acquire the necessary skills to be gainfully employed and become job creators and innovators, Durosimi-Etti said: “When you look at these things we have talked about on job creators and innovators, we need to go back and ask ourselves what the problems are. How did we get to where we are? Why are we not having enough of our youths involved in this?

What has the government done in the past?

“You must address these issues before you can identify your way forward. Talking about practical steps, we are at a stage where we have identified where those problems came in by way of their inability to be more creative and innovative.

“One of the things we have identified is that there has to be a mindset orientation having to talk to the youths, address them and let them know that there are opportunities in these areas. There are jobs at times, but some of our youths are not employable. There have been lack of youth centres that will inculcate cognitive values that will reinforce creativity. No more Boy Scout or Girl Guilds, the vocational studies are no longer there, no domestic science for the girls, no technical drawing for the boys, all these are basic features that are no longer there to be able to enforce these.”

He expressed concern that all along, due to lack of creativity and innovativeness, the youths were more interested in specific areas such as oil and gas, banking or telecommunication sectors, rather than teaching or working on the farm.

Durosimi-Etti “Are the farms there? All these companies are there, government is also there, but all other areas are not forth coming and that is where government has made a mistake in the past. If those other areas have been developed to create opportunities for them, those things would have been there. You will agree with me that in this country, there is no where you can have information on employment opportunities under one umbrella,” the commissioner stressed.

He described information as key to identifying opportunities, saying that his ministry is working on sustained employment which means that the environment has to be conducive with a constructive engagement between the potential employers and government.

“It means that government has limited resources in creating these jobs. If the employers have sustained growth, there will definitely be more jobs. If you don’t have information, you don’t know where the opportunities are. That is why I said, you must be able to look at all these issues; it is not just about saying I am going to give youths jobs, you need to look at the type of employment that will foster growth.” Emphasising on the ministry’s relationship with the Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB), Durosimi-Etti said, “the role has been redefined by the executive secretary, it covers the skills acquisition centres across the state; it is already working with NECA and the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and other skills acquisition programmes. We have shared values with LASTVEB. Instead of us going to build up new centres, institutions or island of inefficiency, we should upscale

what they have and see how we can expand our outlet there and how there can be more qualitative input. You will agree with me that economy of scale is very important.”

On how the ministry has been exploring partnership with bodies like the Nigerian Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI); Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprise; Ford Foundation, among others, the commissioner said he believes that government has to be more entrepreneurial and proactive.

“I went to seek them out. I walked into their offices and I gave them my road map and I said these are the problems. What are you working on? I found out what NECA and Ford Foundation were doing and they said they will assist. I gave them ideas and directions, we had shared values and we are now working together.

“In the past government works independently, if you take a look at all past government initiatives, Nigeria Directorate of Employment (NDE) in those days only had two private sector representatives, the rest were government. But who creates the jobs? It is the private sector and that brings us to the Employment Trust Fund (ETF).

“When Ambode introduced it, we were only two members in government, me and my counterpart in finance, all the others were private sector and social entrepreneurs. Once you create the jobs, they are the ones that will bring transparency and accountability into how the funds are judiciously expended.

With the ETF scheme which is a N25 billion fund, making it N6.25 billion every year is going to be at a rate of three per cent which

means the state government will use it to drive down interest rate from medium and small businesses, who are the employment generators.

“That is where you have the opportunities for the innovators and we are looking at every facet of the society, not only our youths or small businesses, but also disabled people.

The disabled people will be able if you give them opportunities. We have put strategies in place to create wealth for them. We have also been working with religious organisations.

They came up with entrepreneurial centres which we have supported, but at the end of the day, it is not for government. We will be an enabler, we will work with people with shared values to be able to move it forward.”

Durosimi-Etti said he believes that the government should not be involved in employing people because it creates a predatory process.

“Government should be more involved in ensuring an enabling environment that will foster growth and also ensure that the private sector embarks on its corporate social responsibility (CSR) in a positive manner.

Such CSR will create employment and it will be mutually beneficial because they will be able to push out their products and make more money and at the end of the day, it will have a multiplier effect.”

On how the ministry intends to sustain the numerous projects it has with various bodies and organisations in the state, he said, “LASTVEB has already been there, collaboration with the private sector will never go wrong.

Corporate social responsibility is always there as long as it is mutually beneficial, transparent, and the impact is properly gauged to be positive. That comes from a new entrepreneurial governance approach which comes from orientating the mindset of most Lagosians.

We need to have a mindset reorientation for the beneficiaries of the project.”

While highlighting the expected outcome of the proposed summit by his ministry, the commissioner said, “over the years, we have had social entrepreneurs and the private sector which have had distrust about government, they are the only ones that can invest more because they are working. We need to create an enabling environment for them to thrive because if their businesses grow, they will employ more people, but again we also have to be able to talk to them on how to make sure that we scale up the quality of these people so that they will meet up to your standard.

“So the purpose of the summit is to have a constructive engagement with all stakeholders telling them that the micro environment has changed, there is a new dynamic tied to the political-economic realities. The idea is to have a constructive engagement and know what everybody is doing.

We will have four simultaneous technical sessions that will cut across agriculture, small scale financing, vocational skills, as well as technology and how it will reinforce both sale and retail; the value added by way of job creation. What we are going to do differently at the summit is that we are not going to have a communique.

“We will have a plan of action steering committee that will take a look at all these sectors and draw out a timeline and obligation on the part of the government and private sector. It will also embellish the quality of the strategic roadmap and terms of reference of our mandate to know that we are working with expectant results and outcomes that will be generated from such outcomes.”

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2016

37

EDUCATION

ASUU Strike Threatens Devt Efforts at Nasarawa State Varsity Adams Abonu in Lafia While academic activities remain grounded at the Nasarawa State University, Keffi as a result of an ongoing indefinite strike by the institution’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), THISDAY checks around the university revealed a story of transformation, which may be thwarted by the industrial action.

There has been an improvement in the academic curriculum and instruction at the university, especially since Professor Muhammadu Mainoma emerged the ViceChancellor. The improvement, in addition to the physical and infrastructure development is part of the management’s efforts to attain the goals of establishing the institution.

The university’s chapter of ASUU embarked on an indefinite strike in March to demand the funding of the university, earned academic allowance (EAA) and other welfare packages.

According to the Chairman, Dr. Daniel Lagi, the union decried the funding of education in the university; review of the university’s laws to conform to the 2003 Act as obtainable in other universities; ambiguous promotion guidelines; tax relief for members and the component of EAA that accrued since 2009.

He had directed all academic staff not to attend to their duties until their grievances are addressed. “Whatever sacrifice we are going to make is in the best

interest of the institution and education in Nasarawa State,” Lagi declared in a chat with journalists in March.

While the vice-chancellor and the management team explored all avenues to avert the already lingering industrial action, the efforts proved futile as ASUU remained adamant to the detriment of development effort at the institution.

When THISDAY profiled a cross-section of stakeholders in the university, the preponderant opinion was for ASUU to join in the development strides of the university administration and heed the call to return to their posts. For Yahaya Angbazo, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Students Union Executives (SUE), “it is high time our lecturers appreciated that the future of our students are at stake and return to the classrooms.

“We cannot continue to languish at home when our mates in other universities are making progress with their studies just because ASUU is being selfish with their unbecoming demands.

Without the students, ASUU members have no job and they must realise this.”

“It is unfortunate that ASUU allowed itself to be used to distract the good intentions and achievements of the VC. I advise them to heed the call of majority of Nasarawa people and Nigerians in general.”

A lecturer at the Faculty of Social Science, Dr. Usman told THISDAY that not all the academic staff are in support of the

strike, but they were limited by labour laws. “If not for ASUU laws that make it mandatory for all academic staff, I can tell you that most of us are against this strike because we can sense the direction of the university administration.”

When contacted, the PRO of the institution, Mr. M.J. Zakari promised that efforts are being made to resolve the disagreement. “Both the university administration and the state government are doing everything possible to ensure that our lecturers go back to the classes. The university has set up committees to look into ASUU’s disagreement and we

are hopeful that the issue would soon be resolved in the interest of all.

“When you look at this year’s budget of the state government, adequate provision for the university was made and Governor Al-Makura, a very listening visitor of the university, has committed to even do more as regards funding to the university.

“As for ASUU’s demand for EAA arrears, the university has paid up to 80 per cent of the arrears and we hope this makes ASUU to see the commitment in meeting their demands.”

THISDAY investigations also

revealed that the university is yet to domesticate a 2003 white paper on universities by a presidential visitation panel, one of the grouses of the ASUU members. This, the university official promised to be addressed in earnest.

When measured with the outlook and academic capacity of its contemporaries, the university’s story of transformation becomes worthy of emulation.

From the main gate to every nook and cranny of the expansive campus, development and physical infrastructure dot the horizon.

In a chat with THISDAY last year, Mainoma declared

that “we have to bring our experience on board to develop this university to meet global expectations. We intend to broaden our academic programmes and build physical infrastructures that should enhance qualitative learning.”

From the digitalised Faculty of Law to the Institute of Education purported to enhance teachers’ capacity through to the various giant strides of the university in a comparably short time, the sincerity of purpose of the professor of accounting is said to remain a standard in university administration in Nigeria.

L-R: The Chief Executive Officer, Cambridge University Press, Mr. Peter Philips; Executive Secretary, Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), Prof. Ismail Junaidu; former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili; and the Director Quality Assurance Department, National Examinations Council (NECO), Dr. Emmanuel Ikechukwu, at the launch of Cambridge University Press in Nigeria... recently

FG Condemns Marginalisation of Ezekwesilli Seeks Investment in Teachers to Boost Learning Girls Paul Obi in Abuja The federal government has expressed concern over the increasing marginalisation and discrimination of women in education and stressed the need to foster equity and equal access to education.

The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, stated this during the graduation ceremony of 7,500 non-formal learners, a project spearheaded

by UNESCO in Abuja.

Adamu, who was represented by the Executive Secretary, National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education, Jubril Paiko, emphasised the need to bridge the gender gap in education.

“There is no gain saying the fact that girls and women are an integral part of nation building and they play a crucial role in national development. Unfortunately, they make up the larger population among the unreached, the marginalised, the out-ofschool children, and vulnerable population and groups who have suffered from prejudice, discrimination and sometimes exclusion.

“Girls’ education and incidence of boys drop out remain top on the education

agenda. We are implementing innovative strategies to address socio-cultural practices that negate girls’ education in the north, inadequate number of female teachers, inaccessibility to education facilities, unsafe and unsecure environment.”

The minister added that “such strategies include Girls Education Project (GEP), which has achieved major milestones in promoting girls’ enrolment, retention and completion and it is now being scaled up to cover all with high gender disparity.”

The UNESCO Regional Director, Benoit Sossou, said there were major achievements in the two projects in spite of some obvious challenges, adding, “our target of 60,000 girls and women, included 45,000 non-formal education learners and 15,000 junior secondary school girls for formal school system.

“The implementation of the project had not been without challenges: the limited commitment from state for the payment of facilitators’ salaries and the constraint of electoral period. We are glad however, that things are beginning to change. Our advocacy visits to the new government of FCT and Rivers State are reassuring.”

Funmi Ogundare

A former Minister of Education and former Vice-President of the African Division of the World Bank, Dr. Oby Ezekwesilli, has stressed the need for the Buhari administration to provide the needed funding and support for teachers to encourage the kind of teaching that supports real learning for students.

Ezekwesilli, who was the guest speaker at the launch of the Cambridge University Press, said teachers should be empowered in a way that would accord the teaching profession a level of prestige.

“We are basically saying that teaching is the heart of any profession in our society and we should accord it that level of prestige. We should look at the issue of adequacy of teachers, how do we incentivise more people to want to be teachers?

What makes teaching exciting and what will make a decent living for the teacher? What will make a teacher to be self-actualised?

“Remuneration and opportunity for growth are those things that have got to do with what will make the society appreciate the profession. Then we should also look at continuous training of the teachers such that will make them not to be stagnant.”

Ezekwesilli, who spoke on

‘Challenges of Achieving Universal Quality Education in Nigeria’, described education as an important part of the democratisation process, while recalling the efforts she made in ensuring that teachers become producers of skills, talents and knowledge when she was the minister for education.

“It is important that the profession be considered a profession in the way all others are considered. It is only because you are a teacher that you can be taught to become a doctor, lawyer or an engineer.

One key thing for us is to raise the prestige of the profession and the certification process that will mirror what you have in becoming someone.

“There are certain skills that anyone certified as a teacher will have, if they don’t have it, they don’t qualify to be called teachers who have gone through university or colleges of education.

They must go through a system that certifies them as teachers. What you will achieve is that there are certain levels of cognitive and affective behavior a teacher should look like and we will begin to go in the direction of Finland, which has a cadre of knowledge, values and skills, else you are not qualified to be in the classroom teaching anybody for us.”

The Executive Secretary, Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), Prof. Ismail Junaidu, whose paper was titled ‘Quality Textbooks in Teaching, Learning and Future of Digital Technology in the Classroom (a focus

on Nigeria)’, recommended the enactment of a national book policy containing clear provisions pertaining new best practices or that reinforces existing standards by government to ensure quality education and educational achievement.

LearnAfrica,SamsungSignPact on e-Learning Learn Africa has signed a Memorandum of Agreement with Samsung Electronics West Africa Limited for the integration of education based e-content from the publishing company into Samsung mobile devices.

The Chairman of Learn Africa, Mr. Emeka Iwerebon, said the aim of the agreement is to achieve a partnership that would bring about qualitative transformation in the education sector in Nigeria and West Africa, adding that the integrated educational solution and products would be promoted in all public and private schools nationwide.

“Both companies are convinced that this is the kind of solution the Nigerian education sector requires to turn around the standard.

This innovation is one that students of this digital age

will easily identify with.”

Learn Africa Plc (formerly Longman Nigeria Plc) is a learning resource business with a history spanning over 50 years.

The company is the largest educational publisher with the widest range of books and educational resources and a very expansive distribution network.

The company also offers teacher training/development programmes, digital content provisioning and educational consultancy services.

Samsung Electronics West Africa Limited is one of the subsidiaries of Samsung Electronics, Korea and is involved in the encouragement of customised education solutions for educational institutions in Nigeria using the wide range of products manufactured by Samsung Electronics, Korea.

38

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2016

EDUCATION

Demonstrate Political Will to Save Education from Total Collapse, NAPPS Tells Buhari Paul Obi in Abuja The National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to demonstrate political will to improve the standard of education in the country, so as to save the sector from total collapse.

The association made this known at a sensitisation workshop for its members from the North Central Geo-political Zone, held in Abuja recently.

According to the President, Dr. Sally Bolujoko, the country’s education system is fast taking a down turn and most of the officials entrusted with

the duty of managing it were lackadaisical, because they had no stake in the system.

Bolujoko said as a result, the system is collapsing; she called on the government to make it a condition for all public office holders not to send their children to any private school at home or abroad if they are to serve.

“There should be a political will to reposition education to the standard it was in the 60s and 70s; the government should give qualitative budget to education and should ensure that it tracks that budget and implements it to achieve what it is meant for; refurbish schools and give good remuneration to

teachers.

“The government should ensure thorough supervision of the system and the teachers for optimum performance.

Also, the government must insist that public officials and civil servants should send their children to the public schools.

That is what is done in Britain and USA, for them to have a stake in public schools.”

The Zonal President of NAPPS, Joseph Nwoke, explained that the programme is to instill professionalism in members, so as to complement the efforts of the government to raise the standard of education in the country.

“One of the challenges as far as we are concerned is

non-recognition of private education providers by the government. In some states, the relationship between the government and the owners of private schools is not healthy.

We want a situation where the government will see private schools as partner in progress.”

On her part, Mmayen Obaigbona told journalists that the essence of the programme was to sensistise members on the need to scale up their performance in providing quality education for Nigerians.

Obaigbona contended that the need to educate NAPPS members on current trends in the sector has become imminent, given the advancement in technology.

L-R: The Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Julius Okojie; the Country Director, British Council, Nigeria, Mrs. Connie Price; and Nigeria’s acting High Commissioner to South Africa, Mr. Martins Cobham, during the world education conference, tagged ‘Going Global 2016’, held in Cape Town, South Africa... recently

Lagos to Launch New Science Policy Soon, Says Commissioner Peace Obi The Lagos State Commissioner for Science and Technology, Mr. Olufemi Odubiyi, has hinted that the state would soon develop a new science policy as part of its commitment to boost students’ interest in science subjects, encourage science research, and for the accelerated growth of the state.

Odubiyi, who said this during a networking cocktail reception held in Lagos by the Finnish Embassy’s Business Promotion Council for the seven key ICT companies from Finland that visited Nigeria to explore business opportunities, disclosed that the new science policy would be introduced next year.

“We are working on a new science policy for the state.

We are at the drafting stage after which it will be taken

to the state executive council for deliberation and then to the State House of Assembly for passage into law.

“We expect it will be out this year. It is very important for the state to have a policy on science and technology. My ministry will ensure the paper works are done before taking it to the exco and the assembly.

The National Policy on Science and Technology will guide the state in coming out with its own policy.”

The commissioner, who met and discussed with the business delegation from Finland, told THISDAY that the state government considers ICT to be critical to the advancement of governance in the state and that given his discussions with the team, he would see how the state could align with the ICT industry players to enable it achieve its

plans of encouraging science research and its application in governance.

While stressing that the dividing line between the developed and the undeveloped countries is the application of science, he said the state is looking at partnering any ICT firm that is involved in science development research.

“If you look at the difference between developing countries and the developed, you will see that what has actually held the gap is the adoption of science.

In my ministry, we are coming up with activities that will help to incite this passion in students from a very young age-from primary to secondary schools; it is one of the things we could actually use to further bring governance to the people.”

Acknowledging a general decline in the number of students enrolling for science subjects in

schools, the commissioner said his ministry is collaborating with the ministry of education to promote Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). “We are coming up with activities that will help catch them young, starting from the primary, secondary schools, as well as at the tertiary level.”

The Ambassador, SuomelaChowdhury told THISDAY that the media has a major role to play in Finland/ Nigeria business relations and recalled that in February 2016, the Deputy Minister for External Economic Relation led a large business delegation to the country.

She added that the seven ICT companies are interested in doing business in Nigeria, saying that a larger group would be in the country in September to explore business opportunities.

Launch and Navigate Your Child’s Learning You may erroneously believe that structured activities outside the school or classroom environment are not of much importance. You couldn’t be more wrong. Research suggests that children pick up some of their most important skills from programmes and activities outside a school’s pedagogical environment. That is why children who do not participate in any extracurricular activity are generally slow and less vibrant.

The learning environment that you enroll your child in outside of his or her school’s activities, must however contribute to the overall development of your child. It must be as disciplined and as functional as that found within the school. This is especially true of educative out-of-school programmes and activities. A well-resourced place of this nature should teach the child important skills like time-management and goal setting.

Time-management is a vital skill, but it is not achieved easily.

Time management is a skill that is learnt and imbibed over a length of time; children need to experience the discipline that is needed to finish a task and the happiness of finishing the allotted work within a specific time span.

Children look for different things in learning settings, be it formal or recreational. Your chosen environment should be attractive, colorful and informative. Teachers or organisers must use charts, pictures, posters and drawings to liven up a class. Age appropriate audio-visual and other sensory aids should also come into play. Additional resources that are not easily available in the school may make your teaching and learning sessions arresting and interesting. For instance, when teaching a biology lesson, allow the child to, for instance: see through a microscope, see slides of bacteria, see live insects and animals (safely). This direct experience with nature adds to his knowledge and also makes him more enthusiastic about his learning.

Discipline should be upheld as a must in school and recreational activities. In fun or sport-based activities, it is easy for children to step out of line and create havoc. While children should be allowed to have fun, they should be curtailed from displaying unacceptable behavior. The best way to practice discipline is to lay down the rules at the very beginning.

Let the children partake in listing out what is unacceptable, right at the beginning. They should also democratically list out penalties for derailments.

Rewards are an important aspect of any learning process. The reward can be a simple pat on the back or a token of appreciation. Motivate your children to aspire for higher attainments by rewarding their achievements. Holding competitions or sport activities where the children can show their proficiency is a reward in itself.

Children do get bored easily during educational and structured programmes. The main thrust of an academic programme is to repeat what has been taught in class and to allow the child to learn it quickly. It is difficult to pique the child’s interest a second time, especially when the child is already tired of one dose of the same lesson. You must quickly tweak boredom by using creative techniques like an impromptu activity like: a quiz, a slideshow or a game.

Omoru writes from the UK

First Black MP to Speak at Oxbridge/ Cambridge Lecture in Lagos Sunday Okobi The country’s education sector will be in the spotlight at the Spring Lecture of the Oxford and Cambridge Club of Nigeria, where the first black female Member of Parliament (MP), Ms. Diane Abbott will deliver a lecture titled ‘Education: Reach for the Stars, Ensuring Access for All.’ At the event, which will hold on May 30, 2016 at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Victoria Island, Lagos, Abbott will bring her wealth of experience in education, socio-economic development and international relations to bear.

In addition to being one of the most recognisable

politicians in the United Kingdom, Abbott is currently the Shadow Secretary of State for International Development.

In 1987, she made history by becoming the first black woman ever elected to the British Parliament.

She has since built a distinguished career as a parliamentarian, broadcaster and commentator. In 2015, she was re-elected to her Hackney North and Stoke Newington Constituency with a landslide majority and in September 2015, she was appointed Shadow Secretary for International Development.

She has been campaigning for issues around global justice, human rights, and peace and security since the beginning of her career.

39

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAYMAY 11, 2016

EDUCATION

Army Begins Repositioning of ‘Insurgency, Influx of IDPs Bane of Education in Bauchi’ Command Secondary Schools He pledged the commitment is a five-year programme, “Bauchi was relatively peaceSegun Awofadeji in Bauchi ful but the aftermath, the effect of the state government towards would strengthen the state’s Nationwide Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja To address personnel-related issues from the foundation and subsequently achieve a professionally responsive army in the discharge of its constitutional roles , the Nigerian Army has vowed to reposition all command secondary schools across the country.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Yusuf Buratai made this known at the inaugural seminar of the Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC) with the theme ‘Repositioning Nigerian Command Schools for Quality Education in the 21st Century’.

To this end, he directed that command secondary schools in Ipaja and Kaduna be used as pilot projects to kick start the dream. He also tasked the NARC to come out with all the requirements that would ensure that the schools are repositioned to compete globally, stressing that the project would continue at regular pace until all the schools attain the required status.

Buratai, who was represented by the Chief of Policy and Plans, Maj-Gen. Jack Ogulewe, said the centre was borne out of a vision for an international centre of repute to provide solutions to defence and security-related issues, with the NA in perspective.

“In global trends, education is geared towards developing an individual to build his/her capacity to enable him/her live effectively and efficiently while contributing to societal advancement and upliftment.”

He noted that there is a relationship between education

and national development on one hand and education and national security on the other hand. “National security in the contemporary terms goes beyond the realistic perspective of protecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of a state to a globalised context where it entails the well-being of the people and their rights and entitlement being provided and protected.

It therefore encompasses economic security and empowerment, education security, food security to mention but a few.”

The army chief explained that education security is all about ensuring that citizens have access to quality education in order to add value anywhere in the world lest they be educationally disenfranchised.

“This is because if we don’t give our children quality education, they will become excluded, vulnerable, disempowered and ill-equipped to face the challenges of the current era while other nations prepare their generation for the 22nd century.

He added that the relationship between education, national security and national development lies in the fact that the provision of quality education would empower more youths to contribute to national development, while poor education leads to inability to contribute to national development.

“When this occurs, such youth becomes frustrated and either engages in kidnapping, assassination, human trafficking, armed robbery and/or militancy thus constituting a nuisance in the society and a threat to national security.”

Mountain Top Varsity Inaugurates Language Lab Sandra Ukele The Mountain Top University, Ogun State recently inaugurated its language laboratory, a vital tool for language studies especially for students of linguistics, liberal studies and mass communication.

The laboratory was unveiled by the General Overseer, Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries Worldwide, Daniel Olukoya.

Speaking at the launch, Professor Emmanuel Adedun of the English Department said “a language course of any type be it English, French, Arabic, Yoruba, Igbo is not complete until there is a language laboratory.

“Remember we are calling it a language laboratory we are not calling it an English Language laboratory or a Yoruba, Igbo or Hausa Language laboratory.

What makes the difference then is the software we are going to put in to aid the studying and learning of whatever language you have in mind.”

He added: “For us we want to use it to teach English Language so people can understand the basic rudiments of the phonetics and phonological structures of the language. This is so that our

teaching of the language will not be theoretical, but practical.

“We want to say that it is really unfortunate that a lot of Nigerian universities teaching English Language today do not have a standard language laboratory. This is where the university is making a difference.”

The Registrar, Mr. Abimbola Bobola stated that there are specialised computers for various language courses, adding, “we have 30 sets of work-station. The language laboratory is a major component of our programme courses and it is a pre-requisite for achieving a first class. The laboratory can be used by all students particularly for their language studies.” Asked why the language laboratory is being provided now, Bobola confirmed that the institution is in its first semester and that the course that would require the use of the laboratory would be done in the second semester which would commence later this month.

“We are now in first semester and the particular course is not available in first semester, but second semester year one. So for now we are just working ahead of time to prepare for the second semester.

The Bauchi State Government has declared that the influx of internally displaced persons (IDPs) affected by insurgents’ activities in the north east has ravaged the education system in the state.

The Deputy Governor and Commissioner for Education, Nuhu Gidado, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Alhaji Nasiru Yelwa, disclosed this in Bauchi during the Northern Education Initiative (NEI) plus state level year one work plan workshop organised by USAID Nigeria, in collaboration with the state ministry of education.

The commissioner said “the north-east sub region has witnessed massive destruction, especially on educational facilities. Any intervention no matter how small is highly welcome.

was visible, because of the large influx of people from neighboring Maiduguri even Plateau, Yobe and Adamawa affected Bauchi directly and indirectly.”

He expressed hope that the recent launch of NEI plus, which is an offshoot of NEI, which terminated last year, would address the problems facing education in the state.

He added that the project is timely and well designed.

On how NEI plus will address educational backwardness in the state, the commissioner said ‘it will be a very progressive thinking because this project is centered on access and reading culture that we are lacking. We want to catch the children young, at their prime called critical learning period. It is a well-directed programme.”

NEI plus adding ‘the large share of 2016 appropriation budget is on education and right now, Governor Abubakar has constituted a high-powered committee to reposition and to overhaul the education sector.

So if there is any sector needing attention in Bauchi, it is education.

In his remarks, the USAID Country Director, Croshellen Harris Hussein, who was represented by NEI plus Project Director, Semerie Solomon, said more than 30 per cent of school age children in northern Nigeria do not have access to basic education, adding, “this is attributed to a combination of cultural attitudes, lack of educational facilities and insecurity as a result of the insurgency.”

He said the NEI plus which

ability to provide quality education especially for girls, orphans and children enrolled in non-traditional schools, as well as improve children’s reading skills.

According to him, the project would focus on building programmatic ownership among federal, state and local government education authorities, as well as increase their commitment to quality early grade reading instruction.

“The project which will be implemented in Bauchi and Sokoto States will use whole child, whole teacher, whole school and whole system approach to address critical supply and demand factors that affect learning, teaching, management, parental participation and responsiveness to children’s needs.”

L-R: The Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Ndufu- Alike, Ikwo FUNAI, Ebonyi State, Prof. Mba Uzoukwu; the state Governor, David Umahi; and the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Chinedu Nwajuba, during the university governing board’s visit to the governor at the Government House, Abakaliki… recently

CBN Staff Renovate School, Etisalat Boosts Primary Education in Northeast with Kits Pledge More for Oyo Ademola Babalola in Ibadan Members of staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Ibadan branch have renovated a block of eight classrooms for Liberty Academy School, Odo-Ona Elewe, Ibadan.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the bank’s controller, Mr. Musibau Olatinwo, said the renovation work carried out in the school was part of the corporate social responsibility of the bank, made possible by the staff who contributed some funds from their entitlements into a pool which is being used to fund projects capable of having immediate positive impact on the host community and by extension the citizenry.

“For instance we donated a borehole and a generating set to the Akinyele Maternity Home in Ojoo, Ibadan, which had no water before then this year.

It may interest you to know that the following renovation work was carried out on the dilapidated old structure such as total replacement of roofing sheets, provision and installation of ceiling, boards, construction

of windows and doors, screeding of the floor and painting of the entire edifice before it got transformed into what we are witnessing at this official commissioning,” Olatinwo added.

The Chairman of the Ibadan CBN Staff CSR Initiatives, Mr. Clement Aigbe, described the old structure as an eyesore and generally inclement for learning, stressing that, renovating the structure was long overdue hence the intervention of the CBN staff. The Head, CSR Abuja, Mr. Adewale Adebiyi, commended his colleagues for the relentless efforts at putting smiles on the faces of the people and impacting positively on the host community.

The Permanent Secretary, of the state ministry of education, Mrs. Aderonke Makanjuola, represented by the Zonal Inspector of Education, Less City Ibadan, Mrs. Christiana Bolaji, said Governor Abiola Ajimobi has been encouraging public private partnership by providing an enabling environment for corporate bodies, NGOs and philanthropists to support government initiatives.

As part of efforts towards achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on education in the country, Etisalat Nigeria, has partnered a non-governmental organisation, Abuja Global Shapers Community and the governments of north-eastern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa to provide free education support to primary school pupils in the states.

The initiative tagged, ‘Community School Support Programme (CSSP)’ comprises the donation of back-to-school kits, including school uniforms and bags, to pupils from 10 primary schools in the states.

This is part of the company’s multi-faceted CSR programme that is committed to giving value to communities through various intervention programmes covering education, health, among others.

The benefitting schools are Yerwa Practising Primary School, Abbaganaram Primary School and Bulumkutu Primary School in Borno State; Katuzu Community School, Gashua, Central Primary School,

Potiskum and Lawan Kawuri Primary School, Geidam, in Yobe State; and Wuro Hausa Primary School, Yola Town, Community School, Demsa and Tudun Wada Primary School, Mayo Belwa in Adamawa State.

Speaking at the formal presentation of the kits to the schools in Maiduguri, Borno State recently, the Vice-President, Regulatory and Corporate Affairs, Etisalat Nigeria, Ibrahim Dikko, said the partnership is intended to enhance ongoing efforts aimed at making basic education available and sustainable.

Dikko, who was represented by the company’s Head, Government and Community Relations, Mohammed Suleh-Yusuf, reiterated its commitment to sustainable development initiatives that impact on the wellbeing of the populace across various sectors.

“Etisalat Nigeria is committed to delivering sustainable community support programmes that will complement public services and extend benefits to the grassroots across Nigeria.

40

T H I S D AY •WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2016

CITYSTRINGS Touching Lives

Acting Features Editor: Charles Ajunwa Email charles.ajunwa@thisdaylive.com

As part of a CSR initiative, Nigerian Breweries Plc recently inaugurated developmental projects in rural communities in Enugu State, writes Christopher Isiguzo

The borehole in Oma-Eke

T

he true meaning of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) came to the fore recently as the top hierarchy of the Nigerian Breweries Plc literary relocated to rural communities of Oma-Eke in Udi and Ogwofia Owo in Ezeagu Local Government Areas of Enugu State for the sole reason of taking developmental initiatives to the people.

Since the company began operations at its Ama Breweries at the 9th Mile Corner Enugu on October 24, 2003, it has made several positive contributions to the overall progress and development of the surrounding communities in Udi and Ezeagu as well as to groups and organisations within the state. Before the latest activities in Oma-Eke and Ogwofia, the company had constructed school blocks, health centres, boreholes, civic centres and ICT centres as well as carried out scholarship and empowerment programmes for indigent students in the state.

Specifically, penultimate week, the company inaugurated water projects and toilet facilities at the Community School, Oma-Eke, classroom blocks at Ogwofia as well as the Nigeria Custom Service Mess within the capital city.

The inauguration of the projects attracted notable leaders of the respective communities who rolled out the drums in celebration of the projects which according to them would go a long way in improving their lives and those of their children.

At the inauguration of the water borehole project and toilet facilities, the Managing Director of the company, Nicolaas Vervelde who was represented by the company's Corporate Affairs Adviser, Kufere Ekanem, said that the project was part of the projects so far executed by the Heineken Africa Foundation which was established in 2007 for the purpose of supporting healthcare, water supply and sanitation in sub-Saharan Africa.

He noted that the implementation of such projects are usually done by the local Heineken operating company which in this case is the NB Plc with 11 locations in the country. He acknowledged the partnership of the Pan African Community Initiative on Education and Health (PACIEH) led by Prof Uche Amazigo. Vervelde noted that the project officially named as HAF 16

water and sanitation for school nutrition aimed at complementing the school's nutrition project.

"The project aims at ensuring availability of potable water as essential component of good health and sanitation," he said, adding that it would also enhance the health of the pupils and teachers.

Also speaking at the inauguration of the school blocks with six classrooms furnished with tables and chairs for all teachers and pupils, a library with work-stations and books with conveniences for all classes, the NB Managing Director said the company would continue to identify and respond positively to the cause of the people through their various corporate social investments in education, environment, water, youth development among others.

He said the company had in 1994 inaugurated the Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund in order to take a more active role in educational and research activities towards the development of education in Nigeria.

"What you see here today is an outcome of this investment. Within Udi council alone, we

What we owe to this company is to make sure that these gifts are well utilised and used to build and develop our children for a better Nigerian society and the world at large

have inaugurated similar school blocks in the past including Nsude, Ngwo Uno, Awhum and Eke communities," he said, noting that the quality of projects they have so far executed showed their commitment towards revitalising education and human capital development in the state.

He commended Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for his positive efforts in the development of education in the state, noting however that since government alone could not carry the entire burden, as a responsible corporate citizen, the company was committed to supporting the state in various sectors. While appreciating the support they received from the Igwe, President-General and the people of Ogwofia community, the principal and teachers throughout the construction work and preparation for the inauguration, Vervelde also urged the teachers and pupils to protect the facilities. He expressed hope that the project would improve the quality of learning and knowledge enhancement for the children.

In their respective responses, major stakeholders in the communities expressed appreciation to the brewery for their corporate social responsibility initiatives which had greatly impacted on the people positively.

The Chairman of the School Board Management Committee of Oma-Eke Community School, Ngwu Ejike and the Head Teacher, Felicia Ike, the principal of Community Secondary School, Ogwofia, Alex Uzodinma, the traditional ruler of Ogwofia, HRH Igwe Tom Inyama, said that the projects were timely as they would go a long way in addressing the accommodation and water needs of not just the students and pupils but the villagers.

Speaking, the principal of the school, Uzodinma, said that the day of the inauguration was remarkable in the history of Community Secondary School Ogwofia Imezi Owo. He disclosed that the school was battling with accommodation problems, which NB Plc has come to solve by constructing “six ultra modern classrooms and well equipped library.

“Ours is now a modern school in a rural environment which for the first time is being experienced in this part of Enugu State. To God be the glory.”

Uzodinma noted that with the NB Plc gesture

they are now indebted to the company.

“What we owe to this company is to make sure that these gifts are well utilised and used to build and develop our children for a better Nigerian society and the world at large,” he said.

He, however, appealed to those present to help the school renovate the dilapidated building overlooking the NB Plc new building, saying that “the building is now dilapidated, cracked, sinking, and is posing a danger to the school and the students.”

Similarly, the traditional ruler of the community, HRH Igwe Tom Inyama thanked NB Plc for the school building.

“You would have seen with your eyes and for yourselves the beautiful and exquisite job done by the multi-national organisation for Ogwofia and her crescent youth. I dare say that whenever we count our successes and our blessings the contributions of Nigerian Breweries Plc to Ogwofia’s well-being will be enacted on a bold page and that page will be written in letters of gold.

“We thank them with all our heart and believe that in their expanded programme of corporate social responsibility they will soon be around with more goodies for our rustic community.

For now, we call on the Holy and omnipotent ruler of the skies to prosper their business so that our shares from their profits will continue to grow in leaps and bounds,” he prayed.

Also speaking, the President General of ODU Ogwofia community, Chief Fred Onwuamaeze said it was a thing of joy that a new page was being opened in the educational sector of the community.

He noted that the new classroom blocks are no doubt among the best classrooms in Ezeagu Local Government Area.

“While thanking you, I am also appealing to NBL to help with other amenities like borehole to enable the students to have water to run these conveniences you have provided here.

“It will equally be good that you provide the community with job opportunities and scholarship as reached in our request. Provision of these things will help the growth of the community.

Be it known to you all that Nigerian Breweries is now a friend to Ogwofia Owo community,”

41

T H I S D AY •WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2016

CITYSTRINGS he said.

On his part, the Transition Committee Chairman of Udi Local Government Area, said the company had been up to the task in delivering on their corporate social responsibility, noting that with the array of projects it had executed in the area in recent years, it was obvious that the company's presence in Enugu State had yielded so much benefits to the people.

He therefore appealed to the state government to continue from where the company had stopped by providing other facilities in the rural schools as that would go a long way in complementing the efforts of corporate organisations.

The traditional ruler of Eke community, Igwe C. H. Onuoha, expressed appreciation to the providers of the project appealing however that the school fence be constructed in order to protect the projets from hoodlums. He also solicited for the renovation of the school's classroom blocks.

In his remarks at the inauguration of Ogwofia community school blocks, the chairman of the Post Primary Schools Management Board (PPSMB), Nestor Ezeme commended the NB for their commitment jn partnering with the state government to boost education in Enugu State, promising to put the classroom blocks to effective use. Ezeme noted that the state was still disposed to tapping further into the company's Education Trust Fund in order to address other areas of needs within the sector in the state.

According to him, infrastructure, quality teaching and learning facilities remained paramount in education. He therefore directed the Chief Supervising Principal of Udi education zone, Vincent Nwarie to post more teachers to the school in order to meet up with their academic requirements.

In a brief speech before inaugurating the school, the Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo who was represented by Mrs. Grace Eneh pledged the readiness of the state government to partner groups and organisations that are committed to assisting in the provision of quality education to the state, noting that government alone could not handle the challenges facing education in the state.

Similarly, the Nigerian Breweries also commissioned the Nigeria Customs Officers' Mess which it constructed and furnished which it noted was not just in fulfillment of an earlier promise but an acknowledgement of the role the service plays in the nation’s economy. The Mess also stands out as one of the concrete benefits of the Nigerian Breweries/Nigeria Customs annual interactive forum aimed at achieving better and mutually beneficial relationship.

Ekanem who read the address of the company's Managing Director at the event which attracted the presence of top government functionaries including Commissioner for Commerce and Industries, Ogbu Nwobodo who represented Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi noted "our relationship with the customs both at headquarters and command levels has continued to get better and stronger. We will continue to work harder to sustain this and take it to even higher levels". He therefore announced that following the approval from the Customs Comptroller General, the 2016 Interactive Forum with the service would take place in Kaduna very soon.

He expressed optimism that the service would continue to see the company as credible partners in their desire to remain major contributors to

It will equally be good that you provide the community with job opportunities and scholarship as reached in our request. Provision of these things will help the growth of the community.

Be it known to you all that Nigerian Breweries is now a friend to Ogwofia Owo community

Mrs. Grace Eneh (middle), inaugurating the Ogwofia school blocks

Ekanem (middle), flagging off the borehole built at Ome-Eke in Udi council

Customs Officers' Mess inaugurated by the Area Commander, Amaka Emmanuel. As Enugu State Commissioner for Commerce and Industries, Ogbu Nwobodo and others watch

the country's economic development.

"Ama Brewery, our flagship contributes the highest revenue to the Customs Service in Enugu/Ebonyi/Anambra Command. While the management of the brewery led by Ethel Emma-Uche will continue to ensure that the lines

are running constantly so that the revenue to the service will remain on the increase, we look up to the service to support our affordability drive by keeping our UCA at a competitive level and ensuring a level playing field in the industry at all times," he stated.

The Customs Area Command, Amaka Emmanuel, expressed delight at the monumental structure pledging the readiness of the service to always partner with the company even as he applauded their corporate social responsibility initiatives in the South-east region.

42

WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2016 T H I S D AY

43

T H I S D AY WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2016

WANTED PERSON CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA www.cbn.gov.ng RE: APPOINTMENT OF INSURANCE COMPANIES/BROKERS FOR THE CBN TO UNDERWRITE INSURANCE POLICIES

The Nigerian Navy wishes to inform members of the public, particularly law enforcement agencies, that one Mr Charles Ekpemefumor AKA Charles Parker whose photograph appears below is declared wanted in connection with the hijack of a vessel, MT MAXIMUS, on 11 February 2016.

ADDENDUM This is to inform the General Public that the Central Bank of Nigeria advertisement with respect to the above appointment is AMENDED as follows: MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS Please NOTE that in addition to the Mandatory Requirements, the under-listed are also required: i)

Evidence of Registration with the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN);

ii)

Evidence of Registration on the BPP National Database of Contractors, Consultants and Service Providers.

ALL OTHER DETAILS EARLIER PUBLISHED REMAIN VALID.

SIGNED: MANAGEMENT

Anyone who has information about the whereabout of Mr Charles Ekpemefumor AKA Charles Parker should contact the Naval Provost Marshal, Naval Headquarters, Area 7, Garki Abuja on 08024099534, 08033385423, 08187202040, the nearest Naval establishment or Police unit.

Signed: Director of Information for Chief of the Naval Staff

44

WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2016 T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2016

45

46

WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2016 T H I S D AY

Call to Glory

Mrs. Louisa Eni Umukoro 1960-2016 With heavy heart and total submission to the will of God, we the Committee of friends wish to announce the sudden death of our beloved friend and colleague which sad event took place on the 21st April, 2016 in Abuja.

The burial arrangement is as follows; May 11th: Service of Songs at Mechatronic Plaza, Ihama Road, GRA, Benin City; May 12th: Viewing\Last respect/funeral Service @ 7.00a.m.- 8.45a.m 5 Boundary Road, Image Garden, GRA, Benin-city, Edo State.

Interment - House 5, Iyekogba Estate, Ogba, Benin-City, Edo State.

Courtesy: Committee of Friends

T H I S D AY WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2016

47

48

WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2016 • T H I S D AY

INTERNATIONAL

email:foreigndesk@thisdaylive.com

Repair Crew to Assess Canada’s Wildfire Damage

Zacheaus Somorin with agency reports

Repair crews were expected to assess wildfire damage to the Canadian energy boomtown of Fort McMurray, as the oil sands companies surrounding the ravaged city looked at bringing production back on line.

Political leaders got their first glimpse of the city on Monday since wildfire forced 88,000 residents to flee for safety. Alberta Premier

Rachel Notley said they were encouraged by how much of it escaped destruction, estimating almost 90 percent of its buildings were saved.

But the tour also revealed scenes of utter devastation, with blocks of homes reduced to blackened foundations, front steps and metal barbecues.

Notley said 2,400 structures had burned within the city while almost 25,000 were saved.

The fire, expected to

grow further on Tuesday, ravaged some 204,000 hectares (504,000 acres) of Alberta. But it also moved far enough away from the evacuated town to allow an official delegation to visit on Monday.

Officials warned it was not safe for residents to return, with parts still smoldering and large areas without power, water and gas. Notley said repair crews will have weeks of work ahead of them to make the city safe.

US Sails Warship Near South China Sea A United States navy warship sailed close to a disputed reef in the South China Sea yesterday, a US Department of Defense official said, prompting anger in Beijing which denounced the patrol as illegal and a threat to peace and stability.

Guided missile destroyer, the USS William P. Lawrence travelled within 12 nautical miles of Chinese-occupied Fiery Cross Reef, Defense Department spokesman, Bill Urban said. The so-called freedom of navigation operation was undertaken to“challenge excessive maritime claims”by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam which were seeking to restrict navigation rights in the South China Sea, he said.

“These excessive maritime claims are inconsistent with international law as reflected in the Law of the Sea Convention in that they purport to restrict the navigation rights that

the United States and all states are entitled to exercise,”Urban said in an emailed statement.

Beijing and Washington have traded accusations that the other is militarising the South China Sea as China undertakes large-scale land reclamations and construction on disputed features while the United States has increased its patrols and exercises in the region.

Facilities on Fiery Cross Reef include a 3,000-metre (10,000foot) runway and Washington is concerned China will use it to press its extensive territorial claims at the expense of weaker rivals.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said the U.S. ship illegally entered Chinese waters and was tracked and warned.

“This action by the U.S. side threatened China’s sovereignty and security interests, endangered the staff and facilities on the reef, and

damaged regional peace and stability,”he told a daily news briefing.

China claims most of the South China Sea, through which $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also have overlapping claims.

The Pentagon last month called on China to reaffirm it has no plans to deploy military aircraft in the disputed Spratly Islands after Beijing used a military plane to evacuate sick workers from Fiery Cross.

“Fiery Cross is sensitive because it is presumed to be the future hub of Chinese military operations in the South China Sea, given its already extensive infrastructure, including its large and deep port and 3000-metre runway,” said Ian Storey, a South China Sea expert at Singapore’s ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute.

North Korean Leader Caps Rare Congress with Colourful Mass Rally Thousands of ecstatic North Koreans joined a mass rally and parade yesterday as leader Kim Jong Un capped off the consolidation of his power at a ruling party congress at which he formalized its claim to be a nuclear weapons power.

Kim used the party congress, the first in 36 years, to highlight North Korea’s aim to expand its nuclear arsenal, in defiance of U.N. sanctions, though he said the weapons would only be used if North Korea was threatened with similar weapons.

Kim also set out a five-year plan to revive his isolated country’s creaking economy, although it was short on targets, and the party enshrined Kim’s“Byongjin” policy of simultaneous pursuit of nuclear weapons and economic development.

“Under the authorization of Workers’ Party Chairman Kim Jong Un, the Central Committee sends the warmest greetings to the people and soldiers who concluded the 70-day battle with the greatest of victory and glorified the Congress as an auspicious event,” Kim Yong Nam, the titular head of state, told the rally under overcast skies in the capital’s Kim Il Sung Square.

North Korea had been engaged in a 70-day campaign

of accelerated productivity in the run-up to the Workers’ Party congress, including sprucing-up the capital, a grueling exercise that left many people exhausted, Western residents said.

But there was no sign of that at yesterday’s rally, where thousands shouted “manse!”, or “live forever!” while clasping their hands in the air or waving pink flowers as they passed before Kim and other top officials on a leaders’ platform.

Kim, 33, had traded the western-style suit he wore at the four-day congress for the more traditional uniform of North Korean leaders, a dark jacket buttoned to the collar.

He smiled and waved at the crowd and chatted with military and party aides, state media footage showed.

Kim’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, who was formally elected by the congress to the party’s Central Committee, stood next to him for some of the time.

The young leader Kim, who assumed power in 2011 after his father’s death, took on the new title of party chairman on Monday. The promotion - his previous party title was first secretary - had been predicted by analysts who had expected Kim would use the congress to further shore up his power.

Among other changes at the congress, a former army Chief of General Staff who South Korean media had reported had been purged and executed, was elected alternate member of the party Politburo and a member of the powerful Central Military Commission.

The first congress since 1980 was seen by North Korea-watchers as a move to restore the central role of the party while diluting the political role of the military.

Old rival South Korea denounced North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, seeing little cause for optimism in a conciliatory gesture Kim made on the weekend when he said military talks were needed with the South to discuss ways to ease tension.

South Korea President Park Geun-hye said the North showed no sign of willingness to change but only made “preposterous claims about being a nuclear weapons state”.

The two Koreas remain in a technical state of war since their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty. North Korea regularly threatens the South and its major ally, the United States, which it accuses of planning a nuclear attack.

The assessment by officials came a few hours after insurance experts revised sharply downward their estimates of the cost of damage from the blaze, which began on May 1.

Cooler weather, which has helped firefighters battling the blaze, wa s e x p e c t e d t o l i n g e r t h ro u g h T h u r s d ay, a c cording to Environment Canada. Still, much of Alberta is tinder-box dry after a mild winter and

wa r m s p r i n g .

Fort McMurray is the center of Canada’s oil sands region. About half of its crude output, or 1 million barrels per day, has been taken offline, according to a Reuters estimate.

Oil sands companies, which have high fixed costs, are expected to work as quickly as possible to get production back online, but face the challenge of many staff and suppliers being displaced

by the evacuation.

In one encouraging sign for industry, Royal Dutch Shell Plc said on Monday it restarted production at a reduced rate at its Albian oil sands mining operation in Alberta, adding it plans to fly staff in and out.

But Imperial Oil said late on Monday completed a controlled shutdown of its Kearl oil sands mining project, blaming the uncertainties associated with logistics.

Clinton, Sanders Face off in West Virginia Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are facing off again in West Virginia.

Clinton, a former secretary of state and U.S. senator from New York, has a commanding lead in the pledged delegates needed to clinch her party’s nomination for the November 8 election to succeed Democratic President Barack Obama.

The outcome in West Virginia, where only 29 delegates are at stake and opinion polls show Sanders with a slight lead, is unlikely to alter the course of the Democratic race.

But Clinton’s battle with Sanders, who defied pollsters to win in Indiana last week, has become a

source of gloating for Trump.

The New York real estate developer has taunted Clinton in recent days by saying she“can’t close the deal” with Sanders, her only rival since February 1. Clinton has said she will ignore Trump’s personal insults and instead criticize his policy pronouncements.

Clinton apologised in West Virginia last week after being confronted by angry voters for her remark in March that she would “put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business” with her plans to increase renewable energy sources.

She said her comment had been taken out of context and that she wanted to help retrain people who worked in the industry, one of the state’s biggest employers.

Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont, has reminded his supporters at crowded rallies that most polls show him beating Trump by a larger margin than does Clinton.

A win would bolster his decision to keep fighting for votes through June 7, when nearly 700 delegates are at stake, including 475 in California where Sanders is now focusing his efforts.

49

WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016 • T H I S D AY

INTERNATIONAL

Brazil’s President Takes Impeachment Fight to Supreme Court Brazilian President, Dilma Rousseff, took her battle to survive impeachment to the Supreme Court yesterday, in a last-ditch attempt to stay in office a day before the Senate is expected to vote to try her for breaking budget laws. Attorney General Eduardo Cardozo, the government’s top lawyer, asked the Supreme Court to annul impeachment proceedings, his office said.

Earlier in the day, the acting speaker of the lower house of Congress withdrew his controversial decision to annul last month’s impeachment vote in the chamber. That meant Cardozo’s appeal to the highest court may be the president’s best hope of stopping the process from moving forward.

Speaker Eduardo Maranhao withdrew his surprise decision on Tuesday, following complaints that it was illegal, clearing the way for a Senate vote on Wednesday to go ahead as planned.

If a simple majority agrees to put her on trial, Rousseff will be suspended from office on Thursday, leaving Vice President Michel Temer in power for up to six months during her trial.

If Rousseff were convicted and removed definitively,Temer would stay in the post until elections in 2018.

With the prospect looming of an end to 13 years of rule by Rousseff’s leftist Workers Party (PT), anti-impeachment protesters blocked roads with burning tires

in demonstrations in Sao Paulo, the capital Brasilia and other cities, snarling morning traffic. The PT and labour unions have called for a national strike to resist what they call a“coup”against democracy.

“President Dilma is determined to defend the Constitution because she was elected by the people and she will appeal to the Senate, the Supreme Court and Brazilian society,”Labour Minister Miguel Rossetto told reporters.

The legality of Rousseff’s imminent removal from office was questioned by the secretary general of the Organization of American States, Luis Almagro, who said he would seek the legal opinion of the Inter-American Human Rights Court.

Maranhao’s surprise decision on Monday threw Brazilian markets into disarray and threatened to drag out a painful political crisis with a constitutional standoff that could have ended up at the Supreme Court. Brazil’s currency, the real, strengthened 1 percent and the benchmark Bovespa stock index .BVSP rose 2 percent - reflecting investor hopes that a more market-friendly government will soon take over the recession-hit country under Temer, who is forming a cabinet with pro-business figures.

In a statement to the Senate, Maranhao did not cite any reason for backtracking on his decision to annul due to“procedural flaws” the lower house’s April 17 vote.

The vote had overwhelmingly

recommended that the Senate try Rousseff.

Maranhao, a little known politician before taking over last week after the removal of Eduardo Cunha for obstruction of a corruption investigation, faces expulsion from his centre-right Progressive Party, which supports Rousseff’s impeachment.

Senate President Renan Calheiros said Monday that Maranhao was“playing with democracy”and vowed the Senate would press ahead with Wednesday’s vote. It is expected to take place at about 8 p.m. (2300 GMT) at the end of

an all-day session of speeches.

Rousseff’s opponents have more than the 41 votes needed to launch her trial in the upper chamber, and they are confident they can muster two-thirds of the 81 senators, or 54, to unseat the unpopular president at the end of a trial that can last up to six months.

If she loses Wednesday’s vote, Rousseff will be served notice by the Senate on Thursday, at which point the suspended president must vacate the presidential palace.

She can continue to live in the presidential residence during

the trial. Temer would step in as interim president as soon as she is given notice.

The impeachment process comes as Brazil is mired in its worst recession since the 1930s and shaken by the country’s biggest ever corruption scandal - which have paralysed Rousseff’s second-term administration.

Rousseff has steadfastly denied committing any impeachable crime and has vowed to fight impeachment by all means legally possible. She has dismissed calls for her resignation.

The impeachment process is

unfolding as investigators pursue a separate, long-running probe into a vast kickback scheme at state-run oil company Petrobras (PETR4.SA: Quote).“Operation Carwash”has ensnared dozens of top politicians and jailed chief executives from Brazil’s biggest construction firms for paying billions in bribes to lock up bloated building contracts.

The political crisis has hit at a time when Brazil would want to be shining on the world stage, as it prepares to host the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in August.

Bangladesh Hangs Islamist Leader for Rape,1971 Genocide Bangladesh has hanged Islamist party leader, Motiur Rahman Nizami, for genocide and other crimes committed during the 1971 war of independence from Pakistan, the law minister said, a punishment that risked provoking an angry reaction from his supporters.

Nizami, head of the Jamaate-Islami party, was hanged at Dhaka Central jail just after midnight, Law Minister Anisul Haq told Reuters, after the Supreme Court rejected his final plea against a death sentence imposed by a special tribunal for genocide, rape and orchestrating the massacre of top intellectuals during the war.

Nizami, 73, a former legislator and minister during opposition leader Khaleda Zia’s last term as prime minister, was sentenced to death in 2014. Hundreds of people flooded the streets of the capital, Dhaka, to cheer the executions.“We have waited for this day for a long 45 years,” said war veteran Akram Hossain.

“Justice has finally been served.”

But the war crimes tribunal set up by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2010 has sparked violence and drawn criticism from opposition politicians, including leaders of Jamaate-Islami, that it is victimising Hasina’s political opponents.

Thousands of extra police and

border guards were deployed in Dhaka and other major cities. Previous similar judgements and executions have triggered violence that killed around 200 people, mainly Jamaat activists and police. Five opposition politicians, including four Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, have been executed since late 2013 after being convicted by the tribunal.

Jamaat-e-Islami, which has said the charges against Nizami were baseless, called for a nationwide strike on Wednesday in protest. Calling Nizami a ‘martyr’, it said he was deprived of justice and made a victim of a political vendetta.

About 3 million people were killed, the government says, and thousands of women were raped during the 1971 war in which some factions, including the Jamaat-e-Islami, opposed the break from what was then

called West Pakistan.

The party denies that its leaders committed any atrocities. International human rights groups say the tribunal’s procedures fall short of international standards.

The government denies the accusations. The execution comes as the Muslim-majority nation suffers a surge in militant violence in which atheist bloggers, academics, religious minorities and foreign aid workers have been killed.

In April alone, five people, including a university teacher, two gay activists and a Hindu, were hacked to death by suspected Islamist militants.

International human rights groups say a climate of intolerance in Bangladeshi politics has both motivated and provided cover for perpetrators of crimes of religious hatred.

Zambian Police Arrest Four Suspects for Ritual Murders Zambia police yesterday arrested four suspects in connection with a string of grisly ritual murders in the southern African nation’s capital that triggered anti-foreign riots targeting mostly Rwandan migrants in April.

The arrested suspects are two army soldiers, a civilian employee of the Zambian Air Force and a traditional doctor, police said. They were to appear in court Tuesday afternoon charged with seven counts of murder.

“All the murders which the accused have been charged with were committed in a similar manner by crushing the left side

of the head, removing body parts and later dumping the deceased near their homes,” police said in a statement.

Police said in April that the victims had ears, hearts and genitals removed, raising suspicion of ritual killings. Human body parts are sometimes used in traditional remedies and concoctions in southern Africa. The practice is linked to witchcraft beliefs.

Zambia hosts thousands of refugees from neighbouring countries, especially Rwanda and Burundi, but relations between the communities are usually peaceful.

PUBLIC NOTICE

FROT FOUNDATION FOR HUMANITARIAN WORKS

T 1990.

HE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED FOUNDATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART "C" OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. MR. FRANCIS OSILAMAH MOMOH 2. MRS. REGINA OMOZOBA MOMOH 3. GBOLADE FADEJIMI ADEWOLE 4. MOPELOLA ABUDU 5. INALEGWU OCHOJILA THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE: 1. TO PROVIDE SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT SERVICES TO THE POOR AND ESTABLISH ECONOMIC SELF-EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMMES FOR INDIGENT YOUTHS, WOMEN AND OTHER LESS-PRIVILEGED MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY 2. TO RENDER ASSISTANCE AND RELIEF TO DISASTER VICTIMS IN NIGERIA AND BEYOND 3. TO PROVIDE MENTORSHIP AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE YOUTH 4. TO PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: UCHE ALLISON ESQ 08034004988

50

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

Sterling Bank’s Share Price Rises as Lender Distances Self from Slush Deals Nume Ekeghe Sterling Bank Plc’s shares were the toast of the stock market yesterday, as investors rallied the lender’s clarification over the recent issue involving the institution and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

In a statement to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Sterling Bank affirmed that it did not hold account for “the public officer from the previous administration to which this matter (EFCC visit to the bank) has been linked either officially or otherwise”.

Some reports – most especially online, had linked last week investigative visit by the EFCC to the bank to the slush political dealings involving former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, generally known as Diezanigate.

EFCC had also been investigating diversion of arms funds, otherwise known as Dasukigate, named after the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd).

Sterling Bank explained that while the reason for the visit by the EFCC last Wednesday was not immediately clear, it has now been confirmed that the investigation is related to the banking relationship of a non-bank financial institution that is a client of Sterling Bank Plc. “We affirm for the public records that the bank does not hold the account of the public officer from the previous administration to which this matter has been linked either officially or otherwise; the non-bank financial institution (Asset Management Company) in question purchased a number of loans on a recourse basis from Sterling Bank Plc on commercially acceptable terms and this is the link of the concern raised by the EFCC to Sterling Bank Plc,” Sterling Bank stated.

The lender’s share price rose by 4.91 per cent yesterday, the eighth highest percentage gain within the five-hour trading session. Sterling Bank’s share price closed at N1.71. The gain

by Sterling Bank helped the banking sector to a positive close in a market overwhelmed by losses by several highly capitalised stocks.

Analysts at Afrinvest Securities stated that the gains by Sterling Bank and two other banksDiamond Bank and Zenith Bank, were largely responsible for the extended bullish run of the NSE Banking Index, which rose by 0.6 per cent.

Meanwhile, Sterling Bank according to the statement to the local bourse, gave assurance to the investing public that it had commissioned a review of the compliance procedures of its non–bank financial institution clients with the aim of strengthening this area of its operations while in the interim, the bank will not accept any new non-bank financial institution relationships.

“We thank our numerous partners for their support and assure you that the bank remains a compliant institution that continues to conduct its business within the ambit of the law,” Sterling Bank stated.

AshakaCem Independent Power Plant to Gulp $100m Dele Ogbodo in Abuja The Chairman, AshakaCem Plc, a subsidiary of LafargeHolcim, Mr. Suleiman Yahyah, on Tuesday said the company’s new independent power plant, presently under construction will gulp $100 million for its completion.

The ongoing project expected to meet the company’s energy needs, he said will utilise the abundant coal resources located in Akko community of Gombe state, stressing that the project which is designed in two phases will be completed before the end of 2017.

Yahyah said: “The plant will be located within our Akko plant will give Ashaka 100 percent of its energy needs and the surplus will be sold to the grid and given some to the communities within.”

The chairman made the disclosure at the company’s 41st annual general meeting, held in Abuja, adding that the first

phase of the project which has already commenced will cost $40 million, while the second phase will gulp $60 million.

On the N336 million dividend, he said the shareholders of the company have unanimously endorsed a dividend payment of 15 kobo on every ordinary share issue for the 2015 financial year, adding that the dividends will be paid to shareholders out of retained earnings from the pioneer profit in line with relax tax laws.

According the result of the dividend was achieved in a challenging global and national economic climate.

“We made N2.7 billion as profit after tax in 2015. The climate is currently tough but we are counting n the resilience which saw us the last quarter to propel us to better results in 2016,” he said While thanking government for tackling the security challenges in the area, he said: “We have to thank the government

for bringing peace to the community and secondly we have to thank the community for aligning with and supporting us at difficult times.

“We have to also thank our distributors and shareholders for all the support that they have given us in our most difficult times. Now we have seen enough of roll out of infrastructure project and enough of commitment to changing Nigeria, which will give Ashaka and LafargeHolcim, new momentum to take advantage of this emerging opportunity.

In a remark, the Company’s Managing Director, Mr. Rabiu Abdullahi, said: “Our company continues to be mindful of its partnership with host communities to our facilities.

Our commitment to various community development projects is already making positive impact on the local communities and we will not relent on our efforts.”

Elumelu Advocates Inclusive Devt in East Africa Obinna Chima The United Bank for Africa (UBA) which operates in 19 African countries, New York, London and Paris has committed to deploy more resources to its East African subsidiaries in Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya.

Indications to the effect emerged yesterday during separate meetings in Kampala, Uganda by the UBA Group Chairman Mr. Tony Elumelu, with President Yoweri Museveni and Governor of the Central Bank of Uganda, Mr. Emmanuel Tumusiime-Mutebile.

Elumelu was accompanied by the Chairman of UBA Uganda Dr. Eric Adriko and other members of the Board of UBA Uganda.

The bank explained in a statement yesterday that it recognises the increasing importance

of Africa to its growth and diversification strategy. It will further enhance the capacity of the UBA subsidiaries in financing development initiatives in the region.

“We are deeply committed to the markets in which we operate and have established a strong track record of supporting critical infrastructure and other development initiatives that drive inclusive growth and job creation ” said the UBA Group Chairman.

He informed the President and Central Bank Governor of the Group Board approval to boost the operating capital of its East African subsidiaries, including UBA Uganda.

“This move will strengthen their capacity to explore and finance emerging opportunities in the entire region. East Africa is a good investment destination

for the UBA Group,” Elumelu added.

On his part, the Governor of the Central Bank of Uganda said: “I have every confidence in UBA,” just as the statement disclosed that President Museveni indicated that the Ugandan government would be pleased to work with UBA on collections and other mutually beneficial areas in infrastructure financing and mobile payments when he met with the banks Board at the Presidential palace in Entebbe.

“Though the protracted weakness in commodity prices has impacted many African economies, the UBA Group remains optimistic especially as governments of various African countries embark on macro economic reforms to stabilise and diversify their respective economies,” it added.

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

FEBRUARY 2016 Broad Money (M2)

20,489,166.72

-- Narrow Money (M1)

9,095,578.34

---- Currency Outside Banks

1,377,483.11

---- Demand Deposits

7,682,095.23

-- Quasi Money

11,429,588.38

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

5,471,351.78

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

15,017,814.94

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

22,414,322.75

---- Credit to Government (Net)

3,424,029.62

---- Memo: Credit to Govt. (Net) less FMA

4,807,604.55

---- Memo: Fed. and Mirror Accounts (FMA)

-1,383,574.93

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

18,990,293.13

--Other Assets Net

-7,396,507.81

Reserve Money (Base Money)

5,095,380.23

--Currency in Circulation

1,711,623.51

--Banks Reserves

3,383,756.72 • Source - CBN

MANAGED FUNDS Initial Price (N) Stanbic Balanced Fund

Buying Price(N)

Selling Price

1,660.29

1,685.29

Stanbic IBTC NEF

1,000.00

11,002.32

11,326.67.11

Stanbic SIBond

20

120.47

120.47

Stanbic IBTC Ethical

1

1.10

1.13

Stanbic IBTC GIF

142.90

143.38

UBA Balanced Fund

1.2563

1.2493

UBA Bond Fund

1.3443

1.3443

UBA Equity Fund

0.8205

0.8074

UBA Money Market Fund

1.1510

1.1510

ARM Aggressive Growth Fund

N13.0544

N13.4480

ARM Discovery Fund

N288.2515

N296.9425

ARM Ethical Fund

N22.5268

N23.2060

ARM Money Market Fund

13.1030 (Yield % ) • Monetary Policy Rate - 13%

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS AT MONDAY 9, MAY 2016 The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $40.76 a barrel on Monday, compared with $40.55 the previous Friday, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

The new OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Oriente (Ecuador), Minas (Indonesia), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Qatar SOURCE: OPEC headquarters, Vienna

51

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2016

Nigeria’s top 50 stocks based on market fundamentals

9-May-16

6-May-16

% Change

Capitalisation

EPS

P/E

P/S

Div. Yld

Price/ Book Value

01 Dangote Cement Plc

168.00

168.00

0.00%

2,862,805,244,040.00

10.64

15.79

5.82

4.76%

4.44

02 Nigerian Brew. Plc.

116.70

115.08

1.41%

925,326,073,629.60

5.37

21.74

3.35

3.08%

5.43

03 Nestle Nigeria Plc.

690.00

690.00

0.00%

546,932,813,880.00

29.95

23.04

3.62

4.20%

14.39

04 Guaranty Trust Bank Plc.

18.00

17.47

3.03%

529,761,226,032.00

3.38

5.33

2.31

9.83%

1.28

05 Zenith Bank Plc

13.75

13.15

4.56%

431,701,789,557.50

3.37

4.09

1.00

13.09%

0.73

06 Lafarge Africa Plc.

71.50

71.50

0.00%

325,675,479,415.00

5.93

12.06

1.22

4.20%

1.85

219.26

219.92

-0.30%

285,582,006,643.78

4.45

49.29

2.29

1.57%

6.17

14.51

14.50

0.07%

266,251,988,129.65

1.39

10.42

0.52

4.27%

0.71

340.00

340.00

0.00%

188,125,506,420.00

23.48

14.48

1.67

4.68%

0.67

10 Guinness Nig Plc

95.00

95.00

0.00%

143,059,377,860.00

0.78

122.06

2.87

0.00%

3.20

11 Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc

14.15

14.50

-2.41%

141,500,000,000.00

2.04

6.95

1.20

0.71%

1.26

12 Unilever Nigeria Plc.

35.54

32.24

10.24%

134,458,348,725.00

0.32

112.77

2.27

0.14%

16.80

13 FBN Holdings Plc

3.60

3.50

2.86%

129,223,054,051.20

0.42

8.53

0.26

4.17%

0.22

14 Access Bank Plc.

4.28

4.20

1.90%

123,811,718,580.68

2.28

1.88

0.37

12.85%

0.34

15 United Bank for Africa Plc

3.40

3.40

0.00%

123,350,389,494.80

1.64

2.07

0.39

17.65%

0.37

16 7-Up Bottling Comp. Plc.

145.00

145.00

0.00%

92,885,602,635.00

11.12

13.04

1.19

1.52%

3.87

17 P Z Cussons Nigeria Plc.

20.62

20.62

0.00%

81,871,236,667.90

1.10

18.79

1.13

6.30%

1.95

18 Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc

5.80

5.79

0.17%

69,600,000,000.00

0.96

6.03

0.69

8.62%

1.20

19 International Breweries Plc.

20.00

20.00

0.00%

65,884,985,600.00

0.64

31.29

3.56

1.25%

5.47

20 Flour Mills Nig. Plc.

23.40

22.34

4.74%

61,407,150,175.80

1.84

12.71

0.19

8.55%

0.60

21 Julius Berger Nig. Plc.

43.00

43.00

0.00%

56,760,000,000.00

1.85

23.26

0.42

3.49%

2.34

155.09

155.09

0.00%

55,924,719,183.58

13.51

11.48

0.87

4.64%

3.64

4.56

4.55

0.22%

54,877,862,156.64

0.50

9.12

0.10

16.45%

0.35

152.00

157.00

-3.18%

51,607,319,224.00

11.92

12.75

0.25

9.21%

3.18

25 Sterling Bank Plc.

1.63

1.64

-0.61%

46,928,381,545.38

0.36

4.56

0.43

5.52%

0.49

26 Transnational Corporation Of Nigeria Plc

1.12

1.05

6.67%

43,367,517,116.00

0.05

21.35

1.06

0.00%

0.50

27 U A C N Plc.

18.60

18.01

3.28%

35,728,077,598.20

2.70

6.89

0.49

5.38%

0.48

28 Presco Plc

35.70

35.70

0.00%

35,700,000,000.00

3.28

10.89

3.14

0.28%

1.59

29 Diamond Bank Plc

1.47

1.40

5.00%

34,045,771,782.96

0.24

6.02

0.16

0.00%

0.16

30 Fidelity Bank Plc

1.17

1.13

3.54%

33,886,225,259.64

0.48

2.44

0.23

13.68%

0.18

15.64

16.46

-4.98%

29,375,079,905.60

3.21

4.88

0.87

8.31%

2.84

0.75

0.77

-2.60%

28,930,849,560.75

0.06

12.43

0.63

0.00%

0.63

33 Okomu Oil Palm Plc.

29.11

29.11

0.00%

27,768,320,100.00

2.76

10.55

2.85

0.34%

2.30

34 Cap Plc

38.50

38.50

0.00%

26,950,000,000.00

2.49

15.49

3.82

2.99%

17.73

35 Glaxo Smithkline Consumer Nig. Plc.

20.36

21.43

-4.99%

24,348,045,295.68

0.81

25.23

0.79

1.47%

1.85

36 Custodian And Allied Insurance Plc

3.79

3.80

-0.26%

22,292,265,299.05

0.71

5.31

0.75

3.69%

0.86

37 National Salt Co. Nig. Plc

8.38

8.17

2.57%

22,202,293,607.64

0.79

10.54

1.37

6.56%

3.13

38 Mansard Insurance Plc

2.03

2.13

-4.69%

21,315,000,000.00

0.16

12.82

1.29

2.46%

1.22

39 FCMB Group Plc.

1.03

0.99

4.04%

20,396,792,104.43

0.24

4.28

0.13

9.71%

0.13

40 Skye Bank Plc

1.03

0.99

4.04%

14,296,710,452.30

0.85

1.21

0.10

29.13%

0.10

41 Honeywell Flour Mill Plc

1.57

1.50

4.67%

12,450,410,323.06

0.14

11.11

0.25

10.19%

0.58

42 Continental Reinsurance Plc

1.03

1.03

0.00%

10,683,926,641.36

0.21

4.99

0.54

11.65%

0.69

43 Cement Co. Of North.Nig. Plc

6.67

6.99

-4.58%

8,382,040,699.22

0.96

6.98

0.64

1.50%

0.83

44 Unity Bank Plc

0.66

0.66

0.00%

7,714,963,041.72

0.54

1.22

0.12

0.00%

0.09

45 UACN Property Development Co. Limited

4.20

4.20

0.00%

7,218,749,979.00

1.81

2.32

0.64

16.67%

0.22

46 Wapic Insurance Plc

0.50

0.50

0.00%

6,691,369,126.00

0.10

5.16

0.94

6.00%

0.45

47 Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc

3.90

3.80

2.63%

6,334,453,125.00

0.33

11.78

0.75

5.13%

1.04

48 Resort Savings & Loans Plc

0.50

0.50

0.00%

5,664,866,202.00

4.68

0.11

0.02

0.00%

1.89

49 AIICO Insurance Plc.

0.81

0.79

2.53%

5,613,465,628.80

0.28

2.93

0.17

6.17%

0.58

50 Fidson Healthcare Plc

2.13

2.03

4.93%

3,195,000,000.00

0.50

4.29

0.39

2.35%

0.51

07 Forte Oil Plc. 08 Ecobank Transnational Incorporated 09 Seplat Petroleum Dev. Co. Ltd.

22 Mobil Oil Nig Plc. 23 Oando Plc 24 Total Nigeria Plc.

31 Cadbury Nigeria Plc. 32 Wema Bank Plc.

TOTAL

8,289,864,466,495.92

TOTAL MARKET CAP

8,884,454,462,515.60

% OF MARKET CAP Annotation - MA* = Simple Moving Average

93.31%

Table 1 Market Statistics Mkt Indicators

Open 6-May-16

NSE All Share Index NSE Market Cap (N'Trillion)

25,701.60 8.84

25,828.30 8.88

0.49 0.49

105.61 8.22

106.47 8.29

0.81 0.81

Thisday BGL 50 Index Thisday BGL 50 Market Cap (N'Trillion)

Close 9-May-16

Change %

Table 3 Top 5 Gainers Stock

Open 6-May-16

Unilever Nigeria Plc. Transnational Corporation Of Nigeria Plc Diamond Bank Plc Fidson Healthcare Plc Flour Mills Nig. Plc.

Close Change 9-May-16 %

32.24 1.05

35.54 1.12

10.24 6.67

1.40 2.03 22.34

1.47 2.13 23.40

5.00 4.93 4.74

Table 4 Top 5 Losers Stock

Open 6-May-16

Glaxo Smithkline Consumer Nig. Plc. Cadbury Nigeria Plc. Mansard Insurance Plc Cement Co. Of North.Nig. Plc Total Nigeria Plc.

Close Change 9-May-16 %

21.43

20.36

-4.99

16.46 2.13 6.99 157.00

15.64 2.03 6.67 152.00

-4.98 -4.69 -4.58 -3.18

Market Index further appreciates by 0.49% Market pulse on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) today – Monday, May 9, 2016 ended on a positive note as the market again closed green as strategic positioning continues. This was further highlighted by positive performances from the NSE Sub sectors; Banking, Consumer Goods and Insurance (Save Oil & Gas). Trading activities increased in volume as 559.96 million shares worth N6.44 billion in 3,655 deals exchanged hands today. This is a notable increase from the 181.11 million shares worth N1.17 billion in 3,710 deals carried out on Friday. Topping in volume terms was Access Bank Plc, Transnational Corporation Of Nigeria Plc and United Bank for Africa Plc, while Access Bank Plc and Nigerian Breweries Plc ended trading as the most active stocks in value terms.

The All Share Index (NSEASI) closed positive with 0.54% (+126.70) increase to 25,828.30 from 25,701.60 the previous trading day. Market Capitalization appreciated in tandem to N8.88 trillion from N8.84 trillion of prior trading day.

Similarly, the Thisday BGL 50 Index followed suit with a greater increase of 0.81% to close at 106.47 from 105.61 the previous trading day, while its market capitalization stood at N8.29 trillion from N8.22 trillion of the previous trading day.

A total number of 28 stocks gained on the bourse today while 20 stocks declined, leaving 50 stocks unchanged. Unilever Nigeria Plc emerged the toast of investors as it topped the Thisday BGL 50 Index gainers’ list with a gain of 10.24% to close at N35.54 per share. It was followed by Transnational Corporation Of Nigeria Plc with a gain of 6.67% to close at N1.12 per share. Others on the gainers list include; Diamond Bank Plc, Fidson Healthcare Plc and Flour Mills Nig. Plc, while on the decliners’ list; Glaxo Smithkline Consumer Nig. Plc led with a loss of 4.99% to close at N20.36 per share. It was followed by Cadbury Nigeria Plc with a loss of 4.98% to close at N15.64 per share. Others on the losers list include: Mansard Insurance Plc, Cement Co. Of North.Nig. Plc and Total Nigeria Plc. REQUIRED DISCLOSURE This report has been prepared by BGL Plc. BGL Plc does and seeks to do business with companies covered in its research reports. As a result, the firm may have a conflict of interest that could affect the objectivity of this report. Investors should use this report as one of many other factors in making their investment decisions.

For more details go to www.thisdaylive.com

52

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, MAY11 , 2016

MARKET NEWS

Presco to Pay N1bn Dividend Despite 55% Fall in Profit Goddy Egene and Eromosele Abiodun The directors of Presco Plc has recommended a dividend of N1 billion dividend for the year ended December 31, 2015 despite a fall of 55 per cent in profit after tax (PAT) for the year.

Details of the audited results of Presco made available yesterday, showed that the

company posted a revenue of N10.448 billion in 2015, up by 14 per cent from N9.138 billion in 2014. Cost of sale increased by 19 per cent from N3.119 billion to N3.813 billion, while gross profit rose by 12 per cent from N5.938 billion in 2014 to N6.635 billion.

Profit before tax fell by 46 per cent to N4.215 billion, from N7.900 billion, while PAT fell by 55 per cent from N5.194

T H E MAIN BOARD

DEALS

MARKET PRICE

billion to N2.321 billion. The fall in profit was affected by a drop in gains on biological assets revaluation, which fell by 82 per cent from N5.773 billion to N1.062 billion.

Also, the company spent more on financial charges in 2015, compared with 2014. Finance cost by 49 per cent rose from N363 million to N707 million in 2015.

Despite the fall in bottom line,

N I G E R I A N QUANTITY TRADED

STO C K

VALUE TRADED ( N )

Daily Summary as of 22/02/2016 Printed 22/02/2016 14:36:10.010

Daily Summary (Bonds) No Debt Trading Activity Daily Summary (Equities) Activity Summary on Board EQTY AGRICULTURE Crop Production OKOMU OIL PALM PLC. PRESCO PLC Crop Production Totals Livestock/Animal Specialties LIVESTOCK FEEDS PLC. Livestock/Animal Specialties Totals AGRICULTURE Totals CONGLOMERATES Diversified Industries A.G. LEVENTIS NIGERIA PLC. TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATION OF NIGERIA PLC U A C N PLC. Diversified Industries Totals CONGLOMERATES Totals CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Infrastructure/Heavy Construction JULIUS BERGER NIG. PLC. Infrastructure/Heavy Construction Totals Real Estate Development UACN PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT CO. LIMITED Real Estate Development Totals CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Totals CONSUMER GOODS Beverages--Brewers/Distillers CHAMPION BREW. PLC. GUINNESS NIG PLC INTERNATIONAL BREWERIES PLC. NIGERIAN BREW. PLC. Beverages--Brewers/Distillers Totals Beverages--Non-Alcoholic 7-UP BOTTLING COMP. PLC. Beverages--Non-Alcoholic Totals Food Products DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC FLOUR MILLS NIG. PLC. HONEYWELL FLOUR MILL PLC NASCON ALLIED INDUSTRIES PLC N NIG. FLOUR MILLS PLC. TIGER BRANDED CONSUMER GOODS PLC Food Products Totals Food Products--Diversified CADBURY NIGERIA PLC. NESTLE NIGERIA PLC. Food Products--Diversified Totals Household Durables VITAFOAM NIG PLC. Household Durables Totals Personal/Household Products P Z CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC. UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC. Personal/Household Products Totals CONSUMER GOODS Totals FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking ACCESS BANK PLC. DIAMOND BANK PLC ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORPORATED FIDELITY BANK PLC GUARANTY TRUST BANK PLC. SKYE BANK PLC STERLING BANK PLC. UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC UNION BANK NIG.PLC. UNITY BANK PLC WEMA BANK PLC. Banking Totals Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services AIICO INSURANCE PLC. CONTINENTAL REINSURANCE PLC CONSOLIDATED HALLMARK INSURANCE PLC LASACO ASSURANCE PLC. AXAMANSARD INSURANCE PLC N.E.M INSURANCE CO (NIG) PLC. UNITY KAPITAL ASSURANCE PLC WAPIC INSURANCE PLC Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services Totals Micro-Finance Banks NPF MICROFINANCE BANK PLC Micro-Finance Banks Totals Other Financial Institutions AFRICA PRUDENTIAL REGISTRARS PLC CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED PLC FCMB GROUP PLC. STANBIC IBTC HOLDINGS PLC UNITED CAPITAL PLC Other Financial Institutions Totals FINANCIAL SERVICES Totals HEALTHCARE Pharmaceuticals FIDSON HEALTHCARE PLC

the company recommended a dividend of N1 billion, which translate to 100 kobo per share.

The Edo State based Presco Plc specialises in the cultivation of oil palms and in the extraction, refining and fractioning of crude palm oil into vegetable oil and palm stearin. The company operates from two States, Obaretin Estate and Ologbo Estate in Edo State and Cowan Estate in Delta

6 6 12

30.00 34.00

12,629 11,640 24,269

374,530.15 421,345.20 795,875.35

19 19 31

1.25

1,078,511 1,078,511 1,102,780

1,358,964.30 1,358,964.30 2,154,839.65

5 68 13 86 86

0.77 1.13 20.47

33,500 6,740,423 65,995 6,839,918 6,839,918

25,070.00 7,635,453.96 1,344,425.15 9,004,949.11 9,004,949.11

13 13

41.50

31,970 31,970

1,409,214.78 1,409,214.78

5 5 18

5.20

28,901 28,901 60,871

154,716.48 154,716.48 1,563,931.26

6 24 7 98 135

2.85 118.85 20.00 99.00

190,900 53,000 15,200 429,541 688,641

528,079.00 6,201,924.95 293,757.00 42,728,789.84 49,752,550.79

9 9

168.50

166,476 166,476

28,285,937.95 28,285,937.95

54 38 6 12 1 29 140

5.61 19.00 1.37 6.86 6.65 1.27

2,120,306 314,421 40,000 119,863 433 3,285,739,119 3,288,334,142

11,610,520.13 5,953,792.96 55,716.00 842,442.48 2,736.56 4,074,348,894.07 4,092,814,102.20

11 54 65

17.86 700.00

18,825 98,360 117,185

329,518.50 68,567,962.00 68,897,480.50

11 11

4.46

99,050 99,050

420,455.00 420,455.00

13 21 34 394

21.90 28.00

36,887 133,117 170,004 3,289,575,498

820,034.75 3,737,067.92 4,557,102.67 4,244,727,629.11

82 51 21 25 200 41 16 147 11 15 67 676

4.10 1.49 15.60 1.21 16.70 1.07 1.76 2.95 5.30 0.63 0.98

3,962,506 2,163,396 278,470 790,900 4,847,312 1,969,858 1,204,932 8,586,418 39,752 501,617 5,920,564 30,265,725

16,210,255.82 3,314,106.88 4,136,459.40 958,864.34 80,963,793.44 2,115,552.11 2,087,767.85 25,302,954.71 205,645.40 316,018.71 5,813,502.17 141,424,920.83

14 8 2 3 7 10 1 1 46

0.80 0.90 0.50 0.50 2.06 0.76 0.50 0.50

200,107 276,500 5,004,000 1,000,000 351,540 327,285 37,708,135 10 44,867,577

160,838.67 251,350.00 2,502,000.00 500,000.00 720,728.80 245,325.31 18,854,067.50 5.00 23,234,315.28

1 1

1.08

4,760 4,760

4,950.40 4,950.40

31 7 105 7 20 170 893

2.46 4.00 0.85 14.15 1.31

1,149,464 27,041 31,257,120 38,035 708,255 33,179,915 108,317,977

2,830,722.84 104,002.06 26,613,309.20 537,985.34 931,556.31 31,017,575.75 195,681,762.26

27

2.69

614,065

1,572,223.05

State.

Meanwhile, the stock market closed lower yesterday with the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) All-Share Index shedding 0.7 per cent to be at 25,646.56.

The negative performance stemmed from losses recorded by bellwether counters across sectors including Dangote Cement Plc, Forte Oil Plc, Lafarge Africa Plc and FBN Holdings Plc. Apart from the NSE ASI

that fell by 0.7 per cent, market capitalisation shed N62.5 billion to close at N8.8 trillion.

However, in terms of sectoral performance, the NSE Consumer Goods rose 1.0 per cent on the back of gains by Unilever Nigeria Plc. Similarly, the NSE Banking Index appreciated by 0.6 per cent given the gains recorded by Diamond Bank Plc, Sterling Bank Plc and Zenith Bank Plc.

E XC H A N G E

MAIN BOARD GLAXO SMITHKLINE CONSUMER NIG. PLC. MAY & BAKER NIGERIA PLC. NEIMETH INTERNATIONAL PHARMACEUTICALS PLC Pharmaceuticals Totals HEALTHCARE Totals ICT IT Services TRIPPLE GEE AND COMPANY PLC. IT Services Totals ICT Totals INDUSTRIAL GOODS Building Materials ASHAKA CEM PLC BERGER PAINTS PLC CAP PLC CEMENT CO. OF NORTH.NIG. PLC PORTLAND PAINTS & PRODUCTS NIGERIA PLC LAFARGE AFRICA PLC. Building Materials Totals Electronic and Electrical Products CUTIX PLC. Electronic and Electrical Products Totals Packaging/Containers BETA GLASS CO PLC. Packaging/Containers Totals INDUSTRIAL GOODS Totals OIL AND GAS Energy Equipment and Services JAPAUL OIL & MARITIME SERVICES PLC Energy Equipment and Services Totals Integrated Oil and Gas Services OANDO PLC Integrated Oil and Gas Services Totals Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors CONOIL PLC ETERNA PLC. FORTE OIL PLC. MOBIL OIL NIG PLC. TOTAL NIGERIA PLC. Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors Totals Exploration and Production SEPLAT PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LTD Exploration and Production Totals OIL AND GAS Totals SERVICES Automobile/Auto Part Retailers R T BRISCOE PLC. Automobile/Auto Part Retailers Totals Courier/Freight/Delivery RED STAR EXPRESS PLC Courier/Freight/Delivery Totals Printing/Publishing LEARN AFRICA PLC Printing/Publishing Totals Transport-Related Services AIRLINE SERVICES AND LOGISTICS PLC NIGERIAN AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY PLC Transport-Related Services Totals Support and Logistics CAVERTON OFFSHORE SUPPORT GRP PLC Support and Logistics Totals SERVICES Totals EQTY Board Totals Daily Summary (Equities) Activity Summary on Board ASeM CONSUMER GOODS Food Products MCNICHOLS PLC Food Products Totals CONSUMER GOODS Totals ASeM Board Totals Daily Summary (Equities) Activity Summary on Board PREMIUM FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking ZENITH INTERNATIONAL BANK PLC Banking Totals Other Financial Institutions FBN HOLDINGS PLC Other Financial Institutions Totals FINANCIAL SERVICES Totals INDUSTRIAL GOODS Building Materials DANGOTE CEMENT PLC Building Materials Totals INDUSTRIAL GOODS Totals PREMIUM Board Totals Equity Activity Totals

DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

32 4 6 69 69

25.33 0.94 0.69

551,998 16,020 597,000 1,779,083 1,779,083

13,903,164.18 15,299.40 412,110.00 15,902,796.63 15,902,796.63

1 1 1

1.69

500 500 500

805.00 805.00 805.00

16 9 4 6 10 31 76

24.00 9.30 35.78 8.62 3.36 80.50

110,727 40,229 26,700 142,300 299,900 14,373,223 14,993,079

2,707,053.97 362,501.29 992,680.00 1,227,076.00 966,480.00 1,157,057,077.16 1,163,312,868.42

6 6

1.51

134,500 134,500

204,240.00 204,240.00

5 5 87

50.00

24,529 24,529 15,152,108

1,165,135.50 1,165,135.50 1,164,682,243.92

2 2

0.50

24,262 24,262

12,131.00 12,131.00

90 90

3.47

3,827,573 3,827,573

13,288,632.05 13,288,632.05

21 7 8 21 7 64

18.34 1.84 342.00 150.00 145.00

81,125 100,300 20,300 16,295 13,699 231,719

1,505,034.50 182,832.00 6,595,470.00 2,396,080.60 1,959,692.96 12,639,110.06

33 33 189

318.00

389,934 389,934 4,473,488

124,037,602.56 124,037,602.56 149,977,475.67

1 1

0.50

941 941

470.50 470.50

5 5

3.80

32,870 32,870

127,756.40 127,756.40

13 13

0.89

624,500 624,500

538,430.00 538,430.00

1 22 23

2.29 4.00

4,588 251,094 255,682

10,001.84 1,001,583.80 1,011,585.64

1 1 43 1,811

1.68

10,000 10,000 923,993 3,428,226,216

16,000.00 16,000.00 1,694,242.54 5,785,390,675.15

2 2 2 2

1.21

270,464 270,464 270,464 270,464

327,261.44 327,261.44 327,261.44 327,261.44

306 306

11.45

13,929,679 13,929,679

159,605,439.23 159,605,439.23

278 278 584

3.74

10,438,552 10,438,552 24,368,231

39,515,087.18 39,515,087.18 199,120,526.41

35 35 35 619 2,432

139.83

38,770 38,770 38,770 24,407,001 3,452,903,681

5,304,666.00 5,304,666.00 5,304,666.00 204,425,192.41 5,990,143,129.00

2 2 2 2 2 10 10 10

2,330.00 2.33 6.02 11.09 18.07

3,000 20 20 20 15 3,075 3,075 3,075

6,986,000.00 46.70 120.20 221.80 270.65 6,986,659.35 6,986,659.35 6,986,659.35

Daily Summary (ETP) Exchange Traded Fund Name NEWGOLD EXCHANGE TRADED FUND (ETF) VETIVA BANKING ETF VETIVA CONSUMER GOODS ETF VETIVA GRIFFIN 30 ETF VETIVA INDUSTRIAL ETF Exchange Traded Fund Totals ETF Board Totals ETP Activity Totals

T H I S D AY WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2016

53

54

WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2016 • T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

DMO: Borrowed Funds will Be Used to Finance Capital Projects Goddy Egene and Eromosele Abiodun The Director General of Debt Management Office (DMO), Dr. Abraham Nwankwo, yesterday said the N1.884 trillion that would be borrowed to fund part of the 2016 budget would be dedicated to capital projects.

President Muhammadu Buhari last week signed the 2016 Appropriation Bill into law after months of delay. Out of the N6.06 trillion, N1.884 trillion would be borrowed from local and international sources.

Speaking at a one-day workshop organised by DMO on ‘Public debt and the challenge of financing Nigeria’s economic recovery’ for

Capital Market Correspondents Association of Nigeria (CAMCAN) in Lagos, Nwankwo restated the federal government’s commitment that all money to be borrowed to finance the 2016 budget will be used for capital projects.

“The DMO is committed to making sure that we raise money to fund the 2016 budget deficit from appropriate sources and through appropriate mix during the fiscal year to make sure that capital projects are funded,” he said.

Contrary to fears in some quarters that the country has over borrowed, the DMO boss stressed that the Nigerian debt level was highly sustainable, noting that the nation still had a lot of idle

potential, which the administration is striving to harness for effective growth of the economy.

Nwankwo disclosed that while comparative tax revenue to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio of Nigeria is less than 7.0 per cent, its peer group has a ratio of 18 per cent.

He therefore stressed the need to widen the tax net to generate more revenue for the government.

“Nigeria’s debt to GDP ratio is 13 per cent, compared

to the 56 per cent of peer group. So in that essence, our debt is still very sustainable. In this respect, I am encouraging all Nigerians to continue to make sure that they pay their taxes fully as and when due because our tax revenue to GDP ratio is relatively low compared to countries in our peer group,” he said.

He said full payment of taxes by individuals and corporate bodies would enhance

debt and overall economic sustainability of the country.

Speaking on the economic recession, which he said was caused mainly by unfavourable structural change in the fall of oil prices globally, Nwankwo said the Nigerian government was addressing the challenge through diversified, selfsustaining growth in agriculture and agro processing, solid minerals, manufacturing and information communication technology (ICT).

According to him, in the

medium to long term, debt sustainability in Nigeria hinges on the overall sustainability of the economy, and the overall economic sustainability hinges on diversifying the economy in a sustainable manner.

“That is what the government is doing in agriculture, solid minerals, ICT and manufacturing. And to do that, we need a strong infrastructure base and that is why government is spending what it is borrowing on capital projects,” Nwankwo said.

EFCC Secures Order to Remand Fani-Kayode To continue interrogation Senator Iroegbu in Abuja The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured a court order to detain the embattled former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, who is being grilled over allegations of fraud and money laundering.

This is coming barely 24 hours after the former minister was granted administrative bail, which he was yet to meet the conditions.

The remand, according to EFCC sources, is to allow the commission carry on with their interrogation and widen its scope while the former minister is in their custody.

“EFCC secures remand

warrant to keep Fani-Kayode while investigation continues,” the source said.

The former Director of Publicity of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organisation was reportedly granted bail on Monday on the conditions that he provides “two sureties on directorate level in the federal civil service, a house in Maitaima, Abuja, and their travelling documents/ international passports”.

This was after he had honoured the invitation of the anti-graft commission for questioning over his alleged role in the a money laundering and fraud case.

MAINTAINING THE BRAND

LR: Founder/CEO HealthPlus Limited, Bukky George; Managing Partner, Brandzone Consulting and Convener, BrandPlatform, Chizor Malize; President, Nigerian Stock Exchange, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Principal Partner, AD Consulting, Jumoke Adenowo and Managing Director, Unilever Nigeria, Yaw Nsarkoh, at the Brand Innovation Summit organised by Brandzone in Lagos...yesterday

Poll: Nigerians Paid Average of N176/l for Petrol in April

HURIWA Petitions N’Assembly, Foreign Embassies over DSS Invasion

Chineme Okafor in Abuja

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

An opinion poll released by a public perception statistics firm, NOIPolls, has shown that a vast majority of Nigerians, about 85 per cent bought petrol in April above the official pump price of 86.50 and at an average pump price of 176 per litre.

The poll also stated that the North-east and South-east geopolitical regions of the country recorded the highest average prices of N199 and N194 per litre respectively.

The poll was undertaken to measure the challenges Nigerians have had to go through to get petrol in the last couple of months that petrol scarcity has persisted.

It said in addition that among the 85 per cent of the citizen who bought petrol above the approved pump price of 86.50, almost six in 10, about 59 per cent of the respondents in its polls bought the product between 150 and 250 per litre.

A statement from the polls agency yesterday in Abuja said 50 per cent of its respondents in the exercise bought petrol from stations owned by independent marketer, while 24 per cent bought from major marketers’ filling stations, and 14 per cent from black marketers, leaving only 12 per cent who said they bought

from stations operated by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The poll also revealed that 73 per cent of respondents use petrol to power their generating sets, thus highlighting the use of petrol to meet energy demands resulting from poor power supply.

Similarly, 58 per cent of its respondents use petrol to power their cars and 28 per cent use petrol to power tricycles and motorcycles popularly known as Keke and Okada.

According to the statement, the poll highlighted the mixed opinions expressed by Nigerians on the issue of petrol subsidy, with 48 per cent saying they support subsidy removal, while 52 per cent say they do not support the removal.

It explained that the opinion poll was conducted in the week of April 25, 2016 and involved telephone interviews of a random nationwide sample.

According to it, 1,000 randomly selected phone-owning Nigerians aged 18 years and above, representing the six geopolitical zones in the country, were interviewed It added: “With a sample of this size, we can say with 95 per cent confidence that the results obtained are statistically precise - within a range of plus or minus three per cent.”

The Department of State Services (DSS) yesterday invaded the office of a civil society organisation, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), prompting the rights group to petition the National Assembly and all foreign embassies in the country and major world leaders to protest against the invasion of its office by armed operatives.

According to a statement signed by the National Coordinator of the group, Mr. Emmanuel Onwubiko, the group wondered why the operatives would invade its premises during a press conference.

Onwubiko however told THISDAY on the phone that the press conference was about the wanton killings by the Fulani herdsmen, which he said he suspected someone, possibly a journalist acting as a mole had hinted the DSS about.

He stated: “We write to bring to your notice the unsavory and unusual affront to constitutionalism that happened today in our office.

“At exactly 11.45a.m., barely 15 minutes to the commencement of a scheduled press conference on the theme of insecurity in Nigeria, a team of the Nigeria Secret Police known as DSS invaded our office

and demanded to attend our media conference even when it was strictly a media event in which only few media representatives from the print and electronic outfits were invited by text messages. They didn’t however show any sign that they wanted to harm us physically,” Onwubiko said.

He noted that the Nigerian Constitution in Chapter four recognises the right to personal privacy; freedom of speech and freedom of association.

The rights group added that “although two of these armed DSS officials who identified themselves as Mr. Victor (DSS) and Ike (DSS) alongside a couple of others from the DSS head office and the FCT office said it was a “friendly visit,” we smelt a rat and we suspected that this might just be a cover to determine if we should be obstructed and arrested.”

He appealed to all the foreign embassies to call on the federal government to respect the fundamental human rights of Nigerians as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the African Charter on Peoples and Human Rights.

He noted that, “We urge you to use your good offices to prevail on President Muhammadu Buhari to let all credible groups operate within the bounds of the law

without executive intimidation and psychological threats which sometimes snowball into confrontation and arrest.”

Onwubiko therefore called on the foreign embassies to investigate the reasons for the unwarranted invasion of its private office and also assist in getting the Nigerian government to make commitment not to harass, intimidate or physically obstruct the enjoyment of all these fundamental rights.

Those who have received the

petition, according to the group included: the National Assembly, Ambassador of the United State of America to Nigeria, Ambassador James F. Entwistle; the British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Simon Shercliff, the Ambassador of Belgium to Nigeria, Ambassador Dirk Verheyen; the Ambassador of Germany to Nigeria, Mr. Michael Zenner; the president of ECOWAS, Marcel Alain De Souza, the Ambassador of the European Union to Nigeria, Mr. Michael Arrion, among others.

INEC Boss Appoints Spokesman, Two Aides Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has appointed three aides, including the Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Rotimi Oyekanmi.

Yakubu also named Professor Bolade Eyinla as the Chief Technical Adviser (CTA), while Professor Mohammed J. Kuna will serve as Special Assistant.

In a statement containing the appointments, the commission said the aides would assist the

INEC boss in effectively executing the work in his office.

Until his appointment, Eyinla was a Professor of History at the University of Ilorin. He was also National Election Expert at the UNDP-DGD. Kuna, until his appointment, was Professor of Political Sociology at the Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto.

He was also Special Assistant to the former INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega.

On the other hand, Oyekanmi was a senior editorial staff with The Guardian Newspaper.

WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2016 • T H I S D AY

55

NEWSEXTRA

NDPHC: Eight NIPP Plants Ready to Generate 2,000MW Owed N94bn by electricity market Discos to submit 2013 - 2015 audited accounts to NERC

Ejiofor Alike The Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), operators of the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP), has presented the status report on its generation, distribution and transmission projects, saying eight out of 10 NIPP power plants are ready to generate over 2,000 megawatts as soon as vandalised gas processing projects are completed by the associated nominated gas suppliers.

The company has also stated that though power generation is often disrupted by acts of vandalism, it does not offer such incidences as excuses as it has continued to operate these power plants in the interest of the Nigerian economy, despite undesirable security challenges and an accumulated debt of over N94 billion owed it by the electricity market.

This is coming as the 11 electricity distribution companies have agreed to submit their 2013, 2014 and 2015 audited accounts to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

In the status report sent to THISDAY, NDPHC listed completed power plants to include 750MW Olorunsogo II in Ogun State, 450MW Sapele, 434MW Geregu II in Kogi State, 450MW Omotosho II in Ondo State, 450MW Ihovbor in Edo State, 450MW Alaoji in Abia State, 563MW Calabar and 225MW Gbarain in Bayelsa State.

The company also listed 225MW Omoku in Rivers State, 338MW Egbema in Imo State and 530MW second phase of Alaoji as imminently completed, stressing that the completed power plants have been operated with private sector orientation and supported

by Long Term Service Agreements (LTSA) in line with international best practice.

The report noted that under condition of transmission and gas challenge, the profitability of the plants is constrained but added that these are short term developmental challenges, which the NDPHC is working to mitigate by divestment to the private sector either as privatized entities or under practical Operations and

Maintenance (O&M) contracts.

“Despite the inability of some international oil companies (IOCs) to deliver gas to NIPP plants on schedule, the management has been proactive in securing alternative gas from Accugas Limited which clearly is outside the aggregation framework,” the report added.

According to the report, the eight of the ten power plants in the NIPP portfolio, along with associated gas transmission metering/receiving infrastructure projects, have been inaugurated and connected to the national grid contributing over 22,000,000 kilowatt hour (kWHr) of energy daily.

In the area of power transmission, the company

stated that it has completed 2,194 kilometres of 330kV transmission lines and 809km of 132kV transmission lines, representing an increase of 46 per cent and 13 per cent, respectively over the pre-NIPP status of grid infrastructure.

“A total of 10 new 330/132kV substations and seven new 132/33kV substations have also been completed with several other existing substations significantly expanded thereby adding 5,590MVA and 3,313MVA capacity to the national grid – the statistics of NIPP contribution to overall transmission system with transformation capacity progressively increasing each day as the balance of the projects are being delivered. The current black out being experienced in the Eko

area of Lagos is to grant NIPP outage to connect completed projects at both 330kV and 132kV levels at Alagbon and Lekki NIPP 330MVA Substations which in a few weeks would significantly improve power supply to Lagos axis. Similar projects are being primed for inauguration to facilitate power evacuation from NIPP’s Calabar and Alaoji Power Plants to the South-south, South-east and North-west of the country, among many other beneficiary states,” the report explained.

With regards to distribution infrastructure, the company disclosed that it has constructed and inauguration over 350 injection substations with a combined capacity of 3,540MW across the country.

NDPHC has also constructed a total of 2,600km of 11kV and 1,700km of 33kv distribution lines for improving access to electricity and quality of power supply to consumers.

The company has also installed 25,900 completely self-protected (CSP) transformers all over the country thereby significantly reducing technical losses.

“Under the NIPP programme, the capacity of 33/0.415kV and 11/0.415kV has been increased by 26 per cent. The NIPP is designed to increase the number of 33/0.415kV & 11/0.415kV substations by 163 per cent all the projects are nearing completion,” the report said.

Cont’d on pg 58

FG May Privatise NIGCOMSAT over Low Patronage NIPOST to begin skeletal operations James Emejo inAbuja

The Minister of Communications, Mr. Abdur-Raheem Adebayo Shittu, has said the Nigerian Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) Limited would be considered for either outright privatisation or commercialisation as it is currently under-patronised.

Attributing the lack of patronage to the fact that the communication satellite had only one signal channel, he further directed the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) to embark on a research to determine the best option of whether to commercialise or privatise the company.

The minister also said the federal government planned to turn the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) into a mega conglomerate offering services in e-Commerce, e-Learning/Library Services and issuance of the Nigerian Passport and Drivers’ Licence among other security documents.

Speaking in Abuja while receiving the acting Director General of BPE, Dr. Vincent Onome Akpotaire, who paid him a courtesy visit, Shittu said to achieve the objective, the government was planning to constitute a technical committee to proffer solutions to the issues militating against the postal sector and present a policy direction to harness the economic potential of NIPOST. He further assured Akpotaire that the privatisation agency would be included on the proposed committee, adding that an all inclusive participation of all

stakeholders would steer NIPOST towards the desired direction to harness its commercial potential.

Nevertheless, Akpotaire said NIPOST, though in a state of comatose, had sufficient assets to R-L: Mrs. Ifechukwu Onyeka; her husband, Patrick; Wife of the Pastor, House on the Rock, Mrs. Ifeanyi Adefarasin; her husband, Paul; Mrs. Nkiru generate economic and commercial Adekoya, her husband, Segun; all daughters and sons in-law, during the valedictory service in honour of the late Prof. Victor Patrick Mordi, services. organised by LASUCOM/LASUTH, in Ikeja, Lagos ...yesterday.

Akinwunmi Ibrahim He said in view of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN)’s National Financial Inclusion Strategy, NIPOST could kick off skeletal services within the scope of the resources set aside by the CBN, adding that through the vast postal network available to it, the postal service was equipped to deliver financial Paul Obi in Abuja hospitals across the nation will to be attended to by government, to expedite action in areas not services to remote areas currently have to rely on consultants, high adding that, they include “resident adequately addressed.”

He said: “NARD still believes excluded by financial institutions. The National Association of Resident ranking medical doctors who doctors who work in states of the He added that the Bureau would Doctors (NARD) yesterday in Abuja are often fewer in number than country that were yet to be paid that the government of President present a comprehensive proposal declared a nationwide warning the resident doctors for medical their salaries; skipping and all Muhammadu Buhari will honour all that would serve as a platform to strike, urging its members across attention. accrued arrears for doctors yet to signed agreements as aptly captured drive the required sector reforms public hospitals in the country Askira at the briefing in Abuja be implemented in most hospitals during the meeting with the NMA.” Speaking on recurrent crisis in to the minister within a week. to suspend services from 8a.m. said government had failed to meet in the country; unpaid December The BPE boss said the bureau today, as a move to press home demands of medical practitioners, salaries of doctors in some federal the nation’s health sector, especially would liaise with the National its demands. even after recent assurances from hospitals, and, house officers’ entry among health professionals, he debunked the claims that doctors Assembly to harmonise the Speaking to journalists on President Muhammadu Buhari, steps have not been effected. proposed reforms with the privately the strike, NARD President, Dr when they met with leadership “After exhaustive deliberations, were the architect of industrial sponsored bill on the postal sector Muhammad Askira, said though of the Nigerian Medical Association the NEC made the following disharmony in the health sector.

The decision by the resident which is before the lawmakers. there were still some processes still (NMA), assuring the doctors of resolution: that the proposed He further called for an going on, aimed at resolving the government readiness to heed to indefinite strike action due to doctors to embark on the strike independent regulator in the impasse between government and their demands. commence on May 9, 2016, has been came amid assurance by Minister sector to help broaden the scope the doctors, declaring a warning Askira explained that after critical shelved. That a five-day nationwide of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, and depth of services provided strike has become imminent analysis of issues affecting NARD at warning strike will be embarked that government was doing all and to ensure transparency as given government sloppiness in an “extra-ordinary National Executive upon commencing from May 11, it can to avert any form of strike.

The strike is bound to well as position NIPOST to addressing critical issues confronting Council, (NEC), meeting, the NEC 2016, by 8a.m. for work to resume compete favourably with other members of the association. observed that there were some May 16, 2016 by 8am prompt. That compound healthcare services establishments in the sector.

He explained that all public processes still on-going in resolving NARD will review the situation considering the already weakened In a statement by BPE hospitals were to be shut down the impasse between government at our Ordinary General Meeting health system in the country. Also, patients in public hospitals would spokesman, Alex Okoh, Akpotaire for five working days, commencing and the doctors, and that the efforts holding from 30 May, 2016. also noted that the vast postal today, while the doctors will resume so far made by government had “This decision is to press home have to resort to patronising private network throughout the country duty on May 16, 2016. not yet met the doctors’ demands.” our demands for implementation, hospitals were the cost is exorbitant presented a significant competitive NARD president stated that in one hand, and also to enable and mostly out of reach for low Accordingly, both out-patients advantage for NIPOST. and in-patients in government there were still some issues yet the government enough time income earners.

FARE THEE WELL DADDY

Resident Doctors Declare Nationwide Warning Strike

56

WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2016 • T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

NNPC to Concession 5,000km of Pipelines, 30 Product Facilities Investors to upgrade, operate and secure downstream assets

Chineme Okafor in Abuja The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has concluded plans to hand over to private investors with good financial standing its 5,000 kilometres of pipeline network, 21 petrol storage depots and nine Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) depots to upgrade, operate and secure under a Joint Venture (JV) model, THISDAY has learnt.

The paper gathered Tuesday in Abuja that the corporation has as part of this plan invited interested companies to bid for the assets which it has also segmented into seven for ease of operation.

Bidders, it was learnt have also begun to inspect the assets with a view to table their bids before the corporation.

Some of the assets up for the concession are the Single Mooring Point (SMP); New Atlas Cove Jetty (NACJ);Atlas Cove and pump station; Satellite (Ejigbo) depot; Apapa jetty; and Atlas-Mosimi pipeline which are in segment 1.

The Apapa LPG plant in segment 1A, the Import Berth Platform (IBP); IBP-Escravos pipeline; Escravos terminal, Escravos-Warri crude oil line; Warri-Kaduna crude oil line and pump station; Warri pump station; Warri-Suleja pipeline; Warri-Benin pipeline; Benin depot; Benin-Ore pipeline and Ore depot in segment 2, Mosimi depot and pump station; Mosimi-Ibadan; Mosimi-Ore and Ibadan-Ilorin pipelines; Ibadan and Ilorin depot and pump station in 3 and Ibadan LPG plant in 3A are also included.

Equally, the Ilorin LPG plant in 3A, Kaduna and Zaria pump stations; Kaduna-Kano; Zaria-Gusau; KadunaJos; Kaduna Suleja and Suleja-Minna pipelines as well as, Kano; Gusau; Suleja and Minna depots in segment 4, as well as Enugu, Markurdi, Yola, Port Harcourt and Aba depots amongst others are included.

THISDAY saw a notice of this and the scope of work which the investors would be expected to cover.

They include security of the country’s pipelines against third party breaches, periodic upgrade and maintenance of pipelines as well

as depots and storage facilities and safe transportation and reception of contracted throughput volumes of products of users.

Also, the proposed JV investors would be asked by the NNPC to deploy state-of-the-art pipeline protection technology to detect and stop leaks, as well as communicate real-time breaches on them for rapid response.

A source in the corporation who is familiar with the development also told THISDAY anonymously that emphasis was been played on companies with capacities to deploy technology in their running of the downstream assets.

It was also learnt that preferred JV operators will be requested to provide funds in line with expert valuation for rehabilitation of the downstream assets which will be ring-fenced and put towards asset repairs and replacements.

For storage facilities and pipelines, it was learnt that bidders would have to show to NNPC that they have annual turnover of $150 million and a net worth of at least $75 million, while $20 million annual turnover and $5 million net worth would be demanded of bidders for its LPG plants.

The investors, according to the NNPC will also be responsible for daily operations, maintenance, and technical integrity of its jetties, pipelines, storage and LPG butanisation plant.

They will ensure that the assets are always kept in good condition for users under the supervision of NNPC which shall verify and approve their costs for any upgrade of the downstream facilities.

Similarly, as part of their tasks, the investors shall use their funds to upgrade and run the facilities, thus ensuring seamless availability of the assets at all times, while they earn monies paid as throughput user-tariff on the facilities.

According to the terms of the partnership, revenues generated from the tariff shall be split between the NNPC and investors based on shares determined by expert valuation of the assets. The corporation will however be indemnified by the investors of storage or transportation losses.

The NNPC source in his

APC Fixes Edo Governorship Primary for June 18 Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

on Saturday, June 18. The Election Appeal Committee will hold its The All Progressives Congress sittings between Monday, June 20 (APC) has scheduled its primary and June 23,” he said.

On the crisis presently rocking election for June 18 to choose the party’s candidate for the Edo State the state chapter of APC, Izunaso expressed optimism that the governorship election.

The APC National Organising disagreement between the state Secretary, Senator Osita Izunaso, governor and his deputy would who made this known to have been amicably resolved journalists in Abuja yesterday said before the commencement of governorship nomination forms the primaries.

“That is why we set up will be sold at N5 million while intending aspirants are expected to Fact-finding and Reconciliation pay N500,000 to pick expression Committee. The committee has two weeks to finish their job. It of interest form.

“In line with the Electoral commences its job on Monday. They Act and the party guidelines as will move to Benin on Wednesday well as interface with the INEC (today). They would have rounded timetable, the party has approved off by next week. The party will the timetable for the governorship look at their report and take a decision. We have accommodated primaries in Edo State.

The governorship primary the period of reconciliation in the election will hold in Benin City proposed timetable,” he added.

clarification of the development said: “We are actually looking on a joint operating agreement model.

“We are trying to see if private investors will come in with their money to run these assets. We will

however continue to own the assets but they will come in to invest to upgrade, manage and operate them in a JV model.”

He further said: “There is an independent valuation to help us

determine the assets’ value so that when we go into the JV even if we are not putting in cash, we will understand what our contributions are, based on assets value.”

“There is no limit to how much

they can invest but we try to set is some numbers around the financial capabilities of the companies and we are big on the technology side of this because that will help us run the assets effectively.

WELCOME TO MY STATE

President Muhammadu Buhari (right), exchanging pleasantries with Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (left); and his Sokoto State counterpart, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, during the Katsina State Economic and Investment Summit 2016 in Katsina...yesterday

Operation Crackdown: Time to Back Armsgate: EFCC to Arraign Our Military, CPC Charges Nigerians Former Chief of Air Staff, Sunday Okobi andUgo Aliogo As the Nigerian military operatives commenced a final crackdown on Boko Haram insurgents in their stronghold in Sambisa Forest, known as Operation Crackdown, Concerned Professionals Congress (CPC) has rallied all Nigerians that this is the time to wholeheartedly support the military’s campaign to end the terrorists’ carnage in the country.

The group, reputable for its vehement support for Nigerian military, stated that the support and prayers of Nigerians would strengthen the troops, stressing that it would also boost their morale “to accomplish the task of restoring the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the nation particularly in the North-east region.”

CPC, in a media briefing jointly addressed by its Coordinator, Tukur Tilde, and Chief Media Strategist, Emeka Nwapa, yesterday in Kaduna, stated that the Sambisa Forest operation is similar to United States military final onslaught on Al Qaeda exactly five years ago which led to Osama bin Laden’s death.

Explaining that the highly anticipated victory of the troops in the operation represents the military’s definitive move aimed to wipe out the sad episode of the sect in the nation’s recent memory, the group said: “It would thereby release the potentials of the North-east and its people towards contributing meaningfully to national growth and development.

“It is important to note that the American citizens mobilised and rallied themselves round their military until Laden was

hunted down to bring peace to their nation. The military does less than 20 per cent of the job which is operational, but it is the citizens that do the remaining 80 percent.

“This is why it is said that it is the people that own a war.

Ownership comes in diverse ways such as prayers, physical support, solidarity rallies and road show among others.”

The group further stated that: “This is why it is said that it takes a nation to win a war. Mind you, the troops and their commanders are part and parcel of the people. They have fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, uncles, nephews, cousins and friends among the people.

“It is the aggregate prayers, support and solidarity of these people that give the troops an edge in battle. We hereby solicit the support of all Nigerians for our military at this critical moment. It will boost their morale to continue to display selfless sacrifice to keep our nation peaceful, united and stable.”

Tilde further stressed that members of the Nigerian Armed Forces are globally reputed for their rare bravery, gallantry and professionalism, noting that their renewed gallantry under the new team led by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Abayomi Olonisakin has continued to give hope that the days of terror in the North-east are numbered.

Tilde added that the fleeing Boko Haram members lack the capacity to hold territories due to the superior strategy, intelligence, ground and aerial fire power of the troops, thousands of persons and territories have been liberated paving the way for the return of normalcy in the region.

Umar Today

Senator Iroegbu inAbuja The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will today arraign the former Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Mohammed Dikko Umar (rtd), over allegations of misconduct in the arms procurement during the immediate past administration.

Umar was indicted alongside his successors, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (rtd) and Air Marshal Adesola Amosu (rtd), by the Air Vice Marshal John Ode (rtd)-led Presidential Committee established to audit the procurement of arms and equipment in the armed forces and defence sector from 2007 to 2015.

While both Badeh (the former Chief of Defence Staff) and Amosu have honoured the commission’s invitation with the former currently undergoing trial, Umar is yet to be arraigned by the anti-graft agency.

However, this is about to change with the revelation by an EFCC source that the “former Chief Umar Dikko is to be arraigned by the EFCC on Wednesday, May 11, 2016 before Justice Binta Murtala Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja.”

Apart from the mentioned service chiefs, the others who were indicted by the Arms Procurement Panel are Major General E.R. Chioba (rtd), Air Vice Marshal I.A. Balogun (rtd), Air Vice Marshal A.G. Tsakr (rtd), Air Vice Marshal A.G. Idowu (rtd), Air Vice Marshal A.M. Mamu, Air Vice Marshal,

O.T. Oguntoyinbo, Air Vice Marshal T. Omenyi, Air Vice Marshal J.B. Adigun, Air Vice Marshal R.A. Ojuawo, and Air Vice Marshal J.A. KayodeBeckley.

Others are: Air Commodore SA Yushau (rtd), Air Commodore A.O. Ogunjobi, Air Commodore G.M.D. Gwani, Air Commodore S.O. Makinde, Air Commodore A.Y. Lassa, Colonel N. Ashinze, and Lt. Colonel Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (rtd).

According to the statement issued early this year by the Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, President Muhammadu Buhari, had directed that the accused serving and retired officers be investigated by the EFCC to ascertain their roles as well as some companies and their directors.

Shehu in what he described as fundamental breaches associated with the procurement by the Offices of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Nigerian Air Force (NSA) also indicted: Himma Aboubakar, Aeronautical Engineering And Technical Services Limited, Messrs Syrius Technologies and Sky Experts Nigeria Limited, among others.

He said the procurement processes were arbitrarily carried out and characterised by irregularities and fraud, while in many cases, the items procured failed to meet their required purposes, especially the counter insurgency operations in the north east.

WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2016 • T H I S D AY

57

NEWSEXTRA

IPOB to Buhari: Our Freedom is Unstoppable Emmanuel Ugwu in Umuahia The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), yesterday held a peaceful rally at the commercial city of Aba, declaring that “our freedom is unstoppable”. It was in response to President Muhammadu Buhari’s vow that an independent Biafra would never become a reality.

Buhari had in a speech in Katsina yesterday reportedly vowed that an independent Biafra would not be allowed to materialise under his watch even if it would lead to Nigeria committing suicide to stop Biafra and any other separatist agitations to disintegrate the nation.

But in a prompt response,

Lagos at 50: Soyinka’s Appointment Thoroughly Deserving, Says Gbadamosi The Co-Chairman of the Lagos at 50 Committee, Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi, yesterday gave credence to the appointment of Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, to Co-Chair the Committee, saying his clout of experience will come in handy to ensure a worthwhile celebration in the state.

Gbadamosi who spoke to journalists shortly after a meeting of the committee, said the controversy surrounding his (Soyinka) appointment was unnecessary, adding that Soyinka is not only an authority in the field of arts, but has become a celebrated symbol across the world.

His said: “The excitement about our chairman, I hoped it has died down. Nothing warranted it because Prof Soyinka is an elder particularly in the field of the arts.

He has done marvelous things in the field giving the effect to why he is being celebrated in our society and there could not have been a more celebrating occurrence or anything attributed to him than his winning the Nobel Prize for literature.”

A group called Eko Foundation had raised an eyebrow concerning Soyinka’s appointment as co-chair of the Lagos At 50 Committee on the ground that he is not an indigene of Lagos.

But Gbadamosi said: “It does not matter what state in Nigeria that you would attach him to. In terms of performance and excellence, the fact that the Governor of Lagos State felt he merited being made the Chairman of Lagos at 50 Committee is a testimony to the great and the good of the Nigerian society,” he said.

He said it was a great honour to be paired with Soyinka as co-chair of the committee, saying he felt humbled and honoured to be associated with a celebrated literary giant.

On the celebration, Gbadamosi

said Lagos deserved to roll out the drums to celebrate its 50 years of existence, saying that the celebration will not only be all encompassing but will accommodate ideas from far and wide.

“Lagos State, in its 50 years of existence has tried to be at the forefront of several events and there are several activities lined up to have a fantastic celebration. There is hardly anybody whether in the arts or music and so on that would have taken off without passing through the waters of Lagos.

“So playing host, irrespective of whether you originated from Lagos capital and entertainment city or not or you lived all your life or not in Lagos, we have this hope of welcoming the exposure you have enjoyed by making sure that Lagos particularly has been a jumping up board for those who have excelled not only in our country, but in our continent” “We are quite pleased that Ambode has seized the fantastic opportunity for us to highlight what Lagos has been about and what it is going to be about in terms of potentials,” he said.

Gbadamosi also assured that the committee was working hard to come out with a world class celebration that would be to the pride of not just Lagosians and Nigerians, but to the people of the African continent in general.

He said that the celebrations would kick-start on May 27 with series of activities starting with children, especially as the day falls on Children’s Day. “The programme has been put together in earnest. I may just leak that on May 27 in a matter of days, a particular programme that has to do with children will hit the headline. This is all about how you recognise 50 years of existence.

Basically it is being kicked off on May 27 and it will last for a year,” Gbadamosi said.

PDP will Take over Government in 2019, Says Wike The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has reiterated that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will take back the reins of governance at the federal level in 2019.

Addressing the party’s delegates at the state congress at the Obi Wali Cultural Centre in Port Harcourt yesterday, Wike said the reorganisation of the party would place it in a sound position to attain victory in 2019.

He said: “The PDP will return to the seat of power at the federal level by 2019. This congress is part of the process of repositioning the party.”

He assured the people of the state that the party would continue to deliver on all

fronts in line with the pledges contained in the New Rivers Development Blueprint.

The governor said his administration had lived up to the expectations of the people of the state in the execution of pro-people projects and programmes.

He said: “This administration will showcase our superlative performance in the last one year between May 23 and May 29. The people will know first hand the quality projects we have executed.”

The state congress witnessed voting for new state executives of the party by 1024 accredited delegates from the 23 local government areas of the state.

IPOB organised the rally, saying that it wanted to send a strong message to Nigeria’s President by quietly rolling out one of its 48 zones on the streets of Aba, barely 24 hours after Mr. President made the disparaging comments about the Biafra independence movement.

IPOB said that its members were thoroughly “provoked” by the President’s statement hence the impromptu decision to show him that “IPOB is fully on ground and totally dedicated to freedom.

Giving reasons for the unplanned peaceful protest, IPOB in a statement issued by its spokesmen, Emma Mmezu and Clifford Iroanya said: “We are pained by the statement General Buhari made yesterday (Monday) in Kastina, that the whole of Nigerian would

rather perish, than our people to be free from bondage. We view that position as the mindset of a deluded man. It is a pity that the man cannot see that this unitary and hostile prison called Nigeria, cannot survive much longer.

“He is clearly not in touch with reality. His belief that killing us in cold blood (as he has been doing) will force us to fall in love with his dream of unitary empire, where injustice, nepotism and hate reign is laughable. Our message to him is short and precise: Our freedom is unstoppable.”

The pro-Biafra organisation further stated that it embarked on the peaceful protest in order “to pay to our great leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, for his tenacity and commitment to truth and to inform him, that political comedians on the

payroll of our enemies are busy entertaining the public in their wild claim to IPOB leadership” Describing those instigating leadership crisis as “despicable clowns” IPOB pointed out that they “have only succeeded in letting the world know that the enemy is scared of (Kanu’s) leadership, even from undeserved incarceration, hence their resort to sponsoring these jesters, in the false hope, that they could instigate fake leadership crises in IPOB” While declaring that its members “are totally committed body, soul and spirit to Nnamdi Kanu’s leadership, for better for worse (because) on Kanu we stand” IPOB said that those being used to oppose his leadership would all end up in shame as they would never

succeed in their efforts to distract the movement.

The group also said that the unplanned peaceful march at Aba was “in solidarity and in honour of over 200 of our members killed in cold blood by this blood thirsty regime and the over 100 others who are still missing and to state to the whole world that (their) death will not be in vain.”

“As the adversaries stagger in confusion, we assure them that no amount of extra judicial killings, false accusation and brutal intimidation will stop our march to freedom. We are about to cross the red sea, we are confident of what will soon happen to pharaoh and his chariots, we can sight the promised land, victory is assured,” IPOB asserted with confidence.

LUCKY WINNER

L-R: Executive Director, Commercial and Institutional Banking, Sterling Bank Plc. ,Mr. Lanre Adesnaya; first winner of Sterling Bank Meet the Executive Competition and CEO, Keex Sheakers, Mr. Jide Ipaye; Managing Director/CEO, Sterling Bank Plc. Mr. Yemi Adeola; and the bank’s Executive Director, Operations and Services, Mr. Yemi Odebiyi, at the presentation of cheques to the winners of Sterling Bank Meet the Executive Competition held in Lagos...yesterday Sunday Adigun

African Firms Urged to Develop Female Leaders Crusoe Osagie To significantly increase the participation of women in the economy, African businesses must actively develop a pipeline of qualified female candidates for top managementpositionssoastoharness thebenefitswomencanbringtobearon theeconomythroughqualityleadership.

Chairperson, Executive Council, Women in Management, Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ) and HeadConsumerBankingatDiamond bank, Mrs.AishahAhmad, made the observation at the recently concluded 2016 London Business School’sAfrica Business Summit.

Speaking during the plenary panel sessiontitled:‘TheGenderAgenda’,she highlightedtheneed for businesses to make deliberate efforts to harness the potentials of qualified women within the workforce, while encouraging women to strive for successful careers without opting out at mid-levels.

“Organisations must deal with the urgent and real requirement of establishing a pipeline of qualified female candidates for consideration in top management and board positions. As it stands, representation levels dwindle at senior to top management as many women opt out of the workforce at middle management levels,”

Ahmad said.

The Gender Agenda panel reexamined the state of gender parity in Africa and the role of women in driving macro-economic growth.

The panelists especially highlighted strategies to ensure thatAfrica makes far better use of the women in the workforce.

She used the occasion to disclose that WIMBIZ, over the last 15 years, was continually executing programmes to elevate the economic contributions of women in the workforce, including building leadership and entrepreneurial skills, advocacy, mentorships and international partnerships.

According to her, “WIMBIZ is at the forefront of enabling organisations toachievetheirgenderparityobjectives, and through the WIMBOARD, we are actively ensuring growth in the number of women appointed to board positions.

“The WIMBOARD initiative is a comprehensive four-pronged strategy that includes advocacy and WIMBOARD institute maintaining an executive database and executive mentoring. We also conduct a due diligence survey that monitors the representation of women on corporate boards and serves as an advocacy tool when making a business case for women on boards.”

DHQ TO MILITANTS: WE WILL TREAT YOU LIKE CRIMINALS persons.

JTF operatives, attached to the security outfit established to halt all forms of criminalities in the oil-rich region, were said to have evacuated the bodies of the slain soldiers just before daybreak yesterday.

A top security source said it was a surprise attack, noting that there had been deliberately planned attacks on armed security agents and formations in the region by suspected militants.

According to him, the hoodlums have been attacking the security operatives with a viewing to seizing their arms and stockpiling them for the coming confrontation with the taskforce comprising all the security forces in the country.

“These militants attack security agents ostensibly to steal their arms and ammunition.

Criminally-minded youths are stockpiling arms again. This calls for vigilance among security operatives,” he said.

Col. Isa Ado, spokesman of the JTF, did not pick up his calls, neither did he reply text messages sent to his phone, requesting him to react to the incident.

Meanwhile, condemnation has been trailing the over eight-hour

long military takeover of Oparoza community in Gbaramatu, Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State last Sunday night.

The Concerned Ijaw Transformation Ambassador (CITA) yesterday condemned the act in statement signed by the acting President of the group, Arerebo Salaco Peters, and it’s Spokesman, Obiri Jonathan.

The group, which viewed the development as a bad omen, implored President Muhammadu Buhari to withdraw the military troops from Gbaramatu kingdom.

They said the presence of the troops would only make the people in the area live in fear and insecurity especially given the preponderance of military bombardment of Ijaw communities in the Nigerian history.

The group said while it would not take sides with the vandalism of oil facilities in the Niger Delta region, it however expressed dismay that the Buhari-led federal government is sending troops to the peace-loving Ijaw communities, noting that that it is not the answer to the prevailing and emerging agitation pioneered by the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA).

WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2016 • T H I S D AY

58

NEWSEXTRA

Education Minister’s Actions, Policies Killing Sector, Says Group A non-governmental organisation, Concerned Citizens for Educational Development (CCED), has decried some of the recent actions and policies of the Minister of Education, Mallam

Adamu Adamu, which it claimed is impacting very negatively in the education sector.

The group expressed worries that unless urgent steps are taken to reverse these ugly trends, the

PDP Convention: Group Seeks Ouster of NWC Members Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja A group within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the PDP Reform Group, made up of mainly youths, has demanded that all the members of the National Working Committee (NWC) whose tenure expired on March 21, 2016 be barred from re-contesting during the May 21 national convention of the party.

The aggrieved group led by Ariyo Dare Atoye, made the demand during a courtesy visit to the PDP press corps yesterday in Abuja.

While speaking on the arrangements for the convention, Atoye said: “It is a shame that after mismanaging the post defeat era of the party and squandering the left over resources, some persons want to return.

“This is a big shame. It is a collective feeling of all our members nationwide that none of them should come back. We consequently demand that every member of the old NWC should give account of their stewardship, individually and collectively.”

He said the group would mount campaign to ensure that the finances of the party in the last two years are investigated but devoid of witch-hunt.

He lamented the return of the old order and jettisoning of the Senator Ike Ekweremadu zoning formula which they said has made PDP unattractive to Nigerians.

He also lamented the lack of internal party democracy in the party, decrying “the allocation of offices to certain zones for targeted individuals under the guise of pleasing some stakeholders.

“Why is the party always afraid of internal democracy?

Why is it that our party cannot allow open and fair competitive process for the best and popular persons to emerge from the zones?”

According to the group, “It is uncharitable to concede the funding of the party to the national, some governors and a few stakeholders calling on the party to put in place a dues-friendly system that will allow all members pay as at when due.”

nation’s educational sector will be heading for implosion.

In a letter to the minister dated April 26, 2016 and signed by the group’s National Convener, Comrade Solomon Adodo, CCED expressed concerns that in the short spell of time since the former vice-chancellors of the 13 federal universities were wrongfully sacked by the minister, several of the succeeding vice-chancellors have unfortunately borrowed a leaf from that wrongful action and have continued to flout the relevant universities rules by sidelining the universities governing councils in most academic appointments.

The unfortunate implications of this, according to the group, is that merit is unwittingly being replaced by mediocrity, while ineptitude and intimidation

prevails, even as academic excellence and scholarship continues to take the back seat in our institutions of higher learning.

Using the case of the Federal University of Lokoja as an instance, the group alleged that the new Vice-Chancellor of the institution, being a product of the unilateral appointment by the education minister, has continued to make other appointments in the school, including the Deputy Vice Chancellor without recourse to the institution’s governing council as provided by the act setting up the school.

The group also mentioned the appointment by the minister of the new Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Oye Ekiti, who is a retiree professor, noting that the extant laws setting up the federal universities does not

permit such an appointment.

It further cited the case of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) with a unique establishment act, where the newly appointed vice chancellor of the institution has set in motion, a plan to reduce the academic standard of the school by attempting to unilaterally scrap several study centers of the institution, which was originally meant to cater for the academically unreached persons in Nigeria.

It also criticised the new VC of NOUN for contravening due process and the statute setting up the school by appointing the Director of Media and Protocol for the university without placing any form of advertorial or conferring with any other relevant organ within the university system.

The group regretted that, “The

flagrant attitude of the newly appointed VCs are bolstered by the fact that they are not answerable to any other body within or outside the universities, since their appointments were friendly compensation from the Minister of Education.”

In the letter to the minister, which was also copied to the Senate and House of Representatives Committee Chairmen on Education, as well as the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), the group called on Adamu to urgently reverse his illegal action of sacking and appointing the 13 vice-chancellors by emulating the example of President Muhammadu Buhari that government can reverse itself when its actions are incongruent with the prevailing laws.

NDPHC: EIGHT NIPP PLANTS READY TO GENERATE 2,000MW The report described the NIPP as the largest single intervention in power infrastructure in Africa but added that the implementation has not been without challenges, which includes community restiveness, security situation in the Niger Delta and disruptions arising from recurring probes by the National Assembly.

“We trust that this oversight function by the legislators is often occasioned by the imperative of obtaining informed knowledge and gathering of valuable data – albeit with undesirable effect of causing disruptions in operations and adversely impacting on the speed of project delivery.

Other challenges have been the unintended side effects of the power sector reform and a misalignment between the NIPP and the implementation schedule of gas projects under the NNPC and its subsidiaries. Such challenges are not unexpected in the process of executing multi-billion dollar projects in emerging economies in which there are significant external risks to project implementation. With an overall level of completion of projects in excess of 80 per cent, the balance of which are on the verge of completion, the NDPHC has definitely delivered on its mandate of providing robust power infrastructure for the nation,” the report added.

In a related development, the 11 Discos at the fifth monthly meeting of the operators held on Monday at Shiroro Hydroelectric Plant, in Niger State, agreed to submit their

audited accounts from 2013 to 2015 to NERC to enhance the monitoring of transparency in the industry.

According to the communiqué released at the end of the meeting, Discos also agreed to take ownership of abandoned transformers and substations in their domains to ensure that they are energised to increase availability of power supply.

The communiqué also revealed that NERC would collaborate with Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) and the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trader (NBET)and the Market Operator (TCN/MO) to implement ranking criteria in order to assess the safety and payment performance of Discos.

“As part of efforts to eliminate estimated billing of electricity consumers, the Distribution Companies agreed to redouble their metering roll out plans in a progressive and sustainable manner by raising additional funding for this purpose. To this end, Distribution Companies are to publicise details of their metering progress at regular intervals. The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) announced progress on 106critical projects identified by distribution and generation companies to improve the transmission of power to Nigerian households.Included in these projects arerepairs of the Owerri/ Ahoada/Yenagoaline which now connects the newly commissioned Gbarain plant to the grid. It also announced completion of repairs to transmission projects in Ajah, Akoka, Afam and Kainji,” said the communique.

BRAND AMBASSADOR

L-R: NwuzorOkechukwu aliasDonSingles;Actor,Mr.JohnOkaforAliasMr.Ibu;andDirectorKingdomLottery,Mr.YalonZilberkweit,attheunveilingofMr. IbuasKingdomLotteryBrandAmbassadorinLagos...recently

Badeh: Prosecution Witness Contradicts Statements under Cross Examination Alex Enumah in Abujai A prosecution witness, Air Commodore Abdullahi Yushau (rtd) for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the trial of former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Alex Badeh, and his company, Iyalikam Nigeria Limited, yesterday continued to contradict some of the statements he made before the commission.

At the resumed trial of Badeh before a Federal High Court yesterday, the defence team led by Chief Akinlolu Olujinmi concluded the cross examination of the witness.

EFCC had accused Badeh of alleged diversion of funds belonging to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).

Badeh, alongside his firm, Iyalikam Nigeria Limited, is being prosecuted by the EFCC on a 10-count charge of money laundering and alleged fraudulent removal of about N3.97billion from NAF’s account.

The anti-graft agency accused

the former CDS of using the funds to buy and develop landed assets in Abuja for himself and two of his sons between January and December 2013.

He however pleaded not guilty to the charges.

At the resumed trial, the prosecution witness who was being cross-examined by Olujinmi, continued to contradict his statement at the EFCC. Yushau had in his statement at the EFCC said HAVCO Nigeria Limited constructed a house for Badeh in Yola, but denied knowing the company during cross-examination.

He also denied given instruction to either Air Commodore Sinni or Squadron Leader Abu to transfer the sum of N150 million to Joe’s company, Havco Nigeria Limited in respect of the said property.

Also, when confronted with the fact that in his evidence, he claimed to have completely forgotten to mention the house in Yola at the EFCC, Yushau however stated that nobody

asked him about the property in Yola, but was reminded of the property when he met Joe at the EFCC. The witness also denied instructing Sinni to make the said financial transactions in two installments for the construction of Badeh’s house in Yola.

“In your statement, you said HAVCO constructed Badeh’s house in Yola,” Olujmi reminded the witness.

But the witness noted that: “I said Joe constructed Badeh’s house. I only know Joe, not the name of his company.

The name must have been given to my pay office for financial transaction but the only person I was introduced to was Joe.” The witness disclosed that he used the statement made by one of his subordinate, Sinni, to get more facts about what happened in their office, adding that: “It is impossible to remember everything that happen in the Nigerian Air Force,” hence his reliance on

such statement of subordinates.

During cross-examination by Sam Ologun-Orisa, counsel to the second defendant (Iyalikam), Yushau told the court that he never received any instruction from the Board of Iyalikam to acquire any property for it, adding that he did not, at any time receive or transfer money on behalf of Iyalikam, and that he was not given power of attorney to act on behalf of the company.

Yushau also admitted that he did not carry out any search about the company.

After the conclusion of the cross examination of the witness by the defence counsel, Tayo Olukotun, who held brief for lead prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), prayed the court for an adjournment to enable the prosecution prepare adequately for re-examination of the witness.

Justice Abang thereby adjourned the trial to today, for the prosecution to re-examine the witness, and also to call on further witnesses.

WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2016 • T H I S D AY

59

PDP CONGRESSES

Anambra PDP Conducts Parallel Congresses Emeakayi, Oguebego emerge chairmen of two factions Imo leaders want congresses cancelled, accuse Sheriff of manipulation Charles Onyekamuo in Awka and

Amby Uneze in Owerri

Two state chairmen emerged from the parallel congress conducted by the Anambra State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Awka, the state capital, yesterday, confirming that the perennial crisis that had rocked the chapter for more than 10 years now was yet to be resolved.

While the Chief Chris Uba faction of the party in the state held its own congress at Emmaus house in Awka, where Chief Ejike Oguebego, the erstwhile chairman of the party recognised by the Supreme Court in its judgment of January 15, this year re-contested and was voted in by the factional delegates to continue to lead the chapter, the Chief Ken Emeakayi faction met at Marble-Arch hotel event centre in Awka where he was elected the chairman.

The ridiculous thing about

the two congresses was that the congress committee appointed by the National office of the party for Anambra State PDP Congress and which was chaired by Hon. Ladi Edun was divided along the two factions prior to the exercise.

Seven members of the committee including the chairman, Ladi Edun and six others pitched their tent with Emeakayi faction supported by stakeholders like Senator Andy Uba, Senator Stella Oduah and Hon. Ben Nwankwo, among others.

The other four led by Alhaji Shettima Gwando pitched their tent with Chief Chris Uba faction.

Also in this group were Senator Annie Okonkwo, Chief John Emeka, former Minister of State for Transport during Obasanjo’s second tenure as president, and Hon. Timothy Egboka among others.

Shettima Gwando leading three other members of the 11-member congress committee for Anambra

State alleged that their chairman, Ladi Edun, who he did not even know bungled the committee’s assignment by compromising his position.

According to him, when some of them came to Anambra State on May 1, preparatory to meeting the state Administrative Secretary of the party for guidance as enunciated in the guideline for the wards, local government and state congress given to them, the chairman absconded and made himself incommunicado.

For two days according to him, four of them tried to get in touch with their chairman to no avail as his phone was switched off, a situation that made them become

afraid thinking that something terrible may have happened to him on the way.

Meanwhile, leaders of the members of the party in Imo State have called for a total cancellation of the congresses currently being held in the state as a result of alleged flawed processes involved so far in the conduct of the congresses, as well as accusing the interim national chairman of the party, Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff, of expressing personal interest and manipulation.

In the same vein, the High Court sitting in Owerri has ordered that further processes relating to the congresses in the state be withheld forthwith pending the determination of the argument on

the motion on notice for interim injunction slated to resume on May 19, 2016.

In a suit No. HOW/320/2016 before Justice K.A. Ojiako between Vitus Nwajioha, Ingram Odimegwu and six others as claimants and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Samuel B. Gwamman, Secretary, Congress Electoral Committee of PDP, Imo State for and on behalf of the said Congress Electoral Committee as defendants, the court ordered that the applicants should serve and put the respondents on notice.

The court also ordered that by the prayers sought in the motion exparte for interim injunction, it was of the view that the matter

was not ripe to be heard exparte, until the parties are served, urging the parties not to do any act that would have the effect of rendering nugatory any decision in the matter.

“That parties ought to and should respect the court proceedings. That the case be and is hereby adjourned to |May 19, 2016 for argument on the motion on notice”, the court orders.

Leading the protest against the Interim National Chairman of the party, the leader of the Coalition of True PDP Democrats, Dr. Alex Obi, who was the longest serving state chairman of the party that produced two elected governors, accused him (Modu Sheriff) of compromise with serving senator in the state to bring down the party in the state.

Obuah Re-elected, Dedicates Victory to Rivers People The atmosphere at the Obi Wali Integrated Cultural Centre, Port Harcourt was electrifying yesterday as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State re-elected Felix Obuah to serve as Chairman of the party for a second term.

Delegates from all 23 local government areas of the state had arrived the venue as early as 8 a.m. for the programme which was billed for 10 a.m. At about 2 p.m. when Governor Nyesom Wike stepped into the opulent facility, the hall was filled to the brim, even as many who could not gain entrance into the hall watched proceeding from outside.

Wike was the first to cast his vote. Others who followed in that order included former Governor Celestine Omehia as well as former Deputy Governor, Tele Ikuru.

Notable chieftains of the party among them, state and national legislators, commissioners, special

advisers and Caretaker Chairmen and executive members of party in the 23 local government areas, also cast their votes.

The participation and conduct of the exercise was peaceful, orderly and done according to the relevant provisions and guidelines as contained in the party constitution.

As the electoral umpire, Chief Vincent Umahi announced the chairmanship result declaring Obuah winner, the hall erupted in jubilation. And for 10 minutes, Obuah sang and danced. He picked his favorite tunes in turn; from ‘Godwin’ to ‘Anate’ before the crowd roared with ‘Chairmo, Chairmo, our chairmo’. The party moved from the hall to the waiting crowd outside the edifice.

Amidst the excitement, Obuah took the microphone and gave his acceptance speech. He said his joy knew no bounds as the day had come and gone.

No Parallel Congress in Ekiti Two of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members in Ekiti State, Comrade J. K. Oni and Alhaji Gani Bankole purportedly elected in a state congress of the party different from the one in which Gboyega Oguntuase was elected have disassociated themselves from the congress.

Oni and Bankole said they did not take part in any other state congress of the PDP in Ekiti State apart from the only one authorized by the party and supervised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) where Oguntuase emerged as the state Chairman, Comrade J. K. Oni as state Financial Secretary, among others.

The statement read; “Our attention has been drawn to report orchestrated by some faceless individuals that a State Congress of the PDP other than the one in which Gboyega Oguntuase was elected took place in Ekiti

State today.

“The report also indicated that we, Oni and Bankole were “elected” as Vice Chairman Central and South senatorial dDistricts respectively.

“We wish to state categorically that we did not take part in any other state congress of the PDP in Ekiti State apart from the only one authorized by the party and supervised by the INECwhere Barrister Oguntuase emerged as the state Chairman, Oni as state Financial Secretary among others.

“We hereby disassociate ourselves from the so-called congress, if it ever took place and warn that henceforth, on no account should our names be associated with such fraud.

“We are totally committed to the leadership of our governor, Dr Peter Ayodele Fayose and the success of the Gboyega Oguntuase-led State Executives of our party that were elected today, May 10, 2016 at Adetiloye Hall, Trade Fair Complex, Ado-Ekiti.”

TETE-A-TETE

Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu (left), and Enugu State Governor, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, discussing at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) State Congress in Enugu....yesterday

Okowa Lauds Deltans on Peaceful Congresses

Ekpo Returns as Akwa Ibom Chairman

Esiso emerges state party chairman

Okon Bassey in Uyo

Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has said the peaceful congresses recorded by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the ward to the state level were clear testimonies that “Deltans are organised and peaceful people.”

The governor made the statement yesterday in Asaba during the state congress of the PDP. At the congress which was conducted by an 11-man team from the PDP Secretariat in Abuja, led by Mrs. Uzo Nwandu and supervised by a team of officials from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Kingsley Esiso emerged as the Chairman of the party while Val Arenyinka was elected as Deputy Chairman.

Others who emerged victorious in the congress which was devoid of any form of rancour were, Mr. Moses Iduh, vice chairman, Delta North Senatorial District; Chief A. Fovie, Vice chairman, Delta Central Senatorial District; Hon. Emmanuel Agbanigbo, Vice Chairman, Delta

South Senatorial District; Chief Godday Nzete, secretary; Mr. John Okoroloko, Assistant Secretary; Hon. Deighan Macaulay, Treasurer; Hon. Tony Anuku, Assistant Treasurer; Mr. RalphAsi, Financial Secretary; Hon. Michael Osuoza, Publicity Secretary; Mr London Owofasa, Assistant Publicity Secretary; Mr Sunday Onoriode, Organizing Secretary; Odior Bernard, Legal Adviser; Hessington Okolo, Assistant Legal Adviser; Chief J. J. Scott, Auditor; among others.

Governor Okowa stated: “We thank God for a very peaceful congress in our state, the ward and local government congresses were peaceful and Delta State has shown that we are organised people, we are proud of ourselves.”

“In a very peaceful congress, we have been able to elect our 27-man executive committee for our great party, the PDP; I commend PDP faithful, I commend the youths for the roles they play and I thank our women and our elders for their commitment to our party,” the governor emphasised.

Akwa Ibom State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has returned, Obong Paul Ekpo as the state Chairman of the party.

The former secretary of the party, Sir Ibanga Akpabio was returned as Deputy Chairman while the post of the secretary of the party went to Mr. Harrisson Ekpo.

THISDAY gathered that all those who contested the state congress elections were returned unopposed as there was no opposition candidate in the contest held at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium..

In an acceptance speech, the reelected state party chairman thanked the leader of the party in the state, Governor Udom Emmanuel for the confident and believes he has on the new state exco sworn into office for the next four years.

Ekpo who described himself as a crony loyalist to constituted authority pledged that all the members of the state exco will be loyal to the state governor as the leader of the party.in the state.

He called on members of the exco to be loyal, committed, and steadfast in the running of the party.

The governor in a remark, said the transparent conduct of the congress in the state has proved to the people of the state and the world that PDP was together.

H described the congress as the most peaceful one he watched even in the Europe and thanked members of the national and state congress committees for following due process in the conduct of the exercise.

Also reacting over the conduct of the congress, Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, said the manner with which PDP conducted the ward; local and state congresses would further strengthen the party and make it win more elections in the future.

He declared, “I commend the peaceful conduct of the state congress and the harmonious relationship of the party in the state.

“I have just exercised my franchise and I want to commend the party for conducting a peaceful exercise in the state.

“If we can achieve this kind of harmony in Akwa Ibom, I think the future of PDP is bright in the national level.

WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2016 • T H I S D AY

60

CRIME&PUNISHMENT Again, Gunmen Kill Five in Rivers Army arrests 17 suspected cultists, robbers

Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt Tragedy once again struck in parts of Rivers State yesterday as five persons were killed in the state.

Two civilian security men were hacked to death at the premises of the state High Court Complex, Port Harcourt while three other persons were shot dead at Bori, headquarters of Khana Local Government Area of the state.

This came as the Nigerian Army said it has arrested 17 suspected cultists and armed robbers alleged to have carried out several killings and theft in Rivers.

THISDAY gathered that the assailants who visited the Rivers Judiciary Complex attacked three civilian security guards who were on night duty with machete and axes.

Two of the victims died on the spot while one, who was also heavily inflicted with machete cuts, was rushed to a health facility where he is now receiving treatment.

A female security guard, who did not wish to be named, said

the victims were killed with machete and axes.

She stated that the killers had gained entrance into the court premises through the gate while the guards were asleep and pounced on them with the weapons.

The Chief Security Officer in charge of the judiciary complex, Mr. Batubo Douglas, confirmed that the victims were hacked to death with sticks, machetes and axes.

Douglas expressed regret that there was no armed security personnel in the complex when the incident took place.

He decried the security challenges at the complex, noting that the administrative body of the judiciary had applied to the police to deploy its men in the area.

He said the request was approved just on Monday, adding that the operatives were yet to resume duty before the incident took place.

His words: “We have not seen this level of security challenge before, where killers will invade a public establishment and kill people with machetes and axes.

“We applied to the police to

give us police and the request was approved yesterday (Monday) and in the night this thing happened.

“When the incident took place there was no armed security operative around.”

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Ahmad Muhammad (DSP), confirmed the incident and said investigation into the killings had commenced.

All activities at the Rivers State Judiciary were grounded yesterday as the court complex was under lock-and-key following the killing.

In Bori, yet-to-be-identified gunmen on Monday night shot and killed one Mr. Charles Otukpor, and two others.

The trio were said to have been shot dead by gunmen, who were riding on a motorcycle along the popular Polytechnic Road in the traditional headquarters of Ogoni ethnic

nationality.

Otukpor was said to be a staff of the Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic, Bori, while one of the two others, identified as Nekabari is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ward 1, Khana local government area of the state.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Muhammad, also confirmed the killing of the three persons.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army said yesterday that it had arrested 17 suspected cultists and armed robbers alleged to have carried out several killings and theft in Rivers.

The Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 2 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, Capt. Eli Lazarus, presented the suspects, arms and ammunition to journalists in Port Harcourt.

He said several arms and live ammunition were

seized during its raid aimed at stopping the current wave of killings and armed robbery in the state.

He said: “Following heightened criminal activities, the 2 Brigade Army conducted several raid operations on criminals and cultists’ hideouts in the state.

“These operations led to the recovery of several weapons including 16 AK 47 rifles, five General Purpose Machine guns and two Fabrique National rifles.

“Others are six Pump Action rifles, three G-3 rifles, 11 Short Dane guns, six locally made pistols, two Beretta pistols, two Revolver pistols and nine pieces of dynamite.”

Lazarus said live ammunition seized from the suspects were three G-3 magazines, 11 Fabrique National magazines, 15 AK-47 rifle magazines and 508 rounds of 7.62mm (NATO) ammunition.

He listed other ammunition to include 313 rounds of 7.62mm (special) ammunition, 14 rounds of 0.9mm ammunition and three cartridges.

The army spokesman said troops also recovered from the suspects, military boots, belts, three lanyards and one fragmental jacket.

“The operations were conducted at Ahoada East, Ogbogoro community in Obio/ Akpor Local Government Area; Omoku in Ogba/Egbema/ Ndoni and Isiokpo in Ikwerre LGA,” he said.

Lazarus said the operation would continue until other cultists, kidnappers, armed robbers are either arrested or chased out from the state.

He called on members of the public to provide security agencies with timely information that would lead to arrest of criminals in the state and in its environs.

EFCC Arrests Human Rights Lawyer, Adegboruwa for Allegedly Renting out Forfeited Property Chiemelie Ezeobi Prominent Human rights activist, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, who also doubles as a lawyer to the wanted Niger Delta militant, Government Ekpemupolo aka Tompolo, was yesterday arrested at his Lekki office by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The commission was said to have arrested Adegboruwa for allegedly obtaining money under false pretence by knowingly renting out a forfeited asset without due authorisation.

According to the commission, the lawyer had allegedly conspired

with some other persons to lease a property situated at House 105 NICON Town Estate, Lekki Lagos, to one Shelf Drilling Nigeria Limited at the sum of N61,631,944.65.

The payment was said to have been credited to his bankaccount, from where he disbursed the funds to others including churches.

The EFCC said Adegboruwa acted illegally by leasing out the said property, which is a subject of an Interim Forfeiture Order by a Lagos State High Court.

The commission said Adegboruwa would be charged to court as soon as possible.

NDLEA Arraigns Man over Export of Diazepam Tablets, Injections The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) yesterday charged a 35-years-old man, Mike Ndasi, before a Federal High Court in Lagos for drug peddling.

The accused is standing trial on a two-count charge bordering on unlawful possession and export of restricted drug substances.

He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Following a bail application moved by his counsel, Mr A. Nnamuko, Justice Saliu Saidu, granted the accused bail in the sum of N1 million with two sureties in like sum.

The judge added that one of the sureties must be a blood relation of the accused, with proof of landed property in Lagos.

He thereafter, adjourned the case to July 6 for trial.

In the charge, the accused was

alleged to have committed the offence on February 13.

The prosecutor, Mr. Augustine Agwu alleged that he was arrested at the shed of the Nigeria Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO), at the Murtala Muhammed Airport.

He said the accused was arrested for exporting about 2.75 kilogramme of Diazepam tablet, and 24.5 kiloggramme of Diazepam Injection.

He said the drugs are classified by the NDLEA as restricted narcotic substances, having similar nature with cocaine and Heroine LSD. According to him, the offence contravenes the provisions of sections 11 (b) of the NDLEA Act, Cap N30 Laws of the Federation, 2004.

The Act provides for a term of life imprisonment if found guilty of drug trafficking.

ON BIAFRA WE STAND

Members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) during a peaceful protest in Aba....yesterday

Lawyer Petitions AIG over Threat to Life of Court Bailiff by DCO Lawyer and human rights activist, Mr. Dania Abdullahi, has petitioned the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2 Command Onikan, Lagos, on the abuse of office by the Divisional Crime Officer (DCO) in charge of the Ago Police Station, Isolo-Lagos, Abdullai Kasimu.

In the petition dated May 4, 2016, the lawyer is seeking the immediate transfer of a tenancy case file been investigated by Kasimu.

He said his client, Mr. Ernest Nwanoro, a Senior Bailiff/ Sheriff of the Federal High Court, is resident at No 21, Ajoke Okunsanya Street, Ago Palace Way, Okota Lagos, which is owned by an ex-Comptroller of Customs, Chief John Ogundoju, but managed by his daughter and husband, Mr. and Mrs. Eniafe Adeola.

He said Nwanoro was given a notice to quit the apartment by an agent of the landlord, one Lanre, but before the expiration of the notice, he (Lanre) in company of some policemen from the Ago Police Division, stormed his premises, and disconnected, both his power and water supply and also illegally barricaded the entrance to his premises.

He said on April 28, 2016, at about 10p.m., his client (Nwanoro) got a call from the said Lanre, for him to report at the police station.

He said his client was surprised at the call, as he was aware that such invitation ought to be served on him by a serving police officer and also ought not to be by night.

He said on April 29, him and his client went to the saidAgo police station and requested to see the DCO, but

was informed that he was away from office, and even the police officers at the station feigned ignorance of the invitation.

He said surprisingly on May 3, his client got a call from the DCO, threatening to shoot him, if he failed to appear at the station without fail.

He said his client’s house was subsequently, invaded afterwards, that he had to relocate his family to a friends place for safety.

According to the lawyer, he made several unsuccessful calls to the DCO and also sent text messages trying to find out the situation from him, but in return, the DCO used several negative aspersions on him.

He said the matter bordered on tenancy and is purely civil, but that it is obvious that the DCO has

been greatly compromised, since he has descended into the arena, and has been making uncomplimentary statements which is unbecoming of a police officer.

He argued that the threat of the DCO cannot be taken likely, and urges the AIG, to order the transfer of the matter from the Ago police division to his division for a discreet, unbiased and fair investigation He argued that it was important for the DCO to be cautioned on the position of the law as it relates to payment of rent, quite notice and all other issues of tenancy, adding that his client has not committed any offence.

All efforts to get the reaction of the said house managers on telephone, proved abortive as they refused to make any comment.

61

T H I S D AY •WEDNESDAY MAY 11 2016

WEDNESDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

NPFL… NPFL… NPFL…

Giwa’s Expulsion Imminent as Club Set to Boycott Akwa Utd Clash The threat of expulsion from the league again hangs over Giwa players as they look set to stay away from today’s Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) match against Akwa United in Ilorin, where the Jos club has been banished to after crowd trouble at the Rwang Pam Stadium in the Plateau State capital.

Giwa has already failed to honour a game in Ilorin, against Wikki Tourists, who has since been awarded the match.

The Jos club will be missing two matches if it failed to turn up for today’s match against Akwa United.

Giwa also have a home game

left to play in Ilorin to complete the sanctions slapped on the team for crowd trouble during the Rangers match.

According to the rules of the league, a team will be thrown out of the competition should they miss a total of three matches without an acceptable reason.

A player of the club informed AfricanFootball.com yesterday that he along with the other players are still in Jos and are not sure if they will travel to Ilorin for the game against Akwa United.

“I can’t really tell you anything about the game, but we the players are confused right now because we are still in

Cricket: Indian Coach Inspires Nigeria’s World Division 4 Quest Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja India has deployed one of her top coaches, Shriam Renganathan, to the Nigeria cricket team for the World Cricket League Division 5 competition billed for Jersey Island from May 19 through May 29.

Nigeria will compete in the same group with Tanzania, Gurnsey, Jersey Island, Oman and Vanuatu for the two available slots that will upgrade them to Division 4, the highest level ever to be attained by the country in world cricket.

Failure to progress will see them remain in Division 5 or demoted to Division 6.

Renganathan is a Level A coach certified by the Board of Control for Cricket India (BCCI) to assist national coach Uche Ogbimi.

The President of Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) Emeka Onyeama, said yesterday that Renganathian is in the country in his voluntary capacity and will help in taking

Nigerian players to the platform that will expose them to world level.

Onyeama said the technical agreement with India will also enable Nigerian players play professional cricket in India, considered one of world’s leading cricket nations.

The Nigerian team of 16 players, who have been in camp since February, will depart for London on Wednesday for a number of pre-tournament warm up matches before heading to Jersey Island.

“The International Cricket Council (ICC) has set up a World Cup League that will take us to the final stage of the league of ‘big boys’. Division 4 is a higher platform of rating which we are targeting to raise the quality of the game in Nigeria as well as explore commercial opportunities,’’ Onyeama said.

Nigeria’s captain, Kunle Adegbola, expressed confidence the ‘Yellow Greens’will qualify for Division 4, saying the 16 selected players out of 40 that went through three camping phases since February are the best in the country.

Jos now (6:10pm Tuesday),” one of the Giwa players informed AfricanFootball.com .

“Nobody has given us any information if we are going for the match or not.”

Meanwhile, FC IfeanyiUbah centre-back Chibuzor Okonkwo has said his side will not drop any more points in their remaining matches left on the league calendar.

The Nnewi outfit will host Lobi Stars in a midweek Nigerian top-flight Match-day 16 clash in Nnewi.

Okonkwo said his side has shifted their attention to the match against the Pride of Benue after the 0-2 thumping at Akwa United.

“We are not dropping any more points at home or away in our remaining matches.

“One point from a possible nine in our immediate past three matches is not a good scorecard for us.

“We want to return to winning ways once again, starting with the match-up on Wednesday against Lobi Stars.

“After the defeat at Akwa

Elkanemi v Kano Pillars Ikorodu Utd v Plateau Utd Sunshine v Rangers Shooting v W’Wolves Rivers Utd v Wikki Nasarawa v A’ Warriors Giwa v Akwa Utd IfeanyiUbah v Lobi MFM v Enyimba Tornadoes v Heartland

on the 20-team top flight on 23 points, five points behind leaders and neighbours Enugu Rangers.

Eto’o (left) and Yobo in Turkey...at the weekend

Eto’o, Terry to be Honoured at Yobo Centenary in Port Harcourt

Duro Ikhazuagbe

FCT Tackles Kwara in Central Conference Final Today

In the second semi-final, Unilorin Secondary School defeated Success High Grade Model School Keffi, Nasarawa State by 30-13 to set up the final with FCT. In the girls’category, Government Secondary School Gboko, Benue will confront Queen Amina College, Kaduna State in the final.

Government Secondary School Gboko, Benue State beat Government Secondary School Bida, Niger State 25-18 points, while Queen Amina College, Kaduna outplayed Government Secondary School Wuse, Abuja 30-17.

Enugu Rangers strongman to supersport.com.

FC IfeanyiUbah is seventh

MATCH DAY 16

The most decorated African player of all time, Samuel Eto’o Fils, along with some other top footballers from Africa and Europe are to be honoured at the Joseph Yobo Centenary Game scheduled for May 27 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The event planned to 1 8 T H N E ST L E M I LO B AS K E T B A L L celebrate the retirement of the former Super Eagles captain from the beautiful game is bankrolled majorly by the Rivers State government with points nailed the match for the support from a few other firms.

Two determined and hard working Yobo who met with the schools, Government Secondary FCT boys.

School Karu, Abuja and Unilorin Secondary School Ilorin, Kwara State, will meet in the Central Conference Boys final slated for today at the University of Ilorin Indoor Sport Hall.

Yesterday, Government Secondary School Karu, Abuja narrowly edged out Government Secondary School Minna, Niger State 23-22 to progress to the Central Conference finals in a keenly contested encounter in the ongoing Nestle Milo Secondary Basketball Championship.

Captain of Government Secondary School Abuja, Augustine Richard, who had 12

United we told ourselves that we must get it right against Lobi Stars,” said the former

Camerounian superstar at his Antalyaspor club in Turkey at the weekend confirmed that Eto’o along with outgoing Chelsea captain, John Terry, are going to be honoured for their contributions to the game.

“Joseph Yobo met with Samuel Eto’o over the weekend in Europe and the Camerounian reconfirmed that he is coming to Port Harcourt to be part of Yobo’s testimonial as well as personally receive the award planned for him,” observed the Coordinator of the Yobo Centenary Game, Waidi Akanni.

Akanni who is also a former Super Eagles player revealed that the coming of Eto’o and all the other big European and African players to Port Harcourt is creating a buzz in the Garden City.

“Our chief host, the Rivers State Governor, His Excellency, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, is very enthusiastic of receiving all the football superstars coming to Port Harcourt. He has promised us that everyone coming to the Rivers State capital is going to leave with a lasting memory,” revealed Akanni.

After an illustrious career with top clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Chelsea, Everton and others, Eto’o currently plays as a striker for Turkish club Antalyaspor.

He won the African Player of the Year award a record four times: in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2010. He was third in the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 2005. Eto’o scored over 100 goals in five seasons with Barcelona, and is also the record holder in number of appearances by an African player in La Liga.

Zenith Bank WBL: It’s Dolphins, First Bank Final As predicted, defending champions Dolphins are to take on city rivals, First Bank’s Elephant Girls, in the final of the 12th Zenith Bank Women Basketball League scheduled for the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium tomorrow.

Dolphins yesterday zoomed into the final after out-dunking the Nigeria Customs 74-53 in the first

semi-final game of the Final 8 tournament.

First Bank on the other hand, ran riot crushing IGP Queens 105-22 en-route the final. The second semi final was a clear case of mismatch opponents as the Elephant Girls proved too hot for Queens from Abuja to handle.

The coach Ochuko Okorogu-tutored girls led

from the first to the last fourth quarter to prove bookmakers right.

Meanwhile, Dolphins players and officials are to pay a courtesy call on the Group Managing Director of Zenith Bank Peter Amangbo tomorrow at the corporate head office of the bank in Victoria Island, Lagos.

In the classification

matches played yesterday, Plateau Rocks defeated AHIP Queens of Kano 63 -56 while Benue Princess bowed to Delta Force 59-42.

The All-Stars game of the 2016 edition of the Zenith Bank Women Basketball League scheduled for today is to take place with 24 players listed for action inside the Indoor Sports Hall of the Sport-city in Lagos.

62

WEDNESDAY, MAY ,  • T H I S D AY

WEDNESDAYSPORTS

Much Ado About Foreign Coach for Super Eagles Obi Ogbu I sit in my study this morning reflecting, not for the first time this week, why my dear country, Nigeria is one that is never able to get the simplest things right.

Today, I am not thinking about the state of the economy, or the price of oil in the international market, or advancement in technology in other spheres, or the pathetic state of infrastructure back home, or poor funding for education, health and agriculture, or the treacherous state of the roads, or even the unacceptable truism that 16 years into a new Millennium, rail transportation is not available in Nigeria (the world’s fifth biggest producer of oil)!

I have elected to avert my mind to the debate over whether the national football team should have an indigenous coach or an expatriate coach.

Indeed, the government of the day preaches self –sustenance, looking inwards and making do mostly with Nigeria –made.

Great policy. But what happens to those areas where we cannot find Nigerians who are highly qualified and able and capable of doing a great job?

If we can do it all alone, why is President Muhammadu Buhari traveling all over the world seeking help from those nations? The latest I heard, we are asking for a huge loan from China to finance rail infrastructure.

Having followed the game passionately for decades, I dare say that football is one area in which we cannot find highly qualified Nigerians capable of doing a good job of coaching the Super Eagles toworld standards.

Simple analysis would show us that we have gravitated around all the likely candidates and none has shown that he can lead us to elite footballing status. There’s being no foundation, moral or mental rigour required. Period.

The only ever likely candidates, at all times, are Stephen Keshi, Samson Siasia, Austin Eguavoen, Sunday Oliseh... Any other name? I dunno. Keshi did well winning the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2013 and taking the team to the Round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup, and surely is the best of the pack that we have. But he had problems relating with his employers, whether they were the Aminu Maigari team that brought him on board or the Amaju Pinnick board that desired to retain him.

Keshi did a wonderful job qualifying the team for the World Cup, but how come he failed to pick Nigeria’s best players for that World Cup? We had a number of injured average players, journeymen and schoolboy players in Brazil.

Siasia replaced a very poor Oliseh, whose technical ability was not in question but was never able tomanage relationships with either employers or players or assistants – key managerial quality. Siasia wanted so much to rewrite his story, having failed to qualify the Super Eagles for the 2012 Africa Cup. In truth, the damage was partly done before he was called upon, but he could have rescued things by picking players who could have won matches for him in Kaduna and Alexandria.

Instead, he left creative actors like Alex Iwobi and Kelechi Iheanacho on the bench and threw his lot with the likes of Aminu Umar.

Can we bring back Eguavoen at this time?

Certainly no, which brings me to the question of why even people who are supposed to know better are opposing the idea of a foreign coach for the Super Eagles.

A week ago, on the internet I came across an article by a former captain of the Green Eagles (also a former NFA Board Member), Segun Odegbami. I shuddered going through the piece because it underscored the petty and envious attitude prevalent in Nigeria society and football administration.

Even Odegbami is campaigning against foreign coach! That was the comment of a friend of mine. Sometime in the late 1990s, the same Odegbami was a key member of The Three Wise Men who were sent to Europe to interview and select a foreign coach for

Keshi

Oliseh

Westerhof

Bonfere Jo

Nigeria. His illogical reasoning tainted by prejudices aren’t even valid in a global sport.

Which brings me to the charge by the Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, that the NFF must convince him about their ability to pay before he would approve the employment of a foreign coach!

It sounded most ridiculous. A few colleagues have reasoned that the NFF board was now at a weak negotiating point because the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the Africa Cup on successive occasions. Even more ridiculous, if you consider the fact that Mr Dalung haven condoned Giwa’s divisive shenanigans if not surreptitiously encouraged it. Board could chose to resign following the poor outing of a team, however, if it does not, it continues to discharge its duties and function appropriately without any inferiority complex.

I would lay some of the blame at the doorstep of the NFF board over this fiasco.

The employment of Sunday Oliseh was a wrong move. They should have known that a leopard does not change its skin. They might have had good intention but they gave him too much latitude and he did collateral damage before they realised he was no good.

But again hindsight is 20:20 as NFF Board members aren’t elected on clairvoyance resumes.

Perhaps, we would still have been able to call on Vincent Enyeama for the Super Eagles.

Last week, he was mentioned as sixth best goalkeeper in Europe, which is some great achievement. I would prefer that the NFF work assiduously to bring Enyeama back to the team, because goalkeepers get better with age. Gianluigi Buffon, and before him Lev Yashin, Sepp Maier, Dino Zoff, Peter Shilton, David Seaman and Rinat Dassaev proved that.

Back to the issue at hand. The minister’s position is not only untenable, it is condemnable. Is Dalung not aware that his Sports Ministry pays a couple of expatriate High Performance Directors (Angelo Taylor and Eric Campbell, if my memory serves me right) in athletics? Is he unaware that basketball, which is, realistically, lower in ranking to football in Nigeria, has an expatriate coach in the person of American William Voigt? Is Dalung unaware that the Rugby Federation in Nigeria has a foreigner as coach?

Political appointment as minister of sports

should really be also based on a modicum of acceptable technical and moral competence.

Why is Nigeria such a nation of political pretenders? Football is the nation’s biggest unifier. Nothing else brings together our peoples across various mental and physical divides than football. Yet, we treat the sport with so much levity. In other climes, national leaders understand the strategic role of football support and peace, national identity and cohesion. Mr Greg Dyke of the English FA and Prime Minister Cameron meet often to give more credence to the above notion.

What is the big deal about employing an expatriate coach with the right expertise and management ability to steer the Super Eagles to new levels of excellence? Despite their fervent nationalism, the US signed on German Jurgen Klinsmann. Not too long ago, Italian Fabio Capello was in charge of England’s Three Lions. Capello went from coaching England to coaching Russia.

Dutchman Guus Hiddink has also coached Russia. French-Pole Henryk Kasperczak spent so many years in Africa coaching Cote d’Ivoire and Tunisia. Frenchman Roger Lemerre coached Tunisia. Brazilian Carlos Perreira coached South Africa not too long ago. Frenchman Claude LeRoy has coached for decades in Africa and won the Africa Cup with Cameroun.

Egypt, which sent us packing from the 2017 AFCON race, has an Argentine, Hector Cuper, in charge. In the soccer world, there are so many individuals from other climes who are thriving whether in charge of national teams or clubs. Neither of the two teams looking likely to reach the final of the UEFA Champions League (Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid) is coached by Spaniards.

The present debate makes me to reflect, and with regret, the lack of action by the NFF Board of 2010, which had discussions with Frenchman Herve Renard at the Africa Cup in Angola, but chose to sign Swede Lars Lagerback to take the Super Eagles to the World Cup in South Africa. Since then, Renard has won the Africa Cup with Zambia (2012) and Cote d’Ivoire (2015), and has now qualified Morocco for the 2017 finals.

In Africa, I am aware that in Ghana, the government pays the salary of Coach Avram Grant. The same thing happens in Egypt,

and in most African countries. Why should Nigeria be different? How would we expect a federation that is always broke (because the Government gives it pittance, in line with its very low ranking of sports) to pay for a foreign coach?

The job of Mr. Dalung includes taking important memos to the Federal Executive Council. A memo in respect of the government paying for the employment of a foreign coach for the Super Eagles would be in order, much more useful than Dalung’s pastime of exhuming ‘dead’ bodies.

Incredibly, Dalung has spent more time, energy and resources on resurrecting the long –forgotten case of Chris Giwa, who continues to delude himself that he ‘won’ an election into office as NFF president. Giwa lost everywhere, including at the Court of Arbitration for Sports, a full six months before Dalung came into office.

Dalung’s friend added comic relief to the whole sordid drama when, in one of his ‘actions in charge’, appointed a deceased referee for a Nigeria league match involving his own club!

The sports minister is daily lampooning the NFF or simulating one crisis after the other.

At a recent contract signing with Spanish Premier League, Dalung inelegantly and unnecessarily made references to “squabbles among stakeholders in Nigeria football.” Some minister of the Federal Republic!

If as it claims, the government does not have enough money to give to football and still be able to take care of other critical sectors, it can enable legislation that will help the cause of sports. The tax holiday that is so much talked –about is not working because most of the big companies in Nigeria would rather not talk about sports sponsorship, after taking care of extra too many expenses along the way.

Rather, multinationals should and can contribute a percentage of their earnings to an escrow football, nay sports account, for coaching hire and training, and build the capacity of administrators to function optimally.

I only became interested in the persons holding office at the NFF a few months ago when, on a trip to Nigeria, I was invited by a friend to a charity football tournament organised by Seyi Akinwunmi of Lagos FA. At the event, I got to meet Akinwunmi and realised that he is the son of Sylvanus Akinwunmi, who logged remarkable feats as Chairman of the National Sports Commission in the early 1990s. I remember the elder Akinwunmi was in office when we qualified for our first FIFA World Cup, won the Africa Cup in 1994 and also did well at the World Cup in America.

Seyi Akinwunmi has scored respectably on the football and youth development. He is first vice president of NFF. Amaju Pinnick, NFF President brings his accomplishments with Delta State FA and grooming athletes for the national, continental and global laurels to the table. Shehu Dikko (second vice president) is also chairman of the League Company that is being praised for revival andinnovations to the local football league.

This balanced triumvirate of accomplished young Nigerians have all it takes between them to stem the rot in Nigeria football.

The system of indolence and nepotistic corruption as always in all sectors fights back, enlisting gullible power mongers in reactionary gerrymandering. Amaju, Seyi and Shehu can clean the Aegean stable of the football house so Nigeria can rebuild with strategic determination.

Support, that is what is lacking for the NFF board and management. If they desire a foreign coach, it is the minister’s duty to go the extra mile to convince Mr. President and the FEC. Football is a big issue with Nigerians, and the sooner the sports minister and his team realises that, the better for them and for the Nigeria game.

• Ogbu is the commissioner in charge of USA-based Nigerian Soccer League (NSL)

T H I S D AY WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2016

63

Wednesday May 11, 2016

TR

UT H

& RE A S O

N

Price: N250

MISSILE

Okechukwu to Lamido

“Why not as long as the person saved us the agony of not telling us that the south has been marginalised or the north has been marginalised then we are on the same berth. It is now incumbent on him to tell us his programme what he wants to do that PDP did not do in the last 16 years or whether for him, PDP did so well, if he tells us the PDP did so well, then we have enough armour and arms to confront him with” –A chieftain of APC, Osita Okechukwu, admonishing a former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, to tell Nigerians what his party, PDP, did in the last 16 years to warrant another shot at the presidency.

MAGNUSONYIBE GUEST COLUMNIST

A

The Buhari Appeal

s the old saying goes, a prophet is not recognised at his home but often times revered outside. As President Muhammadu Buhari is increasingly being assailed in the social media he is now being courted abroad. This week, he is billed to be in the United Kingdom for a conference on anti-corruption, a subject about which our president is very passionate.

This is ironic because, President Buhari was venerated in the social media during the campaign for the election in which he was overwhelmingly elected president, barely one year ago.

General Buhari, as he was known a year ago, was a cult figure amongst the talakawas or the masses in his homestead, which is the core northern part of Nigeria, but arising from his draconian rule as military head of state - December 1983-1986-Nigerians across tribal divides, started loving and disliking him in equal proportions.

Hence he ran for the presidency thrice, 2003, 2007 and 2011, unsuccessfully.

But following a political re-alignment that made him the candidate of a broad coalition of political parties, his candidacy was so popular that he had the appeal of 10 A-list Nollywood stars together, and could pull crowds to his campaign rallies that only evangelical preachers like, Reverend Bonkhe could attract to a religious crusade. The reason for his magnetic appeal is because he was a symbol of integrity and epitome of probity contesting on a nationally spread political platform.

Buhari brooked no nonsense and he never compromised his rigid principles. At a time when mind boggling embezzlement of public funds by politicians in the executive arm of government and stealing of trillions of naira from civil servants pension funds by civil servants became pervasive, Nigerian voters were looking for a messiah. Moreso as Boko Haram terrorists were decimating lives in the North-eastern parts and rampaging through huge swathes of land and claiming Nigerian territories by hoisting their flags.

Nigerians actually totally embraced Buhari as evident in the nearly 15 million votes cast in his favour nationwide, which was about 2.5 million more than the close to 13 million votes cast in favour of former President Goodluck Jonathan. So, truly, it was the votes of the masses that swept Buhari into office as president and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of Nigeria on March 28th 2015. This perhaps is the reason the sense of expectations of Nigerians from Buhari’s presidency were as huge as the wave of sentiments that swept him into office.

It took awfully a long time — five months — to name a cabinet, Nigerians grew more impatient, and that took a toll on Buhari’s image too. Along with the long delay in setting up government, came anxiety of voters, in addition to fellow politicians, who started feeling frustrated, that the reward of appointment of other political stakeholders, into political offices, like boards of parastatals etc., had become elusive. Another critical Buhari appeal repellent is the fact that the Chibok girls abducted in April by Boko Haram terrorists about two years ago have remained in captivity.

Although, the dastardly activities of the terrorist, Boko Haram group have been greatly curtailed and most of the territories earlier captured are being recovered by gallant Nigerian soldiers bolstered by sophisticated equipment, the

Buhari

danger faced by the victims and misery of the families left behind, still leave bad taste in the mouth. That too has rubbed off badly on Buhari’s stellar image, because getting rid of Boko Haram and bringing the estimated 218 kidnapped Chibok school girls home were campaign promises, which voters took very seriously and they have remained unfulfilled.

None realisation of the expectations of Chibok girls being brought home has also been toxic to Buhari’s appeal.

To crown all the missteps or perceived sins of Buhari, listed above, 2016 national budget, which is a routine record of planned income and expenditure for a designated period was bogged down in parliament, for months before it was signed into law. Worst still, the document was also dogged by accusations and counter accusations of “padding” by the executive and the legislative arms of government. Again, though he has apologised for the budget mess, President Buhari is being held accountable for the poor handling of the budget fiasco, thus demystifying his superhuman toga-body language, new sheriff in town-conferred on him at inception of his regime.

Even if the global economic meltdown stemming from the sudden crash in crude oil price, which is Nigeria’s main forex earner, was not the fault of President Buhari, he has been made the ‘fall-guy’, as the grim and biting reality of poverty have turned some former Buhari devotees into critics. With all of the above listed lofty public expectations not being met by Buhari, Nigerians felt betrayed and the bubble burst as the president’s high approval rating plummeted and a man who is legendarily invincible, became hollow in some quarters. The angst in the polity is so palpable that some would argue that if Buhari should contest for an election in Kano, home to his most ardent supporters, he would likely suffer a loss. So in just one year, President Buhari’s image has swung 360 per cent from very well loved to being resented.

In the light of the foregoing scenario, it is unsurprising that his unprecedented foreign trips is attracting bile and ire of Nigerians, so much so that all sorts of caricatures have been made of the president in the social media and even cartoons, in mainstream newspapers.

Consequently, President Buhari’s media handlers are having quite an arduous task trying to restore his pre-election image without much luck. Cabinet

member and super minister —controlling three powerful portfolios — power, works and housing, Babatunde Fashola, had weighed in with his characteristic intellectual fervour. Not many Nigerians were impressed by Fashola’s salesmanship as he tried to rationalise the president’s numerous travels, simply because all other sore points were already stacked up against President Buhari. So his numerous foreign travels to foreign lands are the most easily identifiable soft targets to anchor public resentment.

Contrary to the current situation of being loathed back home, Buhari’s supporters argue that his frequent international travels is a reflection of the magnetism to his personality by his fellow heads of government who are enamoured by his characteristic abhorrence of corruption and have been extending invitations to him, left right and centre to visit or participate in their pet projects etc. The last trip was to China on a state visit from which he returned with a harvest of loans and business deals — naira/ yuan swap — that could ameliorate the pressure on the meagre forex in Nigeria’s foreign reserve when implemented.

Corruption can’t be wiped out overnight, so it’s a scientific and systemic approach, rather than a bulldozing attitude that would work better to cure Nigeria of the disease. What’s the point chasing a bull into a China shop where

all the delicate wares could be broken in the process of catching the bull?

The president must also try to reset his warm relationship with his home base, by reaching out to the poor masses in more profound ways than he is currently doing. As he pointed out during his budget signing ritual, living in Aso Rock has not changed him, so he still feels the pains of the masses, which is why he has to set about proving his continuous connection to the grassroots. To find his way back to the hearts and minds of his local base and regain his momentum, Buhari has to quickly start implementing his social security programmes, which should not include sustenance of the naira guzzling fuel subsidy.

Yes, N5,000 stipend would go to the poor monthly and 500,000 graduates would get jobs as teachers, as provided in the recently signed 2016 appropriation bill, but how far would that go towards assuaging the disappointment and anger of the people. The alternative strategy is for the president to find ways of boosting employment by keeping the industries running.

It’s only an employed person that can afford a roof over his/her head and “three” square meals.

•Onyibe, a development strategist, is a former commissioner in Delta State.

NOTE: The rest of this article continues in the online edition of THISDAY: www.thisdaylive.com

THE PRUDENCE OF TURNING THE OTHER CHEEK CHIEF, IT APPEARS YOU’RE THE ONLY FARMER IN THIS COMMUNITY WHO GOT OFF WITH A SLAP ON THE WRIST FROM THE RAVAGING HERDSMEN!

INTERESTING! HOW DID YOU COME TO THAT CONCLUSION, CHIEF?

AS INSTRUCTED BY THE HOLY BIBLE OR IN THE FIGURATIVE SENSE, SIR?

YES, THAT’S BECAUSE I LEARNT QUICKLY NOT TO FALL INTO THE TRAP OF THINKING THE POLICE OR THE GOVERNMENT WILL COME TO MY AID!

I SAW WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FARMERS WHO FOUGHT BACK, HOPING THE POLICE WILL INTERVENE! IN MY OWN CASE, I TURNED THE OTHER CHEEK OBEDIENTLY!

TO STAY ALIVE, I LOOKED THE OTHER WAY AS THEIR ANIMALS ATE UP MY VALUED ECONOMIC CROPS! WHEN THEY WERE DONE, I TEARFULLY THANKED THEM!

11-05-16

Printed and Published in Abuja by THISDAY Newspapers Limited. Lagos: 35 Creek Road, Apapa, Lagos. Abuja: Plot 1, Sector Centre B, Jabi Business District, Solomon Lar Way, Jabi North East, Abuja .

All Correspondence to POBox 54749, Ikoyi, Lagos. EMAIL: editor@thisdaylive.com, info@thisdaylive.com. TELEPHONE Lagos: 0802 2924721-2, 08022924485. Abuja: Tel: 08155555292, 08155555929 24/7 ADVERTISING HOT LINES: 0811 181 3086, 0811 181 3087, 0811 181 3088, 0811 181 3089, 0811 181 3090. ENQUIRIES & BOOKING: adsbooking@thisdaylive.com